10 Tips to Managing Interview Cancellations and No Shows

10 Tips to Managing Interview Cancellations and No Shows As the war for talent has once again heated up, candidates are no longer willing to wait long for interviews. Many are simultaneously interviewing at multiple employers. If they get hired somewhere else, they cancel your interview. Some simply do not show up and do not call. Frustrating, right? Not to mention costly, as some hiring managers travel to conduct selection interviews. But, before you pull your hair out, take a moment to consider the candidate’s point of view. The best candidates are busy people. If they are currently employed, their time for interviewing is limited. They may have multiple companies vying for their attention. You are just one of many. On the other hand, young candidates may be fearful and intimidated. They are focused on their own schedules and assume that you have plenty of people to consider. Why would you care if they don’t show up? You’ll just move on to the next person on your list, right? Whether experienced professionals or college grads, job candidates today are focused on one thing: finding the company that gives them the best feeling and makes getting hired easy. It’s important to note that the best way to prevent cancellations and no shows is to truly invest time in building rapport with a candidate, selling the job opportunity to the candidate, and gaining a firm buy-in from them regarding their interest in working at the company. By building rapport with a candidate, you can earn their trust, learn about their career goals and how those goals align with the current opportunity. It’s equally as important to be able to articulate what the career path is in the company, so you can provide candidates with a bigger picture of where this current position might lead them. Another thing that makes a difference is to truly understand what the candidate’s salary requirements are and how that relates to the position being offered. If the candidate’s request is too far out of range, do they still want to interview for a job that offers less money? If so, it needs to be vetted with the candidate, otherwise you risk having them decide at the last minute that the pay cut won’t work. The same thing is true of relocation. Are they truly willing to relocate? How committed are they to that decision? Learn as much as you can about what are deal-breakers for candidates to ensure that only candidates who are truly willing to work the job, where it’s located, for the salary offered, are the ones who interview. In addition to that, here are 10 practical tips to help reduce candidate cancellations and no shows: Reduce interview lag time  Work with hiring managers to schedule interviews as soon as possible. Try not to go beyond two weeks. Don’t let someone else be faster than you. Coach hiring managers on the importance of not rescheduling interviews Rescheduling gives candidates the impression that their time is not valued. They will interview where they are clearly wanted. Set expectations up front with candidates Find out if they are interviewing elsewhere. Open a dialogue to gauge their true interest level in your company and what factors they weigh as priorities when considering and accepting offers. Ask them to notify you if they need to cancel or withdraw from consideration and provide contact information to do so. Provide flexible, upcoming interviewing schedules  The best candidates receive many interview offers and often have tight schedules to work around. How can you make the process easier? Can you interview over Skype? Phone? Offer after-hours or weekends? Offer flexible, pre-determined interview options to get on their calendar right away. Keep communicating with candidates Schedule an email or text message campaign so that candidates hear from your company with interesting information every few days before the interview. Also, provide candidates with answers to questions, interview prep, what to expect at the interview, etc. And reinforce why your culture is a great place to spend their careers. Confirm interviews more than once Email and phone candidates to confirm their intention to attend the interview. But don’t just confirm. Welcome them as you would a guest. Let them know how much you appreciate their time and interest. Text candidates  Millennials especially communicate by text message. This is an effective way to confirm and also to solicit feedback if they do not show. Build a stronger bench If you normally present three candidates and find that you are experiencing a high rate of cancellations or no-shows, consider presenting five candidates to make up for it. Find out why candidates are dropping out  It may be hard to do, but if you can survey those who cancelled or failed to show, you’ll gain valuable insight into what factors are playing into this phenomenon. Was a recruiter rude? Did the timing just not work? Were they treated better somewhere else? Did they feel unprepared? Ask questions and report on it on a regular basis. See the silver lining Ultimately, candidates who fail to show or call may not be the most considerate or dependable employees. Be thankful that their behavior showed up early and prevented you from a potential bad hire. The easier you can make the hiring process and the more you understand the candidate, the greater the chances are that you’ll build a reputation for providing a great hiring experience and reduce the number of cancellations and no shows. Author: Katie Calhoun is Strategic Director at  SevenStepRPO.com  where she provides strategic direction to both her clients and teams with a strong focus on the clients individual and business goal requirements. Her specialties are client relationship development, partnership programs, team building and operational delivery.

