Raymonds Offers New Work from Home in Style and Comfort Outfits

 As we witness couches, dining tables, bedrooms transform into work spaces, and log on to video conferencing for our daily professional interactions, what we wear during the work hours has also become essential.

The right outfit is not only comfortable, but also helps us don a professional look, creating a formidable impression and setting the right mental state to get down to business. With this in mind, Raymond brands including Park Avenue, ColorPlus, Parx, and Ethnix have launched exclusive Work-from-Home collections, to keep you ready to handle every work situation from home.

“Working all day from home is new for most us, and it is very crucial that we don the right attire during work hours not only to look sharp but also feel comfortable wearing them all day. Our work-from-home collection has been designed specifically keeping the needs of the new-age professionals in mind, as it weaves together styling with comfort.”, says Mr. Suman Saha, COO, Group Apparel.

Chic cotton shirts are wardrobe staples - especially in case of work-from-home, for those sales pitches you want to nail or the team meetings you want to shine in. The Prime Shirts Collection from Park Avenue with 100% cotton shirts is the perfect choice to get that pro look along with the comfort to wear it all day long. But getting the perfect fit in trousers can get tricky in times like these when staying home might have taken a toll on one’s size. Countering this problem effortlessly is the Auto-fit Trouser Collection by Park Avenue. As the name suggests, these trousers auto adjust your size gain or loss, making them more comfortable and long lasting.

It is also essential to stay refreshed all day long while working from home. The more refreshed you feel, the more productive you will be. Delivering this freshness and unmatched comfort with it’s sweat-proof attribute is the Cool Max Collection by ColorPlus, that includes shirts and tees.

Some days you might prefer something more relaxed, but still want a professional edge to your look. The colorful Polo Collection from ColorPlus, and Cool T-shirts from Parx and Park Avenue bring just that to the table – basic, yet amazingly comfortable, trendy and perfect for work. Pair these with the trendy Chinos from ColorPlus, Parx and Park Avenue, and you have added the perfect new-age work-from-home staples to your wardrobe.

Variety is absolutely needed, not only in life experiences but also in clothing. Adding variation from the western attire is Ethnix, with a range of classy kurtas, in subtle colors for the desi look, and all-day comfort.  

As long as this lockdown extends or even after, these comfortable, trendy and functional outfits are sure to turn heads and keep your productivity always on high. Now is definitely the time to upgrade your wardrobe with the Work-from-home collections by these Raymond brands, giving you an assurity on quality and style, as well as flexibility in pricing. Suiting your pocket, you can cruise through a range of outfits, starting from just Rs. 699. Check them out on myraymond.com.

66% of Active Job Seekers will Increase their Time Spent on Job Search: LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced the findings of the seventh edition of the Workforce Confidence Index, a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce. Based on the survey responses of 1,303 professionals in India, findings from June 15-28 reveal India’s rising optimism towards job security as businesses slowly reopened last month.

The seventh edition of the Workforce Confidence Index shows a modest increase in India’s overall workforce confidence, which reflects in this fortnight’s composite score of +50 (up from +48 in June 1-14). This growing confidence comes at a time when the economy continues to reboot, thus sparking hiring prospects across varied industries such as ecommerce, IT services, insurance and gaming. In fact, the economic repercussions of the pandemic have also urged businesses to innovate their offerings to lead through change, thereby stimulating job creation across sectors. Backing this up, Arvind Mediratta, MD & CEO of Metro Cash & Carry India says, “There is going to be a lot of demand for new products and services which, maybe, we’re not even able to envisage right now.”

Active job seekers confident about career progression as economy reboots

The lifting of the lockdown in several states and the continued adversities caused by COVID-19 have instituted a new set of workforce demands, thus creating new economic opportunities across the country’s industrial landscape. This uptick in hiring has fuelled the confidence of active job seekers towards career progression as findings show that about 2 in 3 professionals will increase their time spent searching for (66%) and applying to (64%) jobs in the next 2 weeks. Findings also highlight the active job seekers’ clear intent to upskill today for a safer tomorrow as 68% say they will increase their time spent on online learning to harbor long-term job security and career progression.

Decision makers more confident about job security than junior workers

To understand how this optimism towards job security differs across seniority levels, the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index also captured responses from professionals with varied work experience levels. Findings state that decision makers appear to be more confident about their job security when compared to their junior workers. Only 1 in 4 senior professionals said they would increase their time spent on searching for jobs in comparison to almost half (45%) of the junior workforce. Further reinforcing the confidence of senior executives towards job security, findings showed that only 16% of Director+ professionals (decision makers) would increase the number of jobs they apply to, when compared to 48% of the junior workforce.

Commenting on this growing optimism, HR expert Prabir Jha explains why India’s rising hope towards job security comes with slight trepidation - “It must be understood that retaining a job in the present times is in itself a strong confidence booster. Many people are also willing to take up to 50% cut in their salaries for an assured job. This means that whoever retains a job today, clearly knows that his/her role matters to the organization even in the new reality.”

He also added, “More experienced workers may have savings to support them in the long run,” to explain why senior professionals are not as inclined towards increasing their time spent on searching for jobs.

Job-seekers can signal that they are #OpenToWork, with LinkedIn’s new feature

To help job seekers land a job in an uncertain environment, LinkedIn is providing free tools and resources for effective job search and placement. One such profile feature that was recently launched is #OpenToWork, which helps job seekers maximize their visibility on the LinkedIn platform. The feature, which frames the profile picture on LinkedIn, helps members signal to recruiters that they are immediately available to take up in-market opportunities. The feature also helps them specify the types of jobs they are interested in, and what their preferred start date and location is. So far, more than 30 million job seekers have used the #OpenToWork tool to find their next job on the platform.

Here are a few member stories that show how this tool is assisting them to connect with the right opportunities during such testing times -

●     Shilpisweta asked for advice, or opportunities from her network as she embarked on finding a new role in a LinkedIn post.

●     Yash moved back to India and decided to post on LinkedIn to find opportunities in the Social Media Management and Branded Content Strategy fields.

●     Vijay lost his job due to the COVID-19 situation and asked his LinkedIn network to refer him to new opportunities in a LinkedIn post.

●     Gopinath thanked his previous employer- Uber for the learnings in a LinkedIn post and asked his connections for leads to another exciting job opportunity.

Other free tools that help job seekers prepare for interviews and gain the right guidance include ‘Interview Prep’ and ‘Offer Help’. While ‘Offer Help’ makes it easier for our members to share that they are willing and able to extend a helping hand to their connections who are actively looking for opportunities, ‘Interview Prep’ offers free tools, including a new Microsoft-AI powered feature, to help members demonstrate their skills through effective interviewing and real-time feedback.

Avail IT education tourism in India from IBM

IBM today announced the launch of an education programme that it said would enable IT professionals and students to come to India and receive IBM certified training here.

To avail of this offer, an individual needs to register for a course from the IBM Power and IBM System Storage Curriculum, the company said in a statement.

All visa formalities, tickets and accommodation requirements are arranged and facilitated by an IBM training partner, it said.

The IT education tourism programme, slated to start next month, is a unique initiative where IBM has partnered with Stratom IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India to introduce IT education tourism as a package for global students and IT professionals.

IBM plans to target around 300 participants in India for a minimum of 30 days this year.

As part of the programme,IBM would offer a comprehensive portfolio of technical training and education services for systems designed for individuals, companies and public organisations to acquire, maintain, and optimise their IT skills, the statement added.

Agencies