Thursday, July 30, 2020

Women Even CEOs Still Cant Win When it Comes to Maternity Leave

Ladies â€" Even CEOs â€" Still Can't Win When it Comes to Maternity Leave Ive consistently been a sucker for articles and television show portions that offer a brief look at the individual existences of ladies pioneers. Im captivated when ladies CEOs and lawmakers share talk with goodies about how they deal with their relationships, bring up their kids, and manage the difficulties of work-life balance. How would they discover time to work out? Do they make it home in an ideal opportunity for supper? What number of them have stay-at-home mates who are principally parental figures? My enthusiasm for these womens life decisions causes me to feel practically liable in light of the fact that I understand Im part of the cultural and social wonder of holding womenparticularly high-accomplishing womento a raised standard when they are in places of intensity. And furthermore on the grounds that Im specifically living with the inconvenience of beingthatwoman. Eight months pregnant, Im CEO of a quickly developing startup. There are various individuals viewing my conduct and decisions: my group, obviously, whom Im cognizant I show others how its done; our board; and institutional endeavor capitalistsa extreme and entirely solid (and exceptionally male-ruled) audiencefrom whom were planning to gather pledges in the new year. Every one of them need to know how Ill handle my maternity leave. Adding to the weight is that my company,Fairygodboss, happens to be a main vocation network concentrated only on the female involvement with work. Our main goal is to help improve the working environment for ladies by making straightforwardness about how businesses arrangements, culture, and advantages support (or dont) ladies from section level situations up through the senior administration positions. Quite a bit of what we support is the thing that ladies in our locale state is essential to them: equivalent compensation, a reasonable shot at being advanced, adaptable work, offered leave and the appreciation of being dealt with like a grown-up with regards to how and when they achieve their outcomes at work. I understand Im not an easily recognized name like PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, who has openly discussed how offsetting her vocation with family hurt like damnation. I am not as stubborn as Anne-Marie Slaughter, whose amazing exposition tested ladies who figure they can have everything, nor am I in as intense of a situation as Marissa Meyer, who helmed a worldwide behemoth as a pregnant CEO under a lot of investigation. Be that as it may, I despite everything feel torn about my decisions and the inescapable negative judgment I realize my decisions will make. In Meyers case, I clearly review the way she waslambastedfor deciding to take just fourteen days off from her work at Yahoo when she had her twin infants. She was pilloried for deciding to take such a short maternity leave as opposed to showing others how its done. Justifiably, the 114 million individuals in America with no entrance to paid leave to think about another kid or debilitated relative likely didnt feel any compassion toward her predicament. Who was correct? At that point, I could identify with the reactions on the two sides, yet I additionally felt that they were profoundly unjustifiable. As Yahoos CEO, Meyer had options that can just, by definition, be depicted as special. Be that as it may, her kindred ladies couldnt cut her some breathing room and let her decide to live her own and expert decisions without this exorbitant investigation. That, as well, felt unjustifiable to me. To be honest, it appeared Meyer got the entirety of this apparently undesirable consideration on her own life since she was a lady. Its unfathomable that there would have been a similar sort of open intrigue, discussion, or analysis if the CEO of Yahoo were turning into a second-time father and choosing to take fourteen days of paternity leave. In the event that Meyer had taken two months of leaveif she were a manshe would have been the proclaimed subject of morning television shows and spouting paper title texts which is actually what happened when Mark Zuckerberg declared his choice to taketwo long periods of paternity leaveafter the introduction of his little girl. The more typical experience for any individual who has the fortune to work inside corporate Americas wallsand whose business offers expanded (read: something other than a couple of months) ofpaid parental leaveis choosing whether they should exploit their full paid leave designation. As managers are progressively offering generousmaternity and parental leave approaches, ladies (and men) are asking themselves whether theyll be decided as less dedicated workers on the off chance that they take their full leave. Will they be seen as vanishing for four months? What ventures and plum assignments will they miss? Uneasiness about being mom followed is genuine, just like the proof that the compensation hole enlarges due tomotherhood, and that choosing to have a family may hurt their profession and profit potential. It appears, at that point, that ladies extremely simply cant win with regards to how much maternity leave to take. Regardless of knowing