Career Girl Roundup Thoughtful Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Career Girl Roundup Thoughtful Gift Ideas for the Holidays The holidays are just around the corner, and so is secret santa and all the other gift exchanging traditions that come with it.  It  is not just about the gifts, of course. However, gift giving is a great way to show appreciation to your family, friends, and colleagues for everything that they have done for you in the year that passed. Gift giving can get really tricky. In the office,  you need  to show appreciation without seeming  patronizing. In your personal life, you need to be able to give a gift that truly represents how you feel about or care for your loved ones. We here at Ms. Career Girl believe that a carefully thought out gift can speak leagues about how grateful you are for having someone in your life. It is a tough deal to try to decide what to give who, so weve decided to put together a round up of gift ideas to help you take the stress off Christmas shopping. Heres out first list! Enjoy! A gift that keeps giving In this digital age, receiving a card is considered more heartfelt and personal. The Hadley School for the Blind Braille Holiday Card is as awesome example for this. In support of independence for visually impaired individuals, The Womans Board of Hadley recommends that you check out these beautiful greeting cards. These beautiful cards feature greetings in both print and braille and all proceeds benefit Hadley. They come in boxes of 25 for $35. Coordinating gift tags are also available. These folded 33 inch gift tags come festively packaged in cellophane and tied with ribbon. The gift tags are $20 for a pack of 20, including shipping. The cards carry the greeting, “Wishing you peace, happiness, and the spirit of the season” in both print and braille. For more information or to order a holiday card and/or gift tag online, please visit www.hadley.edu/holidaycard. For the Travel Junkie Know an avid traveler? Give him/her the gift of peace of mind. Clever Travel Companion have created anti-theft clothing that allows travelers to hide their valuables in secret pockets in  their underwear. Clever Travel Companions anti-theft products range from undershirts to tanktops, and its selection continues to grow. These awesome pickpocket proof fashion is also affordable, with its products ranging from $10-$30. It also ships worldwide, so this is a gift that can reach a friend whom you want to feel remembered this season. Check them out at  www.clevertravelcompanion.com For the Beauty Buffs For the beauty addicts or that friend who is trying to go for a new look,  check out the PRO Beauty Tools ® 1” Professional X-Long Gold Curling Wand (MSRP: $34.99). Complete with an extended barrel, this iron is 2” longer than a traditional curling iron, ensuring that heat is evenly distributed throughout the length of the hair for consistent performance. If it’s cheerleader-inspired curls you’re after, the game-changing PRO Beauty Tools 1” Professional Iridescent Curling Iron (MSRP: $29.99) should be your go-to. Complete with a 24-hour curl lock, your style will perform all night long. No touch-ups required! For the techie and photo lover Tech lovers will love the  MeFOTO SideKick.   This smartphone adapter provides mobile photographers and filmmakers with solid camera support and precision control, which creates sharp photos, videos, time lapse and long exposures. The 360 ° rotating ball joint allows for quick repositioning from vertical for photos to horizontal for video and anywhere in between.   (Oh, and it’s available in super cool colors.) Check out:  http://www.mefoto.com/products/sidekick360.aspx For the more profesional photo enthusiasts, the MeFOTO BYO tripod is a winner. It’s a first of a kind…great for point shoot, mirrorless, micro 4/3 and DSLR cameras with larger lenses. Plus, it converts to a monopod in seconds. Check out:  http://www.mefoto.com/byo/maker.aspx For the health and environment conscious Staying hydrated while working is one of the basic things that you need to do to stay healthy. Whether you have a colleague who is a firm believer in this or a friend who needs  to be chugging more H2O, the Love Bottle is an awesome gift.  Water in a great looking, earth-friendly bottle thats supercharged with a little love is the perfect answer to helping many people in a simple and easy way. Look through the mouth of the bottle and youll find at the bottom a sweet message: U R Loved. Sweet, thoughtful, and useful. Thats a winning gift! Check out:  LoveBottle.com  to see their newly launched US made bottles. You can also get updates on their Facebook  page and @LoveBottleUSA  Twitter page.

