Working from Home – Blessing or Curse?
I have worked from home off and on. You know when you don’t feel well enough to go into work but well enough to actually do your work? That sort of thing. But for the last few weeks I’ve been working from home every day and I’ve got to say, it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.
There are definite benefits – no commute, no distractions and actually eating dinner at dinner time! You can also throw a load of laundry in – I mean, it’s not like you’re sitting there watching it spin. You just toss it in, back to work then take it out. And, of course, being available to the cat for pets on demand!
I have found that I’m more focused and getting more done than ever, which is fantastic, but, aside from a very happy pussycat, there is a definite downside to rolling out of bed and rolling up to your desk.
My work day is infinitely longer. Normally it hits around 5:15 or 5:30 and it’s time to pack up and head home (though my boss would argue that point – “must be 5:00 as Pam’s heading out” which is SO not true!). And unless I’m working a special project or under a time crunch, I make dinner, watch Netflix and just keep an eye on my emails in case something urgent comes in. But, essentially, the work day is over. (And yes, obviously no children – I don’t know you folks do it but that’s a whole other blog right there!)
A clear transition from workday to home time doesn’t really seem to occur when you work from home. My workday never seems to end. As soon as I wake up I’m rushing to fire up the old laptop and thinking about what I need to get done. When I “leave” work, I’m still compulsively checking emails and doing “just one more little thing” before I settle in for the evening.
I’m sure if you work from home on a regular basis you create a routine and stick with it to separate work from home as much as possible. But, I think it takes a lot of discipline and some people are probably far more successful at this than others.
Then there’s the social aspect that cannot not be ignored. We’re social beings. Even those of us who are a bit more introverted still need some interaction with other people. I’m on the phone most of the day but it is not the same as being with people. I know we’re at work to work but there is social interaction between colleagues and peers. Whether you’re working with a team towards a shared goal or bouncing ideas off other people, it prevents you from feeling isolated and out of the loop.
Being honest, I think working from home a couple of days a week would be my ideal as it probably is for most people. So what can you do if you work from home but need to have some time around actual human beings? Well, now that you’ve asked, The Rostie Group definitely has the answer and, in my somewhat biased opinion, I think it’s a good one!
Coworking really could be the ideal solution for you. It allows you the opportunity to get dressed up in your big person clothes, meet people and perhaps even develop partnerships with other
Coworkers. I can tell you from experience that the Coworkers and tenants at The Rostie Group have built their own ecosystem, collaborating and working together to expand their businesses or learn new skills.
So, if you’re sitting at your desk in your home office – or the corner of the living room where you’ve squeezed in a desk and computer – and you haven’t spoken face to face with colleagues or peers in weeks, then why not take the time to discover the solutions that The Rostie Group can offer to get you out of the house and into a corporate environment?
The cat will miss you, but trust me, you’ll wish you’d done it sooner!
The Value of Communication Skills
There are many ways that a workplace can be disconnected, leading to inefficiency. A business that tends to overlook the importance of communication in the workplace is most likely unsuccessful. In order to maintain a stable work environment, coworkers must communicate effectively! This means that those who cannot function as a part of a team will prove detrimental. This skill is especially important nowadays where technology consumes most of our time in the office. Social skills continue to be taken for granted as we find less need for them; however, this should be enough to want to enhance this decreasingly prominent ability.
Listening
Listening skills are potentially the hardest to come by in terms of communication skills. This skill requires one to allow another to speak without interruption. Also, while they are speaking, be sure to genuinely pay attention to what they are saying. Do not think of what you are going to say when they are done. This distracts you from getting all of the information from what they said. If you’re lucky, you may be able to catch the gist of what they are saying.
Confidence
Another skill that is hard to come by is confidence when speaking. There is a fine line between confidence and condescension. You must be comfortable with who you are and project that confidence onto others. Do not brag, but do not self-deprecate. A confident person will have little to no problem communicating with others. Confidence typically comes from a lack of concern towards if others do not agree with their character. This skill is very beneficial, as you must be able to do things that make you uncomfortable if you wish to develop as an employee.
Legitimate confidence brings with it a confident tone. A confident tone is simply a means of suggesting that you are sure of yourself and you are a reliable and capable worker. Once more, avoid sounding arrogant. It is one thing to be confident in what you’re saying if you are sure you are correct. It is another thing to ensure others you are right when you are unsure. This is simply stubbornness rather than intelligence. Arrogant people are not particularly smiled upon and tend to create conflict in the workplace.
