TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT EMPLOYERS

[Published in Manila Bulletin, August 2011]

In my last column, I wrote about “Ten Characteristics of Star Employees”. This time, I’d like to explore the flip side and discuss what makes employers great to work for.

See, your happiness and contentment in the workplace is directly affected by how the company that you work for is run. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just the salary that people look at when they choose employers. Money is not the end all and be all of job satisfaction. So if you want to be part of a great company, aspire to find or even develop these ten characteristics in your company:

1. They have a clear vision

Great employers have direction. Their leaders have a clear picture of what they want their company to stand for and where they want to go. We’re talking here about full enculturation of the company’s vision, mission and values wherein employees live by these guiding principles. It’s not just about putting a mission statement in a frame and hanging it on the wall. It’s about building a culture that employees are proud of and can easily identify with on a daily basis.

2. They have a good recruitment process

Great employers know that top notch employees equal an excellent company. So they establish recruitment systems that are designed to get the crème of the crop, not the bottom of the barrel. They seek out people who are skilled with the right attitude to fill in key positions in their company. They are organized in their recruitment efforts and have done the necessary homework for finding competent employees.

3. They have adequate compensation and benefits programs

Once they’ve hired their employees, great employers are able to keep them longer because they provide not just competitive salaries, but also benefits and perks. These benefits may include essentials such as healthcare, allowances for uniforms or food, to fun stuff like workshops and outings, to cool perks such as transportation assistance and mobile phone loads.

4. They train their people

Great employers also ensure that each employee grows professionally by providing training to help them do their jobs. From the beginning, as soon as an employee is hired, they are given an orientation. Then as they settle in their jobs, they are provided on the job training. This is also followed up by seminars, workshops and learning materials that will help employees develop further.

5. They monitor their people’s performance

After all the training, great employers make sure that their employees are able to apply what they have learned. This is done by continuously monitoring performance. Managers and supervisors constantly look at how their subordinates are doing. They provide guidance and immediate feedback. Then this is followed up by regular performance evaluations that are documented by the company’s HR people.

6. They recognize and reward good performance

The reason why performance is monitored is so that the company can reward the good ones and correct those that need to be improved. To encourage and motivate employees, great companies provide rewards and incentives. This could range from simple treats and tokens, to elaborate programs like employee of the month, sales target bonus with gifts like gadgets and trips abroad.

7. They equip their people with tools that help them work better and faster

If you want to double or triple your team’s performance, it is important to equip them with the right tools and equipment. Great employers understand this, so they make sure that their people are given the best software and hardware. More importantly, they are trained to maximize them. They understand that, “When you give a man the tools and know-how, you can step back and see the ingenuity that may come after.”

8. They have safe and conducive work environments

Great employers understand that a person’s environment affects his or her moods. So they take care in providing a workplace that’s conducive and safe for work. You can easily determine if a company is great or not by how clean and well-maintained the place is. So gather those waste baskets and purge unimportant items, clear your desks and organize! A clean work station will improve your mood and make you work better for a great company.

9. They care about their people

Great employers are able to provide programs that ensure their employees are well-taken care of physically, emotionally and spiritually. The company has heart and they show it to their people with kind words, caring leaders, firm and constant guidance. They understand that, “When you care for your people, your people will take care of the company.”

10. They develop leaders

Lastly, great employers develop leaders. They encourage initiative and innovation. They allow their employees to shine and provide opportunities for star performers to develop themselves as leaders. From the group of star performers, they choose and hone select people to lead the company to greater heights.

The truth is, there’s no such thing as a perfect company. Great employers are simply built by the people who work for it. If you want to work for a great company, it is in your hands to make your company a great and happy place to work in.

If you are looking for a job, seek to find a company that has these qualities. If you are already employed, make your company a great place to work in. If you have influence in your company, seek to develop these characteristics to make your company great and reap the rewards of a happy and productive workplace!

Author box:

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy, HR Club Philippines and Teach It Forward Organization. Since 2003, her company has served more than 15,000 participants from various companies and industries by providing corporate skills training, business and human resource seminars. To know more about the seminars and services that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may also call (632)6874645. Email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

Ten Characteristics of Star Employees

[Published in Manila Bulletin in July 2011]

In the workplace, there will always be star employees who shine. These people are well-liked by their bosses. They reach their targets or accomplish notable achievements. They are star performers, which is why they get recognized by their company and get promoted faster than the rest of the regular folks. It’s pretty cool to be a star employee. So let’s all aspire to be one.

