The demands of the job in the American workforce are unlike any other in the world. For salaried employees this is especially true. Long hours, weekends and constantly being available are the norm. The truth is that most of us are “at work” even when we’re not at work. In order to function at full capacity, it’s vitally important that you are healthy not just physically but mentally as well. While employers have increasingly made physical well-being a top priority through initiatives like step programs and on-site gyms, not enough is being done to ensure mental and emotional well-being for employees. In order to reach your maximum potential, it’s paramount that mental and emotional well-being are a top priority. Identifying needs and having the appropriate resources available is crucial to the success of you, your team and the entire organization.

Recognizing and Identifying a Problem

Some 44 million Americans suffer from a mental health condition. Though sometimes tricky, identifying mental health concerns upfront is integral for not only your ability to do your job, but your overall well-being. Symptoms of poor mental health can be subtle, but knowing what to look for upfront goes a long way. If you notice yourself being withdrawn, complacent, having an inability to focus or seem unmotivated, there is a good chance that something extraneous is affecting your performance.

Addressing Mental and Emotional Health

If you’ve identified symptoms and suspect that you might not be in a healthy mental or emotional state, it’s something that certainly needs to be addressed. Finding a safe and confidential space to have a one-on-one conversation with someone you trust is the first step. When the time is right, schedule a meeting with your manager or supervisor to have a conversation. Communicating your concerns will not only lift a weight off your shoulders, but allow you to collaborate and plan a healthy course of action.

Caring for Mental and Emotional Health

In order to lead a productive and fruitful existence both at and away from the workplace, it’s imperative that you take care of yourself.

1. Journaling

We all have days that are better than others. Sometimes the roller coaster of work and life can seem overwhelming. Setting aside a few minutes each day to simply write your thoughts down can go a long way in putting your mind at ease. Even if it is for five or 10 minutes before bed, putting your thoughts on paper not only provides an immediate outlet, but creates room for reflection down the road when times are difficult. It can provide a window into how far you’ve come in recent months, or highlight an area that maybe you haven’t fully addressed and remind you there may still be some work to do.

2. Practice Gratitude

It’s all too easy for us to focus on everything we don’t have. Maybe your colleague got the promotion, was awarded that dream trip for sales performance or bought a new car. We find ourselves feeling jealous, inadequate and wondering why it wasn’t us that was rewarded for our hard work. Comparing ourselves to others does little good. Instead, make it a point to recognize all that you have to be thankful for and write it down. Much like journaling, making a short list of people and things you are thankful for helps you focus and stay centered.

3. Exercise

Too many of us find ourselves stuck at our desk staring at a computer screen for countless hours every day. This is not only detrimental to our physical well-being, but our mental and emotional well-being as well. When we are physically active, our brain releases endorphins which improve our mood and increase our productivity. Even if it’s simply going for a short walk at lunch, making exercise a part of your routine is essential for maintaining a positive frame of mind.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important for your overall health. Continual sleep deprivation is proven to cause anxiety, depression and a host of other problems. Making sure that you get to bed on time and sleep soundly for seven to nine hours is directly linked to happiness and productivity. If you have problems sleeping, consult with your doctor to see what options you might have, and check with your employer to see what health resources are available to address the problem.

5. Be in Nature

We all long to be outside as much as possible. Wouldn’t it be great to take that two week-long camping trip at a moment’s notice? Unfortunately, for most of us that is simply not realistic. However, finding ways to spend even a little time outside on a regular basis is proven to increase self-esteem, stave off depression and increase creativity. Even if it’s going for a short walk or making time to work in your yard or garden, being in nature can go a long way in caring for your mental health.

Meditation

Even though it sounds a bit goofy, the benefits of meditation are countless. From promoting sleep to improving memory, meditation plays a key part in helping you be at our best. Though it can be done at any time, setting aside just ten minutes to meditate in the morning or evening is enough to improve your state of mind. With so many types of meditation available, there is sure to be one that works for you.

