CH-11-14 Professionalism a Work: Business Etiquette, Ethics, Teamwork, and Meetings – Essentials of Business Communication : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 11 to 14 CHAPTER 11 SOLUTIONS Professionalism a Work: Business Etiquette, Ethics, Teamwork, and Meetings Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. Employers try to screen for and encourage soft skills such as excellent communication, promptness, a positive attitude, good teamwork skills, and civility. On this difficult mission, they try novel approaches. A recruiter would intentionally drop a piece of trash by his office door just before an interview. He then would hire anyone who picked it up. One gas station manager rewarded his workers by relieving them of bathroom cleaning duty if they started their shifts on time. Discuss these techniques. Do you believe they are effective? (L.O. 1, 4) Providing incentives to motivate workers is a time-honored practice. The gas station manager most likely obtained compliance by sparing his subordinates a task they hated, cleaning toilets. Punctuality and regular attendance are suitable topics to raise with college students. They sometimes seem to think that if they merely show up to class, they deserve praise and reward. Yet attendance in their courses should be in their own best interest and not require any incentive. As for the recruiter who deliberately littered to test job candidates, he was probably screening for applicants who would feel responsible and take charge even in an unfamiliar environment. Job seekers picking up trash potentially signal basic civility and a sense of cleanliness and order. Many businesspeople believe that larger behavioral attributes manifest themselves in seemingly inconsequential situations; even a small gesture can have far-reaching consequences and may say a lot about a person’s character. 12. Think of typical workplace situations and how you might communicate in each. When would you seek an in-person conversation, pick up the phone, call a virtual meeting, or send an e-mail, IM, or text? (L.O. 1–5) Workplace conversations may involve giving and taking instructions, providing feedback, exchanging ideas, brainstorming, participating in performance appraisals, or engaging in small talk about such things as families and sports. Pick up the phone when something is urgent and can’t wait. Before making a telephone call, decide whether the intended call is really necessary. Could you find the information yourself? If you wait a while, would the problem resolve itself? Perhaps your message could be delivered more efficiently by some other means—IMs or texts for a quick question, a telephone or videoconference to seek consensus or to brainstorm. 13. Try to recall situations in which you were criticized or dished out criticism yourself. Was the criticism constructive? Why or why not? How did you feel either as a giver or receiver of criticism? (L.O. 2) Answers will vary. It is to be expected that students will voice some discomfort both in dispensing and receiving criticism. Students may echo some of the principles outlined in this chapter or propose their own mechanisms for dealing with disapproval and criticism. Encourage them to evaluate the guidelines in this chapter to find out whether they believe that the tips for giving constructive criticism will be helpful to them. 14. Describe the advantages of face-to-face communication as opposed to interactions facilitated by technology such as telephones, e-mail, instant messaging, texting, the Web, social networking sites, and so on. When is face-to-face communication more effective? (L.O. 2, 3) Face-to-face communication is far from being outdated or made obsolete by the availability of technological options. None of the alternative communication channels can replace the richness or effectiveness of face-to-face interaction. We can be a lot more persuasive and expressive in person because we can use our voice and body language to make or underscore a point. Misunderstandings are less likely because we can provide instant feedback and adjust messages as needed. Resolving conflict is easier in person as well. Finally, in a hyperconnected world, the human touch may be the gesture that stands out, sets us apart, and satisfies the human need for social interaction. 15. Career expert Andrea Kay stresses that knowing oneself and showing empathy are important components of the soft skills that make people employable: “Many, many jobs are lost and careers derailed because of the way people act with each other, respond to stress, or deal with a conflict. . . . If you don’t understand how you come across, or get swept away in your emotions, or don’t recognize how others feel, how can you approach a difficult conversation with sensitivity to the other person?” Have you ever been surprised at how you came across to others or misread another person’s feelings? (L.O. 1, 4, 5) It is very likely and, indeed, human that students have experienced moments when they had no idea they had ruffled someone’s feathers, come across in a way that didn’t mesh with their self-image, or felt wronged because someone misread their intentions. Andrea Kay, author and career expert, advises workers to pay close attention to their own emotions, ask how they come across, and be attentive to others: “Being more aware of your own and others’ feelings will help you say the right words or take the best action.” [Graves, J. A. 2013, January 15. 25 career mistakes to banish for 2013. U.S. News & World Report.] It may surprise students, however, how important these interpersonal and, yes, intrapersonal skills are to career success. Young job seekers tend to focus on the obvious aspects of their job search and typical workplace skills. Yet maturity and the ability to read others take time to develop and may require some frustrating lessons along the way. Activities and Cases 11.1 Workplace Conflict: Six-Step Procedure to the Rescue! (L.O. 1, 4, 5) Students should apply the following six-step procedure: (1) Listen to each person's position. (2) Understand the other's point of view. Ask questions and paraphrase what you hear. (3) Show a concern for the relationship. Show an understanding of the other person's situation and needs. (4) Look for common ground. Look for a solution to which both sides can agree. (5) Invent new problem-solving options, if necessary. (6) Reach an agreement based on what's fair. Encourage students to role-play two or more of the scenarios. Scenario a required an HR professional’s intervention. The human resources representative stepped in rather than agreeing to fire both parties because she understood that recruiting and training are expensive. Working out a solution is often less expensive. Scenario b also merited an HR intervention. Human resources specialists created a point system and checklists that highlighted each person’s contributions. HR also devised a mentorship program that paired older and younger workers to help them understand each other’s experience better. The advantage of this assignment is that most students have had some workplace or internship experience to draw on. However, they may have difficulty identifying a problem that’s substantial enough to merit a proposal. Students tend to bring up problems that are insignificant or whose solutions wouldn’t generate much in savings or earnings—the standard for writing a proposal. With these kinds of problems, why not just say it? Students may need help identifying a problem that would merit a written response. Another standard for writing a letter or memo proposal is that the problem must be serious enough to require a cost–benefit analysis, however informal it may be. Topics could include launching sustainability measures, improving waste management or recycling (switching companies), adding social media customer service, changing store closing times to adjust to new shopping habits, or offering a new peer-counseling fitness program. 11.2 Soft Skills: What Employers Want (L.O. 1) Students should find a range of soft skills mentioned, including oral and written communication skills and team skills. However, they will also find a combination of soft skills and character traits mentioned such as must be able to coordinate communications and work with staff, customers, vendors, independent contractors, writers, and designers; must provide daily project management coordination across multiple project-related activities; must be a self-starter, highly motivated, well organized, and detail oriented; and must work well in a diverse environment. Electronic copies of the job postings could be shared with the class by using networked computers in the lab, projecting onto a screen, or posting on a course-management platform such as Blackboard or Moodle. 11.3 Soft Skills: Identifying Personal Strengths (L.O. 1) Encourage students to frame statements that will be useful when they prepare a résumé later in the course. For example, under Thinking and problem solving, a student might write, Learned new spreadsheet program and prepared cost projection for remodeling office or Learn new software applications quickly and with little training. 11.4 Voice Quality: How Do I Sound? (L.O. 2) Encourage your students to complete this activity in which they record their own voices. Consider having students record their voices in the classroom. Then pair students to provide feedback to one another on their voice quality. 11.5 Communication Channels: Which Media in Each Situation? (L.O. 2) a. Phoning is out of the question because it’s only 5 a.m. Pacific time (PST) and your questions—while time sensitive—are not urgent. If the queries are not too involved and lengthy, you could send an e-mail detailing the questions; otherwise, a brief e-mail simply requesting that your colleague call you back seems sufficient. You could phone a little later, at 8:30 or 9 a.m. PST. If you and your collaborator share an application that allows instant messaging or live chatting (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Skype), turn it on so you will see when your collaborator goes online. Before you do so, however, check your company’s policies on appropriate Web, e-mail, and social media use. Some businesses prohibit or limit the use of instant messaging to prevent abuse such as harassment and security risks. Larger companies have their own enterprise-grade communication platforms protected by firewalls and don’t allow commercial messaging software. b. Text or e-mail, possibly call, if it’s not going to disrupt the meeting, depending on the importance of the meeting and your role in it. As a junior member of the team, you would want to call to provide immediate feedback, adjust to the audience, and deliver your message quickly. A telephone call is useful for urgent matters. It may not be as rich a medium as a face-to-face encounter, but it is better than a text message or e-mail for conveying positive emotion and a personal approach. c. Policies flowing downward from management to subordinates should be written. They produce a permanent record, are economical, promote comprehension and recall, allow precise and uniform expression, and give the audience flexibility in when and how to receive the content. Although Eric has two employees in mind, the policy should be directed to all employees, most likely in an e-mail or intranet post. d. When you require an immediate answer, deliver the