Year: 2020

The process of socialization within organizations is designed to quickly help newcomers orient and familiarize themselves with company procedures. If you have ever been on the receiving end of an effective initiation program, then you know how helpful it can be in helping with early adjustment. The science shows that effective early socialization can affect long term organizational outcomes. Recent research investigated how organizations can use certain organizational socialization tactics to positively influence such outcomes.

Organizational Socialization Tactics

There are three major domains that encompass socialization tactics within organizations. These include collective and formal tactics, which concern the context of newcomer socialization, sequential and fixed tactics, which deal with the content of information provided, and finally, investiture and serial tactics which concern social aspects of the process. These three domains should be designed to reduce the uncertainty of newcomers. The researchers hypothesized that these tactics are related to the extent to which newcomers will experience a clear sense of what is expected of them and what they should do on the job. In turn, they investigated whether giving employees clear expectations influences employees’ sense of competency at a later time.

Trust and Relationships

Trust forms an important element of organizational effectiveness. For example, when people trust supervisors and co-workers, they are more likely to feel comfortable and to fully engage at work. Entry periods into organizations are critical times for facilitating the formation of trusting relationships. There is a mental and emotional element to these relationships. Emotional trust is considered a more powerful form of trust, as it becomes more important in long term outcomes. The researchers sought to understand whether trust-building tactics also impact employees’ sense of commitment to the organization.

Results

The researchers found that when newcomers had a clear sense of what was required of them in the organization, they later reported more competent performance on the job. They also found that emotional-based trust relationships with supervisors or co-workers improved the relationship between socialization tactics and organizational commitment. The implication here is that initial processes that help newcomers build trusting relationships can later go on to affect commitment to that organization.

Tips for Organizations

The results highlight the necessity for organizations to ensure that they have a two-pronged approach to helping newcomers adjust to the work environment. This requires helping newcomers understand what is required of them and how to adopt effective strategies for dealing with work tasks. Also important is the need to give newcomers the opportunity to build significant relationships with organizational insiders. By realizing this, organizations can facilitate newcomer adjustment as well as foster greater organizational commitment.

1. Collaborative hiring: Referrals & Internal mobility

There’s a reason why they say two heads are better than one. When it comes to recruitment, involving your entire team in the recruitment process can be of tremendous value.

Just think of the potential that could come out of the combined (personal) networks of your team members, for example.

This is one of the reasons we see an increase in employee referrals and employee referral programs and companies that provide AI driven technology to automate your employee referral efforts.

Referred hires generally are (among other things) more productive, more engaged and less likely to leave.

Given the current market situation, it seems only natural for companies to increase their focus on collaborative hiring even more this year.

The same thing goes for internal mobility programs.

Although not that many organizations have a (well-developed) internal mobility culture and program in place yet, this can be a great way to meet skill shortages, decrease turnover and boost engagement.

2. Growing importance of recruitment marketing

As we’ve said, 21st-century recruiters need all the help they can get to find the best candidates. This explains the rise of recruitment marketing solutions.

Recruitment marketing  also called the pre-applicant stage of talent acquisition is the process of attracting and nurturing talent to your organization by marketing to them.

Just like the main goal of traditional marketing is to drive individuals to buy a company’s product or service, the primary objective of recruitment marketing is to get people to apply to your organization’s job openings.

We’ve already seen the use of certain marketing techniques in recruitment before (think of programmatic job advertising tools, for example). Now, however, companies increasingly turn to, let’s call them full-service recruitment marketing providers.  

This means a recruitment marketing solution that helps organizations strengthen their employer brand, reach candidates on social media and optimize their career sites (of course, there are many other possibilities depending on your company’s specific needs).

To stick with the marketing jargon: this year, we’ll continue to see a transition from outbound to inbound recruitment.

3. Attracting talent with transferable skills from outside your industry

With certain industries already struggling to find skilled people and a growing number of baby boomers retiring, recruiters have no choice but to look beyond the ‘borders’ of their industry to find people.

So rather than looking for relevant previous experience, recruiters will increasingly focus on transferable skills and hence (considerably) expand their potential talent pool.

4. AI

Yes, there it is again, artificial intelligence. And yes, we know you’ve probably been inundated with AI-related content. However, applications of AI in recruitment will become even more widespread in 2019.

This year, in one way or another, AI will become a must-have in the recruiter’s toolbox.

From automated candidate sourcing, recovery, and matching, to hiring remote workers and creating customized employee value propositions, the number of different uses of AI in recruitment just keeps growing.

5. Embracing the flexible workforce

For most organizations, their workforce already consists of a combination of full-timers, contractors, freelancers and everything in-between.

In the US alone, 36% of all workers (around 57 million people) are in the gig economy, a number that is likely to grow even more this year.