superior to most about the inclination, desires and unreasonable gauges Im being estimated by, I in any case can't genuinely say I dont care how others inside my organization and expert and individual networks see my decisions. I wind up wincing when posed the apparently clear inquiry, Are you going to take your full leave? What's more, I likewise dont need to truly answer other related questions, for example, will you be telecommuting? what's more, what amount will you truly separate? I have preparedwhich isn't just in accordance with my character, yet additionally my business responsibilityby making answers such that I envision legislators are instructed by media mentors to do, for example by addressing the inquiries I need to respond to instead of the inquiries that are posed. I know better than most that theres no upside in thinking this much about how my decisions will be seen. Yet, I make some hard memories envisioning that anybody (and particularly, other ladies CEOs) living from my perspective would do any other way. Im a third-time mother and first-time organizer. I know the sort of devotion and work new companies require. I realize what two (extraordinary) physical labor recuperations feel like and what lack of sleep feels like. I likewise comprehend what its like to have an organization that feels like a fourth youngster, and that the entirety of my other kids will require me at various occasions for various things. I realize it will take savage prioritization and decisions about what is extremely significant and what can be appointed to whom. The entirety of that appears to be too mind boggling to even think about fitting into a basic response to the straightforward inquiry what amount of maternity leave will you take? or on the other hand even will you truly take maternity leave? Those are inquiries with which male organizers and startup CEOs never need to battle. Surely, they may have experienced passionate clashes when settling on their own decisions, and this isnt to limit that. Yet, truly their decisions will never be investigated as vigorously by others, and hardly any individuals will truly address whether it is important in the event that they are acceptable dads just as great business pioneers. Until our normal practices develop to where we anticipate that male CEOs should likewise be extraordinary dads and guardians a similar way we anticipate that ladies should exceed expectations at everything, that is one more cross that ladies heads, similar to me, should bear. - Georgene Huang is prime supporter and CEO of Fairgodboss. - This article initially showed up on Quartz.

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Change agents key to successful digital transformation - Viewpoint Viewpoint careers advice blog

Change agents key to successful digital transformation - Viewpoint Whether it’s Virtual Reality, the IoT or Artificial Intelligence â€" digital change is sweeping pretty much every aspect of our lives, from shopping and leisure to work and personal finance. As such, leaders are under increasing pressure to transform their businesses, and fast. But it’s not easy, and many that I hear about are going about it in the wrong way. In fact, I recently read a survey by consultancy firm, McKinsey, which found that transformations are three times more likely to fail than to succeed. The odds are against us! In my role at Hays as Group Digital Engagement Director, my days are filled with evaluating the right technology for our business, and ensuring that technology is successfully implemented in a way that delivers on our initial objectives. As such, I’ve been involved in countless digitalisation projects over the years, and, as you can imagine, have learnt many lessons along the way, as well as which approaches work, and those which just don’t. Of course, every organisation is different, but in this blog, I wanted to share with you what I have come to conclude is one of the keys to successful digital transformation. People are what determine the success of your digitalisation efforts It goes without saying that in order to ensure digital change projects succeed, business leaders and their immediate teams need to spend hours, days, months and sometimes even years building a framework for delivery â€" focusing on making the right technology choices, drafting timeframes and budgets and formalising ROI measurements. All of this is hugely important, but so too is the human side of digital transformation. And I think that’s where many organisations fail after all, if the people who will be using this new technology are not engaged and bought in, right from conceptualisation, you may as well have not have implemented it in the first place. Essentially, your digitalisation project will only be successful if people adopt it.   Fostering companywide buy-in But it’s not just the people who will be using the technology who matter. For a digital transformation project to be truly successful, it needs to have garnered companywide buy-in â€" it needs to have gone viral from board level to the coal face. It needs to be incorporated into both the narrative of the company and the day-to-day. That is the only way the technology will really reach its full potential. Here lies the challenge how does a small (or, in some cases one person!) leadership team communicate and foster buy-in across a workforce of hundreds or even thousands? The answer: identifying your digital change agents. Essentially, these are the people who will communicate with, and engage your wider workforce in the change. What is a digital change agent? In my own personal experience, identifying and working with digital change agents has very much been an organic process it’s come about as a result of human relationships built up over time. