According to research by Westfield Health, over 64% of workers would leave their job if the culture of their workplace is negative, with 86% saying they are more productive if they are working in a good culture. Common signs that a workplace has a toxic culture are a high turnover of staff, poor communication and exclusion. If you are working in a toxic workplace, it can cause severe anxiety, distress and dread about going to work. These are some ways to handle a toxic workplace.

Focus on Job

In a toxic workplace, there is likely to be gossip, rumours and people generally being negative about others. The worst thing you can do in this case is to get involved in gossip. Not only will it affect your reputation, but it can also make you feel worse in the long run. The best thing to do when working in a toxic environment is to keep your head down, focus on your job and don’t get involved in anything negative. If people are gossiping to you, it is best to cut the conversation short, as it can be easy to let these conversations with toxic people in the workplace affect you.

Keep to Yourself

Unfortunately, someone can be your best friend in the workplace one day, and your enemy the next day. Workplaces can be a competitive place and some people will do anything to get to the top and may exhibit backstabbing behaviour. The best thing to do in the workplace is to keep yourself to yourself. You have your friends outside of work. Interact with others and stay friendly, but getting too close to people at work, especially in a toxic environment, can lead to disappointment.

Strict Hours

When you work in a toxic working environment, it can be all consuming, especially if you are feeling stressed and anxious about the workplace. In this case, it is important to be strict about your working hours. Having boundaries is important and better for your mental health. If you let your work spill into your personal life, you will never switch off from work and it can be detrimental to your mental health.

Speak to Someone

If possible, speak to someone that might be able to offer some support, such as a manager or HR department. Some managers are hands off, and may not be aware of how toxic the environment is. If you can find a confidant you can trust, they may be able to help, even if it is simply someone to talk to.

Find a New Job

It is not possible to work in a toxic environment for a prolonged period, as it will only lead to poor mental health. If you are feeling distressed by your working environment, it is often best just to remove yourself from the situation by leaving a toxic workplace. When you are searching for a new job it can make it easier to survive a toxic workplace.

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One in ten older workers have returned to work after retirement, with the main reasons being financial concerns or boredom from being at home.  If you are struggling to find work as an older worker, you may be concerned about how potential employers will view you. Will they discard you straight away based on your age? Should you even mention your age on your CV? Age discrimination is a legitimate concern when looking for a job as an older worker. These are some steps you can take to improve your chances of gaining employment as an older worker.

Diversity and Equality Employers

Many employers actively recruit with diversity and inclusion in mind, therefore, giving older workers a better chance of being recruited. You can seek out companies employing older workers through platforms such as LinkedIn, as these employers are less likely to treat you as a number. Job boards will also provide more information on the employer and their values.

Age-Related Soft Skills

There are many advantages of hiring an older worker. If you are concerned about looking for a job as an older worker, you might want to highlight these. For instance, you could ensure your CV and cover letter cover the age-related attributes that make you an asset to any company, such as your reliability, ability to work under pressure, and ability to communicate. You may also want to highlight any physical activities you are involved in, incase the recruiter is concerned that you might not be as fit as younger workers.

Free Online Courses

A potential employer might have concerns that your skills are not up-to-date, especially if you have retired and want to return to the workplace. It is beneficial to review platforms such as Udemy, where you will find a range of online courses, even free courses to help you update your skills. Most employers base their hiring decisions on skills and experience, rather than age, and updating your skills will make finding work as an older worker much easier.

Try Networking

If you want employers to view you as more than a date of birth on a piece of paper, get out to networking events and meet employers. Career fairs in particular will allow you to meet recruiters face-to-face and leave a lasting impression on them. When you build a rapport with employers, you are more likely to have success, regardless of your age. Age discrimination is less likely to become an issue when the recruiter gets to know you.

Consider Freelancing

The main concern for employers when hiring older workers is that they won’t stay on the job for long. The risk can be eliminated with freelance work as it is usually project-based, so employers don’t have any expectations around your longevity in the role. If you are seeking work and you feel you are being eliminated due to age discrimination, freelance work can be a useful alternative.

