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At Out the Office we have been touched by this viral video about women’s choices and perception of what is beautiful. I’m proud to announce at Out of the Office, it’s an 80% split of “beautiful” girls and 100% of “beautiful” men. However, it’s the missing 20% of women in our office we know to be beautiful, and why they didn’t #choosebeautiful; that is the basis of our discussion.

Firstly, how can anyone describe themselves as average? By definition it is a number expressing the central or typical value in a set of data, which is calculated by dividing the sum of the values in the set by their number. There is nothing about the way we look which is typical and therefore we can never deem ourselves as average. There’s nothing about our personality that is measurable as average, so let’s start on a positive that we none of us are average!

But let’s face it we all know beauty is not skin deep. The most beautiful person can be made very ugly by their persona.
Watching his viral video, we were concerned to see outwardly beautiful young girls choosing to walk through the average entrance, but why? The same reason why 20% of our office choose average? Equally, where do those who are not as outwardly beautiful find the inner confidence to stride with confidence through the “beautiful entrance? Does it come down to what you believe to be beautiful and your self-worth and confidence? Where does that come from?

This begs the question, why did all the men in the office #choosebeautiful? Being in a teambuilding company, their job is to bring out confidence and self-worth in the guests we represent, therefore is that why our male ‘Event Managers’ were able to see beyond physical appearance to find the confidence to #choosebeautiful? Or do men care less about either the way they look or people’s opinions?
We believe confidence is integral to this choice. The ladies in the office on questioning were more embarrassed to outwardly declare their beauty, rather than have a true belief that they were actually average, and declared if they were asked anonymously they would be more likely to #choosebeautiful.

Top tips to #choosebeautiful
1. Find something new you like about yourself
2. Tell someone else something you think is beautiful about them
3. Remember your confidence looks beautiful to those around you
4. Smile at yourself in the mirror
5. Do something to laugh at yourself

Without wanting to sound cheesy, we are all beautiful in our own right; whatever parts we obsess over in the mirror, we can all find something beautiful about ourselves. In the words of Dan Solen Head of Events, “we are all beautiful in our own way, some more than others” (with a large cheeky grin and a point at his chest).

The main thing we derived from this is we need to have belief in our inner beauty. It’s fantastic to feel beautiful outwardly too, and we were proud of those girls that strutted their stuff through the beautiful entrance. In our office this got nothing but “Go girl” and “good on you!” and they certainly looked more beautiful with this show of confidence. I think the lesson here is if we don’t feel beautiful, we need to feel that inside with the help of those around us, to remind us. The mum that dragged her daughter through, those that on reflection wish they’d chosen beautiful are all reasons for us all to make sure those around us in our office feel beautiful today.

Outheoffice.com ask you all to #choosebeautiful today; go and tell someone they did a good job, tell them you like their hair or notice their new dress. If anyone in your office makes a negative choice today, it will be easier with a supportive colleague to make the positive choice for them.

I was en route to a big interview, stuck in traffic and cursing at every car around me, as I knew I was going to be late for my interview.
I had prepared so much for the job interview, I was smartly dressed, done my research, prepared questions and yet somehow forgot about traffic and I was never going to make it in time.

I was 15 minutes late, and even though I thought I had an excellent interview I did not get the job, but one silly mistake cost me dearly.
There is so much more to an interview that meets the eye and showing up late may seem like a pretty obvious mistake but when I talk to other managers, I couldn’t believe some of the mistakes I heard people making.

Below is a list of mistakes to avoid at job interview and believe it all not they are all true. Don’t make the same mistakes these people made!

Trashing a Boss or Old Job – We get it you had a bad experience, you maybe bitter and angry but don’t let that unhinge you in a professional manner, show that you can learn from tough experiences with your head held up high.

Drinking a Beer – I couldn’t believe it, on a Skype interview, a candidate who was great on paper moistened his lips with a beer before starting to talk and continued during the interview.

Over-selling yourself – Job interviews can be nerve racking and its normal to want to sell yourself but don’t forget to ask questions to learn if the job is right for you and if you are a good fit.

Under-dressing – One time a potential hire called and asked the dress code, we said casual, they came later that day wearing a t-shirt, shorts and sandals. First impressions are everything and the fact they didn’t dress smart for the interview showed they are not a good fit.

