How To Increase Employee Satisfaction?

An employee’s job satisfaction is the result of a combination of factors including financial remuneration, being part of a positive working environment with productive working relationships and the opportunity to grow and develop. It’s likely that if one or more of these factors is disrupted for an extended period of time, then an employee will look to change jobs.

How can you ensure employees are satisfied in their current role?

Provide a positive working environment

Research reveals that employees spend 92,120 hours of their lives in the workplace so it is crucial that companies optimise their working conditions, so invest good technology that allows employees to complete tasks. It’s also worth provide benefits such as discounted gym memberships and flexible working. Tech giants are great role models when it comes setting a good example of creating a positive working environment, as they offer a number of benefits such as competitive salaries. It’s important to create an open and honest working environment where employees can discuss the positives and negatives.

Reward and recognition

It goes without saying that financial rewards significantly impact job satisfaction levels. Input a process to evaluate employee performance and provide salary increases to top performers. Opportunities to earn special incentives, such as bonuses, extra paid time off or vacations, also bring excitement and higher job satisfaction to the workplace. Employers can demonstrate recognition without offering a monetary reward as personal recognition from a superior can be a powerful tool in building morale and motivation.

Involve and increase employee engagement

Disengaged staff can have a serious negative effect on productivity. More than one in four professionals we surveyed said their company is not effective in keeping workers motivated. To keep employees engaged, you should share company information, define their expectation, be consistent and set a good example from the top.

Develop the skills and potential of your workforce

Employees will be more satisfied with their current role if they have a clear path marked out for career progression, according to new research by New Chapter Consulting. Alongside this, offer new recruits the opportunity to grow their skill set through new courses and educational opportunities and openly discuss advancing skills with employees in reviews and appraisals.

Evaluate and measure job satisfaction

Measuring the satisfaction of customers in the workplace is common practice, but how often do your measure employees’ satisfaction? The measurement of staff experience should be taken more seriously in business as high employee satisfaction drives loyalty, which encourages value, adding to customer satisfaction which promotes customer loyalty, increases investment and therefore top line profitability. In essence, job satisfaction is the first element of the service profit chain and companies must recognise this.

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10 Ways to Improve Your Leadership Skills at Work!

Every team needs a fearless leader to help them grow and to push them to be the best that they can be. But starting a business and leading a group of people require very different skills. Being a leader in your company means everything from keeping your employees happy, to making sure that everyone is doing their part, to sometimes having to deal with difficult situations. Become an effective business leader and inspire your team with these tops tips:

1) Have a clear vision

Your job as a leader is to define the goals and vision for your company and to communicate that vision with your team. Providing them with a clear path to follow makes working together for a common goal all that much easier. If you all have the same vision, you will all work hard to see that vision come to fruition. Explain to them in detail how this vision will not only benefit the company, but as a result how it will benefit them. Transparency is key here.

2) Show you’re passionate

Show you care and your employees will care too. Having a genuine passion for the projects that you work on will not only get your employees motivated, but your excitement will rub off on others. Show employees that you appreciate their input, and show your enthusiasm. There’s nothing worse than a boss who doesn’t care.

3) Walk the walk

Be a role model for your employees by SHOWING rather than TELLING. The best leaders lead by example. Want your employees to follow process? Start by following it yourself. Your team will admire someone who works by example and will likely emulate your behavior. Show the qualities that you would like to see in your employees.

4) Make concrete plans

Companies need direction, without a clear goal it’s difficult for anyone to get there. Make concrete plans for the future and map out how your team can help you get there with realistic timelines.

5) Remember that it’s not about you

Being a leader is not about being in charge, looking the best or being right. It’s about building up your team and motivating them to work to the best of their ability for the sake of your company. Remember that you are all on the same team and that you are playing a role in that team.

6) Stay positive

This may be difficult when everything seems to be going wrong, but a negative leader only spells disaster for the rest of the office. Showing apathy or negativity will only lead your employees to feeling the same way. By keeping positive about situations, you are reassuring your team while keeping them motivated to push through. People are also naturally attracted to positive attitudes.

7) Improve your communication skills

One thing to remember is that communication is a two-way stream. While being able to communicate your vision and goal is important, be sure to also pick up on any queues that others may be giving off. Listen to your employees when they have complaints, opinions or ideas and you will go far. Strive to continuously improve your communication skills.

8) Admit your weaknesses

The best leader isn’t someone who has all the answers, nor is it someone who never makes mistakes. A good leader is someone who identifies his or her weaknesses and utilises the team around them to learn and grow. Be humble and don’t presume that your opinion is always the right opinion. Trust others and watch your company blossom.

9) Keep on learning

The professional world changes constantly. Never remain complacent. Keep pushing yourself to improve and learn more about your industry to become a better leader. Stay open to everyone’s ways of thinking. Someone may have a better way of doing things than you do.