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to have built great relationships across our business. And, along the way, I have intuitively got a feel for those who are naturally passionate about, and interested in technology and how it can transform the way we work, and the services we provide as a business. I’ve naturally gravitated to those people, particularly given the nature of my role and in a way, have bought them along with me on our technology journey. So, for instance, when I’m looking at introducing a new technology to the business, I will often use this pool of people to help disseminate information and educate the wider business. They are a key part of how we successfully implement change in our business. Setting out your digital change agent criteria I think it’s a huge mistake to assume that digital change agents should be confined to only working in tech orientated roles, or of a certain seniority. This kind of siloed thinking isn’t helpful and won’t bring you the results you need. The real key is their ability to command trust and respect. Think about it these people will serve very much as your voice of technology, so you need to ensure they will be listened to. Finally, I would say â€" don’t veer away from those who may challenge you and your thinking. Some of my most influential and impactful change agents were once naysayers! Try seeking out those who are resistant to change â€" encourage them to discuss their concerns openly with you. You may be surprised at how valuable this feedback is. And, once on board, you’ll often find that these people will be your greatest champions of change. Getting maximum impact from digital change agents In my experience, it’s not enough to simply have fleeting, one-off meetings and interactions with your digital change agents. This is a relationship, and like any other relationship, you need to nurture it. I’ve always found the greatest value when I’ve sought buy-in early into a digitalisation project. Your change agents need to feel that they are part of the change story. If they feel more connected to it, their impact will be greater, as their message and commitment will be stronger. And once the journey has started, ensure you bring them along with you, every step of the way. Establish clear and open lines of communication. Remember that your change agents are very much the eyes and ears of the business, and their feedback and perspective throughout each stage is invaluable. As I said earlier, I’ve been involved in implementing a lot of digital change over the years â€" and it’s not all been smooth sailing I can tell you. However, I will say that by far, digital change agents, or ‘change champions’, have been the most useful weapon in my digitalisation armoury. People are power, so I strongly urge you to call on your colleagues to be a part of driving forward the digital change your organisation needs to survive. They are the key to success! You can read more digital transformation insights below:   How can you get the board’s buy-in for a digital change? Managing the “people element” of digitalisation in your business The Real Challenge for Digital Transformation Is Not Your Technology Can your business stay ahead of digital transformations? Digitally transform your business with these soft skills

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Now Is A Great Time For You To Find A New Job

Presently Is A Great Time For You To Find A New Job Presently Is A Great Time For You To Find A New Job In case you're searching for a new position, there's some uplifting news not too far off. Most bosses intend to take on new staff before the finish of 2018. Presently through December 63% of bosses, up from 60% a year ago, plan to enlist full-time lasting workers as indicated by CareerBuilder's Midyear Job Forecast. Far better, a considerable number of reviewed bosses state they hope to offer more significant compensations and advantages including marking rewards, additional PTO, free snacks, and remote work choices to pull in and hold ability. Low joblessness and expanding abilities holes keep on plagueing businesses who are battling to fill jobs at all levels inside their associations, said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. 