If you are presently employed, I’d like you to take a good look at yourself. From a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how would you rate your general work performance? If you were your boss, would you point to yourself as a star employee?

If your answer is yes, then keep up the good work. Kudos to you! However, if you are not quite there yet and would like to become one, let’s take a look at the qualities that separates star employees from ordinary ones.

1. They are Always Present
Star Employees are always present physically, mentally and emotionally. This means that they have good attendance records. They understand that quantity affects quality of time---that no matter how brilliant you are, if you’re not present for work, then you can’t really do a good job. So they come to their place of work, alert and ready to face the challenges the day brings. They leave their personal issues and problems at the door which allows them to focus on the job at hand.

2. They are Results-Oriented
When Star Employees are busy, they really are. They do not spend all day doing things just to look busy. They actually do tasks that they deem instrumental in helping them reach their goals. These people look at the end-results all the time. They measure their performance with targets and actual results. For example, star salespeople know their sales targets by heart. They find the best use of their time that will get them the desired results.

3. They are Self-reliant
Star employees do not need to be micromanaged. They require very little supervision as they are capable in making common sense decisions. They are not too dependent on their bosses or co-workers. Unlike some people who ask their bosses to solve everything and decide on the littlest of things, they are well-capable of managing themselves and dealing with everyday work issues. They are also self-motivated.

4. They are Reliable
Star employees carry a sense of dependability about them. They look and act responsible. Bosses feel at ease assigning them to important projects because they are diligent and consistent with the quality of their work. They are steadfast which is why they don’t make their bosses worry too much about project completions.

5. They are Progressive
To most employees, change is difficult to swallow. They like doing things that they are comfortable with. They like things to be the way they are. Star employees, on the other hand, can adapt well to change. In fact, they initiate it. They constantly look at how their work, the procedures and systems in their office can be improved. In the process they find innovative solutions that increase their company’s profits or generate huge savings for the company which their employers appreciate.

6. They are Good Reporters
Star employees are on top of things. Bosses often get frustrated in constantly reminding their subordinates about things they need to do and they often waste a lot of time following up on projects. Meanwhile, the star employee gets there first. They regularly update their bosses and teammates on what’s happening. You don’t have to ask them what’s up with this account, because chances are, they’ve already told you before you even thought of asking.

7. They can Communicate with Ease
When star employees talk to people, they are not tense and uptight. They communicate in a comfortable and enthusiastic manner which makes the other person feel at ease right away. They can talk to bosses, co-workers, suppliers and customers very well in a conversational manner. They are naturally personable which draws people to them.

8. They are confident
Many people equate confidence as being extroverted and outspoken. But not all star employees are made that way. There are many star employees who are quiet and not so gregarious. See, confidence is about knowing who you are and your self-worth. Star employees know their capabilities and limitations. They courageously face challenges and are not afraid to seek assistance if needed.

9. They Go the Extra Mile
What sets star employees apart from regular folks is they go further than what is expected of them. If they are expected to know a specific product of their company, they go the extra mile in learning the whole product line, the competitor’s product, pricing and promos. If they are expected to reach a sales quota, they don’t stop upon reaching the quota. They go for more. They do a little bit of extra when it comes to their work and even their relationships.

10. They are Grateful
Most important of all, star employees are grateful. They are not brats who feel entitled to all the benefits, rewards and incentives given by their company. Instead, they sincerely appreciate what is given to them and make it known by saying thank you all the time. The reason why they perform better than the rest and why bosses like them is because they know how to value their jobs, their employers and colleagues.

Now, given the ten characteristics above, take a look at yourself. Which of these traits do you have? Which ones do you lack? Are you a star employee?

Aspire to be a star employee because it’s pretty cool to be recognized and appreciated by your bosses and colleagues. Not to mention the perks and rewards attached to it. Everyone has the capacity to become a star employee, all you have to do is hone yourself and build on the ten characteristics of a star employee.

My Boss is Threatening to Fire Us!

[Published in Manila Bulletin in July 2011]

Bosses have different ways of motivating employees to improve their performance. Smart ones use several methods of reward and punishment and adjust their approach according to circumstances.

In my experience, I have found that rewards and punishments are equally effective depending on the situation and the type of people you have. But in general, people respond more to rewards, incentives, promotions, recognition and all the nice stuff.

