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The Importance of Employee Recognition

To be really effective in your job, you need to know why and how to praise others for their good work. You need to know the importance of employee recognition.

Employee recognition is the timely, informal or formal acknowledgement of a person’s or team’s behavior, effort or business result that supports the organization’s goals and values, and which has clearly been beyond normal expectations. To be fully successful in the workplace at any level, you need to understand the psychology of praising others for their good work, to apply the principles of employee recognition yourself and to encourage others to initiate it in their working relationships.

Appreciation is a fundamental human need. Employees respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms their work is valued by others. When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work. Gallup studies show employee recognition is the key factor influencing employee engagement, and therefore organizational performance.

Employee recognition is the principle of social proof in action, a term pioneered by social psychology professor Robert Cialdini. He defined the principle in this way: “We view a behavior as correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.” Employee recognition embodies the principle by showing to others in a tangible way that a person’s efforts have been outstanding.

The Research

Yet Gallup analysis in 2016 found only 1 in 3 US workers strongly agreed they had received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past 7 days. Gallup consultants recommend that recognition should be given weekly in broad terms to those who deserve it – and in a timely way so the employee knows the significance of their recent achievement and to reinforce company values.

Two Aspects to Employee Recognition

  1. The first aspect is to actually see, identify or realize an opportunity to praise someone. If you are not in a receptive frame of mind you can easily pass over many such opportunities. This happens all too frequently.
  2. The other aspect is, of course, the physical act of doing something to acknowledge and praise people for their good work.

Read More: https://cuttingedgepr.com/employee-recognition-important/#:~:text=Employees%20respond%20to%20appreciation%20expressed,or%20improve%20their%20good%20work

Contact Us: https://www.buildingrecareers.com/contact

Contact Carly Glova: CGlova@BuildingRECareers.com

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National Unemployment Rate vs. The CRE Rate

RETS Associates principal Kent Elliott said the CRE unemployment rate has been — in some roles and sectors — even better than zero, much healthier than the national rate. While some roles and sectors in the commercial real estate industry are seeing furloughs and layoffs and some employees are finding that good job interviews are few and far between, the industry overall may be in much better shape than the national average.

Of course, good data is hard to find, but according to RETS Associates principal Kent Elliott, the CRE unemployment rate is much lower than the overall unemployment rate, even in the midst of a pandemic. In fact, Elliott told Multi-Housing News in a recent interview that the rate in CRE could be as low as a third of the national rate.

“Currently, overall unemployment has spiked to around 13% and the CRE unemployment rate stands at roughly 4%,” he told MHN at the start of July. “That figure is the same as what the broadest sector of the economy stood at when it was healthy.

“You can’t find this data with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or anything like that,” he told Bisnow. “It’s just the sense that we have, as recruiters, being focused just on real estate, on where we think things are at this point in time.”

He said RETS is working with about half as many placements as it was last year at this time.

“The first quarter [of 2020] was rock-solid,” Elliott said. “The second quarter was not as good. The sense is we’re at about 50% of where we were last year at this point.” Across the RETS team of 15 recruiters, “nobody is at full capacity compared to last year,” he said.

But this period of flagging activity follows a national unemployment rate of just 3.6% as of January 2020, at which point Elliott estimates the rate for CRE, was again much better: somewhere between 2% and, in some sectors and geographies, as low as negative 2% — meaning more jobs were available than there were skilled candidates to place.

Starting from such a strong position, even with the ravaging economic repercussions of the coronavirus, the industry would have a long way to fall.

CRE recruiters outside of RETS are divided on the 4% theory. Some think the estimate is too low given the extent of the downsizing they have witnessed. Others say it seems about right, based on the work piling up on their and their colleagues’ desks. It varies by job function (high-paying, high-risk positions are being cut more readily and hired more hesitantly now) as well as by city.

