Bad Tech Etiquette to Avoid at Work

Technology has simplified communications for most businesses, but the increased use of conference calls, video conferencing, and instant messaging has created a new list of off-putting behaviors that could put your business in an awkward situation. Akhtaboot provides you with some tips on how to use workplace technology the smart way!

1. Instant messaging works best for quick questions and updates not for long distracting conversations. Keep your chats short.

2. Avoid bright, flashy, patterned clothing when using Video Conferencing. Play it safe, wear neutral tones in solid patterns. Treat video conferences as face to face meetings.

3. Refrain from having side conversations while on the phone. Mute your phone if you have to multi-task while on a call or better yet, try not to multitask while talking to clients.

4. Make sure you have an ‘appropriate’ online presence on all your social media channels such as Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn, as your personal image reflects your company’s.

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Akhtaboot Cares Initiative Powers the Career Section of the British University in Dubai

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to announce the launch of the British University in Dubai Microsite Solution, a revolutionary service provided and powered by “Akhtaboot Cares Initiative” – Akhtaboot’s CSR arm, and targeted towards universities and educational institutions all over the Gulf and MENA region. Akhtaboot Microsite Solution features Akhtaboot job content in a fully integrated and branded jobs section displayed directly onto the careers section of the University website.

BUiD Students and job seekers will be able to benefit from the full features of Akhtaboot directly on British University in Dubai’s website through the fully branded Microsite link buid.akhtaboot.com by creating a free account and uploading their CVs in a matter of minutes with the ability to browse and apply to many jobs all over the Gulf and MENA region.

Mais Gousous, VP of Marketing and Akhtaboot Cares Initiative Champion said:

“Akhtaboot Microsite Solution aims to bridge the gap between academia and employment while ensuring that the UAE has a sustainable growth in employment opportunities. We are proud to announce this newly formed partnership with the UAE’s leading post-graduate educational institution, the British University in Dubai, which is a true fulfillment to the mission of Akhtaboot Cares Initiative in helping match the right person to the right career opportunity.”

Martin Prince, BUiD’s Registrar said:

“BUiD is a Post-Graduate University where most of its students are resident professionals’ locals and expats working at middle and senior management levels. Employers considering Emiratisation and also hiring staff with sound research and analytical skills can now more easily recruit our students. 
BUiD is always keen to work more closely with innovative entities such as Akhtaboot to meet present and future demands for professional skilled and first class employees within UAE and the wider Gulf”

Established in 2004, The British University in Dubai (BUiD) is the Middle East region's first research based, postgraduate university, offering a unique opportunity for higher education.  As one of the region's most innovative institutions, BUiD sets the standards for study and research that significantly contributes to the technological innovation and growth of the Arab world and beyond.

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Revising Your Emails Effectively

What's the secret to writing effective emails that people actually read? You begin by writing all the ideas that come to your mind and think it’s the best written email ever! The truth of the matter is that you still have a long way to go. Writing a preliminary draft is the first thing you should do to put your thoughts in writing and revision is all about cleaning up and polishing your email to make it perfect. Akhtaboot provides some important tips to keep in mind when revising your emails. 

1. Do not be repetitive. People will stop reading and start skimming.

2. Always back up your sentences with facts and numbers. Never be vague.

3. Keep it short, direct and straight to the point. Focus on the real subject so as not to waste the time of the reader.

4. Spelling and grammatical mistakes say something about you!

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Akhtaboot Participates in KFUPM’s 29th Career Fair

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to pronounce its participation in the largest university career fair in Saudi Arabia, held by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran. The 29th KFUPM career fair was inaugurated by Prince Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz bin Musaed, Deputy Governor of the Eastern Province, and welcomed both students and the public during the period from 6th of May until the 9th of May, 2012.

Around 120 government and private companies and agencies participated in the event, with Akhtaboot handling the CV clinic, which provided students and graduates to be with personalized, one-to-one feedback on their CVs, highlighting the areas that need to be tackled in order to prepare for the needs of today’s job market.

Several companies and organizations from the GCC states were also invited to attend this year’s event, which coincides with the university’s 50th anniversary. The fair is aimed at providing talented young college students and graduates with the necessary skills to help them become more employable in today’s competitive job market with the opportunity to find their dream job.

It is worth mentioning that Akhtaboot has recently provided KFUPM with Akhtaboot Microsite Solution as part of AKhtaboot Cares Initiative - Akhtaboot's CSR Arm.

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Akhtaboot to Power Kharabeesh’s Recruitment

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to announce the launch of Kharabeesh’s Career Connect solution, “Powered by Akhtaboot”, which will provide Kharabeesh with their own fully integrated and branded jobs section with the ability to post unlimited job postings and receive job applications directly onto their careers section on their own website.

As part of Akhtaboot’s relentless efforts in providing world-class recruitment services to its clients, Kharabeeshwill be able to make the most of their Career Connect solution with a single point of contact for all of their recruitment needs with a variety of CV filtration, and organization tools, making the hiring process simple, efficient and as cost-effective as ever.

Rehab Hudhud, Business Development Officer, said:

“Kharabeesh is very pleased and impressed with Akhtaboot’s Career Connect service as it will help us find the right people for our many vacancies. The relationship we had with Akhtaboot as recruitment solutions provider has proven to be both successful and productive in helping us reach our objectives as a leader in the entertainment industry. We are definitely looking forward to a successful extension of our collaboration.”

With Career Connect, Akhtaboot goes beyond helping companies simply find the right candidates; it actually provides companies with a one-stop recruitment gateway that is specifically designed to cater to the employment needs of companies.