The fact remains that most of us are going to spend a large part of our lives working. In order to be at your best, self-care is essential to the process. While physical health is highly important for us to do our jobs, mental and emotional well-being must be looked after as well. By taking even a few small measures to look after yourself in this regard, you’re sure to perform at your potential and further enjoy the process.

If you’re like most hard-working Americans, chances are you laugh at the idea of working 40 hours a week. The reality is that you probably are the first one to the office in the morning and the last to leave in the evening. You probably even show up on the occasional Saturday morning or Sunday evening because you have no other choice. “Time off” is probably laughable to you but it’s vitally important. Not just for you, but your employees as well.

Your company is only as good as the people on the ground and in the trenches. Your expectations are high and your employees take pride in the job they do for their own sake and that of the company. You probably have great relationships with most of them and your culture is one of teamwork and inclusion focused on a greater goal. Even if all this holds true, the number one complaint from employees across the board is not having appropriate time off to recharge so they are able to maximize productivity and efficiency while at work. Such begs the question, how do you balance maximizing productivity while making sure your employees can be at their best each and every day they come to work?

Be Upfront About Paid Time Off Policies

In the modern workplace, employees see paid time off and benefits just as important as a competitive salary. If your competitors offer more attractive PTO perks, you’ll struggle to hire and retain qualified people. It’s paramount to make sure all employees know and understand PTO policies immediately during the hiring process. These policies should be clearly stated in the employee handbook and readily available for access upon request.

Forecast and Plan Ahead

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you likely have a good idea of when your busy and slow times are. This should directly affect how you manage PTO requests. If your busy time is the winter holiday season and all hands on deck are needed, your PTO policies and labor budgets should reflect that trend. Effectively writing, communicating and implementing these policies up front lets employees plan their time off in a manner that is best for them and also aligns with company needs and objectives.

Set Deadlines for PTO Requests and Approval

While time off is essential for every employee’s well-being, it’s important that they communicate their requests well in advance so managers can aptly plan for their absence. Communicating these deadlines to all employees at once creates transparency and ensures fairness.

If many PTO requests are made at one time, it’s imperative to have a policy in place for the priority in which those requests are processed. Whether your policy is first-come-first serve, based on seniority or some other metric, it needs to be made clear to all employees so that everything is black and white.

Incentivize Employees During Peak Times

It’s widely known that employees are tremendously more motivated by incentives than they are reprimand. Budgeting and forecasting for incentives like holiday pay and bonuses is a great way to offer a win-win for your employees without sacrificing productivity. For those that want to take time off, the deadlines and policies have been clearly laid out. For those that are motivated to make extra pay, times like these are a great opportunity to cash in. The key once again is effective planning, policy setting and communication.

Make Your Schedule Rotational

I’ll say it again, transparency and communication are your best friends. Not everyone works Monday through Friday 9:00-5:00 on your team or in your organization. No one wants to be “on call” on a Friday night when they could be at happy hour or at their child’s soccer game. This time is fleeting and spreading that responsibility equally and fairly amongst your employees ensures that everyone is on a level playing field.

Be Flexible

Any reasonable employer makes time for deaths in the family or illness. That only goes so far however. Circumstances come up in your life. It’s unrealistic to expect every single one of your employees to stick to a regimented rotational schedule without any room for variance. Allowing employees to reasonably switch days or shifts goes a long way in building morale within your team knowing that you’ve got their back and the favor will be returned someday.

It’s important that these schedule requests be approved by a superior however. Having an open and balanced conversation with your employees about last minute schedule requests is essential for the health and productivity of the entire organization.

Everyone in the modern-day workforce wants to feel valued for the job they do and compensated accordingly. While higher wages are great, managing time off in a favorable, but efficient manner shows those that work for you that you care on a human level. With proper planning, policy setting and communication, accommodating PTO requests can make everyone of your employees feel valued and empowered. Good news for everyone involved.

If you’re in any kind of management position, you’re charged with helping each and every one of your employees do their job and fulfill their potential. Anything short of this can be detrimental for your team, and the entire organization.