message orally, by telephone. In this instance, you may need to follow up with additional questions. If the matter is particularly urgent, a face-to-face visit may be necessary as long as it is feasible and the person’s proximity warrants it (say, in-house). Oral communication provides immediate feedback, can be adjusted to the audience, can be delivered quickly, supplies nonverbal cues, may create a warm, personal feeling, and can make a big impact. e. Messages as traumatic as termination should always be delivered in person—one-on-one or with a limited number of participants. Oral communication provides immediate feedback, can be adjusted to the audience, supplies nonverbal cues, and shows greater compassion than a written message. f. Responding to an upset customer should always be done orally, if possible. The best procedure is to first call the customer and explain what happened. Oral communication allows you to show sympathy, express apologies, and suggest possible alternate solutions. After the telephone call, it’s wise to follow up with a written message confirming what was said orally. In most cases e-mail would be the channel of choice, although in particularly grievous cases, when formality is desired, a business letter sent by mail may be more appropriate. The written message clarifies the situation, creates a permanent record, promotes comprehension and recall, and generates goodwill. g. Explaining a committee’s findings should be done in a written report traveling upward. Such a report provides a permanent record and is convenient to distribute. It provides precise and uniform expression. However, such a report lacks the richness and immediacy of oral communication and cannot be adjusted to respond to the receiver’s comments or questions. Depending on the context, a face-to-face briefing to management with visuals (a slideshow) may be called for. Slide decks also provide a record, although they are less formal than traditional reports. 11.6 Constructive Criticism: It’s Part of the Job (L.O. 2) a. Although tardiness can be frustrating, Jasper should have focused on improvement by suggesting what Felix could do in the future. Jasper could also appeal to Felix’s sense of fairness and team spirit to motivate a behavioral change (tardiness can negatively affect team members who must pick up the slack). Jasper should avoid sweeping generalizations such as always, never, all the time, and so forth. He should control his anger and adopt a calm, sincere tone. b. Public criticism is a poor management policy. Jasper should offer praise in public and dispense criticism in private. An accusatory tone and raised voice are unhelpful. c. Alexa should have tried to encourage two-way communication to defuse any negative feelings by offering to listen to the employee’s concerns. To signal her understanding, she could have acknowledged that receiving negative feedback was tough. d. Anne should have first considered her objectives and planned what she would say to the group. She might have prepared notes to stay on track and include all her points. She ought to have chosen a less public setting. e. E-mail is generally not the proper channel for constructive criticism. Josh should deliver his message in person. Personal feedback gives the listener an opportunity to ask questions and provide explanations. In a complex situation, Josh might want to prepare notes to deliver by telephone or in writing. 11.7 Telephone Skills: Keeping It Professional (L.O. 3) Student responses will vary. 11.8 Voice Mail: Recording a Greeting Like a Pro (L.O. 3) Assign this task individually or as teamwork. Depending on the size of the class, it may not be feasible to listen to all recordings. In that case, either select a limited sample of greetings or provide general feedback to your students. To motivate the class, offer a few points for the completion of the assignment. You may choose to play back the best examples to the class if your classroom is equipped with a computer that has a sound card. Alternatively, to save time and effort, create a simple checklist from the tips in the chapter and assign this task as a peer-edited activity in which students evaluate each other. Most popular smartphones today are equipped with recording apps. Some point-and-shoot digital cameras have built-in voice recorders and allow users to save their recordings on an SD card that can be read by a computer and sent by e-mail. Students who do not have access to a smartphone or a compact digital camera could be asked to record their greeting with the help of a teammate who owns such a mobile device or perhaps use a language lab on campus. Finally, as a low-tech solution, students could record their outgoing greeting by leaving a conventional voice mail message at a number of your choosing—for example, using Google Voice—so you don’t need to give out your home or cell phone number. 11.9 Voice Mail: Leaving a Professional Message (L.O. 3) You may recommend that students call your office number after hours and leave a professional voice mail message that reflects the guidelines offered in the chapter. Alternatively, Google Voice offers a free cloud-based phone number that can be called from landlines or cell phone numbers. This Google Voice number can also send and receive text and voice mail messages. Google Voice can be set up to forward calls to a cell phone or landline, thus ensuring a modicum of privacy if you would rather not give out your cell or home phone number. 11.10 Workplace Conflict: The Perils of Groupthink (L.O. 4) Answers will vary. 11.11 Meetings: Attacking Dysfunction (L.O. 5) a. At the beginning of the meeting, lay down the rules and warn that speakers who digress will be interrupted. Create a list of important but divergent issues that you propose to tackle later. If the behavior persists, address the entire group and state that the team is veering off track and bring the group back to the original topic. b. Wait for a pause and then break in. Thank Olivia for her thoughts and summarize briefly the previous comments, or ask someone else for an opinion. Direct your eye contact to the person whose opinion you are seeking. c. Let both state their cases, and allow them to question each other while group members give their full attention. Summarize what was said, and invite the group to offer comments. d. Allow her to settle down before involving Mia in the discussion of an agenda item she is able to follow. Do not fill her in about the items she missed. e. If possible, set the rules before or at the beginning of the meeting, including turning off or silencing all mobile devices. Don’t embarrass offending individuals, but try to involve them in the discussion. For example, calmly ask them a direct question within their specific expertise if the opportunity presents itself. f. Draw Emily out by asking her opinion, or pose a specific question that you are confident she will be able to answer confidently. Give her positive feedback, if warranted, to encourage her participation. g. As the meeting leader, plan to seat Levi strategically, next to you. Avoid seating him at the head of the table or at the far end of the room. In addition, you may want to talk to Levi before the meeting or during a break about the dangers of telling inappropriate jokes in the workplace. Ask Levi to take the meeting minutes to keep him occupied. If someone else is the recorder, tactfully ask Levi’s opinion on the agenda item being discussed. h. Concisely summarize the decisions that the group has made, and state who will be responsible for specific action items. Postpone unfinished business until the next meeting. Before ending the meeting promptly, set the date and time of the next meeting. Thank the participants for attending. 11.12 Meetings: Stand Up to Keep Team Talk Short and Sweet (L.O. 5) Answers will vary. Students may come up with creative methods to ensure turn-taking and participation by instituting a system of sanctions and rewards. They may realize that not all companies or industries may be able or willing to hold supershort daily stand-up meetings. Rather, this type of extremely short meeting seems most suitable for highly creative, design- and tech-heavy occupations in which workers enjoy a great deal of independence. Conversely, following the military example, tightly run, somewhat authoritarian organizations might do well with standing meetings. As for punishing tardiness and other transgressions, it appears that small penalties such as paying $1 into an office coffee kitty or being subjected to a mildly humiliating or unflattering activity such as singing a corny song would suffice. You could try stand-up meetings at the beginning of class to capture students’ attention when making important announcements or giving instructions. 11.13 Virtual Meetings: Making Sure the Team Is on Board (L.O. 5) a. Setting a more reasonable start time for the Portland office would have shown courtesy to the West Coast participants. b. Asking participants to log in early may have helped to avoid delays in starting the virtual meeting. c. Reminding participants of ground rules such as turning off or muting all phones and not checking e-mail during the meeting may have encouraged participants to focus and be more involved. d. Using interactivity may have prevented group members from losing interest. A technique such as round-robin, in which all participants speak one after the other, would have elicited more active participation and discouraged multitasking on the other end. e. Distributing materials prior to the virtual meeting would have given participants the opportunity to prepare questions and be more involved during the session. 11. 14 Virtual Meetings: Connecting by Skype or FaceTime to Clarify an Order (L.O. 4, 5) This simulation should proceed smoothly as long as each participating student has created a Skype account and downloaded the Skype connection software or app. FaceTime can be used with Apple devices. Students could be asked to create or be given brief scripts that define the individual participants’ roles and motivation. This should help them assume Mr. Been’s and his caller’s personas. The script could also include instructions detailing the botched order and its correct version. Each participating student should create or receive his or her own script, thus allowing parties to respond spontaneously and realistically to each other. One conversation partner should step outside and converse by Skype or FaceTime in a quiet area to minimize interference and noise. With the right software, Skype conversations can be recorded and reviewed. Information about Paramount Fitness products is available on the company website. After the conversation, the class should discuss the interaction between the partners. For added interest, additional players with various tasks could be added to create a multiuser teleconference with or without video. 11.15 Virtual Meetings: Visiting Online Office Hours (L.O. 2, 5) Virtual office hours can be a time-saver. Comments you make and questions you answer are visible even to those who do not participate. Thus, you don’t have to answer the same questions repeatedly. You can create a log and post it on your course-management platform for students who could not attend. Although an online chat lacks the confidentiality and richness of a face-to-face visit, it is the interaction most resembling in-person interaction, especially if conducted via video chat.   COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP: Career Skills Business Etiquette: Breaking the Smartphone Habit in Meetings a. A short policy statement: In using a smartphone or other wireless device, be professional. Respect others. b. A more complete policy: •Turn your smartphone off or set it on vibrate. Keep it off the meeting table. •Don’t look at it during a meeting or conversation. •Don’t respond to a call, e-mail, or text during a meeting or conversation. •If you are expecting an important call, let the person or meeting facilitator know in advance. •Leave the room if you must take a call or respond to an e-mail. •Shut the door quietly when you exit and enter the room. •Apologize if you do interrupt the meeting. •Use your e-mail out-of-office assistant, and change your voice message to let people know you are not available. •Post a sign if the organization has a no-cell-phone area or zone. [Based on Harr, M. n.d. Smart phone etiquette—How smart are you? Ezinearticles.com.] CHAPTER 12 SOLUTIONS Business Presentations Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. Why should even practiced speakers plan their presentations when addressing a business audience instead of just “winging it”? Very few people can speak off the cuff competently. Without a plan, it’s very easy to ramble instead of focusing on just a few principal ideas. To avoid overwhelming their listeners, experienced speakers choose just the right kind of information and sort it into a few main ideas that they then emphasize. Because listeners do not have written copy to follow or return to, verbal signposts, transitions, and even a certain amount of redundancy are desirable. 12. Communication expert Dianna Booher claims that enthusiasm is infectious and “boredom is contagious.” What does this mean for you as a presenter? How can you avoid being a boring speaker? (L.O. 2, 4, 5) If you wish to stay in control during the talk, build credibility, and engage the audience, you must try to move naturally, use visual aids effectively, and radiate enthusiasm. Dianna Booher’s observation is true: boredom is contagious. You cannot expect your audience to be stoked about a subject when you are just going through the motions and don’t seem to enjoy your speaking role. When you are excited, the audience will sense your passion for the topic and will be more likely to stay alert and interested. This passion for the topic manifests itself in an enthusiastic tone and emphatic facial expressions and gestures. 13. Why do many communication consultants encourage businesspeople to move beyond bullet points? What do they recommend instead and why? (L.O. 3) PowerPoint is omnipresent in business. Millions of poorly designed and poorly delivered presentations have tarnished PowerPoint’s reputation as an effective communication tool. Just try a Google search for Death by PowerPoint, and you will see millions of hits. Moreover, overused templates have created boring visual clichés. Tools are helpful only when used properly. Therefore, in the last few years, several communication consultants have tried to show business presenters how they can move beyond bullet points. The experts recommend creating slideshows that tell a story and send a powerful message with much less text and more images. [Atkinson, C. 2008. Beyond bullet points (2nd ed.). Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press.] Presentation guru Garr Reynolds urges readers to unleash their creativity: “Do not rely on Microsoft or Apple or anyone else to dictate your choices. Most of all, do not let mere habit—and the habits of others—dictate your decisions on how you prepare and design and deliver your presentations.” [Reynolds, G. 2008. Presentation Zen. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, p. 220. See also Reynolds, G. 2010. Presentation Zen design. Berkeley, CA: New Riders.] Of course, a novice should first master the rules of slide design before thinking about breaking from established rules and expectations. 14. How can you prevent multimedia presentation software from stealing your thunder? (L.O. 4) You can avoid being upstaged by not relying totally on your slides or canvas. Help the audience visualize your points by using other techniques. For example, drawing a diagram on a whiteboard or flipchart can be more engaging than showing slide after slide of static drawings. Demonstrating or displaying real objects or props is a welcome relief from projected images. Remember that slides or canvases should be used only to help your audience understand the message and to add interest. You are still the main attraction. 15. General Motors CEO Mary Barra inherited a mess when she ascended to the top post in her beleaguered company. Several GM car models had exhibited problems with their ignition switches, which turned off engines at highway speeds, causing 124 deaths and 275 injuries. As early as 2001, company insiders knew about the problem, but ultimately took no action. Even as the scandal broke, GM first underreported the casualties. Mary Barra pulled no punches. In a town hall meeting, she unflinchingly addressed a global audience. Applying lessons learned in this chapter, what would you advise chief executive Mary Barra to do when she communicates with the public about the scandal? What could Barra say to restore trust in the company? (L.O. 1–3) Mary Barra was largely praised for her handling of the ignition switch scandal. After many years of secrecy and obfuscation at GM, Barra knew she had to embrace transparency and deal with the scandal head on. Even before her public appearance at the town hall meeting in Warren, Michigan, the CEO had fired 15 employees directly responsible for hushing up the faulty switch problem. The company set aside $675 million to pay victims. Speaking to a global audience in the wake of a huge scandal and facing a government inquiry clearly was a major rhetorical feat. However, Barra was poised while showing her outrage at the failure to act at GM and empathy toward the victims. She apologized sincerely. She directly and openly addressed the problems that had led to the disaster, detailed the steps the company would take to fix the problems, and outlined a compensation program for victims. For a negative example of a botched apology and poor handling of public relations, introduce United Airlines’ scandal involving the violent removal of a passenger, Dr. David Dao, from an overbooked flight by Chicago police. CEO Oscar Munoz was widely criticized for a lukewarm mea culpa in which he defended his employees and blamed the victim. Munoz later offered a full apology after a backlash from the public and a social media outcry. Ironically, only a month before the incident, Munoz had been named U.S. Communicator of the Year by the magazine PRWeek. Activities and Cases 12.1 Analyzing the Audience (L.O. 2, 4) Be prepared to set your parameters for defining “recent issue” and also for limiting or not limiting the resources students can use. You could further stipulate that they search for an article or reputable blog post that is related to verbal communication and speaking skills. Verbalizing why the topic will appeal to their audience and how it relates to their needs will shift your students’ focus from themselves to where it needs to be, on their audience. Most university and college libraries have subscriptions to business publications, digital or in print. Business publications tend to use a pay wall but, to lure subscribers, provide much content gratis. 12.2 Examining Iconic Speeches (L.O. 1, 2, 5) If your students are giving oral reports for your class, this would be an effective activity for them, especially if they critique a speech based on their written and oral report requirement. 12.3 Inviting a Professional Speaker (L.O. 1, 2, 4, 5) In teams or individually, students will have the opportunity to practice some of the insights they gained in this chapter—for instance, how to analyze an audience and identify desirable characteristics of their chosen speakers. Students could be asked to watch videos of the speakers and critique their mannerisms, nonverbal behavior, command of voice and tone, degree of enthusiasm, use of humor, attire, and other traits discussed in the chapter. 12.4 Following a Business Tycoon on Twitter (L.O. 1–5) Students who don’t yet have a Twitter account must create a profile to be able to follow a businessperson of their choice. Twitter is still not as popular as Facebook and other social media sites among our typical student groups. However, signing up is easy, and instructions abound on the Twitter website. Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist and angel investor, is a prolific Twitter user. He prefers to share links to interesting blogs and articles he finds. Richard Branson’s tweets are often inspirational rather than specific to business. Suze Orman dispenses financial advice in 140 characters or fewer and frequently engages with her fans. Jack Welch turns out to be a fervent sports fan. Students should realize that these celebrities may have more than one Twitter account, and they should also be on the lookout for fake Twitter accounts. They should select only authorized accounts displaying a white check mark in a blue circle. 12.5 Conquering the Fear of Public Speaking (L.O. 5) This activity could help students come to grips with their fears. After completing this discussion and/or writing business messages or posts, students will realize that they share many of the same anxieties. Stress that all speakers suffer stage fright occasionally and that controlled stress can actually enhance a presentation. 12.6 Anticipating Speaking in Your Field (L.O. 1) You may want students to discuss this activity in groups of three or four and then have one individual from each group give a synopsis of the group’s findings. Requiring students to come to class with a prepared report ready for submission will ensure that all group members participate in the discussion. 12.7 Creating an Outline for an Oral Presentation (L.O. 1, 2) Students will prepare an outline using the model in Activity 12.7. Responses will vary. 12.8 Examining a TED Talk (L.O. 1–5) Answers will vary. TED talks are consistent in their quality because the organizers invite only the most accomplished personalities from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design (TED) who also happen to be captivating speakers. TED conference participation is by invitation only, and the annual membership fee is $6,000. Following are two authentic samples of tweets about TED. TED Talks ‏@TEDTalks How much should parents control their children's genes? The murky ethics of designer babies: http://on.ted.com/h04PB “I skip the canvas. If I paint your portrait, I'm painting it on you -- physically on you.” http://on.ted.com/c00Vs pic.twitter.com/d8wXaAEbF9 12.9 Showcasing Your Job (L.O. 1–5) Students should present a three- to five-minute talk about the duties of a current or a past job, volunteer activity, or internship. Following is a model of a typical professor’s job duties. This PowerPoint presentation is also available at the instructor’s website in the Solutions section. 12.10 Honing a Perfect Elevator Pitch (L.O. 1, 2) This assignment works best if you reveal the particulars of the topic at the last minute and the student must deliver an impromptu message. Consider recording students’ performances. 