Not Preparing Anecdotes – It is all about the evidence, saying you have a certain skill or experience isn’t enough, give examples and really show you have that expertise. Without stories and numbers, an interview isn’t as memorable or effective as it could be.

Crying – Yes, believe it or not, tough interview questions can make some people cry. When tears flow, the interview is over, no one wants to hire people who can’t control their emotions on the job.

Focusing on the Benefits over the value – I’ve had people ask about benefits such as vacation time and paid time off right at the beginning of the interview. While its important to have a clear understanding of the incentives don’t make it stand out as gives off a bad impression.

Lacking Company Research – The worst mistake is not researching the company beforehand. It is so easy to tell that someone hasn’t and doing only an hours research can really make a difference.

Confusing us with our competitor – I once had an applicant forget which company he was speaking with during our interview.

Asking what the company does – Every now and then, there are candidates who may have applied to several companies and are in the process of interviewing with many of them. They show up to an interview asking what our company does without having done any homework on the organization, this is a big NO-NO.

Not having any questions – at the end of most interviews, the interviewer says “Ok, so do you have any questions for me?” Never say NO, this is a big mistake, as instantly says you are not passionate and not interested.

Wearing a costume – During a one-way video interview, an applicant wore a jedi robe, the worst part was that the candidate made no reference to the costume at all.

Some of these mistakes may seem silly or obvious, but they are all worth thinking about when applying for a job. So have a real think so you can truly shine at every interview.

Not everyone comes into work with the same level of engagement, motivation, and passion each day. But if more than a few of your employees are making a habit out of being tired, stressed and unmotivated you might have a problem on your hands.

Lack of engagement could be a sign pointing to poor job satisfaction and dissatisfied employees could be costing you more than you think. Aside from the high price of employee turnover, you could also be losing money due to their carelessness or lack of engagement. Spot unhappy employees early and do your best to get them on track on being happier, more engaged and profitable.

Here are the top 6 reasons your employees may be hating their job:

Grass is greener someplace else – Envious of friends in other companies having amazing experience? The benefits and perks at other companies can sometimes lead your employees to dream about working elsewhere. Keep an eye on what other companies are doing and try to match it with something worth bragging about.

Their values don’t align with the company – Dissatisfaction is bound to take place if your employees aren’t sold on the same things you are so make sure you get it right on the hiring process. Regular feedback and reviews can really help stay in tune with employee’s values and how they align with the company needs.

They don’t feel valued – Employee happiness is bound to be impacted if you don’t take the time to pat them on the back. Recognition breeds feelings of value and loyalty. Regular verbal praise, gifts rewards and monetary gifts for awesome performance is a must.

Job Insecurity – It’s easy to dislike your job and have the worry if you don’t know if you will be there in a few months, instability maybe taking its toll so remain transparent and work on keeping spirits up.

There’s no room for advancement – Policy for promotion? Employees that feel they are stuck and have no chance of advancement will lead to job-hopping and its important to keep a plan for employees to grow.

The passion’s gone – Huge difference between living to work and working to live, do your employees love what they do? Focus on hiring passionate employees and give them a purpose to maintain their passion throughout their time on the job.

Boss Sucks – Poor management can ruin even the most passionate and well-paid employees love for their job. If you have unhappy employees the first thing you should look at is your management habits, then talk to your employees and get to the bottom of it.

Brushing off unhappy employees will damage your company. Get to the bottom of their troubles before you lose any valuable employees that work with you. A lack of meaningful, challenging work is certain to breed disdain. Find out whether your employees feel like they’re learning or advancing their knowledge. If they’re not becoming better, they will go someplace where they feel they can improve.

The office kitchen always comes with rules and you don’t want to be that chump that gets caught out. Everyone can relate to this, I’ve spotted the guy who doesn’t clean up the spilled coffee beans and the girl eyeing up my meat sandwich. I CAN SEE YOU. For everyone working in the office environment most people know the kitchen etiquette and what rules not too break. For all you people out there who have not been in this situation or need to be refreshed, I am here to help and guide you to less hassle. You don’t want to be that guy.

We can all remember the Friends episode with Ross and his anger issues over his sandwich (Watch the clip here). Being inspired by all of this and having issues in my own work kitchen here our the top 10 things you should avoid doing in the office kitchen if you want to have friends and be back the next day.

