6 Must-Haves on Your Employees Workplace Wishlist

6 Must-Haves on Your Employees Workplace Wishlist Motivating your staff can often be one of the hardest things to do â€" unless you throw cash at them to work better but then there is a risk of employee-fatigue. Well a recent survey by the workplace consultants at Peldon Rose saw a fifth of workers admit that their office environment actually hinders their professional productivity, while over half of job hunters say they would actually turn down a position if they didn’t like the workspace so it’s clear that British workers place a lot of value in where they spend their working week. So what is your employees’ workplace wish list? 1. More natural light Workers without windows reported poorer scores than their counterparts on quality of life measures related to physical problems and vitality, as well as poorer outcomes on measures of overall sleep quality and sleep disturbances. The study was reported in the Journal of  Clinical Sleep Medicine.  Co-lead author Mohamed Boubekri, is an associate professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said: Workers are a group at risk because they are typically indoors often without access to natural or even artificial bright light for the entire day. The study results confirm that light during the natural daylight hours has powerful effects on health. Architects need to be aware of the importance of natural light not only in terms of their potential energy savings but also in terms of affecting occupants’ health. A simple design solution to augment daylight penetration in office buildings would be to make sure the workstations are within 20 to 25 feet of the peripheral walls containing the windows. Daylight from side windows almost vanishes after 20 to 25 feet from the windows. 2. Better lunch/break area No break room is complete without an area for your employees to actually take a break. Lunch tables are important for the obvious reasons: they give people space to sit down and eat a meal during their lunch breaks. But they also serve a more important purpose they create a natural opportunity for your workers to engage with one another. Those conversations can help to solve existing problems facing thoseworkers, or promote interpersonal connections and a greater sense of teamwork. Dont make your break room a simple extension of the rest of your office. Do something to make it stand out. For example, you could change the color of the walls or the layout of the room to make the break room feel like its a part of a different building. The change in environment will give them a chance to relax and embrace the change in scenery. When they return to work, theyll start fresh, and productivity will substantially increase. The break room should be a lively, stimulating place. Dont keep white walls with a single poster describing workers legal rights. Instead, paint the break room a unique colour or feature an idiosyncratic pattern. You can also decorate your tables and walls with various items, from motivational posters to community-based bulletin boards. Whatever you do, its important to make the break room an interesting place. Otherwise, it will feel like a part of the office, and your workers wont feel relaxed. Try not to over think it either just create an interesting environment that stands out from the rest of the office. 3. More personalised workspace There are some very easy steps which can be taken that could impact on how an employee feels about their workspace and atmosphere in particular plays a significant part. A survey found that 22% of office workers were calling for the power to personalise their work station. 4. Better amenities Amenities are also on the agenda when it comes to improving UK offices, with those surveyed revealing that access to an office coffee machine and water cooler would introduce a welcome perk to where they work. 5. Better office furniture Small, strategic changes could mean big improvements for working environments across the UK as some Brits lay blame on less than luxurious office furniture and uninspiring workplace decor. With many office workers spending upwards of eight hours a day in their office chair, it’s no surprise that 18% of respondents would like to trade in their furniture for more comfortable and ergonomic alternatives while 16% would welcome more colourful or engaging office design. 6. Introduction of colour or art on walls Dr Craig Knight, who has studied the psychology of working environments for 12 years at the University of Exeter, where he heads a research group called Identity Realisation (IDR). He says: There is a real tendency to opt for sanitised, lean workspaces, designed to encourage staff to just get on with their work and avoid distraction. If you enrich a space people feel much happier and work better; a very good way of doing this is by using art. It doesnt have to be expensive art but something that is eye-catching and makes your employees happy to work there.  Alex Heath, is the managing director at International Art Consultants, which advises workplaces on art. He says: Art is a way of retaining staff and encouraging them to be in the office, at a time when people increasingly want to work remotely. Some companies consciously use art as part of their retention strategy. Aesthetic in the truest sense means energy-giving which is what a workplace needs, rather than a bland, industrial environment which can be more like giving workers a dose of anaesthetic.

