Customer Service Manager Resume Sample [+Job Description]

Customer Service Manager Resume Sample [+Job Description] Customer Service Manager Resume SampleSelamawit YemaneCustomer Service Managerselamawit.yemane@gmail.com(929) 999-5595linkedin.com/in/selamawityemaneSummary of QualificationsPersonable and conscientious CSM with 2+ years in customer service management and an additional 2 years as a customer support representative. 2017 NYS Manager of the Year award recipient and APPA Customer Service Management Certificate holder. Seeking to utilize waste reduction strategies (50% decrease in 2 years) to become the next customer service manager at Bigs Box Store.Work ExperienceCustomer Service ManagerJanuary 2017April 2019Bullseye Mart, Jackson Heights, NYKey Qualifications ResponsibilitiesEffectively supervised day-to-day front-end operations of a busy customer service department.Hired, trained, and mentored top customer service agents and front-end staff.Implemented ambitious customer satisfaction goals, and better-enabled customer service staff members to effectively meet them.Created, edited, an d altered customer service strategies and procedures in Agile manner to best deliver a satisfying experience for all store customers.Managed and updated the customer loyalty program.Key AchievementsAwarded the 2017 New York State Manager of the Year from Bullseye Mart.Implemented waste reduction strategy which reduced waste by 50% over 2 years.Reduced customer service staff turnover by 50%.Customer Service RepresentativeJanuary 2015December 2016Tarzhay Stores, New York, NYKey Qualifications ResponsibilitiesAssisted store guests with all client concerns, including replacements, refunds, returns, and service warranties.Fulfilled and exceeded customer satisfaction goals in a consistent manner.Helped tutor new customer service associates after hiring and during seasonal upticks.Key AchievementsEarned Friendliest Customer Service Agent award for all of 2016.EducationBachelor of Science in Retail ManagementPace University, New York, NYGraduation: 2016Relevant Coursework: Retail Purchasin g, Management Communications, Sales and Sales Management, Project Management, Consumer Behavior, Supply Chain Management, Organizational Behavior, Business Leadership, Retail Store Operations.Key SkillsComplaint ResolutionEffective CommunicationTeambuilding TrainingCost Reduction Waste EliminationPatience EmpathyAbility to Keep Calm in Stressful SituationsCertifications2018 Customer Service Management CertificateAmerican Public Power AssociationAwards2017 Bullseye Mart New York State Manager of the Year2016 Tarzhay Stores Friendliest Customer Service AgentMembershipsNational Customer Service Association (NCSA)The Institute of Customer Service (ICS)The Association of Support Professionals (ASP)LanguagesTigrinya: Native ProficiencyArabic: Limited Working ProficiencyWant to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here. Sample Customer Service Manager ResumeSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowCheck out other resume guides related to customer service management:General Manager Resume Sample GuideManager Resume Sample GuideStore Manager Resume Sample GuideRetail Manager Resume Sample GuideCustomer Service Resume Sample GuideCollector Resume Sample GuideSupervisor Resume Sample Complete GuideAssistant Manager Resume Sample GuideRetail Sales Associate Resume Sample GuideNow, lets begin.Heres how to write a customer service manager resume:1. Choose the Best Format for Your Customer Service Manager ResumeA tight customer service schedule is crucial if you want a 100% satisfaction score.LikewiseA properly-formatted resume is critical to getting a 100% approval from the employer.Keep these points in mind on customer servi ce manager resume formatting:Use the resume header to fill in your nameand address on a resume.Keep the various resume parts organized with bold headings.Usually, the chronological format is the best resume format to use.Use white space effectively and a great resume font to make it dazzle.Pro Tip: Send a PDF resume unless they tell you otherwise. The PDF format lets HR managers open it cleanly on any device, but it may not work with their software programs as well as Microsoft Word. Check the customer service manager job description for details.2. Write a Customer Service Manager Resume Objective or SummaryA resume profile, known as either a resume objective or summary statement, is a brief 3- or 4-sentence introduction paragraph.It gives employers and hiring managers a concise statement as to what your resume is about, with your job goals, work experience, achievements, and background.Got over 2 years of customer service management job experience?Choose the resume summary.The resu me summary is a short paragraph intro which sums up your experience and skills in customer service and management. To top it off, a key achievement with numbers is given which quantifies your customer service management effectiveness.Got little or no work experience as a customer service manager?Choose the resume objective.The career objective still gives a numbered achievement to prove your competence. However, instead of giving your background and experience, it wins them over with look at your career goals.Pro Tip: Retail checkout lanes are at the front, but shoppers dont start there. Likewise, save writing