The financial upside of investing in great customer service
With today’s customers wielding more and more power, businesses need to transform their customer experience and invest in technologies that improve and speed the journey. Customer service is a critical point of contact where dollars and loyalty can be easily won or lost. Organizations today must retool customer support to resolve complex customer issues end-to-end, intelligently fix problems before customers know about them, and instantly take care of common customer requests.Providing an exceptional experience is not just a way to win the hearts and minds of customers, it’s an economic imperative critical to a company’s financial success. Standardizing on a customer service management solution can help dramatically speed issue resolution time, improve agent productivity, and ultimately impact the bottom line through repeat business and customer loyalty.Register now for a LIKE.TG webinar on June 12th, featuring a guest from Forrester, and hear details from the Total Economic Impact™ commissioned study* covering how LIKE.TG customers doubled agent productivity, achieved $7.8M in Net Present Value, realized a 12-point increase in Net Promoter Score, and more, after implementing LIKE.TG Customer Service Management solution.Check out key take-aways from the study: * Business Value of LIKE.TG Customer Service Management, Total Economic Impact Study – Commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of LIKE.TG, April 2019.
The Four Phases of Employee Experience
It’s your first day at your new job and you’re feeling nervous. Will the company match your expectations? Will you get along with your coworkers and supervisors? Will you be able to find the balance between work and your personal life? All of these questions are bound to plague anyone as they start a new job. You remember how stressful it was to start at your new job. So, you must know how anyone else you hire is feeling. That’s why companies must make the employee experience as enjoyable as possible. Every interaction and every phase counts as part of the employee experience, and the more positive these experiences are, the more likely it is that you will build a strong team of employees. Finding and hiring employees is the easy part. Maintaining them and fostering close relationships is the true challenge. Why do HR managers need to focus on employee experience? You might be wondering why all of this matters anyway. After all, isn’t the main purpose of a company to make a profit? The short answer is no. If your business slogan has something to do with making sure that everyone feels welcome and included, but you don’t do anything about this for your employees, it’s completely useless. Your employees make up your organization, and their success equals your success. Your employees should be more important to the company than the clients. People spend the majority of their lives at work. If you have a full-time job, you’re spending somewhere around 40 hours per week working. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that the environment your employees are working in is one that they enjoy. No one wants to show up to work miserable every day, nor does anyone want to spend their entire working lives waiting for the weekend. Surely, there is nothing you can do about people wishing they could be sipping mimosas on the beach instead, but you can make sure that your employees are not miserable when they come to work every day. In addition, focusing on improving the employee experience is only going to benefit your company. That includes the company’s profits, too. For example, if employees are happier when they come to work, they are more likely to be productive. Your MVP strategy and outcomes will improve, too. Their positive mood is going to rub off on others, who will also feel more motivated to work and do their best. If there is positive company culture, that will be reflected in the quality of your employee’s work. Also, there will be lower turnover rates, which also have a major impact on the company’s success and profit. If a company has a high turnover rate, that could end up costing the company way more. In short, improving the employee experience and giving them the morale they need to perform their best will only enhance the overall success of the company. HR managers are among the first people that new employees will meet at the company. If employees get a positive impression of the HR manager, that will only have a positive impact on that employee’s mood, morale, and performance. When you consider all the impact this will have on employee engagement and team satisfaction, you will realize how important it is to make sure that the employee experience is as positive as possible. Major elements of employee experience The employee experience will begin right with the first LinkedIn lead generation until the day the employee resigns from their position. In short, the employee experience is the entire length of time from when the employee first finds out about the company until the day they leave. Considering how much of our lives are spent at work, companies need to make sure that this experience is as positive as possible. Let’s look at some of the biggest elements of the employee experience. Recruitment. One of the biggest ways in which companies recruit employees is through LinkedIn marketing. LinkedIn has grown vastly as a networking site where companies can advertise and search for new employees. In addition, you can make use of your company’s other social media platforms. For example, you can also check out Instagram followers' demographics to see the kind of people who are following your page and who will be most interested in working with you. Work environment. Everyone seeks to work for a company that has a positive working environment. As we have reiterated several times, people spend the majority of their lives at work. If the work environment is negative, that is going to have an impact on your employees’ moods, not to mention their productivity. So, everyone needs to understand their role in contributing to the work environment and making sure that the environment is as positive as possible. You may want to consider conducting employee surveys (anonymously) to get a better idea of how your employees feel about the company and where they think the company can improve. If your employees don’t feel happy working in this environment, the company’s leadership needs to do everything they can to change that. Moreover, consider getting the right tools and platforms that will help your employees work more productively. If, for example, your company has a customer support center, you can acquire software like Talkdesk or look for Talkdesk alternatives. The better the working environment, the better the employee’s experience will be. Benefits. Benefits remain one of the most important criteria that people have when they apply for new jobs. If people have great benefits, they will naturally have a better employee experience. Unexpected events may take place, such as a death in the family, illness, or problems at home. Therefore, companies must take all of this into consideration when they compile a package for their employees. If the company offers great benefits, employees will naturally have a better experience. Technology. Technology also plays a major role. The Internet has drastically changed how people communicate with one another. Many companies now provide their employees with the option to work remotely. Employees will want to have all the latest software to ensure that their workday is as efficient as possible. Moreover, companies have presented new tools and platforms such as image editors, email signature generators, task management software, etc. These come in handy for remote work and help make it more manageable. The better the technology, the easier it will be for them to do their jobs. For example, you can use Google Trends API to determine what trends are taking place online, which will help you optimize your work more efficiently. You can also use tools such as Google Drive and Microsoft Teams depending on the job. In short, focus on the different technologies that you provide, which will enhance employees’ experiences. Also, it may be worth considering providing employees with computers and phones depending on the kind of job they have. Many elements contribute to the employee’s experience. Essentially, everything that employees will encounter throughout the workday can make their experience better or worse. If you have great technology, for example, employees will be able to do their jobs quicker and easier. This is important to consider when you are hiring new employees and focusing on expanding. The 4 Phases of Employee Experience and How to Make it Great! ClearCompany estimated that as many as 66% of employees will try to look for a new job within only six months. Although some employees will inevitably end up leaving the company quickly, the company needs to do everything possible to hold onto its employees. The main way to do that is to improve the employees’ experience. No one’s experience when they join a new company is going to be the same. It won’t even be the same for two people in the same position. However, when companies track the experiences and changes their employees go through, it is important to consider the phases of the employee experience and how to make them better. Now, let’s take a look at the four main phases and what they consist of. 1. Onboarding and welcoming new hires Onboarding is one of the key parts of the employee experience. It’s said that first impressions matter the most, and that is certainly the case here. Around 30% of employees will leave their jobs doing the onboarding process. It is through onboarding that new hires grow accustomed to the company and learn more about how to do their job. This is also when new hires will build relationships with those around them and start to understand how they can truly contribute to the company’s success. According to Peakon, the Onboarding process will generally take between 0-3 months depending on the individual company and the new hire’s performance. Some companies may make use of a coaching platform to assist employees in the onboarding process. As part of the process of welcoming new employees, another important step is building an online community. Many employees will end up communicating with one another online, especially through platforms such as Facebook groups, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. This online community needs to be especially welcoming toward new hires so that they feel that they are truly members of the team. Here are some more important tips for making the onboarding phase more efficient. Be transparent about everything: Sometimes, employers might feel tempted to conceal some of the flaws within the company. However, you need to be transparent with your new hires about everything. For example, they need to be aware of the benefits they are eligible for, the time off they will get, and issues that they might face within the company. If you show your new hires that you are honest, this will leave a lasting impression on them. A lack of transparency is one of the biggest reasons for Kickstarter's failures. They need to be able to trust you, and providing employees with the necessary transparency will put you on the right path. Engage with your new hires even before they officially start: Generally, the time between when the new employee signs their contract and when they officially start is around two to three weeks. However, you want to make sure that you maintain engagement. You may want to reach out to the new hires and see if they have any questions or issues. Make sure to present them with all the tools and technology they’ll use for their role. For example, introduce your new sales team to your platform for management, or if you cooperate with influencers, show your new marketing employee how to use influencer platforms effectively. In addition, it is always a great idea to provide the new hires with an itinerary of what they should expect during their first week. It is also worth considering making a welcome video that you send out to all new hires. Meet with the new hires on Day 1: It’s the big day! Now, you will want to do everything to make sure that you meet with all the new hires one-on-one to make sure that they know who you are and that you’re there for them. Having a personal meeting will help your new hires to have a stronger connection instead of feeling overwhelmed with all the events and training they will have to participate in over the coming weeks. Also, you will want to present the new hires with information that will help them to learn more about the company, such as the company’s mission and history. Organize team-building events: It is equally important for new hires to get to know the other members of the team, including other newbies and those who have been with the company for a long time. This can include team lunches or icebreaker activities (these aren’t everyone’s favorite, but they do help the team members get to know each other more effectively). There should also be meetings with different teams across the company and announcements that will welcome all the new hires. Show that you are available to answer questions: If you’re the owner or supervisor, you always want your employees to feel as though they have a connection to you. This means that you should reach out to them and show real-time support if they have questions or need assistance with anything. It can be daunting to them at first, but when they realize that you are truly there for them and want to see them succeed, this will enable them to have a better relationship with you and perform better on the job. Use the right technology: With the onboarding process, you will also want to make sure that you have implemented the right technology to help the process become more streamlined. For example, when you are signing contracts, tax documents, etc., it will be more effective to have document signing software implemented to make sure that your employees have an easier time, especially if they are working remotely. To summarize, onboarding is all about fostering and developing relationships with the new hires. You want to make sure that they feel welcome and that they are part of the new team! There are plenty of activities that will enable this to happen, so it is important to evaluate this with HR depending on your company’s values and mission. The onboarding process is what will make or break your employees’ opinion of the company, and it will dictate how long the employee will end up staying with you. 2. Development and retention (engage, perform, develop) The third phase of the employee experience is known as development and retention. This is the phase employees are in after they’ve been a part of the company for two years or so. This is the more experienced phase of the cycle, and it remains until the employee decides that they want to move on from the company. In this phase, employees want to advance in their careers and are looking to advance even further. They have enough knowledge and skills to become some of the highest-ranking members of the company. Considering all of the knowledge and skills that employees have acquired to reach this phase, they must be provided with enough opportunities for growth and improvement. This is something you’re likely to do as part of your customer retention strategy as well. Otherwise, the employees are more likely to seek these opportunities elsewhere. Here are some of the most important factors to consider in this stage. Not everyone has the same goals. Not everyone in your company is going to want to move up to the same position. Not everyone wants to become a manager, not everyone wants to become a team lead, and not everyone wants to train new employees, for example. Therefore it is important to consider the fact that each individual in the company is going to have different dreams and goals. So, when you consider development, understand that each person is going to have a different journey within the company. One person may move in a completely different direction than the other, even if both of these people have been hired together for the same position. Be sure to find ways to track the changes made within the company. Tracking any new changes that take place within the company will only help you get a better idea of how effective those changes were. When you hire new employees, you can also track their performance and see how the company has changed ever since hiring them. In any case, to make the engagement and performance part of the development process even better, you should make it a point to understand how the new changes have impacted your company. Make time for learning. Even though the stage of the employee experience involves people who have had a lot more time within the company, they are not going to know everything. Your company is going to constantly change and evolve, and your employees need to be prepared for this. Moreover, if you have senior employees, make sure they are properly introduced to the new technology and software you implement. Simple tasks like using Google products (docs, sheets, etc) or using a website ranking checker need to be learned by everyone. So, make sure that your employees have enough time to learn, and make sure that they can enhance their skills no matter what stage of the employee experience they are in. Invest in your company’s management. Having proper management is what’s going to make or break your employees’ experience. For example, if you have poor managers, it is going to be much more difficult to retain employees. Do you want to make sure that all of the leaders and managers within your company have the skills necessary to promote engagement from employees? Moreover, whether you’re a clothing business or a digital marketing agency, this investment can include tools such as training and proper hiring. Understand that everyone will have a different development plan. Once again, the experience that each individual has within the company is going to be different. So, for this, you can create an individual development plan that will consider the goals of each employee and outline the skills they need to have that will help them achieve their short and long-term goals. There is quite a lot that goes into this stage. This is the stage which employees will likely spend the longest amount of time (at least, that should be the company’s goal). It is important to focus on maintaining behaviors and high satisfaction rates to ensure that the employees will constantly develop and stay with the company for as long as possible. 