Remote work was here long before COVID was present, although it was rarely implemented. Now studies listed on Small Biz Trends inform us that remote work will now become commonplace — even after the effects of the pandemic have passed. By the end of 2025, over 36 million Americans will be working remotely. This is double the numbers from three years ago. A large reason why the number of remote workers is growing is attributed to the flexible work schedules they can provide. Flexible work schedules allow employees to work whenever they want and attend to responsibilities outside of their job, increasing their productivity levels and overall satisfaction. For a more in-depth discussion on benefits, however, we've outlined a couple below: Improves productivity levels Flexible work means being able to make time for other things, like hobbies. And it just so happens that being able to indulge in said hobbies can greatly increase productivity — a testimonial on Harvard Business Review wrote as much. According to Gaetano DiNardi, a marketing lead for Nextiva, spending time on his guitar between work hours allowed him to take breaks and reawaken his creativity, leading him to perform better at his job. It even boosted his "creative confidence." "When I face a tough challenge at work and feel stymied, I can start to question whether I’ll ever figure out a successful solution," he admits. "But after an hour of shredding on the guitar, hitting notes perfectly, I’m feeling good [...] And when I face that work project again, I bring confidence with me." All in all, when people have time for their passions, it positively affects their work performance. Attracts more talent Since many people have experienced the benefits of flexible working hours, most of them prefer maintaining this work setting. In our article entitled Job Applicants Want Remote Work Than Ever Before, we discussed how 70% of employees prefer a remote working position over an in-office one, simply because of the convenience and flexibility of it. Companies that implement flexible job options attract more job seekers and gain new hires. Consequently, more applicants mean a greater and more diverse pool of talent to choose from. Increases job satisfaction Working from home or any location enables employees to have more time to attend to their other duties, like family. Lauren, one of the remote nurse practitioners featured by telehealth network Wheeltestified how a flexible remote work setup has granted her the opportunity to fulfill her role as a mom. "I am able to be an active parent, support my husband as a teacher, and make time for myself," she says. The flexibility of her job has even helped her settle into her new home without the added stressors, and she has never been happier. And when you have a happy and satisfied employee, a myriad of good things will follow, such as better work outputs, a more positive workplace culture, and, most importantly, an increased likelihood of staying in the company. This leads us to our next point. Decreases employee turnover The more satisfied workers are, the less likely they are to quit and find a job somewhere else. And as previously mentioned, many employees are happy with a flexible, work from home setup. Research mentioned on PR Newswire even states that many people prioritized the benefits of flexible work schedules over a promotion or higher role, and would gladly stay in a company that offered such a perk. Moreover, the hiring process requires more resources because of the background checks, interviews, and training that you have to do. Retaining happy and loyal employees is better for your business than recruiting new hires. Flexible work schedules are now part of what job seekers look for and what employees hope their company would start or sustain. It increases productivity, improves satisfaction, decreases employee turnover, and attracts a lot of talent. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Whenever you hire new employees, you should be performing employee onboarding to help your new hires learn their job. However, if you aren't giving them a proper onboarding experience, your new employees may struggle to understand and perform their duties. You may find yourself losing employees faster than you can hire them. What are common mistakes that people make with their onboarding platform, and how can you avoid them? If you're concerned about your onboarding software, don't worry.Read on for a few common mistakes that you should avoid with yourHRonboarding software. 1. Misleading Job Descriptions Onboarding mistakes can happen long before you begin the recruiting process. If you want capable employees who can perform the duties you need, then you need to start with a comprehensive and for your new HR professional. Make sure that you reassess job listings before attempting to hire new employees (in-house or with the help of true outsourcing). Are the job duties listed still accurate? Has anything crucial changed about the job position since you last listed it? If you want long-term employees, make sure you change any relevant information so that your new hires are getting all the information they need. This will help make the onboarding process much easier and give your employees the chance to do a great job with their new position! 3. Contact Your New Hire Before the First Day Often there is quite a time-lag between the offer of employment and acceptance exchange and the first day on the job. Immediately on receiving the acceptance from the job candidate, it is always a good idea to reply, confirming when they start and what the program for the first week will be. You will need to copy the reply to your colleagues using the Onboard software so that they can set up appropriate reminders and notifications for themselves too. It also gives your colleagues the opportunity to communicate easily with you (as the main contact person) for the new hire. About one week before Day One, send an e-mail to the new hire to keep up their enthusiasm for the job they are about to start. That way, you minimize any nervousness they might be feeling. The e-mail can be brief and friendly. If necessary, you can detail any documents the prospective employee needs to bring with them on the first day. You can let the new hire know that they are free to ask any questions before their first day. 4. Standardize the Welcome Pack Your company should have a standardized Welcome pack for all new employees. These days, most of the things an employee needs to familiarize themselves with the company's mission, values, and history are best provided in digital format. The same is true of your Employee Handbook. The ideal place for this is on the HRonboarding portal, where the handbook can be fully indexed and searchable, making it an easy and lasting source of information. Including a section on "What is the HR onboarding process?" will help new entrants to appreciate that HR will play just important a role in their employment as achieving performance standards set by their managers. Formulating the content of the Employee Handbook is, of course, a separate exercise involving input from all managers, and even all employees. Theemployee handbookdocument, of which there are many examples online will detail your company's policies, guidelines, and rules. It should be clear, unbiased, and structured in a way that facilitates updates of single sections should any policies or guidelines change. Present some part of the welcome pack to the new hire in paper format. Even if it is a card with the e-mail address and password they should use when they first log in. The HR contact should introduce the new employee to everyone, including the C-suite managers on their first day or two. Introductions may be kept brief, but done on a team by team, or department by department basis. Introductions should start with the people the new hire will be working with most closely and then move on to those further afield. One important introduction is to the new hire's designated onboarding buddy. 5. Appoint an Onboarding Buddy The onboarding buddy or a go-to person should be a peer or team member who has already worked for the company for quite some time. It should be someone who can do a reasonably good job of answering all the questions the new hire might be a little timid to ask their manager. The idea is to make the new employee feel comfortable on a fairly informal basis within the culture of the company and offer them a grassroots perspective. By contrast, the new hire's manager will have their own role to play during onboarding that will be directly related to the actual work. 6. Prepare the Workspace as Part of the Onboarding Process for New Hires What is new employee onboarding, if not making space for the new employee? Will the new employee need a desk, chair, laptop and mobile and a key to an office door? Make sure that these essentials are ready before the first day. Personal touches, such as a company mug or pen or scratchpad would also be a good idea. 7. Go Beyond the First Week Human Resources would have been involved in the recruitment and selection of the new employee. To increase chances of retaining your new employee, you need to keep checking up on them at regular intervals that go way beyond the first week. Most experts recommend a one-on-one once a month for the first year. Such meetings can be scheduled well in advance and focus on the employee's experience of the company and any challenges. These meetings may or may not be directly linked toperformance reviewsdepending on your corporate culture and possible level of engagement with LIKE.TG'sWorkmates recognition and reward software. In any case, from the employee's perspective, it is encouraging to see a trajectory of meetings planned ahead that will deal with their experience in the workplace. It gives a sense of purpose and one of belonging, both good indicators of better employee retention. 8. Defined Training Paths The new hire's training will be entirely dependent upon the level at which they enter the company structure. Many employees are hired precisely because they already have the skillset and experience the company needs. Others will need immediate training as part of their first few months on the job. Whatever the case, the likely path or training options available to the new hire should be outlined during the interview and onboarding process. Some companies also impose training obligations on employees, e.g., to attend a fixed number of hours of continuous professional development related to their role and responsibilities within the company each year. These training aspects go hand in hand with key performance indicators (KPIs). An employee needs a clear understanding of what constitutes success in their job. Well-crafted KPIs with well-structured evaluations at specified intervals is motivational. EffectiveKPIs lead to increased productivityand better retention levels too. Onboarding Process Tips We hope that these onboarding process tips have given you practical ideas that you can action. At LIKE.TG, we know that all the above ways to onboard news hires are easy to achieve by using our Onboard software in combination with other components of our suite ofHR management software solutions. 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 onboardingdelivers better staff performance. It also results in improvedemployee satisfaction. In turn, your company will enjoy improvedemployee engagementand retention. Keep reading for our free onboarding checklist and templates for 2021. You can also download our free New Employee Orientation Checklist. Things to Remember: A Hiring Checklist Modern HRprofessionals facenew onboarding challenges. Comprehensive onboarding is a win-win for everyone. A systematic method of introducing a new employee to your company can help you to overcome today’s obstacles. The following checklist offers 12 steps you’ll want to consider as part of your onboarding process. 1. Submit job requisition before the final hiring decision2. Prepare new hire paperwork3. Procure new hire devices and equipment4. Set up new hire on all relevant systems through IT5. Set up new hire workspace6. Schedule new hire orientation7. Send welcome email or packet to new employee8. Provide new hire with a facility tour9. Introduce new hire to peer mentor10. Announce the hiring of the new employee internally11. Schedule post-hire meeting one to two weeks out for onboarding feedback12. Schedule 30-, 60- and 90-day check-ins with new hire Of course, these are general items that you’ll want to include in your new employee checklist. You can add or remove items as needed. There are many steps involved in preparing a new hire for their role successfully. Anew hire orientationchecklist can help you to make sure that you don’t miss important tasks. The early stages of employment set the tone for employee sentiment. By following a methodicalemployee onboardingchecklist, you can deliver the best employee experience possible. Onboarding Templates for Hiring Managers It may surprise you how often companies overlook establishing a concreteonboarding process. Many firms throw their onboarding process together at the last minute. This practice is ill-advised. A poor onboarding experience can have a negative effect on employee moraleand engagement. A few industry-specific templates may help you to build the perfect onboarding process for your company. You most likely know a great deal about your company’sonboardingprocess. However, you may not have considered the process as a whole. Onboardingis the entire process that encompasses bringing a new hire into your organization. In addition to completing paperwork, you’ll also want to provide the best experience possible. The following industry-related templates may help you to ensure that you don’t miss any vitalonboarding steps. General Onboarding Template Again, you’ll need to prepare any needed employee paperwork. This paperwork might include tax forms, compliance documentation, and basic details about the new employee’s roles and responsibilities. In addition, you’ll want to: • Approve employee paperwork• Discuss project goals with the employee’s supervisor• Discussroles and responsibilities• Prepare employee workspace You also want to assign any required reading, training, or other steps that will help your new employee get up to speed. Retail Onboarding Template In a retail setting, you’ll want to collect any vital forms that the new hire must complete. You’ll also want to schedule a welcome video screening or provide online access for the same. In addition, you’ll want to: • Go over job expectations and performance requirements• Introduce your new hire to employees and team members• Schedule a facility tour, including an explanation of technology and systems Furthermore, you’ll want to provide your new hire with more specific or advanced training if needed. Food and Beverage Industry Onboarding Template The food and beverage environment is fast-paced. You’ll want to startthe onboarding processby highlighting employee work duties and introductions to staff members. You also want to assign a mentor that will help your new hire learn the intricacies of the job. In addition, you’ll want to: • Inform all staff members of the new hire• Schedule follow-up meetings for feedback if needed• Scheduleperformance reviewsfor the first week and month You’ll also want to provide the new hire with opportunities to ask questions or to provide them with more information if needed. Field Operative Onboarding Template With company field operatives, you’ll want to confirm the home office location and job start date. You’ll also want to provide your new hire with contact information and other important details. Also, you want to send an employee welcome packet or email before the new hire starts. In addition, you should: • Confirm start date 3 to 5 days ahead of schedule• Deliver field-based equipment such as a laptop, mobile device, or other specialized equipment• Provide access to needed documentation You’ll also want to schedule regular check-ins for the first week and beyond to make sure that your new hire is getting up to speed adequately. Remote Worker Onboarding Template Onboarding a remote worker requires clear communication. For instance, you must provide a written explanation of a new hire’s role and responsibilities clearly. You must also clearly communicate your company’s culture, mission, values and other details.In addition, you’ll want to: • Craft interview questions that clearly communicate the work environment of your company• Prepare all important documents, such as the job offer, tax forms, job description, and other information• Walk the new hire through company-specific information, such as your organizational chart, directory, handbooks, and other information You’ll also want to make arrangements to have all documents e-signed withhighly capable HR software. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place to learn about just such a solution. Thinking Beyond Your New Hire Checklist LIKE.TG is a powerful tool for deliveringemployee engagement. With our platform, you’ll make your new hires feel like part of the team. More importantly, you’ll keep them excited, motivated, and informed throughout their career. We provide you with the tools that you need to encourage existing team members and welcome new hires. Furthermore, our technology makes it easy for you to show staff that they’re part of a team with informal recognition,kudos, and other great forms of encouragement. With LIKE.TG, you can recognize and reward employees early and often. What’s more, you can maintain a two-way conversation with your staff members seamlessly. We also provide resources that enable you to train employees on existing systems such as company internets and CMSs. With our platform, you can easily provide your staff with the information that they need to do their jobs. You can also use our technology to schedule regular meetings. You can use these meetings to answer questions or provide feedback aboutemployee performance. With LIKE.TG, you’ll have everything that you need to managethe employee experiencesuccessfully—from startto finish. Setting the Stage forEffective 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. Manualonboarding 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 bestonboarding processpossible. 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 professionalonboarding experience. Handling Employee Onboarding Properly Employee onboarding is a crucial program for your new employees, so take the time to make sure that your program and employee onboarding software are high-quality. Your new employees deserve the chance to learn and thrive in their new positions. Remote work can make onboarding difficult, so keep these common mistakes in mind the next time you are planning on improving your onboarding software! Does your onboarding platform need a boost, but you aren't sure where to go for help? We're here to help you.Contact uswith any questions or concerns you have about our employee onboarding software and continue reading our blog for more helpful tips. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

