HR musings with added sparkle!
It’s Christmas Eve! This is one of my favourite days of the year, with all of the cosy traditions, excitement and anticipation that the festivities bring. I especially love how everything just seems to stop, the bustling shops begin to calm and families, friends and loved ones gather together to celebrate.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
A week today will be Christmas Day! I hope you are all prepared and ready for the festivities (I’m very disorganised this year so I still have last minute bits to shop for!)
When we spread messages of joy and positivity, we feel good but we also remind others of what joy feels like and it may just inspire others to do the same. It is these small acts of kindness that make a big difference.
Continue reading “HR acts of kindness advent calendar; day 17 and 18”
This week on the blog, I am delighted to have collaborated with the wonderful Lee Lam to discuss the relevance of CV’s in recruitment processes; are they actually needed anymore? With many companies choosing to welcome more modern recruitment practices, is it time to ditch the CV for good?
With so many companies already trying different approaches to recruiting their new team members, it would be easy to think that removing the CV from the process completely wouldn’t be seen as that disruptive – indeed, many of the conversations I’ve had with companies are around the fact that they already feel they are being disruptive because they have changed their approach to no longer rely on the CV – but that’s not quite the same as dropping it completely.
This week’s HR Hour discussed how HR can positively influence within our organisations. Regardless of the size of the business you work for, the ability to influence and drive positive change is crucial to HR supporting the business in the right way.
So how can HR effectively influence without the party pooper persona?
In days when respect is almost expected, it’s actually harder to earn than we think, this is not just a challenge for HR, it is for everyone in the world of work.
When we were little, we knew what we wanted to do for a career as we’d proudly stand in front of our classmates at a tender age of 5 and exclaim “I want to be a Policeman” “a vet” “I want to be a nurse” one beamed with pride.
I remember sitting there, I politely passed my turn to another child and went last. The teacher then asked me again “Natalie what do you want to do when you grow up?” I stood at the front and told her that I’d really thought about this question because when you have a job, you’re doing it for a long time. I then said to her that I knew wanted to work at Heathrow Airport for British Airways, just like my dad. She asked, “why British Airways?” I simply said “their people are always smart, they wear buttons on their uniforms when they’re good at work, they’re friendly and they always smile but most of all, I want my mum and dad to be proud of me”.
I sadly never made it in to British Airways in my dream role as cabin crew, but ironically my sister did and whilst my mum and dad are proud of me. I’m equally proud and grateful to them, my passion to perform well in my role is a driver I inherited from my dad.
To cut a long story short, my point is that not everything in life goes to plan so prepare for the curveballs that now fire your way! whether that is choosing the university for you, getting into the world of work or simply figuring out your next steps, they may not be as you planned or first thought!
You’ve read the books, completed your coursework and faced the exams head on; today is the results day you have been waiting for and I wish you all the very best of luck and no matter what, you’re already a success story waiting to happen.
If your results are not what you hoped for there are a number of things you can do and you may need to adapt your plans slightly but you never know, you might prefer the new plan better!
Regardless of your result, now is an incredible time of opportunity, with an increase in demand for apprenticeships, universities opening their doors to welcome new students and a buoyant employment market, now is the time to get that first foot onto the career ladder.
Good luck and all the very best wishes from me.
Natalie Ellis HR 