Should You Make a Counter Offer

Should You Make a Counter Offer Weve all been there, that high-performing member of the team walks into your office with a spring in their step. They hand over an envelope which feels  more like a dagger to the torso. Yep, theyre offski and there nothing you can do about it. Or is there? You could always throw a counter offer their way to see what happens. Our friends at The Creative Group have discovered that although counter offers are becoming more common, issuing  one  isnt always a wise decision. Thanks to this useful infographic sourced from US marketing and advertising executives, the inherent risk of  accepting a  counter offer  is  easier to grasp. Consider this: If an employee is  mentally prepared to leave, is it a smart long term decision to prolong their stay at your organisation?  And would accepting a counter offer signify a lack of loyalty? Takeaways: 57% Employers said it was somewhat common for employees to accept a counter offer made. 28% of Employers believe an employee that accepts a counteroffer will be less loyal to the company. 21% are concerned that an employees concerns couldnt be satisfactorily fulfilled. 39% of employers say the main reason to issue a counter offer is to avoid losing an employee with valuable skills. RELATED:  What Does a Counter Offer REALLY Represent?

Certified Advanced Resume Writing Service

Certified Advanced Resume Writing ServiceIf you are a qualified candidate looking for employment, a certified advanced resume writing service may be the perfect fit for you. A well-written, professionally crafted document will make the difference between getting the interview and having to struggle through the long wait until your next opportunity comes along.Not only to qualified employers love to read the writing of your potential new employer, but your resume can also be effective in starting up a conversation with another future employer. If you are seeking a job, your goal should be to stand out from the crowd by making a compelling and impressive resume. If you are hiring a specialist for an advanced resume writing service, it is important to hire a certified professional who has been well trained and experienced in the field.It is absolutely essential that the client understand that all resumes could be inflated, so it is important to select a company that will work with your personality and goals and that will give you the best results possible. As you begin your search for a company to work with, there are several things to consider to help make sure you find the right one.First, make sure the service that you choose is certified and specializes in the type of certified advanced resume writing that you are seeking. While you certainly want to find a company that is certified, this does not mean that they are the only company to use certified professional writing services. Some companies that offer a certification can offer a service for resumes as well. In fact, some companies are certified in various fields including copywriting, advertising, technical writing, and data entry.Second, determine how often you need the resume or letter. You will want to find a company that will meet your deadlines and do it at a price that you can afford. Some clients may need additional services like proofreading, editing, or back proofreading. Your goal is to find a co mpany that offers a comprehensive package for the price you are willing to pay, and will provide you with all the services you need to reach your goal.Another important consideration is the length of time that the services will take to complete. Most companies are able to deliver a finished product within a few days of your initial inquiry. However, if you have specific deadlines that need to be met, such as having your resume complete within 48 hours, be sure to discuss the services and guarantee with the professional. This will help ensure that you will get your job and have a great resume as quickly as possible.Finally, make sure the company has a good reputation in the industry. Choose a company that is popular with clients and with employers, since a well trained, experienced professional can prove their skills time again.The final thing to remember is that your resume is a vital tool in the fight for employment. Make sure you select a professional with the credentials to make your resume the best it can be.

