Common sense at Semco - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Common sense at Semco - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog CIO insight has a truly excellent interview with Ricardo Semler, the CEO of Semco. Heres my favourite bit from the interview: When you want somebody hired, lets say its for a leadership position of some kind, you go to the system and you advertise that you think someone is needed. Then on a given day say, Wednesday at 4 oclock, meeting room 11 you say were going to discuss this, whoevers interested. Because of the fundamental tenet that we dont want anyone involved in anything that they really dont want to do, all of our meetings are on a voluntary basis, meaning that the meetings are known, and then whoever is interested can and will show up, and should also leave the moment they become uninterested. It is a bit unnerving to watch these things, because people come in, plunk their things down, and then 15 minutes later somebody else says Bye bye, see you. But the fact is that whoever is left there has a stake in the decision being made, and the decision is final in the sense that its going to be implemented after the meeting. All meetings are voluntary. How cool is that? Read the interview, its great! Also, for those of us who know Open Space Technology: Thats the law of two feet right there! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Crazy questions you could be asked at an interview -

Crazy questions you could be asked at an interview - If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? What would you say if an interviewer asked you such an off-the-wall question? Forrester Research asked this of a candidate for a research associate position; its No. 1 on Glassdoor.coms list of Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions for 2013. Glassdoor compiled these questions from the tens of thousands of interview questions job candidates shared on their site over the past year via their Interview Reviews feature. The weird questions are in no particular order, but were chosen by a team of Glassdoor data scientists who analyzed submitted questions. According to Glassdoor, to date, they have collected more than 235,000 interview reviews and 300,000 interview questions from around the world. Interview Reviews include details from actual job candidates about the entire hiring process, including the interview format, how the interview was achieved, the average interview length and overall ratings on the overall interview experience. If the thought of facing oddball questions in an interview makes you want to pack it all in and give up your job search, dont despair. One of the best things about questions like this is that there is no right answer. Employers who pose this type of inquiry are usually trying to assess your thought process. Sometimes, they can pick up important feedback that really helps distinguish you from the crowd. For example, No. 5 on the list (asked of a Dell consumer sales candidate), What song best describes your work ethic? elicited some interesting replies on Glassdoors person on the street interviews. One man said, Nine to Five, because I work nine to five. In this 24-hour economy, thats not as good an answer as one womans comment, Under Pressure, by Queen, because I work really well under pressure. (For more advice, see how to ace even the strangest interview questions.) Below is a complete list of Glassdoors 25 oddball interview questions: If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? Asked at Forrester Research, of a research associate candidate. How many cows are in Canada? Asked at Google of a local data quality evaluator candidate. How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building? Asked at JetBlue of a pricing/revenue management analyst candidate. A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here? Asked at Clark Construction Group of an office engineer candidate. What song best describes your work ethic? Asked at Dell of a consumer sales candidate. Jeff Bezos walks into your office and says you can have a million dollars to launch your best entrepreneurial idea. What is it? Asked at Amazon of product development candidate. What do you think about when you are alone in your car? Asked at Gallup of associate analyst candidate. How would you rate your memory? Asked at Marriott of a front desk associate candidate. Name 3 previous Nobel Prize Winners. Asked at BenefitsCONNECT, Office Manager candidate. Can you say: Peter Pepper Picked a Pickled Pepper and cross-sell a washing machine at the same time? Asked of a MasterCard call center candidate. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us? Asked of a Trader Joes crew candidate. How would people communicate in a perfect world? Asked at Novell of a software engineer candidate. How do you make a tuna sandwich? Asked at Astron Consulting of an office manager candidate. My wife and I are going on vacation, where would you recommend? Asked at PricewaterhouseCoopers of an advisory associate candidate. You are a head chef at a restaurant and your team has been selected to be on Iron Chef. How do you prepare your team for the competition and how do you leverage the competition for your restaurant? Asked at Accenture of a business analyst candidate. Estimate how many windows are in New York. Asked at Bain Company of an associate consultant candidate. Whats your favorite song? Perform it for us now. Asked at LivingSocial of an Adventures City manager candidate. Calculate the angle of two clock pointers when time is 11:50. â€" Asked at Bank of America of a software developer candidate. Have you ever stolen a pen from work? Asked at Jiffy Software of a software architect candidate. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Asked at Urban Outfitter of a sales associate candidate. What kitchen utensil would you be? Asked at Bandwidth.com of a marketer candidate. If you had turned you cell phone to silent, and it rang really loudly despite it being on silent, what would you tell me? Asked at Kimberly-Clark of a biomedical engineer candidate. On a scale from 1 to 10, rate me as an interviewer. Asked at Kraft Foods of a general laborer candidate. If you could be anyone else, who would it be? Asked at Salesforce.com of a sales representative candidate. How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet? Asked at Petco of an analyst candidate. See how to answer tough or weird interview questions.   What is the weirdest interview question youve ever been asked? Share in the comments section!

