20 Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs (As a Beginner)

Are you interested in working from home and becoming a freelance writer? Ive been a freelance writer for over four years now and I get asked a lot about where to find freelance writing jobs. And not just any gigs. Good quality freelance writing gigs. I know when I first started, I was obsessed with landing my first client. I had no clue what I was doing; I was a stay-at-home mom who decided to leap into freelance writing full-forcewell, part-time full forcefrom scratch. So, you know what I ended up doing? I stalked other freelance writers. I went to their websites, looked at where they were writing, read blog post after blog post, made a ton of mistakes along the way, but eventually found how to attract high-paying clients. But, you dont have to do that. Ive found 20 ways a beginner can land freelance writing work. And good writing work too! Ill go through each of them in detail for you today! If youre just thinking about freelance writing, bookmark this post and come back to it when youre ready to take action. 1. Start Cold Pitching Do you know cold pitching is a fabulous way to land recurring gigs? Theres much less competition and youll have a better chance at landing a gig when you contact clients directly. What is cold pitching? Its when you contact bloggers, entrepreneurs, companies, small businesses or startups and let them know how you a freelance writer can help grow their business. Yes, I know, it sounds hard (and scary) doesnt it? Especially if youre brand new to freelance writing. But, you know what? Its totally easy to do. First you need to locate businesses to cold pitch to. Maybe you noticed they dont have a blog but should. Or, on Twitter you see they are trying to grow their online presence and you think your content can help with that. Once you locate these places, all you have to do is draft up a cold pitch and send it off! In your pitch make sure to include: How you found out about them Who you are How you can help them 2. Pitch to a Job Board Ad If youre new to freelance writing and you want to find quality jobs, responding to job ads is your best bet. Its also the main way many new writers use for finding consistent work. And its something I tell my course students to do as it helps you gain confidence as a new freelance writer. A bonus to using job boards over a freelance market place like Upwork or Guru to find a writing gig, is there isnt any bidding. Entrepreneurs, small businesses, and start-ups post job ads to freelance writing job boards and you pitch to these ads. Sometimes you are asked to give your rate; other times the job ad specifies a starting rate for content. While there are paid job boards you can use, I would suggest you first start using free job boards. I was able to find my first freelance writing job writing 800-word blog posts for $100 on a free job board. Here are the job boards to start pitching to: Problogger Blogging Pro Canadian Freelance Writing (you dont need to be Canadian to apply to these jobs) All Freelance Writing Job Board Contena Check out my step-by-step guide on an insanely fast way to find freelance writing jobs using job boards. 3. Follow Tweets From Job Boards Did you know social media can be a goldmine for landing gigs? I didnt know either until it happened to me several times. Twitter is a great place to find freelance writing jobs quickly and its a great way to build relationships with potential clients. And by following certain freelance writing job boards you wont be hard-pressed trying to land a gig during a dry spell. For example, I found this tweet recently: Want to know which job boards I follow: @Write_Jobs @WhoPaysWriters @JJobs_tweets 4. Ask Friends, Family and Work Okay, this may be a no-brainer, but you never know until you ask! Before you make your leap into freelance writing, let your friends and family know. Doing this can help secure your first samples as a new writer. Your friend or family member may need you to edit their rsum or just write an ad for their flower shop. When you decide to quit your 9-5 job to do freelance writing full-time, let your work and coworkers know. They may end up being your first client and can provide you with your first testimonial! Its also important to be ready at all times for potential writing gigs in your day-to-day life. This means creating business cards that you can quickly give to friends and family. You may also end up finding another writer in your town! Ive met two freelance writers where I live and meet up with one of them regularly! 5. Use Your Website The best way to attract high-paying clients is to have a professional looking website. But, if you are just starting out, this may not be an option for you right off the bat. Maybe you have a personal blog that youve built during your spare time. You can definitely use your site to offer your freelance writing servicesin the beginning. Eventually, though, to really ramp up your business youll want to invest in a self-hosted WordPress siteand create a professional looking writer website. *Check out my super simple, techy-freestep-by-step tutorial to start a blog for your business (theres even a video to show you how to start your website). Dont think a brand spanking new writer can do this? Just take a look at my course participants websites after taking my complete freelance writing course: And if you want to get away from churning out 500 word posts for a measly $20, this is the route you go. I teach in-depth the precise pages to have on your site and the type of copy that attracts prospects in my course since I know having a strong writer website is essential to a successful business. 