Independent workers like the fact that they can work anywhere they want, when they want and are often happier than ‘traditional’ employees. In fact, satisfaction levels for independents have never been as high as they are right now: 74% of independent workers say they are highly satisfied.

Technology, of course, is a big enabler of this kind of freelance work: people can use their smartphones, have free internet available in a lot of (coffee) places, and freelance platforms like Upwork, PeoplePerHour and Fiverr match freelancers with projects.

Especially when companies need to find skilled people urgently and in an industry where talent is scarce they’ll have to turn to freelancers, contractors, etc. to meet their needs.

On a positive note, working with freelancers can be a good way for a company to find out if they’d like those people to become full-time employees: if there is a mutual click, you may have found yourself a great new hire!

6. Diversity hiring

Like AI, diversity hiring is one of those themes that remain relevant in 2019. Diversity in the broadest sense of the word that is; gender, ethnicity, geographical and age.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives have proven to offer many benefits, such as improved employee happiness, productivity and retention and a positive reflection on your employer brand.

So this year, we’ll see more of said initiatives pop up think of a digital marketplace that connects women with employers, for example. We’ll also see an increase in the number of companies ramping up their diversity hiring efforts.

7. Building and sharing your mission

Do like Nike did, basically. The American sportswear giant took a stand last year when it used a black and white photograph of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a part of its advertising campaign to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ slogan.

Kaepernick caused quite the controversy back in 2016 when he kneeled during the national anthem to show his support for people of color in the United States and to bring attention to police brutality.

More than two-thirds of consumers believe that it’s important for brands to take a stance on certain political and social issues a number that is probably going to increase even more with the next generation of shoppers.

So, even if it meant they’d lose customers and people did indeed boycott Nike following the Kaepernick ad Nike chose sides.

It’s the same for employers.

Today’s workforce is on the lookout for mission-driven employers. People want more than just a paycheck from the organization they work for, they want to have a sense of purpose in their job.

And, just like today’s consumers, job seekers often want their own values to align with those of their company.

2019 will, therefore, see an increased focus of companies building and sharing their mission, taking stands and creating their own version of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ to attract talent.

8. Hiring Gen Z

They’ve been entering the global workforce for a while now, although so far, mainly in internship and entry-level positions.

Slowly but surely though, Generation Z (the cohort that comes after the Millennials, born somewhere between the mid-’90s and the mid-2000s) is now finding its way into the workplace.

If your knowledge about these Digital Natives is a little rusty, you might want to bring it up to speed again, because this year the recruitment of Gen Z will, without a doubt, accelerate.

A few elements to keep in mind when it comes to hiring Generation Z are:

• They are one with their smartphones
• Adapt to their (short) attention span
• It’s all about video
• Don’t forget about health & wellness
• Think about their growth

To succeed in recruitment in 2019, make sure to consider these points when creating your recruitment strategy.

9. Data security

After the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union in May last year, it’s impossible to think of candidate (and employee) data without thinking of the protection of this data.

Whether companies like it or not, data security has now become a theme for every provider of recruitment technology that uses people’s data.

Since a lot of providers (if not all of them) use data and analytics, this means that virtually everyone needs to have a system in place to protect candidate data.

After all, companies had to be ready when the GDPR became effective last year.

This is true, of course, but the regulation does have implications for new features, technology, and solutions that are introduced to the market and that use data.

10. Hiring people with future-proof (soft) skills

This one consists of two elements. On the one hand, there is an increased focus on hiring people with future-proof skills. Think of complex problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking, cognitive flexibility, etc.

On the other hand, there has been more and more attention to people’s soft skills recently. It turns out, companies are often struggling to find talent with good soft skills (communication, listening, empathy, etc.).

Soft skills are personality-driven and they are what makes the difference between a good and a great candidate. After all, hard (tangible and technical) skills usually can be taught, while teaching someone how to show empathy is almost impossible…

As developments in technology are changing many industries rapidly, the demand for people with transferable, future-proof (as much as possible) and soft skills will rise.

11. A shift from job description-based hiring to project-based hiring

This is a result of several of the trends we’ve seen above, like the growing gig economy and the shift from experience-based hiring to hiring based on transferable & soft skills for instance.

Both of these developments are likely to change the way organizations manage their projects.

In a time where finding good full-time employees is hard and turnover often is high, it could make more sense to start hiring in a different way.

Based on projects rather than job descriptions, for example.

This has, among other things, the advantage of gathering those people who are the best in their field for each project. Instead of buying labor, organizations will actually be buying (and thus recruiting for) results.  

Biodata

Bio Data is the short form for Biographical Data and is an archaic terminology for Resume or C.V. In a bio data, the focus is on personal particulars like date of birth, gender, religion, race, nationality, residence, marital status, and the like. A chronological listing of education and experience comes after that.

