Women Returning To Work: 10 Top Tips To Ease Mums Back into Work Life

This week's guest blog is written by Jacky Lewis of Training Matters. As a working Mum myself with two kids, two and five years old (plus one on the way!), I asked Jacky to write some top tips on one of her areas of expertise, helping women who are returning to work after a career break or maternity leave.  

Enjoy! You can read more about Jacky below, and connect with her on LinkedIn  by viewing her profile here.

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You've had a baby six months ago; you have a toddler or even two; you want to get back into the fray of work but feel your confidence is at low ebb.  The agreement with your husband/partner was that you’d go back after 6 months, after all it takes two of you to pay the mortgage.  Then you ask yourself what you have to offer to the world of work, what would you talk about?  Your brain is fried with gigglebiz and teletubbies…  Well, think again- you can do it!  

All it takes is a bit of forward planning and a stronger level of self-belief. But make sure you have your contingency planning in place; life is full of pitfalls for new mum-returners, things can be uncertain. However, if you are the woman who promised herself that she would not vegetate at home, that she would further her career as she brought up her family, here’s 10 top tips from an experienced career woman and mum (with grown-up children), to ease you back into work:

Top 10 Tips

1. Plan your return, involve your husband/partner/best friend/mum, talk to your employer, are you agreed on timescales? Days? Hours? Clarify, clarify.
   
   
2. If you’re breastfeeding plan your weaning carefully; get advice from your health visitor or other trusted mums.  You don’t want to traumatise yourself or the baby by sudden feeding withdrawal. Keep on an early morning and night time feed for quick baby-soothing in the middle of the night.
   
   
3. Agree an achievable (and friendly) rota with your partner for getting up to a crying baby in the night and stick to it.  Avoid the ‘it’s easier to do it myself’, mentality.
   
   
4. Don’t wear your best work suit around a sticky baby for that last kiss in the morning; get real…. and think about the mum-returner whose 10 month baby was learning to walk and made a hole in her tights as he pulled himself up to stand, just as she was running out of the door for an important early-morning meeting.
   
   
5. If you are vacillating about going back to work, write a pro’s and con’s list.  Make sure you really want to do it- depression and longing for your baby are toxic things. Do you need to leave it a little longer?
   
   
6. Is your employer mummy-friendly? Can you ease in slowly? Or does your organisation like new mums to go back 24/7?  Your salary will positively reflect a 5 day, long-hours working schedule but is this you want? If it is that’s fine, if not then get real with yourself.
   
   
7. Can you do any of your work from home? Have you checked this out with your employer? Give them a list of the financial advantages to them of you working some days from home; make sure they see the ‘£’ signs. If you want it badly then make it happen.
   
   
8. How robust is your fall-back child-care plan? Will you be using a child-minder? How many children do they care for?  What happens if someone gets chickenpox at nursery? Who will look after your toddler if they are off-colour? How quickly can you access support in the morning? Do you rely on a nanny; what happens if she gets the ‘flu’?
   
   
9. How will you look after yourself?  Can you fit in some ‘me’ time? This is important if you’re not to burn out. The mum who boomerangs between child minder, home and the office will have little creative thinking to offer her job.  Make sure you get a little time to have your haircut or even allow yourself a quick ‘child-free’ coffee on the way home.  Look after your own batteries; care for yourself. 
   
   
10. Choose a role-model and analyse her; how does she do it? Notice how she dresses; how she impresses others at work; how she manages her family; demonstrates her level of confidence.  What could you take from her example? Think about the personal changes you could make to your own style of thinking and level of assurance.  Perhaps you could do with some self-challenge; is your thinking ‘self-limiting’?

Finally remember, belief that you can achieve has a strong, positive effect on those around you and opens out your own possibilities for achievement.  Confidence is contagious.

