Tag Archive for: wellbeing

How to Increase Motivation in the Workplace (3mins read)

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Sometimes there are times when motivation is lower in the workplace. This can include when feeling undervalued, when there is conflict or when there is an unrealistic workload. It can lead to poor performance, unwelcome vibes in the workplace, mental health issues and job dissatisfaction.

There are many different methods to try to improve motivation in the workplace. Each situation is different. It will need an honest evaluation of the workplace dynamics to improve morale. “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it” – Michael Jordan.

8 Simple Ways to Increase Motivation in the Workplace

  1. Develop small goals at first, that are measurable, and that will help toward achieving bigger goals
  2. Encourage collaboration of the team and ask for each team member’s suggestions. Implement suggestions and get everyone on-board with each new change
  3. Try to remain positive throughout the process, even when faced with adversity from colleagues
  4. Develop creative ideas to increase motivation. This might include creating more autonomy in the workplace or encouraging feedback from the team to provide inspiring solutions
  5. Ensure to take breaks and stay fuelled, to feel energised throughout the day
  6. Reward great work with a team celebration
  7. Host frequent ‘huddle sessions’ to review team performance, concerns or issues, and invite solutions from the team to improve each situation
  8. Become a leader, regardless of your position in the organisation

While it is true management have a vital role to play in ensuring that there is good motivation in the workplace, we all have a part to play in improving morale. Obstacles can be overcome, with improved team effort and communication. Teamwork can make a real difference in boosting motivation, morale, and wellbeing at work. It can also help with lower absenteeism, create a great company reputation, and increase job satisfaction, making your company a great place to work and being part of the team.

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How to Improve Culture in the Workplace (5mins read)

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Unique to each business, workplace culture includes many dynamics including work practices, beliefs and behaviours. Working in an environment with an unhealthy culture brings a lot of problems. Issues such as poor engagement, low motivation and performance, and high turnover of staff can make or break a company. Ideally management will work continually toward creating a positive culture.

Creating a vibrant workplace takes a lot of planning and getting everyone on-board with the new way of being. However, it will pay off in the long run and bring much success to the company. “Good teams incorporate teamwork into their culture, creating the building blocks for success” – Ted Sundquist.

Tips to Improve Work Culture and Teamwork

  1. Begin with a clear statement of the company’s vision and values. If your team understands these it significantly increases the chance for greater success. Leadership of the company’s vision begins with creating a large diagram of your vision statement to clarify the process and helps your team to collaborate toward achieving the goal. Placing this in the meeting room will remind staff of the direction of the business at each meeting 
  2. Build trust within your team. Delegate responsibilities and empower employees to perform their best, while providing adequate resources to get the tasks completed
  3. Communication is vital between all departments. Provide an ‘open door’ policy to help ensure team input is valued which creates a feeling that they are an integral part of the process. Delivering and being open to receiving honest feedback helps with real-learning, and supports opportunities for growth and innovation
  4. Create opportunities to collaborate and work toward success. Develop frequent huddle sessions to begin meetings on a light note by including a fun element at the start of the meeting. This will really help the team to work on company strategies and shared goals
  5. Embrace diversity of team opinions and feedback. Brainstorm solutions for greater input from the whole team. To ensure all voices are heard use a few methods for feedback including a flip chart, post-it-notes and provide an opportunity for staff to present their feedback after the meeting
  6. Maintain clear and consistent expectations – an integral part of the process. It helps to demonstrate a fuller understanding of the bigger picture.
  7. Leverage team member’s skills and strengths, and provide up-skilling opportunities when needed
  8. Expressions of appreciation go a long way in boosting team morale and job satisfaction. This can range from competitive salaries, bonuses, extra holiday leave and employee of the month programmes

Company culture is all about the team working together – in a holistic way, toward a shared goal. “Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much” by Helen Keller. It can take months to develop a great team, yet it can lead to greater long-term results. Positive culture in the workplace provides quality social and economic rewards – increasing job satisfaction and staff retention rates, while increasing performance productivity and the value of the company. The ideal workplace should be friendly, supportive, flexible, fun, and rewarding.

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How to maximise your hiring process

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How to maximise your hiring process –

It’s a candidate’s market, there are an abundance of jobs open at present and not enough candidates to fill them. While we may not be able to chance the amounts of applications that come in for an open role, what we can do is maximise our hiring process.

Here are some simple steps companies can take to help with the hiring process –

·        Job specification – Ensure that the Job Title, Location, Salary and Hours are clearly displayed on your job advert. Include the duties/ responsibilities that the role involves so candidates will know what is expected of them. Make sure to add in the benefits of working with your company, these can include – pension, health insurance, employee rewards, flexible working or remote working.

