Millennials are telling you why your company stinks but youre not listening

Millennials are telling you why your company stinks but youre not listeningMillennials are telling you why your company stinks but youre not listeningLeadership expert and author Simon Sinekhas become something of a Millennial Whisperer. With an outrageously popular TED talk and a willingness to advocate for the worlds biggest living generation, Sinek has advised millennials and the companies they work for on how to bring their approaches together.We came across a Business Insider video where talked about how when millennials start a job early on in their careers and if it doesnt turn out to be their dream job in a few months, they are often quick to move on to another one in the pursuit of a position they love- even though it may be too early to tell. Sinek says to use the opportunity as a learning experience and to keep working at this throughout their careers, even when they think theyve made it to their ideal workplace.Wewanted to know more, so we reached out to Sinek, who elabo rated on his philosophy to Ladders. What really stands out He is putting out a call to companies to make more of an effort to take their millennial employees more seriously, because what millennials want is also what makes a great workplace.Sineks latest book, Find Your Why A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team,is out on September 5.Heres our discussion.Ladders Youspoke to Business Insiderabout how impatience is something millennials run into at work. Could you elaborate on that?Simon Sinek Leaders of companies must appreciate that many millennials may have lower self-esteem than they let on. They are impatient to get all the things they want . . . including overcoming some of their challenges. And, like so many of us, many suffer from an addiction to their phones and social media which contributes to their struggle to gestalt deep meaningful relationships.Its a generation that has grown up in a world of instant gratification and it becomes normalized. So t he belief that you can get what you want, when you want it, is now applied to other things like their careers.What I love about this generation, is that they are very clear and loud about their desire to make an impact and want to work for companies that have a sense of purpose, cause, or belief- a WHY.They very much want to find a company where they feel they are aligned to something bigger than themselves. The problem is that millennials attitude is right, but theyre treating it like a scavenger hunt. And thats not how it works.Finding it a good company takes time, you have to work hard to find a career you love. It is just like building a relationship, it takes time and when you find that right person you know it, because it feels right. But conversely, companies need to focus on building cultures where people are priority, over profit. You find that very well-led companies, companies that put people first, actually dont have a millennial problem. So, if young leaders found what they are looking for, a place where they feel like they can belong, they will stay. So I think Millennials have a sense of patience they need to practice, and companies need to focus on improving the quality of their cultures.Q What other mistakes are millennials making at work, and how can they avoid them?A Many millennials think that because they grew up with all these technologies they are better at multitasking, and they often use multiple devices at the same time. Many millennials consider this behavior a way of increasing their productivity and expect that others should nd it acceptable. Multitasking, it turns out, does not make us faster or more efficient. It actually slows us down. Keep cell phones and devices out of sight when you need to focus.Q What strengths do millennials bring to the arbeitszimmer?A Growing up in a world of instant gratification has its liabilities. It also offers a huge advantage. Millennials are comfortable with change and quicker to pivot than older generations. I am amazed by how many of them are so comfortable with the thought of quitting their jobs to freelance, join a start-up, or start a company themselves.Companies should take advantage of these unique characteristics. If there is a project or opportunity that requires lots of quick turns, snap decisions, even risks- throw millennials at it.Q How can companies work to retain millennials?A Too many companies are not prioritizing the growth, the needs, and the confidence of their people. This is exaggerating the effects of how this young generation grew up, which is why theyre going from job to job to job, looking for a Company to take care of them. And no ones doing that. Companies need to prioritize their people.When a company is able to define and articulate their cause, purpose or believe, if gives their employees something to latch on to, so that they feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. We all want to work for a company with a clear sense of WHY and have our work be worth more than the money we are paid to do it.I think the value add, the thing that millennials, and quite frankly everybody, will be looking for in the future of business is for companies that truly do a good job of building community. Of building an environment where the people really take care each other and love each other because thats the environment in which they want to work. Instead of complaining that millennials arent showing up or arent engaged, leaders should use them as a barometer to gauge the kind of culture their company is building.Whether they like it or not, leaders of companies do have to make some changes to the way they operate to accommodate some of the unique qualities of their youngest workers.Q What are some effective ways older workers can engage with younger ones in the office?A Practice empathy. The millennial generation has some unique personality characteristics that seem to confound their employers. Whether or not this is t he same or to a higher degree than previous generations, I cannot say. Regardless, wherever I go, no matter the organization size or industry, managers are looking for guidance on how to lead their millennials.I think employers need to practice empathy. Leaders of companies must remember to take their people as they are and respect that their unique experiences growing up impact how they approach the world. This is not something we must consider or practice only for millennials we should be practicing empathy with everyone with whom we work.Real, live human interaction is how we feel a part of something, develop trust and have the capacity to feel for others.Because an excess of technology can negatively affect how some millennials connect, its up to us to bridge the gap. Lead by example by connecting in more human ways.