We all want to be recognized for the work we do. It feels nice when our achievements are celebrated by our colleagues and bosses. It is easy to feel motivated to succeed when you know you have the support of those around you. This becomes increasingly important in a world where the workforce has been thrown into the deep end of the remote working pool. Today more than ever, workers are physically isolated from their colleagues and supervisors. This makes it essential for businesses to reach out and check on the well-being of their employees regularly, and offer rewards and recognition. Although the events that forced most of the working world into a remote-based system have been nothing short of catastrophic, there is a silver lining to the gloomy clouds of this pandemic. Studies on remote workers have shown increases in productivity and employee satisfaction, with only 25% of people currently working from home stating that they would voluntarily return to the office once the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. This increased satisfaction has been a welcome relief to many and has made a dent in the disturbing 2018 statistic that 53% of us were disengaged with our job. Perhaps in the years after this pandemic, we will see improved employee engagement among the beneficial changes brought about by this tragic event. The uncertainty COVID-19 has brought upon the workplace has been a recurring theme for the past couple of years. With a drastic overhaul of the workplace environment, businesses have had to adapt quickly. Including an effective employee recognition program in any plans moving forward should be at the top of every employer’s to-do list. In a time when job security is even more volatile, making sure your employees are well looked after and satisfied with their working situation, and rewarding and recognizing employees, is pivotal to their professional development and your business success. Benefits of recognizing the hard work of your remote employees Does it surprise you to find that two-thirds of the working population feel undervalued, reporting that in the past week they had not received recognition for work they felt deserved it? If this is news to you, it means that recognizing employees could be a fantastic low-cost, high-impact investment for your business. Simply by recognizing your workforce, you could be positioning yourself ahead of 66% of your competition. Below are some reasons why recognizing the work of your remote employees is vital to company success. Retain more employees Studies show that employees who feel undervalued are often disengaged. This is a concerning state of mind for your workforce, as disengaged employees are 12x more likely to leave their job. Turnover is expensive. With costs of recruitment and training, it’s estimated that it costs businesses 33% of an employee’s annual salary to replace them. When you consider that 25% of the U.S. workforce quit their jobs in 2021, that is an enormous outgoing expense. To improve employee retention, focus on the health and wellness of your employees, including their mental health. Dedicating more resources toward the retention of high-quality staff should be a priority, not an afterthought. Recognizing the work of your remote employees and making your business one they wish to work for is one of the many tactics business owners need to investigate if they wish to retain more employees. We will dive into effective methods of recognition for remote workers later in this article. Foster a healthier and more innovative work environment Setting up an environment that fosters employee appreciation is one of the smartest things a leader can do. Leading by example, a great manager should privately and publicly congratulate team members on work and non-work-related milestones, give thoughtful gifts and bonuses when appropriate, and offer an avenue of career advancement within the company's hierarchy whenever possible. This will create a positive feedback loop. If workers feel like they are part of a remote ecosystem that values recognition, they will be more likely to recognize the work of their peers, which is when positive company culture begins to blossom. A healthy environment is one in which all inhabitants thrive. Productivity will increase It’s no secret that employees who feel valued and motivated will be more productive toward the company's goal. Reports show productivity can increase as much as 20% when employees are happy at work. Although happiness is subjective, we know what contributes to employee satisfaction. Factors such as room for growth and opportunities, a healthy work-life balance, purposeful work, peer recognition, and being recognized by management are cited over and over again as reasons to stay or leave a workplace. Employee recognition can be an entirely free exercise, making it a low-risk, high-reward investment. Effective tactics for recognition in the workplace Showing employee recognition isn’t rocket science, and it can be inexpensive. It is a low-risk investment that pays dividends. There are hundreds of ways you can show your remote workforce that you value them. Below are some effective ways you can start recognizing your employees today. Build a better remote environment Prior to COVID-19, each American was predicted to spend up to one-third of their life at work, meaning employer investment into the work environment was of the utmost importance. Now that we have moved toward a remote working model, adjusting the physical environments of each worker is not possible. The solution—focus on the new work environment. Look toward building the ultimate online community that your workers will be pleased to work in every day. Now is the time to upgrade to the tools and technologies that will enable your workforce to thrive and stay engaged while working from home. Downloading the newest screen sharing or video conferencing app, or providing your marketing teams with high-quality SEO tools, is an effective way of showing them you want them to succeed. Invest money into improving the backend servers your employees are using every day, and take the time to ask them what they need to make working from home a successful venture. Integrate applications like Slack or Google Hangouts, or create private social media groups that allow workers to socialize and communicate within the company. Virtual team-building events can help employees feel more connected to each other and build stronger bonds. Use these techniques to keep your workers in the loop and to also promote peer-to-peer support. It’s good to have dedicated work channels for more serious information, but it’s also important to offer a place for people to post jokes, memes, funny videos, or articles they find interesting. These can foster a supportive online community that will improve employee experience and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation remote team members may be experiencing. Purchasing these things will show that you are prepared to allocate funds to essential items that will improve the welfare of your workers, making it an indirect but effective way of recognizing the hard work they do. Congratulate employees on milestones Life is made up of millions of moments. Some are more noteworthy than others. The key is to recognize your employees on the milestones that matter to them. Sending out gift cards for birthdays and work anniversaries is a good place to start, but getting to know the individuals who represent your company allows you to recognize their achievements—work-related or not—appropriately and authentically. Try scheduling weekly calls with workers individually to find out how they are coping with this new remote lifestyle. If that isn’t feasible due to the number of your staff, make the effort to send out personalized casual check-in emails that give your workers an opportunity to bring you up to speed on work and non-work-related events. Keep in mind everyone has responded to this change differently. Some may be thriving, while others are missing the daily activities that came with working in a shared space. Be sure to note this as it will help you make informed decisions on who needs to be contacted more frequently. Don’t neglect to congratulate employees on milestones just because they are out of sight. Failure to do so could be perceived as a lack of care. If an employee is coming up on long-service leave, do not miss the opportunity to thank them. Be sure to bring up this dedication in a timely manner during a group call. Thanking your employee in front of their peers is a powerful way to show that hard work does not go unnoticed. You can organize for a gift to be delivered to their chosen address, or send something to them virtually. Give thoughtful and practical gifts that can be used remotely When talking with your employees on your weekly calls, actively listen for things that they have been doing during in their spare time. What do they talk about? Do they listen to certain podcasts while they work at home? What excites them? What have been their thoughts on working remotely? When you come across little nuggets of information, write them down and refer to them when a future gift or bonus is necessary. For example, Lucy has been with your company for five years. She has worked incredibly hard and been very profitable for the business. You remember that before she began working remotely, she always had a book in hand or was discussing literature with a co-worker. Maybe in your video calls, you noticed a pile of books on the desk next to her. Mailing an e-book reader or a voucher for a local bookstore to her could be the perfect gift for her long service, and she may appreciate it more than a cash bonus of greater value. Remember to be practical—be sure that her voucher can be used online if the local store has been closed due to the coronavirus or that the book can be delivered to her if she can’t get to the post office. Thoughtful gifts will often be cheaper than standard ones. The fact that you took time to think about what would make them happy shows true employee recognition. This will not be forgotten. Think about how good a thoughtful gift felt when you received one in your life. Another option is practical gifts, which are a great way of showing that you are fighting on the same side. Even if your worker is thousands of miles away, you can buy them lunch from a local restaurant that supports delivery. This helps your worker’s community as well as the worker themselves, who will now have one less thing to worry about in their workday. Display trust in their newfound autonomy This is a more subtle form of recognition but may be the most powerful. Reaching out to your employees weekly through email, social channels, or video calls will help you recognize which individuals are thriving and those who may need more support. All change can be stressful, and remote work has its challenges. Don’t compound them by micromanaging your workers and expecting several daily check-in calls or forcing them to install monitoring software on their computers. Use this unprecedented time to show that you trust their ability to provide great work remotely and reward employees accordingly. Offering flexible hours is a great way to demonstrate trust and make your workers’ lives easier. An employee may want a large break in the afternoon to pick up the kids, or they may want to start an hour later so they can add a morning jog to their routine. Experiment with being more lenient and trusting of their process. If they are not performing to the required standards, reach out to them and find out what you can do to help them to remain productive while working remotely. If you have been impressed with how your employees have handled increased autonomy, let them know. Publicly recognize individuals or groups who are utilizing their time efficiently. Indicate opportunities for growth Nothing stifles productivity more than a bleak outlook. If you haven’t given your employees something to strive for, they will struggle to gather the motivation necessary to work toward your goal. If a new position becomes available within the company, consider looking in-house before expanding your search. Chances are you already have someone working in the business who would relish the opportunity to learn and grow professionally. On a group call or in the online work community, notify staff that you are looking for suitable applicants for a role within the company. Announcing promotions or plans to train certain employees in new skills keeps your workforce in the loop and shows them that there are opportunities for professional advancement. Upskilling your workforce shows that your company culture promotes growth and that you have a higher quality workforce. Everyone wins in this situation. This will show your other employees that their hard work will be repaid and that they will not have to begin looking for employment elsewhere if they begin to feel stagnation. Making your business one that repays its employees with opportunities is an efficient way to retain workers. Conclusion Now that the majority of workers are operating out of makeshift offices in their living rooms and kitchens, keeping in touch is crucial to company success. Showing employee recognition in a remote working world doesn’t have to be more difficult, it just requires employers to adapt and become creative in their methods. In a time of uncertainty, working hard to ensure your staff knows you appreciate the work they are doing despite the difficult circumstances will be even more powerful. As an employer, be sure to include employee recognition in your plans, as you too navigate this new world of remote working. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Effective performance management and engagement programs are key to reducing employee attrition. Performance management ensures the set of tasks and outcomes are meeting the goals of an organization effectively and efficiently. As per research, employees having a high engagement rate with their respective employers tend to show a 20% higher performance margin. In addition, with better employee performance, companies can make up to 22% more profits. Thus, businesses need to improve their existing performance management and engagement practices as much as possible. Let us explore the role of performance management in employee departure and how businesses can reduce it: How can performance management lower employee attrition? One of every manager's crucial tasks is to hire the right people for the right job. But, the responsibility doesn't end here; employee retention is essential. Numerous factors influence an employee to continue their job in an organization. Some of the key elements among them are job satisfaction, hard-work recognition, career growth, good relationship with managers and team leaders, etc. Though a good salary might potentially be one of the reasons as well, it can not motivate employees to stay in a company culture they don't connect with for longer. Therefore, maintaining a good employee performance management policy and company culture is of utmost importance. By satisfying all the employee motivating factors mentioned earlier, efficient performance management ensures whether the company is meeting the expectations of each employee. Needless to say, this practice can potentially lower the rate of employee departure for any organization. Also, it will build long-term worker loyalty. Source Up to 98% of businesses agree that performance management is crucial, However, only 64% state they have been taking an effective approach toward it. So, if you belong to ones who think they do not have a meaningful performance management practice in place, then read ahead to learn ways to achieve it. How to Reduce Employee Attrition through Proactive Performance Management and Engagement programs? Here are the 5 most effective ways to attain it: ● Com­mu­ni­ca­tion through weekly check-ins Companies need to focus on frequent employee performance discussions. Plus, practical coaching sessions instead of the old ranking and rating system. Through ongoing conversations, organizations can learn about the employees on a deeper level. Not only does this approach help in building trust, but it also allows employees to open up about their everyday workplace interactions. It is one of the aspects of better performance management. With a work environment where managers, peers, and working staff can have open conversations, better workspace relationships develop. Also, it enhances team management and employee engagement resulting in better performance. While you implement this strategy in your performance management practice, ensure not to overextend the employee check-ins duration. Focus on exchanging feedback and responding to problems in an efficient yet timely manner. Having a systematic feedback process gives employees a solid idea of the expectations from performance review meetings. ● Growth and professional development approaches As per stats, 87% of millennials support the fact that workplace learning and development are important. And 74% of employees show interest in learning new skills to scale up their knowledge. Employers can enhance employee satisfaction and engagement by offering them adequate time to build their skills. It will also help in recognizing the best talents. Business leaders must help their employees get better at their job and develop advanced skills to take on greater responsibilities. In addition, it will enable companies to build employee loyalty and enjoy a competitive edge in the industry. Setting up initiatives for workplace education is incredibly useful. They can be programs for employee mentorships, specific training courses, or anything similar. Here you help your employees in their professional development by enabling them to set practical goals. Like educational QR codes used in classrooms, organizations can assign dynamic QR Codes to every employee. They can be imprinted in the ID card of the worker for quick access. It will enable employee training tracking through embedded URLs to make workplace education more effective. With just one scan, users can verify training records, including skills, qualifications, completed courses, recertifications data, attendance, and so on. ● Recog­ni­tion and appreciation Source Every hard-working employee prefers to know whether they are doing their job efficiently. And when managers provide them with well-thought feedback, they feel enthusiastic about putting more work into the job. We can say that getting recognition for performance from managers or team leaders is a crucial aspect of employee satisfaction. Also, regular feedback helps workers to assess their strengths and weak points. The practice also plays a key role in determining every employee's work style and personality type. Hence, managers can take on one-on-one interaction with each employee in a personalized manner. And it can have a huge impact on employees' perspectives on the organization. ● Build employee trust and confidence An effective way to build trust and confidence among employees is being open about the goals and plans of the organization. It helps employees have a vision of their responsibilities for long-term goals. To attain it, companies need to actively discuss and share their goals with employees in a manner that lets them comprehend its core value. One way to do this is by engaging employees in planning term-based objectives that'll help achieve the end goal. Let them come up with their unique ideas and plannings, and consider what they have to say. It will build confidence among employees and trust that the company cares about their opinions. Another aspect to consider in this scenario is to ensure that managers set an excellent example of performance management behaviors. Managers who take time to discuss the personal and professional development of workers and give honest feedback gain the respect of subordinates in the team. It would be best to adopt a coaching technique for performance management. ● Take a strengths-based approach One way to increase engagement within the team is to provide them workload as per their strength. It makes the employee feel valued, helping them develop a connection to the company. So, ensure to focus on enhancing your employees' most vital working capabilities. Eventually, with this practice growth in the company's allover performance is inevitable. Follow a person-centric approach that revolves around genuine understanding and support. The traditional approach of performance management focused more on the outcome than the employee’s healthy work-life balance. It is the main factor that encourages workers to leave the organization. On the contrary, organizations, where employees receive appropriate workloads, reflect directly on the overall productivity of the company. Conclusion From the employees' perspective, engagement is all about having a connection with the organization and knowing that the employer recognizes their contributions. Hence, efforts should be put in the betterment of performance management programs where leaders actively support and meet employees' unique requirements. Companies can improve engagement, performance, and employee satisfaction by taking a flexible work and people-centric approach. About Author: Claron is a brand aficionado. He has an unceasing curiosity about what brands do to break through the clutter to stay relevant to their audience. He also loves to explore how simple tech (dynamic QR Codes lately) can be used to improve customer experiences and consequently, scale up brands

