Top 10 Ways to Be Happy at Work

Choose to Be Happy at Work

Copyright Rasmus Rasmussen

Happiness is largely a choice. I can hear many of you arguing with me, but it's true. You can choose to be happy at work. Sound simple? Yes. But, simplicity is often profoundly difficult to put into action. I wish all of you had the best employer in the world, but, face it, you may not. So, think positively about your work. Dwell on the aspects of your work you like. Avoid negative people and gossip. Find coworkers you like and enjoy and spend your time with them. Your choices at work largely define your experience. You can choose to be happy at work.

2. Do Something You Love Every Single Day

Image Copyright Jacob Wackerhausen

You may or may not love your current job and you may or may not believe that you can find something in your current job to love, but you can. Trust me. Take a look at yourself, your skills and interests, and find something that you can enjoy doing every day. If you do something you love every single day, your current job won't seem so bad. Of course, you can always make your current job work or decide that it is time to quit your job.

Take Charge of Your Own Professional and Personal Development

Image Copyright Noel Hendrickson / Getty Images

A young employee complained to me recently that she wanted to change jobs because her boss was not doing enough to help her develop professionally. I asked her whom she thought was the person most interested in her development. The answer, of course, was her. You are the person with the most to gain from continuing to develop professionally. Take charge of your own growth; ask for specific and meaningful help from your boss, but march to the music of your personally developed plan and goals. You have the most to gain from growing - and the most to lose, if you stand still.

 Take Responsibility for Knowing What Is Happening at Work

Copyright Stock_IMG Business

People complain to me daily that they don't receive enough communication and information about what is happening with their company, their department's projects, or their coworkers. Passive vessels, they wait for the boss to fill them up with knowledge. And, the knowledge rarely comes. Why? Because the boss is busy doing her job and she doesn't know what you don't know. Seek out the information you need to work effectively. Develop an information network and use it. Assertively request a weekly meeting with your boss and ask questions to learn. You are in charge of the information you receive.

Ask for Feedback Frequently

Copyright Jacob Wackerhausen

Have you made statements such as, "My boss never gives me any feedback, so I never know how I'm doing." Face it, you really know exactly how you're doing. Especially if you feel positively about your performance, you just want to hear him acknowledge you. If you're not positive about your work, think about improving and making a sincere contribution. Then, ask your boss for feedback. Tell him you'd really like to hear his assessment of your work. Talk to your customers, too; if you're serving them well, their feedback is affirming. You are responsible for your own development. Everything else you get is gravy.

Make Only Commitments You Can Keep

Image Copyright Jacob Wackerhausen

One of the most serious causes of work stress and unhappiness is failing to keep commitments. Many employees spend more time making excuses for failing to keep a commitment, and worrying about the consequences of not keeping a commitment, than they do performing the tasks promised. Create a system of organization and planning that enables you to assess your ability to complete a requested commitment. Don't volunteer if you don't have time. If your workload is exceeding your available time and energy, make a comprehensive plan to ask the boss for help and resources. Don't wallow in the swamp of unkept promises.

 Avoid Negativity

Copyright Stefanie Timmermann

Choosing to be happy at work means avoiding negative conversations, gossip, and unhappy people as much as possible. No matter how positively you feel, negative people have a profound impact on your psyche. Don't let the negative Neds and Nellies bring you down

 Practice Professional Courage

Copyright Diego Cervo

If you are like most people, you don't like conflict. And the reason why is simple. You've never been trained to participate in meaningful conflict, so you likely think of conflict as scary, harmful, and hurtful. Conflict can be all three; done well, conflict can also help you accomplish your work mission and your personal vision. Conflict can help you serve customers and create successful products. Happy people accomplish their purpose for working. Why let a little professional courage keep you from achieving your goals and dreams? Make conflict your friend.

Make Friends

Image Copyright Nancy Louie

In their landmark book, First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Compare Prices), Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman list twelve important questions. When employees answered these questions positively, their responses were true indicators of whether people were happy and motivated at work. One of these key questions was, "Do you have a best friend at work?" Liking and enjoying your coworkers are hallmarks of a positive, happy work experience. Take time to get to know them. You might actually like and enjoy them. Your network provides support, resources, sharing, and caring.

If All Else Fails, Job Searching Will Make You Smile

Copyright Pali Rao

If all of these ideas aren't making you happy at work, it's time to reevaluate your employer, your job, or your entire career. You don't want to spend your life doing work you hate in an unfriendly work environment. Most work environments don't change all that much. But unhappy employees tend to grow even more disgruntled. You can secretly smile while you spend all of your non-work time job searching. It will only be a matter of time until you can quit your job - with a big smile.

By Susan M. Heathfield

Tips for Better Team Work?

Have you ever wondered how some work groups exhibit effective team work and others remain dysfunctional for the life of the team? Effective team work is both profoundly simple and difficult at the same time. The factors that affect success in team work occur both within the team itself and in the work environment in which the team must function.
These ten tips describe the environment that must occur within the team for successful team work to take place. Successful team work is the cornerstone for creating functioning, contributing teams.

Keys to Successful Team Work

• The team understands the goals and is committed to attaining them. This clear direction and agreement on mission and purpose is essential for effective team work.
• The team creates an environment in which people are comfortable taking reasonable risks in communicating, advocating positions, and taking action

Communication is open, honest, and respectful. People feel free to express their thoughts, opinions, and potential solutions to problems. People feel as if they are heard out and listened to by team members who are attempting to understand.

Team members have a strong sense of belonging to the group. They experience a deep commitment to the group’s decisions and actions.

Team members are viewed as unique people with irreplaceable experiences, points of view, knowledge, and opinions to contribute.

Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints are expected and encouraged.

The team is able to constantly examine itself and continuously improve its processes, practices, and the interaction of team members. The team openly discusses team norms and what may be hindering its ability to move forward and progress in areas of effort, talent, and strategy.

The team has agreed upon procedures for diagnosing, analyzing, and resolving team work problems and conflicts. The team does not support member personality conflicts and clashes nor do team members pick sides in a disagreement. Rather, members work towards mutual resolution.

Participative leadership is practiced in leading meetings, assigning tasks, recording decisions and commitments, assessing progress, holding team members accountable, and providing direction for the team.

