We Didnt Hire You Because We Just Dont Like You

We Didnt Hire You Because We Just Dont Like YouWe Didnt Hire You Because We Just Dont Like YouThere is one powerful lesson all job hunters should learn manners, attitude and behavior are all important components of making a good first impression It doesnt matter how qualified you are, if youre a discourteous jerk, youre probably not getting the job. Call it culture fit, call it intuition, or just call it old-fashioned gut instinct, but candidates who cant even deliver good behavior and a genuine personality for a few hours probably dont stand a chance after a few months.You will never see an actual rejection letter that states, We didnt hire you because youre a rude jerk, but you can be certain that many job candidates get tossed aside because they didnt show common courtesy and appropriate respect.As always, were here to help you out Heres seven tips on interview etiquetteBe courteous everywhere to everyone all the time. Weve all heard about the importance of treating everyone wi th respect, right down to the receptionist. I dont know many people who are overtly rude to receptionists during a job interview, but this advice applies to more subtle scenarios as well. Smile to everyone, look like youre happy to be there, and thank every single person who interacts with you. Its not uncommon for hiring managers to ask everyone about their opinion of you.Dont waste their time. Recruiters, HR professionals and hiring managers are all very busy people, so dont be the person who keeps applying for the same job over and over. And if you dont hear back from them right away on the job, keep your follow-up to a minimum. Pestering a recruiter will quickly diminish your chances of getting an offer. Sometimes searches take longer than anticipated, and no news is exactly that no news.Listen to the question. When youre asked the question, Tell me about yourself, it isnt a historical question, its a question that asks what kind of professional you are. Of course, you should b e prepared to talk about all aspects of your professional life in an interview but that doesnt mean you should give this long, all-encompassing narrative when they havent requested one. Most interview questions have a surface and sub-surface purpose. Make sure youre answering both and giving the interviewers what they need to assess your ability to do the job in addition to simply answering the question.Listen to what they say. The kiss of death in any job interview is to ask for information youve already been given, i.e. fruchtwein hiring managers describe the job at the beginning of the interview. Its okay to ask for clarification but dont ask in such a way that suggests you werent listening when they explained it to you earlier in the conversation.No phones allowed. Nothing conveys a sense of youre not worth paying attention to than fidgeting with or answering your cell phone. Leave your phone at home, in the car or if you do bring it with you, turn it off completely no vibratin g allowed Your interviewer expects and deserves your undivided attention. And as tempting as it might be, dont get caught texting while youre waiting for the next person to enter the room.Dress appropriately. Even though there are many settings where business casual is accepted and even expected, most professionals are expected to wear business attire to an interview. If you have any doubts, make an inquiry from the person who invited you to the interview. If they expect you to show up dressed one way, and you fail to do so, it could be seen as a sign of disrespect. And heres an important piece of advice Dont ask them what you should wear to an interview. Ask them how MOST people dress for the interview. This keeps the advice accurate and reliable.Appreciate and follow up. Thank you notes are still expected by emaille the same day as the interview, and definitely no later than the following day. If you made a promise to provide references or samples of your work, be prompt in provid ing them. Make sure to follow up and recognize the courtesies that have been extended to you.Keep all these tips in mind and you will have a better chance at landing a job. Happy hunting

Feeling Stuck in Your Career Heres How Yoga Can Help

Feeling Stuck in Your Career Heres How joga Can Help Feeling Stuck in Your Career Heres How Yoga Can Help Anotherbei Monday unfolds,replacing the weekends adventures with meetings, memos, and morning commutes.What happened to the power career you imagined - the one where waking up each morning was exciting, the office dress code was fashionista, and every executive decision made the world a better distribution policy? Somewhere along the way, monotony and complacency flooded in, drowning your motivation.Albert Einsteins famous quote reminds us that nothing happens until something moves. Yoga teaches that we are that something, and that once we start moving, anything is possible.Here are three ways joga can help unstick your career and get you back into your groove 1. Yoga Boosts ConfidenceGenerating the momentum to move out of a current situation, however unsatisfying, is nearly impossible without confidence. The more disheartening the circumstance, the less confidence we have.A y oga practice provides a nurturing embrace to the discouraged psyche, imparting confidence with every pose. Whether a beginner yogi or advanced practitioner, every foray onto the mat requires you to attempt something new - most likely to fail at your first attempt, persevere, and ultimately succeed. We condition ourselves on the mat to embrace challenges, to grow comfortable with our own discomfort, and to endure until we succeed. The lasting result is a hard-borne confidence that carries over into all areas of life, from the yoga mat to the workplace.With your confidence reignited, formerly daunting career opportunities suddenly take on a new sheen of enticement. Office relationships that were previously draining become less prickly whenyou can stand confidently behind your decisions and work caliber. Confidence shifts perception, providing the necessary fuel to stimulate a new adventure or breath life into a dull workday. With a fresh morning cup of confidence, you can step into t he office willing to risk failure, yet believing in your ability to succeed. 2. Stretch Your Body, Stretch Your BoundariesYoga stretches not just the body, but also the self-imposed limitations on our capabilities. When we participate in the physical transformation of the body and successfully manifest previously impossible feats like touching our toes, bending backwards, or even standing on our heads, our definition of what is possible for ourselves expands. We unlock creativity through movement, which a monotonous daily work routinemay stifle.Creativity stimulates growth, both on the yoga mat and in the cubicle. Ifyou want to advance your career, you must be creative enough to conceive and initiate new possibilities. 3. Yoga Energizes From WithinEven backed by an overflow of confidence, the most creative intentions will not manifest without energy. Momentum demands we give it an energetic push to gain velocity.You will only find defeatwhen youseek outwardly for the inspiration to propelyou forward. Whenever we rely on outside sources for inspiration,thosewellsprings eventually disappear. Vacations end, payday bonuses get spent, and even shiny new offices grow dull.Yoga, however, recharges us from the inside. It is an honest celebration of self, regardless of outside circumstances. When we feel worthy, confident, and excited because of who we are, we become our own sources of inspiration.- Confidence, creativity, and inspiration are all self-expressions yoga draws forth. These qualities are powerful enough to transform our bodies, expand our perspective, and add innovation to our daily work routines. When transformation happens from within, our confidence soars, we are more willing to take calculated risks, and no obstacles are insurmountable. This attitude is exactly what we need to move forward in our careers and in our lives.Lara Alexiou is the author of Become the Architect of Your Body, Mind, and Soul.Visit her online at https//www.steamtownyoga.com/book s and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