3. Separation All good things come to an end eventually. The same goes for your job. As much as you love your employees, they will not stay with the company forever. Some of them may want a change, others may retire, and others may have found more suitable opportunities elsewhere. This is a normal part of the employee experience and one that every company needs to make room for. This part of the process is referred to as separation, and it takes place approximately 0-3 months before the employee leaves the company. Sometimes, this happens due to nothing you’ve done, but instead, it can be a decision that was made solely by the employees. Here are some factors and important points to consider about the separation process. Phases of the process: Different companies are going to have different rules about when people will give notice of resignation. However, this is often referred to as “giving in two weeks” because the most common practice is for employees to inform the company of their decision to leave two weeks in advance. Regardless, it is generally a good idea for employees to try to inform the company earlier for the company to start the recruitment process. As soon as the employee gives the company notice of their resignation and request for payment, the HR department and the employee’s manager must handle all the tasks properly, including paperwork and freezing finances. In addition, the employee’s manager must have a plan drawn out that will explain all the different tasks that must take place during separation. Generally, the length of time that this process will take depends on the employee's level within the organization. If the employee has an entry-level position, it will be easier for the company to find a replacement and to go through the separation process. But if the employee is a higher-up or a supervisor, it can take up to 2 to 3 months. Who participates? Aside from the employees themselves, several different people will play a part in the separation process. These include the employee’s manager, the HR manager, and the separation team. The employee’s manager and the HR manager must work together to hand over the work and other tasks. The separation team’s task involves dealing with the employee’s benefits and finances. Finally, the HR manager has the task of interviewing the employee to find out the reasons why they are leaving. In essence, this entire process involves many people, and companies need to establish a clear process for separation. Make it a point to understand why people are leaving the company. This is, perhaps, the most important part of the separation process. It costs companies a significant amount of money to hire new employees and to go through the separation process in general. In addition to that, companies must handle high turnover rates and find out why employees are not satisfied. Of course, as we mentioned, sometimes the reason why employees are leaving the company has nothing to do with the company itself. Everyone wants to grow and advance in their career, and sometimes that is not possible within the current company. This is natural, and something that each company should take into consideration. However, it is also likely that the reason why the employee wants to leave the company is something that the company has done, such as not providing them with enough sick days, not giving them maternity leave, or poor treatment from the managers. That is why it is important to understand why employees are leaving so that you can fix problems as they arise without letting them get worse. And, if the employee leaving expresses dissatisfaction with the company, chances are that many of the other employees feel the same way. Ways to understand why people are leaving. Nowadays, there is a lot of software that will enable you to get a better idea of why employees are leaving the company. Exit Survey: This is, perhaps, the most popular method. An exit survey consists of questions that companies will ask the employee before they resign. The survey will consist of questions such as why the employee started searching for another job, why they are leaving, and if there is anything the current company could have done better. You can also make use of tools such as customer feedback software to understand how clients are feeling. In essence, the company needs to obtain feedback from employees through the use of such surveys. Exit Interview: This has the same premise as an exit survey, only it is conducted in person. The interview will generally take place between the employee and the HR manager. The questions will mostly be the same as those asked during an exit survey. It is important to understand that each person leaving your company deserves to have this interview. The separation process is a sad but important part of the employee experience. It takes a lot of work and tends to involve many people. However, the most important part of this phase is to understand why the employee is leaving and if there is anything the company could have done that would have changed their experience. 4. Employee data protection As you hire new employees, you will need to ask for and retain personal information like Social Security Number, medical records, bank account information, etc. During their employment, they will communicate with company partners for product roadmaps or new distribution methods. These processes require information and data exchange. To create an excellent employee experience in your company, you need to secure employee data, especially when it comes to personal and financial information. Keep records secure Start by implementing control over data by securely keeping all records. For example, paperwork and documentation need to be stored in a safe location that’s under control. For this reason, Microsoft has launched the NTFS system for storing and organizing data more efficiently. As you set up and analyze NTFS permissions, you can give access to records to certain people in your company. When it comes to electronic information, consider encryption, use passwords, and secure servers. In addition to this, you also need to keep the means and technologies under maintenance to ensure your employee data doesn’t get any virus threats. Train on cybersecurity In this age of digital innovations and technology, company staff must be aware of things such as cyberattacks. Especially when it comes to new employees, they want to get things done well and show great performance which is why they are a great target for hackers. Therefore, it is essential to integrate comprehensive cybersecurity training into the onboarding process to protect both the employees and the organization. If, for example, an employee gives out financial information via email without realizing that it’s phishing, attackers can easily access both their and company data. This is why it’s important to keep email records safe and prevent hackers from getting access to your employee data. Encourage strong passwords Since you’re welcoming new employees, you will need to provide accounts like email, company file access accounts, or maybe even LinkedIn. Most of the time, employees tend to choose passwords that are easy to remember, so that they won’t have to struggle with them. However, hackers and the bad guys on the Internet can easily ‘guess’ those credentials and get access to employee and company data. So, require your staff to set strong password credentials and change them periodically to avoid cyber attacks and ensure the data privacy of your employees. Implement proper access control Technology has developed so well that companies can now implement access control methods like biometric readers, key cards, and more to protect data. If your employee data is stored physically, you can assign specific employees and define who can get access to that area. Moreover, access control implementation helps determine who can enter and exit your company building, and access certain rooms, or employee data. If you choose to skip employee data protection, you not only create a bad experience for new workers but also damage your company’s reputation. Moreover, if you don’t prevent employee data theft on time, your company will face costs like regulation, litigation, and more. Tips for creating a great company culture No one wants to work for a company where the employers are rude and everyone seems to be in a bad mood all the time. That’s where the importance of company culture comes into play. Although it might seem like an impossible task to create a great company culture, especially in the beginning, it’s certainly feasible. But it all comes down to the attitudes of the managers. And when you create that company culture, you’ll notice a dramatic shift in productivity, morale, and engagement. Here are some of the best tips for fostering a company culture that people will fight to work in. Actively care for the wellness of your employees One of the most common complaints people have about their employers is that the employers treat them like robots. So, in short, it’s important to make sure that you recognize your employees are human. They have personal lives outside of work, and sometimes circumstances arise that will prevent your employees from performing their absolute best. Making sure that your employees get the proper rest, time off, and support will help them feel more confident and appreciated at the company. Part of caring for their wellness also refers to offering benefits, too. Use the right tools Using the right tools can drastically improve your company’s culture. Tools generally refer to the technology that is used to make the entire workday smoother. Finding the right tech products to help enhance the productivity and efficiency of your company should be one of your biggest priorities. Time management tools are among the most important considering that everyone needs to be able to allocate time efficiently. Building a strong online community also plays a huge role. Employees will often communicate with their supervisors and coworkers online, so tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams are crucial. Also, you will want to include some sort of meeting notes to make everything easier to understand. Or, you can encourage your employees to go with email signature management and customize the signature so others can understand their position. Make sure your employees feel recognized and appreciated As we’ve already established, your employees are your company’s biggest asset. Make sure they know this! No matter how small, make sure your employees know that you appreciate and value them. Even if it’s something like bringing in coffee to work on Fridays, or sharing their success through Instagram hashtags on your company page. This will certainly boost morale and make your employees happier to work for you. Listen to your employees Your employees are the ones who run the company, essentially. So, they are the first to see if there is a problem or somewhere the company can improve. You can also use technology such as employee testimonials to find out more about where the company is lacking and what it can improve upon Conclusion The employee experience is, arguably, one of the most important parts of your company. People are going to find out how you treat your employees and if word gets out that the employee experience is overall rather negative, that is going to have an impact on your company. As you outline your company, one of the first factors to consider is what you will do to make your employees have the best experience. Your company may hire thousands of employees during your tenure, but each of those employees is going to remember your company. Following this advice is going to make sure that those memories are positive ones. Author Bio: Anthony Stevens is the Content Specialist for Excel Templates, a resource for free Excel templates including calendars and charts. When not writing, he spends time building furniture and running with his dog.
The fruits of business resilience
Business disruption can happen any time, especially when you least expect it. That’s why it’s critical to have a business resilience plan in place.“We define organizational resilience as the ability to maintain performance in the face of environmental, political, social, cyber, and other disruptions,” explains LIKE.TG Chief Financial Officer Gina Mastantuono in the Workflow Quarterly Fall 2021 issue.The issue details research by LIKE.TG and ESI ThoughtLab that highlights the need for a resilience strategy in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis: Only 26% of US, 21% of Asia-Pacific, and 15% of European organizations ranked as resilience leaders, meaning they’ve taken 12 to 24 steps toward resilience maturity.The majority of organizations across regions fall in the intermediate range, having taken six to 11 steps toward resilience maturity. Clearly, there’s still a lot of work to be done.The benefits of business resilienceOrganizations are implementing measures to bolster their resilience stance to reap such benefits as: Greater revenue or sales Reduced costs and greater efficiencies Better planning and decision-making Increased customer satisfaction and retention Improved health and safety Half of the 1,080 senior business leader survey respondents are working to modernize their IT platforms and improve communications (see Figure 1). Others are focusing on resilience training and managing privacy risks. Figure 1: Top steps being taken to improve resilience and manage risks now; source: ESI ThoughtLabReturns vs. usagePart of the hesitance in fully embracing a resilience strategy is uncertain return on investment. Organizations have to weigh investments in resilience efforts against potential outcomes and realized value. For example, although more than half (55%) of organizations are reaping returns from deploying tools that help them understand resilience, only 23% have deployed such tools (see Figure 2).Similar gaps occur in other areas, the biggest of which is managing third-party risks: Half of survey respondents see the value of doing this, but only 15% have taken steps toward doing so. “What’s really needed is a high-level framework that focuses foremost on business resilience,” notes Tom Campanile, a partner at Ernst & Young, in reference to risk management. Figure 2: Top resilience steps generating value vs. % taking steps; source: ESI ThoughtLabFollow the leaderPerhaps the best approach toward a more robust resilience posture is following what resilience leaders are doing: Build resilience plans early—This makes them less costly and more effective. Design for resilience—This will enable better performance. Embrace digital technology and solutions—This will help drive resilience. Assess critical business processes—Doing so will provide insight into how risks affect them. As organizations become more resilient, their benefits increase. Having a management team that’s committed to boosting resilience is key.Take a four-question quiz to assess the resilience of your organization. Get more insights into the importance and benefits of business resilience in the Workflow Quarterly Resilience issue.To stay abreast of emerging tech and business trends, subscribe to the Workflow newsletter.
