The short answer is yes. Emotional intelligence, also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ), is the ability to perceive, evaluate, and control emotions. This ability is crucial for building and maintaining interpersonal relationships and can be helpful in the workplace setting.

Why EQ matters

The concept of emotional intelligence was first brought up back in 1995 by psychologist Daniel Goleman in his book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.” He points out that emotional intelligence was critical for success and plays a crucial role in the workplace. He also suggested that while traditional intelligence is associated with being a successful leader, it wasn’t enough. Great leaders also possess emotional intelligence.

Researchers would further suggest that being emotionally intelligent influences how well employers interact with their employees and build good work relationships. Furthermore, emotional intelligence plays a part in stress and conflict management, affecting job performance and job satisfaction.

Even hiring managers recognise the importance of emotionally intelligent staff, as shown in a survey wherein 75% of participants suggested that they value an employee’s EQ more than IQ. It’s a valuable skill that improves communication, management, and problem-solving. More importantly, people with high EQ exhibit composure under pressure, make better decisions, are good at resolving conflicts, have greater empathy, and respond well to criticism.

Elements of Emotional Intelligence

Goleman also writes in his book that emotional intelligence has five elements that can help leaders attain a higher level of EQ. So if you want to be an effective leader, improving or developing these emotional skills is crucial.

Self-awareness

Utilising emotional intelligence in the workplace would involve being aware of your own emotions. Being self-aware helps you understand your feelings and be mindful of how your actions and emotions affect those around you. By being self-aware of your own emotions, you’ll start to take stock of your emotional strengths and weaknesses. And it would do well to remember that emotions are fleeting so as not to make impulsive decisions.

Self-regulation

Self-regulation is another essential element of emotional intelligence. Being self-aware is not enough; managing emotions is also crucial. People who have good self-regulation can adapt well to changing situations and can keep a cool head. Developing this skill would help to find ways to relieve workplace stress and to think carefully before making decisions.

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s feelings. More than understanding, empathy also involves how you might respond to the other person’s emotions. In the workplace, this skill allows you to understand the dynamics between your coworkers and between colleagues and supervisors. To be more empathetic, you must put yourself in the other person’s shoes, see things from their perspective, and pay attention to how you respond to others.

Motivation

Emotionally intelligent people are intrinsically motivated, seeking rewards greater than fame or money. Instead, their passion stems from the satisfaction of fulfilling their own goals and needs. Usually, motivated people in the workplace are committed to their work and love a good challenge. Often, this enthusiasm is contagious, and they tend to inspire their colleagues to work hard. Maintaining your motivation can be challenging, but having a positive outlook and focusing on what you love about work can keep you motivated.

Social skills

Because people with a high EQ are adept at recognizing people’s emotions, they also possess strong social skills because they know how to respond appropriately to any situation. Good social skills are valuable in the workplace because it leads to better communication. A leader who can effectively communicate can build a good rapport with their employees. So if you want to improve your social skills in the workplace, start by being a good listener and be receptive to nonverbal communication cues. Honing your persuasion skills are also beneficial in influencing your team.

Now more than ever, leaders need to be intelligent both intellectually and emotionally. They would need the smarts to drive their company to success and the heart to guide themself and their team to accomplish their goals.

Is emotional intelligence an essential skill you look for in your team? Get in touch with one of the best IT Job Consultancies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Being paid what you’re worth contributes to job satisfaction. However, workers struggle to negotiate a pay raise because of fear or self-doubt. Or because they approach their boss or manager the wrong way. A big mistake employees make when discussing a salary raise is not proving how their current pay does not match up to the value they bring to the company. If you struggle with bringing this up with your boss, here are some tips to help you out.

Know Your Worth

Do your homework first on how much you should be paid for your role. You can research salary trends and average market rates to compare them to your existing pay. You can also ask for guidance from recruitment consultants or industry people. Or look at similar jobs online for more information. Additionally, there are salary calculators online that you can use. Doing research can give you an idea of how much of a raise you deserve.

Build Your Case

In negotiating a pay rise, you must build a strong case of your value to the company. You have to position yourself as a valuable high performer that’s hard to replace. You can do this by highlighting your achievements and how these have benefited the company. If you’ve done any upskilling through completing training or requirements, you can point that out too. It’s also important to let your boss if you’ve brought a stellar performance every time. Keep a record of when you’ve gone beyond your KPIs as proof that you deserve a pay raise. Especially in these times, you can also include how you have adapted to a new way of working due to the pandemic.

Arrange For A Meeting

It would be best if you approached your boss the right way to ask for a pay raise. If possible, ask if you could have a face-to-face meeting with them. Just make sure that it’s safe to do so. If not, you and your boss can have a private video conference call. The important thing is that you can make eye contact. You’ll need it to establish a rapport with them and have open communication regarding the pay raise.

