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Top 10 HR Trends in Employee Experience: What to Expect
As the new year arrives, companies will regain some control and lead their employees to a newly mapped future. With this comes significant improvement to the employee experience. We're anticipating the following ten new trends in 2021.
Organizations are going on to make preparations for the next twelve months after a historic year of uncertainty and upheaval and planning their company and employees for further changes related to COVID. Although hastily-made modifications to the way we operate were implemented in 2020, 2021 will be the year when these modifications are planned and executed.
Many of these improvements are not ideal like employees were forced to return home to work unexpectedly. Yet they are here to stay for the near future from this point of view. In terms of keeping organizations afloat, several new working ways have so far been successful.
Although some trends have been going on for a while now and have only been magnified by the year's developments, many of these are the inevitable consequence of drastic changes that organizations have to endure and still encounter in some cases.
Employee Experience in 2020
The word "employee experience" was used as a "should do" before COVID. We have been advised that we work on employee experience and see changes in levels of loyalty, retention, happiness, and satisfaction. For many organizations, EX had taken a back seat to more pressing concerns.
But by 2020, those who focused on EX sharply contrasted with those who did not. These groups have been able to successfully shield themselves from the brunt of the pandemic, as they had been supporting their employees with an excellent experience. If you have an organization that listens to its people, regularly evolves its handling of its employees, and takes input and suggestions into account — you have a company that is consistent through trembling or imbalance. Thus, those who practice EX were able to adapt to all aspects of the company when businesses had to make a sudden and immediate transition and were able to experience transformation quickly and efficiently.
However, as EX was not seen by many as a priority, such companies seem to belong to a minority. According to a Forbes report, less than a third of businesses perform quarterly surveys, and just a little more have a forum for workers to have a say. It can seem anachronistic to have a staff that cannot have any observations or perspectives on their personal workplace experience with systems in place. As the pandemic pressured employees at home to meet their homework and childcare obligations, such non-EX companies were practically oblivious to their workforce's needs.
Nevertheless, with efficient communications, two-way conversations and open culture, those highly experienced in EX were able to recognize weak spots, be available to employees' needs and identify possible problems until they become more difficult. When our work's future was imposed on us, the importance of EX was thoroughly and eventually understood.
And what are we expecting from the next 12 months? Do we perform well under these new circumstances? Does it promise more traffic next year? Or are we going to see a way out of the current chaos eventually? Here, we foresee the ten trends that will affect the experience of 2021 employees.
1. Flexible work takes precedence.
The mass migration to work at home caused great concern for the office's future. But home offices helped to maintain business continuity and were successful. We can see that work from home continues in 2021, but with a more outstanding balance with the company. When safe, employers will offer greater flexibility in terms of the workplace.
A Forrester report calls it "the hybrid model anywhere, were working outside the office, including outside of the pandemic limitations, is considered a regular thing. This requires organizations to review their full model – from real estate to management – and determine how they can accomplish long-term objectives outside their traditional offices' real estate borders.
2. System of reimbursement
The laws governing working at home are being investigated. When it becomes an essential part of everyday life, businesses will soon begin formally to change their work policies. In several countries, we have already experienced this. For instance, different nations handle institutional and ongoing job costs at home, such as the US government developing reimbursement arrangements for home internet service and other expenses. Denmark also adds coffee-like food prices to pay packages for its workers.
In order to cover Wi-Fi, utility bills, and even toilet paper used by those living at home, the Dutch Government is encouraged to contribute $2.40 a day to the employee pay packages. France has passed a law defending them against post-hours email; Britain has indicated that the rules on tax deductions on work-related equipment bought during this pandemic may be relaxed. Some improvements could take a few years to enter into law but display a foresight of a more willing government towards working from home.
3. Changes in HR Review Policies
When HR re-examines its policies for employees at home, they will also have to consider how this impacts them. Further lockdown limitations may, for instance, affect schools, nurseries, and childcare, and consequently, it is vital to take account of staff with children.
Any changes that are done must be made clear in advance to employees. Consider the company intranet as a central communication platform. Additionally, update staff manuals with new policies on work from home, evaluation requirements, and other appropriate interventions.
4. Culture has Now Become Reactive.
In the absence of a physical office, the office building can become secondary to the working culture. The digital workplace will grow further and create an omnichannel world where the office's tangible and intangible elements will be brought digitally to the employee. Types of events can be more intuitive and include spaces for workers to enjoy – like huddles, team reunions, all-hands meetings, and satellite workspaces for employees to work in solitude.
While the office culture was more ambient, cultural leaders in a remote work environment might be required. Some workers build programs, launch new camps and initiate conversations. Organizations should concentrate in 2021 on how their working culture is developed in a dispersed workplace.
5. Attention on Mental Health
Has mental health ever been more critical than in 2020? This continues as managers start to consider their employees' emotional and mental well-being and find ways to track it. Most people will establish behavior patterns and reactions and identify people who have negative emotions without meeting their colleagues.
As jobs began to consider the fundamental value of mental health for their employees, the effects of COVID have intensified this awareness, and in 2021 this approach will be further developed.
6. A Trust Culture
Though there were several "firsts," 2020 meant that companies had no choice but to trust their staff with the way they handled their home offices for some kind of continuity. The culture of physical presence could well come to an end as the relationship between employer and employee evolves into the relationship of trust and autonomy.
Organizations have moved to various softwares that help track the level of employee productivity. However, 2020 showed that workers apply the same degree of professional discipline at home when appropriately managed and with the right communication channels in place. The major concerns are loneliness and isolation, which need to be tackled on a case-by-case basis by flexible working, commuting, and better comms networks.
7. Global Workforce
The human resources would no longer look for people of a given location. Any potential vacancy should consider extending the talent pool into a global context. This improves chances for high-quality workers irrespective of their location.
This includes a revision of the typical lifecycle of the organization. Every aspect of your business' working life should be re-tuned, from onboarding to training and development, to be easily available online anywhere in the world. This, of course, poses new cultural and logistical challenges, but companies should start getting used to managing a global workforce.
8. The Importance of IT
In 2021 they will have to place much greater pressure on IT in order to concentrate on delivering a better employee experience. Their position in the process is crucial. They are majorly facing two challenges—a drop in expenditures as companies tighten up to reverse the current economic downturn and collaborate with existing software for a better solution.
IT needs to build ways to support and reduce discomfort for employees. The IT will bear all essential responsibilities, such as social coordination, data maintenance and security. This is not the year of short-term adjustments. By 2020, long due reforms have forced companies to work with speed, strategy, and enterprise to better tackle these challenges.
9. Communication becomes Crucial
The CEO's ability to have an insight into the office was enough to please the employees while leadership was present. At the desk, lunch breaks and sometimes talks, walking in the hallway — each little touchpoint meant a sense of communion and community. It's a little bit different at home. Not only must people feel noticed, but they must also be guided, and a home workplace can serve as a dialogue blocker.
Enable business leaders to look at how the whole company can enjoy similar synergies. At the same time, teams interact more closely than ever with daily stand-ups and immediate chat channels like Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc. The importance of pulse surveys, CEO-led zoom meetings and managers holding more one-to-one talks with team members is the only way to know what is happening in each employee's life at a micro-level. Helping ensure that several home offices collaborate as one company and continues to work seamlessly.
10. Higher need for Automation
With remote work becoming more regular, businesses need to implement software and technology that helps workers when they don't have a physical presence. This program is designed to provide a readily available, humanistic service: an employee's ideal experience.
This part of the company would be one of the first to use intelligent devices without, for instance, an HR department for people who talk face to face, plan meetings, and visit. The employee also maintains the same confidential service quality through applications to connect with the worker on annual leave, health, and job-related concerns while receiving consistent and accurate data that they can evaluate and work on.
The 2020 events have led us to behave reactively and, at times, hastily at a breakneck pace. Therefore, employee experience is an evolving process that transforms small doses but has a dramatic impact on the company. These changes are led by senior management in line with employee feedback, and a feedback loop is formed as these changes are centered. Feedback has taken center stage in such times to really understand what is going on in the home workplace.
This enables companies to step away from a more strategic, awake and considered 2021 mentality from the impulsive and abrupt 2020 decision-making.
That is why EX is more critical now than ever for our employees. Only if we take our workforce's experience exceptionally will we be able to keep track of the pace of change in workplaces and allow for accuracy, creativity and new opportunities – something organizations must concentrate on in the next 12 months more than ever before.
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
10 Tips to Keep Your Employees Productive
Every business leader has a responsibility to make their employees happy and efficient. Employees are the important asset of a company, and having them engaged in business activities leads to business growth. However, planning an effective strategy is conversely difficult, as it needs too much thought and time. That’s where the role of human resource management comes to the fore. How do HR departments ensure that they keep the employees productive despite the hustle of their work-life? This blog focuses on a similar discussion, giving you the most actionable tips to keep employees productive and the business successful.
1. Make a model of clarity and feedback.
It is crucial to create an atmosphere where everything is clear. Like, if the manager does any mistake, it is their responsibility to admit it. Being honest plays a great role in the company's growth, and getting to admit your blunder is the most significant factor in building an atmosphere of trust and scrupulousness.
It has been seen that whenever a person performs in a leadership role, they try to express their power by proving themselves right in every situation. Moreover, it takes a lot of strength to accept when they are wrong, so forming a transparency layer whenever making any mistake will enhance your image in front of management and raise a new learning environment.
2. Provide a Pleasant and Motivating Working Setup
Another thing you can do is to create a suitable work environment for the employees. So, you can outline it in a way that makes the employees feel satisfied during working. A healthy work environment usually helps the employees stay focused and free of distractions.
For a relaxed atmosphere, you can keep in mind some things like Ample lighting, fixed setting, Pleasant temperature, Conventional space, Admirable food, and so on. Even meeting the necessities like Fresh and Clean air can make employees feel satisfied and keep them motivated the whole day.
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3. Give your team certain tools
When you decide to give your team all the high-quality tools, they will not feel needy and not lose their time asking the leaders to give them what they need to perform the task. Moreover, if the employees are working from home, try to give them the best management tracking applications that will enable them to efficiently connect with the team members and take precise feedback from the team. Also, the employee can put their queries through the tool. This can create a professional environment this is significant for every organization.
4. Help employees to feel valued.
Whenever any employee does the task at hand on time or delivers on other metrics, like improving the profits, it will work if you appreciate or credit them. Organizations that do so successfully build a feeling of pride and are admired by the employees. They try to perform better next time, and this is how they remain encouraged.
If any employee commits a mistake, instead of yelling at them or punishing them, give them the word "it's ok." This will not discourage the team members and make them more responsible for the future to not commit the same mistake again.
Also, through support, employees dedicate themselves to work, which increases their engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Being a manager or a team leader, you can create a positive impact on your employees. Only a positive environment among all will be the most suitable option to get the desired outcomes.
5. Keep Employees Occupied
If you want your employee to stay productive and deliver great work, you can create a complete manual in a simplistic style. Keep in mind that the employee guidebook will consist of aspects like handling a specific situation or other things. To make them feel like a part of the organization, you can also ask them about their manual approaches.
Other than this, it will work if you have regular meetings with your employees to keep them occupied. Make sure that everyone gets the chance to raise their concerns. This will create a positive work-life balance that eventually leads to the company's progress. People feel that the entire team cares about their opinions when addressing their particular issues/products/services.
6. Dodge micromanagement
Earlier, the companies hesitated to provide remote work, as they were not convinced with the idea and believed that the same level of productivity could not happen remotely. However, these days, everyone is doing remote work. Therefore, managers find it easy to micromanage their teams to upscale their business. But, at the same time, companies should also respect their employees and set clear expectations.
As per the analysis, it has been noted that almost 59% of employees who worked under the manager were micromanaged. While 55% stated, it served them being fruitful. On the other side, 68% find that they overcame their confidence.
Therefore, it is not easy for a manager to bother their juniors to monitor everything going around. Instead, both should correspond to the specific goals, and if the goals are met, managers don't need to worry about the place and how.
7. Allow your team to work at a flexible schedule.
A 9-5 work schedule doesn't look fit at all. However, each employee who works under this span doesn't have to be productive. Thus, you can choose to provide your employees with adjustable work hours like the other companies without considering the negative aspects.
This will allow the employee to build a flexible schedule. Most likely, they will be more productive during the timings that they choose for themselves to work. Also, this will make them happy and content, which ends in boosting productivity. At first, you can analyze everything by outlining the guidelines regarding attendance, information, and availability.
Then, continue to start with a manageable schedule for a single unit and watch the employee's performance accordingly. If, after doing this, you find the employee to be productive then, you can decide on giving manageable timings to the other units. Don't forget to review their performance from time to time.
8. Allow Breaks
Most times, you will find your employees to be bored and dull during work hours. It implies that they need a pause from your side to refocus over. Therefore, it will be ideal if you give them a rest of 10-20 minutes after one 101 hours of working, as it will help them revive their mind and refocus later on. Suppose you encourage breaks, whether, for a snack, tea, bathroom, a glassful of water, or to move, you will find that your employees will stay stimulated, which continues the business' progress.
9. Make your employees part of the bigger picture.
As a team leader or a time manager, you can notify your team about the company's ultimate goals and strategies. This will strengthen communication, and it is an excellent way to keep everyone on the same page.
Your choice can make your productive employees feel appreciated, and it will direct them to work with more devotion for the company's growth and attainment of collective goals.
10. Be compatible
If you want everything to go smoothly, keep in mind to stay steady. At the same time, it is great to connect with the team members at every level. This will make you aware ofemployee happiness,and how they work to meet the organizational objectives.
Hopefully, after getting the information given above, it will clarify that both the commitment and productivity go concurrently. Therefore, by following the tips, you can create an environment that boosts up the employee's productivity, confidence, and recognition at the same time.
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
Interview Thank You Email Templates With Examples
Sending a thank-you note after a job interview is a longstanding tradition in every industry. From the days of snail mail to the current digital era, employees use this gesture to show appreciation for the opportunity to go through the interview. So, it is essential to write a concise and convincing letter to the company’s employers following the interview.
Most job applicants are afraid to write thank you emails because it seems a bit too forward. Others believe that appreciation letters don’t affect your chances of landing a job.
Well, that’s not entirely true. A well-crafted interview thank you letter can be the ultimate decider between you and another candidate. Moreover, you don’t need to write a full-blown essay as your appreciation email. You can simply hire an essay writer to finetune your delivery.
Let’s discuss the processes involved in writing an appreciation letter and the perfect example to warm any recruiter’s heart.
Why should you send a thank-you email?
An interview thank you note is an excellent addendum to your CV and cover letter. But if you are still having doubts about an appreciation email’s relevance, check out the potential benefits:
Showing appreciation is an act of common courtesy.
If not for anything, you should thank the board for the opportunity after the interview. You should also thank the recruiter or interviewer for spending their time to share the company’s goals with you.
The letter allows you to reaffirm your candidacy.
When you write an appreciation email, it reminds the recruiter about you and your unique skills. You should understand that recruiters in massive companies interview tons of candidates for a vacancy, and your unique appreciation letter distinguishes you from others. And by the way, you can add extra information that you forgot to mention during the main interview.
It puts you in a pole position to land the job.
Recruiters often reach an impasse when choosing candidates. And this deadlock often triggers the ‘elimination’ process to find out the best-suited candidate to fill the position. With your appreciation email, you can tip the scales in your favor instantly.
Key considerations when writing a thank you email
Although sending an appreciation email is a good idea, you need to follow standard writing etiquettes to improve your chance of success. Here are the crucial considerations when writing a thank-you letter:
Timing
All your follow-up emails must arrive within the first 24 hours of the job interview. This technique is useful during the hiring process because it creates a lasting impression on the interview board. So, gather all the relevant facts during the interview and use them to draft an attention-grabbing letter to a specific email address.