The Future of HR Tech in Software Development: Trends and Innovations
The HR landscape has undergone massive changes in the past few years. Organizations are looking to adapt and innovate throughout the Employee Lifecycle to maintain competitiveness in the business landscape. With innovative technologies like Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning, HR professionals can streamline different aspects of recruitment. Currently, a majority of businesses have integrated robust HR solutions into their operations. Such a transition to the digital realm assisted organizations in utilizing their human resources efficiently and effectively via cloud, mobile, and social media. HR tech mainly consists of advanced analytics, learning platforms, and virtual technology that advances the overall recruiting process. The following article is about the latest trends and developments in the field of HR technology that you need to pay attention to. What is HR tech? HR tech is an umbrella term that describes hardware and software solutions to automate prime tasks corporate human resource executives perform. HR tech solutions are primarily aimed at streamlining the hiring process, increasing employee morale, and enhancing digital transformation to maximize organizational performance. In 2023, the HR tech industry will evolve rapidly, particularly in key areas. A report predicts significant growth, estimated at $39.90 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 7.5%. This growth is driven by the rising demand for advanced HR technologies across industries. Harnessing the potential of tech in HR Recent HR tech trends drive significant advancements in business operations. As the HR function evolves and plays an increasingly pivotal role in many organizations, technology solutions are revolutionizing HR functions, from onboarding new employees to maintaining HR records or enhancing employer branding. In the coming years, we can anticipate the following emerging trends in human resource tech: Talent acquisition and recruitment HR managers and leaders heavily rely on technology such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for automated job posting and candidate screening. AI tools assess skills, conduct video interviews, and predict candidate fit. Employee training and deployment HR technology solutions make training and onboarding programs a breeze. Leaders use learning management systems (LMS) for interactive online training, progress monitoring, and self-learning. Virtual reality and augmented reality improve remote onboarding. Digital HR platforms save paperwork, increasing efficiency and decreasing mistakes. Performance management HR tech simplifies continuous employee performance monitoring and evaluation. It supports goal setting, progress tracking, and efficient performance reviews for HR leaders. This software enables real-time information sharing, mutual recognition, and data analysis for performance improvement. Employee engagement HR tech enhances employee engagement and fosters improved organizational communication. For example, Workmates helps the organization to revolutionize their employee engagement. With workmates, you can offer attractive rewards, make important company announcements, track multiple campaigns, and collect staff feedback via surveys. In addition to this, it lets you access real-time reports keep a tab on employee productivity. Emerging HR tech trends The human resources industry has undergone unprecedented changes over the past few years. The work habits of HR professionals have drastically changed as they have started improving their skills through a diverse workforce and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Let’s inspect the HR technology trends in detail: Hybrid work-friendly technologies In the coming years, we are definitely going to witness revolutionary changes in the traditional hiring models. The growth of a hybrid work culture post-pandemic propels this change forward. As per a source, one out of every six workers is looking forward to hybrid or freelance work, and their numbers are expected to reach $86.5 million by 2027. Here are the tech innovations that make hybrid working seamless: Time and attendance tracking systems: Hybrid work needs constant tracking of attendance and time completed by the employees. Tools such as LIKE.TG's Time Tracking module offer visibility to HR teams by enabling employees to track their timeoffs work hours, and offer real-time visibility. Collaboration and communication tools: These tools facilitate seamless communication and collaboration among in-office and hybrid settings. Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Asana, Trello, Slack, Jira, etc., are popular communication and collaboration tools. Virtual learning and development platforms: With the increase of hybrid platforms, virtual learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and Linkedin Learning enable employees to gain the necessary skills and knowledge that gives them an extra edge to their work. Mobile HR apps: Apps like LIKE.TG's employee app enable employees to access HR info, request time off, check pay stubs, and manage HR tasks by making a few taps on their smartphones. AI and Machine Learning IEEE global study anticipated that three pivotal technological transformations in the future revolve around the following key areas: Cloud computing (20%), AI and machine learning (21%), and 5G (17%). In addition, many entrepreneurs believe AI will propel innovation in the coming 5-10 years. Talking in the context of HR, AI, and ML supports recruitment professionals to streamline their tasks to achieve unparalleled levels of excellence. By harnessing the potential of AI and machine learning, enterprises stay at the forefront of innovation and give them a competitive edge in the dynamically changing landscape. Examples: AI-powered resume screening algorithms can swiftly and correctly analyze massive numbers of resumes, selecting top prospects based on preset criteria. ML algorithms can analyze previous recruiting data to predict future applicant performance, assisting HR departments in making data-driven hiring decisions. AI-powered onboarding solutions may give new recruits personalized onboarding experiences by providing appropriate resources and training materials based on their positions and skill sets. HR software development Integration of different types of software in human resource management is gradually becoming an emerging trend in the workplace. Let’s look at them individually - Human Resource Information Systems: Human Resource Information Systems offers a dedicated cloud storage to store crucial employee information such as employee benefits, history, personal details, performance records, etc. Such systems can automate payroll, streamline tasks, and leave management. Performance Management Systems: Performance Management Systems assist HR managers and teams in tracking the performance of employees, offering feedback, conducting performance evaluations, and setting crucial goals. Applicant Tracking Systems: This type of software caters to hiring and recruiting by letting the HR heads and managers track applicants, manage job profiles, and organize data of candidates. Learning Management Systems: Learning Management Systems streamline employee training and development by offering a centralized hub for creating, delivering, and tracking educational programs. They provide course creation, content management, assessment tools, and reporting capabilities. Custom Software Development: Organizations harness custom software development services to build tailor-made HR solutions. These solutions align with their core business goals, effectively providing a competitive advantage in managing human resources. Employee safety and support This trend is closely tied to employee well-being, safety, and support. During the pandemic, work-life balance and workplaces have become constant. Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment is crucial for maintaining a strong workforce, especially during labor shortages and recruitment challenges. Here are some real-life examples of employee support and safety: Employee wellness platforms: Employee wellness platforms let employees access different well-being programs and resources. Besides, they cover meditation apps, support for mental health, and employee assistance programs. Virtual health services: Virtual health solutions like telemedicine apps allow employees to access healthcare services on a remote basis. Thanks to telemedicine apps, employees can access 24*7 consultation services, get prescriptions, book tests, access medical advisory, and keep a tab on their health. Final Words The future of HR tech in software development is marked by significant innovations and trends reshaping how HR professionals operate. Integrating AI and ML, data-driven decision-making, remote work support, employee experience platforms, automation, gamification, and diversity and inclusion initiatives all contribute to a more efficient, inclusive, and engaging workplace. As technology advances, HR tech's role in software development will only become more integral, ensuring that organizations can attract, retain, and nurture the best talent in the industry. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click trough it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now
The Future of HR: Exploring Emerging Trends and Best Practices
In today's rapidly evolving workforce, it’s crucial for human resources to remain at the forefront of emerging trends and practices in order to enhance the overall employee experience. Human resources’ main responsibilities include keeping employees safe and satisfied. It’s important for this department to stay updated with the latest practices in order to continually provide the best experience for their employees. Below, we’ll be discussing not only the importance of understanding the latest trends, but how human resources can utilize these trends to best fit their organizations. Using Artificial Intelligence in HR Human resource management is an industry that’s continuously evolving and due to that there needs to be proper systems put in place to navigate those changes. When it comes to the new trends and practices that are arising in human resources, artificial intelligence is one that stands out. Artificial intelligence has been on the rise and has become more popular in recent years. Many different companies are learning how to utilize artificial intelligence and figure out how they can benefit from the different uses. In the human resource management industry, artificial intelligence can be used to help streamline processes and improve overall productivity. There are many different AI tools out there that can assist with these different tasks. Is Your Company's CultureWorking Against You? Find out how to improve your companyculture with our short quiz. Take the Quiz Utilizing AI can enhance the efficiency of the hiring process by automating candidate screening and selection. Various algorithms have the capability to assess resumes, identify the most suitable candidates, and offer valuable insights to aid recruiters in making more informed hiring choices. AI can also help in the onboarding process by decreasing the amount of time spent on training new employees through decreasing the amount of administrative work by automating the process. AI can be seen as a useful tool for assisting human resources and recruiting by adding more insight into the information that they currently have and finding the information faster. Enhancing Employee Engagement In addition to staying well-informed on the latest technology advancements, having a strong understanding of the state of current employees and their needs is just as vital. With the increasing popularity of remote work, there have been many adjustments made in order to accommodate employees to ensure that they feel well-supported and connected with the company. Remote work has posed challenges for companies, as one of the biggest issues with remote work is employee engagement. When people are working remotely, they aren’t getting as much face time with others as they normally would if they were in an office space. Due to that, it’s been up to human resources to figure out how to create and maintain that sense of culture and engagement while being in a remote space. This has led to the use of tools such as Workmates. Workmates is an employee recognition and rewards software that allows employers and employees to give recognition towards others through kind words or “kudos” which are points that can be later redeemed for different items. By introducing tools such as this into the workplace, it creates the ability for more engagement opportunities, which in turn can improve overall employee satisfaction. Other challenges that remote workers face include, having trouble unplugging from work, time management, trust, and loneliness. While remote work does have its perks, without the right balance, it can lead to these different challenges coming through. Employee engagement is essential in the workplace as it can improve the company culture and help to reduce turnover. In today’s economic climate, there have been many different obstacles that employees have faced that have impacted their future at a company. This could be through leaving their job because they feel unsatisfied with their position or pay, or it could be due to feeling undervalued and unappreciated. Depending on the circumstances, it’s important that there is a great effort to improve employee engagement, as it directly impacts the success of the company as a whole. Improving the Employee Experience In addition to employee recognition tools, implementing ways to support employees is also essential to their success in the workplace. When it comes to cultivating a great employee experience, encourage employers to have frequent conversations with employees to learn more about them and find ways to help foster their growth personally and at the company. By employers making the effort to engage with employees and have career conversations, it’ll not only motivate employees to perform better, but it’ll also give insight to the employer about what type of people their employees are. Along with having these career conversations, implementing different types of training to help educate employees on how to grow in their career and grow their skill set can help improve the employee’s value. Enhance the employee experience by fostering growth through learning initiatives. Demonstrate commitment to employees' development by offering training programs and valuable resources. By providing support and opportunities for advancement, it shows that their professional and personal growth is valuable within the organization. In addition to that, extend assistance beyond the workplace and acknowledge that employees face challenges outside of work. Offer classes that equip them with practical life skills, such as budgeting, to empower them in managing their personal finances and achieving their future aspirations. For instance, teaching them how to build credit or about the financial details of the home-buying process can help your employees reach their personal goals, which can improve their overall well-being. Considering all aspects of employees and making an effort to build personal confidence can build confidence in the workplace, allowing employees to perform to their full potential. By embracing emerging trends and best practices, organizations can find and retain exceptional employees while creating a culture that promotes productivity and success. Human resources play a crucial role in ensuring that these trends are effectively implemented, leading to a thriving and engaged workforce. Author Bio: This article is written by a marketing team member at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.
The Future of Hybrid Offices: Practical Tips for Engagement
The Technological Necessities of Hybrid Offices In order to make the digital shift to remote or hybrid work arrangements, companies had to digitize their operations to support work from home. This involved learning and applying a whole suite of digital tools such as workforce management software, project management tools, and online document management. These tools are so important for the ever-evolving hybrid models of work because they help employers manage their already hectic daily schedules. Having an organized but flexible work environment improves employee engagement. Workforce Management: Whether you have 5 or 500 employees working for you, managing a flexible work environment, especially if they are shift workers, will only be made easier using proper workforce management software. A good workforce management tool will be built for your specific industry and its solutions will thus be tailored Digital strategies to look out for: If your company requires a lot of employee onboarding for each hire, pick a workforce management tool with a self-service employee onboarding module. For teams with shift workers, look for scheduling tools that streamline communication. Project Management: Optimize your team’s workflow and keep everyone in the loop with project management platforms. Your team should have an easy way of tracking progress without having to meet face to face or hop on a video call. Digital strategies to look out for: It is much easier to manage projects with a hybrid team when everyone can see who is responsible for each task, with checklists of steps completed. This will help you keep track of project timelines and identify any common blockers in the workflow. File Management: There are many digital storage platforms available for your company to store documents and assets. The tricky part is sticking to a well-organized file management system. Even though storage platforms allow you to sort by folders that you can name and color, a lack of communication can lead to duplicating folders and files. File management still falls upon team leaders to organize. Digital strategies to look out for: Create a file management master document explaining how each department’s digital assets are organized. The most important part of having an organized file management system is ensuring that everyone understands where to put new files. This master document must be updated regularly, and everybody on the team that uses digital storage must be acquainted with it. Why Hybrid Offices Will Survive In the future, it will be common for tech companies to function with remote teams. With the rise of HR tech and employee scheduling software, managing hybrid models of work is easier than ever. However, having the option to go into a physical office space will become an HR strategy for employee engagement. Remote and flexible work has paved the path for many innovative and engaging virtual meeting spaces. As the world becomes more connected through digital spaces, the novelty will become the physical. Even a fully remote workplace may host physical events and pop-up offices to engage their employees.Here are some examples of engaging office spaces that will have workers insisting on keeping their physical workplace. We also included more affordable versions that you can try with your hybrid office since not everyone has Google’s budget. Here’s how to get your team excited to get back to the office. Change of scenery: Microsoft has an office with a treehouse so that employees can enjoy nature during their meetings. Affordable version: Engage employees with regular team socials where you walk to the park or have nature retreats. If there is enough interest, you can even organize a team gardening project. Social areas: Google campuses engage employees with areas for play and socializing, from mini-golf courses to fridges on every floor. Affordable version: Choose a day of the week to offer free breakfast or lunch to any team members that are in the office. You can also invest in table tennis or a board game nook where team members can play together. Workout at work: Apple campuses have fitness centers with gyms, changing rooms, and showers. Affordable version: Offer team members gym memberships to a fitness center near your office. Alternatively, you can have communal dumbbells and yoga mats at the office for workers to use. These office spaces are sure to make employees feel excited to come in and build upon your company culture. When onboarding new team members, you can definitely show off the many highlights of your office and employee engagement opportunities. How to make a Personable Remote Onboarding Experience Even if not every employee will be coming into the office, you can still create an inclusive, personable onboarding experience. This is an important start to remote employee engagement and establishing your company culture. Onboarding is all about getting new employees acquainted with team members, workflow, and the work environment. Personalize the experience so that even a remote onboarding experience includes elements of what team members experience in person. The easiest way is to visualize the people, space, and workflow. Update your team photos: Even though your new employee will meet everyone through video calls, face to face, it can still be hard to put so many faces to new names. Help new employees feel more confident by getting them acquainted with an updated chart of departments with photos of every team member. Pro Tip: Remind your whole team to use an updated photo of themselves as their profile picture on Slack. The same applies to their profile picture on whichever video calling platform your team uses. That way, even if cameras are off, everyone’s faces are still seen. Create an office highlights slideshow: Show off the best parts of your office, including any social areas, artworks, or memorable places. Including photos of the office can encourage remote workers to come in for any team events and reap the full experience of a hybrid office. Pro Tip: As part of the onboarding package, include photos of team socials and other events that took place in and out of the office. This can make the people that make up your team feel more personable, even for remote workers separated by a screen. Get employee quotes and feedback: An important part of onboarding in any workplace, a hybrid model or not, is to ensure team members are set up for success. It is crucial to continuously update and improve onboarding by getting feedback from new team members and their team leads. Once you implement this feedback, it adds an extra touch to your onboarding to show new members where the feedback came from. Pro Tip: Encourage new team members to ask questions. They should be given a mentor to have one-on-ones with in order to track progress and any feedback on both sides. How to Continuously Engage Remote Employees in Hybrid Offices During this pandemic, more team members have been working from home than ever before, skipping long commute times. As offices open up, a large portion of your team may continue to work remotely while others come into the office. We’ve already listed great benefits to having an in-person office space, but your remote employee engagement needs to be strong as well. Here are some ways to motivate both remote and in-person employees with workplace gamification that will improve your company culture. Leaderboards to encourage stronger performance: Leaderboards are popular with sales teams, but they can also be a remote employee engagement strategy for any team. Even for smaller teams that don’t compete with each other, you can turn different projects or tasks into points and give weekly updates on completion. Make your employees feel excited to raise their performance level even while they work from home! Alternative: Fundraising thermometers can also encourage everyone on the team to work towards a goal. Set a goal for a quarter, and once your team completes it, organize a celebration! You can consider rewarding bonuses or an all-inclusive team retreat. Annual prizes to build retention: Employees that are most likely to stay with your company are either in the first year of employment or veterans who have been employed five years or more. For everyone in between, make sure you have perks to engage remote employees and ensure they stay. A good example is company-sponsored upskilling after a year of employment. This is a win-win because you are helping your employees improve their skills, which they can then use at their job. Alternative: Free services and gifts are other great ways to make celebrating employees a part of your company culture. For example, every year, an employee may receive a present based on their seniority. An affordable idea can be a giant balloon with the number of years they’ve been at your company. You can also give practical benefits like discounts for gyms or company-sponsored trips every year. Game-like virtual environments for connection: The best way to foster creative collaboration is to get everyone in the same room, even if it’s in a virtual space. Mozilla hubs is an example of an open-source virtual environment where you can choose from a variety of game-like environments, including an office on a spaceship with different meeting rooms. Another free app is Mibo, which is created for team building and beer o’clock. This remote employee engagement platform consists of a virtual island with a stage for company announcements and a tavern for drinks. It’s the perfect place to celebrate employees of the month and other great accomplishments from your team. Alternative: Set a day a month to take suggestions from the team and try out different platforms. The future of work is rapidly changing, with new and exciting ways to connect. Your own team may know of more innovative ways to engage one another! Creating rituals is a great way to support your company culture. If you want to future-proof your workplace, technology is your friend. Artificial intelligence and automation can help you collect employee data and measure remote employee engagement. As your team spends more years in a hybrid office, you will be able to boost engagement by experimenting with different strategies. From VR meeting spaces to blended learning, the opportunities for remote employee engagement are endless. The future of hybrid offices will put people first, and you as an HR manager will be at the forefront of that. Work from home and hybrid models are here to stay! About Author: Jaqui is a content creator at Hyre, an HR tech company that specializes in employee scheduling software and temp staffing solutions. She has been published in Macleans and specializes in writing stories that humanize technology and social impact..