The biodata format includes relevant factual information about an individual, such as:

• Personal information (e.g., date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, height, complexion, father’s name, etc.)
• Educational background
• Occupational history
• Skills
• Interests and hobbies

Biodata format documents are not to be confused with biodata instruments, or biographical information blanks (BIBs). The former is a document typically prepared by the individual, and, in some settings, can serve as a replacement for, or a supplement to, a resume or curriculum vitae. The latter is a criterion-related validity assessment that includes detailed questions about past work and personal experiences, and it is often used by employers to predict the future job performance of prospective employees. Depending on the context and setting, a biodata could be any of the following:

• A criterion-related validity assessment used by employers for personnel selection
• An antiquated term that means resume
• A supplement to a resume or C.V.
• A resume replacement in some South Asian regions
• For applying for government jobs in India
• To apply for temporary and/or skilled labor jobs in some countries
• As a marriage resume in India or Pakistan

Biodata	A Biodata is also called a “Biographical Data”
The personal facts a Biodata includes	A person’s height, weight, father’s name, Mother’s name, gender, complexion, caste, religion, marital status, nationality, permanent address, date of birth etc.
The best used in places	India uses Biodata for the marriage purpose.
The best used for	The uses of a Biodata differs from country to country – in India, it is mainly used for traditional marriage purposes, but in many other countries, it is often used to apply for employment.
The length of a Biodate	One page of a Biodata with personal facts is sufficient for marriage purpose, but if you want to consider it to showcase your personal & professional detail both, it may go up-to two – three pages.

CV (Curriculum Vitae)

Curriculum Vitae is a Latin word meaning “course of life”. It is more detailed than a resume, generally 2 to 3 pages, or even longer as per the requirement. A C.V. lists out every skill, all the jobs and positions held, degrees, professional affiliations the applicant has acquired, and in chronological order. A C.V. is used to highlight the general talent of the candidate rather than specific skills for a specific position.

CV	CV stands for Curriculum Vitae
In India, Australia and South Africa	Resume and CV both are used for the purpose of employment, the only difference is the word Resume is used regularly for the private sector jobs and CV for the public sector jobs.
The best used in places	Exclusively, in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, companies demand for CV to screen-out the candidates for the job interviews.
The best used for	CVs are mainly used to applying for intercontinental, health care, research, academic, teaching, scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, internships, and scientific jobs.
The length of a CV	There is no page limit for Curriculum Vitae, the only thing is – it is always being considered as larger in length as compared to Resume.

Best Practices

Whatever item (Resume, Biodata, or CV) you choose to describe your personal and professional details in summarized form, the best thing you need to do is – you should know “the purpose of choosing the item, the details you want to include in the item, and in which order you want to place the details in the item?”

Social skills are essential in building both personal and professional relationships. Demonstrating strong interpersonal skills can help you accomplish career goals, contribute to company achievements, perform well during the hiring process, expand your professional network and much more.

Understanding and improving your social skills will support your efforts in every area of life. In this article, we discuss what social skills are, why they are important and how you can improve them with examples.

Social skills, also known as interpersonal or soft skills, are used to communicate with others. There are several types of communication we use on a daily basis including verbal, nonverbal, written and visual.

Verbal skills involve the spoken language, while nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and eye contact. Any time you interact with another person, you’re using social skills in some way. Strong social skills can help you build and maintain successful relationships both professionally and personally.

Why social skills are important?

Social skills are important because they help you build, maintain and grow relationships with colleagues, clients and new contacts alike. They are important to maintain and improve no matter your position, industry or experience level.

Investing in relationships is beneficial for your career in many ways, some of which include:

• Gaining ideas, information, techniques and perspectives from people with different areas of expertise
• Providing your own perspective for the benefit of others
• Accomplishing tasks and working together towards a shared goal
• Providing mutual support for difficult or hard-to-navigate situations
• Expanding your network to learn about and pursue new opportunities
• Gaining feedback and referrals from people who can personally attest to your work, skills and qualities (and for whom you can do the same)
• Making the workplace more enjoyable

It is also important to display your social skills during the hiring process. Being able to work and build relationships with others effectively is a crucial quality employers look for in candidates. It can also show your fitness for their company culture.

To show social skills on your cover letter, provide an example of a time you worked with others to achieve a goal that drove success for your team or organization. On your resume, list specific, measurable achievements that you can elaborate on how you used your social skills to get it done during your interview. During the interview, use the STAR method for behavioral interview questions to explain times you have found success using social skills.

Six examples of social skills

Here are a few examples of qualities you can build to increase your social skills:

1. Effective communication

The ability to communicate effectively with others is a core social skill. If you have strong communication skills, you’ll be able to share your thoughts and ideas clearly with others. Effective communicators make good leaders because they can easily explain projects and goals in an easy-to-understand way.