Addresses
When it’s time to meet your interviewers, you will be face-to-face with about 3-5 people. Identify the key figures on the board and address your thank you email to them. You could ask them for their business cards after the interview if you couldn’t find their contacts on the company website. Always remember to thank the recruiter (HR personnel) and your would-be boss and make them feel free to contact you for further questions. Don’t send the same spam email to everybody on the board.
Content
An excellent follow-up email must contain accurate information. At the same time, you need to review your work to eliminate embarrassing errors. Also, don’t send generic letters to the recruiter. Let them know that you enjoyed learning from them during the interview. Personalize the contents of the letter to the vacancy requirements and most importantly, don’t use informal language in your letter.
How to write a thank you email
Writing a thank you email after an interview involves listening carefully during the interviewing process. Afterward, use this information to rehash your best attributes as regards the position.
So, how can you write an email that makes a lasting impression on the interview board?
Let’s break it down into seven key steps:
Come up with a clear subject line.
Your subject line should contain the addressee’s name and the purpose of the letter. Also, clarify the job title position. Focus on short descriptions that are readable at a glance.
Personalize the email.
Avoid writing “to whom it may concern” in your follow-up letter. Since you’ve met employers during the interview, you should know their names. Therefore, refer to the addressee by their full name instead of using a generic greeting.
Show gratitude.
Start the letter with ‘thanks’ before going into details. Thank the addressee for the opportunity and insightful conversation.
Keep it specific.
Discuss specific moments in the interview that you found interesting. For example, you can talk about your appreciation of the company’s objectives and direction.
Recap your professional skills.
Don’t assume that the hiring manager remembers everything about you. Mention your professional skills that are relevant to the vacancy. Leverage what you now know from the interview questions and focus on those qualities that align with the company’s values.
Proofread carefully.
Errors in letters can be deal breakers when applying for a job. Go through the letter more than once to ensure that the message is clear and the grammar is intact.
Sign off with a professional greeting.
Don’t forget to end the letter with a professional greeting. To be on the safe side, always use ‘yours sincerely’ as your sign-off greeting.
Moreover, some people still use handwritten letters to deliver their follow-up messages. Although this technique highlights your dedication to professionalism, it doesn’t always end well. For example, the letter could get lost in the mail. Or the addressee would not open it in time.
Therefore, stick to standard emails when writing your appreciation letter because it is more professional and convenient.
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Thank you email templates and examples
Now that we have covered the importance of appreciation letters, let’s go through a short interview thank-you letter sample:
Subject Line: Thanks For The Opportunity {Insert Interviewer’s Name}.
Dear {Insert Interviewer’s Name},
Thanks for the insightful conversation regarding the position at {insert the company’s name}. Our short interaction has piqued my interest more to become part of your workforce.
I was mostly attracted to your clear-cut approach to solving {insert the specific problem}, which is in line with my view on {discuss specific subject}. I believe that I can contribute to the realization of {insert goal} as {insert proposed vacancy} in your company.
Please, don’t hesitate to contact me for additional information. I look forward to your feedback and future cooperation.
Thanks again for the opportunity!
Yours sincerely,
{Full name and contact info}
You can use this email template for any follow-up message and job vacancy. But you need to mention particular areas of interest picked up during the interview. Don’t forget to highlight your ability to perform each task at a high level. And most importantly, keep your letter short and error-free.
About Author: Patricia Lockers is an essay writer helping students with their academic assignments. She has a Ph.D. in History from Stanford. At the moment, she also offers assistance to companies on content creation.
Mobile HR Apps and Best Practices
The Human Resources department of a company handles many responsibilities. Over the years, HR departments have undergone changes, from service-oriented functions to assuming more strategic and versatile roles.
These changes are now happening in the most progressive companies around the world and technology is at the core of these changes. Today, various employee apps offer a wide range of capabilities, and figuring out the ones which are most suited for your company's HR is very important.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a must-have app that will give you the capability to find and connect with companies, colleagues, professors, and more. You can even connect with industry specialists and recruiters to create a business network for your company.
Having a solid LinkedIn profile is essential to spread the word about your company. This app will also provide you with amazing networking opportunities while connecting you with a wide range of professionals and information on different topics.
LIKE.TG
Imagine HR software that helps you manage the complete employee lifecycle by automating the processes and digitizing the record-keeping and database management. This is what LIKE.TG does perfectly. From onboarding till the exit of an employee, LIKE.TG enables HR teams to work futuristically by streamlining communication, collaboration and engagement levels.
Employee experience is enhanced in an environment where HRMS is highly people-oriented and where their every need in terms of communication, rewards and recognition, and benefits is timely addressed. A heightened employee experience means higher motivation level, which in turn boosts company productivity. This is why many organizations, ranging from SMB’s to large businesses, trust LIKE.TG as their go-to software when upgrading their HR functions.
Human Resource Magazine SHRM
HR Magazine is a very popular periodical known internationally for HR specialists under the aegis of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The articles in the magazine include topics on law, management, and business practices of the industry written by HR pioneers.
The updated perspectives and findings of these pioneers will keep you informed of the latest trends and news, which may contribute to your assignments and discussions in the company.
The magazine comes out ten times each year and you will find the same content in the printed version and the app. For the latter, you will also find a daily news feed, videos, and other features. You can download this app whether you own an Android or iOS device.
Where could you find some help?
Writing letters and other official documents is an important part of all HR operations. Just as a college student must complete plenty of writing assignments throughout their education, you also need to master writing official documents. While you study your company's policies to ensure that you are doing everything by the book, you can hire professionals to do the writing work for you, especially if you study part-time. It's also possible toask for additional writing servicesfrom EduBirdie. This is a professional writing service you can depend on at any time of the day for any academic work.
Apps for collaboration and learning
Using educational mobile apps has revolutionized face-to-face communication across a variety of work environments, especially for the millennial generation who expects their seniors and colleagues to friendlier, easier to connect with, and more collaborative.
Without these very convenient apps, employees would find their work processes compulsive and boring. Since most of today's employees stay connected using their smartphones, it becomes very important for mobile connectivity to be both dependable and fast.
As an employee, having such an app (or more) will increase your productivity and efficiency. Using an employee app that serves as a channel for communication with other employees will help you stay in tune and in touch with everyone.
Aside from boosting your productivity and efficiency, it will also make your work environment better by enhancing its flexibility. Mobile HR apps will also help you increase your scope through interactive learning.
You can consider these mobile apps as learning tools. Use them to learn the processes in your company and get the training you need too. If you have an HR app, you can use this to improve your skills and improve your productivity.
Easier HR operations
One of the most important reasons why you would download and use apps is to make HR operations easier. Many of the apps being extensively used today are for various HR-related functions like approvals, timesheets, performance appraisals, work schedules, and more.
All these essential processes can now be easily accessed using apps and these have made much of the HR department's work more efficient and faster.
Conclusion
The advancements in HR apps won't stop as technology will continue to evolve to make things faster and more efficient. Once you find the best app for your company, you can start using it to improve how your company'\s HR department operates.
About Author: Michael Turner ranks as the top-rated writer and editor for a highly-reputed academic assignment service for US and UK students. He strives to provide quality work consistently and does this by regularly updating himself with the latest trends. Besides his work, he enjoys blogging, reading sports magazines, and experimenting with new dishes in his kitchen
Fostering Employee Wellness Using Your Intranet
Do you want to create a culture where employees take better care of themselves? If so, your intranet can help.
It’s important for employees to care for themselves, both at work and outside of the office. However, it can prove hard for them to focus on maintaining healthy habits when their primary concern is getting the most out of their careers.
No-room-for-error projects and tight deadlines typically take priority over self-care. With technology, however, you can remind your staff about the importance of caring for themselves. In turn, you can help to boost employee wellness—and productivity.
To learn more about fostering employee wellness using your intranet, keep reading.
Benefits of Using Your Intranet to Foster Employee Wellness
You can get everyone involved in promoting their own wellness by leveraging your corporate intranet. Now, it’s easy for companies to run employee wellness initiatives in tandem with employee recognition programs. For example, you could use your company network to emphasize wellness events such as World Mental Health Day.
This kind of strategy supports a culture of mindfulness. It also builds confidence among employees in your company identity.
Alternatively, you can use your intranet to promote healthy habits in the workplace, such as mindfulness and fitness. As an example, you could encourage employees to occasionally tune out and turn off.
You can also use your intranet to encourage them to take time off that they need to recharge. This point is important, as nearly half of all employees don’t take needed and deserved vacation time.
Stop Conflict Before it Begins witha Culture of “Thank You”
Does your organization foster a culture of micro-rewards and gratitude? If you’re not sure or the answer is “no,” your company culture could be contributing to workplace conflict. Building a culture of “thank you” can be difficult (especially with remote teams), but it doesn’t have to be! Learn more in our eBook, "10 Free / Low Cost Employee Recognition Ideas.”
Learn how!
How Your Intranet Can Help
With the right software, you can manage your employee wellness system effectively. It will enable you to promote, monitor, and manage wellness activities. In doing so, you can create a team that thrives by minding to their health and wellness.
An effective management platform can help you track important wellness KPIs. It will also help you to access and manage risks as it pertains to employee wellness. Moreover, you can follow these metrics in real-time.
Premium software such as LIKE.TG can provide you with a customizable platform that supports your staffs’ wellness journey. With the top HR technology, you can provide a fresh user experience that’s easy to navigate.
For example, you could offer free wellness coaching. This kind of service is highly popular among employees with a desire to improve their wellbeing.
You can also set up a system to support employees in tracking their fitness activities and measuring the results. You can even motivate employees by offering them rewards for successfully completing wellness milestones.
Leveling Up Your Intranet for Employee Wellbeing
Employee wellness includes both physical and mental health. Both work-related and non-related factors affect the state of employees’ physical and emotional wellbeing.
Promoting employee wellness does more than increase workers’ productivity—it improves every aspect of their lives. With employee wellness, you want to build a happier, healthier workforce.
Doing so will positively impact employee performance. Ideally, however, as a human resource professional or company leader, you should primarily have the goal of promoting the health of your peers.
Tracking metrics such as those for participation is vital for the success of employee wellness programs. However, it’s also important to consider what benefits are most useful for your staff.
Different companies have different needs. For example, you may want to offer healthy meal delivery via your corporate intranet. Alternatively, you may offer mental health counseling.
You can even offer gym membership reimbursements as well as bonuses for employees that meet fitness goals. Here, you could tie in bonuses to employee performance in your company’s weight loss program. Alternatively, you might do the same for those who complete a smoking cessation program.
Implementing Your Digital Wellness Strategy
An effective workplace wellness program can help you improve your team and reduce costs. Today, leading firms use technology to drive wellness program participation and awareness. With the right platform, you can amplify your company’s wellness initiatives.
Many employees report conditions such as stress and depression. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for companies to manage. Resultantly, you must find a way to support your employees if you want to promote productivity.
To remedy this issue, you want to enhance your healthcare programs. To this end, it’s helpful to leverage your digital workplace to build a culture of wellness.
Everyone engages in wellness in different ways. Also, you’ll want to develop a holistic wellness strategy that encompasses both physical and emotional health. With technology, you can develop a wellness program that’s personalized for each of your team members.
Still, you’ll need a way to communicate these ideas with your team members. You’ll also need to communicate your company’s wellness initiatives to management.
Forging Ahead With Digital Deployment
Here, it’s important that managers know that they must empathize with employees’ health and emotional problems. Managers must show sensitivity in this regard. With this in mind, you can even use your company intranet to track managerial awareness of employees’ health statuses.
In the digital age, it’s never been easier to support employee wellbeing. Now, your intranet is a vital tool for creating a company culture of wellness and mindfulness.
Poor employee health costs companies billions of dollars every year. With your digital workplace, however, you have an opportunity to help employees improve their wellness.
It’s important to understand, however, that your company’s path toward wellness is a journey, not a sprint. With time and effective planning, you can promote a healthy, happy work environment.
HR mistakes impact your entire organization. Learn how to avoid the 12 most common mistakes with our free ebook.
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Steps for Getting Started
The losses due to poor employee health continue to rise. As a result, many companies are working for ways to keep these employee health-related expenses manageable and under control.
It’s true that your company’s health and wellness programs can help employees to achieve better health outcomes. Yet, they also help to reduce risk.
Healthy employees are less likely to have problems on the job—either emotional or physical. Furthermore, organizations with happy, healthy employees save on long-term health expenses.
With this in mind, you’ll want to provide your employees with the means and tools for them to take control of their wellness.
A well-executed wellness initiative supported by technology can reduce healthcare costs. It will also enhance productivity and boost employee retention.
The process begins with advocating for the establishment of a wellness program—if your company hasn’t started one already. Your program must provide access to various wellness offerings.
You’ll also need to design and implement the program. However, it’s important not to try to do it all alone. In other words, you’ll want to incorporate the help of experts where possible or needed.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll need to communicate the components of your wellness program with your staff. You’ll also need to deploy mechanisms to increase participation in your company’s wellness program.
Manage the Many Moving Parts of Employee Wellness With the Right Technology
An effective employee wellness program has many components. In most cases, you must contract with several vendors to create the needed services for your wellness program. These vendors may offer services such as:
Disease management
Employee assistance programs
Ergonomics
Screening
Vaccinations
Wellness consulting
Wellness training
However, there’s one constant, no matter how many components you add to your wellness program. You’ll need to communicate your program and encourage employee participation if you want to reap the benefits of healthier employees.
A Better Way to Manage Your Employee Wellness Program
In the past, employers relied on instructor-led, in-person coaching and hard-copy handouts. Today, however, an online solution is a pivotal part of a well-coordinated employee health program.
For instance, you can use your company intranet to provide basic nutrition training. Again, you can also use it to support physical activity.
You can even use your intranet to create a group where employees can share their wellness journeys. For example, you could set up group chats or forums where workers can share their experiences. Once you’ve established the group, you could further leverage it by inviting non-participating employees to join in.
Also, by leveraging technology, your wellness program could grow alongside your company. With the latest technology, you can add as many group members as you need seamlessly.
More importantly, technology enables you to customize your communication with your staff. With the right platform, you can make sure that every corporate message promotes your brand identity.
Still, how do you know what platform can empower you to deliver the many facets of your employee wellness program effectively? Luckily, we have the perfect solution.
Your Intranet Is a Powerful Tool for Promoting Employee Wellness
Now you know more about fostering employee wellness using your intranet. What you need now is an award-winning human resources platform.
LIKE.TG can help you manage the many moving parts of your employee wellness program. With LIKE.TG, you can make it easy for employees to find the wellness information they need on their own time.
With our platform, you can boost employee wellness programs and deliver employee recognition. You can also improve work culture, productivity, and morale.
Set your business up for success. Contact LIKE.TG today to request a free demo and learn more about starting the journey toward corporate wellness.
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.
6 Tools That Will Help to Improve Your Business Productivity
Business owners need to properly manage their time — as well as their team members — to ensure they get the most out of every day. In this article, we’re going to outline several different tools that can help you increase your team efficiency and productivity.
Let’s take a look!
Time tracking software that helps your team stay focused
One way to help your team stay focused and work effectively is to use time tracking software. This can help you to identify when your staff tend to get the most distracted, or when they might need more support. It can also help to ensure that everyone concentrates on the task at hand, and can make it much easier for you to price up jobs based on how long they actually take. This is particularly helpful if you run a business that involves charging by the hour.
LIKE.TG’s time tracking software can help you with all of this! It’s easy to use, secure, and will help you streamline your processes.
Templates that streamline processes and store information
Using templates for jobs you have to do over and over again is another great way to make your life easier and improve your business productivity. There are lots of different template types you could use, but let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
For instance, if you and your team members are focusing on improving your search engine optimization (as you should), Loganix has some great SEO templates that can help you to get more done and store important information effectively. One great example is the content brief template. This will help you organize all the information any writers and editors need before diving into creating your content. The document outline can keep things simple for your writers and help them get work done quickly, while also eliminating any back-and-forth between parties.
