5 Must-Know Graduate Recruitment Trends

5 Must-Know Graduate Recruitment Trends Having worked at the forefront of the graduate recruitment industry for a number of years, 2017 stood out as a year dominated by technology and this will undoubtedly continue into 2018, too. This year, however, advancements in recruitment technology and the adoption of new strategies with different priorities will forever change the relationship between the employer and candidate, as businesses evolve to meet the needs of today’s tech-savvy candidates. I created revolutionary student and graduate careers app Debut to push the limits of mobile technology to improve access to careers, by utilizing more data, streamlining the application process and enhancing the candidate experience. It’s exciting to be a part of an industry that is changing so rapidly, with new priorities, opportunities, and scope for growth. So what trends will dominate in 2018? 1. A focus on  behaviors over  qualifications With more and more first-class graduates entering the recruitment market, it’s increasingly difficult to identify the high caliber talent employers are looking for. That’s why recruitment will be focusing more on key behaviors in 2018, rather than qualifications and educational background. The Institute of Student Employers has revealed that  17% of its members are using a strengths-only recruitment process in 2017/18, and this number is only set to rise. Three-quarters of HR recruitment professionals are now using psychometric testing, and 78% agree that it is a ‘powerful tool’ for hiring. This means that screening methods like psychometric assessments will start to become the go-to method for reviewing candidates, providing a quick and effective means of determining specific skills and behaviors. The growth in usage of psychometric testing reflects a general trend that organizations are hiring more for potential and attitude, rather than other performance factors such as university attended, subject, or degree classification, bringing psychometric tools to the fore. At Debut, we have launched our own in-app psychometric assessment tool entitled Debut Abilities. By looking at candidates’ cognitive abilities, behavior, and personality over traditional performance indicators, it removes the bias from the recruitment process and helps to increase social mobility. 2. Movement to  mobile  application processes with  ATS integrations Across all industries and services, businesses are turning to mobile technology to connect with their audiences and streamline processes and recruitment is no different. In order to engage a broad spectrum of candidates and provide a positive user experience, mobile application processes will be essential. In 2016 it was reported that  20% of millennials are now mobile-only, and it’s likely this percentage is already much higher. Many companies have Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which they use to harbor employee details garnered through the application process, such as qualifications and references. When a candidate accepts a job offer, this data should be transferred seamlessly from the ATS to the HR system.  ATS integration creates a data-driven recruitment process to ensure hiring decisions are aligned with the analytics in the recruitment software. Data-driven recruitment transforms candidate sourcing and facilitates the creation of a high impact hiring process to deliver a better quality of hire. To accommodate this new trend, Debut is collaborating with a range of employers to introduce Instant Apply, an ATS-integrated feature enabling candidates to apply for roles in literally a couple of taps. In a society where you can order a taxi, book a holiday and join meetings all from your phone, it’s time the recruitment industry got on board. If businesses want their recruitment strategy and perception as an employer to match up with their consumer branding, technology, and a mobile-friendly approach is the next logical step forward. 3. Artificial Intelligence  and  Virtual Reality  will become a key element of the recruitment process Technology has opened up a whole new world of possibility in recruitment, and 2018 will be the year we finally start to see this come to life. As companies strive to streamline the recruitment process and remove unconscious bias, technology will inevitably be relied on more heavily. In 2018, with the rise of AI and automation, we will see a sharp increase in the uptake of AI-enabled chatbots to match candidates with jobs (AI candidate screening). AI will also automate essential administrative processes (e.g. indexing and filing candidate records), onboarding, and be measuring performance. As a result, recruiters will be free to spend more time adding value to the sourcing and selection process; conducting interviews and making offers to a considerably reduced and select pool of candidates. It heralds a better talent acquisition experience for everyone. I expect that virtual reality will be used to  create interactive job advertisements or enable candidates to go on a VR tour of the workplace. Candidates will complete VR assessments during the recruitment process to test their responses and judgment in certain situations. A mixture of augmented reality and virtual reality will also be used to enhance the employee experience by providing simulations of tasks and work challenges, better preparing workers for real-world situations before they have to face them. Last month, L’Oréal UK Ireland became one of the first UK employers to adopt VR in its graduate and intern recruitment process, to test candidates’ response to their workplace and culture. At Debut, we have partnered with L’Oreal and other major employers to implement gamification as part of the hiring process, to test candidates’ quick-thinking reaction and judgments in a fun, user-friendly format. 4. SMEs  will become the go-to for graduates The power of SMEs is only set to rise, as they grow in popularity with the younger generation. Research has shown younger candidates tend to favor businesses which offer flexible working hours and a friendlier company culture, things seen as much more prevalent in smaller companies. With  48% of 16-24-year-olds saying they would prefer to work for an SME  than a larger organization, it’s likely the employers as a whole will move to accommodate candidate’s shifting priorities. I think 2018 will see a rise in SMEs creating graduate positions to focus on creating opportunities for young people to progress their careers. This means job boards will also need to ensure SMEs are fairly represented in the graduate job search, which is why Debut is set to partner with small businesses this year to help promote their graduate positions to over 110,000 students and graduates. 5. A mix of the above will improve social mobility All of the above trends will lead to a greater emphasis on social mobility in the recruitment industry. Many companies have long faced challenges with increasing diversity in their workforces, and a greater use of data-driven and analytical decision-making tools will enable this to happen. By finally removing those unconscious biases, businesses can leverage new technology to improve diversity and widen their talent pool, and the recruitment industry is set to become radically different over the next twelve months. Overall 2018 looks set to be a year where recruitment trends are dominated by more refined technological advancements that support the evolving relationship between employers and candidates. About the author:  Charlie Taylor is the  Founder CEO of the UK’s award-winning student and graduates careers app  Debut.