Practise Your Pitch

After building up your case on why you deserve a raise, you’ll want to practise how you present the discussion to your supervisor. A lot of workers might not find it an easy conversation. This is why preparing beforehand is critical. And that includes practising your pitch. Rehearse it with someone you trust. Ask them for feedback if it’s presenting you in the best possible light. You can also use the practice session to consider possible questions or objections your boss might raise and how you can respond to them professionally. 

Have A Backup Plan

Despite the preparations you might have made, there’s still a chance that your boss would say no. For instance, the boss would consider the current pandemic’s financial impact on the company and couldn’t afford to give a pay rise. In that case, you should understand the situation of a changing economic climate. If they can’t give you a raise at the moment, you can instead negotiate an alternative. Other options can be in regards to improving your performance, like internal training. Or additional benefits like more time off or a flexible work schedule.

Preparation and confidence are essential when asking for a pay raise. Be assertive but not aggressive, and don’t pressure your boss for an answer. Whether or not you get that raise or not, remain professional. However, if you feel like finding a new employer is a better option, get in touch with the best digital recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Contract workers are a valuable solution for unprecedented changes that happen within your company or outside of it when you’re trying to cater to the ever-shifting demands of the market. Whether it be for a new project you want to take on or a key member of your team has gone on leave, a contract worker can fill in those needs.

So if you’re contemplating hiring a contract worker, here are some reasons why you should do so.

Shorter hiring process

Contract workers offer quick solutions based on your company’s needs. Due to the temporary nature of their work, they can start at short notice. You can onboard them right away without waiting for them to give notice to their current employer. This is important given the rapid pace of change we experience in the business world because of the pandemic.

Plus, you won’t need to spend money on their training or time to orient themselves to the work environment. 

Highly skilled workers

Businesses hire contract workers for their specialised skill sets that may be ideal for working on niche projects. Because they’ve worked for many employers, they may also have picked up other transferable skills that they can apply to the project you hire them for. Either way, having a highly specialised worker in your team can help to drive your business forward. 

Flexibility

The need to change the headcounts to adjust to the needs of a business is not uncommon. But because of the pandemic that resulted in an overhaul of processes and strategies to cater to the new business climate, flexibility is crucial.

In a highly uncertain market, contract workers provide that flexibility so that businesses can respond to varying market demands as they happen. Plus, you don’t have to worry about permanently committing a new employee.

 They also adjust well because they’re used to working with different personalities and locations at various times. 

Trial period for a new employee or position

Hiring a new employee requires an investment in time and money. But hiring a contract worker allows you to assess how the temp would fit within your company’s work culture and environment. During their contract period, you can determine if the worker is a good fit for the job. 

You might also have a project that would need specialised skills. Hiring a contract worker will allow you to evaluate if a new permanent position will be required in the future. If so, you can absorb the temp worker you hired for your company or have them as a basis for the skill requirements should you prefer to hire someone else. 

Reduced labour cost

As mentioned earlier, hiring a worker on a contract basis will save you time and money. Because they are a temporary solution, contract workers don’t require an annual salary. This leaves a positive impact on your company’s bottom line.

You only pay them for the hours that they worked. Or if it’s a per-project basis, then they get paid based on their productivity and outcomes rather than a set of hours per week. 

No need for performance rewards, vacation and sick leaves, or company bonuses, unless you are a generous employer. But usually, contract workers only expect to be paid for the work they’ve done.

In the demanding world of business, a contract worker might be the perfect solution for your company’s needs. So if you’re looking for one, get in touch with one of the best recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

If you’re a fresh graduate or switching careers, it can be tough to find a job that requires little to no experience. It’s a paradox at this point: you can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. But it’s not entirely true. Here are some useful tips to get a job even when you have no experience.

Apply For Internships

One good way to learn new skills for a job is to apply for internships. Internships give you an inside look at the industry you’re planning to get into. Additionally, it helps you develop vital skills and experience. It can even lead to getting a job offer from the company. Plus, they provide excellent networking opportunities. You can also do volunteer work for additional experience. Volunteer work can also help build up soft skills that are also crucial qualities recruiters look for.

Educate and Upskill

A lot of prestigious universities actually offer free courses online. Add to that a good number of online education websites that also provide free online courses with certificates. Educating yourself is so much easier now. If you have time and want to upskill, consider taking advantage of these courses. Not only will you learn something new that could help you land a job, but it’ll also look great on your CV.

Attend Career Fairs or Expos

Career fairs and expos present ample opportunities for job seekers in their process of looking for work. HR teams of various companies gather to provide information about their company and recruit possible candidates. Here, you can learn about different industries and learn about the process you’ll go through should you apply with them. You’ll also meet potential employers and possibly build up your network.

