Greater employment flexibility reduces stress

A recent study, published last March in The American Sociological Review and which made echo the New York Times, has tried to explain if the stress of working life conflicts may be alleviated if the employees have more control over their schedules, including the possibility of working at home. As expected, the answer is Yes.

In the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of United States, participated in a large multinational information technology department. The researchers included psychologists, physiologists, economists and academic experts in public health.

As part of the investigation, the heads of department were trained to encourage them to show support for the family and personal lives of employees, said Erin Kelly, Professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota and one of the main authors of the study. Then, gave employees more control over their schedules to what it was before. They "were free to work where and when to prefer, provided that the work was done", explained.

The results were that employees nearly doubled the amount of time working at home, reaching an average of 19.6 hours in front of 10.2 start times. The total number of hours worked remained more or less at the same level. For Professor Kelly, the fact of focusing on outcomes rather than time spent in the office and the reduction in the number of  "low value" meetings and other tasks, helped employees achieve greater flexibility.

In comparison with another group that did not have the same flexibility, workers interviewed by the researchers indicated that they felt happier and were less stressed, they had more energy and were using their time more effectively, added Kelly. There was no sign that the quality of work improved or worsened with the changed times, it concluded.

Do we lie more to our bosses in the morning or in the afternoon?

An article published in the journal Psychological Science, and that The Atlantic has echoed, describes the influence of the hours of the day for ethical behaviors. The research, led by Maryam Kouchaki (Center for study of ethics Harvard University Edmond J. Safra) and Isaac H. Smith (Department of management, University of Utah) were analyzed in four experiments if we lie more in the morning or in the afternoon: both high school students and a sample of the U.S. population behaves more ethics (without lying or copying in exams) in the morning.

This "morality morning effect", named for the authors of the work, was mediated by the decline of the moral conscience and self-control of the afternoon. On the other hand, the effect of the time of day in the unethical behavior was stronger in people less prone to disassociate itself from the point of view of morality. For researchers, these results highlight the fact that a simple factor as widespread as the time of day has important implications for moral behavior.

Taking this research as a starting point, another group of researchers wondered if the moral effect of the morning may miss a described element of sleep research: that people have specific cronotype. I.e. that you are predisposed to the sense of alert in different times of the day because the moral effect of the morning, as they noted, does not consider the part of the population - from approximately 40 per cent-whose vitality flourishes as they pass the hours of the day. These scientists have carried out a study in this regard, that it will be also published in Psychological Science, and showing that a night person is approximately three times more likely to behave in a unethical in the morning than a person's morning habits.

"An important aspect of this research is not morning people have more moral, in reality is the combination which is more important: people who like most morning is more ethics in the morning, but people who like more night are more ethical by night", said Sunita Shah, co-author of the study and an Assistant Professor of business ethics at Georgetown University, in Washington.

Where to begin to find the first job?

Entering the labour market today, is a complicated process. In Spain, for example, the 24.47% unemployment figures lead to that, for any vacancy, dozens of candidates are submitted. But in any case it must be discouraged, the options are numerous: experts recommend to start with social networks, understood as family, friends, neighbours, classmates...

A second step, upload profile on social networks in search of employment as Marketjob.net and official organizations. Another interesting option are employment bureau and practices that tend to offer universities (don't forget the bulletin boards), foundations and training centres, professional bodies and business associations. Large firms also tend to have sections on their web pages that are periodically updating your needs in different positions.

Employment of major national and regional newspapers Sunday supplements - often coloured salmon - are another good source in which to search, as well as temporary employment companies. An option increasingly on the rise are the halls of employment, which is interesting to go with various hardcopies of the curriculum to go them leaving in the stands of the companies that we could fit. 

The first curriculum 

Elaborate the first curriculum in this process is essential: must beware that it is flawless, no spelling mistakes and giving priority to training above the obvious lack of experience, with clarity and without spreading. More and gain more weight languages - learn them is essential in a globalized world-, the domain of the social networks and the digital environment and the realization of volunteering, by what has been done in these fields should be noted. The opening of a blog with views of value in the workplace we are interested can be another interesting differential value. 

A capital advice is not to never lie or inventing skills or activities that you possess or have been made.

How to find a job from the 45

45 years old are, traditionally, barrier that marks a major difficulty to rejoin the labour market not so much by the age itself, but by the qualification: experts emphasize that at the lower level, especially if there is no vocational training, it is more difficult to find employment.

Seek employment at this age should be considered as a long-distance race, in the long run, that will be received several negative, which should not lead to discouragement, but the feeling that you are closer to Yes. To achieve this, you must bet on the differentiation against other candidates and start the process as soon as possible and consider to look for work is the daily work to perform. A review of our closest social networks (family, friends, acquaintances, social club) to probe potential opportunities can be a good way to start.

The flexibility of the candidates actively seeking at this age should be one of the main aspects in favor, as well as the ability to adapt to changes, the availability to travel and even to change of place of residence. It is also important to review the weaknesses to try and transform them into opportunities for improvement, since it is likely that the job interview will focus on them.

Learn to reinvent themselves

Another growing option is to use the entire volume of experience acquired and convert to an entrepreneur in the field of coaching both in training and consulting or working for hours on specific projects. Bet on training and a course of recycling or an upgrade is also a good alternative, especially in areas such as social networks and identity 2.0. The older universities or employment workshops are other formulas upward.

Finally, employment experts recommend to accept offers close to our goals even though they are not exactly the sought after, since it is easier to make the leap from there to the desired vacancy that do so directly to being unemployed.

Tips for interviewing a candidate

The interview a candidate is a process that is not limited to meet face to face, since the elements before and after can be as important as the interview itself.

Prior to the interview is essential to reassure those interviewed, because this type of selection processes can make sure they are tense: to break the ice, must to welcome the candidate and accompany him to the place of the interview. Recruitment and human resources experts recommend starting with trivial questions and not let yourself go by instinct, because first impressions can be wrong and can do that you discard a very good professional.

The interview itself should focus on the vacant seat, expectations and objectives. It is interesting to take a prepared questionnaire. But it is also a key point to improvise, because it allows you to listen and see carefully the reactions of the candidate and annotate those aspects that might be interesting to us.

Listen to the candidate

As he has been said, hearing the candidate is an aspect to take into account - experts estimate that we should talk about 20% of the time and hear the 80%-so it should be encouraged that he would pose their issues. The fact that it does not pose issues, especially in positions of responsibility, is an indication that perhaps isn't the right person for the position.

Finally, you must be extremely careful as regards compliance with the legislation and the treatment of the data of the candidates.

After the interview, must be made clear response time so that the interviewee does not have the feeling of little serious company. You must not say to the candidate that will be called, when that call is not going to produce never. And, with all the data in hand and according to their notes, their feelings and profiles, choose which consider the best and most qualified.