Lose These Lousy Work Habits

Everyone has bad habits, but some can stifle career growth. Prudent employees will make sure to eliminate the following negative workplace behaviors:

• Chronic lateness. Flat tires, traffic, or oversleeping can happen to anyone, but when they happen too often, offenders will just look undisciplined or worse, as though they don’t care about their job.

• Procrastination. Waiting until the last minute to turn in work jeopardizes colleagues who may be depending on that work to complete their own tasks. Procrastinators earn themselves a reputation for being unreliable.

• Lying. Owning up to mistakes and taking responsibility for them is far better than being terminated when the lie is discovered.

• Negativity. A worker who is always griping about projects or coworkers will be considered difficult to work with.

• Anger. Temper tantrums have no place in the workplace—no one wants to work with a hothead.

• Poor writing skills. Weak writing—bad grammar, spelling, or unedited prose—makes the author appear less intelligent and careless. Organizations cannot afford to be associated with sloppiness.

• Laziness. Coworkers and managers will know which employee repeatedly shirks work or pushes it to someone else, resulting in doubt about the individual’s commitment to the organization.

From The Job Network

Culture Fit Crucial for New-Hires

More and more employers are screening candidates in odd ways to assess whether they will fit into the organization from day one.

Some companies ask current employees to act as “cultural ambassadors” to gauge how well a candidate will successfully enter a department. Shoe e-tailer Zappos gives long-term workers veto power over job candidates. The company veterans can ask a potential future colleague to answer questions such as “If you were to write your biography, what would the title be?” to demonstrate how quickly a candidate thinks as well as how the individual will fit into the corporate culture.

HR personnel often rate cultural fit above referrals, grades, or coursework, according to a recent survey by the career website Beyond.  However, because “culture fit” is vague, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warns that such an unspecific criterion could put organizations at risk of violating hiring regulations. Some companies agree. Facebook, for example, does not use culture fit as a reason to not hire someone precisely because it can be a “bias trap.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Four Job Applicant Must-Haves

When interviewing for a new position, savvy job seekers will demonstrate that they possess the following qualities today’s employers demand:

1. IQ – intelligence and critical thinking. Employers need workers who can solve problems, strategize, and see the big picture. A high GPA may get a candidate in the door. However, only by using those smarts on the job will the new-hire stay

2. EQ – emotional intelligence. Reading others’ emotions, listening well, and building relationships are key ways to wow a recruiter and future employers. Being ready with thoughtful questions helps demonstrate this ability, especially during an interview.

3. PQ – passion quotient. Excitement about a firm’s ethos and goals helps show how an interviewee or new-hire will add value to an organization.

4. IMQ – improvisation quotient. Flexibility, thinking outside the box, and curiosity are important qualities employers look for in job candidates. Because today’s marketplace changes quickly, employees who adapt and cope well with stressful situations are highly valued.

From Los Angeles Times