Kindness-getting along with others
Many workplaces may experience some form of conflict between two or more employees. This needless rivalry will lead to an array of internal problems. This will do nothing but hinder efficiency in the workplace. Therefore, kindness is a skill that an employee must have if they wish to maintain their success as an employee, or else reap the consequences
It is important to note that remaining friendly, even on days that are not going too well, is a skill that employees must learn to have if they wish to grow. Just because your day is rough, it does not mean you can take it out on others. Think about it this way: everyone has bad days. What makes you special that you are allowed to take it out on others, while they keep it to themselves, or at least outside of the workplace? This will have people thinking about you in a negative fashion. You will be recognized as a negative person who always complains. Being isolated like this cannot lead to anything beneficial for the business.
Feedback-back and forth communication
It is important that after listening to someone, you provide your input to the conversation. For example, if someone tells you that there is something troubling them. You can either offer a solution, or at least try and come up with something else that may suffice. This way they will know that you were listening. Not only that, they will know that you genuinely care about what they are saying.
These feelings will reciprocate; therefore, they will then respect what you have to say as well. If all you offer to the conversation is “yeah” or “uh-huh”, then you will seem distracted and not actually paying attention. Contributing to the conversation shows respect and a want to better the business.
If you’re ready to test out your communication skill on a new position, take a look at our available jobs and contact us today!
Working with the New Generation
Like many of you still in the workforce, I was born at the tail end of the Baby Boom. And, also like many of you, I have slowly come to the realization that a new generation is taking over!
It really started to sink in when we began hiring Millennials. To be fair, while I certainly noticed the differences between us they weren’t terribly drastic. The early Millennials – those that in their latter 20’s – weren’t really so very different from me.
Yes, there existed the usual 20 something angst and a slightly different approach to work but we still had a fair bit in common. They were eager and well on their way to becoming established in their careers.
All was good and we were bumping along quite nicely and then came the later Millennials and early Gen Z!
These folks are in their early 20’s and to say they’re a game-changer would be an understatement!
There have been a lot of articles written about Millennials and Generation Z vs Baby Boomers – the good the bad and the ugly- and it is fair to say that there are differences aplenty.
While I will admit that some of these differences sometimes have me yearning for the good old days of “liquid lunches”, I believe that many of these same differences will bring some exciting changes to the workplace.
To simplify I’ll just use the term “Gen Z” for those employees in their early 20’s. (Apparently even the experts disagree on the dividing line between Generation Z and Millennials!).
https://bit.ly/2HYLl3m
One of the most striking things I’ve noticed is that Gen Z do not seem to live to work as many of us were raised to do, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I believe they’re just as driven, just in a different way. They seem to not only value, but expect, flexibility and are more goal-oriented as opposed to task-oriented, working towards successes and rewards throughout the workday.
My belief, and hope, is that Gen Z will spear-head a revolution of sorts where work will truly become more results focused and repetitive or mundane activities will become mor automated, or eliminated altogether. I know a lot of companies have, and do, work towards this but it is a struggle. And I think we can all agree that jumping through hoops to get something done, just because that’s how we do it, really needs to go the way of the dinosaur! Maybe they can finally make it happen.
Aside from any changes that may come and aside from any differences we may have, what I appreciate most about working with Gen Z is their unique way of looking at getting things done. When I started in the workforce, you could have ideas but “they” really preferred you kept them to yourself! You had to earn your stripes. But not so for Gen Z, they’ve got opinions that they don’t hesitate to share them – and assume their opinions matter and will be heard.
I’m not going to go so far as to say that you should always act on the ideas and opinions of your Gen Z employees – there are still a few things we can teach them– but you really should listen because we just might learn something new.
If you’re ready to see what the future of work looks like, then browse our available jobs and start working with both younger and older generations that are the leaders in their fields.
Recruiting is a two way street
I hear a lot of people complain that their recruiter never calls them. To be fair, it may be a valid complaint. Though keeping in touch as opposed to following up or providing feedback from an interview are two different things.
I don’t live in a glass house so will not claim that I have never forgotten to follow up with a candidate – I’m sure I have, but certainly not intentionally and I can honestly say that I make it a habit to always follow-up. It’s the right thing to do when recruiting, and all of my candidates and clients deserve that respect.