LIKE.TG has several helpful onboarding checklist templates, as well. Onboarding can be stressful for employers and employees alike — you don’t want this important process to be rushed or overlooked. To give your new employees the best experience possible, these checklists can help. They give you step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your employees for their new position.
Look at what you and your team members do on a regular basis, and consider if there are any templates that will help to streamline your processes and speed certain tasks up. They can make a huge difference.
Project or employee management software that keeps you on track
As a business owner, it’s a good idea to use a project or employee management program to track different areas and help you stay on top of things. Project management tools can help you set deadlines, make it easier to collaborate with other team members, keep your relevant documents in one place, and help you feel more in control. As a bonus, all of your employees who are using the software will be able to see their daily tasks at a glance.
You might also be interested in using a Performance Management System like LIKE.TG’s to frequently assess your staff, identify any areas they need help with, and provide them with feedback. These are all important jobs, but they can be neglected when you’re busy and struggling to stay on top of things. Having a real system in place will help you to stay on track, keep your employees happy, and make it much easier for you to handle HR-related issues.
Social media scheduling tools that help you stay ahead
Social media marketing is incredibly important for getting the word out about your business. And, bulk scheduling social media posts is often a lot less time-consuming than writing them on a daily basis. To help optimize your social media posts, dig into your analytics and see when your posts tend to get the most engagement, then schedule your activity in advance. Be sure to keep a regular schedule, posting weekly or daily, for instance, in order to get the most out of your content.
If you’re looking for a new tool to help you make the most of your social media time, check out SocialPilot’s round-up of the best social media analytics tools. They can help you make a decision based on a particular program’s price, features, and more.
Checklists that help you to stay on top of everything
Sometimes, it can be hard to stay on top of all of the little jobs you need to do on a regular basis. Creating checklists that you can refer to will help keep you on track and ensure you don’t forget anything. Checklists for daily tasks are certainly important, but it’s also worth creating lists for the things you only do every once in a while, like checking your finances, onboarding employees, preparing for industry events, and even spring cleaning your premises.
It’s easy to put certain tasks off when there's nobody holding you to account, but simply having a checklist to follow can make a huge difference. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of working your way through a checklist and having a spruced up office, better organized finances, and happier team members at the end of it.
Templates that will speed up your graphic design
People love visual content, and everything from your social media updates to your blog posts can involve some graphic design. However, making everything from scratch can be incredibly time-consuming, so it’s worth spending a while creating templates that you can then fall back on to speed things up in the future.
You could create templates for infographics, Instagram posts, blog visuals, email newsletters, and the like. Not only will this save you time and energy, but keeping these designs consistent by using templates can also help you build your brand identity and awareness. This will help to ensure your content becomes recognizable and keeps your business at the forefront of your audience’s minds.
When creating your templates, be sure to incorporate aspects of your branding, including your chosen colors, fonts, brand voice, and more. This will keep things consistent and allow you to stand out from the rest of the crowd.
About Author: Alex Ratynski is the founder of Ratynski Digital, an online marketing consultancy that focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses achieve their goals. He set up his company after working as a local SEO director for a dental marketing agency, where he helped to turn clients’ ventures into thriving multi-million dollar businesses. He spends most hours strategizing SEO for his clients.
6 Best Job Experts to Follow on Twitter and LinkedIn
Whether you’re currently looking for a job or not, some good career advice can always come in handy. Especially if it’s offered by a top career expert with many years of experience and a bunch of loyal followers, some of whom have already put that advice to practice.
Some time ago, professional advice was not easy to find, but today, thanks to social media, you needn’t go far. Now, it’s the other way round: there are so many career coaches and job search experts that it’s hard to choose.
So, if you’re looking for immediate help with something specific like writing a resume, it’s better to hire a writer on a professional platform – for example, here at https://skillhub.com/blog/upload-resume-linkedin . But when you need inspiration, insights, fresh data on the job market, or first-hand job search tips, social media can be of service. Also, it could be useful for you to research what HR wants to see in candidates and you can do it here https://www.LIKE.TG.com/blog/LIKE.TG-blog-guidelines. It will be the best way to write a perfect resume.
But how does one choose from an abundance of social media experts and coaches? Well, we’ve done the job for you. In this article, you’ll find a list of the best job experts on Twitter and LinkedIn that we suggest you follow.
Twitter Influencers
Twitter is generally regarded as a platform for politicians, celebrities, and their fans. But that’s far from being everything this social network can offer. There are also a lot of experts of all kinds sharing their knowledge and insights – job experts included. So, here are our top-3 Twitter influencers writing career advice.
1. Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant)
Adam Grant’s Twitter profile states he’s currently an “organizational psychologist” at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He’s also known as the New York Times #1 best-selling author due to his book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. He also has a podcast of his own on TED Talks called WorkLife.
Adam currently has over 400,000 followers, including Hollywood actress, businesswoman, and producer Reese Witherspoon, actor Ashton Kutcher, and other celebrities. The reason for such popularity is probably that Grant manages to maintain the right balance between inspirational tweets, useful research data, and interesting insights.
2. Hannah Morgan (@careersherpa)
A New York-based job market expert Hannah Morgan describes herself as a speaker, author, LinkedIn top voice, and an “unapologetic introvert”. Indeed, she’s better known as a LinkedIn influencer – but her Twitter account is also worth following if you need fast and accessible career advice.
However, if you’re looking for inspirational fluff or deep insights for (aspiring) higher-level executives, Hannah’s profile is probably not the place to go. Her page is about more down-to-Earth topics like:
acing an interview;
networking online;
job search strategies;
resume creation, and the like.
Morgan herself states that the account is aimed at job seekers looking for “help and hope for a faster job search”, so this is exactly what you’ll get there.
3. Alison Doyle (@AlisonDoyle)
One more seasoned job expert sharing useful advice on Twitter is Alison Doyle. She’s the job search expert for The Balance agency and founder of her own company Career Tool Belt that provides advice and assistance to job seekers.
Though she doesn’t have as many followers as “star” influencers, her page offers lots of hands-on tips that anyone still in search of their dream job can make use of instantly. On her account, you can find answers to such questions as what to name as a reason for leaving your previous job, how to choose a resume file name, and more.
LinkedIn Influencers
LinkedIn is still the ultimate place to go to for anything connected with jobs and career growth. Be it networking, posting an online resume, or looking for advice from top experts – this social network offers endless opportunities. And of course, there are many experts there who are worth following. Here are our top 3.
Andrea Koppel
Washington-based expert Andrea Coppel is particularly passionate about helping fresh college graduates make their first steps into their future careers. She’s pretty popular, too, with her profile being included in the 2021 Top Job Search Expert to Follow on LinkedIn by Jobscan and a top-100 Apple podcast of her own called Time4Coffee.
Andrea is also the founder and CEO of College2Career Academy – a company whose name speaks for itself. Koppel’s target audience includes college juniors and seniors as well as their parents, and she specializes in providing concrete actionable advice. But if you’ve only got a high school diploma yet, you can follow her as well.
Rosie McCarthy
Badass Careers founder Rosie McCarthy positions herself as a “career fulfillment coach”. As such, she is devoted to helping millennials and Gen Zs create their personal brands and build meaningful careers. Rosie is based in New Zealand but is committed to helping young people worldwide.
On her page, you can find advice ranging from how to find a career purpose or learn to love your work to practical tips on resume writing. She also offers free weekly training on her YouTube channel.
Lazlo Bock
Former Google employee Lazlo Bock is a big LinkedIn influencer with more than a million followers. He’s now CEO and co-founder of software company Humu, and he’s also known as the author of Work Rules! – a book where he shares his insights from work at Google.
Lazlo still writes a lot about work at Google in particular, but his articles also cover a wide array of topics from company culture to decision-making to resumes and interviews. Quite a lot to linger on.
Final Thoughts
Following job experts on Twitter, LinkedIn, or elsewhere can be very useful indeed. It’s a great way to find out job search tips and get inspiration, especially if you hand-pick the accounts to follow.
However, don’t let it become just another form of procrastination. Remember that knowing what to do is one thing, and doing it – quite another. So, if you find any piece of advice from the experts useful – don’t hesitate to actually follow it.
About Author:This article is written by the Marketing Team of LIKE.TG.LIKE.TG is a leading global provider of Applicant Tracking, Onboarding,Offboarding, Communications, Engagement, Recognition, and Financial Wellness solutions. Its powerful and user-friendly software eliminates manual/paper processes, increases employee productivity and engagement, improves time and cost savings, and reduces regulatory compliance risk
7 Step Recruitment Marketing Action Plan To Hire Candidates
In the hiring market, some challenges can arise at any moment. To overcome this challenge, the recruiter needs to have a recruitment marketing action plan.
Great recruiters can hire candidates at the right time. These employees will have an impact on your organization. Hiring great job seekers takes time, and a working recruitment marketing strategy is a must to find the best candidates.
The need for a recruitment marketing action plan is necessary because being a recruiter is quite hard to fill the job vacancies in this candidate-driven job market. These days candidates are aware and they control which company to choose and work for.
With a lot of companies looking out for the same candidates, one needs to have the right recruitment plan in place. Building a rounded strategy is what every recruiter is looking for.
This blog post will focus on how to build an effective recruitment marketing action plan. You will be able to use it in action immediately and begin attracting great candidates.
#1. First, Define Your Goals
The primary goal of any company is to build a team that is efficient and works toward the company culture. The overall goal of your recruitment marketing action plan is to hire the candidates, and for that, you need to follow the SMART approach. It goes like this:
S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Achievable
R: Realistic
T: Timely
You need to define specific goals that are measured. Here are common recruitment marketing goals that include:
Improve candidate engagement
Improve employer brand awareness
Get more candidates
Get more career site visitors
Increase in the referral rate
And more.
#2. Recognize The Candidate Persona
A recruitment plan without knowing your ideal candidate audience is a sure shot recipe for disaster. One needs to understand the importance of the candidate persona. The candidate persona includes everything you are looking for in the candidates. Every company can have different requirements for specific candidates.
As a recruiter, you need to stay in touch with all the necessary departments in your organization. You need to keep every team in the loop and ask them about the metrics they need in a candidate. It will keep you updated on the customer portrait and get some tips about it.
Keep in mind what your team lacks and write down the insights. Does your team require a single player or a team player? Like you can narrow down your search and when you understand what you need. It would be easier to get rid of CVs that don't suit the company culture and the expectation of the job profile.
To learn more about recruitment methods, download our ebook now.
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#3. Have An Employer Brand
A recruiter knows that they are in the market, and not only the company chooses the candidates, the candidates also select the right company. You should know why you are the best choice and what extra you can offer to the candidates. Here are some ways you can improve the employer brand:
Nurture your culture: Sharing your company’s work culture with candidates is a sure-shot way to improve the employer brand.
Embrace technology: The use of tools present at your career site is beneficial for candidates, it increases the speed of the hiring process. Take help of chatbots, CRMs, and HRMs.
Treat candidates like your customers: Candidate experience is a vital factor during the recruitment process. Every candidate likes a seamless recruitment experience. The company needs to ensure every candidate gets a feedback email after the interview.
#4. Use Tools To Cultivate The Talent Supply
Candidates find job offers in both traditional and modern ways, the latter gets used more. The candidates with the desired skills are selective about which opportunities they are looking to pursue. Therefore, making it easier for the candidates is the right strategy to follow, do it on your social media channels and in which candidates can apply easily.
Use shorter applications that are prefield and use text messaging to recruit. You can rely on AI-enhanced recruitment trends to make it faster and easier for the candidates to apply to your company and move ahead with the process.
AI technologies help to automate manual and administrative tasks in the process enabling the recruiters to build the relationship and have a positive candidate experience.
#5. Consider The Role Of Social Media
Modern social media platforms play a vital role to communicate with audiences. Almost everyone uses the internet to stay connected with people. One should build the strategy around it.
The next step is to choose the right platform for your social media recruitment strategy. It will help you to target potential candidates. Some of them are ideal, for example, if you need a developer, you can leverage Linkedin for this task. Linkedin will serve a better purpose to source out the passive candidate. There are plenty of job boards present that you can utilize for hiring candidates.
You can use Facebook and Instagram to increase the brand awareness of your company. These two platforms are ideal for building your community by sharing content that is useful to the candidates.
Another thing you can focus on is building a social media career page, this way you will ensure that the candidates stay up to date with the job posting in your company and they can apply directly from your company’s social media account.
#6. Focus On Building The Internal Talent Pool
Promoting employees internally helps the company to solve the conundrum to hire candidates at a rapid pace and fill the open positions. It’s the ideal way to meet the hiring demands while maintaining quality.
Many recruiters believe that they need to hire people from different companies to improve the diversity and strengthen the company.
Focus on your internal employees. The benefit is that you work with them every day, knowing them better.
It’s a necessary point that one should include in their recruitment marketing action plan. Think of how you can improve the top talent pool. Here are some ways:
Know employee goals early: After the candidate’s onboarding is completed, the manager needs to sit down with them and ask them about their future goals and career.
Reward employees: It is ideal to ensure that you are offering opportunities to the employees that are tailored to their goals. Go with individual development programs for employees.
Understand what your employee needs: Employees love to be asked what they need to improve their overall experience in the workplace. It is vital while building an internal talent pipeline.
A recruiter can take the help of properly designed employee referral programs to maximize the internal talent pool.
To learn more about recruitment methods, download our ebook now.
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#7. Evaluate Recruitment Marketing Results
The goals should be measurable in your recruitment marketing action plan. You need to implement your goals and see the results they are providing.
Gather metrics that work for you and what does not work can improve your recruitment marketing plan.
To have better results, you need to experiment. You shouldn’t proceed with the results.
Therefore, HR teams must ensure they store and evaluate data and also track the recruitment marketing metrics. Otherwise, you will find yourself with wasted time and effort.
Wrapping up
Hiring is challenging, but a recruiter has to make a plan accordingly. There must be one plan that one should develop constantly. The best companies take leverage of the recruitment marketing action plan and work. They make changes where it’s necessary, and they know their target audience.
7. Ensure that employees enjoy working
Successful students spend a huge portion of their day reading and learning from the best. Employees also spend countless hours in the workplace. Therefore, you need to ensure that the workplace is a fun and enjoyable place to be for everyone. When you create an environment where employees feel comfortable working, they will be motivated to do their best.
This doesn’t mean that you have to spend thousands of dollars on installing luxurious items in the workplace. You can create a conducive environment in the workplace by allowing birthday celebrations, coffee breaks and encouraging your employees to have casual and friendly conversations instead of talking about work projects all the time.
About Author: Ginni Agarwal is a Talent Acquisition Expert at Upright Human Capital with extensive experience in Tech and Non-tech hiring. She loves blogging, writing articles about Talent Acquisition, and Human resources. She has been associated with the Talent Industry for a while. She enjoys sharing her experience with others.
10 Proven Tips To Successfully Onboarding New Hires
A well-designed and well-executed onboarding process can make a huge difference in your retention efforts. It can also help your new hires secure a long and rewarding career in the organization. In terms of structure and rigor, your onboarding process should be similar to your candidate experience. After all, you want your new hire to feel comfortable in his new position as soon as possible.
There are numerous advantages to making a smooth transition from candidate to employee. You'll not only increase retention, but you'll also improve your brand image and become a company that candidates want to work for. Others will want to work for you if you are perceived as compassionate and nurturing to new employees.
It's a new trend that looks set to continue for a long time to come. What can you add to improve the process if you don't already have an organized, proven onboarding process? Here is a quick guide to improving the process and successfully onboarding new hires.
Before new employees arrive
Before your new employee arrives, make sure you have prepared thoroughly. The last thing you want is for them to show up on the first day and get stuck in an unpleasant situation. It will not improve their opinion of the company.
To help you, we have compiled a list of things you can do to be ready for their arrival.
