Friction and Communication in the Job Search

Friction and Communication in the Job Search Ive been working with a young graphics artist to clean up JibberJobber.  Weve been working on cleaning up JibberJobber for the last almost-eight years, since we went live. The problem we have at JibberJobber is the same problem I see on LinkedIn profiles, and company websites.  Its what I call distraction, or noise.  I have said that every single word, even every character, either adds to or takes away from the message. Can you imagine if Nike made a mistake and spelled their name Nikee on a few pieces of marketing material? That would be a huge distraction.  Of course, Nike is well-branded and we are going to forgive them.  We already know who they are, and we trust them (to make shoes that are pretty good). Theyll probably get some awesome PR (like they really need it not). You, my friend, are probably NOT well-enough branded to get the same goodness that a spelling error like that gives to a company like that.  Im not well-enough branded, and neither is JibberJobber.  Distractions and noise for regular people and small companies cause what I call friction. Marketing friction causes discomfort, confusion and pain right away. The trust level plummets.  The thought is if they cant spell a word right, can I trust them with my information, especially my credit card?  One little typo, or a grammar mistake, can cause this friction. Youve heard that your resume should have no spelling errors, right?  Any little spelling error can make an OCD reviewer gag and want to switch careers.  They cant fathom anyone being so classless as to have an error on their resume. They take that one little error and disqualify you. The more OCD reviewers might disqualify you for life :p.  Regular, kind and even forgiving people might not disqualify you right away.  They might be able to read past a typo or two and understand what your career has been, and what they might get from you if they hire you. I wouldnt gamble my future on which type of reviewer is going to see my resume. The resume error is one example of creating friction in our communication.  Friction also comes from the way we look, the way we dress, our accent, our punctuality, our body language, the grammar or words we choose, etc.  Friction can also come from anything the person were talking to might use to discriminate race, age, religion, etc. Im not saying you have to become a vanilla, boring, mainstream person.  What Im saying is that mistakes in communication can be the problem. I used to work with a software developer who is brilliant.  He was the go-to guy that all of the other developers would get help from when they were stuck.  He understood computer stuff, whether it was hardware, software, networking, PCs, servers, etc. like no one else I have known.  But the guy couldnt spell very well.  If he didnt have someone proof his resume Im sure it would have ended up in the trash bin, because there would be multiple spelling errors. Isnt it sad that people cant get past certain criteria to see the brilliance of who we are?  Its the world we live in. Here is the take-away from this post: What can YOU do to decrease the friction you may be introducing in your communication with others? Friction and Communication in the Job Search Ive been working with a young graphics artist to clean up JibberJobber.  Weve been working on cleaning up JibberJobber for the last almost-eight years, since we went live. The problem we have at JibberJobber is the same problem I see on LinkedIn profiles, and company websites.  Its what I call distraction, or noise.  I have said that every single word, even every character, either adds to or takes away from the message. Can you imagine if Nike made a mistake and spelled their name Nikee on a few pieces of marketing material? That would be a huge distraction.  Of course, Nike is well-branded and we are going to forgive them.  We already know who they are, and we trust them (to make shoes that are pretty good). Theyll probably get some awesome PR (like they really need it not). You, my friend, are probably NOT well-enough branded to get the same goodness that a spelling error like that gives to a company like that.  Im not well-enough branded, and neither is JibberJobber.  Distractions and noise for regular people and small companies cause what I call friction. Marketing friction causes discomfort, confusion and pain right away. The trust level plummets.  The thought is if they cant spell a word right, can I trust them with my information, especially my credit card?  One little typo, or a grammar mistake, can cause this friction. Youve heard that your resume should have no spelling errors, right?  Any little spelling error can make an OCD reviewer gag and want to switch careers.  They cant fathom anyone being so classless as to have an error on their resume. They take that one little error and disqualify you. The more OCD reviewers might disqualify you for life :p.  Regular, kind and even forgiving people might not disqualify you right away.  They might be able to read past a typo or two and understand what your career has been, and what they might get from you if they hire you. I wouldnt gamble my future on which type of reviewer is going to see my resume. The resume error is one example of creating friction in our communication.  Friction also comes from the way we look, the way we dress, our accent, our punctuality, our body language, the grammar or words we choose, etc.  Friction can also come from anything the person were talking to might use to discriminate race, age, religion, etc. Im not saying you have to become a vanilla, boring, mainstream person.  What Im saying is that mistakes in communication can be the problem. I used to work with a software developer who is brilliant.  He was the go-to guy that all of the other developers would get help from when they were stuck.  He understood computer stuff, whether it was hardware, software, networking, PCs, servers, etc. like no one else I have known.  But the guy couldnt spell very well.  If he didnt have someone proof his resume Im sure it would have ended up in the trash bin, because there would be multiple spelling errors. Isnt it sad that people cant get past certain criteria to see the brilliance of who we are?  Its the world we live in. Here is the take-away from this post: What can YOU do to decrease the friction you may be introducing in your communication with others?