For example, the May unemployment rate in Las Vegas hovered around 30%, whereas in the D.C. metropolitan area it was more like 9% and in Lincoln, Nebraska, just 5%.

When it comes to pinning down the sprawling industry of commercial real estate, there is no clear data, as residential real estate is often lumped in, skewing the picture. According to data from the BLS, the real estate industry at large in the U.S. showed real estate at 3.3% unemployment in March, spiking as high as 8.9% by May, and then dropping to 7.4%. However, CRE measures up against the national unemployment rate, searches happening at a 50% capacity are a shared experience.

CRE-focused recruiter Carly Glova, resident and executive recruiter of Southern California-based firm Building Careers, said 2019 was the firm’s best year to date, both in terms of revenue and number of placements, and in Q1, it was on track to surpass that in 2020. But over the past several months, the open roles it is managing have also seen a decline of about half.

“You compound COVID with the fact that now we’re in July,” Elliott said. “July and December are the two slowest hiring periods, so now you’ve got a double whammy. Half of [the slowdown] is COVID and half of it, it could be just normalcy.”

Of course, what may have been normal in July of last year is far from normal now. The Real Estate Roundtable 2020 Q2 Economic Sentiment Index registered a score of 38, confirming a dive in the industry’s read of market conditions.

“Although our Q2 survey results show there is hope for improved conditions within the next year, there are significant concerns that other sectors of the industry could be dragged down if jobs don’t rebound and government assistance tapers off,” Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer told GlobeSt.

Elliott said hiring interest is like a spigot, and as the world tries to regain its footing amid chaos, the flow remains in flux.

“I can feel all these things happening, almost from week to week,” he said. “This week, Wednesday morning, I had four calls with four new clients, discussing four new search opportunities. I had my recruiter from Phoenix on one of those calls, Charlotte on one, Denver on another and Newport on another. That’s a good sign.” Read More: https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/employer/cre-unemployment-rate-vs-national-unemployment-rate-coronavirus-105152?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

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5 Secrets to Finding a Job You’ll Love

Looking for a job can be a bit like dating. It can be easy to go online and find a match for a first date, but what happens after that is what matters the most. Will that first date (or first interview) turn into a long-term relationship? Or is it going to be a bust?

Job searching can be hard work. It’s not just a question of finding a job – any job. It’s important to find the right job, a job that is an excellent fit for you now and for the future, either as a stepping stone for your career or as an opportunity you’ll be comfortable with for the long haul. If it’s the wrong job, you’ll end up having to start a job search all over again if the position doesn’t work out. Besides it being stressful, you’ll need to avoid being considered a job hopper when writing your resume.

Because job searching is time-consuming, as well as hard work and because it can be even harder when a job doesn’t work out and you end up quitting or getting fired, it’s best to spend your time trying to get it right from the time you start job hunting. Here are five secrets to finding a job you’ll love.

1. Discover What You Want to Do

Before you start your job search, spend time making sure you’re looking for the right job. If you’re not certain about what you want to do, take a career quiz or two to generate some ideas. If need be, get career coaching or counseling to help get you on the right track. Use the job search engines to search for jobs that are a match for your skills, experience, and interests.

2. Connect with Current Employees

Don’t just apply for the job. Take it a step further. Use your connections on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking sites to discover whom you know at the company. Ask them for insight and information on the company, in general, as well as about the job. Your contacts may also be able to provide you with a referral for the position. Check out the company’s LinkedIn page and social media profiles to gather information.

Read More: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-tips-for-finding-a-job-you-will-love-2060996

Contact Us: https://www.buildingrecareers.com/contact

Contact Carly Glova: CGlova@BuildingRECareers.com

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Tips to Separate Work and Life During COVID-19

It’s one of the biggest work at home conundrums. You finally found a job that you love that will allow you to work from home or you’ve been working from home due to the Coronavirus. You imagine how much time you’ll save from not having to commute into an office, how much money you’ll save by not having to pay for said commute (and office wear and fancy lunches), and how productive you’ll be with all that extra time not having spent stuck in traffic.