Tech recruitment isn’t something that you should wade into without proper preparation. Given the precarious nature of today’s labor market, it is imperative to adopt the right strategy. Failing to do so could leave your enterprise riddled with substandard professionals, or perhaps, none at all. While technical recruitment is challenging, there are many strategies you can use to get it right. In this post, we run through a strategic approach to tech recruitment that will make it considerably easier to attract the employees you need. Figure Out What You Want Before posting any job ads on job sites or public message boards, take some time to figure out who you need. For instance, if you want to develop software, don’t just look for people who have had “developer jobs” in the past. Instead, be more specific. For instance, you might post an advert for Java developer jobs. Similarly, be clear about the type of engineers that you require. If you are looking for people to fill data engineering jobs, look for candidates with extensive backgrounds in mathematics and statistics, not just programming. When advertising, do the following: Explain why a potential hire might want to come and work for your firm. Be clear about what their role will be and precisely how they will participate in company life Talk about your company, what it does, and the kind of projects the prospective employee will tackle Discuss the skills you need, and then provide a list of examples so that interested parties can quickly identify whether they are the right candidates for the role Play Up Your Strengths As with any industry, big brands tend to be more successful in attracting top talent than smaller firms. Therefore, it’s critical to play up your strengths to convince prospective employees they should work with you. Specifically, what can you do, though? Here are some ideas: Discuss opportunities to work on exciting, one-off, perhaps game-changing projects that will impact customers and clients Talk about your company’s unique culture and some of the benefits that recruits will experience Mention growth opportunities and where you expect your company to be in two, five, and ten years Make it clear that recruits will be making meaningful, positive contributions to both the company and the lives of customers and clients Offer Technical Staff What They Want Even if bigger companies are offering JavaScript jobs, you can still compete with them as long as you offer technical staff what they want. Developers’ main requirements are: A good starting salary with opportunities to increase it within a reasonable time frame Interesting projects and work, including rewarding problem-solving Independent working arrangements and the ability to make decisions autonomously, without the need to run everything by management Opportunities to work remotely for at least some of the week Management by people who understand the field and can provide meaningful support High-quality equipment that makes the development process as smooth as possible Leverage Data Given the competitiveness of technical recruiting, data can be a fabulous ally. Collect information on average salaries, workforce trends, and even the hidden costs associated with talent acquisition. Then use this information to make your job postings’ remuneration and terms and conditions as competitive as possible. You can also use data to define your talent exploration areas. Look for opportunities to find employees from areas where the supply of workers is outstripping the demand, potentially lowering your acquisition costs. Get Comfortable With Technical Terms Many recruiters ignore technical jargon. However, they do so at their peril. Developers, software engineers, and other technically-minded candidates want assurances that the companies they apply for have technical expertise. Furthermore, they also need to post job descriptions that clearly define the requirements of the advertised role. Avoiding technical terms makes that difficult. But you don’t want to go too far in the opposite direction, either. The trick here is to strike an optimal balance. Job descriptions and advertisements should be approachable, but should also contain phrases that prospective candidates can use to determine whether they are a good fit or not. Think “friendly” but “professional.” Make Your Interview Process Air-Tight Technical candidates often have multiple job options. After all, their skills are in high demand. The trick here is to calibrate your interview process so that you pitch your firm at the same time as working out whether the candidate is a good match for the job listing. Here’s our advice: Offer remote interview options, particularly for candidates who want to work remotely (always offer in-person as an option, too, to maintain professional standing) Introduce the candidate to team members informally so that they can begin to develop a rapport Tell applicants who will be interviewing them ahead of time and guarantee feedback, whether they get the job or not These strategies can dramatically improve candidates’ perceptions of you while also letting you see how they perform, both socially, and technically. Use The Right Onboarding Software Onboarding software is essential for making candidates feel comfortable when joining your enterprise. What Is An Onboarding Software and Why You Need One Onboarding software packages help you integrate new hires into your ecosystem. The goal is to help them transform from an outsider to a full member of the team. Onboarding software is beneficial for the following reasons: Improves the employee experience, reducing the risk of staff turnover Boosts employee engagement Increases the likelihood of attracting extremely talented individuals Promotes better company culture Increases productivity in the first six months The Bottom Line Getting tech recruitment right is extremely challenging in today’s labor market. There are more unfilled positions than there are candidates looking for work. The trick here is to strategize your tech recruitment processes. If you can find ways to better target the people you need while also standing head and shoulders above the competition, you can attract the talent you need, even if you are a smaller firm. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

There are a number of ways to increase employee engagement in the healthcare industry. One way is to improve communication between employees, HR, and management. The Importance of Employee Engagement in Healthcare Employee engagement is critical to the success of any healthcare organization. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, motivated, and committed to their workplace. Furthermore, employee engagement has been linked to improved patient outcomes. A study conducted by The Advisory Board Company found that hospitals with high levels of employee engagement had significantly lower rates of mortality and readmission than those with low levels of engagement. Positive Work Environment Matters There are a number of ways to improve employee engagement in healthcare organizations. One way is to focus on creating a positive work environment. Ensure that employees have the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively.Provide opportunities for professional development, and foster a culture of open communication and collaboration with tools such as team chat. A Culture of Patient-Centered Care Make sure that every decision made by the organization is based on what is best for the patient. This can be achieved by involving employees in decision-making, ensuring that patients are involved in their own care, and making sure that the overall patient experience is positive. Employee engagement is essential to the success of any healthcare organization. By focusing on creating a positive work environment and a culture of patient-centered care, healthcare organizations can improve employee engagement and, ultimately, patient outcomes. The Importance of HR and Management in Healthcare Healthcare organizations are under constant pressure to improve patient outcomes and control costs. To meet these challenges, healthcare leaders must adopt best practices in human resources (HR) and management. The role of HR in healthcare is to attract, develop, and retain a high-quality workforce. To do this, HR must identify the workforce needs of the organization and develop strategies to attract and retain the best talent. HR must ensure that employees have the necessary skills and competencies to meet the demands of the job. The role of management in healthcare is to provide leadership and direction to the organization. Management must set the vision for the organization and establish goals and objectives that will help the organization achieve its mission. Management must develop and implement strategies to improve patient care and control costs. Human resources and management are two of the most important functions in healthcare organizations. By adopting best practices in HR and management, healthcare leaders can improve patient outcomes and control costs. Maximizing Learning for Your Workforce The healthcare industry is one of the most important industries in the world. It is also one of the most challenging, with a workforce that is constantly under pressure to provide high-quality care. Increasing employee engagement in the healthcare industry can be a challenge, but it is essential to ensuring that your workforce is productive and motivated. One way to increase employee engagement in the healthcare industry is to focus on maximizing learning management for your workforce. Learning management systems (LMS) can be a powerful tool for keeping your employees up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry and ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. An LMS can also help you to identify and track employee engagement levels. By using an LMS, you can get a better understanding of which employees are actively engaged in learning new information and which ones are not. This information can be used to tailor your training and development programs to better meet the needs of your workforce. If you are looking for ways to increase employee engagement in the healthcare industry, consider implementing a learning management system. An LMS can help you keep your workforce informed and engaged, and ensure that they have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. How HR can help Increase Employee Engagement in the Healthcare Industry The healthcare industry is one of the most important and demanding industries in the world. Employees in this industry are constantly under pressure to provide quality care for patients while also dealing with the administrative and regulatory aspects of the job. This can often lead to high levels of stress and burnout. One way to combat these issues and increase employee engagement is to have a strong HR department that is dedicated to supporting employees. HR can help by providing resources and programs that promote wellness and work-life balance. They can also create policies and procedures that make it easier for employees to do their jobs effectively. Your HR can play a key role in creating a positive corporate culture. A positive culture can help to reduce stress levels and make employees feel more engaged in their work. HR can accomplish this by promoting teamwork, communication, and respect among employees. By taking these steps, HR can help to increase employee engagement in the healthcare industry. This, in turn, can lead to higher quality care for patients and a more positive work environment for employees. Final Word Hold regular meetings where employees can voice their concerns and suggestions. Management and HR can make an effort to get to know their employees on a personal level. Offer opportunities for professional development. This can include offering tuition reimbursement or sponsoring employees to attend conferences and seminars. Human resources dept and managers can create a positive work environment by promoting teamwork and recognition. Keep employees informed of changes in the company so that they feel like they are part of the decision-making process – HR and management can definitely create a more engaged workforce that is committed to the success of the company! About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, and onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

High employee engagement leads to higher productivity, higher job satisfaction, more sales, and higher revenue. When your employees are actively engaged in the workplace, they feel happier and ready to go above and beyond to achieve your company’s goals. Now the question is: Are you doing everything you can to engage your employees and maximize their potential? It is interesting to note that a little above 20% of employees are engaged in their workplaces. Although some researchers have argued with this stance, the numbers are relatively between 30 percent to 40 percent of disengaged employees. More interesting statistics below should motivate you to focus more on employee engagement and nudge you in the right direction. Let’s dive in. Workmates Self-Guided Tour We’ll show you how Workmates can engage everyone in your organization, transform your culture, and drive productivity to new highs. Start Now Only 36% of Employees Are Engaged in the Workplace According to the latest Gallup report, 51% of employees are disengaged in the workplace, while 13% are actively disengaged. Actively disengaged means feeling miserable at work and spreading negativity to their colleagues. While 36% of engaged employees is a rather low percentage, it’s the highest since Gallup started measuring employee engagement back in 2000. The number of actively disengaged employees is the lowest since 2000. In 2017, 85% of employees were disengaged in the workplace, which was a years-long trend. In 2019, the percentage dropped by 10%, meaning that 35% of workers were engaged at the time. Although employee engagement levels are barely higher now, it’s a surprise that they haven’t dropped due to the pandemic. It shows that many companies have clearly been doing an excellent job of improving employee engagement. A Highly Engaged Workforce Increases Profitability by 21% Another Gallup’s report on employee engagement shows that companies with a highly engaged workforce have 21% higher profitability. They also have 17% higher productivity than companies with a disengaged workforce. The reasons for this are clear from point number one. Engaged employees lead to a more productive workforce because they are motivated to complete their tasks on time and successfully, even going the extra mile to reach their goals and objectives. They’re better at meeting customers’ needs, which leads to more sales and higher revenues. Engaged employees are also happier, report lower absenteeism, and tend to be more loyal. Image from Career Employer Employee Disengagement Costs the U.S. Economy $450-550 Billion Every Year A study on employee engagement found that companies in the U.S. lose between $450-$550 billion each year due to disengaged workers. That’s partly because of employees’ lack of motivation and a lower sense of responsibility, resulting in lower productivity, errors in work, missed deadlines, poor customer service, and lower profits. A single disengaged employee can cost a company about $3,400 in lost productivity for every $10,000 in salary. It’s also because many disengaged employees quit their jobs at some point, leaving the employer to reinvest in hiring, onboarding, and training. Many of them even spread negativity through word of mouth, harming an organization’s chances of attracting quality hires. 38% of Remote Employees Feel Exhausted After Daily Virtual Meetings A recent study on the effects of remote work found that most employees show signs of burnout when having virtual meetings every day. 38% of remote employees reported feeling exhausted after daily virtual meetings, while 30% said they felt stressed. The study was conducted in 2020 when most organizations switched to remote work. To stay connected, some employers held video conferences every day, while others did it weekly. Staying connected with your remote workforce is essential, especially since they often feel isolated. But frequent virtual meetings could disrupt their workflow and productivity, demotivate them, and stress them out. They could negatively affect their mental health and job satisfaction, making many of them consider quitting their job. Weekly virtual meetings seem to be a better alternative. 85% of Employees Are Most Motivated When Internal Communications Are Effective According to Trade Press Services, effective internal communications motivate 85% of employees to become more engaged in the workplace. When managers share company news and other relevant information regularly, employees feel motivated to achieve the mission, vision, and goals. When you raise their awareness of your goals, they will be more engaged with your customers as well. So, in creating the most effective internal communications, including employee newsletters, press releases, event updates, and other company news, such as milestones and successful projects. Share information regularly to increase knowledge, consider using internal communication tools to empower teams to collaborate, and build a learning-focused community. Only 16% of Companies Use Technology to Monitor Employee Engagement According to a recent Gartner poll, only 16% of companies leverage technology to track employee progress and engagement. They use tools to monitor employee activity and see when they clock in and out, how many hours employees work, when and how many breaks they take, and more. When you lead a remote workforce, tracking employees’ engagement and performance should be one of your top priorities. It can help you enhance your employee engagement strategy and boost your overall business success. ProProfs Employee Training Software is one of the tools where you can utilize to boost knowledge and productivity. Apart from improving your training efforts, you can use it to identify workers’ strengths and weaknesses. That will help you train them better, thus motivating them to be more productive. To learn even more about improving the employee experience and increasing your competitive advantage while providing a fast return on investment, download our ebook now. Download Now Companies with a Thriving Corporate Culture Achieve Over 4x Higher Revenue Growth As you may know, a strong corporate culture can improve team efficiency which results in a better organization’s financial performance significantly. According to a survey by Hays, 47% of active job seekers want to leave their jobs because of bad company culture. An extensive research project on corporate culture and performance showed that good company culture could help you increase revenue by more than four times. The 11-year-long research project found that companies with performance-enhancing cultures grew their revenues by a whopping 682%. Those with a poor company culture managed to increase their revenues by just 166% over 11 years. So, improving your corporate culture will help you boost workforce engagement, job satisfaction, employee retention, and profitability. It will create a positive and safe work environment where your teammates can thrive and supercharge your business success. Recognition Is the Most Important Motivator for 37% of Employees A pat on the back at the right time can go a long way in motivating employees and keeping them engaged during their tenure in an organization. One study on top performance motivators found that 37% of employees feel most encouraged by personal recognition. A recent employee engagement and modern workplace report showed that 84% of highly engaged employees received recognition the last time they went the extra mile at work. Not surprisingly, only 25% of actively disengaged employees were recognized for a job well done. When you recognize your team members’ good work, whether publicly or privately, you pave the way for their better performance, and when you show you appreciate their efforts, you drive their engagement and productivity. “Our staff has praised the increased communication level Workmates delivers. We use it to communicate important project matters and give staff specific ‘kudos’ or even recognize their birthdays. More importantly, we use Workmates to clarify important project details that needed rapid dissemination among the entire team.” Christopher Baggott Chief Executive Officerator of Medlinks Cost Containment, Inc. and Medlinks Staffing, LLC. Learn More Employee Recognition Software Rewards Platform encourages Peer-to-Peer recognition, boosts employee morale, allows employees to feel seen, and also helps create a culture focused on teamwork and excellence. Your team members will appreciate any kind of gesture of kindness that shows that their accomplishments, no matter how small, didn’t go unnoticed. For instance, paid time off, gift cards, and event tickets are small rewards that can greatly help with improving employee engagement. Monetary incentives are always good motivators, but employees are encouraged by other kinds of recognition as well. Even the smallest of accomplishments make a difference in reaching your long-term goals, so show your teammates that you value all their contributions. And, remember, a simple “Thank you” can also go a long way. Only 29% of Employees Are Satisfied with Available Career Advancement Opportunities An SHRM’s research on Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement survey found that only 29% of employees are “very satisfied” with their available career advancement opportunities. 