7 Simple Ways to Stay Positive at Work

Psychology defines attitude as a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, or event. It involves a person’s perspective or mindset.

What does it mean to have a positive attitude at work?

There are times when it is crucial to have a positive mindset at work. Whether you are meeting with difficult clients or giving an important presentation to your supervisors, you need to solve problems with zestiness to arrive at a beneficial outcome.

Having and practicing a positive attitude is not about being blindly optimistic or avoiding negative scenarios. Instead, it means being realistic about people and situations at work, while acknowledging both failures and successes. With a positive attitude, setbacks are not interpreted as a sign to give up because they motivate the person to begin improvement and problem solving.

When you feel exhausted or disappointed because of constant work-related failures, it is harder to keep a positive attitude. Thus, you have to learn strategies to maintain a positive attitude at work. Maintaining this will enable you to stay productive, motivate others, and achieve your organization’s goals.

#1: INTERACT WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

It only takes a few rotten apples to spoil the barrel. Surrounding yourself with co-workers who complain about everything can make you see the world in a different light. You might think that radiating your positivity can help change them, but that is not always the case. It is best to surround yourself with positive people.

Connect with people who ignite innovative ideas, enjoy their tasks, and who are interested in many things outside of work.

#2: ALTER YOUR VOCABULARY

Your overall work attitude can improve by adjusting your vocabulary. Consider replacing negative words with positive words in conversations and performance appraisals. Let your team members know what they are doing right and how they can improve in other areas rather than only focusing on what they are doing incorrectly.

#3: FOCUS ON THE SOLUTIONS

Focusing on the solutions will enable you to think of the best ways to address an issue. If you feel that a co-worker is not contributing to the team, consider assigning the person to a new task or offering one-on-one coaching.

#4: SMILE MORE

Smiling more often may improve your mood, according to studies. It can also help clients and co-workers feel more comfortable when interacting with you. Make an effort to smile several times throughout your workday.

#5: SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE

Appreciating others and extending your gratitude are priceless gestures that can impact a person. Selfless acts of kindness most often result in appreciation from your co-workers or your boss, which can make you both feel good. For instance, you can give a card or a simple gift to your co-worker who recently got married.

#6: REWARD YOURSELF

As much as you appreciate others, you must also reward yourself. Improve your attitude while at work by rewarding yourself when you attain milestones or small wins. For instance, you can take yourself out to your favorite restaurant after accomplishing a certain number of tasks throughout the week. Doing something you love can help motivate you to continue working.

#7: TAKE (MUCH NEEDED) BREAKS

Taking breaks during the day can help lessen stress and negativity. Go for a short walk during your lunch break or do some light stretches when you have time. To ensure that you have more time to slow down at the end of your shift, consider completing your complex tasks earlier in the day.

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If you are feeling immensely stressed, it may be beneficial to your mental health to take a day off work.

Sources: 1 & 2

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6 Times When Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Not everything in life needs to be big. Sometimes, reaching a certain level of height can drain your savings and become destructive to your lifestyle. Society may market the statement “bigger is better”. We seem to be obsessed with having tall buildings, busy airports, or large homes. This obsession with growth applies to businesses too.

Growth is not always good for an entrepreneurial venture. To survive and thrive as a growing business, entrepreneurs must change their business strategies and improve the way they run their business. If they do not change the way they run things, the odds of the business surviving the trials of growth are not very good.

Let this article illustrate the times when bigger is not always better.

#1: IN GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

If you grow your business solely based on your aspirations, you can create a business that is an intentional reflection of the lifestyle you desire. Remember that success in life should be so much more than simply growing a company and making money. Creating redundancies and having unnecessary complexities are just some of the consequences of growth.

When traditional large companies have a problem, they have to hire more people and build complex infrastructures to support more employees and processes. Thanks to the opinions and demands from board members, investors, and other departments, growth makes it increasingly challenging to get simple things done efficiently.

