Heres how to protect your time when you keep getting interrupted at work

Heres how to protect your time when you keep getting interrupted at workHeres how to protect your time when you keep getting interrupted at workOnce you put out a fire at work, there always seems to be another one looming around the corner, threatening to steal your time away - yet again.Heres how to guard your time when youre dealing with constant interruptions and a full workload.Do this when your talkative coworker keeps stopping byIf the old headphones trick doesnt work, try this fix.Its called the FlowLight, a traffic-light like LED that shows those around you how busy you are at any given moment using the colors red, yellow and green. An app also runs on your computer and indicates your availability online.Dont have the resources or the bandwidth for a device like this? Try approaching your nosy coworker face-to-face instead, and communicate how their probing questions can make you feel uneasy.Sometimes being direct is the best way to go, even if its far from the easy way out. Heres what to do when your work calendar is getting out of controlThe meetings can really stack up.Youll need to learn how to say no to some of those Google Calendar invites and try your best to to only book meetings you really need to attend - if you have the power to do that at work.Designating certain hours as off-limits is another way to communicate to others that you have a lot to get done, and need time to focus.Heres what to do when you cant focus at your deskOpen amtsstube plans mean less silence to get your work done - especially when youre someone who needs it to stay productive.Try popping in some headphones to tune out the noise, or moving to a conference room to work.Take advantage of your offices calendar system and book a room to work in if youre able to. It might just give you a leg up when coworkers break into a heated debate by your desk about which of the 2018 Oscars nominations will win in each category, or people get riled up over politics.Heres how to handle too many emails and Slack messagesAhh, the elusive inbox zero.As emails stack up andSlack messages vie for your attention throughout the day, its easy to get lost in the constant stream of communication from coworkers and supervisors.Research has found that the average employees email inbox harbors an average of 199 unread messages, andthe only way to a achieve a clean inbox is to go directly through it, so engage in a ruthless deleting session when appropriate.Also, respond as soon as possible - ithas been suggestedyou reply within an hour of receiving emails and setting response deadlines for ones you cant address right away.Slack got you down? Try logging out or closing your tab for a moment if you get distracted by the icon showing you have new messages, or someone wrote in a channel.Give your colleagues a heads up that youll be taking a timeout for a specified period of time, but give them an alternative method of communicating with you should something come up.

How You Can Crowdsource Your Company Culture

How You Can Crowdsource Your Company CultureHow You Can Crowdsource Your Company CultureAmong the issues that plagued the workforce over the past year, building and maintaining employee engagement has stuck out as a key concern across industries. Employee engagement is the emotional commitment employees have toward their organization and its goals, and it can affect business productivity and profit. Many studies show that the total cost of losing an employee can range from tens of thousands of dollars to 1.5-2X annual salary, so its in the interest of executives to prioritize keeping workers spirits high and investing in culture. This is where crowdsourcing a company culture comes into play. While some companies today lean on flashy benefits such as gym memberships or an abundance of free snacks, companies need to go beyond that to secure the loyalty of employees. By crowdsourcing a company culture, employees feel like they play a significant role in their organization- not just in t he work they do, but also in the environment that they work in. On average, a worker spends 40 hours per week at their place of employment- it stands to reason that theyd want the work culture to be reflective of their personality or wants. You Can Crowdsource Your Companys Culture Starting With Employee Input Crowdsourcing a companys culture is a bottoms-up process. It starts with the junior staff and works its way up to the top of the organization. The CEO might define the companys mission statement, but the companys internal environment is shaped by the people who make up the organization. The executives can lead the charge, but employees wont be happy if they dont feel like their voices are being heard. By allowing the wider community of employees (rather than just the executives) to define the culture, companies will notice a higher buy-in rate, resulting in higher rates of engagement. So how exactly can you execute the crowdsourcing of your culture? The process can take a variety of forms- from company-wide surveys and face-to-face meetings to informal group discussions, companies can collect input from employees on what they want in the company culture. 6 Ways to Crowdsource Your Culture Here are six ways companies can crowdsource company culture and the pitfalls to avoid. 1. Dont force it Developing positive company culture is not always easy to come by and one way to slow down the process, even more, is to force it on employees. Its important to keep in mind that if you have great people who are the right cultural fit, great things and a wonderful culture will happen naturally. 2. Get leadership buy-in The leadership team should act as enablers for crowdsourcing culture. When management and executives show investment in the company culture, it shows theyre also invested in their people. 3. Create a committee Establishing a committee that engages with all team members will not only provide the organization needed to run smoothly and efficiently but also act as a liaison to communicate ideas to all in the company. fasson these committees through a democratic process and make all voices heard by asking questions to get team insight and learn what is important to them. An Employee Engagement Committee can drive all of a companys initiatives around employee wellness, diversity,and inclusion, community giving, and company spirit. This not only results in finding ways for employees to have some fun at work but ensures engagement activities reflect what is important to employees. For many, feeling heard is what makes people feel happy and satisfied at work. 4. Dont let the budget get in the way Money constraints shouldnt get in the way of fostering culture, in fact, tight budgets may bring to light ideas you wouldnt expect. If budget negotiations become a roadblock- or even if a company has unlimited funds- crowdsourcing is the perfect opportunity to get creative. Lean on the ideas and the talents of teams, and always remember t hat simple does not necessarily equal boring. 5. Embrace the uniqueness of your team Companies that recognize and celebrate their teams diversity perform better and herausforderung solve faster. When it comes to company culture, this is the same philosophy. You can tap your teams uniqueness and experiences from their different walks of life as a crowdsourcing opportunity, as well as an opportunity to educate. One idea is to celebrate a culture within the company if employees are willing to plan and educate teams. That way, employees can equate a personal connection to their work life. 6. Stay committed Of course, values are of little importance unless they are enshrined in a companys practices. If an organization professes, people are our greatest asset, the organization should also invest in people in visible ways. Wegmans, for example, promotes values like caring and respect, promising prospects a job theyll love. And it follows through in its company practices it isranked by Fort une as the fifth best company at which to work. Over the past few years, culture has become one of the most talked about buzzwords- and for good reason. Cultivating a strong and positive company culture not only creates an environment where people want to work, but can also become the underlying reasons for success for an organization in the long run. The benefits are clear, including strong employee retention and engagement. So companies need to realize that the key to creating a distinct, employee and customer supported workplace culture is to crowdsource your company culture and implement your employees best ideas. - Sharon Marnien is an accomplished and energetic leader with over 20 years Human Resources experience in both large and small companies in the Technology and Financial Services industries.