Make an employee handbook
It's always a great idea to keep your company's employee handbook up-to-date. It's a wonderful resource for every new employee, whether it's a physical book or an online document. It's worth noting that updating an online resource is much easier.
This can include a list of all key personnel, company policies, and who employees should contact if they have any questions. Your sick leave policy, probation periods, and how to schedule annual leave, can employees get paid via bitcoin are just a few examples.
It's also useful for new employees because they'll have somewhere to turn to if they have questions about the process or the rules. The handbook also serves as a useful reference for all employees during their stay in your organization.
This guide was designed to help you navigate through those difficult tasks and help determine the right software for your organization, download our ebook now.
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Create an agenda for their first week
Make sure you have a schedule for their first week. This will not only give them some direction and an idea of what they'll be doing, but it will also help you stay organized.
Describe any planned training, tasks to be completed, and meetings with key members of staff on the agenda. This can assist you to demonstrate that you have planned ahead of time for their arrival. As a result, they won't feel like fish out of water.
Schedule a meeting
Schedule a meeting with all essential members of staff to introduce your new hire. This could be for training purposes or simply to provide an overview of their work.
Again, this will help your new hire adapt to the workplace and feel more at ease and comfortable with coworkers. It's also beneficial for them to be aware of everyone's function within the team.
On their first day
The importance of first impressions cannot be overemphasized, and you want your new employee to have a positive first day at your company. What’s more, starting a new job can be stressful, so you want them to feel comfortable right away. There are a few basic steps you may take to guarantee a new recruit is successfully onboarded. These are outlined below.
Give them a companion
It's critical that you spend time onboarding your new hire as a manager. However, you must continue to carry out your regular tasks.
Let’s say your new hire doesn’t know when to post on Instagram. This is not a big problem, assign him a buddy to guide him through the process.
That is why assigning them a buddy may be a beneficial solution. This might be another member of your team who can answer any of their more basic queries and guide them while you are not around. This might be another member of your staff who can help them with their more important questions and provide guidance while you are away. So, whether it’s a difficult task regarding a more successful user acquisition process or something small like how to manage their daily routine, it will also help build team working spirit and a friendly atmosphere.
Take a tour of the office
This does not have to be a time-consuming procedure. Give them a fast tour of the workplace, introduce them to each team and give a quick summary of who everyone is. This is also your chance to show them around the office, including the kitchen, bathroom, and any other useful areas.
The HR team is the first responsible for the process of successful employee onboarding and settling down. However, other team members should also be open and engage the new hire into the team.
After spending so much time in the office, it's easy to forget that everything is new. However, never underestimate the importance of showing your new hire how to make a tasty cup of tea!
Book a team lunch
Booking a team lunch on their first day is a good idea. This is also a fantastic opportunity for them to get to know their coworkers on a more personal level outside of the office and to learn more about their team.
Don’t forget to shoot a fun video with your new team member and post it on your Youtube channel. You can use various useful tools like Youtube thumbnail downloader, video editing, channel management tools to create a professional and engaging video. This will be a big plus for your social marketing. Applicants wishing to work for your company will be delighted with this warm welcome. Plus, you will improve your brand image.
Keep track of video marketing statistics, to use video as part of your marketing wheel.
During the first few weeks
Almost half of the professionals admit that they continue to search for a job during the first month of work. This is not good if you want to successfully recruit a new employee. You should help them get comfortable and feel like a member of the team within the first few weeks.
Set goals for them
While you may want to give them a week or two to adjust to their new role, setting goals for them sooner rather than later is a smart idea. This gives them some direction and reassures them that they are making a significant contribution to the team.
They can be simple goals to achieve or merely to have a better understanding of the company's operations. From your marketing team to develop, make sure they know that their final goal is to track the SMS integration process or make major changes in the code written. By settling these objectives, you can guarantee that your new hires understand what you expect from them. In addition, they will not get bored!
Meet with them regularly
Chat regularly with the new team member. This way, you'll be able to see how they're doing and address any potential issues early on. Schedule a meeting with them at the end of each week. You can talk about their goals and know how they feel about their new role.
During the first weeks, it’s also important to get to know the new member as much as possible. Also known as employee recognition, this process helps you uncover all hidden talents, skills, and resources your new person can provide. Check out how you can avoid making mistakes while practicing this strategy.
Discuss their progress
It seems absurd to discuss your new hire's next career move so soon after starting. They only recently joined, after all! Setting out a clear path for progress, on the other hand, is critical for morale. Professionals do not want to be stuck in a position that prevents them from getting promoted.
Besides making sure to improve business sales and promotion, you should also take good care of your employee progress in various ways. It would be nice to ask if there are any additional workouts that they think they need or would like. You can also find out what they want from the organization and what they hope to achieve over the next few years.
Invest in the right tools and automate your processes
You should use the right tools if you want to onboard as quickly and successfully as possible. If everything is done manually, it might be a time-consuming process that reduces your productivity.
There are many tools available but finding the best performance management solution will depend on your needs. You should automate whatever you can besides using the tools.
This can reduce the time and effort required to onboard new employees, and save you money and time. Everything from HR Payroll Systems to training software can benefit from automation to speed up the process and make it more enjoyable for your new hires. Any employee app that can help you improve the onboarding experience should be considered.
Conclusion
It's crucial to remember that new employees aren't always loyal to your company from the start. To ensure a smooth and successful onboarding process, follow these simple steps.
This will increase the likelihood that your new hire will want to stay and develop at your company. It will also help him get up to speed faster and start making a real impact on the company.
About Author: This article is written by the Marketing Team of LIKE.TG.LIKE.TG is a leading global provider of Applicant Tracking, Onboarding,Offboarding, Communications, Engagement, Recognition, and Financial Wellness solutions. Its powerful and user-friendly software eliminates manual/paper processes, increases employee productivity and engagement, improves time and cost savings, and reduces regulatory compliance risk.
Essential Tips for Effectively Managing Remote Employees
The need to work remotely has grown over the last two years. It is bound to be the norm rather than the exception. For managers, it presents a challenge, knowing that you cannot control the behaviors and activities of people working from home.
The new normal demands that you learn and adjust to new techniques. You have targets to meet yet you cannot directly control the workforce in a traditional office space. How do you manage employees remotely and achieve the desired results? Here are a few insights that will save your day.
Clear and timed expectations
Set expectations for individuals and the entire team. The goals must be realistic, especially those that can still be achieved in the traditional office. The fact that people are working from home should not mean that they remain tied to the desk late into the night. Be realistic to avoid overburdening your workers or leaving them idle.
The best idea to manage expectations is to create milestones. Break down the work into portions that are submitted in shorter intervals. You can track the successful execution of the tasks assigned to individuals and the team.
Documenting communication
Record conversations and save emails as well as chats. It is one way of keeping yourself and the team accountable for performance. Once you indicate that a task should be completed by a particular day or date, the only evidence you have is a recorded phone call, video call, or email.
You avoid disputes arising from missed communication or misunderstood information. Either party can extract the records to support their assertion. Every member of the team should know that communication is recorded
Schedule communication
Do not expect to catch an employee anytime you call. Some may prefer to work in the morning, at night, in the afternoon, at the park or any other schedule they choose. To avoid conflicts with communication, indicate the channels and frequency of communication you will adapt. Queries will only arise if any of the team members breaches this communication protocol.
Schedule the communication points to serve your workload needs. For instance, you may set a briefing meeting in the morning and an evaluation session in the evening. In case you call or email in the course of the day, give a reasonable time zone for the person to respond. It is not always that remote workers are on their desks.
To learn even more about managing remote teams and keeping employees working at home highly engaged, download our ebook now.
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Regular team meetings
Hold regular meetings with the team. The team meetings are broad-based to address a wide variety of issues. Whether they happen online or physically, they keep the team together. A physical meeting is especially important because it builds a sense of belonging.
While people want to work remotely, they still desire to be a part of a company or group. Provide such an opportunity by holding regular meetings. Use these meetings to address emerging issues and rally the team towards a more efficient mode of operation.
Facilitation
Facilitate your remote workers to deliver the results you need. Provide computers, pay for the internet, and even offer an allowance for furniture. By the time you demand results, the workers will have no excuse for not delivering.
Facilitation is especially important when dealing with software. Remote work requires a lot of collaboration tools for sharing documents, communication, research, and pooling resources. They also need gadgets like laptops and headphones. Ensure that such resources are available before sending the team to work from home.
Embrace technology
Technology will make it easy to manage remote teams and work remotely. To begin with, invest in dashboard applications that can track progress. Take it a step further by acquiring team-communication applications. In case you will be sharing documents and files, you need the right features on these applications.
Remote work demands a lot of communication. Meetings with teams and individual employees will be the order of the day. Identify tools, applications, gadgets, and platforms you can use to actualize communication. UtilizingVoIP solutionscan greatly improve your team's communication efficiency and accessibility.
Since you are dealing with sensitive company information and client documents, you must secure communication channels. Check reviews of the most secure communication and document sharing platforms to use. You must also be sensitive to your employees on how to secure documents and communications made on different platforms.
Carry everyone on board
Remote work is not easy for everyone. Some will adapt fast to technology while others are slow. Some can work alone while others would prefer the traditional office environment. In some cases, some employees want to be micromanaged. Know how to handle your employees so that everyone is on board with remote work.
Training is especially important so that everyone understands the technology and gadgets you will be using. Send technicians to install gadgets and assist remote employees when they get stuck. This is not the time to laugh at the weaknesses of some of your employees, especially on technology.
Regular one-on-one conversations
Organize regular conversations with individual employees. Listen to their concerns and help them to resolve them. Raise any issue you may have with the quality of work they deliver, mode of communication, and general performance. Do not always berate them in general meetings because the issues might not be exhaustively addressed.
Include the non-remote employees
It is not everyone who will be working remotely in your office. For this reason, build a team by involving them in meetings and decision-making. It also includes employees from other departments who support your operations. If these employees are not included, you end up with a disjointed workforce that will not deliver to your expectations.
All members of the team must understand the changes that come with remote work. Some people will embrace the idea fast while others take time. The inability to understand gadgets or applications should not attract ridicule. Sensitize the team on how to handle concerns raised by other members regarding remote work to create a conducive working environment.
Don’t micromanage
The biggest mistake you will make when managing remote workers is to micromanage. As long as you set expectations and facilitate the employees to work, you do not have to follow each of their actions. If you need to track the progress of the work, it is prudent to create milestones. You will only quarrel with workers who fail to meet the milestones.
A dashboard system showing the performance of every individual will help you manage the team better. Whenever you raise an issue about performance, the dashboard gives a clear report. There is no room for bias or favoritism because everyone can see the dashboard.
Support through training
Do not assume that everyone is well-versed with technology. Some employees will be ahead of others in manipulating gadgets and working with the software while others take time. Train all team members so that everyone is on the same pedestal. Continuous training is also recommended to address emerging issues.
The success of any remote working project is communication. Since everyone is at a different location, you must find a way of being in touch, sharing files, and making decisions. Each member of the team must understand the value of timely and detailed communication to make it easier to track the progress of each project. Invest in the right tools, sensitize your workers, and support them to deliver the set results remotely
About Author: Anna is a freelance writer having worked in the role for more than five years. As a seasoned dissertation writer, she has been helping students to ace their exams and complete assignments. Her passion is to help students achieve the best college experience through entrepreneurship, business, and jobs.
4 Steps to Creating a Collaborative Culture and Staff That Thinks Like One
Humans are made to live and work in groups. It is an undeniable fact. Humans have always strived to create strong social structures for their benefit and protection. Humanity has evolved from tribes to today’s multicultural megacities. This great change has been possible through mutual collaboration.
Similarly, there have been immeasurable changes in building effective teams in the workplace. This has not happened by chance but as a result of endless efforts and teamwork.
Now the definition and nature of teams are changing. New layers of complexity are being added to foster strong collaboration. In the digitalized era, teams no longer sit in the same corner of the office. The emergence of cloud technology and collaboration tools ensures that work can be done from anywhere and at any time. Work is no more limited to space and time concepts.
The importance of promoting teamwork and encouraging cross-collaboration is on the rise across all industries. Recognizing individual accomplishments has always been an important part of motivating the workforce. However, bringing people together to accomplish a common goal in an environment of trust has become critical for the company’s growth.
There has been a drastic change in the work collaboration platform over the years. The dramatic enhancements in technology have changed the way how people collaborate at workplaces now.
Change is inevitable. The organizations that do not adapt to the fast-changing business demands are at risk of stagnation. At times, businesses feel uncomfortable to stepping out and do things differently. However, change is unfolding at a faster rate than ever before.
Make collaboration a priority
Collaboration is critical to a team's success. In today’s world, organizations need more than new technology for developing a collaborative business culture. In a competitive environment, only high-performing teams can thrive. By providing tools for company collaboration, it can improve communication and make companies feel more transparent. However, where the workplace culture is fundamentally broken no platform or tool can work.
Before finding solutions, it’s important to consider whether company leaders prioritize teamwork. The organizations have to involve employees, communicate with them to embrace collaboration methods and techniques. Most often, poor leadership is a reason for failure to bring in new technologies and tools to implement collaborative culture. Secondly, employees are also most likely to quit because of poor leadership and weak guidance.
Nothing can be simpler than just asking employees for their opinions. It could be the invitation they need to offer up their contributions. If organizations want employees to collaborate, they should start leading by example.
Collaboration improves the way how a team works together and problem solves. Collaboration leads to innovation, increased success, and improved communication. The concept where a boss dictates what needs to be done has fallen aside. It has been replaced with responsible employees presenting solutions to a problem they have been assigned to solve.
The organizations that manage to build collaboration into their culture will thrive. Companies need to change their training methods to ensure that employees are comfortable in a more flexible and shared environment. The organizations have to prioritize the collaboration culture to sustain growth.
Creating a team culture in business
Every organization has its unique culture. It is an open secret that team culture is important for success. Teamwork is an essential component of a growing enterprise. Sometimes, some challenges arise while blending different personalities and talents.
Organizational teams are a combination of multiple personalities, skill sets, and micro-cultures. They all get together and operate towards common goals. This amalgamation of different backgrounds and subcultures forms a new culture. The company leaders influence the dynamics of the new culture. Leaders are responsible for giving a new direction to this established culture. Effective team collaboration at work is the result of the combined efforts of team managers.
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What is a collaborative culture?
Collaboration represents how people within an organization communicate, relate, and work with one another. People with different backgrounds and talents work towards a common mission, goals, and objectives. To put it simply, collaboration is the heart of teamwork. It makes the team successful.
Developing collaborative culture is essential to accomplish the company goals. It helps to fulfill the mission of the organization. Collaboration is an integral part of every organization. However, not every company has a collaborative culture.
So what is the difference?
In a collaborative culture, collaboration isregular and deliberate. Collaboration is embedded into processes of how people do their work every day. It is in the attitudes that an employee take to their work. Collaborative culture values and practices the idea that we are better together. It is based on the idea that collective intelligence brings in the most creative solutions.
What are the benefits of a collaborative culture?
In the quest for creative solutions, many organizations look for ways to become more collaborative.
“Innovation” is the buzzword these days. Every organization wants to create products, processes, and tools to stay alive in the globalized economy. For them failing to innovate can mean failing to survive. The shortest and most powerful route to innovate is collaboration. The studies have found out that enterprises with collaborative cultures are five times likely to be high-performing.
A collaborative culture ignites innovation. It is the magic formulae in bringing out the best in employees. Collaborative culture makes the employee feel a part of ateam effort. He gets more energized, productive, and adaptable. Collaboration develops feelings of involvement making the employeehappier and less stressed.
Therefore collaborative employees are engaged and productive. Employees who are engaged are the ones who stick around. Collaborative culture promotes employee retention and helps in attracting and recruiting top talent. Learn few ways to engage your team.
What hinders workplace collaboration?
If collaboration is so effective, why aren't all companies doing more of it?