6. Guest Post (For Free!) What? How can writing for free pay off? The quickest answer is that when you guest post on popular sites hundreds and thousands of people will see your writing. And you can bet one of those viewers is a potential client. For me, this is how I was able to first build my portfolio and eventually land more clients. Pitching to job ads is great, but if you dont have a good set of samples especially from pieces published on other peoples sites it will be hard to land a quality client, but not impossible. I didnt have any published articles or samples when I landed my first quality writing gig, so it can happen, but its difficult. So, where do you guest post? Its up to you. You can do a quick Google search, niche + write for us and see what happens. This is the result for, parent blog + write for us Visit their guest post guidelines and pitch your post idea! And dont forget to spend a few minutes drafting your author bio. This is the best piece of copy you have to convince readers to come over to your site. I use several different author bios depending on where I am guest posting. For example, for my guest post over on Successful Blogging, I wrote: Elna Cain is a freelance writer. She writes for Blogging Wizard, PageWiz, WPKube and more. She works closely with B2C and B2B businesses providing blog writing, ghostwriting and copywriting services. Not quite sure freelance writing is for you? Why not try her totally free course, Get Paid to Write Online! 7. Network With Other Freelance Writers You know, the best thing you can do for your new freelance writing biz is to network with other writers. Remember, we are all in this together and it isnt a competition! When I first started, I reached out to a few freelance writers (that I was stalking at the time!) and asked them their opinion on a starting rate. While most said go with your gut, I was grateful for their interaction and their patience with my numerous questions. A few months later, I had freelance writers refer work to me! How amazing was that? In fact, one writer introduced me to my ideal client and I cant thank her enough! And now, when Im swamped and cant take on more freelance writing work, I offer mycourse students first dibs on potential jobs! Its a win-win when you network. So, if youve been following a freelance writer ahem, me! go ahead and reach out them. 8. Start Warm Pitching Hold up! Didnt I start this post by telling you to cold pitch and now I want you to start warm pitching. What gives? Well, to maximize your chances at landing a quality writing gig, you need to work both ends indirect and direct approaches. While cold pitching is a direct way to land work, warm pitching, on the other hand, is a more indirect and slower way. It all centers around creating relationships with brands and business. For example, when I find a business in my niche, I follow them and Like their Facebook fan page. That way I can keep an eye on them and engage with their posts when I can. So, if they tweet out a post on their blog, Ill read it and then respond in hopes of getting on a prospects radar: Over time, I will nurture this relationship and then Ill formally introduce who I am and inquire about a writing gig. 9. Say Youre For Hire How easy is this? If you have a social media profile which you should! advertise that youre for hire. It seems obvious but many new freelance writers dont state whether or not they are for hire. Prospects wont know if you have time to take on more clients so when you tell them you are for hire, it just makes it easier for them to consider you. Also, it lets other freelance writers know that you are available for writing work. Early on when I first started freelance writing, I was lucky enough to land a writing job from simply saying I was for hire. A prospect messaged me on LinkedIn and told me another writer had referred me to him. I had no clue who this writer was, so I messaged her back and asked how my name came up in their conversation. She had replied by saying my for hire signature had alerted her that I was looking for work! Presto, landed a gig! 10. Visit Local Printing and Design Companies Another great way to land consistent work is to contact your local printing and web design companies. Sure, you can go to your business district and let the local dentist or local pet shop owner know that youre a writer for hire, but this takes a lot of time out of your day. A quick way around this is to visit only web design companies and let them know theres a writer available. These businesses have a full roster of clients that need web content. This is what I did early on in my freelance writing career and its helped with finding consistent work. 11. Pitch Your Story For many print journalists and writers, when they decide to go online and freelance, they stick to writing for publications and selling their stories. While this can be extremely lucrative (for publication you can get upwards to a $1 or more per word), its highly inconsistent and it takes months to get paid. But, its still a great option for writers. All Freelance Writing has a library of publications that accept and pay for submissions. Many sites pay for your story too!Do a Google search for publication pay submission or magazine pay submission for ideas. Generally you have to cold pitch your story idea first and then pitch each additional time for subsequent stories. 12. Join Facebook Groups There is a lot of potential for writing gigs on Facebook. If you know the groups to join then you should have no problem finding consistent work. But, this approach does take time as you are building relationships with potential leads. For me, I belong to several entrepreneurial Facebook groups and I do my best to join in on the conversation. I might also throw out a question to see if there are entrepreneurs that need help and are overworked. For example, I might ask, Whats the one thing you wish was easier in your business? From here Ill take a look at peoples answers and if content is mentioned, Ill respond with a, if you ever need some writing, Im your gal! Some Facebook groups to join are: The Smart Passive Income Community The Business Lounge Mastermind Christian Entrepreneurs: Building Your Business With Purpose It never hurts to give it a try and put yourself out there! Many entrepreneurs arent aware of job boards or just dont have the time to