your objective or summary for the end, so you have a better grasp as to what youre summing up.3. Create the Perfect Customer Service Manager Job Description for a ResumeIn customer service, youll want a Net Promoter Score of 10.Its the same hereTo achieve a score of 10 from the employer, write a job experience section which makes their hearts race like a Black Friday blowout s ale.SoHeres how to write an effective customer success manager resume experience section:Begin with the most recent work you had, and go backwards through past jobs from there.List job titles, dates of employment, the company name, and 5 or 6 bullet points outlining your on-the-job responsibilities.As the work entries go further back in time, reduce the number of bullet points.Use strong action verbs (e.g., eliminated, corresponded, etc.) to start each entry.Give one or two quantifiable achievements in order to prove your competence in customer service and management.Learn how to tailor a resume to a specific job. Hiring managers hate generic resumes.Pro Tip: Have a resume with little experience in customer service or no experience in management? To get customer service management jobs, talk up management experience outside of customer service, as well as customer service experience outside of management.4. Make Your Customer Service Manager Resume Education Section ShineMost custom er service manager positions require only a high school diploma, but more and more employers prefer an associate or bachelors degree.StillNo matter which level of academia youve reached, get your education resume section done correctly.Heres how to deliver an education section thatll wow em:Plenty of CSM experience? Add just the degree name, college name, and location.New to customer service management? Give extras, like Latin honors and achievements, extracurriculars, and relevant coursework.Finished university? Skip high school on your customer service management resume.Working on college? Add high school below your in-progress degree (or as a standalone if you have no college at all).Pro Tip: Relevant coursework on a customer service manager resume doesnt only mean customer service-related classes. Include courses related to business and leadership to round it out well.5. Highlight Your Customer Service Manager SkillsAccording to the BLS, customer service jobs, including those in management, will increase by more than 5% by 2026 in the US alone.This is another 136,000 people to compete against you.To beat themShow them your customer satisfaction and company image abilities are second to none with the perfect customer service manager skills section:Top 20 Customer Service Manager SkillsVerbal Written Communication SkillsTask DelegationHelp Desk Software (Zoho Desk, Salesforce Desk, etc.)Decision Making SkillsCritical ThinkingWorks Well Under PressureCustomer Satisfaction SkillsFront-End SupervisionRetail OperationsPeople SkillsEscalation ManagementNet Promoter Score (NPS)Product / Service KnowledgeProblem SolvingLeadership SkillsClient Support Tickets Ticketing SystemsPatience UnderstandingCustomer Experience SkillsCost-Reduction StrategiesManagement SkillsButYou cant just take this list and stick it straight in your Target or Walmart customer service manager resume.Theyll see that and outsource your resume straight into the fail pile.Heres what to do ins tead:List all the soft skills and hard skills you have which are relevant to customer service to begin your job skills list.Find the advertised position, and keep the customer experience manager job description out and open in front of you.To find good keywords to use on a resume, take note of the traits and abilities theyre looking for (check the job requirements section).Do you see a noted skill from the job ad which matches something on your customer service skills list from the start? Add that to your customer service manager skills resume section!Pro Tip: Remember tailoring? Stick to as close to the wording from the job ad as possible to ensure it matches what theyre looking for.When making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.6. Add Other Sections to Your Customer Service Manager ResumeThere are dozens of people applying for the same customer service manager job you are.Everyone has the same resume sections as you do, too.How will you stand out?Wake the hiring manager up from their misery of mundanity by adding a few extra sections to liven up your resume.Customer Service Manager Resume ExamplesExtra SectionsHere are some boredom-killing options to choose from:certifications for a resumelanguages to put on a resumeprojects / portfolioawards and achievementslicenses and membershipshobbies and interestsvolunteer jobs on a resume7. Attach a Customer Service Manager Cover Letter to Your CSM ResumeMost hiring managers agree that a customer service manager cover letter should be sent with the resume.SoAlways give them a cover letter!Heres how to write a management cover letter for customer service jobs theyll love:Organize your cover letter format before the writing begins.Use a compelling introduction paragraph to start your cover le tter.Document your customer service skills and leadership experience.Give a few numbered achievements to show them you are what you say.Utilize a powerful call to action to close the cover letter.Also, we have great cover letter advice, as well as articles on how long should a cover letter be and what to include in a cover letter.Check them out!Pro Tip: Dont forget to follow up on your job application. Then, since you have a top-notch resume, time to prepare for the interview!Well, thats itNow THATS a resume thatll definitely manage to get you that top customer service job!Have any questions on how to write a customer service manager resume? Not sure how best to talk up your management skills, customer service certifications, or retail achievements? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