Writing an Effective Cover Letter For a Resume

Writing an Effective Cover Letter For a ResumeWriting an effective cover letter for a resume will help your resume stand out from the rest. A great letter is essential to getting a job.Writing an effective cover letter for a resume will not only help your resume get noticed, but will also help you get the interview that you have been looking for. When someone reads your letter, they will first take a look at the job description and what it entails. They will also look at your qualifications and how well you fit what is listed.Once they know what you are looking for, your resume will be evaluated. If they have some pertinent information about you on your resume, they will go into that information when deciding whether or not to call you for an interview. By sending out a compelling cover letter, you will allow them to get to know you a little bit better.If you write your resume and cover letter on the same day, it is often enough to land the job. However, if you wait for two or three days, it may take longer to get the job than if you had sent out a copy of your resume along with your cover letter. That's because you will have had time to look over the resume. You can even go back and revise it and send it out again with your cover letter.A resume is not the only way to get a job. In fact, one way or another, almost every company has to consider people who apply for jobs. In fact, some of them do it all the time, while others don't even look at the resumes that are sent in.However, there are some companies who really do take time to go through each resume. Then, they determine what positions are available and who has the qualifications to get the job. There are some people who make it their business to do this, so they have just made sure that the people who get the job are those who are in the system. If you are getting a good number of resumes, you are making it clear that you fit that system.So, if you have your resume and a good letter, you are doing well. Y ou are not alone. Thousands of other people are doing the same thing.Writing an effective cover letter for a resume will help you get the job. Just don't wait too long. Make sure that you send yours out within 24 hours of submitting your resume.

