Findings prove that older workers are the most flexible

New research from Talent Q, a people assessment company that helps employers recruit and manage talent, has shown that older workers are the most flexible. In-depth analysis of over 5,700 workers reveals that as people get older they become increasingly willing to take on new tasks and more varied roles.

The research defies the common preconception that older workers are unwilling to accommodate change and that they may be unresponsive to new challenges presented in the workplace.

The study had numerous positive findings, with older workers being happy to work on their own and take a leading role without the need for much guidance. They also demonstrate a high level of ability in building successful working relationships with colleagues, clients and suppliers. Intelligence testing revealed that older workers’ verbal reasoning was the same as their younger colleagues and while they take longer to calculate answers to numerical problems, they are equally able.

While it was shown that workers in their fifties and sixties are much less ambitious than their younger colleagues, this is simply thought to be a sign that they have achieved their goals or decided that they are happy with their lot in life.

Steve O’Dell, chief executive of Talent Q, said: “Older people in the workplace might sometimes be viewed as being stuck in their ways and a little less sharp. Our research gives a very different perspective.”

“Talent Q found that older workers are less preoccupied about climbing the career ladder and that they tend to be happy, fulfilled and confident. As a result, they are glad to take on new work or projects, and aren’t unduly phased by lots of changes. They tend to plough on regardless – a fact that employers are quickly discovering can be a real benefit to their business.

“With an ageing population, and therefore an ageing workforce, the challenge for employers is to understand how to motivate and energise workers in their fifties and sixties. These research findings should be very helpful to employers looking to build well-balanced, effective teams.”

Personality assessment

– Employers have previously used different personality assessments for recruiting people, developing people and managing teams. Dimensions is unique as it incorporates all measures into a single assessment
– Superior understanding and measurement of the key aspects of personality have allowed Talent Q to reduce the time taken to complete a personality assessment from one hour to half an hour
– Feedback to employers is insightful and actionable. For recruiters, the feedback includes very specific interview questions which help them to further determine candidates’ strengths and weaknesses

Intelligence assessment

– Doing away with a multiplicity of verbal and numerical intelligence tests for people of different levels, Elements gives employers a single, unbiased, benchmark test
– The online questionnaire is ‘dynamic’ – it changes according to the candidate’s capability as they progress through it
– With one test for the entire organisation, and the removal of graduate/non graduate versions, Talent Q is helping organisations find talent in unexpected places

Research validity

The findings were based on data from over 5,700 people who have completed Dimensions. Over 4,900 of these people provided detailed bio-data. For the purposes of this release, correlations above 0.1 have been regarded as the minimum to be deemed psychological significant (as opposed a 0.03 benchmark usually used to prove statistical significance).

Do different age groups have different personality types? A new study asks the question, and offers some surprising answers, as Talent Q founder Roger Holdsworth explains.

Age-related stereotypes abound in our society. From the portrait of selfish, feckless youth in TV shows like Skins through to the grumpy, conservative vision of old age provided by Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave.

But do these crude caricatures hold up to serious scrutiny? Or – to put it another way – do different generations have specific characteristics that we should be aware of as HR professionals?

At Talent Q, we compared nearly 4,000 people across three generations – Generation Y (with an average age of 22), Generation X (average of 35) and the Baby Boomers (average of 55) to see if there were any clear trends.

The results challenged stereotypes, but also posed some interesting questions for the future.

First, we found that those in their early 20s had higher ethical standards, showed greater attention to detail and were more socially adept than older generations. All of which goes against popular perceptions of modern youth.

But surprising, the younger generation also proved to be less adaptable to variety and change, less likely to be good decision-makers, and less able to cope with a fast pace of work. Generation Ys were also generally less organised, less keen on planning their workload and less efficient than other generations.

Should we be worried by this? Well yes, possibly.

A shifting economy means adaptability, efficiency and dynamism are key traits for a modern workforce. One study suggests that Generation Y is likely to have an average of 14 different jobs by the time they turn 35, so it is a little concerning – not to mention perverse – that the younger generations seem less well disposed to change than their elders.

The 20-somethings we studied also tended to be less resilient, less confident at negotiation and decision-making, less influential in a leadership capacity and less able or willing to follow the rules – all of which tallies with bosses’ complaints in annual CBI surveys.

But there were positives to draw upon too. Our research explodes the myth that younger people tend to be surlier and more selfish than previous generations. In fact, the Generation Ys were found to be more socially aware and more in tune with other’s behaviour than their elders.

They also generally showed a stronger ethical code, which bodes well as business flexes to meet important challenges like climate change and corporate social responsibility: these agendas, it would seem, are in safe hands for the future.

So what then of the ‘Baby Boomers’? Can we put some of their caricatures to the sword too?

Well certainly, the idea that older generations are conservative and ’set in their ways’ can be challenged quite strongly.