sift through hundreds of pitches. If you put yourself out there in a Facebook group, you could very well end up with a gig that hour. 13. Ask for a Referral Okay, this way means you have to have a client already, so if you dont, then this may not be a good way for you. However, if youve landed a few clients, this would be a great time to ask for a referral. I know, it can be scary! It was for me when I first started, but then I thought, the worst they can say is no or they cant. You can email a client and ask, or use social media like I have done in the past: Using this tactic has generated me thousands of dollars in freelance writing income and when I have a spot open for another client, I always first approach my existing clients to see if they have someone in mind. And since most of my clients are quality clients, I know with confidence they will refer me to another quality client. By the way, I did end up landing that client and love writing for them. 14. Try Craigslist I know. Im sure youve seen or heard that Craigslist has low quality writing jobs and its not a place to score gigs. Well, I know for a fact Craigslist can be a well of quality clients. You just have to know what cities to look in. If you want the best gigs around, check the New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Houston and Miami sites. Businesses in big cities often have big budgets. So do a quick search in each of these cities a couple times a week and get pitching! 15. Pitch to Sites That Pay Writers Besides publications and magazines, there are hundreds of blogs that pay for your guest post. What? Why did I tell you earlier to guest post for free when you can get paid to guest post? Landing a paid guest spot is a bit more challenging than landing a free guest spot. So, while youre building your portfolio with guest posts, you can also pitch to job ads and paid guest blogs to earn some cash. To get started, check out Sophie Lizards, 75 Blogs that Pay $50 to $2,000 a Post by signing up to her newsletter. You can also go on Pinterest or search in Google for blogs that pay for guest posts. Personally, I never used this approach only because its a one-off gig. You write the piece, pitch, wait to see if its approved, then get paid a few weeks later. Then you do it all over again. Id rather pitch to guest posts for free while pitching to job boards and landing recurring gigs for more consistent pay. 16. LinkedIn Jobs Did you know LinkedIn has a job board? I never did until recently. I have no idea why because I do spend a considerable amount of time networking on LinkedIn. Go to their job board and all you do is put in your job (writer) and see what pops up. From here you can decide how you want to approach these businesses use a warm pitch or a cold pitch. If you have the time to invest in building a relationship and you have clients already, I would use a warm pitch approach. But, if you are itching to land work now, go ahead and add these places to your list to cold pitch. Guess what? Theres another way you can use LinkedIn to find more freelance writing jobs? Want to know what it is? Its using your header image for your profile! Check out this video to see exactly what I mean (and subscribe to my YouTube channel when you have a chance!) 17. Use a Content Agency Okay, I dont mean any content agency. The big ones usually dont pay well and the work isnt the greatest. Instead, you want to look for smaller content agencies. For example, Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind, has a small content agency called WordCandy. Theyre in the WordPress space and are always looking for writers. The advantages to working with a small content agency is: Usually better pay Better training 1:1 support Free Course on Getting Paid to Write Online 18. Use a Freelance Writer Directory Did you know these exist? They do! Well I only know of one but its a good one and you never know right? The point is, when youre just starting out as a freelance writer, you need to put yourself out there. So by guest posting, pitching, being on social media and in directories, you are everywhere at all times. This increases your chances of a prospect finding you and hiring you! Jennifer Mattern of All Freelance Writing has a directory of freelance writers for hire. When you pay $15 you can post your profile with your headshot. Heres Alicia Rades profile: This might be worth a shot for you so give it a try! 19. Reddit Reddit is another social media site where you can find potential writing gigs and post that you are a writer looking for gigs. And dont think youll only find low-paying gigs on Reddit. I recently saw this on their subreddit /r/HireAWriter. Other subreddits to pay attention to: /r/ForHire a place for companies and entrepreneurs who are hiring. This isnt specific to freelance writing so youll have to sort through the postings. You can also advertise your services in this subreddit. /r/WritingOpportunities is where you can find publications that pay writers for submissions. 20. Wow Your Clients and Make More Money! Ive talked a lot on my blog (and over on FreelancerFAQs) about wowing your clients. If you can free up time for your clients or make them more money with your content, youll probably make more money too. How? Well, one of my clients asked me to write for several of his other blogs not because I produce the best content, but because I also format my content for easy uploading and readability, I provide the most up-to-date stats and facts in my posts and Im easy to work with! I have clients telling me all the time that Im their go-to writer. Because of this, I dont have to pitch every day; if I wow my clients, theyll give me more projects. Get Serious About Freelance Writing I just showed you 20 legit ways to find freelance writing jobs. Not just any jobs, good paying jobs. Are you ready to take action and kick some butt? If you enjoyed this post and found it super helpful, please make sure to Pin it! 🙂 Over to you tell me which ways youre going to start finding freelance writing jobs!