6 Ways to Find a Career Youll Actually Love

6 Ways to Find a Career Youll Actually Love Editors Note: I like to welcome Dennis as this weeks guest.   We will be sharing a guest with you each Friday.   Im looking forward to learning from each of you. Whether you just graduated or are frustrated with a dead-end job, finding a new career can be a frightening prospect. With 9% unemployment across the country, leaving one job to find another can seem like jumping off a cliff without a safety net. But if you are going to spend over half of your waking hours at the office, you deserve to work in a place that makes you happy and stimulated. These six elements of workplace happiness will help you narrow down and find your ideal work environment so you can start looking for the industry and career field that will most suit your personality, preferences and needs. 1. Determine Your Talents and Interests You may already know what you are good at and what you want to do, but you may have skills or talents that are still untapped. Books like What Color Is Your Parachute? (affiliate) and other career advice books can help you determine what untapped potential you should be exploring. Think about your hobbies and talents outside of your work industry. Do you have a knack for decorating or organizing closets? Do your friends come to you to help them choose diamonds for their engagement rings? Do people ask you to look over their reports and papers? Think about what you’re good at, and explore the option of turning that interest into a career. 2.   Think About Your Work Style Depending on your preferred habits and schedule, you may do better or worse in different work environments. If you know you need flexibility and a loose work environment to feel comfortable, cross any top-tier law firms off your list. But if you know that you thrive under pressure and can perform in a high-stress situation, consider applying for that high-level position that will make your heart race and feel fulfilled. 3.   Where Do You Want to Work? Do you need to stay put for family or personal reasons, or would you be willing to relocate for a promising job prospect? Are you looking for a job with an easy commute, or would you be willing to spend an hour on the train or in the car to make it in a demanding industry. Until you can draw a map of your potential job landscape, you won’t know where to start looking. For some people, a long commute can make even a great job miserable, while others would never be able to focus when working from home. 4. Can You Have a Work and Personal Life? Working women (and men) have always struggled with the question of whether they can really “have it all.” Can you really have a career you love as well as a satisfying personal life? When looking for the career that you will really love for the long term, consider what work-home balance would be most appealing to you? Do you need plenty of time off and flexibility to be with your family, or will you be happy immersing yourself in work until late in the evening? 5. Does Work Match Your Values? Studies have proven that the people who are happiest in their careers are the people who match work with their values. As glamorous as being a lawyer or Wall Street executive can be, you might actually be happier as a baker, teacher or nurse. Do you get rave reviews for your custom-designed three stone engagement ring? You might have a future as an Etsy jewelry designer. Do your friends love your homemade jam and chocolates? You might think of starting a small web-based business. For some job-seekers, the most important element of job satisfaction is the feeling they go home with at the end of the day. Will you feel satisfied and secure in your job if you know that your company shares your values and is working to support the same ethical, environmental or community goals that you believe in? The knowledge that you are doing something you believe in has also been linked to long-term job satisfaction, so it is well worth your while to consider an industry that matches with your belief system. 6.   Consider the Role You Are Comfortable With Taking in a New Job Do you want to be working primarily on your own, solving problems or creating new ideas, or do you thrive when working with a group on a specific goal? Are you going to be happy as a public community member, or are you better behind the scenes. The same skill sets can work in more than one roleâ€"for example, if you are a great teacher, but don’t see yourself in that kind of public setting, you might consider working in an informational or educational capacity in a retail environment. Your Turn Each of these pointers can be applied whether you are currently job seeking or currently employed.   What is a tip you have for finding a career youll actually love?