Goal setting is widely lauded for its merits of building morale, bringing about continuity and motivating employees. Unfortunately, goal setting in practice often resembles something entirely different. All too often, managers call in employees for their 30-minute quarterly or yearly reviews and go through a prepared list of questions and metrics that fall short of addressing individual needs and performance. To many employees, meetings like these are seen as laughable attempts from higher-ups to check in from 30,000 feet.

If you’re serious about getting the most out of your employees and taking your team or organization to new levels, effectively helping employees set goals is an essential part of the process.

1) Know Your Employees

Every employee is different. Each of them listens, learns and produces in their own way. As a manager it is your job to adapt your communication and teaching style to each individual. In order to get to know your employees taking a personality test can provide tremendous insight to who they are as people. If you don’t have access to a personality test, simply spending some time talking to your employee and getting to know what drives them, what interests them, and what they would like to achieve in their business and personal lives can give you great insight.
Not only will this help you communicate with your employees, but they will be better suited to communicate with co-workers and customers as well. When it comes to goal setting, arming yourself with knowledge of your employees as people only helps you to set goals that are tailored for them.

2) Make Goals the Employee’s Idea

No one likes to be barked at and told what they need to do better in their job. This approach to goal setting is often viewed by employees as meaningless and scathing. Instead, invite your employees to take part in a two-sided conversation about their performance and objectives. Asking probing questions is a great way to steer the conversation in a certain direction while also allowing employees to think for themselves. Give them an idea of what needs to be accomplishes and ask them what they can do to help achieve it. This helps them participate in the process and take early ownership of their role.

If your employees feel that they have been heard and that goal setting was a collaborative experience, the results will surely show in the workplace.

3) Set Goals that can be Measured

We set goals for ourselves all the time. They usually are something like, ‘I’m going to lose weight” or ‘I’m going to make more time for my family.’ These goals usually aren’t attained for a simple reason. They lack measurability and accountability.

When you’re working with employees to set goals, make sure they are attainable, measurable and have accountability and incentives tied to them as well. When employees are readily able to track their progress and feel a goal is within reach, they are increasingly motivated to hit the target. Once a goal is attained, employees will be all the more excited to reach the next one. This spells good news for the entire organization.

4) Align Goals with Company Objectives

It’s human nature that we are more inclined to put forth our best effort if we feel like we are part of something great. The best companies to work for know this and make it a cornerstone of how they do business. They take every step necessary to get each employee on board with the company’s mission. Setting individual goals that are in line with company objectives and culture goes a long way in motivating employees to reach their full potential. Don’t expect your employees to be excited about working with blinders on, allow them to see their part in the bigger picture.

5) Be Consistent and Transparent

While it’s vitally important to curtail goals to each individual, they should be similar for all employees with a certain level of responsibility. People talk and if one employee’s goals are vastly different from another’s of the same stature, you are sure to incite jealousy and angst which are toxic in the workplace. It could also lead to accusations of favoritism, which could undermine the management of your team.

6) Take a Step Back and Look at the Entire Picture

All too often managers are quick to bring down the hammer on employees that aren’t meeting expectations. The truth is however, yelling and punishing rarely solve anything and more often than not make employees more disengaged and unmotivated. When setting goals for employees that fall short, it’s important to take a step back and look at the entire situation. Did this employee receive proper training? Were expectations clearly spelled out? Do they feel they are part of the team striving for a greater good? Did they have the resources or equipment they needed to succeed?
Looking at the bigger picture to identify shortcomings often reveals easy fixes that can be communicated constructively in a nurturing manner. Make these employees a priority and help them create an action plan to achieve desired results. Ask them what they feel they might need from you to be able to reach their goals. It lets them know you are supporting them and also puts the responsibility on them to succeed. If the proper steps are taken, these employees often become top performers.

As a manager, you’re only as good as your team. Checking in regularly and collaboratively setting clear and measurable goals for each individual under you is paramount to achieving desired results. Setting aside appropriate time to meet with employees on a human level lets them know you care. It doesn’t take much, but simply knowing you want what’s best for each individual goes a long way in increasing productivity, efficiency and morale in any organization.

