If you’re worried about the gap in your resume, don’t worry because you’re not alone. 

The pandemic has caused an upheaval and instability in employment so having a gap in your CV is not rare. However, an employer may still end up asking you about it. To help you effectively deal with any gaps, here’s a short guide.

Be prepared to talk about it.

If you’re secretly hoping that the hiring manager won’t notice the employment gap in your resume, we’re sorry to tell you, but they will. They will most likely bring it up and expect an explanation. So take the time beforehand to think of an answer that will put it into a positive light. 

For instance, you might have to take a career break because of an illness. And while it’s understandable that you don’t want to divulge all the details about it, the recruiter would still like to know. So what you can do is give a brief explanation and focus more on putting forth a message that you’re ready for work. Even though you took some time off, you are now set to get back into the workforce.

Be honest and upfront.

When explaining your employment gap, it’s better that you’re honest and upfront about it rather than lying to make yourself look good. Again, gaps in employment are not uncommon, and hiring managers know this. You probably won’t lose out on the job if you give an honest explanation. But you will definitely lose out if you lie in your resume. Honesty is always the best policy. 

So if you were let go, for example, explain that your previous company had budget cuts or had to downsize. Or if you left your job, tell the truth without talking badly about your previous employer. You can then turn it into a positive note by sharing what you learned at your last job or that you enjoyed your time there.

Fill the gap

Instead of sharing all the details of the gap in your employment, you can mention how you spent your time productively. For example, include in your resume any volunteer or community work you’ve done, or upskilling in your field via classes or skills training you’ve participated in. Perhaps you did freelance work on the side?

If you’ve done some travelling before applying for the job, you can also turn it into a talking point during the interview. Your experience can be a demonstration of independence and personal development. You can also use it as a new perspective that you can potentially apply to the role. It’s okay if what you did during your time off is not career-related as long as you did something productive. It shows instead that you did not just sit around doing nothing. 

Be positive

Finally, remain optimistic. Having an employment gap in your resume isn’t an automatic deal-breaker. There are still employers who would understand. If you got as far as the interview, then that means that they found something in your resume that interested them. So stay upbeat and highlight your accomplishments instead. You can also practice your answers when asked about the gap. That way, you’re more comfortable and confident.

An interviewer asking about the gaps in your resume is likely more interested in how you spent your time away from work, whether it was productive or not. It says more about your character and how you deal with difficult situations. So showing them how you dealt with it may help you secure the role instead of outright ruling you out.

Now that you know how to explain your resume gaps, time to get hired! Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

If you work in an open-plan office and find yourself stressed out by all the noise, you’re not alone. Even before the pandemic, complaints from employees abound regarding this issue.

A study conducted by Dr Libby Sanders from Bond University looks into this very issue. She and her team conducted an experiment to investigate how open-plan office noise impacted employees.

 In an interview on ABC Radio Perth, Dr Sanders mentioned that she worked in the industry before being an academic. Part of her previous work was discussing with people what was wrong with their workplace. She was also involved with designing offices and their effects on people. And she found that there wasn’t a lot of research that shows the causal relationship between stress and office noise.

How The Experiment Was Conducted

Open-plan office noise is stressful: multimodal stress detection in a simulated work environment involved 43 volunteers in a simulated office setting environment. Dr Sanders and her team recorded noises typical in an office environment — ringing phones, printing paper, people talking, and keyboard typing noises. 

The team then asked the volunteers to complete a proofreading task under these noise conditions. Meanwhile, the research team would then observe them working. They used sensors to track the participants’ heart rate and sweat response — both reliable stress indicators. 

The team also used AI software to read their emotional responses and track any mood changes while doing the exercise. They also made the participants self-report their feelings through a mood scale.

The team found that even a short, eight-minute exposure to open-office noises affected the stress levels and mood of the “employees.” In addition, they found that the sweat response of the participants increased by 34%.