How To Beat Brain Fog And Crush Cravings At Work With The Power Of Protein - Classy Career Girl

How To Beat Brain Fog And Crush Cravings At Work With The Power Of Protein As busy women, it’s difficult to eat as healthy as we’d like. Inevitably, we reach for a donut, (at least) a couple of cups of coffee and maybe some chocolate or cookies to keep ourselves alert at work, especially at the dreaded 11 am post-breakfast sugar slump and the 3 pm post-lunch cravings carnival. There’s one single trick to getting rid of this brain fog and staying alert throughout the day â€" just add enough protein to each of your meals (including snacks). Protein is king because it helps us feel more satisfied, fuller and regulates the reward hormones in the brain unlike eating carbs or fats. Protein also has a low glycaemic index so it doesn’t cause sugar highs and lows, which also reduces our cravings. Eating protein together with our meals and snacks is a simple way to put the power of protein to good use (and it’s yummy to boot!) How To Beat Brain Fog And Crush Cravings At Work With The Power Of Protein 1. Start Your Day With Some Protein If you’ve been searching for a way to reduce your caffeine intake or simply switch to a healthier breakfast, adding protein to your first meal of the day is a great idea. If you make breakfast at home, having a couple of eggs for breakfast is a simple hack. Worried that it takes too long? You can prep eggs on the weekend and simply reheat them in the morning before work: Hard boil and peel eggs on the weekend. Cut into small pieces and keep them in the fridge. At breakfast, simply mix together with some salt, pepper, and  mustard to pop on toast for an easy meal. Make baked frittata muffins on the weekend and simply reheat them when you want to eat. You can even pop some in your bag and heat them up at work! If you’re an oatmeal or smoothie type of person, mix some protein powder into your morning oats/drink to power it up. Or switch to soy milk which has much more protein than normal dairy. If you prefer colder breakfasts, add some Greek yogurt into your granola for the protein bump. I bet you’ll get so much more done before lunch because you’ll be more alert, more awake and won’t be relying on the coffee to push you through. 2. At Main Meals, Include 1-1.5 Palm-Sized Servings of Protein At lunch, make sure you get enough protein in addition to your vegetables and grains. For meat eaters, aim for 1-1.5 palm-sized servings of lean meat. For vegetarians and vegans, get 1-1.5 cups of tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas or beans. Often, we don’t have good takeout options near work so we end up eating carb-heavy lunches which them promptly push us to feel sleepy a couple of hours after lunch. Dialing up protein at this meal (even at the expense of carbs) is a great way to stop having the post-lunch crash which makes our afternoon very unproductive. [RELATED: 6 Things That Happened When I Tried Intermittent Fasting For 30 Days] One simple way is to ask for extra servings of meat, beans and veggies and less bread or rice. You might have to top up a dollar or two but most takeout joints will easily accommodate the request. If you have a couple of hours on the weekend, you can even meal prep really quickly using the one-pan sheet prep method â€" this basically involves chopping the meat and vegetables, seasoning them and laying them all out on one pan to bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Bam! You’re done. 3. Incorporate Protein into Your Snacks Too Now that you know the power of protein, don’t even glance at muffins or juices or any such sugar-laden treat for the afternoon pick-me-up. They help for half an hour but then we start looking over our shoulder for something else to eat, over and over until it’s time to leave work. Instead, pack these simple snacks in your handbag (or pick them up at the convenience store) and you’ll never have an afternoon slump again! Bonus â€" no prep needed. Some naturally high-protein snacks are: Greek yogurt: get unsweetened versions of brands like Chobani which have thicker creamier yogurt and are also higher in protein than their counterparts. Double win! Dry roasted edamame is a great alternative if you’re craving something crunchy. It has twice the amount of protein as chickpeas and beans, which makes it even more satiating. Cottage cheese â€" can be eaten just plan, topped with some cacao powder and peanut butter or paired with an apple. It’s great when you are looking for something a little tangy and salty. Beef jerky  high-quality jerky like Brooklyn Biltong and Think Jerky have minimal ingredients and come from grass-fed beef that is healthy for us. In addition, these come in many flavors  (just like chips) to satisfy any type of taste craving we may have that day. Cheddar cheese