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How To Motivate Your Employees Without Spending Money

There is an abundance of books, articles, speeches, and workshops that claim to know the secrets behind employee motivation. However, not all of these “secrets” work due to the lack of research behind them. This is why it is important to search for methods which are backed by the principles of Science, Social Studies, or Psychology.

Here are three of the well-renowned theories of motivation which can help you increase workplace productivity:

THE POWER OF GOALS

Goal-setting Theory suggests that properly set and well-managed goals increase employee’s motivation. To apply this theory at the workplace, a manager can assign some SMART goals to his or her employees.

Goal-setting and feedback go hand-in-hand. After communicating the goals, you shall track the performance of each employee in order for them to know if they successfully reached them. Proper execution of feedback will enable the employee to adapt the desirable behavior.

If a goal is met, reward your employee by giving recognition. You can personally acknowledge the achievements and efforts of your employees thru group memos, writing an email, handing a personal note, or awarding a certificate.

THE POWER OF OWNERSHIP

Proponents of the Job Characteristics Model states that jobs will have motivating potential if they offer variety, task significance, and task identification among others.

Let me focus on one aspect: task identification. It is the extent to which an employee feels accountable for the outcomes of the job to the point that it becomes an integral part of his or her identity. Increase task identification contributes to performance and job satisfaction.

Boost this aspect by letting your employees contribute to the planning, reporting, and evaluating phases of the projects.

THE POWER OF OBSERVATION

There is a tendency of people to work harder if they know that they are being watched or observed. Researchers dubbed this tendency as the “Hawthorne Effect”. It is named after a series of studies that was conducted at Hawthorne’s Western Electric Company. The studies measured the influence of physical working conditions on productivity. Rather than the physical changes in environment, employees were motivated to work harder as a reaction to the attention given to them.

Apply the Hawthorne Effect at the workplace by asking for your employees’ suggestions regarding their preferences in the working conditions. Then, ensure that you know what your employees are up to by providing regular feedback.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Keeping your workers motivated is easier said than done. May these theories and its applications help you to accomplish your duties as managers or business owners!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Overcoming The Common Interviewer Biases

An interview for a possible job opportunity or salary increase is ultimately founded by an interaction between two or more individuals. Due to the nature of human behavior, both the interviewer and the interviewee are subjected to Psychological biases and errors.

What my background in Psychology has taught me is that these biases can be conquered. Awareness of the different biases is the first step!

AFFECT HEURISTIC

In Psychology, affect refers to the person’s overt display of feelings and emotions while heuristic allows people to make judgements swiftly and efficiently. Putting these two together will produce the Affect Heuristic. The Affect Heuristic is an error in judgement due to interpreting the world based on the person’s current mood.

For instance, if the interviewer had a horrible day due to domestic conflicts then, he or she may project negative feelings onto you.

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This error goes hand-in-hand with the negativity bias. Negativity bias happens when individuals give more emphasis on the bad experiences rather than the good ones. Hence, you have to be careful with the pattern of your feelings and thoughts!

CONFIRMATION BIAS

As the name suggests, Confirmation Bias is the tendency to listen solely to the information that approves one’s preconceptions.

Say your parents instilled the idea that superior employees are products of local universities only. As an interviewer, you encountered aspirants who graduated from private schools such as PSB Academy and EASB. You may be more inclined to apply your preconceptions to make false judgements about their abilities.

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Spend a substantial amount of time in evaluations to overcome this bias and increase rater’s accuracy.

ANCHORING BIAS

Anchoring Bias is the tendency of some people to rely heavily on the first piece of information they receive. For instance, you are negotiating your salary. The first offer that you make will establish a spectrum of “reasonable” possibilities and the following counteroffers will be anchored by that initial offer.

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Negotiating a salary is a conversation that aims to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. Make your first offer count despite of the Anchoring Bias by researching all the necessary information such as the average pay for your position.

CONTRAST EFFECT

Contrast Effect is the “magnification or reduction of perception as a result of previous exposure to something of lesser or greater quality”. A candidate who understands the essence of this effect will immediately volunteer after a poor candidate in order for his or her ratings to be optimum.

Reduce the Contrast Effect by delegating a standardized criteria where you base your decisions on. Thus, your interviews, discussions, and evaluations must all be structured.

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May you apply your knowledge of these common cognitive biases to your next interview!

Sources: 1 & 2

4 Singaporeans Whose Jobs Are Far From Boring

Whoever said that all Singaporeans are talentless and boring have not met these extraordinary people:

DR. MARTHA TARA LEE

Sexuality and sexual health are issues that are often ignored in our Asian households. We have a difficulty in discussing these issues openly even to our closest family members. In this case, ignorance is not a bliss because it can lead to ambivalence, tension, and frustration. People who are in desperate need of counseling are often hesitant to seek professional help due to the taboo attached to “sex”.

Dr. Martha Tara Lee is one of the few individuals who addressed these issues head on (no pun intended). Founder of Eros Coaching, she is a Clinical Sexologist, who has been helping single and married individuals since 2009. She provides services such as coaching on sexuality and intimacy as well as customized sexual education workshops. Eros’ past events include “More than Conquerors – 6 Weeks of Skills Acquisition for Men” and “The Art of Feminine Presence”.

Learn more about Eros Coaching’s services, events, and rates by visiting eroscoaching.com.

NICHOLAS FOO

As the only Asia-based LEGO Certified Professional, Nicholas Foo builds impressive gift items and large scale sculptures using LEGO materials. LEGO Certified Professional are not employed by LEGO but, they are trusted business partners with the right to market and sell the iconic blocks company’s products and services. Basically, Nicholas is a LEGO master artist!