About Jacky Lewis:  Jacky is a busy corporate trainer, coach and mediator working at all levels of the organisation; she has a special interest in mentoring & developing female members of the team.  She has worked to support and develop staff in many situations & is often brought in during the disciplinary & grievance process. She also works to resolve conflict & build bridges in a range of situations and is used by lawyers as an expert mediator in best interests, Court of Protection matters. She first trained as an existential psychotherapist and supervisor and has a special interest in ‘difficult’ workplace situations.  She recently contributed a chapter on Workplace Coaching to the book, ‘Existential Perspectives on Coaching’, published by Palgrave MacMillan in May 2012.

Sabbaticals for Staff helps Productivity & Retention

For those of you who read this blog regularly and know me personally, I value the happiness of my staff as much as I am passionate about wowing customers.  The fantastic team at Expect Talent are what make this business, and I am very proud of our 100% retention within the  recruitment division. Our very first hire Margaret is about to celebrate her 4th anniversary with Expect Talent.  Shortly followed by Julia, who last year was promoted to the role of Operations Manager and is a key member of the management team.  

A number of weeks ago Julia came to me to let me know her plans for 2012 were to go travelling, this was nothing new as she usually takes a 3-4 week trip annually.  But when I heard that these plans were for a 4-6 month period I had a bit of a shock...

My goal is to ensure that I help every single member of the team achieve their personal and business goals. So I knew I needed to see how I could make this happen.  The answer was to give Julia a sabbatical.  She had been worried about how I might react to her plans, given that we are experiencing major growth in the business and she plays a major role in the delivery of our results.  

The way I look at it is this, if I had said "No", she would have been very unhappy and much less productive and may have decided to leave the business anyway to go travelling.  By saying "Yes", she is much happier already and I know she will work really hard between now and when she leaves to ensure that the business will run without her.  I can only imagine the level of productivity, commitment and happiness she will feel after taking an extended break.  So I have started to look at the other benefits that this sabbatical will bring to the business:

1.  Opportunities & Personal Development

The first is that we can now give an opportunity to Margaret, who during the time Julia is away will take on a covering role as Operations Manager.  Margaret will spend the next few months training and up-skilling to take on this position in Julia's absence.

2.  Streamlined Processes

Our systems, processes and reporting will be streamlined and improved before the sabbatical to ensure that the business can continue to run effectively, with Margaret overseeing operations.   

3.  Improved Staff Happiness 

The rest of the team here at Expect Talent now know that I am willing and able to give sabbaticals to employees, and I have now decided to add this as a benefit to long-serving employees of 4 years or more.  

4.   Less chance of Burn-out and Stress 

After 4 solid years of hard work and contribution, some stress and worries can creep in, especially in a position of responsibility and leadership.  The last thing I want is a team who are unhappy, stressed out and at burn-out.  A sabbatical would do anyone good! 

On the flipside what could be the challenges, especially for a Small Business?

1.  Disruption of Workflow

Of course having a key member of staff out of the business for an extended period is going to disrupt the normal workflow.  There are a few points to consider - I would recommend that you get at least 3 months notice of any proposed sabbatical.  Also make sure that you have the right structure, reporting, process and systems in place to make a sabbatical a reality.

2.  Risk of No Return

What if an employee decides not to return? Of course this is a risk, but if they are happy in their job, you have looked after their personal goals by offering the sabbatical in the first place and have kept their job open for them on return you will minimize this risk.  

3.  Loss of Revenue

Depending on the role the person is doing, the chances are that a whole piece of expertise, skills and knowledge will be missing for the duration of the sabbatical, this often is related to the revenue generated in the business.  Putting a solid plan in place for handover, training and up-skilling of the person that is going to cover the role for the period of the sabbatical will minimise this potential lost revenue.

Having spent a great deal of time thinking about this, researching and understanding what it means for me, the business and the team, I am very comfortable with the idea of sabbaticals becoming an integral part of my business.  Work/Life balance is critical for every staff member and plays an important part in every business.  You can see a list here of some very well-known companies who in 2011 are offering sabbaticals on YourSabbatical.com.  What is your view on sabbaticals and would you take the plunge in the interest of your staff?