The 10 Dos and 10 Donts of Selling

The 10 Dos and 10 Donts of Selling Considering a job in sales? To make it in this industry, you need the right approach and enough confidence to approach prospects and convert them to customers. You’ll find plenty of sales job openings on job search sites like Jobtonic, but not everyone has what it takes to succeed. Here are 10 essential do’s and don’ts of selling. The 10 Dos of Selling 1.           Do Collect Targeted Prospects Chasing after the wrong prospects wastes time and resources. Always make the effort to target appropriate prospects. You’ll find sales jobs often offer tools and resources to help you find targeted prospects. 2.           Do Be Honest Always be honest with prospects about pricing, additional fees and details about what you’re offering. 3.           Do Be Prepared A successful salesperson takes the time to research their prospects and get to know them beforehand. Take a look at the prospect’s website or his LinkedIn profile to learn more about him. Use this information to make a connection. 4.           Do Listen Follow the 80/20 rule. Spend 20 percent of the time talking and 80 percent of the time listening. As a result, you’ll have a better understanding of your prospect’s needs and wants. 5.           Do Ask the Right Questions Ask questions that make your prospects stop and think. Asking the right questions can mean the difference between closing a deal and losing a prospect. 6.           Do Offer Solutions This is where listening to your prospect can have a major impact on your success. Pay attention to your prospect’s needs and think of solutions on how to fix these problems. 7.           Do Bring Value Instead of focusing on how you differ from the competition, focus on the value you bring. 8.           Do Think from the Prospect’s Perspective Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. Think about what your biggest gripes and challenges would be if you were in their situation. Then, focus on how you can solve these problems. 9.           Do Ask For What You Want Are you looking for a sale, or to book an appointment? If you don’t ask the prospect for it, they won’t offer it. Be upfront about your intentions to seal the deal. 10.  Do Follow Up Today’s business world is hectic and your prospects are always on the go. Follow up with an email or quick phone call after your meeting to stay fresh in their mind. The 10 Don’ts of Selling 1.           Don’t Have Poor Manners To succeed in sales, you have to be professional. Otherwise, your leads will never take you seriously. No matter whether you’re on the phone or meeting in person, never chew gum, mumble, ramble, play loud music or chit chat to others. 2.           Don’t Be Negative Turn every failure into a learning experience. Figure out where you went wrong, and come up with a new strategy to get better results. 3.           Don’t Discuss Inappropriate Topics Avoid talking about politics, religion and other hot-button topics with customers. Even if your beliefs or opinions are the same, other decision makers may not share the same feelings. 4.           Don’t Claim to Have All the Answers If you don’t know the answer to something, don’t pretend that you do. It’s okay not to have all the answers. Customers will appreciate your honesty. 5.           Don’t Be Ashamed or Defensive About Pricing Salespeople are often quick to defend pricing, or are downright ashamed of it. But this type of behavior will be a red flag to customers. Instead of feeling ashamed or becoming defensive, communicate the value and benefit of what you’re offering. 6.           Don’t Get Too Comfortable Too many salespeople put prospecting on hold once they’ve developed a good client base. Never stop prospecting â€" no matter how comfortable you feel. Bringing in new business ensures that your business continues to grow and thrive. 7.           Don’t Rely On One Communication Medium Relying on a single communication medium, like the phone, alienates other potential customers. Your prospecting sources should include email, regular mail, phone, social media and networking 8.           Don’t Ask the Wrong Questions Don’t ask questions about anything that can be found on a company’s website. It will diminish your credibility. 9.           Don’t Jump to Conclusions If a gatekeeper or a prospect tells you they’re busy, don’t jump to conclusions and automatically assume they’re trying to avoid your calls. 10.  Don’t Go In Without a Plan Know who you’re targeting and go in with a solid game plan. With these tips in mind, you’re ready to start your search for jobs in sales and take the first step towards a successful sales career.