Designing Forms Sign Up Login, Forgot Password, Payment Forms - Algrim.co

Designing Forms Sign Up Login, Forgot Password, Payment Forms - Algrim.co Forms are an essential medium of collecting information. Any human activity that involves the gathering of data, be it for maintaining records, or research, demands the use of forms. They are a necessary form of data collection as they are cost-effective, self-explanatory and efficient at their task. Forms are, however, tedious. No one would waste their time on forms, filling out the details by jumping from field to field. But as an act of necessity, people do it. So, in comparison to other UX aspects, the form design poses a different kind of challenge to the designers. It is hard to consider that a simple layout of labels and text-boxes can affect customer conversions. Moreover, because of the perception that the act of filling forms is a necessary evil, people want reasons to quit interacting with forms. Hence, designers have to be very careful in designing out forms that positively influence the user but also achieve their task of collecting information. For this, designers need to keep check of some design pointers. Form design pointers Before embarking on any design journey, designers need to keep a few things in mind, and they are: • the form should make the process of information collection as short as possible • the form layout should allow easy comprehension of the required information • the form should only request for required user information • the form should ask for information in an orderly fashion All these points act as guidelines for form design with respect to the users’ interests. So, let’s get to know these guidelines a bit better. The short data collection process We are always in a hurry. People would not waste their time on something they are least interested in (filling up forms included). Hence, a form design should be such that it allows for fast data collection. Moreover, a form is the only element that stands in front of the content that piques the users’ interest. However, there's an exception in cases where the user needs to provide sensitive information. Apart from this, forms should not make the process dawdling. Understanding of requested information A form should be clear about its intent in the sense that, it should indicate what kind of information should the user provide to it. A user should know about the information forms are asking for and have an intention for sharing it. It should prompt a user to confirm an agreement for the corresponding use of the recorded information. Request for the required information In addition to being short, a form should also be precise. Precise in the sense that it should only invoke information that holds the highest value. For example, there’s no point enquiring about details like age or gender, where a name and email address would suffice. Incorporating optional elements will only hinder the process and might even affect conversions. Hierarchical information request A form should not ask for random data. Think about it. What if a someone comes to you and asks for your bank account number. Then, he asks your name. Isn’t that odd? Just like real-life, forms have to maintain an order in which they probe for information. So, a form should first ask for name, and then address or other details such as contact information. A form designed around these guidelines will undoubtedly perform better than its other counterparts. There’s a bit more to form design than just these guidelines which we will see next. Elements of form design Designing a form is much more than aggregating a bunch of labels along with text-boxes. There’s some amount of wizardly involved, mainly because of how we as human beings interact and perceive things. There’s: • Structure • Input fields • Labels • Call to Action (or CTA) • Validation of data and process (in the form of feedback or assistance) A form design strategy that involves guidelines along with these elements ensures that the form achieves its objective. Lets take a detailed look at the form design elements. Structure It is the way in which all the parts of the form such as fields, labels, and buttons get placed in relation to each other in the form space. Structure sets the tone of the form. Think of form structure like the order of questions you get asked when introducing yourself. You can say forms are printed versions of conversations bar the feelings. Answer this simple question. What keeps a conversation interesting? The questions and responses? The answer is order and relevancy â€" the order of collecting information and its importance. As stated earlier in the design guidelines, a form should ask for data in chronological order. Just like the way you start the introduction with your name, a form should begin by asking for the name. The order of rest of the details will depend on the purpose of the form. If it is a consultation form, name precedes contact information like e-mail address and phone number. If it is a registration form, name heads the sequence followed by residential address and contact information. Besides, forms should probe selectively for the required user information. Having a user to choose the number of family members would not be a good idea for an e-mail signup form. Keep relevancy to the information required and collected. Also, it’s a good practice to group related information. Segment out and categorize the various user information into groups. For example, personal info would consist of first name, last name and date of birth along with gender; contact information would include address, city, state, PIN code and phone number. Grouping information helps users acknowledge the form better. Last but not least, try to maintain a single column form layout. A single column layout helps for faster comprehension and continuation in the data entry process. Alternatively, multiple column layouts hinder the process by breaking the flow continuity, hence, resulting in an overall slower process. Input Fields Input Fields are the things that enable a user to fill out information in a form. It could be in the form of text-boxes, drop-down lists, checkboxes, or radio buttons. They hold the information provided by the user until it gets saved in the system server. A user has the most interaction with the input fields. Hence, there should be an assurance of a positive experience of users with the input fields to guarantee conversions and future interactions. Forms should have the least number of possible input fields because that would mean less effort from the customers. When involved with large amounts of data collection (let’s say 40 fields), you can segment the fields into groups of 5-6. There’s no need to cramming all fields on a single page. Not only it will reflect bad aesthetics but also overwhelm the users by overloading them with queries. You can make the task of filling forms easier for users by incorporating features like auto-fill, input masks, keyboard input match and auto-focus. Auto-fill helps make predictive guesses to user input, thus, saving the user from the whole input hassles. Input-masks and keyboard input matches are about aiding the data input process. nput masks are pre-defined input formats for specific fields. Examples would be the addition of hyphens between numbers when entering credit card information, or commas for currency inputs. Auto-focus gives a head start to the user by notifying and marking out the starting point for information input. The best example is the Amazon sign-in page. Upon loading, the page highlights the e-mail input field with a blinking