How to Boost Your Online Reputation using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is THE online network of choice for business professionals.  If you are looking for a new position you need to be on LinkedIn.  If you are looking to raise the profile of your business, you need to be on LinkedIn.  If you want to be found on Google, you need to be on LinkedIn.  If you are not looking for a new position but like the idea of being headhunted, you need to be on LinkedIn.  If you want more sales, well you get the idea, and the list goes on. So once you have a LinkedIn profile, how can you really boost your credibility to massive effect? This weeks blog will give you some hot tips to help you:

- Network More Effectively

- Build a Solid Online Reputation

- Raise the Visibility of your Company 

- Help you Secure a new Job

- Find the People you Need 

- Make more Sales

Tip Number 1 - The Importance of a Complete Profile

When we network on a face to face basis, you have the opportunity to build rapport, establish common ground and make a good impression on the person you are meeting for the first time.  However, when you network online, other people will judge you on your online profile and how you come across before deciding to connect with you.  If you put your name into Google to check out your online reputation, the most likely number one link will be your LinkedIn profile.  

It is so important to ensure that you have a 100% complete profile, including a professional photograph.  Your profile should OOOOZE credibility.  It is much more than an online CV, although your work background will be listed.  The summary is what counts.  Really go for it and highlight all the reasons why someone should hire you, work with you, give you business or connect with you.  Remember your online reputation is at stake here, put lots of thought into what you say and how you say it in the summary.

Tip Number 2 - Recommendations

Again credibility points start to rack up if you have strong recommendations.  It is very easy to get a colleague or a friend to say how lovely you are but it is much more credible if a client has written a glowing testimonial about your account management skills, or your sales ability or your customer service.  Recommendations from Managers or Directors in companies you have worked in previously will also boost your credibility.  You can choose which recommendations you show/hide in your profile so you are in control of which ones appear to any profile visitors.  

A minimum 10 recommendations would give you a good basis for any LinkedIn profile.  If you do a few different roles both in and outside of work then you may have a selection from the various areas of your professional life.  This is a fantastic way to build your online reputation, and every time you receive a recommendation your network will see that in your home feed.  

Tip Number 3 - Your Connections 

You can check out your Network Statistics on LinkedIn, by going to the Contacts tab.  This will tell you how many people are in your network, but most importantly how many people in total this connects you to in total indirectly.  At the time of writing this blog, I am connected to 2370 people as 1st connections.  You can view my profile here.  This gives me access to a total network of 12.4 million LinkedIn Profiles.  So why might that be important?  

Every time I search LinkedIn for a specific keyword, I am searching 12.4 million connections.  The chances are that I am going to find who I am looking for with that kind of a network.  From a business development point of view, I can put in a search term and I know that thousands of profiles will come up of people in my target market.  From a candidate perspective, if I am looking for an Inside Sales Specialist with the keyword German, the chances are that I am going to be able to find the right person for my client.  

Simply put, the more connections you have, the more credible you look and the more people want to connect with you because you know a lot of people.  Groups can be a great way to boost your connections.  Keyword searches will help you to connect with people and LinkedIn has a great tool called "People you may Know" under "Add Connections".  This is a list of people who you have mutual connections, and gives you the chance to invite people who you probably know or know of. 

Tip Number 4 - Your Status Updates

Your status updates should be content driven, with frequent updates to keep you visible, whilst providing useful articles which benefit your network.  The updates should always be about adding value to your network, the more interesting your updates are the more frequently your profile will be seen and visited by others.  If you are the "go-to" person for all the latest news about High-tech or Green Energy or the Automotive industry you are raising your profile and online reputation as someone in the know about this topic.  You can easily find articles to share on the LinkedIn Today tab.  Sharing interesting news or topics is a one-click exercise and very easy to do.    

If you are constantly making your updates all about you, or your business you will be constantly seen as selling and that is not going to do your online reputation any favours.  Be useful, be interesting, be creative and be credible.  If you are regularly providing your target market with helpful tips and useful articles you will be raising the bar and making a difference to those people in your network and it will be notices.  I recommend that you update your status at least three times per day to gain the most exposure and to keep visible.  You can also link your LinkedIn account to Twitter so that you can spread your message further to a different audience.