Breaking Up Doesnt Have to be Hard to Do

Breaking Up Doesnt Have to be Hard to Do Breaking up is never exactly easy, especially if you’ve been together for a long time or you really thought you had a future ahead of you. However, it doesn’t have to be the horrendous cliche as portrayed in so many chick flicks and daytime dramas, leaving you a crying ice cream eating wreck or a bitter ex completely blinded by bitterness either. Here are some simple tips to help you make your breakup as easy and drama-free as it can possibly be: Do It Right The first and most important step to ensuring that you have a good break up is by taking responsibility and doing it right in the first place. Don’t be tempted to take the coward’s way out and end a relationship by text, email or Facebook, and if you know that it’s over, don’t be tempted to draw it out with trial separations or maybes. Obviously, a trial separation can be good if you’re unsure of your future together, but otherwise be direct, honest, open and make it final. Get help with divorce from a counselor, and ideally a lawyer, as soon as possible if you’re married and try to keep things amicable. The more grown up you behave from the beginning, the easier your break up will be over the long-term. Cry it Out You’ve just broken up with someone who probably meant a great deal to you, at least for a while; perhaps it was someone you even loved. So, although you dont want to fall into a pit of despair of becoming that cliched girl who spends her nights crying into her pillow over a failed romance if you feel sad and you want to cry, do it! Let your grief flow freely in those first few days post-break up, and you’ll undoubtedly feel a whole lot better for it and get back on track sooner than those stoic types who try to keep it all in! Don’t Try to Get Him Back If you are the dumpee rather than the dumper, it is very important that you don’t try to get him back by any means necessary. Spending your time coming up with schemes to draw him back in when he’s made his feelings clear will only prolong the pain and cause you to lose more of your life to a lost cause. If you cant get the thought of getting your ex back out of your mind,  Ex Back Permanently  recommends you dont contact him for at least a month so your mind clears up and you are not making decisions out of neediness or desperation. Keep the Drama Off Social Media When you have a breakup, it’s oh so tempting to post every detail of the whole sordid affair on Facebook. Don’t do this. Sure, you’ll probably get a lot of sympathy, but you might also end up looking like a crazy person or even more likely, wallowing in self-pity longer than is really healthy. Unfriend Him Once you’ve broken up, it can be tempting to remain friends with your ex on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. This is usually a bad idea, at least in the early days of your breakup because one or both of you may be tempted to keep tabs on the other via Facebook, leading to a whole host of negative emotions like jealousy, regret and anger. You might think that you’re a grown up and you should be able to stay friends with an ex after you’ve called it quits, and maybe you can, but probably not on the likes of Facebook which have caused so may post-breakup problems for so many people over the years. While you’re unfriending him, you might want to delete his number from your cell phone to avoid any embarrassing drunken incidents too! Hang Out with Friends In the immediate aftermath of a breakup, a lot of people tend to turn to the bottle or other vices to block out the pain and get through another lonely day or night. When you feel the urge to do, for example, drink alone, don’t do it. Give in and you’ll either be spending the next few weeks/months with a permanent hangover or making a fool of yourself drunk calling your ex and making your problems a million times worse. What you should do instead, is make more time for your good friends, make lots of plans to keep yourself busy and call up a good buddy whenever things get too much for you to handle healthily alone. This will ensure that you get over your breakup more quickly and without too many negative