5 Things to Look Out for in a Business Executive

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Hiring the right executive can help catapult your business forward and impact your bottom line. The role of the business executive varies depending on the organisation but there are some underlying traits that every executive should possess. We have created a list of the top five things you should look out for when hiring a new executive:

Communication skills

This is a key skill that every executive search firm looks for in their candidates. They should be highly developed communicators both verbally and written with the ability to communicate to all levels particularly senior level. As part of the role, the business executive will be required to interact with a wide variety of individuals from different departments and also with people from outside the organization so they need to be able to adapt their tone and language to each audience. The business executive will also be required to make presentations and take part in board meetings so they need to have bags of confidence.

Ability to inspire and motivate those around them

Executive recruiters look for candidates who are self-motivated and also possess the ability to inspire and motivate those around them. As well as results, and the all-important bottom line, a good business executive will also boost staff morale which will ultimately lead to higher productivity. As Andrew Carnegie would say “there is little success where there is little laughter.”

Negotiation skills

The business executive should also possess the ability to build positive relationships and negotiate with a variety of individuals and achieve objectives through these relationships.

Strategic thinking

The role of the business executive varies depending on the organization but almost certainly they will be expected to set more effective strategies. Therefore, the executive needs to be a strategic thinker who can see the big picture and understand the specific paths that will lead there. They should be able to act on the big and small picture at the same time – helping the organization achieve long-term growth and sustainability while delivering short-term goals.

Commercial acumen

Another thing that you should look for in a business executive, and something an executive search firm will lookout for is commercial acumen. It’s important that they have an awareness of how their role and department impacts the wider organisation and the external forces that affect the business.

When recruiting for a business executive you need to make sure they tick all the right boxes, which is why some companies benefit from enlisting the help of professional executive recruiters who can find the right candidate for you. They can develop a clear understanding of what you need and connect you with the right person who’s going to be able to live up to that expectation.

A business executive plays a vital role in the organisation so the stakes are high. It’s essentially a leadership role – get it right and the results can be amazing but get it wrong and it can have a catastrophic effect on the entire organization and your bottom line.

How to Choose the Best immigration lawyer in Los Angeles for Your Green Card

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Immigration Law| How to Choose the Best immigration lawyer in Los Angeles for Your Green CardIt can be quite a tumultuous experience to go through the United States’ visa journey. You have to engage with several authorities and fill a lot of paperwork before you are through. One of the things that you will need to do is take the immigration medical examination. This step is necessary and mandatory in the whole ladder of immigrating to the United States. The other critical stage is that of the visa. It is a wise move to employ the services of an immigration lawyer in Los Angeles if you want to succeed. In this article, we will give you some tips that will help you to find a lawyer who will meet your immigration needs with the highest level of precision.

Check Prominent Attorney Websites

Several online sites can give you referrals for reputable immigration lawyers. Some of the popular websites that you come across provide ranking to the lawyers for green card visas and immigration. You need to choose a lawyer who has a high success rate in this field. These websites also have a lot of valuable data that will help you to get useful information about each lawyer. The best way to arrive at a decision is to leaf through peer ratings of the attorneys that you wish to engage their services.

Customer Reviews

Once you narrow to a particular attorney firm or lawyer, you can check the ratings and Google for more information. Previous clients leave behind objective reviews that will help you to understand how the firm works. Don’t just count the number of reviews and then make a decision. Take your time and go through every review keenly. The options matter because they have a lot of insights about the performance of the lawyer.

Go Through the Firm’s Website

Check whether the website is entirely professional. Search for links to the recognition and awards that the law firm has received and customer reviews. It will tell you that the lawyer will work hard on your case because he has been doing so to other customers. Therefore, it is vital to scrutinize the website of the law firm for you to make an educated decision.

The Level of Knowledge of the Lawyer

The last thing you need to look at is how much does the attorney know? You will gain these insights by looking at where his or her expertise lies. You need someone who specializes in immigration law and not the whole sphere of civil law. The best way forward is to engage the services of a firm or lawyer that has a proficiency in immigration law. The in-depth knowledge and experience on the subject will make sure that you stand in good stead. The lawyer will also assist you to go through the medical examination process that is mandatory.

The tips in this article will make sure that you are getting the best immigration lawyer in Los Angeles. You cannot choose the wrong legal professional and expect to get the best representation. Do your homework well so that you don’t regret afterward.