Members of the team make high quality decisions together and have the support and commitment of the group to carry out the decisions made.

If a team can get these ten factors right, success and a rewarding sense of team work will follow.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Tips for a Successful Salary Negotiation

You have a job offer in hand. How much leeway do you have to negotiate salary and other conditions of employment? The answer ranges from not much to a lot. One key factor is the discussion of salary, benefits, and working conditions that occurred during the interview process.
You have likely shared your current or most recent salary with the potential employer; the potential employer may have shared the salary range for the position with you. The posted job ads may also have given you an idea about the salary range. Don’t count on this, however, since employers don’t want to lay their cards on the table first. After all, what candidate wants to be offered and accept a position in the low to mid-range of a stated salary range?

Salary Negotiation From the Employer’s Point of View

Consequently, the employer’s salary negotiation leeway depends on these factors:

• the level of the job within your organization,
• the scarcity of the skills and experience needed for the job in the job market,
• the career progress and experience of the individual selected,
• the fair market value for the job you are filling
• the salary range for the job within your organization
• the salary range for the job within your geographic area,
• the existing economic conditions within your job market,
• the existing economic conditions within your industry, and
• company-specific factors that might affect the given salary such as comparative jobs, your culture, your pay philosophy, and your promotion practices.

Bottom line? How badly do you want and need this candidate? If you are too needy, your negotiation strategy will quickly turn into a capitulation. And, capitulation, paying more than you can afford, paying disproportionately to the pay ranges of your current employees, and paying a new employee salary and benefits outside of your comfort zone is bad for the employer and bad for the candidate.
The new employee’s work is scrutinized under a microscope; employer expectations may be way too high. Fellow employees may resent the negotiated salary and think of the new employee as a prima donna. In a win-win salary negotiation, both employer and employee leave the negotiation feeling ready to get started on a long term, successful relationship.
If you’ve ever been involved in an intense salary negotiation, you know that the negotiation can consume your mental and physical energy way beyond its importance. This is because, by the time you reach the stage of making an offer, you have spent the time to develop a pool of candidates. You have interviewed various candidates for weeks.
Your organization has invested significant time and energy in wooing and getting to know your final choice candidate. More sophisticated candidates, higher level candidates, and candidates with significant career progress will counter your initial offer letter, so expect it.
Additionally, expectations and needs of candidates can sometimes blind side the employer. If multiple people have conducted interviews – which I recommend – you have little control over the expectations expressed and what the candidate comes to believe about the position as a result of the interviews. You also have no control over the content of offers from other firms that can occur simultaneously.

Salary Negotiation Tips

While they are not meant to comprehensively detail how to conduct a salary negotiation, I offer you these hints and tips to ensure you conduct successful salary negotiations.

• Negotiation is not about winning – unless both parties win. If either party feels they have capitulated, not negotiated, both parties lose.
• Make every effort to identify the most recent salary and benefits your candidate received. Most organizations ask for salary on their job applications and in their job postings and ads. Some candidates offer W-2 forms and other proof of salary. You can also ask former employers during reference checking. You may not be able to match the salary but you will have a good idea of what the candidate will seek during salary negotiations.

While they are not meant to comprehensively detail how to conduct a salary negotiation, I offer you these hints and tips to ensure you conduct successful salary negotiations.

• Know what your salary negotiation limits are. Base your limits on your internal salary ranges, the salary paid employees in similar positions, the economic climate and job searching market, and the profitability of your company.
• Recognize that, if your salary is not negotiable, and even if it is, superior candidates will negotiate with you in other areas that may be negotiable. These include benefits, eligibility for benefits or paid COBRA, tuition assistance, paid time off, a signing bonus, stock options, variable bonus pay, commissions, car allowance, paid cell phone, severance packages, and relocation expenses. In fact, sophisticated candidates will negotiate in all of these areas and more.
• Even if you are convinced of the candidate’s potential positive impact within your organization, and a negotiating candidate is likely to keep reminding you, most organizations have limits. You will regret violating your limits; even if you have to start your recruitment over, you will save yourself years of headaches and prohibitive costs
  
  In one company, a candidate tried to negotiate a severance package that provided six months of his base salary plus an additional one month for each year he worked for the company. Plus, he wanted all of this money in a lump sum upon dismissal. At $5769.00 per pay, the organization would have had to come up with approximately $116,000.00 upon his dismissal after only three years of employment. I don’t know too many small and medium-sized companies that can afford to negotiate salary in this arena or come up with a lump sum such as this.
• If your initial offer is not negotiable, or barely negotiable, try to indicate that to the candidate when you make the offer. Recently, I made an offer to a special candidate whom an organization had been trying to hire. (They waited to make an offer until the right position opened up.)
  
  I said, "We are offering you $60,000 in base salary plus the potential to earn up to $20,000 in bonuses during your first year. Others who have been with us for up to nine years are within a couple thousand dollars of that base. So, you can see how much we value you. Additionally, as you build your accounts, some of our business developers are making well over $100,000.00." I was trying to tell her that the base was firm and that the upside potential in bonus was high.

By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Offer Letter

Date
Name
Address
Address
Dear __________________________________:
It is my pleasure to extend the following offer of employment to you on behalf of (your company name). This offer is contingent upon your passing our mandatory drug screen, our receipt of your college transcripts, and any other contingencies you may wish to state.
Title: ________________________________________________________
Reporting Relationship: The position will report to:
_____________________________________________________________