#2: IN SELECTING YOUR PROJECTS

Since you aim to be the biggest firm in Singapore, you tend to accept all the projects that come your way. One advantage of being small is having more freedom and flexibility in your work. As a small company, you are not enveloped with expectations and overhead. In contrast, bigger companies need to hustle to thrive and survive.

#3: IN INVESTING ON PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS

When it comes to fund size, bigger is not always better. Higher fees put more money in the managers’ pockets, but that does not guarantee that investors share in the upside. Expectations for larger returns increase as investors pay more in fees. However, larger funds do not necessarily bring in larger returns.

#4: IN RENOVATING YOUR HOME

A bigger home means you must spend more time and money on renovating and maintaining it. By revamping the existing space, you will be responsible for the cost of changing the structure to suit your needs. You will also be responsible for upgrading the existing home to follow the current health and safety codes. Your budget will depend on how extensive the renovations are. Generally, the older the building, the more it will cost you to renovate.

#5: IN BUILDING YOUR WEALTH

Putting a large amount of money in your savings account may seem like the most practical thing to do. However, money held in savings accounts has not grown much in the previous years due to historically low interest rates. With inflation running high, your savings are at risk of losing value in “real” terms as you will be able to purchase less with your money.

For instance, inflation averages 3% over the next 5 years. What costs you S$1,000 today would cost you S$1,159.27 in the year 2026. Putting S$1,000 in your savings account today with 0.5% interest will earn you S$25.25 over the same period. Thus, you will inevitably lose about S$134.02.

#6: IN KEEPING UP WITH OTHERS

“The big question about how people behave, is whether they’ve got an inner scorecard or an outer scorecard. It helps if you can be satisfied with an inner scorecard.” – Warren Buffett

Aiming for greater things just to keep up with the success of others is harmful to your wellbeing and your wallet. You can be anything, but you cannot be everything. When we compare ourselves to others, we often compare their best features against our average ones. The unconscious realization that we are not better than others can become self-destructive.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Instead of aiming to have the biggest funds, grandest home, and largest projects, you can realistically push for what works for you best!

Sources: 1,2,3 & 4

 

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5 Ways to Cut Down the Hiring Process Costs

With 2022 coming to a close, many employees will be making the most of the opportunity to reflect upon their careers. January presents a fresh start, with endless career opportunities and renewed optimism. It is the perfect time to hire fresh staff for your team, isn’t it?

Before you begin hiring new employees, you need to fully audit your own recruitment process. Identifying potential savings is a fantastic way to keep your recruitment fit for purpose. On that note, here are five ways to save money and time when it comes to the hiring process.

#1: PLAN AHEAD

You need to have a different game plan than your competitors. Companies that hire in January need to be competitive with their job offers and move fast to get a shot at securing their preferred candidates. It all starts with Human Resource planning.

What are you looking for? The company must then compare their needs to the expected number of qualified candidates in the labor market.

#2: HIGHLIGHT YOUR HIRING PROCESS COSTS

Costs have indirect and direct links. It is important for you to identify both. The direct costs of the hiring process include referral fees, external assessments, background checks, agency fees, LinkedIn Premium or Recruiter accounts, onboarding, training, and creation of contracts.

For indirect costs, it includes candidate dropouts, poor hires, poor team morale, and time away from work. Slow assessment periods or delayed offers can generate hidden costs too!

#3: KNOW YOUR BEST ACQUISITION CHANNELS

In specialist markets, it is likely that you will have to invest in paid job advertisements. Many employers invest in LinkedIn, Jobstreet, Indeed, and Facebook to promote jobs. It is hard to resist the temptation to make sure every single potential candidate sees your opportunity.

Look closely at your advertising channels and create a comprehensive list of all these. Make sure to sort and manage your channels by estimated total cost per year, current usage, and payment models. You will be able to predict your top performing acquisition channels upon assessment of this list. Junk the unnecessary!

#4: AUTOMATE MANUAL TASKS

If you can save time and money by automating manual tasks, do so. Time lost at any stage of the hiring process quickly dominoes resulting in the lengthy time-to-hires and lost candidates.