Contingency vs. Retained Recruiters What is the Difference

Contingency vs. Retained Recruiters What is the Difference What most people don’t realize is that there are two different types of recruiters/headhunters out there. Recruiters work on either a Retained or a Contingency basis. What are the differences and how does it all affect you as a job seeker? This is my attempt at explaining how it works. Retained: Working on a retained basis means the recruiter will charge an upfront fee to the client to conduct a search. They will operate on an exclusive basis meaning the job will only be filled through this recruitment company. These recruiters work very closely with their client and will take their time and use an agreed methodology to find the best person for the job. The process is usually rigorous with a shortlist of anything from three to ten names being presented before interviews commence. In a perfect world, the retained recruiter will be able to present five candidates with the ideal skills, location, salary, etc. and all the client has to do is pick the one they like the most. A retained recruitment assignment doesn’t come cheap; the client will expect to pay up to 50% of the projected first annual salary of the successful candidate. Companies will request a retained search when they are looking to fill a senior position and sometimes when all other cheaper search options have been exhausted. Contingency: Contingency search, on the other hand, is when the candidate is the bargaining chip. Contingency is sometimes described as No Win, No Fee (or even No Cure, No Pay). It is what it says on the tin, a service performed by a recruitment company for free until the day a candidate represented by them takes a position with their client. Recruiters working on this basis often have to compete with the client’s internal HR department, advertising, direct applicants and typically one or more other recruitment companies. The trick here is to represent the best candidate or candidates and to do this faster than the other channels. If for instance, the vacancy is hard to fill, chances are there will only be a few candidates out there qualified for the position. Getting to these before everyone else is vital for the successful no win, no fee recruiter. Difference in methodology: The retained recruiter takes their time to get things right using processes and agreed methodology, knowing they will eventually fill the position thanks to their exclusivity terms. The contingency recruiter will be a lot quicker and most probably deliver more candidates to increase the odds of making a placement. Another difference is that the retained recruiter has signed up to a service level, sometimes a retained search can be challenging and these projects can be rather lengthy. The contingency recruiter will simply move on to another vacancy or client where they believe they can get a more straightforward win. Implications for you the candidate: So what does this mean to you? If you are approached about a vacancy, ask the recruiter how they got the assignment and what the competition is. If you are dealing with a retained recruiter, you are more likely to get full briefings on the role, the interviews, a potential offer an so forth. Having said that, contingency recruiters tend to be more pro-active and have better sales skills â€" something that can certainly help you get the perfect job.