Job Description is attached.
Base Salary: Will be paid in bi-weekly installments of $_________, which is equivalent to $_______ on an annual basis, and subject to deductions for taxes and other withholdings as required by law or the policies of the company.
Bonus (or Commission) Potential: Effective upon satisfactory completion of the first 90 days of employment, and based upon the goals and objectives agreed to in the performance development planning process with your manager, you may be eligible for a bonus. The bonus plan for this year and beyond, should such a plan exist, will be based on the formula determined by the company for that year.
Non-Compete Agreement: Our standard non-compete agreement must be signed prior to start.
Benefits: The current, standard company health, life, disability and dental insurance coverage are generally supplied per company policy. Eligibility for other benefits, including the 401(k) and tuition reimbursement, will generally take place per company policy. Employee contribution to payment for benefit plans is determined annually.
Stock Options: Spell out any options that may be available for purchase.
Vacation and Personal Emergency Time Off: Vacation is accrued at x.xx hours per pay period, which is equivalent to two weeks on an annual basis. Personal emergency days are generally accrued per company policy.
Expenses: Spell out any moving or other transition expenses the company will pay.
Start Date: _________________________________________________
Car/Phone/Travel Expenses: Normal and reasonable expenses will be reimbursed on a monthly basis per company policy.
Your employment with (Company Name) is at-will and either party can terminate the relationship at any time with or without cause and with or without notice.
You acknowledge that this offer letter, (along with the final form of any referenced documents), represents the entire agreement between you and (Company Name) and that no verbal or written agreements, promises or representations that are not specifically stated in this offer, are or will be binding upon (Company Name).
If you are in agreement with the above outline, please sign below. This offer is in effect for five business days.
Signatures:
__________________________________________________________
(For the Company: Name)
__________________________________________________________
Date

__________________________________________________________
(Candidate's Name)
__________________________________________________________
Date

By Susan M. Heathfield

Tips for a Successful Salary Negotiation

You have a job offer in hand. How much leeway do you have to negotiate salary and other conditions of employment? The answer ranges from not much to a lot. One key factor is the discussion of salary, benefits, and working conditions that occurred during the interview process.
You have likely shared your current or most recent salary with the potential employer; the potential employer may have shared the salary range for the position with you. The posted job ads may also have given you an idea about the salary range. Don’t count on this, however, since employers don’t want to lay their cards on the table first. After all, what candidate wants to be offered and accept a position in the low to mid-range of a stated salary range?

Salary Negotiation From the Employer’s Point of View

Consequently, the employer’s salary negotiation leeway depends on these factors:

• the level of the job within your organization,
• the scarcity of the skills and experience needed for the job in the job market,
• the career progress and experience of the individual selected,
• the fair market value for the job you are filling
• the salary range for the job within your organization
• the salary range for the job within your geographic area,
• the existing economic conditions within your job market,
• the existing economic conditions within your industry, and
• company-specific factors that might affect the given salary such as comparative jobs, your culture, your pay philosophy, and your promotion practices.

Bottom line? How badly do you want and need this candidate? If you are too needy, your negotiation strategy will quickly turn into a capitulation. And, capitulation, paying more than you can afford, paying disproportionately to the pay ranges of your current employees, and paying a new employee salary and benefits outside of your comfort zone is bad for the employer and bad for the candidate.
The new employee’s work is scrutinized under a microscope; employer expectations may be way too high. Fellow employees may resent the negotiated salary and think of the new employee as a prima donna. In a win-win salary negotiation, both employer and employee leave the negotiation feeling ready to get started on a long term, successful relationship.
If you’ve ever been involved in an intense salary negotiation, you know that the negotiation can consume your mental and physical energy way beyond its importance. This is because, by the time you reach the stage of making an offer, you have spent the time to develop a pool of candidates. You have interviewed various candidates for weeks.
Your organization has invested significant time and energy in wooing and getting to know your final choice candidate. More sophisticated candidates, higher level candidates, and candidates with significant career progress will counter your initial offer letter, so expect it.
Additionally, expectations and needs of candidates can sometimes blind side the employer. If multiple people have conducted interviews – which I recommend – you have little control over the expectations expressed and what the candidate comes to believe about the position as a result of the interviews. You also have no control over the content of offers from other firms that can occur simultaneously.

Salary Negotiation Tips

While they are not meant to comprehensively detail how to conduct a salary negotiation, I offer you these hints and tips to ensure you conduct successful salary negotiations.

• Negotiation is not about winning – unless both parties win. If either party feels they have capitulated, not negotiated, both parties lose.
• Make every effort to identify the most recent salary and benefits your candidate received. Most organizations ask for salary on their job applications and in their job postings and ads. Some candidates offer W-2 forms and other proof of salary. You can also ask former employers during reference checking. You may not be able to match the salary but you will have a good idea of what the candidate will seek during salary negotiations.

By Susan M. Heathfield

How to Make Your Current Job Work

Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Do you find yourself day dreaming about other things you could do with the time you spend at work? Do you dread the thought of Monday mornings?
Then, it may be time for you to quit your job. Or, alternatively, address the issues that you dislike about your current job. Without leaving your job, you may be able to solve the problems and make your current job - work.
Take a look at these six common reasons why people often leave their job. These will help you determine whether it's time to quit your current job or take action to make your current job - work. With a little work, you can identify changes that will re-invigorate your job and career.

Determine Why You Are Unhappy in Your Current Job

Do you dislike the work you do day-to-day on the job? Or, are there other problems that affect how you feel about your job? If you like the work and pinpoint other issues as the problem, consider what you can do to resolve these problems before you quit your job.
Good jobs are difficult to find. You don't want to make a hasty decision or burn any bridges until you've thoughtfully considered your options. You may be able to make your job - work.
Following are the six common problems that prompt people to want to quit their job. See if you can find your reasons and use the advice provided to turn your work situation around.

You Feel Stuck in Your Current Job

Are you feeling stuck in your current position with no hope of promotion? You look around your organization and don't see any job you'd like to do next. You may want to explore options with your boss.

• Talk to your boss to make sure you're right. Ask about opportunities for lateral moves and for more interesting, skill-stretching assignments. Most workplaces value initiative and people who want to continue to learn and grow.
• Consider swapping assignments with a coworker who feels like you do about trying something new. (Ask for your manager's agreement, of course.)

You Feel Unappreciated in Your Current Job

You work hard every day, but you don't feel your boss or your workplace recognize your efforts. You can't remember the last time anyone thanked you for your contributions.

• Tell your boss you would like her input about how she views your work. Tell the boss you'd like to sit down with him regularly to obtain feedback, both good and bad, so you can improve.
• Offer to chair an employee recognition team that can develop a process for recognizing the hard work and efforts of all your coworkers. After all, if you're feeling unappreciated, you can bet others are, too.
• Sometimes, feeling unappreciated has to do with money. Ask your manager for a raise or ask when you can expect your compensation review. Follow up to make sure it happens.

By Susan M. Heathfield

Leadership Job Interview Questions

The following sample job interview questions about leadership enable you to assess your candidate’s skills in leadership. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.