12.11 Making Sense of Fortune Lists (L.O. 1, 2) This assignment provides students with an opportunity to broaden their awareness of the best companies in the world. You may want to choose the lists your students research. Other annual Fortune lists include 100 Fastest Growing Companies, 50 Best Workplaces for Diversity, 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials, 50 Best Workplaces for New College Grads, 40 Under 40, Most Powerful Women, and 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back. You may want to refer students to http://fortune.com/rankings for additional information. Following are descriptions of the four lists from this assignment: Fortune 500. Since this annual ranking of America’s largest corporations based on sales revenues was first published in 1955, 1,857 companies have appeared. Many of them have changed names due to mergers, acquisitions, or bankruptcies. Other companies have gone private or simply changed their names. Only three companies have held the top spot on the Fortune 500 since 1955. General Motors and Exxon Mobil were both on the original Fortune 500. Walmart made the list for the first time in 1995 and was the biggest corporation by revenue in 2016, ahead of Exxon Mobil and Apple. Global 500. First published in 1995, this list ranks world companies based on sales revenues. Walmart topped the list in 2016. 100 Best Companies to Work For. This list was first published in 1998. Some 46,526 randomly selected employees from 304 candidate companies filled out an employee opinion survey. Nearly half of them also gave written comments about their workplaces. Each candidate company also filled out a questionnaire detailing its people policies, practices, and philosophies. Each company is evaluated on both the employee surveys and the company questionnaires, with the employees’ opinions accounting for two thirds of the total score. Google, Wegmans Food Markets, The Boston Consulting Group, Baird, and Edward Jones topped the 2017 chart. Google ranked No. 1 for the eighth time in 11 years. World’s Most Admired Companies. This list was first published in 1997. With the help of Fortune’s research partner Korn Ferry Hay Group, this study evaluates corporate reputations. From a pool of the 1,000 largest American companies by revenue and Fortune’s Global 500 companies measured by the highest revenues, 680 companies in 28 countries were chosen. To identify the 50 “All-Stars,” Korn Ferry Hay Group asked 3,800 business executives, directors, and analysts to select the ten enterprises in their own industries that they admired the most based on criteria such as investment value, the quality of management and products, social responsibility, and the ability to attract talent. 12.12 Presenting an Intriguing Business Topic (L.O. 1–3) A simple verbal summary might be combined with professional tweets about the chosen article or video clip. For both assignments insist that the students flesh out the purpose and audience and give a logical reason for the selection. Why do they consider it relevant and worthwhile? 12.13 Advocating for a Cause (L.O. 1–5) This assignment helps students practice researching, outlining, and persuasive speaking skills. In addition, as part of the whole advocacy package, students might enjoy writing persuasive tweets. Consider having them exchange their tweets for peer critique. 12.14 Selecting a Topic for an Oral Presentation (L.O. 1, 2, 5) You can treat Activity 12.7 and this activity as a unit. Students could first be required to submit an outline of their chosen topic. Then they would prepare a presentation with effective visual aids. Instructor: See model slides for Activity 12.15 at www.cengagebrain.com on the Instructor’s Companion Site in the Chapter Solutions folder. 12.15 Creating a Multimedia Presentation (no additional research required) (L.O. 1–5) Use this exercise as (a) a graded assignment; (b) an ungraded learning experience in which some or all students display their slides for class review and comment; or (c) a combination of these two approaches. You may be amazed at some of the creative ideas your students come up with. In assigning this activity, recognize that your class may include students at a variety of PowerPoint expertise levels. You might want to take an informal poll to learn how many students are novice, beginner, intermediate, and advanced multimedia slide users. This information will be especially helpful if you are grading this assignment. One point to emphasize to all students, regardless of their level of PowerPoint expertise, is that they need to be careful not to turn their slides into speaker’s notes. Everything they will be saying should not be printed on slides. Only key points should appear on slides. Encourage students with limited PowerPoint experience to focus first on writing the content for each slide (the first step in the eight-step process). If they jump immediately to figuring out how to use the program, they will likely do a poor job of writing the presentation content. Once they have the slide content figured out, they should be able to learn enough to complete the assignment by spending an hour or so at one of the many online tutorials. Finally, remind students that their slides are supposed to be a visual component to accompany the spoken word. Therefore, you are expecting more than just bulleted lists. Minimum requirements might include, for example, one photograph and one other graphic element. To make this assignment more challenging for advanced PowerPoint users, you might add additional requirements, such as using eight slides instead of six. On the extra two slides, they could include hyperlinks to, for example, websites that provide speaker’s resources or a video clip of someone giving a speech. The suggested PowerPoint file is available at www.cengagebrain.com on the Instructor’s Companion Site in the Chapter Solutions folder. 1. Slide 1 uses AutoShapes on the Drawing toolbar to highlight the two choices. 2. All the slides use the title and text layout option except for Slide 3. Slide 3 uses the title slide to illustrate how the title slide layout can be used in other places besides the opening slide. 3. Slides 4 through 6 have numbered lists. Here are the steps for replacing normal bullets with numbered bullets: (a) Right-click the first listed item, choose Bullets and Numbering. (b) Click the Customize… button. (c) Scroll to Wingdings on the drop-down list next to Font in the top left corner. Double-click . (d) Do this on each of the remaining items that need to be numbered. A quicker way to number items is to use the numbering button on the formatting toolbar. This option, however, results in a normal numbered list without the bulleted look. 4. Photographs used on Slides 3, 5, and 6 were all downloaded from Microsoft’s Clip Art on Office Online option. (a) Go to the Insert pull-down menu and choose Picture/Clip Art. (b) Near the bottom of the pane that appears on the right side of the screen is the option Clip art on Office Online. (c) Search words used for photos were public speaking and groups. COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP: Working Well Together Effective and Professional Team Presentations Whether a team produces written reports, multimedia presentations, or oral presentations, individuals generally have considerable control over how each project is organized and completed. Most students probably have participated in a team effort before, so they also know that such projects can be very frustrating—particularly when some team members don't carry their weight or when members cannot resolve conflict. On the other hand, team projects can be harmonious and productive when members establish ground rules and follow guidelines for preparing, planning, and collecting information as well as for organizing, rehearsing, and evaluating team projects. Before any group begins to talk about a specific project, members should get together and establish basic ground rules. One of the first tasks is naming a leader to conduct meetings, a recorder to keep a record of group decisions, and an evaluator to determine whether the group is on target and meeting its goals. The group should decide whether it will be governed by consensus (everyone must agree), by majority rule, or by some other method. When teams first organize, they should also consider the value of conflict. By bringing conflict into the open and encouraging confrontation, teams can prevent personal resentment and group dysfunction. Confrontation can actually create better final products by promoting new ideas and avoiding groupthink. Conflict is most beneficial when team members can air their views fully. Another important topic to discuss during team formation is how to deal with team members who are not pulling their share of the load. Teams should decide and write down in some detail whether and how they will “fire” members who are not contributing or take some other action in deterring and punishing slackers. The most successful teams make meetings a top priority. They compare schedules to set up the best meeting times, and they meet often, either in person or virtually. They avoid other responsibilities that might disrupt these meetings. Today’s software and mobile apps make collaborating online efficient and productive. Team members can use tools such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or SlideRocket to jointly create and edit documents and presentations in the cloud. Prezi offers a tool called Meeting that allows team members to collaborate live on a Prezi canvas. Team members can work on presentations with others from anywhere in the world at any time of day, synchronously or asynchronously. Once teams have established ground rules, members are ready to discuss the target document or presentation. During these discussions, they must be sure to keep a record of all decisions. They should establish the specific purpose for the document or presentation and identify the main issues involved. They must decide on the final format. For a collaborative business report, they should determine what parts to include, such as an executive summary, figures, and an appendix. Team members should consider how the report or presentation will be delivered—in person, online, or by e-mail. For a team oral presentation, they should decide on its parts, length, and graphics. For either written or oral projects, they should profile the audience and focus on the questions audience members would want answered. If the report or presentation involves persuasion, they must decide what appeals would achieve the team's purpose. Next, the team should develop a work plan, assign jobs, and set deadlines. If time is short, members should work backward from the due date. For oral presentations, teams must schedule time for content and creative development as well as for a series of rehearsals. The best-planned presentations can fall apart if they are poorly rehearsed. Establishing deadlines for collecting information is important if a team is to remain on schedule. Team members should also discuss ways to ensure the accuracy of the information collected. When a project progresses into the organizing and writing stages, a team may need to modify some of its earlier decisions. Members may review the proposed organization of the document or presentation and adjust it if necessary. In composing the first draft of a written