The future of observability is cloud-native and unified
Building modern, cloud-native applications introduces new challenges to teams and organizations. As these systems grow and scale, struggles abound: inconsistent performance monitoring experiences across siloed tools, wasteful performance management practices with duplicated efforts, and mounting frustration from colleagues and customers.Surmounting these challenges requires multiple sources of data and truly unified observability. That's been Lightstep’s vision since I co-founded the company in 2015, and it’s what we’ve continued to work toward since joining ServiceNow. To that end, I’m excited to announce that LIKE.TG plans to acquire log management company Era Software. The state of cloud-native loggingObservability is about understanding and modeling systems, communicating about expected and actual reliability, and improving the ability to deliver value to end users. I’m often asked about the role of logging in modern observability, a market that’s expected to reach $9.08 billion by 2025, according to IDC.1 It’s a good question.Logging is one of the most foundational activities for any software developer. Log data is needed, alongside tracing and metrics, to achieve cloud-native observability and respond to incidents.High-performing teams ship better software by shipping smaller changes more quickly, according to the 2022 Accelerate State of DevOps Report. This is only possible by making teams smaller and more independent. But that comes at the cost of coordination and limited visibility into the impact of changes.Cloud-native observability addresses this by unifying telemetry signals from applications and resources, allowing deep insights into system performance and behavior, even with a rapid rate of change.The push to cloud-native has increased log volumes by several orders of magnitude while simultaneously making them less useful on their own. As a result, cloud-native logging is siloed and expensive. It needs a reboot from the ground up.Empowering innovationLightstep has led the industry toward unified telemetry (combining logs, metrics, and traces) by co-creating the OpenTelemetry project in 2019. As part of LIKE.TG, we help customers seamlessly connect insights and actions across all the tools, people, and processes involved in delivering digital customer experiences — so they can innovate fast, with confidence.By innovating rapidly with precision and control, modern organizations can deliver better outcomes across all of their technology products and services to capitalize on the promise of digital transformation.The success of digital transformation is tied to unified observability, and log management is a key component of that. The Era Software acquisition allows us to pull log data into the new world of modern observability with LIKE.TG’s scale and breadth. Delivering unified observabilityBringing Era Software's expertise and technology into the Lightstep portfolio with LIKE.TG’s backing gives us a valuable lever to make sure that what’s happening in cloud-native arenas is aligned with central governance, central security, and central incident response.Many people feel log management is set apart from everything else. Lightstep’s goal is to create the most complete, unified, primary observability platform. Holistic, end-to-end visibility is needed to turn real-time insights into action. We’re putting log management, tracing, and metrics under one roof for key observability use cases.With the addition of Era Software's log management expertise and capabilities, we’re delivering on our vision to provide a unified, seamless, effective observability solution on a single platform that’s designed to scale.Find out more about Lightstep observability.1 IDC TechBrief: IT Observability for Digital Infrastructure Operations, July 2022, Doc #US49358522
The future of the workplace—predictions for 2020 and beyond
What major trends are shaping the future of the digital enterprise?LIKE.TG polled some of its leading technologists to get their take on this big question. Their insights, surprisingly, tended to revolve around a common theme: Some of the biggest tech advances and innovations for the workplace will focus on the design and delivery of employee services. Here are a few highlights. Your ultimate goal should be to incorporate transformation customer service trends to create strategies for the next two years aligned with the new customer service model. It’s also important to collaborate with your providers and partners to determine how to better achieve a truly effective customer service platform for everyone, not just customers, to have better experiences.To get a more complete picture of the new customer service model, check out ThinkJar’s publication: Customer Service 2019-2024: a Framework to Adopt the New Model of Operational Excellence for Your Service Team and hear more about what Esteban had to say on the topic in this webinar.In the Customer Service is Digitally Transforming – Series, you'll find the following posts:Part 1 - Customer service is digitally transforming—Are you ready?Part 2 - Six trends driving customer servicePart 3 - The new customer-centric customer service modelPart 4 - How to translate CSM trends to business value
The future of work in federal healthcare agencies
Unique HR challenges for federal healthcare agenciesAs a human resources specialist, you’re being challenged like never before. In addition to meeting traditional demands such as quickly and efficiently attracting, hiring, and retaining quality employees, you’re also facing new challenges, including pressure to make your workforce more efficient, modernize employee processes, and work within ever-tightening budget parameters. As if that’s not enough, sudden and unexpected issues, like the Coronavirus that’s resulting in staff working from home, are constantly changing the future of work.Federal agencies like yours also face mandates to digitally transform the workforce while at the same time delivering enhanced employee experiences. The good news is that achieving these goals may be easier than you think. In fact, as your agency becomes more digitally enabled, a nice benefit is that this naturally improves experiences for staff and the customers, patients, and beneficiaries you serve.Develop your workforce of the futureYour employees are the core of your agency. Yet even with a high-quality staff, you still need to continually attract and retain employees, especially those with in-demand skillsets, to develop your workforce of the future. Implementing digital processes can help with everything from identifying the right candidates to accelerating the onboarding process to streamlining and even eliminating repetitive tasks.This helps you and your staff spend less time waiting for paperwork and filling out redundant forms. As a result, employees such as clinicians are able to focus on what really matters—treating patients, soldiers, beneficiaries, and others who rely on your healthcare services. By shifting to a digital first strategy, your agency will be able to provide services faster and enable better outcomes.As you know, creating the future government workforce requires modern processes and having the right tools in place for all staff. Moving to a cloud-based digital platform that offers digital workflows, has interoperability to work with existing systems, and is able to access data in real time can help. This type of platform, as part of a digital transformation strategic plan, gives agencies and HR leaders the digital processes, intelligence, and insights needed to improve HR operations, performance, and experiences.According to IDC, a market research, analysis, and advisory firm specializing in information technology, government agencies anticipate savings and benefits from their digital transformation strategies. By next year, 40 percent expect increased or improved employee productivity, 33 percent expect reduced operational expenditures, and 27 percent expect business process cycle-time reductions. If your agency is not implementing a comprehensive plan for digitalization, then you’re behind other organizations and not achieving the savings and other advantages that those in both the public and private sectors are realizing.Find out more about optimizing your digital workforce of the future, along with the challenges of a digital transformation, the three pillars of transformation success, and guidance to reach your goals, with this data sheet from IDC.Drive better employee experiencesA new HR and workforce productivity software category has recently emerged—the employee experience platform. The platform gives employees a single place to access a wide range of services. This category can include solutions such as the Now Platform® that’s uniquely positioned to help improve the prospect and employee experience for federal healthcare agencies.The Now Platform provides a single layer of engagement for HR functions. Employees benefit from access to multiple systems across the agency, empowering them to manage standard HR forms and functions through automated workflows. The platform also offers pre-built HR specific integration and functionality along with a self-service portal. HR departments that use the solution have seen their number of HR cases drop by 25 percent along with a 30 percent increase in efficiency in serving cases and a 37 percent increase in HR capability.Offering digital features such as self-service allows employees to access the information they need on their own with consistency, visibility, and relevancy. The result is improved employee experiences and satisfaction.According to research, employees are dealing with a proliferation of new technologies that can make their jobs more complicated. In fact, 27 percent of workers believe they waste an entire day a week on irrelevant emails and messages. Your employees want technology that simplifies their workday, not complicates it.With the right solution, you can give your employees the critical capabilities needed to improve in their jobs and have better experiences. A new paper on the employee experience platform market can help you navigate the HR and workplace technology landscape to find out which solution is right for your agency.
The Future of Work Is Human — Only Better
From The Terminator to Ex Machina, Hollywood has a long history of portraying robots and artificial intelligence as an evil cohort with little regard for human life. But what is more alarming than a robot trying to eliminate the human race? How about one trying to take your job?In many places, the future of work is visually represented by robots, and we’re bombarded by headlines claiming it’s only a matter of time before robots take away our livelihoods. Can you imagine robots as your new office workers? Hosting conference calls, grabbing coffee and working on projects with machines programmed to do your job?Is this really the future of work? We don’t think so. For people in the workforce, automation is the anxiety-inducing buzzword of our time. And robots are the go-to trope for this anxiety. A Pew Research Center survey found that 72% of Americans are worried about a future in which intelligent machines do much of the work currently done by humans.So, what’s the reality? While research suggests that automation will impact some roles and industries more than others, it doesn’t support a scary vision of the workplace in which real jobs, with real people, no longer exist. Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends survey, for example, predicts tremendous future demand for uniquely human abilities like complex problem-solving, cognition and social skills.At LIKE.TG, we believe in making work, work better for people. Technology-driven automation and innovation is about evolving how everyone works, improving the way work gets done. We think that’s a change for the better.And the robot workforce of the future? Get real. Let’s flip that dystopian view of automation on its head. Check out how absurd this vision seems when 40 robots went to work recently in San Francisco.
The Future of Work: Are Co-working Spaces Becoming the New Normal?