“It doesn’t mean someone’s dripping buckets of sweat at their desk, but it’s a really strong indicator that you’re experiencing stress,” Dr Sanders said.

They also found a 25% increase in negative moods. This was based on the self-report that the participants filled out. Dr Sanders said this was a significant finding that could lead to “lots of potentially negative outcomes.” 

Interestingly, the AI they used for facial recognition did not pick up these mood shifts. This prompted Dr Sanders to believe that the people were actually suppressing their emotions in their faces. “We can’t assume by walking around the office and thinking that everyone looks fine that they’re actually okay.”

The researchers didn’t see an immediate effect on the participants’ work performance. However, it is safe to assume that long-term exposure to office noises can cumulatively affect an employee’s well-being and productivity. 

What Can Be Done?

Dr Sanders says employers can address this through acoustic treatment or sound masking technology, like ambient music designed to make people talking less intrusive. Walls and putting up partitions can also help. 

She also suggested noise-cancelling headphones. However, this could make people unapproachable as collaboration is an integral part of a day-to-day work environment. But some people don’t have a choice.

The pandemic and how it changed how we work definitely altered people’s outlook. Having a healthy work environment is now a priority more than ever. 

Surveys show that up to 70% of employees will find new jobs if flexibility is not an option in their current workplace. And while open-plan offices might be the norm for many offices for a long while, the study at least brings to light the issues employees face that could be harmful to them in the long run.

Do you work in an environment conducive to productivity? We’d love to hear about it! Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Despite the push for inclusivity in the workplace, it is still an uphill battle for indigenous groups. The Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Research and Education at the University of Technology Sydney and Diversity Council Australia conducted a large-scale survey of the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They revealed their findings in a report titled Gari Yala, which means “speak the truth.”

Issues That Indigenous People Face

The report revealed that a large majority of the respondents (78%) feel that sharing their indigenous background was important. However, because of racism and prejudice in their workplace, many did not feel comfortable talking about their culture.

Additionally, indigenous people also carry the burden of “cultural weight” by being in an organisation comprised of primarily non-indigenous people. The researchers even coined the terms identity strain and cultural load to refer to these issues. 

Identity strain refers to the “strain employees feel when they themselves, or others, view their identity as not meeting the norms or expectations of the dominant culture in the workplace.” As a result, they find that they have to work twice as hard to prove their worth. Some also report that they were asked to do something that compromises their cultural identity. 

On the other hand, the cultural load is the extra burden carried by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff in workplaces with few or no other indigenous people. This comes in the form of extra work demands and the expectation to educate their non-indigenous colleagues.

How Can Employers Help?

Organisations may say that they want to create a workplace that treats Indigenous people equally. But only a quarter of the participants reported that they work in a place committed to that change.

So what can employers do to create an inclusive workplace for Aboriginals and/or Torres Strait Islander people? Gari Yala offers a few pointers. 

• Asking Aboriginal and/or Torres Islander staff about their experience at work
• Any work related to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people should be led and informed by indigenous people. This includes engaging with indigenous people both inside and outside the organisation
• Developing organisational principles to make it clear how Indigenous community engagement and employment should work in practice
• Focusing on the organisation’s readiness to employ indigenous people instead of getting them to be “work-ready.”
• Acknowledging identity strain and educating non-indigenous people on interacting with their indigenous colleagues to minimise or prevent it 
• Recognising that cultural load exists and working on reducing it
• Addressing workplace racism and acting on it. This can include having formal racism complaint mechanisms and training managers on handling those complaints.
• Supporting and building better careers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through career and leadership development
• Looking into high-impact initiatives that promote the well-being of indigenous employees. Initiatives include mentoring and support, anti-discrimination training, and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island days and weeks of significance.

Is your organisation a culturally safe place for indigenous staff? 