Failing to make a new pot of Coffee

Come on, if you are the last person having that cup of Coffee and it runs out then please fill it up. Staff live off Coffee and you don’t want to make them angry

Mess is not the one

You don’t have to be spotless but the kitchen has to be left in a good condition, especially if a good number of people use it. You make a mess then clear it up it’s that simple.

Smelly leftovers

You bring in your lunch then you eat your lunch or you chuck it away. Nobody wants your smelly leftovers, which are out of date festering in the cupboard and growing new life. So eat it, give it away or chuck it!

Eating your Co-Workers lunch

If Dave across the room brings in the best lunch and you get jealous, get a better lunch! He has gone to the effort of making an amazing lunch so keep your hands off.

Here are a few stats for you;

3 out of 10 people have had their food stolen at work
But 1 out of 10 have admitted eating someone else’s.

Replacing Supplies

You had the last piece of bread, you had the last bit of milk, then either replace or make sure someone is, take it in turns be fair, you see these people nearly every day so pull your finger out.

Bins

Rubbish smells! Food Smells! Over the day, or over a few days it starts to get worse so on the way outside, leaving from work change the bin. Coming in the day after it is going to smell and we would all rather be in a fresh environment, especially when eating.

Don’t save seats at lunch

Luckily at my work there is no seating in the kitchen but many places do, don’t be that one that doesn’t let a colleague sit down because you’re saving a seat. Man up!

Taking a personal call in kitchen

Sometimes you want to get away from people on your lunch break and make a cup of tea in a bit of peace, so don’t take those personal calls in the kitchen about your life!

Don’t start a microwave fire or toaster smoke

Getting smoke everywhere is a frustrating one, nobody wants to pretend they are on Stars on their eyes at lunch and we all love to breathe air in not smoke so come on, watch what you cook!

Don’t eat smelly food

The final but most vital, the smelly food one – Tuna has to be top of the list, ok it tastes nice but come on it stinks, your breathe smells the office smells, the kitchen smells! So many choices out there that don’t smell so sort it out.

The 14th February is nearly upon us, the most romantic day of the year or a marketing strategy to double the price of roses, increase the cost of dining out and another reason to buy a card? We can only imagine that there are a number of men out there scratching their heads and frantically planning an over the top way to impress a loved one.

Here at Out The Office it has been a big talking point of what to do, what to get and how much to spend. With it being on a Saturday it makes it a little easier but may mean spoiling them all day. If you still haven’t got those lovely gifts yet don’t worry there is still time and just remember that the best presents are sweet, simple and come from the heart where you really do show your true feelings for the one you love.

Some may say Valentines Day is packed with pressure, it can bring out the best and worst in your relationship. So pay attention to what your partner likes, don’t go for any cliché tat and don’t get the worst gift they have ever seen as that could definitely ruin your relationship. So in the office we have gone through some ideas of what we think are good, bad and what we have received in the past, which was supposed to impress us.
Below is a list of what we think you shouldn’t get those special loved ones;

• Love Tokens – I am still shocked anybody gives these out but they are still out there – lets hope these are only used as a joke
• Recycled Card – A girl in our office once got a card with another girls name crossed out and hers written underneath – romantic
• Tandem Glove/ Joint Onesie – If you have seen these then you know they are ridiculous, they may bring you closer but very impractical.
• Name Tattoo – Putting somebody’s name on your body is a big call, there has to be a lot of trust there to get this done.
• Fake Flowers/ Petrol Station Flowers – There is nothing worse or more of a waste of money than wilting flowers or even fake flowers, opt for
something that will make them smile (yes we do know it’s the thought that counts… It’s not all about overpriced roses you know!)
• Sugar free sweets or chocolates – Most have a sweet tooth but when it’s the sugar free option it’s an insult – nothing says “I’d love you more if you weighed less” like an artificially sweetened treat.
• Gym Membership – If you got this as a present most people would appreciate it but then again is there a hidden message, does he/she think I’m lazy?
• Joke Book – Receiving this can be an insult if you think you are funny already – time for new gags?
• The boot – You may not be happy in your relationship but giving someone the boot on Valentines is not the one and there should be deadline for before and after.
• Finally getting a loved one nothing on Valentines is not going to go down well at all so be prepared and get something meaningful. Gifts don’t have to be pricey or even cost anything at all.

All we suggest is something simple and sweet, cook a meal or take your loved one out and you can’t beat a lovely bunch of flowers (fresh).