41% marked those opportunities as “very important” when it comes to job satisfaction, engagement, motivation, and employee retention. The survey also found that 44% of employees are “very satisfied” with opportunities to use their skills and abilities at work. In an ideal world, these numbers are at the top end of the scale, but you can increase them with the right opportunities for career growth. If you want to have engaged teams across departments, boost their expertise, and make your organization more profitable, provide them with the LD possibilities that they seek. 33% of Employees Leave Their Jobs for New Challenges According to a Korn Ferry survey, 33% of employees jump ship because they feel bored in the workplace and want to find new challenges. They seek new opportunities for professional development, which motivates them to keep learning and become better at what they do. That’s why implementing new challenges and variations in day-to-day activities should be one of the top priorities for managers and HR professionals. Providing employees with opportunities to learn and grow continually is the key to driving employee engagement and retention. Professional development opportunities are also essential for company growth, as they boost employee experience and help develop skills and competencies. 58% of employees wish their workplace conducted employee engagement surveys more frequently In a survey that was conducted right after the pandemic, most employees appreciated their say in the workplace. They appreciated when the employers took their feedback as it made them feel as if they were a part of the community. In the same survey, more than half of the employees expressed their concerns regarding the minimal acquisition of employee feedback. 58 percent of employees said they wished their workplaces conducted more employee engagement surveys. Employees who were surveyed four times each year instead of once every other year engaged much more actively at the workplace. 61% of employees report complete burnout at jobs Fostering employee engagement is a solution when employees are burned out. Unfortunately, many companies perceive employee engagement as simply adding more tasks to an already overflowing workload. Instead of fostering genuine connection and collaboration, they pile on additional responsibilities during times designated for team engagement. Consequently, approximately 61% of employees find themselves grappling with burnout, feeling overwhelmed by the relentless demands placed upon them, affecting their mental health. This figure is expected to rise even further in 2022, reflecting a concerning trend where employees are stretched thin and struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance amidst mounting pressures. Image from Career Employer 71% of executives verify that employee engagement is a huge contributor to organizational success Harvard Business Review conducted a detailed study on employee engagement and released all of its findings in a journal called The Impact of Employee Performance. From this journal, we got to know that 71% of executives believe it's a high level of employee engagement that sets their company up for immense success. Further breakdown tells us that the biggest employee engagement driver is the recognition of high performers. It is followed by having a clear understanding of their role and contribution to the strategy, communication, understanding of business goals, and corporate training and development of the individuals. You can use it to direct your employee engagement in the right direction, and once the situation is better, acquire employee testimonials. These will help you verify your implementation strategy. Thus, making room to proceed with the other two metrics that lead to their organizational success include: - High level of customer service (80 percent) - Effective communication (73 percent) So, that's what you should follow once employee engagement has worked well enough. Recognition is Preferred Among 37% of Employees Octanner.com reports that respondents to a study on what would be the most important thing a manager or a company could do that would help the employee become successful suggested recognition. The study proves that a significant percentage of employees would love to put their all to work for an organization when they are accorded the level of recognition they desire. A study by the Incentive Research Foundation found that 84% of employees experienced increased motivation upon receiving recognition for their work. Also, an Officevibe survey revealed that 51% of employees who received consistent recognition are prone to recommending their company as an excellent workplace. To learn more about the features and capabilities available in Workmates, download our ebook now. Download Now Wellness programs decrease employee absenteeism by 25% The research conducted in 2012, which analyzed 42 studies, revealed that participants in workplace health promotion programs had approximately 25% lower medical and absenteeism expenditures than nonparticipants. Programs like these often include fitness activities, nutrition guidance, stress management, and mental health support. By addressing various aspects of employee wellness, organizations foster a supportive and healthy work environment. Engaged employees are more likely to collaborate effectively, innovate, and deliver high-quality work, which increases productivity and enhances business performance. In addition, highly engaged employees are less likely to look elsewhere for work, which leads to higher employee retention rates. There’s an 81% decrease in employee absenteeism with an increase in employee engagement This particular statistic is really shocking. From wages to work culture, the major reason behind employee absenteeism is the lack of engagement. On a positive note, working on this can ensure you have a stable workforce available at all times. But how? Of course, employee engagement is a vast topic. It's more than keeping your employees happy and content. It's about motivating, assisting, encouraging, and providing direction. However, you can start with the two important areas; work/life balance and employee recognition. The majority of employees won't skip work if there's no compromise on personal life and career. Plus, encouraging them for their efforts serves as a great motivator. 1 in 3 employees quit because of boredom According to one survey, the majority of employees change their jobs because of boredom. While it may sound unbelievable, the lack of challenges can significantly exhaust an employee. Doing a task continuously uses the same skills again and again. Plus, it drains the motivation to work. It even makes them feel as if they aren't able to use their expertise to the full extent. As a result, the task seems like a waste of talent and skill. Hence, it is crucial to ensure that the employees have sufficient challenges and variation in work. Not only will this keep them engaged, but, it will also develop their skills and improve competency. Connected employees are 68% less likely to feel burned out at work A report from Gallup on Empowering Workplace Culture Through Recognition found that 68% of employees who feel connected to their organization’s culture are less likely to feel burned out at work. Culture is the heartbeat of an organization, shaping its very essence. When organizations articulate and reinforce the values that drive employees to excel daily, progress toward goals accelerates. A strong culture not only fosters engagement but also provides a roadmap to align that engagement with the organization's objectives and mission, serving as a guiding framework for success. Remote workers have 13.5% higher productivity than office-based employees While some companies are embracing remote or hybrid workforces, not all positions are conducive to full-time remote work. Offering employees the option to work from home part of the time can enhance talent retention, attract candidates, and distinguish companies in today's competitive labor landscape. Stanford University conducted a study revealing that remote workers consistently regularly meet and exceed objectives, identify new processes, and contribute to company culture just as much as anyone in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting. They tend to accomplish on average, 13.5% higher productivity points compared to their on-site counterparts. Older Workers Show More Engagement Another study showed that while older workers may show higher levels of engagement due to stability, and experience, younger workers also thrive when valued, and offered growth opportunities. Individual differences drive engagement across age groups, as shown in a study by SHRM where employees under 40 exhibited lower engagement compared to those in their late forties and above. No credit card needed Less than 5 min to set up Take Employee Engagement to the Next Level Improving employee engagement is the key step to business success. When you create a positive work environment where people can grow daily and receive recognition for their efforts, nothing will stand in your way of achieving your goals. Hopefully, these statistics have inspired you to focus more on engaging your workforce because that means improving your entire organization’s performance. Start implementing the strategies for engaging your employees today, and you’ll boost your company’s profitability before you know it. ... More Interesting Statistics; - 29% of employees express being "very satisfied" with current career and advancement opportunities - according to SHRM’s 2017 report - Employees who take a break every 90 minutes report a 30 percent higher level of focus - 90% of leaders think an engagement strategy has an impact on business success but barely 25% of them have a strategy - as stated by Muse - Gallup's employee engagement database has 70% fewer safety incidents compared with bottom-quartile units. -3 in 5 HR leaders believe that the HR function will rapidly become irrelevant if it doesn’t modernize its approach to understanding and planning for the future needs of the workforce - KPMG source - According to Unleash, 52% of frontline workers claim they would leave their jobs over tech tools - Gallup data states that 95% of people who are thriving at work report being treated with respect all day - 87% of workers believe their employer should do more to listen to the needs of their workforce - source Oracle - Zipia stated that 72% of workers believe work-life balance is a very important factor when choosing a job - 72% of employees agree that engaged employee thinks beyond their job title, in the LinkedIn poll ran by Select Software Reviews. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click through it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now About Author: Angela White is an ed-tech enthusiast with a passion for writing for the consumer market in the areas of product research and marketing using quizzes and surveys. Having a knack for writing and an editorial mindset, she is an expert researcher at a brand that’s known for creating delightfully smart tools such as ProProfs Quiz Maker.

Isn’t it fascinating how quickly the HR strategies for hiring keep evolving? One of the most important segments post-hiring is onboarding which is very crucial. However, it's often neglected and underappreciated. An efficient onboarding process can either set new employees on the route to success in your firm or the other way around. If you are involved in the business process as an HR or a small business owner, you will realize how vital the onboarding process is. The way you strategize the onboarding would Plant the first impressions in the minds of the newbies. Now that organizations are investing more than ever before in attracting and retaining top talent, what else can they do but help their workers reach their full potential? Onboarding Strategies You Can Include Several components go into an effective onboarding process. The most fundamental of these requirements is understanding the differences between onboarding, orientation, and training. Contrary to popular belief, these two concepts are not synonyms. Onboarding doesn't end with orientation and training; it's a necessary but not sufficient step. Onboarding entails a lot more. It's a method of acclimating a new employee to the company's culture and guaranteeing a smooth transition to a valued and loyal employee. Here are a few things you can do to help make it happen. 1. The Importance of Learning and Development Prioritize LD as a key component of the onboarding process. Onboarding is all about enabling new hires to perform at their highest level after joining a company. It's a waste of their time if they take weeks or even months to become comfortable with your organization, learn to use self-service tools, and execute regular activities. As per the 7shifts restaurant hiring guide, “The purpose ofthe onboarding processis to teach new hires how to do their jobs successfully, and to catch them up on the company's culture and procedures.” For this reason, learning and development (LD) are so important for a successful onboarding process. Short one-on-one sessions with a line manager and pre-recorded movies on business values and ethics may all go a long way toward easing the transition for new employees. It provides a great step if you are looking to grow your business. 2. Have a Pre-Onboarding Process in Place An onboarding program is a norm starting from the first day and lasting roughly 90 days. New employees may find this procedure overwhelming since it entails a lot of paperwork, an abundance of information, and a lack of clarity. Moving a few steps to the pre-onboarding stage will simplify this procedure. Information such as the employee handbook and a business culture brochure might be shared during this pre-onboarding phase. Paperwork like tax information and direct deposit data can be completed to save time later. A face-to-face meeting or phone conversation might be organized to see whether the new hires have any additional questions or concerns. It's a great way to stay in touch with new hires and show them that you're concerned about their well-being. 3. An Organized Strategy Reduces Anxiety Starting a new job may be nerve-wracking for everyone. A difficult circumstance is made worse by companies that don't have a strategy for when they'll show up. A lack of preparation indicates to the new employee that the organization doesn't appreciate them enough to anticipate their arrival. You can prepare some stuff like presentation templates, or a speech for the first day. This will take down your stress level of onboarding. For example, Percolate's content marketing platform has an excellent onboarding procedure that follows a well-defined schedule. There is also a delightful welcome packet waiting for them when they arrive on their first day at work and they even create content about the new hirings. There has been nothing but praise from those who have gone through this process. The program's details have been meticulously planned, and its base has stayed unchanged since its inception. 4. Schedule Meetings for Your New Starter with All of the Necessary Stakeholders from Around the Organization Having the meetings scheduled and prepared before they begin guarantees that they may begin forming relationships and imbibing crucial components of your company's culture as soon as feasible once they begin meeting. A good practice is organizing live streaming events and choosing an internal mentor to assist in the integration of new employees. 5. Engage Supervisors in the Onboarding Process Hiring managers may overlook important aspects of the onboarding process since it involves many people from different parts of the firm. This difficulty is exacerbated by the fact that a recruiting manager's daily schedule includes more than just onboarding. Creating onboarding checklists that clearly outline each step needed to enhance the onboarding process is a great idea. HR managers can set up emails with the internal marketing team to keep hiring managers informed and motivated. Using an email client is a great way to manage email accounts on your desktop. Google, for example, provides managers with just-in-time onboarding procedures to make the process go more smoothly. To maintain a sense of immediacy and urgency, the company releases this list only 24 hours before the arrival of the new hires. It's important to get to know the new employee, assign them a friend, develop a social network by setting up social media management tools, and set up regular check-ins to get a sense of how they're doing at the company. 6. Focus On Building Relationships Rather Than Just Filling Out Forms It was more common for workers to learn about their new employer and coworkers in casual settings than informal information sessions before COVID-19. Organic possibilities for engagement are difficult to come by in the hybrid work period. Thus, this dynamic isn't as strong as it once was. For many new employees, even a simple question via project management tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack might be perceived as an invasion of privacy by their coworkers. Focusing on connections rather than processes can significantly impact staff morale and relationships in the initial few days. Regardless of where the team members are located, in a hybrid setting, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to their coworkers, learn about their backgrounds, and establish personal connections to begin developing the trust that is so crucial to effective team collaboration. As new employees, they get a sense of who they'll be working with and whom they can turn to when they have a question. Welcome gatherings and coffee dates should be part of any remote ramp-up strategy to avoid isolation in the early stages. It's also a good moment to introduce new hires to affinity groups and appoint mentors. 7. Make a 365-day Commitment The first day of onboarding is just the beginning of the process. Without a doubt, making the first day memorable is essential. On the other hand, great organizational integration requires a lot more time. Commitment, contentment, and involvement correlate with an organization's ability to be understood. Employers can benefit from regular check-ins with supervisors at various time intervals. 8. Make a List of Checklists Human resources specialists must support and understand the new employee and their managers. Onboarding necessitates a clear understanding of each individual's responsibilities. Before sending them emails it is important to verify their email, for which you may use the email finder. A checklist and supporting tools help new hires navigate the onboarding process and ensure that all new hires have a similar onboarding experience. In a well-executed onboarding process, new hires have a shorter learning curve, increased communication, and an increase in their productivity and motivation. Final Words An onboarding program for new workers is essential since it gives them a head start and helps them adapt to their new workplace. Acclimation extends beyond simply pointing out where the restrooms are or where the recruit may heat their lunch. The employer and employee might discuss how the new hire can contribute to the company's goals while doing their job duties. Explaining what the organization expects of new employees helps them succeed and creates trust! AboutAuthor: Ayush is a content writer at RankHandy and he likes to write about SEO, digital marketing, and social media. He enjoys sharing his experience with like-minded professionals and aims to provide high-quality content.

