lack of constructive criticism

Constructive (Destructive?) Criticism in the workplace

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lack of constructive criticism

Constructive [kuhn-struhk-tiv]

adjective. helping to improve; promoting further development or advancement (opposed to destructive): constructive criticism. of, relating to, or of the nature of construction; structural. deduced by inference or interpretation; inferential: constructive permission

We’ve all been on the receiving end of constructive criticism, and have probably also had to give it. It’s not easy for either party, but it is sometimes necessary.

Most of us work in a team environment and there can be misunderstandings or misinterpretations in terms of roles, functions and goals. Even just the challenge of working in a cooperative environment, with disparate personalities alone, can at times require intervention.

But, you should ask yourself; How well do I give constructive criticism? How well do I take it?

I’m sure many of us have had one of “those bosses” or colleagues that just don’t know how to criticize in an effective manner. It may be that they are uncomfortable with confrontation or just don’t know how to effectively share their thoughts.

When done incorrectly, criticism can come across as abrasive, insulting or downright hurtful as shown in this article by “TLNT”.

However, you can’t always blame the person giving criticism. Before storming off or saying something you may regret, you have to consider how you’re interpreting their comments. Are they truly being insensitive or is there a chance that you’re being defensive? Are you really listening to what they have to say or are you closing yourself off because you’re feelings are hurt? Perhaps you need to pause a beat before responding.

Here’s an article from Forbes that shares how to better take constructive criticism.

If you’re the one that has to provide criticism, you also need to take a moment to get your thoughts in order. You owe it to your employee to be fair and unemotional and to ensure you have a plan of action or advice on how to move forward. You should also take the opportunity to listen. And I don’t mean listen to excuses. Just be open and aware that your employee may themselves be able to offer some constructive criticism of their own!

So, before you call your employee into your office for “a talk”, perhaps you may want to review an article by Forbes Coaches Council and their advice on offering constructive feedback.

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and growing your career with a leadership position can be easy. Just take a look at the positions we have available and start you new job today!

Working from Home

Working from Home – Blessing or Curse?

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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!

Communication Skills

The Value of Communication Skills

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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! 

Recruiting is a 2 way street

Recruiting is a two way street

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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.

resume writing perfection

How to write the Perfect Resume

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Well, the title is a bit cheeky as there really is no such thing!

You can ask ten different people and get ten completely unique opinions on what sets a resume apart from the rest. Every hiring manager, recruiter and HR consultant will also have their own opinion.

That being said, there are some basics that you really do need to follow:

Resume Tip 1: Name and contact information

Your name and contact information needs to be in the header – so it shows on every page. And, yes, some people still forget to do this, leaving a hapless recruiter with a page on their desk and no clue as to who it belongs to! In this day and age your details should include your first and last name, cell number, email address and, ideally, a (working) hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile.

Or, if you want to get fancy you can add a footer to page 2 with your name and contact details.

If you write a summary – which is a good idea – make it clear and succinct. And I do mean clear and succinct!

I don’t know how many times I’ve read a summary that seemed more like a novella with every keyword under the sun and no clear insight as to what the person actually does.

Resume Tip 2:  Format (Functional, Chronological or combination of the two)

They are all valid choices and it comes down to personal taste or style – or perhaps one style fits your experience better than the other. For instance if your work is more project based you may opt for a functional (or skills based) resume. If your positions have been more conventionally focused you may opt for a chronological resume.

Personally, I find that purely functional resumes can be a bit frustrating to read. You may understand this if you consider how many resumes a recruiter or hiring manager has to read when searching to fill a position – so have mercy!

While all the projects and skill-sets are listed in great detail and frequently followed by a chronological list of employers, there is often no indication of what the candidate did while working for each employer – just a list of dates and company names.

I find it incredibly helpful when a candidate that’s used a functional format provides at least a couple of lines highlighting their role beneath each position. Otherwise it can be very difficult to know which skills are most current.

Resume Tip 3: Grammar and spelling

I cannot stress this enough – edit, edit, edit!

Remember, “spell check” cannot tell you if you have written the wrong word if it’s spelled correctly.

I think it helps tremendously to read your resume aloud, word for word, and then have someone else read it to you. (You may have to provide enticements for this – doughnuts, beer, whatever works!)