Add a MySQL Column Using the Add Column Command

Add a MySQL Column Using the Add Column Command The command add column  is used to add an additional column to any given MySQL table. To do this, you must specify the column name  and type. Note:  The  add column  command is sometimes referred to as  additional column  or  new column. How to Add a MySQL Column Adding a column to an existing table is done with this syntax: alter table add column [new column name] [type]; Heres an example: alter table icecream add column flavor varchar (20) ; What this example would end up doing is adding the column flavor to the table icecream, just as it says above. It would be in the database varchar  (20) format. Know, however, that the column clause is not required. So, you could instead use add [new column name]..., like this: alter table icecream add flavor varchar (20) ; Adding a Column After an Existing Column Something you may prefer to do is add a column after a specified existing column. So, if youd like to add the column  flavor  after one called  size, you could do something like this: alter table icecream add  column flavor varchar (20) after size; Changing a Column Name on a MySQL Table You can change a columns name with the  alter table  and  change  commands. Read more about that in the How to Change a Column Name in MySQL tutorial.

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide - the Evaluation of Thei Essay

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide - the Evaluation of Their Organizational Structure - Essay Example However, in case of firms that already have a history within the market, like Ogilvy & Mather, the evaluation of their organizational structure should be based on a series of additional criteria, like the response of the firm to any turbulence occurred in the local and the international market, its readiness to confront any challenge related to the customer needs and preferences and its profitability since its establishment (at an average level). In the above context, the evaluation of Ogilvy & Mather organizational structure should be based on the views of the literature (primarily); additional criteria (like the firm’s decisions on specific issues related with the daily corporate activities could be also taken into consideration). It would be very important – in any case – to highlight the particular aspects of the organizational culture that acted as potential barriers to the implementation of strategies and plans that could help towards the improvement of the corporate performance (referring mostly to the Worldwide Client Service and the Brand Stewardship vision). In modern firms, the evaluation and analysis of organizational structure usually begin from the workplace, in terms of the distribution of roles and the performance of employees taking into account the market conditions, the needs of the customers and the level of support offered by the local government. On the other hand, it is clear that organizational structure (in all its aspects) had to be differentiated compared to the past in order to meet the needs of a modern market. towards this direction, it is suggested by Burke (1976) that within modern firms the following sectors have presented significant differentiation: ‘value shifts, expanded technology and theory, modifications in OD (organizational development) strategy, and a growing legitimization of OD (organizational development) as a field; it is argued that the development of OD has been adaptive rather than deliberate and planned’ (Burke, 1976, 22).  Ã‚  

Storify Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Storify - Essay Example Storify is a website that allows users to create a free account and it does not require users to download software. Anyone can visit it by using browser such as Chrome, Firefox and Safari on a Windows or MAC operating system. It can be found using any search engine such as Google, Bing or others. Users can also access Storify from their iPad by downloading the iPad application in the Apple iTunes App Store. Initially to access the website, users need to create an account or can log in using Facebook or Twitter. If the user chooses to log in by using Facebook or Twitter, this allows for the account to be created faster because it allows the site to have access to the same information that a Facebook or Twitter account has access to. Also when signing up using Twitter or Facebook, users are immediately prompted to be able to follow people on Storify that they already know through the other social media networks who are also Storify users. After creating the account, it is easy to instantly write stories, follow people and access other stories. Next a user can navigate the Storify homepage. The first thing users will see after creating the account is the main page of Storify. At the top of the main page of Storify, there is the search box where users can search to find media collected on Storify. This search box can always be found on the homepage or at the top of any other page on the site. At the middle of the page, users will see already featured users, featured stories, the latest stories from featured users, and the latest updates from the people users have been following. Creating a new story in Storify is also easy because it has simple interface and allows for the drag and drop option. To create a new story, click on the ‘New Story’ button. Up pops a template to start writing on to create a draft. First, users can write a title and a description for their stories story. On the left, users will find the template to start building a

