Flexible Work Arrangements Build Loyalty

Flexible Work Arrangements Build LoyaltyFlexible Work Arrangements Build LoyaltyFlexible Work Arrangements Build LoyaltyWith tight hiring budgets and few qualified applicants, the old approach of on-site, full-time and 9-to-5 is falling by the wayside for many companies. Employers around the country are meeting their project deadlines and need for quality by engaging employees in a wide range of non-traditional employment configurations. Some smart employers are also holding on to top talent who would otherwise resign by engaging employees with flexible arrangements. Employers who insist on conventional full-time employment are setting themselves up for long fill times and the unnecessary misery of trying to find qualified full-time people.Keep the Good OnesWhen a job opening is created, broaden your usual approach. In addition to seeking a full-time replacement, consider offering exiting employees, ex-employees and job applicants a non-traditional arrangement that meets immediate co mpany and candidate needs. For example, a manager faced with a valued employees resignation in order to return to school, care for an elderly parent or child, or because of health problems, could offer to reconfigure the job, enabling the employee to continue to work. Here are a few ideasPart-time hourly work (even one day a week)Job sharingOn a per project basisTelecommuting from home with regular online or in-person meetingsBy continuing a relationship with an excellent employee, the organization is mora likely to avoid the hidden costs of turnover, including missed deadlines, quality issues, customer/client problems and even domino effect employee turnover. Youll likely need to hire a second person to take over the balance of responsibilities, but it is easier to find such candidates today than it was just five or 10 years ago.Fill in the GapsEx-employees and potential hires may be very interested in other, even more creative ways to be associated with your organization. Right Ma nagement, an international human resources consulting firm with more than 200 offices worldwide, requires the availability of a small army of trained consultants who are engaged as needed to assist corporate clients undergoing large downsizings. Some individuals use their vacations days to work for RMC.Whether for sporadic needs or ongoing requirements, many employers cultivate hiring opportunities withEx-employees or others working for non-competing businessesConsultants who are available as neededStay-at-home momsDownsized individuals at all levelsAdult studentsRetired professionalsThese candidates tend to know others with similar work preferences and skills, and can be terrific employee referral sources. Employers intent on achieving goals within budget and time parameters are using this emerging strategy. They are also listening to the needs of talented individuals who seek alternative work arrangements by matching them to the work that needs to be accomplished. Employees hired and developed creatively reward employers with loyalty.

13 Tricks Advertisers Use to Get You to Spend Your Money

13 Tricks Advertisers Use to Get You to Spend Your Money13 Tricks Advertisers Use to Get You to Spend Your MoneyThe craft of advertising itself is hundreds of years old, but it has evolved into a science in the last 50 or 60 years, with creativity and methodology working together to sell you hard. The following 13 strategies used by advertisers have had great success in selling products and services for a couple of generations, and continue to be used most often. Scare Tactics The katechese here is that bad things might happen to you if you dont have this product or service. This is most often used to sell products related to security, personal safety, or health. But fear can creep into advertising for many other products and services. For instance, the fear of missing out (or FOMO) is increasingly used to persuade consumers. In an age when information and entertainment are ubiquitous, how do you make sure you see everything youre supposed to see? Thats why you need this phone, t his app, or this TV package. The Promise of Happiness The promise of happiness never loses its power. From cars and jewelry to dating services and electronic gadgets, the basic message never changes Buy this product or service and youll be filled with joy. The promised happiness is real but fleeting. Pretty soon, youre looking for a new thing to bring back that feeling of elation. This is sometimes called retail therapy. Status Anxiety Otherwise known as keeping up with the Joneses. You may love your three-year-old Honda, but a top-of-the-line BMW will make your neighbors green with envy. Use of this strategy has, if anything, increased in recent years with the proliferation of new-and-improved gadgets. That is why many people you know have traded in their perfectly good smartphones for new models that cost far more. Limiting Availability Creating artificial scarcity is a great way to boost demand. This is why many manufacturers produce limited-edition versions of their products to tie in with current movies or TV series. A little extra branding is applied to a product that isnt at all scarce- but the variation is. Nike produces limited-edition sneakers and people pay huge sums for them in the secondary market. Becoming Your Friend One way to create brand awareness is to make a product appear to have the endorsement of your own circle of friends, or at least people like your friends. Social media campaigns have done an extraordinary job of finessing this strategy with fun videos and messages encouraging you to interact with the brand message. These marketing campaigns are, of course, mixed in with posts from your real friends. When you next buy a certain product or service, guess which brand you reach for? Positive Association Brands love to associate themselves with the positive qualities that celebrities embody. Someone is always the baddest tough guy, the model with the most gorgeous hair, or the sports star with the fastest feet. Brands take this positive association and attach it indelibly to their products. One of the more subtle uses of this strategy is the product placement, in which a brand is inserted neatly but leid too unobtrusively into a movie or television show. Making You Laugh Why are so many Super Bowl ads funny? Why do so many social media marketing posts make you laugh? The answer is simple. Laughter is a positive emotion, and when you link a positive association with a brand, consumers are more likely to choose it. Even insurance companies and banks use humor, and these are not products that most of us want to entrust to a comedian. But humor works. It certainly is a more effective marketing tool than a plain recitation of facts. Humanizing Things and Animals Its known as anthropomorphism, and in advertising, its a surefire way to get you to sit up and take notice. Talking animals like the Geico gecko, the Aflac duck, and Tony the Tiger are prime examples. Its unexpected, its usually humor ous, and it encourages us to connect emotionally with the brand. Variations include giving human features to inanimate objects. A prosaic thing has become cute and likable. Sure you want to buy that thing. Reverse Psychology This strategy can be as obvious as Patagonias famous Dont Buy This Jacket ad, or more subtle, like the incredible Lemon ad for Volkswagen. In the latter example, they called their own car a lemon, but when you found out why, you wanted it more. This is intended to give the consumer a false sense of control and superiority. In effect, it says dont tell me what to do or think, Ill do that myself. Its a time-honored strategy for dealing with children, and it works just as well on adults. Sex Appeal Sex sells...it really does. And sexually charged imagery has been used to sell beer, cars, phones, clothing, cheeseburgers (looking at you, Carls Jr.), and even furniture. We all fall for it. Its a deeply natural response, and the fact that it usually has nothing to do with the product itself seems to have no impact whatsoever. The Emptiness Within No advertiser will tell you bluntly that your life is awful but it will be better if you buy this product. But they can suggest it, and they do. This technique often uses before-and-after images to dramatize just how much better someone like you feels after buying that new coat, watch, or car. A common variation illustrates how youll feel even worse if you make the wrong choice. Celebrity Endorsement This is a variation on the strategy of creating associations with celebrities. With platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, celebrity endorsements are bigger and subtler than ever. A makeup brand lingering in obscurity could run a multi-million dollar branding and awareness campaign. Or it could pay Kim Kardashian West $250,000 to endorse it on Instagram. That may sound like a lot, but with more than 100 million followers, she can give a brand a lot of bang for its buck. Peer Pres sure Most consumers dont care to be out there on the bleeding edge of a new product or service. There are early adopters, and then there are the masses who buy it once it has gained acceptance. This strategy attempts to persuade you that youre the only one in your peer group that doesnt own X product or service. Nobody really wants to be an outsider.