Personal Business Cards for Personal Branding

Personal Business Cards for Personal Branding A few weeks ago I was invited to a fund raising event for a non-profit arts organization.   This was the perfect networking opportunity especially since I have been thinking about returning to the non-profit arts world.   As I was doing my hair and makeup I did a quick run-through in my head of the essential networking guidelines. Be friendly and approachable Have a good, strong handshake Do research on the hosting company and key people Business Cards I was only missing one thing: business cards. Business cards are like little souvenirs you get after meeting someone interesting.   Of course I have business cards from my job, but my current job has nothing to do with the arts or the non-profit world.   After all, you wouldn’t wear your workout shoes to a cocktail party (unless you are Mariah Carey and you exercise in stilettos).   Different outfits call for different shoes and the same goes for business. Unless I was trying to start a business deal on behalf of my company, handing out those business cards at the event would not have made sense.   My work business cards would have also steered away the attention from myself as a potential non-profit arts leader in the making.   I did not want to introduce myself as a member of that company; I would rather introduce myself as someone who likes the theater, volunteers at museums and is eager to return to the non-profit world.   I also would not want to receive follow-up emails from people I networked with on my work email because they would not relate to my 9 to 5 job. I faced the same predicament when I recently attended a meeting for an organization called Emerging Arts Leaders. I showed up eager to meet young, hip, artsy soul-searches like myself but found myself empty-handed. So to all you career girls, who have a 9 to 5 job that is not aligned with your career goals or are looking to make a career switch, or have a passion project outside of your 9 to 5, I suggest you have a set of personal business cards that represent who you are and not what the source of your paycheck is (if these two do not go hand-in-hand). You may love your 9 to 5 job but as a Generation Y career girl you probably have other talents that you want to highlight.   For example, Nicole has a background in banking but she might also have a set of personal business cards that represent her as the founder of Ms. Career Girl.   You may also want to have a set of personal business cards if you were laid off and you are looking for employment.  Your business card can say your name and the degree you have if that degree is relevant to what you want your next job to be.   If you have a blog you might want to have a set of business cards that say your name, email, and your blog url. Get creative and have memorable souvenirs that will contribute to your personal brand. Note from Nicole: The picture here shows 3 different business cards I use.   The two green business cards are by Tiny Prints.   I couldnt agree more with Aimees post!

The 5 Best Recruiter Staffing Agencies in Las Vegas, NV

The 5 Best Recruiter Staffing Agencies in Las Vegas, NV Looking for the best staffing agencies in Las Vegas, NV?You’ve come to the right place.Vegas is home to tons of top jobs in entertainment, hospitality, and more. With so much to do and so much to see, there’s a reason why people choose to live in Las Vegas.But how do you go about finding work in such a competitive job market?The answer… reach out to the local staffing agencies.Rather than having you filter through dozens of Vegas staffing agencies, we’ve done all the heavy lifting to bring you only the best of the best.The Best Las Vegas Staffing AgenciesIf you are in a hurry and don’t have time to read our detailed reviews below, here are the names of the 5 best staffing agencies in Las Vegas:CornerStone Staffing Solutions THRIVN The Phoenix Staffing Millenium Staffing Solutions Decton Staffing ServicesBefore reaching out to any companies on this list, we recommend that you review your resume to make sure it is in tip-top shape. If you’d like professional help with your resume, contact the pros at Find My Profession.And now for the detailed reviews…1. CornerStone Staffing SolutionsCornerStone Staffing Solutions is a leading Las Vegas staffing agency on a mission to deliver high-quality workforce management solutions that enable companies and talent to thrive. This staffing company has offices in California, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey.Job Types: CornerStone Staffing Solutions places professionals in industries such as administrative professional, call center, logistics transportation, manufacturing light industrial, sales business development, and technical engineering.Pros: CornerStone Staffing Solutions has won nearly a dozen awards ranging from the 100 Most Influential in Staffing Industry to Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction in 2016, 2017, and 2018. CornerStone also has some of the highest ratings when it comes to their online reviews.Local Office:1050 E Flamingo Rd, Suite N-137, Las Vegas,89119Contact:702-878-5885 orla svegas@cornerstone-staffing.com2. THRIVNTHRIVN is a top staffing and recruiting agency, with a focus on workforce development, employee engagement, and client satisfaction. THRIVN was founded by CEO Joel C. Garcia and is a full-service staffing provider in Las Vegas, Nevada with deep and wide networks in the local community.Job Types: THRIVN works on a variety of jobs in the Las Vegas area including sales assistant, receptionist, paralegal, office manager, dental assistant, dentist, energy consultant, customer service representative, and more.Pros: THRIVN has more than 30 5-star reviews on sites like Google and Indeed. Unlike most staffing companies in Vegas, THRIVN