Career expos also have talks, with recruiters and HR people sharing information about the job search process that would be valuable for job seekers. If there’s a career fair near where you are, make sure to attend it.

Networking

Networking has been mentioned earlier, but how will it help you? Networking can help you get a foot in the door of the industry you want to get into. Internships and career expos present opportunities to network, but you can also do it virtually. 

If you have a LinkedIn profile, make sure you’ve updated it for a professional look. Then take the time to connect with previous employers or alumni. You can also reconnect with the people you’ve met through any career expos you’ve attended. By doing this, you’re building an online presence whilst making connections.

Focus on the skills you have 

Having no experience for the job you want doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have skills. D some self-assessment to see if the skills and experience you do have can translate well into the job you’re applying for. If you’re a fresh graduate, think back on any campus events you may have joined or organised.

Most likely, you’ve acquired crucial soft skills that HR people and recruiters also consider when looking for a new hire. These include interpersonal skills, organisational skills, and communication skills. Make sure to highlight these on your CV. 

Stepping into the world of careers can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting out. But as long as you have the initiative and willingness to learn, things will work out. You might not find the perfect job for you right away but always consider every mistake as a learning experience. 

Ready to explore a new career path? Get in touch with one of the best recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

If you’re an employer delivering difficult news…

Problems always arise in the workplace, and hard decisions have to be made. As a manager or supervisor, it is your responsibility sometimes to deliver difficult news to your employees. Out of instinct, you might default to softening the blow by using small talk or sugarcoating the news. But doing so might lead to false hopes or confusion. Instead, we have listed some steps on how to deliver bad news compassionately.

Research and prepare

Before breaking the news to your team, it’s crucial to gather the facts and context to prepare yourself. Get the basics first. If, for example, the company decides to lay off some employees from your team. As their leader, you’ll want to know the reason for this decision and who made it. Expect your team to ask you a lot of questions about it, so writing down a list of potential questions they might ask can help too. Coming into the conversation prepared shows that you care for them.

Be honest and direct

When delivering the news, it’s about the delivery. Make sure to say it directly and to the point. Try to avoid beating around the bush or using small talk as a buffer. Not only are you wasting time, but it also doesn’t help in making them not feel uneasy. Additionally, when sharing difficult news, use simple language and avoid using business jargon. This is also when you would provide the context or the basis of the decision. You can share your emotions and be sympathetic to your workers during this time, but as the bridge between your workers and the higher powers, you still need to be neutral and still support the decision even if you disagree with it.

Allow them time and space to respond

Delivering bad news can hit hard emotionally, so allow your employees time to process the information. You can ask them if they have any questions or have them ask you later when they’re ready. At this time, you offer empathy to your employees and listen to their concerns and questions or if they want to vent. 

Follow up with the next steps

This is your opportunity to lay out the following steps, and what you and your team can do in light of this news, whether it’s improving what you and your team have already done or motivating them to keep working harder despite the situation. As a leader, it is your job to offer guidance and advice to your workers, especially when they feel lost or miserable.

If you’re an employee delivering difficult news…

It’s only normal to feel scared when you have to break unfavourable news to your boss, whether telling them about a mistake you made or if you’re planning to quit. Here are a few things you can do:

Prepare yourself emotionally

Take the time to calm your nerves so you can think about what you want to say. So when you disclose the news, you’ll be able to do so calmly and clearly and demonstrate your professionalism. 

Tell only your boss

If you want to tell your boss that you want to quit, for example, establish the context for the conversation. Don’t mention it casually or in passing to them and instead talk to them one-on-one. 

Provide all information

If you’re telling your boss you’re quitting, then be honest and share the reasons why. If you’ve made a mistake while doing your job, don’t omit any details. Your superior would need all the information to determine how to handle the situation. Plus, honesty and admitting your mistake will make them appreciate you. Also, be objective and stick to explaining the case and the reasons or causes. 

Offer solutions

If necessary, think of and offer possible solutions to the problem. Discuss with your boss the steps you’ve taken to minimise any damage or any ideas you might have to solve the problem.

Things won’t always work out our way. Still, as long as we continue to be honest and upfront and maintain a degree of professionalism and empathy when dealing with unfavourable situations, you can avoid damaging your work relationships.

Did you have to go through a similar situation? Tell us how you did it by getting in touch with one of the best digital recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Everyone has experienced a bad job interview. Of course, there could be a lot of reasons why an interview fell through. Not enough preparation, perhaps, or you got a bad case of the interview jitters. On the other hand, maybe it was something out of your control. Nevertheless, it’s not the end of the world if you had a less-than-stellar outcome. To help you out, we’ve listed down some tips to help you bounce back and try again.