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. Read the rest of this article to discover the definitions of each network, its uses, and how you can make full use of it in your role as a human resources manager or director. Internet Defined Type of Network: Public “Inter” means between, and the internet is a connection between computer networks. It’s a publicly accessible interconnected network that allows for a range of information and communication facilities using standard communication protocols. Everything online is connected via protocols, making the internet a singular “web” of information, hence the name “World Wide Web”. You can think of the internet as a global collection of computer networks that anyone with an internet connection can access. This is typically done through a browser such as the one you’re using right now. This makes the internet the largest and most expansive of all three networks. Examples of internet services include the following: The Web: You can use web browsers like Chrome and Firefox to view billions of web pages and even design and monetize your own website by coding your own site or using one of many great website builders. When it comes to choosing between Firefox and Chrome, it's essential to learn Firefox vs Chrome comparison, more specifically, their features, performance, and security aspects to have seamless browsing experiences. Social Media Apps: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and various other social media marketing platforms allow you to share videos, photos, status updates, and more. Email Applications: Yahoo, Gmail, Zoho mail and other email apps let you send and receive email messages and documents online. Online Software Platforms: There are many different tools for work and play that people can use to collaborate, share, play games, and interact with others across the globe. LIKE.TG is a perfect example of an online software platform designed to optimize the employee onboarding experience: The internet can be a powerful tool for helping you highlight the workplace culture and encourage job seekers to apply for open positions. You can achieve this through the use of internet-based tools, such as social media, email, websites, and various others. Here Are Some Ways To Use the Internet in Your Business: Make it easier for users to locate the information they need from your website Use email marketing to develop stronger relationships with staff by sending personalized messages Use social media as a way to keep your employees engaged and provide them with a space to interact with each other outside of work. It’s clear to see how important the internet is for your business. But, as you well know, not all your company information should reside on the internet. That's where the other two types of networks come in handy. Intranet Defined Type of Network: Private “Intra” means within. The intranet is an employee-only private network that is typically accessible through the internet or a cloud-based portal, but it can also be hosted on-site. It’s restricted to people within the organization for information, company news, and other business-related matters. For the most part, approved access is required to view any information on this network in order to keep a company’s sensitive information away from prying eyes. Administrators assign employees a password and login details in varying tiers of permissions. Once access is granted, employees can then communicate and collaborate with colleagues, managers, and executives. Users will also have access to documents, forms, company manuals, etc. within the scope of their given permission. Some examples of intranets include things such as: A company wiki Internal social network Collaborative workspace Employee onboarding platform Internal knowledge base Gone are the days when a company's intranet meant clunky file management systems created by invisible IT staff. These days, there are plenty of modern intranet solutions designed to help businesses maintain security and productivity while staying connected. These types of tools have grown in popularity in the wake of the recent global pandemic with more and more people working remotely. You can use the intranet in your own business to achieve the following: Save HR Costs: By creating a centralized, in-house location for all important company resources, communications, and other needs, you can cut variable HR costs substantially Improve Internal Communications: Use a secure intranet network to give employees an easier and more convenient way to interact and receive company-wide updates. Streamline Knowledge Management: Securely store and share vital company documents to help all employees (both front-line and remote) get their work done. Boost Productivity and Collaboration: Modern intranet tools can help your team boost productivity and collaboration by helping your team better communicate via private messages over a secure network. As a local network, an intranet is the most restricted of the three networks but it’s extremely useful for creating multiple forms of communication between team members and mentors. In fact, you can use your company’s intranet as a sort of digital workspace where your staff can access resources, connect with each other, follow company updates, and more. Randstad France is an international leader in HR services and has dozens of locations across the world. With over 30,000 employees, the company has to have an effective intranet to allow for effective communications and collaborations. A few years ago, the company built an intranet for connecting employees and the content is completely personalized to each user based on their business group. Employees can sign onto their own dashboard and personalize it with their calendar, weather forecast, news, RSS feed widgets, and various integrations with third-party tools. Extranet Defined Type of Network: Semi-Private “Extra” means outside, and the extranet is a type of network that is somewhere in the middle, between the internet and the intranet. It’s not public, but it’s not fully private, either. It’s accessible to a company’s employees as well as some trusted outsiders, such as suppliers, partners, or customers through a web-based login. Once approved, users can access the company’s restricted information and communicate with the business’s employees on this network. An extranet is similar to an intranet system but less likely to contain private company information. You can think of an extranet as an extension of an intranet network. Some of the similarities between the two platforms include the ability to share documents, particularly large ones. You can also share projects and calendars in a single, convenient location, making it easier for everyone (in-house employees, remote workers, customers, partners, vendors, etc.) to collaborate effectively. HR directors and managers can use this network to communicate with other administrators, as well as business partners and suppliers as needed. Examples of How Your Business Can Use an Extranet Network: To give authorized users access to secure company information To efficiently share and collaborate with trusted outsiders Allow suppliers to communicate with the company’s customer service reps Create a network that is easily accessible for third-party users Allow customers to access their order history Communicate price list changes instantly Increase customer loyalty and satisfaction by allowing customers to get priority attention for their concerns If a company has customers that regularly place orders from the business, they can create a secure intranet that allows users to update orders, process invoices, message the sales team, etc. - all from one convenient place. Conclusion Although these three networks are different, you can use all of them together to further your business objectives. For instance, a manufacturing company might have an intranet network for its employees to receive notifications from the company, share documents, and communicate with each other. That same company can also have an extranet where all approved wholesalers can log in to submit orders and track deliveries. Furthermore, the manufacturer may have a website on the internet where the public can go to learn more about the business, including the products they manufacture, pricing, how to become an approved wholesaler, and so on. Now that you know the differences between the three types of networks and the uses of each one, you can now pick the best network to use in order to keep your business's resources secure and accessible in the right place. Has this article helped you understand the difference between internet, intranet, and extranet so you can determine which system is best suited for your business? Let us know below! About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

The best workers do the best and the most work. But many companies do an awful job of finding and keeping them. It is becoming harder to attract and retain top talent working within your business. Financial rewards are one thing, and a lot of companies simply increase the pay offered to try and attract the best talent, but this isn’t the only possible solution. If you don’t have the money to do this, or you want to find alternative ways to attract talent, there are things you can do, and methods that you can pursue to make yourself an attractive employer. One of these methods is benefit programs such as retirement benefits, health insurance plans, paid time off, equity, and many more. They can have a significant impact on employee engagement and retention. Volunteering and Community Engagement Opportunities This is all about fulfillment. Giving employees the chance to give back to their communities and organizations that matter to them can help boost employee satisfaction, which benefits your bottom line. When employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, not only do they suffer individually, but the firm as a whole may suffer as well. As a result, businesses may lose productivity and have more staff turnover, both of which can be exceedingly costly. Financial and Estate Planning Services According to a recent survey, 22% of American workers reported lower productivity at work as a result of financial issues, and 12% missed work because of financial stress. Consider including a financial wellness program in your employee benefits package to help your employees relieve financial stress and position themselves to start saving for their future retirement. A financial wellness program, like other wellness programs, strives to enhance employees' financial health, reduce stress, and improve their general well-being. This is a fantastic method for making staff happier, as it is a way to provide a benefit they may not have even known they need. A lot of employees never think of their financial and estate planning, but it is crucial that they do at some stage. Providing access to an estate planning lawyer, financial education resources and providing free advice can be as good as money in the bank, as it gives your employees the chance to work out what to do with their money for the best. Mental Health Resources The world is waking up to mental health. All of us have mental health and all of us need to consider how we can look after it. A supportive employer can make all the difference. If you don’t have somebody on your side willing to help you to find the best support it can be all the more difficult. Employers can provide support in so many different ways. It makes perfect sense to create support networks within companies to allow people to discuss their needs, but you might also bring in other services such as therapists to help your employees to get in the right frame of mind. Mental health resources may also include numbers people can call when they feel low and methods of coping with stress in their daily life. Within your business, you can create a resource for your employees to access the information they need. In-office Massages Working in a stressful environment? Massages have been proven to help with this, and are a fun way to reward your employees. They’ll be especially happy if they get an extra break in which they can get massaged. In-office massages don’t have to be something that makes people feel awkward, as simple head and shoulder massages at the desk can give people a nice little break and a chance to relax while they are at work. Small gestures like these from an employer show that they care and are thinking of new ways to improve the office experience. Childcare Reimbursement Very often childcare is expensive and can be a big consideration for employees. If they have a young family, why not think of introducing some sort of childcare scheme or reimbursement so that they can get their children looked after without it having to cost them unreasonable amounts of money. A lot of companies strike deals with childcare businesses and this can be a way to keep costs down while supporting multiple employees and their young families. Wellness Programs Wellness programs can help people to work on their mental and physical health and wellness. This is a way for you to help ensure that your employees are as happy as they can be and healthy while they are at work. As well as providing mental health resources and health benefits for those who may be struggling, wellness programs are the chance for you to help people to keep their mental health and sometimes their physical health on an even keel. It is best if they are optional and people can choose whether or not they are going to take part, but for some employees, this kind of care from the company they work for can make a big difference. Job Shadowing Send your employees to be part of another team inside your company for a day to a week. Not only will this serve as a platform to learn new skills, but it will also give them valuable insight into the corporate structure and operations of a completely different team. Flexible Fridays Agile Fridays can come in a few different forms. Often, it means allowing people to work from home instead of having to come into the office, reducing work hours in summer, or allowing flexible work hours to let the employees maintain the work-life balance. Employees appreciate not having to deal with the awkwardness of the commute and being able to spend their day at home. While not every career makes working from home possible, many do, and you can give your employees remote work options if your company doesn’t need people to be at a specific place. Even if you can’t, why not relax some of the rules for this day such as the company dress code, to create a more chilled atmosphere? About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

While customer experience is at the heart of the retail industry, we often forget who delivers them in the first place. It’s your employees who are the frontline workers. And their level of engagement is extensively projected into the overall customer experience. However, the retail industry often gets so occupied with focusing on their customers that employee engagement takes a backseat. Globally, the picture doesn’t look good. Studies have shown that retail workers are among the least engaged of all occupations. Just 8% of the overall workforce feel engaged at work and these disengaged employees cost companies $450-550 billion every year. So, how do you avoid this situation? Say hello to Employee Intranet. Gartner defines Intranet as, “a network internal to an enterprise that uses the same methodology and techniques as the internet but is accessible only to employees. It can include websites supporting corporate communications, internal collaboration and knowledge management, etc” Intranet can change the outlook of internal engagement. It can elevate internal communication and increase employees’ job satisfaction levels and efficiency. But only if you use it right. Or else, it will do no good. You need a rollout plan to understand the features, figure out what your employees need, and how you want to communicate with them. So the next question you probably have is,” How can I leverage Intranet to facilitate employee engagement? What steps can I take?” Read on to find out. # 1 Implement a Launch Plan When you introduce any new software, you’re likely going to meet resistance from your employees. Whether you’re an online retailer or an offline one, adoption is harder than you think. You may know the benefits but your employees don’t. It falls upon you to get them on board and make them comfortable with using Intranet. To overcome these challenges, start by building anticipation. Involve everyone in the top management in marketing intranet to the employees. You can send out a video or email that explains the reasoning behind this initiative. Communicate the rationale and lay out the employees’ expectations from the get-go. They’ll have many questions. Answer them. If you communicate with them effectively, it will help them warm up and be mentally prepared for the change that is underway. By the launch day, they will be open to adopting Intranet for a more progressive way of working. #2 Provide Access to Real-time Sales Data Most times in-store retail employees are completely oblivious to their performance and the numbers they cracked. Since they’re so busy, it offers them fewer opportunities to check their performances time and again. They need a more accessible medium where they can check their personal sales data and milestones to keep their morale high. Part of the reason why companies opt for Employee Intranet is to make it a source for all the important information. And your sales data is one aspect of this. You can adopt a collaborative app for mobile devices where employees can regularly check their KPIs and check their progress on a monthly or even a weekly basis. It will help you provide real-time sales data to employees, regardless of where they are working. Every single employee can see their targets, sales figures, and projections which can help them direct their focus. This can improve their productivity and motivate them to perform better. #3 Break down Barriers of Knowledge Sharing eCommerce and retail are fast-paced industries. Employees need to constantly upgrade their skills and keep up with the trends. They need access to resources and materials that enhance their skill-sets. But it was a challenge to keep all your employees in a loop and collaborate with them across offices and departments. Your employees are scattered across logistic centres, on the road, studios, call centres, and head offices. Fortunately, the new generation Intranet aren’t just desk-based. Your employee Intranet is inclusive of a knowledge management system that includes your training materials, videos, company policies, and progress. It goes beyond the office place that allows remote and customer-facing workers to be as much part of knowledge sharing activities. Regardless of the role, employees will have access to the intranet via desktop, laptop, or mobile. If you take advantage of your Intranet’s newsfeed, you can build a community where your employees can keep up with the latest trends in retail. For example, chargeback scams are becoming more frequent, and afraud prevention plancan help you and your employees combat this trend. It also provides workers with the freedom to join in with the discussions, questions, and blogs posted on the newsfeed. #4 Streamline Business Processes A lot of online retail companies are facing a paradigm shift from a hierarchical structure towards horizontal and process-oriented groups. While its a progressive change, it also poses a requirement to have significant interaction between departments, functions, even countries. How do you build processes that transcend physical offices and are relevant in digital workplaces? More importantly, how do you encourage employee engagement when they personally don’t know everyone in the organization and haven’t even met? Intranet brings a lot of structure to retail operations — Be it order-placing, delivery, customer support, etc. It is built on the foundation of smart information design where the focus is on tasks and not documents. It allows a seamless flow of communication, especially when employees are scattered across different locations. It allows them to collaborate on different activities like eCommerce order fulfilment and quick deliveries. intranet is built for employees to connect. So even if you have a customer query that involves multiple departments, Intranet helps you facilitate a smooth cross-departmental collaboration. It centralizes the processes in an easily accessible virtual space. However, when it comes to dealing with customers, companies have the option of creating a custom client portal to handle all situations and keep the communication going. #5 Onboarding Training The retail industry across the globe experiences a high-turnover rate. The more employees call quits, the more expensive it becomes for the company to find the right replacement and train them. This poses new problems for employers. It becomes imperative for them to start working on engaging employees right from the time they start. This is where your employee Intranet comes in. Intranet can integrate with your training programmes. You can onboard new employees and train them via providing access to training videos, QA forums, and the employee directory on the intranet. It will not only be cost-effective for you but rather speed up the process of new employees warming up to your company. It also allows employees to receive automated notifications about their courses, assessments, and reviews. You can easily monitor their performances and track completion and achievement rates. Since it's already established that your Intranet is cloud-based software, it’s a given that you can train any of your employees from anywhere in the world and take a step closer to building a digital workplace. # 6 Celebrate and Recognize Success Customer-facing employees represent your brand in more ways than one. It becomes important that they’re regularly valued and given their due recognition. The whole point of Intranet is to enhance internal communication and experience. More than a process-oriented platform, Intranet is a community-oriented platform. If an employee has created a new sales benchmark, announce it. If they have completed a duration milestone, celebrate it. It will boost your employees' morale and motivate them to put in their best efforts. More importantly, let your Intranet be the one medium where employees can be social with each other regardless of their job roles, places, departments, and responsibilities. Share pictures of your company events and encourage participation from everyone. The retail industry is heavily reliant on these social networks. It's what helps them hook customers and sell your product. Don’t just limit this to your customers. Instead, use these skills of theirs to build your business environment an inspiring one. Wrapping up As digital workplaces are gaining momentum, it seems Intranet is going to stay. With so much bad news surrounding low turnovers and disengaged employees, Intranet is a much-needed ray of hope for retailers. It brings about a lot of transparency in internal communication and processes that shoots-up employee engagement and loyalty. If you’re looking to deliver exceptional customer experiences, you start at home. Focus on engaging your employees and great things can happen. You’ll witness new sales records, and customer satisfaction rates like never before. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Managing a remote team can be a challenge. You have to ensure that your team members can perform their tasks effectively despite all the distractions of working from home. If you’re reading this article, you yourself might have already been working from home for some time and also need help with employee performance issues. While some remote workers thrive in this environment, others cannot perform according to expectations. Whether you’re facing productivity or logistical issues, we will give you a roadmap towards improved employee happiness and increased productivity. Read on to know what you can do to deal with employee performance issues within your remote team. 1. Create a supportive environment Over the past few years, we've learned that we cannot always attribute employee shortcomings to a lack of effort or passion for the job. Some employees might be dealing with personal issues or are struggling to adjust to a home working environment. Others might be afraid to ask for help, whether work-related or personal. In either case, you need to create an environment where your team members feel that you’ve got their back. Here are some steps you can take to create a supportive environment: If your business does not offer paid time off (PTO), it might be time to look into offering it. Allowing your employees to take paid vacation and sick days will help them relax, recover from the daily grind, and focus on personal wellness. Respond to questions from team members, no matter how trivial they may seem. An employee may hesitate to ask for help out of fear of looking incompetent. You help them increase their knowledge and confidence when you answer their questions. Ensure that your employees have the tools that they need to perform their tasks. Conduct one-on-one meetings. According to Hypercontext’s State of High Performing Teams Report, when managers have one-on-ones with their team members, they’re 1.5X more likely to retain their entire team. Many other factors contribute to employee performance issues, some of which aren’t within the employee's control. Creating a supportive environment targets these potential root causes. 2. Have an open line of communication Creating a supportive working environment creates an open line of communication among your employees. Open communication is even more crucial in ensuring that all tasks are completed accurately and on time in a remote work environment. It also plays a crucial role in supporting underperforming team members. Here’s how you can ensure that open line of communication: Your remote work set-up likely has a messaging platform for its employees. Many clients, B2B contacts, and investors can reach out to you. So, let your employees freely reach out to you as well. Set up a one-on-one meeting with underperforming employees. A 30-minute catch-up is usually enough to pinpoint the root cause of the employee’s productivity shortcomings. Practice writing better. Structured thoughts and feedback will help convey your expectations to the employee more clearly. Having an open line of communication is the on-site equivalent of leaving your office door open. Your underperforming employees may be afraid to ask for help for fear of being judged. Have your lines open to ensure they get the help they need. 3. Ask open questions When you conduct a one-on-one meeting with an underperforming employee, avoid asking questions that seem to put the blame squarely on them. Questions like “Why are you like this?” put them on the spot and make them uncomfortable and defensive throughout the discussion. Try to make the conversation as unstructured as possible instead of sticking to a set of guide questions. Asking open-ended questions based on your team member’s responses will help you break through the ice and give you a more accurate overall picture of their working environment. For instance, you can start with a specific incident that reflects poorly on the employee’s performance. You need to tell the employee that you are not out to get them. Instead, you have to reassure them that you’re just focusing on what happened. You can ask the employee to recall the incident from their point of view, then try to see it from their perspective. This practice will give you a more balanced view of employee performance issues. It can also help you perform root cause analysis and create a reasonable action plan that the employee can follow to get back on track. and customer-facing workers to be as much part of knowledge sharing activities. Regardless of the role, employees will have access to the intranet via desktop, laptop, or mobile. If you take advantage of your Intranet’s newsfeed, you can build a community where your employees can keep up with the latest trends in retail. It also provides workers with the freedom to join in with the discussions, questions, and blogs posted on the newsfeed. 4. Give the employees tools to improve performance One of the reasons your employee could be performing poorer than expected is because they may lack access to essential tools and software. As a manager or business owner, you may not have enough knowledge about your employees’ equipment and software requirements. So how would you know what tools your employee will need? Most remote teams use a messaging platform like Slack, video conferencing software such as Zoom, cloud storage like Google Drive, or a data repository like Jiro or GitHub. You can ask your team members about their daily tasks and their tools to perform those activities for task-specific software. If you find that your team is using the free version of Canva to create marketing materials, it might be better to get licenses for Adobe image-editing software and its wide range of features. Consult with your friends and peers who are experts on the subject matter. Any good account executive will say that CRMs are essential for nurturing client relationships, but you will need to ask about the best sales CRM for your business size and niche. Of course, you need to provide your team with company laptops, hard drives, and printers. In this case, you’ll need to coordinate with your in-house IT team to provide and deploy any machines that your team will need. Investing in tools and resources for your team is investing in your team’s future. By eliminating the bottleneck caused by the lack of tools, your team will blaze through their tasks and deliver quality output. intranet is built for employees to connect. So even if you have a customer query that involves multiple departments, Intranet helps you facilitate a smooth cross-departmental collaboration. It centralizes the processes in an easily accessible virtual space. 5. Build a culture of accountability Sometimes, you need to know when to play “Good Cop, Bad Cop”. Even if your team struggles with personal issues, they still need to finish their deliverables on time. By building a culture of accountability, you can help ensure that your team takes ownership of their processes, successes, and mistakes. Here are the critical steps toward establishing accountability within your team: You need to deploy a task management tool or a progress tracker for remote set-ups. You may use free tracker solutions such as Trello and Asana. These tools give you an overview of what tasks are in progress, pending approval, and pending someone else’s input, allowing you to pinpoint the root cause of a task’s delay. During one-on-one meetings with underperforming employees, they may mention a colleague who they feel is holding up task progress. In cases like this, approach the mentioned employee and corroborate their statements. Let employees know the gravity of not following deadlines. You may use a Gantt chart to show task dependencies and illustrate how a delay in one deliverable can derail the entire project. You may also show the financial impact of such delays. In short, let your employees know that it’s their fault they don’t meet expectations if they consistently don’t meet them despite all the help you give. Harsh as it is, this culture of accountability is vital to “keeping score” of how many strikes an employee has and will encourage employees to do better. That will also allow you to, without bias, write reports that will merit sanctions for employees in question. 6. Create a system of performance reviews In line with building a culture of accountability is implementing performance reviews to assess employee performance objectively. That allows you to discover and reward your top performers and identify team members who need to improve. When done right, performance reviews will show who’s underperforming and the areas employees need to do better in. Here’s how you can conduct a performance review: The performance review should assess employee traits such as respect for co-workers, innovation and resourcefulness, work attitude, etc. You may do this with a number system rating each category or using an essay format. Conduct performance reviews quarterly or monthly. That allows you to see movements in an employee’s performance. Gather peer reviews on every employee. That means every employee will have a chance to review their co-workers. That is effective because your employees collaborate more closely with each other a lot of the time than they do with you. Corroborate peer reviews with your reviews and your employee’s self-review. Synthesizing these insights will allow you to arrive at a more objective conclusion. You may notice various employee weaknesses that contribute to their employee performance issues. Performance reviews enable you to tag employees with their respective weaknesses, allowing you to approach them uniquely and have better one-on-one discussions with them. Conclusion Dealing with employee performance issues is not as hard as it sounds. All you need to do is create a supportive environment and have an open line of communication with your employees. Sometimes, they just need some help with their struggles. Ask open-ended questions to allow them to express whatever they have in mind, too. Also, give your employees the resources they need to work. However, there are times when employees just don’t care. In these cases, you’ll need sanctions in place. Build a culture of accountability and implement quarterly performance reviews to seek out individuals who aren’t improving. These measures will be a solid basis for when you possibly fire them. Following these tips will help you deal with employee performance issues in your remote team setup. Ultimately, they will remove any bottlenecks that impede your company’s growth. About Author: Sam Molony Sam is part of the marketing team at Mailshake. Sam’s goal is to inspire people to not just “hang in there” but to thrive. When Sam's not publishing or promoting new content, you can find him playing sports and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Maintenance management is critical to the productivity of any team. By ensuring that assets and resources are functioning efficiently and effectively, maintenance management can help teams work smarter and more productively. Here are some crucial ways that maintenance management can promote a team's productivity. Proactive instead of reactive systems Staying on top of regular maintenance can help a team become more productive by creating a system that is proactive instead of reactive. When an issue arises, it is dealt with quickly and efficiently so that it does not cause further disruptions down the line. For example, if a machine in a factory breaks down, the maintenance team is alerted immediately and works to fix the problem as quickly as possible. This prevents the issue from cascading and causing even more problems and delays. Improved communication Maintenance management can help improve communication within a team by creating clear channels of communication. When everyone knows who to speak to and when, it helps to avoid confusion and delays. For example, if there is a problem with a piece of equipment, the maintenance team can be alerted immediately, allowing them to take action and avert potential bottlenecks or downtime. This way, everyone is kept up to date on the status of the issue and the team can work together to resolve it quickly. Better planning and scheduling Maintenance management can help teams to be more productive by creating better plans and schedules. By having a clear plan of what needs to be done and when it helps to avoid disruptions and ensures that everyone is aware of their responsibilities. For example, if a team is scheduled to carry out maintenance on a piece of equipment, they will know exactly what needs to be done and when. This helps to avoid any last-minute scrambling and ensures that the job is done efficiently. Reduced downtime Maintenance management can help reduce downtime by ensuring that equipment is properly maintained. When equipment is well-maintained, it is less likely to break down and cause disruptions. For example, if a team is carrying out regular maintenance on a machine, they are less likely to experience unexpected downtime due to the machine breaking down. This helps to keep the team productive and avoid any lost time. Better use of resources Maintenance management can help teams to be more productive by ensuring that resources are used effectively. When teams have a clear understanding of what resources are available and how to use them, it helps to avoid disruptions and wasted time. For example, if a team knows that there is a certain amount of spare parts available, they can plan their maintenance schedule around this so that they do not run out of parts and have to wait for new ones to be delivered. Improved safety Safety and productivity go hand in hand. Maintenance management can help improve safety by ensuring that equipment is properly maintained. When equipment is well-maintained, it is less likely to break down and cause accidents. For example, if a team is carrying out regular maintenance on a machine, they are less likely to experience an accident due to the machine breaking down. This helps to keep the team safe and avoid any accidents. Reduced stress Maintenance management can help reduce stress by creating a system that is proactive instead of reactive. When an issue arises, it is dealt with quickly and efficiently so that it does not cause further disruptions down the line. For example, if a machine in a factory breaks down, the maintenance team is alerted immediately and works to fix the problem as quickly as possible. This prevents the issue from cascading and causing even more problems and delays. Improved morale Maintenance management can help improve morale by ensuring that everyone is working towards a common goal. When everyone is aware of the team's goals and objectives, it helps to create a sense of purpose and unity. For example, if a team is working towards fixing a problem with a piece of equipment, they are more likely to feel motivated and united than if they were simply working on their own. Increased efficiency Maintenance management can help increase efficiency by ensuring that tasks are carried out in the most efficient way possible. When teams have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it, it helps to avoid disruptions and wasted time. For example, if a team knows that they need to carry out maintenance on a machine, they can plan their schedule around this so that they do not have to stop working on other tasks to do the maintenance. This helps to keep the team productive and avoid any lost time. Greater flexibility Maintenance management can help teams to be more productive by providing greater flexibility. When teams have a clear understanding of the resources available to them and how to use them, it helps to avoid disruptions and wasted time. For example, if a team knows that they have a certain amount of spare parts available, they can plan their maintenance schedule around this so that they do not run out of parts and have to wait for new ones to be delivered. This helps to keep the team productive and avoid any lost time. Conclusion Maintenance management is a key part of keeping teams productive. By ensuring that equipment is well-maintained, resources are used effectively, and everyone is working towards a common goal, maintenance management can help to improve a team's productivity. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

The needs of the modern workforce are constantly evolving with the socio-economic as well as cultural and generational trends. It’s a natural process that companies need to monitor and adapt in order to stay relevant and retain a positive employer brand and increase employee engagement and happiness. This has been true in the pre-pandemic era and it’s true today. That said, every once in a while we are faced with a disruptive new trend or an unforeseen circumstance that can rapidly change our way of life. The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of one of the most disruptive events since the economic crash of 2008, and while the economic effects of the pandemic have stabilized in many parts of the world, the ramifications will be felt for years to come. Specifically, business leaders are now faced with a new demand to reframe and rethink the perks and benefits offered to employees as well as changing the dynamics of employee engagement beyond the COVID-19 pandemic era. That’s why today we are going to talk about the best ways to build a new perks and benefits plan to build a better work life balance for your employees, keep them happy and engaged, and ensure a high talent retention rate. 1. Understand how the Pandemic has Impacted the Workforce Without a doubt, the pandemic has had a profound effect on the global workforce. While it’s good to see that, according to the latest engagement statistics, employee engagement didn’t drop due to the pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has brought numerous other challenges to light. For one, your employees might still feel engaged, but that doesn’t mean that their happiness levels, feelings of professional and personal security, or overall job satisfaction are the same as they were. In fact, the pandemic has sowed the seeds of doubt and even panic in many employees who have been fearing for their job security throughout the COVID-19 crisis. What’s more, don’t forget that the most common challenges of working remotely have now been amplified by the effect of the pandemic, and so managers need to work extra hard to create a productive and safe remote work environment in the new normal. Keeping all of that in mind, it’s important to start thinking of the quality of life improvements through concrete perks and workplace benefits that will help the employee experience and allow them to thrive. Let’s see how you can create a winning plan. 2. Define Your Benefits Objectives and Budget The goals of your employee assistance programs EAPs are obvious: to promote happiness and wellbeing in the workplace, to elevate engagement and productivity, and to create a culture and environment of continuous advancement for the growing number of concerned professionals. But to achieve those goals, you need to have clear objectives for your new benefits plan, and you need to have a clear budget in mind. That’s because, in many workers’ minds, what they see as a perk or benefit has changed. For example, before the pandemic, working remotely was seen as a perk, but for many people, it’s now a standard expectation. Conversely, when everyone worked together in an office, having access to productivity tools was considered a standard part of the job, but now (at least for work-from-home employees) it’s considered a benefit. So, everything is changing, and that affects your planning and budgeting. To budget properly, you should know what kind of perks are taxable. For example, employee gift cards (such as one for a coffee store) are taxable, even if they’re for as little as $5, while physical gifts (such as a coffee mug or bag of coffee beans from that same store) are not, as long as they don’t have a higher cash value that crosses the threshold of tax regulations. Knowing the difference will help you prepare a detailed budget and know how much you can allocate towards various perks and benefits without raising your employees’ taxes. To make this easier, consider using atax calculator to estimatethe tax implications of various perks and benefits. If one of the benefits is to provide employees with more paid time off to ensure employee mental health support and prevent burnout, then you need to do so in a transparent, balanced, and fair way so that all employees (in the office or remote) are treated equally. To do that, follow a PTO accruals guide, which will also help you figure out how this benefit will affect your company financially in the long run. The same goes for any high-value perk you introduce into your organization. That’s why you need to be clear on your objectives. Keeping in mind how the pandemic has affected the mental health of employees worldwide, your key objectives should be to: Elevate happiness and minimize stress Prevent and battle burnout Come up with hybrid work arrangements that benefit all Elevate employee job security Create a more flexible schedule to elevate productivity Help employees reconnect in the workplace Allow employees to continue advancing professionally Ensure higher health care benefits in a post-pandemic environment 3. Conduct a Needs Assessment To create an effective plan and achieve your goals, you need to elicit employee feedback and take a proactive approach to needs assessment. Don’t think that the general trends or statistics are the only data points you need to identify the right mental health benefits for your employee collective. Instead, use your human resources experts to meet with your teams and individuals to discuss their needs and aspirations. In those meetings, ask a lot of open-ended questions and do a lot of listening so that you can design surveys and follow-up questions that are meaningful to your workforce, not just the general population. When you do, you might find out that your employees… Don’t need a communal chill zone so much as they want to acquire new skills and advance their careers. Want to improve their team’s results, but don’t have access to the data they need to make the best decisions (especially remote employees and teams). Want to feel connected, yet complain that far too much of their time is wasted in meetings that use their time unproductively. As approaches to these findings, you’ll want to concentrate on solutions such as learning how to conduct meetings with your team more effectively, or researching and sponsoring online course providers where employees can choose to advance their skills at whatever time is best for them. And you might want to invest in technology having best VPN services for remote employees to restore and improve sales data quality, as such information is essential to most decision-making. This way, you will effectively be their growth provider and inspire them to remain loyal and devoted to your brand. Also, advanced training lets employees use their new skills to add value to your business instead of searching for better opportunities. As you can see, it’s not only important to assess their needs, you also need to act on those needs in a timely manner. 