Category Archives: guest blogger

Change, guest blogger, News, Technology

Changing with the Times – ERM & CRM Systems

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The terms Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) have been buzzwords in modern and efficient businesses for some years now. However implementing change can be difficult when there are in-built procedures that are working, but may not be as efficient as your competitor’s streamlined system. Jon Mell from IBM says there are some environments that still operate with huge mainframes that are unlikely to ever migrate. Yet innovation is the only way to remain competitive today and resistance to change will have a detrimental impact on business.

The problem most businesses face is accepting the initial cost expenditure in order to reap the rewards in the long-term. There is always a problem accepting that something needs to change when there seems to be little wrong with existing systems. In many situations it is hard to attribute a rise in costs because of extra marketing and sales efforts to lowering levels of competitiveness. It is easy to assume our businesses are suffering from the effects of the global downturn and shortening margins are an industry problem.

This is the best time to bring in some business analysis so a suitable design solution can be presented that can highlight where your business is haemorrhaging profits and falling behind similar businesses chasing the same clients. Data migration is almost always possible in modern systems and migration presents a perfect time for a remodelling of your data structure and this provides opportunities to streamline and improve efficiency.

In a world where data accessibility is improving productivity in workforces, empowering employees to implement change and giving leaders the tools to monitor and improve, the trend to encapsulate data in a decision centric environment is more critical in competitive marketplaces than ever before.  Some businesses will only need help on project management for specific initiatives, whereas others would require a complete design and build for an enterprise wide evolution. Whichever it is, there are obviously many ways to squeeze maximum profits from any operation.

Many companies have adopted ERM and CRM systems in the last ten years, but a lot has changed in computing in that time. Ten years ago, social networks were a concept and ten years before that we had no internet worth speaking of. Technology is constantly improving our lives in every way and businesses that are able to benefit from the right attitude to change will profit as a result.

Speaking to a professional who are specialist Netsuites consultants can give you a better idea of how a change can bring massive improvements in efficiency and profitability.

Careers Advice, guest blogger, Negotiation, Recruitment

The employee’s guide to work benefits

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In the current climate of widespread financial uncertainty, millions of people across the country are feeling the pinch. Years of wage stagnation coupled with a steadily rising cost of living have piled pressure on countless households, crippling consumer demand and making a major contribution to tipping the economy back into recession. It’s certainly true that times are challenging for many employers as well as their employees, as the persistent weakness in consumer spending has forced them to find ways of cutting costs whilst simultaneously boosting efficiency. However, the secret to good employee management is to remember that a happy workplace is almost certainly a more productive one.

Wage cuts or freezes might seem at first like the only realistic choice for employers, but there are ways to sugar the pill. If workers feel they’re not being adequately rewarded for their efforts because of circumstances which are completely beyond their control, then there’s a chance that they’ll become demoralised and distracted or they’ll simply decide to seek better opportunities elsewhere. Employee benefits, however, can be a useful sweetener and help to maintain staff loyalty. Workers are more likely to be sympathetic to any difficulties their employer is having if they can see the organisation is at least making an effort to lighten the load on their own shoulders. However challenging the situation might be, employers must remember that their staff have concerns of their own to think about.


The effectiveness of employee rewards obviously varies from person to person, and this is something that both employers and workers ought to consider. For example, high childcare costs are commonly cited as one of the biggest financial worries facing working families. It’s often simply unrealistic to expect one parent to stay off work to look after their children, particularly when so many people have sky-high mortgages and utility bills to service. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that childcare vouchers are one of the most popular workplace rewards of them all. Providing workers with vouchers to help cut costs and make childcare more accessible is often gratefully received by workers.

However, not all employees have children of their own – indeed, many struggle to settle down in one place for a sufficient length of time in order to start a family – so handing childcare vouchers to these workers is clearly a waste of time. There are other schemes, however, which might attract their attention. Gym membership discounts, for example, might prove attractive to some members of the workforce. Regular social and networking events outside of work may also help to boost team spirit and camaraderie amongst the team by encouraging them to get to know one another better.

From an employee’s perspective, however, flexible working is one of the most practical and attractive work rewards on offer. Many people have to commute long distances to work – particularly in the current climate, when good job opportunities are at a premium – and this can be both expensive and energy-sapping. Giving workers the chance to work from home or to choose more practical hours, on the other hand, provides a real incentive and can result in a significant productivity boost.

Janice Lincoln is a freelance writer specialising in business and employee relations and incentives such as the cycle to work scheme and child care vouchers.

Careers Advice, guest blogger, Happy work environment, Observations

Spelling Matters: The Disadvantages of Poor Workplace Grammar

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We live in a world filled with text messages, emails and social messages, and since we’re using these mediums at a rapid pace, we tend to put grammar on the backburner. While you may think that intertwining they’re, their and there may not be a big deal, there are actually plenty of disadvantages to using poor grammar in the workplace.