Answer the questions base on a company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Answer the questions base on a company - Essay Example The evolution of strategic management can be better understood through real time systems and positioning systems. These are the basic strategic management tools used by the earlier companies. The strategic management process is the one which requires a basic conversation for turning goals and visions into act. It demands corporate culture which is intensive and adaptive. Lastly, the sense of corporate mission should be strong and should reach every corner of the organization, thus, it is touted as the destination. Answer b Ford has recently implemented various strategic management activities. Example 1 A clearly defined corporate mission statement is the first sign of the good and effective strategic firm. Though the corporate mission statement of the organization is extremely short, it is clearly explained through various sub-headings. Example 2 The company went for a lean management strategy in 2006. Ford started cutting costs, improving designs and increasing their efficiency leve ls to increase their overall brand appeal. In order to cover increasing pension costs and maintain the cash flow, the company introduced strategic operations into its management (Khan and Pillania 1510-1520). New and advanced machines took over and production increased dramatically. Example 3 Workforce diversity is another strategic management activity implemented by the firm. In terms of dealers, suppliers and employees, the organization has maintained diversity and inter-cultural infusion. This shows the adaptability of the organization and its commitment as well as ability to keep up with the pace (Alexander and Doherty 15-19). Answer c The mission statement of Ford is â€Å"One team, one plan and one goal† (â€Å"Mission and Vision†). One team represents the workforce of the car manufacturing brand. The company works together as a global and lean enterprise for leadership in automobiles as well as satisfaction of its employees, dealers, customers, suppliers, invest ors, council/union and communication. It is under a single plan that the company aims for aggressive restructuring in order to operate in a profitable manner and take control of the current demands. With one goal in mind, the organization expects to deliver growth which is profitable for all. The overall goal for the year 2014 is to create worldwide profitable growth. The company aims to cash on the changing business environment in the countries as well as markets where the company has established. Ford will be inventing research and development in order to find out the likes and changing perceptions of its target consumers. Accordingly, the company will be establishing strategies and tactics. The objective of the company for the year 2014 is to produce first class vehicles and establish itself as one of the finest and most preferred car making company across the globe (â€Å"Our Strategy†). 2. On corporate governance Corporate governance is a system created with the objectiv e of controlling and directing corporations around the globe. Answer a Three traditional roles of board of directors are: Providing continuity for the firm through setting up legal or corporate existence and representing the point of view of the organization to every interested and involved entity in the external environment. These include customers, investors, suppliers, governments, employees and communities. In order

Role of Human Resources (HR) in Organisational Effectiveness

Role of Human Resources (HR) in Organisational Effectiveness XXX is a leading International Healthcare Group with the purpose to help people lead longer, healthier and happier lives. The organisation does that by providing a broad range of healthcare services, support and advice to people throughout their lives. With no shareholders and its global presence in 190 countires, the organisation is said to be a industry leader. XXX is a 60 years old organisation providing services like Health insurance and Wellbeing, Healthcare provision, Healthcare Analytics and Care Services. The organisations vision to be world leader in the health care sector has been supported by the following objectives: Listen to its customers, act quickly and professionally. Living and Breathing organisations values monitored by HR on regular basis. Make a difference in peoples lives by offering all high quality and value added healthcare Creating diverse and mix work force of highly skilled and knowledgeable employees and invest in their development within the company via organised HR function. This report has been commissioned by the CEO of XXX. FINDINGS Forces shaping the HR agenda Our purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives and the 52,000 people we employ are at the heart of making this a reality. HR Director It is essential to have a strong and distinctive identity that clearly separates XXX from others in the field. Everyone has a part to play in this and hence thats where the HR plays a important role. Examples of External Forces that have shaped the HR agenda are Competition, Markets, Economic trends and the changing face of the Health Industry. Increasing expectations of the customers and more competitors offering similar services at lower rates, made XXX to look more further into its products and services, which resulted in hiring more talented people skilled in their sector to provide the best service to the customers and partners. To make sure that the right number of people are available and are able to effectively deliver the required results, HR department works in partnership with the management. HR provided the right environment for the people to learn, grow and develop them through Innovative Learning Approach and by recognising people for their contribution to the organisations success. By investing in its human capital, XXXs objective was to provide the best customer service through all channels to its members. HR proposed to offer its employees both an open environment and an informal culture, encouraging fresh ideas and helping employees realise their true potential. 3.2 HRs contribution to Organisational Effectiveness Creating competitive advantage through people. Group HR Management works in partnership with the Management. To reflect their different business needs, all the business units work exclusively to provide a direct, informed and tailored service to meet its unique needs. All business units individual HR heads reports to the HR Director. This is done so all the departments on its own are delivering higher levels of performance to the benefit of our customers and the bottom line. Individual HR in all these units perform common bundle of processes which impacts on organisational performance. Recruitment of talent that matches XXXs values. Leadership and management practices/ competencies Performance management Succession planning Recognition Organisational climate and workplace environment Facilitating effective change management Management development and training Career development 360 feedback tools 3.3 HRs roles and functions