How to create the perfect work from home environment

How to create the perfect work from home environmentHow to create the perfect work from home environmentOver the past nineyears Ive realized that there is no ideal setup that is equally useful for thousands of people working remotely. It varies a lot based on personality, personal preferences, comfort at the working environment, proclivity for social interactions, and other aspects related to a companys policy and its workflow.Thats one of the reasons why coffee shops and co-working spaces are so popular nowadays.One of the key benefits of working remotely is the ability to establish more than one office setup while working on different activities. Here are several practical suggestions for constructing a work environment (or two) for the majority of your working hours./wp-content/uploads/041bbebd3927ec6c4c4cd9db2a7b7253-1.jpgFind or build a comfortable working cornerWhile allocating a designated room for your business needs is ideal, thats often not possible for fruchtwein families. A second best is identifying a comfortable place that allows you to spend a full day of productive work with minimum distractions and impact on your health (such as posture or eye tearing due to room lightning).A traditional desk may be a safe bet although studies have reported other preferable environments such as bean bags, couches, sofas or other comfortable areas that let remote workers focus on their work while reducing stress.Boost your creative juices with creative desksStand-up desks are another popular trend in 2017. A bar table, adjustable (flex) desk or even a wide and tall surface in your home may be suitable for a couple hours a day. Switching your traditional desk or sofa may energize you and improve your posture, tone, or metabolism and increase your productivity for certain tasks.Determine a productive viewVarying assignments may call for change of scenery.An outdoors view could be comforting and recreational, especially during brainstorming sessions and creating ac tivities.A desk facing a wall may limit your distractions and help out with focusing on mundane tasks or high-pressure activities requiring a minimum level of distractions.Find out what works best for you in different cases and take advantage of your freedom while picking the right spot.Create a good sound environmentA home office could be absolutely quiet while working in a separate room, or annoyingly loud if you share a room with your family.There are two essential components that you should consider with regards to soundCreativityPeople may be most productive in a quiet environment, or working in a loud space. A study by Ravi Mehta identified enhanced performance on creative tasks for workers surrounded by 70 dB of new age noise. An average coffee shop provides a similar atmosphere which is why services such as Coffitivity have provided playlists resembling a coffee shop or a dining area for home workers who need the background noise at work.Business calls Aquiet environment is required while conducting calls as a laundry machine or a vacuum cleaner wont present you at your best light while aiming for a successful enterprise deal.Prepare a setup for hands-on activitiesRegardless of your ideal environment, make sure that you have a designated space with the right setup for best performance. Writing documentation or a blog post, carefully adjusting a pixel-perfect design, or programming complex architecture may very well need a solid desk with a couple of monitors, a comfortable mouse and keyboard, a comfortable chair or anything else that ensures that you are fully productive without any distractions or unneeded consequences for your health.Gear upIn addition to the hands-on setup, consider an environment that maximize your efficiency.This may include the best computer, monitors, mouse, keyboard, headset. Or a notepad and sketchpad for drawing and crafting mindmaps.There are various gadgets that could be of use at home. A water cooler next to your couch, a USB-powered cooler for your cold beverage, or a whiteboard with sticky notes in front of you.Smart home fans can purchase an Alexa which could serve as their virtual assistant and even connect it to Wi-Fi powered light bulbs which can switch colors or dim your lights with voice commands. Same goes for room temperature and humidity.Ensure reliable connectivityMost office environments are well equipped in the event of power or Internet outages (UPS networks, back-up Internet providers and so forth). Ensuring good connectivity and bandwidth at all times is fairly important for most online workers.This could be implemented through a combination of a back-up Wi-Fi provider, a mobile plan with extra data, or a mobile router which could be used outside of your house or at a coffee shop.At the end of the day, remote workers should focus on solid communication and professional attitude toward their clients or employer, managing work-life balance and keeping their energy levels in tact. Setti ng up the right work environment is a personal preference which could be fine tuned after trying out different environments and measuring productivity in various scenarios.This article originally appeared on Quora.

