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How Employee Branding Helps Your Business
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How to avoid Cabin Fever
Following the latest recommendation from the government to stay indoors and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary, we are now facing a new challenge: how do you look after your psychological well-being during long periods of self-isolation?Although working from home might feel like a dream come true for some individuals, others may struggle to adapt to this new way of living/working. Research suggests that people living in confined spaces for extended periods of time can experience “cabin fever”, with some reporting going “stir crazy”. During this time, various factors can come into play that can be either beneficial or detrimental to our wellbeing.As we are social beings, lack of human interaction can have a negative effect on our psychological and physical health, which could lead to decreased immunity. In order to help combat this, it is vital to maintain a balanced diet and keep active. If you want to stay inside and exercise you can access free exercise classes online, with just your body weight (no equipment needed) and family-oriented activities. Extended periods of confinement can lead to insomnia, poor memory, lack of concentration, low mood, irritability and decreased motivation. This has been reported by people working in polar stations, submarines, space missions, etc. The majority of negative thoughts and feelings can be significantly reduced by applying structure to your day. Setting aims/goals, scheduling regular breaks, planning meals and having a set bed time can help to increase motivation, concentration and overall mood.We cannot underestimate the importance of having a social network to rely upon and being able to reach out to friends and family when needed. It is widely documented that people with lack of social support experience higher levels of anxiety and depression and tend to adopt negative coping strategies such as alcohol. So, we must be mindful that dedicating time to reach out to friends and family, even for light-hearted chats, can be incredibly uplifting.Spending extended periods of time in confined spaces can lead to conflicts, especially between family members. Taking some time out as well as exercise can help to reduce tensions. There is also some evidence to suggest that separating yourself from work through meditation or mindfulness-based exercises can help to promote better work (from home) life balance.HOW TO AVOID CABIN FEVER?• Boost your immunity – get moving and eat healthy!• Structure your day – don’t forget to schedule meals, breaks and have a set bedtime• Maintain social contact – share your worries or concerns with friends and family• Avoid conflicts – exercise or take some time outFinally, if you or any of your friends and family find it hard to cope with self-isolation, please seek professional advice.Monika Michalska, Principal Architecture Consultant- AdremMSc Organisational PsychologyBSc Psychology
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Advice & Support
COVID-19 At Adrem, the health, welfare and well-being of our clients, colleagues and staff is paramount. If you would like to speak to us directly for advice during these unprecedented times please email us at marketing@adremgroup.com or call on 0207 562 8282.
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Working from Home: Trust at Last
Over the last few years more companies have 'talked' about agile working, including those companies that design workplace strategy and in agile working, but the reality is few take their own advice.Many bosses are uncomfortable with the notion of staff being out of sight and out of mind if they aren't on site, with the conclusion being a drop in productivity. This is an apprehension about employee accountability, when employers have never tested this theory.Perhaps this is an ideology that stems from the industrial revolution, ‘be seen to be paid!’ Back then people were paid for their time, which was the same mentality as hiring labourers to work on the land. Time is measurable, but now most companies produce services, which is communicated intangibly.COVID-19 could finally reframe employers views on supervision, so the technological advances will allow them to function without physically being on site. The one thing employers will have to rediscover is ‘trust’ and in reverse whether they have done enough to earn their employees trust back. We are now putting it to the test, but the real test is to see those environments that have changed as a result of these experiences.
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Designer, Maker, User.
In 2020 we buy stuff that makes us happy and then we unbox these exquisitely packaged things ready for consumption; this is the hit of why we buy. However, probe a little deeper and question how did this happen; where did inventiveness and ingenuity go and is creativity at all central? There are three participants in product design - designer, maker, and user.Nowadays people consume and use, but it was not always so. Looking back, products were dreamt up, made or fixed and then used, ‘Designer,Maker,User’ the ultimate in sustainability. There was a joy to fixing things that we have lost thanks to consumption. Think about the last time you sewed anything? Yet my parents talk about a time when they had sewing classes at school.The Design Museum exhibited ‘Designer Maker User’ in a book by Newson, Suggett and Sudjic alongside the launch of their exhibition through which these participatory stages were explored. This new enforced WFH may be perceived as limiting as we have restricted physical movement and socialisation, however it could be a catalyst for us all to become more participatory in the design process, not just users, but makers and designers. Just how much more resourceful, utilitarian and confident would you feel? Not just as a consumer, but as a creator and utiliser of your own resources and existing environment. This could have all kinds of repercussions, for example, using your creativity to keep the kids busy and entertained whilst increasing intellect by making. This can also contribute to one’s self esteem; the pleasure of designing, making and using has the same affect in a three year old as it has in a 93 year old. It’s a lot easier to keep the British stiff upper lip if we have access to creative outlets that consequently raise our self-belief.The problem can be anything and design can fix it. The making can be a 30 second tweak or a weekend construction project. The using can be a brain training exercise or an evening socialising when we are eventually permitted to do so. Product design is everywhere and we are weakest when we are not engaged, so keep busy and remain at your strongest, as this unprecedented period shouldn’t stop us. Dan Cheek, Product Design Consultant – AdremBSc Industrial and Product Design
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Why You Should Start Your Job Search Before Christmas
The majority of job seekers assume that most companies are not hiring during the holiday season and they should wait to start their search in the New Year, but that’s simply not true. You can land a new role before Christmas, but if it doesn’t happen, make sure it’s not for lack of trying. Get yourself out there!Reasons why you should start your job search before Christmas:Less competition More networking opportunities Stand out from the crowd Less stress in the New YearSome tips on how to secure that job:Keep your schedule flexible Clean up of your social profilesSend speculative applications Stay in touch with decision makers For more tips on preparing for your job search, read more on How to Write A CV That Works and How To Prepare For An Interview.