50% of U.S. bosses announced that it is taking them longer to fill occupations today contrasted with some other timeframe â€" a pattern that is at last giving employment searchers more influence. While 45% of businesses intend to build beginning pay rates for recently recruited employees, 23% of all studied arrangement to raise beginning pay rates by 5% or more. To hold ability, 58% of businesses state they will raise pay for current workers before the year's end. Top Hiring Areas CareerBuilder's Midyear Job Forecast noticed the tops jobs bosses intend to fill include: Client assistance â€" 41 percent Deals â€" 28 percent Data innovation â€" 22 percent Item improvement â€" 16 percent Business improvement â€" 16 percent More Employee Perks To lure ability in a tight activity showcase, organizations are wanting to offer additional advantages including: Easygoing clothing regulation â€" 36 percent Representative limits â€" 31 percent Capacity to work remotely â€" 25 percent Extra took care of time â€" 22 percent Marking reward â€" 21 percent Free snacks â€" 14 percent Additionally, occupations are getting increasingly specialized with 69% of businesses saying that today every activity has a specialized part. This is reflected in how businesses select and talk with applicants. *The national studies, led online by The Harris Poll in the interest of CareerBuilder from June 21 to July 15, 2018, included agent tests of 1,023 employing supervisors and human asset chiefs and 1,014 full-time U.S. laborers across businesses and friends estimates in the private part. For complete data and study procedure visit CareerBuilder.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Ace Your Case Interview

Ace Your Case Interview ShareShare1Tweet The case interview is a tricky interview format that requires careful study in advance. In my previous three posts I discussed the importance of knowing what format to expect as you schedule an interview, and I explored Panel and Group formats. In a case interview youre given a scenario involving a business problem similar to those you would encounter on the job and asked to offer a solution. So far, this may sound a bit like the common interview questions about how you might respond to an irate client, et cetera, but its different, and not just because the question is more detailed. In the case format, the interviewers are not only looking for a good answer; theyre looking for the entire process you use to come up with your answer. They want to see how you work by observing you in action. Case interviews are intended to evaluate a wide variety of skills at once: analysis, problem-solving, creativity, communication, technical skills and more, including the ability to thinking quickly on your feet and handle an unfamiliar situation while keeping your cool. More than for any other type of interview, there are extensive resources online to help you prepare, including sample cases. The companies at which you plan to interview may offer specific guidance on their websites. If not, you might take a look at Boston Consulting Groups case interview site and McKinsey Companys, for a start. Other websites, such as www.consultingcase101.com, offer resources relevant to a wide range of companies. Some colleges offer case interview workshops. Some overall tips for success include the following: Listen very carefully to all instructions and questions. If youve been given those in writing, read them carefully and make sure you understand everything. Ask if you may take notes. Ask for a moment to consider the case before answering. If no time limit is offered, a minute or two is usually acceptable, while five minutes is too much. Be methodical in your approach. Formulate a hypothesis. Ask a logical series of questions to gather necessary information and test your hypothesis. Identify the main issues and dont get lost in the details. Think out loud; your thought processes are just as important as the ultimate solution. Apply relevant principles or models. Throughout, demonstrate good interpersonal skills such as open, friendly body language and a positive attitude. This concludes my brief series on types of interviews. Not included in this series were videointerviews and behavioral interviews, where the questions will require you to tell stories from your work experience. Employers continually innovate in search of more effective ways to identify the right candidate and minimize costly mismatches. Know that you know how to prepare for a case interview, get prepared and get that great job! This article was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated. Ace Your Case Interview ShareShare1Tweet The case interview is a tricky interview format that requires careful study in advance. In my previous three posts I discussed the importance of knowing what format to expect as you schedule an interview, and I explored Panel and Group formats. In a case interview youre given a scenario involving a business problem similar to those you would encounter on the job and asked to offer a solution. So far, this may sound a bit like the common interview questions about how you might respond to an irate client, et cetera, but its different, and not just because the question is more detailed. In the case format, the interviewers are not only looking for a good answer; theyre looking for the entire process you use to come up with your answer. They want to see how you work by observing you in action. Case interviews are intended to evaluate a wide variety of skills at once: analysis, problem-solving, creativity, communication, technical skills and more, including the ability to thinking quickly on your feet and handle an unfamiliar situation while keeping your cool. More than for any other type of interview, there are extensive resources online to help you prepare, including sample cases. The