Successful Blog

Has Sexual Harassment Ever Impacted Your Ability to Do a Job?

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For most female workers, sexual harassment and their paths will never cross. For some, however it is an all-too frequent reminder there is still a ways to go in society, relating to treating women with respect at work.

While sexual harassment cases against men on the job do occur, the abundance of cases involves female workers being the targeted victims.

Simply put, sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct at the workplace that leads to an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

According to information for the year 2010 from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers who were unable to protect themselves from sexual harassment claims filed with the agency recovered damages with settlements accumulating more than $48.4 million.

If you’re unsure exactly of what sexual harassment in the workplace constitutes, note that it can take on a number of different forms, including:

  • Offensive and belittling comments directed one’s way;
  • Imagery around the office depicting women in offensive clothing or poses;
  • Outright hostility from another co-worker just because one is female;
  • An actual sexual assault on workplace property.

In the event you feel like you’ve been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace but did not react, there are several steps to take. They include:

  • Deal one-on-one with the individual and tell them their actions are offensive and need to stop;
  • Go to a manager and explain the situation, providing as much detail as possible to back up claims;
  • Should the manager not be of assistance, go to his or her superior and continue on up until concerns are properly addressed;
  • Don’t fear for the loss of the job by reporting the alleged perpetrator. Everyone has protections in place regarding reporting such instances, although it is natural to wonder if it could lead to issues with job security;
  • All along the way, be sure to document each and every inappropriate confrontation with the individual who has been the aggressor. This is critical so that it can demonstrated to a court that all efforts were made to stop these actions should the matter end up with a lawsuit;
  • Should the higher-ups in the office not handle the matter, seek outside assistance from an agency set to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.

At the end of the day, your employer is held responsible for the workplace actions of each and every worker under its employ.

To let sexual harassment actions go unpunished is not only a crime, but a slap in the face to the many hard-working women (and men in those cases who are harassed by women on the job) who simply want to show up day in and day out and do their jobs.

As a career woman, have you ever encountered sexual harassment along the way? If so, what did you do about it?

Photo credit: singlemindedwomen.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items business proposals and small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

 

Break the Conspiracy to Build a Peak Performing Team in 2012

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Don’t Be Led Astray By the Conspiracy of the Team Player

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I’ve been thinking about the concept of the “team player” and the one time I had the outstanding pleasure of playing on a true team that built a business. I built a team or two and saw them dismantled by situations that undermined and contradicted true collaboration.

Why is that we do so much talking about being part of “the team,” when the underlying message is something different?

Think about it.
We learned to walk, talk, eat without benefit of a team.
No team could teach me to balance a bike or tread water to save my life.
Anyone who’s tried to pass on their experience at any of those skills knows that we learn them individually.

At school, we get individual report cards.
We get graded or assessed on our own performance.
We’re not supposed to share our homework.
We graduate as one person.
Our job applications are about what we as individuals have done.

We get hired alone.
We get raises and reprimands on our own.
We get an individual performance appraisal — it might speak to our team’s performance, but the rest of the team isn’t in the room.

And when we get fired, “the team” is told not to talk to us.

Where’s the team in all of that? What is a team anyway?

How to Break the Conspiracy of the Team Player to Build a Peak Performing 2012 Team

It’s a conspiracy that we ask people to be team players in situations that don’t offer a team. To break the conspiracy, we have to shift our thoughts to the community that is the team by valuing their contribution more than their job roles.

A true team is a group of people with complimentary skills who coordinate, delegate, and collaborate in ways that enable each person to invest peak performance moving the team forward to it’s highest goals. Great teams, like great leaders, are self-aware in that they know what each person should be doing more of and what each person should be doing less of — how each person contributes to the strongest team. When the team loses or adds a team member the team looks to fill a skill set that the team needs to be even stronger at what they do. Leadership is a quality shared by every team member no matter the level or area of expertise.