Thing is, your work life and your personal life can easily become one big mélange of misery if you don’t try to set boundaries. Here are a few tips in which you can separate work and life during COVID-19 when you work at home.

Partake in Normal Office Hours

It may seem unnecessary to have regular office hours when you work remotely. After all, isn’t the point of having a flexible schedule that you can work flexibly? But if you start and stop your workday at various times throughout the day, it can wreak havoc on your productivity. Instead of getting more work done effectively, you’ll find yourself working much longer than you need to, often when your kids are home from school or even later into the evening. So try to keep a consistent schedule, and then allow for interruptions or breaks as needed.

Set Limits

You’re prepping dinner and you have your laptop open on the counter at the same time. While you might be tempted to scan your work emails as you’re tossing the salad, you shouldn’t. It’s imperative to establish boundaries when you work from home. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself working 24/7. So make every effort to be present in your life, whether you’re trying to finish up a big project or if you’re having a conversation with your 10-year-old. Setting boundaries will ultimately make you a better, stronger, and happier worker and person.

Disregard the Distractions

Dirty dishes. That mound of clean clothes that have to be folded and put away. When your home and your office are one in the same, distractions are plentiful, even more so than if you worked in a traditional office. If you don’t ignore the distractions, though, you’ll find that you’ll get far less work done. So as much as you’d like to have a totally clean house, you’ll need to block the mess out of your mind until you’re done with your work for the day.

Read More: https://www.workflexibility.org/separate-work-life-when-you-work-at-home/

Contact Us: https://www.buildingrecareers.com/contact

Contact Carly Glova: CGlova@BuildingRECareers.com

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Interview Thank You Letters: A Beginners Guide on How to Write One and When

Unforgettable Interview Thank-You Letters
Sending a thank you letter after an interview might seem old-fashioned, but it’s just as important to write one as ever. One survey from TopResume showed that 68 percent of hiring managers say that a candidate’s decision to include or not include a thank you note after an interview affects their final hiring decision. But while sending a thank you note has become expected, it’s not enough to simply send a note that says “Thanks for chatting with me” — you need to put some thought into it. In this guide, we’ll show you how to write a thank you note that will impress interviewers and increase your odds of getting a job offer.

The Timing of Writing a Thank-You Letter
Writing a thank you note to your interviewers shows that you are gracious, humble and thoughtful — all important qualities for potential new hires to possess. That’s why you should write a thank-you letter after every interview within 24 hours. You don’t want to risk having recruiters or hiring managers think that you’re cocky, ungrateful or absentminded.

People You Need to Write a Thank-You Letter For
In general, it’s a good idea to share a thank you note with everybody you interviewed with individually, from recruiter to hiring manager to potential colleague. If you don’t already have their contact info, request it from your main point of contact throughout the hiring process (likely the recruiter), explaining that you’d like to thank them for taking the time to speak with you. If you had a panel interview, you might want to save your time by sending one email to the main interviewer with everybody else CC’d.

If you spoke to many different people — say, you presented to a room of 10 or more — it’s probably not practical, or a good use of your time, to include each and every one of them. In this case, you can follow the same procedure you would in a panel interview: Send one note to the main interviewer with several of the key players CC’d.

Learn More: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-to-write-a-thank-you-letter/

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What If I’ve Signed a Non-Compete Agreement?

So you’re considering jumping ship and working for a new company – but what about that non-compete agreement you’ve signed? Perhaps you’ve been offered the perfect position as a resale coordinator, builder liaison, or broker. The role and location are precisely what you want for your career and your family. But there’s those nagging questions: is it worth the risk of legal hassle? Is your contract even enforceable? How should you proceed?

First of all, like all legal matters, there’s no way to know without consulting an attorney. So talk with an attorney who handles non-compete agreements and get legal advice before proceeding.