Occasionally, however, punishments or “threats” may be warranted but using this can become counter-productive and dangerous too. If you threaten and put people down often enough, they might get paralyzed in fear and begin to lose focus. Instead of finding ways to improve performance, they might get caught up with just fighting the perceived threat.

Such is the case of a reader of mine. Let me share his story, my advice and some thoughts about motivating people.

Dear Ms. Jhoanna,

I am an avid reader of your column for more than two years now. I loved the way you do it, by way of giving everyone your PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE perspective, and my fervent prayer is that God will give you more talents and wisdom and add more years for you to live longer.

By the way I am “ABE”, 62 years old from Tarlac. I live with my wife, our 4 children and 3 grandsons. I’ve been connected for two years now to a real estate company as an AVP in Marketing. My position gives me a basic living subsidy, over-ride commissions plus the use of the company vehicle.

In the previous year, I used to be No. 3 among the 15 Marketing Directors. At times, I’d reach No. 1 and No. 2 ranking. When I was promoted as an AVP, I’ve been able to consistently land again at No. 3, sometimes No. 2 and even No. 1.

But 2 months ago, my Marketing Directors were transferred to another group. Hence, I am now in survival mode, currently at No. 3 among 4 AVPs.

My concern is that our EVP has been threatening me that he will dissolve our group if we don’t increase sales. As a result, we feel tremendous pressure almost every day, every week and every month.

What do you think should I do? Although I am determined to fight, the “THREAT” is becoming worse. Please kindly advise me.

Thank you very much and i hope you can help me. God bless, more power and good luck!

Sincerely yours,
Threatened Abe


My Response:

Thanks for avidly following my column for the past two years, Mr. Abe. I understand how pressure-filled Sales Jobs are and I hope that you'll be able to overcome your challenges and find abundance soon.

Regarding your work issues, allow me to share with you my thoughts...

From a relational perspective, it would be great if you can talk to your EVP and calmly explain to him that you understand how critical sales is for the company and that you are doing many things to increase sales. However, the approach (or "threat of dissolution") is becoming counter-productive to your sales team's morale. And that you would appreciate it very much if he'll try a different approach. Of course, you need to do this in such a way that he won't be offended or feel alienated by you.

From an emotional perspective, it would be great if you can find some sort of stress release. I know Sales is highly stressful since you need to reach your quotas. Two of our own company's top sales people actually had a very difficult time getting the numbers during the start of this year and this almost paralyzed them. To solve the problem, one of them opened up to management and sought support. The other one took a short retreat to reenergize herself. With the help of our Mancomm and some smart changes in their sales routine, things eventually improved and they are back on track.

From an HR perspective, I think it's wise to revisit the Employment Contract you signed with the company, as well as the company policies for Termination as it pertains to Sales People. Much of your protection will come from what type of employment you have, the provisions in your contract, the HR policies and processes in your company and the Philippine Labor Laws. Since a sales job is highly quantitative, much will be based on your sales results. Normally, verbal warnings are the first steps for disciplinary action. Written warnings carry more weight and these are actually needed for an employer to terminate employees if due process is to be followed.

Meanwhile, I think it's not yet too late. You still have your job. The real estate industry has been booming for the past few years. You can still focus and concentrate on generating more sales, despite the threat.

Motivating Employees

I wish I could talk to Mr. Abe’s boss and point out that his “threatening” approach is de-motivating his people. Since I don’t really know him, allow me to use this column to reach out to the bosses out there.

Fear is a potent tool. Its powers can motivate people to move, but it could just as easily demoralize people. I personally would only use it as a last resort.

The job of every boss is not just about pushing people to do what they want. Great bosses take the time to understand what drives their people and figure out what buttons to push to positively impact their subordinates. They also arm their people with the means and tools to let them achieve. They push, encourage, guide and support others be great at what they do.

EMPLOYMENT PROCESSING

[Published in Manila Bulletin last November 2011]

Getting hired is an exciting time for many people. After spending time, money and effort sending out resumes, answering job tests and going through interviews, you finally get that good news call saying, “You’re Hired”.

It’s music to every jobseeker’s ears. It’s definitely something to cheer about and celebrate. The prospect of starting in your new job brings new hope and the promise of a better future.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, there is an important step that needs to be done as you enter the workforce---The Employment Processing.

