RSI LONDON Group | Russian Specialist Recruitment Consultancy
The lifestyle and habits of millions of people in the UK and around the world have dramatically changed in the past decade, and caused changes in the way we work. For example, poor concentration at work is a very common issue. It is often associated with screen watching and social media. It’s been researched that overuse of gadgets may also negatively affect our memory, ability to focus and even cause anxiety.
Resourceful state, in contrast, is when we are energised yet calm and balanced, eager to learn and develop, but also tend to rest on time. We usually feel more positive and stable mood-wise. We indeed have a higher level of concentration and focus. Resourceful state of mind is when we have more ideas and inspiration to experience new things in life!
In our agency, we make sure that everyone is feeling well, and supported. Last year we have moved to another office that is bigger and lighter. It has an access to fresh air and bubbly Covent Garden atmosphere is delightful. Our colleagues reported that it positively affects their mood and energy level. We’ve got a flexible approach to arranging time off work and open to feedback in order to improve work-life balance and work design. We often have casual chats about resourceful state of mind and well-being with our in-house organisational psychologist.
So, in order to come closer to resourceful state, try the following:
These little activities, if performed regularly, will become your new healthy habits and provide support in busy life. They will contribute to better concentration and overall well-being. Stay healthy and productive for your own benefit, and for the benefit of the company you work at!
Employee onboarding is crucial to the success of a company. HR specialists link strategic onboarding with a higher level of employee engagement, decreased adaption time, and decreased turnover. Adaptation can take six months or even longer in some cases. Generally, it’s recommended by HR professionals to have a 3-month onboarding programme. This helps newbies to learn and understand a company’s dynamic, leadership style, get to know their colleagues properly, and to adapt their own work style to the company’s.
Onboarding in smaller organisations can be difficult due to a lack of time and resources. Here are some tips to help those in this situation:
Simple things, such as walking your new team member around the office and showing them where everything is, including coffee cups and showing them, for example, how the coffee machine and microwave works is a great starting point to building a trusting and open professional relationship. Small talk helps to reduce a new employee’s anxiety and helps to make them feel like they’ve joined a friendly company.
2. Be clear about your expectations for the trial period and to offer support.
Point out that you understand that they’re on a learning curve and be flexible to allow for this adaptation phase. If you have KPIs, make a point that they’re not expected to reach them immediately and that their KPIs will be different to those of the employees already working in the company for a long time. Do, however, communicate your expectations for them as a new employee clearly. People naturally want to perform well, however, they may struggle in the beginning to adapt to your way of working.
3. Talk to new employees about their experience with the company at an early stage.
Is everything clear to them? Or, do they may require extra training in some aspect? Is there someone they could shadow for a day or two? There are options which are cost-free and can be very effective.
4. Focus on people, not on paperwork.
We are all humans and we all have feelings. We also have skills and experience which differs from one to another. Some personality traits such as High Neuroticism and Introversion are associated with more ‘worrying’ and a less proactive approach in terms of seeking support. These people can be some of the best workers, but they may just require more support in the early stages of a new role.
5. When you decide to prepare an onboarding programme think about 1) the goal of the business and your current situation; 2) the processes and policies you have that new employees must know; and 3) where and how a new hire can access information independently and learn more about the company or the work.
6. And last, but not least, make sure that the desk, laptop and work email, and any other software has been set up prior to them arriving on their first day of work. You should want to make a good first impression on a new employee, as they will surely be trying to do the same for you.
Negative onboarding experiences can quickly lead to employee disengagement. In contrast, after completing a structured onboarding programme, employees are far more likely to remain with a company for three years or more, according to the recent study.
In the era of constant digital interruption, use of smartphones and social media, not being able to focus for a prolonged period of time. Our brain gets hundreds of stimulations from outside worlds, let alone our own cognitive processes. However, this may affect the way you work and influence where you are heading with your career. Ability to concentrate allows to finalise projects on time and not only see a bigger picture of it, but be attentive to the details and find better solutions at work. Ability to concentrate and be attentive increases awareness and, in some cases, lowers stress level.
Let’s look into what affects your ability to focus at work.
Generally speaking, an open space office is more difficult to concentrate in because of the constant interaction with others and level of noise (phone calls, colleagues’ conversations, printers, etc.). Sometimes, the nature of a job does not allow long attention spans. For instance, when the role itself entails dealing with incoming calls from customers on a daily basis.
Speaking of environment, it’s important to emphasise the need for good dynamics in the office. A friendly environment and transparent culture help to support healthy professional interactions. People in such companies feel confident to approach their managers, colleagues or even their CEO. When it comes to solving an issue or asking a question, they will go ahead and do so, instead of postponing due to knowing it’s difficult to receive support and listened to.
Some aspects that we cover in the article might be less tangible because we look deep into organisational psychology.
– Analyse your work and choose an appropriate time for each task.
– Set up your desk in a way that you know where everything is.
– Take regular breaks and make sure to go outside at least once per day.
– Find someone in the company you can approach easily and ask for support when required. Maybe there is someone who could potentially become your mentor?
Providing employees with good quality equipment to perform well at work is essential for the success of any modern business.
Such little details, as not having a second language keyboard, may dramatically decrease an employee’s productivity. If the internet is slow or unstable, it delays working. When an admin has to work on an old computer, it takes a longer time to write or edit documents. Not having a second monitor when employees work daily with large volumes of information may influence performance.
– Report IT problems on time. Have IT contact numbers and emails nearby.
– Communicate with your manager if something does not work right or if you require extra support, such a newer computer. Do it in advance so that it can be added to the budget.
Constant usage of smartphones dramatically influences our ability to concentrate for long periods. Constant interruptions became the norm. However, there are a few easy steps to take if you decide you want to improve your concentration:
– Read at least one page a day regularly (of a paper book or magazine).
– Work with a timer. Choose a task and focus on it for 15 minutes without interruption. See if you can go for the full 15. Increase it to 20, 30, etc. when it becomes easy to focus.
– Write down the steps of what you have to do in order to complete a task. Big tasks or projects may feel intimidating and we tend to procrastinate because we’re unsure of just how best to approach them. Cutting these down into small pieces makes them doable step by step.
– Learn to meditate. Do it just five minutes every day and see the difference.
– Exercise. As little as 20 mins per day makes a major difference.
There is a constant flow of information and interaction with others in our daily lives, however, it’s up to you to choose how to work and how to achieve your career goals amidst all of it. Being able to concentrate on tasks will help you to learn quicker and better and you will progress faster. Being able to concentrate helps you to complete what is important and, eventually, create your own career around the skills that you will manage to obtain in focused, concentrated work.
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