Pulling power which employers have the most

Pulling power which employers have the most by Michael Cheary Which organisation would you most like to work for?This is the question we asked over 2,000 UK workers in a bid to uncover which company has the biggest pulling power when it comes to attracting staff.Four out of five of us say we would take pay cut to work for our dream employer, but who are they?We can now reveal the top five organisations UK workers would most like to work for:VirginAppleGoogleNHSBBCSo, for UK jobseekers, its British-owned Virgin that tops our list of dream employers and we think theres a whole range of factors that contribute to its appeal as an employer: a hugely successful, high-profile leader in Sir Richard Branson (hes also our dream boss, according to the same study); a portfolio of business ventures, including travel, fitness, media and financial services; and a reputation for innovation (heres a company thats about to offer the worlds first commercial space travel).In second and third place, the appearance of US technology giants, Apple and Google, doesnt come as much of a surprise, with both regularly featuring in those best places to work lists. Each has a reputation as a cool, contemporary brand, renowned for its innovation and market leadership, with Apple, in particular, commanding a slavish following amongst fans of its products.Further down our list of dream employers, the NHS, Europes biggest employer, proves to be a big draw for healthcare professionals and beyond, whilst the BBC, with its global reputation, comes in at number five.Well be analysing some of the brands further down the list in the coming weeks. But, in the meantime, with Virgin about to enter the UKs high-street banking sector for the first time, well watch with interest to see if its reputation as the nations employer of choice will remain intact.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms an d conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features

3 Ways Businesses Can Build Trust with their Remote Workers

3 Ways Businesses Can Build Trust with their Remote Workers In today’s hyper-connected world, employees don’t have to be in the office to be productive.  Many companies have identified remote working as a viable option to hire the best staff. Tech companies, always ahead of the game, have been doing this for years. In fact, 36% of developers work remotely at least a few days each month, while 9% do so full time, according to Stack Overflow’s  Developer Ecosystem Report. However, one of the first concerns businesses express around remote workers is: are they working? The issue of trust is one of the most vital aspects of a company’s remote working programme. Similarly, it’s crucial for remote workers to  feel like valuable additions to a company’s team;  in fact,  62%  of employees are worried that they aren’t perceived as hard-working when they are not physically in the office. To establish trust with employees  there are three areas that businesses need to focus on: communication, outcome-based goals and the right tools. 1. Communicate regularly Just because your developer works in another location doesn’t mean that you never speak with them. When you do communicate, make sure you do so in a way that makes them feel at ease.  Hold a daily online meeting to have a quick-fire 10-minute conversation at the start of each day, to ensure that everyone in the team is synchronized and, with video conferencing, they see each other and feel connected. Furthermore, small rewards can go a long way regarding keeping employees motivated and showing them that you take a genuine interest in their wellbeing.  Employees  are five times more likely to stay in a company if their managers consistently acknowledge them for doing good work. Also,  70%  of employees say that motivation and morale would improve ‘massively’ if managers said ‘thank you’ more. A way to show appreciation can be in the form of a gift and note, for instance. For a coffee drinker, a manager can send a developer a good brand of coffee with a note saying ‘thank you for the extra hours that you’ve put in to complete the project last week.’ 2. Set personal outcome-based goals It is often easier to measure remote workers than workers in the office. The reason for this is that remote working is mainly focused on outcomes and not necessarily the hours spent on a project. People generally work better when they know what they’re supposed to be doing. Clearly define the responsibilities and goals of everyone in the team. Ensure that the expectations are consistent and understood by both parties, and put it in writing. These goals should be personalized, playing-up to each’s strengths to ensure not only the best possible outcomes but also a boost in morale as employees would feel gratified by fully utilizing their skill set. 3. Provide the right tools to do the job A painter can have the best studio, brushes, paint, and inspiration, but unless they have something to paint on, like a canvas, they can’t create. Make sure this doesn’t happen to your developers. Companies can show their support and trust in their employees by providing them with the necessary tools to do the job to the highest possible standard. Look at their workspace requirements. Do they have decent chairs and are their keyboards and screens up to scratch? Also, what type of communication tools do you have in place? A good video conferencing tool can make daily meetings mentioned earlier happen easier. Messaging services like Skype or Slack are great for staying in touch throughout the day and answering quick questions. Lastly, create a list of  tools  that may be useful and share it with your team. These can include time tracking, virtual assistants, teambuilding, group chats or mind mapping tools. In a nutshell, any company must be able to trust its employees, whether they are working remotely or on-site. Remote working, in particular, is a trend not likely to go away soon, with businesses expecting  38%  of their full-time staff to be working remotely in the next decade. It is a prerequisite for a new generation of employees, and it’s a compelling offering that can help attract the best talent. Direct benefits can include increased productivity and morale, higher employee retention, and lower operational costs, among others. The time is ripe to shape your company’s remote working policy today and start building on a culture of trust. About the author: Sean Bave is the Vice President and General Manager at  Stack Overflow Talent, discusses how communication, outcome-based goals and the right tools can increase trust.