Let’s take a quick look at how an employee goes through this and what HR practitioners do to facilitate this step.

Work Commencement

As an employer, I believe that the first day of an employee is critical and it is best that s/he starts it right. So I make sure that I’m there to greet the newly hired employee and set expectations properly on day one. Then in the first two weeks, we conduct orientation and training to help familiarize the employee on how things work in the company.

At the same time, I also know that the first two weeks is a “try out” to see if the newly hired employee is a good match for the job and if s/he can adapt to the company’s work environment. This “try out” gives the employer a good opportunity to observe the employee’s actual performance on the job…after all, the real test of an employee is not how good s/he answers the interview questions, but rather how well s/he performs on the job. The “try out” also gives the employee an opportunity to try and see if s/he is comfortable with the company’s set up. We explain this properly to the newly hired employee.

Based on experience, within a week or so, an employee will either show promise if s/he is a fit, or opt out if s/he is not right for the company.

Employment Documents

Meanwhile, the HR department starts to process employment documents, such as Employment Contract, Company Policies and the 201 file of the employee. This is a critical step that benefits both the employer and the employee to ensure proper documentation of the employment. Proper employment documentation will establish the terms of the employer-employee relationship. It protects the employee against illegal labor practices, but it also protects the employer against baseless labor disputes.

Many companies have a structured HR department that does all this. However, there are some who do not practice proper documentation processes yet. That is why our organization has been working with start-up companies or even mature businesses in setting up an HR system and operations manual to properly guide people through this process. This way, labor disputes are prevented and companies can focus on other important aspects of their business.

HR Practices

Now you need to understand that not all companies have a structured HR department in place. Professionalizing the HR department is a work-in-progress for almost all companies as it adapts to the changes, trends and needs of the work environment.

Moreover, not all companies practice the same process and standards. Some companies immediately process the paperwork and issue ATM salary cards and uniforms, while others do it at a later time. Some do one-on-one orientation, some do group orientation and others, like my company, conduct orientations through online webinars.

Employer-employee contracts may also differ from company to company as some business enterprises hire project or contractual employees, while others prefer to hire probationary employees for future regular employment.

Employment Outcome

Definitely, not all newly-hired employees go on to full employment. This is usually a cause of disappointment for employers and employees as both have put in a lot of effort and energies into the employment process. Let me share the experience of one of our readers…

LETTER FROM A JOB SEEKER:

Ms. Jhoanna, I just want to ask if I could sue a company wherein I'm about to start for orientation and have already been issued a set of uniforms, then suddenly they informed me that they are not hiring me anymore? It really caused me a lot of depression. Now I don't have the courage to apply with other companies. I'm afraid that it might happen again. Hope you can help me and give me advice regarding this matter. Thank you very much and more power.

MY ADVISE:

I understand how disappointing it is to gear up to start your new job, only to find out that it will not push through. There are many reasons why this happens and I hope the reason was properly explained to you. Sometimes, business plans change and the employment needs of the company are put on hold. It’s not your fault; it’s just the way things are in business---not everything pans out. It is depressing but it is not the end of your career.

Since it is too early in the process, I do not think it is prudent for you to sue the company. Filing labor cases involves time, effort, energy and money. You also need to prove that there is in fact an employer-employee relationship already. Rather than exert effort in this battle, I firmly believe that it is more beneficial for you to pick yourself up, lick your wounds and treat it as a sign that it wasn’t meant to be. Then stand up and go find employment elsewhere that will be a better fit for you.

As you go through life, there will be disappointments. That’s inevitable. What will make a person succeed is the strength and courage to move on. Don’t let this hiccup dampen your spirit. Instead, move on and you will find better opportunities.

Getting Hired is Just the Beginning

Getting hired is not the end of the journey for jobseekers. Rather, it is the start of your career. You will have to undergo orientation or training, employment processing, performance evaluations all throughout---it’s an “ongoing test and interview”. The phrase: “You’re hired” is not equivalent to job security. So take the time to learn the ropes and ensure that proper procedures and documents are processed for your employment. And if things do not pan out, don’t lose hope. Your dream job may be just around the corner.

EXTRA INCOME FOR WORKING PEOPLE

[Published in Manila Bulletin last October 2010]

If you are like most employed people, chances are, your salary, whether high or low, seems never enough. There are just so many things that you can do with your hard earned money… pay bills, pay for your child’s schooling, buy groceries, a new TV set, save for a rainy day, invest---the list is endless.