2. Conflict resolution

Disagreements and dissatisfaction can arise in any situation. Conflict resolution is the ability to get to the source of the problem and find a workable solution. If you have good conflict resolution skills, you may be well-suited to a position in HR, where you can address disagreements between employees. You might also enjoy a customer service role where you will resolve conflicts for clients about a company’s products, services or policies.

3. Active listening

Active listening is the ability to pay close attention to a person who is communicating with you. Active listeners are typically well-regarded by their coworkers due to the attention and respect they offer others. You can increase your listening skills by focusing on the speaker, avoiding distractions, and by preparing questions, comments or ideas to respond.

4. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and identify with the feelings of another person. If you have empathy, others will be more likely to confide in you. Being more empathetic takes a conscious effort to carefully consider how others feel. If you strengthen your empathy and rapport with others, you’ll be able to build stronger relationships, which can be beneficial in many ways.

5. Relationship management

Relationship management is the ability to maintain relationships and build key connections. For example, if you have a job in customer service, you might be responsible for relationship management between your company and a specific set of clients. Executives at organizations manage relationships with stakeholders and investors. This is a useful social skills in a variety of roles.

6. Respect

A key aspect of respect is knowing when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions you’ve been asked.

How to improve social skills?

There are several ways to improve your social skills. Here are just a few ways you can begin:

1. Get feedback

It can be helpful to ask trusted friends, mentors or managers to provide you with honest feedback about your areas for improvement. Use this feedback to start setting measurable goals toward having a strong, well-rounded set of social skills.

2. Set goals

After identifying areas for improvement, use the SMART goals framework to work toward building interpersonal skills in a specific, measurable way.

3. Find resources

There are countless classes, guides, books and more both online and off. While you can certainly pay for an e-book or class, there are also many free resources you can consume. You can also find focused resources on topics such as body language or negotiations.

4. Identify areas for practice

Once you have learned tactics and tips for improving your social skills, put them into practice at home and at work. You can also look for volunteer opportunities or extra-curricular activities for which you can practice interpersonal skills with less pressure.

If you’re looking for soft skills that will improve your employability and help you excel in nearly any job, social skills are a great place to start. The best way to improve your social skills is to put your learning into practice. A background demonstrating success with social skills will serve you well in many areas of life.

As profit margins have shrunk and web-based video meetings have become inexpensive, even as their quality and reliability have improved, more and more small business owners have turned on those laptop cameras to save on travel and conduct effective meetings.

“Even if a company travels only once or twice a month, videoconferencing can save them tens of thousands of dollars a year,” says Bernard Moon, CEO of Palo Alto, Calif.-based Vidquik, a web-based videoconferencing service for small business.

Still, for entrepreneurs, there’s a dilemma: For a customer who’s got an agenda of middling importance, should I fly in an account manager or sales exec, or will a well-prepared videoconference do the trick?

Take the time to emphasize the following tips to enhance your team’s video conferencing skills and set your remote team up for success:

1. Maintain a Clean Background

Most professionals understand the importance of looking well-groomed for a video conference, but they should also consider what’s going on directly behind them. Advise your team to clean up anything that will show in the video frame and clear out items that colleagues or clients shouldn’t see.

This is especially important for those working from home where kids, spouses, roommates, or pets could walk into the shot during a meeting.

2. Anticipate Distractions

In Polycom’s recent survey of more than 1,200 business decision makers, 56 percent noted that they had been distracted by noise or decor during a video meeting. Video conference users should not only create a distraction-free background, but also make sure their surroundings are relatively quiet.

It can be awkward and frustrating when someone on a video conference receives a call on a cell phone, a knock on the door, or something else that pulls them and everyone else away from the task at hand. Before a video conference begins, suggest that participants silence everything that could make noise, including cell phones, landlines, computer notifications, and alarm clocks.

3. Pay Attention to Body Language

Conventional wisdom recommends making eye contact during meetings, interviews, and other professional interactions. While this is excellent advice for face-to-face meetings, it isn’t a great strategy during a video meeting. Instead, encourage the habit of looking directly at the camera when speaking, which creates the appearance of eye contact.

Remind your team to avoid fidgeting or excessive gesturing during a video conference, as these movements can appear over-exaggerated when they show up on the screen. Sitting too close to the camera or leaning in during the interview can also be distracting, so it’s best that everyone maintain a comfortable, consistent distance from the camera throughout the meeting.

4. Assume Everything Can Be Seen

Too often, video conference participants try to multitask with personal projects and ultimately embarrass themselves and frustrate the people on the other end of the call. The Polycom survey of decision makers also found that 51 percent of respondents reported noticing when other participants appeared to be multitasking or seemed bored.

