4 Ways to Create a Healthy Environment for Flexible Workers

4 Ways to Create a Healthy Environment for Flexible Workers Working environments become more flexible each year, with business owners hiring temporary staff for seasonal or part-time positions rather than staffing up with full-timers. While hiring flexible workers can provide a number of benefits to companies, new challenges arise, as well. One large challenge is to create a comfortable and healthy working environment for those who will not work full time. It is just as important to provide a healthy work environment to seasonal employees as to your longest serving full-time staff. Below are several healthy work environment tips for entrepreneurs hiring flexible workers. Defining a healthy environment The first question to ask is, what is a healthy work environment? Safety, cleanliness, and happiness are the three main considerations when designing a healthy workplace. Each of these factors contributes in a large way to keep employees healthy, whether they be full-time or flexible. Each of them can also help to reduce instances of workplace injury and stress, ultimately saving time and money for employers. The sections below detail each of these topics and ways you can improve your workplace. 1. Cleanliness is key A clean environment is a happy environment and that can reduce the number of health issues for all employees. The foremost risks are bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can breed in dirty environments and leave employees with illnesses that cause them to miss work. An illness caught at work can be especially troublesome for temporary employees, since they most often do not have employer-sponsored health insurance. Aside from direct health risks, a dirty environment can be mentally stressful for all employees and can increase the risk of stress-related issues in the workplace, such as fatigue or carelessness with dangerous machinery. If you employ a large number of seasonal or part-time employees, consider hiring an office cleaning staff to make sure your flexible workers come into a clean and sanitary workplace every day. 2. Make safety easy Workplace safety is a key factor in promoting a healthy workplace, but learning all of the safety procedures and dangerous factors in a workplace can take time and training, which seasonal employees may not have. Flexible workers require a simpler and more straightforward approach to workplace safety. Wherever possible, try to eliminate dangers and health hazards in the workplace, rather than relying on temporary workers to be fully informed about the risks that surround them. Reduce safety risks from dangerous machinery, wet floors, faulty equipment, or dangerous workspaces as much as possible so that seasonal employees do not have to continually watch out for dangers around them. That being said, it is still important to provide basic safety training as part of the orientation process for all temporary staff. 3. Ergonomic workplace design Future workplace design will rely heavily on ergonomics to prevent injuries related to repetitive motion, unnatural postures, and unnecessary physical strain. Invest a bit of extra money in ergonomic chairs and computer equipment, standing desks, or lighting that does not cause eye strain and headaches. Avoid making employees stand on hard surfaces for extended periods of time, or constantly performing repetitive tasks that require sharp bending or quick kneeling. Ergonomic design can be more suited to office environments than factories, warehouses, or other environments requiring manual labor, but even in these areas, it is important to consider how the daily routine of flexible workers can impact their bodies. These considerations can help to reduce the chance of injury and serve to make employees feel less tired at the end of a work shift. 4. Happiness and health Flexible employees dont always have a chance to make a workplace feel like its their own, so it is important to create an atmosphere that encourages happiness. Bright, natural light, smiling and positive managers, plenty of fresh air, and even music can all help to create an atmosphere that makes people enjoy being at work. Varied tasks and interesting challenges can also help to keep people engaged and feeling good about the work they do. Avoid treating seasonal employees simply as commodities, and instead, see their value to your business. With that in mind, make sure that the environment and responsibilities they are given feel comfortable and meaningful. The tips above can help you to set your workplace apart from others as a safe and healthy environment that attracts the best seasonal, part-time, or temporary staff. These considerations can also help to minimize the costs of employee injuries and other health hazards. Even though flexible workers will not always be around for years to come, it is still vital to provide them with a workplace that will leave them happy and satisfied, which includes safety considerations. In addition to these tips, keep your eyes open for new developments in your industry to ensure your workplace is the healthiest around! About the author: Sarah Smith  is a small business owner and also a freelance writer. Aside from working on her own business, she likes to use social media, and read travel books.