Get Started With The Free Resume Writing Template

Get Started With The Free Resume Writing TemplateAt the Temple of Free resume writing there are many guides and tools for that can help you put together a pretty impressive resume. Some of these templates have been designed by top notch resumes writers and they can even help you find out if the resume you are considering has been created by an individual or a company. In fact, the Temple of Free resume writing is one of the most popular resume writing resources online.The most popular template that comes from the Temple of Free resume writing is 'Free Resume Template'. This particular template is very professional and simple and it will not take long to put together an impressive resume for your career.Free resume templates come in a variety of styles. It can be a personal resume with photos and graphics or it can include a resume that includes all the data you need for you to get an interview. The templates come in several different formats including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publis her, and Microsoft Publisher Extended. All you have to do is enter the information and the template will do the rest.The free resume template can be used for multiple career fields including careers in marketing, accounting, sales, and management. It can be used as a supplement to your actual resume and it will help you bring the best possible cover letter and resume to interviewers.Temple of Free resume writing also has other great templates for the busy professional. You can get a great job sites and work from home services that will help you get the experience and skills you need to succeed in the field you are interested in. These templates are especially tailored to help you get interviews and promotions at a number of companies.There are also other different templates available that include custom business cards. These templates can be helpful when you are trying to promote your business and you may want to make sure that the card contains all the information you need to make it appear professional.A Free resume writing template can be a great resource for you and it can help you land some of the best job opportunities in your area. Do your research and choose the template that is going to best suit your needs.

What Happened After This Company Banned Email for 1 Week

What Happened After This Company Banned Email for 1 Week A company in Italy is saying basta to overflowing email inboxes, calling for a one-week internal email ban for all employees. Gabel, a textiles company based in northern Italy, surveyed employees about their work concerns, the BBC reports. The top complaint is one that will be quite familiar to office workers in the U.S.: too many emails. Company president Michele Moltrasio and other managers decided to do something about the never-ending stream of emails within the company. For one week (this week), instead of sending electronic communications, workers will meet face-to-face and actually talk about work (apparently Moltrasio has never heard of Slack). The president says during the email ban, workers are “rediscovering the pleasure” of talking to each other. “Even if from next week we all go back to using email, these days of experimentation are very worthwhile, to understand and rethink the methods and pace of working,” Moltrasio told the BBC. It’s a practice that’s looking more and more appealing around the world, as workers young and old look for better ways to manage their time and productivity. As TIME reported last year, “52% of Americans check their e-mail before and after work, even when they take a sick day.” All the email and pressures to remain in touch with work have been linked to increased stress levels. But it’s not just post-work e-communications that are detrimental to our health. A 2012 study from the University of California, Irvine found that people who were unable to access email for five days were not only more productive, they had “more natural, variable heart rates.” Over at the Atlantic today, Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, said people check their email on average about 77 times per day, and it’s the checking of email (rather than writing) that is most stressful. So, for the sake of your heart (and your productivity), consider following Gabel’s example. If you can’t completely ignore email for a week, perhaps at least you could check it a bit less frequently. Read Next: Groupon Could Owe You Money Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  SharePlayback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedAudio TrackFullscreenThis is a modal window. This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED Technical details : No compatible source was found for this media. Session ID: 2019-12-30:145513d2d810614a864308b2 Player Element ID: jumpstart_video_1 OK Close Modal DialogBeginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.PlayMuteCurrent Time  0:00/Duration  0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type  LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time  -0:00  Playback Rate1xFullscreenClose Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