report or presentation, team members will probably write separate segments. As they work on these segments, they should use the same version of a word processing or presentation graphics program to facilitate combining files. They can also use Google Drive, Dropbox, or SlideRocket to edit documents. As individuals work on separate parts of a written report, the team should decide on one person (probably the best writer) to coordinate all the parts. The writer strives for a consistent style, format, and feel in the final product. For oral presentations, team members must try to make logical connections between segments. Each presenter builds a bridge to the next member's topic to create a smooth transition. Team members should also agree to use the same template, and they should allow only one person to make global changes in color, font, and other formatting on the slide and title masters. CHAPTER 13 SOLUTIONS The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Messages Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. The way candidates search for jobs and the way they are hired has changed dramatically in the digital age. Name some of the changes that have taken place. In your opinion, have the changes had a positive or a negative effect? Why? (L.O. 1) Job searching and hiring for candidates and hiring managers have changed dramatically in the digital age. In the distant past, candidates checked classified ads primarily in newspapers in their local areas. They prepared beautiful print copies of their résumés and sent them out after seeing jobs advertised. Now, most job seekers start their searches digitally. They can find job listings locally as well as around the country and around the world. Résumés are increasingly submitted online. Candidates can even interview for jobs without being there in person. The Internet has changed the job market positively in expanding the breadth of job searching. Candidates know more about what is available and what is required to be hired. Applying for a job is also easier. On the negative side, recruiters are inundated with applicants, and candidates have a harder time being noticed. 12. Why do you think some businesses avoid advertising job openings? If jobs are unlisted, how can candidates locate them? (L.O. 3) Companies avoid advertising because doing so brings a flood of applications, many of which are from people who do not meet the qualifications. In addition, companies would prefer to bring on individuals who are recommended by current employees. To locate jobs that are not listed (i.e., are in the hidden market), candidates must network and find people who are willing to give referrals. Luckily for many candidates, digital networking seems less intimidating than cold calling. Social networking sites broaden a candidate's scope, and LinkedIn is especially important. Joining online groups and asking for advice expands one's network, leading to potential openings in the hidden market. 13. Some employment authors claim that the paper résumé is dead or dying. What's behind this assertion, and how should current job candidates respond? (L.O. 4) In this digital age, the résumé is evolving, but the paper résumé is not disappearing. Although the death of the paper résumé is favorite topic of bloggers, in the real world, paper résumés still have a purpose. Most job candidates begin by preparing a basic print résumé, which can be saved as a PDF file or in plain-text format for submitting digitally. Candidates can also use the information in their basic print résumés to complete online applications to job boards or company databases. Paper résumés are particularly necessary when applying to small companies that have no digital screening and tracking software. Additionally, a paper résumé crisply printed on high-quality paper is like a business card. Both leave a professional impression, especially during an interview or at job fairs. 14. Why might it be more effective to apply for unsolicited jobs than for advertised jobs? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of letters that prospect for jobs. (L.O. 6) The advantage of unsolicited prospect letters is reduced competition. Many people apply for advertised jobs, but few candidates will take the time to write to companies when no job may exist. One disadvantage is that no job may be available. Moreover, the writer risks alienating the recruiter. 15. Millennials are frequently criticized for job hopping, but some career experts believe that changing one’s job every few years is now common and might even benefit a young worker’s career. Are millennials getting a bad rap? How is changing jobs good or bad for your career? (L.O. 1–3) From the employee’s view, changing jobs can bring a higher salary, increased responsibilities, new skills, and greater job fulfillment. From the employer’s view, job hoppers are considered damaged goods and shunned because they may have been fired from previous positions for slacking off or failing to fit in. Job turnover bottomed out in the midst of the Great Recession. Those who had jobs were hanging on to them. However, as the economy improved, turnover rebounded. This is good news for employees, but bad news for employers because of the heavy cost of hiring and training replacements. Are millennials more likely to be job hoppers? Not so, claims one writer. He says that job hopping is a myth: “The data consistently show that today’s young people are actually less professionally itinerant than previous generations. In fact, millennials—and the U.S. economy as a whole—would be better off if they’d live up to the stereotype and start switching jobs more often.” [Zimmerman, K. 2016, June 7. Millennials, stop apologizing for job-hopping. Forbes; Shandrow, K. L. 2015, February 2. Is job hopping losing its bad rap? Fortune.] Radical Rewrites 13.1 Radical Rewrite: Rescuing a Slapdash Résumé (L.O. 4) Weaknesses a. Fails to present the name so that it can be easily read by a scanner. b. Omits the area code for the telephone number. c. Fails to provide a professional e-mail address. d. Reveals sloppy formatting with headings that are poorly spaced and lack parallel form. e. Presents information in wordy, dense paragraphs and employs first person. f. Fails to organize experience chronologically and with easily recognizable job titles, dates of employment, and accomplishments. g. Includes high school reference, which should be omitted. h. Does not emphasize computer skills. i. Has series of words and phrases that are not parallel. j. Has several typographical errors, punctuation errors, and misspelled words. k. Looks unprofessional and slapdash. 13.1 Radical Rewrite: Rescuing a Slapdash Résumé Revision Elliana E. Estrada 1340 East Phillips Avenue, Apartment D Littleton, CO 80126 Phone: (303) 455-5182 E-mail: [email protected] OBJECTIVE Position with an accounting firm where my accounting education and financial consulting experience can help the firm achieve its goals. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS •Expect BA degree with accounting major/finance minor in June 2019 •AA degree/certificate of completion in accounting •On-the-job practical experience including financial consulting in the mortgage industry •Developed people, team, and leadership skills as line manager for Target •Experienced in PowerPoint, Excel, Web design, and database management •Able to work well in stressful situations …………………………………………………………………………………………………… EDUCATION Colorado State University, Pueblo, CO •BA to be conferred in June 2019 •Major: Accounting; Minor: Finance •Completed 90 units including courses in Analysis and Application of Accounting Data and Financial Reporting •Dean’s Honor List, Fall 2018 Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO •AA degree, Accounting, December 2017 •Certificate of Completion, Entry-Level Accounting, December 2016 …………………………………………………………………………………………………… EXPERIENCE Primerica Financial Services, Pueblo, CO Financial Consultant, January 2018 to present •Applied communication skills in assisting clients in obtaining mortgages, consolidating mortgage loans, and assessing life insurance needs •Praised by supervisor for reliability and painstaking work Target, Littleton, CO Line Manager, September 2012-March 2016 •Developed team and leadership skills in supervising 22 cashiers and front-end associates •Honed organizational skills by preparing weekly work schedules •Expanded people and communication skills by conducting annual performance reviews and issuing disciplinary action notices as needed •Exercised attention to detail by maintaining change drawer and monetary exchanges with 100 percent accuracy •Substituted for manager as necessary, overseeing entire store •Named Line Manager of the Month, August 2014 and September 2015 Mr. K's Floral Design of Denver Teacher, August 2012-September 2013 •Developed leadership skills by teaching courses in flower design to classes with an average of 25 students each •Exercised supervisory skills in overseeing five florists •Made and delivered floral arrangements for weddings and other big events •Maintained inventory of flowers and all necessary supplies …………………………………………………………………………………………………… ACTIVITIES •American Accounting Association (AAA), Chair, Spring and Fall, 2018 •Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A), Webmaster, •January-May 2019 13.2 Radical Rewrite: Inadequate Cover Letter (L.O. 6) Weaknesses a. Fails to use the receiver’s name in the salutation. b. Neglects to identify the position title and specifically where the announcement appeared. c. Fails to back up assertions with evidence of qualifications. d. Offers little to show how her qualifications fill the internship requirements. e. Fails to promote her experience and special skills. f. Overworks the pronoun I. Nearly every sentence begins with I. g. Fails to refer to her résumé, and does not request an interview. h. Does not make it easy for the reader to respond. i. Has several typographical, punctuation, and spelling errors. Revision 1340 East Phillips Avenue, Apt. D Littleton, CO 80126 Current date Ms. Kara Robinson Director, Human Resources Felder & Associates, P.C. 835 South Prairie Avenue Pueblo, CO 81005 Dear Ms. Robinson: Please accept my application for the accounting internship position that I saw listed on the Felder & Associates website on May 3. My business course work and work experience permitted me to develop the skills and qualifications that are listed for this position. Over 90 units of college work at Colorado State University, including eight courses in accounting, have helped me build a firm foundation for a career in this field. My special interest is in accounting and finance. Working as a financial consultant with Primerica Financial Services, where I assist clients with obtaining mortgages, consolidating current mortgages, and assessing life insurance needs, has taught me to be painstaking and detail oriented. As a line manager with Target, I honed my managerial and teamwork skills by effectively supervising 22 cashiers and front-end associates. My position as a floral design teacher with Mr. K's Floral Design of Denver helped me develop interpersonal and leadership skills. As you can see, I am able to juggle multiple responsibilities including school and work. To learn how I might contribute to the Felder & Associates workforce, please review the enclosed résumé. Because I recognize this as a genuine opportunity to gain experience and also to make a contribution to an industry-leading accounting firm, I am eager to talk with you. Please call me at (303) 455-5182. Sincerely, Enclosure Activities and Cases 13.3 Performing Self-Analysis Before the Job Search (L.O. 1) Although this assignment takes time, it is invaluable because it encourages the kind of introspection necessary for making valid decisions regarding career paths. Review students’ e-mail messages or memos and make comments on them, but don’t grade them. Helping students during the preparation stages makes grading their résumés much easier in the long run. 13.4 Examining Your Job Credentials (L.O. 1, 4) Persuade students to prepare these worksheets. They may resist, but with your encouragement and insistence, they should do a good job, especially if you explain to them that without self-assessment, creating an effective résumé would be nearly impossible. You may wish to divide students into groups of three or four to discuss the results. Collect their sheets and give some kind of credit for completing the work. This exercise should be one part of their total employment communication score. 