If you’d like to know how your company can uphold Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander inclusivity starting a conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Diversity in the workplace has been a long-standing issue, but some organisations are making changes for the better, albeit slowly. In Australia, the government has a statutory agency called the Workplace Gender Equality Agency established to improve gender equality in the workplace. The agency released a fact sheet earlier this year containing gender workplace statistics. Data shows that while 47.2% of all employees are women, that same dataset also reports that the gender pay gap still exists, with women getting paid 13.4% less than men based on average weekly earnings.

The agency’s 2019-20 dataset results also show that women hold less than half of management and directorial positions across industries. There are still boards and governing bodies that have no female directors at all.

There’s still a long way to go to rid the workplace of gender biases. If your company sincerely wants to promote gender inclusivity in the workplace, one of the things you as a leader should do is take a step back and see how your company supports women in the workplace.

Number Of Women In The Company

This factor is more notably considered in organisations with a reasonably large workforce, one with hundreds of employees, to get a fair picture of them as a whole. After all, small teams do not necessarily indicate a company’s commitment to diversity. Digging deeper into it is to consider what kind of roles do the women have? For example, if you have a tech company, do the women hold tech-related positions or have administrative or support functions?

Gender Split Of The Leadership Team

Also, consider the gender split of your company’s leadership team or board of directors. Is it mostly comprised of men? Or is it an equal number of both men and women? Does your company give women equal opportunities when it comes to advancing their careers to a leadership position or climbing up the corporate ladder? If not, it’s time to start being more inclusive and giving the women in your workplace the same chances. Diversity in management can say a lot about the company’s current culture.

Instilling A Culture Of Inclusivity

As mentioned above, diversity in the workplace says a lot about the company’s culture. So how does your company establish a culture that advocates for women? This can include flexible working arrangements for mothers returning from maternity leave, mentoring and networking opportunities for women, and career planning that empowers women. On a day-to-day basis, this can also include letting women be heard, intolerance to sexism, treating women equally as professionals and acknowledging their successes.

Commitment To Diversity

Being gender-inclusive requires commitment. Touting your company as being supportive of women would mean nothing if the steps the management takes are merely performative or only following it for show. Efforts like compulsory diversity training for managers are a good step toward relearning biases and making the workplace a better environment for women and everyone. When employees see a conscious effort from the executive team to make the workplace a good atmosphere, it makes them more trustworthy leaders.

Does your company empower women? If it doesn’t then let us help you with your hiring strategy and if it already does then share your stories or views about how your organisation upholds gender diversity by starting a conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

An internship is a great learning opportunity for a student to learn not only the industry skills needed for the career path you’re taking but also crucial soft skills that will give you an advantage over other fresh graduates who have no prior experience.

Gain Work Experience to Build Up Your Resume

An internship is a prime opportunity to learn skills not only related to your major but also invaluable workplace skills. You learn various skills that could help you in your future career that is aligned with what you are studying in college. But in case you do end up in a different career path than intended, then the workplace skills you have acquired through an internship still puts you at an advantage from an employers point of view. 

Your resume is proof of the knowledge you’ve gained. Listing down your internships as work experience strengthens it. It makes you attractive to future employers and shows your edge amongst the other applicants.

Inside Look at the Industry and Networking Opportunity

Being an intern gives you an introductory look at the industry you’re planning to get into. You get to see the inner workings and a taste of the work environment. No more culture shocks. You will spend less time adjusting and more time to get right into the work itself.

You’ll get to meet industry professionals and other important people in the career you’re planning to take. Networking is not an easy feat especially for a beginner but as an intern, you can start your first steps in building your network.

Possible Job Offer

With all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained while being an intern for a company, you are more likely to be offered a job at the same company once you graduate. 

It benefits both you and the company since you don’t have to spend too much time looking for a job and you can easily assimilate yourself. It also saves the company you’ll be working for time and resources they would have otherwise spent looking for new hires and training them.

A Win-win Situation

An internship is not only a one-sided deal. Yes, you gain a great deal as an intern, but you can bring a lot as well to the company.

