Startups set out to change their markets — and sometimes the world — with a handful of bright, hungry staffers and a shoestring budget. Tiny startups can move metaphorical mountains because they’re way more motivated than the mountains. How do established businesses get staff not only to work harder and smarter, but to want to work harder and smarter? By empowering them like a startup.
Traditional hiring goes like this: You need someone to sit at a desk and process a certain defined workload. So you hire someone who used to sit at a similar desk somewhere else and process a similar workload. Your main hiring criteria: “So, I see here you’ve processed a workload like ours and not gotten fired for it. Welcome aboard.”
Richard Branson talks in Entrepreneur Magazine about the perils of micromanaging:
“Employees will not take responsibility for their actions if the boss is looking over their shoulders all the time. They will not take the initiative to work that extra hour, make that extra call or squeeze that little bit more out of a negotiation.”
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey lists his methods of employee empowerment for Success Magazine:
“As much as possible, we decentralize back to the regions and the stores. They have a real sense of psychological ownership. It’s their store. It’s their region.”
In contrast, a startup hires people not to process a workload, but to build a company and further a vision. They hire people to innovate, to make the company better, stronger, faster — and to roll up their sleeves and implement those ideas. If established businesses want workers to stop acting like little cogs in a big, slow machine, the trick is to stop treating them like cogs:
Hire Entrepreneurs. Startups tend to hire very smart, very enthusiastic people. They don’t necessarily hire the best fit for the current, limited definition of a job. They hire people with the potential to grow, and contribute more. Start looking for those qualities — and be willing to retool job descriptions to attract such people. If you want your new hire to think beyond the ‘In’ and ‘Out’ baskets on the desk she’ll inherit, you’ll have to, as well.
Instill Your Vision. When a startup does mighty things with very lean staffing and operational budgets, it’s often because the singular vision of the founders inspires their staff to new heights. Tell people how what your company does matters, and then tell them how what they do matters to the company’s success. Do this regularly, and leave the door open for two-way communication. Engage your workers, ask them what their vision is, how they see the company’s goals and where they feel they can best contribute.
Expand the Vision. A lot of established companies think of themselves as … established. “This is what we are; we’d just like to do 10% more of it next year.” A startup says, “What we are today isn’t what we’re going to be — we’re building something bigger than this.” Do more than maintain the success you’ve already achieved. Reach for the next plateau, not only in sales or market share, but also in excellence. Refreshing the goals and expanding the vision keeps your team engaged — especially when you’re beyond the point of relying on profit sharing to motivate your employees.
Don’t Fear the #Fail. oDesk CEO Gary Swart likes to say that “experience is what you get what you don’t get what you wanted.” When things don’t go according to plan, startups see opportunity to learn, iterate and improve. Encourage your employees to come up with new ways to serve your clients, enter new markets or improve internal processes. Give them the opportunity and resources to implement these ideas, and if they do their best with an idea you signed off on, don’t punish them if it doesn’t pan out. Congratulate their willingness to take risks, and encourage them to bring you the next idea.
Adjust for Inspiration. Don’t stick with old systems because they’re the systems you know. Hiring smart, enthusiastic people means listening to their ideas and encouraging their enthusiasm. Don’t be afraid to change — job descriptions, titles, department configurations, your online presence, your product lines. Change is essential, so seize an inspired opportunity.
On the whole, startups rely on empowered workers at all levels of the business. Have you ever called a big corporate bank to complain about some two-dollar charge or a late fee, only to be told, “There’s nothing I can do about that”? You don’t hear that at Zappos, the shoe-retailing startup whose customer service representatives are famous for their excellent service. Zappos’ service team is empowered to solve problems, and proud of their ability to keep their customers satisfied — the company’s entire brand is built on it.
You don’t have to install a foosball table in the break room or start an employee book club; making your employees happier comes naturally when you make them feel important, engaged, and invested in the company’s success. The best startups not only know that, they thrive on it.
Anyone who works online could be the poster child for Earth Day. The green advantages of working at home, for both workers and employers, are astonishing.
The environmental benefits of using public transportation or biking to work are well known as viable alternatives to traditional passenger car commuting. Incredibly, our recent research based on Census Bureau data shows that in 5 of the largest U.S. metro areas, more employees telecommute than travel to work via public transportation, taxi, motorcycle, bike or walking. How’s that for eco-friendly commuting!
Those same online workers are saving their employers about $10,000 a year each, too, thanks to increased productivity, reduced facility costs, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover. Those aren’t Earth Day benefits, per se, but if companies do more with less, an indirect benefit is less pollution.
The environmental benefits of using public transportation or biking to work are well known as viable alternatives to traditional passenger car commuting. Incredibly, our recent research based on Census Bureau data shows that in 5 of the largest U.S. metro areas, more employees telecommute than travel to work via public transportation, taxi, motorcycle, bike or walking. How’s that for eco-friendly commuting!
Those same online workers are saving their employers about $10,000 a year each, too, thanks to increased productivity, reduced facility costs, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover. Those aren’t Earth Day benefits, per se, but if companies do more with less, an indirect benefit is less pollution.