• You decided to reorganize the department or work unit that you lead. Tell me how you proceeded with the reorganization?
• Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its success.
• Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, an activity, a department or work unit, or a project. Describe how you led the efforts. Tell me how people responded to your leadership.
• If I were to ask your reporting staff or your peers to comment about your leadership style, your leadership strengths, and your leadership weaknesses, how would they respond? What would this discussion tell me about you as a leader?
• Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.
• As a leader within an organization, you must often build support for goals and projects from people who do not report to you and over whom you have no authority. Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you can build the needed support.
• What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of these leadership values in practice within your workplace.
• During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have leadership ability and skill.

Leadership Job Interview Question Answers

You are questioning to determine whether the candidate has leadership skills or potential. You seek to identify the leadership style of your candidate, from his or her perspective and from the perspective of his or her direct reporting staff and peers. You are determining whether the candidate’s style is congruent with the culture of your organization. It is helpful if you have created beforehand a leadership profile that identifies the skills and traits of successful leaders within your organization.
Leadership style is best demonstrated in stories. Self-examination and commentary is self-serving, at best, in an interview setting. Ask your candidates for many specific stories and examples.
By Susan M. Heathfield

How to deal with a difficult boss? see this video...

how to communicate your strengths in a job interview? see this video...

how to follow up after interview?

If you've had an interview, the last thing you can do to cement your prospect of getting the job is follow up. But what is the best way to contact your interviewer? Should you email her a thank you letter or wait a week to print and send it in the mail? A few tips can help you effectively follow up after an interview.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plain notecard
• Contact information of interviewer

1. 1
   Ask for a business card during the interview. Use it to glean a mailing or email address so you can contact the person directly. You can save it long after you follow up, since you never know if you'll need to get in touch with that contact in the future. Chances are, all of the interviewer's contact information is on the card.
2. 2
   Send a printed note. While some people prefer email (and that works too), others swear by a handwritten note for a more personal touch. In the note, write a few lines thanking the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Bring up something somewhat personal mentioned in the interview. For example, if you found out that the recipient of your note is an avid kayaker like you, add something like, "Hope to see you paddling on the Adams River this spring."
3. 3
   Drop an email. Email is less personal, but the concept of following up really helps you stand out--regardless of what medium you use. In the email be brief and note the same thing you would in a written letter. Include a professional signature under your name with your phone number, address and email address. In the subject line, make sure you stand out so your message won't get locked in a spam folder. Something such as "Adam: Following Up on Our Interview" or "Adam: Your Interview with Kristen Fischer" or "Adam: Interview Follow-up."
4. 4
   Choose the right language. With a follow-up letter, you want to thank the person for spending time with you and reiterate your interest in the position. You could say that you feel you'd bring a lot to the position and list the name of the job. Or you may want to add that after meeting with the person, you got some ideas to improve sales or productivity in the office--or something else related to the job--then offer up an idea. Provide a more personalized salutation such as "Dear" and use a personal closing line such as "Sincerely," "Warmly" or "Best." These are still professional, but offer a more personal touch.
   
   Stay away from the use of colons in greetings and closings and use commas instead. Never command the recipient to contact you back; you're just saying thank you and showing more interest in the job. That's enough. The most important thing is to be polite and brief--and timely.
5. 5
   Watch the clock. It's never too soon to send out a follow-up note. You can email or mail the note just a few hours after the interview or the next day. Aim to send all follow-ups within 24 to 48 hours to make the best impression. If you use U.S. mail, send the letter out that day. If you email, send the letter within the 72-hour span, tops. If you interview later during the week, try to send out the follow-up message before the weekend. Some people say you may grasp the attention of the interviewer more by hitting him up on a Monday morning, but it's likely that your note could get shoved over in chaos.

By Kristen Fischer

Job Descriptions

Definition: Job descriptions are written statements that describe the:

• duties,
• responsibilities,
• most important contributions and outcomes needed from a position,
• required qualifications of candidates, and
• reporting relationship and coworkers of a particular job.

Job descriptions are based on objective information obtained through job analysis, an understanding of the competencies and skills required to accomplish needed tasks, and the needs of the organization to produce work. Job descriptions clearly identify and spell out the responsibilities of a specific job. Job descriptions also include information about working conditions, tools, equipment used, knowledge and skills needed, and relationships with other positions.
The best job descriptions are living, breathing documents that are updated as responsibilities change. The best job descriptions do not limit employees, but rather, cause them to stretch their experience, grow their skills, and develop their ability to contribute within their organization

See a Sample Job Specification for a Marketing Manager

Experience - Marketing Manager:

• 10 years of progressively more responsible positions in marketing, preferably in a similar industry in two different firms.
• Experience supervising and managing a professional staff of seven.

Education - Marketing Manager:

• Bachelors Degree in Marketing or a related field required.
• Masters in Business or Marketing preferred.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Characteristics - Marketing Manager:
These are the most important qualifications of the individual selected as the marketing manager.

• Strong effective communicator.
• Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills.
• Ability to coordinate the efforts of a large team of diverse creative employees.
• Demonstrated ability to increase productivity and continuously improve methods, approaches, and departmental contribution. Commitment to continuous learning.
• Expert in Internet and social media strategy with a demonstrated track record.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in holding conversations with customers, customer evangelism, and customer-focused product development and outreach.
• Demonstrated ability to see the big picture and provide useful advice and input across the company.
• Ability to lead in an environment of constant change.
• Experience working in a flexible, employee empowering work environment. Structured or large company experience will not work here.
• Familiarity and skill with the tools of the trade in marketing including PR, written communication, website development, market research, product packaging, Microsoft software suite of products, visal communication software products, and creative services.
• Experience managing external PR and communication consulting firms and contractors.
• Experience in the global marketplace is a plus.

High Level Overview of Job Requirements - Marketing Manager:
The selected marketing manager must be able to perform effectively in each of these areas:

• Researching and evaluating new product opportunities, demand for potential products, and customer needs and insights.
• Overall marketing strategy and execution of plans for the existing products.
• Working with product development teams to manage new product development.
• Managing launch campaigns for new products.
• Managing distribution channels for products.
• Ensuring effective, branded marketing communications including the company website, print communication, and advertising.
• Managing media and marketing staff and external PR agencies.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of all marketing efforts.

