Not so long ago, I was asked to come in and help with the corporate personality, or culture of a company who was experiencing 75% annual turnover. Upon assessment, I found the employees to be feeling pretty depressed and helpless - the way a lot of workers are feeling right now. This is bad for business. When employees are depressed, facts show they are less productive too.
When an entire company becomes depressed, it's often a result of circumstances that management was unable to predict or control. For example, layoffs are affecting lots of companies right now, but I can tell you some will rebound quite easily, while others will fall apart. Here's why...
Every company has a corporate culture that creates a personality for the organization. Some companies actively try to create the personality, while others ignore it and let the personality form itself. And we all know every personality has its strengths and weaknesses. In times of stress, the companies who let the ugly side of their personality control the environment don't do so well. However, those companies that recognize their corporate personality's weaknesses and opt to alter them do much better. So, I ask you: Is your company's personality hurting their ability to bounce back in this economy? To help you decide, let me explain the four corporate personalities at their worst:
Commander: Intense and deadline-driven, work is no place for emotion and there is no such thing as appreciation. Their motto, "I don't care what you did for me yesterday. What can you do for me today?"Energizer: Overly-optimistic to the point of being insincere and insane. Their motto, "Everything is fine, it's great. Just think happy thoughts, be super-positive and we'll mentally will our company to improve. Now, let's do a team cheer!"Empathizer: Reeling in self-pity, everyone is gossiping doom and gloom, including management. Their motto, "I would get your resume out there. This is so bad, get out while you can!"Contemplator: Secretly horrified, but doesn't want the world to know, nor do they want to do anything rash or stupid. Their motto, "Let's put our heads down and work. The less we talk about it, the better."
If any of the above personalities sound like your place of employment, then your company could use some help getting back on track. In fact, maybe you even see all four types within your management team - multiply personalities in a corporate culture can exist too. So, what can be done?
The secret lies in knowing how to implement strategies that can pull the corporate culture out of its funk. It's done using a Ying & Yang Approach. Simply put, companies implement some things that are opposite to their personality as a way to pull the culture out of its tunnel vision and restore balance. Let me share an example...
The company I mentioned above had a Commander personality. They were deadline-driven, intense high achievers who prided themselves on hiring the best and the brightest that delivered unbelievable results. Unfortunately, they had a couple of setbacks with the loss of a few key clients that left them reeling. So, instead of stepping back and taking the pressure off, the stepped it up and put the pressure on the staff - the result was top talent leaving in droves. So, how did we fix it? We went 180 degrees on the staff.
We instituted some programs that went completely against the personality of the company. Employee appreciation programs and some changes in rules, along with some staff training to help close knowledge gaps and easy pressure to perform. (I must NOTE the only reason it worked is because the executives of the company were on board and willing to recognize they needed to change the strategy in order to change the results.) But it did work, turnover dropped dramatically, and they got back on track.
In summary, I know there is a lot of corporate anxiety and fear out there right now, and that brings out the worst in corporate cultures. However, employees AND companies need to move past this. The best way to do it is with some innovative approaches that help the personality of the workplace get back to a good place as quickly as possible. Understanding how your corporate culture needs to change is the key. My advice to managers - don't wait! There are plenty of low-cost ways to bring your culture back to a calm state. Just be sure to implement some so your company's personality doesn't get the best of it.
Do you know how managers and co-workers view you at work? More importantly…want to find out? Click here » to take our FREE career personality test.
[This article was originally posted on an earlier date]
J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.Photo credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Not so long ago, I was asked to come in and help with the corporate personality, or culture of a company who was experiencing 75% annual turnover. Upon assessment, I found the employees to be feeling pretty depressed and helpless - the way a lot of workers are feeling right now. This is bad for business. When employees are depressed, facts show they are less productive too.
When an entire company becomes depressed, it's often a result of circumstances that management was unable to predict or control. For example, layoffs are affecting lots of companies right now, but I can tell you some will rebound quite easily, while others will fall apart. Here's why...
Every company has a corporate culture that creates a personality for the organization. Some companies actively try to create the personality, while others ignore it and let the personality form itself. And we all know every personality has its strengths and weaknesses. In times of stress, the companies who let the ugly side of their personality control the environment don't do so well. However, those companies that recognize their corporate personality's weaknesses and opt to alter them do much better. So, I ask you: Is your company's personality hurting their ability to bounce back in this economy? To help you decide, let me explain the four corporate personalities at their worst:
Commander: Intense and deadline-driven, work is no place for emotion and there is no such thing as appreciation. Their motto, "I don't care what you did for me yesterday. What can you do for me today?"Energizer: Overly-optimistic to the point of being insincere and insane. Their motto, "Everything is fine, it's great. Just think happy thoughts, be super-positive and we'll mentally will our company to improve. Now, let's do a team cheer!"Empathizer: Reeling in self-pity, everyone is gossiping doom and gloom, including management. Their motto, "I would get your resume out there. This is so bad, get out while you can!"Contemplator: Secretly horrified, but doesn't want the world to know, nor do they want to do anything rash or stupid. Their motto, "Let's put our heads down and work. The less we talk about it, the better."
If any of the above personalities sound like your place of employment, then your company could use some help getting back on track. In fact, maybe you even see all four types within your management team - multiply personalities in a corporate culture can exist too. So, what can be done?
The secret lies in knowing how to implement strategies that can pull the corporate culture out of its funk. It's done using a Ying & Yang Approach. Simply put, companies implement some things that are opposite to their personality as a way to pull the culture out of its tunnel vision and restore balance. Let me share an example...
The company I mentioned above had a Commander personality. They were deadline-driven, intense high achievers who prided themselves on hiring the best and the brightest that delivered unbelievable results. Unfortunately, they had a couple of setbacks with the loss of a few key clients that left them reeling. So, instead of stepping back and taking the pressure off, the stepped it up and put the pressure on the staff - the result was top talent leaving in droves. So, how did we fix it? We went 180 degrees on the staff.
We instituted some programs that went completely against the personality of the company. Employee appreciation programs and some changes in rules, along with some staff training to help close knowledge gaps and easy pressure to perform. (I must NOTE the only reason it worked is because the executives of the company were on board and willing to recognize they needed to change the strategy in order to change the results.) But it did work, turnover dropped dramatically, and they got back on track.
In summary, I know there is a lot of corporate anxiety and fear out there right now, and that brings out the worst in corporate cultures. However, employees AND companies need to move past this. The best way to do it is with some innovative approaches that help the personality of the workplace get back to a good place as quickly as possible. Understanding how your corporate culture needs to change is the key. My advice to managers - don't wait! There are plenty of low-cost ways to bring your culture back to a calm state. Just be sure to implement some so your company's personality doesn't get the best of it.
Do you know how managers and co-workers view you at work? More importantly…want to find out? Click here » to take our FREE career personality test.
[This article was originally posted on an earlier date]
J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.Photo credit: Shutterstock
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