According to a study , 41 percent of businesses estimated the costs of a bad hire to be over $25,000. With today’s focus on leaner and more efficient organisations, each employee plays a more critical role. Hiring is no longer what it used to be. How well do you perform the task of hiring? What characteristics makes one candidate more attractive than the others? Finding the right person for the job is a complicated process. It can be hounded by favoritism, inadequate trainin

A resume is a document designed to introduce a potential job candidate to a potential employer. A good resume highlights the candidate’s strengths, special skills and achievements, all of which combine to present the candidate as the best match for an open position. For your resume to be effective, it must be created in a format that best highlights your work and educational experience as it relates to your particular career goal or work objective. There are also creative fo

Mention Facebook, Google and Apple and most white collar professionals will jump for joy at the thought of being offered a chance to work at these companies. Happy employees=Happy customers=Successful companies. The most sought after places to work at not only offer generous perks and benefits or a fun workplace (think pinball machine or well-stocked pantry). More importantly, it offers a strong supportive culture where employees feel appreciated for their work and place emp

Think you know Singapore like the back of your hand? As Singapore celebrates its 53 rd National Day on the 9 August, read on to find out interesting facts about Singapore that even Singaporeans don’t know! 1. Singapore is a city of not just one island, but 63 You might not know it but Singapore’s land area includes as many as 62 offshore islands that surround the main island. These include Sentosa (the largest of the 62 offshore islands), Pulau Ubin, St John's Island and

“Jobs for life” and “iron rice bowl” are concepts that have become extinct. Global competition, automation and digital transformation have combined to make lifelong employment all but obsolete. Organisations have had no choice but to work leaner and lay off employees since payroll is the biggest expense for many businesses. One of the great benefits of having gone through recessions for many companies was that they learnt how many employees they could do without. But that is

Too many companies pay lip service to the adage that “people are our greatest asset”.While products were considered king in the industrial age, today’s business success is more likely centered on something less tangible: ideas. It is no longer about fine-tuning production process to achieve results with the same number of workers. It is about identifying, soliciting and managing talent to produce outstanding ideas and build a differentiating value that supports long-term succ

Going on a business trip overseas? Business customs vary tremendously around the world. The basic business card that you carry with you serves as an introduction of who you are but how you present yourself in different cultures is important as you do not want to offend your clients. Here’s a guide to business greetings and business card etiquette around the world: China Greeting: Handshake with everyone-starting with the most senior and oldest person first. Name card: Given a

Imagine this:You are just trying to complete the quarterly report for your boss peacefully, with a coffee and croissant at your side. Suddenly, Debbie is standing next to your cubicle, griping about how she has been working long hours and hasn’t take leave in a long time. You know how painful it is to hear her whine all the time. Anyone who has worked with chronic complainers will know that such behaviours over the long haul irritates everyone at work. Whiners whine to form r

Yelling or swearing at an employee or verbally abusing him or her.Having your contributions or work purposefully ignored.Singling out an employee for unjustified criticism or blame. These are just some examples of workplace bullying. A bully torments, frightens and intimidates other people. Bullies can be disruptive, insulting and create violence at the workplace. Bullies become bullies when they find that they can get away with it and bullies are bullies because they have no

Successful mentoring involves building a quality relationship between mentor and mentee. While it is often assumed that the mentee drives the progress of a mentoring relationship, the mentee needs to invest equal time and effort on their part to make it a productive two-way communication. The most satisfied mentees are the ones who recognise that each meeting has the potential to help their mentors advance their careers too. Here are some tips for the mentor on how to prepa

Did you know that 80 percent of CEOs polled have had mentors? Having access to mentors have given potential leaders insider knowledge and access to power and resources. Mentoring is about helping another person learn through a one-to-one relationship. Being a mentor brings benefits to yourself and the mentee. Mentoring can make a positive difference in someone else’s career. To set yourself up for successful mentoring, the mentor needs to have an understanding of the mento

It may be a new task, new skill or new process that it is necessary for the manager to coach their employees on.Here are 5 practical steps to coach your employees for success: https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/5-practical-steps-to-coach-your-employees-for-success 1. Prepare the employee Introduce the need for you to coach your employee on the required task Seek your employee’s commitment to improve by learning the required task Ask for ideas and suggestions from the

Coaching relates primarily to performance improvement, in a specific skills area. What are the fundamentals of being a good coach? Here are the 3 essential qualities a good coach needs: 1. Be accessible By making yourself accessible, you can observe how the person being coached is performing. Also, it creates a space and opportunity for discussions. If you are hardly available or maintain regular contact with your coachee, he or she may be hesitant to approach you with

July is National Ice Cream month. Join the celebration by sharing some ice cream in the workplace. It is an easy and fun way to spread some cheer and smiles without breaking the bank. Here are 5 ideas to celebrate National Ice Cream Month at work: 1. Hire an ice-cream cart It is hard to miss the traditional ice cream carts with their striking red umbrellas manned by middle aged uncles. Get the ice cream cart to swing by your workplace. Count heads and negotiate a price for

Managing people is a challenge, but it is essential. Each individual has their unique personalities, strengths, weaknesses and feelings. Helping each person achieve his or her potential requires different motivations and strategies. It is also a dynamic process that is evolving to accommodate changes in the diverse and complex workplace. Managing your people properly makes a difference and a well-managed team will always outperform others less well directed. Managing people i

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple. As time goes by, almost everything becomes obsolete or irrelevant. All products and services stand in perennial need of renewal or replacement. Thus, there is a need to innovate or you risk going out of business. Innovating is about making something new, thus altering or renewing. It is not about conjuring something out of thin air. The starting point is usually the status quo or how thin

Studies have shown that bringing pets to work can increase productivity. This year, 22 June 2018 is Take Your Dog to Work Day. What better way to celebrate than to bring your furry friend (s) to your workplace? Here are 7 reasons why your company should celebrate take a dog to work day: 1. Free cleanup crew There will always be someone there to finish leftovers at lunch meetings. 2. Chief Barketing Officer Who doesn’t want to have a Chief Barketing Officer join the team? 3. M

A promotion. A salary offer. A flexible work arrangement. The simplest way to get these things is to ask- and be prepared to negotiate. Negotiating is a handy and practical skill, not just for work, but in all aspects of your life. Not everyone is comfortable with negotiating and most of us probably accept whatever is offered to us in the first place. The biggest reason why we are not asking for more? Fear. Fear of losing the deal or concerned with how the other party might

"One day, offices will be a thing of the past”,Richard Branson, Entrepreneur and Founder of Virgin Airlines Today’s offices go beyond the boundaries of physical offices. We are on the fourth industrial revolution and the business world is constantly being disrupted by digital transformation. For businesses to thrive in this ever-changing environment, many are currently setting up or have set up virtual teams for different aspects of their businesses. What are virtual teams

As much as we would like to reach an agreement in a negotiation , there may be times that we find ourselves stuck in an impasse. Here are the 5 fundamentals about managing impasse that you didn't learn in school: Click here to access the module: https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/how-to-manage-an-impasse-during-negotiations 1. Take a break When tempers flare, negotiations can go downhill quickly. A good strategy is to introduce a caucus or take a break. It may be an hour