delivers bi-lingual talent (English-Spanish) which is wildly important considering that ~28% of Nevada residents are Hispanic.Local Office:5440 WSahara Avenue,#109, Las Vegas,89146Contact:702-749-9444 orinfo@thrivn.work3. The Phoenix StaffingThe Phoenix Staffing is a full service recruiting and staffing firm exclusively staffing the apartment industry with temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire jobs. Their team has more than 75 years of combined experience in direct apartment staffing and they even offer a 30-day unconditional replacement guarantee for all direct hires.Job Types: The Phoenix Staffing fills apartment roles such as apartment maintenance supervisor, property management regional manager, assistant maintenance coordinator, apartment porter detail tech, leasing consultant, apartment maintenance tech, and more.Pros: The Phoenix Staffing has built a reputation for apartment staffing in the greater Las Vegas area and beyond. Carving out such a niche has allowed Phoenix Staffing to rise above the rest, developing a massive network for apartment jobs.Local Office:7854 W Sahara Ave, Suite 100, Las Vegas,89117Contact:855-222-41364. Millenium Staffing SolutionsMillenium Staffing Solutions is a minority-owned, Nevada corporation and leading placement agency for job openings in Las Vegas. Millen ium Staffing Solutions is proud to be named the 2016 SBA Nevada Woman Owned Business of the Year and remains passionate about matching great talent with great opportunity.Job Types: Millenium Staffing Solutions has expertise in administrative/office support, conventions, hospitality events, light industrial skilled trades, security solutions, professional and executive placements. They offer temporary staffing, direct hire, executive search, on-site staffing, contract staffing, and more.Pros: Millenium Staffing Solutions offers their employees perks such as medical benefits, bonus programs, resume services, flexible hours, internship opportunities, and more. Additionally, Millenium Staffing Solutions makes an effort to stay involved in their community by partnering with the Southern Nevada Human Resource Association, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, and others.Local Offices: 2 locationsto serve youContact:702-876-07085. Decton Staffing ServicesDec ton Staffing Services was founded in 2002 and currently has offices located throughout Nevada as well as Southern California and Nevada. Decton Staffing Services specializes in administrative, construction, healthcare, hospitality, maintenance, engineering, light industrial, IT, legal, and creative staffing.Job Types: Decton Staffing Services did not have any job postings in Las Vegas when we checked their website. Hopefully, they will add some soon.Pros: Decton Staffing Services states on their website that they have gained certifications that only 2% out of 6,000 staffing companies nationwide ever reach.Local Office:570 West Cheyenne Avenue, Suite 190, North Las Vegas,89030Contact:702-369-0551This List Serves The Following Areas Near Las Vegas, Nevada:North Las Vegas, Henderson, Mesquite, Ely, Carson City, Reno, Sparks, Boulder City, Caliente, Winnemucca, Fallon, and more.Quick Tip for Las Vegas Job SeekersNot all the Vegas staffing agencies on this list are going to have jobs pos ted on their websites that are a perfect match for you.Here’s what we recommend:Browse the website to see if you can find a job that you are interested in. Whether you find a job or not, give the staffing agency a call. Provide information about yourself and the type of work you are looking for. If you did find a relevant job on their website, now is the time to mention it. The agency will take down your information and reach out if they find a relevant position.You are better off having as many staffing agencies as possible aware of your search. It’s simply more eyes and ears out there helping with your job search.Last, but definitely not least…Before you reach out to these Las Vegas staffing agencies, make sure you have a professional-looking resume.The worst thing you could do is provide a below-average resume to each of the companies on this list.Check out our list of the 10 Best Resume Services in Las Vegas.Or if you are an executive, check out the 9 Best Executive Resume Services in America.For the budget-conscious, check out the Best Resume Services Under $300.Additional Resources for Las Vegas Job SeekersBelow we have included a few additional resources that we felt might be helpful to your job search.10 Best Free Resume Review Sites12 Best Job Search Sites for All Career Levels10 Best Executive Job Search Sites50 Top Job Interview Questions and AnswersLocal Resume Writing Services (500+ Cities)

5 Reasons To Become A Freelance Content Writer CareerMetis.com

5 Reasons To Become A Freelance Content Writer Photo Credit -freelancerfaqs.comOne of the most favorable aspects of being a writer is that you can write about ANYTHING you want, you don’t need to suppress the urge to speak up and to reach the world, touch people’s lives and get yourself heard. Your words are your voice. People die but words, they live traveling from ear to ear, door to door and country to country until they touch the edges of the world only to reverberate indefinitely.If you are deeply, madly, irresistibly in love with writing, there is no reason not to be a writer and opt for freelancing. Well if you are someone who is looking for motivation to leave this rat’s race and cut loose from a 9-5 job to make a foray on your dream life, here‘s the push that will help you take the leap.1.Love What You DoevalIf you love writing and know that you bleed words, this article is especially for you. I can already sense a peculiar feeling in the pit of my stomach, as if I can see that invisible strand tying us all write rs together, making us transparent to each other’s