companies at which you plan to interview may offer specific guidance on their websites. If not, you might take a look at Boston Consulting Groups case interview site and McKinsey Companys, for a start. Other websites, such as www.consultingcase101.com, offer resources relevant to a wide range of companies. Some colleges offer case interview workshops. Some overall tips for success include the following: Listen very carefully to all instructions and questions. If youve been given those in writing, read them carefully and make sure you understand everything. Ask if you may take notes. Ask for a moment to consider the case before answering. If no time limit is offered, a minute or two is usually acceptable, while five minutes is too much. Be methodical in your approach. Formulate a hypothesis. Ask a logical series of questions to gather necessary information and test your hypothesis. Identify the main issues and dont get lost in the details. Think out loud; your thought processes are just as important as the ultimate solution. Apply relevant principles or models. Throughout, demonstrate good interpersonal skills such as open, friendly body language and a positive attitude. This concludes my brief series on types of interviews. Not included in this series were videointerviews and behavioral interviews, where the questions will require you to tell stories from your work experience. Employers continually innovate in search of more effective ways to identify the right candidate and minimize costly mismatches. Know that you know how to prepare for a case interview, get prepared and get that great job! This article was originally published in November 2012 and has been updated.

Thursday, July 2, 2020

10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter

10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter 10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter Cover Letter 10 Creative Tips for Your Cover Letter You’ve probably read dozens of articles about how to write a professional, clean cover letter. So many, in fact, that you could write one yourself. We’re going to spend this article talking about how to make a creative cover letter that stands out from the pack. After all, if we’re all writing the same professional cover letter, none of us are considered unique. Being unique is an extremely important factor in the hiring process. Sure â€" employers want a team player as well as a solid individual worker. But the individuality aspect of your personality is far more important that your strength as a team worker. Employers want to know that you are special. They want to know that there’s something more than cover letter tutorials and editors backing you up. So, we turn to creativity. Below are ten ways to make your cover letter attention-grabbing and interesting â€" without going overboard. We’ll toss in an example for each one. 1. Be passionate about your career. “If loving to create is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I’m confident that the rest of the team at Sylvan feels the same way â€" which is one of the many reasons why I think I’d be a perfect fit for your next hire.” Proving that the job means more to you than money is key when you’re trying to impress a possible employer. You don’t want to come across as someone who is generating a cookie-cutter cover letter that can apply in all fields. Be passionate about what you want to do â€" convince your audience that this is the only career path for you. This makes for an intriguing, eye-catching cover letter. It’s a bonus if you’re actually passionate about your job â€" but making those emotions obvious is the important takeaway here. Make sure to include the name of the company in your introduction, and do your best to tie in the position for which you’re applying. A well-rounded intro is only good if you make it come back around. 2. Be passionate about the job. “I spent the vast majority of my childhood in Brooklyn, reading WSN newspapers and wishing I could be as talented as the resume writers on staff. I started writing myself. I kept that passion, and it’s helped shape my career â€" from starting as a freelancer to leading a team of my own â€" which is what led me to apply for this position at WSN.” In the same way, that you need to convince your employer that you love what you do, you need to convince them that you love the company. This isn’t always possible with small, upstart companies (it’s going to be pretty obvious what you’re doing) â€" but it’s absolutely possible with large, well-established companies that have been around since your teenage years. Arguing that the company had a personal impact on your life makes you a viable candidate. Your employer can make the safe assumption that you’re committed to the team â€" and that, in a way, this a dream come true for you. 3. Start with an accomplishment. “My previous employer used to poke fun of me for my inability to walk away from a potential sale â€" which is what led me to become the top salesperson in my division after three months on the job. I’m ready for a new challenge, and that’s why I’ve decided to apply for this position at General RV.” If you’re not ready for the passionate route, trying going to the all-out impressive route. Instead of plucking at your employer’s heartstrings, pull