Finding graduate schemes confusing University of Manchester Careers Blog

Finding graduate schemes confusing University of Manchester Careers Blog Written by Natalie Walsh, Careers Consultant at The Careers Service Have you been looking at career options recently? Perhaps browsing the recruitment ads? Then you’ll have noticed the many, manygraduate schemes currently being advertised. In fact, it can sometimes feel like they’re the only option to consider. But… what happens if you’re not finding schemes for the type of work you’re interested in? Or don’t feel you really know what a grad scheme is. If you feel stressed or confused and getting some mixed messages about what you should be doing now in terms of looking for jobs, don’t worry we’re here to clear up a few of those questions! What is a Graduate Scheme/Programme? Short answer is, it’s a job. Longer answer, it’s a job that’s set in a one or two year, structured programme of development to give you the skills and experience to build a career in that organisation or sector. You’ll get paid and, for most schemes, there’s a longer term job at the end of the programme if you’ve done well. Still got questions about what a grad scheme is? Prospects have got lots more information for you. Where are the schemes for me? Now this is the big question. The key issue here is that graduate schemes don’t exist in all career sectors. Graduate recruitment isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Different sectors and organisations will use a variety of recruitment and training methods depending on what works well for them. Did you know that, on average, only 12-15% of employed graduates go on to a grad scheme? That surprises many people, especially when it feels like you’re being told you must apply for grad schemes or that they’re the very best career option out there. So, depending on the area you want to work in, you’ll either see loads of grad schemes or feel like there are none for you (and if you feel like there are none, keep reading!) The majority of grad schemes are typically found in areas such as finance, business, IT, engineering and management. Think these areas are of interest to you, or just want to browse the grad schemes on offer? Check out the links on this page to get you started. There aren’t any for me! Want to work in the charity/not-for-profit sector? Maybe you’re interested in creative and media careers? Exploring working in politics? Passionate about environmental opportunities? These are just a few sectors where graduate schemes either don’t exist, or maybe there’s just one or two in very specific areas. It doesn’t mean there are no jobs or opportunities, it just means the routes in are different. If you’re not finding graduate schemes in the areas you’re interested in, don’t panic. Check out the sectors you’re interested in HERE and find out more about the options and routes in. Look at other sector specific opportunities HERE (before you do, make sure to read the below info on timings of applications!) Or come and have a chat with the Careers Consultants who know about the careers you’d like to consider, and can help you identify when and where to find the opportunities that are right for you. Some sectors, such as media, creative and areas of charity/not-for-profit work, might not use the same recruitment methods that some sectors who target graduates will. We call these hidden jobs. Take a look through our Job Search Guide to make sure you’re aware of all the different strategies you can use to find those opportunities. Do I have to apply now? So many students seem to be getting the message they must apply for jobs right now or there will be no opportunities left. This causes so much worry and stress, so let’s see if we can clarify things a bit! If you’ve decided grad schemes are right for you then yes, most of them are open and accepting applications now. This is partly due to the fact they’ll get many applications to work through, and then often have different stages of tests, assessments and interviews to move those applicants through. These things take a lot of time and resources, so recruitment needs to start early in the academic. If graduate schemes aren’t for you, other opportunities open at different times of the year. The links given above will also let you explore other grad opportunities (and it’s never too early to start browsing). If you still feel you’re not seeing options that are right for you, it’s likely they start their recruitment a bit later. We typically see most graduate jobs that aren’t part of a scheme, open after Christmas with numbers of vacancies starting to peak around April-May-June. If Grad Schemes aren’t for me, what can I do right now? When it feels like everyone else is putting in applications, but the jobs you want mean you can’t get started doing the same, it can be stressful and frustrating. So, what can you be doing right now? Start your research! Browse relevant adverts even if you’re not applying. Research the skills and qualities valued in the type of work you want to do. You may identify extra experience that would be valuable to gain in order to strengthen your future applications. It can also help you identify roles and organisations you want to target when they do start recruiting, helping you use your time effectively. Do I have to do a Grad Scheme if they exist in my area of interest? Just because graduate schemes exist for the job you want to do, it’s unlikely they’re the only route into working in that overall sector. They might be the only route into a specific company, if that’s their preferred recruitment/development strategy though. Contact the graduate recruiters for the specific scheme and they should be able to tell you if the company has other routes in. HR and marketing are just two examples of career sectors where there are multiple routes in. Depending on the organisation you can explore routes including grad development schemes, grad jobs and graduate internships, as possible ways to get employed in these areas. Again, exploring your sectoror having a chat with a Careers Consultant can help make sure you know what your options are. Are Graduate Schemes ‘better’ than Graduate Jobs? In a word, no. They’re not automatically better for your career just because it’s a graduate scheme. You need to consider what will make the opportunity you choose right for you. Of course they can be great opportunities if you really want to work in a sector they exist in and you feel that structured development approach suits you. However, getting onto a graduate scheme you aren’t really interested in, just to be on a grad scheme, is unlikely to be as beneficial to your career as finding a job that suits your interests and offers the type of training and development you really need and want. Graduate level vacancies that aren’t part of a specific programme still offer training and development opportunities (they’ve got to teach you how to do the job, right?) but it’ll likely be in a format and structure that works more effectively for that role and employer. Can I apply for more than one type of opportunity? Absolutely! Spotted a grad scheme you want to apply for now? Spotted more than one? Let’s get you started with those applications. And if you find something else advertised at a different time, apply for that too. The only limit on the number and type of applications you submit should be how much time you have to do them well. There’s no exact number but it’s generally better to submit fewer applications you’d done as strongly as possible, than to rush through several just to get them all in. Come and have a chat with Careers if you’d like help planning your applications. Thanks, but I still need some help Oh, how us Careers folk love to chat. Come on in for a quick query, a bit of advice or to get your questions answered in more detail. Even if you feel like you don’t know what you want to do, or even what you want to ask, I promise we can suggest lots of useful ways to help get you started. Careers advice Graduate jobs Internships Postgraduate Undergraduate

