3 Ways To Celebrate March Madness In The Workplace

Popular 3 Ways To Celebrate March Madness In The Workplace Aaron SanbornJenna ArcandMarch 26, 2024 Bigstock {"adCodes": [{"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 0, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 1, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 2, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}], "adsOrder": [2]}

Whether you work in a traditional office setting, a remote environment, or a hybrid setup, all workplaces need activities to bond over. The NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments, also known as March Madness, is a great opportunity for workplace bonding. Even if you're not a college basketball fan, March Madness can still be fun.

Both tournaments kick off in mid-March and run until the start of April, and office pools have become extremely common and popular in American workplaces. However, March Madness office pools can be somewhat of a gray area for many companies, so a lot of businesses just prohibit them altogether to be safe.

Chances are many of your employees are part of a March Madness pool outside of work, which can lead to a distracted workforce when the tournament begins. However, according to a 2019 survey from staffing and recruiting agency Robert Half, 72% of senior managers said college basketball tournament activities have a positive impact on staff morale, and more than half of survey respondents (52%) also see productivity benefits.

So, rather than dreading March Madness, here are three ways to bring the office together during the tournament.

Make An Event Out Of It

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With a batch of opening games occurring on a Friday afternoon, this lends itself to an extended lunch period or a shorter workday. This could be a great opportunity to let the workplace come together in person, or virtually, to watch some of the games.

If companies are open to virtual happy hours, why not try some virtual basketball watching?

For those not interested in the basketball games, it could be an opportunity to plan another fun activity or team-bonding exercise during the time period to make sure everyone gets a chance to make the best use of their time.

Organize A Money-Less Office Pool

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Many companies don't want to deal with the potential ramifications and drama of office pools where money is exchanged between employees. But what if you took money out of the equation?

A company could hold an office pool where the prizes are not financial but work-related. It could be for things such as an extra personal/vacation/sick day, lunch with the CEO, or a chance to choose the next company outing or charitable donation.

The options are unlimited and there are several other prizes the company could throw in. Doing the pool this way encourages some friendly competition while taking any potential gambling concerns out of the equation.

However, if your office is comfortable with money pools—game on!

Make March Madness Your Own

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Forget college basketball. Perhaps March Madness means something totally different to your company.

It could be an opportunity to do a major sales push where, if employees meet some aggressive goals, they could either earn a bonus or another type of award.

Make March Madness some type of company initiative that helps to ramp up intensity at the workplace. Employees will be so focused on their work that they won't have time to be distracted by basketball.

Companies interested in going in another direction could also use March as a month to recognize employees, push training opportunities and professional development, or focus on community service initiatives.

If you're an active job seeker, perhaps your version of March Madness is stepping up your job search!

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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march madness at work {"customDimensions": {"1":"Aaron Sanborn, Jenna Arcand","3":"career, company culture, competition, employee recognition, fun at work, how to do march madness at work, march madness, march madness at work, march madness ideas, march madness office activities, march madness office bracket, march madness office games, march madness office ideas, march madness work ideas, motivation, ncaa basketball tournaments, office march madness ideas, office pools, remote work activities, staff morale, team building, work life balance, work perks, workplace, workplace bonding, workplace bonding activities, workplace celebrations, workplace culture, work, how to celebrate march madness at work, ideas for march madness at work, march madness competition at work, coworkers, co-workers","2":"popular","4":"03/26/2024"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [0, 370480899, 479660731, 473333499], "buckets": [], "authors": [19836093, 19836096]} } Cover Letter Spring Cleaning: 4 Ways To Fix Your Job Search Aaron SanbornJenna ArcandMarch 19, 2024 Bigstock {"adCodes": [{"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 0, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 1, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 2, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}], "adsOrder": [2]}

Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.

In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.

For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.

Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach Bigstock

Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:

• How did I learn about this job?
• How did I apply for the job?
• Did I earn an interview?
• What was the ultimate result?

A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:

Negative Trends

You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.

The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.

One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.

The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.

This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.

Positive Trends

You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.

The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.

The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.

Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.

The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.

Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention Bigstock

Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.