consequences in the end! Start Working Out There are few things that can give you a real boost after breaking up with a spouse more than working on yourself and taking up a new exercise regime is a great place to start with that. Not only do you get to take all of your anger, aggression and pain and pour it into learning a new skill like yoga, kickboxing or Zumba, but you’ll also be releasing happy-making endorphins, improving your body and building your self-esteem, which will help you to feel better, especially when you’re ready to start dating again. Find Yourself As well as taking up a new exercise regime, you may find that taking the time to really look at and reevaluate your life, working out what you really want and perhaps taking on a new challenge, whether it’s a new job, hobby or even  a challenge like the one Cheryl Strayed chronicled in Wild, can take your mind off your breakup, give you a new perspective life. It will also ensure that you dont spend too much time wallowing in self-pity. Have Some Fun with Someone New This certainly isn’t for everyone, but for a lot of people experiencing breakup, getting right back on the horse and going on a few dates with new, interesting people can be a great way to put some distance between themselves and their exes and enjoy being single. Obviously, if you do this, you should make sure that anyone you date knows that you aren’t looking for anything serious (unless you are) the last thing you want to do is use someone or end up giving them the wrong impression but it can really help you to realize that there really are plenty more fish in the sea, and many of them are more suited to you that your last catch. Take Things Slow If you do get back on the dating horse and you’re lucky enough to meet someone wonderful within a short space of time, it’s important that post-breakup, you take things slow. It’s all too easy to dive in head-first in a bid to completely banish the pain you’re still feeling from the last relationship, but to do so would be unfair to both you and your new beau and by taking things slow, you can really work out if this new pairing is likely to go the distance, or whether you’d be better off bailing out right now. Read Trashy Romance Novels Again, this doesn’t work for everyone, and it can make some women feel worse, but a lot of heartbroken ladies get a lot of comfort and a renewed hope for the future by reading romance novels where the hero is dashing and brave, and the heroine has a happy ending. Don’t Blame Yourself When you’ve split up with a spouse, it’s easy to keep running through the entirety of the relationship in your head, thinking about what you did wrong and how things might be different now if you’d have acted differently then. Don’t torture yourself this way! Accept that the relationship wasn’t right and that you both had your part to play in that; see what lessons you can learn from your breakup, and then move on. Give yourself a break, stop ruminating and start the healing process. Try Meditation If you’re having trouble moving on and getting rid of those negative post-breakup thoughts is proving tougher than you thought it would, you could try enrolling in a mindfulness meditation class, which will teach you how to focus on the present and cultivate a more positive way of looking at the world. As a bonus, you’ll also learn how to be less stressed i your day to day life, and who knows, you might meet some new friends to take your mind off your situation too! See a Therapist If you’re having a really hard time processing the grief that you feel over the loss of your relationship and no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to get any better, it might be worth seeking the help of a professional therapist.Having someone totally neutral who you can discuss your feelings with, in a frank and upfront manner can really make a huge difference and help you to mend your broken heart. Everyone is different and what works to make a breakup easier for one person may not work for another, but hopefully there are enough good suggestions here that you will at least be able to use some of them to help your breakup be as easy as it can possibly be.