The 50 and 60-somethings we surveyed were more likely to adopt new techniques and more likely to favour radical ideas than the younger generations – proof that “you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

But interestingly, the same generation were also found to be less ambitious, less competitive and less likely to fit in with different types of people.

The difference in ambition and competitiveness may be explained by the ageing process – with older people easing down as they approach retirement.

But the social dimension suggests one abiding stereotype may have a grain of truth to it. Our findings do appear to bear out the ‘grumpy old man’ tag. Statistically at least, older generations are less socially adept than younger people – so Victor Meldrew, it would seem, continues to flourish in our society!

Of course, these conclusions are interesting, sometimes quite amusing. But they come with a big health warning – and that is that they remain massive generalisations. The differences we did record – while statistically significant – remained small, suggesting that there is actually more similarity between generations than many pundits might have you believe.

So the bottom line is simple, if a bit dull: there simply are no short-cuts. All stereotypes are inevitably flawed. They exist, as someone wisely wrote, “to save a biased person the trouble of learning.”

That’s a lesson we should all remember before we make a snap judgement based on person’s age. More often than not, you will be wrong.

Last year, a couple in Nassau, Bahamas found 1MaidHK.com–the internet marketing arm of World Champ International Employment Agency through the internet and placed a live-in maid job order.

The job offer was too hard for any filipina domestic helper in Hong Kong to resist. It consists of 5-day work, free food, accommodation and airticket to Bahamas and four weeks paid annual leave upon completion of 2 years contract. And the good news is that the much awaited Bahamas work permit has finally been approved.

Lorena, the lucky applicant among 4 candidates, is now very excited to work in Bahamas after receiving the work permit and air ticket from her Bahamas employer. “Don’t easily give up amidst trial, grab every job opportunity for your family’s future and apply through reliable agency — World Champ International Employment Agency”, advises Lorena.

During the application process in Bahamas, the employer is required to post an advertisement in local newspaper. An important part of the requirement is to show that there is no suitable Bahamian candidate for the live-in maid position. The processing of Bahamas work permit took approximately 2-3 months from the time the job offer was confirmed. For the live-in maid category, the employer paid an annual fee of $650 for the work permit.

Bahamas work permit is light yellow green in color, approximately 5 inches x 7.75 inches in size and valid for one year from the date of issue. The top of the work permit read as “Permit to engage in gainful occupation”. It also contain information such as employer’s name, employer’s residence address, live-in maid’s name, job position as well as the applicant’s photo.

Applicant entering through USA enroute to Bahamas is required to apply for a transit visa. The requirements and procedure of application is the same as US non-immigrant visa. Although it is cheaper to travel through the US, however, the transit visa application is not guaranteed. Another option to avoid transit visa problem is to choose a different route, which is normally via London.

Many lives have been transformed after the launching of 1MaidHK.com in a short span of time. It is believed that many more life changing job opportunity awaits many filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong who dares to face the challenges of working abroad in the days to come.

Businesses around the globe have been revolutionalised by the introduction of internet. This has made it easier for businessmen to do business as well as explore new ideas. One of the new business ideas is the online business which can be handled by someone who has gone through business courses.

Working from home is a trend that has gathered momentum of late thanks to the convenience that comes with it. Home business has flourished courtesy of internet technology and a wide array of modern communication techniques.

The world of online business opens unlimited opportunities but this does not come in a silver platter. You will need guidance and hand holding for some time before you can venture out on your own. It therefore pays a lot to consult the veterans in the world of online business who will give you the ropes on how venture into this highly lucrative business.

Some of the guidelines that you need to learn and keep in mind starts with business strategy. In order to become successful in online business you need to know how to establish your own position, handle competitors as well as best communication skills. These are the basic requirements of survival for new entrants in the business.

There is a whole basket full of benefits of online business. You get the joy of working from home and being your own boss. Above all, you get to supplement your income and enjoy all the pleasures of life that come with increased income. To begin an online business is easy. First think of unique products that you want to offer, choose a business name, find a good domain name and you are set to go.

The importance of a good payment system cannot be underestimated if you are to succeed in online business. Ensure that you have a reliable wire cash transfer system that will enable people to pay for your products with relative ease.

There is no business that can thrive without marketing and advertising. This is tantamount to winking to a girl at night. Advertising tools like banners, displays and toll free numbers will create awareness to the would-be consumers of your products or services.

Knowledge of your undertaking is very essential. If this field is entirely new to you, it is important that you take some business courses that are relevant to your business in order to be able to counter the challenges effectively. This will also add an edge to your business acumen and profits. Online business courses are available to guide you through any sort of online businesses. To work from home; these courses will be very instrumental to your success and eventual benefits.