in management structures XXX HR Map Administration Training Departments are in each business units and have individual Change Management Teams IS HR Organisational Development HR Director HR UK Membership International HR Group HR Management Development Care Services Information Systems HR Training Development Group HR Functions Reward Recognition Business Technology Training IS Resource Management Group Resource Management Pensions Benefits HR Systems XXX One Life HR within XXX works as a strategic partner, hence plays a very important role in finance, operations and other business departments within the organisation. The main objective is to provide high returns on the businesss investment in its people. XXX does not follow any set models of HR but do closely relate with the Harvard model. It sees employees as resources. It emphasises on issues like involving people in decision making and developing an organisational culture based on trust and teamwork. It has shared goals for coordination and control and a flat structure to minimise status culture. It employs the multiple stakeholder model in which employees are seen as having interests along with other stakeholders, management, unions and government. The HR outlines four main policy areas which are Human Resource flows: HR manages the flow of people within XXXs individual business units through recruitment and selection, through the organisation by placement, appraisal and promotion and lastly through out of the organisation by termination. It also makes sure at right number of people are available at all the times according to the business needs. Reward Systems: Even though each business unit has separate Reward System in place, it serves a common purpose to attract, motivate and keep employees happy within the organisation. Employee Influence: People being the heart of the organisation, their views and concerns are given equal importance as of stakeholders and customers. Work Systems: With the ever changing business needs and the medical climate, XXX makes sure that the information and technology used within the organisation provides the best outcomes. The individual HR function currently concentrates on achieving the four Cs of the model i.e. Commitment, Congruence, Competence, Cost Effectiveness. The XXXs hr structure also somehow resembles the Ulrichs hr model as all the business units do individually have their own separate departments to deal with change, strategies and administration. 3.4 Business Ethics and Accountability XXX follows a code of professional ethics which are based on the principles that determine the way employees behave and Brand personality that describes the way employees are suppose to perceive. Brand Values : Caring, Respectful, Ethical, Enabling, Dedicated and Accountable Brand Personality : Warm Human Caring Understanding Approachable Health Care Expert Global Outlook BUPA Employee Individual Business units do have their own code of conducts in line with the group values. For example, the training and development department in all units have professional code of conduct from the Institute of Management Consultants which covers ethics as Integrity, Independence, Objectivity and Responsbility to the profession. All the core values and ethics are explained on the XXXs intranet which is available for all the employees across the organisation. It clearly mentions how employees are expected to act in relation to the various policies like Treating Customers Fairly, Health and Safety at work, Data Matters, Security Matters Policy and Data Protection Policy As a global healthcare company, XXX deals with the personal details, medical data and financial records of millions of people around the world. Protecting that information is essential is a key responsibility for all of us. XXX Chief Executive XXX as a major healthcare services provider, plays a very important role in designing and delivering medical procedures and policies. It works closely with NHS and makes sure that all the treatments offered to the members in their centres are within the medical guidelines applied by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). XXX has its media policy, Risk Management and Fraud Protection policies. XXX has its own Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Policy under which healthcare expertise is used in the way that is good for business and communities. It covers many areas including employee giving support and volunteering, community health and wellness partnerships, addressing and minimising our impact on environment and affiliations with like-minded businesses and organisations (e.g Nuffield Health Centres, Life Education, etc.). The Group HR provides support, encouragement and motivation to its employees to participate in various activities conducted to fulfil its corporate responsibility. 4.1 HRs role in strategy formulation and interpretation All organisations will at some point need to focus on the activities and actions that it will undertake to meet its long term aims and objectives. XXXs vision taking care of the lives in our hands is at the heart of all strategies that are planned and practiced within the organisation. The two main objectives helping HR to form strategies within the organisation are Management capability : Through validated processes and development, this objective is met by XXX recruiting, retaining and developing managers to meet the business challenges of today and future. It involves different strategies designed around Recruitment, Core competencies, Performance Management, Succession Planning, XXX One Life, Climate Surveys, Change Management, Management Development, Career Development, 360 feedback tools and Customisable Questionnaire. Enabling systems and processes : This objective is met by developing and maintaining a performance-oriented culture. It includes Induction and Measures of Success. Business priorities are cascaded through the different levels of the organisation through a process whereby they become increasingly more detailed and focused. They trigger departmental objectives which are translated into team objectives and in turn provide the foundation for personal objectives which are based on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound) targets that are to be met on consistent basis. These objectives are discussed, set and measured as part of the performance