Embracing video conferences and video conferencing skills is valuable because it allows your team to be more comfortable and productive. But this flexibility can turn into a disadvantage if colleagues or clients see or hear something unprofessional. Ensure that your team understands that above all, it’s best to simply avoid anything that wouldn’t be appropriate in an office setting.

Practice video conferencing skills as a team and give individual, honest feedback about needed improvements. Ultimately, your remote reports will be prepared to make a great impression during every single video conference.

Effective Meetings: Is videoconferencing Cheap Enough?

In recent years, the costs of videoconferencing of reasonable quality have plummeted from thousands of dollars to perhaps hundreds or less per year for a small business.

Even just a few years ago, “videoconferencing was a free, low-resolution experience where the medium was more of a distraction than a help,” says Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president at Citrix Online of Santa Clara, Calif, which makes GoToMeeting with HD Faces. “It was small thumbnails of the participants, all pixelated. Now it’s much better.”

Indeed, web-based videoconferencing has become cheap enough and good enough to make it worthy of consideration for several kinds of long-distance meetings.

Videoconferencing vs. Teleconferencing

Video has a particular value in those teleconferences where a substantial body of new information is communicated.

With teleconferencing, “when we present new ideas or prototypes, there’s no feedback from the audience,” says Mike Huska, chief technology officer at Incential Software in Phoenix.

“It’s hard to tell whether they like it or they’re lost. In a videoconference, you can see a smile, or confusion.” Incential uses Citrix’ GoToMeeting.

“Video lets you read nonverbal signals,” says Moon. For example, what might remain an uncomfortable silence on the phone can more easily be addressed and resolved when there’s visual contact among all parties.

Even among a group of far-flung colleagues with frequent contact and common goals, video helps to support the human side of working relationships. “We have staff meetings, and video gives us the feeling of face time,” says Huska.

Internal meetings are also a good testing ground for added-value features that are popping up in more web-based videoconferencing services: screen sharing, presentation sharing, whiteboarding, private chat, and so on.

Video and the Hiring Process

With so many talented professionals available on the job market across the country, many entrepreneurs are itching to take their searches national.

With initial rounds of video interviews, small employers can access the entire US labor market and narrow the candidate pool to a few finalists via virtual recruitment tools.

Of course, videoconferencing can save lots of time in a regional recruitment effort as well.

“Recruiters are saying that they can be much more efficient via video meeting versus getting in a car to see a candidate,” says Sean O’Brien, an executive vice president at PGi, maker of videoconferencing service iMeet in Atlanta.

The key is knowing how to interview virtually and follow the proper legal guidelines.

When Can Videoconferencing Replace Travel?

The toughest decisions about when to videoconference center on how you makes sales. For pitches with considerable potential, there’s a consensus that the meeting must be face-to-face, literally not virtually.

“There’s no replacement for in-person, especially on the initial sales call,” says Huska. Once that meeting has happened, the sales force may be able to reinforce the relationship with video meetings.

Of course, you can’t decide in a vacuum when to meet by video and when to make the trip.

“The decision of whether to use videoconferencing instead of in-person should be based on the social norms of your industry and business community,” says Moon.

It makes sense to test the video waters with clients who seem comfortable with technology and flexible with meeting arrangements, and who trust you to make them happy in the long run.

Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines subjective and sensori-emotional values, or sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste.

Aesthetics covers both natural and artificial sources of aesthetic experience and judgment. It considers what happens in our minds when we engage with aesthetic objects or environments such as in viewing visual art, listening to music, reading poetry, experiencing a play, exploring nature, and so on. The philosophy of art specifically studies how artists imagine, create, and perform works of art, as well as how people use, enjoy, and criticize their art. It deals with how one feels about art in general, why they like some works of art and not others, and how art can affect our moods or even our beliefs. Both aesthetics generally and philosophy of art especially ask questions like “what is art?”, “what is a work of art?”, and “what makes good art?”.

Scholars in the field have defined aesthetics as “critical reflection on art, culture and nature”. In modern English, the term “aesthetic” can also refer to a set of principles underlying the works of a particular art movement or theory (one speaks, for example, of a Renaissance aesthetic).

Aesthetic Stage Descriptions

Stage 1: Accountive

Accountive viewers are storytellers. Using their senses, memories, and personal associations, they make concrete observations about a work of art that are woven into a narrative. Here, judgments are based on what is known and what is liked. Emotions color viewers’ comments, as they seem to enter the work of art and become part of its unfolding narrative.