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How Employee Branding Helps Your Business
The Benefits of Employee BrandingEmployee branding is very important when it comes to attracting new talent and retaining existing staff. When your company’s values and goals align with your employees’, they are more motivated to perform better — and that’s great for business.A brand can be defined through its personality and culture and we’ve found that happy employees make a strong brand. Involving your employees in your company’s social media can demonstrate the work environment and common behaviour among workers, which will effectively increase your brand’s reach and engagement. Research shows that 84% of job seekers value recommendations from friends and family above all forms of advertising. Therefore, featuring authentic testimonials from existing employees will enable any new talent to imagine themselves joining your brand.Employee branding doesn’t only help the external brand but it also creates positive behaviour internally. Hinge Research Institute teamed with Social Media Today to find that almost 86% of advocates said that being involved in social media, such as Linkedin, had a positive impact on their own careers. It has demonstrated that it allowed them to expand their professional networks as well as keep them up-to-date with industry trends. Other notable benefits also include the ability to develop skills that are in high demand, become recognised as thought leaders and differentiate themselves from their peers.Three Ways to Enhance your Employee BrandingThere is no one-size-fits all strategy so it is key to deliver in a medium that feels true and authentic to your brand. But here are some ideas:Social mediaLive eventsEmployee reviewsIt’s important your employer brand is authentic. Once the candidates become new employees, they’ll expect to encounter the brand they experienced during the recruitment process. So your employer brand must closely align with your actual organisational culture and employee experience. When it does, your new hires will quickly become engaged and passionate employees that can themselves become part of the employer brand.
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Adrems Top 5: TED Talks for Career Development
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages.As part of Adrems Top 5 this week, we have rounded up 5 TED Talks you need to watch for your career development and success. TED talks are a great way to spend your lunch break, or your commute home. Enjoy this list of ideas, creative thoughts and ways you can grow personally and in your career.1. How to find work you love – Scott Dinsmore About the talk: Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.About the speaker: Scott Dinsmore founded Live Your Legend, a career and connection platform to inspire people to find their passion.Why you should listen: Entrepreneur Scott Dinsmore left life at a Fortune 500 company to help others do work that they love. After researching what thousands of employees truly wanted out of life, he founded the organization Live Your Legend. As the Chief Experimenter, he not only supplied practical career tools but connected more than 100,000 people worldwide to encourage each other’s dreams — putting community at the center of success. Dinsmore died in September 2015 while on a year-long trek around the world. His legacy will live on through his passion, dedication and strong community of dreamers and doers.2. How great leaders inspire action – Simon Sinek About the talk: Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership — starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers.About the speaker: Simon Sinek explores how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust and change. He’s the author of the classic “Start With Why”; his latest book is “Leaders Eat Last.”Why you should listen: Fascinated by the leaders who make impact in the world, companies and politicians with the capacity to inspire, Simon Sinek has discovered some remarkable patterns in how they think, act and communicate. He wrote Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action to explore his idea of the Golden Circle, what he calls “a naturally occurring pattern, grounded in the biology of human decision making, that explains why we are inspired by some people, leaders, messages and organizations over others.”3. Smash fear, learn anything – Tim Ferriss About the talk: From the EG conference: Productivity guru Tim Ferriss’ fun, encouraging anecdotes show how one simple question — “What’s the worst that could happen?” — is all you need to learn to do anything.About the speaker: Tim Ferriss is an early-stage tech investor, best-selling author and podcaster.Why you should listen: Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company‘s “Most Innovative Business People” and one of Fortune‘s “40 under 40.” He is an early-stage technology investor/advisor (Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ others) and the author of four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek.4. The happy secret to better work – Shawn Achor About the talk: We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.About the speaker: Shawn Achor is the CEO of Good Think Inc., where he researches and teaches about positive psychology.Why you should listen: Shawn Achor is the winner of over a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, where he delivered lectures on positive psychology in the most popular class at Harvard. He is the CEO of Good Think Inc., a Cambridge-based consulting firm which researches positive outliers — people who are well above average — to understand where human potential, success and happiness intersect. Based on his research and 12 years of experience at Harvard, he clearly and humorously describes to organizations how to increase happiness and meaning, raise success rates and profitability, and create positive transformations that ripple into more successful cultures.5. Why you will fail to have a great career – Larry Smith About the talk: In this funny and blunt talk, Larry Smith pulls no punches when he calls out the absurd excuses people invent when they fail to pursue their passions.About the speaker: A professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, Larry Smith coaches his students to find the careers that they will truly love.Why you should listen: Larry Smith is a professor of economics at University of Waterloo. A well-known storyteller and advocate for youth leadership, he has also mentored many of his students on start-up business management and career development. The most notable start-up he advised in its infancy is Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry.