In terms of touching base – saying howdy even when I don’t have a suitable role available – well, I have to admit that like many other people I get caught up in the day to day and don’t always make the time to reach out.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think about calling, I just don’t always do it.
However, as the title states, recruiting is a two-way street. I happily, and most sincerely, invite any and all of my contacts or candidates to reach out. I love hearing from them.
It can be difficult when a new contact asks how often they should call in, it’s hard to answer. Once a week is probably too often – couple of times a year, probably not often enough! Of course I will certainly call if a role comes in the door but sometimes it’s nice to just touch base. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with each other; find out if things have changed in your world – maybe you have received a raise, have a new boss, new project, etc and have decided to stay put for a while. Perhaps your personal life has changed – family, moved house or whatever it may be that could potentially impact your decision in regards to a new role.
All I can say is that if you’d like to give a call, I’ll be very glad to hear from you!
(Forget my number? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered)
My Number: 416-777-0780
My Email: Pinglis@rostie.com
You can also see all of our current opportunities by clicking here.
Using an External Recruiter for your next Hire
No matter how great the job, finding top-tier talent to fill your vacant position can be difficult; proving to be exhausting mentally, emotionally, and financially.
While companies regularly feel that they are better off conducting these searches on their own, utilizing an external recruiter can help you navigate a lot of these challenges and save your Human Resources team, or hiring manager, a huge headache.
External Recruiters can save your Human Resources department a lot of time, allowing them to focus on their other duties. HR departments can often get overrun with resumes, leaving them combing through applications for hours on end.
Using an External Recruiter ensures that the resumes your HR department does see are those of first-class candidates. Having Recruiters conduct these searches and preliminary interviews helps you focus on the finer details.
Additionally, external Recruiters have their fingers on the pulse of the industry and marketplace… I mean, it’s their job. They have a multitude of contacts to work from and have an ever-growing knowledge of hiring trends in the industry. They know which companies are hiring, downsizing, or holding tight, they also know where the top talent is on the market.
Partnering with a recruiting firm will provide your company access to this information and expertise.
Often, there’s an attractive candidate you have in mind but can’t necessarily contact, and nobody likes a poacher. Utilizing an External Recruiter allows you to connect with individuals that you would otherwise not be able to due to contractual constraints or industry standards.
Whatever your challenge may be, Rostie & Associates can help you overcome it. With nearly 30 years of experience, Rostie & Associates are the perfect partners for your next opening.
For more information about the services offered at Rostie & Associates, feel free to visit our website www.rostie.com or call us toll-free 1-800-647-0780.
We look forward to finding your your next hire!
Working for a Living
I’m more for working, than inspirational quotes – go away with your Live, Laugh & Love – but one quote I particularly do like is sometimes attributed to Confucius; “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.“. Most definitely words to live by.
It is fair to say that we don’t all find our passion, much as we may want to. Life sometimes gets in the way and we have responsibilities and people relying on us. We do what we have to do pay the bills. Or maybe we just made a wrong turn – zigged when we should have zagged.
I have been so very fortunate in that I did find a job that I love – being a recruiter. Very fortunate indeed because it is an avenue I had never considered exploring but someone I knew and respected told me I could do it and gave me a chance.
This was a mid, work-life career change for me and I could have easily missed it – so if you don’t love your job, don’t give up, it could still happen!
I’m not saying I’m tip-toeing through the tulips every day but I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Like a lot of us in the city, I work in a large office building and I frequently over-hear people on the elevators complaining about their work, their boss, their co-workers, their hours, their commute, pretty much anything and everything to do with their job. I just feel so bad for them – just listening to it brings me down, let alone living it every day. We’ve probably all held a job or two that had us clock watching, dreading Mondays and working for the weekend. It’s just not fun. (Soul sucking comes to mind!)
However, you still have to make the most of it because spending 40 hours a week in a job you hate is simply no way to live. While there are probably a few exceptions, I would think every job has a silver lining of some sort. Maybe you have an amazing boss, work with a great team, have the opportunity to try new things, just some aspect of your workday that you enjoy.
So, if you are one of those people that are simply working for a living, do try to find something positive to get you through the day or, if there’s really nothing, maybe it’s time to make a move, find a new job or, if you’re really lucky, your new career doing something you love.