cursor inside. Additionally, designers should indicate the optional and compulsory fields, in case they have incorporated optional fields. Labels Labels are the bit of text that goes with an input field and tells about the kind of information required in the input field. Labels and fields together work for gathering data. Labels are just meant to signify the type of data input. But this should be done subtly. Avoid long texts. The message should be short but descriptive and precise about what it expects from the user. Apart from indicating fields, there’s also some science involved with label alignment. An article by Matteo Penzo on label placement reveals that top-aligned labels make for faster form processing. That’s because top-aligned labels would go with various field sizes while maintaining a uniform single column layout. Alternatively, left-aligned labels summon slow process times as the user has to focus on a larger space, going in a zig-zag pattern. But it has its forte when working with sensitive user information by slowing down the users to ensure they provide data correctly. Then there are placeholder texts. These texts act as additional guides for data entry which disappear when a user inputs any information into the field. Call to Action (CTA) Call to Action is in the form of buttons. It helps achieve the objective of form fill up, like a ‘submit’ button for submitting details, or ‘sign up’ button for registering. With regards to design, there should be a clear differentiation between button functions. For example, if you design a sign-up form with identical buttons for ‘submit’ and ‘cancel,’ it is bound to create some confusion in users. Thus, the chances of users mistakes loom high and even worse, a failed conversion. Therefore, it is essential that the call-to-action buttons not only differ in their functions but also in their appearance to draw out a clear divergence between the button functions. Also, make buttons look like buttons. While retaining their different purposes, the buttons should visually look like the function as a button. Even button locations and their names dictate how good they are at their job. A wrongly or misplaced button has the potential of causing unwanted users errors and affecting the user experience. Alternatively, a button should be named after the purpose they serve. A ‘Submit’ button won’t suffice. If creating an account, the end C2A button should say ‘Create Account.’ Validation of data Forms are meant for collecting ‘right’ information. With collecting data, forms should also be able to identify errors in the user inputs and notify the user of the same. There are several ways to this notification system like validating input with each keystroke or data entry. However, the most efficient and non-intrusive method would be to verify data after entry if the field was previously in a valid state else, if the input is in an invalid format, it should be validated during the entry. Use of forms Forms find their application in various instances, like in sign up or login pages or even checkouts. Let’s focus on some of their implementations. Logins Login pages are the first step to initializing customer conversions. In the case of apps, login pages are the first thing the user encounter once they open an app. Its design will give an initial impression of the digital product to the user. Hence, it is vital that login pages are simple and effective. The primary function of a login page is to get user onboard with the help of forms. This process needs to be done with no fuss or lag. So, as stated earlier, forms should be to the point. Meaning, it should only ask for the necessary information like username, e-mail address or phone number along with the password. Sign up processes are more complicated than logins. That’s because, in addition to providing information, users have to do an additional task of confirming the account. E-mail confirmations were excellent at some point in time, but now we are surrounded by better options in the form of voice calls, SMS, or any other chat app. So, designers need to provide multiple ways of account confirmation that could be used based on circumstances. Providing multiple login options is something that has become a norm, especially with the rise of social media houses like Facebook. And add to the fact that people are forgetful of things in this busy life, providing an option to use your Facebook or Google account to log in isn’t a bad idea. The users will appreciate it. But make sure you don’t bombard them with six or seven options. Just two or three options will do fine. Additionally, you could also provide an e-mail login which is considered a much safer alternative. Another reason to not provide multiple login options apart from overwhelming users is limited screen space, especially in mobile phones. The limited screen space won’t make for a good canvas when you try to push these elements, suffocating the user experience. Password resetting feature. Streamlining the login design and process is good, but you should also put some focus on scenarios like when the user forgets their password. People appreciate you more if you help them in their troubles. So, designers are expected to deliver a system that allows for hassle-free resetting of the password by the user at any time. Payment forms & e-commerce cart checkouts Forms are involved whenever you buy goods online. For customers, their sole focus is on completion of the buying process. Hence, businesses have to ensure that this process is not disturbed as optimized to be as smooth as possible. The user journey when buying goods should not be demanding; else there’s a risk of losing the customer. Guest checkout provides the best of both worlds, assuring customers of smooth transaction and companies of making sales. Following are some of the benefits of guest checkout: • Low site abandonment rates • Straightforward for mobile users • Customers directed straight to payment forms • Pretention of checkout having less work • Provision of option for registration Users sometimes will leave a site if they have to create an account. Guest checkout addresses this issue. Also, it is a breeze for mobile users to shop online as they do not have to run through the tedious steps of logging in or registering an account. Guest checkouts take customers to the forefront of business by directing them to the payment page. Hence, it is a win-win for both, the customer and the company. Added to that there’s the perception of guest checkout involving fewer steps. There is some scope for user conversion as guest checkouts do provide an option for registration. Apart from the account creation, there are other reasons that make a customer ditch a site. One of them is lack of payment options. Companies are trying to incorporate these two elements together. Companies like Lego provide three options â€" guest checkout, login, and register after confirming the shopping cart. Alternatively, Nike and Lowe’s offer an additional form of checkout via PayPal or Visa. You can refer to this article by Graham Charlton for more examples. Innovations I emphasized a bit earlier in this article about forms being a conversation. Well, there has been some development of this front. Conversational Form is an open-source project based on a chat-bot interaction which turns forms on a web page into a conversational interface. The article reflects how forms are more than a congregate of labels and fields along with buttons, intended for data collection. It sheds some light on what goes into the form design and how they can be designed to suit scenarios like logins or checkouts.