Hope some of this may help and all we want is to see those smiles back on people’s faces because they have been spoiled by a love one.

The 14th February is nearly upon us, the most romantic day of the year or a marketing strategy to double the price of roses, increase the cost of dining out and another reason to buy a card? We can only imagine that there are a number of men out there scratching their heads and frantically planning an over the top way to impress a loved one.

Here at Out The Office it has been a big talking point of what to do, what to get and how much to spend. With it being on a Saturday it makes it a little easier but may mean spoiling them all day. If you still haven’t got those lovely gifts yet don’t worry there is still time and just remember that the best presents are sweet, simple and come from the heart where you really do show your true feelings for the one you love.

Some may say Valentines Day is packed with pressure, it can bring out the best and worst in your relationship. So pay attention to what your partner likes, don’t go for any cliché tat and don’t get the worst gift they have ever seen as that could definitely ruin your relationship. So in the office we have gone through some ideas of what we think are good, bad and what we have received in the past, which was supposed to impress us.

Below is a list of what we think you shouldn’t get those special loved ones;

• Love Tokens – I am still shocked anybody gives these out but they are still out there – lets hope these are only used as a joke
• Recycled Card – A girl in our office once got a card with another girls name crossed out and hers written underneath – romantic
• Tandem Glove/ Joint Onesie – If you have seen these then you know they are ridiculous, they may bring you closer but very impractical.
• Name Tattoo – Putting somebody’s name on your body is a big call, there has to be a lot of trust there to get this done.
• Fake Flowers/ Petrol Station Flowers – There is nothing worse or more of a waste of money than wilting flowers or even fake flowers, opt for
something that will make them smile (yes we do know it’s the thought that counts… It’s not all about overpriced roses you know!)
• Sugar free sweets or chocolates – Most have a sweet tooth but when it’s the sugar free option it’s an insult – nothing says “I’d love you more if you weighed less” like an artificially sweetened treat.
• Gym Membership – If you got this as a present most people would appreciate it but then again is there a hidden message, does he/she think I’m lazy?
• Joke Book – Receiving this can be an insult if you think you are funny already – time for new gags?
• The boot – You may not be happy in your relationship but giving someone the boot on Valentines is not the one and there should be deadline for before and after.
• Finally getting a loved one nothing on Valentines is not going to go down well at all so be prepared and get something meaningful. Gifts don’t have to be pricey or even cost anything at all.

All we suggest is something simple and sweet, cook a meal or take your loved one out and you can’t beat a lovely bunch of flowers (fresh).

Hope some of this may help and all we want is to see those smiles back on people’s faces because they have been spoiled by a love one.

Last weekend was my first sighting of those Christmas Decorations – it has started……..

I love Christmas and everything about it but there is one thing I know every office needs help with so here at Out The Office we decided to give you a few pointers for that dreaded office Secret Santa.

Once again the dreaded Secret Santa is back and you can already hear all those office workers wracking their brains to find that perfect gift which will prove to be the best in town. If you are currently struggling to get any inspiration like many others then we have come up with some tips of what NOT to buy your co-workers.

Chocolate Body Paint – This is well renowned as the gift of choice by the office perv every year since 1994. It’s not funny, nobody likes it and it is tacky.

The Over-budget Item – Trying to hard is not great and spending too much money does not make you look great – maybe your getting your fair share of that salary cake.

The Cheap Option – The complete opposite, this person is bitter about their low wages – only allowed if they get the boss!

The Freebie – We all get free stuff all the time, it has been sitting on your desk for 6 months, re-gifting this is not the one, it really does take the biscuit.

The Thoughtless gift – being unimaginative and ignoring all the fun of Christmas by popping to the local shop and getting a voucher – bore off!

The Subtle Hint – my mother always told me that if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all, even if said with a present so freshening body spray or weight loss manual is a big no-no.

The Insult – Clothing is probably not a safe bet, guessing someone’s size is a recipe for disaster.

The Funny Present – Unless you really know them then don’t get that funny gift, hair dye, anti-wrinkle cream just may not be funny in their eyes.

The last minute gift – You really need to put some thought into these presents and there is no excuse for just grabbing something out of the stationary cupboard.

The Christmas Gift – I know it’s Christmas and it is Secret Santa but normally these gifts are given out so late then it just gets wasted and can only use it for a week or so.

All of us here at Out The Office say get organized now and Have a HAPPY CHRISTMAS!