But as executive search consultants in the commercial real estate industry for many years, we know a thing or two about non-competes, too. And here are some important points you should know.

1. A non-compete agreement is a contract.

Don’t be flippant about violating a non-compete. It is a contract, and you can be held liable for its terms. Proceed with caution.

Besides, as a CRE professional with integrity, you want to be a man or woman of your word. Review the terms of the agreement and understand just what you may or may not do.

2. Non-competes are only enforceable if reasonable.

While “reasonable” is subjective and differs from state to state, generally, this kind of contract is only considered reasonable according to three criteria:

  • The geographic location: the region should be less than 50 miles in most cases and not cross state lines.
  • The time limitation: courts don’t usually find non-compete agreements to be reasonable if they exceed 12 months of restriction from the new start date.
  • The scope of the role: the narrower the scope, the more enforceable the agreement. Selling to your company’s clients might be a violation, but merely working in the real estate industry is not.

3. It all depends on your state.

While most states tend to be lenient with employees, some states go so far as to consider a non-compete agreement as null and void. Fortunately, California is one of those states.

California employers may protect company secrets if they can prove they are proprietary, but competition is not restricted. If your employer is in California, you probably weren’t required to sign a non-compete to begin with. And if you were, it’s almost certainly unenforceable.

4. When in doubt, get help.

If you’re in an area where a non-compete agreement is legal, and you’re unsure about its reasonableness or enforceability, communication is key. Talk to your prospective employer before you defect, and show them the contract. They may be able to design your role in such a way to preclude a lawsuit or potential violation of the agreement.

Talk to your recruiter. Executive search firms are adept at handling objections like these and helping you avoid pitfalls – especially recruiters who specialize in CRE and know the employment rituals and rules for your industry front and back.

Navigating these troubling times can be treacherous, so go with a firm whose expertise you can trust and rely on. They can be your advocates and advisers through each step.

What If I’ve Signed a Non-Compete Agreement? Read More »

How CRE Owners Are Making Their Buildings Safe Again

Financial recovery won’t be businesses’ only concern when they begin to reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll also be tasked with making customers feel safe coming to their offices and stores again. Magnolia Bakery in New York City for example will ask customers entering its shop to walk through a cleansing chamber, The Wall Street Journal reports. Patrons will be “bathed” in ultraviolet (UV) light for 20 seconds, which is safe for humans, but lethal for viruses and bacteria. Columbia University has tested the far-UVC light on 100 hairless mice for almost a year with no ill effects.

Customers can expect these types of precautions as businesses attempt to curb people’s fear of going into buildings. Prior to the pandemic, people did not give crowding into places like offices, schools, retail shops, restaurants, sports arenas and gyms a second thought. Now, it will be up to building owners and operators to assure people it’s OK to do so again if they want customers to return in pre-COVID numbers.

Here are some technology solutions and interventions that building owners are putting to making their buildings safe again for patrons to visit and shop.

Refining Air Quality

The Coronavirus can spread through building’s ventilation systems, according to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. Potentially spreading the virus through the air has building owners reconsidering how they heat and cool their buildings. Companies are also looking into new technologies that can eliminate pathogens the second they leave people’s mouths, according to The Wall Street Journal. The ability to adopt these solutions will depend on how fast they can get emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Indoor air has become more polluted than outdoor air in a lot of cities during the last few decades, The Great Indoors author Emily Anthes wrote. The drop in inside air quality is partly due to efforts to make buildings more energy efficient. In doing so, some buildings have become, “sealed tombs” that don’t have much outdoor air exchange.

It is possible to for a building to absorb more outdoor air without sacrificing energy efficiency. Engineers didn’t put these measures into practice because they require more design effort and equipment than just recirculating air. Installing filters that can catch small particles, even as small as the Coronavirus, so air ducts are not transmitting re-circulated virus-laden droplets on people as they walk by is another way to improve in-building air quality.