If you are looking for a job as an older worker, it is crucial to give yourself the best chance of success.  At Inspired CVs, we provide the best CV writing services in Glasgow to suit your needs. Order your CV today or contact us to find out more about our online appointments and CV writing services. We offer CV writing services in UK for candidates globally.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic opened up the opportunity to work remotely, more organisations are allowing employees to work on a hybrid model than ever before. A quarter of the working population is now working on a hybrid model, which means they are splitting their working week between home and being on-site. It doesn’t suit all businesses, but for those that can offer this flexible working arrangement, it can be beneficial for the employees and the employer. 

Hybrid Model Options

There are several options when it comes to hybrid working, and your choice may depend on the needs of your business, as well as those of your employees. One option is to request that the employee works in the office 1 or 2 days a week, but they can choose whichever days they wish. Alternatively, you might request specific days or certain times each day, for instance, working in the office each afternoon, although this is less common and not as attractive for employees. These are some reasons why you may want to consider adopting a hybrid working model.

Reduce Costs

When operating on a hybrid model, businesses can reduce their overheads. For instance, they might ask employees to visit a site on a specific day, reducing day-to-day office running costs or they may even eliminate the office and hire an office when required. For employees, it can significantly reduce their costs of commuting to work, as well as other costs that they incur when travelling to sit, such as lunches, drinks, and parking fees.

Increased Productivity

Many people find that they are more productive at home, as there are fewer distractions than in the workplace. For instance, they don’t have colleagues speaking to them, they may not have access to a phone to take work calls at home, and they don’t get pulled into meetings. When working from home, employees can set their schedules for the day and work in a way that suits them, which can make them more productive.

Improve Work-Life Balance

One of the main benefits of hybrid working is that it creates a better work-life balance. Employees can spend more time at home, allowing them to spend more time with their loved ones and pets. They can spend their breaks however they wish. For instance, they may go for a run, read a book, or take their child or dog to the park. In doing this, they can create a better balance which can improve their mental wellbeing.

Better Retention

As there are so many employers offering flexible working patterns, you will get left behind if you don’t. Your employees may start to look for other jobs if they don’t have any flexibility. Whereas, if you provide hybrid working, you might find that you increase your retention levels.

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Employee surveys can be conducted at any time by an organisation, to discover how employees are feeling. Businesses can use the data to gather real-time information on the culture within their organisation, why employees might consider leaving, and what they enjoy. As long as the data is utilised and not saved in a file only to be forgotten about, it can be extremely useful. If you consider it as something that you have to do to tick a box, then you will not reap the benefits. These are some of the reasons why employee surveys are important.

Improve Communication

When you ask your employees to share their opinions and feelings, it can improve communication. In conducting an employee survey, you are showing them that you care what you think and you want to make improvements to enhance their experience in the workplace. As long as you act on the employee surveys, you will show that you value your employees.

Create a Positive Culture

It can often be difficult for managers and business owners to understand the perception of the company culture. Without this knowledge, it can be impossible to make improvements. For instance, do employees feel that there is a negative, unsupportive culture, or is it a place they can thrive? The benefits of employee satisfaction surveys are to enable you to create a positive culture.

Better Retention

One of the benefits of employee engagement surveys is the opportunity to understand and address any problematic areas within the business. Therefore, you can make changes to improve your business to improve your retention levels. Employees won’t want to leave an organisation where they are thriving. In addition, you may also find your recruitment efforts more effective, as you will obtain better employee reviews. 

Inspire Confidence

With 67% of UK workers considering leaving their jobs due to management, it is paramount that employees feel they can trust and rely on the leaders within their business. One of the benefits of employee surveys is that, when acted upon, they can inspire confidence in leaders within their business. Employees will feel that you not only value them, but they can trust that you will do as you say. You can stay ahead of the curve in business when your employees have trust and respect in their senior leaders.

Increase Productivity

When employees are happy within the workplace, they are more productive. When you utilise the data from employee surveys to make improvements to your business, your employees will be happier, and therefore, more productive. Higher productivity leads to improved competitiveness, a better reputation, and greater profitability. 

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A poll conducted by Forbes revealed that 63% of employees (1,100 respondents) worked entirely from home or on a hybrid model. There are many benefits to working from home for employees, including saving money on commuting and having a better work-life balance. Employers can also reap the benefits of hiring remote workers, including reducing office costs and increasing the candidate pool. As a business, you need to ensure your employees are productive, but it is equally crucial to ensure they feel that you trust them. It is about achieving the right balance when it comes to monitoring performance and treating your employees like adults. It can be challenging to manage remote workers, but these are some actions you can take to ensure your remote workers are delivering on their side of the employee contract.

