4 Small Business Tips to Boost Employee Happiness

4 Small Business Tips to Boost Employee Happiness4 Small Business Tips to Boost Employee HappinessSmall is beautiful when it comes to employee happiness. A first-of-its-kind study, ITS TIME WE ALL WORK HAPPY. , shows that the happiest workers are at small companies with fewer than 10 people on the payroll. On a happiness scale of 0-100, those workers scored 76, which means they may have some small business tips to share with larger companies, whose workers ranked their happiness at only 67.Happy workers are mora resilient, more loyal, harder working, more productive and healthier, according to the research. If you manage or own a small business, thats good news.People who work in the fields of accounting, financial and financial services, however, ranked last among those polled for on-the-job happiness, regardless of company size.With that in mind, what are the best small business tips for brightening the workday for your bookkeepers, accounting managers and finance team members? Her e are four1. Foster pride in your small businessWhether your organization is a startup or an established company, it provides products or services of some kind. What is its history, and what value does it bring to its customers and the community? Has it received awards or recognition? You can instill pride by reminding workers of why your company is a great place to work. Think of your most positive attributes. Do you offer a positive and engaging corporate culture? Is the work you do worthwhile? Are your team members supportive of one another? All of that contributes to happiness at work.2. Offer a sense of empowermentThe definition of empowerment is the authority given to someone to do something. In the workplace, its a good idea to let go of the reins and empower your staffTo make decisions, either on their own or with minimal directionTo develop critical skills that can help them advance their careers and make greater contributions to the companyTo feel more invested in their r oles and the jobs they doTo build confidence as they realize they can make the right decisionsTo feel more comfortable suggesting new ideasTo take strategic risks and flex their creative muscles3. Acknowledge your staffs accomplishmentsThe smallest companies are the best at making their workers feel appreciated, according to the happiness research. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of employees at organizations with fewer than 10 employees say their work is recognized appropriately. Workers in larger companies are less likely to feel appreciated only 54 percent of workers in organizations with 1,000 or more employees feel appreciated.While the study shows the first year on the job is the happiest for workers, dont underestimate the importance of recognizing both the newcomers and the veterans at your company. Make a point of soliciting their input and offering yours, showing them how they contribute to your companys success, announcing their achievements publicly and personally than king them often.As Nic Marks, a leading expert on workplace happiness, notes in the report, Believe it or not, a bonus is nice, but a kind word can go even further with employees.4. Set a good exampleWorkers take their cue from people around them, including the boss. Dont underestimate your influence and the impact of how you conduct yourself in front of your team, especially with regard to these attributesEffective communicationLeadership and supervisionInspiration and engagementPositivityWhen a manager embodies positivity, Dr. Aymee Coget says in the report, their influence touches their team, clients and even their clients customers.Does happy mean smiling all the time? Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to fostering happiness at your small company? No. But its safe to say that by being an advocate for workplace happiness, youll attract and retain great people. And that can be pivotal to your own success as well.Learn more about building a happier workplace, and access free re sources, including a quiz, infographic, testimonials and videos.DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Video Chat Negotiating Your Worth