How Can Recruiters Manage the Stress of the Job

How Can Recruiters Manage the Stress of the Job Within the role of a recruitment consultant, there are plenty of contributing factors to potential causes of stress and anxiety. I would like to explore what these trigger points can be, how recruiters can spot them and act before they scale up  becoming a serious health issue, and also how employers of recruiters can also take precautions to ensure their staff stay healthy mentally as well as physically. Having worked in the recruitment sector for 17 years, I have had my fair share of stressful encounters to cope with and it amazes me how even the smallest thing can trigger a stress reaction. I am very self aware and capable of dealing with stress. Personally, it has taken years to become wise to what triggers true stress in me: I am a “talker”, so often talk it through with appropriate people: I walk my dog to get physically away. I also write blogs to reflect on how things have made me feel. In this article, I will share some advised coping strategies to ensure you too can face another day in recruitment and maintain good mental health too. Trigger points: Recruitment is a very rewarding job to have, with a lucrative remuneration package to compensate for the long hours and stress we face every day. However, is a high OTE and the status, symbols that enables us to have enough compensation versus the potential damage we are causing to ourselves from the stress we may face from those surrounding us? Potential areas that stress can come from for a recruiter: Desk   Running a desk is in itself a pressure. Hitting targets, whether that is KPIs, financial targets, headhunt calls or new business contacts. Daily targets can create a permanent state of tension in some people. However, without these targets in place there is no measure and it is nigh on impossible to actually be a recruiter. So these stress points necessary to succeed are within our control. Team/Environment   Working in recruitment is very competitive and whilst healthy internal competition should be actively encouraged, there is a fine line between healthy banter to encourage better performance and the trip into unsavoury and dubious cultures, where “bottom drawing” can happen. A lack of collaboration and team spirit is very unpleasant and can create a silo effect. Management   In cultures where top performers are promoted to management roles, they can become autocratic and unsympathetic managers themselves, which leads to a bullish and often unbearable management style. Clients Candidates and clients. When dealing with human beings, they are unpredictable and therefore can change their minds, alter their requirements, not return calls, accept a counter offer, retrospectively negotiate- the list is endless. This is the part of the job that I would summarise is the biggest cause of stress as very often, this aspect is out of our actual control. All of the above factors are manageable as they are within our controlto an extent. How can you spot you have a higher rate of stress or anxiety than is acceptable or deemed as normal? I personally think, you work well when under pressure in recruitment; however, once there are symptoms of stress becoming out of control, you have to take stock and make some changes. So what could these signs be? Anxiety can cause physical changes, such as: sweating tension heart palpitations dizziness or fainting difficulty sleeping more frequent illness, due to lower immune system irritability The signs and symptoms of stress are less “physical” and harder to spot: Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed Apathy, loss of interest in work Problems sleeping Fatigue Trouble concentrating Muscle tension or headaches Stomach problems Social withdrawal Loss of sex drive Using alcohol or drugs to cope How should recruiters deal with stress? There are external places you can turn to. You can speak to your Doctor about what is best for your particular symptoms and I would recommend exploring the following: Meditation and mindfulness  A large number of global businesses now employ specific professionals to promote mindfulness   with its fundamental basis based on ancient Buddhism, Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. Take care of yourself   Eat properly take regular breaks during the day Know when to WALK away from a situation, learn to say “NO” Delegate tasks where appropriate Take holiday entitlement Avoid perfectionism and be pragmatic Connect to others, you are not alone How can employers ensure the good mental health of their recruitment staff? Implement a buddy scheme, appoint mentors and champions Have regular meetings and appraisals to understand HOW your staff are feeling Make improvements and changes if there are common themes of stress in your workplace Encourage breaks, holidays and time off as an inherent part of your culture Employ an external mindfulness or meditative partner to come in periodically Recruitment firms invest millions of pounds in training, support, development, media, advertising, databases, telecoms, offices, branding and so on. It is about time recruitment firms realised that the strong mental health of their recruiters is just as important as their brand. I hope that our generation are less likely to stigmatise mental health issues that our predecessors, then we may start to see a growing trend of recruitment firms pioneering mindfulness and meditation within the work place. I certainly hope so. It is far healthier than turning to the alternative How do you cope with the stress in recruitment? What advice would you give to others? Is stress and anxiety in recruitment a stigma in your opinion? Noone is immune from stress, not even me and I think we should be talking about it more openly. What do you think?