Learn More: https://blog.thebrokerlist.com/measures-cre-owners-can-take-to-make-their-buildings-safe-again/

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3 Ways Small and Medium Businesses can Do Well During COVID-19?

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to many Small and Medium Businesses and large businesses across the world. In a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, many governments globally have mandated the practice of social distancing.

Because of this, remote working has become the new norm. While it might be easier for sizable businesses to weather the storm and adjust to the changed mode of working, Small and medium businesses are at the worse end of the curve — primarily due to the unpreparedness.

The world — and business — has never seen anything like the COVID-19 virus. Yet, we need not despair — it’s not too late for Small and medium businesses. You can not only survive — but thrive in such uncertain times. Here is a 3-step guide that is simple yet effective for Small and medium businesses to ensure business continuity.

1. Must Have Appropriate Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the first thing that leaders and managers need to address to get their employees ready. Likewise is the case for small and medium businesses. Given below are specific infrastructure requirements that must be put in place in specific situations:

Hard Infrastructure

Situation 1: Remote working already implemented

  • Equitable and thorough distribution of work is necessary. Employees with access to laptops and mobile devices should not be unfairly overburdened with work.
  • Employees with laptops must be able to dial into their organizations easily.

Situation 2: Remote working yet to be implemented

  • Small and medium businesses must make sure that they provide functional laptops and mobile devices to employees who do not have their own.

Soft Infrastructure – Common to Situation 1 and 2

Technology has an indispensable role to play in the successful execution of remote working. Hence, based on the specific needs and requirements, all small and medium businesses must encourage the use of such tools.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) meeting tools such as FreJun that enable teams to have effective conference calls and provide detailed meeting minutes.
  • Messaging tools such as Slack.
  • Project management tools like Asana to help achieve team outcomes.
  • Apps such as Trello to help organize data.

Every small and medium businesses must understand that putting the infrastructure in place is just the first part. What is more important is preparing the employees to smartly and effectively use this infrastructure towards efficient delivery of end goals.

Read More: https://readwrite.com/2020/04/26/how-can-small-and-medium-businesses-smbs-thrive-in-uncertain-times/

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Post COVID CRE Hiring: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

There’s no denying that the past few months have been hard on commercial real estate. But where do we stand now? What will post COVID CRE hiring look like in the months ahead, as we rebuild and move on? Are we getting back to business as usual? Is it a total loss? Or can we expect a little of both?

According to many experts in commercial real estate, the COVID-19 crisis created a mixed bag of both challenges and opportunities. There’s plenty of bad news, but also a lot of good.

If you make a living in the CRE field, you may be wondering what hiring will look like now that everything has changed. Let’s open up that mixed bag, and see what the future may hold for the industry.

CRE Hiring Post COVID: The Mixed Bag

The hiring freeze that occurred this spring was unprecedented. Employers laid off millions of workers, and the US unemployment rate hit 20% in April. According to data from Indeed, job postings are lower this year by nearly 34%. The biggest hit sectors were tourism and hospitality, which were devastated by the lockdowns. Retail is hurting, too. Many believe the US is falling into a deep recession at this very moment, and that the rest of the year will be rather bleak.

But in the commercial real estate sector, it’s not all bad news.

While most companies have reduced new hires, others are looking for new talent to help them navigate a difficult market. This is the time for talented professionals and innovative leaders to thrive.

Respondents to the Spring 2020 NAIOP CRE Sentiment Index provided a slightly negative outlook on a handful of CRE fundamentals, except for employment within their own firms, which they expected to remain consistent.

Also, there is now more opportunity for contract and remote-work positions than before. Self-starters and entrepreneurial talent will have more value in the coming workplace. Post COVID CRE Hiring will be much more flexible. Of course, relationships and networking will remain the currency of the realm.