4.Use the Data to Create a Comprehensive Plan Once you have conducted your research and have talked extensively with your employees to identify their drivers and needs, it’s time to draft your action plan. You need to create a detailed perks and benefits plan that you can put into effect quickly, complete with timelines, financial projections, objectives, and other important details for the management and the employees. These financial projections will feed into your financial data over the long run, and can help you improve your data quality and cost of talent acquisition, retention, and more. Even though you are using data and financial planning to orchestrate your perks and benefits, remember that your plan needs to take employee feedback into account as the most important determinant of how to create a hierarchy of needs. In other words, perks should be prioritized according to employee needs and aspirations in the post-pandemic workplace, complemented by the trends in your industry and the engagement statistics we mentioned earlier to create a long-term approach. That said, gathering data is only half the battle. It has to be communicated to audiences in ways they can absorb. For instance: Upper management will want a comprehensive financial overview that is refreshed in real time (or at least with regular frequency), so your employee-related data needs to feed into related dashboards. Managers and HR leaders will need data that pertains to their teams. If you have a comprehensive internal website, you’ll want to add authorized access to this kind of information so it’s available to relevant employees. Employees need to know overall numbers to measure progress, make comparisons, and guide their ideation. If you don’t have a comprehensive online resource for data shared with employees, consider establishing one, especially if your workforce is remote. (Here’s an example of small business website development costs to give you an idea of what such a project might entail.) 5. Monitor the Effectiveness of the Plan and Optimize Periodically Now that you have introduced your big perks like more paid time off or employee training programs, as well as your branded company swag such as custom T-shirts, coffee mugs, and frisbees, it’s time to see if your employee engagement strategy is paying off. You need short-, mid-, and long-term KPIs in order to gauge the effectiveness of your new perks and benefits. Some of the short-term KPIs include: Productivity fluctuation within a month Happiness levels in the same timeframe Return value on completed training programs Engagement fluctuation Remote employee presence and activity on time-sensitive projects Short-term culture improvement Some of the mid-term KPIs include: Employee happiness and zeal within three to six months Financial returns on investment for career advancement programs within six months How the perks have affected employee work satisfaction or have prevented burnout Increased productivity levels on mid and long-term projects How the perks have affected your talent acquisition and retention rate over a six-month period For long-term KPIs, you want to monitor the same data but over a one-year period to get a sense of what has worked and what needs improving. To generate actionable insights, however, you need to conduct periodical surveys and talk with your employees to get valuable, first-hand feedback. Over to You The pandemic has been a transformative experience for employees all around the world, and the needs of the modern workforce have begun to change once more. As a business leader, one of your top priorities should be to create a new perks and benefits plan for the post-pandemic workplace that will ensure employee happiness and engagement in the years to come. Use this guide to identify the perks your employees truly need and want, and then implement them efficiently and effectively throughout your organization. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

In the modern economy, countless firms leverage outsourcing for added flexibility in their business processes. In 2022 most corporations, and many SMEs, make use of outsourcing to some extent, especially across roles like IT where technologies and needs can change quickly depending on the market and project cycles. But outsourcing has to be well managed by an organisation for it to be leveraged to full advantage. You can’t parachute outsourced staff into your organisation and expect that to work out any better than you would if hiring in-house staff with no onboarding process. Outsourced staff are, by nature, temporary. They might be with an organisation for just a few days; or years. But the no.1 reason why companies outsource functions is that there is a lack of long term clarity around the length of time certain staff and specialists might be required for; or that it is clear they will only be required for a particular period. Being able to scale employee numbers up and down with projects and other cycles that mean elastic requirements can be a significant strategic advantage. But the quality of the work of outsourced staff should meet the quality you would expect from permanent employees for the strategy to be sustainably successful. With that in mind, there are three compelling reasons why a strong onboarding process is necessary for outsourced employees: An onboarding process is necessary for any employee, in-house or outsourced. Good onboarding experience is particularly important for outsourced employees because they will contribute for a time-boxed period, which means it is particularly important they are brought up to speed and integrated quickly and effectively. A strong onboarding process reduces the threat of tensions between permanent in-house employees and outsourced employees. The onboarding checklist of outsourced employees won’t necessarily always be the same. A software development team from an IT outsourcing provider will need to pass through an onboarding process that looks different to that for service desk staff. But there are a number of universal principles and steps that almost any onboarding process for outsourced staff should incorporate. Let’s Run Through 5 Of These Steps: #1 Create Onboarding SOPs A well thought out and clearly defined onboarding plan that has been tailored to different outsourced functions within your organisation is key to both the quality and consistency of integrating outsourced employee experience. To achieve that make sure you create detailed SOPs (standard operating procedures) that can be followed as steps and checked off as each is completed. That will ensure every outsourced employee passes through an effective onboarding process which will give them the best chance of settling quickly into their role and excelling on behalf of your organisation. It also introduces trackability and accountability so the source of any onboarding failures can be identified and rectified. #2 Comprehensive Induction Training There can be a reluctance for employers to invest the same amount of effort into inducting and training outsourced team members as they would in-house staff on permanent contracts. While it is logical to particularly invest in team members you expect to be with you for the long haul, it is also important to not cut corners with outsourced staff. The reason you are making use of outsourced staff is because you need them as per your project management plans. Unless there is a clear reason why the quality of the execution of that function is less important than it would be if you were using permanent employees, outsourced employees should be given the same level of induction and training. Any drop in the quality of the work performed by outsourced employees due to a lack of training or induction processes will reflect just as poorly on your organisation as it would if they were permanent staff members. Nobody from outside the organisation will make a distinction between outsourced and permanent employees. And your permanent employees won’t either if working with outsourced colleagues. If they underperform in a way that impacts the work of others because they weren’t given comprehensive enough inductions and training, you’ll negatively impact the sentiment of your permanent workforce. #3 Communicate Strategic Role Of Outsourced Employees Clearly To Inhouse Employees Part of the onboarding process of outsourced employees should involve permanent, inhouse employees. You should communicate clearly why these roles are being outsourced and why that strategic decision is in the interests of the organisation and, by extension, all of the permanent staff. This stage is especially important if outsourced employees fulfil functions that were previously executed by permanent inhouse employees. And particularly if permanent employees fulfilling those functions have been recently let go. That could lead to an “us and them” culture between permanent and outsourced team members that is corrosive to working relationships and outcomes. Even if new functions that have never been executed in house are being fulfilled by outsourced employees, communicating why those functions, and reassuring permanent employees there are no plans to subsequently outsource their jobs, is important to cohesion. #4 Foster Relationship Building Between Outsourced Permanent Employees Not all outsourced employees will fulfil functions that bring them into regular contact or collaboration with permanent employees. But many will and in those cases a central part of the onboarding process should be focused on establishing relationships between new outsourced staff and permanent employees already working for the company. Creating an environment and potentially activities conducive to helping foster personal relationships between outsourced and permanent staff who will be working together will help more quickly forge a new collective working effectively towards the same goals. #5 Make Outsourced Employees Feel As Much A Part Of The Organisation As Permanent Employees Whether an employee is outsourced on a permanent inhouse contract, effort and performance will almost certainly be maintained at a higher level if professionals have bought into what your organisation is trying to achieve and feel part of it. If less effort is made to introduce outsourced employees to company culture, the workplace community and explain the aims, goals and intended outcomes of their work, the likelihood is they will put less into it. If outsourced employees feel like hired guns brought in to do a job then leave and be forgotten about, they are unlikely to be as vested in that as starting a new job. How well-outsourced employees can be integrated into your organization and with colleagues who are permanent employees will inevitably be influenced by how long their contracts run. But if outsourced staff will or are likely to be working within your organization for a medium to long-term basis, it is just as important they feel part of the organization, and are as invested in its success, as anyone else. Conclusion The dynamism of the modern economy makes it more crucial than ever for organisations to be flexible and able to quickly adapt to a changing environment. Using outsourced employees for functions that might need to be scaled up or down through time or with project cycles is one of the most effective ways for an organisation to introduce that flexibility into its workforce. However, a poorly managed approach to outsourcing can undo much of the strategic benefit the staffing model can bring. Establishing a high quality and consistent outsourced employee onboarding process is one of the best ways an organisation can ensure that it leverages the advantages of outsourcing without falling victim to its potential downsides. The five important steps outlined here will need to be adapted to your particular circumstances and the roles you are outsourcing. And you will need to break them down into smaller steps that form part of a detailed SOP. But if you make sure all five are suitably addressed by your onboarding process for outsourced employees, you will have a strong foundation which should mean you realise the maximum benefit and minimal downsides. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

As our preferences for how, where, and with whom we work have changed in the past three years, so have our expectations for our human resource departments. We now look at our HR leaders to build their policies in ways that support our wellbeing, purpose, skill development, and growth. Companies with a focus on growth are already conducting studies to find out how they can help their employees be productive while also leading fulfilled home and personal lives. All of these studies, though varied in their goals, deliver some resounding, unanimous findings. One of them is about employees expecting their companies to stand as the force of good in the world. We want our executives and leaders to champion diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. Here are 5 major expectations that the modern workforce has for its HR leaders in 2022 and beyond. 1. Employees Want to Join Strong, Compelling Brands Yes, we all need to be paid more and feel appreciated at work, but there’s another expectation that more and more employees have started to express. According to the Mercer leadership study published recently, employees want to feel connected with the organization on a more visceral level. They want to feel part of a compelling and future-driven brand. Part of some change, and meaning. But when I say brand and you think of creating a business logo, doling out a marketing campaign, and think great talent will flock to your doors, you’ve got your work cut out for you. While these outward brand expressions are important, it’s a mistake to consider them the entirety of the brand. To create a compelling and consistent brand, your organizational values, goals, and actions must all align. Your business purpose should be clear and clearly communicated both internally and externally. Make employee engagement an integral part of your operations. Make sure you are giving them the flexibility, freedom, and resources to thrive in their roles. Only then you can attract top talent that agrees with the values and objectives that you hold dear. These are the people who will dive into the passion wholeheartedly and commit to bringing about the changes you want in the world. 2. Workplace Strategies that Promote Inclusion and Equity As a people-focused department, it is time to champion employee concerns that relate to inclusion, diversity, and equality. The pandemic has given us a microscopic view of the many challenges and restrictions that workers of different minority groups face. It could be a barrier to fully accessing technology, lack of specialized training programs, unintentional biases rampant in the organizational structures, and many other things. To turn your company around and become an HR leader, not just a manager, you’ll have to make swift and definitive changes. MasterCard did this by addressing generational barriers within the organization. Its ‘YoPros’ (Young Professionals Business Resource Group) program mentors older employees in learning about social media and how to use it for business. Kaiser Permanente – a healthcare organization – is another employer with a commendable diversity record. The company’s labor force has no racial majority – 60% of it comprises people of color. Use these examples as the starting point to create and implement policies and systems that support people of different backgrounds and abilities to join your vision and help take your brand to the next level. 3. Competitive Pay is the Bare Minimum – You Need to Offer Perks and Benefits The perks and benefits being offered to the employees are looking a lot different post-pandemic. A significant chunk of employees has moved to remote work arrangements, resulting in their lack of access to company-offered perks such as healthy on-site meals, daycares, or gyms. The pandemic has also exposed the voids in our understanding and treatment of mental health problems. An alarmingly high number of employees have reported feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, and burnt out. Mental health issues have become the leading cause of disability in the country. A survey by Lyra Health and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions also reports that 40% of the American workforce suffers from the effects of burnout. Two-thirds of those surveyed also reported that poor mental health has diminished their productivity and performance at work. All of these topics point towards a need for a more well-rounded approach to employee benefits programs. It has to become bigger than paychecks and medical insurance. HR leaders need to think of delivering healthy meals and snacks to remote workers, subsiding their gym memberships, childcare assistance, providing financial wellbeing programs, virtual and otherwise mental healthcare offerings, flexible scheduling, and customized benefits packages. Conducting a company-wide survey to find out the kind of benefits that would serve your workforce the best is the most holistic way to approach the issue. It will help you guide your effort and investment to areas that are going to deliver the most value. 4. Create Up-Skilling and Re-Skilling Programs Up-skilling and re-skilling programs are another way for your HR department to look at the future with a more comprehensive lens. Training your workforce in education, technical knowledge, and skills that are required for future jobs helps you create a workforce that is more agile and can respond to sudden pivots (like a global pandemic) with more resilience and efficiency. Even before the pandemic, corporations like Walmart, Target, and Amazon had started tuition reimbursement programs where the companies cover either full or partial college costs for their workers. Google has a thriving volunteer community where peer-to-peer training and mentoring ensure that the company’s workforce learns from the best in a thriving and supportive environment. In 2021, Accenture invested $1 billion in its reskilling and training program for all of its employees of all levels and designations. Since March 2020, the company has trained more than 70,000 professionals and has increased its training hours by 6% while also reducing training costs. As employee appreciation efforts go, investing in their skills training is a great way to show your trust in their abilities and to root for their success. If you’re not a billion-dollar company yet and cannot afford pricey college tuitions or fancy digital training, platforms such as LinkedIn Learning and Coursera are available. You can also consider Google’s digital training courses from its platform, Digital Garage, for high-end, free technical education. 5. Make Work-From-Anywhere a Norm Remote work was already a thing for a large number of people around the globe way before the pandemic. According to stats, 17% of U.S. employees worked from home prior to 2020. Globally, this figure was at 21%. After Covid-19, these numbers have jumped to 44% and 56% respectively. With more and more people and companies feeling comfortable with the many benefits of WFH, it has started to become a staple of modern work offerings. So much so that many people resigned from their jobs when refused by their employers to be given flexible work situations. According to a Slack survey, 72% of the workforce is looking at companies that offer a hybrid work model. A combination of office + remote situation where employees can choose when to come to the office and when to stay at home and work from their living room. As an HR head, it’s your duty to sit down with employees and the management and figure out what your hybrid work model is going to look like. You can ask your entire staff to come to work some days of the week and work remotely on other days. You can also make some teams fully remote while others can be office-bound. Then there are companies that offer WFH when their employees have to take care of important things at home – childcare duties, a doctor’s appointment, household fixes, and such. Just figure out what works for you and your teams and get on with devising the strategy. With the most intuitive digital collaboration tools at your disposal, there really is no excuse to deprive your staff of the flexibility that remote work brings. 5. Effective Remote Team Introductions Remote employees need to meet their teammates just like any new employee would. Team introductions are easy to overlook when any new employee is remote. There are a few ways to integrate remote employees with the rest of your team: Have a group welcome video call. Schedule one-on-one introduction calls. Hold shadow sessions where your new employee sits in as others perform work processes on a screen share. Use recorded sessions like sales calls or customer service calls to familiarize new employees with your customers and messages. Give a virtual tour of your facilities. Employees perform best when they know they are valued teammates and share the same communication and collaboration tools and best practices with the rest of the team. While you cannot take a remote employee out to lunch in person, everyone has adapted to video coffee breaks, lunches, and happy hours. Conclusion The future of work demands HR representatives to show their value and relevance to their organization and people. The days of looking at HR as a bridge/connection to corporate/management are over. Employees now expect their HR leaders to champion change, pursue innovation, be proactive in their support of the workforce, and listen to employee concerns with the intent to solve their issues. About Author: Nina Hoffman I am a marketing and business development expert and have been a part of the industry for the past 5 years, providing strategies, content learning and access to peer networks. I am passionate about helping businesses build a professional online persona.