As an intern, you bring a fresh new perspective. Since you are basically an outsider looking in,  your outside perspective could prove to be helpful. You can inspire new ideas to implement existing strategies and plans. As a student, you might have learned about recent developments relating to the company you’re an intern at that you can then share with your workplace mentors.

You also help increase productivity for the company. As an intern, you will be likely assigned to smaller tasks, lightening the workload of employees so they can do more important tasks. Not only does the company get to do more in a workday, but you also get to learn the basics at work and eventually master them. And once you venture out and get a job yourself, possibly at the same company or somewhere similar, you become an efficient worker right away.

And being an intern, it is likely that you’ll be mentored by an employee on what to do. You get to witness firsthand what kind of work you could be doing in the future from seasoned workers themselves. Additionally, your presence as an intern is an opportunity for these employees to be mentors and possibly inspire them to be better at their jobs and foster in them leadership skills that could help them move to the top.

Internship programs have numerous benefits for both students and companies alike. It prepares students for their future after they graduate, arming them with a set of skills that are invaluable for their career. Companies, in turn, benefit from the talented energy of the youth by helping them train to be a more capable all-around career person.

Need more advice on your internship goals? Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

We human beings are hardwired to be social. We first learn about socializing through our interactions with the first people we encounter, our family, and from there, we go through life meeting people who may have meaningful impacts on our lives. And that includes our workplace, where we encounter a good variety of people with different personalities on an almost daily basis. 

And unless you exclusively keep to yourself, interacting with your colleagues and forming a connection with them is something to be expected and highly encouraged. After all, work friendships promote collaboration and help the organization run smoothly like a well-oiled machine. 

Having positive work relationships brings many benefits to employees’ health and the future of a company. Here are some of them.

Builds Relationships

A workplace social event provides an opportunity to network and foster relationships among the employees. People can make new connections in a more relaxed environment. Social events like a party in the workplace give people a chance to build relationships, whether between co-workers or employers. It breaks down barriers between different departments and between the employees and the management and puts everyone on equal footing. This results in increased engagement as employees become more comfortable communicating with their team members and their colleagues from other departments, leading to better collaboration.

Develops Work Culture

One factor that attracts people to work for a company, especially the younger generation of the workforce, is the company culture. It determines how interested they are in working for a company and how long they see themselves working for them. And holding fun social events frequently can attract talent to your organisation. It shows that you as an employer places importance on a work-life balance and not just making profits. 

Improved Employee Experience

As mentioned above, developing a work culture that emphasizes a good work-life balance is a big plus for attracting new hires, but it also improves your existing employees’ experience. Good company culture makes the employees feel valued, improving their employee experience in the company. Feeling valued can boost their morale, making them want to do better when they feel that their hard work is being appreciated. A valued employee is also more likely to stay longer in the organization.

Increased Happiness and Productivity

Aside from benefiting the company, socializing through company social events can improve the employee’s mood by making them happier and reducing stress. Good relationships are the key to being happy, as proven by one study conducted by Harvard. And a more satisfied worker acquires less stress, which means less strain on their mental health. Less stress would then result in a boost in productivity.

Furthermore, a survey showed that employees who have a best friend at work made them more productive, made their jobs more enjoyable, and were more likely to produce higher quality work.

Healthier Life

Employees can also benefit physically by having strong social connections. They have a reduced risk of significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure, and an unhealthy body mass index or BMI. Research also showed that adults who have quality friendships are more likely to live a longer life. This is good for employers because, as mentioned above, healthy workers mean improved productivity, with fewer sick days and more energy in the workplace.

While workplace social events are highly encouraged, safety precautions should still be observed during this time. Public gatherings are still pretty risky. Before you and your team head out for an outdoor retreat, consider a safer alternative like a smaller lunch get-together or a virtual hangout.

Got any ideas to share about safe workplace social events? Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

These days, every business needs technology. It implies that there’s a huge demand for highly talented tech experts. With companies around industries embracing digitisation, virtual teams, and e-commerce, it gives skilled tech workers a range of industries, locations, and workplaces to choose from.