6 Timeless Career Survival Tactics

6 Timeless Career Survival Tactics At any given time in a career, you run the risk of being laid off, getting fired, going broke, dealing with criticism, becoming disabled or unable to work, forced to find new work fast, discrimination, etc.Ironically, the more successful you become, the greater the risks.Try these 6 timeless career survival tactics to help you minimize risk throughout your career.6. Diversify Your NetworkMake connections beyond your own career path. Every person should have at least one friend or expert in their lives in the following areas:Insurance professional Financial advisor Pharmacist Lawyer Website designer/business owner Politician Artist or graphic designer Recruiter Handyman Real estate brokerWhy All These People and What Makes Them Important?Each of the above professions covers one thing related to survival in the United States.Whether it be your money, safety, legal needs, home construction, personal health, political influence, or simply finding a place to live, having a person in each field that you trust will benefit you.If you cannot sure why today, you will find out the day you try to start a business, deal with the IRS, need to make sure your prescriptions are filled, need a job etc.5. Stay Committed to Educating YourselfThere is no such thing anymore as a college education and work experience being enough to advance your career. In order to earn more, you have to learn more for your career growth.Why Should You Never Stop Learning?Companies do not always invest in specialized training.Plus, college degrees only represent an education that was relevant at the time you had attended school.Get your certifications. If you spot something more should be learned, act on that instinct and learn it.4. Never Be Afraid to Relocate for a Job or Change ItNever fear changing jobs, your career path, and relocating for new work.Are You Saying Move to the Middle of Nowhere for a Job?Yes. Survival is defined as “the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically i n spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.”If you change where you live to keep your job, especially in a global economy, you will benefit from the experience.If you want to stay put and find a new job locally, do so before the company does layoffs. Lean on your friends and family for assistance.Your career is a journey. If you choose not to relocate for your career, but career survival demands it, you are damaging your career path to success.3. Always Improve and Adjust Your Salary for InflationIf you think you are making lots of money now, please keep in mind your salary will not be worth the same for much longer. You have to prepare to negotiate up when it comes to salary.What Is the Big Deal With Inflation If I Am Making Lots of Money Now?Imagine for a moment that you start a new business. Now, imagine you make $75,000/year, you are single, and live alone in a US state with a low cost of living.Now, check and see what $75K looks like today vs what it looked li ke 20 years ago.Whatever you are making now at your job, 20 years from now it will not be the same great salary you once believed was more than enough.2. Do Your Very Best to Never Require Government Financial AssistanceWhether it be financial aid or social security for disability, do your very best to never file for financial assistance from the government. There are better ways to make the little amount of money the government provides.Why Not If I Am Entitled to Financial Assistance?Speaking from personal experience, the day you rely on borrowed money from the government, your career becomes dictated by rules and laws that seem to restrict you from moving forward rather than help you.Do your best to avoid dealing with them. If you must get assistance, remember that government money is not a salary. It is meant to help you temporarily, so it will not be a lot of money.Time spent proving you need assistance is better spent finding a job with a company that understands your need for work-life balance.1. Get Action-Focused During Your Toughest Career ChallengesWe live in a world in which everyone can discuss feelings and how everyone should be feeling.If you are going through a career challenge, do not get caught up in the trend of emphasizing “feelings” over “actions”. Become action-focused.Start improving your feelings by taking actions that lead to positive consequences.Remember This Whenever You Fear Offending SomeoneWhen you focus on feeling the right way during your most difficult career times, you stop taking action in your career to improve it. Here is a step-by-step example of focusing too much on feelings:You are laid off by your boss Instead of moving forward, you stop to analyze how everyone “felt”. “My boss laid me off! But I guess he was only thinking of the business. He must have a family, too, so I should feel more understanding. It must not have been easy for him. Still, it feels unfair that he gave me no time to prepare for a ne w job. This just feels so unfair to me.” The consequences of taking no action results in an unemployed person focused on rationalizing feelings, instead of actions that should have or will be taken.Try a focus on action: “This was a learning experience. I have to find a new job.” What Makes an Action-Focus a Key to Career SurvivalYou hold yourself accountable for moving forward when you focus on taking action.On the other hand, if you always hold yourself accountable for the feelings of others, you set an impossible standard for yourself. Behaving as if you can accommodate all the feelings of every person in your careerleads to paralyzing fear of taking action.No one can read minds and you should not wait for anyone to read yours. Waiting to take action is a career-killer.