This passionate Singaporean artist is the founder of the Blackbulb, a company founded on the values of quality, creativity, and fun. Watch his team in action as they assemble three vibrant pieces for LEGO.

MARK “SABOTAGE” ONG

Mark Ong, better known in the artistic universe as SABOTAGE or SBTG, is one of the most innovative sneaker artist on the planet. He became well-known to the public after winning a sneaker customization competition on Nike Talk Forum.

Notable due to his scientifically precise brushstrokes, SBTG has a loyal following which adores his spunky style of cut and paste. His talent eventually caught the attention of celebrities such as NBA’s legendary Kobe Bryant and Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn. When asked about what drives him to work each day, he simply said: “I stay motivated by constantly making an effort to deliver value and make a difference in people’s lives in every platform I can.”

To get your very own SBTG customized sneakers, you will have to pay about S$250-800!

CARA NICOLE “SYRENA” NEO

Cara Nicole Neo turns the beautiful fantasies of many into a reality by transforming into her alter ego “Mermaid Syrena”. Since 2013, she has been performing as a mermaid for children’s parties and corporate events. You will probably be shocked to know that her clients pay around S$500 per hour.

Her glamorous yet challenging life as a mermaid continues as she opened the Singapore Mermaid School. Watch her in action as she teaches Xiaxue how to become like a mythical sea creature:

Who would have thought that working odd jobs can pay more than some of the 9-5pm mundane jobs?

Source: mustsharenews

Possible Career Shifts To Conquer 3 Dying Industries In Singapore

Whether you are willing to admit that you are in a dying industry or not, it is a difficult disposition that several of us have to face at one point in our lives. If there are substantial evidences that your industry is doomed, perhaps it is time to weigh your options.

1. FROM PRINT MEDIA TO DIGITAL MEDIA

As my university professor have predicted, one of the industries that was negatively impacted by modern technology was print media. I am talking about the tangible reading materials such as magazines and newspapers. A good illustration of this seemingly dying industry is the closure of the Cosmopolitan Singapore last year. According to their 2014 Nielsen Media Index report, the racy magazine’s readership stood at 22,000. These low numbers did not win the hearts of many advertisers! Hence, everything went downhill from there.

More and more readers have turned into digital media with the rapid growth of larger smartphones (with wider screens) and efficient tablets. In 2012, a global study by Ericsson estimated that approximately 1 in 3 Singaporeans owns a tablet. These flat and handy devices provide a more convenient way to download and read digital publications.

If you want to part ways with the print media, consider turning to the “IT” crowd by joining the club of people who switched to the digital scene. Jobs such as freelance writer, social media manager, and graphic designer are up for grabs!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

2. FROM TRAVEL AGENCY TO TRAVEL BLOGGING

Be honest. When was the last time you booked a trip through a travel agent? I do not remember either!

Whenever I am book for my vacation, I do everything in the comfort of my own home. I start by looking extensively for the best airfare deals available. Then, I read several TripAdvisor or blog reviews about my intended destination. This is followed by a series of searching for quality accommodations at Airbnb, Agoda, and Expedia.

Why shall I hire the services of a middleman when I can go directly to the source and save more effort, time, and money?

These thoughts echoes the mindset of many Singaporean travelers. The exit of big travel agencies such as Five Stars Tours is just another sign on where this industry is heading.

With your wealth of knowledge and experience as a travel agent, you can consider to become a travel journalist or a travel blogger. Highly qualified individuals can enjoy a good salary and a free pass to various places in the world. Are you on-board?

3. FROM DEPARTMENT STORES TO FUNERAL SHOPS

Say you were a part of the salespeople who lost their jobs due to the closure of Isetan Wisma branch or Metro Sengkang branch. Consider diving away from selling vibrant products such as perfumes and swimming towards selling “lifeless” products such as coffins. You read that right!

Ironically, the death industry is one of the hottest industries right now. More graduates are now applying for the funeral sector as the younger generations are more dismissive of superstitions. Worry not about being called an undertaker because has been re-branded to “funeral director.” Sounds more sophisticated, right?

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Note: The aforementioned dying industries are based on the predictions made by a recruitment professional, Adrian Tan of Singapore Business Review.

What Not To Ask In A Job Interview

1. HOW MUCH WILL YOU PAY ME FOR THIS POSITION?

Asking questions about wages and benefits in the first job interview may potentially send an inappropriate message. You may come off as someone who is more interested with reaping the rewards of the job, rather than coming off as someone who is serious about the position.

Every job seeker is curious about money matters. However, you must wait until the interviewer brings it up or until the later interview.

2. HOW EARLY CAN I GET PROMOTED?

According to Rebecca Woods, an HR Professional in Minneapolis, this is one of the most usual questions that job seekers shall avoid. Put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer. You would not want someone who is expecting immediate gratification!

Instead of asking when are you getting promoted, Woods encourages applicants to familiarize themselves about the ways to reach occupational success.

3. CAN I WORK FROM HOME, INSTEAD?

Your top priority at job interviews is to sell yourself by showing what you are capable of. Do you think that asking special favors such as “working from home” can help you land the job? Of course not.

Unless the job description implies that you can work remotely, do not ask this question. You will be glad to know that some Singaporean companies allow their employees to work from home after they have proven how productive they were.

4. IS THE RUMOR ABOUT YOU…TRUE?

Never ask about the gossips that you heard or overheard. You are not only being rude to the interviewer but you are also engaging in a highly unacceptable behavior. Need I say more?

5. WHY?

People who are faced with questions that begin with the word “why” typically raise their defenses. For instance, “Why did the company fire so much people?” seems more confrontational than “I heard about the recent layoffs. What is your opinion about the company’s future?”

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Phrasing your questions in a friendlier manner can help your chances at getting your dream job!

Sources: 1, 2, 3

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