Stage 2: Constructive

Constructive viewers set about building a framework for looking at works of art, using the most logical and accessible tools: their own perceptions, their knowledge of the natural world, and the values of their social, moral and conventional world. If the work does not look the way it is supposed to, if craft, skill, technique, hard work, utility, and function are not evident, or if the subject seems inappropriate, then these viewers judge the work to be weird, lacking, or of no value. Their sense of what is realistic is the standard often applied to determine value. As emotions begin to go underground, these viewers begin to distance themselves from the work of art.

Stage 3: Classifying

Classifying viewers adopt the analytical and critical stance of the art historian. They want to identify the work as to place, school, style, time and provenance. They decode the work using their library of facts and figures which they are ready and eager to expand. This viewer believes that properly categorized, the work of art’s meaning and message can be explained and rationalized.

Stage 4: Interpretive

Interpretive viewers seek a personal encounter with a work of art. Exploring the work, letting its meaning slowly unfold, they appreciate subtleties of line and shape and color. Now critical skills are put in the service of feelings and intuitions as these viewers let underlying meanings of the work what it symbolizes emerge. Each new encounter with a work of art presents a chance for new comparisons, insights, and experiences. Knowing that the work of art’s identity and value are subject to reinterpretation, these viewers see their own processes subject to chance and change.

Stage 5: Re-Creative

Re-creative viewers, having a long history of viewing and reflecting about works of art, now willingly suspend disbelief. A familiar painting is like an old friend who is known intimately, yet full of surprise, deserving attention on a daily level but also existing on an elevated plane. As in all important friendships, time is a key ingredient, allowing Stage 5 viewers to know the ecology of a work — its time, its history, its questions, its travels, its intricacies. Drawing on their own history with one work in particular, and with viewing in general, these viewers combine personal contemplation with views that broadly encompass universal concerns. Here, memory infuses the landscape of the painting, intricately combining the personal and the universal.

Etiquette in simpler words is defined as good behaviour which distinguishes human beings from animals.

Etiquette is the set of conventional rules of personal behaviour in polite society, usually in the form of an ethical code that delineates the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and norms observed by a society, a social class, or a social group. In modern English usage, the French word étiquette (ticket) dates from the year 1750.

Human Being is a social animal and it is really important for him to behave in an appropriate way. Etiquette refers to behaving in a socially responsible way.

Etiquette refers to guidelines which control the way a responsible individual should behave in the society.

Need for Etiquette

• Etiquette makes you a cultured individual who leaves his mark wherever he goes.
• Etiquette teaches you the way to talk, walk and most importantly behave in the society.
• Etiquette is essential for an everlasting first impression. The way you interact with your superiors, parents, fellow workers, friends speak a lot about your personality and up- bringing.
• Etiquette enables the individuals to earn respect and appreciation in the society. No one would feel like talking to a person who does not know how to speak or behave in the society. Etiquette inculcates a feeling of trust and loyalty in the individuals. One becomes more responsible and mature. Etiquette helps individuals to value relationships.

Types of Etiquette

Social Etiquette- Social etiquette is important for an individual as it teaches him how to behave in the society.

Bathroom Etiquette: Bathroom etiquette refers to the set of rules which an individual needs to follow while using public restrooms or office toilets. Make sure you leave the restroom clean and tidy for the other person.

Corporate Etiquette: Corporate Etiquette refers to how an individual should behave while he is at work. Each one needs to maintain the decorum of the organization. Don’t loiter around unnecessary or peep into other’s cubicles.

Wedding Etiquette: Wedding is a special event in every one’s life. Individuals should ensure they behave sensibly at weddings. Never be late to weddings or drink uncontrollably.

Meeting Etiquette: Meeting Etiquette refers to styles one need to adopt when he is attending any meeting, seminar, presentation and so on. Listen to what the other person has to say. Never enter meeting room without a notepad and pen. It is important to jot down important points for future reference.

Telephone Etiquette: It is essential to learn how one should interact with the other person over the phone. Telephone etiquette refers to the way an individual should speak on the phone. Never put the other person on long holds. Make sure you greet the other person. Take care of your pitch and tone.

Eating Etiquette: Individuals must follow certain decorum while eating in public. Don’t make noise while eating. One should not leave the table unless and until everyone has finished eating.

Business Etiquette: Business Etiquette includes ways to conduct a certain business. Don’t ever cheat customers. It is simply unethical.

To conclude, etiquette transforms a man into a gentleman.

Business Etiquette

Business etiquette also goes by the moniker business etiquettes. However, English language does not stipulate any plural form for the word. Hence, the term etiquette is generally taken as correct.

Online Business Dictionary defines business etiquette as “Expected behaviors and expectations for individual actions within society, group or class. Within a place of business, it involves treating coworkers and employer with respect and courtesy in a way that creates a pleasant work environment for everyone.”

Further, business etiquette is also defined as a set of manners that are needed or practiced in profession. Sometimes, they are vaguely termed customs or traditions.