Most people need to budget their salaries to cover for basic daily expenses like food, transportation and shelter. Then hopefully, there’s enough left for savings or emergency funds. However, most of the time, salaries ran out quickly before the next payday. And that’s where it gets tricky.

When an emergency strikes and funds are low, you may be forced to take out a loan or use your credit card to cover for these extra expenses. Then you get bogged down by steep interest payments which deplete your funds more and you enter into a vicious cycle.

To get out of the vicious cycle, you can do several things. The first is to follow a strict budget or in other words, live below your means. This means trimming your expenses and sacrificing a few luxuries. If you’re a smoker, quit smoking and you’ll be able to save more (easier said than done). If you regularly take the cab, try the bus or the MRT instead. If you drink cappuccino daily from your favorite coffee shop, maybe you can go for 3-in-1 instant coffee sachets in the meantime.

But what if despite all your efforts to live below your means, your salary is still not enough, what do you do? Well, there’s a lot that you can do to increase your income. Here are a few suggestions:

Look into Your Current Salary

Try asking yourself how you can increase your current salary. Sure, you can just barge into your boss’ office and demand for a raise, but unless you have proven that you have contributed to the company’s profits and that you are indispensable, you might want to rethink this strategy. Perhaps a better approach would be to politely discuss with your boss ways in which you can get a promotion as long as you are willing to get more responsibilities, OR dazzle your boss with your great performance to get a merit increase. Most companies nowadays pay for performance.

Look into Your Current Company

Some companies have incentive programs. They give non-sales employees the opportunity to sell the company’s products and services or refer clients to earn commissions. Since you are already working for the company and you depend on the sales that come in, it would be a good idea to help the company sell more. Aside from these incentives, there may be HR programs in place that offer cash rewards such as employee of the month awards and job referral programs. One of the companies I used to work for gave Php50,000 cash prize to the Employee of the Year and their basis for giving the nice lady in accounting the recognition was perfect attendance. Not bad for coming to work on time, everyday.

Look into Other Sources of Income

Now after checking out extra income opportunities that your company offers, you can look into other sources of income. But first, it is critical that you check if you have company policies in place that disallow sideline work or businesses.

For instance, some teachers in universities are not allowed to teach in other schools.

Some companies frown on employees selling surplus clothing during office hours. Most pharmaceutical companies do not allow their Medical Representatives to join Network Marketing companies that sell herbal vitamin supplements. There’s just too much conflict of interest there. To be safe, check your company policies to prevent problems.

Now when you’ve done your due diligence and it is okay for you to earn extra income outside your company, here are several options for earning extra income:

Sell Your Products. Check out if you have items like furniture, comic books, appliances that are not being used and just gathering dust. You may want to sell this in a garage sale or on the internet. Another option is to sell products that you create. If you are good at making crafts or you can whip up delicious healthy cheesecakes, you can try selling these. Who knows, this home-based operation may just turn into a full-fledged business.

Sell Your Services. If you have hidden talents like event hosting, singing, pet grooming, dog breeding, gardening, teaching, writing, photography, web and graphics designing, you can earn extra income by offering these services. This is a cool way to turn your hobby into an income-generating venture.

Sell Other People’s Products or Services. There are many companies that need sales agents---from real estate, insurance, beauty products, vitamins, etc… If you want to sell stuff as a sideline, you first need to find out what you want to sell because it is easier to sell something you are interested in or passionate about. Next, determine who you can sell these products or services to. Are you planning to sell to officemates, your neighbors or the internet? Once you figure this out, then you can try selling in small quantities first, before going full blast.

Get Rental Income. If you have property such as equipment, condo units, even books and videos that you do not use, you may lease it out to others. Rental income is great because you get to earn extra income and get to keep your property, as long as you lease your property out to good and honest people and you have basic securities in place.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

I believe that the possibilities for earning extra income are available to us all. What I mentioned here are just some of the things that you can do to earn extra income. It’s limitless, really. All you have to do is make sure that your company is okay with you pursuing such endeavors, managing your time so that it does not affect your main source of livelihood and have fun along the way. Here’s to abundance and prosperity!

Simplify Your Worklife

[Published in Manila Bulletin last November 11, 2009]

Back in school, we were told by many well-meaning teachers to study hard, do things thoroughly, and follow all rules to the letter. Although there is wisdom in those words, I find that many people who seriously did exactly what the teachers told them to do also end up as people who did everything “by the book”.