Well, the reason is some people haven't developed the skills of establishing collaborative culture. They are not adequately trained and groomed to contribute to the collaborative culture. Sometimes, people with good collaboration skills hold back while at the workplace. This happens when the managers dictate and direct every move. The trust in the employee’s abilities is missing. Employees are not encouraged to collaborate.
Sometimes, an employee feels that collaboration is something that is to be emphasized occasionally. They feel that collaboration is not the skill they would be rewarded for. Therefore, the managers have a great motivational role to develop and encourage collaborative culture.
Some companies have an entrenched culture of silos. It promotes competition amongst employees instead of encouraging a collaborative and sharing attitude. The culture teds people to hoard information and knowledge as a source of power.
Other companies fail to keep up with all the new ways. They do not recognize and accept that they can work and collaborate. They fail to enthuse the teams and build the trust that they need to collaborate effectively. Sometimes, employees lack the communication tools they need to collaborate with colleagues based at multiple locations.
A positive collaboration attitude magnifies employee’s strengths and capabilities. It invariably helps in employee retention. Still more, positive collaboration brings employees together, enhancescommunication, and builds strong relationships at the workplace. All these factors act as catalysts that improve productivity.
Here are 4 steps to creating a collaborative culture that makes the staff think like one.
1. Create an environment of trust and transparency
Trust is the foundation of any relation or association. A team without trust isn't a team. When the trust factor is missing amongst the team members it becomes just a group of working individuals. These groups often make disappointing progress. In the absence of trust, people avoid sharing information and may not cooperate. The talent and capabilities take the back seat. The members would never utilize their full potential.
On the other hand, when trust is there, each member becomes stronger. He becomes a part of an effective and cohesive group. Trust helps teams and organizations achieve truly meaningful goals.
Trust is essential to develop an effective team. It is the essential ingredient that provides a sense of safety. The feeling of safety makes members feel comfortable to open up with one another. They take appropriate risks and expose vulnerabilities.
Trust fuels innovation, collaboration, creative thinking, and productivity. Trust is also an important factor that is essential for knowledge sharing. A study hasfound that trust is a key element in a team's knowledge acquisition. So when team members trust one another, they will share knowledge, and communicate openly.
How to build trust with employees
Let us see, how a leader can create a culture of trust within a team.
Lead by Example
To build trust within the team, the leader shouldlead by example. He should show his team members that he trusts them. Team members are judging and taking cues from their leader. Therefore he should take the opportunity to show them what trust in others looks like.
Making promises and keeping them is incredibly important in a team. This sets a strong foundation for building long-term trust. Positive follow-through is a step in building trust quickly. It can raise the tone and expectation of the team.
Communicate Openly
Open communication is another essential factor for building trust. The leader should ensure that everyone in the team communicates with one another in an honest and meaningful way.
The leader should create a team charter that should define the purpose of the team. The role of each individual should be defined. Secondly, the team-building exercises should be organized more often. This helps members to understand each other well. It will provide opportunities for members to talk to each other and involve in solving each other’s problems.
Know Each Other Personally
Sharing personal stories is an effective way to build trust. Team members can share their interests and hobbies to get acquainted. Socializing is another effective way of developing strong bonds.
Don't Place Blame
Disappointments and mistakes are common phenomena in the workplace. Putting blame is an easy way out. However, mistakes should be taken constructively. It builds trust and confidence.
2. Focus on relationships
The studies have found that there is a strong correlation between having a best friend at work and overall engagement and productivity. The study stated that people who have a best friend at work, 63% were more than twice more likely to be engaged than the 29% who stated otherwise.
This raises a strong and valid question, “How to cultivate friendships and solidify bonds within teams?”
The majority of friendships in the workplace are spontaneous. When people find common interests with their peers it develops strong bonds between them. However, HR team managers and team members can also facilitate the building of strong bonds amongst people.
Team-building activitiesare the best way to effectively integrate and onboard employees. This will create an environment that will provide opportunities for employees to build strong bonds.
Cultures of collaboration are rooted in building relationships. Technology has made it easier for people that are geographically spread to come together and form bonds. Human beings are social creatures by nature. Considering that one-third of our lives are spent at work, it makes us understand how a good relationship with colleagues will make the jobs more enjoyable.
The more comfortable a worker at the workplace, the more confident he will feel voicing opinions. Teamwork is essential to embrace change, innovate, and create. The success achieved in a team in this way will help the morale and the productivity of the team soar. This brings the members closer to each other and builds a collaborative culture.
Good work relationships also give freedom. In the absence of negative relationships, the energy can be spent focusing on new opportunities. The energy can be utilized in winning new business deals or in focusing on personal development.
A strong professional circle also helps in advancing the career. It also opens up opportunities that otherwise might pass by.
Don’t forget to include remote teammates
Remote teams have evolved that have several benefits. It saves money. Members can be hired regardless of location. However, remote locations can be a hindrance to collaboration. The presence of remote employees makes the companies encourage both remote and in-office employees to connect, share ideas, and feel connected.
A study conducted by theHarvard Business Review confirmed that “remote workers often experienced virtuality as ‘a a barrier’ to forming friendships with their colleagues.”
The organizations should help employees overcome remote location hindrances by starting virtual meetings. These meetings should be focused on building a relationship rather than emphasizing work culture.
Opportunities to meet in person should be created. If in-person meetings are not viable then video calling should be encouraged instead of emails or instant messaging.
3. Encourage and recognize collaborative actions
Irrespective of the size, every win should be celebrated to promote collaborative culture at the workspace. It helps in retaining and encouraging top-performing employees. Everyone wants to be recognized. Some want to celebrate the success in public and others privately. Whatever may be the case, the performing employee should be applauded for his efforts. The reasons why celebration is important are:
Shared success
Celebrating wins encourages a collaborative work environment. This encourages team members to develop an interest in helping out another coworker.
Motivation
Every individual has a different reason for motivation. Monetary incentives motivate some whereas some others are motivated internally. However, the fact is everyone appreciates and needs recognition. It adds to the motivation to all employees
Positivity relationship building in the office
Working for common goals together and sharing successes, encourages a positive atmosphere in the office. It builds relationships and collaborative culture.
Happy people means happy clients
Happy and satisfied will perform better. It also helps in building strong relations with clients.
Recognition of employee’s value and contribution is the best bet to get them engaged. It promotes living life within the organization.
Many research studies have stated a correlation betweenemployee recognition, engagement, and performance. According to asurvey by Globoforce,90% of workers stated that they feel more satisfied through values-based, peer-to-peer recognition.
The question ishow to recognize collaborative actions in the workplace?The simple answer is to publicly praise teams. It is the best reward for their work.
Gamification and recognition create a culture of healthy competition within the workplace. Itboosts collective moraleandhelps motivate employees to collaborate.
Collaboration in businessis one topic that did, still, and will always grab the attention of both businesses and individuals.
4. Leverage Social Collaboration Tools
As a team leader or a time manager, you can notify your team about the company's ultimate goals and strategies. This will strengthen communication, and it is an excellent way to keep everyone on the same page.
Your choice can make your productive employees feel appreciated, and it will direct them to work with more devotion for the company's growth and attainment of collective goals.
Technology is helping high-performing employees to enjoy a collaborative company culture. Social applications allow people to work faster and cheaper.
Heidi Gardner, author of Smart Collaboration praises technology’s ability to promote collaboration across organizations. According to him digital tools like messaging apps, employee experience hubs, survey platform can boost productivity, streamline processes, and open up lines of communication
Leaders in every industry can leverage digital communication tools to facilitate a culture of collaboration at the workplace. The digital communication tools facilitate instant connections between teams and team members. It gives employees access to a searchable archive of information.
In the digital era, social networks and cloud-based tools are instrumental in helping employees collaborate. Collaboration is no longer limited to space or location. Asurveyof business professionals found that 83 percent depend on technology to collaborate. Whereas 82 percent confirmed that the loss of collaboration technology would negatively impact them.
Collaboration tools also help the teams to come together that are working in different geographies and time zones. It has broken the barrier that was earlier limiting individuals from communicating frequently.
Utilizing collaborative tools is very important in creating a collaborative culture for the Companies that have teams spread across different locations. Communication is crucial; it helps members to remain on one page. It helps in sharing information and files, tracking projects, and brainstorming.
Organizations sometimes struggle to encourage a culture of collaboration. But it may not be a lack of trying. Any culture shift is no small undertaking; it inevitably takes time, patience, and regular reinforcement. With Strong leaders, a clear vision, and tools that support collaborative behaviors, a culture of collaboration is possible.
FAQ’s
What are 3 important skills for teamwork and collaboration?
Trust
Tolerance
Self-awareness
What are 4 more important skills for teamwork and collaboration?
Empathy
Transparency
Active listening
Conflict resolution
What is the purpose of collaboration?
Collaboration helps people work together to achieve a common objective. It exists in two forms:
Synchronous: in synchronous form, people interact in real-time through online meetings or instant messaging.
Asynchronous: In this collaborative form the interaction is not time-bound. Like uploading documents or making annotations to shared workspaces.
What is team collaboration?
It refers to a communication and project management approach. Team collaboration emphasizes teamwork, original thinking, and equal participation to achieve objectives.
About Author: Joan Alavedra is co-founder ofOnsite.fun– an end-to-end platform to book, manage and organize team experiences at scale. He is constantly writing about team culture and remote work on his blog.
7 Challenges with a Manual Approach to Onboarding Processes
The first day of a new job can be stressful, especially if the company does not have effective onboarding employees software and tools for new employees. Where a manual approach to onboarding can create a lot of unnecessary challenges, the right onboarding software can help an employee’s first day run much more smoothly.
Whether it’s confusing processes, lack of employer preparation, or confusing information, a lot can go wrong when employers face challenges manual HR onboarding processes can cause. In fact, only 12% of employees say that their organization did a good job when it came to the onboarding experience, according to a Gallup employee engagement survey. HR teams and companies can do a better job of addressing this lack of satisfaction by using employee onboarding software to avoid the challenges of manual onboarding.
1. Inefficient onboarding tools processes waste time on a new hire’s first day
An employee’s first day should be a pleasant one and one that puts them in the best position to add value right out of the gate. But what often happens is a comedy of errors: Badges aren’t ready; forms are not filled out; laptops, equipment, and crucial work materials are not available.
All of these are common inefficiencies that pop up on a new hire’s first day when companies use a manual system. With HR onboarding software and access to self-service onboarding tools, new hires could be filling out paperwork before their first day even starts.
2. HR onboarding and Internal teams aren’t always as ready as they should be
Adding a new member to the team can be exciting, but that doesn’t always mean the team is prepared. If a small team has been scrambling to pick up the slack after a previous employee left, they may not have had time to figure out what their new employee needs to get started. While it may not be anyone’s fault, a lack of preparation won’t set up that new team member for success.
With a step-by-step HR onboarding process, aided by easy-to-use onboarding software, internal teams can know exactly how to prepare without having to overthink it. And their new teammate can be up and running in no time.
3. Compliance issues with I-9 forms and other documents make onboarding tools more complicated
Often, new employees show up without realizing that they need important documents to fill out their I-9 form, like a passport or driver’s license. Even proactive people may show up with the wrong documents and cannot fill out what they need. Onboarding software can automatically provide new employees with a checklist of information, making sure they are compliant from day one.
4. Often new hires don’t know who’s on their team or what their first responsibilities will be
“Most of us remember our first days at every job because of the heightened pressure to impress,” says national workplace expert Lynn Taylor. But new employees can feel less anxious if they are able to plan ahead. (This challenge can be exacerbated when it comes to onboarding remote employees.)
Walking into the office for the first time, a new employee may not be totally clear on all of their duties or who will be working with them. Teams that start onboarding before the official start date can make new hires feel more valued and comfortable.
5. HR has no visibility into other team members’ preparation
Do facilities know we need a badge by Friday? Is HR ready for forms? Does the team know that we’re doing a first-day lunch? Lack of visibility can cause the new hire to get no information or, more confusingly, conflicting information from different departments. A single onboarding system that can be accessed by all relevant parties will ensure clear communication across the board.
6. Without employee onboarding software, Important tasks can fall through the cracks
Forgotten forms, missed introductions, no wifi password. A lot of crucial tasks can fall by the wayside in the rush of onboarding a new employee. Providing new employees with a checklist ahead of time can be one of the most important tools within onboarding software since it ensures that your new employee can literally check all the right boxes as they get started.
7. Missed opportunity to show a professional environment and impress new hires
It only takes 7 seconds to make a first impression, and it may take a while to recover if that impression goes poorly. That means the impression your company makes on a new hire on the first day is critical.
If all a new employee can remember is that the manual HR onboarding process was disorganized, then you’ve missed an opportunity to show that your company has its act together. A digital onboarding system can ease that process and help the company put its best foot forward.
Overcome onboarding issues with automated HR onboarding and onboarding software solutions
Automating the employee onboarding process will help new employees get up and running from the very first day and support them as they adjust to their new roles. And a great onboarding software system will help your organization retain and attract the best talent in a competitive job market.
Now let’s look at a point-by-point example of how powerful HR onboarding solutions and employee onboarding software could overcome each of these seven challenges.
Improve the onboarding experience and make new hires’ first day great
Instead of asking new hires to sit around on their first morning, accelerate the HR onboarding process. For example, LIKE.TG’s Onboarding solution offers capabilities such as self-service onboarding, custom, secure portals, hiring checklists and forms, and other onboarding tools.
With these tools, new hires can complete important tasks before their first day, whether it’s completing tax forms and 401k deductions, reading your company handbook, completing online training modules, and other onboarding system activities that could disrupt their productivity on day one.
Preparing new hires for a productive first day with the right onboarding software
The approach above offers benefits in two important ways:
First, it saves time and streamlines the onboarding experience so new employees can start work right away.
Second, it paves the way for two-way communication and information sharing--again, before day one—so new employees can ask questions, uncover valuable information, reach out to new team members, and more. All of this creates a much more meaningful hiring experience, so new employees are impressed, informed, and ready to start making a difference right out of the gate.
Improving compliance issues
I-9 forms, E-Verify, and compliance are all very important, but until now, they haven’t had the automation to support these processes. As described above, most I-9 and E-Verify processes today are mostly manual in nature, requiring HR team members to manually enter all of this information into siloed systems.
Not only does this waste too much time, but it leads to too many errors, which could lead to compliance headaches down the road. It even helps save money from potential fines, which can add up quickly. Every company operating in the U.S. is required to complete each new hire’s I-9 documentation in just three days. Failure to comply can lead to costly penalties and fines of up to $1,000 per employee.
Fortunately, there is a better way. With LIKE.TG, HR teams and hiring managers can add I-9 documentation and E-Verify tasks directly into any onboarding workflow. compliance solution. For example, 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.
The best onboarding software makes use of e-signature-enabled capabilities to enable new hires to sign important forms and documents anywhere, anytime, and on any device. They can even convert any existing PDF into a digital form or create their own forms to store, organize, and centralize employee data and personnel files. This is the best way to make sure nothing is ever missed and that the company is always in compliance.
Building teams
It may seem like a strange concept, but onboarding software can foster true connections, build teams and encourage collaboration, all before an employee even joins the company.
Consider the case where a new hire accepts a position but can’t start for two weeks. Instead of waiting for her official start date, her hiring manager sends her a fun video to introduce her to all of the team members, explain everyone’s role, and invites her to a team lunch when she starts. The manager also sends a number of helpful resources, such as a link to the company’s org chart and employee directory.
Instead of waiting for the new hire, this company was able to use the two-week period to their advantage. They created a surprising new hire experience and made her feel welcome and part of the team right from the start. Such an approach goes a long way toward improving employee productivity, morale, engagement, and retention.
Make sure the entire team is ready
From HR’s perspective, the onboarding experience can be customized and automated to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. All parties are notified through the use of a master checklist with separate and distinct tasks.