Writing a Neonatal Nurse Resume

Writing a Neonatal Nurse ResumeWriting a neonatal nurse resume is not that different from writing any other professional resume. What makes this such a special and challenging career path is the fact that you are trying to find a position when a mother is under labor and going into labor. The workload is much more intense than that of most other careers, including doctors and lawyers, so you have to be confident and comfortable with the things you do.Before you even begin your career as a neonatal nurse, you have to start with a resume. Your job is to make yourself available for work by giving yourself some time every day to respond to the job postings that are out there. Also, since the job is so demanding, you need to prepare yourself by reading through plenty of other samples of resumes so that you can get ideas and make yourself stand out in the crowd.Nurses come from all walks of life. One thing you must know about being a nurse is that you may be an African-American female. Whe n a woman is born, the white parents may want the baby to come into the hospital, but a lot of the times the mother or the parents are birthing the baby at home.It is important for you to be able to go up to the hospital's staff and make them aware that you would like to work in their maternity ward. You also have to make sure that the staff is informed about the special skills that you have and some of the things that you are good at.There are many different ways to include your skills as a neonatal nurse on your resume. Some of these include titles like Emergency Nurses, Neonatology Nurses, and Neonatal Nurses. Other areas to include are skills that you have learned on the job, such as CPR or First Aid, emergency room setting, and even emergency medical technician.As you can see, you have a wide variety of responsibilities to include on your resume. One thing that you must do is get a job as soon as possible. The sooner you can get a job, the faster you will be able to get paid an d secure a position.Getting ahead of the game will help you get more interviews and be able to keep your job searches going. As you will notice, many nurses who get a job with a hospital want to stick around there. It is one of the perks of working in a hospital.When you do have job openings for a nurse, make sure you provide yourself a resume to give to potential employers. This is the first step in making sure that you get the job that you want. You should try to be professional and deliver the resume in a professional manner.

20+ Alternatives to Warm Wishes Best Regards - Algrim.co

20+ Alternatives to “Warm Wishes” “Best Regards” - Algrim.co Are you ending a formal or semi-formal business letter? Want ideas for ways to close your letter without saying warm wishes or best regards? Here are more than twenty expert-approved alternatives that you can use to end your business letter. Why is the Ending of a Letter Important? Both your greeting (or salutation) and your letter ending can have a major impact on whether or not the reader decides to respond, take action upon your requests within the letter, and how they interpret your message as a whole. For example, starting your letter with “What's up!” might sound fun. But what if this were a legal letter? For divorce proceedings. Is this going to come across as confident, strong, professional, and with a serious tone? No. It won’t. That’s why your greetings as well as your letter endings matter. They show body language, interpretation, and intent in your writing. Where Did “Best Regards” Come From? In a letter from Queen Elizabeth the first, dated 1601, tire’s a valediction “Your Sovereign that best regards you.” While this may not have been the first time it was used. Historically, this is the Old English formality that was used to end a business letter from 1601. Why use “Warm Regards” or “Best Regards”? These are letter endings that many use when they want to sound formal but with friendly intent. This means that the letter might be a thank you note, recommendation letter, cover letter, or some other type of semi-formal business message. What Does “Best Regards” Mean? “Best Regards” as an ending is okay. And is similar to warm regards. The only thing that this communicates is that your message is met with honest intent. The “regards” part of your message is what will communicate that. The Dictionary defines regards as: attention to or concern for something. Meaning, your intention behind the message is in honest attention, concern, or desire. This type of ending to a letter is called a “salutation” by many but is in reality a Valediction, which is a complimentary expression and closing statement in American English. What About Using “Best Regards” In an Email Using “Best Regards” as an ending to an email is acceptable. Though, for many professionals, it might communicate that you don’t have the most personal of relation with them. An alternative for sending an email where you want to sound professional as well as extend your relationship-building intent would be “Thank you so much.” This shows appreciation, honesty, as well as leaning away from being entirely formal in your message (which shows that you have intent towards building a relationship). Why Look for Alternatives? Honestly, the biggest reason you might be searching for alternatives is that they sound bland. Unpersonalized. And not entirely unique. You might be wanting more of a unique ending to your message. Which is valid! Using “Warm Regards” or “Best Wishes” may seem lazy to the reader because it now lacks enthusiasm and creativity based on the amount it is used within business letters. 20+ Alternatives to “Warm Regards” or “Best Wishes” “Sincerely” “Appreciated” “Respectfully yours” “Thank you so much” “Thank you” “With appreciation” “Very best” “Best” “Kind regards” “Very best” “Fond regards” “Cordially yours” “Warm wishes” “Yours faithfully” “Sincerely yours” “Looking forward to your response” “Please respond by 1/20/20” “Request for response by 1/20/20” “Thank you for your time” “Thank you for your time and understanding” “With the highest amount of respect” “Yours truly” “Very truly yours” “With sincere respect” More Alternatives to Common Phrases Sincerely Hello Everyone Thank You For Your Consideration Thank You For Your Time Best Regards Warm Regards I Hope This Email Finds You Well