emotions. I don’t do personal, but this is PERSONAL, for those in battle with their dreams and what is expected from us. For me freelancing is a dream that quenches the flames of your desire and pays your bills too.evalAlthough I myself am new to it, with barely a years’ experience, I have come across people who earn a fortune from freelancing. Most of us get impatient at the beginning with meager earnings if we have initially met the established ones, but then great things require patience and pain. Nothing beautiful has ever been crafted unless it is sifted through the sieve of time and pain to become a refined artifact.We, humans, are like a snake nibbling at its own tail; it won’t be long before we reach the end. At that moment when we will reflect back on our lives, will you be able to leave with a burdened soul that you were not able to do something you were so passionate about just because you were afraid to make the huge change? You couldn’t face the fear and risk of moving from a stable job to something that SOUNDED of instability? 2.Be Your Own BossThe ticking of the clock doesn’t determine the course of your actions, and you don’t even have to be answerable for that to anyone. You don’t have to do someone else’s bidding. You can go for projects you are comfortable with and complete them within your own time frame.Fretting over submission dates and time, fulfilling someone else’s goals at the expense of your own, acquiescing someone else’s decision just because you fear to lose your job? All this would be a thing of the pastSelect the niche you think you will be best at and begin your journey. Your erudition will find its way through your writing. Make your own rules and play by them. Collaborate with clients all across the world, and even if a client leaves you, there will be more waiting in line.Don’t panic you won’t be FIRED!3.Travel As Far As You Can, For As Long As You CanIf I am asked about my dream job, I wouldn’t think for a second before shouting out loud “TRAVEL WRITER.” If you are like me, whose eyes glisten and sparkle while talking about it, “hey! Welcome to the club!”.Photo Credit â€" lostgirlsworld.comevalBeing a freelancer comes with a multitude of advantages, among all of them this one is my favorite. You can write wherever and whenever you want. Travel around the world and pay for your adventures simultaneously. It helps you in gathering up experience and adds on to your collection of ideas.Write in the midst of nature enjoying the serene and breathtaking views or in a cozy coffee shop. The boisterous, bustling, crazy places, the magnificent scenery, all will be reflected in your work precisely, in the same manner, you will portray.Take a vacation when you feel like recharging yourself up!4.Explore Your StrengthsWith the right time management or schedule, you have drawn up for yourself you get ample of time for self-developm ent. You can focus on other things too. You get time to make yourself a priority. Take up a sport, look after your health, or spend time with family. Try out new things and venture into things without the fear of emptying your pocket.evalWith freelancing, you get to learn a lot, and no wonder a person remains a student for his entire life, making mistakes and learning throughout, and there is no shame in it. With insight into many new subjects and topics of the world, you might get to know what you really want to be or what is it that you are good at without you even knowing of the hidden skill all this time.Being a Freelancer would give you enough time to focus and work on your inner self rather than hidden somewhere between the stack of files unaware of the fire burning within.5. Bread And ButterevalAs a freelancer, you control how much you earn!If you are an employee, there is a limit to your monthly earning with a few bonuses here and there, despite the mountains of work you hav e dealt with. If you want to increase the number of figures in your monthly income, you are probably hoping against hope or trying to push your luck way too far.With freelancing, once you know your market return, it is easy to earn as much as you want simply by WORKING that much. That is you get paid for what and how much you do. No one puts a limit on your earning or a mediator dampening your value.Photo Credit â€" tomoverman.comThe feeling of getting the job done and being paid for it every day is unmatchable. A piece of advice-Treat every client equally. The quality of your work should not be affected by the amount he pays you. A lot of fame is earned by the spread word and recommendations. Besides, if it’s a passion you have to respect it too otherwise, it’s an insult to one’s own self.Before you cross the bridge to become a freelancer and quit your 9-5 grinding job, make sure you have your customers ready and waiting for you. This way you don’t have to worry about being left with nothing. To be cautious which is pretty understandable one has to be prepared at all times before making such a life-changing and huge transition, make sure you have some savings from your previous job. Start off with writing about your favorite niches and with time you will become a writer who can write about any topic in the most compelling way.You will be relieved of the pressure to satisfy everyone, and your words will become your voice. You can end up being a best-seller if that is what you have dreamt of. Photo Credit â€" PinterestTo sum up, let nothing come in between your dream and continue to pursue it. If you aren’t happy with what you do, it will affect your performance which will be conspicuous not only in your work but also in your behavior. Others would get a say in the quality and of work you do, but at the end of the day, it’s you who has to decide what you want to be.BE YOU, and that will be enough.evalOpen the latch and let the bird spread its wings and fly!