How To Keep Your Employees Happy

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Employee Culture|How To Keep Your Employees Happy If you are keen to grow your business, there will most likely come a time when you are no longer able to do everything by yourself, and you will need to hire people to help you. This is an exciting time, but there is a lot to consider before you take anyone on. Apart from the obvious need to be able to pay everyone on time each month or week, you also need to make sure that your employees are happy.

Happy employees are more loyal, more productive, and more healthy than those who are unhappy in their jobs. It makes sense to keep your employees as happy as possible, and here are some of the ways to do it.

Keep Them Involved

Something that can often cause employees to feel unhappy is when they don’t feel involved in the business. Although as a boss you may not want to tell everyone what is happening all of the time, it is wise to keep them informed of the details that do involve them, or that they might be able to help with.

When you let people know what is happening around and within the business, they will feel more involved, and they will also feel more like part of a team. They will be more engaged in the business, and will often work harder, coming up with ideas to help if they know what issues or plans you are dealing with.

One way to do this is to send out a weekly email to everyone, detailing anything that might have happened that they need to be aware of. Alternatively, you could plan a meeting once a week where these details are discussed.

A Comfortable Office

Unless your employees work from home, you are going to need to have a comfortable office space for them to work in. It should be large enough for everyone to have their own space if need be, and include meetings room if you often have to host meetings for clients, staff, or suppliers.

Sunlight is another important factor; the more sunlight people can be in contact with, the better. It keeps them happy, but also keeps them healthy so they will take fewer sick days, and your business won’t be disrupted. Make sure there are windows in your office, or that your employees can go outside for breaks.

Ergonomic furniture such as chairs and desks, plenty of breaks throughout the day in a real break room, and an office that is clean and tidy in a good location that is easy to get to is also to be considered. Serviced offices can be the ideal way to find the right space, and you can view more here to see what is on offer.

Give Them The Right Tools

Employees want to do their job, and they want to do it well. For this to happen, they will need the right tools and equipment. If you don’t provide what they need, not only will they not be able to do their job, but they will feel unhappy in general, and they won’t want to stay with the company. Hiring new people is an expense in terms of both money and time, and keeping your current employees is a much better option.

Each different person will need different tools for their job, so make sure that you have these in place for when the role is filled. If anything is missing, make sure that your employees are happy to let you know, and that you can get what they need as soon as possible, within reason.

Don’t Give Them Big Goals To Reach

It’s important that your employees have goals that will enhance the business, but if you give them too many tasks to complete or goals that are too big, they will feel overwhelmed and unhappy. Even if they are capable of doing the work, they may not feel that you are listening to them, and they could become unproductive anyway.

The best way to ensure that everyone is happy and not being given too much to handle at work is to break everything down into smaller pieces. That way, the jobs will be more readily completed, and the sense of achievement that comes with this will push the employee to do even more, to be proud of themselves, and to be happy in their work.

Recognize Their Progress

If someone who works for you is doing a good job, let them know. They will appreciate the fact that you have noticed what they are doing, and this will usually make them work even harder, going above and beyond what has been asked of them.

When you acknowledge someone, do it in a way that will make them feel comfortable. They might like others to know what they have done so that you can call them out in front of their colleagues. They might prefer a quiet chat in your office behind closed doors. They might like to receive a store coupon or a voucher for a nice meal out. Everyone is different, so knowing your employees is important.

Trust Them

When employees know that you trust them, they will be much happier in their work. You can show your trust by delegating tasks to them; this proves that you believe your employees can do the work that you would normally do, and this is an important step.

Remember not to micromanage when you delegate, as this will have the opposite effect, and could upset your employees. Let them get on with the task at hand, and if they have any problems or issues ensure they know they can come to you with questions and ask for advice.

Even if you have no tasks to delegate, or you don’t think your staff is ready to do the work just yet, asking their opinion about something can be just as effective a way of showing your trust. You don’t have to implement all of their ideas, but asking is a good first step.

Hosting A Corporate Awards Event

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Corporate Award Ceremony|Hosting A Corporate Awards EventA company award ceremony is definitely something to get excited about. It is a chance for everyone to leave their work self at the door and unleash their glitzy and glamorous side. Nonetheless, in order to put on an award ceremony to rival the Oscars, you need to put an extensive amount of planning into place. This blog post will help you with that. Read on to discover some useful planning tips.

