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More than 50% of Brits want a new job

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The start of a New Year can spark many resolutions; to go to the gym more, eat less chocolate or even quit smoking, but for some, it is to find a new job.

In fact, more than half of Brits are considering finding a new job in 2020, an increase of eight per cent last year, new research has found.

According to a survey of 1,200 Brits by Investors in People, two in three (65%) of workers confessed that they go to bed on a Sunday night dreading returning to their job, reported Yahoo! Finance.

The number of people feeling unhappy in their jobs is also on the rise, increasing by 10% year-on-year.

It was revealed that around 24% were unhappy in their job at the turn of the year, with the same number actively seeking new opportunities, plus another 32% are considering looking for a new position.

Of the 1,200 respondents, 30% said that one of the main reasons they would seek new employment is earning more money. 23% cited not feeling valued and 22% wanted a better work/life balance.

However, when it comes to retaining employees and keeping them happy, 14% rated a simple thank you as being appreciated consistently for over the last four years.

“Six years into our job exodus research, we’re still hearing that people want to be told ‘thank you’ and one in four people are looking for a new job because they don’t feel valued,” said Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People.

“‘Thank you’, something so simple, so consistently important and potentially the best retention tool we’ve got.”

When it comes to retaining staff, a friendly workplace and supportive culture are key. For example, more than half of respondents said that having friends at work is important to them, while a quarter admitted to staying in a role because of their friendships rather than enjoyment.

47% revealed that they would prefer a friendly workplace than a three per cent pay rise.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine)

Don’t trust ‘productivity’ tools

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In a progressively digital world the number of tools and apps on the market, which are designed to make our jobs easier, is somewhat staggering.

With start-ups regularly coming onto the scene purporting to offer the latest and greatest productivity tool, it’s easy to get caught up in the ability these technological advances can have. However, is it possible these new tools are actually hindering our productivity?

Therefore, it is time business leaders and managers take a step back and review their productivity tools and whether they should trust them. To help you recognise whether your tools are helping your productivity, Medium shared a list of three top tips to track this.

Evaluate your needs

A good staring point Medium suggests is to list areas which you wish to be more efficient with and then sort them into categories. Then identify the key thing you need the most help with in each category. For example, from this if you realise you need a more effective way of taking notes during meetings, conduct some research into tools to help with this to benefit you and your tasks.

Keep track

As the adage saying goes, ‘less is more’. This is particularly true when it comes to your choice of productivity tools. To keep on top of things it’s vital that you keep track of the many tools you are using, for example you may discover you are using too many for one task. If this is the case, start eliminating the one you do not use. Streamlining your tools on a regular basis like this will stop you from using more tools that aren’t necessary.

Use only what you need

Lastly, Medium warns business leaders and managers shouldn’t get caught up in the false need to use what’s new and hot on the market. Remember each tool that you use should be making life easier at work, while also improving your productivity. However, if they are making things more complicated it may be worth ditching them altogether.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

How to position yourself as a thought leader

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Good business leaders are hard to come by; whilst many may fulfil the basic functions of a senior manager in that they make decisions based on sound financial and productivity data, it’s rare to find a leader that sports the qualities needed to be considered a thought leader.

This is often reflected in the way in which they are viewed by their staff. Some are also blinded by the bottom line, and therefore unaware of how basic changes could positively impact their company.

Gallup research claims that around 70% of UK employees are actively disengaged at work. Why? Because of their leadership; a recent study by Career Builder claims that 58% of leaders haven’t actually received management training, and 89% are completely unaware that the main reason that employees quit is because of their leadership – actively misconstruing this as a push for more money.

And this is having a massive impact on the way that professionals view their bosses. Harvard Business Review data suggests that 58% of workers would trust a stranger more than their own boss, whilst 79% of people who quit cite a ‘lack of appreciation’ from their leadership.

What is a thought leader?

It may sound like a classic business buzzword, but actually thought leadership literally simply refers to being as informed as you possibly can be, and then seeing the broad spectrum of your industry, with a view to implementing policies based on this in your own company. No one definition for a thought leader

exists, yet most agree that it’s someone who is a trendsetter, and someone who is a ‘top dog’ in their field.

Russ Allan, leadership specialist and contributor for Forbes magazine, stated that his view of a thought leader is this: “A thought leader is an individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries and even competitors recognise as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialisation, resulting in it being the go-to individual or organisation for said expertise.”

Yet his next point is slightly more poignant. He said that almost as important as being a thought leader, is being viewed as a thought leader. He said: “A thought leader is an individual or firm that significantly profits from being recognised as such.”