“He who controls the spice controls the universe.” That’s the best-known quote from Frank Herbert’s Dune. Spice was the resource that enabled space travel, and as such, the universe couldn’t run without it. There’s something similar to spice in our world: software. Nothing runs without software. As such, if you own or run a business of any kind, you are inevitably going to have to hire and eventually onboard a remote developer. The good news is that — as you’ll find out in this article — it’s much easier to hire and onboard a remote developer than it is to control the spice. You don’t need to get high with the natives of a desert planet and lead a revolution against evil space nobility. Doing that would be rad, though. How To Hire a Remote Developer Whether it’s your first time hiring and onboarding a remote developer, or you already have several hires under your belt and are looking to sharpen the process, there are some points worth covering. For the uninitiated, know that hiring a remote developer doesn’t have to be an arcane pursuit. More often than not, the biggest issue is to know where to start. For the experienced, know that my business is all about remote recruitment, so while you can and should expect some bias, you can also bet that I’ve explored every hiring avenue and possibility. So, here’s what hiring a remote developer looks like: 1. Choose Where You Will Do Your Remote Hiring Because more people are hiring than ever and more people are looking for remote jobs than ever, there are dozens of alternatives all around the web. I will characterize the three primary ways you can look for a developer but realistically, know that there are many solutions in-between. First off, we have talent marketplaces. We usually associate these with freelancers, but nowadays, many of them focus on showcasing people looking for job opportunities. Talent Marketplaces essentially curate jobseeker profiles and surface the selection that better fits your criteria. The level of curation, compulsory paid services, and the how-and-what-you-actually-pay-for differs significantly from platform to platform. The thing these services have going for them is the sheer breadth of candidates on offer. Thousands of people submit their profiles every day. Talent Marketplaces are an excellent option if you have the time and energy for a grind. Their curation will only get you so far, and you are likely to have to evaluate dozens — if not hundreds — of profiles before deciding on a shortlist. You’ll also have to vet that shortlist yourself for cultural fit and soft skills. Most marketplaces do a decent job with skill vetting, but I would still do it anyway, and I’ll give you a few pointers about how to later in this article. Next up, recruitment agencies. This is the business I’m in, so I’m not going to dally here, as I would rather you read the article without being put off by the stench of blatant self-promotion. Tim Ferriss often says: “If you have the money to solve a problem, you don’t have a problem.” That’s the recruitment agency game. You pay them a nice chunk of money, and they’ll do the hard lifting for you, often with better results. Not because they are so awesome, but because that’s what they do every day. A good recruitment agency should give you a shortlist of 3-5 candidates vetted for your particular needs and culture within a couple of weeks. You should also get their commitment that if the person you select doesn’t stick to the job, they’ll try to fill your requirement again for a certain number of times, at no extra cost. Go with a recruitment agency if you are OK with trading money for time and focus. Finally, there’s your network. The “I know a guy” route can be surprisingly effective, especially if you or your company has a solid social presence. Just posting your job offer publicly won’t cut it, though. It’s much more worthwhile to reach out directly to people you know and respect in the programming field and ask if they know someone. It’s relatively easy for someone to forward your tweet or LI post to someone they only have a passing acquaintance with. That will generate a lot of unfit candidates. On the other hand, when you ask someone if they know somebody, they will think hard about it. No one wants to be the person who sent a dud your way. Of course, this method is random and very slow. It shines because it is very low-effort and comes with some social vetting built-in. I would use it in addition to one of the previous two, but not by itself. 2. Vet Candidates for Technical Skill In a perfect world, people wouldn’t lie in their CVs or applications. Hardly any people outright lie, but most people exaggerate their skill. The amount of technical vetting you’ll need to do depends on your hiring platform strategy (see above), but it’s always healthy to do some. I’ve always felt daunted by this because I’m not a technical person, so I don’t feel I’m in the position to evaluate developer skills properly. What would I look for? The answer is: look for the story. Read a candidate’s CV as you would read the synopsis for a novel, and see if it makes sense. What did their education look like? How long did they stay at each previous job? What projects do they take credit for? Can you take a look at those projects? In addition to that, do the unexpected — call their reference checks! Yes, talk to people. Most people find it very hard to embellish or lie on behalf of others in a call. I know you don’t feel like doing it, but set those feelings aside and go for it. Finally, get a technical buddy to interview you. If you already have some developers in your team, perfect. If not, grab someone you know and trust. Promise them a dinner. If you have no developer friends (really?), you have no choice but to prep. Any recruitment agency or talent marketplace worth their salt will have an extensive collection of articles about “How To Interview X Developer” where you can look up the main technical questions and what kind of answers to expect. I know, it sounds like a huge pain — and it is! But not as painful as all the wasted time and money from hiring someone unfit for the job. 3. Vet Candidates for Remote Work Skill Let me blow your mind: a great professional might still be a terrible remote worker. It’s sad but true. Working remotely demands a specific set of skills that stand apart from those required for an individual to excel at their profession. The good news is that there are a few markers that you can follow to understand if someone has the R-Factor. The first marker of an exemplary remote developer is the clarity of their written communication. In emails and messages, do they use concise sentences that nonetheless follow proper grammatical form? Does each sentence have a clear antecedent? In casual conversation at the office, “I need that thing we discussed done by ten.” is acceptable. In remote work, it is not. Lack of specificity in writing kills remote work. Hire people who write sentences that stand on their own and don’t require further clarification. Be unforgiving to anyone who can’t express themselves like that. Actively judge people based on their internet connection, microphone, and camera setup. If you work remotely, these are the tools of the trade. You wouldn’t want to work with a surgeon who doesn't wear gloves and a mask, so why would you hire someone who looks like they are part of a witness protection program? Ask them why they are interested in the position. If the main draw of the job is to pursue their digital nomad lifestyle or move back to the town where they met their childhood sweetheart, they are OUT! Sorry, but you have a business to run, and remote work requires engagement. It demands discipline to get things done. For someone whose primary reason for wanting the job is to fuel their lifestyle choices, that person won’t be engaged. To be clear, it’s fair that that is ONE of their reasons — I’d even consider that healthy. But it can’t be the first reason that pops up. Working from home, a dozen things compete for your attention, and they are often things that you love — your wife, your dog, your PlayStation 5, etc. Your job doesn’t need to beat these things — I’d argue it shouldn’t — but it needs to be competitive, at least. Finally, check whether they have a plan. A pro remote worker should have a plan for how they are going to manage their work daily. They should have a schedule, a setup, and a strategy. If they stare blankly at you when you ask them about it, or even worse, if they flat out admit they’ll just fit it around their day — run for the hi
The Guide to Maintaining Optimal Employee Engagement
Over the years, employee engagement trends have come and gone. The generational shifts that occur every ten years or so ensure that each new wave of workers in the global labor force develops different needs and expectations from those before them. Employee engagement is often confused with job satisfaction. Most definitely, it's not the same. It's about employees finding contentment in the work they do. Employee engagement pertains more to the emotional state and level of happiness that an employee experiences in the workplace. Doug Conant rightly pointed out, "To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” Organizations must pay attention to employee engagement to have successful business outcomes. A highly engaged workforce can uplift company profits by 21%, indicative of a productive, enthusiastic team of individuals whose needs are being respectfully heard, seen, and met. In 2023, employee engagement is more critical than ever. The awareness around it has increased to such a point that employees are more likely to leave a job if it does not meet their personal mental and emotional needs. Successful managers and employers must regularly adapt their employee engagement strategies to keep up with the constantly evolving needs of working adults. With Millennials (age range 24—40) currently making up the vast majority of the global workforce, the qualities and traits defined by their generation are what managers need to focus on accommodating. In doing so, they’ll see a high level of engagement and productivity. Employee managers may even want to start preparing strategies that accommodate Gen Z (the generation which comes after Millennials). This generation will soon lay claim to a large portion of the global workforce too. While strategies are abundant, it's essential to ensure you achieve them. One of the most helpful processes that have been the backbone of success for tech giants like Google, Intel, Twitter, etc., is the OKR process. Identifying a good OKR software to implement your strategy aligned with employee engagement and development will help you achieve your employee engagement strategy. The following guide highlights employee engagement strategies moving from 2023 into 2024 and beyond. Mindful of shifting global economies, hybrid work culture, and employee priorities, these strategies are designed to meet the employee's personal and professional needs. Upskill Your Employees Upskilling is one of the most effective ways to ignite employee engagement. Today's employees seek opportunities for growth and skill development more than anything. And for good reason—we are facing some of our decade's most significant and disruptive years. To Millennials and Gen Z workers, the space to grow, evolve and learn is a top priority. In addition to upskilling being a preference of modern employees, it is also something that can significantly boost employee loyalty, increasing your business’s bottom line. Upskilling can be a solution to work scarcity for employees and employers alike. Providing your employees the option to continuously grow within the company and expand their skill set simultaneously is a win-win for everyone involved. If an employee is provided with the tools and resources to hone new skill sets and continuously improve their value as a team member, the experience is wholly positive. They’ll feel like their needs as an individual are being recognized. They are also assured that the company cares about their future. Recognize and Reward High Performers If you want your employees to consistently perform well, you need to incentivize them. Some people can incentivize themselves via sheer willpower or discipline. But those personality types are few and far between. Most people need a little push—or the prospect of reward to get them going. Setting up a rewards and recognition program is an employee engagement strategy that has been utilized for decades. Yet, it will probably never stop being effective. There’s no shame in admitting that a little reward incentive can stretch a long way. After all, it makes sense—why should employees push themselves to their performance limit if nobody will notice or express gratitude for it? People need positive affirmation and appreciation for their efforts. Two attributes that are evident in the culture of Gen Z in particular. You can facilitate this by setting up a Peer-by-Peer Recognition program or an Employee Service Awards program. Or by putting your managerial hires through an Employee Recognition training program. HR plays a vital role in establishing the culture of the organization by designing a performance management system that values outcome, teamwork, and collaboration. OKRs are a great tool to implement a sound process in any organization. Some helpful OKR example templates can be used as a reference to design the HR departmental OKRs. Promote Inclusion and Diversity In the past, workplace diversity, inclusion and equality were far from being a priority. But for Millennials and Gen Z employees, these things are often integral to their sense of contentment and happiness within the workplace. Your employees want to know that the company they work for is conscientious about including people of all races, genders, religions and sexualities. And that minority groups are not only present but well-protected regarding workplace discrimination. Gender inequality is also a significant cause for concern within places of work. Both women and men are becoming more aware of the prejudices and double standards women are often subject to within the workplace. To ensure an optimal level of employee engagement with your team of workers, you will need to show a genuine desire to create a diverse and equal working environment. Facilitate Mental and Emotional Health Resources As many as 60% of companies offer some form of wellness program for their employees. But only 14% have identified and amplified the culture of health in all its various forms. Poor mental health is becoming a societal norm, costing the US up to 70 million working days yearly. Anxiety, depression, and burnout are amongst the most common, which means that a large percentage of your employees are bound to experience these issues in varying degrees. Employees are now seeking more than just a run-of-the-mill physical wellness program. They want to see that your company understands balancing a busy schedule's mental and emotional pressures. And that you intend to support them in that area too. You can facilitate and support your employee's mental and emotional needs by ensuring they have access to an approachable and trustworthy Human Resources manager. Additionally, you can offer mental health days and accommodate employees who struggle with mental illnesses. Final Thoughts It’s easy to see why a business focusing on employee engagement is on the road to success. Employee engagement surveys help conclude if employee engagement strategies are effective. The workforce is a precious asset; if employees feel valued, they’ll add value. David Zinger points out, “Engagement is all about the work and the benefits for both the individual and the organization.”—An engaged employee equals success. About the Author: Sasi Dharan, Marketing Manager, Profit.co, In his current role, he leads the Digital Marketing Team. He has a decade of experience in Project management, Operation Excellence Consulting, and Digital Marketing. He is passionate about creating new approaches to brand awareness, and demand generation. He is passionate about learning new technologies, and strategies in marketing and deploying them in his organization. He is also an avid traveler and a biker who has traveled almost 7000miles in a year. Linkedin : linkedin.com/in/sasiceo Twitter : https://twitter.com/SasiDha56015764
The hidden key to finding skilled tech workers
It’s no secret that we’re experiencing a talent shortage in the tech industry. At the same time, the automation of many jobs is near. It’s easy to assume these two realities mitigate each other, but the situation is much more complex.Although automation may replace millions of low-skill jobs, it will create millions of jobs that require skilled tech workers, according to a report by consulting company BCG. Thus, the talent shortage remains a threat, and investing in employees and candidates is more important than ever.Times like these force the hard hand of change. For leaders in the tech industry, it’s imperative to step into the change-maker role now instead of struggling to play catch-up once it’s too late.“Governments and corporate leaders need to understand the specific demographic challenges they face, where the biggest impact of automation will be, and how they can help individuals remain employable by maintaining their skills,” BCG suggestsFinding a way forwardBuilding up the workforce is the way forward through this time of change. Skills training is no longer a bonus—it’s a must.At the same time, the hiring process has never been so fragmented and disembodied. Applicants are often rejected before a human being ever lays eyes on their resumes, thanks to keyword-screening bots. Recruiters are given unrealistically high caseloads that spread their attention paper-thin.Given this level of dysfunction, it’s no wonder that even today’s leading tech companies aren’t securing the talent they need. At least in part, that’s because C-suite executives often undervalue the importance of human resources (HR).“A lot of people think about HR as a box to check versus a strategic partner in building the business,” says Karine Shahar, founder of Strategic Global Talent, who has more than two decades of experience as an HR strategic adviser.In order to weather the talent shortage, tech leaders must start seeing HR as the valuable strategic partner it truly is. From talent shortage to opportunityInstead of blaming long-vacant roles on an unprepared workforce, companies need to examine the part they play in the crisis.“There's a talent shortage, but that's because people don't want to go work for companies that don't treat them well through the interview process,” Shahar says. “That's already a sign of what it's going to be like when you go work full time.”Fortunately, the inverse is true. “People are going to want to work with people who make them feel good, right?” she adds.Therein lies the pathway out of this predicament. By making people feel seen and valued during the interview process, recruiters are much more likely to fill open positions.This sounds simple. In practice, it involves a great deal of mindfulness in action. Hiring managers must set aside preconceived notions about who the “right” person for a role is and actually spend time with the human being behind the resume. That means assessing a person’s potential—not just their accolades.A holistic approach to talentThe RiseUp with LIKE.TG program puts this concept into action. The program empowers people who have the drive to learn and grow their skills to build meaningful careers in the tech industry—even if they have no tech background. The result is job-ready talent to help fill open roles.Working from this holistic point of view, an applicant’s demonstrated ability to learn and adapt becomes just as valuable as three to five years of experience in a similar role.Crucially, this potential-oriented recruitment process has to be matched with a genuine investment in employees once candidates are hired. “It’s about thinking about the entire employee lifecycle,” Shahar says. “Once they get in, what are we doing for them?”When companies invest in their new hires, they no longer have to waste time searching for the elusive “perfect candidate.” Instead, they can cultivate the perfect talent match in-house.With this framework in place, these companies will weather the talent crisis and be prepared for whatever challenge comes next.Find out more about RiseUp with LIKE.TG.