How to Choose the Best Resume Writing Services For Educators

How to Choose the Best Resume Writing Services For EducatorsEducators around the country are looking for the best resume writing services for educators 2020. The following advice is aimed at helping you to find one that you can trust.First of all, I would like to point out that 'school'teacher' have almost entirely different meanings. A school teacher can be any individual who teaches any grade level. In fact, even a school administrator can be a teacher. As for educators, it is usually a political position of some sort, such as administrator, board member, director of some kind, or some other type of executive position in government.A good job search strategy for educators is to look for a job somewhere else. You might find a teaching job in another state or school district, if you are lucky. If you don't live in an area with a large number of opportunities, you should not be discouraged. It may be that the higher paying jobs that need educators do not exist in your area, but that d oesn't mean that they will never come to you.If you are absolutely sure that you will not be able to find a job anywhere else, you should seriously consider hiring a professional resume writer. They are always willing to help out a student looking for this type of employment.When you look for the best resume writing services for educators, you need to keep in mind that the quality of work will vary quite a bit depending on the field you are trying to apply for, and the kind of school curriculum you are trying to get hired for. For example, there are many administrators out there who think that they will be able to sell you a new curriculum without actually having to explain how the previous curriculum went. That will not fly with most schools. So, you should make sure that you know exactly what the requirements are for the job that you are trying to fill.Most school officials will do whatever they can to get you to apply for a job. They will contact your high school counselor, and t hey will contact your parents and your teachers to see if you would be interested in a teaching career. Most school officials know that you will probably be interested in teaching for a while and may not even really care whether or not you get a job or not. In order to be truly prepared, you should try to build a portfolio of work and a cover letter that shows that you are very serious about the education industry.Be sure to not overlook the importance of documentation in this process. You are going to be applying for a job that requires documentation that includes your school report card. Make sure that you produce a copy of your report card and that you write a letter that demonstrates that you understand this.Resume writing services for educators will also make sure that you know that they are there to help. They will make sure that you know all of the basics, and that they do everything that they can to get you a job. Don't let them get away from you, just let them do their job!

Can you nudge people towards workplace happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Can you nudge people towards workplace happiness - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog This article was written by Woohoo inc?s newest employee Thomas Christensen. Have you ever wondered why you have to walk all the way to the back end of the supermarket to get milk? Or why there are mountains of candy close to the checkout, where you always have to stand in line and wait? It is a carefully planned ploy to ensure you walk through the entire store to get to your everyday groceries, thus increasing your exposure to other items, which makes you more likely to buy something more than milk. Similarly, candy is placed where it is most likely that you will stand around bored for the slow eternity that is queuing in the supermarket. This increases the chance of you given in to your urges and purchase some candy. You are probably familiar with the term ?Nudging?; it has been thrown around a lot in relation to health initiatives and government legislation. Nudging is the latest branch on the tree of buzzwords, thus nudging has plunged behavioural science into the mainstream. Numerous articles and books has been written on what nudging is, so we will not go deeply into that. However, we will discuss just how useful nudging is when it comes to workplace happiness. The main thing to be aware off with nudging is that it is not a magical solution, obviously. At its most basic level, nudging is about choice management. The idea is that you present the choices available to your customers, clients or people in general, in such a way that a particular choice or set of choices seems more desirable. This sounds easier than it is. The nudge should be almost invisible, and non-invasive. Plastering large brightly coloured signs around the office with quotes on how to be happy, is not close to being nudging ? nor is it likely to work. Because nudging revolves around choices, you will have to break down complex behavioural patterns, into smaller more manageable chunks. Looking at workplace happiness, it is quite complex. Being happy at work requires a large number of things to go right, as happiness is an inherently complex behavioural pattern. Luckily, you can break down workplace happiness into two categories of effect: results and relationships. Watch the video below?for more information. This makes nudging for workplace happiness much easier. However, one of the most severe limitations of implementing nudging, and other behavioural sciences, is their symbiotic nature. What we mean is that nudging can only enhance an existing process. It cannot create a new. Let us image that you want to create an environment where there is an added focus on results. You want to encourage employees or co-workers to share their results, but in order to nudge them towards your goal, there has to be a process in place that you can nudge them towards using. Which means that in order to use nudging you need to have a very good idea of how people interpret the processes in your organisation. This symbiotic nature also means that it is incredibly difficult to give advice on how to nudge people towards more workplace happiness within the confines of a specific