10) Think critically

Being a critical thinker is key to being a good leader. While staying open to everyone’s ideas helps your company to innovate and grow, being able to spot a good idea from a bad one is even more important. Look at projects critically, identify any potential problems that may lie ahead and find a way around them. Ask as many questions as possible to ensure that your idea is airtight.

http://www.vira.co.uk/

Benefits of Working in the Hospitality Industry

It’s safe to say that you’re considering beginning a career in the hospitality industry. Provided that this is true, you can congratulate yourself for making an extremely wise decision.

In spite of the fact that it takes diligent work to get into this field and succeed, there are is a considerable measure of incredible things that accompany going into this industry. How about we take a gander at six particular advantages to see precisely why a career in hospitality is so attractive:

Amazing Opportunities

On the chance that you love variety, you'll additionally cherish the way that working in hospitality is never dull. Regardless of whether it's another challenge or the chance to go to better & much greater places, this kind of spice makes it simple to get up in the morning and motivate for making the journey into work for the day.

Appreciation

There are a lot of occupations that include for the most part, difficult & thankless work. While society couldn't work without individuals willing to carry out these jobs, that doesn't mean those people feel any kind of appreciation on a regular basis.
The good thing about hospitality is that you won't need to be placed in this kind of position. Rather, patrons will remind you consistently of just how thankful they are, for what you do for them. Knowing that you’ve just made someone else’s day is a feeling that really never gets old!

Meritocracy

One reason many individuals aren't interested in working in particular professional workplaces is on account of them realising that the main way they'll have the capacity to climb up, is by playing steady political games. If you're the sort of individual who likes the nature of your work to represent itself, you'll be exceptionally fond of how the hospitality industry works.
People will see when you take initiative and follow through. Those with a go-getter attitude will soon find that the sky is the limit in terms of where your career could go.

Lots of Perks

Despite the fact that this isn't the greatest driver of the vast majority's bliss and fulfilment within their hospitality occupations. It's still important.
As you may have guessed, being in a position that is about guaranteeing other's satisfaction means that you will get the chance to harvest a lot of advantages too.

Exercise Creativity

Artists and authors aren't the only people who get the opportunity to appreciate innovative & creative work. Since there are constantly challenges & difficulties that you will encounter within hospitality, you'll generally have the capacity to put both your creative and critical thinking to great use.

http://www.vira.co.uk

How To Decide When To Apply For UK Permanent Residency?

Getting “Indefinite Leave to Remain” as an immigration status is a significant achievement for people wishing to stay in the UK. It is the permission to settle in the UK after you have been legally residing in the UK for a stipulated amount of time. Your right to apply for settlement will depend on your current immigration category.

You must meet all the criteria of the Immigration Rules at the time of making your application. Please note that the Immigration Rules are subjected to change. ILR applicants who want to settle in the UK are required to show that they have an adequate knowledge of the English language as well as living in the UK.

ILR is the right to live in the UK indefinitely, with no time restrictions or limits on business activity, employment or study.

An application for ILR (Indefinite leave to remain) must be submitted to the UK Border Agency prior to an applicant's permission expiring. We also have a number of fast track slots available to guide clients with the same day service for which an application fee is required.

Indefinite Leave to Remain is also one of the qualifying criteria that must be met if the person wants to become a British Citizen (naturalization). The visa criteria depends upon the application. The more common applications for ILR are:

- Employment (Tier1 General, Tier2, Work Permit)

- Self-Employment (HSMP, Tier1 General)

- Long Stay

- Marriage, Civil Partnership or Unmarried Partners.

- Ancestry - Some kind of Investment (Tier1 Investor)

- UK Business Activity (Tier1 Entrepreneur)

Indefinite Leave to Remain can also be considered on the basis of time spent in the UK in one of the following immigration categories:

- Writer, composer or artist

- Self-employed lawyer

- Businessperson

- Parent, grandparent of other dependant relative over the age of 18

- Victim(s) of domestic violence

- Retired person of independent means

- Sole representative of an overseas firm

- Bereaved partners

- Turkish nationals applying under the EC association agreements

- Refugee - Discretionary leave to remain

- Humanitarian protection

- Exceptional leave to remain

- Leave outside of the Immigration Rules

Employment which does not require a work permit:

- Minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order

- Representative of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organization

- Private servant in a diplomatic household

- Overseas government employee

- Member of the operational ground staff of an overseas-owned airline

- Domestic worker in a private household

While filling an application for any of the above categories, the applicant must meet all the stipulated criteria which may also include providing documents of employment activity in the UK during their stay.

ILR applicants are required to show that they do not have any convictions and are law abiding individuals. Applicants or dependants who fail to meet this criteria will most likely be rejected. A conviction becomes 'spent' after a specified rehabilitation period. This time depends on the conviction that is applicable and the duration of incarceration imposed by the authorities.

