How to Prove Your Worth During a Restructuring - The Muse

How to Prove Your Worth During a Restructuring - The MuseHow to Prove Your Worth During a Restructuring Dear HR Professional,My companys restructuring and things feel shaky. Top employees have been leaving and Im worried Ill eventually be phased out and jobless. How can I prove my value when things are so unstable and uncertain? Signed,Feeling WorriedDear Feeling Worried,Sorry to hear that youre feeling nervous about your current situation. Its hard to feel like your jobs at jeopardy when you did nothing wrong. If the restructuring was not handled well and people dont understand the reasoning behind it, employees likely feel resentful toward the company and the leadership- which can result in top employees leaving.But even if it was handled with high sensitivity and transparency, restructuring creates an environment of uncertainty and anxiety as everyone figures out what comes next. So, its completely normal to feel worried- but its also important to figure out what you want to do ne xt quickly so that you can make moves that are in your best interest. If you think you do want to stay at the company, here are a few recommendations.1. Seek Out InformationBetween your manager, your managers boss, and your HR resource, one of them should be able to provide more detail about the purpose of the restructuring. Ask them as directly as possible if your jobs at risk. Also ask what you can do to increase your impact and value in the new structure. Then, put their ideas into action ASAP. 2. Remain PositiveManagement wants people who are enthusiastic about the mission and who believe in the success of the company- even when times are rough. So if youre prone to venting, do your best to keep it out of the office (and out of managements earshot). 3. Be FlexibleAll of those changes mean youre probably going to have to be flexible about your specific responsibilities, your reporting structure, and possibly even the team that you work with. Let it be known that youre a team play er and are ready for the challenges and opportunities that the restructuring will bring.4. Secure Champions at the Leadership LevelThe truth is that youre going to need allegiances- not only for information, but also to ensure that at least one person in power knows your value and will speak up on your behalf. Make it a point to grab a few coffees with higher-ups, or speak up more in meetings (with good suggestions) when leadership is present, or simply share your recent achievements with your manager. If you follow these steps, you will come out ahead. Showing that you are dedicated to the company and willing to stick it out will lead to all kinds of new opportunities for you. So, keep your chin up- good things are headed your wayThis article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask an Honest HR Professional in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.

Pros and Cons of Kids Car Wash Jobs

Pros and Cons of Kids Car Wash JobsPros and Cons of Kids Car Wash JobsMany children in todays society spend their summers away from school sitting at home playing video games and watching TV. When their parents were children, it was not uncommon to spend hurs during the summer months working jobs for kids and running lemonade stands, walking dogs, and mowing lawnsfor extra cash to spend on goodies. If you want to teach your child the value of hard work, and your child enjoys being outside in the sun, getting wet, and playing with the hose, encouraging your child to run a kids car wash can be an excellent choice of a thermisch-weather activity. Pros Flexibility A car wash is extremely flexible. The individual can choose the hours that he or she would like to work and only schedule the car wash during those times. However, once you commit to a time frame, youll need to stick with it.An excellent source of exercise Unfortunately, most people in our country are overweight or obese. I t is a sobering statistic, and it often starts in childhood. One of the best ways of ensuring that your child does not suffer from obesity and increase their risk for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer, is to make sure that they spend a good absprache of the summer months outside. Washing cars makes sure that your child will be on their feet. The reaching and crawling associated with cleaning a car can provide an excellent source of exercise. Even if your child is not currently very active, suggesting that they start a car wash may provide them with a great workout without them even knowing. A sense of work ethic Many children in todays society grow up, attend college, and start searching for a career without ever having worked before. This can be exceptionally hard on a child when they grow older and need to find a source of employment to pay their various bills. A child with no sense of what work is may find it more difficult to become acclim ated in any new job or first job if they have never worked before. It is a great idea to show children the value of their work at a young age. Encouraging them to start a business such as washing cars during the warm weather months can give them a sense of worth and pride in a job well done. Fun If your child enjoys recreational activities, washing cars can be a fun summer job for him or her. Your child can use this time to meet neighbors and have fun. Cons High responsibility Children do not always play nice. Dealing with automobiles can be a risky business if your child tends to be rough. Strict supervision over children while washing another persons car is a must. Car washes are probably more suited for an older child than for a younger one, as they have a greater sense of responsibility, and are less likely to accidentally scratch or ding someones car.Location and cleanup Where will your child hold their car wash? Finding a suitable location is key. First of all, if they wan t to wash cars on your front lawn, they may find a limited market of customers among your neighbors. Also, you will have to deal with the muddy grass and the soapy walkway. It is important to explain to your child their involvement in the cleanup process before they begin to wash cars. Variable pay A child washing cars will obviously receive a great deal less money for cleaning someones automobile than an adult at a professional car wash. Most people who would bring their car to a childs car wash are not expecting a professional detailing job. They are certainly not expecting an interior clean or chrome polish that you might get from a professional. This means, of course, that a child will not receive a great deal of income from washing someones car. They can expect to make as much as, if not slightly less, than an automated service such as a drive-through car wash. What Kids Learn About Money Responsibility Your child will learn how they must be responsible with the cars. He o r she will appreciate the value of the dollar more once he or she has to earn it.Costs for supplies Your child will also realize that they need to invest money upfront for supplies and their income will be reduced by those costs. Having your child obtain a summer job isan excellent idea. For children who are too young towork for a retaileror fast food restaurant, a car wash can be a nice source of income. It can teach them how to work hard, and how to earn and save money. It is a great way to teach your child the value of hard work and provide them with a fun source of summer exercise.