Tip Number 5 - Your Skills & Keywords

This is so important if you want to be found.  LinkedIn is keyword searchable like any search engine, and it is really important that you include the keywords that others might type in to find you.  This applies whether you are a job-seeker, salesperson or a business owner.  Ensure that you use the Skills section to add specific skills that you have as a list, because people like me in the recruitment industry will use this to find you and offer you fantastic job opportunities.  From a business owner perspective, your potential clients may just be using LinkedIn to find your type of product or service.

A great way to generate ideas is to run a search for your type of business or industry keywords and see who comes up on page one.  These are the people who are competing with you for the same job or same type of business who are ahead of the game, with profiles who help them get found.  I recently sat down with a business owner who specialises in Occupational Health & Safety and First Aid courses. When we searched for this in LinkedIn, all of his competitors came up and he was on page three.  A quick change to the Skills and Keywords now sees him competing on Page 1 in LinkedIn searches and this will make a difference to his business.  

There are many other ways to raise your credibility and build a solid online reputation so there will be more to come in the next blog entry. For now, enjoy updating your LinkedIn profile and I hope that you have found these tips useful.

CV Tips - What Did You Actually Do?

Here at the Expect Talent HQ, we receive hundreds of CV’s every month. Most of the time we are left asking ourselves this question: 

WHAT DID YOU ACTUALLY DO?

Most CV’s are a list of dates along with a job description, or list of responsibilities. That tells us nothing about what you actually did!  This is a common mistake by candidates, and one which, if you can get right, you stand a good chance of securing an interview.  You have less than 10 seconds to impress with your CV as many hiring managers and HR departments will receive hundreds of applications for just one role. 

We are currently working for a large Cork based multinational client in Cork, and we hired over 300 people for them in just 12 weeks, however we received in excess of 4500 CV's for these positions. 

So what can you do to increase your chances of success?

Rather than list your responsibilities, start by listing your key achievements. Think about what you personally achieved that delivered a great result for the business or for one of your customers? Thinking about your CV this way turns a boring responsibility into something that a client or potential employer might actually want in their business!

Example 1:

TURN THIS... "Responsible for Collections on outstanding accounts"

INTO THIS... "Significantly improved bottom line by securing an additional €200,000 in outstanding monies through effective cash collection."

Example 2:

TURN THIS: "Responsible for Customer Service"

INTO THIS: "Increased customer satisfaction levels by 30%, by regularly going above and beyond, which helped the company to retain its biggest client and win new business."

Example 3:

TURN THIS: "Responsible for Admin Procedures.

INTO THIS: "Significantly enhanced internal reporting and admin procedures which saved the team 26 days per annum in un-necessary workload. My ideas for improvements are regularly implemented by senior management."

Every element of your CV should be aimed at securing you an interview.  Your CV is a sales document designed to show off your talents!  It should not just be a chronological history of all the places where you have worked.

If you want a CV professionally written, or you feel you would benefit from careers advice you can now contact our careers team for a free consultation with Patrick Mercie and Expect Careers.  Email sam@expect.ie for more details.

Networking, Social Media & Recruitment

This morning I was interviewed for a national newspaper in Ireland, in relation to Expect Talent and our incredible 2010, a very positive piece of PR thanks to Anne Kiely & Associates.  One of the questions I have been asked to comment on is "How important has networking and relationship building been in your business, and do you think it is important for a recruitment company?".

Whether you are a jobseeker, business owner or hiring manager reading this, my answer has to be that it is CRITICAL.  Your network of contacts should be one of the best sources of help, support and referrals and is absolutely key to your success.  My own business has grown through effective networking, relationship building and word of mouth, through involvement in organisations like BNI.  I learnt how build relationships and grow my network by educating and upskilling myself on referral marketing.  I have always applied "Givers Gain" to all apsects of life and work, which is the key philosophy of BNI.  By helping others to grow their business and giving something back to other people whether it be a referral, testimonial, advice or support is one of the best ways to grow your business and increase your visibility and credibility which leads to more business.