• Take A Breather

You might feel down and disappointed after a bad job interview. It’s normal to feel that way, and it’s better to let yourself feel it for a while rather than repressing it. However, don’t let it spiral into negativity. We can be our own worst critics. What you can do instead is to try and reframe your mindset by acknowledging your efforts instead of the result. The disappointment you feel is because you went for a job that you wanted. It may not have gone well, but you can at least give yourself credit for trying. If you’re the type to write out your feelings, journal your thoughts and experience during the interview. You can list down the mistakes you feel you made and reflect on your emotions after the interview.

• Revisit And Assess Your Performance

After taking time to reflect on your emotions, you can then move on to the next step with a clear mind. It’s time to assess how you did during the interview honestly. If you wrote down a list of what you feel you did wrong, this is the time to go back to it. Walking through that interview again, you can assess what you did wrong and what you did right and hopefully do some damage control.

Could you have prepared better and brought a strong portfolio or resume? Did you do your research about the company? Were you fully engaged? Or could you have given better answers? Perhaps your nerves got the better of you. Taking note of these questions can help you identify what you need to improve for your next job interview.

• Ask For Feedback

Now that you’ve reflected on your performance during the job interview, you can also reach out to the interviewer or recruiter for feedback. They’re the ones who can let you know why they felt that the interview didn’t go well. And don’t be afraid to ask because their feedback might not be as harsh or personal as you might think. They might even be good pointers to remember for future interviews. You can also take this as an opportunity to clarify anything in case wires got crossed that may have caused some confusion. Or, if you’ve made a big mistake, you can explain it to the interviewer.

• Learn From The Experience And Try Again

You’ve received valuable feedback and have determined what you need to improve. All you can do now is to turn that negative experience into a positive one. Make a plan for the next interview so you can avoid repeating your mistakes. Focus on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. You can outline possible questions so you can prepare a better answer or do more research. You can even practice beforehand to build your confidence up. By this time, you’re in a stronger position because of newfound awareness and confidence to get a better-suited job for you.

Like all life experiences, what you can do after a bad job interview is to pick yourself back up, learn from it and try anew. But, of course, it’s not the end of the road yet for you. And who knows, maybe you’ll find a brand new opportunity far better than what you were aiming for.

Got a bad interview experience you’d like to share to help job seekers with what to avoid? We’d love to know! Get in touch with one of the best Tech & Digital recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Being a parent is a job on its own. The fact that many in the workforce are parents means that they have to juggle being a parent and an employee. Maintaining a work-life balance can be challenging, but leaders can do their part in supporting working parents. Here are some ways you can do so.

Putting family-friendly policies in place

As a leader, you are responsible for having policies that promote the culture and uplift your workers. They’re just not there for legal compliance. For instance, paid leave policies such as sick leave and maternity/paternity leave should be fair and equal. Do your policies support families enough? Do they also support all kinds of families? Asking these questions is helpful to make sure that the right policies are in place.

Granting flexible work arrangements

We’re now well into a remote working setup, and many of us are adjusting to it. Working parents especially prefer this option as it allows them to spend time at home with their kids. So, once things go back to normal, why not let working parents continue to work from home? Providing proper support means they are less likely to become overwhelmed. Take note also that flexibility is not merely allowing them to work from home; it also means flexible hours or options for part-time work or more. 

Connect them to resources

Another good way of supporting the working parents in your team employees is by connecting them to resources to help with work-life balance. These could be employee assistance programs, counselling, healthcare benefits, and childcare assistance. These might be available in your organisations, but perhaps they don’t know about them. Be proactive and don’t stop at only informing them; help them to connect and remove the stigma around using them. The more they feel they can talk about getting support from these programs, the more likely you’ll create a culture where employee assistance programs can actually help. This in turn will help other employees who need help be more comfortable with seeking much-needed help, not just the working parents. 

Focusing on results

Your company can also adopt an outcome-based work style instead. With the new normal, being a productive worker is not measured by how many hours they’ve worked at the office but by the quality of work produced. By focusing on results instead, working parents have the freedom to do their job at their own pace while still having the time and energy to focus on their home life. 

Communicate openly

Of course, providing support would not be possible without open communication and transparency. Working parents face different issues, and providing them with a channel to freely voice their concerns and ask for additional support is essential. For instance, you can do regular check-ins with the working parents to see how they’re faring. Categorising your communication with them is also vital. For example, you can help them prioritise their workload by simply labelling your emails as “Not Urgent/Urgent,” or “For Monday,” so they know what to work on and what can wait.

It’s more crucial more than ever that employers try their best to support their employees, especially working parents. Regardless of what kind of support your company is doing, what matters is that they don’t feel overwhelmed, and that they can do what they must without sacrificing either their job or their family time. How does your company support the parents in your team?

Get in touch with the best IT recruitment agencies in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.