How do you become one, or at least be viewed as one?

Build credibility 

Becoming a thought leader isn’t an overnight process; it takes groundwork. This means working hard to build credibility in your field. Your workers should trust you implicitly. Other leaders should value your advice. You should be seen as someone who could hold their own in a debate or be invited to speak at industry events.

Know your audience 

Knowing your industry is essential, and so is knowing your audience. Who are you advising? What positive change is coming from your input? How are you affecting outcomes and who do you need to address to do so? These are questions you must answer.

Tell your story

Context is essential in any road-map. Where have you come from and how does this affect where you’re going? Where were your expertise honed? Anyone can read a book – how are you actively using your past experiences to implement good change?

Network 

This doesn’t just mean sipping wine at an annual business conference. This means immersing yourself in the experiences of others in your field. Build a powerful LinkedIn community around you and be active on it. Read your trade news and engage in as much conversation as you can. Be passionate and build passion. This also helps you build on the last point…

Gain knowledge

…which is, gain as much knowledge as you possibly can. This is the route of all things. You must know your industry inside and out. Read everything, watch everything, listen to podcasts and build your own opinions. Use this information to see patterns and understanding.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

Three strategies to accelerate your career

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Never before has self-development and personal training been more crucial than it is today.

In an age where job-hopping is no longer frowned upon, as employees take on new roles and join new companies to find the one that suits them best, employers have slowly begun to stop investing in developing individual workers who may leave before a return on learning is realised.

Therefore, adopting strategies yourself that can accelerate your career can provide employees with the best possible option to get ahead and achieve more.

This is something Jason Wingard, a contributor to Forbes, has put emphasis on in a recent article for the publication. He wrote: “For ambitious employees, self-development is an effective way, and, in some cases the only way, to hasten progress along the career ladder.”

He went on to reveal his top three strategies to help employees assume control of their development and accelerate their career:

Put strategy first

With statistics stating that one-third of employees report that their bosses don’t assist with career development, Wingard believes that the onus should fall on to workers to be proactive and work towards a strategy to improve their own skill-set. They should prioritise ways in which they can gain more experience, attain marketable skills and build a group of supporters.

One way to enhance this is to find a mentor. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a senior leader and could be a co-worker or a junior colleague. As long as the mentor has teachable skills that can accelerate your career, mentor-ship can make a huge difference to the future of your role at work.

Be your own ‘Chief Marketing Officer’

Wingard advised that today’s workers must become their own ‘Chief Marketing Officer’ and therefore should be analysing, refining and improving the way that they appear in the job market. One of the quickest ways he suggested is to embrace education to improve oneself.

These could be in the form of free webinars that inform users of the latest techniques within business, or you could choose to invest some more and take on an online course or attend weekend workshops to expand your skill-set.

Get feedback

While feedback can be both positive and negative, it is all constructive and can help to grow your career. Therefore, it’s essential you regularly ask for feedback. Wingard noted that discovering strengths and weaknesses in soft skills is the first step all employees should take when trying to accelerate their career, and the best way to do that is by asking for feedback.

Ensure you regularly reach out to your peers and line manager to see what you could improve on, while also finding out what  you’re excelling at to provide yourself with a benchmark. This will ultimately steer you in the right direction and provide structure to your career goals.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

Are you ‘not sure’ if you’re in the right career?

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All workers question their own credentials every now and again; maybe a project doesn’t go to plan and the boss dresses them down in front of the team, or maybe they just don’t feel the connection with their job that they once did – it’s completely natural, and often is will pass.

Yet, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, the little voice in the back of your head telling you that you’re on the wrong path only gets louder and louder, until it’s all you can think about. At this point, it’s time to seriously consider if you’re ready to make a change.

This, according to research conducted on behalf of First Direct which polled a total of 2,000 workers across the country, is the feeling of almost half of the British workforce. When asked in the poll if they felt that they were in the right job, and the right career, 47% admitted that they were ‘not sure’ and that their current positions were not fulfilling enough.

One quarter of respondents were motivated to switch careers in order to learn a new skill and attempt to build a new profession in another industry, whilst one third insisted that the key problem in their current job was the lack of a reasonable work-life balance.

“It’s easy to associate career switching with the early years of your working life, but our research found the desire to do something completely different spans every age and generation,” stated Joe Gordon, Head of First Direct and commissioner of the research.

“Even 42 per cent of the over-45s plan to change careers in the next two years. Money isn’t the driving factor behind a career switch. People are keen to learn new skills, or to do something they find more personally satisfying. Almost one in five are considering teaching, nursing or charity work as an alternative career,” he concluded.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)