Direct Appliance Rentals CEO Karina Wolfin shares some realisations from her experience in recruiting top tech talent. According to her, “In looking for a career in the tech industry, applicants nowadays look past the big company names. Instead, qualities like diversity, flexibility and generosity, are what the majority of these applicants value. Thus, it’s important to consider such ideas if you want to bring the best applicants and hire skilled tech talent.”

So, what would make your company a desirable place to work for top tech talent? Here are some of the effective ways companies should try.

Put The Passion On

Attracting top tech talent is all about sharing your passion for everything that you do. When an applicant is motivated and thinks they should make the journey for the business rather than simply becoming another employee, they try and do their best for the company. When passion is in place, anything else becomes secondary.

Exemplify Opportunities For Growth

Technology expertise and talent are in demand with the increasing trend of businesses going online. Thus, companies should prioritise professional job advancement prospects and what their innovative culture can offer to tech talent. In addition, they should expand the capacity for the new employee to work with the top technology executives and exchange current client progress experiences that show authentic human influence.

Characterise How You’ll Satisfy The Applicant’s Needs

Hiring managers need to understand the applicants’ needs, desires, and motivators. In doing so, they’ll have a clear perspective on satisfying those needs and leveraging their motivations. In turn, when applicants recognise that you’re willing to meet their needs, then the chances of getting them to join your company would be steep.

Share What Drives Your Company To Success

Even top tech talent would prefer to be a part of a company with a collective purpose that inspires everyone over marginally higher pay or improved benefits. With that, tech company executives must share their own “why”—the motives they believe in and advocate for their company’s purpose. If your commitment is sincere, you can gain trustworthy colleagues rather than just “employees.”

Allow Flexible Working Conditions

For highly skilled tech professionals, flexibility is essential. It is projected that one of the most significant game-changers in the future of employment would be the flexibility to work for different times, places, and conditions. Given these arguments, for companies to attract top tech talent, it’s strongly recommended that they should be open to flexible working conditions. That is, shifting from a work-in-office to blended work culture and flexible work culture.

Make Use Of Client And Employee Testimonials

Finally, it’s good to note that the most influential factor would come from your employees and clients—not from you. Clients’ testimonials about your company’s effectiveness and your employees’ accounts on how they see value in their jobs are critical for attracting top tech talent. Thus, leverage these testimonials and feedback to hiring that next to tech talent to work for you.

Work With Top Tech Talent Through Redwolf + Rosch

Hiring and retaining top tech talent to be assets for your company can be a challenge. However, given the right strategies, nothing is impossible. Put into play the recommendations mentioned above—these are the keys to how your company becomes attractive to top tech talent.

Redwolf + Rosch is a recruiting agency that works with industry leaders, start-ups, and companies to attract talented people who want to do exceptional jobs. We partner with highly skilled professionals all over Australia and the world to find the best permanent, temporary, and freelance talent for your company.

Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Author: Jett Hayes

Jett Hayes is a freelance writer based in Sydney with a special interest in content marketing.

Last year’s tumultuous events have left the employment market in a state of unpredictability. During the surging waves of infections, quarantines and lockdowns were hurriedly put in place, which led to fewer people going out and more businesses closing down. The economy was in a downturn.

This influenced the candidate’s mindset and, in turn, affected their behaviour when looking for jobs during the last year. Below are findings based on SEEK’s employment market update of 2020.

Significant drop in application rates

Across the market, there was a material fall in application rates. According to the report, a 14% overall drop in applications per ad in the year-over-year for 2019 and 2020. This means that there were fewer available candidates in 2020. 

But this decline was not because of fewer visits to the job site. We can see in the data that the number of site visits has remained almost the same for 2020 compared to the 2019 data. So why are there fewer candidates applying for job? The answer lies in the conversions from job ad view to completing an application. 

According to data, the number of views job ads get and the application per ad are widening. With fewer applications, this means that candidates are becoming more selective with the roles they intend to apply for.