“By the book” people carry that habit into their adult life. Having worked with a handful of them, I have observed that they usually do a very good job, but it takes them a very long time to finish their tasks. Some of them have become perfectionists to a fault, spending all their time, effort and energy to do the task perfectly, regardless of whether it is important or not. They are often too busy, too overwhelmed with work and lead very complicated work-lives.

Interestingly, I have found that certain habits that were frowned upon when we were children in school serves to help us in our adult work life. Controversial as it may sound, wisdom can also be found from people who slacked off a bit or got the teacher’s ire.

Here’s a fresh look at some of the bad habits that can be transformed into something good and even used to simplify our work life.

Tickle Your Lazy Bones. Sometimes, laziness is good---particularly if you use it as a catalyst for creativity and resourcefulness. Let’s face it, there are really times when you don’t feel like working so hard on a particular project. You still have to accomplish what you are supposed to do no matter what, but you don’t want to put in too much physical effort. So what can you do? Take the lazy but creative route to accomplishing the project. For instance, I once had to do a photographic essay on music (a photographic essay is a series of pictures that tell a story about your subject with short quips). Most of my peers went all around the Metro to find different musical instruments to shoot with their models. Since, I didn’t have the time and resources to look for instruments, I simply asked my model to pose “artistically” using imaginary instruments. This Lazy-Creative approach garnered for me the top award among my peers with little effort on my part.

Don’t be a Busy Bee. As little children, our mothers would scold us for staying in front of the television all day long and doing nothing. So to escape the sermon, we would get up and act busy. Unfortunately, this habit has been carried over to our adult work life. There are many of us who sincerely want to prove to our bosses that we are doing a good job by being busy. But the question is, are we being busy for the sake of being busy? When my husband was starting out in the corporate world, he would work until the wee hours of the morning. His boss saw him doing this and asked, “Is that a sign of dedication or incompetence?” This question made my husband realize at a young age that success is not about how much harder you work, it’s the results that count.

Learn as You Go. There are some people who would not get into something because they have not mapped out an extensive detailed plan or they have not mastered a particular field. So they read tons of books about the subject, gather as much information as they can find and even hire a bunch of consultants for advice. They get so overwhelmed with the information and task at hand that they end up getting stuck in the process. This is called Analysis Paralysis and people who experience this usually end up doing nothing. On the other hand, I believe experience is the best teacher of all and sometimes, you just have to take the plunge and learn as you go. See, your mind and creativity heightens when there’s something at stake and your learning curve speeds up when you are actually in the game. Sometimes, you need to tell yourself, “Just do it!”

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel if you do not need to. Have you ever noticed that when a new management or department head replaces the old, currently running projects would get discontinued in place of new programs? When this happens, the time and resources spent on the previous projects get wasted and more time, resources and energy is used up to start new projects. I believe in the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. So when I was hired as a new Marketing Head for a Healthcare company, the first thing I did was reviewed the existing programs, marketing materials and projects of the previous administration. I continued and used all the marketing materials that the one before me created and just improved it and applied it to my own projects. That way, company funds are not wasted and at the same time, I don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Speed it Up with Short Cuts. Our company once hired an IT specialist to teach non-IT people how to create websites. Because of his background, he proposed a curriculum that included extensive lessons on HTML coding and logical flowchart exercises. Since there were already free software programs available in the market that simplified the task with thousands of existing templates to choose from, we rejected the curriculum he proposed. See, in this day and age, you don’t have to do your task from scratch or be what I call a “Purist”. You don’t have to go the long way to get things done. Most of the time, shortcuts are better as long as you do not sacrifice the quality of your product or service. So, it’s okay to take shortcuts.

Simplifying Your Work Life is about doing what works. Instead of working hard, what we should be striving to do is to WORK SMART.

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com or call (632)6874645. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

New Workplace Trends & Technology

[Manila Bulletin WORK LIFE Column: published November 4, 2009]

Last October 22, I attended the 3rd HR Philippines National Convention where my good friend, business partner and Chief Training Consultant, Cindy Sajwani, gave a talk on “New Trends in Training & Technology.” There were about 700 HR practitioners who were present in the convention and discussions centered mainly on HR 2.0---how advancements in technology are redefining the workplace.