If you wish to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, it is advisable that you seek specialized professional advice beforehand to ensure that your case meets the necessary governmental criteria. An expert legal advisor with deep domain experience is best suited to guide you through the entire procedure.

For a consultation regarding Indefinite Leave to Remain and to correctly ascertain your eligibility for ILR please email: rubina@vira.co.uk

USA Internship Program by Vira International

“I’m already starting to gain great insights as to how the Hospitality industry works”

“Fantastic opportunities, lots of encouragement & superb guidance”

An internship helps tremendously in fast tracking your career growth. It has a great deal to offer and reaping its benefits will bring you substantially closer to perfecting your social and work related skills. In a nutshell, this is what our J1 USA internship program offers aspiring hoteliers.

Experiencing a cross-border work ethic and environment is truly a unique experience. It is not only about being in another country or meeting new people but primarily focuses on what you learn, how you adapt to new cultures and assimilate knowledge, new cuisines, new social customs, new languages and last but not least, enhances your creativity. The USA internship program is a once in a lifetime opportunity for talented students and graduates to experience the best that the world of hospitality has to offer!

Focusing on these advantages, we encourage and support Hospitality institutions in India, the UK & EU to participate in our J1 USA internship program.

Simple Steps to participate in our J1 USA program:

Valid for all hospitality institutions and participants in India, the UK & the EU.

The concerned institution or candidate requires to provide us with the following participant documents:

• A comprehensive resume accompanied by a recent photograph of the candidate (in word format only)
• Cover letter
• Reference letters from previous employers (at least 2)
• Degree or diploma certificates
• Mark sheets
• Passport pages (first and last)
• Certificate of proficiency in the English language (IELTS, TOEFL, SLEP, TOEIC etc.) In the event a candidate does not have this certification, s/he will be required to take a free English assessment test accessible on www.testpodium.com and thereafter forward the results to Vira International.

Once we have received all the applications, an internal candidate evaluation is conducted. Thereafter, details of suitable candidates are forward to our partner hotels in the USA. After the short listing process is completed we will notify the colleges and participants in order to coordinate telephone or Skype interviews. Upon selection, we will share the offer letter, formal job description and details of your remuneration package as well as benefits information received from the future employer.  

This entire process may take between 4-12 weeks, depending upon the job requirements and candidates profile.

For all information and queries, please reach out to us via e-mail at lorraine@virainternational.com

You may also email your referral names with contact details or send your CV to: anjum@vira.co.uk or lorraine@virainternational.com

For additional information please visit our website: www.vira.co.uk

BECOMING A CHEF? FINDING THE RIGHT CHEF JOBS IN THE UK

The usual notion of a Chef is a cook with white hat and apron mainly found inside a restaurant or in the hotel’s kitchen. It’s actually right, but this person is a highly trained culinary professional when it comes to menu planning, cooking, food preparation and presentation as well as being in charge of the complete kitchen. These are just a few of the basic responsibilities of being a chef. In reality, it is a broad career path because in the long run once can shift from being a head chef to a restaurant owner, a culinary administrator or educator and the lists goes on and on.

Skills and Qualities to become a Chef

Being a chef is not that easy. One must have the passion for cooking and a love for food. Basically these are the dynamic duo in an individual’s drive to becoming a successful chef. Aside from these traits, an individual must also possess the following:

1. Excellent leadership and communication skills
2. Team Player
3. Multitasking capability
4. Creative and Imaginative
5. Superior standards when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness
6. Great organizational skills

Steps to becoming a Chef

Having an educational degree is not always a prerequisite to becoming a chef. Many a good chef  have excelled by ‘learning by doing’. Simply possessing a good standard education such as a good command of the English language and basic Math skills are great building blocks in pursuing a culinary career path. The following steps will guide you accordingly:

• Acquiring a kitchen job in the hotel or restaurant

Having the basic know-how on how the kitchen in a restaurant or hotel works or operates is really important to become a chef.  In the beginning, this may involve washing dishes, throwing garbage and basically doing the ‘dirty’ kitchen chores. However, what’s important is getting ample experience by interacting with professional chefs in the kitchen, because you will be able to learn new cooking methods and tricks of the trade. Because the world of cuisine is continuously evolving and being up to date is essential.

• Obtaining a High School Diploma

Before enrolling in a culinary school or even an apprenticeship, it is an essential for you to have high school diploma. A fair comprehension of the English language and basic Math will help you go along the way.

• Getting a Formal Education at a Culinary School

There are different program offers for one to achieve their dream or of being a chef de cuisine. The course duration is between one and four years. The certification can be an associate or bachelor’s degree or a diploma. Though it’s not a necessity, it will definitely give you the edge in your field especially if your aiming for a senior culinary position with great responsibilities.