People were less inclined to leave current roles

One reason for the drop in applications is that fewer people are inclined to leave their current roles. The pandemic affected candidates’ intention to switch careers, their main sentiment being, “I was planning to leave my current job but decided to stay because of COVID-19.” Around 31% of those surveyed agreed with this statement. And 1 in 3 people was held back from changing roles due to the virus outbreak. 

Not only that, a lot of them have expressed worry and are on alert for further impacts from the virus, with 7 out of 10 candidates surveyed being worried about another wave of infected cases.

Survey shows job security became a top priority

Another factor that affected the candidate’s mindset is job security. The pandemic caused millions of people to lose their jobs. This resulted in candidates switching their priorities when looking for jobs. 

Pre-pandemic, the factors that affected a candidate’s decision to apply for a job were the following: 

1. Salary compensation
2. Work-life balance
3. Career development opportunities
4. Job security

But now, job security has taken the top spot, followed by work-life balance, flexible hours scheduling, working conditions/environment. This shift may have also been impacted by the work-from-home model that many companies adopted last year.

Overall decline in applications per job ad across all industries

Industries with low salary brands suffer the lowest rate of applications per job ad, with the hospitality and tourism industry with a -57% rate of applications, followed by trades and services (-49%) and manufacturing, transport, and logistics industry (-47%)

However, two industries with high salary bands saw an increase in applications during 2020. The legal industry had a 39% increase in applications per ad, and engineering-related jobs increased by 2%.

2020 was tough for everyone but 2021 is starting to look up as vaccinations are underway and many businesses are opening back up, likely looking to hire again. In fact, Australia is among the quickest to recover from unemployment as the unemployment rate falls to 5.5%. 

Are you looking to hire new talents for your company as the economy picks up again? Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

When starting a new job, it’s only natural that you want to be seen as a professional, someone confident and dependable. Even if you’re a newbie and don’t know much about your company, team or expectations, you can still get a good impression with these expert tips.

• Research

Always do your research about the company you’ll be working at. If you still have some time before you start at your new job, check out their website or social media to get a feel for the work environment.

You can also reach out to your manager and ask them about the appropriate dress code or anything specific that you would need to know to help you out on your first day. Doing so shows that you’re proactive and will leave a great impression on your future teammates. 

• Confirm your schedule

Even if it’s on the job description, don’t assume you know your work schedule. There may be routines that they follow that you don’t know about, so it’s best to ask ahead of time, like gathering together a few minutes before work or a carpooling situation. Ask what time you’re expected so you can arrive early and impress your boss.

• Test run everything

Make sure that things will go as smooth as possible when starting your job. When working on-site, test out your commute to avoid being late. If you’re working at home, make sure that the equipment you’re using is in good condition and your internet connection is strong and stable and nobody is about to go into the pit outside your place and start messing around with wires. 

• Meet with your manager

During your first day, checking in with your manager can benefit you in the long run. According to a study done by Microsoft, new hires who met with their managers on their first week boosted their feeling of belonging and made them stay longer. They also had better meetings and better collaborations compared to those who didn’t have a one-on-one. 

• Build relationships

As a new hire, introductions and meeting new people will be the standard. You can go over introductions ahead of time virtually or wait until you’ve met with them face to face. Be ready to share information about yourself but don’t go overboard. They don’t need to know about your life story. Limit it to your background and a bit about yourself for a professional first impression. And before you know it, you’ve made new friends!

• Ask questions and feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Since you’re new, it’s expected of you and encouraged. Naturally, you want to appear confident and capable, but appearances will mean nothing if you fail at a task or cannot do your job. The biggest mistake you can make as a newbie is to assume how to do a job and that asking questions makes you a nuisance. Asking questions will show that you’re willing to learn and make sure that you’re doing your job correctly. Also, don’t forget to ask for feedback for further improvement.