Video Chat Negotiating Your WorthVideo Chat Negotiating Your WorthA follow-up on some of the most popular questions asked during Ladders spreecast on negotiation.A big thank you to everyone who attended our interactive video chat on Negotiating Your Worth. I had a great time and I hope you did too Click on the following links to view the entire spreecast and to obtain a copy of a presentation I created on the topic for Ladders Job Central event. Below are some of the questions I fielded and links to mora information on the topics.As always, you can learn more about the job search and find out about our upcoming spreecasts by following me at JobSearchAmanda on Twitter and liking my Facebook page.Now on to the questionsI just got an offer today, but I want more than was initially offered how do I start negotiating salary?Use resources like Salary.com, PayScale andour competitive analysis tool, Ladders Scout to determine the average compensation range for the role youre vying for, taki ng into account the location, industry, and company size. Then you can confidently say, Based on my research, this role typically pays between $55,000 and $68,000. Im looking for a number closer to the $60,000 mark. Is this open for negotiation?What do I put in the salary requirement section of an online application?If youre allowed to enter a non-numeric answer, type in negotiable or open to negotiation. If you must enter a numeric value for your salary requirements, donotput in 0. Recruiters know that entering 0 is the same as dodging the question and you risk the chance of being weeded out of the application pile. Instead, identify the average compensation range for the role youre interested in and choose a number towards the lower end of your range. Remember, this is just a starting off number for negotiations.The goal is to get your foot through the door for an bewerbungsgesprch so that you can find out if its the right position for you. If the job is a good fit and the company wants to offer you the role, then you are in a good position to negotiate for a large compensation plan.What do I do when they ask for salary requirements?The first rule of salary negotiation is to avoid discussing numbers until the company has extended an offer. This is when you have the most power to negotiate. But as any job seeker will tell you, this is no simple feat. Recruiters typically try to pull this information out of you as early as the initial phone screen, if they didnt already request your salary requirements as part of the application process.Here are a couple phrases you can use (courtesy of Jack Chapman, author of the book How to Make $1000 a Minute ) to deflect questions about your salary requirementsIm sure we can come to a good salary agreement if Im the right person for the job, so lets first agree on whether I am.I have some idea of the market, but for a moment lets start with your range. What do you have budgeted for the position?You can try to deflect the q uestions upfront once, maybe twice, but if the recruiter is insistent, youll need to be prepared with some figures.Click on the following link for more information on responding to salary requirement inquiries.

New Year, New Career Make Your Resolution a Reality

New Year, New Career Make Your Resolution a RealityNew Year, New Career Make Your Resolution a RealityTake these first steps to jump start your career.Happy New Year, everyone If youve been reading my column over the past five weeks, you know Ive been counting down to the New Year with tips to get your job-search strategy in place.Whether youve currently unemployed or youre considering a career change, the New Year is a chance for a fresh start. Nows the time to take a hard look at your career and decide where you want to go next.If you ran into a roadblock that affected your career last year, remember the lessons learned and give yourself permission to move on. Still bitter about the lay-offs or being passed over for that promotion? Let go of the anger and reinvest that energy into achieving your goals next year. Heres how you can start making your New Years resolution a reality.I will love my career againHas your job lost its luster? Do you wake up in the morning dreading to go int o the office? Youre not alone. A recent survey from Right Management found that 86 percent of professionals plan to search for a new job in the New Year.But before you jump ship, ask yourself why youre unhappy in your current gig. Some reasons like your work-life balance or your level of responsibility could be solved with a good conversation with your boss. Others like the company culture or the type of work you do may require you to switch companies or consider a bigger career change. Dedicate the first few weeks of this year to exploring the root of the problem before making any big changes.I will take my career to the next levelWhether youre vying for a promotion at your current company or considering your prospects at a competitor, take some time to record all your accomplishments and contributions over the past year.If you have an annual review coming up, ask your manager what skills are needed to get you to the next level. Create a development plan with your manager to he lp you take on additional responsibilities or build certain skill platzsets that are holding you back. Also, do a little reconnaissance on sites like Ladders to binnensee if the competition is hiring. Their job descriptions will help you pinpoint other skills or experience you may need to gain at the office or through a course to secure that promotion.I will find a career I loveAs Ive mentioned in a previous article, not everyone is blessed with securing their dream job from the start of their careers. And for some, that dream job is still a question mark. If youre in that boat, todays the day you start figuring it out.Consider what youve loved and hated about each role youve held in your career. Think back to your childhood dreams what did you want to be when you grew up? It may be a little too late in life to become a prima ballerina, but that doesnt mean you cant look for a job within the performing arts industry that leverages your key strengths.Consider opportunities that play up your skills. Dont know where to start? Look for former colleagues who held a similar role to you and made a transition. What companies and industries have found value in their experience?In the endRegardless of your resolution, the key takeaway is to do the legwork before jumping into action. When you take the time to think through your goals, you make it a lot easier to set the right strategy. Remember that your job goals are the foundation for your job-search strategy. All your job-search efforts from how you position your resume and online presence to how you go about finding job leads will depend upon the goals you choose.