13.5 Investigating Your Future Career (L.O. 1) Unless they are actively in the job market, students may appear uninterested in this activity. However, most students know little about the kind of work done in various occupations. Encourage them to find out. Salary data are usually the key piece of information that may pique their interest. Although jobs are changing rapidly, many positions still require basic skills and students should know what these skills are. They should also know what a job description is, even though actual jobs often depart from their descriptions. 13.6 What Are You Worth? Finding Salary Information (L.O. 1) Students should save or print wage information for their chosen occupations in their selected geographic locations. Discuss with them what the percentages mean: 10 percent of the people in this occupation earn the amount shown in the first column; 25 percent earn the amount in the second column; 50 percent earn the amount shown as “median.” Encourage students to discuss what they learned, in addition to salary data, about this occupation. Glassdoor shows national salary/wage averages and ranges, which are very helpful if applicants are required to “name their price” or their compensation history—a practice that seems to be increasingly frowned upon. 13.7 Seeking a Compatible Position (L.O. 1) Students are to save or print a job advertisement or announcement from (a) a job board such as Indeed; (b) LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or a mobile app such as JobAware and JobCompass; (c) a company website; (d) a professional association listing; or (e) the classified section of a newspaper, online or in print. They are to select an advertisement or announcement describing the kind of employment being sought. They should save this advertisement to show, share, or submit with the résumé and cover message they will create in Activities 13.9 and 13.10. 13.8 Sharing a Résumé on the Internet (L.O. 2) Many, many websites encourage the posting of résumés. In a class discussion or in team meetings, you might wish to have students discuss those sites that seemed most promising. The primary advantage for posting a résumé to a website is wide exposure. However, that same exposure can become a disadvantage for a person already employed if his or her employer sees the posted résumé. Be sure that students also understand the disadvantages to posting a résumé online. Stress the importance of checking the credibility of a site before posting. After all, their résumés contain considerable valuable information. They also need to be prepared for unwanted solicitation from marketers and to be wary of dishonest too-good-to-be-true offers from fraudsters who prey on job seekers. 13.9 Creating and Polishing Your Résumé (L.O. 4) Have students submit drafts until their résumés and lists of references are perfect. You might have them bring their completed résumés to class. In small peer editing groups, have students exchange their résumés. Each reviewer should provide at least two supportive comments and one suggestion for improvement. Students can learn a lot from seeing how other students prepare their résumés. Encourage them to be tactful and offer constructive criticism. Promote this activity as an opportunity to improve their résumés by having multiple proofreaders who can point out weaknesses and strengths. 13.10 Writing a Unique, Personable Cover Message (L.O. 6) Discuss with your students whether a cover letter or e-mail is appropriate for the job of their choice. It might be wise to start with a cover letter that they can e-mail if necessary. Have students revise their cover messages until they are perfect. You might have them bring their completed messages to class, along with their job postings. Have students exchange messages for a peer edit. Students tend to enjoy reading fellow students’ job application documents. Each reviewer should assume the role of the hiring manager, read the job posting, and then read the message, offering constructive feedback about its effectiveness. Does the message capture attention in the beginning? Does it refer specifically to the listing? Does the individual sound like a person you would want to meet for a job interview? Does his or her personality come across? Does the message focus on what the applicant can do for the organization? Does it ask confidently for an interview? 13.11 Using LinkedIn in Your Job Search (L.O. 2) Encouraging students to join LinkedIn is among the most important advice you can give them. It’s never too soon for them to start building a reputable digital presence. LinkedIn extends networking in a way that works well for college students who might lose track of people who would be willing to help them in the future. By connecting with fellow students, previous bosses, and faculty members, students will have a head start when it’s time to begin a job search. In addition, LinkedIn establishes an opportunity to network in a professional setting, as opposed to Facebook, which is more frequently used for friends and family. [Mathieson, P. 2015, July 17. 6 steps for college students using LinkedIn to connect. Forbes; Arruda, W. 2014, August 26. Why college freshmen need to major in LinkedIn. Forbes.] 13.12 Enlisting Twitter in Your Job Search (L.O. 5) This task is designed to acquaint students with the latest trends in job-search technology and to learn how the Twitter job search works. However, this assignment offers other possibilities. For example, students could be asked to decode and analyze several Twitter résumé posts and share them with the class individually or as a team. Encourage students to create a professional Twitter profile, which should be part of their overall personal branding. The short Twitter bio is the equivalent of the 60-second elevator pitch. Then, instead of being idle like so many inactive accounts on Twitter, they should engage with their favorite organizations and strike up conversations. Experts say that young people may stand out from the crowd if they retweet, favorite, and reply to tweets in meaningful ways. [Che, J. 2015, June 16. Twitter is the best job search tool you’re not using—Here’s how you can. Huffington Post.] 13.13 Preparing Professional E-Portfolios (L.O. 5) The goal of this activity is to introduce students to e-portfolios by showing them samples. Then, if you wish to have them undertake a larger project, they could create their own career e-portfolios with assistance from school tech specialists and the provision of appropriate server space. Resources abound on the Internet. Many colleges and universities provide hosting and tutorials for those wishing to post e-portfolios. COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP: Ethics Padding the Résumé: No Harm, No Foul? Student responses will vary, of course. The important thing is for them to recognize that a person who has fibbed on a résumé has at least four options. Students should discuss the pros and cons of each of the options presented. An important point worth emphasizing to students is this: If job seekers do get a job based on dishonesty, they could find themselves over their heads in completing the required tasks, and the fear of being discovered would be a constant burden. It’s simply not worth the risk. CHAPTER 14 SOLUTIONS Interviewing and Following Up Critical Thinking Discussion Guide 11. Online psychometric and skills tests with multiple-choice questions have become a hot trend in recruiting today. Employers may ask not only how applicants would handle tricky situations, but also how happy they are or how much they have stolen from their previous employer. The multiple-choice format poses a dilemma for applicants because they don’t know whether to be truthful or say what the employer might want to hear. Is this practice fair? What are some advantages and disadvantages of this practice? (L.O. 1, 2) The multiple-choice scenarios employers may introduce are designed to assess soft skills—a new twist on the traditional multiple-choice questionnaire measuring aptitude, knowledge, and experience. For example, one question describes a situation in which a colleague says his shift is ending and he can’t take care of a customer. The manager overhears this excuse and docks the employee a week’s pay. The question asks whether this is fair. The main problem here is that the multiple-choice format does not allow for explanations or nuance. From the employer’s point of view, the multiple-choice format is an efficient and reliable screening tool that facilitates pinpointing the right person for the job. Some companies are even experimenting with avatars, video, and animation to create a gamelike experience to measure candidates’ skills and competencies. The employers contend that candidates who choose answers that they believe to be desirable socially or pleasing to a hiring manager often get it wrong. Trying to sound like a saint might not be the best strategy. The limitations of this approach are that this type of testing reveals only one facet of an individual. It cannot provide all the necessary information about a candidate. Also, some questions may be too generic, not relevant to the job, or downright unethical. For example, one service sector company asked applicants whether they like to dance to determine their ethnic origin. Questions that don’t appear to be relevant to the position sought can result in a screening process that is unfair or invasive. 12. Like criminal background checks and drug tests, social media background checks have become commonplace in today’s recruiting. What are the pros and cons of conducting such checks as a primary or sole means of screening applicants? (L.O. 1, 2) This would make an excellent debate topic with some class members taking the part of employers and others taking the part of job candidates. Employers argue that interviews often do not reveal the applicant fully. Résumés discuss only a person’s work history and skip that person’s temperament or personality. In supporting media checks, employers say that social media information reveals a person in his or her natural habitat. Such checks are also cheap and easy; they can be performed from any computer or mobile device. Those who argue against such checks say that they cannot be consistent or objective across the board for all candidates. Each person’s online presence and level of Internet activity is unique. Those who are highly active on social media may be at a disadvantage when compared with other candidates who are less active. Social media may also reveal information that interviewers are not lawfully allowed to ask about, such as sexual orientation, race, religion, political affiliation, and gender identification. [See Klazema, M., 2016, February 10. The pros and cons to strictly doing a background check on social media. Social Media Today.] 