·        Advertise on as many platforms as you can – There are many different platforms where a company can advertise their jobs such as Irishjobs, Indeed, Glassdoors. Make sure to utilise all platforms available to you. Advertise your vacancy through your company account on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There are also many groups which you can join and post on like LinkedIn groups or Facebook groups. Candidates actively monitor these groups for jobs which may be of interest to them.

·        Application process – Make it as easy as possible for a candidate to apply for your job, simply by having an “apply now” button on the advert or an email contact to send their CV directly. Companies can often look for candidates to fill in a long application document, send their CV, cover letter, and have additional questions on top of these. Some companies even ask for a video application. Candidates get frustrated with all these steps so make sure your application process isn’t too tedious which may put candidates off applying.

·        Phone screen before interview – Candidates can look great on paper, but often times it takes chatting with a prospective employee to know if they are going to be a good match for the role or not. Phone screenings are a great way to find out more about a candidate and what they are looking for before arranging an interview.

·        Be response & have a hiring plan – One of the biggest mistakes companies make is not contacting hot candidates as soon as they apply. Some companies wait a month if not more to contact candidates. I personally had one client contact me after 3 months to arrange an interview with a candidate, the candidate by then, had been working in a new role a number of weeks and was no longer interested. Have a clear, concise recruitment plan is place. Carry out weekly interviews, have a start date in mind for the successful candidate & training plan.  

·        Interview process – An interview is a good way for a candidate to get an insight of what it will be like to work with your company. Give candidates detailed information about the role, your company, the culture, the benefits. Make sure to give a good impression and make the candidate feel comfortable. Use the interview to ask the candidate important questions that are relevant to the role. Also ask candidates if they have any questions at the end of the interview.

·        Interview Outcome – It is important to not keep a candidate waiting after they have had their interview. If you are carrying out other interviews keep the candidate in the loop, even by dropping them a simple email stating that you are interviewing other candidates but will be in touch with them in X number of days regarding outcome. If you know a candidate was not successful right after interview, inform them straight away, don’t leave them waiting for bad news. Give them feedback and insights on what to improve for future interviews.

·        Obtain references – When you are ready to offer a successful candidate the job, it is important to obtain manager/ supervisor references form recent employers before you extent offer.

·        Offer & onboarding – Once you have suitable references extend official offer. Make sure to send the candidate the offer letter, contract, and also onboarding & training documentation.

·        Ask for a Review – It is a great idea to ask applicants for feedback from applicants on how they found the application & interview process. Candidates can leave ratings on your company page on Indeed or Glassdoors. Prospective candidates can then view these reviews and will know that the application & interview process is a pleasant experience.

If you in the Healthcare or Hospitality industry and looking for assistance with your open roles, then give me a call or drop me an email and I would be happy to help.

Charissa Mulholland

Three Q Perms & Temps

01 878 3335

recruiter@3qrecruitment.ie

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Working from the Office or at Home

Do you prefer to work from home or the office? Some prefer the working in the office as it gives structure to the day, it’s easier to focus on tasks and they get to meet colleagues. For others working from home is easier than working in the office. They prefer the calm of their home office, the flexibility in their hours and prefer to work on their own, for most of the day – they find that they get a lot more done in this environment.

While working from home during the pandemic may have seemed appealing in the early days, for many the four walls began to close in pretty quickly and they yearned to get back into the office environment. Adjusting to the home-work life model has been a struggle for some. The benefits of working at the office now seem more appealing. They prefer the familiarity that comes with the job, and the structure that the office environment provides.

Benefits of working in the office:

  • Emotional and social value increase towards work, including the brand
  • Face to face connections are far better for wellbeing than webinars and online meeting rooms
  • Helps to keep a healthy work-life balance, by maintaining work hours
  • Disturbances to work flow, which may have seemed annoying before, are now a welcome relief
  • Routines can give more structure to the day
  • Can increase job satisfaction and feeling valued
  • Teamwork reduces frustration on certain activities
  • More recognition is achieved in the office
  • Can improve mental and physical health
  • Likely to increase networking opportunities
  • Less likelihood of household and family distractions
  • Work is left at the office, at close of business

Maintaining clear boundaries, between the work and home environments, will help to maintain a healthy work-life balance in your life. The positive effects can be major including increased overall wellbeing and productivity in work. Social connections are really important; otherwise the job is ‘just a job’! “We must establish a personal connection with each other. Connection before content. Without relatedness, no work can occur” – Peter Block.  

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How to Deal with Burnout

Are you struggling with burnout, stressed from your job and feeling the impact of it in your personal life? Stress can lead to many personal issues. Unfortunately, it is part of many professional jobs. Health care professionals and the hospitality industry can be high demanding jobs, leading to long hours and less personal time, which can lead to burnout. Recognising the signs of exhaustion, in the early stages, is vital to overall health and wellbeing, and performance at work.