Every person following that trade or profession is expected to follow these manners. Indeed, violating accepted manners or customs is considered uncivilized. Additionally, such violations can cause loss of business.

However, the term business etiquette is often considered vague: While it does imply how you deal with your customers, associates and others, it is also useful within the office.

Business etiquette helps foster responsible and respectful behavior among staff and also sets pace for better communications. This translates into higher productivity and efficiency.

Business etiquette makes everyone feel comfortable. It helps forge relationships and builds loyalty. In fact, business etiquette is extremely vital for your business, regardless of its size. Success or failure of your business depends heavily upon etiquette you and others display to one-another and to others.

Business etiquette and corporate culture

Business etiquette is integral part of corporate culture. Rather, it is considered the very foundation of corporate culture. Understandably, corporate culture sans business etiquette is ersatz.

Business etiquette and corporate culture are braided. Meaning, one cannot exist without the other.

Types of business etiquette

Understandably, this is sufficient to mystify you. There are several types of business etiquette that you need to practice and implement, for having a successful business. Alternatively, great business etiquette can also help you stay ahead of peers and competitors. Broadly, you need to apply business etiquette in five main spheres:

1. Email business etiquette

Nowadays, emails constitute bulk of every business communications. Hence, it is imperative to inculcate excellent business etiquette while sending or responding to emails. Good business etiquette for email includes

• Avoid mass mailing. Such emails usually end up in spam. Further, they indicate you are only interested in making money, with scant respect for individuals.
• Explicitly mention subject of your email. This leaves no space for ambiguity and clearly informs the recipient, what the email is about.
• Mention the recipient’s full name with appropriate suffix. This personalizes the email. Add Mr., Ms, Mrs., before the name. It is polite. Follow this with ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ according to the receiver.
• Do not write long paragraphs. Remember to limit your paragraphs to two or three sentences only.
• Be concise yet precise in your message. Meaning, do not beat round the bush. Come directly to the point and mention what you wish to say.
• Express gratitude. You could be dealing with a petulant customer or business associate. Do not take umbrage. Instead, thank the sender and acknowledge the email. End by thanking the sender for cooperation and time spent on reading your email. This dents the sender’s fury. Follow this practice for your regular business emails too.
• Never add CC and Bcc unless extremely essential. Every recipient prefers to deal with a single point of contact. Adding more people to an email tends to widen the scope of respondents and can inadvertently confuse the recipient.
• Above all, immediately acknowledge every email you receive. This implies your company is proactive. Further, it builds a great confidence level with the sender.
• Add your digital signature if possible. Also, mention your name, designation and contact details clearly while concluding the email. While mentioning phone numbers, also state timings when you can be called.
• Provide a link to your website, tacitly directing the recipient to explore your company’s offerings.

You can distribute a standard template for official email among your staff. This ensures consistency in email communication across the board.

2. Social media etiquette

Thanks to proliferation of Facebook and Twitter, an increasing number of companies are now taking to social media. Firstly, Facebook allows you to post fun stuff on your corporate page while Twitter helps reach out to clients and business associates speedily. It also helps companies listen to their customers- both satisfied and unhappy.

• Judicious use of smiley. Meaning, use a smiley that suits the comment. Try to avoid use of ‘Laugh’ or ‘Angry’ smiley since it can offend the person posting the comment. Worse, you may draw ire from the entire community for using inappropriate smiley.
• Respond politely to every adverse comment. Never get into the proverbial ‘tit-for-tat’ mode while handling clients or business associates on Facebook. Similarly, never go all out to appease someone who has made an adverse or negative comment about your offerings. Remember, your comments can go viral within minutes and severely sully your brand.
• Respond at the earliest. This is the secret of staying ahead of competition. Every person who comments wants a response at the earliest. Doing so increases the chances of getting more ‘likes’ for your Facebook page.
• Get genderless. Obviously, you lack the means to known whether a person making comments is female or male. Therefore, respond in a manner that appeals to all genders.
• Never tarnish competitors and rivals. Nor should you allow your ‘friends’ to post negative remarks about them. Delete such comments or posts, as soon as you notice them. You could unwitting fall prey to a tactic by rivals or land in a war of words.

3. Customer service etiquette

Another integral part of business etiquette is how you deal or interact with customers. Here, it is essential to bear in mind that customer is the core of your business. Admittedly, some customers are cantankerous and hard to please. Yet, that is no reason for showing disrespect.