Choosing the right venue for such an important event

The most important attribute of any successful award ceremony is the venue. Go for a typical award ceremony venue. This means those that boast high ceilings, no sound restrictions, and an extravagant appearance with seats arranged in a banquet setting. There are lots of great award ceremony venues depending on where in the world you are based. Of course, the big cities tend to have the best places. For example, in London, including; Old Billingsgate, the Auditorium at the Mermaid, the Pavilion at the Tower of London, Building Six at the O2 and Plaisterers’ Hall. In New York, some of the more unique venues include the likes of the Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and The Museum of Modern Art. A quick search online will enlighten you to some of the best and most suitable venues for you.

Inviting your guests

Once you have booked the venue it is time to invite all of your guests. Make sure the invitations are as glamorous as the event will be. This sets the tone and gets people excited about the occasion. A great idea is to wrap the invitations in luxurious silk ribbon. This always looks fantastic. And don’t forget to state the dress code; only black tie will do when it comes to an award ceremony.

Awards and prizes

You will also need to deal with the award categories and prizes. When selecting a prize it is always recommended to go for a traditional trophy type product. You can get some specially made to suit your company. This is a great way of branding your business too. You will need to come up with a fair way of the winner being selected. Use various methods if you’d prefer. Let your customers vote for some awards, your employees vote for others and a prestigious judging panel for the rest.

Who is going to host your award show?

In addition to this, you will need to find the perfect host for the event. This can prove to be a little bit tricky. Do you go for someone who is well known at your company and so all the guests will be familiar with? This makes the occasion more personable and warm. However, not everybody is willing to partake in a bit of hosting, nor is this the applicable choice for all businesses. Therefore, you will need to hire an outside host. Make sure you take the time to seek someone who is experienced and qualified. They need to act like they know what they are talking about at all times; not merely reading off autocue.

The logistics of the event

There is no denying that hosting any sort of event can be difficult to manage. This is especially the case if you are hosting an award show that is large in size. You need to coordinate all of your staff members and services, and you have matters like security too. Good staffing software can really prove invaluable here. Or, you may want to consider looking for an outside events management company, with their own technology, to take over this for you.

Entertainment

And finally, make sure you choose some good entertainment for the evening. You can’t just give award after award after award. You need to make it more exciting than this. There are lots of fantastic entertainers to choose from. You could have a comedian for one stint, a band for the next, and then circus performers at the end. It is entirely up to you. But a diverse selection ensures everyone is kept happy.

If you follow the advice given in this article then you will have no trouble hosting the perfect award ceremony. The Oscars better watch out!

Magic Motivators to Boost Energy Levels In the Office

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Office Culture|Magic Motivators to Boost Energy Levels In the OfficeWhen people drag their feet into work on a Monday morning it seems like there is no way to bring the energy levels back up. Of course not every office is going to be perfect but you could do a lot of things to keep your workforce happy. With regards to employee motivation, you need to start thinking creatively and get the ball rolling with some fresh ideas. Whether you subscribe to a reward scheme or you organize a team away day, this could be your recipe to higher energy in the office.

Rewards and Recognition

One of the best ways to improve the energy and motivation in the office is to show your appreciation for your employees’ hard work. Surprise HR (https://surprisehr.com) has reinvented employee recognition and rewards using the power of surprise. If you think your office could benefit from this sort of scheme then start exploring your options today. When you are able to show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work, you will be giving them a mini motivation boost every single day.

Free Fruit Day

This is a simple and low cost way to put a smile on your employees faces every now and again. Once a week you could invest in a fresh fruit delivery from a local farm shop. Not only will you be helping a local business, but you will also be encouraging your employees to be healthy. Somebody who has snacked on a banana or an apple mid afternoon is much more likely to have a productive day than a worker who hits the vending machine for a sugar hit.

Team Lunch

You should never underestimate the power of a team lunch. Not only does this give them the opportunity to let loose and chat in a relaxed environment, but it also shows them you care. Treat your star team members to lunch or even a gift voucher for a local restaurant on pay day. This regular treat will become a huge motivating factor so your workforce are more likely to do well.

Away Day Fun

Employee away days are very common in small and large businesses. It gives you time away from the office and allows everybody to get to know each other in a fresh environment. Away days can come in a variety of different forms, depending on the industry you are working in. It might be appropriate to head to a local event and listen to a guest speaker. Maybe your team could benefit from a relaxing day out together to avoid the high stresses in the office. Think of an away day that is suitable for your individual business.

Sometimes a little can go a very long way when it comes to pleasing your employees. A piece of free fruit in the middle of the week or an unexpected lunch on a Friday night just be all you need to keep your workforce happy and smiling. Rewarding your employees for their hard work will not only improve the mood in the office, but it will also help you to retain staff, saving you money in the long run.