How do you get to a team like that?

  1. Hire leaders who share your values. Look for self-aware people who know their skills and have their ego intact. Leaders want to build something they can’t build alone. People who share your values will choose the same decisions as you will.
  2. Hire to the team. Don’t hire individuals. Hire one high performer and determine the key area at which he or she excels in his or her given job role and focus that role to take advantage of that. Then look for the additional skills in your next hires. In other words, adjust the job descriptions to enhance the performance of the best talent you find.
  3. Build out the team the same way. When a someone leaves the team, pull out the existing job description and have the team compare it to their own existing skill sets. What skills on that description are already covered well by two or more people on the team? Rewrite the new description to balance what you’ve got. For example if your marketing person leaves team and everyone on the team is social business savvy, write the new job description to find someone who “gets” social, but “lives” marketing data and analytics.
  4. Expect true team behavior and incentivize it. Lay out your goals and hold a quarterly appraisal for team performance that is tied to earnings. Move the team to solve their own problems ciollaboratively in the same the build their budgets and strategies. High performing teams thrive when they have
    • common goals — an agreement to work to achieve the same mission.
    • open communication — honest sharing of information that allows the team to move things forward efficiently
    • shared values — an agreement on what defines the standards of good behavior and good work
    • commitment to the group — every member inextricably bound to the team’s success
    • processes that support a culture of teamwork — the focus is on great performers who attract and nurture other great performers, because they’re truly fans of great performing teams.

    5. If it’s your goal to build a true team, trust the great performers you already have to help you start.
    Be a fan of great performers who are fans of great performers. Ask them what they need to perform at their peak and give them as much of that as you can. Constantly remove roadblocks and keep finding ways that they can do more of what they do well and less of what they do only adequately. Encourage everyone to notice others’ strongest skills and how the team might better use them..

    How will you break the conspiracy of the team player to build a peak performing team in 2012?

    Be irresistible.
    –ME “Liz” Strauss
    Work with Liz on your business!!

Do You Know How to Hire Talent?

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While many small businesses have found themselves having to freeze new-hires or even let people go given the turbulent economy, others have been fortunate enough to bring on new employees.

Stop, however, and look at your hiring processes. Are they really where they need to be?

For too many companies, there are cracks in the armor when it comes to hiring the right employees.

As a small business owner, do you follow a formal process when it comes to bringing on new talent or have you been winging it for some time now?

In the event it is the latter, here are some tips to help smooth out the process:

  • What is the proposed duration of this employee? – Businesses need to decide if they will be seeking a long-term employee or just need a temporary fix. If hiring for the long-term, factor in things like higher salaries and benefits. If you just need workers for a few weeks or months, working through a temp agency is oftentimes the best solution. Temp agencies allow you to avoid the interview and hiring process, but keep in mind that that can sometimes be a bad thing;
  • How many interviews should I do with the same individual? – For many companies, the interview process is one and done, while others who like a candidate will bring them in for two or more interviews. Determine how important the position being advertised for is and go from there. That is not to say that you should not care about the quality work of an administrative assistant as opposed to a CEO, but obviously the CEO is going to be coming in with more credentials and expectations;
  • How much emphasis should I put towards gaps on a resume? – For some businesses looking to hire, seeing non-working gaps on someone’s resume signal red flags. While some of these breaks between jobs can be easily explained away, do not hesitate to ask candidates why they have a year or more between jobs. Whether it was a layoff, a break to go back to school, taking care of a loved one or raising a family, most employers will understand. Still, don’t leave this to fate if you’re wondering why someone has not worked for several years;
  • Can you spot a red flag? – Oftentimes an interview will come and go so quickly that you or your HR person or whoever was conducting the process misses something. Be sure to check out if the candidate appears confident, has good communication skills and seems energetic about the position. Body language can go a long way in determining if you may be hiring the right or wrong individual;
  • Quiz the individual about your company – While a candidate is not likely to know every intricate detail about your small business, they should know some of the basics by having done some research. Do you really want someone potentially working for your company that doesn’t know anything about you other than your company name and address? Job candidates should take the time prior to the interview to research the company’s Web site and see how they can best assist you in the proposed position;
  • Be prepared just like the candidate hopefully is – There is nothing more embarrassing for the company and the employee conducting the job interview than not being prepared. Just as you want the candidate to bring their ‘A’ game; you too need to be ready. Have a list of questions compiled regarding the candidate, how they see themselves helping the company, where they see themselves in a few years etc. Just as an ill-prepared candidate can lose out on a job possibility, you being unprepared for the interview can lead to a well-qualified prospective candidate taking a pass on your job offer.