Tournament theory - the worst argument ever for overpaying executives - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Tournament theory - the worst argument ever for overpaying executives - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog The executives in your company may be paid way more than theyre worth, but dont worry its for your own good. Thats the point of a recent Forbes article defending overpaid executives which contains the single most disingenuous and illogical argument it has ever been my misfortune to see in a business context. From the article: The ugly truth is that your boss is probably overpaidand its for your benefit, not his. Why? It might be because he isnt being paid for the work he does but, rather, to inspire you. In other words, we work our socks off in underpaying jobs in the hope that one day well win the rat race and become overpaid fat cats ourselves. Economists call this tournament theory. The article is based on a 25 year old economic paper on how tournament theory can be used to rank employees and allocate rewards like promotions and raises, arguing that: Performance is hard to quantify, therefore rewards like promotions and raises are decided more by luck than by qualifications or results Since rewards are mostly based on luck they need to be big or people wont want to work hard to get them Overpaying executives motivates others to work hard because they can rise to the same position The tournament system is good for the company I beg to differ. Heres my step-by-step debunking to make sure we never have to see this horrible argument used to defend overpaid executives again. 1: Performance is hard to quantify, therefore rewards like promotions and raises are decided more by luck than by qualifications or results From the article: Managers find it hard to spot an excellent performance. It is a rare job where workers can be fairly paid according to some objective criteria. This argument basically says that evaluating performance is tricky so we shouldnt even try to make salaries fair. Its clear to me that the most fair way to reward people at work is according to what theyre worth for the company based on their performance and results. This can be difficult to evaluate, but to simply give up and accept that rewards are mostly random seems silly and unfair. Even if we cant find a system thats 100% fair, we can try to make it as fair as possible. 2: Since rewards are mostly based on luck, they need to be big or people wont want to work to get them From the article: the more luck is involved in work, the larger the pay gaps should be between the winners and the losers. If Jacks promotion is 90% luck and 10% effort, Jack may be inclined to goof offunless, of course, the rewards for promotion are absolutely astronomical. So: Promotions are mostly a matter of luck, and in order for this to work, the randomly awarded benefits have to be huge. Am I the only one here thinking that it would make more sense to try to make rewards less dependent on luck rather than increase the rewards? 3: Overpaying executives motivates others to work hard because they can rise to the same position No, this is fundamentally wrong. In fact, when rewards are the primary motivational factor most people become less efficient especially when the rewards are unfairly decided. Alfie Kohns article on Myths About Money and Motivation is a great paper on this, based on massive psychological research. Even if this kind of motivation did work, it could only work on those employees who have a reasonable shot at getting one of the overpaid jobs. But the majority of employees have long since accepted that theyre never going to be VPs or CEOs and for them the tournament system can only be demotivating because they see others getting unfairly large rewards that they will never get, no matter how well they perform. 4: The tournament system is good for the company I think this system is little short of a disaster for businesses, resulting mostly in frustration among employees who are consistently not rewarded for doing great work. This frustration results in a loss of motivation and happiness at work and consequently to lower productivity and higher employee turnover and absenteeism, just to mention a few issues that can cost companies millions. Also, a recent article in the New Yorker James Surowiecki points out that companies that overpay their CEOs have worse performance than others. One quote from the article: One recent study of the market between 1992 and 2001 by economists at Rutgers and Penn State found that the more a C.E.O. was paid, relative to his peers, the more likely his company was to underperform in the stock market. There are a few additional misconceptions in the article that need debunking. Stock options From the article: Tournaments also help protect workers against risks they cannot control. Companies can be affected by recessions, unexpected competition and hurricanes. As long as every worker is equally affected, the incentives to try hard remain the same. Trying to encourage performance through, say, stock options would unnecessarily