The Hidden Downsides to Working From Home

For an estimated 3.7 million American employees, home is where the office is, at least half of the time. The number comes from Global Workplace Analytics, and the research shows that employees who are not self-employed are working from home at higher rates.

But for all of its allure, telecommuting might not be as good an idea as you might think. A thorough review of past research on telecommuting is published this month in Psychological Science in the Public Interest (PSI), and it highlights a few things to keep in mind if you are one of the around 3.7 million.

The study, authored by the professors Tammy D. Allen, Timothy D. Golden, and Kristen M. Shockley, reinforces the idea that people who telecommute once in a while are generally happier and perform better than they would if they constantly worked in the office.
In 2014, approximately 25 million people worked remotely at least once a month. But those who telecommute about two days per week or more were found to be less satisfied than their cubicle-bound counterparts. According to the research, telecommuting is a dish best consumed in moderation.

Why?

For one, telecommuting can be socially isolating, and can potentially decrease productivity. There are also health considerations, like the way a desk or chair is set up.
“Another topic is the impact of telecommuting on physical activity,” the authors write. “This issue is important in that the health risks associated with extended periods of time spent sitting—such as excess weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and premature mortality—are becoming increasingly well known.”
As noted by the Atlantic, telecommuting can also turn into a schedule that's erratic, which can exacerbate a disorganized or "all over the place" feeling in people who telecommute frequently.

RELATED: What It's Really Like to Work at a Call Center

The PSI study shows that working from home does have notable positives. Employers who allow their employees a choice in how and where they worked saw reports of increased job satisfaction, as well as loyalty. The results suggest that these factors could play a roll in reducing turnover for employees; if workers are allowed a say in where and how they work, they will stay with an employer longer, which is better for everyone involved.
Additional research conducted by other authors also suggests that people who telecommute are more likely to receive higher performance evaluations.

What can you do?

If your employer doesn't currently offer telecommuting and it's something you'd like to try, consider suggesting it to him or her. If the opposite is true, and you don’t have a choice in working from home, make sure to set up a sweet home office that will help keep you on track.

Diana Crandall







How To Get Hired Today Blog           work from home, telecommuting,  job search, productivity

Why You Should Get Back in Your Box

Why You Should Get Back in Your Box

Certain business phrases have entered our business vernacular and unfortunately stayed there. Like the notion of “work/life balance,” people who are “born leaders,” or the fallacy that “there are no new ideas.” Not only do they start to lose their meaning, many of them are just plain wrong most of the time.

Case in point: “Think outside the box.”

What is wrong with that one, you ask? Shouldn’t people open their minds to fresh ideas and new experiences — and not be confined to their own rigid ways? There is nothing wrong with thinking creatively, expanding your mind, taking chances. I think you should.
My problem with that expression is that it is not fair to the box, which has earned an undeserved reputation for small-mindedness and a stifling incapacity to allow growth. On the contrary, I find that the box is not such a bad place to be.
Before becoming the CEO of Aha! I spent many years working on corporate strategies and building great products. The more time I spent focusing my attention on key company and product decisions, the more experienced I became. Spending my time there actually led to the idea of creating a better tool for product managers to do their jobs. It also helped me understand the strategic framework that separates good teams and products from great ones.
Here is why I think everyone would benefit from spending more time working in their box:
Laser focus
People who are comfortable working in their box have confidence in knowing who they are and what they are meant to be doing. It gives you a framework to practice and perfect your art with concentrated focus. That repetition gives way to self-assurance and mastery that can only come when you are working in your zone.
Deep knowledgeEver hear the expression “Jack of all trades…master of none?” Generalists may boast of a wide range of experiences, but they lack the deep knowledge necessary for excellence. It is better to become an expert on a few things than to know a little about many things. Working and thinking inside your box allows you to dive deeply into your chosen field.
Quick decisions
Spend enough time working in the box, and you will hone your ability to make fast decisions. You will make quick decisions with confidence because you have seen the question before. Since you already have built clear decision frameworks for yourself based on previous patterns, you do not have to waste time agonizing over all the possibilities. You can respond immediately with assurance, and return your focus to the work at hand.
Sharp instincts
Most experts do what they do so well because of their experience and pattern recognition. Think of a veteran doctor diagnosing an illness or a conductor leading an orchestra. As a result of spending countless hours working in their narrow field, their senses are so well-trained that any anomalies immediately jump out and catch their attention.