Here are the manual tasks that can be automated or templated:

a. Application alerts
b. Responses to candidate applications
c. Disqualification emails
d. Getting candidate contact details from CV
e. Creating recruitment related tasks in your project management tool
f. Adding candidates to mailing lists
g. Sending assessments to candidates
h. Sharing candidate history and CV with hiring managers
i. Booking time in hiring managers’ schedules
j. Booking interview times with candidates

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Automating tasks will keep your hiring process more efficient.

#5: EMBRACE COLLABORATIVE HIRING

As organizations grow, the communication lines between recruiters and hiring managers often become more distant and weaker. Combat this by using collaborative hiring. Collaborative hiring happens when you engage more employees in the hiring process.

More employees beyond the recruiter or hiring manager give the candidate a more cohesive vision of what it would be like to work in your organization. Additionally, you will get more feedback on the candidate. Included other employees in the interview, introduction, and assessment phases.

Source: 1

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How to Start a Global Business in Singapore

 

Singapore is a popular place to live and work due to its robust economy, favorable tax system, growing foreign exchange markets, and vast economic potential. Singapore ranked second out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index.

Singapore is a major aviation hub located on one of the world’s busiest flight lines. Because of its highly educated workforce, business-friendly atmosphere, and consistent economic development, the nation ranks among the best for global expansion. Recent economic statistics and business surveys confirm Singapore’s dominance as a premier commercial hub. Southeast Asia is a worldwide growth center due to its strong economic infrastructure, bilateral agreements, and proximity, and as a result, enterprises gain substantially from accessing the global market.

Singapore’s top four business benefits

A thriving economy

Singapore’s massive, robust, and constantly rising economy, which is largely driven by trade, finance, and manufacturing, as well as a growing talent pool, is one of the key reasons for development there. Also, most of the country’s GDP comes from the service sector, which employs a large portion of the workforce (GDP).

Singapore also has strict rules about how foreigners can invest there, and it gives its citizens a lot of help with health care, housing, education, and transportation.

Suitable tax rates

Singapore is known across the globe as a tax haven due to its low tax rates and the limited number of levies. When a corporation exports from the United States, it is not taxed on its foreign earnings. Singapore is a good place to grow internationally because businesses there only have to pay taxes on their local income.

In contrast to other countries, Singapore does not tax capital gains, so firms may sell their investments or capital assets without having to pay taxes on the earnings. This nation boasts one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world, at only 17%. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore also gives different incentives to certain businesses in order to lower their corporation tax rates.

It is easy to start a company

Registering a company in Singapore is faster and easier if all of the statutory conditions are met and the right paperwork is submitted. Foreign nationals are also permitted to run enterprises in Singapore. Most countries require enterprises and branches to have a certain number of local owners, giving the government some control over the business’s operations and a stake in its success.

Singapore, on the other hand, allows international businesses to retain 100 percent ownership, making it an appealing location for growth because foreign businesses can retain complete control and ownership. Even though the world economy isn’t doing well, Singapore continues to attract businesses from all over the world, both rapidly growing big and small companies.

There is talent available

Singapore has one of the most educated and capable labor forces in the world, with more than 30% of its workers having a university degree and another 15% holding a certificate or professional qualification. Due to the country’s policy on bilingual education, most Singaporeans can speak English and at least one other language.

In recent years, Singapore has experienced a significant expansion in the number of venture capital companies, which has resulted in billions of dollars in funding and the creation of unicorns in the startup business. Human capital is the sole asset that has contributed to Singapore’s economic miracle. The country has consistently put money into education to make sure that its workers are well-trained and skilled, which has helped the economy grow.


(https://unsplash.com/photos/VbB6HYunm04)

 

Singapore’s Top 3 Business Challenges

The significance of board members for businesses

According to the Singapore Companies Act, every Singaporean firm must have at least one director who is a Singaporean. Directors are required to act in the best interests of the company and are responsible for ensuring that legal obligations are met, such as holding an annual general meeting and submitting yearly reports to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

Local authorities may assess financial penalties for significant infractions or failure to comply with legal responsibilities. In extreme cases, they may take action against business executives (such as directors and secretaries).