For most Americans, work-related stress is a part of daily reality. Whether stress is caused by looming deadlines, a toxic work environment or unrealistic expectations, it affects us both in and out of the workplace. We carry stress with us when we go home and if not managed, it can lead to insomnia, depression, addiction and a host of other health problems.

Unfortunately, stress is not likely to go away anytime soon. The good news is that it can be managed for our sake and the sake of those around us.

Start Your Day off Right

If you’re like millions of Americans, the first thing you do when you wake up is grab your phone and start looking at email. This habit is sure to start your day out with unneeded stress. You’ll likely be short with your spouse and kids before you head out the door. Then you’ll end up with road rage in traffic. By the time you get to work you’ll have already set yourself up for a day of continued stress.

To help start your day off right, take the time necessary to eat a nutritious breakfast, make time for a few minutes of physical activity and don’t look at your phone. Taking just a few small steps in the morning will likely diminish the stress you feel at work throughout the day.

Stay Organized

Have you ever noticed who has the messiest desk in the office? This person is the poster child for stress in the workplace. They always seem to be in a hurry, may forget important tasks and are on edge.

Clutter is a major trigger of stress. A good habit to get into is making sure everything is properly organized when you leave work. That way when you arrive in the morning, you won’t have to spend precious time searching for a spreadsheet you need first thing.

Make Sure You’re Comfortable

Most workers spend all day seated at their desk behind a computer screen. Sitting for extended periods of time can lead to poor posture, bad circulation, back pain and undue stress. Though you may not notice stress being uncomfortable in the moment, you’ll likely be more easily agitated throughout the day. The use of ergonomic furniture like a standing desk or elevated keyboard can work wonders to improve health and reduce stress.

Get Up at Move Around at Lunch

Lunch hour exists for a reason. Sadly, too many people spend their lunch eating at their desk continuing to work. Even if this is the only major break you take during the day, it’s important to clear your mind. Many workplaces have monthly step goals and will make time at lunch for employees to leave the office and get some light physical exercise. Participating in a program like this not only relieves stress but boosts morale and collegiality.

Stay Away from Office Gossip

There’s one person in every workplace who loves to talk about everyone else’s business. While it’s easy to get sucked in and might feel good to be in the know, gossip and rumors have a way of causing unnecessary conflict and drama that stresses everyone out. Always act professionally and courteous but keep these people at a distance. Doing so will alleviate stress and allow you to stay focused on what’s important.

Time Block

Remember that guy with the messy desk? It’s a disaster for a reason. He immediately reacts to whatever comes his way often leaving tasks unfinished. By the end of the day, he’s started plenty of things but finished very few.

Setting aside blocks of time for specific tasks will allow you maintain focus, be more efficient throughout day and reduce stress.

Stress is here to stay. You’re going to experience bad days, weeks and maybe even months. Some things are simply out of your control. You do have a choice in how you manage that stress though. Implementing even just a few healthy habits will surely reduce the amount of stress you feel and will likely lead to better health, increased productivity and a happier you.

We have many reasons that we choose “yes” or “no” when it comes to making a job change. Often, fear is the decision maker. Fear supports our decisions from what we are going to lose, rather than what we could gain. This causes many people to stay in jobs that they hate.

I can’t quit. This job is salary and gives me vacation time. What if I can’t find that again?

Instead, consider how your life, both personally and professionally, would benefit from quitting the job. You now have the opportunity to pursue a career that provides you with the lifestyle and culture that allows you to enjoy your work, and may allow you to learn new things to enhance future job opportunities.

Forbes Coaches Council addresses fear decision making, claiming that “the fear of making decisions and embracing change, whatever the consequences, will keep us stuck in place when we should be moving forward toward new experiences.” You could be missing out on any positive life experiences if you make decisions from fear.

Often, our reason for sticking in a job that we hate is for security – benefits, good pay, vacation time, etc. You might not want to enter the job search and “start over”, but any new growth has to have a starting point.

Mira Kaddoura, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Red & Co. claims that “security is an illusion”. At any moment, the company could go bankrupt or be sold. Your position will be lost and you may not be promised a severance plan. With this in mind, isn’t it worth finding a job that you love?