management plan of all employees depending on their roles and business units. XXX does not fit into any particular model of relationship between the HRM and the Business Strategies but it does work on the theories based within these models. In the best fit model (Schuler and Jackson example), employees are seen as key in the implementation of the declared organisational strategy and the HR strategy is designed to fit with this. XXXs individual departments propose strategies to be implemented via management surrounding functions, systems and processes within the department which enable the functional strategy to be achieved. This is then responded by the HR by defining the strategy to meet organisational needs. In the Resource based approach, the focus is to sustain competitive advantage through development of human capital rather than aligning human resources to current strategic goals. XXX invests in regular development of its employees within the organisation to make sure that they are updated with all the knowledge required to perform their job well and so to add value to the company. 4.2 Business and HR Strategies Each business within XXX evaluates its current position, its market and competitor environment and identifies its key strategies and plans in its annual 3 Strategic Year Plan (explained in 5.3). They work together in order to achieve common objectives of the organisation. Two of these most important objectives to be achieved in XXX are Cost Control : To utilise the resources in the most productive and effective way. To recruit and retain effective and skilled staff More training and development options to the existing employees to perform various roles Flexible working patterns according to the business needs Authorising treatments that are medically appropriate and within clinical guidelines only, leaving a small room for exceptional cases Competition : to regularly update the products and services offered within the health and care sector. To provide best customer service on levels of the business To design and offer most flexible and tailored policies to the members. HRs role in meeting these objectives has been analysed through SWOT which looks at the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external oppurtunities and threats. SWOT Analysis Strenghts : No Shareholders : this enables all the profits to be utilised to provide better customer service and products to the members. People : highly skilled and mix work force which knowledge of various sectors and products. Team of qualified health care consultants and providers. Customer-focus work culture Technology : Most advanced technology in the health care sector relating to the processes and procedures for medical treatments. Guidance on health issues online and on the phone. Operations : Working with various organisations and health groups to provide the best health care to everyone. Weeknesses : No Shareholders : If profits margins not gained, not enough money to invest back into the business People : mix work force and long-serving staff who are resistant to change. People lacking knowledge of all the departments as specialising in one specific area. Operations : because of the high turn-over of the staff, no standard operating procedures. Regular changes to keep up with the changing demands of the business. Cost-control : Staff redundancies in many business units resulting in low moral within the organisation and heavy work load on the rest of the workforce. Oppurtunities : Partnership with various organisations within the healthcare sector. As a lead health care service provider, had access to higher numbers of consultants and medically trained people Works closely with NHS, hence very influential when it comes to decisions relating medical treatments and funding for certain experimental treatments International presence to make sure private healthcare is available and provided to people around the world. Threats : Competition from other insurance providers who offer private health insurances on lower rates. Outsourcing of many business units which lacks communication and information transformation in a quick and appropriate manner. Higher medical costs which makes the premiums of the policies go higher every year. Increased customer demands to cover more experimental treatments and drugs because of globalisation. 4.3 Vertical and Horizontal Integration XXX works with NHS and other health-care providers to provide better health care services. The Vertical Integration is practiced within XXX as many of the services are offered via other providers who specialises in Travel, Home Care and Conservative treatment. This does serves the purpose to achieve the organisation to provide more treatment options to its customers which results in more appropriate and affordable policies been given to its customers. The option of been treated via NHS or Privately is always available for the customers leaving room for them to choose the most appropriate and time-saving option. The horizontal integration is defined within XXX as all the HR functions are inter-related and inter-connected to each-other. This is achieved by a business units specially looking for skilled employees in customer service, information technology, nursing and administration sector which leads to internal recruitment or resourcing, further leading to development, performance management, rewards and recognition and employee relations. 