â€" good quality cheese slices with crackers anyone? Honestly, we can just eat the cheese as is it’s so good even without crackers and has a good amount of protein to keep us feeling satisfied. As a plus, cheddar cheese slices are available even in the most unpretentious little shops. Kefir â€" if you feel like drinking something, pick up some unsweetened Kefir instead of juices or smoothies. It’s a cultured milk drink which has good protein but is also high in probiotics to keep your tummy happy. Eating protein-filled meals throughout the day will make cravings less likely, prevent afternoon sugar crashes and make us much more efficient and effective at work. We are also less likely to come home starving and binge on the nearest pack of cookies. Here’s to staying happier and healthier even on our busiest days!

11 Ten years later

Surviving 9/11 Ten years later During the year after 9/11 I went to counseling for post-traumatic stress. I went to a group that met weekly. The counselors explained that if we told our story over and over again, the story would have less power over us. So I have been telling my story for ten years. I am lucky to have a blog, and an amazing community to tell my story to. And recently, as the 10th anniversary has been approaching, Ive been telling my story again, to many news outlets. I was there when the first tower fell. I was so close to it that I could not even see what had happened. I didnt run. I ducked for cover. I got trampled. By the time I could stand up, everything was completely dark. I remember the moment I realized I should close my mouth and stop breathing. Time got so slow. I remember thinking that if I had stopped breathing sooner, I would have had a few extra breaths right now. I remember thinking dont swallow, because there was too much stuff in my mouth. I thought to myself that I had no idea what to do to save my life. I was in the dark and couldnt breathe. I thought Ill only be alive for maybe a minute longer, so I only have to keep trying to figure out how to save my life for one more minute. I told myself I cant give up until I pass out. I remember that I hoped for a fast death. Then something switched in me. I was okay dying. I felt okay with whatever level of pain I had before I died. I thought of my two brothers. I wanted them to be okay. To be fine. And I hoped someone would help them deal with my death. I thought of my husband, and I was so disappointed to not see our life unfold together. That evening, after I had been to the hospital, after I had both eyes patched up, my husband finally told me both towers fell. That evening, I still thought the time that I was in the dark was maybe ten minutes. Now I realize that the time when I could not breathe was probably less than a minute. I had accepted the pain and my death after only 30 seconds. The first time I told that story was when I wrote it for Time magazine on the evening of 9/11. I cant believe how much my story has changed. How much more I know. Heres what I know. I know that leaving New York City is really hard to do. I spent my whole life being a high achiever. I was a high achiever in high school, even as the police were taking me out of my parents house for abuse. I was a high achiever in college, even while I was in a mental ward. I was a high achiever in my 20s, even as I was doing the hard work of taking care of my two youngest brothers. Heres my life story: Top figure skater, professional beach volleyball player, syndicated journalist in 200 newspapers, author of three books, founder of three startups. Heres my World Trade Center story: Learning to give up everything. I am not a person who waited until the end of my life to slow down. Im someone who stopped competing. When you leave New York City to move to Wisconsin its like a formal announcement that you are out of the competition. In New York City, anyone who can manage living there with kids is doing something great in their career. For those who have kids, there is only room for high achievers in that city. And I am not there. I live on a farm outside Darlington, WI, a very, very small rural community where most people are happy. Most people grew up here. Most people do not expect to leave. Most people do not expect to be the greatest at what they do. They just want to have a nice life. I do not fit here, to be honest. I find myself continually obsessed with being great, making my kids great, finding the best opportunities. Like gymnastics camp. Top schools. Big vacations. What I learned from the World Trade Center, ten years later, is that its okay to pull back. Its okay to stop competing. Its the scariest thing Ive done in my life. And Im not great at it. I still drive eight hours round-trip so my son has a great cello teacher. That 30 seconds when I thought I was dying gave me the strength to