Police Application Help for Law Enforcement Jobs

Police Application Help for Law Enforcement JobsPolice Application Help for Law Enforcement JobsFilling out a job application may be the fruchtwein important thing you do as you begin your quest for a law enforcement career. A poorly filled out application can mean the difference between moving forward in the hiring process or heading back to the unemployment line. Understand theApplicationProcess Typically, law enforcement agencies have very objective hiring standards. The process to get hired as a police officer is broken into distinct steps, with clear pass/fail rules and guidelines. In general, if you can make it through all of those hoops, the chances are pretty good that youll get hired. The job application is the first of these hoops, which means it may be the most important. Without it, you wont even get your foot in the door. Avoid Unnecessary Mistakes There are so many people looking for criminal justice careers who miss out on great opportunities because they made simple mistakes in their job applications. Sometimes, they dont know what information they need to include. More often, they fail to properly articulate that they have the required education or work experience. Here are a few tips to help you complete your application and land your law enforcement career Make sure your application is legibleRead and follow all of the instructionsMake your experience countFollow up on the application Make It Legible Think of the job application as your first opportunity to introduce yourself to your potential employer. Remember, first impressions matter. The care you take in preparing your job application will say a lot about how seriously you take the job youre applying for. By extension, it will also speak to your discipline, professionalism, and ability to represent your agency. While a sloppy application, if properly completed, wont necessarily get you disqualified, it may very easily find itself at the bottom of the stack and in job applicat ion purgatory. Type your application whenever you can do so. There are several programs available that can convert PDF files into fillable forms if you dont have access to a typewriter. In many cases, though, departments will provide an electronic application that you can complete, print and mail. Even better, apply online whenever possible. It will ensure your application gets to the right person as soon as possible and will eliminate any accidents such as spills, tears or wrinkles, that can happen to a physical application on its way to its final destination. Read the Directions If youre honest with yourself, theres probably been a time or two when you just started filling forms out without regard to the instructions, only to find out that you wrote something in the wrong format or didnt understand what information was requested until it was too late. Believe it or not, this happens all the time with job applications. Unfortunately, in peoples haste, they often neglect to look and see that they not only filled their application out completelybut correctly as well. This simple mistake can have big consequences. Failing to read the directions for the different sections completely before you fill out your application can send the wrong message to your potential employer. When you dont read the application, youre essentially telling the recruiter or hiring manager that you cant follow instructions, which, as you can imagine, is a less than desirable trait in a future law enforcement officer. Articulate Your Experience Many agencies have very specific requirements regarding work experience, military service, and education. Quite often, these requirements are set by the state POST or standards and training commission, which means the agency has little to no leeway in bending the requirements. What this means for you as a criminal justice job seeker is that you must be able to articulate how your experience relates to the job youre applying for. For example , if an agency requires that a candidate must have 2 years of public-contact work experience, then when you fill out the prior employment history portion of the application, use the job duties sections under each of your previous jobs to demonstrate how you had to make contact with the public as part of your modell duties. Follow Up After youve applied, its a good practice to call the employer and ask if they received your application. It demonstrates interest, follow-through, and dedication. Dont get discouraged if the person on the other end sounds annoyed or uninterested. Remember that they often receive hundreds of applications in a week or even a day. Even so, theyll remember you as one of the people who wanted the job. Moreover, if you dont follow up, you may never know if your application got to the intended recipient. Its far better to call and be sure they received it than to be left wondering. Take Your Time to Fill Out theApplicationand Get It Right Completing the job application neatly, thoroughly and accurately is vital if you want to get a good start on your law enforcement career. The job application is your first chance to tell your potential employer exactly who you are and what you can offer. Dont be in a rush to fill it out. Remember make it neat and legible, follow directions, properly articulate your experience and follow up after you send your application in. Following these simple steps can make a huge difference in your chance of success in your criminology career.