Skills For Resume: Creating a Good Match Between the Employer and Applicant

Skills For Resume: Creating a Good Match Between the Employer and ApplicantThe idea of skills for resume may seem rather simple and obvious. Well, skills for resume is the foundation of how you should present yourself in the online job market. A job seeker may be able to compete with the well-written resume that was employed by someone from his or her previous employer, but he or she needs more than just a resume as a cover letter.A resume is just the first step in a job-hunting process. In fact, a resume is nothing but a document that contains the basic information of the person. But when it comes to skills for resume, this is where everything changes. Skills for resume covers all the aspects of the prospective employee, making sure that it goes beyond the basic requirements of the job.When applying for a job, a resume is a preparation that is required to be made by the job seeker. A person who has not studied and does not possess the required knowledge on the kind of work he or she is looking for has to make a resume to present the basic information of the candidate. At the same time, employers are also making a resume to know more about the applicants, their experiences and skills that they are seeking. Thus, both the resumes are of equal importance. The question then becomes - what is the role of skills for resume?The basic information on the resume is used by the employers to determine the kind of person who applies for the job. Moreover, this information is also part of the skills for resume. The employers are getting basic information about the applicant such as age, education, experience, goals, where the person is going to work and so on. These basic details help the employers to determine if the person is suitable for the post.In other words, the employer can view the applicant in a less biased way and this will help him or her to form a common impression of the person. However, the employer will also see the specific requirements of the job. This is where the skills for resume comes into the picture and makes sure that the employer gets all the required information from the applicant.Once the employer knows about the basic requirements of the job, he or she can proceed with the next step of skills for resume. The employer will send the resume to the job seeker. The employer will know if the resume meets the requirements and can even make suggestions if there is something that can be improved.Besides the basic requirement of the job, skills for resume can also discuss the skills of the applicant. By talking about the skills of the person, it can also make the employer to determine that the candidate has not forgotten about what he or she has learned in school. As a result, the employer will be reminded of what he or she needs to do and apply in the job. So, skills for resume help in the right match of the resume and the employer.This is the beauty of skills for resume - they help both the employer and the applicant to achieve th e goal of creating a well-written resume. The skills of the applicant are also discussed in the resume but in a more general sense. Therefore, the resume gets updated by showing off the person's creativity and different interests. The employer too sees the positive qualities of the job seeker and appreciates them.