Simple Ways to Fight the New Job Jitters

Simple Ways to Fight the New Job JittersSimple Ways to Fight the New Job JittersStarting a new job is incredibly exciting (translation incredibly nerve-wracking). Figuring out the ins and outs of your job description is only the tip of the iceberg- organizational culture, new personalities, and an unfamiliar office mean youre constantly learning new things. And while the adjustment period feels new and different for everyone, some of us struggle with feeling downright overwhelmed.If this sounds like you (and you have the bitten fingernails to prove it), weve gathered four ways to conquer your nerves and take these new experiences in stride.Wake Up EarlierEver notice how your hands clench the steering wheel when you have five minutes left for the last 15 of your commute? Know that sinking feeling when you miss your train and have to wait for the next one all too well?When you cut your commute too close and are rushing, you begin your day flustered and worried. But you can make all (OK , most) of that angst disappear- all you need to do is leave earlier. platzdeckchen your alarm 30 minutes early (in case you need to hit snooze once or twice) and aim to get to work at least 10 minutes early every day. Make it your goal to have your coat hung up and coffee in hand pre-9 AM. Youll eliminate all of those useless jitters, and start your day with a positive baseline. (Bonus supervisors always like the early birds.)Set Up Your WorkspaceWhen you move into a new apartment, it doesnt feel like your own until your boxes are unpacked and it feels like home. While you cant (and, frankly, shouldnt) personalize your office to the same degree, you should apply the same principle Youll feel more settled once everything is geared up.So set up your email signature and record your outgoing voicemail message on your first day. It will feel good to see your name next to your new title every time you click Compose, itll have you prepared to communicate with the outside world, and itll g et you familiar with any new technology.And, dont forget about your desk. While you may want to take time to observe how personalized your colleagues desks are (are family photos omnipresent or nowhere to be seen?), bring in a few office supplies that make you feel good, like the Paris notepad your BFF gave you or a pen with your alma maters name.Schedule a LunchIf its fitting in with a new group thats the root of your jitters, remember that everyone has to eat, and ask your colleagues to grab lunch. Youll feel much more comfortable when you get to know a few people a bit better. A simple, Hey, have any favorite lunch places around here? Want to join me to grab a bite? works perfectly.Ask them questions about their job, but also feel free to use this time to talk about things that arent work-related- are they sports fanatics? Are they originally from this area? Youll bond over lunch and have a conversation starter next time youre all in the break room or want to ask someone how staf f meetings usually go.Work On Your Self-TalkQuick quiz If the new database or client tracking system doesnt come naturally to you, do you think a) This is impossible, b) I stink at this, or c) This a great opportunity for me to practice on this piece of technology, because, hey, thats what the first week is for?It seems obvious- but too many of us talk down to ourselves, which in turn makes us feel bad and ramps up our nerves. If you find yourself getting frustrated, remember that youre bound to face some roadblocks during this time, and give yourself a little pep talk (just, well, not out loud). Youll feel better and your new colleagues will see you as someone who is calm under pressure.Finally, remember that youre going to do a great job- thats why they hired you Getting over your nerves is a skill that takes practice, but staying calm and positive will make you feel better about your new job and help you in the future as well. Like when youre adjusting to a new promotionPhoto of woman going to work courtesy of Shutterstock.