Make sure nothing slips
With the customized checklists, tasks, and reminders, HR and hiring managers can make sure nothing is overlooked and new employees feel valued and impressed by their onboarding experience. For example, if facilities need to generate an employee badge, they are reminded of this step and also notified that other tasks may be dependent on its completion.
Onboarding checklists can include facilities, IT (to provision new equipment), the hiring manager, HR team members, and more.
Create meaningful impressions and powerful employee experiences with onboarding software
But best of all, onboarding software can help companies create meaningful impressions that differentiate them from the competition. Let’s face it, the bar is set pretty low when it comes to onboarding new employees. A recent Gallup survey found that only 12% of employees reported that their company does a great job of onboarding new employees. This means that 88% of companies just don’t do as good of a job as they should.
Transform onboarding into a new competitive advantage
If every challenge is an opportunity in disguise, companies can turn onboarding into a new--and sustainable--competitive advantage. It’s more than just an HR best practice, it’s a good business idea. Research has shown that strong onboarding processes can lead to a better employee onboarding experience, higher production, and long-term retention. Conversely, a negative onboarding experience results in new hires becoming twice as likely to look for other opportunities sooner than the company would like.
Considering that many companies are currently struggling to find the right workers to make a difference for their business, successful onboarding software solutions could be a difference-maker in success and failure. Discover the many advantages possible with a powerful onboarding solution today.
Interested in more HR systems to help with onboarding at your company? Look no further! Visit www.LIKE.TG.com or request a personalized, no-obligation product demo today.
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
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 Age Diversity in the Workplace: How does it impact results?
The term "age-diverse workplace" is referring to the acceptance of different ages in the workplace. Research has shown that the employment rate of older workers between the ages 55 and 64 is increasing at a rapid pace due to labor shortages that the economy faces. In light of these findings comes the question of age management and how the age of workers impacts results. There has been a lot of research on aging and the way it impacts the subject in a multidimensional way, but there hasn't been enough research on how organizations should utilize the knowledge of differently aged workers and how they can capitalize on age diversity.
Until recently, the mature workforce has been discriminated against by being excluded from job opportunities and decision-making processes because of their actual or perceived age.
Has age diversity had an overall positive or negative effect on the workplace?
Decision-Making Perspective
According to a meta-analysis, there is no clear consensus on the issue. From the decision-making perspective, age-diverse groups benefit from a wider range of non-redundant knowledge and experiences. Teams with age diversity tend to have more resources and come up with more innovative solutions in the workplace.
Social Categorization Perspective
From the social categorization perspective, findings are a lot more different. The idea behind social categorization theory is that individuals categorize themselves and others into groups with similar characteristics, in this case, age is one of them. As a result, people are more positively inclined to groups that are similar to them than more diverse groups. In this sense, homogeneity results in higher group performance.
Categorization-Elaboration Perspective
This perspective seeks the middle ground between the positive and negative effects of the age-diverse workplace. It accepts that both of the above perspectives are true, which means that age diversity has the potential to have both positive and negative effects and the effect depends on several moderating and mediating variables such as task motivation, task ability, social category salience, etc.
Research shows that companies, now more than ever, need to adopt more age-diverse policies to include the more mature population in the workforce. If you are interested more in how age diversity impacts the workplace you can gain a clearer idea by visiting TrustMyPaper and, you can gain inspiration on actions your company could take to be more inclusive in this aspect, by having a professional conduct specific research for your company.
How will the inclusion of mature workers benefit the workplace?
Experience
As mentioned briefly above, the inclusion of mature workers in the workplace can offer the company a wide range of experience, knowledge, and resources that can be used to navigate an array of tasks and situations in an effective and time-efficient manner. Workers with diverse experiences can significantly improve many aspects of a company, from the inner processes to customer support to product development. People with experience have a tried and true business techniques that will increase the value of your company’s services.
Productivity Growth
Traditionally, productivity can be boosted in two ways; by increasing the physical and human capital of the company or by improving the efficiency of the existing means of production with better management and new production processes. The inclusion of a wide range of services within a company increases its productivity by working smarter, not harder. Higher productivity is a win-win situation for both the company and the workers - it improves profitability for the company and is connected to higher wages for the employees.
Loyalty
Age diversity has proven to improve employee turnover rates. The term ‘employee turnover rate’ is referring to the percentage of employees that leave a company during a certain period of time. Loyal and long-term employees significantly contribute to increased company productivity and efficiency. You can learn more about employee turnover rates and your company by ordering a study from SupremeDissertations. You can gain inspiration on how to resolve this issue and a new perspective tailored to your company.
Mentorship
Another perk of age-diverse groups is the fact that older employees often act as mentors, willing to share knowledge and experience with younger members of the group. This organically increases the overall skill set of the company’s workforce, resulting in overall higher productivity and individual performance.
Innovation
All of the above factors that are mentioned; higher productivity and experience, loyalty, and mentorship, contribute to the company’s innovation. Innovation not only regarding the outcome (product development f.e.) but also in innovation in efficiency and internal processes. Diversity has the unique ability to display different perspectives and when those different perspectives are applied in the workplace the result is a more efficient and humane work environment with empathy, understanding, and responsibility as core values.
Empathy
Empathy is essential for a healthy workplace. Age-diverse groups, with different experiences, exercise communication and understanding more than non-diverse groups. Consequently, empathy translates not only in eternal communication but also towards the relationship between company and customer. Empathy translates to a better understanding of the target audience of the company and essentially increased sales.
Conclusion
To conclude, age diversity is often overlooked while people are focusing on ethnicity and gender discrimination in the workplace more. The discussion on age diversity is increasing, and many studies in the future will provide more information on how companies could and should capitalize on workforce diversity. Diversity in the workplace can increase frictions between co-workers and may foster miscommunications and inefficiency, but an age-diverse workforce can have much more benefits for the company provided that there are policies in place that increase efficiency, understanding and are open to different perspectives. Overall, finding experienced candidates will potentially elevate your company’s performance, increase sales, transform inefficient company policies that are in place due to limited perspectives, and improve your company’s image among others in the industry by displaying an inclusive and humane work environment.
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
Free Onboarding Checklists and Templates
Hiring managers have many responsibilities when onboarding personnel. It helps to have a new hire checklist to make sure that you cover all the bases—especially in the face of the new normal.
Methodical onboardinghelps new hires adjust to their team role. What’s more, it sets a standard for what’s expected of them. Most importantly, methodical onboarding sets new employees up for success.
Successful onboarding delivers better staff performance. It also results in improved employee satisfaction. In turn, your company will enjoy improved employee engagement and retention.
Keep reading for our free onboarding checklist and templates for 2021. You can also download our free New Employee Orientation Checklist here.
Setting the Stage for Effective Onboarding
New hires must consume a lot of information. It helps to provide new hires with information in chunks. This technique enables new hires to process information better and get up to speed faster.
For example, you can start out by training a new hire on your company’s values, mission, and goals. An overview of their job-related project and deliverable responsibilities is ideal for the next phase of training.
Next, you can provide them with information about the company structure, such as your various departments and workflows. Here, you’ll also want to go over the key people in charge of running the company.
You also want to provide a separate training where you can dive into a new employee’s role and responsibilities. During this part of training, you’ll also go over whom the new hire reports to and introduce them to their coworkers.
During the next training chunk, you can introduce the new hire to your company tools. You’ll want to provide step-by-step guides to help your new employee become familiar with the tools that they must use to do their job during this training phase. As you can see, new hires have a lot of information to consume.
Manual onboarding processescan prove frustrating. However, automation can help you to streamline the training process.
With LIKE.TG, you can deliver clear and consistent training to your employees. What’s more, you can develop customized compliance, onboarding, and action-item checklists to ensure that every new hire experiences the best onboarding process possible.
Get Hiring Right from Day One
Hopefully, our free onboarding checklists and templates for 2021 will get your future hiring initiatives off to a solid start. With LIKE.TG, you can automate your new employee orientation checklist for maximum productivity.
Our technology enables you to create a memorable onboarding process. What’s more, it will enable you to improve HR productivity and deliver a professional onboarding experience.
With LIKE.TG, you’ll have all the tools needed to take your onboarding process to the next level. From a customized new hire checklist to progress reports, LIKE.TG Onboard will give you a competitive edge.
Connect with LIKE.TG today torequest a free demo.
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.
Tips for Recruiting for the Healthcare Field
The healthcare field is always expanding and there are many jobs that each facility is going to try and recruit for. You now have to focus your recruitment efforts to hire more people than normal while finding there is a lot of competition for the people who will work for you.
If you are trying to recruit more talent for your healthcare facility and you find that it is difficult to accomplish, then it is time to utilize some new and innovative recruiting tips to make it easier. A few of the top tips for improving your recruiting strategies to attract the best talent in the healthcare field include:
1. Benefits are Important
The recruitment process can be tough in the healthcare field without having many superior benefits that you can offer to any recruit you want. If the only thing you focus on is the salary and a few days off, you may find it impossible to find the job seeker that you want. With so many companies hiring and so few potential candidates with the right skills to fill them, you need to incentivize with those benefits.
Start with the basics with a good 401k and some PTO guaranteed for the new hire. Without these, you have no chance. But you need to take it to the next level as well. You need to offer more customizable benefits to draw in the top talent you need and get them to stay with you.
There are different ways that you can offer this. Provide some flexible PTO and sick time and make sure there is good work and life balance. See if you can add in any other perks, outside of a good salary, that can bring your employee in the door. A good sign-on bonus can be helpful too.
2. Be Transparent
Hiding information from your potential hires is the quickest way to make them run out the door. Your employees do not want to find out you are hiding details from them or not telling them the truth. Often they may feel that you are trying to trick them and with many other opportunities right around the corner, their patience for dealing with this is gone.
If you do not provide clarity about the onboarding process or what is expected in the role, it provides too much confusion and a lack of support. Healthcare workers want to feel like you are being open and honest with them and they do not want surprises.
It may be tempting to hide the long hours or the drawn-out onboarding process. This is not a good idea. Tell the potential hire about it and then explain that it is the procedure to make sure that new employees feel confident in their new role. Some may still walk away, but many will appreciate the honesty and will continue on with the process.
3. Provide Opportunities to Advance
While an employee may come on with a lower position, they always want to see there is the possibility to advance over time. If you will not provide this opportunity, then they will quickly take a look at all the other open positions that do offer this. Keep in mind that a high-educated medical professional will be foolish to not seek out a job where they can grow and advance.
With all of the offers, you plan to share with potential hires, make sure that advancement is highlighted as well. Let them know that advancement is a possibility for them and even outline some of the steps they can take to make this a reality as well.
Overall, your goal should be to only hire someone new when the people you already hired have been able to advance within the company. If you hire for advanced positions outside of your company, it will not take long for others to get frustrated and start to leave, increasing your turnover rate.
4. Make Personal Connections
Many people will not choose to take a job because they feel like they will just become another number that no one cares about. This is also a major reason why so many people leave. There is nothing comforting about spending so many hours of your life at a company that can’t remember your name.
As you create some new recruiting opportunities, you need to make sure that your genuine interest in the candidates is showing through. If they feel like you have no interest in them during the recruiting process, they will assume that things do not get better and they may take another job.
There are different ways that you can do this. Sending out personalized emails is a start and even makes personal phone calls to check on them and set up times and meetings. If possible, try to remember some of the personal details about that hire. This may not be possible at the first meeting, but if you get together more than once, it is imperative.
Your potential hire is going to notice this attention. And in many cases, that personal attention is going to be the difference between you getting them onboard or them choosing another company.
Your goal is to find small things that you can do to make the potential hire feel like they are important and not another number to you. Thinking outside the box and being a little creative will help you to get their attention and bring them into your company and improve your company culture.
Recruiting the Talent You Need
There are a lot of qualified candidates out there for you to recruit. The problem happens when you realize many other healthcare organizations are in the same position as you. This leaves these qualified candidates with plenty of opportunities and lots of choices when it comes to the job they want to choose.
If you want to recruit this talent to come work for you, it is time to think outside the box and give them an offer they can’t refuse. When you are ready to recruit the top talent to your facility, use the tips for recruiting that we discussed above.
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
How to Retain Your Best Employees with Remote Talent Management
The COVID-19 outbreak has put a lot of things into uncertainty for all of us. With more people working from home now, many traditional workspace management methods for employees are losing relevance.
The old ways of retaining employees through a friendly working environment or compensation are not enough. Employees are now looking for work-life balance, better avenues for growth and stability, allowing them to advance in their careers and maximize their potential.
With a fresh approach to sustain in the 'new normal, let's decode how to retain your best employees with remote talent management. Here are the top 5 tips to follow:
1. Strike the proper managerial balance
To achieve success in a remote setup, it is important to strike a balance between responsibility and accountability. In other words, managers must ensure that their team members are well equipped with the resources to execute a given task diligently. At the same time, the team leads need to instill a sense of accountability in their respective teams to ensure ownership of completing a task.
Unfortunately, when managers cannot regulate processes remotely, they micromanage teams due to a lack of effective communication and trust in team members.That becomes part of the company culture.
Effective talent management is the key to resolving such managerial issues and striking a fine work-life balance. For instance, coming up with flexible timings is a great way to let your employees work more effectively without being pushed to meet deadlines. Using anemployee timesheet appcan help manage the teams in a streamlined fashion, where everyone is aware of their responsibilities and reporting.
Fixing deadlines based on priority is ideal for managing important tasks without burning out time on irrelevant things. Also, giving complete ownership of the job to the employees goes a long way in acknowledging their worth.
2. Check in with your teammates regularly
We are living in the most precarious age. Be it our economic state or life in general, it will take a while for everything to get back on track. In such times, it is vital to have a support system and find ways to help each other.
From an organizational point of view, a one-on-one catch-up session (virtually) can be a great way to check on your teammates. That way, you can track your team's performance in a working environment while getting some honest feedback on how things are working out from them. These meetings can be an excellent opportunity to discuss career development goals and how companies can help their employees achieve them.
Additionally, from an employer's standpoint, it is crucial to think about employee wellness. After all, we spend almost60% of our active hoursat work. What happens in the workplace, even remote ones, significantly impacts an employee's overall health. So, do ensure that your workplace is a happy place for your employees to thrive—emotionally and physically.
Simple policies like a health spending account, insurance cover, or something as basic as a gym membership can show that employers care about their employees' holistic well-being. That can go a long way in earning their loyalty towards the company.
3. Provide learning opportunities
One of the most critical factors that promote employee retention is how well an organization supports an individual's career growth. There is no point in staying within a team that has reached a saturation point and offers nothing new for members to learn or grow. Eventually, that motivates them to look out for opportunities and move on.
By providing learning opportunities, employers can retain their best teammates and bring out the best of their capabilities. Now with a large portion of working professionals stuck working from home, keep an eye out for activities that will engage them and improve work-life balance, and at the same time, allow them to upskill themselves.
Your company might hand out in-house training materials, but it's also good to offer your team training courses from external parties who specialize in a particular domain.
For example, Amazon’s Career Choice program is a pre-paid tuition program for associates looking to get into high-demand occupations. Amazon pays up to 95% of tuition fees to help its employees get certified, leading to lucrative employment opportunities for in-demand jobs. Amazon has pledged $700 million in upskilling and training across several departments.
In short, by allowing your team members to utilize their routine workday in nurturing their skills would be a win-win situation for you and your employees. That way, you also give a big reason to employees to stick to your company as you have invested in their success and personal development. In other words, it’s a great strategy for retaining employees.
Additionally, when one team member attends a training course, ask them to share their learnings in the next meeting. That will help you encourage a company culture that promotes self-improvement and peer learning.
4. Keep an eye out for indicators of employee dissatisfaction
Remember when I told you to check on your teammates regularly? Here's another reason why you shouldn't miss out on your meetings. Catching up daily with your teammates can help you retain good employees by identifying the key triggers of employee dissatisfaction.