The following are the five worst reasons that people stay in jobs they hate. Each reason is led by fear and resistance to change.

1. Because it is secure
2. Because I like my coworkers
3. Because I am too old to find a new job
4. Because I don’t want to search for a job
5. Because I already know how to do the job

Working with a good Recruiter can help you find new opportunities and help you evaluate if these opportunities will help you get to where you want to go in your career, or to better fit your lifestyle. They can also help make the process much easier for you and less stressful.

I am a specialty Quality and Regulatory Recruiter for the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries. I can help high-qualified employees find a great job that fits their skill set. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.

Every job industry fluctuates. New technology develops and revolutionary ideas change job processes. In the life sciences industries, regulations and requirements can change relatively frequently. The most valuable employees research and learn the new trends. Doing so, improves the likelihood of a raise or promotion.

For many, the problem is optimizing learning practices. This article explains how to learn faster when job industries are quickly changing. Fast learning can be a valuable method to achieve your professional goals.

Determine Your Ultimate Goal and Objective

You will stay motivated when you discover your “why”.

To clarify your “why”, write down your goal and objective. The terms are often interchanged. According to Diffen, a goal is “the purpose toward which an endeavor is directed”. Goals are long term. To accomplish your goal, you must find your objective which is “something that one’s efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; target.” Objectives are short term and refer to specific actions.

In business, your goal could be to get promoted. The objective is to complete trainings which will allow you to lead a project and earn the promotion. Objectives are the steps to complete your goal. Remember your objective and goals as you study.

Build a Healthy Learning Environment

It will be impossible to succeed in unhealthy learning environment. One of the most important functions of a healthy learning environment is eliminating distractions. This allows you to focus and implement strategies to succeed.

Another priority is a clean and comfortable setting. Find a room that has sunlight. You may also want a standup desk or comfortable furniture, and work equipment.

Get Your Sleep

Sleep should not be a luxury. It is mandatory for healthy cognitive skills. According to Harvard’s journal, Healthy Med, “sleep plays an important role in memory, both before and after learning a new task.” This occurs from two key ways. First, a sleep deprived person cannot focus attention to learn efficiently. Second, sleep helps consolidate memories.

Rather than staying up late to learn a new business technology, the better choice might be to go to sleep and return to the task when you are well rested. The time to learn the task could reduce dramatically.

Learn Information in Multiple Ways

What works for one person to learn, does not work for everyone. Try multiple methods to learn a new task. This includes videos, textbooks, seminars, interactive classes, and podcasts. Different learning techniques interconnect various parts of your brain.

According to Judy Willis of Loma School of Medicine, “The more regions of the brain that store data about a subject, the more interconnection there is. This redundancy means students will have more opportunities to pull up all of those related bits of data from their multiple storage areas in response to a single cue. This cross-referencing of data means we have learned, rather than just memorized.”

Learning is necessary in every job industry. I am a Specialty Quality and Regulatory Recruiter that can help motivated employees find high quality jobs. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.

All employees are aware of the struggle to find quality jobs. However, many employers do not understand how difficult it can be to build a top-notch team. The job market is tight for both parties. If you are leading employees, it is important to keep them happy so they do not move on to another company.

Many leaders do not treat employee happiness as important as they should. According to an Aflac Employee Happiness report, 36% of business leaders treat employee happiness as somewhat important and 55% of business leaders treat employee happiness at very important. I bet the 55% of business leaders that prioritize employee happiness have a much higher retention rate! If you want to grow your company, it is important that you make employee happiness a priority.

The methods outlined in this article can help you build a company culture with highly satisfied employees.

Offer Benefits

It’s no secret that health insurance is expensive. Nevertheless, accidents happen and we all need coverage. A benefits package, including dental, health, and retirements, is incentive to attract and retain employees. Paying insurance out of pocket can cost hundreds of dollars every month – thousands with a family. By providing benefits you are investing in your employees. They will feel more secure and appreciated.

Benefits can be tax deducible for employers. Speak with an experienced CPA to write-off as much as possible.