By Susan M. Heathfield

What is an Event Planner?

Anyone interested in becoming an event planner should begin the path by understanding that it is not party planning. This is the case whether you're considering a path with social events or corporate events. The final program may appear as if the profession is about throwing great parties, but the event planning professional focuses on the rationale or goal of having an event, and whether it is achieved. And the real work is in the details that lead up to the event. My site will help educate you about how to become successful.

Meetings and conventions bring people together for a common purpose, and meeting and convention planners work to ensure that this purpose is achieved seamlessly. Meeting planners coordinate every detail of meetings and conventions, from the speakers and meeting location to arranging for printed materials and audio-visual equipment. Meeting and convention planners work for nonprofit organizations, professional and similar associations, hotels, corporations, and government. Some organizations have internal meeting planning staffs, and others hire independent meeting and convention planning firms to organize their events.

The the event planner creates programs that address the purpose, message or impression that their organization or client is trying to communicate.
Event planners work long and non-traditional hours to plan and execute all details related to a variety of meeting formats including seminars, conferences, trade shows, executive retreats, incentive programs, golf events, conventions, and other programs.
Successful event planners develop the following skills:

• Verbal and written communications
• Organization and time management
• Project management and multi-tasking
• Self-starter and team player
• Understand Microsoft Office applications
• Detail and deadline-oriented
• Calm and personable under pressure
• Negotiation
• Budget management
• Staff management
• Marketing and public relations
• Interpersonal skills with all levels of management

Successful event planners will develop the following knowledge:

• Venue selection
• Catering
• Production
• Entertainment
• Gifts
• Transportation
• Lodging
• Conference Services

Those who pursue a career in event planning come from a variety of professions and academic backgrounds. Many employers prefer a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business administration, marketing, public relations, or communications. However, many successful planners begin in other professions or enter through administrative roles that include meeting planning responsibilities.
By Rob Hard

Training: Your Investment in People Development and Retention

The right employee training, development and education, at the right time, provides big payoffs for the employer in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and contribution. Learn the approaches that will guarantee your training brings a return on your investment.
The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) "estimates that U.S. organizations spend $109.25 billion on employee learning and development annually, with nearly three quarters ($79.75 billion) spent on the internal learning function, and the remainder ($29.50 billion) spent on external services."
Licensing, certification, continuing education, and training to retain and grow skills are becoming increasingly important. According to the State of the Industry Report 2006: The American Society for Training and Development's Annual Review of Trends in Employer-Provided Training, the amount of employer-provided training is rising. The ASTD annual report "look[s] to exemplary organizations from the ASTD Benchmarking Forum (BMF) and the BEST Award winners to determine how they invest in employee learning and development."

Important Aspects of Training

How training needs are determined, how training is viewed by employees, and how training is delivered become critically important issues. Training trends and methods for gaining knowledge, other than traditional classroom training, such as coaching and mentoring, take center stage.
New employee orientation, or new employee onboarding, is a significant factor in helping new employees hit the ground running. Training that helps each employee grow their skills and knowledge to better perform their current job is appreciated as a benefit. Training also increases employee loyalty, and thus retention, and helps you attract the best possible employees

Options for Training and Education for Employees

Options for employee training and development are magnifying due to these factors:

• technological innovations,
• employee retention strategies, and
• the need for organizations to constantly develop their employees' ability to keep up with the pace of change.

So, sending an employee off for training at a one-day seminar or a week-long workshop is only one of many options that exist now.
The American Society for Training and Development has traditionally recommended a minimum of 40 hours of training a year for every employee. This is consistent with the emphasis employees place on the opportunity to grow and develop both their skills and career while in your employ. The chance for ongoing development, is one of the top five factors employees want to experience at work. In fact, the inability of an employee to see progress is an often cited reason for leaving an employer.
As a retention strategy for your preferred employees, training and development rates highly. Only their perception of their salary and benefits as competitive, and reporting to a manager they like, rate higher.

Options for Employee Training and Development

When you think about education, training, and development, options exist externally, internally, and online. Choices range from seminars to book clubs to mentoring programs. Here are the existing alternatives to help your employees continue to grow. For recruiting, retention, and managing change and continuous improvement, adopt all of these practices within your organization.

External Education, Training, and Development

• Seminars, workshops, and classes come in every variety imaginable, both in-person and online.
• Take field trips to other companies and organizations.
• Colleges and universities, and occasionally, local adult education, community colleges or technical schools provide classes. Universities are reaching out to adult learners with evening and weekend MBA and business programs.
• Professional association seminars, meetings, and conferences offer training opportunities.

Internal Education, Training, and Development

• Onsite seminars and classes provide training customized to your organization.
• Coaching gives employees the opportunity to share knowledge.
• Mentoring is increasingly important in employee development and training as are formal mentoring programs.
• Form a Book Club at work.

What Your Organization Can Do to Facilitate Continuous Learning and Regular Training

• Create a learning environment. Communicate the expectation for learning.
• Offer work time support for learning. Make online learning and reading part of every employee's day.
• Provide a professional library.
• Offer college tuition reimbursement.
• Enable flexible schedules so employees can attend classes.
• Pay for professional association memberships and conference attendance annually for employees.

Training is crucial to the ongoing development of the people you employ and their retention and success. Be creative to provide diverse opportunities for training.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Create Your Own Path: Career Promotion Tips

Tired of watching other workers advance their career as you continue to exceed all expectations, without promotion, in your current position? Successful workers create their own path to promotion; they don't rely on luck. Self-promotion is key to your career success.
If you have experienced this situation, even once, you know that you can’t continue to wait for others to decide when you should be offered a promotion. Even if you are not ready to make a job or career change today, you will benefit from knowing how to put into action a successful self-promotion plan.
Unfortunately, if no one knows how much you contribute to the company, you will continue to miss the next great promotion opportunity. Letting people know that you are interested in advancing your career is the first step in an effective self-promotion plan. You can simply advise your immediate supervisor or a representative from your human resource department, but remember the old adage that "actions speak louder than words," and plan to make a lasting impression.