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Keep your Workplace Clean!

Most offices have a janitor, but it takes a little effort by everyone to keep the workplace looking good. For most people, organized and clean desks mean a higher degree of concentration, higher productivity and a more professional look to both employees and clients as well. Here are a number of helpful ways to have a more pleasant and spotless workspace.

1. Pick up all the stuff you leave behind you and organise your work station on weekly basis. A few seconds of your time keeps the workplace more pleasant for everyone.

2. At the end of your lunch break, put all the trash in the waste container, don’t leave dishes lying on the table and clean the crumbs when you’re done.

3. Don't leave the toilet room dirty when you're done. A quick swipe of the paper towel across the counter makes the restroom nicer for the next person.

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Akhtaboot to Power d1g.com’s Recruitment

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to announce the launch of d1g.com Career Connect solution, “Powered by Akhtaboot”, which will provide d1g.com with their own fully integrated and branded jobs section with the ability to post unlimited job postings and receive job applications directly onto their careers section on their own website.

As part of Akhtaboot’s relentless efforts in providing world-class recruitment services to its clients, d1g.comwill be able to make the most of their Career Connect solution with a single point of contact for all of their recruitment needs with a variety of CV filtration, and organization tools, making the hiring process simple, efficient and as cost-effective as ever.

The Online Marketing Manager at d1g.com, said:

“Our Human Resources team at d1g.com is very happy and pleased with Akhtaboot’s Career Connect Service as it’ll help us find the right people for our many job vacancies. We are very delighted with the relationship that we share with Akhtaboot as our Recruitment Solutions provider. We are definitely looking forward to a successful extension of our collaboration.”

With Career Connect, Akhtaboot goes beyond helping companies simply find the right candidates; it actually provides companies with a one-stop recruitment gateway that is specifically designed to cater to the employment needs of companies.

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Firing Employees the Right Way

The art of terminating employees the appropriate way

No matter how we try to sugar coat it, there is no pleasant way to fire an employee. However, you can’t afford to waste your time, money and effort by keeping bad performers around. While termination is a necessary part of any business setting, there are certainly right and wrong ways to go about letting someone go. Getting it wrong might cause heartache for the both of you, or worse, you may end up in court! So how can you fire an employee with minimum damage while keeping their ego intact? Akhtaboot presents you with some useful strategies to follow when terminating an employee is the only choice you have left.

Communication

There should always be an open dialogue between you and your employees from the very start. You should outline your performance expectations and make sure that your entire team understands their job description really well. If an employee is performing poorly, don’t hesitate to bring it to his attention before it’s too late. Keep in mind that poor performers can be turned to company superstars with the right motivation tools and mentorship style. Have a clear warning system in place that gives your employees multiple chances before the final cut is made.

Treat People Fairly

Since you are not perfect, an employee who does a mistake deserves a second chance. Find out the reason behind a work-related mistake; explain to him what he should have done differently to get a better outcome. Never make decisions based on your emotions rather than facts. You can't fire people based on personal clashes that has nothing to do with the actual job. It has to be about the impact on the organization, accountability and getting the job done. Your firing decisions should always be fact-based.

Be Honest and Firm

If after several warnings and second changes you decided that firing an employee is in the best of the company, remember to be honest, firm and always back up your speech with performance related facts. Get straight to the point and don’t label the employee himself, but the actions he has committed. Keep in mind that you should also allow the employee to vent. Listen to him, help him out and give him some useful advice. After all, he was one of your employees and you don’t want to have someone out there badmouthing your company.

Make it a Learning Experience for the Employee

Make sure that the terminated employee understands that any experience, is a learning experience. Pinpoint exactly what he did or didn’t do that led him to this point. Talk about what he can do differently in the future to improve his job. Offer to help your terminated employee with finding another job that fits his skills and strengths.

It’s a Learning Experience for YOU

The success of your company depends on its people. It all starts with hiring better! If the company’s turnover rate is high, something wrong is going on for sure. It’s either that the management isn’t doing a good job, employees are not well informed about what is expected of them, or you are just not hiring the right people in the right positions! Successful recruitment is never an easy task; you should have a clear idea of what you need exactly in an employee and look for successful patterns that have worked in the past to guide you through. Super performers are out there, but just as in the old days, you may need to do some detective work and actively seek out the people who will make your company great.

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Writing a Thank You Letter: An Email Employers Rarely Receive After a Job Interview

Writing a thank you email after a job interview is a must. In fact, some employers think less of those interviewees who fail to follow up promptly. Plan to send a thank you email as soon as possible after your interview. In addition, thanking the person you met reinforces the fact that you really want the job.

1. View your Thank You Letter as a sales letter; restate why you want the job, what your qualifications are and how you are planning to make a significant contribution to the company.

2. Follow up with any information the employer may have asked you to provide after the interview.

3. Remember to Proofread; check spelling, grammar, typos, etc. If in doubt about the correct names, spellings or titles of your interviewers, call the office to double-check. Your efforts will be worth it!

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Job Interview Etiquette

The first step into getting an interview is a stellar CV. Your CV has to stand out of the crowd and must look and ‘sound’ special. When you finally get the call you’ve been waiting for, you need to go to the job interview prepared, confident and knowing some interview etiquette. Akhtaboot is here to help you.

1. Be assertive and give a firm handshake to each interviewer.

2. Address each interviewer by name as he or she is introduced.

3. Speak clearly and avoid using “ums”, “uhs” and “you know”.

4. Avoid using slang.

5. Sit up straight in your chair.

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