5.1 HRs role in Business Planning The Global expansion of XXX has resulted in fine-tuning of the policies and functions throughout the organisation to ensure that required support is provided to drive XXX forward. This has created a demanding and fast changing environment to work in. XXX expect high standards from every one of its team members and in return offer the opportunity to enhance their career with one of the biggest and most successful brands in private healthcare. HR being the part of the Organisation Development team within the Group functions, has a very wide role to play to achieve the organisations one common goal. It works to make sure that all business units within XXX had right level of people with right level of skills are available to effectively deliver results to its customers at all times. Introduction to flexible working hours, change in employment contracts, inter-departmental transfers to suit the business needs, more systems and procedures to work with resulted in introduction to the change management team within HR of all business units. The things that caused XXX to go through change are Challenges of growth within global market i.e increasing cost of medical treatments and more experimental treatments introduced within UK market Technological changes i.e different technologies to work with to make sure that all processes and procedures are up to date according to the changing demands of the business Customer Pressure i.e. customers looking for more options and better services at lower costs The HRs involvement in various aspects of change was identified as Restructuring the recruitment and resourcing policies Advising team managers in skills available within the organisation, career development and transfer opportunities. Assessing the impact of change in one department on another part of the organisation. Making sure that the communication is clear and consistent within all departments of all business units within the organisations. Helping its to cope with change , performance management and motivation. 5.2 Environmental Planning It is very important for XXX to scan through the environment and consider all the present and future forces affecting the direction and goals of the organisation. Environment Planning involves external factors like trends and markets and internal factors like infrastructure and personnel. The STEEPLE analysis for XXX shows all the forces affecting organisational change Social Technology Economic Environment Political Legal Ethical Lifestyle changes of the customers involved with the company Energy costs and usage Inflation rates Natural resrouces Regulations related to private healthcare Employment Laws Reputation Living conditions of its employees and customers related to the business Changes in IT new systems and processes Consumer confidence within the companys products and services Strong Environmental policy Safety regulations Consumer Protection Business Ethics Income distribution within the community New inventions and software developments Medical costs Recycling Trade policies/ globalisation Trade Unions Client Confidentiality 5.3 Measures of Effectiveness What gets measured, gets attention and gets done. Tom Peters XXX has its own business priorities. To keep them accountable and focused on their key objectives, all businesses in XXX go through an annual process of setting their major priorities for the coming year. These are agreed in annual meetings, together with the key financial targets and from the basis of what the business will be measured on the following year. This is a similar process as Performance Management in employees. The organisation has The 3 year Strategic Plan which describes the direction the Group as a whole and the individual business units will take over the next 3 years. This plan is completed every year and is an important part of XXXs strategy processes. The context of each business is then evaluated on the basis of three important management tools. The Annual Operating Plan : It sets the detailed financial targets for the year for each individual department including HR. (sets targets for sales, costs, profits, etc) The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each individual in each business units. These are set of key operational, customer, strategic and people performance metrics. The Business priorities: The change acceptance rate of all individuals within the organisation. Performances of the employees are measured with the Brand values and behaviours been achieved, delivered and maintained. These are maintained within the organisation as Performance Review, which along with the Development Plans are sent to HRs administration department.They work closely with the training and development team to provide immediate attention to key issues. This process of measuring the human capital and oraganisations data provides a clearer picture within the working culture of the organisation. So, in this way, management, training and development team and HR administration works together to manage people and policies to achieve set business objectives.

Unforgiving Rapids :: Personal Narratives Whitewater Rafting Essays

Unforgiving Rapids The unforgiving water rushes past the boat, waiting for a false move. Called a class 5, this rapid looks more like a class 6 with the water as low as it is. Six to ten foot swells come crashing down from time to time keeping the crew sharp and wet. To the right, a thousand-foot wall of stone reaches for the sky, yearning for the omnipresent. The canyon walls look as smooth as silk, yet upon contact are as coarse as sandpaper. Quartz crystals glisten in the summer sun. No storm clouds today. The skies are clear. To the left, a valley stretches into the distance, winding back and forth like a drunk driver. Weeds take over much of the bank on either side. They stretch out for miles in either direction like they are the sole owners of the canyon. It didn't used to be this way. Ten years ago you could actually see the sandy banks most of the way down the river. Now scouting is the only way to find a nice sandy beach to set up camp. Elk along the shore are a reminder of the necessity for b oiling even the cleanest water. Lawsuits loom large and safety is a priority. The speed of the water is frightening, yet exhilarating. The water's spray is cool and keeps us laughing. The captain looks anxiously about for rocks and logs. To one side, a cliff that must be four thousand feet tall looms over the raging river like an overgrown skyscraper. The canyon contrasts against the sky like black carpet in a house with white walls. Little metallic pieces of rock mirror the sun's rays and create a magical ambiance. The sky is very blue here, like the bluest water in the ocean on a clear day; not a cloud to be seen. To the other side of the river, a canyon winds into the distance like a freeway overpass. Lots of beautiful plants line the shore of the river, leaving only a few bare places where a sandy bank can be seen. Today, elk was spotted along the shore drinking from the muddy water. What a magnificent rack! It's all a great adventure. The old boat has seen better days; gray patches stick to the orange rubber of the 16 footer. Flexible yet sturdy, the boat is comfortable, like an old shoe. There are no surprises here.