Job dissatisfaction is one of the most common reasons for employee attrition. If we talk numbers, a study published byEconomic Timesshows that 8 out of 10 employees are dissatisfied with their job. Therefore, it's essential to keep an eye out for the indicators that are making your employees unhappy at work.
With effective communication, you can recognize the issues that might be bothering your team members at an initial stage before they become a reason to leave the company. In other words, communication is key to retaining employees. SMART goals are another way to track employee performance.
Employee dissatisfaction can be related to their workload, compensation, working hours, or just not getting enough time at home. As a manager, we must take complete responsibility for our employees’ mental and physical well-being by addressing these triggers from time to time in a working environment.
As employers, it is reasonable to say that you can't make everyone happy. But what matters here the most is acknowledging the problem and making efforts to mend it. Your employees would appreciate the fact that they are heard even if they’re far away working from home or from somewhere else.
Job dissatisfaction is one of the biggest roadblocks to productivity. It promotes absenteeism, dips employee morale, and eventually hampers an organization's progress. So, you must take every possible step to ensure that your employees are satisfied with their job. The key to retaining employees is to talk it out and not push things under the rug.
5. Increase recognition
One of the effective ways to ensure employee job satisfaction--and therefore to retain employees---is by acknowledging their work. It's a human tendency to feel good when you are welcomed and appreciated for your efforts.
It may seem like a no-brainer toreward the employeeswho are being praised across teams. But even the best managers let things slip away when it comes to keeping abreast with everyone's performance. It's often no fault of their own but of a poor employee management system that fails to manage teamwork and rewards.Keep track of your team members’ tasks, their performance, and everything in between so that it's easy for you to recognize the hard-working members even if they’re out of your sight, working from home or elsewhere.
Given the lack of transparency in a remote setup, try to upgrade your monitoring techniques and direct reporting processes. Sarah Wilson, Head of HR at Right Inbox recommends the use of simple polls or surveys to ask specific questions to track output and identify various areas of recognition.
By catching up with employees virtually in regular intervals while they’re working from home or elsewhere, you will ascertain what hurdles they have overcome, how they have been team players or helped their peers meet specific goals. These meetings will allow you to pinpoint various aspects to recognize, thank, and acknowledge your employees' accomplishments.
Recognition doesn't always need to be monetary. Consider appreciating your team members publicly, passing on little tokens of appreciation through virtual cards, or giving low-cost perks like dinner coupons, among others. Team leaders at organizations facing a slowdown can take employee recognition as an opportunity to offer development avenues to their teammates.
Bottom Line
Effective talent managementis crucial in retainingemployees working in a remote setup,and perhaps never more so than right now.
As companies adapt to the 'new normal in the wake of a global pandemic, many companies struggle to know how best to help their employees and execute an effective talent management program in these challenging times.
By striking a balance between micromanagement and being too easy, checking on your employees, providing learning opportunities, increasing recognition, and minimizing employee dissatisfaction, you can effectively manage your workforce remotely and retain your best resources.
Follow these steps to develop a leadership approach that keeps your best employees happy and engaged.
About Author: Owen Jones is the Senior Content Marketer at ZoomShift, an online schedule maker app. He is an experienced SaaS marketer, specializing in content marketing, CRO, and FB advertising. He likes to share his knowledge with others to help them increase results.
5 Human Resource Management Basics Every HR Professional Should Know
Your most valuable and long-term investment will generally be employees. Hiring, training, managing, and promoting employees is costly. At a certain point, the initial investment is overcome in the value such workers bring to your business. Getting there requires solid management.
The problem with most HR business models is the subconscious attitude HR personnel acquire from the name of their department. “Human Resources” is a faceless title that by dint of suggestion pigeonholes unique individuals into the identity of gears in a machine. They’re not a person, they’re a resource.
Now HR people don’t always have an attitude that way; they are themselves, after all, one of those “resources”. But often that attitude predominates, and it can be troublesome. So the first step to better HR management is getting rid of that attitude. Following we’ll briefly explore five additional considerations you may want to take into account for best results.
1. A Trajectory For Employees From New Hires To Tenured Staff
First things first: your employees need to have a “target”; a trajectory— a career path. When you hire, it’s like throwing a dart. The “path” is the trajectory on which you throw. A bullseye is a new hire becoming a core partner in your business. So they need to have a ladder they can climb. New employees need to be launched on a trajectory toward an endpoint.
2. The Aftermath: What Went Right, And What Went Wrong?
Just as not all darts hit the bullseye, not all employees will become long-term members of your business’s team. There is attrition, and you need to keep careful metrics so you know what things contribute to that attrition.
Sometimes factors are within your company’s control, sometimes they’re not. As an HR professional, you need to have relevant data available.
3. Finding The Right Management Software
Employee benefits are sort of like a bank’s cash roll. If there’s a “run” on the banks, the bank closes down, because all the cash is withdrawn; so banks need protective measures to keep that from happening. If there’s a “run” on paid time off, that’s a problem; management protocols are necessary.
As an example, if you’re dealing with many employees who have varying levels of time off, you might want to look into software built around PTO management. For a handful of employees, keeping PTO straight isn’t so complicated. The bigger the organization, the more of an infrastructural management challenge this becomes.
If everyone took their time off at the same time, then the company may not be able to properly produce. With management software, you can assure there are never any overlaps.
4. The Human Element: Don’t Be Faceless
Just because you’re dealing with human investments doesn’t mean you should treat them like faceless livestock. The rancher who is well-known to his livestock, and trusted by them, tend to have healthier animals.
As an HR person, you should form what professional relationships you can with employees on a human level. Ultimately, this will facilitate a better return on personnel investment.
5. Often Under-Hiring Is Better Than Over-Hiring
When you’ve got too many people on staff, some are going to be sitting around twiddling their thumbs all day. That’s bad for operational budgets, but it’s also bad for employee morale.
As they say, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Idle employees will get into trouble. Instead of over-hiring, try to maximize existing resources, only expanding as necessary.
Making The Most Of Staff Through Solid HR Protocols
It’s better to under-hire than over-hire. HR people should also forge true relationships with personnel. Strong software helps you keep all your little managerial ducks in a row.
Keeping records of what worked and what didn’t over the course of an employee’s tenure with your organization helps you optimize hiring in the future. Lastly, plan a trajectory for new hires.
Such tips should help you more efficiently manage personnel throughout your organization. The larger the business, the more prescient best practices in HR Become. So do your homework, and make the right choices here.
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About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
Five Creative Ways for Virtual Employee Engagement
Employee engagement has also been corporate jargon for most businesses. Every organization realizes the fact that high remote employee engagement drives greater success and higher profitability. Given that, entrepreneurs and HR professionals brainstorm in a consistent way to evolve new strategies for achieving high employee engagement. However, still, a larger part of the global workforce remains disengaged from work. In its Global Workplace Report, Gallup presumes that not more than 15 percent of workers are actively engaged in their work. Hence, there is a need to bring paradigm shifts to the existing strategies that are proving to be little effective. Not to forget, a large part of employees across the globe are working from home in the current era.
The colossal rise in the culture of remote working brings new challenges for HR managers. No doubt, this style of working is a win-win situation for everyone. It has fascinating benefits to offer to both employees and employers. According to remote working trends from Forbes, 70 percent of the global workforce will be in remote working by 2025. Besides, a Gartner CFO survey suggests that two-thirds of employers may allow permanent work from home for their employees. Hence, in the coming years, there would be more hybrid offices and virtual meetings. Plus, there will be more virtual hiring which will see remote workers working from different time zones. However, engaging remote workers is going to be a greater challenge for organizations with the exponential rise in remote work.
It would only be prudent to say that remote working is the way forward. It may have emerged as a safe and viable alternative in the pandemic, but now it holds the key to the future of the corporate realms. Despite the astonishing benefits of its inculcation, the trend of remote work does pose challenges for HR managers to manage remote engagement. However, these challenges can be kept under check with some outside-the-box strategies. Creativity is the most important skill in the world, after all. With creativity and rationality, all challenges can be made to concede defeat. In this meticulous blog, we glance at some fabulous ideas for active remote employee engagement.
To learn even more about managing remote teams and keeping employees working at home highly engaged, download our ebook now.
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Worthwhile ways to engage a virtual workforce
1. Give a bright start to everyone’s day
HR managers and employers often organize engagement activities in the workplace. Now when offices have gone virtual, it is time to take these activities virtual too. The levels of employee engagement depend on how positive employees feel. To engage remote workers and to start their day on a bright note, HR managers can organize online yoga, aerobic, or Zumba classes. These can prove to be highly rewarding employee engagement activities. Much before office time, employees can be engaged with online fitness classes via video conferencing. To cite an example, if the login time for work is 10 am, online fitness classes can be held at 8 am every morning. After a small session having begun on an energetic note, employees can then take a small break before they begin their work. This can be one of the most productive ways to help employees maintain a work-life balance.
Building such a coordinated morning routine for everyone will have multifarious merits. While it will give a fresh start to everyone’s day, it will also promote the idea of employee wellness. Mental and physical fitness are salient to employee engagement and their capability to perform with persistence. So, when they meet each other virtually in the morning and participate in fitness modules with zeal, it will keep their productivity and mood enhanced for the rest of their day. As per the findings of a recent survey by TELUS International, mental health is a prime concern for workers. More than 80 percent of workers will consider quitting their current positions for organizations that pay more heed to the mental wellness of employees. Employee wellness initiatives can help an organization create a vibrant, caring, and high-value company culture. Hence, by caring for their remote workers every day, companies can win their unconditional commitment.
2. Conduct virtual coffee breaks
A lot can happen over a cup of coffee indeed! When working at the office, employees feel happy to have some light-hearted conversations over a cup of coffee. But working from home in a relentless manner can lead to massive stress. So, everyone deserves a little break, after all. Given that, HR managers can create a space for virtual coffee breaks amid the routines of remote workers. Everyone can break for coffee at the same time, see each other on the screen, and have refreshing discussions. While this will keep employee relationships flourishing, it will also act as a channel for stress-busting. These synchronized breaks will give remote workers a window to relax and will help employees feel delighted. They will replicate the feeling of face-to-face communication among employees.
In fact, the scope for innovation around these coffee breaks is immense. Every day can be centered around a theme for discussions. Or one employee can play songs for other employees on a day when it is his turn to do so. These virtual team-building activities can be spiced up with as much creativity as possible. Employees can also endorse their talents in these little windows or introduce their pets to others. This for sure will have a positive impact on everyone’s enthusiasm and work dedication. Beginning afresh after a small and happy break is always a great idea! More ideas can be taken from some state-of-the-art employee engagement software.
3. Maintain transparency even in remote working
Transparency shown by organizations is a key determinant of the engagement of their employees. It is one of the paramount determinants of the company culture of an organization. A Harvard Business Review study concludes that employees give their best when senior management has transparent communications with them. But around 50 percent of workers feel that their organizations exhibit a lack of transparency. Given that, it is crucial for organizations to be at least selectively transparent. The idea of transparency, however, seems even more unrealistic in remote work and virtual meetings.
Having said that, HR managers need to identify the right channels for sharing information with remote workers. It can be done by sharing weekly email newsletters or holding virtual meetings like those held to discuss targets. Companies can share information with remote workers through conference calls, video calls, or other collaboration tools. Various strategies for the same can be brainstormed and refined. Otherwise, in the lack of transparency, workers will start to disengage from remote work.
4. Virtual mentorship programs for employees
The prospects of career advancement, learning, and development form an integral part of an employee’s allegiance to an organization. Employees are happy to serve organizations that offer meaningful opportunities to learn and develop. The retention rate and engagement levels in such organizations are high. This is the reason why some of the most successful companies invest in mentorship programs for employees. Caterpillar, Fidelity Investments, Google, and General Electric are some of the ventures that offer excellent mentorship programs. In fact, General Electric has leveraged a reverse mentoring program. In this program, subordinates mentor their superiors, and this is where GE scores so well on retention and active engagement.
The best part is, the vertical of online training and learning has risen parallel to remote working opportunities. So, curating online mentorship programs for employees will involve no hassle. Employees will love to learn new skills while working from home. Companies should offer free learning courses and mentoring programs to employees for higher engagement via collaboration tools. In the ultimate sense, it will lead to a more skilled workforce hence benefiting the company. It will be a smart investment that will serve multiple purposes for companies. For instance, companies can launch mentorship programs on sentiment analysis or social media analysis. Now that is something outside the box for sure! Programs on social media marketing and analysis can help companies dominate social media platforms. Needless to say, winning social media has now become indispensable for enterprises.
5. Virtual recognition
Recognition for most employees is of paramount importance. It is the basic human tendency to feel more motivated while being on the receiving end of well-deserved recognition and appreciation. Employees feel great in a usual workplace when they receive recognition in front of their peers, and everyone lauds their efforts. Well, this can even be recreated in a remote working setup. HR managers need to find some intriguing ways to celebrate employees and their tenacious efforts in the virtual office. They can include recognition in the normal day-to-day virtual meetings, or a certificate of appreciation can be mailed personally to employees. There are innumerable ways of extending appreciation and recognition. To cite a small example, companies can reward the best performers with gift cards or shopping vouchers.
Otherwise, the best way out is to ask employees. HR managers can ask employees during general meetings about the best ideas for recognition in a virtual workspace. HR can also make video calls to each employee and seek their suggestions. It is always better to learn from them how they want to be recognized for their valuable contributions. Sometimes, for the best levels of engagement, it is better to do things as they like.
To encapsulate, albeit, with some hurdles, remote work has greater room for innovation. As long as HR managers choose to be creative, they can promote high engagement. The key lies in understanding the challenges remote workers face and addressing them. Besides, there should be knowledge of the basic anticipations that employees may have from the organization. These anticipations can be different when employees are working from home. Also, keeping in mind that remote working is the way forward, the strategies have to be long-term. The idea should be to evolve dynamic virtual team-building activities and strategies. The dynamics of employee engagement will keep changing with every new trend. This is why HR professionals should incorporate flexibility and creativity into their ability to manage people.
How The Role of HR Professionals Is Evolving In A Modern Society
Human Resources (HR) continues to be an important part of any business. For decades, they have played a crucial role in hiring employees, keeping them engaged, fielding concerns and complaints and so much more.
However, like many other aspects of business, HR is changing in response to technological advancements, changes in how people work and so much more.
But just how is the role of HR professionals changing? Well, one of the most important things still remains to be your CV. Keep in mind that HR wants to see measurable results shown in it, so be sure to provide the right metrics in your CV.
There are many other shifts and changes, and this article is going to go over a few of them. Keep reading to learn more about some advancements and major changes occurring in the world and the day-to-day life of an HR professional.
A Greater Focus on Remote Workers
Still one of the primary duties for HR professionals is to advocate for employees and help them out with their issues. However, how that employee looks might be changing. The growth of remote work has been staggering, and this is only expected to continue.
This presents new challenges for HR professionals. Communicating with employees will often be done via video chats or emails, and the concerns and needs of remote workers are often different. Also, things like how candidates are judged and recruited are also different, as is the interview process.
Even things like onboarding will look different and thankfully, there are many online guides that can help. Remote work isn’t going anywhere and is likely going to get bigger, and HR professionals have to adapt to this change.
More Use of Tools and Automation
One of the most notable changes to space is a greater reliance on technology. HR professionals will make use of tools that can help with everything from dealing with payroll and benefits to recruiting and screening employees. One of the very popular software in HR these days is Benefits administration software, used for automating benefits enrollment, plans, and benefits management. These kinds of software have the potential to save companies a lot of time, money, and energy.
In particular, automation has shown a lot of promise in business, especially in HR. A lot of the work in this business area is full of mundane tasks like filing, handling payroll, and many other types of paperwork. These are important, but often repetitive, tasks that take a lot of time. By automating these tasks, HR professionals will be able to focus on the more detailed, strategic, and precise requirements of the job.
Technology is still advancing incredibly quickly, so look for even more types of technologies to play a role in HR in the months and years going forward.