The HR Guide to Employee Data Protection
It's no secret that HR professionals have a wide range of important responsibilities. They're tasked with managing disciplinary and grievance procedures, handling payroll, as well as actively managing and overseeing the company's recruitment and resourcing strategies. However, one of their most important tasks is to protect both company and employee data from a multitude of potential threats, from company negligence to cybersecurity breaches. If they fail to do so, an identity theft lawyer could have a big clean up job on their hands. This article brings you the HR guide to employee data protection and what an HR professional needs to do to comply with data protection laws and compliance regulations. Let's get into it. GDPR: An overview of HR The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a relatively new EU data privacy regulation that came into effect on May 25, 2018. The reason for its inception is due to the fact that companies are now gathering data at an exponential rate, from both consumer and employee aspects. The more data a company holds, the more likely it is to become the target of hackers and cyber thieves trying to obtain information for nefarious activities such as computer crimes and fraud. When you think about it, HR departments have access to a lot of sensitive employee information, such as their name, social security number, address, date of birth, previous addresses, and so on. It's a virtual gold mine for hackers and cybercriminals. However, the risk doesn't just fall on the shoulders of the employee. Here are some of the ways businesses can suffer from data leaks: A significant loss of reputation Damage to employee trust Damage to customer trust Litigation costs Costs from malware attacks Fines and penalties GDPR aims to protect the employee's personal data by setting out guidelines and regulations that companies must adhere to if they are to remain compliant. Otherwise, they could be liable to face punishment in the form of fines and penalties. What HR needs to do to comply with employee Data Protection There are numerous amounts of information and regulations that HR professionals must keep up with in order to keep up with the new GDPR and employee data protection rules. Here are some of the main tasks HR needs to address: Recognize and prevent cybersecurity attacks. This means choosing the right cloud services that have data protection as a priority. Update and review privacy policies for all staff Always document the reason for the need to process personal information. Making sure employees understand their rights, particularly their right to access, rectify, and erase their own data if they wish Make sure that the only people that have access to personal information are the ones who require it. Adhere to timely document deletion. A company can only hold onto its data for a predetermined amount of time, especially if it is not necessary for business practices. Consider whether the company's employee monitoring is acceptable/necessary (such as email monitoring and CCTV) Common misconceptions of Data Protection The digital landscape is constantly changing, and as we continue to propel forward into an age designed around data and information, it becomes increasingly challenging to keep up with regulations. With that being said, there are still plenty of misconceptions when it comes to employee data protection and GDPR laws. Let's take a look at some of the most common misunderstandings: The company does not have to notify employees when processing their personal data This is somewhat of a gray area and is a difficult one to navigate for HR employees. There are instances where employers do not have to notify employees when processing their data. This is usually when there are valid legal grounds for doing so. However, there are times when it's necessary to notify employees when their personal data is processed, such as when they are added to an employee directory app. The long and short of it is, it depends. The employer can freely monitor employees work Employers are not free to monitor all of their employees' work if it breaches GDPR rules. Things such as email monitoring, CCTV, and other surveillance are considered personal data, and the standard rules apply. GDPR is an EU law and therefore does not apply to the USA GDPR applies to the USA and all other nations. Article 3 clearly states that GDPR applies to companies in the EU/EEA and companies outside of this that track EU/EEA residents' data. Simply put, if you have any employees who reside in these areas, even if they are freelancers, then GDPR applies. Breaches of regulations will automatically result in penalties Breaches of regulations are considered on a case-by-case basis. The penalty for such instances will be decided based upon based on the severity of the breach, the implications on the victims, and the reasons for the breach in the first place. If data was leaked due to the company's negligence, they will likely face fines and penalties as a result. Conclusion Overall, as the employee and consumer information gathering is rapidly increasing in the company’s practices, there should also be definite procedures protecting the sensitive data. The list of HR Professionals’ responsibilities is also growing and nowadays they have to undertake certain actions in order to keep everything in a safe place. We hope that this guide assists you in your security practices. About Author: This article is written by a marketing team member at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.
The Impact of Employee Recognition on Engagement and Retention
Employee recognition of engagement and retention is a vital aspect of any successful business culture since it significantly impacts employee motivation and loyalty. In today's competitive job market, it's more important than ever for companies to make their employees feel like their contributions are truly appreciated. It has been suggested that showing appreciation for employees' achievements might increase their sense of belonging at work, as well as their drive and loyalty to the company. If you're looking to take the employee experience to the next level - Workmates can provide communication, engagement, recognition, and rewards all while promoting company culture. It makes it a lot easier and cheaper for companies to keep their employees engaged and motivated. This recognition program is guaranteed to increase peer-to-peer recognition and keep the company culture at a high level. But here are some other reasons why recognizing employees may boost staff morale and retention, and we'll provide some data and examples to back up the importance of this strategy. What is Employee Recognition? Employee recognition on engagement and retention refers to publicly praising and rewarding employees for their hard work and success. Motivating factors might range from simple words of thanks to cash bonuses, higher-up positions, and special privileges. Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their hard work is a proven way to keep them motivated and productive. So in this article, we will go over some of the most critical factors that keep employees from leaving. But also some factors will keep your employees engaged throughout the work day. The Impact of Employee Recognition on Engagement Worker interest and commitment are directly correlated with employee engagement, an essential aspect of every successful company's culture. Highly engaged employees may have more job satisfaction, greater output, and less turnover. Studies have indicated that employee recognition on engagement and retention significantly affects employee engagement since it makes employees feel valued and appreciated for their efforts. A study by the SHRM found that employees who received regular praise were more invested in their work. According to the study's findings, recognizing an employee's efforts increases that person's loyalty to the company and motivation to achieve the company's goals. The Impact of Employee Recognition on Retention Retention refers to a company's ability to keep its employees for an extended period of time. Since it takes resources to find, recruit, hire, and train new employees, staff turnover can be costly for firms. By showing appreciation for their hard work and successes, employers may be able to reduce employee turnover and boost employee loyalty. Research has shown that employees who are appreciated are more loyal to their employers. One study by Aon Hewitt found that turnover was reduced by 31% at companies with a strong culture of employee appreciation compared to businesses with weaker recognition programs. Specific Examples of Employee Recognition Programs Businesses can use a wide range of methods to show appreciation for their employees and improve employee engagement. Some effective employee recognition initiatives include the following: Performance-based incentives Performance-based incentives are a great way to reward employees for their hard work and success. Bonuses, gift cards, and exclusive access to facilities. These are just a few examples of non-monetary rewards that could be awarded. Service Awards Employees who have been with the company for many years are eligible for service awards. Awards of this type may be presented after 5, 10, or 20 years of service. Employees who go above and beyond their duties are recognized with "Employee of the Month" or "Employee of the Year" awards. Certificates, trophies, or other perks are just some examples of what could be given out on a regular basis. Peer-to-Peer Recognition Programs The recognition program by LIKE.TG is one of those peer-to-peer recognition programs for Employees to Recognize and Celebrate One Another. That way employees can acknowledge and reward the accomplishments of their coworkers publicly. Peer-to-peer recognition systems, in which employees can give one another virtual high-fives or other recognition tokens, and promote teamwork. This is considered one of the most important types of employee recognition on engagement and retention you can find. So be sure to take the opportunity if you need such programs. Team Awards Teams can receive rewards for their efforts and achievements as a collective. Exemplary teamwork, project completion, or the attainment of predetermined goals could all merit such recognition. Team members' morale and productivity could both benefit from awards of some kind. The Benefits of Employee Recognition There are several benefits for both employees and employers when companies show their appreciation for their staff. Advantages that can be gained by recognizing employees include: Rising Job Satisfaction Employees who believe their efforts are valued and acknowledged are more likely to be content with their jobs. One study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that employees who are often recognized are more satisfied with their jobs. Increased Motivation Recognition of employees' efforts has been shown to increase motivation, leading to higher performance levels from the workforce as a whole. The Institute of Management found that people are more likely to be driven to succeed when they feel their efforts are being recognized. Reduced Turnover Reducing turnover through employee recognition programs is possible as it makes people feel appreciated, reducing their motivation to leave their current positions. Aon Hewitt found that turnover was 31% lower in companies with a strong employee recognition culture than in those with weaker recognition programs. Productivity Boost Employees may be motivated to work harder and more efficiently if they are publicly acknowledged for their efforts. A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that companies with formal employee appreciation programs outperformed those without by a significant margin. Improved Employee Relations Relationships between employees and managers can be bolstered when workers are publicly thanked for their contributions. The Institute of Management found that regularly recognized employees had better relationships with their supervisors. “Our staff has praised the increased communication level Workmates delivers. We use it to communicate important project matters and give staff specific ‘kudos’ or even recognize their birthdays. More importantly, we use Workmates to clarify important project details that needed rapid dissemination among the entire team.” Christopher Baggott Chief Executive Officerator of Medlinks Cost Containment, Inc. and Medlinks Staffing, LLC. Learn More Tips for Implementing Effective Employee Recognition Programs Although it may be challenging, it is possible to implement an effective employee appreciation program with the right approach. To ensure that your employee appreciation programs are effective, consider the following: Define Precise Objectives. Establishing clear objectives for the employee appreciation program helps ensure that all parties involved are on the same page concerning what is anticipated and what constitutes a successful outcome. This will help ensure that the program is tailored to meet the needs of the business. Gather input from workers. It is essential to get input from workers when creating employee appreciation programs. They will guarantee that the program is meaningful and relevant to workers. This could be accomplished through questionnaires, focus groups, or any other method of gathering information and opinions. This also includes employee-management communication, which is essential for boosting employee retention. Make it Individual: Each employee's needs should be considered individually when designing an employee appreciation program. As a result, it's crucial to tailor employee recognition to each worker's unique interests, preferences, and achievements. Incorporating a wide range of recognition strategies is essential for making employees feel their efforts are valued and appreciated. Rewards can be anything from words of thanks to cash awards to promotions to special perks and incentives. Recognize and honor achievement as a cornerstone of every employee appreciation program. This can be done through staff parties, award ceremonies, and other occasions that recognize and reward employees for their hard work. Consistent recognition and reward programs for employees are essential for keeping people feeling appreciated and valued on the job. Therefore, it is vital to provide appreciation regularly and consistently. Then employees will know what they are working toward and what they can expect regarding acknowledgment. Conclusion Finally, employee appreciation is a crucial aspect of employee recognition on engagement and retention that may hugely influence engagement and retention. Employees' contentment, motivation, and loyalty might rise if they feel their efforts are recognized. Companies that invest in successful employee recognition programs have a higher retention rate and a more engaged and productive team. Performance-based prizes, service awards, employee of the month/year awards, peer-to-peer recognition programs, and team awards are just some of the recognition methods businesses can use to motivate their staff. No credit card needed Less than 5 min to set up