How to Build Maintain Trust with Your Customers

How to Build Maintain Trust with Your Customers The trust that you build and maintain with your customers as a business is paramount to your long-term success. It is thanks to your customers that you are able to make a profit. If no one uses the products and services that you provide, what is the point of your company? This article will better provide you with an overview of how you can properly build on this trust in the first place. If you demonstrate to them that they are valued, and prioritize customer service, you are already taking a step in the right direction. Continue reading for more information on how to build and maintain trust with your customers. Focus on customer service Have you been focusing on customer service as an organization? This can include anything from answering any queries you receive promptly, and even asking for people’s input on how you can improve your products or services in the future. It’s only natural that people will like your company more if you prioritize this. Be transparent in everything that you do Be transparent as a business, and don’t lie. Don’t claim that your products or services will do something that they can never achieve, and don’t over-promise. Doing so will only hurt your reputation if you can’t deliver on what you claim to be true. Take security precautions Always take security precautions as a company to protect your customer’s confidential data, and you can do this in a number of different ways, from: Ensure you protect their data If your company has a website, which in all likelihood you should have one given that it would tremendously benefit you, you must also take a number of security precautions through it, with one being protecting the data that is inputted by your customers. If cybercrime were to occur, a hacker could easily gain access to any and all confidential data that is related to your company, and this includes your customer’s information as well. It is precisely for this reason that you must always have anti-virus and other malware programs installed, but there is more to it than this. For instance, have you thought about endpoint security? Do you know what is endpoint security? A hacker can just as easily access your business data through the bridge connection that you establish between your network and electronics, such as a mobile phone. Everything can be encrypted, and you can do so by ensuring that you furthermore get assistance from experts that are well versed in doing this. Get SSL certification Do you know what SSL certification is? You must ensure that you invest in this, as it acts as yet another form of barrier to protecting your customer’s information that they provide on your website. This, then, builds more trust between you and consumers. Don’t neglect any of the tips that have been mentioned in this article, as a business. It is your responsibility to ensure that your customers are kept happy, and you can only do so if you demonstrate to them that their input is valuable and that any information they would provide through your website is kept secure at all times. Do this, and you will notice a big difference in how people view your company. Don’t even be surprised if you start noticing that people are spreading the word about your company as a result of it.

Manufacturing Resume Example

Manufacturing Resume ExampleA good Manufacturing resume should not only be clear and concise, but should also cover all the details of the company. If the resume is good and does its job, it will be looked upon by future employers as a history of employment in the specific industry. A typical company resume is very vague and may include such information as your name, the name of the town where you were born, address, and your job responsibilities. It should not include any specifics about a company.Even if your position requires one of these things, it does not mean that you would be a better fit in that position if you had an education in the field or that you would make the best marketing person for the company. They are general qualifications that any good manufacturing resume should have.One of the most important components of a manufacturing resume is a section that contains a description of the job duties and responsibilities. The language used to describe each job function sho uld be concise, organized, and as specific as possible. For example, if the job responsibilities involve designing or building prototype products, use language such as:Example #2. As a design engineer, I plan, design, and/or build prototypes that integrate computer programs. I am responsible for the functional execution of the application. The products I produce include computer-aided design (CAD) products, prototype circuit boards, electronic models, and prototype production devices.The design engineers are responsible for developing and/or designing the circuit boards, electronic products, and production devices. An example like this would be appropriate for all engineering positions in the manufacture of products.Example #3. As a technology consultant, I help engineers and designers of electronics and microprocessors integrate programs, monitor functions, and develop logical designs for product applications.The products are manufactured and integrated with microprocessors. The pr oducts produced include a product's electronic board, the board's circuitry, and its physical structure. An example like this would be appropriate for any manufacturing position.Manufacturing resume should be written in such a way that all of the details associated with the company and the products are outlined and in so doing, the resume should have an objective vision that all candidates can use when making their selection. Manufacturing companies expect the most effective resumes, and a great Manufacturing resume should provide the company with clear direction and meaningful information that will stand out from the pack.