They Wear Many More Hats That in the Past
While HR professionals have always had a variety of duties, the modern business landscape is only adding to them. One of the biggest is making an effort to keep employees happy. Employee engagement is crucial today, and HR professionals need to find creative ways to keep their employees happy, healthy and ensure they feel valued.
People simply aren’t happy with any job today, they want one that helps them feel empowered. Also, many HR professionals need to play the role of a marketer today. The best candidates may have multiple offers, so an HR team will need to find great ways to market the opportunities your business can provide employees.
Another role that many HR professionals might have is to design everything from employee training programs, to different working models such as work from home, or job sharing.
An HR professional continues to be one of the most important roles in any business. Their role in the modern-day business landscape is changing due to changes in technology, a great focus on remote work, and the fact they have varied duties
About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is a leading provider of HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and intranet software. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, employee productivity, and to save you valuable time!
Gamification in HR: Use Cases and Best Practices
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, 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
35% of the surveyed American employees will turn the job offer if the corporate culture doesn’t resonate with them. On the other hand, employees that share the same values with their organizations help generate up to 33% increased revenues.
If you noticed a lack of employee motivation and engagement and mismatch in the corporate culture, you might want to use tips and tricks from Dell to harmonize the working environment. The company admits they have a competitive culture that makes their employees push the boundaries and learn constantly. In 2005, the tech company launched a series of game-based courses to improve compliance with the company’s policies and privacy standards. Employees competed to score the best results, and, as a result, the company received a 94% compliance success rate.
Another uncommon example of gamification in HR comes from IKEA. The company introduced a VR experience to train their employees about eight fundamental rules of their corporate culture: Togetherness, Cost-consciousness, Lead by example, and others.
With series of the VR-experiences, IKEA managed to promote its values among employees in a fun and engaging manner, keep the event cost-effective, and make it an immersive employee experience.
To follow IKEA’s way, you don’t necessarily need pricey software and technologies. There’s plenty of employee recognition software like Workmates that allows to gather feedback, track team morale, and celebrate achievements together. For example, the application allows coworkers to give digital “kudos” that can be exchanged for gifts. This feature boosts employee engagement rate by creating a sense of belonging to something big and instantly rewarding.
Final thoughts
Common use cases of gamification in HR include recruitment, onboarding process, training, and employee engagement. However, employers implement gamification to foster the adoption of internal standards and policies too. For example, when Ford Motors Company launched a game that trained the staff about new vehicles models, configurations, and financial details, they saw a 417% increase in learning engagement. That’s a brilliant example of effortless gamification at work that improves the adoption of the company’s policy.
Typical examples of gamification in HR are leaderboards, points systems, badges and stickers, virtual games, role-playing, or bonuses. There’s no silver bullet, though. A perfect gamified HR experience stirs employees’ interest and is compelling enough to participate.
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About Author: Maryna Zavyiboroda is a Content Marketer at HRForecast, a German HR tech company. She enjoys writing about HR management, recruitment best practices, and more.
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..
10 Tips on How to Have an Effective Remote Job Interview
In the modern world, hiring and recruitment have changed considerably, with far more interviews and candidate screening being done remotely. Improvements to internet access and technology, as well as limitations and convenience, have all led to these changes, and as people get more used to the idea of remote working and remote interviewing, it's becoming far more commonplace when conducting a job search.
Despite the growing trend of companies hiring without actually meeting their candidates face to face, there are still a lot of concerns over remote interviews. It can be more challenging for both the hiring managers and the remote workers themselves, as sometimes it's difficult to properly read someone through a video call. Some candidates find it more awkward to do a video chat interview, and while it's true that it can be difficult, there are lots of things you can do to have a more effective interview. Just as with interviewing in real life, it pays to practice, but we'll explain some of the most commonly used tips for remote roles here.
Use Effective Screening Before the Interview Stage
Interviewing should be reserved for the best possible candidates in order to save time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere. As a result, you should always aim to screen candidates carefully before starting the interview process. Simply reading and trying to assess the quality of each candidate through their CV is one of the least effective forms of screening. There's no standard format, and there's no way to know if the information is correct. Pre-employment evaluations offer a far better solution.
All of your prospects will be tested on the same parameters during pre-employment examinations. These tests assist you in quantifying the skills and abilities of each client that are most important to your open position. They also score them on the same scale so you can see who stands out when compared to other options. You can make use of a full product tour of employment screening evaluations before you make the next step.
Review Your Interview Process
Switching to fully remote interviewing is a big step and requires a lot of careful planning to ensure it goes to plan. If you're switching to remote interviewing, now is a good opportunity to review your current method. Think about how efficient and well-organised the current process is and whether anything can be improved at all.
The majority of businesses do not have a specific hiring process, which leads to hiring unqualified candidates. You need to plan the hiring process and how it looks, taking care to consider the following aspects:
From your team, who will they meet?
What should they do in advance?
Is it going to be an audio or visual call?
Do you want them to be able to share their screen with you at any point?
Prepare a Proper Introduction to the Company for All Candidates
Create a branded content package that candidates can read and view before the video interview to acquire a sense of the company's culture and values. When preparing the content, here are some things to consider adding that will help candidates get a picture of the company they're interviewing for:
Recent company announcements as well as any press or media coverage
Glassdoor evaluations and employee profiles
Client testimonials
Perks and benefits
Prepare the Technology
When interviewing remotely, the technology you use needs to be in proper working order for things to go well. Technology is the heart of any remote interview, and if it doesn't work properly, the amount of insight gained from the interview is going to be extremely lacking compared to a face to face interview. This will be one of the most time-consuming aspects of the remote hiring process.
Check for a good internet connection, as well as all other parts of technology that are used in the process. This includes webcams, microphones and a general sound setup for your video chat. Most video calling software offers a way for you to test out the call quality before calling, which is a good way to check if your setup produces a clear picture and sound. If internet problems are frequent, you should also be prepared with a backup way of communication in case the network's connectivity fails.
Plan Ahead
Just like with a real interview, it makes sense to book a time and date specifically ahead of time. Give the candidate plenty of time to respond to the appointment, so you're not asking them to attend an interview that day or the following day. You should also make sure to allow enough time for others to set up their equipment. Remember that not only you but also the candidate will be sitting through the interview. Lastly, you should make it clear that this is a formal interview and that, as such, it's important for the candidate to present themselves correctly, even if they're interviewing remotely.
Conduct the Interviews Where Disturbances Are Unlikely
If you're interviewing remotely, the chances are that you and your candidate are both working from home. If this is the case, ensure that you're in an area where you're unlikely to be disturbed. If possible, book an office out for the day while fitting multiple interviews into the same day and consider the acoustics and lighting of the room. You should also request that the candidate do the same to ensure the interview doesn't face disruptions. Body language and eye contact are just as important for virtual interviews as they are for the real thing.
Consider Changing Your Questions for the Remote Setting
While it's normally not advised to completely reinvent your interview questions, you might want to change them a bit for a remote interview. Consider asking questions specifically related to remote work, such as how much experience they have working from home and whether they have many distractions. Still, although these aspects are important, it's critical that you judge each candidate on their skills and merit.
Have a Backup Plan in Place
While you can test your setup and make sure it's working correctly, there can still be times when it doesn't work as it should be. In these cases, it's a good idea to have a backup plan that you can switch to. If your computer isn't working, you can switch to a phone interview or move to another device.
Make the Most of Software and Tools
Conducting an interview remotely is seen as a disadvantage to some, but if you make the most of the tools you have available, it can be a big advantage, saving time and resources as well as making it easier in certain aspects. There are plenty of free tools for video conferencing and interviewing that integrate into your existing apps such as calendars and more, to make interviewing much simpler.
Consider Using Virtual Hiring Events
For a slightly less conventional approach, you and your company can make the most of virtual hiring events and conferences, which offer a great way to reach new potential talent as well as network with other companies in the industry. There are now lots of these events taking place in all kinds of different industries, and they're usually very easy to find and join. Here you'll be able to get to know some candidates directly as well as learn more about current trends and industry insights.
How to Hire and Onboard Your First Remote Developer
“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
What Is an Intranet and How Is It Relevant to Your Organization?
As technology continues to advance, some people may think intranets are a thing of the past, but they are entirely relevant even today.Whether it is a website, a platform, or a tool, in this article, we’ll explain just what an intranet is, as well as how it has evolved, its application in modern-day organizations, and its advantages and disadvantages.
Definition of the Intranet
The definition of an intranet, in simple terms, is a private network within your organization that allows secure communication for you and your employees.
It is used for multiple purposes depending on the structure and objectives. It mainly enables an organization to share information at an internal level. This information is inaccessible to outsiders.
History of the intranets
To understand company intranets, we must have a brief look at its history:
Intranet websites first appeared along with the internet in the 1990s, when they were used in the form of a webpage. It was a single welcome page that contained general information about the company. When the intranet site was first introduced, it was flat, filled with text and hyperlinks, and didn’t offer much in terms of search, sharing, or other capabilities.
In the 2000s, Intranets saw developments as the technology was advancing at a rapid pace. A help desk was introduced that helped in human resource functions. It included features like employee directories and other applications that helped them in day-to-day activities.
By the 2010s, platform integration began as social media advanced. Intranet then became a platform that supported two-way communication or “conversations”.
In recent years, the role of social media in intranets has grown significantly. Many social features have been added. These include mentions, comments, and hashtags. The websites can monitor real-time activities and can gain timely insights as user experience is the central focus.
As a result, employee engagement, collaboration, and communication were significantly improved.
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Difference Between Intranet, Internet, and Extranet
A lot of people assume that the internet, intranet, and extranet are the same, but they are actually three different types of networks. It’s important for those in human resources (HR) to know the differences between them so they can understand the business uses and security implications of each system.
From a technological perspective the intranet, internet, and extranet are very similar, but what sets them apart is who can access them (privacy access) and what they aim to achieve.
An Internet is a network that is available to everyone, while intranets are private networks designed for specific groups of people. An extranet is also a private network but as an extension of an intranet that allows controlled access to authorized external users, such as customers, suppliers, or business partners.
Let’s break down the 3 nets and show some examples:
Intranet:
A company like Google uses an intranet called "MOMA" for internal communications, document sharing, and project management. Only employees can access this network, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure and internal operations run smoothly.
Extranet:
Walmart uses an extranet called "Retail Link" to share inventory and sales data with suppliers. This allows suppliers to manage their products more effectively and respond to demand changes, while Walmart retains control over who can access the data.
Internet:
Amazon's website is a prime example of the Internet. It's a public platform where anyone can browse, purchase products, and access services from anywhere in the world, demonstrating the openness and accessibility that characterize the Internet.
What Are Intranets Used For?
Let’s move towards the functionality and features of intranets. Broadly, the use of intranets can be grouped as follows: Communication, collaboration, information, and business processes. These four purposes will then be tailored for the organization according to its objectives and goals.
The list below shows the most common uses:
Source of connection: Companies are going global and require a smooth flow of information. An intranet will ensure this by connecting all the employees; hence it helps in building a virtual culture.
Access to information: Intranets can be used to access documents, centrally host, and provide information that the employees need urgently and timely.
Employee engagement: Intranets are used for onboarding and allocating tasks. They can also be used to gain insights into employee sentiments. In turn, organizations can respond to their concerns.
Business objectives: Intranets play a leading role in supporting the strategic objectives of an organization. They help in building a virtual culture, employee engagement, and staff retention rates and ensure a smooth flow of communication.
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Popular features of the Intranet
A company’s intranet is considered the base of employee communication. So, you will have to gather the right features to be well-integrated and improve collaboration. Some of the most popular Intranet features are:
Document management
Workflows and forms
Event management
Dynamic widgets
Intuitive search
Group channels
Social tools
Personalized content
Mobile App versions
Integration with cloud-based systems
Advantages and disadvantages of intranet
Intranets can revolutionize internal company communication and streamline operations, but they do come with some challenges. On one side, they offer centralized information access and improved collaboration, and on the other, they may face issues like maintenance costs and user adoption hurdles. Understanding both the benefits of intranet as well as challenges is crucial for making an informed decision.
Advantages of Intranet
Improved Employee Productivity - It will help you keep your employees and their work aligned with the company culture - values, vision, and mission - while also improving information flow. It leads to faster decision-making processes, which might contribute to increased sales. As an owner, you can also collect vital employee feedback that will help your company grow and thrive. It is essential to create an efficient digital workplace, especially considering the growing popularity of remote work.
Easy and Secure Data Storage - It helps you manage all the important data and files, organize them, and store them in one place, which is easily accessible to anyone who needs it. Furthermore, all communications and information exchanges are saved in an intranet, so nothing will get lost. As such, a dedicated intranet can be an excellent alternative to document and content management systems.
Improved Employee Experience - Your HR team will be able to onboard new employees more smoothly, leading to increased employee satisfaction. Easy access to company information, better internal communication and collaboration tools, and improved problem-solving processes will also reduce stress and frustration. It might all contribute to your employees’ loyalty and dedication, and as such, to their productivity.
Additionally, an intranet can be a hopeful tool for recognition and rewards, which are both necessary to keep your encouraged employees feeling happy and satisfied.
You can also go for something called social intranet - software designed to focus on emphasizing social networking.
Disadvantages of Intranet
Maintenance Costs - To make sure that your intranet is working smoothly and is always up to date, you will probably need someone to oversee it. What’s more, intranets usually require specialists who know all the system’s intricacies, so it can’t be just anyone.
Information Overload - Due to digitalization, we are all being bombarded with information every step of the way. Professional life is no exception here. So, if your company already uses a variety of tools you can’t give up, introducing an intranet might only add up to the pile of information your employees need to get through every day.
Security Risks - Even though an intranet is a secure private network, a hacker can use social engineering tactics to get inside, especially if your dedicated solution works on old-school platforms and systems. That’s why it’s vital to have an intranet designed to your preferences, needs, and possible risks.
Why Intranets are the heart of the digital workplace
Intranets have evolved and proved to adapt according to the demands of an organization. Their capability to turn a workplace into a virtual culture makes them the heart of the digital workplace. It is crucial to consider the potential that it holds and the role it plays in helping the organization in reaching its objectives.
Traditional intranets with outdated features are of no use to an organization and are becoming obsolete. Modern intranets act as gateways to modern organizations with virtual cultures. So, it is vital to keep them updated and upgraded. Modern features should be added to enhance employee experience, workplace collaboration, and ROI.
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Conclusion
The intranet is an important tool for businesses and organizations to improve team productivity, collaboration, and communication within their internal network. Understanding what is intranet and how can intranet benefit your company can help you make informed decisions about implementing or improving your intranet solution. Whether you have an established intranet or are considering implementing one, it's important to regularly review and update it to ensure it remains an effective tool for your team.
About Author:Christopher Mansfield is a content writer at Perfect Essay. He creates, edits, and manages the production of digital and print content that is consistent with the organization’s brand, style, and tone. Christopher works closely with the internal marketing team to ensure timely delivery of content via various marketing channels and mediums. He also develops and maintains an editorial calendar. He contributes to the webinar program to further thought leadership campaigns for different market segments.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can an intranet function without the Internet?
Yes, an intranet can function without the Internet, as long as all the users (and the server) are on the local network. It operates within a closed network, allowing employees to access internal resources, communicate, and collaborate without needing an external internet connection. However, internet access may be required for certain updates or external integrations.
When is the intranet better than the Internet?
For internal use, intranets are better than the Internet because they offer enhanced security, tailored content, and increased productivity. A secure system offers tools and information that are relevant to an organization and reduces distractions by limiting access to external content.
How can an intranet be customized for different departments?
An intranet can be tailored with tools, resources, and interfaces that are relevant to each department, making sure that all teams have access to important information.
What are the costs associated with implementing an intranet?
The cost of an intranet can vary depending on its size and complexity, including software licensing, customizations, maintenance, and training.
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