The convention confirmed the general feeling of today’s many Business and HR practitioners: that the world is changing and it’s doing so in a very fast pace. And as the business climate of today transforms significantly, so too are the prevailing culture and experiences in the workplace.

Technology is rapidly moving and it is up to you to ride on it or be left behind. Whether we like it or not, we need to be able to adapt in order to survive and even thrive. Here are a few workplace trends that you should prepare yourself for:

Millennial Invasion
Born between 1980 to 1995, “Millennials” are a new breed of workers who are rapidly taking over the workplace. They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special. They are tech savvy and have been exposed to all sorts of gadgets. They are very hard-working but they don’t necessarily adhere to strict and formal etiquette or policies that do not make sense to them. If you belong to an older generation, are you ready for this new generation? How do you deal with them and how can you ensure that you do not become obsolete?

Computer-Wired Workplace
Gone are the days of the typewriter, OHP projectors and Polaroid Cameras even though we may miss them. Nowadays, if your company wants to stay competitive, you should at least have a computer and DSL in your office. When our company invested in providing computers to all of our employees, we saw their productivity shoot up. More importantly, it empowered our employees so much so that they have all become single business units in themselves. The question is, how computer-wired is your workplace? Is it important in your line of business? And if you have a computer, are you maximizing its use?

Work Anytime, Anywhere
Laptops and the Wifi access in malls have allowed our management to work away from the workplace. Wherever I am, I can still monitor and communicate with my co-workers because aside from mobile phones and emails, we have an online forum and knowledge management system to keep track of all our business discussions, decisions and work progress. Not a lot of companies do this yet, because of the perceived high-cost of hiring an IT guy to set this up. But to be honest with you, it’s quite simple to set this up yourself. Just because, you are not an IT person, doesn’t mean that you cannot integrate technology to your work life. If we were able to do it, so can you.

Social Networking
Is facebook, friendster and multiply allowed in your workplace? If so, are you using it for business or for pleasure---be honest?! In our company, we do allow facebook and other networking sites because most of our clients communicate with us using those mediums. But I must admit, monitoring these activities is a bit challenging and it poses as a big temptation and interruption of work, sometimes. It definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. I believe that allowing its use is a prerogative of management. It depends on the nature of your business and the culture of your company. In your opinion, should your company allow employees to have access to facebook and other networking sites? And if you are allowed to access these, can you honestly say that you can use it for business purposes only and not abuse it?

Online Learning & Webinars
Company Trainings are not just focused on Instructor-led seminars anymore. Nowadays, a new training methodology is being utilized because many companies cannot afford to gather all their employees in one venue all at the same time to attend a seminar. A new trend is emerging in the form of Online Learning & Webinars. In our company, we use webinars for New Employee Orientation. Since new employees are not hired all at the same time, it becomes very tedious for management to keep on giving full Employee Orientations every time a new employee comes in. The solution, Interactive Orientation Webinars whereby employees learn about the company through an interactive multimedia and online quiz. The experience is quite fresh for many people and this makes it a little bit more exciting for the new employees. Have you experienced learning from webinars?

Online Resources
As technology speeds up the business process, so too are the demands of work. Years ago, it took weeks to come up with a project proposal, contract or report. Now, we are expected to deliver these within days or even a few hours. Work life can get really overwhelming. Luckily, technology also provides a solution through Online Resources. The internet has a lot of free stuff. All you need to have is the patience to sort through all of these. There are also products for sale out there that are useful. For instance, HR practitioners can now rely on www.InstantHRToolkit.com which provides them with over 100 downloadable, customizable and printable manuals, contracts, letters, forms and templates. Gone are the days where one has to create a document from scratch. There are shortcuts available and all you have to do is know how to use these online resources.

New Technology poses a lot of promising advancements in the workplace, but with it comes challenges. If used properly (just like what we have done in our company), it can truly make the workplace productive; if used unwisely, it can give you a lot of headaches and problems too. The important thing is to prepare yourself and dare to embrace change a little, because like it or not, it is transforming the workplace now.

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is the managing director of HR Club Philippines and president of Businessmaker Academy---a training company that offers public seminars on Human Resource Management, Business Skills and Internet Marketing. They also hold training programs for corporate skills training, as well as develop interactive webinars for corporations and institutions. To know more about these organizations and the seminars they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com and www.hrclubphilippines.com or call (632)6874645. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com