One of the primary struggles for most businesses these days is how bad the economy is. This can be a double edged sword because businesses and consumers often will tighten their belts. This can mean that less money is spent on marketing and advertising so that a profit can still be recognized. This happens for many businesses and this can present itself as an opportunity for your business. This is where it can be important to have good telephone prospecting techniques.

When the economy is doing well, do you think that companies are going to reduce their advertising and marketing budget? That is highly unlikely. This can make it harder for you to pick up new clients because there is so much competition. Your company has to either do a better job at delivering a targeted message through more research or you have to increase your advertising budget so that you can saturate the market to pick up those clients. One method of sales development most companies will not use is telephone prospecting techniques and will be further discussed in a bit.

This same phenomenon does not hold true when the economy is struggling or in a recession. This goes back to businesses and consumers tightening their belts. It will take less money for you at this point to acquire new customers. You can also use solid telephone prospecting techniques to switch new customers from your competitors if you can successfully prove that your product or service will save money. This can help you build better market share so that once this slumping economy or recession is completed, your company is much healthier because of an increased customer base.

As you can see when you read through this article, it is important to continue to maintain or increase your advertising and marketing budget now when the economy is down. This is so important in offering you an opportunity to build your company. One of the most effective ways to do this is through effective telephone prospecting techniques. How else can you connect with clients or prospective clients in such a quick manner and with less cost to acquire a customer than direct mail or other advertising techniques?

This does mean that you need to put in the time to build good and effective telephone prospecting techniques. Few people are naturals at the phone at first. If you do not feel comfortable doing it, outsource this important job to a prospecting firm. This can help you immediately and you can often see a relatively quick return on your investment.

You can decide to work by yourself or to use a prospecting firm. It can go either way but remember that using a prospecting firm can allow you to focus your efforts on your existing clientele. Any highly successful business focuses their efforts on existing clientele. Your current clients already know you and are comfortable enough to buy from you. Deepening that relationship is easier and will turn out to be much more profitable than going after new clients.

You never want to turn away new opportunities coming up or to not have a chance to prospect for new business. This is where a prospecting firm can come in and provide that new business development that you want. You can outsource your business development so that you can focus on existing clientele. This can be especially critical during a downward economy. It is far easier to pick up market share in a down economy than during an upward economy.

When you are looking for a prospecting firm to use, you will want to work with a company using telephone prospecting scripts. It is easier to get an idea of predictable results and it allows for constant improvement when using a script. If a company just lets their salespeople call and say whatever they want to say, the results you can expect will be widely divergent with a different result every time. You will not see the return on investment that you are looking for.

Take the time to look through what the different prospecting firms can do. They should be able to produce past telephone prospecting scripts you can look over along with results. You want to work with a company with a good track record. They should be able to take your ideas and goals for a telephone campaign and mesh it with what they have found to succeed in their business. Open communication is important so that you and the company can be on the same page. This would involve them understanding your ultimate goal along with you understanding what to expect from them.

Telephone prospecting scripts are the blueprint for highly successful prospecting firms. Find a firm without these in place and you are going to find a company on its way down within the telephone selling world. This is especially important as with what is happening with potential recessions happening around the world. This can be a potential opportunity you can take advantage of either by yourself or outsourcing the work to a prospecting firm.

Business opportunities have increased significantly thanks to the internet communication and the effect of globalization. The world has turned into one large market coupled with unbounded business opportunities. One sector that has immensely benefited from this phenomenon is the home business. Working from home has gained prominence due to the many benefits that come with it.

In today’s highly competitive business world, organizations are seizing every opportunity to cut on costs in order to be more competitive. One of the major ways that businesses use to cut costs is through outsourcing their non core business. Duties such as data entry, web content writing as well as market research present a good opportunity to work from home and earn extra income.

Quite often opportunities come disguised as challenges and if you are not careful then they will pass you like a ship in the dark. You need the right training to seize these opportunities and make the most from them. If you have a computer that is backed by a good internet connection then you are set for a very fulfilling and fun filled business opportunity.

Setting a successful home business is definitely not a walk in the park affair. It needs good planning and an iron will to make it. You will need to identify which business you wish to engage in. This step is crucial and could determine the eventual success of your plans. Expert advise that you settle for a business that is not only rewarding to do but also that is enjoyable and fun.

Little investment on education also goes well and is a good step before starting the business since failure is possible without any training and knowledge in managing the business. This knowledge and training can be got from informational materials found on the internet and one can also invest on training videos to make sure that you get all the facts on everything you want.

Around the world people have made it big courtesy of home based business. It does not take much and you can be among these people who have made it. All it takes is the determination and hard work. With these you could soon be making up to 100 dollars a day.

More opportunities are available only if you take your time on training and develop the right attitude towards your job. It is advisable to weigh all the pros and cons of the business you want to start before you invest your money and time on it and also ensure that you are doing something genuine to avoid the internet fraudsters.