You will not come off as a professional.

When you work, you need to think and act like a professional, and this includes writing like one. When you use correct grammar, your readers will think of you as a professional, but if your writing contains a multitude of major grammatical errors, your readers will not take you seriously, and they certainly will not think of you as a professional.

You could cause confusion.

When you don’t use correct grammar, it’s possible that you will confuse your readers. Depending on the topic or the type of writing being done, this confusion can be very damaging to your career or your company. If your writing confuses other employees about their job responsibilities or the deadlines to their projects, you could end up trying to make major corrections at the eleventh hour. This could be avoided if your grammar was correct in the first place.

You don’t exude quality.

You want your clients, coworkers and bosses to think of you as someone who produces quality work. If your emails are full of misspellings and improper grammar, it’s not going to convey this message. Instead, these individuals will wonder how they can trust you to do a flawless job when you can’t even structure a sentence correctly. This could cause your clients or bosses to look elsewhere when it comes time to having a project completed.

You could get passed up for a promotion.

If you don’t have proper grammar in the workplace, it could look poorly enough on you that you are not considered for a promotion. Many companies are starting to crack down on the grammar of their employees, and if it’s not up to par, the employees are not reaping any rewards, including promotions. Employers look very highly on the use of correct grammar, especially when conducting business with clients. They believe that the way that you communicate is a reflection of the company, and if your communications with clients are filled with misspellings and improper grammar, it’s going to look poorly on the company as a whole. Your employer will blame you for this, and you could find yourself remaining in the same position for the rest of your career.

Grammar plays a bigger role in business than you may want to believe. Even if you’re rushing through email responses, you need to take the time to read through what you’re writing and give it the proper proofreading. You need to make sure that your writing is clear so that everyone who reads it will be on the same page. And most importantly, you want to make sure that it’s correct so that it reflects highly on you.

Garrett Payne is a grammar fanatic and prolific writer.  He constantly stresses the importance of correct grammar and grammar checking in the workplace.

CV Tips, CV Writing, guest blogger

Ultimate Tips for Writing a Winning Resume – Guest Blog

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Writing that winning resume can be an exceptionally challenging task. You will feel pressed to provide all of the essential information. At the same time, demonstrating some creativity and out of the box thinking is always helpful. Is it possible to achieve both and create a consistent, professional and unique resume?

Always focus on your strengths when trying to impress a potential employer. Being honest and knowing what sets you apart from the competition will help you get noticed immediately.

The Objective: A Big Opportunity or Your Nemesis?

Writing an impressive resume objective is almost impossible to achieve. This part of the curriculum vitae is traditionally full of clichés because many applicants think that potential employers ignore its content.

A well-written career objective is your chance to shine. This is the section that gives you room for creativity. You can write anything instead of the traditional stereotypes that focus on the benefits you will bring to a company.

The objective writing style should also correspond to the company and the professional position you are applying for. A frivolous, eccentric style will be unacceptable for a managerial position and a dry tone will speak little of creativity if you are applying to be a company’s senior copywriter.

Hot-kitten@mail.com

Few applicants understand how important contact information is. It speaks a lot about professionalism, experience and even character. Think twice about including the e-mail address you created after a wild night out with your friends.

A good contact email should include solely your first and second name. This is the safest option. You may also consider providing information about your LinkedIn page, Facebook profile or other social network that will reveal something about your professional skills.

Creating an online portfolio or having a personal website is always a great idea. Companies that put emphasis on innovative use of technologies will be impressed by your online presence.

Active Verbs

Instead of presenting your skills and past experiences through bullet points, use active verbs. This is a psychological trick that will affect even the most professional human resources experts.

Active verbs speak of ambition and your desire to take the initiative and the responsibility. Avoid passive structured in the resume because these lack vitality and strength. Instead of saying “content planning, editing and optimization” write “I created content plans, edited the final product and dealt with optimization.” The later structure sounds better and it demonstrates your active involvement in all of the tasks.

Original but Honest!

So many applicants see the resume as a chance to brag and to even exaggerate their work experience. Although it may increase the appeal of the CV, the exaggeration will soon be noticed.

Human resources experts deal with tens of applicants on a daily basis. They are trained professionals, capable of spotting lies effortlessly. Even if you manage to make it past the initial stage, you will suffer the consequences of the lie during the interview or a professional test.

Creativity is great but you should exercise it within the boundaries of your actual work experience. Everything else will sound pompous and fake.

Be yourself in order to write a winning resume. Refrain from trying to predict what an interviewer is expecting from you. Such preliminary plans will limit your opportunities and affect the final outcome.

Damian is a blogger and a marketing consultant. His best articles are from business and educational niches. Damian is working with http://www.skyerecruitment.com team to build online authority and improve visibility of this Australian recruitment agency.