Task Driven

To ensure your employees are working when working from home, give them tasks to complete rather than being strict about working hours. In this way, you can get a better idea of how they are performing. If they don’t finish the assigned tasks and you have been reasonable about what is achievable, you may want to consider remote employee monitoring software. However, you should only implement it if the employee is raising productivity concerns, as it can be intrusive and distrustful.

Set KPIs

It is crucial to set KIPs with your remote workers, so they understand your expectations. For example, they might have a certain timeframe to respond to customer. If they are not achieving their KPIs, it may raise concerns about their productivity and ability to manage their workload when working from home.

Schedule Calls

Although you don’t want to be in constant contact with your employees, you can schedule regular calls to find out what they are working on and for a general check-in. It is worth bearing in mind that even if you hear hustle and bustle in the background, it doesn’t mean they are not working. Employees are entitled to work from areas outside their home, including coffee shops or restaurants, unless otherwise stated in their contract. They may also be coworking.

Communication Tools

Most Managers will use communication tools, particularly when managing remote worker's as it allows the team to stay in touch and get support as and when required. It can also be a good way to monitor your employees without being intrusive. If they are consistently unresponsive to messages on Teams or generally not engaging, it might signify that their attention is elsewhere.

Monitor Complaints

It is important to monitor comments and complaints from colleagues or external customers. For example, if customers are not getting an email response within a specified period, it might be the case that your remote workers are not working.

Meeting Attendance

Attendance at meetings is crucial within the workplace, especially when employees are working remotely. It promotes communication within the team, allowing them to engage with their manager and receive important updates. There will be occasions when a meeting clashes with another appointment. However, if your employee is consistently unable to attend meetings, you might want to understand the reasons why.

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According to research, 75% of employees are contacted by their work when they are on holiday. Employees are entitled to annual leave, and it should be a time for them to unwind, rest, and switch off from work. However, there might be a genuine reason you need to contact the employee, and you may be wondering about the rules for contacting staff after hours. These are some things to consider before attempting to contact an employee on annual leave.

Is it a Genuine Emergency?

It is not acceptable to contact an employee who is on annual leave for a non-urgent matter. You should only ever contact them in a genuine emergency, for example, if they are the only person with the password to a system or if you need a key or van from them. Even if you are friendly with the person, it is not appropriate to contact them about work. When you do this, it does not allow them to switch off from work, which can be damaging to mental well-being.

Consider the form of Communication

Even in a genuine emergency, consider the type of communication you use. For instance, a phone call can be disruptive and can feel demanding to the individual. Instead, try to contact them via text or WhatsApp first and then consider if you need to give them a call. In this way, they can respond at their leisure; rather than feeling the need to drop everything to answer a phone call.

Avoid Work Emails

You should never ask the employee to check their work emails and respond to anything when they are on annual leave. It is unfair and will make them feel that even on annual leave, they still have their head at work.

Why is Annual Leave Important?

You might think that it’s reasonable to contact your employees when they are on annual leave, especially if you have a close relationship. However, instead of thinking ‘they won’t mind’ consider the purpose of annual leave and why it is essential for their wellbeing.

Time to Destress

Work can be challenging and stressful at times, and it can often lead to employees feeling anxious and burnt out. Holidays are a time for employees to disengage from their jobs to enjoy some personal time with their loved ones. If you are contacting an employee about working during their holidays, you are not allowing them to focus their attention solely on their downtime and families.

Increase Productivity

A well-rested employee will work harder and be more productive. Employees will return to work feeling more energetic and more engaged with their work. Some employees even look forward to returning to work after a break; as they enjoy the routine.

Improved Physical Health

We all need time to rest our bodies, regardless of the type of job we do. An opportunity to sleep later and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace can improve both physical and emotional well-being.

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It can be extremely disheartening when a good employee decides to up-stick and leave. You may be worried about how you will replace them and whether you will find the same quality when you go out to market. There are ways to make the most of an employee leaving, though, by implementing exit interviews as part of your standard practice. Company exit interviews often take place in organisations but the data is rarely utilised to get the best benefits. Data derived from exit interviews is like gold. It can provide you with crucial information on your business, its culture, and how you can make improvements.