The Impact of Florida's E-Verify Requirement on Businesses and HR Practices
What is E-Verify E-Verify serves as a vital tool for verifying employment eligibility. It plays a significant role in the context of Florida's E-Verify requirement. This user-friendly system allows employers to confirm the legal status of newly hired employees, promoting a compliant workforce. By electronically cross-referencing employee information with government databases, E-Verify helps businesses ensure they hire authorized workers. Understanding the inner workings of E-Verify is essential for businesses and HR practices navigating Florida's requirements. Employers submit an employee's Form I-9 information to the system. Then checks it against records from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Within seconds, employers receive a confirmation or tentative non-confirmation, allowing them to proceed accordingly. The significance of E-Verify lies in its ability to assist businesses in maintaining a legal and authorized workforce, promoting compliance with immigration laws. It provides peace of mind by reducing the risk of employing individuals without proper work authorization. Thereby safeguarding businesses from potential penalties and legal consequences.Take a look at Onboards E-Verify solution for smooth sailing. How E-Verify works E-Verify streamlines the process of employment verification, providing businesses with a reliable tool to ensure a legal workforce. Understanding how E-Verify works is essential for grasping its impact on businesses and HR practices in the context of Florida's requirement. Initial Submission: Employers enter employee information from the Form I-9 into the E-Verify system, including name, Social Security number, and work eligibility status. 2.Cross-Referencing: E-Verify electronically cross-references the submitted information with records from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. 3.Verification Results: Within seconds, employers receive a verification result. There are three possible outcomes: "Employment Authorized," "Tentative Non-Confirmation," or "DHS Verification in Process." Employment Authorized: This confirmation means that the employee's information matches the government records, indicating work eligibility. Tentative Non-Confirmation (TNC): In some cases, E-Verify may generate a TNC. This means that the information provided by the employee does not initially match the government records. The employer must notify the employee to resolve the discrepancy. DHS Verification in Process: Occasionally, E-Verify may require additional verification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before providing a final result. In such cases, employers should follow the instructions provided by the system. 4.Resolution Process: If an employee receives a TNC, they have the opportunity to contest the result and resolve any discrepancies with the appropriate government agency. Employers must provide the employee with a referral letter and allow them a reasonable amount of time to take necessary actions. 5.Final Confirmation: Once any issues are resolved, E-Verify provides a final result. If the employee is confirmed as authorized to work, the employer can proceed with confidence, knowing they have met their obligations under the E-Verify system. By simplifying the process of employment verification, E-Verify empowers businesses to maintain a compliant workforce. It minimizes the risk of employing unauthorized workers while facilitating efficient and accurate verification procedures. As we delve into the impact of Florida's E-Verify requirement on businesses and HR practices, understanding how E-Verify works is crucial for comprehending the practical implications and adapting to the evolving landscape of employment verification. Florida's E-Verify requirement on businesses and HR practices Florida's E-Verify requirement has brought significant changes to businesses and HR practices within the state. This legislative mandate compels employers to use the E-Verify system for employment verification, ensuring a legal and authorized workforce. The requirement encompasses all employers in Florida, with exceptions for federal contractors and agricultural employers. By implementing E-Verify, businesses aim to promote compliance with immigration laws and reduce the risk of employing unauthorized workers. Explanation of Florida's legislation and its key provisions Applicability: The requirement applies to all employers in Florida with 25 or more employees.. There are certain exemptions for federal contractors and agricultural employers. Mandatory Use of E-Verify: Employers must use the E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. This involves electronically submitting the required employee information for verification. Retention of Records: Employers must retain records of the verification process and related documents in compliance with state and federal record-keeping requirements. Non-Discrimination: Employers must ensure that the E-Verify requirement is applied uniformly. Without discrimination against job applicants or employees based on their national origin or citizenship status. Challenges faced by businesses in implementing E-Verify Implementing E-Verify poses several challenges for businesses as they adapt to the requirements and incorporate the system into their existing HR practices. These challenges include: 1.Learning Curve: Businesses may encounter a learning curve when initially using E-Verify, especially if they are unfamiliar with the system. 2.Increased Administrative Burden: E-Verify adds an additional layer of administrative tasks for HR departments. This includes entering employee information accurately, verifying documentation, and managing the compliance and record-keeping requirements associated with the system. 3.System Downtime and Technical Issues: Like any technological platform, E-Verify may experience occasional system downtime or technical glitches. 4.Limited Non-English Language Support: E-Verify primarily operates in English, which may present challenges for businesses with a multilingual workforce. Keeping Pace with Changing Regulations: Immigration laws and E-Verify requirements can undergo updates and modifications over time. Staying up to date with these changes and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations pose ongoing challenges for businesses. Regular monitoring of legal updates and proactive adjustments to HR practices become essential to maintain compliance. Solutions for Florida’s E-Verify Requirement As businesses navigate Florida's E-Verify requirement, leveraging efficient solutions becomes crucial for streamlining the employment verification process. One such solution is the feature-rich offering provided by LIKE.TG. Our software simplifies the E-Verify process, offering businesses a comprehensive platform to manage Form I-9 compliance and seamlessly integrate with the E-Verify system. LIKE.TG solves these issues with a modern I-9 compliance solution. As part of our industry-leading Onboarding solution, our I-9 software automates the process of collecting I-9 forms and then integrates this workflow with the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system. I-9 forms are then cross-checked with the appropriate government departments for full compliance. With LIKE.TG's software, businesses can automate the collection and storage of employee information, reducing manual data entry errors. The user-friendly interface guides HR personnel through the verification process, ensuring accurate submissions and compliance with E-Verify requirements.Take a look at our Onboarding software solution. Integration for ADP UsersYou can integrate ADP with our Onboarding solution. Upon onboarding, individuals are guided through essential processes to ensure the proper completion of forms and adherence to deadlines. With Onboard anyone can electronically sign, save, revise, and audit I-9s using any device. The HR department has the capability to directly submit employment verification requirements to agencies or establish recurring tasks to maintain compliance throughout each employee's lifecycle. Conclusion Florida's E-Verify requirement has brought significant changes to businesses and HR practices within the state. This legislative mandate aims to ensure a legal and authorized workforce, promoting compliance with immigration laws. As businesses adapt to this requirement, it is crucial to address challenges through proactive measures, such as comprehensive training, effective integration of E-Verify systems, and staying informed about evolving regulations. By leveraging innovative solutions like LIKE.TG's E-Verify software, businesses can streamline the employment verification process and enhance compliance. Embracing these strategies will enable businesses to navigate Florida's E-Verify requirement successfully and maintain a compliant workforce while contributing to a thriving and legally compliant business environment. Try WorkmatesInteractive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now
The Importance Of Employee Appreciation For Organizational Success
Do you appreciate your employees for their hard work? I guess not enough, but we all know the warmth when someone recognizes our good work and zeal to do more. It enhances productivity and job satisfaction. We must see the importance of employee appreciation and how to show it. As an employer, when you show appreciation, your workers feel good, making them work harder to achieve organizational goals. And this is why you must appreciate them regularly and not just ephemeral. Employee rewards and recognition matter more than you think because it is directly related to job satisfaction, employee engagement, and increased productivity. Therefore, this article will discuss the importance of employee appreciation for organizational success and some ideas on how you can appreciate them. But first, we must know the basics. When is Employee Appreciation Day and Why it Matters? The first Friday of March is the official Employee Appreciation Day. So, technically it was on March 4 this year. But, if you’ve failed to celebrate the event at work this work, do not worry, because employee appreciation is not a one-day affair. This day is a prime time to let your employees know that you value their hard work and recognize them duly for their achievements. But, employee appreciation is a year-long affair, and you cannot pick one arbitrary day and make it special for every employee. As an employer, you must make appreciation a part of your workplace culture and make it diverse and inclusive without discrimination and biases. Also, timely, public, and honest appreciation matters because it keeps your workers agile and enhances employee motivation. It is a way of confirming their abilities and skills. They tend to find meaning in their job and the contribution they’re making towards the company's success. By merely appreciating your workers, you will play a major role in your company’s bottom-line success. The Importance of Employee Appreciation It helps create a strong company culture When you express gratitude and appreciation towards workers, they tend to show positive interpersonal relationships, and mostly it positively impacts team dynamics and communication. Employee appreciation gives birth to a company culture of kindness, empathy, and motivation. This, in turn, brings substantial benefits to you and your team as it depicts your company values are aligned with yours. Enhances employee happiness and morale Coping and keeping high levels of employee morale is your ultimate goal for an agile and active team. Individually, when employees receive appreciation, they feel valued and recognized for the small or significant contributions they made. As a whole, a small amount of gratitude can elevate employee morale and happiness, and you’ll not see dull faces at work. It encourages peer-to-peer recognition Setting an example of an appreciation culture in the workplace will impact your company culture by promoting a peer-to-peer recognition culture. If recognition begins at the top level, it will also slide down to peer-to-peer interactions and appreciation. All you need is a common platform where peers can publicly appreciate their co-workers, which is possible with a rewards and recognition platform. It's time you create a culture of appreciation to enhance engagement levels at work. No credit card needed Less than 5 min to set up Creates a positive work environment When you promote a culture of recognition and appreciation throughout the workplace, you will see a positive work environment. A company that nurtures thankfulness and kindness will always nourish a simple happy atmosphere. It helps enhance employee engagement According to Gallup, businesses with engaged employees show 17% more productivity and experience 21% more profits than companies with more disengaged employees. This is why employee engagement tool is crucial for business success. A known fact, recognition platforms always help increase employee engagement establishing a good relationship between employees and the organization. It adds dialogue and creates new communication opportunities beyond the usual business talks. Improves employee retention and decreases turnover As per the study of Work.com, around 54% of employees leave their jobs because of a lack of appreciation from their companies. Also, Gallup mentions employees who do not feel recognized at work are twice as likely to leave their jobs in the next year. Therefore, if you want to improve retention rates and decrease employee turnover, you must acknowledge workers’ efforts and contributions to your company's success. You will never achieve employees’ trust, loyalty, and tenure without appreciation. Employees become your brand advocates Happily, recognized and motivated employees will share their good experiences with their friends and family, and as a result, you get your very own brand advocates. In addition, you will see a diverse talent pool approaching your company. When employee appreciation is done timely and honestly, employees become your best brand advocates. And this gives you the recognition you want from the outside world. Employee appreciation improves employee performance According to a study by Work.com, 69% of employees will show better performance at work if they receive timely appreciation and recognition. And 78% of US employees said recognition drives their motivation levels. So, now that we know employee appreciation elevates company culture, employee engagement, and retention, is that all? NO. Words of appreciation can also boost workers’ job performance as they will work harder for more appreciation. Conclusion According to Cutting Edge, Walt Disney experienced 15% more job satisfaction by implementing an agile recognition program. Hence, we must implement the same and appreciate employees for all their contributions. We hope now you understand the importance of employee appreciation and how it impacts your business growth. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!