Science Writing Resume Template

Science Writing Resume TemplateA science writing resume template is basically a detailed explanation of the specific information that the job vacancy advertises. It can cover any aspect of the individual's career and all important educational qualifications. The content of the template could be any relevant knowledge that the applicant holds in the subject, or an area of expertise.It is, therefore, imperative to provide this information as precisely as possible, because every potential employer will want to know about it. In fact, if the knowledge is incomplete, you could risk losing out on a job that has been advertised. However, it is also vital to provide enough information to allow the applicant to effectively apply for the position.The science writing resume template may also contain a section for further information. This can include supplementary qualifications that may relate to the job vacancy. It could include additional work experience, awards and degrees.Some examples of this could include recent achievements that have been received in recognition of hard work and dedication. It could also include relevant awards that the applicant has been recognised for. It could also include any communication difficulties, if they have occurred in the workplace.The preparation of the curriculum vitae can be an important part of the application process. It can include specific details about the education and training that has been completed in order to apply for the position. These details can help the employer to understand the level of dedication and work experience that the applicant has acquired.The list of relevant skill levels can also be included. The more relevant experience, the better, because you are more likely to receive an interview. The example will help to illustrate how some universities in the UK will prefer applicants to specify their relevant experience.It is also worth including any supplementary aspects of work that the applicant may have und ertaken. These could include research, volunteer work, courses and projects. In some cases these might not be suitable for the science writing resume template. It is important to remember that these should be relevant to the requirements of the job.Your example should highlight the applicant's goals and objectives in order to highlight the areas that they are passionate about. Their previous achievements will be highlighted, along with any hobbies and sports that they participate in. The applicant's statement about why they are applying for the position will be highlighted, as will any personal commitments. Make sure that you include these as carefully as possible in order to make sure that the science writing resume template is the best that it can be.

Whats Your Job Search Style

Whats Your Job Search Style We all have some sort of style that we feel most comfortable with. Thumbing through the newest issue of House Beautiful, I was drawn to their predictions of what will be Hot in 2010. Whats old is new againremember the 70s shag carpet or what about the muted beiges of the 80s? Perhaps it is Victorian that tickles your fancy, or maybe Mid century. Do you preferArne Jacobsonor Louis XVI? The new, younger designers were explaining what their new younger clientsare looking for in home decorating. It isnt new,but it isusuallythe opposite of what their parents had. Transitioning into job search modeare you using your parents job search techniques? What is your style, what do you feel most comfortable doing? This basic assessment of yourself will help you find the best fit. Antique: Do you prefer the old traditional resume submission? Modern: Are youon the cutting edge and looking for the newest technology and innovative job search methods? Or are you somewhere in between? It may be time for a makeover? It could be a search makeover, a skill makeover, an appearance makeover, a career makeover. Just as re-modeling a kitchen will add value to your home, so too, will re-modeling yourself professional add value to you. Where do you begin? You will need to find out what the current styles are for the types of employers you are looking for.Conduct research and ask for advice. You need to look the part as well.Do you?Are your eye glasses in tune with the style of thecompany or are you still wearing the horn-rimmedglasses? How are you being perceived in the job market? Is it working? If not, you need a make-over or re-design. Sometimes you can do this yourself, other times, you need to hire a professional.

Tough (Question) Tuesday How Do You Get Unstuck - When I Grow Up

Tough (Question) Tuesday How Do You Get Unstuck - When I Grow Up Let it All Go by Jessica Swift Sometimes its a block, and you cant come up with an idea even if you have a gun to your head. Sometimes its overwhelm, when you know all the steps but cant figure out where to start so you take a nap. Sometimes its lack of knowledge getting to a certain point and then not knowing the next thing to do. However it starts, though, you know one thing: Youre stuck. I asked my Great Grads (aka those whove worked with me for at least 12 sessions) what they do when that happens to em. Here be their answers: As for me, Im all about stepping back and switching it up. I always have 2-3 active projects Im working on, so if I get to a point where one of them is feeling forced, Ill switch gears and work on something else for a while. Im also all about Taking a Break playing my uke, reading, watching Law Order: SVU (its always on!), taking a walkits amazeballs what happens when you step away from the spot you were working and get a new perspective! OK your turn! How do you get unstuck? Cant wait to read about it in the comments!