cut back on my fast-track life even though nothing else tells me that is a good idea. I have no friends who are on as slow a track as I am. I dont know anyone who left New York City with kids to a rural farm. Its scary. What if I am giving up an interesting life for merely a peaceful life? What if the payoff for being together for three meals a day is not enough to compensate for the opportunities my kids miss? The legacy of the World Trade Center is the stories of people who survived. And in those stories, I hear a symphony of assurances that its okay to get off the fast track. Because you can still feel fulfilled. Its okay to earn half of what youre earning now. Its okay to put your kids in a bad school. Its okay to have a mediocre career or a mediocre house. Its okay even if you just rent forever. All these things are okay. You would know that if you thought you had 30 more seconds to live.

Top tips for teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad - Debut

Top tips for teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad - Debut If you’re eager to explore the world but your bank balance isn’t quite so accommodating, earning as you travel can be the ideal solution. One of the easiest ways to do this is to tap into a valuable asset that you probably take for granted: your knowledge of the English language. As a fluent English speaker, you’ll likely be in high demand all over the world; making it easy to pick up work as a EFL (English as A Foreign Language) teacher wherever you go. Here’s our top tips for getting started… Pick countries with teacher shortages and low living costs You can teach EFL pretty much anywhere but to maximise your earnings, pick countries that have teacher shortages and lower living costs. Whilst European countries might seem attractive, their living costs often eclipse wages and can leave you out of pocket. It’s far cheaper to base yourself in countries like China, Cambodia and Thailand â€"with many language schools also paying for your flight if youre able to commit to a set period of employment. With wages high compared to the cost of living in these places, you can squirrel away plenty of cash for future travels too. Don’t fork out thousands for qualifications If you’re serious about teaching EFL as a career, you might wish to look into in-depth qualifications such as the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). However, if it’s simply a stopgap to see the world, it’s really not necessary. Most employers are simply looking for natural fluency and ideally a University education. Whilst experience of teaching will certainly be welcomed, it isn’t essential. Do you research into employers Whilst work is plentiful, you’ll need your wits about you to ensure you sniff out the best opportunity. Use reputable sites like Dave’s ESL Cafe and TEFL.com to find job opportunities. Dave’s ESL Cafe also has an invaluable forum where you can chat to fellow teachers about job offers and get recommendations. As a minimum, always find out about the salary (and how this compares to living costs), location, working hours and contract terms before accepting an opportunity. Be visa savvy Don’t expect your employer to do the legwork for you, it’s up to you to make sure you’re on the right visa before you arrive. In the past, employers might have opted to use tourist visas initially but regulations are tightening. It’s vital you check with the relevant embassy before departingâ€"or you might find yourself back on a plane sooner than you’d have hoped for. Apply ahead of time Last-minute jobs are available but more reputable language schools can hire months ahead to avoid staff shortages. If you can, applying ahead of time means you might end up with the cream of the crop. Always have your airfare home Even if your contract offers return flights, it’s good advice to always have enough money saved for your airfare home as a backup plan. Have plenty of resources up your sleeve Your language school will often supply teaching resources but these can sometimes be a little outdated. Keeping your class engaged is key so don’t be afraid to have a Plan B. Bringing relevant newspapers, magazines and DVDs from home can help bring your teaching to life and will likely fascinate your students. Alternatively, the internet is your best friend here. TEFL tunes is a great site for sourcing catchy songs that will stick in your student’s heads (and yours unfortunately) for hours whilst the British Council has a range of resources for teaching all age groups. Read up on cultural differences before entering the classroom Even those with teaching degrees and experience can find the initial few days challenging. Students learning English abroad can be different to the ones you’ve encountered at home; both in terms of needs and learning styles. Make sure you read up on culturally sensitive topics before you take to the classroom and learn a little about the education system you’re entering. For example, students in China will be very used to learning by repetition rather than active learning so jumping straight into an immersive drama activity might take them by surprise! What’s more, many students in South Asia might struggle to admit they are struggling in a bid to save face; so don’t always expect an honest answer to ‘do you understand?’ Download Debut  and  connect with us on  Facebook,  Twitter  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