Peer Interviewing

Peer InterviewingPeer InterviewingPeer InterviewingThe question on every HR professional and managers mind is how do you hire, retain, and develop the best employees?Of course, it starts with knowing how to write a job description. And when its time for the bewerberinterview, theres one interview technique in particular that is becoming mora and more popular peer-to-peer interviewing. This interviewing practice has job candidates meet one-on-one with employees the candidate is able to ask the employee questions about the company and job, while the employee can size up the applicant and then tell the boss his or her thoughts.Peer-to-peer interviewing is an especially successful interview process forsmall companies and for team-based operations, as it allows the organization to get a more complete idea of a candidates overall fit.The Upside to Peer-to-Peer InterviewingTransfer of knowledge. Applicants are able to learn more about the company from employees (who are likely to tell it a little more like it is).Guard is down. Applicants are more likely to let their guard down with peers, so the organization will get a better sense of who their candidates are and how theyll fit.Morale is up. Employees help to select their future coworkers. Being involved in the selection process is good for morale and productivity employees now have more of a stake in the organization. All this strengthens workers commitment to the organization and builds on a community atmosphere, in which peoples opinions do matter.Happy together. As employees are invested in the new hires success (theyve already met them and have a sense of who they are), they are more likely to help new employees. Similarly, new employees start work knowing their peers support them.Is there a downside?The downside of peer-to-peer interviewing can be managed, but should be carefully considered.Two-way street. Its important to remember thatthe candidate is also evaluating the company in the interview process. Ther e have been cases in which unhappy employees interview applicants, talk about the problems with the company, and end up discouraging the candidates from taking the job, if theyre hired.Solution Be sure that your employees are genuinely positive, happy, and enthusiastic about the company.Personal agendas. Some employees could be threatened by an applicant and not recommend him/her out of their own insecurities.Solution Heres where a bit of managerial intuition comes into play. Beyond that, employees participating in these interviews should get along with their coworkers and be generallylikeable people. Its also a good idea to ensure that employee interviewers represent a cultural cross-section of the organizations workers that is, have an equal mix of ethnicities, races, and sexes. Employees should also have great people skills, be articulate, and understand what company is looking for in its next hire.An interview, not an interrogation. A three-hour, six person interview is not what the candidate will be expecting or appreciate.Solution Peer-to-peer interviewing certainly doesnt mean a candidate should be interviewed by half of your staff. Not only is this intimidating for the candidate, but what kind of message does this send about your organization that any eignung new hire should be questioned by everyone in the company? Keep the peer interviews to one or two people per visit.Sure morale is up, but productivity is down. How can peer interviews increase productivity when they take away so much of workers time?Solution Peer-to-peer interviewing can involve a lot of time preparing, conducting the interview itself, following-up with recommendations. Have a list of set questions for employees to ask, and a brief form (of recommendations) for employees to fill out afterward. Set a time limit of 30 minutes on the entire process. Again, this is another reason to keep the peer interviews to an effective and minimal couple of people.TipsInterview training is essentia l. For example, employees must know what are legal interview questions and which are unprofessional, illegal, and therefore off-limits Do you have children?Keep the evaluative forms quick and effective. Adapt a quantitative approach by using a rating scale (between 1 and 10). Employees should grade the applicant on his/her knowledge, skills, experience, etc.Make it clear that while employees feedback will be taken into high regard, HR and management still make the final decision.Try new approachesThe job interview is as tried and true as the job ad itself, but that doesnt mean there arent new avenues to explore when youre ready to expand your team. Curious to know about different begehung strategies?Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest recruiting tips, hiring trends, management strategies, and even some awesome deals. Let the experts at show you how to put a modern spin on the job interview to help you find the best candidates for your com panys needs.