• Listen and learn

Of course, once you ask questions, be prepared to listen to the answers. If necessary, make written notes so you can refer back to them when you’re lost. Try to take in as much information as you can. Also, learn to pay attention to what is not being said. Learn to pick up on subtext or nuances for more productive workplace communication.

• Manage your time wisely

It won’t take long before your workload starts to pile up, and you’ll be overwhelmed. That’s why it’s essential to begin creating good time management skills. Start slowly and build up the habit of setting your priorities. This can only benefit you in the long run.

• Mind your own business

Some newbies make the mistake of involving themselves in office matters that are none of their business. While some work environments are generally peaceful and friendly, some are a tangled web of gossip. Try to avoid them if you can unless someone is doing something unethical or is creating an unsafe working environment.

• Relax and be positive

it’s normal to feel the first-week jitters when you’re new. But you can set them aside by adopting a positive attitude. Remember, they chose you out of all the other candidates. No need to put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Just remember to do your work as best you can while still being warm and cordial to your team members.

So push those newbie nerves to the side and do some self-care to calm yourself down. Every day is a learning process. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself making meaningful connections at your workplace and contributing a lot to your work.

Are you ready for your first day on the job? Or are you still on a job hunt? Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.

Working green is now the new normal. Sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives in the workplace are more than just a fad and are now highly encouraged. Research shows that doing so brings real business benefits for a company. Here are the advantages of having a sustainable workplace.

Benefits of a sustainable workplace

Improved brand image

Customers are more likely to purchase products or services from a company that considers its impact on the environment. They are more interested in businesses that align with their values. So if they are aware that your company is mindful of its environmental impacts, customers are more inclined to buy your products and services.

Increased productivity and reduce costs

Developing sustainable business practices leads to a streamlined and efficient operation. Your company conserves resources which in turn enhances employee productivity and reduces cost. Having a green workplace is also proven to reduce the average sick days of employees, thus making them more productive. Additionally, employees are more satisfied and are more willing to stay longer in the company.

Easier to comply with regulations

Due to growing concern for the environment and dwindling resources, regulations and laws are being passed to protect the environment. If you’re already practising sustainability in your workplace, then your company is in a position to meet these regulations promptly. It’s a seamless process for a sustainable company, and more time will be spent being productive.

Increase employee recruitment and retention

Future employees will want to associate with a company that is mindful of its carbon footprint, especially the younger generation who grew up exposed to messages about environmental protection and who are more likely to work for a company with values that align with their own. Furthermore, companies that are proactive with their ecological and social programs have happier and more loyal employees.

Improved financial and investment opportunity

Investors also consider a company’s values regarding sustainability and environmental awareness when choosing what to invest in. Financial and investment analysts have found environmental sustainability plans in a company are essential criteria for evaluation. So not only are you reducing costs with energy-saving strategies, but you are also gaining profit by attracting investors who support your company’s cause.

Minimise waste and carbon pollution

And, of course, the main benefit of practising sustainability in the workplace is to minimise the carbon output and improve energy efficiency for the benefit of the planet and future generations.

Ways to become a sustainable workplace

• Reduce energy and water usage – You can do this by using energy-efficient light bulbs, utilising natural lighting if possible, and encouraging water-saving practices in common areas like kitchens or cafeterias, etc.
• Choose sustainable suppliers – For office supplies, consider buying items made of recycled or eco-friendly materials. Or better yet, go paperless to reduce the waste produced significantly.
• Consider parking and transport to your office – Carpooling is an excellent way to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles. Plus, it saves you money for gas or commute fare. You can also encourage employees to use other modes of transport like bicycles by offering storage facilities for such.
• Add plants – Add greenery to your office! According to a study done by psychologists at Exeter University, adding plants to the workplace can boost productivity and mood among workers. Plus, it helps in reducing air and noise pollution indoors, especially if it’s an open-plan workplace.

Has your workplace started going green? Start the conversation with the best IT recruitment consultants in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane by emailing office@redwolfrosch.com.au or calling 1300 544 652.