High operating costs

Setting up and running a company in Singapore is expensive. Singapore’s operating expenditures are higher than those of its Southeast Asian rivals since paying employees locally is more costly owing to Singapore’s strong currency. Also, because there isn’t enough good land, the rent for retail and business spaces in Singapore is twice as much as in its neighboring countries.

Electricity is costly, labor is expensive, and commercial space rental is among the highest in the world. Any company migrating from another country will quickly become aware of this and will begin searching for cost-cutting strategies.

Obtaining a work permit

The Ministry of Manpower has made it more difficult for non-nationals who wish to live and work in Singapore to get a working permit. Each application is looked at on its own, taking into account the applicant’s education, work experience, fit for the job, and the industry in which the potential employer works.

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Singapore’s forex trading legislation and laws

Singapore’s local government and culture are well-known for strictly enforcing rules, customs, and limitations. Given the country’s emphasis on international trade, it’s no surprise that Singapore is a financial hub for foreign exchange. According to sources, the region’s daily forex trading turnover exceeds both New York and London. Singapore’s Monetary Authority is in charge of registration, license issuing, and regulatory oversight (MAS).

Singapore has legal and profitable forex trading. Government officials in the country continue to endeavor to solidify the island nation’s status as Asia’s financial hub for all financial activity, including bitcoin transactions. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has made it safe for its retail forex dealers and is willing to work with everyone in the industry as the forex market changes over the next 10 years.

 

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How to Nail Your Exit Interview

Exit interviews are conducted by the employer or the HR personnel to learn more about the position and the reasons for turnover. The organization wants to know why you are leaving. Moreover, they want to take it as an opportunity to think critically about your experience. Use this to provide feedback and suggestions.

What did you learn from your position? How might the organization improve? Here are some things to keep in mind.

#1: PREPARE YOURSELF

Jobs play a huge role in our lives. Leaving a job can stir a pot of strong emotions. So, it is best to prepare. Treat the exit interview like any other interview by practicing your answers. Anticipate the questions and research the possible answers.

#2: FIND THE POSITIVE

Regardless of your experience, you need to find something good about it. Perhaps, you learned a new skill from your boss or had incredible workmates. This is the time to be specific about the people who helped you along the way.

#3: REVIEW COMMON QUESTIONS

Be honest and calculated when it comes to answering the exit interview questions. Consider the following sample answers.

a. Why are you leaving?

“I really enjoyed working here and learned a lot over the course of my employment. However, I found a job with more opportunities for growth. It is time for me to go in a different direction.”

b. How do you feel about the management?

“Overall, I am grateful and satisfied with how the management guided me with the position. However, there is always room for improvement. Management sometimes overlooked the ways they could utilize my role and I felt stagnant. You can empower the employees more by encouraging innovative ideas and providing new tasks that will ignite their creativity.”

c. Did you receive proper and adequate training?

“The best thing you can do for the new hires is to make sure that they understand their roles and supply them with tools to perform their job well. You can also incorporate the discussion of career enrichment in the onboarding process.

Personally, I did not always feel that the resources were enough for me to do the job well. I think new hires can benefit from more frequent training. To fully prepare new employees to meet the company’s expectations, management might consider additional training for them. Current employees may also get refresher courses to maximize their abilities.”

d. Would you recommend the company to others?

If your answer is yes, please explained why you want to genuinely endorse them to your friends and family members. If your answer is no, you can consider the sample answer below.

“If someone asked me if they should apply here, I would ask them to elaborate their background and preferred work environments. This organization may not be suitable for everyone, but it could really work well for certain people.”

Image Credits: pixabay.com

On an employee’s last day, the organization wants to gain context around why an employee is leaving.

End the exit interview conversation by wishing everyone well and by opening doors for (potential) return.

Sources: 1 & 2

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