by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Jan 9, 2021 | blog, Diversity & Inclusion, Mental Health, Workplace Culture
Given the recent and prolonged attention paid to social justice issues including systemic discrimination, it’s easy to understand why Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), people with disabilities, and LGBTQ employees are being encouraged to ‘be themselves’...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Dec 5, 2020 | blog, Mental Health, Workplace Culture
With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to flare around the world, it’s been said that 2020 has also brought a mental health pandemic. The disruptions in daily life, massive job losses, the doubt and uncertainty about if and when things will ever get back to normal, has...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Nov 21, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Mental Health
Since founding I/O Advisory Services, my mission has been to support the Building of Resilient Careers and Organizations. I consider resilience to be an essential ingredient for career development, and career management, and my HR services or it wouldn’t have such a...
by Alayna Miller | Nov 12, 2020 | Newsletters
A D I G I T A L N E W S L E T T E R F R O M A Message From Dr. Helen A few years ago, a friend with children older than my son said to me: when your kids are young, the days are long, but the years are short. That expression has really stayed with me and it...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Nov 7, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Recent Graduates
When you’re knee-deep in assignments, papers and exams, (not to mention all of the other experiences of college/university life!) you may not be giving a lot of thought to life after graduation. But for many recent graduates, one of the biggest regrets is “I...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Oct 24, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Workplace Culture
Is it just me, or do other people also feel awkward when reconnecting with people while physically distancing and wearing a mask? In the ‘before times’, we could sit close to someone, see their facial expressions as we communicated with them, shake hands, hug, or even...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Oct 10, 2020 | blog, Diversity & Inclusion, Hiring Staff & HR, Workplace Culture
“Hiring for fit” usually means hiring employees who are a good match for organizational culture. In other words, hiring new people who should be able to blend right in. But is “hiring for fit” really a good practice? As a Work and Business Psychologist, I...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Sep 26, 2020 | blog, Career Advice
In Part One of this series we talked about some of the challenges you could be facing if you’ve been forced into a career or job transition because of the pandemic, including the first steps you should take, what to consider when returning to work after an absence,...
by Alayna Miller | Sep 15, 2020 | Newsletters
A D I G I T A L N E W S L E T T E R F R O M A Message From Dr. Helen Most years, when September rolls around, I find myself ramping up on several levels: back-to-school for my son, starting new projects, signing new clients, etc. On the surface, all of that is...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Sep 12, 2020 | blog, Career Advice
Many of us are trying to make sense of the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and how it will impact the economy, the job market, and our careers. While some may have been considering a career or job transition before Covid-19 unexpectedly hit, for many others,...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Aug 22, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Diversity & Inclusion, Mental Health
Impostor Syndrome is a feeling of being undeserving of one’s achievements, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of incompetence, even when praised. It’s a widely recognized problem that affects 60 to 70 percent of us at some point. It is even experienced by...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Aug 8, 2020 | blog, Hiring Staff & HR
Now with Stage 3 of reopening allowing most businesses to resume operations, some employers are finding it a challenge to get everyone back into the physical workplace. Some employees are concerned about the health risks associated with working during a...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Jul 25, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Workplace Culture
One of the classic inside jokes in Ottawa is that almost everything gets discussed – and even decided – during smoke breaks. The flatterer, the apple-polisher, the butt-kisser – there are so many terms of endearment for the boss’s pet — has always experienced...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Jul 11, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Mental Health
Get ahead. Get promoted. Make more money. Aim higher. Clients often come to me to find out how to move ahead. It is rare that I counsel a client to aim for less. Every now and again I come across a situation in which not working at full capacity is a good response. ...
by Alayna Miller | Jul 7, 2020 | Newsletters
A D I G I T A L N E W S L E T T E R F R O M A Message From Dr. Helen Canada Day has just passed and I’m finding it hard to believe that we’re 100+ days into ‘pandemic limbo.’ There’s no doubt that we’ve missed some important events, including graduations,...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Jun 27, 2020 | blog, Mental Health, Workplace Culture
It’s almost Canada Day. Who would have thought we’d still be in COVID-19 limbo after 100+ days? As I reflect on the ‘before times’ I am noticing some pandemic positives, or in other words, silver linings and upsides. That’s not to say the downsides aren’t monumental....
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | Jun 13, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Diversity & Inclusion, Hiring Staff & HR, Workplace Culture
Lately, with so much attention being paid to systemic racism it is a reminder that people of colour are less represented as one climbs up the corporate ladder. This means that most Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) have experienced being passed over for...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | May 30, 2020 | blog, Career Advice, Mature Professionals , Recent Graduates
I’ve had countless corporate professionals and public servants tell me they don’t bother with networking. They say they don’t have the time since they’re so busy doing their work. Plus, they don’t see the need or the relevance of employee networking. Large...
by Dr. Helen Ofosu | May 16, 2020 | blog, Career Advice
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced most of us to adjust to unprecedented changes and constraints. There’s no doubt that several of these changes are unwelcome. Some of us are dealing with various forms of loss, something that I discussed in this previous blog post on...
by Alayna Miller | May 7, 2020 | Newsletters
A D I G I T A L N E W S L E T T E R F R O M A Message From Dr. Helen Many people are trying to limit their exposure to ongoing pandemic-related news. But it’s hard to ignore it. I saw something online about how we’re all going through a storm of sorts but we’re...