4 Salary Negotiation Tips To Get What The Job Is Worth

4 Salary Negotiation Tips To Get What The Job Is Worth Todays post is written by  Katie Donovan. She  is a salary negotiation coach, blogger, and speaker on equal pay and women’s salary negotiations. Follow her on Twitter  @KDSalaryCoach. Men see salary negotiation very differently than women.   A recent post about salary negotiation on Brazen Careerist by Ken Sundheim started with “Pushing to see what you can get is human nature.”   That may be true for men and salary negotiation but for the typical women pushing for more when getting a job  do not often go hand-in-hand. 1) You Need to Negotiate Your Salary and Compensation Package The most important advice women need regarding salary negotiation is that negotiating is an acceptable and expected part of the hiring process.  All good hiring managers keep some money out of the initial offer to ensure they can negotiate with the person they want to bring on board. When you accept what is initially offered, then you have lost some of the money right off the bat. Start the process with a statement of excitement for the opportunity, but disappointment for the salary. Ask to walk through the entire compensation package before you start the back and forth of numbers.   Finding out that you get only two weeks vacation and pay the full cost of your health insurance after you settle on a salary causes for some very awkward reopening of negotiations. It is much better to see the full picture before the active negotiation. 2) The Value of the Job is NOT Tied to Your Previous Salary The second most important piece of advice is not to provide your salary history to potential new employers. Simply keep that field blank when filling out an application. The job has a market value, and that market value has nothing to do with what you earned before. If you are like most women, you are underpaid in your current job,  thus adding 10% 15% to your current underpaid salary to figure out the right pay level at your next job will continue your path of being underpaid. Yet, it is the easiest way that most companies figure out what to offer future employees. Remember you beat out a bunch of other candidates to get the job. You have been deemed the best person for the job. Don’t you deserve to be paid like the best if you are offered the job? 3) Salary Negotiations Research is Readily Accessible When researching the salary range for you current or next job, do not get stuck on the title. Your company may use some funky, trendy name for your job but you need to use more generic descriptors for your research. For example, long ago I was an inside sales representative for a small start-up and the company wanted to give me the title TelEvangelist for telemarketing/evangelist.   I would find nothing on such a title but would find tons of information for inside sales representative. Definitely research the salary ranges on various salary research sites such as Salary.com, Glassdoor.com, and Payscale.com. No one resource is perfect so you want to use a few to find a consensus. Other great resources are trade associations for the industry or the job. Many have salary information available either on their site or by requesting it. 4) Never Provide Your Desired Salary Now that you have done the research you know what the job should pay, you want that amount.   You will find you are asked for your desired salary throughout the interview process, but never supply it until you have a job offer and are actively negotiating. There may be a field on the application for the desired salary. Keep it blank. You may be asked to provide it in your cover letter. Do not reference it. You may be asked in the interviews. Good and acceptable responses include “a competitive salary”, “it’s negotiable”, or the classic answer a question with a question “What is the budgeted salary for the job?”. You will be well on your way to earning more as you incorporate these four bits of advice for women and salary negotiation. Note from Anna: I also asked Katie this last question that I get all the time.   Anna: One question I have for you since this is your specialty, what do you do if they absolutely require your desired salary and wont move further without that salary? Katie: I havent found that to be the case. Typically, they will couch it as I dont want to waste your time so can you tell us what you are looking to make. Answering in a professional manner that salary is negotiable or please share the salary range approved for the job will handle the situation 99% of the time. If you are unlucky enough to be in the 1% that just wont budge, then make sure you have done your research before applying for the job and know the market value for the job. Give a range such as Based on my research the job should pay in the $60K $70K range. Or low $100Ks.  Make that number higher than your actual goal, because whatever number you state will become the ceiling of the negotiation. What have you learned  during salary negotiations?