The Importance of Employee Recognition in a Remote Working World
We all want to be recognized for the work we do. It feels nice when our achievements are celebrated by our colleagues and bosses. It is easy to feel motivated to succeed when you know you have the support of those around you. This becomes increasingly important in a world where the workforce has been thrown into the deep end of the remote working pool. Today more than ever, workers are physically isolated from their colleagues and supervisors. This makes it essential for businesses to reach out and check on the well-being of their employees regularly, and offer rewards and recognition. Although the events that forced most of the working world into a remote-based system have been nothing short of catastrophic, there is a silver lining to the gloomy clouds of this pandemic. Studies on remote workers have shown increases in productivity and employee satisfaction, with only 25% of people currently working from home stating that they would voluntarily return to the office once the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. This increased satisfaction has been a welcome relief to many and has made a dent in the disturbing 2018 statistic that 53% of us were disengaged with our job. Perhaps in the years after this pandemic, we will see improved employee engagement among the beneficial changes brought about by this tragic event. The uncertainty COVID-19 has brought upon the workplace has been a recurring theme for the past couple of years. With a drastic overhaul of the workplace environment, businesses have had to adapt quickly. Including an effective employee recognition program in any plans moving forward should be at the top of every employer’s to-do list. In a time when job security is even more volatile, making sure your employees are well looked after and satisfied with their working situation, and rewarding and recognizing employees, is pivotal to their professional development and your business success. Benefits of recognizing the hard work of your remote employees Does it surprise you to find that two-thirds of the working population feel undervalued, reporting that in the past week they had not received recognition for work they felt deserved it? If this is news to you, it means that recognizing employees could be a fantastic low-cost, high-impact investment for your business. Simply by recognizing your workforce, you could be positioning yourself ahead of 66% of your competition. Below are some reasons why recognizing the work of your remote employees is vital to company success. Retain more employees Studies show that employees who feel undervalued are often disengaged. This is a concerning state of mind for your workforce, as disengaged employees are 12x more likely to leave their job. Turnover is expensive. With costs of recruitment and training, it’s estimated that it costs businesses 33% of an employee’s annual salary to replace them. When you consider that 25% of the U.S. workforce quit their jobs in 2021, that is an enormous outgoing expense. To improve employee retention, focus on the health and wellness of your employees, including their mental health. Dedicating more resources toward the retention of high-quality staff should be a priority, not an afterthought. Recognizing the work of your remote employees and making your business one they wish to work for is one of the many tactics business owners need to investigate if they wish to retain more employees. We will dive into effective methods of recognition for remote workers later in this article. Foster a healthier and more innovative work environment Setting up an environment that fosters employee appreciation is one of the smartest things a leader can do. Leading by example, a great manager should privately and publicly congratulate team members on work and non-work-related milestones, give thoughtful gifts and bonuses when appropriate, and offer an avenue of career advancement within the company's hierarchy whenever possible. This will create a positive feedback loop. If workers feel like they are part of a remote ecosystem that values recognition, they will be more likely to recognize the work of their peers, which is when positive company culture begins to blossom. A healthy environment is one in which all inhabitants thrive. Productivity will increase It’s no secret that employees who feel valued and motivated will be more productive toward the company's goal. Reports show productivity can increase as much as 20% when employees are happy at work. Although happiness is subjective, we know what contributes to employee satisfaction. Factors such as room for growth and opportunities, a healthy work-life balance, purposeful work, peer recognition, and being recognized by management are cited over and over again as reasons to stay or leave a workplace. Employee recognition can be an entirely free exercise, making it a low-risk, high-reward investment. Effective tactics for recognition in the workplace Showing employee recognition isn’t rocket science, and it can be inexpensive. It is a low-risk investment that pays dividends. There are hundreds of ways you can show your remote workforce that you value them. Below are some effective ways you can start recognizing your employees today. Build a better remote environment Prior to COVID-19, each American was predicted to spend up to one-third of their life at work, meaning employer investment into the work environment was of the utmost importance. Now that we have moved toward a remote working model, adjusting the physical environments of each worker is not possible. The solution—focus on the new work environment. Look toward building the ultimate online community that your workers will be pleased to work in every day. Now is the time to upgrade to the tools and technologies that will enable your workforce to thrive and stay engaged while working from home. Downloading the newest screen sharing or video conferencing app, or providing your marketing teams with high-quality SEO tools, is an effective way of showing them you want them to succeed. Invest money into improving the backend servers your employees are using every day, and take the time to ask them what they need to make working from home a successful venture. Integrate applications like Slack or Google Hangouts, or create private social media groups that allow workers to socialize and communicate within the company. Virtual team-building events can help employees feel more connected to each other and build stronger bonds. Use these techniques to keep your workers in the loop and to also promote peer-to-peer support. It’s good to have dedicated work channels for more serious information, but it’s also important to offer a place for people to post jokes, memes, funny videos, or articles they find interesting. These can foster a supportive online community that will improve employee experience and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation remote team members may be experiencing. Purchasing these things will show that you are prepared to allocate funds to essential items that will improve the welfare of your workers, making it an indirect but effective way of recognizing the hard work they do. Congratulate employees on milestones Life is made up of millions of moments. Some are more noteworthy than others. The key is to recognize your employees on the milestones that matter to them. Sending out gift cards for birthdays and work anniversaries is a good place to start, but getting to know the individuals who represent your company allows you to recognize their achievements—work-related or not—appropriately and authentically. Try scheduling weekly calls with workers individually to find out how they are coping with this new remote lifestyle. If that isn’t feasible due to the number of your staff, make the effort to send out personalized casual check-in emails that give your workers an opportunity to bring you up to speed on work and non-work-related events. Keep in mind everyone has responded to this change differently. Some may be thriving, while others are missing the daily activities that came with working in a shared space. Be sure to note this as it will help you make informed decisions on who needs to be contacted more frequently. Don’t neglect to congratulate employees on milestones just because they are out of sight. Failure to do so could be perceived as a lack of care. If an employee is coming up on long-service leave, do not miss the opportunity to thank them. Be sure to bring up this dedication in a timely manner during a group call. Thanking your employee in front of their peers is a powerful way to show that hard work does not go unnoticed. You can organize for a gift to be delivered to their chosen address, or send something to them virtually. Give thoughtful and practical gifts that can be used remotely When talking with your employees on your weekly calls, actively listen for things that they have been doing during in their spare time. What do they talk about? Do they listen to certain podcasts while they work at home? What excites them? What have been their thoughts on working remotely? When you come across little nuggets of information, write them down and refer to them when a future gift or bonus is necessary. For example, Lucy has been with your company for five years. She has worked incredibly hard and been very profitable for the business. You remember that before she began working remotely, she always had a book in hand or was discussing literature with a co-worker. Maybe in your video calls, you noticed a pile of books on the desk next to her. Mailing an e-book reader or a voucher for a local bookstore to her could be the perfect gift for her long service, and she may appreciate it more than a cash bonus of greater value. Remember to be practical—be sure that her voucher can be used online if the local store has been closed due to the coronavirus or that the book can be delivered to her if she can’t get to the post office. Thoughtful gifts will often be cheaper than standard ones. The fact that you took time to think about what would make them happy shows true employee recognition. This will not be forgotten. Think about how good a thoughtful gift felt when you received one in your life. Another option is practical gifts, which are a great way of showing that you are fighting on the same side. Even if your worker is thousands of miles away, you can buy them lunch from a local restaurant that supports delivery. This helps your worker’s community as well as the worker themselves, who will now have one less thing to worry about in their workday. Display trust in their newfound autonomy This is a more subtle form of recognition but may be the most powerful. Reaching out to your employees weekly through email, social channels, or video calls will help you recognize which individuals are thriving and those who may need more support. All change can be stressful, and remote work has its challenges. Don’t compound them by micromanaging your workers and expecting several daily check-in calls or forcing them to install monitoring software on their computers. Use this unprecedented time to show that you trust their ability to provide great work remotely and reward employees accordingly. Offering flexible hours is a great way to demonstrate trust and make your workers’ lives easier. An employee may want a large break in the afternoon to pick up the kids, or they may want to start an hour later so they can add a morning jog to their routine. Experiment with being more lenient and trusting of their process. If they are not performing to the required standards, reach out to them and find out what you can do to help them to remain productive while working remotely. If you have been impressed with how your employees have handled increased autonomy, let them know. Publicly recognize individuals or groups who are utilizing their time efficiently. Indicate opportunities for growth Nothing stifles productivity more than a bleak outlook. If you haven’t given your employees something to strive for, they will struggle to gather the motivation necessary to work toward your goal. If a new position becomes available within the company, consider looking in-house before expanding your search. Chances are you already have someone working in the business who would relish the opportunity to learn and grow professionally. On a group call or in the online work community, notify staff that you are looking for suitable applicants for a role within the company. Announcing promotions or plans to train certain employees in new skills keeps your workforce in the loop and shows them that there are opportunities for professional advancement. Upskilling your workforce shows that your company culture promotes growth and that you have a higher quality workforce. Everyone wins in this situation. This will show your other employees that their hard work will be repaid and that they will not have to begin looking for employment elsewhere if they begin to feel stagnation. Making your business one that repays its employees with opportunities is an efficient way to retain workers. Conclusion Now that the majority of workers are operating out of makeshift offices in their living rooms and kitchens, keeping in touch is crucial to company success. Showing employee recognition in a remote working world doesn’t have to be more difficult, it just requires employers to adapt and become creative in their methods. In a time of uncertainty, working hard to ensure your staff knows you appreciate the work they are doing despite the difficult circumstances will be even more powerful. As an employer, be sure to include employee recognition in your plans, as you too navigate this new world of remote working. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!
The Importance of Involving Your Entire Company in Customer Service
A customer service team is the heartbeat of any business. This dedicated team provides a vital link between the company’s offerings and the satisfaction of its clients.According to Tony Hsieh, the visionary behind Zappos –“Customer service shouldn’t just be a department; it should be the entire company.”Customer service is something the entire company should be doing. It shouldn’t just be confined to a single department.Ensuring the delivery of effective solutions to customer queries is vital across all segments of an organization, ranging from the product development team to design, sales, and marketing teams.While the benefits of exceptional customer service are numerous, they are amplified and realized more swiftly when the responsibility permeates every level of an organization. Benefits of providing good customer serviceCultivating a collective effort of service excellence creates an environment for customers where they feel valued and respected, leading to many positive outcomes for the business.Here are some of the key benefits of providing good customer service:Boosts customer satisfactionOutstanding customer service fulfills the needs and surpasses the expectations of customers, resulting in high levels of satisfaction.Very satisfied customers are likely to return for additional purchases, building higher customer lifetime values.Happy customers remain loyalWhen customers receive excellent service, they are more likely to ask for more.This translates into repeat business and customer advocacy, which provides free word-of-mouth advertising to potential customers.Good customer service leads to higher revenueProviding exceptional customer experiences is the best bet for increasing sales. Satisfied customers are more likely to make additional purchases and are also less sensitive to price changes.Moreover, loyal customers tend to spend more with a business over time.Top-notch customer experiences guarantee an edge over competitorsIn a marketplace where products and prices can be very similar, customer service can be a key differentiator.Businesses known for their good customer experiences distinguish themselves from their competition and attract more customers.Brand reputation improves with each positive customer experienceOrganizations known for their outstanding service develop a favorable reputation over time, enhancing their brand image.Establishing a favorable reputation can help smooth the process of rectifying service issues and provide a shield for the business during periods of crisis or when confronted with adverse public attention.Excellent customer service reduces problems and complaintsProactive customer service enables businesses to preempt problems before customers can even articulate them.This results in fewer complaints and less time and resources spent on resolving issues.Happy employees stick around longerEmployees who are trained and equipped to provide good customer experiences often have a clearer understanding of their role and the impact they have on the business.It is this understanding that leads to higher job satisfaction, lower turnover rates, and a more positive work environment.Company-wide customer service engagement at an affordable costOne of the hurdles to establishing a company-wide approach to customer service is the cost of customer service software.Usually, these software solutions charge per agent. This can be prohibitively expensive for sizable companies that have a considerable workforce interacting with customers.If you’re worried about the expense of instituting company-wide support, here’s your solution:LIKE.TG offers unlimited agent pricing plans that can revolutionize how you manage customer service.These plans enable a company-wide commitment to customer service by removing the constraints of per-agent costs.With the right one in place, you can easily expand your customer service teams, enhance collaboration, and enrich the overall customer experience without having to worry about incurring extra costs.Benefits of choosing an unlimited agents pricing planLet’s explore how you stand to benefit from choosing customer support software with an unlimited agents pricing model, and why it could be just the solution you’ve been waiting for:Cost efficiencyTo cope with recent economic challenges, 42% of senior executives expressed that cost cutting is a priority for their business.The essence of unlimited agents pricing plans is to save money. In contrast to conventional pricing plans that usually charge per agent, unlimited agents pricing models charge a flat rate, regardless of how many agents you have.If you have enough people using the customer support software, you can save significantly with an unlimited agents planFreedom to expandAs your business grows, your customer support needs also increase.With an unlimited agents pricing model, your customer support team can easily scale up to meet these growing demands without worrying about incurring extra costs for additional agents.This flexibility is particularly beneficial for startups and small businesses that run on a tight budget and yet need to build and grow their teams to consistently provide good customer service.Increased team collaborationA study by Microsoft revealed that employees spend 80% of their time collaborating on projects.Customer service software with no restrictions on the number of agents helps foster a more collaborative environment.Teams can work together, share knowledge, and solve problems more effectively.Collaboration improves the quality of service and leads to improved decision-making, innovation, and overall business performance as well.Enhanced productivityCustomer support software with an unlimited agents pricing model allows businesses to streamline operations by engaging as many agents as necessary to handle customer requests.This strategy reduces workload and enables agents to focus on their area of specialization, thereby enhancing their efficiency and productivity.This leads to a reduced time to resolution, happier customers, and, finally, a healthier bottom line.Improved customer experienceTo remain competitive, businesses need to ensure they are always available to address customer needs.By opting for software with an unlimited agents pricing plan, businesses can maintain a sufficient number of agents to provide around-the-clock customer support, thereby improving the customer experience.Get ready to deliver new heights of customer service excellence!Customer support software with an unlimited agents pricing model is the perfect choice for businesses seeking to strike a balance between offering top-notch customer experiences and managing costs.Don’t let your business be shackled by budgets or outdated practices. It’s time to save resources, collaborate more, enhance productivity, and deliver exceptional service across all fronts.Embrace the limitless potential of LIKE.TG’s Unlimited Agents pricing plan. This package simplifies your bill, letting you devote more time and energy to your business’s growth rather than juggling your budget.Contact us to schedule a live demo to experience firsthand how LIKE.TG’s features can help you achieve customer service excellence at an unbeatable price. Or, try out our 15-day free trial with instant access.Make the smart switch today—because when we say unlimited, we really mean unlimited!
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