Power Naps At Work Yay or Neh - CareerMetis.com

Power Naps At Work Yay or Neh You check your watch. It’s 2:30 pm on the dot. You yawn, rub your eyes and get up to make yourself a cup of coffee. Right on cue. A daily occurrence, Monday through Friday, the same time each day.We’ve all fallen victim to the afternoon slump. You know, that time of day when your energy level plummets 50%, and your eyes glaze over as you re-read the same email three times in a row. You’ve lost all focus except one fixation â€" a nap. Oh, how you would kill for a nap.evalIn a study of 1,139 American workers, 76% percent felt tired multiple days a week. Fifteen percent reported dozing off on the job at least once a week. Yikes!Chronic tiredness is a side effect of a larger issue â€" lack of sleep. Roughly one-third of the adult population in the US is falling short when it comes to rest, logging less than seven hours a night.To remedy sleepless nights, some turn to caffeine, others to exercise, and then there are those who nap.The Rise of Power NapsevalNaps have often received a bad rap for being “slothful” and “lazy.” But come to find out, some of the world’s greatest leaders believed in the power of a daytime snooze. That’s right ladies and gents, even Albert Einstein himself took naps.But it doesn’t stop there. Some of the most successful companies of the 21st century are dedicating office space to designated nap areas. Online mattress company, Casper, even built an entire “Dreamery” in the middle of New York City where workers can book a nap pod for 45-minutes in the middle of the workday.This napping phenomenon begs the question, why would companies like Uber, Facebook, Casper, and Google, find naps a worthy investment of time and resources? According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep costs the US $63 billion annually on lost production.There may be more benefits to napping at work than meets the eye.The Benefits of Power NappingevalNaps aside, sleep is integral to our overall health and wellness. Adequate sleep aids in processing memories, productivity, cardiovascular health, tissue repair and much more! If we don’t get enough sleep, our quality of life suffers.There are ample benefits to a mid-afternoon siesta.For one, power naps boost your alertness. They jerk you out of that afternoon slump we know all too well. Even a six-minute rest has been proven to improve performance and learning. No wonder Google is implanting nap pods throughout their office.Power naps also improve your memory. If you are one of those people re-reading the same email over and over, there is hope for you! Research shows that a short nap can improve information retrieval five-fold. Not a bad perk.evalIf that’s not enough, here are some additional benefits of power-napping:The short-term benefits of power napping include:Sharpened cognitive skillsIncreased creativityElevated energy levelsImproved mathematical and logical reasoningIncreased reaction timeImprove motor skillsLong-term, power napping regularly can:Reduce s tressDecrease the risk of heart diseaseAid in weight managementThe Science Behind a Perfect NapBefore you start a napping revolution at the office, here’s what you need to know about having the most effective nap time.How long should you nap for?By definition, a power nap is a nap that ends before you enter deep sleep â€" stage three of our sleep cycle. A single sleep cycle takes place in five stages and typically lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Here’s a quick overview:Stage OneThis sleep stage of very light sleep only lasts 5-10 minutes. During this stage, your muscle activity begins to slow. It’s in this stage your muscles may twitch.Stage TwoIt’s in stage two of sleep where your breathing and heart rate slow. You’ll want to wake up from your power nap after stage two!Stages Three and FourStages three and four are where you enter deep, slow-wave, restorative sleep. It’s in these stages that you are harder to wake. During this stage, your body begins repairing muscles and tiss ues, releasing your growth hormones and boosting your immune system.Stage Five or REM If you are looking to take a longer nap, make sure to allow enough time to get through an entire sleep cycle. Otherwise, you’ll experience sleep inertia.Sleep inertia is when you waked up groggy and disoriented wondering what year it is. Most sleep experts recommend taking shorter naps that end before you enter the deep sleep stages, which are more difficult to rouse from. But don’t write off an extended doze. They are said to aid in memory processing and creativity. The biggest challenge is finding that much time in the day.The time of day optimal for napping?If you are like most, you are probably itching for a nap around mid-afternoon. Ideally, your power nap should take place before 1 pm and 4 pm. Naps anytime after 4 pm run the risk of disrupting your regular nighttime sleep â€" a big no-no.To Nap Or Not To Nap, That is the QuestionTo nap or not to nap. That is the question.evalNapping is n ot for everyone. Some people, no matter how long the nap, won’t be able to sleep at night if they take a nap in the afternoon. However, in a country constantly on-the-go, with companies demanding more and more of their employees, it’s not far-fetched for businesses to promote employee well-being in the form of sleep.A word of warning:If you suddenly feel like they need more naps and have no apparent reason for increased sleepiness, you may want to take a hard look at your regular sleep schedule. Are you having trouble getting a full night sleep? Perhaps you’ve had your mattress five years too long, and it no longer supports your sleep habits.To aid in improving your sleep quality, you might consider adding relaxing elements to your bedrooms as an essential oil diffuser, ambient lighting or a white noise machine. Anything that improves your sleep quality is worth the investment.If naps are out of the question for you, there are some alternatives to getting the energy boost you need that don’t include sleep or caffeine. WebMD recommends getting a dose of Vitamin D from the sun, taking a short walk to get your blood pumping, eating a piece of chocolate or doing some light stretching.All in all, naps can offer some significant benefits for those of us who can fall asleep and wake up when the alarm rings in 20 minutes. Indulge in the tranquility of a daytime snooze knowing you’re doing your body good.