In a recent BisNow interview, real estate consultant, Bernie Ocampo, predicted there will be greater demand for some CRE markets like distressed investments, asset management, accounting, and property management. CRE professionals in these areas can expect a competitive hiring field. Ocampo pointed out that, while assets may change hands, there will always be a need for management of those assets.

What CRE Hiring May Look Like Long Term

So some sectors are definitely hurting, while others will be in greater demand than before. But will hiring overall rise or fall in the months and years ahead? In the BisNow article, Jana Turner a principal for RETS Associates, reported her hiring has continued strong. And she believes the long-term projections for Post COVID CRE hiring will rise after a brief pause, stating:

In the last recession, hiring was slow. Here, companies have not canceled searches. Many are just on hold…Retail will definitely be getting hurt but there are a lot of deals out there.

Indeed, there are deals to be made in the new CRE landscape. The future of CRE hiring is to be found in the rising demand for multi-family housing, high-value real property. There will likely be higher vacancy rates and some stalled construction, but some markets may actually experience higher levels of construction and demand. Jobs will be created especially in lease negotiations, legal services, special servicing, and appraisals.

In spite of all the doom and gloom in the news, there is reason to believe the outlook for post COVID CRE hiring is not crashing, but merely changing.

Post COVID CRE Hiring: Good, Bad, or Ugly? Read More »

Is Your Office Liable if an Employee Catches the Coronavirus?

Depending on where they are located, offices are slowly and cautiously welcoming back employees after the shutdown. Likewise for retail stores and restaurants.

In the vast majority of cases these openings have been accompanied by stringent measures to protect the health and safety of workers and visitors. But is that enough to protect a company from liability if someone catches COVID-19 within their premise?

In fact, it is only half of the battle, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr attorney Louis P. Archambault tells GlobeSt.com. Companies not only have to follow the necessary guidelines to safeguard their buildings from COVID-19, but they also have to ensure compliance with those measures, he says.

At the same time, visitors to these establishments—shoppers in a grocery-store for example—must do their part to act responsibly, Archambault continues. That means wearing masks, practicing social distances and adhering to local guidelines as well. “As human beings we have a responsibility to each other,” he says. For the less altruistically inclined, he warns that individuals not taking these steps could lose out on potential claims should they do get sick.

It has been argued that in a lawsuit it would have to be proven that a person caught COVID-19 in a particular building, on a particular day etc. Archambault argues this is an easier case to make than many might expect. Between our mobile devices, private security cameras and other tracking and tracing methods, there are enough records available to determine who was within six feet of an infected person, he says.

“Businesses absolutely need to take this seriously. But let’s say that despite their best efforts, someone catches COVID-19 at their building. If they have been following the guidelines and are actively enforcing them, they can show they have minimized the risk and potential exposure to people. Then it becomes much harder to prove that a duty was breached.”

What Guidelines Apply?

In a way, Archambault says, much of this is basically premises liability 101, only now companies have new guidelines to follow. It is important to follow the right ones, though, starting with those that have been issued by the CDC. There are also county-specific guidelines for location and business type that must be followed as well. In addition, OSHA has released guidelines for workers that must be adhered to. Finally, there have been a slew of guidelines released by industry associations, brokers and leading companies. The latter don’t necessarily have to be followed but it would be good to be aware of them and comply when possible, Archambault says.

“I would recommend checking with trade organizations. They are working to take all of those general guidelines and convey them to members and that can make it easier from an enforcement perspective.”

Also, he adds, it can help a business not feel so alone if trade association is helping.

Read More: https://www.globest.com/2020/05/28/your-office-has-reopened-are-you-liable-if-someone-catches-covid-19/?kw=Your%20Office%20Has%20Reopened.%20Are%20You%20Liable%20if%20Someone%20Catches%20COVID-19?&utm_source=email&utm_medium=enl&utm_campaign=nationalamalert&utm_content=20200528&utm_term=rem&enlcmp=nltrplt4&slreturn=20200502084634#

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