Sheri Stein - Work It Daily

Sheri Stein - Work It Daily Recruiter Info Name: Sheri Stein Title: Sr. Recruiter Email: sstein@brownstaffing.us LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sheristein Company Info Company: Brown Staffing Solutions Location: Detroit, MI Website: brownstaffing.us Careers Page: brownstaffing.us/careers For Job Candidates Preferred Method To Be Contacted By A Candidate: Email Preferred Process For Following Up On Application: Email Things That Impress You In A Candidate: A resume that speaks to their accomplishments and career goals Things Candidates Must Include To Be Considered For Job: A 75% match to the position Things That Will Disqualify A Candidate From Getting Considered: Less than a 50% match Can Candidates Apply For Multiple Positions And Not Get Penalized?: No Recruiter's Perspective What's your favorite quote? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together What do you like to do in your free time? Spend time with family and friends In a sentence, why do you enjoy working at your company? We have an awesome culture and we truly care about matching candidates with the right career In a sentence, how does your company have fun on a regular basis? We get together for lunches and sporting events In a sentence, how would you describe the employees at your company? Smart, driven, life long learners, high energy, love to win hate to lose and professional Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

The Most Important Lessons I Learned as First-Time Manager

The fruchtwein Important Lessons I Learned as First-Time Manager When I welches promoted to management, I welches thrilled and terrified at the same time. My excitement came from the milestone this step represented (and the nice raise that came with my added responsibilities). My fear came from the unknown how would I balance being firm with being approachable, how would my colleagues - who knew I was a new manager - react, what policies and regulations did I need to learn, how would I balance my already-overscheduled calendar with these new responsibilities? The list went on and on.This promotion was well over a decade ago, but I still draw on the lessons I learned in the first three years of managing staff. Here are the fruchtwein important insights from my early experiences1. Get to know your staff early - and let them get to know you. I was tempted to be overly professional with my employees, but realized that I didnt know enough about their preferences, personal goals, and life outside of work. Building trust is easier when the manager and employee see each other as people - not just workers. Spending a little time to talk about interest, hobbies, and life goals in casual conversations helped me better understand the passions of my team - which helped us create a stronger connection and perform better.2. Youre the manager - not the friend (or therapist, or social director). I struggled mightily with wanting to be liked by my new direct reports, even feeling left out when they went out to lunch without me. It took me several months to accept that in my new role as manager, I shouldnt focus on being liked, but on being a great partner in helping my employees succeed.drumherum the right boundaries with employees took a lot of practice. When managing an employee who was struggling with issues in their personal life, I had to gently (but firmly) let them know it was impacting their performance and reputation at work. It was important that this employee understo od that I couldnt solve their personal challenges, but the human resources team could be a valuable resource given the breadth of our benefits package (which included support for family therapy and other employee assistance benefits). I emphasized that my role was working with them on a plan to improve their work performance or explore alternate work arrangements within policy to help them succeed.3. Consistency with (and between) staff members is critical. Fairness and consistent expectations are invaluable to employees. I didnt appreciate how critical this was early in my management experience. There are numerous studies that outline the positive impacts associated with maintaining trust and meeting employee expectations, which typically drive employee commitment and engagement.As a new manager, I worked very hard to be demonstrably fair in handing out assignments and in making management decisions across the team. When a choice assignment arose, I would articulate how and why the decision was made to work on that project, using consistent criteria. It was important that I reward those who were being mora successful - but also that the criteria for success was widely known and very objective.Similarly, there were times where I was faced with a situation where I had to veer from stated norms. The business world moves fast and successful managers dont stick rigidly to a rubric when the dynamics have changed. In those situations, I learned to communicate as much rationale as possible to the staff, so they understood why a certain exception was being made, and whether the exception represented a new norm, or not.4. Clear goals make it easier to evaluate employee success. One of the tasks I was most nervous about as a new manager was evaluating employee performance. Over time, I learned that well-defined employee goals helped me as a manager, while also providing my employees with much more focus.For example, instead of writing a goal that asked the employee to p rovide excellent client service, a stronger goal would include specific metrics, such as those captured from client feedback surveys. Using the SMART goal framework takes more time, but results in a very specific definition of success in the role. This removes a significant amount of subjectivity to the process of evaluating employee success.5. Developing goals together improves employee engagement. When I first started managing staff, I thought that writing their goals for them was the best approach. I quickly learned that I should have discussed both the approach to setting goals as well as the goals themselves with my employees.Some employees wanted to collaborate more than others, but all of them appreciated being asked about the process and being provided with the option to partner with me to develop their goals. I also had to be clear about which measures or objectives were non-negotiable, and which had some flexibility, so as to avoid any frustration.Working with HR, I also d ecided to give each employee the freedom to develop a completely custom annual goal if they so wished, which was up to them to develop and propose back to me. A more collaborative process removes some of the mystery from goal-setting and ensures employees understand not just the goal itself, but the rationale for them.6. You dont need to have all the answers. When my new employees came to me with challenges or problems, I felt compelled to prove my worth as a manager by providing all the answers. It took a few less-than-ideal recommendations for me to slow down and realize that my role was more about helping my employees find the best solution - which didnt need to come from me.I learned that when faced with a challenge, I should default to asking the employee what their ideas would be to address the problem, and if they were truly stumped, I could network with other company experts, or we could explore our networks to see if we could find others that could provide us with advice an d ideas.The lessons above are some of the most important I learned when I moved into management. It is a tremendous responsibility to have the opportunity to lead other team members, and I hope that sharing my experiences helps you quickly succeed in your new management role--The Feminist Financier is on a mission to help women build wealth and own their financial independence, by improving financial literacy and taking the mystery out of money. Ms. Financier is also a shoe addict, travel fanatic, and wine enthusiast.