Have you visited your College Career Office - CareerAlley

Have you visited your College Career Office - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. While Ive mentioned college career sites and offices, Ive not spent much time covering them. Most colleges anduniversitieshave a web-based career site as well as a walk-in career center. These are generally open to both current students and alumni and can be a great resource in your job search. Many employers provide local colleges and universities with their job openings. While many of these may be entry level positions, some are more senior positions as well. Its not feasible to cover individual college career sites here, but I thought it would be useful to cover some of the links Ive seen on these sites. Here goes. careersearch.net This site offers a broad based research tool forcorporations,industriesand individuals at companies (by title). This site requires a code (which can be obtained from your college). This is an amazing research tool in your job search. Jobseeker Specific Career and Job Sites Quintcareers.com offers an excellent page of resources for teenagers, college grads, temporary workers, executives and much more. This shoulddefinitelybe on your list of to dos in your job search. Careercruising.com This site provides interactive career exploration and analysis (its never too late to review your career choices). This is a pay site, but they provide a 30 day trial (you must get this through your college or university), but the site offers some information about their services which should help you decide if this is worth the $. Careerfairs BusinessWeek Hot off the press, BusinessWeek published an article today about Career Fairs. These are no longer geared towards the younger crowd.Accordingto the article (worth a read), career fairs are drawing older crowds. Consider the article and consider career fairs in your job search. Good luck in your search. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to land your first job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Love at the office...

Love at the office... In honor of Valentines Day, I thought Id post something on love at the office. The workplace is a fertile ground for relationships. Co-workers, after all, spend most of their day together in a safe environment, working towards similar goals. The office’s abundant bonding makes dating very easy, and almost inevitable. Despite the ease of entering into an office romance though, actually being in one and ending one can bring about a mess of complications. If you’re part of an office romance, you should assess the relationship early on. You and your partner will need to discuss a few things. Of course, nobody enjoys having that particular talk, but you need to think objectively for a minute in order to avoid losing both your job and lover. You’ll need to figure out how serious the relationship is and, from there, whether you should stay quiet or go public. You’ll also need to prepare for whatever catastrophes might arise. In office romances you’re dating either a colleague, subordinate, or boss, and each has its own issues. If you’ve paired up with a colleague, think about how well the relationship might stand up to rivalry. How will you deal with competing for the same promotion? If you’ve paired up with a subordinate, you should prepare yourself for accusations of favoritism. Other subordinates might frown upon this relationship and you should work hard to remain objective in business affairs. The same caution against favoritism is true if you’re dating your boss. Jealous coworkers may attribute any promotion or raise you receive to the fact that you’re hooking up with the primary decision maker. Another thing to think about when dating your boss is his/her temperament. Are they ruthless in business? Think about how easy it’d be for your boss to make things miserable for you after a break-up. Regardless of whom you’re dating, you’ll want to make sure there’s no policy against the match-up. You can risk sneaking around quietly if there is, but be aware of the possible repercussions. Apart from policy restrictions, you may want to keep the relationship under wraps indefinitely if either of the partners is married. Note that if you do decide to keep your romance clandestine, you may have to see other coworkers trying to flirt with your partner. If you are the jealous type, make sure this won’t lead to a nasty grudge that’s bound to puzzle the target. Keeping quiet about this relationship while it’s still developing and you’re both attempting to figure out what it means can also be a wise choice. This should help maintain a degree of professionalism and prevent a potential break-up from destroying the positive atmosphere of the office. If you decide to make your relationship public, take a few steps to ensure your coworkers don’t have a backlash against you. Avoid public displays of affection, using company funds and time for personal uses, and blatant favoritism. Open or secret, bear in mind that you and your partner will be spending a lot of time together. While this is obviously great for some reasons, it might create some friction in the relationship. Make sure you have a little alone time every now and then to avoid this. Factor in how entwined your lives will be and prepare for the worst. If you break-up, make sure you’ll be able to act civilized. Handling a split poorly will be nothing but detrimental to both your careers. Office affairs may not be as taboo as they once were, but it’s still important to tread carefully for the benefit of both love and work.