How Youre Making Your Employees Want to Quit

How Youre Making Your Employees Want to Quit The  jobs market is changing every  day. Digital advancement is paving the way to increased employment transparency on a number of levels; people are more informed than ever before. We can compare our situations with those of others, and we are all too privy to whether weve got it good, okay, bad or horrible. Its easy to  search for new jobs from our phones whenever and wherever we want, and many of us are also  headhunted regularly for open positions. Its difficult to ignore the alternatives  that we know are out there for us; we know we have choice and we know we arent stuck if were unhappy. LinkedIn reports  78% of employees will not tolerate a bad culture, even if it means working for  a top company. Facing it head on The  clever companies are the ones taking retention seriously and  aggressively addressing it, embracing  things like culture and development.  Many are spending time and money on things like employer  branding and employee advocacy,  creating strategies for attracting and holding onto good  talent. Great  company leaders are swallowing  that they now need to constantly  win over their top performers and nurture those with great  potential in order to stop them leaving. Disgruntled employees know they shouldnt  have to deal with unrealistic working hours, stressful manager antics and poor working conditions, and in the face of workplace adversity, will likely up and leave for some greener grass on another side. Where do you come in? An employees relationship with their manager is possibly the most crucial  deciding factor in their day-to-day happiness at work. The saying goes that people quit managers, not their jobs. Being a manager of people is a privilege and a huge responsibility  getting it wrong can mean good employees will leave  not just your team, but your company.  It might not matter how much the salary is, how generous the benefits package is, how many friends a person has at work or the actual  daily tasks they get involved with if an employees manager drives them up the wall, theyll move on. While some managers are nasty by nature, many just misjudge  the amount of pressure and expectation to apply to get the best performance. Are you guilty of the below? These are the things that will make your employees want to leave. Talking up  workaholics When a manager sings the praise of a workaholic,  and condones work-obsessed behaviours, employees will start to feel like they are inadequate. Managers who glorify behaviours like staying really late everyday, skipping lunch breaks for meetings and working on weekends  will make hardworking employees feel their input is not great enough to get them noticed for the right reasons.  A good manager will foster  dedication and commitment within  their employees by making sure their well beings are being looked after first. A healthy, happy employee will give more to their work than a stressed out person who is constantly stretched and tired. Unwritten no-sick policies When we are sick, it is really hard to think clearly about anything else other than that fact. We spend our days sniffling, coughing, holding our stomachs; basically just trying to get through each hour without collapsing. Being productive is a really huge ask. Managers who make their employees feel like they dont have the option of staying home, working from home or going home early when they are unwell will  quickly become resented. Many employees feel guilty about using sick leave, and push themselves to the brink of breakdown. When stress couples itself with being unwell, a candidate will likely hit breaking point and  take multiple days off in a row  to recover.  In that time, theyll fester on everything they loathe about working, and the seed of  wanting to leave will have been  planted. Using motivational jargon like dig deep in times of real concern Work can be stressful  at times; this is fairly unavoidable. An employee wont necessarily leave a company because things get stressful, but they will if their manager doesnt deal with the situation effectively and look after their best interests.  When workplace stress leads to cracks forming in an employees demeanour, a manger should be quick to offer support and an open door for discussion and debriefing. Managers who ignore the warning signs of a seriously stressed out employee, and instead use motivational managerial jargon like dig deep will leave employees feeling helpless, and the pressure that comes with the implication of suck it up and deal with it will push them even closer tojust upping and leaving. Mouthing off more senior management Managers have managers too, and  feel boss-related frustrations just like their own  team does with them. Managers should never mouth off the senior layer above them, even if their own team shares the same  feelings. Managers  might feel like banding together with their team in mutual  annoyance towards bigger bosses in the company will embrace a sense of togetherness and get members of their team on side in a friend-like way. However, all this does is make individual employees doubt the leaders in the company, and highlight how shaky employer relations in their company really are. Managers shouldnt bring this kind of venting and negativity to their own staff. Image: Shutterstock