What is an Exit Interview?

When an employee hands in their notice, an exit interview is conducted to gain an understanding of why they have chosen to leave. You can ask them questions about specific areas of their role and the business, which allows you to improve your culture, and processes and generally ensure that you increase retention levels in the future. Of course, a single exit interview may not be sufficient for improving your business. The real insights will come from data that is cultivated over a series of exit interviews.

Exit Interviews Benefits

There are many benefits to conducting exit interviews and using the data to its greatest potential. Exit interviews can allow you to address the main issues that lead to resignations and to make changes to reduce the likelihood of this affecting your retention levels in the future. With company exit interviews, you can improve staff engagement and ensure you have a robust onboarding process. You can ensure you are providing employees with a positive culture and employee benefits that make them want to stay. You must act on the employee exit feedback as otherwise it is not only is it a waste of time, but it also shows employees that you don’t care enough about them to make changes. You may want to implement outsourced exit interviews if it would be more beneficial than exit interviews with a manager from within the business.

Exit Interview Dos and Don'ts

An exit interview is not the time to start questioning the employee's opinions and feedback. It is a time to listen and resist defensive retorts. The employee has decided to leave the company, so their thoughts and feelings on the company or people within the company, are strong enough to make them look elsewhere. These are some questions you could consider asking. You may want to delve further into each, depending on the responses.

• What was the main reason you decided to look for another job?
• Did you feel supported by your manager and colleagues throughout your time?
• Did you feel the salary and benefits were adequate based on your skills and experience?
• What could we do or have done to encourage you to stay?
• Do you feel that you received the right training to help you succeed in your role?

It is not always the case that an employee leaves because they are unhappy or dislike the company. They may leave because they found a more challenging opportunity, or maybe the job offers flexibility that you can’t provide.

How to Use Exit Interviews to Reduce Turnover

Many organisations make exit interviews a part of their process but never do anything with the data. It is a big mistake as the data from exit interviews is valuable. The best way to use exit interviews to reduce turnover is to create a document with the responses you uncover. You can then start to notice trends in the feedback and plan ways to make improvements. There may be some quick fixes that you can introduce, other changes might take longer and be more challenging.

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According to data from Gallup, the number of employees seeking out new roles is at the highest level since 2015. The data also revealed that employee satisfaction is at a record low, with many employees feeling completely disconnected from their employers. When you consider what employees really want at work, there are a variety of factors to consider, and it often depends on individual needs. These are some aspects that matter to employees when considering whether to remain with their employers.

Good Manager

Bad managers are one of the main reasons employees leave their jobs, with 67% of workers stating that they would consider quitting because of a bad manager. Some of the traits of a bad manager include micromanaging, poor communication or failing to create a positive environment. The consequences of a bad manager include decreased productivity, poor mental wellbeing and low retention levels. To get the most out of your employees, they must have a manager that influences them in a positive way.

Increased Pay and Enhanced Benefits

It is no surprise that employees want increased pay and enhanced benefits. A good salary makes employees feel that they are valued within the organisation. It is one of the most important aspects for motivating employees and to improve your retention levels. If you want to hold onto your employees, make sure your pay and benefits for employees are competitive.

Job Security

There is no underestimating the importance of job security for employees. If employees feel that their job might be at risk, they will start looking for other opportunities. According to a survey by Robert Walters, 77% of employees prioritise job security over pay. To ensure security, employers can acknowledge any uncertainties. For instance, if there are rumours of a takeover, the organisation should be transparent, rather than ignoring the rumours. Ensuring open communication and allowing employees to ask questions and discuss concerns is vital in promoting job security within the organisation.

Flexibility

Since the Covid pandemic, flexibility has become an important aspect of the working environment. Organisations are often now allowing employees to work on a hybrid model, where they work a combination of remotely and in the office. According to the CIPD, around 4 million employees have changed their careers because of a lack of flexibility at work, with 2 million leaving their job in the last 12 months. Flexibility is no longer an option for employees, it is a necessity for many and employers that want to thrive will provide flexibility in the workplace.

If you are looking for a new job that suits your needs, the first step is to get a professional CV. We offer online appointments CV writing services throughout for candidates worldwide. Contact us today or order your CV here.