Hiring the right people for your small business is in a way like finding the right seats on the bus for all the students.

In this case, you are looking to hire the best fit for the open position, something that too many companies are not very talented at.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items starting a small business and business proposals, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

4 Steps to a Job When You Graduate

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A Guest Post by
Darren McCloskey

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Fully Prepare

Dissertations have been handed in and the months until graduation are quickly slipping past – but what next? It won’t be long until graduates start out on their intrepid job hunting adventures and companies begin to snap them up into employment. It’s now time to sit back and begin to plan your next steps. Finding a job is a time investment and you’re going to need to be fully prepared. Thankfully, we’ve created an expert guide on graduate job seeking so you know how to move onto the next stage of your life.

The Bottom isn’t so scary

For those of you are who are lucky enough to know what you want to do in the future, the best first step to take is to make note of organisations you would love to work for. Whether it’s because they offer high wages or just seems to have the best cultural fit, make a list of them all and spend some time looking up the various roles they offer. If there aren’t any at your graduate level, look at roles that are lower down – even if this means starting at the bottom. If you can show passion and a great work ethic at lower levels, why would they hire someone else when an opening for your ideal role appears?

Head to your chosen employers website and try to glean some information regarding their recruitment process. If they use a particular recruiter, make note of their name or find out the names of the in house recruitment team members. Remember not to dismiss any role that you can apply for – it’s not just a job but a networking opportunity, a valuable asset when only 40% of jobs are openly advertised to job seekers.

Internships aren’t always Unpaid

While unpaid internships seem to be floating around at an increasing rate, there are ways to make them work for you if you don’t live at home or have savings to support yourself. Internships are a valuable way to get work experience and gather a number of industry contacts for later use in your career. If you can’t manage to work unpaid for a month or so, ask if you can work on a part time basis, so you can balance unpaid work with another paid part time job. Even asking for an afternoon every week to do some work experience will be beneficial to you in the long run and allow you to get a grasp of job roles and contacts in the industry.

There’s Plenty out There

There’s a whole industry of recruiters devoted to placing graduates into suitable roles, so don’t fret, there’s definitely a job out there for you. Of course, there may be a higher amount of competition for certain roles, but determination and persistence can get you anywhere. On average it takes around 60 job applications to get an interview or two, but if you’re still struggling to hear anything then perhaps you should consider getting your CV checked over, or downloading a new CV template.

Your university should offer careers advice and set you on the right track. They may even advise you on contacts they have so you can call up for an impromptu chat or networking events that you can attend to widen your horizons.

Always make sure you have thoroughly researched the company that you’re sending an application to. Considering the amount of competition your application might have, it’s best to be right the first time and show you have commitment to learning more. For instance, looking up potential colleagues on LinkedIn or finding their blogs online will be another point you can cover in future interviews and make you memorable.

Companies want to know about YOU

Reports have shown that the quality of applications that employers have received has improved. Graduates have proven to be adept at answering competency based questions but seem to falter when it comes to what motivates them! Beware of tricky questions such as “Where do you see yourself in five years time?” and “Why do you want this role with us?” as questions such as these cannot be blagged. They require preparation and a thought as to what your goals in life are. Once you have an interview set some time to sit down and go through as many possible questions you can think of. Make sure you know what you want and why you want it – if you can’t explain why you want a job, why should they give it to you?