Create a Career Opportunity

One successful technique is to single out an unresolved challenge that exists in your company. Try to pick a situation that will benefit from your combination of experience and skills. Write a memo that outlines the need you've discovered. Highlight how you will use your skills to resolve the problem and contribute to the immediate objectives of the team or department involved. Send your memo to the person who will benefit most from your unique approach, for example, your boss or a human resources representative.
Don't wait for your organization to discover the same need. By waiting, you take the chance that they may decide to post the position. (If posting positions is policy in your company, at least your name is on the promotion list first.)
Without your proactive approach to your career and potential promotion, they may decide to promote one of your peers. By being proactive, you create a win-win situation. You may gain a challenging, enjoyable career opportunity and eliminate the need for a competition. Even if a new career or promotion opportunity does not result from your actions, you have successfully created an opportunity to demonstrate your value to the organization.You have increased the likelihood that they will consider you for the next rewarding career or promotion opportunity.

From Brenda Koritko

Interview Questions and Answers

even for job seekers who have gone on countless interviews. The best way to reduce the stress is to be prepared. Take the time to review the "standard" interview questions you will most likely be asked. Also review sample answers to these typical interview questions.
Then take the time to research the company. That way you'll be ready with knowledgeable answers for the job interview questions that specifically relate to the company

• Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment. -
• What were your expectations for the job and to what extent were they met? -
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation? -
• What were your responsibilities? -
• What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them? -
• What did you like or dislike about your previous job? -
• Which was most / least rewarding? -
• What was the biggest accomplishment / failure in this position? -
• Questions about your supervisors and co-workers. -
• What was it like working for your supervisor? -
• What do you expect from a supervisor? -
• Who was your best boss and who was the worst? -
• Why are you leaving your job? -
• What have you been doing since your last job? -
• Why were you fired? -
• What is your greatest weakness? -
• What is your greatest strength? -
• Describe a typical work week. - 
• Do you take work home with you? -
• How many hours do you normally work? -
• How would you describe the pace at which you work? -
• How do you handle stress and pressure? -
• What motivates you? -
• What are your salary expectations? -
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make? -
• Tell me about yourself. -
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life? -
• What are you passionate about? -
• What are your pet peeves? -
• What do people most often criticize about you? -
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened? -
• If you could relive the last 10 years of your life, what would you do differently? -
• If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team? -
• Give some examples of teamwork. -
• What type of work environment do you prefer? -
• How do you evaluate success? -
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it? -
• Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it. -
• Describe a time when your workload was heavy and how you handled it. -
• More job interview questions about your abilities. -
• More job interview questions about you. -

job Interview Questions About the New Job and the Company

• What interests you about this job? -
• Why do you want this job? -
• What applicable attributes / experience do you have? -
• Are you overqualified for this job? -
• What can you do for this company? -
• Why should we hire you? -
• Why are you the best person for the job? -
• What do you know about this company? -
• Why do you want to work here? -
• What challenges are you looking for in a position? -
• Are you willing to travel? -
• What is good customer service? -
• Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know? -
• Interview Questions: The Future
• What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you? -
• What are your goals for the next five years / ten years? -
• How do you plan to achieve those goals?
• What are your salary requirements - both short-term and long-term? -

By Alison Doyle

Job Application - Job Application Form

Many employers require all applicants, regardless of the job they apply for, to complete a job application form. This way the employer will have consistent data on file for all prospective applicants.
Print, practice filling out this job application form, and use it as a guide when completing applications for employment. Then, review more job applications and information on applying for jobs.

Job Application Form

Instructions: Print clearly in black or blue ink. Answer all questions. Sign and date the form.
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
First Name _____________________________
Middle Name ___________________________
Last Name _____________________________
Street Address
_______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code
_______________________________________________________
Phone Number
(___)___________________________________
Are you eligible to work in the United States?
Yes _______ No_______
If you are under age 18, do you have an employment/age certificate?
Yes ___ No ___
Have you been convicted of or pleaded no contest to a felony within the last five years?
Yes_______ No_______
If yes, please explain: _________________________________________
By Alison Doyle

Curriculum Vitae Template

A Curriculum Vitae, commonly referred to as CV, includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, and affiliations.
International employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would not be included on an American resume. When writing a CV for graduate school or academia the personal information included in this curriculum vitae template would be omitted.
The following curriculum vitae template will give you an example of what to include in your CV and shows the appropriate format for a curriculum vitae, then take a look at curriculum vitae samples to get some ideas for writing your own CV.
Sample Curriculum Vitae Template
CONTACT INFORMATION
Name
Address
Telephone
Cell Phone
Email
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Citizenship
Visa Status
Sex
Optional Personal Information:
Marital Status
Spouse's Name
Children
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
List in chronological order, include position details and dates
Work History
Academic Positions
Research and Training
EDUCATION
Include dates, majors, and details of degrees, training and certification
High School
University
Graduate School
Post-Doctoral Training
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Certifications and Accreditations
Computer Skills
AWARDS
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
INTERESTS
By Alison Doyle

Cover Letter Template

The following cover letter template lists the information you need to include in the cover letter you submit with your resume. Use the cover letter template as a guideline to create customized cover letters to send to employers.
The first section of your cover letter should include information on how the employer can contact you. If you have contact information for the employer, include that. Otherwise, just list your information.


Your Contact Information
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
Date
 
Employer Contact Information
Name
Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip Code
 

Salutation
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:
Body of Cover Letter
The body of your cover letter lets the employer know what position you are applying for, why the employer should select you for an interview, and how you will follow-up.
First Paragraph:
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. Mention the position you are applying for. Include the name of a mutual contact, if you have one. Be clear and concise regarding your request. Convince the reader that they should grant the interview or appointment you requested in the first paragraph.
Middle Paragraphs:
The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the employer. Make strong connections between your abilities and their needs. Mention specifically how your skills and experience match the job you are applying for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it. Try to support each statement you make with a piece of evidence. Use several shorter paragraphs or bullets rather than one large block of text.
Final Paragraph:
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow-up. State that you will do so and indicate when (one week's time is typical). You may want to reduce the time between sending out your resume and follow up if you fax or e-mail it.
Complimentary Close: Respectfully yours,

Signature:
Handwritten Signature (for a mailed letter)
Typed Signature

By Alison Doyle

.Business Writing Skill Helps Your Career

A manager needs to be able to get his or her point across in written communications. The article Writing for Business details in five simple steps what every manager needs to know about successfully writing for business. The better you are at written communication, the further and faster you will be able to advance your career.