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Isaiah Washingtons Big Mistakes

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Isaiah Washington's Big Mistakes I recently watched Isaiah Washington on Larry King Live as he discussed his feelings about being fired for making reportedly homophobic comments about his fellow cast mate, T.R. Knight, who is gay.I sat in awe as I watched this guy dig a hole so deep for himself he may never get out of it. In fact, he broke just about every rule you can regarding your work performance and a former employer.Heres what needs to be learned by everyone regarding this nasty little fight between Washington and his colleagues and his bosses: Its a small world. If you work in a specific industry, such as Washingtons acting arena, youre going to run into many of the same people throughout the course of your career. That means that you dont muddy the waters with nasty comments about people you might come to work with again in the future. Keep in mind that someone you badmouth today may be someone who can hire you in the future or be your boss.You are often remembered more for how you leave a job than anythin g else. No matter how angry you might be at other people when you walk out that door, keep your mouth shut. Offer a handshake and a smile and just leave. Anything you say otherwise will be gossiped about for weeks or years to come. Washingtons name will forever be linked with not only what he said to start the gossip, but what he did to perpetuate it. Trust me, the mans obit in 50 years will mention the spat.Let it go for your own peace of mind. Dwelling on the past, as Washington appears to be doing, does not help you get another job. You need to be upbeat, enthusiastic and focused on the future not past problems. Whether he has a legitimate gripe or not, hes not helping himself or his family by trying to rewrite history. Grace under pressure is underrated. I once had a boss who treated me and everyone else like garbage. But when I resigned, my letter simply stated the fact that I was leaving in two weeks. I didnt offer anything else, and that prompted her to look me in the eye an d claim, You know, Im not easy to work for, but youve been grace under pressure. I kept my gag reflex under control, and felt like I hadnt let her win. I had kept my cool, my perspectiveand gotten the heck out of there with my sanity intact. Think of how the message boards would look if Washington had stopped whining and instead nabbed another great job without badmouthing everyone in the process.

Important Resume Writing Tips

Important Resume Writing TipsIf you're a new employer, the key to getting ahead in your career is ensuring that you follow some essential resume writing tips. These tips can make a huge difference to your chances of getting an interview for a position you want. They are easy to follow and don't require any extra time or work on your part.The first important tip is to pick out a job that fits you. You may have the skills required, but not be the right fit for the company you are applying for. Of course, this won't make you look bad, but it will certainly make you stand out from the other applicants. Make sure that you know what you want to do before you apply, but if the position doesn't say, for example, the 'job applicants' on it, don't bother applying for it.Another important tip is to be well organized. Your resume should reflect your professional skills and experience. This is where your document becomes very important. You should get it done as soon as possible so that you don't have to re-do it each time you get a new job.When it's time to go through your document, make sure that you gather all of your information, especially from your educational background. You should be able to put your education into a chronological order. For example, you can think of your secondary school as coming before your university years.Lastly, don't just give them your best references. You should have contact details for previous employers, who can vouch for you. It would be a waste of time and effort if they have no reference you can rely on.One more important resume writing tips is to start out with a clean slate. Every applicant to a job wants to be thought ofhighly, but some people get injured too easily. For this reason, always take care of your credentials.Your references should be kept in a safe place and only provided to people who you trust. Take care of them so that they aren't in danger of being thrown away. Don't be too rough when applying for a job; be polite an d keep it simple.It is also important that you don't show your inexperience. Of course, as a manager you will have experience in this type of situation, but if you're applying for a job that you don't have much experience in, be prepared for it to come across as unprofessional. Make sure that you have all of the essential resume writing tips in place before you send out your application.