expose workers to risks without really encouraging them to work harder. First of all, I think its touching that companies want to protect their people by not giving them stock options. At the same time, most CEOs and other top executives do get stock options, because common wisdom dictates that this motivates them to better performance. So in summation: Stock options for employees are dangerous and not really motivating. Stock options for executives are essential to motivate them. All clear? The evidence From the article: Lazear and Rozens tournament theory has stood the test of time and been supported by many subsequent pieces of empirical research. Theres also massive amounts of research pointing out the opposite I mentioned some examples above. Suddenly everything is clear From the article: Economists dont even pretend that your boss deserves his salary. Suddenly, everything is clear. But apparently some of them pretend that this is a good system, one that inspires employees to do their best at work and creates good performance in a company. Some of them even say that its good for the employees. I find it more likely that these theories are floated in an attempt to make an unfair but ingrained business practice survive a little longer against the onslaughts of common sense. Like all such attempts its ultimately doomed to fail. Did I miss any more fallacies in the original article? Tell me about them in a comment. What to do instead Alfie Kohns recommendation is simple: Pay people as fairly as you can. Then focus on other things than rewards. True motivation and great performance at work is never about salary very few people do their best work while wondering how much cash they will make from it. The tournament argument completely fails to appreciate this and thats why companies who choose this approach are forever doomed to sub-standard performance, massive frustration and zero motivation. If you liked this post Im pretty sure youll also enjoy these: Why secret salaries are a baaaaaad idea High CEO pay = low performance Things that dont make people happy at work but many people think they do Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Graphic Design Resume Skills - How To Present Yourself Well

Graphic Design Resume Skills - How To Present Yourself WellGraphic design resume skills can be a powerful asset for any prospective employer looking to see if you have what it takes to be a designer. You need to make sure that your graphic design resume skills are up to date so that you stand out from the crowd. Here are some helpful tips to make sure that you are presenting yourself well when you present your graphic design resume skills.Do a basic presentation of yourself. Think about some of the details that you have in common with your potential employer so that you can match them up with your work history and see if there is enough similarity in the two to make the two seem similar to one another. You should be able to see what kind of skills you have as a designer and what other successful designers may have in common with you.Review your previous employers to see what their graphic design resume skills are. You should try to create a good impression with the hiring manager as soon as possible. By providing these details in your graphic design resume skills section, you can build a solid foundation for your resume by showing that you can communicate well with others and that you have an idea of what it takes to succeed in the field.Find any awards or achievements that you may have received from your previous employer. These can be great ways to give a really good first impression of you. Keep them in mind when it comes time to present your graphic design resume skills.Finally, when it comes time to write a cover letter, use your graphic design resume skills as your basis for the information. Make sure that your letter is professional and impressive, but do not go overboard with the details. This is one of the times when your graphic design resume skills really come into play and can make or break your letter.Take time to learn all you can about graphic design and its many facets. Most designers will suggest that you read a book on the subject before even applying for a job. There are so many books available, so take advantage of this opportunity to brush up on all the basics before applying for a job.You should also pay close attention to how your graphic design resume skills can impact the hiring process. If you have submitted several resumes in the past, you might consider revising or changing your resume to present yourself as a fresh face. You should also make sure that the companies that you apply to know what you bring to the table as a designer so that they can understand why you would be a good fit for their project.Graphic design resume skills can truly make or break your chances of getting hired for a job. By developing this skill set, you can greatly increase your chances of being hired for a great job. Use your skills and knowledge to your advantage and you can develop a great career that will be a long-time source of pride and joy.