8 LinkedIn Features You Need to Know About - CareerAlley

8 LinkedIn Features You Need to Know About - CareerAlley 8 LinkedIn Features You Need to Know About - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Unfortunately, LinkedIn often seems to be ignored or it is at least not as noticed as its siblings from the social network family, namely Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Many people do not open a LinkedIn account simply because it is not as fun to spend time there as it is to spend time on Facebook, for instance. However, these people are obviously forgetting one major thing. What they are forgetting is that no other social network can be even compared to LinkedIn when it comes to business purposes and creating a professional network. Therefore, when you come across LinkedIn the next time, try to create a profile and see what this social network has to offer. The 8 Features You Simply Have to Use on LinkedIn LinkedIn is packed full with amazing features, many of which you probably didnt hear about even if you are a LinkedIn users. These awesome features are exactly what makes LinkedIn stand out, and if you start using this professional social network any time soon, here are the features you should definitely not miss out on: Https browsing You will probably benefit from using this feature when using LinkedIn on public computers or with Wi-Fi connections that are not secured. By going to Settings, Account, and Manage Security Settings, you can choose to use a secure connection while using LinkedIn. This might not sound like much, but it is a very important feature for those who would want to keep their LinkedIn profile private and their information safe. Stealth browsing Not to be mistaken for the previous feature, stealth browsing is for situations in which you do not want other LinkedIn users to see you have been viewing their profile. Even though LinkedIn would lose all meaning if everybody did this, it is obvious that stealth browsing can be very practical in many different situations. InMaps In spite of the fact that it can be used just for fun, this feature is actually very handy in some cases. Namely, InMaps is used to give you a world map, with lines leading from you to all your connections. Lines are colored differently according to the type of relationship you have with each of your connections. Exporting connections You can have all of your LinkedIn connections even outside of LinkedIn. This means that you can easily export all of your LinkedIn connections and create an address book to have with you all the time. You can choose between a .CSV and .VCF type of file. This is handy for people who have a lot of active business connections, as updating their address book will be a breeze with this LinkedIn feature. DropIn If you enjoy a little relaxing every now and then, this game is the perfect thing to do when you get tired of browsing LinkedIn. Namely, this is a game similar to Tetris, only with the faces of your contacts being on the shapes you have to stack up. Whats more, you can even click the faces and see what your connections are up to, as the game can be paused at any time. SpeechIn iPhone users will be delighted to find out that this app can help them stay up to date with all the headlines from LinkedIn Today without needing to read at all. Namely, after you are logged in to your LinkedIn profile, you just have to click the blue flame button, and your phone will start reading the newest headlines from LinkedIn Today to you. Job Seeker Premium Even though it is a paid service that will cost you a minimum of $19.95 on a monthly basis, this feature is amazing. You will get a Job Seeker badge on your profile, InMail, and 10 introductions to companies who might be your future employers. In addition to this, you will also automatically move to the top of the list of applicants when you apply for a job through LinkedIn. $19.95 seems a reasonable price for all of this, dont you think? Talent Finder This is pretty much the same feature as the previous, only the other way around. This is where employees pay $40 per month for LinkedIn to help them find the perfect employee for their job opening. More 5 Tips for Creating a Professional Bio