at their need for quality employees. If you were the top salesman at your last job, mention it. If you were given a promotion about just two weeks, mention it. If you won an award, mention it. Don’t be over-the-top with it. You’re just stating a casual fact about yourself. But make it obvious that you’re not someone to be overlooked â€" you have an awful lot to bring to the table, and you know it. 4. Grab their attention with humor. “Thank you very much for offering me the manager position at Buzzfeed! I’m more than willing to accept. Alright, I know we aren’t there yet. But, if we were, here are fifteen reasons why I’d be a wonderful team manager and player.” Maybe you don’t like to brag. If you don’t know how to write a passionate introduction, and you’re really not sure what to do â€" try using humor. You shouldn’t tell an outright joke. That can get very cheesy, very fast. But try to be playful with your introduction. 5. Open with a famous quote. “Ghandi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Well, actually, he said something much longer than that â€" which was later translated to be the popular quote we know and love today. But he wasn’t wrong. I’m ready to make a change in the world through knowledge of our past â€" which is why I’m applying for the historian position at the Carnegie Library.” It can be corny, opening with a famous quote. But it can also highlight your level of intelligence â€" assuming, of course, that you don’t choose a household quote that everyone and their grandmother already knows. If you pick something interesting that actually ties into the rest of your letter, it will be an asset â€" rather than a mistake. 6. Speak as if you’ve already been hired. “When I ran across this job opening last week, I knew I had to apply. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to prove myself as a writer, and it looks like this is it. Not only do you have amazing clients, but the mission of your company matches closely with my personal mission. Together, I think we can do some pretty great things.” This tactic just makes your letter easier to write. You’re not being too self-centered. You’re just being confident. When it comes to your resume and cover letter, confidence is key. It’s not something that you should be ashamed of â€" and, if done correctly, this particular strategy will be seamless. Your potential employer won’t even realize that you used it! 7. Keep your introduction short and sweet. “Writing can be prosperous â€" when it’s done correctly. Let me show you what my writing experience can do for your company.” We’ll keep the explanation short and sweet, as well. Employers like to-the-point attitudes. 8. Use numbers to make a point. “Eighteen basketball players. Six coaches. Two producers. One college president. These are the ingredients for a quality team, but you’re missing one important flavor â€" a manager. Luckily, I can help you there.” Especially for managerial positions, using numbers in your introduction can show that you know what you’re talking about. You shouldn’t pull these numbers from nowhere â€" they should be well-researched and used carefully. But it’s always a good idea to show off your knowledge of the craft. In this example, the applicant is showing off their knowledge of a particular basketball team. The result is smooth and collected. 9. Be painstakingly honest. “When I was five years old, I smashed my head through our front door during a particularly bad temper tantrum. Since then, I’ve learned about mold and cheap wood â€" and how neither of those things belonged in our mysteriously affordable Victorian home. This, and other personal experiences, leads me to believe that I’m a great fit for the team manager position at Oswald Construction.” This is about as close as you can get to making an actual joke in your cover letter. Play at the reader’s sense of humor. This is your opportunity to share a funny story â€" or something embarrassing about yourself. Don’t be afraid to be honest, even when it hurts. You’re showing your potential employer that you’re capable of poking fun at yourself, and learning from the experience. 10. Consider making a video. We’ve provided examples for the rest of our tips, but we’ve simply going to provide a URL for this one. To check out Graeme Anthony (an up-and-coming PR practitioner) and his online cover letter, click here. Going the technological route makes you look media-savvy and creative. It also takes a certain level of independence and time management to create a professional, but intriguing, video that doesn’t completely lose the attention of your audience halfway through. By going this extremely unconventional route, you’re showing your potential employer that you aren’t going to be outdone. Keep in mind, however, that most serious job applicants write separate cover letters for each job they attempt to acquire. Having one video is impressive, but it falls short of the individual attention employers except you to provide for their position. If you’re going to commit to an online version of your cover letter, you’ll have to (1) make separate videos for each of your applications, or (2) only use your video for special positions. And there you have it â€" ten ways to make your cover letter both interesting and professional. Good luck!