What Skills does a Payroll Manager Need - CareerAlley

What Skills does a Payroll Manager Need - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. While Payroll Manager may not be the most glamorous of job titles, its an interesting role that requires a good balance of skills, and so great for people who enjoy both working with numbers and working with people. As the person in charge of getting the salaries right you play an absolutely vital role both in the success of your organisation and in the wellbeing of your colleagues. Career path Many Payroll Managers start as payroll Administrators and simply work their way up the chain. If thats the way you want to do it you will need some GCSEs or equivalent, including maths, but there will be no need for further qualifications: you can do your training on the job. Others start at managerial level, often having come from another kind of managerial or accounting position. It is rarer to come in to Payroll Management straight from education, but it does happen. Qualifications Payroll Management is not a career where any particular qualification is essential. However, NVQs/SVQs in Payroll Administration are available and can be a great way to kick-start your career. If you get one of these qualifications you will automatically become an affiliate of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). There are also further qualifications you can get once youve started. The Institute of Payroll and Pensions Management (IPPM) provide several of them, so see their website for more details. More general management qualifications may also be useful. Numeracy You will need decent mathematical skills to be a successful payroll manager, but they dont need to be at a particularly high level. You do not, for example, need a maths degree. Its more important to have a general aptitude for working with numbers. Customer focus Most careers in the modern world involve a strong focus on the needs and requirements of your customers, but this is true of Payroll Management more than most. Delivering through other people A Payroll Manager is a manager before anything else, and managers manage people. You will need to be able to build up a good rapport with your staff, develop an instinct for when its good to get involved and when its better to stand back. You will deliver results not (just) by doing the work yourself but by motivating and enabling others to do it. These are skills that can only be developed by practice, in either a work or voluntary capacity. However, if it sounds like an exciting challenge to you, you may be well suited to management. Information Technology (IT) Specialist payroll software is right at the heart of the business of Payroll Management, and so it is not a career for technophobes. You will need to develop proficiency with the systems your organisation uses. It doesnt necessarily matter whether IT comes naturally to you, but if it doesnt you will need to be persistent in learning. Attention to detail Are you a big picture person or a little details person? As a Payroll Manager you will need to be a bit of both, but the latter of the two is more significant. You will need to be meticulously accurate in everything you do because little mistakes can mean big problems for your organisation. BIO: This is a guest post on behalf of small business software experts IRIS. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook

Motivation Monday Are You Kissing Enough Frogs

Motivation Monday Are You Kissing Enough Frogs Youve heard the saying You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, right? I think this same logic applies to your job search. In order for you to find your prince (or princess) you will have to seek out opportunities to kiss a bunch of frogs. A Meeting Is a Kiss Each time you meet someone, there is the potential that they could be your prince (or princess). When you turn down an opportunity to engage in conversation or blatantly refuse to even try networking, youve cut your chances. Until you have a conversation with someone, you wont know much about them and you will never know where it will lead. Why would you deny yourself or others this opportunity? An Interview Is a Kiss Not all interviews translate into job offers. In fact, the majority of them wont. Each interview is a kiss. It offers potential. Have you turned down an interview? Reconsider your decision the next time you think about turning down the opportunity for a kiss. Could it potentially lead to other conversations either internally or externally? You will never know if you deny the frog a kiss! Even a Job Is a Kiss All signs pointed to the fact that you had found your princess (or prince)! But, alas, the fairytale job in the fairytale kingdom with the prince turned out to be a bust. It happens. Look for the moral of the story or the meaning of the fable and begin kissing more frogs! What actions will you take this week to find frogs?