Let's start with resumes!

Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.

The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.

Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.

While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.

As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.

If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.

Build Your Personal Brand

Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.

Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"

Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.

By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.

You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.

Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search Bigstock

Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.

There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:

• Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
• Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
• Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Read moreShow lesshow to improve job search {"customDimensions": {"1":"Aaron Sanborn, Jenna Arcand","3":"job search process, job search tips, job search strategy, job search mistakes, spring clean, spring cleaning, job search approach, job boards, proactive job search, job interview, resume, resume advice, cover letter, disruptive cover letter, networking, linkedin, personal branding, personal branding tips, personal brand, job seekers, career, job search, how to improve job search, how to improve your job search, job search advice, job search help, unemployed, resume tips, resume help, cover letter tips, cover letter advice, cover letter help, linkedin tips, linkedin advice, linkedin help, career advice, career tips, career help, good habits, interview, healthy habits","2":"cover-letter","4":"03/19/2024"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [0, 376490081, 562457120, 370480899, 376514019, 376490053, 376536198, 376491143, 376489574, 404327439, 479660731, 543270555, 473310813, 473333499], "buckets": [], "authors": [19836093, 19836096]} } Featured 3 Ways To Celebrate March Madness In The Workplace {"customDimensions": {"1":"Aaron Sanborn, Jenna Arcand","3":"career, company culture, competition, employee recognition, fun at work, how to do march madness at work, march madness, march madness at work, march madness ideas, march madness office activities, march madness office bracket, march madness office games, march madness office ideas, march madness work ideas, motivation, ncaa basketball tournaments, office march madness ideas, office pools, remote work activities, staff morale, team building, work life balance, work perks, workplace, workplace bonding, workplace bonding activities, workplace celebrations, workplace culture, work, how to celebrate march madness at work, ideas for march madness at work, march madness competition at work, coworkers, co-workers","2":"popular","4":"03/26/2024"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [0, 370480899, 479660731, 473333499], "buckets": [], "authors": [19836093, 19836096]} } Now Hiring: Remote SysOps Engineer {"customDimensions": {"1":"Spark Talk, Kinsta \u00ae","3":"kinsta, hiring, remote jobs, remote work, remote workforce, remote companies hiring, remote companies 2021, sysops engineer, sysops engineer jobs","2":"popular","4":"05/18/2021"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [370480899, 545998439, 545998440, 376489962, 526353713, 545658354, 548352055, 548352058, 543270555, 473310812, 473310813, 473333499], "buckets": [], "authors": [19548593, 21891195]} } 3 Important Career Lessons Learned On And Off The Field {"customDimensions": {"1":"Executive Community, J.T. O'Donnell","3":"career change, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, career, career challenges, overcoming career challenges, personal branding, personal development, professional development, professional growth, success, career success, pro athletes, tom brady, chris gronkowski, nfl, tiktok, social media strategy, social media, career growth","2":"popular","4":"02/10/2021"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [0, 370480899, 376489962, 526353713, 376489624, 473333499, 479660731], "buckets": [], "authors": [21030904, 19549412]} } How Ex-NFL Player, Chris Gronkowski, Is Using Social Media To Change Careers {"customDimensions": {"1":"Executive Community, J.T. O'Donnell","3":"2010, Barstool, camera phone, career growth and development, career growth opportunities, chrisgronkowski, cowboys, dallascowboys, dinner, football, free, gronkspike, iceshaker, investor, nfl, nflfootball, nflplayer, nflplayers, nflworkout, payday, rookie, salary, sharing, sharktank, tic toc, tic tok, tick tock, ticktock, tictok, tik tok, tiktok, tiktok.com, trade, trainingcamp, upload, video, video phone, weighin, youtube.com, \u0442\u0438\u043a \u0442\u043e\u043a, \u30c6\u30a3\u30c3\u30af\u30c8\u30c3\u30af, chris gronkowski","2":"popular","4":"01/29/2021"}, "post": {"split_testing": {}, "providerId": 0, "sections": [0, 370480899, 526353713, 376489624, 473333499, 479660731], "buckets": [], "authors": [21030904, 19549412]} }