13. Why is it a smart strategy to thank an interviewer, to follow up, and even to send a rejection follow-up message? Are any risks associated with this strategy? (L.O. 4, 5) To stand out positively in the crowd of applicants, be polite and conduct yourself in an ethical manner. Saying thank you is common courtesy. Following up shows your commitment to the job and makes you memorable to the interviewer. Finally, responding politely to a rejection will give you a competitive advantage because few applicants bother to do so. Such tireless follow-up showcases your determination. Surveys show that many recruiters think less of candidates who don’t send thank-you messages and, most likely, will decide not to extend job offers to them. The risk is that you may appear too pushy if you follow up too frequently or, from the point of view of an overwhelmed recruiter, at a bad time. You want to appear eager and determined, not needy and annoying. 14. If you are asked an illegal interview question, why is it important to first assess the intentions of the interviewer? (L.O. 3) Most illegal interview questions are asked in true innocence by inexperienced interviewers who are ignorant of the law. They do not know what questions are proper and are unaware of how others could use the information in a discriminatory way. Most illegal questions are asked when an untrained interviewer is just trying to be friendly and inquires about the candidate’s family or personal life. If you believe the intentions of the interviewer are innocent, you should avoid being tempted to assert your constitutional rights. 15. As businesses increasingly emphasize workplace ethics, you may be asked in an interview to tell about a time when you were challenged ethically. One workplace compliance officer advised candidates not to respond that you have never faced an ethical challenge. “You want a candidate,” he said, “who avoids misconduct, not someone who lies and says they’ve never done anything wrong.” Do you agree? (L.O. 1, 3) Answers will vary. Some may argue that job seekers at the beginning of their career may have only limited experience and can safely claim that they have never faced an ethical dilemma on the job. However, candidates with workplace experience may come across as disingenuous if they claim that they have never faced an ethical challenge. The exhortation to be honest speaks to the generally accepted notion in our society that telling the truth reigns supreme, and that lying about misconduct often eclipses the original misdeed. To err may be human, but most of us expect that the perpetrator take responsibility, learn from the experience, and ensure that the offense won’t happen again. The executive quoted in the critical-thinking question, Tim Mazur, COO of the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, is implying that over the course of a career, moral lapses are not only likely but inevitable, so that those who insist that they are innocent of even the smallest ethical infraction must be lying. Radical Rewrites 14.1 Radical Rewrite: Camille’s Poor Interview Follow-Up Letter (L.O. 4) Weaknesses a. Expresses excessive exuberance in opening (altogether extremely enjoyable), which is unprofessional in business writing. b. Fails to mention in the opening the date of the interview or the exact position for which she was interviewed. c. Includes many writing and proofreading errors, such as the improper use of articles (a, an), inappropriate capitalization (account management), and an errant apostrophe (your department's need). d. Shows poor proofreading (County instead of Country and other errors). e. Starts too many sentences with I. f. Lacks conciseness; is wordy and long. g. Misuses commas and semicolons. h. Includes wordy phrases (despite the fact that instead of although; in the event that instead of if). i. Sounds needy and desperate when referring to her student loan debt. j. Fails to close with a reminder of how to reach her. 14.1 Radical Rewrite: Camille’s Poor Interview Follow-Up Letter Revision 1340 East Phillips Avenue Apartment D Littleton, CO 80126 June 17, 2019 Ms. Michelle Genovese High Country Accounting 2810 East Sixth Avenue Denver, CO 80218-3453 Dear Ms. Genovese: Thanks for speaking with me on Thursday, June 13, about the goals of High Country Accounting and the duties of the person hired for the assistant account manager position. The job you described seems to be an excellent match for my training and skills. Now that I've learned more about the specific tasks of this position and the administrative needs of High Country Accounting, I'm especially eager to join your staff. As we discussed, my training in current accounting practices as well as my experience as a financial consultant in the mortgage industry should enable me to help with the backlog of client projects that you mentioned. You will find me to be attentive to detail, enthusiastic, and eager to work on team projects. If you seek additional information about my qualifications, please send me an e-mail at [email protected] or call me at 303.455.5182. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Activities and Cases 14.2 Surviving Cattle-Call Interviews (L.O. 1) Although controversial, cattle-call interviews have been conducted by organizations as varied as IBM, various airlines, and secondary school systems. Students are likely to find articles and blogs about group interviews in mainstream publications such as Fortune and the Chicago Tribune or at career advice sites. The key insight in this research will most likely be that group interview participants are being scrutinized from the moment they walk in. One manager said that he likes to observe people before the official starting time. He looks for behavioral cues about how people are going to interact in general. For example, he says, some candidates just sit by themselves, checking their e-mail or notes, whereas others strike up conversations with fellow applicants, the staff, or the interviewer. [Reynolds Lewis, K. 2011, July 6. Group job interview or cattle call? CNNMoney.] A commonsense recommendation to students might be that they behave courteously, are pleasant, and act naturally. Standing out among dozens or even hundreds of candidates can’t be easy, but whatever attention attendees draw to themselves should be positive. Very large group interviews are often conducted by breaking up the crowd into smaller groups for preliminary screening. These screening interviews eliminate unqualified applicants or those who appear to be a poor fit and may go into several rounds until a solid applicant pool is determined. 14.3 What Social Media Info Helps or Hurts Your Job Prospects? (L.O. 1, 2) We tend to turn a blind eye to our own shortcomings but discover other people’s flubs and flaws much more readily. This exercise may sharpen students’ perceptions of the danger they may be courting with inappropropriate social media content. Whereas friends may not feel the need to warn their Facebook buddies about risqué online material, the critical eye of a classmate may help identify potential pitfalls. If students are reluctant to show their social media profiles to strangers in the class, start a discussion of why they might be reluctant. Do they sense that they may have posted inappropriate content? If class participants are hesitant to reveal their full social media profiles, ask them to view their social media sites with active privacy settings, the way they might appear to a random stranger—a recruiter, for example. Quite a few students will probably not have activated any privacy settings or be aware that they may be sabotaging their job prospects. A Pew Internet Research study revealed that teens were sharing more than teens did when the survey was conducted previously. About 28 percent of young people share all, or almost all, of their wall posts with an audience wider than just their friends. On a related note, a PhD student from Brazil studying in Hannover, Germany, developed a Web tool called FireMe!, the goal of which is to “raise awareness about the danger of public online data.” FireMe! collects potentially offensive tweets in several categories—for example, Haters, Horrible Bosses, and Potential Killers. Because of the predicable profanity in the tweets collected by FireMe!, this site may not be appropriate to access in class, but the app has a useful feature, The FireMeter. If Twitter users keep their tweets clean, the result reads, “Your FireMeter score is 0. You are doing a great job keeping it to yourself!” [See Holt, K. 2013, March 26. New app warns you when your tweets might get you fired. The Daily Dot.] 14.4 Putting Social Media to Work to Investigate Jobs (L.O. 2) Students should enjoy this activity. More and more company blogs are being created every day, and students may be surprised at some of the information employees post on these blogs. Consider having students share their findings and impressions with the class. 14.5 Preparing for Interviews and Researching Salary Data With Glassdoor (L.O. 1, 2) Results will vary. Suffice it to say that Glassdoor is a terrific resource for any job seeker or anyone who wants to peek into the inner workings of human resources, company culture, interview practices, salary information, and much more. Sites such as Glassdoor have eroded the prevailing notion that pay information is to be kept confidential. The anonymity of the site ensures that insiders speak frankly. Glassdoor monitors activity for fraudulent postings. 14.6 Yes, You Can Interview People in Fewer Than 140 Characters! (L.O. 1, 3) The assignment will help students practice conciseness while also making them think about career-related questions and answers. In addition, students interested in marketing, branding, and social media will be able to learn from the top expert in the field. For example, Question 4 in Jay Baer’s Twitter interview with Amber Naslund on listening reads as follows: Question: @jaybaer: Community management is a burgeoning job category. What makes a good community manager? Two Replies: •@ambercadabra: Being flexible, passionate, and above all being a bridge-builder between people and organizations, always. •It’s a combination of communications, biz development, cust. service, and the willingness to be what your community needs. 14.7 Building Interview Skills With Worksheets (L.O. 2, 3) This is an excellent activity to help students think about what employers are looking for in job applicants. The lists students develop for this activity will help them with Activity 14.8. 14.8 Telling Success Stories (L.O. 3) Students must learn how important it is to develop success stories in advance of an interview. Consider having them select one of their success stories to share with the class. 