organisation. Nevertheless, we do have some tips. Start by determine whether to focus on results or relationships. Workplace happiness can be complex, so it can help to focus on one of the two. Establish a specific goal you want to solve within one of the two areas. Such as ?how do we make people celebrate their victories?? List the processes your organisation have in the chosen subject. If your organisation is lacking in processes that can facilitate either results or relationships ? you have bigger problems than nudging can fix. Once you have both chosen an area of focus and have a list of the existing processes, you can begin to examine them both. You need to focus your attention on how people interpret these processes. Their original or intended purpose is less relevant compared to the interpretation. Then you can rate your internal process based on which one is most beneficial to your goal. Using your customers or employees sense of purpose and expectations, you can begin to shape how you want them to perceive the choices you present to them. Now comes the fun part As you have defined your goal such as ?people should spend more time in my store? and a list of processes such as ?people mainly walk around in my store?. You can start combining them to find nudging solutions. However, nudging has to be almost invisible and non-invasive. Therefore, you cannot remodel your store into a labyrinth and expect it to be anything less than totally awesome. Unfortunately, you will probably not sell more. The key is that your costumers or employees have a sense of purpose and a set of expectations. You do not mind walking 20 meters more in a supermarket, because you expect there to be walking and browsing when entering a supermarket. Let us look at the example presented above, how we nudge employees to ?celebrate their results?. A key component of the results-oriented part of workplace happiness. For the sake of argument, let us assume that you have several processes that highlights the results of your employees, but no one uses them. In order find out which one is more likely to yield the results you want, you examine how your employees interpret the processes already in place, so you can rank them. Sometimes the process does not have the desired effect, for example, having a ?scoreboard of achievements? where your employees can list their achievements could be interpreted as being a place to brag. Instead, your employees might celebrate their successes with small post-its on their keyboards, because they interpret this process so be more personal and sincere. The point is then to either reframe the ?scoreboard of achievement? to make it less about bragging, or to try and bring to light all the praise left on po st-its stuck to peoples keyboards. The main take away is that is nudging for increased workplace happiness requires awareness of 3 things. Processes available to your employees/customers Knowledge of what your employees/customers expect Knowledge of how your employees/customers interpret your processes Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How a Hobby Can Improve Your Chances in the Job Market - CareerAlley

How a Hobby Can Improve Your Chances in the Job Market - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Everybodys life needs a balance between those things that matter. Except for work, social activities and relationships, there is also a time to relax when we just do what we enjoy. Even if you are one of those people who are fortunate enough to be able to call their actual job their passion, you probably still have hobbies. Some of those, besides providing amusement and entertainment, can benefit your overall value in the job market. Apart from focusing on acquiring desired skills, improving abilities and accumulating knowledge, it is always a good idea to take care of the corporeal part of the equation. Picking up a sport will do that for you. Its even better if an adequate diet comes with it to deliver nutrients for both the body and the brain. Some disciplines like running or climbing demonstrate perseverance, determination and motivation to achieve goals. Even yoga or meditation has a lot to offer in overall health, managing workload and fulfilling obligations. Extreme sports show the ability to take calculated risks while not being afraid of barrier-breaking challenges. Those are useful qualities appreciated, i.e. in leadership. No matter how mundane your daily responsibilities are, doing something creative in your free time wouldnt hurt. Taking up sideline activities like painting can be therapeutic and give perspective on things. For example, creative writing, even amateur poetry or short stories, can be helpful when applying for an editorial position. Positive results can be achieved by learning to play a musical instrument, which indicates self-discipline and listening skills. Taking a liking to the type of pursuits that enrich your mind and broadens horizons is not a bad idea, either. Showing interest in reading books, visiting theaters and museums and engaging in other stimulating activities means a willingness to learn and a readiness for constant improvement. Wherever theres a need for an analytical mind, those kinds of abilities can be easily exercised outside of work and practiced all the time. All the puzzles, crosswords, riddles and mysteries for the brain to unfold are just the start. One of the most popular card games, poker, is an example. Many professional, semi-professional or even amateur players are often able to make a living out of it. But even a hobbyists approach can be beneficial. With a little bit of hard work, those poker skills can be turned into success in your business and personal life. Another highly desirable set of qualities comes from occupations that require teamwork, such as involvement in community groups, volunteering, playing a team sport or the many other sorts of activities that require engaging with other people. And would probably look good on most job applications. Its true that a hobby has to be something you like in the first place, a way to relax and feel good. It is your free time after all. But with a little determination, it can become much more than just a means to fight boredom and help you become a better employee. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+