HR Metrics that Matter (And Why You Should Care)

HR Metrics that Matter (And Why You Should Care)HR Metrics that Matter (And Why You Should Care)HR Metrics that Matter (And Why You Should Care) BenningtonThe other day I had lunch with the HR Director for a small law firm.I dont get it, she said. Were losing staff left and right and I cant get our executive team to acknowledge the problem.Have you tried assigning a number to the loss? I asked. Thatll get their attention.Of course, she hadnt. Her approach had been to give the team periodic updates based on stories collected in exit interviews.This is the classic HR dilemma, right? We want to sit at the big table and yet we struggle with speaking the language required, which is to say money.We dont like to quantify the value of people with HR metrics because it goes against our nature of focusing on potential and development versus spreadsheet tabs and bottom-line figures.Still, every organization needs to understand the specific return of major investments and if youre like most smal l businesses people are at the top of that list.Therefore, its worth getting strategic about whats working (and what isnt) so you can make smarter decisions about where to put your limited time and resources.Recruiting Metrics that Matter MostIf youre leid sure where to begin, its worth noting that a recent study on human resourcesfrom the Boston Consulting Group ( which surveyed 4,288 respondents in 102 countries ) found that recruiting had the highest revenue growth and profit margin impact of any (thats right, any) HR function.Captain Obvious Alert Hiring the right people matters. Since there are countless articles on this site about recruiting strategiesand the like, I want to get nitty-gritty on how you can actually measure the HR metrics that form a critically-important aspect of your business.Here are a few ideas to get you startedMeasure for results not data. A lot of people waste a lot of time quantifying useless things, says Roberta Matuson, CEO of Matuson Consulting and the author of Suddenly in Charge Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around.For example, comments Matuson, I landsee people in HR all the time who measure time-to-hire, but if it only took you one day and you still hired the wrong person well, who cares?Matuson recommends that small businesses focus on three HR metrics in particular Where, What, and Who. In other wordsWhere are you finding your best hires (typically this will be referrals)What areas of the company have the most turnover, andWho is directly managing your defectors?Check the pulse with employee surveys. Keep surveying anonymous. In small businesses, where every dollar counts, its tempting to try and conserve cash by handling staff surveys in-house. That is often a huge mistake says Matuson.I dont know of any employee who would be stupid enough to honestly answer a survey that will go right back to their employer and if they are that dumb, you probably dont want them working for you.Instead, its recommended th at you bring in an experienced third-party administrator every year to check the pulse on employee morale and pinpoint any issues of note within your organization.Employee engagement surveysare especially important in smaller companies where having a professional translator would not only increase the credibility of the results, but would decrease the likelihood that any one person could be singled out negatively.A good third-party administrator will be able to deliver the results in such a way that key points are preserved says Matuson, but the rest of the staff wont automatically assume that the person complaining about the lunchroom is the person who always complains about the lunchroom.Quantify your exit interviews. Naturally, anyone who is already leaving your organization is likely to be more candid about the reasons for their departure. So as you conduct your exit interviews, dont make the mistake of collecting anecdotes for your team to digest, after the fact.As my HR friend above learned, its not enough to have an encyclopedic collection of stories you need to be able to walk into a management meeting armed with bottom-line impact.As you begin to accumulate information related to your where, what, and who, make sure anyone who leaves your organization regardless of the reason fills out an exit survey where they rate their experience at your company on a scale of 1-5.Of course, all the HR metrics in the world wont mean a thing unless you apply it appropriately, which is why every business owner needs to look up from the spreadsheets every once in a while and engage staff directly at all levels.The number one reason I see employees leaving companies of all sizes is that they simply dont feel valued, says Matuson. If you dont take care of your high-performers, you can expect them to go somewhere that will.Check out our Sample Employee Survey to help you create your own employee questionnaire. Author BioEmily Bennington specializes in two distinct form s of career transition college students entering the workforce and women leaders entering executive management. She is the author of Who Says Its a Mans World The Girls Guide to Corporate Domination and the co-author of Effective Immediately How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job. Emily has been featured on Fox Business and CNN and quoted in publications including the Wall Street Journal. Emily can be reached online at emilybennington.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.