The world’s experts know something that the rest of the world has not caught onto yet. They understand that there is a certain beauty in knowing what you know.

Sometimes that means focusing on one area and consciously eliminating unnecessary pursuits and distractions that only take you further away from where you want to be.
The next time you feel like you are being pulled in several different directions, get back inside your box and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised with the clarity you gain and progress you make towards being your best.
Have you ever tried to get “back in the box?”








How To Get Hired Today Blog             Job search, dream job, resume, goal setting, interview

How to Find and Get Your Dream Job

In a recent post I suggested the primary reason Why Good People Underperform is that the jobs people were hired to do were poorly defined before the person was hired.

As a result of this post a lot of job seekers cried out for help.    

It’s a big problem – getting the right job – and it's one I’m working with Prof. Todd Rose at Harvard University to help solve. Rose is the author of the soon-to-be bestseller, The End of Average, and president of the Center for Individual Opportunity. He is currently focused on figuring out how work can be better designed to maximize individual performance rather than force-fitting candidates into ill-defined jobs. He contends that this is one of the reasons the workforce is highly disengaged and why good people underperform.

Until a solution to this problem is available, here’s the advice I offer job seekers to get a job that better matches their needs and interests. 

Define your ideal job but don’t tell anyone…yet.

First figure out what you like to do most and what you do best. There needs to be a big overlap here or this “get a better job” exercise is a big waste of time. Define all of the technical skills required to get this job, the non-technical skills (formerly known as “soft skills”) and the size of the teams you’ve successfully worked with and led. You’ll need to fill in any skills gaps before anyone will take you seriously so get started with this right away. Maybe Lynda.com or some other online training portal can help here. 

At some point in time, you’ll need to prove you’re competent to do the work you’ve just defined. I suggest candidates prove each strength with a real accomplishment. Here’s a slide deck you can use to get prepared for this. It will guide you through the whole interviewing process.

Find companies that do what you want to do.

Start looking for jobs that best match your interests on Indeed and LinkedIn but DO NOT APPLY! You’ll use these as leads. More companies are using microsites or talent hubs to group similar jobs. Start digging into these and become very familiar with the types of work the companies are doing and any new company initiatives underway. It’s a clue that these companies are expanding if they’re hiring lots of sales people, so check this out, too.

Then follow these companies. LinkedIn has a new feature for recruiters that prioritizes candidates based on their skills and how long they’ve been following the company. So this will help you get higher on the list if you do apply.

Get noticed and get referred.

Still don’t apply.

Instead you need to get referred to people who work at the targeted companies. If you have the skills, are following the company and are referred by someone in the company, you will be at the top of the list. Recruiters always review referred candidates first. However, you’ll need to own this networking advice before getting referred: 

Networking is not about meeting as many people as possible. It’s about meeting a few people who can recommend you to other people you don’t know.

Here’s a video on how to implement this 20/20/60 networking plan I advocate.

Make sure you’re interviewed properly.

Make sure you’ve practiced the interview tips in the PowerPoint guide. But the big one is to ask forced-choice questions. At the beginning of the interview ask the interviewer to describe the job and some of the challenges involved. You’ll then need to prove you can do the work by giving an example of something you’ve accomplished that’s most comparable. To ensure all of your strengths and interests are covered, just ask the interviewer if the strength is important for success. Then describe an accomplishment proving you possess it.

Too many interviewers will ask you questions that don’t relate to real job needs, so this more direct approach will ensure you’re assessed properly.

Negotiate the job content, not the compensation.

The essence of a more “dreamlike” job is doing work that better matches your skills and interests. I suggest a career move needs to offer a 30% non-monetary increase. This is the combination of job stretch, job growth and a richer mix of more satisfying work. If you’re being offered a job and have the opportunity to negotiate the terms, focus more on modifying the job in some way rather than emphasizing more money. Not only will the hiring manager be impressed with the approach, you’ll also be more engaged and more productive.  

Design, find and get your dream job.

While getting a great job isn’t easy, it’s a lot better than taking a series of lateral transfers and five or ten years later wondering what happened. The above is a realistic way to get a better job. Surprisingly, now is the perfect time to get started finding it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How To Get Hired Today Blog    Get Hired, Interviews, Job Search, Resume, Dream Job