How to Use Resume Keywords When Applying for Jobs

How to Use Resume Keywords When Applying for Jobs So, you are looking for the perfect opportunity and finally found it.The job that seems just tailor-made for you.Next, you update your resume and send in your application.Now you are waiting….Did you consider using resume keywords when applying for the job?If not, you have probably gotten passed up.Applicant Tracking System (ATS)Did you know you can craft the perfect resume and it might not ever be seen by a human being?That is the power of an Applicant Tracking System!The Applicant Tracking System (or ATS) is an automated system employers often use to find keywords in resumes.That’s right.Many employers aren’t even physically reading resumes anymore.And even when they do, they aren’t giving your resume a thorough read.You know what they’re really doing?Yup, they are skimming for keywords.Now here’s the important thing.You can let the ATS work against you or you can get it to work for you.What do we mean?If you are applying for a job in a certain industry, you should know all the top resume keywords to help you stand out.If you don’t, you will be left behind.Companies use these systems to save time and ultimately money in their search for applicants.The fortunate part for you is that 80% of applicants do not even consider resume keywords.So, thismeans if you do the necessary research to stand out, you can guarantee yourself an interview!(Learn how to write a resume that gets past the Applicant Tracking System bots in this article.)Do Your ResearchResearching your position is a must!It will only benefit you to research the career field you desire.Times change, and so do thekeywords recruiters use.Just because you have been in the industry for 20 years, does not mean you are using the correct keywords.You can know everything there is to know about your job, but that doesn’t help much when you are applying for jobs and don’t know how to express all of your skills and abilities.Whether you are a recent graduate or someone changing career paths, yo u will not get a call back without the trending resume keywords!(Check out this article for more detailson How To Write A Professional Resume.)Google Is EverythingStaying up to date with the industry lingo will ensure that you stay relevant in your job search.When applying for jobs, don’t just consider the job descriptions of a certain position.Consider any other relevant job postings.We recommend comparing at least 5 different job descriptions to find the common keywords or statements being used.Want to really go the extra mile?Check out the companies’ websites and see what keywords you can find there.These are usually safe to add asresume keywords.As long as you put in the effort to include the corresponding resume keywords, you have a huge chance of receiving a callback.If you think you have all the right keywords and are still not receiving anycallbacks, go back to the drawing board and rework your resume.Why Spend Time on Resume Keyword Optimization?When looking for a new e mployee, hiring managers are looking for someone who understands the job.The trick is to be specific.Ask yourself a few questions like:What kind of managerial skills do you have? What kind of computer programs do youhave experience with? What abilities have you gained? What job positions have you held?If you talk the talk, it’s evidence you can probably walk the walk.When hiring managers hear you can speak their language, they start thinking you’ll be a great fit.Need Some Help With Resume Keywords?Tired of wasting time on resume keyword optimization?Maybe you just have better things to do.Either way, searching for resume keywords isn’t for everyone.Whatever it is, if you need some extra help preparing your resume, Find My Profession offers expert resume makeover services that are aimed to help you land your dream job.

What Does a Good Resume Look Like?

What Does a Good Resume Look Like?For the recent graduates of a large business, one thing that they should be concerned about is what does a good resume look like? The answer to this question can be very different for different types of professionals. For instance, a recent graduate who wants to work in a bigger company should find out what does a good resume look like for a mid-level executive, which will help them make the right first impression.What does a good resume look like for a graduate? If you are the recent graduate of a company and looking to make a very big salary, you have to determine first how much of a salary you can realistically expect to earn once you are an adult and responsible for your own career. Another factor that should be considered by any fresh graduate is the impact on your life as a parent.A recent graduate should look at the financial reports of the companies that they are considering. This will help them make the right decision regarding the companies that are offering them the best salary. It will also help them make sure that they are getting the most that they can get out of their earnings. The financial statements of different companies can be found on the websites of these companies.These financial statements are included in the annual report. The key information that can be extracted from the annual report is the revenue, profit, assets, liabilities, assets less liabilities, and total assets.With the financial statement, it will tell you what are the cash resources that the company has. The next step is to figure out what are the major assets and liabilities that the company has. Then, these figures will help you decide what is the value of the organization in terms of cash. This will help you make a decision whether the company is offering you a very good opportunity or not.These financial statements are available on the websites of the top companies that you can choose. They also provide additional information about the company, such as how long it has been in business, the number of employees and the location of the company.It is important that you take your time in comparing the financial statements of the top companies before making your decision. You can find the financial statements on the websites of the top companies. However, if you want to get more information, you can visit the official website of the company to get all the information that you need.One thing that a good resume looks like for a new graduate is a good description of the future career. The key to a successful career is to get enough information on the different positions and the various salary levels that are available, and then make the right choice.