The effect of globalization and advanced internet technology has significantly increased the chances of business opportunities. This has made the world to become a very large market with multiple business opportunities. The sector that has benefited greatly with the advanced internet technology is the home business sector and this has made working from home more common due to the more benefits that come with it.

Business organizations are finding it more profitable to operate virtual offices with employees operating from different continents but all linked by a good communication network. It is this trend that has provided opportunities for people to supplement their regular income by performing tasks such as data entry, typing, and online research. All this is done from the comfort of their homes.

Quite often opportunities come disguised as challenges and if you are not careful then they will pass you like a ship in the dark. You need the right training to seize these opportunities and make the most from them. If you have a computer that is backed by a good internet connection then you are set for a very fulfilling and fun filled business opportunity.

There are steps to be taken when you want to start a home business and the first step is to determine the type of business that you want to venture into. It is necessary to scrutinize all the business opportunities that are available on the market before settling on the business that is more appropriate for you. It is not advisable just to rush into any business just because it may present good returns and you should also look into other factors.

You have to be smart to succeed in any business. That is why training and continuous learning is essential if you are to make it in the world of home based business. The internet is full of learning materials that will help you to grasp the finest details of the business you are in. Even the most loyal customer or business acquaintance will take off if you sound amateurish and appear to be groping in the dark. Always consult the veterans in the world of home business and they will offer you invaluable advice.

Several people are becoming more successful due to the internet and you should not be left out. Earnings ranges from 100 dollars per hour to even much more and this will depend largely with your determination and your attitude towards the job.

There are many opportunities if only you take time to get the right training and develop a can do attitude. It is always advisable to take due diligence before committing your hard earned cash on any home based business. Ensure that the business is genuine to avoid falling prey to internet fraudsters.

We are going to examine some effective telephone selling techniques that can result in a great deal more business for you. You can decide to implement these yourself or to allow a prospecting firm to do this for you. The benefit of a prospecting firm is quite simple. You are able to allow professionals to use their already implemented telephone selling techniques on your behalf.

Be sure to not sound like a salesperson. There is nothing that turns off most people faster than someone who sounds like a salesperson. You simply want to come across as a person interested in solving a problem for your prospect. It is not about how your product works but how you can best demonstrate that you can solve the prospect’s problem.

The next key to good telephone selling techniques is to understand who you are talking to. If I try to sell you on why you need an airplane but you hate to fly, I will have no success. This is critical in that you have to do your market research ahead of time. This will ensure that when your prospect asks a question you were not expecting, you will be on your game.

Another strong telephone technique is to have a brief message. Your prospects often do not have the time to sit and wait for you to talk their ear off. It is not important what you have to say but rather in how you ask questions so that the prospect is answering. Your message is important. Keep it short so that you can hold the prospects’ attention.

Be organized. Your internal feeling will follow you onto the phone and nothing can shatter confidence faster than a cluttered workspace. Being organized allows you to simply focus on the job at hand with any information needed close to your fingertips. You will find that you are more at ease and this can lead to greater success over the phone.

All of these telephone selling techniques will help you in having more success when working over the phone to find more clients. You can not simply pick up the phone and start calling but have to figure out what you are going to say. That is why using these different techniques can help you leverage your time and effort to have greater success. You are respecting your time and energy. Hopefully this helps you to greater success.

When you look at any successful prospecting firm to work with, there are certain telephone prospecting skills in place which will shine. These are the reasons that you will want to work with a company to further build your business.

A good prospecting firm will focus on solving your potential client’s solutions. It is not always about who has the best salespeople. It is important to have employees who can connect with your potential clients. Any employee should be able to pick up a script written for your company and have similar results to others. The script will be important in that the employees can cover certain key points with any prospect over the phone. It also allows the employees to be in charge of the conversation.

Prospecting companies also can often demonstrate their calling centers. This is important simply so that you can get a better idea of what goes on. You may even want to ask if you can hear them call on some of your prospects. This is a give and take relationship that you want to develop when working with a prospecting company. This give and take relationship will evolve through constant communication. This communication will help in developing an idea what kind of results you want along with good insights about your prospective clients that a prospecting firm may not know.

A great deal of direct marketing is done simply so that prospects are aware of a certain company. The direct mail is done so that when the prospecting company calls, it is a warm call versus a cold call. This is why good telephone prospecting skills are so important. If they are not used, you will have wasted your money on the prospecting firm along with what it cost to do the direct mail.

Telephone prospecting is what needs to be focused on. It is not about sales but rather about building a list of interested prospects. This can help in closing business for you. This helps with higher success rates than when merely cold calling for business. You can find that your company will be more successful having a prospecting firm set appointments than simply call for business.

Any prospecting firm worth its salt should be able to demonstrate the telephone prospecting skills in place. This would involve a consistent script along with trained salespeople. A prospecting company is very important in that you should be comfortable in the knowledge that you should see positive results in a short period of time.