Elk Recruitment 'Connecting Success'

Moving into Management!

So you have put in hours and hours of hard work and your employer has finally asked you to take a step up to first line management.  Firstly, well done and you should be very proud of yourself.  Should you be nervous? No you should not be, but it’s quite natural to feel this way.

Exciting times

Moving into your first management position can be quite exciting but also extremely nerve racking and you should do so with your eyes wide open. Be prepared for the huge changes that will come, you will now be responsible directly for both staff and equipment within your remit, directly responsible for quality, productivity and output of your area of responsibility. You are now responsible for your team’s welfare at work and under Health and Safety legislation you are now legally accountable with judicial implications should you manage irresponsibility. Be prepared to work longer hours but probably most difficult, is the common change in people’s attitude towards you, those that have been friends for many years may start to drift away as they believe you have moved to the dark side.

Do you understand the job role?

Be sure you fully understand the job you have been offered in every aspect, the role, responsibility, job spec, working hours & remuneration. You may need to re-evaluate your current skill set and learn new skills to enable you to execute your new position effectively & efficiently. The above should not cause you concern, it’s the price of progress and you should grasp all opportunities in life with both hands. Listen to your inner voice and it will tell you if this promotion is right for you. Be nervous, it natural, but don’t let fear hold you back, fear of failure, fear of change, fear of people’s attitude toward you. If you feel this promotion is right for you, you feel you can do it and it’s a step in the right direction for your career? then go for it, make it happen.

“turn a deaf ear to fear” Les Brown

You can not control every aspect of an Interview!

I am so disappointed, I felt I did a great interview and I still didn’t get the job, What? This is not an uncommon occurrence as there are so many factors at play during the interview itself and broader hiring process that you unfortunately have no control over. Although doing the pre interview prep work like Googling the interviewers, company website and knowing the job spec and your CV inside out are imperative, it does not necessarily mean you will get the job, so prepare yourself for this real possibility.

For the most part, the practical side and logistics of the interview is fairly generic across the board and most interviews will follow the same interviewing format and questioning.   The part of the interview we don’t have any real control over is the cultural & personality traits the employer has identified as important to making the position a success within their companies cultural setting. So although you may think you are a perfect fit for the role, you answered the questions extremely well and gave an excellent account of yourself, you may also have come across as too brash, too quiet, too meticulous, too prepared, too qualified, too polished, too cocky, too intrusive, too confrontational, too relaxed, too confident or indeed too funny to fit in with this employer. With another employer these traits could have been perfect.

Cultural & personality questions like 1. How do you deal with teams? 2. Tell me about an excellent day you had in work? or 3. How do you deal with conflict? will let you know that the company has a strong emphasis on culture within their organisation. The only way to answer these questions is as honestly as possible but do let the interviewers know that you have the ability to adapt well in different types of working environments and be prepared to give examples. So in summary if you are not chosen for a role, don’t panic, they might have inadvertently done you a favour. Try and get some feedback though, dust yourself off and go again, eventually the doors will open for you.

I Want to Resign

Most of us at some point in our careers have felt the desire to resign from our job due to a grievance we have had. Whether this grievance is due to a mean boss, limited career progression, difficult co-workers, broken promises, toxic work environment or poor terms and conditions, walking out in haste should be avoided at all costs for multiple reasons.

The majority of employee grievances can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion without confrontation. Your first port of call should be to resolve the issue yourself internally, then through management and if this is unsuccessful then through a third party.  When all of these options have failed and you have decided you have no option but to resign, you must have a plan B in place first before you leave, never just walk out with nowhere to go and avoid telling colleagues your desire to leave.  If you do walk out, although this rebellious act and sense of relief will feel fantastic initially, you will be leaving your family’s welfare exposed and potentially damaging your future employment prospects as you have created a difficult situation to explain in the career section of your CV and you have most definitely lost this employer as a reference.

Being emotionally involved in a job is a healthy situation as it can bring out the best in us but it can also cloud our judgement causing us to sometimes act irrationally.  Think through your situation wisely, plan and act accordingly.  Where possible find alternative employment first then try and leave an employer as professionally as possible and no matter what the reason, serve your agreed notice period.  Spend as much time as possible towards the end of your tenure preparing for your exit by closing as many outstanding items as possible, conducting a solid handover with your replacement, label your files and generally ensuring the upkeep of your good name.  This may seem a bitter pill to swallow at first but remember your focus must be on preserving your professionalism, character and future.