A friend of mine is hiring for a key position. He is understaffed and really needs to fill the position as quickly as possible. He told me last night that he had found a great candidate. Good technical skills, good customer relation skills, solid management skills, and industry experience, but he was hesitant to hire her. She wasn't excited about the job. I told him Passion Pays and that he would be better off not hiring her, even if it meant he had to do the extra work himself a little longer. If an employee isn't passionate and excited about a job, especially when they are just starting, they won't be working at maximum productivity for long. Wait until you find the right person for the job and you will be rewarded with not just increased output, but also reduced hassles.

Many new managers, and even a few experienced managers, struggle with difficult employees from time to time. It can be hard to remember what you are trying to get done when you are repeatedly confronted with the issue of a difficult employee. Shouting at them or "pulling rank" won't solve the problem. However, this article, Dealing With Difficult Employees, will help managers prepare a plan, confront the behavior, and find a solution to the inappropriate behavior of difficult employees.

Many managers believe that their job is to resolve problems when they arise. While that is true, it is only the lesser part of the job. It's more importantly that a manager learn how to prevent problems. This is the difference between reactive management, which solves problems as they occur, and predictive management, which tries to prevent many problems from arising in the first place. The article Good Management Is Predictive Management Not Reactive Management explains the difference and shows you how to improve your predictive management skills.

The Web site Payscale.com has a tool called Meeting Miser that calculates for you the cost of a meeting, based on the job titles of the people attending. It is a fun little diversion, but I wouldn't put too much emphasis on its answers. A better choice is to make your meeting more productive. To do that, you can use my Meeting Management techniques.

Layoff should be a last resort of a management trying to address major financial problems, but they do happen. You may have been through one already. You may be facing one. There are no guarantees in life so the best thing you can do is prepare. Here is What You Need To Know About Surviving A Layoff. If you are concerned about a possible layoff, take the time to read it. If you are planning to do a layoff, read it to help you decide which people to keep.

By F. John Reh, Management Guide

A condensed Employee Life Cycle

Today I saw a chart of a 12-step Employee Life Cycle. Maybe Human Resources professionals need that much detail, but functional managers don't. Here is a four-step, condensed employee life cycle plan that tells you everything you need to know.

Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire

An employee life cycle is the steps the employees go through from the time they enter a company until they leave. Often Human Resources professionals focus their attention on the steps in this process in hopes of making an impact on the company's bottom line. That is a good thing for them to do. Their goal is to reduce the company's cost per employee hired. Unfortunately, they aren't the ones who really make a difference – managers are. People don't really work for companies; they work for a boss. To the extent that you can be a good boss, you can keep employees, keep them happy, and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover. In the process, you will make your own job easier and increase your value to the company.
Employees are one of a company's largest expenses these days Unlike other major capital costs (buildings, machinery, technology, etc.) human capital is highly volatile. You, as a manager, are in a key position to reduce that volatility using the condensed employee life cycle of HIAR (pronounced hire) - Hire, Inspire, Admire, Retire.

Hire

This first step is probably the most important. It is important to hire the best people you can find. This is not a time to be cheap. The cost of replacing a bad hire far exceeds the marginal additional cost of hiring the best person in the first place.

• Hire talent, not just trainable skills. Skills can be taught to a talented employee. A skilled employee can not just be given talent.
• Improve your interviewing skills. Often this can be as simple as knowing what questions to ask during the hiring process.
• Make your company a place people want to come to and work for. Company culture can be a powerful recruiting tool. Make sure yours reflects the goals the company wants to achieve.

Inspire

Once you have recruited the best employees to come to work on your team, the hard part begins. You have to inspire them to perform to their capabilities. You have to challenge and motivate them. That is where you will get their best effort and their creativity that will help your organization excel.

• Make them welcome. Make them feel like part of the team from the first day.
• Set goals for them that are hard, but can be achieved. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Be a leader, not just a manager.

Admire

Once you have hired the best employees and have challenged and motivated them, you can not relax. The biggest mistake a manager can make is to ignore employees. The same attention you paid to their work assignments, to their satisfaction levels, to their sense of being part of a great team needs to continue for as long as they are in your group. As soon as you start to slack off, their satisfaction and motivation decreases. If you don't do something, they will become disenchanted and will leave. They will become part of the "employee turnover" statistic you were trying to avoid.

• You want TGIM (thank goodness it's Monday) employees not TGIF (thank goodness it's Friday) ones.
• Give them positive feedback as much as you can, even if it's just a good word.
• Provide appropriate rewards and recognition for jobs done well.
• Create referral programs and reward your employees for referring other employee candidates "who are just as great as you".

Retire

This is when you know you have been successful. When employees see your company as the employer of choice, they will join you. When they recognize you as a good boss and a real leader, they will stay around. As long as you continue to inspire, motivate, and challenge them, they will continue to contribute at the high levels you need in order to beat your competition. They will be long-term employees; even staying with you and your company until they retire. They will refer other quality employees to your company, including their relatives. You will attract and retain second and even third generation employees. Along the way, you will have had some of the most creative employees, some of the most productive employees, and the lowest employee costs in your market. You will be able to spend the money you save in this way on other key competitive elements, including raises and bonuses for all employees – even yourself.

Related Articles

By F. John Reh

Seven Tips for Management Success

An effective manager pays attention to many facets of management, leadership and learning within organizations. So, it's difficult to take the topic of "management success" and say that the following ten items are the most important for management success. I will, however, suggest seven management success skills without which I don't believe you can be a successful manager.
The most important issue in management success is being a person that others want to follow. Every action you take during your career in an organization helps determine whether people will one day want to follow you.
A successful manager, one whom others want to follow:

• Builds effective and responsive interpersonal relationships. Reporting staff members, colleagues and executives respect his or her ability to demonstrate caring, collaboration, respect, trust and attentiveness.
• Communicates effectively in person, print and email. Listening and two-way feedback characterize his or her interaction with others.
• Builds the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other. People feel they have become more - more effective, more creative, more productive - in the presence of a team builder.
• Understands the financial aspects of the business and sets goals and measures and documents staff progress and success.
• Knows how to create an environment in which people experience positive morale and recognition and employees are motivated to work hard for the success of the business.
• Leads by example and provides recognition when others do the same.
• Helps people grow and develop their skills and capabilities through education and on-the-job learning.

