By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
Isn’t it interesting how a “Christmas in July” can provide us with gifts far beyond the traditional ones we usually associate with Christmas? This July I received gifts of greater value than anything I might unwrap with a bow in December.
As a recruiter for over 35 years, I am confident these gifts also are valuable to both the clients and candidates I serve. Sitting on my side of the desk, I hear from both employers and candidates about their extreme struggles in hiring that great candidate or landing that right job. The more I can gather information — whether from teachings of the ancients, new technologies, or how to deal with unprecedented talent shortages — the more myinvestigations may translate into ways to assist my clients and candidates on navigating and overcoming the many changes and challenges we all are dealing with these days.
A recent trip I took with family, especially the portion in Greece, imparted timeless lessons from mythology.
Let’s take a look at what I gleaned.
1. Resilience and Determination to Never Give Up.
The myth of Sisyphus, eternally pushing his boulder uphill, highlights the human capacity for perseverance in the face of struggles. Similarly, the 12 Labors of Hercules, showcasing persistence, ingenuity and even humility in seeking help, offer a model for tackling seemingly impossible challenges. As an employee, when your boss is shorthanded with valuable experienced talent and asks you to stay late or work from home on the weekend, what will you do? Or if that client you have been trying to land for the company is on the other side of town and he’s asking you to meet him for breakfast, will you get up early and drive the extra mile to meet him?
2. Embracing Transformation.
The story of Medusa, transformed into a monster, reminds us of the power of change and the importance of adapting to new realities. Facing fears, embracing new perspectives, and transforming ourselves and our communities are crucial in the New Work World. Medusa has long been known for the symbol of protection. She is also known forwarding off the negative. If you are an employer and shorthanded at the office, how can you transform your usual hiring practices and look at attitude, transferrable skills, and accomplishment trends on the résumé as opposed to long tenure and exact experience? If you are a candidate and that job you really want expects you to be in the office every single day and your last job was remote, how can you arrange your situation to make it work for the great potential the job may hold?
3. Leadership and Community.
“The Odyssey” offers examples of leaders, like Odysseus,who prioritize the well-being of their communities and cultivate mutual respect and harmony. As an employer, how can you cultivate that respect and harmony with your team? How can you garner more harmony among your group? Consider facilitating nonwork-related activities that demonstrate you value your employees’ hard work and want them to enjoy being with co-workers in outside gatherings. If you are an employee, how can let your boss know you are willing to go the extra mile? Offer to work late, assist co-workers who might be shorthanded, and investigate new technologies that might streamline operations and add efficiency.
Let’s consider the new gifts this Christmas in July might be offering us. We can utilize the lessons of the ancient Greeks to serve our companies and candidates so that all thrive and grow to become better than ever in the New Work World! I’m so happy I had the opportunity to take this trip. The gifts of enlightenment I received will never be forgotten!
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.
Check out more lifestyle stories here.
Explore more insights at https://usadailypost.com/.