• Greet all customers with a smile. Guide them to a seat if possible. Offer a drink of water. Such etiquette calms down even the most rancorous visitor.
• Be very patient. Not all customers are there with grievances. Some may have excellent suggestion that can help your business flourish.
• Speak amicably. Meaning, never get into an argument with a customer either on or away from your premises.
• Avoid raising your voice at all costs. The person can feel humiliated and will bay for revenge. You could end up with a lawsuit on your hands. It also sends ugly signals to others, including your staff. Should you encounter a boisterous visitor, lead away to privacy of a room and chat amicably.
• Offer a beverage such as coffee, tea or a soft drink. Invariably, this tact cools down even the most incensed customer.

4. Business associate etiquette

Generally, this means the entire system of how you deal with your business associates. Of course, no businessman or executive will treat a business associate shabbily. However, modern businesses require a chic, proactive approach. Here is some vital business etiquette essential nowadays

• Fix meetings at mutually convenient venues, date and time.
• Be present at the venue well in advance.
• If you are playing host, ensure that stationery, water bottles and cups as well as other essentials are in place.
• Ensure that all files and documents relevant for the meeting are available at the venue.
• Have someone meet, greet and escort your business associates to the meeting room. If possible, do so yourself. Greet your associates with a bouquet.
• Never keep your business associates waiting.
• Ensure you are not disturbed by phone calls.
• If a business associate drops by uninformed, ensure you meet them without much delay.

5. Workplace etiquette

Charity, education and all the good stuff starts at home. So does workplace etiquette. Unless your staff and you have excellent workplace etiquette, you cannot enforce them effectively for business. Workplace etiquette stems from office decorum. Here are few things you can do for improving workplace etiquette:

• Inform all staff about ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ at the office. This means, strict ban on cuss and swear words.
• Encourage a system of greeting one-another, especially when one arrives for work or leaves for the day.
• Create an atmosphere of confidence, where employees at all echelons can share views openly, without fears of retribution.
• Nip unhealthy gossip.
• Maintain a proper dress code. Smart attire is fine but also ensure your staff do not arrive in sagging clothes that stink of stale sweat.
• Promote avenues for healthy interaction. Never allow personal disputes to erupt into verbal duels at workplace

6. Telephone etiquette

A telephone is important extension of your business. It allows people from afar to connect immediately. The advent and booming popularity of mobile phones has not diminished the significance of a landline phone. Every major company has landline phones where business associates and customers can contact.

Usually, your telephone operator will come well versed in etiquette. However, the problem begins once the call gets passed.

• Ensure the call is handled promptly, even if the called person is not on desk.
• Apologize for the called person’s absence but ask if the caller requires any assistance.
• Wherever possible, ask the caller’s name and contact number and assure the called person will respond back at the earliest.
• Find if you can be of any assistance or whether the call can be diverted to another staff who could help.
• Always answer with a polite ‘hello’ instead of a curt ‘hi’ or other word.
• Be very selective in use of your words. Sometimes, it could be your boss calling for some work.

7. Visitor etiquette

Visitors to your office need not necessarily be your business associates or customers. Mailman, delivery staff, maintenance crew and motley other people also visit your office almost daily.

These visitors are equally vital for your business as the millionaire banker. Often, some such visitors may lack proper etiquette or manners while dealing with some senior executive. This is no reason to fly off your rocker. Instead, here are things you can do:

• Have the visitor led to a person concerned with these works.
• Make the visitor feel welcome to your office by offering a seat and a drink of water, if possible.
• Engage such visitor in small talk for a minute or so. Remember, such talk greatly serves to relieve the stress of a mailman or electrician.
• Never dismiss such visitors as menial. Instead, accord them the same welcome as you would a business associate.
• Never admonish a worker for some work left incomplete or wrong repairs. Hurting their ego will not serve your purpose. Au contraire, it can prove counterproductive.

8. Business party etiquette

Once again, this includes a list of do’s and don’ts, whether you are playing host or attending a business party. Interestingly, lots more work gets done informally during business parties rather than routine meetings.

To make your attendance or hosting a success, here is some good etiquette:

• Always send an RSVP if invited for a business party, regardless of whether you attend.
• Ask for RSVP when sending business party invitations.
• Business party invitations usually stipulate a dress code. Ensure that you adhere to this dress code if invited. Specifically mention the dress code if you are playing host.
• Ensure you mention whether the invitation is for your business associate only or includes the spouse. This will save embarrassment to both, host and guests.
• Invite people who share common interests and can provide life to your party. Calling people with diverse interests causes formation of small groups. This leaves some guests feeling lonely or in wrong company.
• Have a very affable staff watch over your bar and buffet. This is not to watch over your guests but ensure that drinks and food flow is well maintained and smooth. A staff with condescending looks, however effusive, can be a deterrent to enjoyment.
• Never segregate staff based on their positions, during a party. This is a clear signal that your firm discriminates between high and low rung employees. Such feelings can adversely impact your organization’s image. It is party time and everyone has right to enjoy.