Web Careers in Development, Design and Marketing

Web Careers in Development, Design and absatzwirtschaftWeb Careers in Development, Design and MarketingThe growth of the web over the last couple of decades has brought with it some new job titles. For example, had anyone ever heard of a webmaster prior to the mid-1990s? It has also redefined some older titles like advertising sales rep. Advertising sales reps used to sell ad space or time only in magazines and newspapers and on radio and television. Over the last two decades, theyve added Websites to their repertoire. As you can see, web careers arent just for techies. This growing industry welcomes those who are creative and business-minded as well. If you are interested in a web career, here are some occupations to consider. Advertising sale Rep Advertising sales reps sell advertising space on websites. They need at least a high school diploma, but many employers prefer a bachelors degree. Advertising sales reps earned a median annual salary of $43,360 in 2009. Graphic Des igner Graphic designers are often responsible for the way websites look and are often referred to as web designers. They use visual elements to communicate messages through this medium as well as through others. Many employers prefer to hire graphic designers who have earned a bachelors degree in graphic design. Graphic designers earned a median annual salary of $43,180 in 2009. Earnings varied for those who worked on a freelance basis, as many graphic designer do. Marketing Manager Marketing managers decide how to market websites to the public. They need to have earned a bachelors or masters degree in marketing or an MBA with a concentration in marketing. Marketing managers earned a median annual salary of $110,030 in 2009. Web Developer Web developers tend to the technical aspects of creating websites. While many employers prefer to hire job candidates with a bachelors degree in a computer-related field, some will consider those with experience and certification only. Web developers earned a median annual salary of $77,010 in 2009. Web MasterWebmasters are computer specialists who maintain websites. Webmasters are also called web administrators. Employers usually require those they hire to have an associate degree or certificate, but a bachelors degree in a computer-related major may be needed for more advanced positions. Webmasters earned a median annual salary of $77,010 in 2009. Writer or Editor Writers and editors are responsible for producing the written content on websites. Writers create content under the direction of editors who decide what content should be on the site. While writers and editors dont have any formal educational requirements, many employers prefer to hire those who have a bachelors degree in journalism, English or communications. Many writers work on a freelance basis and are paid by article or project. Some website writers are employed full time and therefore earn salaries. Salaried writers, in general, earned a median annual salary of $53,900 in 2009. Editors earned a median annual salary of $50,800. SourcesBureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, on the Internet at bls.gov/oco/ andEmployment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, on the Internet at http//online.onetcenter.org/ (visited April 1, 2011). Explore more Careers By Field or Industry Comparing Web CareersMinimum EducationLicenseMedian SalaryAdvertising Sales RepMin. HS diploma Pref. bachelorsnone$43,360Graphic DesignerBachelorsnone$43,180Marketing ManagerBachelors or Mastersnone$110,030Web DeveloperBachelorsnone$77,010Web MasterAssociate or certificatenone$77,010Writer and EditorNone required but bachelors often preferrednone$53,900 (writer)$50,800 (editor)