Know a few more characteristics of management success? I'll bet you do. Join other readers in the Forum to discuss management success and people issues.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Train Managers to Train

Definite advantages exist for your organization when you have developed the training capabilities of your managers. Teach managers to train and you will increase the effectiveness of your internal training. Additionally, training and mentoring become a more expected and utilized part of the managers’ jobs. Employees react positively when managers provide training, too. The employees believe they will have the opportunity to use the training; they react more positively to the expectations of the manager versus a trainer. When they provide training, managers are enabled to articulate what they believe is important and to reinforce these ideas with employees. Employees are impressed that the training topic is so important that the manager takes the time to do the training.
During my time at General Motors in the mid-eighties, managers trained a corporate-wide change strategy. I don’t remember what GM was changing to, but I have never forgotten that a high level manager provided the training. His examples illuminated both the GM of the time and the expected new direction in a way that an external trainer could never have done. He was also successful at communicating the “why” of the change in a way that promoted excitement and participation.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Leadership and Management Success Tips,Train Employees to Train Coworkers

Definite advantages exist for your organization when you have developed the training capabilities of your employees. Teach employees to train and you will increase the effectiveness of your internal training. Employees are familiar with the workings – both good and bad – of your internal organization. They should be familiar with the goals, the culture or environment, the company strengths, the company weaknesses, and the actual employees. This gives employees an advantage over a trainer who has to learn about the culture, the company strengths, the company weaknesses, and also get to know the people.
In a medium-sized manufacturing company, the security specialist and the team leader of the safety and environmental committee provide training in security, emergency evacuation procedures, and safety to all staff. They also train new employees during the new employee orientation. A long term sales representative trains all new sales employees about the sales Customer Relationship Management (CRM) computer programs, cold calling and prospecting, and how to take and process orders. In the same company, a shipping employee trains, tests, and licenses all Hi-Lo drivers. Originally trained by outside firms, internal employees now train other employees.
By Susan M. Heathfield

Candidate Telephone Screening

The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone interview saves managerial time and eliminates unlikely candidates. While I recommend developing a customized interview for each position, this generic interview will guide you.
You want to ask enough questions to determine if the person is a viable candidate. Remember, you have already screened many resumes and applications to come up with your short list of telephone screening candidates. These should be your best prospects at this point in your recruiting process.

Candidate’s Name: ____________________________________________
Today’s Date: ______________ Resume Attached: YES ___ NO ___
Position Title/Location: ________________________________________

Initial Phone Interview for the Specific Position

Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate in the position you are recruiting. (Example: How many years of inventory management experience do you have?)
Response:



Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate specific to your needs. (Example: Tell me about your experience with an inventory of over half a million parts.)
Response:




Develop a question that will assess the experience of the candidate specific to your needs. (Example: Tell me about your experience with computerized inventory control systems.)
Response:





Describe your educational background and experience.
Response:





Not to limit you or commit you to a certain dollar figure, but what’s the minimum salary you’d consider right now to accept another position?
Response:


Are you willing to agree to have a drug test, a criminal background check, references checks, educational background checks and others as appropriate for this position? YES __________ NO ___________
If the candidate's responses to these questions satisfy the screener, proceed with the interview. If not, tell the candidate that you have other candidates who appear to have credentials and experience that more closely match the expectations of the position. End the interview.

Determine the Candidate's Degree of Success

How did your most recent position support the accomplishment of the mission of your organization?
Response


In your previous position, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment(s)?
Response:


What were your most significant failures?
Response:


How would your supervisor and coworkers describe your work?
Response:



What is your reason for leaving your current position?
Response:



If currently employed, what would need to change at your current position for you to continue to work there?
Response:

Determine Candidate's Work Environment and Cultural Needs

Describe your preferred work environment.
Response:



Describe the management style you exhibit and prefer.
Response:



What must exist in your work place for you to be motivated and happy?
Response:

By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Candidate Evaluation Form

Position:
Candidate Name:
Interviewer Name:
Interview Date:
Based on the interview, please evaluate the candidate's qualifications for the position listed above. In each section, space is provided to write additional job specific comments. If one of the questions does not apply to the position, please write N/A in the comment section.

Education / Training

The candidate has the necessary education and/or training required by the position.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Work Experience

The candidate has prior work experience that is related to the position.
_____ Extensive experience
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Not related but transferable skills
_____ No prior experience
Comments:

Skills (Technical)

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary technical skills to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Supervising Others

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary experience in supervising others to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Leadership Skills

The candidate demonstrated to your satisfaction that he/she had the necessary leadership skills to perform the job successfully.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Interpersonal Skills

Communication: articulated ideas clearly both written and orally.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:

Teamwork

Demonstrated the ability to work well in a team and with superiors, peers, and reporting staff.
_____ Exceeds requirements
_____ Meets requirements
_____ Needs a little more training
_____ Doesn't meet requirements
Comments:




By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Specification

A job specification describes the knowledge, skills, education, experience, and abilities you believe are essential to performing a particular job. The job specification is developed from the job analysis. Ideally, also developed from a detailed job description, the job specification describes the person you want to hire for a particular job.
A job specification cuts to the quick with your requirements whereas the job description defines the duties and requirements of an employee’s job in detail. The job specification provides detailed characteristics, knowledge, education, skills, and experience needed to perform the job, with an overview of the specific job requirements.

Components of a Job Specification

Experience: Number of years of experience in the job you are seeking to fill. Number of years of work experience required for the selected candidate. Note whether the position requires progressively more complex and responsible experience, and supervisory or managerial experience.
Education: State what degrees, training, or certifications are required for the position.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Characteristics: State the skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics of individuals who have successfully performed this job. Or, use the job analysis data to determine the attributes you need from your “ideal” candidate. Your recruiting planning meeting or email participants can also help determine these requirements for the job specification.
High Level Overview of Job Requirements: In under ten bullet points, cite the key components and requirements of the job you are filling.
A job specification is useful for recruiting as it helps you write your job postings and your website recruiting material. The job specification is also useful for distribution in social media, for screening resumes, and for interviewers.
By Susan M. Heathfield