Provide Opportunity for Promotions

Nobody wants to get stagnant in their career. When your employees see no opportunity for advancement, they are more likely to look for a new job. If you do not have a new position open, allow your employees to tackle creative, challenging projects. Their hard work could earn a bonus or promotion when a position opens.

Take an Interest in Your Employees

Most office workers spend 40+ hours together every week. For many of us, we spend more time with our coworkers than anyone else. Get to know your employees.

How is your family? What are you doing for the holidays? Did you catch that sports game?

If you care, your employees will care.

Provide Continued Education

Job industries are always changing. This is often due to technology or regulation changes. It’s important to stay informed to be a top performing employee.

Continued education can help employees stay aware of trends, news, technology, and discoveries that alters their performance. Provide your employees with training. They will be happier when they are doing a good job and not learning an important advancement a year after the change occurred.

Tools for Continued Education

• Webinars
• Conferences
• Online Classes

If you have a low retention rate, it is important to analyze whether you have made employee happiness a priority. If not, it is time to start. I am a Specialty Quality and Regulatory Recruiter that can help you build your team. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501.

Most candidates are prepared for the cliché questions.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

If you stick to predictable interview questions, it can be hard to find the right person for the job. Asking strange, and what might seem irrelevant questions, can show interviewers how candidates react to pressure, especially when there is no “right” answer.

Using effective interview questions can help you weed out the fakes and find candidates with not just the skill set but personality that you need to get the job done. As a specialized Quality and Regulatory Recruiter, I have developed critical thinking questions that are appropriate for most businesses. Please use the comment box below to let me know other critical thinking questions that work well for your interviews.

Tell me about a risk that you took outside of work?

This question is especially useful if you are looking for someone with an entrepreneurial mindset. For example, a manager or team leader.

Investor, Steven Cohen, made money on risks and people. He asked candidates about risks they took during interviews. Doing so, helped Steven decipher if candidates could take a risk in a controlled way.

What didn’t make it on your resume?

Some of our best life accomplishments are not on our resumes. Candidates might answer in a variety of ways, include educational, personal, or volunteer accomplishments. This helps you understand what is important to your candidate outside of work.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Great team members are self-aware. The skill improves communication and creates a higher sense of empathy. Asking how colleagues describe themselves is a great way to determine self-perception. Compare their thoughts to references.

Name as many uses for a brick in one minute.

Almost every job requires you to think on your feet. If you use the cliché interview questions, it will be impossible to capture spontaneous, creative thinking. Naming the uses for a brick is similar to the “sell me a pen” technique.

Tell me a joke

We all know at least one joke, right? Even if it’s a knock, knock joke. This question is not to see how funny candidates are – unless you are hiring a comedian! Jokes help us determine if the candidate will fit into company culture. If the candidate tells a racist or sexist joke, politely smile and move onto the next candidate. Asking to tell a joke also shows how a candidate acts under pressure and problem solves.

What type of animal are you?

If you are uncomfortable with having them tell a joke, or if they just can’t come up with one, another option would be to ask them what type of animal most closely resembles their personality and why. You can get some pretty good insights as to their personality and if they might fit in with your group if they describe a very passive animal, a very aggressive animal, or a more “middle of the road” animal.

Finding the right employee requires interviewers to not ask traditional questions. Most candidates will be rehearsed for the typical interview questions. Instead, be creative and ask questions that show their personality. If you need help through the hiring process, contact me, Jeff King at jeff@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-350. I serve job seekers and employers in the biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.

Hiring is not only a pain but can be expensive for your company. As a business leader, it’s important to find ways to prevent your employees from leaving. If you do not, you will spend hours training. Most new employees do not become profitable for a year in the job.

Maintaining your employees requires more than a raise. You must be aware of the lifestyle, culture, and management style that people desire to be happy in their jobs.

The Workplace Institute Claims that 42 million people quit their job per year and 77 percent can be prevented.
As a Life Sciences recruiter, I have seen people quit for a variety of reasons. This article explains common reasons employees leave their jobs.

Micromanagement

As a business leader, we usually have time and emotions invested in the company. Delegating tasks can be difficult when we know how we want a task completed. Unfortunately, this leads to micromanaging. Many leaders who micromanage focus so much on the tiny details that they cannot see the big picture. Give your employees that opportunity to create their own path to solving the problem. Different does not always mean bad.