Creating a Rock Star Resume (part 1)

Creating a Rock Star Resume (part 1) Creating a Rock Star Resume (part 1) Creating a Rock Star Resume (part 1) August 11, 2009 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas 2 Comments Your resume has only one shot at making a great first impression, so when you’re trying to make a career move you need to be armed with the best! A great resume can not only help you transition into your new career faster, but it can also help you get a higher starting salary. The biggest mistake career changers make is thinking that their homemade resume is good enough. Think again! When it comes to your resume, looks are everything. Studies show that hiring managers need only 15-20 seconds to determine whether or not your resume gets the thumbs up, or tossed in the trash. The key to standing out from a crowded job market is to NOT to focus on responsibilities, but instead showcase your results, successes and the value that you’ve brought to organizations. Below is a resume tip to make you look like a rock star, stand out from the competition, and even get a higher starting salary… Feature key words. Key words are those skills listed as the job requirements in the job postings. Key words are different for every job so you need to look closely at the job description. Create a section towards the top of your resume called, “Key Strengths”, and feature all of those requirements listed in the job description that you meet. YOUR ASSIGNMENT: If you haven’t met with a professional resume writer in the past five years or more, then invest in your career and do it now! Investing in your resume means you’ll be showcasing yourself in the best possible light, standing out from the competition in an overcrowded job market, and a faster transition into your new career! Career Coaching 360 helps professionals and executives change into a more meaningful and inspiring career, and we can help you, too! Check out our resume services and proven resume tips and templates.

