Thursday, November 28, 2019

Sample Letter to Send for Employment Loss

Sample Letter to Send for Employment LossSample Letter to Send for Employment LossLooking for a sample sympathy letter that you might send or email to a colleague who has lost her job?Your goal with a sympathy letter is to let the individual know that you care about her and want to help. How you offer to help will depend on your relationship with the person and your own contacts and experience. You can offer to help in a number of ways depending on the skills you bring to the table. Share Job Openings If you are aware of an opening that might fit the talents, skills, and experience of the person, refer her to the job opening or the employer with the opening. Share Contacts If you know your colleagues work well enough to admire it, you can offer the name, number, and email of contacts who might have jobs available. Share contacts only if you believe the individual is qualified and a good employee. Serve As a Reference If you are familiar with the persons work, you can offe r to serve as a business reference. If you are not familiar with her work but are familiar with her values, character, and strengths, you can offer to serve as a personal reference. Introduce Your Colleague to Your Network When an individual loses their job, whether they were fired or laid off, they often discover that their main network is comprised of people in that specific industry who are doing the same or a similar job. Especially if your colleague is looking for a career or location change, introducing her to your network of contacts is a kindness. Offer to Review Her Resume and Cover Letter If job application materials are a strength of yours, offer to review hers the first few times she applies for a position. A second pair of eyes is helpful in preventing errors at a time when her applications need to be on-target and error-free. Provide References in Social Media Employers are increasingly using social media as a tool in employee selection. Positive references help a potential employee stand out from the crowd of applicants. Professional colleagues are keeping in touch on sites such as LinkedIn where your colleague can also participate and network in groups that relate to her career field. (If shes not on LinkedIn or social media, take her to lunch and talk about why social media is important.) Offer to Get Together to Talk About Her Job Search Sometimes a colleague just needs a sympathetic friend, but she may also find it helpful to talk about her job search. Job searching ideas from the experience of friends and colleagues can help an unemployed person find a job faster. Refer Your Colleague to Helpful Sites Online If you have a favorite job site such as Indeed or SimplyHired, refer your friend. You can also send her to helpful sites angeschlossen such as this HR site and The Wall Street Journal Careers site. With these thoughts in mind, here is a sample sympathy letter for job loss. DateDear Rashida,I was so so sorry to hear t hat you lost your job. I know that you enjoyed it and felt as if you were contributing and having a positive impact on children. Layoffs are never expected or desirable.I want you to know that I am here for you. Lets have lunch this week so we can talk about how I can aid your job search. For sure, I can serve as a reference. Your work at the family center was outstanding and I have missed you as a colleague.Id be happy to take a look at your resume and be a second pair of eyes as you apply for various jobs. We can talk about other ways that I can help you when we get together. If nothing else, I can recommend you in social media and share my favorite job search sites.Once we talk and I know what you are looking for in your next job, we can landsee if there is anything else that I can do to help. In the meantime, Ill keep my eyes open for openings similar to the job that you had.Let me know a good day this week for lunch and we can get together. You are not in this job search mode a lone.Warmly,Sarah

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How Important Is Continuous Training to Your Employees

How Important Is Continuous Training to Your Employees How Important Is Continuous Training to Your Employees Managers have a lot to concern themselves with on a daily basis the bottom line, employee engagement, and of course, customer satisfaction. Amid all that busy day-to-day activity, one critical area might be falling by the wayside continuous training and employee development.A dedicated training program can impact everything from recruitment and retention to performance. Unfortunately, not all companies dedicate sufficient time and resources to employee development. Some employers feel that developmentis simply too expensive, while others are concerned that mora time spent developing employees is less time employees spending doing their actual jobs.These are valid concerns, but below, well show that continuous trainingis anessential element of performance managementthat can provide a great return on investment while improving overall productivity.Continuous Training Attracts Great EmployeesIf youre looking to recruit the best and brightest, a focus on continual training is a great place to start. According to one study, 39.3 percent of respondentsname growth as a top consideration when evaluating a new job prospect. This stat is further supported by Gallups assertion that, increasingly, millennials viewindividual jobs as development opportunities.A defined and well-considered development program plays a large part in building a companys namen and reputation, which can spread and attract employees who are eager to learn, grow, and flourish withthe business.Continuous Training Can Improve Employee LoyaltyContinuous training can helplower voluntary turnover rates. When you actively invest in your employees and their futures, employees will feel more loyal and more inclined to remain with the company. Regular training doesnt only make employees feel more valued, but also more competent and confident in their roles. This, too, can make employees less likely to jump ship for your competitors.Continuous Training Highlights Areas for ImprovementTo help youremployees become all they can be, you need an accurate and up-to-date picture of what their strengths and weaknesses are. Continuous training allows managers to evaluate employees more accurately, which in turn helps them foster improvements in areas where employees could benefit most. This means all employees willreachhigher levels of performance. Common mistakes resulting from a lack of skills or knowledge will occur less often, and your company will benefit from a stronger workforce.Continuous Training Can Improve Standards of PerformanceWhen an employee receives regular training, they are simply better able to do their job. They are more skilled, more aware of workplace processes, more confident, and more knowledgeable of their industry - all of which push them to perform better both now and in the future. Continuous training also keeps employees informed of new industry trends an d developments, which will help position your company as a leader in its field.Continuous Training Promotes Employee SatisfactionLast but certainly not least, continuous training has been strongly linked to employee satisfaction. Employees who are given development opportunities feel supported, valued, and appreciated. As human beings, very few of us are happy to stand still we are driven to progress and grow. If we are denied this opportunity, it isnt long before we become bored and disillusioned with our careers, regardless of how well-paid we might be.- When considering a continuous training and development program, HR executives and managers alike should keep in mind the needs of the organization, focusing on skills that are most likely to have a direct impact on employees job performance. Succession planning should also be considered. If a top executive needs to step aside, you will want to have a previously trained and already prepared employee ready to fill the space left beh ind.It is also wise to incorporate personal development objectives into your workplace culture. Personal development objectives are measurable, attainable objectives that help employees reach certain milestones in their development, such as gaining a particular skill or increasing their knowledge of a certain area. Employees should be encouraged to take ownership of their objectives, which should be regularly revisited and reviewed.By taking the above considerations into account, you will slowly but surely develop a company culture that values, supports, and encourages training and advancement.Stuart Hearn is CEO ofClear Review.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