Lack of Vision

To accomplish a goal, you must have a vision. Many business leaders lack strategic vision.

Forbes defines strategic vision as the ability to;

• • Envision the longer term
  • Adopt a broader view of the organization, seeing it in the context of its competition and the current economy
  • Define a distinctive, unique mission for the organization
  • Define the path by which the firm can grow in the long term
  • Repeatedly move the organization forward in creating greater value

Unfortunately, if you do not have strategic vision, your employees could feel like they are only checking tasks off the box. Make sure that they know the end goal of their work.

How is the work going to make a difference? How is the work going to change a person’s life?

To form a great company with happy employees, your employees must know that they are working for more than a paycheck.

No Feedback

Imagine this – You spend 3 hours writing an extensive report. It includes statistics and evaluations. You turn the report into your manager.

Silence. You never receive feedback. Two weeks later, your manager asks you to write another report. Wouldn’t this be frustrating?

Most people want to do well. Feedback allows for correction and communication. Your employees are able to develop their skills to succeed. Your feedback could be as brief as asking your employee to add an additional summary paragraph to a report or a “great job” email.

No Opportunity for Career Advancement

Nobody wants to be stuck in a “dead end job”. Career advancement is one of the most important factors of employee satisfaction and retention. Provide the opportunity for employees to take additional responsibilities that lead to changing of their roles and raises.

Continuing education courses can increase your opportunity for career development. If you give people the opportunity to learn and evolve within your company, they have less motivation to find a company with a more dynamic position.

You will also save valuable time by promoting within your company. Your current employees know company procedures and support the strategic vision. When internal staff is not available for promotion and you need to look externally, that is when I can help. I am a Regulatory and Quality Recruiter in the pharmaceutical, medical device, or biotech industries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Contact me, Jeff King, at jking@rqfocus.com or (541) 639-3501 to discuss your needs and determine some options to help you build the team you need to succeed.

Work is a social environment. Our coworkers can be the people that we socialize with the most. In this situation, it is natural to want to feel liked. However, you can sabotage your work by trying too hard to be accepted.

You may put yourself at risk in some of the ways outlined in this article:

We Develop Unrealistic Expectations

Not everyone is going to like us. That is impossible. If you think so, you are going to be disappointed and stressed at work. Rather than focusing on your coworker’s approval, strengthen your relationship as a team.

Solution:

There are more productive ways of building a friendship than small talk at the water cooler. Nurture meaningful relationships that helps reach company goals. Working together as a team can promote positivity that builds strong relationships. There might be a company goal that has been pushed to the side for the past year. Communicate with others in your team with numerous skill sets to complete the project. Besides, people tend to like people they work well with and can get things accomplished to make themselves and the team look good.

You Become Over Critical

We are our own worst critics. If we are constantly comparing ourselves to others it is easy to think that we are not smart, fast, or strategic enough. Self-criticism often occurs if you are focusing on being liked.

Solution:

Everyone has a unique skill set. What is yours?

Now, set boundaries according to your job description. You do not have to do favors for co-workers just to earn approval. This does not mean that you will not have to do hard work or can’t be flexible. The difference is compromising your needs to do someone else’s job, which earns you approval, but may derail your own work. Go above and beyond in your own position.

We Dread Work

You may have landed your dream job. The salary is enough to support your family and vacation, and the commute is only a few minutes from your house. This is the job that you have been waiting for!

However, any job can be ruined if your energy is focused on being liked. We become uncomfortable around our coworkers and experience social anxiety.

Solution:

Focus on collaboration instead of being liked. Collaboration empowers us to solve work issues together. If you focus on being liked, you will probably feel alone and dissatisfied. To accomplish collaboration, you must have an openness to learning. If you collaborate successfully, you may be able to solve more work issues and end up being more liked in the process.

If you need help building a company with a healthy company culture, contact me, Jeff King at jking@rqfocus.com. I am a life sciences recruiter in the Bay Area.