14.9 Digging for Digital Dirt: Keeping a Low Profile Online (L.O. 2) This exercise should generate a lively discussion. It should also raise awareness in students who often don’t think twice about posting inappropriate photos of themselves and their friends. Young people may feel safe posting on Facebook even with minimal or no privacy settings, and don’t show much regard for potentially adverse effects on their job search. A special threat to privacy is tagging, a popular feature on Facebook and other social media networks. Users can identify people shown in photos, videos, and status updates. This means that friends can mark each other by name in any photo they choose to upload. Given that many young people have hundreds, even thousands, of Facebook friends, they are unlikely to know everyone on their list of friends, nor do they have complete control over what these individuals are posting. Aside from questionable images on Facebook and elsewhere, job seekers should worry about inflammatory statements or controversial comments they may have made online. Likewise, certain causes and associations that job seekers may have openly embraced could be viewed negatively by recruiters. Fairly or not, this digital dirt may come back to haunt young job hunters. Now, if students believe that recruiters will be happy if the search turns up nothing at all and the applicant is practically a blank slate, they need to think again. The absence of a footprint on the Internet raises suspicions too because it suggests that the job seeker has no positive accomplishments to show, either. The assumption today is that active and accomplished individuals leave a trace. Experts recommend that applicants develop LinkedIn pages or start their own personal websites, using domains featuring their names (yourname.com), to which they post often. If maintained professionally and regularly, new activity and posts will push back any negative hits to the bottom of the search results. 14.10 Talent Assessments: Reviewing Job Scenarios (L.O. 1, 2) A careful search will reveal quite a few sources online that post sample talent or soft skill assessments. The three scenarios in the activity come from the website Everything Soft Skills. The answers are as follows: 1. Answer B: About 60-70 percent is correct. Any more than that would make the person uncomfortable, and any less than that would make that person feel that you are not paying attention. 2. Answer D: You can show your confidence and credibility even in the midst of senior coworkers by speaking first and a few more times at the meeting. 3. Answer B: The best way to deal with office gossip is to not even participate in it at all. A discussion of the questions and answers might reinforce chapter content and prompt further reflection on tact, workplace etiquette, and so on. Parts of the assignment could be completed in writing—for example, by having students devise their own scenarios and multiple-choice questions. As for the effectiveness of such tests, some employers swear by them; others do not use them. Online posts reveal a lot of frustration among job seekers about such assessments, mostly in people who failed them. One self-appointed expert suggested in a forum that candidates should always answer the questions from the point of view of what’s good for the company, and when asked to evaluate something on a scale, to go for the extremes, either disagree or agree fully, no answers in between. Tips on how to ace such questions abound, although they may not always be reliable advice. Here are additional questions without answers to spark a discussion of the purpose such questions may serve: a. On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? b. Would you disturb a busy supervisor with a problem, or try to resolve it on your own? c. How often do you yell at customers, colleagues, and your boss? d. How much have you stolen from your employer? e. Would you rather read a book or spend time with friends? f. I enjoy working with other people. (How strongly do you agree/disagree?) g. I enjoy working independently. (How strongly do you agree/disagree?) h. I like my coworkers. (How strongly do you agree/disagree?) i. Do you get angry easily? If yes, how long does it take before you get over it? j. What would you value most in an employer? Rank choices in order of preference (opportunity to travel, pay, etc.) 14.11 Getting Ready for Interview Wear (L.O. 2, 3) Students need to know more than to wear a suit to an interview. The opportunities for dress code violations are many and involve crucial details—for example, the correct fit of a suit, proper length of pants and sleeves, matching socks, and so forth. Students may need help distinguishing between high-end wool or silk ensembles and polyester duds. Quality suits don’t need to be expensive, and, if chosen carefully, they can last for years. Sales often provide opportunities to pick up a brand-name suit for a fraction of its original price. Many companies today have introduced dress codes to clarify the fuzzy dividing line between business casual and casual wear. Negotiating such distinctions with ease may ensure students’ future interviewing and career success. 14.12 Rehearsing Interview Questions (L.O. 2, 3) This activity could also be done in pairs or small groups. Have students select three questions from each category to ask their partners or teammates. 14.13 Anticipating Situational Interview Questions (L.O. 2, 3) Students may enjoy writing their own situational interview questions and playing the roles of both interviewer and interviewee. Monitor the role-playing to make sure they have developed appropriate situational questions. 14.14 Examining Behavioral Interview Questions (L.O. 2, 3) Students should list some of the following skill areas: analytical/problem solving, communication, creativity/innovation, decision making, goal setting, flexibility/adaptability, integrity/honesty, interpersonal, leadership/initiative, organization/time management, strengths/weaknesses, and teamwork. The STAR method involves focusing on a Situation or Task, the Action that was taken, and the Result. 14.15 Creating a Digital or Paper Interview Cheat Sheet (L.O. 2, 3) Preparing an interview cheat sheet is an excellent strategy, particularly for new job seekers. Once students have prepared their cheat sheets, have them share them with others for feedback. This will also allow them to share ideas. 14.16 Tackling Inappropriate and Illegal Interview Questions (L.O. 3) Students may be confronted with questions in interviews that they do not even realize are inappropriate or illegal. Moreover, most candidates don’t know how to properly handle such questions. This activity will help students prepare to address such questions professionally and tactfully. 14.17 Turning Tables: Interviewing the Interviewer (L.O. 3) Students are sometimes caught off guard when asked if they have any questions at the end of a job interview. Careful preparation can help them ask appropriate questions that demonstrate their interest in the company and the position. 14.18 Role-Playing Mock Interviews (L.O. 3) Students will enjoy this activity and will learn from it. Carefully observe these mock interviews to make sure students are giving appropriate answers that will reflect positively on them during an interview. Role-playing is one of the most effective methods to learn and internalize appropriate responses. 14.19 YouTube: Picking Up Interview Skills (L.O. 3) In classrooms equipped with Internet access and video screens, students could watch instructor-selected video clips of successful and unsuccessful job interviews or share previously approved clips with their classmates. The Web is replete with examples that are both instructive and entertaining. Point out to students that what they find hilarious and outrageous actually happens in job interviews. Typical blunders are usually based on real interview experiences. Students could be asked to critique the videos they watch and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the interviewees. 14.20 Interviewing Over Meals: Table Manners on Display (L.O. 3) Students may enjoy this activity because they tend to fear violating table manners more than any other etiquette blunder. Fortunately, with some diligence, recent graduates can acquire acceptable table manners. In fact, dining etiquette is easier to conquer than most other social skills. A quick Web search reveals much information. For example, Dogpile, the metasearch engine, reveals that the most trustworthy tips for interviewing over meals come from college career centers. Job-search sites and job boards are also common sources. 14.21 Thanking the Interviewer (L.O. 4) Activities 14.21 through 14.24 enable students to prepare an interview thank-you message, a résumé follow-up message, a follow-up to a rejection message, and an acceptance message. Decide which of these messages you would like your students to prepare, and consider having them submit all of them to you in an employment portfolio, either on paper or online as an e-portfolio. The students can then use the documents in this portfolio as models as they begin their job searches. Also consider having students exchange employment documents so they can give each other feedback and share ideas. Google Sites is an excellent free option for posting e-portfolios. However, students should keep in mind that although e-portfolios are a popular assignment at universities, hiring managers only rarely look at them. 14.22 Following Up After Submitting Your Résumé (L.O. 4) Solutions will vary. 14.23 Refusing to Take No for an Answer (L.O. 5) Solutions will vary. 14.24 Saying Yes to a Stellar Job Offer (L.O. 5) Solutions will vary. 14.25 Demonstrating Your Growing Value to the Organization (L.O. 1, 4, 5) This activity prompts students to think in terms of targeted employer benefits rather than their own self-serving needs. They need to assess their potential contribution to the business they wish to join to increase their chances to be hired. COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP: Career Skills Negotiating a Salary The goal here is to practice a realistic and professional salary negotiation. Situations and answers will vary. The students should first consult Salary.com, Glassdoor, Indeed, and other resources to establish the entry-level salary range customary in their target industry, job position, and region. Armed with this information, they will be better able to argue for higher compensation. At this time, business majors can expect an average starting salary of almost $60,000, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. [Projected top-paid business bachelor’s, master’s grads. 2017, March 8. NACE Winter 2017 Salary Survey.] Some employment gurus suggest that skillful negotiators earn the respect of their interviewers when they advocate for themselves and request a higher starting salary. These experts base their advice on studies that show that recruiters expect even new graduates to negotiate and that candidates can effect a 5 to 10 percent raise on top of a first salary offer. Sadly, more than half of millennial job candidates aren’t asking for this boost in income and leave a lot of money on the table, especially if lifetime earnings are factored in. [O’Connell, S. 2015, April 22. Here’s what the average grad makes right out of college. Money.] Solution Manual for Essentials of Business Communication Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy 9781337386494