So there you have it, four simple pieces of priceless advice to get you on your way to graduate employment.

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Author’s Bio:
Darren McCloskey is a freelance writer working within the recruitment section with the people of monster to help promote how employment agencies can help find engineering jobs

Thank you, Darren!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Be Unshakeable

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A Guest Post by
Rosemary O’Neill

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Be unshakeable.

It’s a famous scene in the Saturday morning cartoons: a character goes flying off a cliff, starts flapping, and starts to enjoy flying. Another character holds up a sign saying, “you can’t fly,” and immediately the first character drops like a stone.

You can create valuable content
You can contribute big ideas
You can have fanatically devoted customers
You can give your unique perspective
You can start something exciting
You can change
You can enjoy what you’re doing
You can treat people with respect
You can be recognized for your work
You can write

You can fly.

And if someone comes along with a “you can’t fly” sign, just shoot it with an Acme Slingshot.
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Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work on the Internet. Check out their blog. You can find her on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Social Media and Its Impact on Resumes

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In this day and age when social media is all the rage, it behooves those either out of work and looking for a job or those looking to change out of their present positions to utilize social media on their resumes.

Quite simply, social media can go a long way in helping job seekers further place their foot in the door with a company of their choosing, especially those who grasp this form of communication.

So, how should you go about linking the various aspects of social media and your resume?

Among the ways to do it are:

  • Make sure you are using Facebook and Twitter for starters – Given that Facebook and Twitter reportedly have around a billion users between the two of them, it only makes sense to be seen and heard on both. Facebook is a great tool to share valuable information with prospective employers by befriending their companies. Once you’re able to do that, you can supply them with pertinent links to your work, be it full-time, part-time and/or internships. With Twitter, the same can be true, but be sure to use related hashtags such as #employment, #jobsearch, #careers etc. to network with potential employers or those who may know of an opening you would be qualified for. Sometimes it can be as simple as an alum of your college seeing you on Twitter of Facebook, knowing of a qualified opening, and forwarding you the details;
  • Put together a video resume – Whether your job will involve technical things like video does not matter, use video to express your qualifications. Unlike the old paper resume or even today’s electronic version, adding video to your resume gives a prospective employer the opportunity to see you in a visual light before you might even step inside his or her office for an interview. Yes, you may be a little shy in front of the camera, but this means of reaching out to employers can help get you in the door for an interview. Use sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to name a few to promote the career video in an effort to get it in front of as many eyes possible;
  • Provide a Web site and/or web host for your resume – Some individuals have taken to making their own professional Web sites as part of their career aspirations. This too is a great way to get your name out there in the electronic world, whether it is your own site or by selecting a professional resume hosting platform;
  • Link up with your resume – Remember to provide links on your resume to the different social media tools that you use, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. By doing so, potential employers can visit your URLs and hopefully see some of your creativity at work;
  • Clean up any social media issues – Those of us who have Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools at our disposal have undoubtedly posted something at one time or another we’re not too proud of. Before sending your electronic resume out to countless or even one prospective employer, be sure there are no social media gaffes that can come back to bite you;
  • Highlight social media experience – Given the fact that more businesses are using social media these days in their operations, any social media experience you bring to the table can be beneficial to you. In the event you currently blog, tweet, share etc. be sure to list your experience, including with working with things like HTML, WordPress, Blogspot, Dreamweaver, Tumblr and more.

The day and age of mailing off a resume or faxing it to a potential employer still exists in some circles, but those circles keep dwindling. Nowadays, having the social wherewithal to promote yourself means you have a much better chance of getting in for an interview than not.

Most importantly, don’t be anti-social when it comes to helping yourself attain the job you really want.

Photo credit: mensfitness.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items starting a business and workers compensation, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.