United States Military Enlistment Standards

United States Military Enlistment StandardsUnited States Military Enlistment StandardsEnlisting in the United States military is very different than applying for any other job. Not everyone will qualify, and there are strict rules which would never apply to civilian employment.Congress and the courts have held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ensures all individuals are treated equally before the law with respect to civilian employment, does not apply to the military profession. The military doesnt accept just anyone who wants to join. To enlist, you must be qualifiedunder current federal laws and regulations or have an appropriate waiver. There are age, citizenship, physical, education, height/weight, criminal record, medical, and drug history standards that can exclude you from joining the military. Statistically, this past decade, a majority of recruits fail to meet the height/weight standards of the military as the number one reason why people cannot immediat ely sign up for service. Here is a look at some of the basic qualifications to enlist in the military. Minimum Age Requirement Across the armed forces, the minimum age allowed for enlistment is 17 (with parental consent) and 18 (without parental consent). The maximum age for enlistment for someone who has never served in the military before varies by branch for the Army, its 35, for the Navy, its 34, for the Air Force its 39, and for the Marines, its 28. These often can be waived if the recruit has the education, skills, experience that the military needs to fill its ranks. Often these are professional jobs (legal, medical, dental, religious). The rules for reserves and those with prior military service vary. Military tafelgeschirr Citizenship Requirement To enlist in any branch of the U.S. military, you must either be a U.S. citizen, or a legal permanent residentwith a green card physically living in the United States.For enlistment purposes, citizens of the United States include citizens of Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Marianas Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, as well as the 50 states. ?Credit and Finances If you have unpaid loans which are significantly overdue or have a history of bad credit, this could affect your security clearance eligibility, which in turn could make many military jobs unavailable to you. And some recruits will have to show that theyre able to meet their current financial obligations upon enlistment. Having credit/debt issues can make you susceptible to bribery from foreign agents is the main reason for making credit issues afactor in recruitment. Serving as a Single Parent For the most part, single parents cannot enlist in the active military unless they relinquish custody of their child, or receive a waiver.The Navy requires a waiver for any applicant with more than one dependent, including a spouse. Marines require a w aiver for applicants with any dependent under 18, and the Air Force will conduct a financial eligibility determination for applicants with any dependents. The Army requires a waiver when an applicant has two or more dependents in addition to a spouse. Applicants Married to Active Military Members As long as there are no children in the household, spouses of active military members are eligible to enlist. But applicants should understand that there is no guarantee that spouses will be stationed in the same place. But if there are children in the household, this will disqualify most military spouses from enlisting. The active duty services rarely waive this, while the reserve forces (Reserves and National Guard), often approve waivers, as long as the applicant can show a workable family care plan. Education Requirements for Military Service To enlist, you must be a high school graduate, have earned a GED (with additional college credits) or have met other high school equivale ncy requirements. Officers will need a four-year bachelors degree, with a strong academic record. Drug or Alcohol Use Dependency on illegal drugs is disqualifying, anyhistory of drug use is potentially disqualifying, and any history of dependency on alcohol is disqualifying. There are cases where waivers may be granted, but manysensitive military jobs will be closed to anyone who has any past association with illegal drug or alcohol use. Criminal History Although a criminal record is not an automatically disqualifying, there are some situations where the armed services will not grant waivers. If a person has a felony conviction as an adult, or a juvenile felony conviction that involved violence, chances of a waiver to enlist are slim. Likewise, for offenses involving the sale of illegal drugs, and most sex offenses are disqualifying. Anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor is barred from carrying a firearm, which would disqualify the person from serving in the mi litary. Height and Weight Standards For most of the military, male applicants need to be between 60 inches and 80 inches tall. For female applicants, the range is between 58 inches and 80 inches. The Marines have separate standards Male applicants should be between 58 and 78 inches tall, and female applicants between 58 and 72 inches tall. The services have body fat standards, which are only partly based on weight. During an initial screening, applicants are measured on a body fat chart. Those who weigh more than the limits on the chart are measured to ensure they fall within the services body-fat standards. Often physically fit and muscular/low body fat recruits can be over the height/weight standards but meet the body fat requirements. Medical Conditions There are some medical conditions which will disqualify applicants from enlisting in the military. In general, you wont be eligible to enlist if you have a medical condition that falls into one of these categories. Applica nts must be free of contagious diseases that would likely endanger the health of other personnel.Applicants must be free of medical conditions or physical defects that would require excessive time lost from duty for necessary treatment or hospitalization.Applicants must be medically capable of satisfactorily completing required training, and medically adaptable to the military environment without geographical area limitations.Applicants need to be medically capable of performing duties without the aggravation of existing physical defects or medical conditions. If you have a specific medical condition and are not sure whether it disqualifies you from enlisting, or have questions about any of the other requirements to join the armed services, seek guidance from your recruiting officer. A military medical professional will answer your questions at MEPS. Service in the military is a competitive job environment. The U.S. military is not a profession of last resorts for those with no othe r option.