• Gaining Valuable Experience

After studying or completing a formal education at a culinary school, it is necessary to put theory into practice. Training and working under a qualified professional chef will surely hone your skills and knowledge. This opportunity will also widen your professional network.

• Certification

Obtaining certification or proof of specialization isn’t really required, although it’s always an advantage and provides fillip to career advancement and better remuneration.


Different Culinary Chef Titles

1. Sous Chef is the head chef’s assistant in the kitchen
2. Chef de Partie is the chef who supervises a specific area of production
3. Executive Chef/Head Chef/Chef de Cuisine is the individual who manages all the kitchen activities related to the kitchen such as menu planning, food quality, cost, presentation, kitchen inventory and managing culinary staff.
4. Commis chef is also known as chef in training or basically a trainee in the kitchen. The Commis works under the supervision of a Chef de Partie, to learn each production area in the kitchen.

All kitchens have a traditional Brigade system. The Brigade also consists of Chef’s who specialize in a certain production process or cuisine. A few titles are, Chef de Patisserie, Chef de Garde Manger, Saucier, Chef de Poisson etc.

Work Opportunities

In our ever changing, hectic world there is an increasing tendency towards formal eating out as well as enjoying a relaxed meal at a Café or Bistro. Recent studies have revealed that there is a huge lack of skilled chefs in the UK.  Once you are a qualified chef you can enjoy working across a broad spectrum of hospitality establishments like hotels, restaurants, cafés, wine bars as well as in education.

Remember if you love food and have the passion for cooking, pursue your dream of becoming a Chef!

For more information on Internship, job recruitment and advice feel free to visit our website at www.vira.co.uk

Indefinite Leave to Remain in UK

Indefinite Leave to Remain status (ILR) also known as Permanent Residency or (PR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold the right to stay in the United Kingdom (UK), but who has been issued a temporary visa with a time limit to reside and have the permission to work or study with certain restrictions. Persons who have legally stayed in the UK can apply for PR, once they have completed the qualifying period. This status although termed Permanent Residency lapses if the holder has stayed outside the United Kingdom for a continuous period of more than two years.

Process
Categories qualifying for UK PR, having stayed in the UK for a specific period of time, usually 5 years, may apply for an ILR which entitles them to live in UK as long as they wish and eventually even apply for naturalization. The processing time and requirements for the ILR vary depending on the visa class that an applicant has immiditly prior to their application.
Visa Class
Below is a table for the visa status/class with the corresponding required length of stay in the United Kingdom as one of the requirements to qualify for an ILR application.
  

Current Visa Status/ Class	Required Years of Stay
Marriage	5
Unmarried Partner	5
EEA Family Permit	5
Ancestry	5
Work Permit	5
HSMP (closed)	5
People establishing business	5
Investors	5
Writers, Composers, Artists	5
Legal stay on any basis	10
Illegal stay on any basis	14

                                                                
Language and Awareness Requirements

Aside from the visa class, in order to be eligible ILR applicants require proficiency in the English language as well as have knowledge of living in the United Kingdom. Applicants who are under 18 years of age or above 65 are exempted from this requirement.

Cost of Indefinite Leave to Remain Application

Effective the 6^th of April 2016, the application fees have been raised from £1500 to £1875 per person. Dependents also pay the same fees. The premium application fee (meaning there is an in-person appointment) has been raised from £1900 to £2375.


Advantages of having an Indefinite Leave to Remain status

Being an ILR status holder, an individual enjoys the following advantages:

• Acquisition of British Citizenship not only for themselves but also for their children, if applicable under certain conditions and requirements.

• The holder will also have the right to access public funds. Unlike those of the Limited to Remain (LTR) visa in the United Kingdom, the wording” no recourse to public funds” is not written in an ILR holders’ visa. As a result they are able to claim job seekers allowances and other benefits which are usually available only to British, EU and EEA citizens.

• Have the advantage of paying the same tuition fees as those of British, EU and EEA citizens (also known as Home Student Status) whilst studying at institutions of higher education in the UK, as opposed to paying substantially higher tuition fees like International Students with a LTR.

• ILR citizens are UK residents and enjoy the right to vote and stand for election to a public office.

Conditions of Indefinite Leave to Remain

An important reminder: Once an individual has been granted an ILR, ensure that you do not spend 2 years or more outside the United Kingdom, as this can lead to the ILR being revoked. In order to surmount this challenge, migrants are eligible to apply for British Citizenship after 1 year as a permanent resident or after 1 year of being granted an ILR status.

Vira International provides end to end immigration services for ILR application. Our service starts from the initial phone or email enquiry right until your visa approval. For further information please email amita@vira.co.uk or rubina@vira.co.uk