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Writing an Objective for a Resume

The Number One Question You Must Ask for Writing an Objective for a Resume A resume summary might be more powerful than a resume objective. You just need to decide on the one which you should use and then use your resume example in order to produce the ideal letter for your resume. To answer that question, you will need to learn how to compose an objective statement that may sum up all the strongest points of your resume inside a few sentences. Your objective statement is similar to your tagline. Since there are several forms of legal professionals based on specialties, you will need to learn first what does the employer searches for before you get started composing your curriculum vitae. Finally, stating an objective is optional, but it might help convince employers that you understand what you need and understand the business. The overview of technical qualifications will also set the candidate apart from applicants who cant match the degree of educational attainment and extra certifications. The primary aim of a resume is to present an easy and brief overview of your pertinent abilities, education, work experience and strengths that assists the hiring manager to generate a sensible decision in selecting interviewing candidates. Knowing the fundamental steps of writing a good resume does not indicate you have to write alone. An objective is particularly important whether youre applying for your first job. The absolute most efficient objective is one which is tailored to the job youre applying for. A History of Writing an Objective for a Resume Refuted One of the hazards of a resume objective is that youre able to focus too much on what you would like in your career, and not enough on how youll add value to the firm. Resume objectives can be a little controversial. You must have five objective statements. For instance, it might state some of your previous accomplishments, and move on to the sorts of accomplishments you want to achieve in t he future (ideally, accomplishments you wish to achieve for the organization youre applying to work for). The Nuiances of Writing an Objective for a Resume Should you choose to use the objective, then be certain to explain the kind of work you desire. For men and women that are arranging a career change, the resume objective gives the platform to talk about your story with the corporation. A resume resume is also a couple lines at the commencement of your resume. A resume objective can explain why youre qualified for the job, even if its the case that you do not own a lot of related experience. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Writing an Objective for a Resume Is Wrong Emphasize your present skill set, abilities and anyspecial machinery and equipment certifications you need to convince employers to read the remainder of your resume. Sales position where my abilities and experience can effectively be utilized to raise sales revenue. My aim is to find the job. The i deal career objective is to make koranvers you know what job you can do.