Resume Tip 4: How many pages should my resume be?

Again, there are a lot of opinions about this. Convention says that your resume should be no more than two pages. I’m actually a bit flexible but would raise an eyebrow if a resume is more than three pages.

If you’re extremely technical and have a sleeve-length list of certifications you may want to add an addendum to your resume. An additional page that only highlights your education and certifications – no sneaking work experience on to this page! If you’re work has been project based, you may want to also have an addendum providing more in-depth detail.

Resume Tip 5: Clarity, clarity, clarity!

Take your time and remember that your resume will serve as a first impression – of you. A winning resume includes all the elements listed above, but most of all, it’s a resume that hiring managers and recruiters will enjoy reading!

Now that you have your resume in better shape, why don’t you test it by checking our available jobs and applying for a few? 

Still Working out of a Fishbowl?

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Fishbowl

Here at The Rostie Group, we prefer to look at our fishbowls, not work out of them.

It’s just a basic question of space. Small offices with tiny chairs and glass walls. Everyone looks at you, everyone watches… and judges…

Well, maybe not judge. But while other office providers’ glass walls look good in brochures and website images, the reality of it is much different. It’s not comfortable to sit in open view. Especially if you have confidential material open.

With The Rostie Group, you don’t have to be watched like a fish.

And if you’d like to see our fish tank – with fish that don’t mind being on display – head on over to our instagram to see more pictures and videos!

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The Office Industry is Changing

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Office Industry

Okay, so when is the office industry not changing? This may be a general statement in the world of ever-growing technology and real estate pricing. But, the business centre in a conventional sense is becoming very hard to define.

What is your work environment like? Are you a start up or do you have 40 employees? Do you primarily work at the same desk or find yourself always on the go?
In the past, there have been clear cut destinations that business owners have found themselves drawn to, based on a multitude of criteria. For example, finance companies worked in structured environments with rows of cubicles surrounded by water coolers; graphic designers worked at large communal tables in brick and beam buildings that formerly hosted industrial assembly lines.

They didn’t mix.

But what if these companies could find themselves rubbing shoulders with each other? Could a world filled with both left and right brain thinkers possibly get along together?

The shared office space industry certainly thinks so, and companies are beginning to prove them right.

With industry giants such as Regus & WeWork competing at either ends of the shared office space spectrum, we find numerous office providers who are starting to position themselves somewhere in between – with no clear cut definition of their target market.

A once relatively unknown industry is now being considered by multibillion dollar per-year companies, as it presents a cost-cutting method to operate their businesses with a strict fiscal bottom line in mind.

Once considered feared competitors to be reckoned with, the global recognition and media attention that these industry giants are garnering actually benefits the smaller shared office space providers.

How, you ask, can small businesses benefit from the ever growing giants within an industry?

I pose this question to you – have you ever had a pizza from Domino’s? You know the price, the quality, the speed of delivery, the shape, size, and consistency, but you’re never wowed by the end result. It is a quick alternative that hides itself behind flashy marketing and a cell phone app. They don’t know you, the customer. They don’t know the specifics of your order (unless you tell them, time after time). They are a generic food factory servicing the masses, without the ability to cater to each of their clients’ immediate needs specifically.

Now, have you ever eaten at your local pizzeria, owned and operated by a family in your very own neighbourhood? These are the same people that know you by name, face and voice. They know that you live on the same street and know that you don’t like too many black olives. They may even be charitable enough to sponsor your child’s soccer team, or better yet, allow you to pay them back next time when you find you’re short on cash. At the end of the day, they’re friends.

The point, very simply, is that people like to pay for a service that is specific to their likes, wants and needs. Sometimes choosing the largest company in the industry is not the best way to proceed.
This is where privately owned business centres secure their slice within the industry (pun absolutely intended). It is very common to have business owners move to these smaller outfits after stints with large corporations. They do this because they are unhappy with the giant’s inability to cater their services to the specific requirements of each company’s business practice.

So, I challenge you to consider all elements of this ever-changing industry when selecting your next office space provider. Whether you’re a financial giant or a start up app developer, why go with Domino’s when you can choose an experience that is fundamentally yours?

Like they say, you never know who you’re going to meet.

Click here for more information about available Office Space at The Rostie Group.