A model for happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

A model for happiness at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A simple model for happiness at work A simple 3-step model shows what it takes to make a workplace happy, and its shown in the figure below. The model has three layers, three areas which make a difference to peoples happiness at work. Each of these layers are important, but one is often ignored and it happens to be the most important one. The security level In Alang in the Gujarat province of India a whole industry has grown around recycling old ships. Youve probably seen the pictures. They take decomissioned oil tankers, cruise ships and freight ships and ground them on a beach. Theres not a shipyard in sight. Then an army of indians go to work tearing the ships apart mostly by hand and with blowtorches. The Gujarat Maritime Board sees this activity in a positive light: Alang has emerged as one of the choicest ship-scrapping destinations for the ship owners around the world. Hundreds of ships from all over the world find their final resting place in Alang every year. There are 173 plots to carry out the ship-recycling activities. This activity forms an industry by itself, as it provides around 30,000 jobs in Alang itself and generates steel totaling to millions of tons every year. That too, with minimum consumption of electricity. If we examine these bare facts from the ecological point of view, it amounts to saving of huge amount of non-cyclic and precious mineral reserves like coal, petroleum etc. But others are less positive: Out of 361 workers, according to the survey ten workers (2.77%) wear helmets, only one worker reported having gloves, two workers reported having shoes and three workers reported having welding glasses 32 workers (8.62%) reported that they received some informal training, while the rest of them are untrained. Working hours are not decided. More than 50 percent of the workers reported that they work for between 8 and 12 hours. Source: http://www.csiwisepractices.org/?read=85 Greenpeace describes the working conditions this way: Hundreds of people at the shipbreaking yards endure hard physical labour. They work in permanent danger. Steel plates and pieces fall off the ships. On board gasses cause fires and explosions. Many workers are injured or even killed by the physical hazards. Main causes of death are fire/explosion, hit by materials falling, falls, suffocation and inhaling CO2. The shipbreaking workers are permanently exposed to toxic substances. They breathe toxic fumes and asbestos dust. Not only on the job, but also in the sleeping quarters nearby. One out of four Alang-workers is expected to contract cancer due to workplace poisons. This makes the industry amongst the most deadly in the world. Source: http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/workersenvironment.asp At the bottom of the model is the security level. This encompasses the most basic fundamentals of the happy workplace, and includes things like: Workplace safety ? that you can go to work without being injured Workplace environment ? light, temperature, sound, air quality, Basic job security ? security against unreasonable firing or abuse A fair salary ? wages you can live on Mental workplace safety that you wont be bullied or harassed Overwork that the company wont try to work you to death The items at this level are now solidly established in most modern countries. Often they are required by law, and are the result of years of negotiations between labor unions and business. The shipbreaking industry in Alang is an example of workplaces that completely lack this basic security. Similar examples are almost impossible to find in more developed countries but are fairly common in developing nations, particularly China, India and Vietnam where industry is growing faster than regulation of that industry. In modern countries its more normal to find security problems related to the mental work environment. Bullying and harassment are rare but can be devastating when they occur. When workplace security is not ensured it becomes difficult to be happy at work. How can you be happy when youre worried you might be unfairly terminated, when youre bullied or when youre worried your job might make you ill. But its also important to notice, that even getting security just right, is not enough to make people happy at work. You can have a perfectly secure workplace and still find that few people are particularly happy, motivated or thrilled to come to work. Security makes happiness at work possible. It does not make people happy at work. That takes something else. The perk level It started with free MMs. Now theres a country club, on-site Montessori daycare, on-site doctors and nurses, 35-hour work week, live piano music during lunch, 50.000 square foot fitness center, swimming pools, no dress-code, masseur, on-site car detailing and much more. If you need assistance in adopting a child or finding a college for your child or a nursing home for a parent, the company has people to help you with that too. SAS Institutes perks are legendary, and the Software Companys 9.000 employees certainly know they have it good. Typical IT companies have employee turnover rates of 20%. At SAS its 3% which at a conservative estimate saves them $80 million a year in recruting costs alone. Why do they do it? Are they na?ve altruists? Not according to Jeff Chambers, SAS director of human resources: No, were not altruistic by any stretch of the imagination. This is a for-profit business and we do all these things because it makes good business sense. Their annual report for 2004 rightly brags about their 28th consecutive year of growth and prosperity, a record unmatched in the software industry. Their revenues in 2004 was $1.5 billion. Thats pretty impressive. Goodnight says it very simply: If the employees are happy, they make the customers happy. If they make the customers happy, they make me happy. Slightly different from those beaches in India, huh? At the top of the model, we find many of the perks that modern corporations are already offering their people, including: A high salary Pensions ? partly financed by the employer Goodies ? free coffee, good, cheap food, free snacks, etc Dental/medical insurance ? in countries where this is not supplied by the state The annual office party ? a nice tradition Bonuses ? depending on individual or company performance And the truth is that perks work. But only when theyre done right. The undisputed heavyweight world champion of perks is of course SAS Institute, who have the most extensive list of perks in existence. And it works for SAS, whose employees are happy and stay at the company for years doing good, creative work. But thats not because of the perks because no amount of perks can make up for lousy leadership, a bad atmosphere or a lack of respect for employees. The truth is this: The perks, combined with Goodnights and the companys attitude, make people feel valued and thats whats making them happy. And thats the truth of perks. When theyre done right and when the mood and the culture is otherwise good at the company they make people feel valued and that makes them happy at work. When perks are used to try to motivate people in a corporate culture that is not basically happy, you get something else instead: You get entitlement. The perks themselves dont really make people happy, they just serve to create a mood of hey, were entitled to this. This is good news for companies that dont have as much money in the bank as SAS. Its not the (expensive) perks, its the commitment to your employees happiness that makes a difference. And that doesnt take country clubs and Montessori schools, but can be done on a much tighter budget. The security level and the perk level are well understood by almost all businesses and have long been the focus of attention. Most efforts to create a better workplace focus on those levels. The choice layer However, there is a third layer, a middle layer, which many businesses overlook. The bottom layer comprises the most basic workplace necessities. If these are not in place, very little happiness is possible. The top layer is about making people happy. Giving them something extra, to make them feel valued and good about their work. The middle layer is the one that really makes a difference, and its about making people want to be happy at work. If people dont want to be happy, there is no way you can make them. In the immortal words of Jack Stack, CEO of The Great Game of Business: ?They gotta wanna. Cause if they dont wanna, they aint gonna.??? Have you ever heard a manager or executive say something like ?Look, were doing so much for our people. We give them a good salary, a gym, child-care and much more ? and they still complain. Theyre still not motivated and energized???. Thats what happens when a company disregards the middle layer, and creates a workplace where people dont want to be happy. In this case there is nothing you can do at the perk level. No matter how much money the company spends on perks, they still wont be happy. Conversely, in a company where people truly want to be happy theyre almost impossible to rattle. No matter what happens they just keep on going with an unshakeable determination and motivation. The main difference is this: When you address the perk layer, its about the company making the employees happy. When you address the choice layer, its about the employees making themselves and each other happy. And that is the path to sustainable happiness at work: When each individual is working alone and collectively to further that happiness. So how can you address the middle layer? How can you create a workplace where people want to be happy. Well, theres good news, bad news and good news. The good news is that where the perk layer is often quite expensive, addressing the middle layer need not be. The bad news is that addressing the top layer is easy ? its basically about spending money. Addressing the middle layer takes something more: It means that the company must truly care for its people. It requires more of its leaders as human beings. The good news is that there are a number of simple, effective practices a company can employ to focus on the middle layer and create that mood. To make its people want to be happy. The next chapter identifies these six practices. 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