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5 Ways Your Company Culture Can Promote Mental Wellbeing
With work pressures rising in our fast paced world, a mentally healthy workplace promotes a positive outlook to improve its employees wellbeing. A culture that supports wellness would automatically grow productivity and the general welfare of your staff. There are a few ways to instil that culture, and being one of London’s leading recruitment agencies – let us give you some tips on how.Companies need to focus on fostering a wellbeing environment and explore how a culture of supporting mental health would fit in with their organisation. Even though this may require changes – these are the first steps you can start with.1. Employee EngagementThis refers to the overall engagement an employee has with their work. Working in a relaxed environment lets employees be engaged with their work in all ways – physically and mentally. Employee engagement is about understanding one’s role in an organisation, and being sighted and energised on where it fits in the organisation’s purpose and objectives. It is important to be engaged with their work in all ways to provide a boost in morale, self-esteem and eventually productivity.2. Encouraging a Work Life Balance Studies show that employees with a positive work-life balance have high productivity and do a better job over all. A company which promotes this would see a rise in wellbeing. Through flexible work timings, working from home options and understanding your employees ways of efficient working – a work-life balance would even give them an option to be more aware of their mental wellbeing.3. Speak Openly About WellbeingEducating employees on the importance of this would be the first step. Having a clear recognition of when your employees are overworked and stressed would be a way of giving support as soon as they need it. If they understand that your business is open to caring about their wellbeing, they will be more expressive about it. Providing safe and open communication throughout the work environment leads to a wellbeing oriented culture.4. Promoting Professional DevelopmentCreating conditions that let employees shine is as essential as providing them with company goals in the first place. For instance, recognition for achieving organisational targets or other work-related aims. Professional Development not only refers to the work that they are doing, but also an overall development such as skills, learning and training they may require at certain points in their career.5. Encourage Out of Work InterestsIf your culture helps employees revitalise, through outdoor activities and external entertainment, they will focus on how they feel when they are taking part in these. Promoting creative thinking and teamwork even improves the way in which people perform during work hours. For instance, weekly football games or Friday evening activities can help.For other ways to improve wellbeing, read our Wellbeing Tips, and Advice and Tips for the Modern Professional
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9 Ways Linkedin Can Get You Your Next Job
From tweets to snaps, social media has become the main communication tool for today’s society. With LinkedIn as the top social media platform for professionals, it’s only obvious you keep it up-to-date in order to land you your next dream job.Here are 9 tips on how to maximise your profile and get noticed on Linkedin.1. Use a professional photoFirst impressions count! The first thing someone sees on your profile is your picture. By adding a professional photos that shows you are warm and welcoming is a great addition to any profile.A good picture makes you look more approachable and increases your chances to have a positive connection with your next employer. Additionally, putting up a background photo would add some personality into your page – it can be a project you are proud of or a picture from your travels.2. Consistency is keyBuilding your personal brand can be challenging, however being consistent is important. Your paper CV and portfolio should be in line with your LinkedIn profile. Even in aspects of your positions, dates as well as language, must all be consistent throughout. Hiring managers don’t appreciate switching from past tense and then present or from first person to third3. Create your own URLLinkedIn now has the option of creating your own profile URL personalised to what you want it to be, not to mention it makes it much easier for you to be found on search engines. After all, it looks a lot neater than a bunch of random letters and numbers attached to your profile.4. Include a current job title even if you’re not employedMost hiring managers can search for current job titles. Having a title such as “Graphic Designer” and “Currently Seeking” in the company title would help your profile appear in searches more frequently.5. Write a great profile summary & headlineYour headline should not just provide information about what you do – but provide your value-added benefit to the viewer. What is your value proposition? Answer that question in your summary and headline.6. Add effective sections in your profileYour profile should be as full as possible – adding relevant experience, volunteering and accomplishments. Make them more effective by using action words that are from your targeted job description. Elaborate on times you were picked for a project or gained quantitative results. 7. Showcase your skillsLinkedIn provides you with up to 50 skills to show recruiters how experienced you are. Ideally, use all 50 of them. If you’re going for a Marketing position, add skills such as ‘marketing strategy’, ‘digital marketing’ etc. This simply improves the chances of you being found by your skills to fill a role. It may even start a conversation between you and a connection who wants to know more about your diverse skills.8. Showcase your projects: Add mediaAdding work experience is useful, but details about a project your proud of can really make your profile stand out. Visuals are a great way of showcasing your talent on LinkedIn. It will not only catch the viewers’ attention, but also make your work memorable.9. Ask for recommendations and endorsementsGenuine comments on your work strengthens your display of acknowledgement. Endorsements might not always be useful, however it increases the credibility of your profile and work. Overall, keep your profile up-to-date and relevant. Make changes as it happens and don’t be afraid to connect with people that have common interest. Who knows, that might be your next boss.Get in touch if you want to know more on how to utilise your professional social media account!
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