Category: Wellness

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, HR, HR Blogger, Human Resources, Mentoring, Motivation, People Management, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

National Mentoring Day 2018 #MentoringRocks

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on National Mentoring Day 2018 #MentoringRocks

rawpixel-403494-unsplash

“I believe that everyone has the ability to share their experiences; by doing so, you have the power to inspire the next generation of professionals”.

The above quote is one that I wrote back in April 2017 when I was leading a session for the CIPD Northamptonshire Branch member to member mentoring scheme, so it is quite personal to me, but is is one that I wholly believe in.

As HR professionals, we have a world of resources at our disposal; our network being one of the strongest assets that we have, this may not be unique to the HR profession, but it is certainly one that is powerful and has a solution to almost every challenge. This is particularly useful for mentoring, as the mentee may not even know some of the things that you do.

This was one of the many reasons why I decided to become a mentor in 2012 when I joined the CIPD Steps Ahead programme, since then I have been fortunate to act as one of their ambassadors in addition to mentoring job seekers. In 2017 I successfully supported 8 people into work; this was a range of people with different backgrounds some were returning to work after a period of absence, some were working parents looking for a career or returning to work, and others had just left university and were unsure what options were available to them. In addition to this, I co-founded the CIPD Northants branch mentoring scheme in 2016 which is beginning to grow in popularity.

The beauty of mentoring, is that you are supporting people using your existing skills and knowledge so it is not particularly difficult to do, all it takes is about an hour of your time every other week and you can make a big difference to someone’s life. It offers the opportunity to support others to encourage career development and support whilst unlocking their full potential.

Continue reading “National Mentoring Day 2018 #MentoringRocks” →

Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Health, HR, HR Blogger, Human Resources, management, mental health, Organisation, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

Is it time to rethink how we approach mental health? #worldmentalhealthday2018

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Is it time to rethink how we approach mental health? #worldmentalhealthday2018

hans-peter-gauster-252751-unsplash.jpg

Today is world mental health day and whilst social media is alive with support, I can’t help but think about how mental health has become such a wider issue and how this has been responded to within organisations.

Long gone are the days where people “leave their problems at the door” before walking into their workplaces each morning, now there is a much greater emphasis for organisations to be more proactive when it comes to supporting employees mental health and wellbeing.

Promoting positive mental health at work is a great place to start, many employers have Employee Assistance Programmes, Occupational Health facilities and some are taking it that one step further by implementing Mental Health First Aiders within their businesses to proactively support employees.

Continue reading “Is it time to rethink how we approach mental health? #worldmentalhealthday2018” →

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Getting Organised, HR, HR Blogger, Human Resources, Inspiration, Kindness, Leadership, management, mental health, Motivation, Random Acts of Kindness, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business

HR Acts of Kindness: encouragement

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on HR Acts of Kindness: encouragement

john-mark-smith-280303-unsplash

Your words have the power to inspire others to help them become something they never thought was possible.

Last week’s HR Acts of Kindness saw us use our words to pass on positive messages to those around us and I’ve received some lovely messages from all over the world telling me how this simple idea has really helped their own outlook at work or at home in challenging times. Thank you for all getting in touch and spreading your positivity!

For every positive, there’s always going to be the attraction of a negative opinion, that is if you actively seek them. By having a positive outlook, this will help someone succeed; this has certainly been the case for me recently, I’ve avoided doing my coursework for a long time until my husband said to me, it’s not going to do itself, yes you’re busy, but this matters to you so you need to rethink how you feel about it and get stuck into the books!

Continue reading “HR Acts of Kindness: encouragement” →

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, CIPD Level 7 HRM, Employee well being, Equality and Diversity, Goals, Health, HR, HR Blogger, Human Resources, Leadership, mental health, Motivation, Organisation, People Management, Productivity, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business, Working Week

Work hard, but not too hard… how trying too hard can actually damage your career

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Work hard, but not too hard… how trying too hard can actually damage your career

carl-heyerdahl-181868-unsplash

Many people believe that the harder you work, the quicker you’ll climb the career ladder quicker, resulting in more money and a greater sense of achievement. WRONG!

Researchers from City University have collected information from over 500,000 people in 30 different European countries, and considered the effects of long working hours hours, verses the effort put into an individual’s job against measures of wellbeing, and have linked this to career outcomes.

The research is a painful read, especially for those who put in the hours in a bid to increase their prospects.  The study revealed a connection between an increased work volumes and reduced wellbeing. The results also highlight the negative effects of working too hard such as increased stress levels and increased risk of burnout, this is shown to outweigh the reward for demonstrating commitment and going the extra mile.

Continue reading “Work hard, but not too hard… how trying too hard can actually damage your career” →

Blogging, Business, Career, Career Journey, Career Woman, CIPD, Employee well being, Health, HR, Human Resources, mental health, People Management, Uncategorized, Wellness, women in business, Working Week

Managers wellbeing; the way we are working now is simply not working

by Natalie EllisLeave a Comment on Managers wellbeing; the way we are working now is simply not working

jay-wennington-2250

A recent report produced by the Chartered Institute of Managers (CIM) has revealed that managers are working an extra 44 days per year above their contracted hours. This is leading us towards a concerning management crisis.

In days where it is the normal expectation to never be “off duty” managers have a tendency to work unpaid overtime, and with continued advances in technological ways of communicating, there is an increasing culture of always being available. The report highlights that 59 per cent of managers admitted they check their emails outside working hours. The increased presenteeism combined with technology is having a detrimental impact upon managers’ health and wellbeing.

In short; the way we are working now, is simply not working at all.

Continue reading “Managers wellbeing; the way we are working now is simply not working” →