The depth and breadth of your connections in your personal and business life will always play a major role in the development of your career and your business.  Any recruitment business owner who is not upskilling themselves and their recruitment team on networking both face to face and online will find it increasingly difficult to grow their client and candidate base.  Why cold-call when you can learn how to effectively grow a business through relationships and word of mouth?  It still amazes me how many companies are cold-calling rather than really getting to know the people around them who can help.  If you want to learn how to leverage your contacts then I recommend reading "Life, Business and Speedboats" written by my good friend Iain Whyte.

I was also asked the question in my interview - "How has the recruitment sector evolved in the last 18 months?".  The importance of social media and online networking has meant a huge shift in the way that companies now hire and source great talent for their business.  For example, over 95% of companies now use LinkedIn for recruitment.  If you want to learn more amazing stats on social media  and its impact on the recruitment sector,  just take a look at this video from Socionomics. 

Most internal recruiters for large organisations are now trained on how to find great talent through online networking, recruiters in agencies are using these social media tools for recruitment all the time.  If you are looking for a new job then make sure your profile can be found on LinkedIn, and make sure that your Facebook page is professional and represents you well, you never know who might be looking at it.  In 2010 over 60% of our permanent placements were candidates who we found through LinkedIn.   

More than ever, networking and social media play a massive part in the world of recruitment and job-seeking.   I would love to hear how networking and social media has helped you as a job-seeker, hiring manager or business owner.  So why not take action today, and make social media or networking part of your 2011 recruitment or job-seeking strategy. 

New Year... Expect Careers...

Happy New Year to everyone. I can just tell that 2011 is going to absolutely rock! 

Here at Expect Talent we are focusing more and more on our customers, and in the recruitment world that is both Candidates and Clients.  In this competitive jobs market, having an outstanding CV and the confidence to nail an interview is absolutely critical to your success. So as part of the 2011 offering may I introduce to you...

Expect Careers will focus entirely on Candidates, covering services such as professional CV writing, interview techniques and career coaching.  This new arm of the business will help any candidate to stand out from the crowd with a brilliant CV, and will help them to secure that dream job with the best advice on how to shine at interview. 

Think about this... When you need to get your boiler fixed, you call a professional.  When your car breaks down, you call a professional.  When you want a new haircut, you don't leave it to chance, you call a professional!  Your CV and career is no different - why try and do it yourself when the professional touch will always deliver a better result.  Professional CV's that stand out can make all the difference between securing that interview or not.  Whether you are job-seeking for the first time in years, or fresh out of college Expect Careers can help you or someone you know.

Patrick Mercie, will be a kay part of the Expect Careers team, and he brings wealth of knowledge and experience in helping job-seekers to achieve success.  His coaching style is interactive, motivational, energetic and non-judgemental. 

Patrick has an infectious personality and is completely focused on positivity and getting results for every person he works with.  Patrick will be contributing to the blog to help all candidates with hints and tips that will brighten any jobsearch so watch out for his words of wisdom in the months to come.

There is still more to come for this year, but for now may I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a prosperous, happy and healthy 2011!  It's going to be a great year... 

Welcome!

Welcome to the official Expect Talent Blog, the place to gain insights and bright ideas on recruitment, job-seeking, and hiring staff of the highest quality.  Whether you are looking to hire the best talent into your company, change careers, or find that dream job having been made redundant, we are here to help.  In this blog we aim to give you that small nugget of advice that might just help you along the way.

If you are frustrated by the recruitment industry then you can join the club!  This was the reason why Expect Talent was started, so forget everything you already know about recruitment, here is where we challenge the typical way of doing things, and flip the recruitment industry on its head.  We are changing the way the world does Recruitment and in our blog you can find out how...

So welcome to first time readers and I hope you enjoy what we have to say.  We welcome your feedback, views, comments on this blog and of course look forward to helping you in some way whether you are a candidate or responsible for hiring in your organisation. 

Thanks for joining us on our blogging journey, and please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

Samantha Rathling
Managing Director
sam@expect.ie