on LinkedIn It is important to mention that these have been only eight of the many, many LinkedIn features that you are strongly advised to check out. With the exclusion of the last two, all of them are free of charge, and even the last two are well worth the money invested. If you are using your LinkedIn to gain more contacts and self promote yourself and the business you work for then why not get some instant print business cards. This is an excellent way to create even more contacts and to push further in your career. [easyazon_image add_to_cart=default align=none asin=1492291137 cloaking=default height=160 localization=default locale=US nofollow=default new_window=default src=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FcChnPZ3L._SL160_.jpg tag=caree07-20 width=107] Resource Box Russell Cooper has considerable experience in engineering recruiting. In his career spanning more than 20 years he has executed some of the toughest assignments, delivering highest level of service to more than 80 satisfied clients. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

Your Productivity Increases When... - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching

Your Productivity Increases When... - Wolfgang Career Executive Coaching Our guest blog this month identifies 6 productivity tips that answer the question, my productivity increases when? Enjoy! -Coach Wolfgang If you’re struggling to keep up with the work you have or carry your work home more often than others, it’s time to change things around. Staying late can get you some extra credit with your superiors, but it would be even more beneficial if you improved your productivity. This way you will be able to do more in less time and spend the rest of your day just the way you want it. To help you achieve this goal, here are six tips that lead to productivity increases when followed. Keep track of the time According to some research, the number of people that can accurately perceive time is just around 17 percent. When you work, time goes by differently depending on our personal perception. Your productivity increases when you monitor the time that goes by while you’re completing a task, you can see how much time you spend on a single task. Try and shorten the time it takes for each task you do. It will help you finish more work in less time. Productivity increases when you take breaks Concentration is of paramount importance for productivity because you need to be focused on your work in order to finish it successfully and on time. Regular breaks allow your brain to cool off and settle down after processing all that information. If you keep pushing yourself without a break, your brain won’t be able to keep the optimal level of performance, according to research. Avoid meetings Most of the time that workers waste during the office hours goes towards attending unnecessary meetings. Instead of setting up meetings for problems you know you can handle otherwise, productivity increases when you ask your colleagues to communicate over email or phone in order to avoid the waste of time. Multitasking is not productive Studies indicate that multitasking is not saving time, as many of us thought. The truth is quite opposite, as it turns out that multitasking is taking more time than dedicating yourself to a single task. Therefore, in order to increase your effectiveness, you can simply do one thing at a time. Check emails before work Forbes published an article which stated that an average office employee wastes more than two hours just reading emails. If you’re a commuter it would be best to check your emails and reply to those most urgent when in transit. Think about creating a generic response list with some of the most usual answers to most common questions. Productivity increases when you organize your workspace Research shows that productivity increases when you have an organized work environment. You would be more efficient if every item on your desk has its dedicated location. In addition, adding some plants can also increase your productivity according to some studies. Create a space that will provide you the optimal work conditions and you’ll see productivity rising higher. In todays market, it is very important to keep your level of performance at a satisfying level. More than keeping your current position, enhanced productivity can get you a bonus, larger salary or even get you a nice promotion. More importantly, you will be able to spend less time working and more time enjoying life. Authors bio Cathy Baylis is a freelance content writer at Assignment Masters specializing in personal growth, career development, and leadership. She loves sharing her interests with readers, and she has something to say, for sure. By Wolfgang Career Coaching|2019-02-04T05:05:54+00:00February 4th, 2019|Performance|2 Comments