One of the great things about working for yourself as a contractor is having more control over the direction of your career. However when you are meeting tight project deadlines while simultaneously interviewing for the next job, it’s easy to overlook the bigger picture. It’s vital to set aside some time and start thinking about how you can forward your career by adding new skills, qualifications and experiences to your resume.
Here are eight reasons why it’s important to improve your skills:
1. You’re the driver!
It’s worth remembering you are your own mentor, HR department and boss. Nobody else is going to be looking after your contractor career development except you, so you need to be the instigator of change. Rather than resting on your laurels, make sure you are moving forward to ensure you don’t get stuck in a rut.
2. Win new work.
One of the main reasons for adding to your skill set is to be able to win new types of work, which may be more interesting or lucrative. It may be as simple as completing one of the oDesk skill tests in order to seal the deal, or you may want to branch out into something completely new–which involves retraining and new education courses.
3. Increase your hourly rate.
Job satisfaction is important, but so is getting paid. If that summer vacation still looks out of reach, you may need to invest in some training or certifications to ensure you end up with a better rate of pay.
4. Play catch-up and stay knowledgeable.
Many professions require you to keep on top of new developments, which can move very fast. So if there is a new software release, or a dynamic new design trend, you may need to have that knowledge under your belt so you’re better equipped to compete on your next job interview.
5. Stand out from the crowd by combining skills.
Over the next few years the world of contract work is undoubtedly going to get more competitive. You many need something extra to really stand out. Sometimes unusual combinations of skills can result in you having a unique selling point. Are you a programmer who also knows about accessibility? Are you a graphic designer who can also write great copy? Merge your talent and your passions to find creative combinations that make you more marketable.
6. Highlight your talent.
If you know that you have a talent — such as writing — but it is rather unproven, and you don’t have enough experience in that area to get hired, then having a formal qualification may help you get your toe in the door on relevant projects.
7. Impress employers by demonstrating your character.
Employers love self-improvement. They greatly respect individuals who are moving forward and developing themselves, and if you can demonstrate this — particularly at the interview stage — then they are likely to consider you the type of person they would want to work with.
8. Reap the personal rewards
The most important part of learning a new skill or undergoing training is the sense of achievement you will feel when you move forward. Moreover, the whole process of learning is rewarding and interesting, and you can gain insights into your own capabilities and character. You may also meet friends and valuable business contacts on the way. You really can’t lose when educating yourself, improving your skill set and advancing your own contract career.
Reference:
1) www.odesk.com
Here are eight reasons why it’s important to improve your skills:
1. You’re the driver!
It’s worth remembering you are your own mentor, HR department and boss. Nobody else is going to be looking after your contractor career development except you, so you need to be the instigator of change. Rather than resting on your laurels, make sure you are moving forward to ensure you don’t get stuck in a rut.
2. Win new work.
One of the main reasons for adding to your skill set is to be able to win new types of work, which may be more interesting or lucrative. It may be as simple as completing one of the oDesk skill tests in order to seal the deal, or you may want to branch out into something completely new–which involves retraining and new education courses.
3. Increase your hourly rate.
Job satisfaction is important, but so is getting paid. If that summer vacation still looks out of reach, you may need to invest in some training or certifications to ensure you end up with a better rate of pay.
4. Play catch-up and stay knowledgeable.
Many professions require you to keep on top of new developments, which can move very fast. So if there is a new software release, or a dynamic new design trend, you may need to have that knowledge under your belt so you’re better equipped to compete on your next job interview.
5. Stand out from the crowd by combining skills.
Over the next few years the world of contract work is undoubtedly going to get more competitive. You many need something extra to really stand out. Sometimes unusual combinations of skills can result in you having a unique selling point. Are you a programmer who also knows about accessibility? Are you a graphic designer who can also write great copy? Merge your talent and your passions to find creative combinations that make you more marketable.
6. Highlight your talent.
If you know that you have a talent — such as writing — but it is rather unproven, and you don’t have enough experience in that area to get hired, then having a formal qualification may help you get your toe in the door on relevant projects.
7. Impress employers by demonstrating your character.
Employers love self-improvement. They greatly respect individuals who are moving forward and developing themselves, and if you can demonstrate this — particularly at the interview stage — then they are likely to consider you the type of person they would want to work with.
8. Reap the personal rewards
The most important part of learning a new skill or undergoing training is the sense of achievement you will feel when you move forward. Moreover, the whole process of learning is rewarding and interesting, and you can gain insights into your own capabilities and character. You may also meet friends and valuable business contacts on the way. You really can’t lose when educating yourself, improving your skill set and advancing your own contract career.
Reference:
1) www.odesk.com
With nearly 3.5 million Twitter followers, Paris’ morsels of wisdom are obviously in demand. Here’s our take on some of her most notable quoteables:
PARIS SAYS: “Trust me, people act differently toward you when you’ve got jewelry on your head.”
What It Means: You might be thinking having “jewelry on your head” means wearing a tiara. However, in this case having “jewelry on your head” is, we’re pretty certain, just a fancy socialite euphemism for “looking professional.” If your online profile/portfolio picture makes you look professional, then online contacts will treat you like a professional. (Trust us.)