It is vital to harness resilience when dealing with exhaustion and asking the right questions will help you to get on the road to recovery a little faster. Sometimes it’s not easily identified until fully into the depths of its throws. Frequently asked questions that are a good starting point to identify burnout include:

What is burnout?

Burnout is your body’s way of telling you that it is overstretched. It can leave people feeling mentally, physically and emotionally drained, unable to do menial tasks, lacking creativity, feeling detached unmotivated, and hollow. The situation worsens when we don’t take care of ourselves in the early stages, or ignore the symptoms. Dealing with exhaustion in the early stages lessens the risk of serious physical or mental dis-ease.

Start with self-care; evaluate daily tasks and take time for restoration. Invaluable advice and insights to help deal with burnout include:

How do I deal with burnout?

  • Reach out to family, friends and colleagues, or seek professional support
  • Simple as it sounds, listen to your body
  • Create time for rest and relaxation – time to wind down and, increase personal time to find balance and restoration
  • Increase physical activities, starting with small movements and gradually increasing every day until it becomes a habit
  • Hydration is key to boost energy levels and reduce recovery time
  • A health check-up will rule out anything more sinister, and may provide details on any vitamin or mineral deficiencies
  • Reduce technology time, significantly in the early days of self-care
  • Get enough sleep, this is paramount for a speedier recovery
  • Spend time enjoying hobbies, to lift the soul and bring joy back into your life
  • Alone-time might not always be easy, especially when life has been overly busy. Take time to stand still, meditate and journal emotions that surface during this time
  • Sometimes we may get lost in the process – find yourself again
  • Finish work on time. Too many late work evenings eventually catch up and eat into precious restoration time
  • List accomplishments and let go of past slip-ups
  • Identify if the job is rewarding, and take steps to create job satisfaction, even if this means having an honest chat with your employer
  • Meet personal needs, especially during the weekend

How do I move beyond burnout?

Burnout can take some time to recover from, depending on the stage. It really helps to plan for the future, to avoid coming across this situation again. Plan your time well, starting with healthy meals, exercise, time for hobbies and personal activates, and most importantly annual leave. Ask for help, let go of unnecessary work. Delegate or say ‘no’ when needed. Begin to take control of your life again!

Time and stress management are two important elements that can really help to prevent future symptoms of burnout, and can lead to a much healthier life. Remember; “You can do anything, but not everything” – David Allen.

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How to Cope with Anxiety

Every Moment is a fresh beginning

Change and uncertainty in the workplace can bring unwelcome anxiety, which can take us down a path of unhealthy living and disrupt a healthy work-life balance. This is particularly true when these changes happen outside our control, whether you’re in temporary or permanent employment. Finding ways to cope with change and uncertainty isn’t always easy.

Dealing with anxiety and regaining balance in your life are just two of the necessary steps to help reboot the psychological, physical and emotional aspects of self. Understand how the change is impacting you and increase your self-care also help, as does talking about the new process.

‘Blue Zone Living’ has inspired thousands of individuals globally in a curious movement of on-going research which seeks to understand why some countries have populations with healthy aging individuals. The invaluable advice and insights are relatively simple and can be used to regain a healthy balance in your life.

9 healthy regimes to manage anxiety include:

  1. Understand what your purpose is; why you wake up every morning? Find meaning and develop an internal inventory of passions, values, gifts, talents, likes and dislikes
  2. Body movement relives stress, particularly high stress levels. Natural continuous body movement is just as beneficial as strenuous exercise
  3. Use the Pareto Rule during meal times. Choose to stop eating when 80% full, and let go of late night snacking. Remember – ‘breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper’
  4. Become more aware of, and increase, self-care and wellbeing, and work on ways to reduce stress levels. The body holds stress in different ways, so embrace rituals that work for you – nap for twenty in the afternoon, partake in a happy hour after work, engage in creative activities or simply pray
  5. Include healthy food in each meal serving – fruit, whole grains, rich and colourful vegetables, beans and nuts. Consume lean-meat a few days a week, and avoid processed and sugary foods
  6. The fun doesn’t have to stop with this new way of being. Enjoy things and food that give you pleasure. A glass of wine with a sociable meal can provide powerful antioxidants
  7. Positive social circles promote healthy behaviours with self. These can be fun, nurture talents and advance your personal development journey. Find which ones work for you
  8. Belong and have faith – join your preferred faith-based community, to form strong social relationships, which can provide a powerful sense of belonging. Find one that suits you.
  9. Finally, the depth of love holds many amazing benefits, so stay connected and open to those that you love!

Change isn’t always a negative. It can be liberating, exhilarating and bring some, or many, new opportunities. Remember; “Every moment is a fresh beginning” – T. S. Elliot.

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