Technology has improved our work culture and helped us perform tasks faster. Earlier, we used to check the resume of potential candidates manually. Instead, we just need to scan them through a resume parser like Affinda’s software. In the same way, we also track employee performance management to identify the performance of a particular employee. Performance reviews have been a standard fixture in evaluating how to improve employee management. However, the traditional yearly appraisals are seen to have less impact on an organization. This is because they are seen as if they are subject to bias and make management and feedback a yearly event. However, performance reviews are not necessarily supposed to have the same effect. They are seen as opportunities to grow and good data sources for business development and employee engagement. In addition, it also makes employees satisfied with their job. What is performance management? Performance management can be defined as a process that helps effectively manage different personalities in the workplace to optimize organizational performance. Performance management ensures that employees meet their set goals and perform their tasks to the best of their ability. However, performance management is effective when employees are informed and familiar with the organization's review process. This makes it easier for them to get feedback from supervisors or the human resource department without feeling criticized. Employee management usually happens in many phases. This article explores the stages that make performance management better. 1. Planning Planning is the most crucial stage when it comes to effective performance management. Planning usually involves blending business values and goals with that of the organization with those of the employees. When planning for performance management and reviews, one can consider independent development plans or job descriptions. Using these two tools, one can get clarified on any work assigned to employees and helps to avoid any confusion. When using a job description, direct supervisors or human resource managers can update the job descriptions after a periodical performance review. This makes the job description up to date and reflects on the current roles and responsibilities assigned. 2. Action The action stage is usually handled by the employees, management, and people involved in the business's day-to-day operations. This is done through the independent development plans, used as a framework for everyone when priorities and achievements are reviewed. During the action stage, the main activities usually involve onboarding, opportunities for improvement, additional educational opportunities, and career development. 3. Monitoring and tracking Technology has made it easier to evaluate, monitor, and track the performance of people working in an organization. One way to achieve this is by using analytical software to monitor everyone's activities within the business. Monitoring and tracking provide a way of keeping a record of the achievements and areas an employee is supposed to work on. This includes the achievements the employee has made within the review time frame, the areas where they require employee feedback to improve themselves and expanding or reducing their job descriptions as they need to grow or improve on their work output. Corporations and business owners usually use the data extracted from these tools to analyze the workforce. It provides an opportunity to mark weak areas employees can improve on. It also allows organizations to find solutions to human resource problems they might be facing and strategizetheir workforce goals. An excellent way to improve the data is by integrating data with workforce analytics to give better feedback and review the presented data. 4. Review For proper performance review, it is not enough to hold an annual review session only. It is crucial to have regular review sessions with your employees to share and exchange feedback on performance measures. This creates a better performance insight framework for the business. For instance, one can choose to have weekly or quarterly employee feedback sessions to review employee development in the business. With a proper review framework, one can easily reward and recognize employees. However, most businesses use four strategies for management: monitoring, planning, rating, and rewarding. Each method has been known to exhibit very strong results and provide frameworks to improve the quality of output for employees and management every time. Conclusion Performance management serves as one of the best ways of ensuring that a business develops. In addition, it gives employees a perfect avenue to exchange ideas with their direct superiors and receive continuous feedback on their job performance. It also provides an avenue for employees to feel satisfied and knows that they are valued in the business they are taking part in. Without proper employment management structures and review performance, employers can't relay feedback that is directly aligned with the business goals of the company. How do you track your employee’s performance? What process do you use to review your employees' performance? Please share with us in the comment section. Try Workmates Interactive Demo Click trough it yourself withinteractive demo. Try It Now About Author: Lori Wade is a journalist and content writer from Louisville. Lori creates news and informative articles about HR, recruiting, and employee productivity. Moreover, she is part of the team working on Affinda's software.

As an HR professional, you're well-acquainted with the practice of onboarding. But if your company has never made doing it well a priority, you may not have a full understanding of its benefits. We'll attempt to remedy that in this blog. We'll explain why proper onboarding of new employees is so important, and how to do it effectively using the four C's approach. Let's jump in! The Importance of Onboarding First off, why doproper onboarding best practices even matter? There are many different reasons. We'll cover a few of the most prominent ones now: First Impressions Do you remember the old saying, "You never get a second chance at a first impression"? Well, it definitely rings true in the business world. Especially when new employees are first being introduced to the inner workings of a business. If your onboarding process is chaotic and outdated, new hires will assume the company isn't well-managed. They may even begin to doubt their decision to take the job. Certainly not the feeling you want new team members to have on their first day! Employee Engagement Successful employees — the kind that work hard, help move a company forward, and make the HR department that hired them look good — are engaged employees. There's no way around it. If your company's employees aren't engaged in their work, they'll produce lackluster results, and engaged employees will lead to a more productive workforce. In fact, studies show that companies that implement a structured onboarding approach produce 50% more productive employees! Engagement also increases employee retention, which directly impacts the financials of the company. Let's talk more about that: Financial Responsibility Successful onboarding directly affects a company's bottom line. As we've already mentioned; the process can elevate an organization in the mind of new hires, increase their engagement level and make them more productive. Each of these leads to more profit. Onboarding online tool can also entice workers to stay with a company longer — an important fact considering the high cost of employee turnover. Think about it, if your employees think highly of your company and are engaged in their work, they won't have much incentive to leave. The Four C's of Onboarding Can we agree on the importance of onboarding best practices? Great, now let's dive into the four C's approach. Use these techniques to improve your company's onboarding process. 1. Compliance Most companies, regardless of their stance on onboarding, cover compliance(such as I-9 compliance)when a new team member is hired. After all, it's the law. Compliance measures typically include an outline of company policies, confidentiality requirements, safety regulations, and more. These measures need to be taken, but they're also just the tip of the iceberg. The first level, so to speak. Let's move on to the second C. 2. Clarification Unfortunately, for many companies, the onboarding process begins to break down at this step. As an HR rep, you need to ensure that each of your new hires clearly understands their role in the company and what's expected of them. They need clarification. Questions to answer may range from high-level queries such as what the company's overall objective is and whom new hires should report to; to ground-level details like where to park. It's all vital to a smooth and successful onboarding experience. Download Our Free New Employee Orientation Checklist! Download Now 3. Culture Company culture is often taken for granted. Or mistaken for perks like catered lunches or unlimited time-off policies. True culture goes deeper and encompasses an organization's mission, values, the vision of the future, the way team members interact. HR departments should make culture a priority during the onboarding process and steep new hires in it from the very, very beginning. This includes the original employment ads and initial interviews; and runs through the employee's entire first few months at your company. 4. Connection For business success to be achieved, connections among employees must be made. Your staff is more than random people performing specific functions. They're teammates working together to accomplish ambitious goals. At least they should be. Create a new hire checklist to help you prepare so that when new hires arrive for onboarding,you’re ready. Foster connection by introducing new hires to their new colleagues. If there are subgroups within your company you believe align with their personality — a band of people who meet on Saturdays to perform community service, for example — arrange for an introduction to be made. If your organization has the ability, you may even want to assign a mentor to new hires, who can show them the ropes during their first couple of months on the job. Whatever you do, foster connection and communication between new employees and the rest of your company. Avoid common problems with onboarding and your company will be better for it. Put the Four C's Into Action In this blog, we covered the importance of onboarding best practices and the four C's approach to doing it effectively. We hope this information has been useful! If you can implement a system that ingrains compliance, clarification, culture, and connection into each of your new hires — and commit to it — your company will see a lot more success. It's almost inevitable. But it's not necessarily easy… That's why we've created tools to help. Our onboarding software, in particular, will help you incorporate the four C's into your process and create productive and more engaged employees, for your organization. If you have not yet tried an employee onboarding software, now is the time! Launching a Successful Onboarding Initiative The benefits of initiating an onboarding program, as discussed in our first paper on this topic, include increased retention, productivity, and job satisfaction. In order to achieve these benefits,a successful onboarding initiativewill have key components, including explaining rules and regulations, defining expectations, presenting cultural norms, and developing relationships. In each of these areas, a human resource management system (HRMS) with onboarding technology can enhance the process. Technology provides an increasingly important level of support that will help an onboarding program meet its goals. The components of an effective technology underpinning are: Task Management: Those capabilities helping to perform the administrative tasks usually using a built in series of protocols, which are step-by-step instructions with feedback. Workflows: Those capabilities providing communications, outreach, alerts, notifications, and process steps between the newly hired employee and the rest of the company (at all levels across many departments). Oftentimes, the status of each of the workflow steps is presented in a “dashboard” view.The workflow capabilitiestypically include employee self-service and manager self-service notifications. In either component, a workflow of step-by-step instructions and screen progressions pertinent to the task is important. This is especially recognized and intended to mirror the strong degree of comfort that Gen X, Gen Y and Millennials have with any online interaction. 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. Download Now Onboarding Must-Haves Rules and Regulations Explained Successful onboarding will explain the basic set of requirements, policies, and procedures a new hire will need to follow. Doing so will ensure that the new employee is abiding by legal requirements needed to succeed in the role they are assuming. An HRMS streamlines the process of explaining the appropriate rules and regulations.For example, Onboard from LIKE.TG, keeps track of I-9 and W4 forms online, complete with valid signatures. New hires can complete anonboarding checklistbefore their start date, allowing employees to participate in what is known as preboarding. Ideally, this keeps them engaged, excited and eager to begin, and of course, gives them the feeling of being a productive member of the “team” even before they start their employment on day one. For college hires this might prove valuable as there is usually a lag time of a few months from graduation to start date. With an HRMS, it’s also possible to create a portal within the company’s own website where employees can go to complete all of their administrative tasks, learn about the corporate culture, take new hire training, and find out anything else that will help them be more productive. In this manner the newly hired staff member LIKE.TG.COM takes an active role as opposed to a passive one, and takes ownership for accomplishing the required administrative tasks. Onboarding softwarekeepstrack of I-9 and W4 forms online, complete with valid signatures. Expectations Defined Onboarding does more than explain rules and regulations, it also clarifies the new-hire’s role within the organization. During onboarding, role clarity is a consistent predictor of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The better an employee understands his or her role, the more likely they will be to meet expectations. In fact, if a new-hire’s role is unclear, the organization is likely to lose money due to employees that don’t understand their roles, become disenchanted, and could likely leave in a short timeframe. An HRMS can aid in the onboarding process by setting expectations for employees. HRMS technology creates specific onboarding workflows that are triggered upon input and receipt of the initializing event, such as acceptance of the “offer letter” and agreement of the first day of employment. These can include: An e-mail message to be sent to a new employee with a “welcome letter” and instructions for using the onboarding components of the HR system. An e-mail message to be sent to other internal departments, especially internal IT, informing them of the new hire’s start date and other pertinent information needed to establish security IDs, passwords and access to specific systems, and to initiate the preparation of any devices such as laptop and phones, as needed. An e-mail to the employee with a link to a “new employee portal” which walks the new hire thru a step-by-step process of downloading and uploading a wide variety of employment information, prepares them for their first day, and streamlines their socialization to the new organization. At the same time that the above activities are taking place, the hiring manager can go online to select the tools and office space the new staff member will need. Those requests, in the form of a triggered email, with content preloaded, are sent to the information technology and facilities departments, among others, so they are ready for the employee on their first day. An effective onboarding program must seamlessly incorporate the supportive protocols mentioned above into what the newly hired staff member “experiences” in each and every contact with the organization. Cultural Norms Presented Besides explaining rules and regulations and defining expectations, onboarding, if implemented correctly, will convey the “culture” of an organization. When corporate cultural norms are conveyed correctly, new employees gain an understanding of the organization’s goals and values and hopefully begin to embrace and understand the company’s ethical and political landscape. Supporting your onboarding initiative with Onboard from LIKE.TG,allows you to communicate your organization’s mission and values while the new hire goes through theonboarding process. The most effective onboarding initiatives are within those organizations that are using the Internet to facilitate the experience and provide the new employee with corporate history, the values of the firm, and an overview of the strategy and fiscal goals. Another important component is the use of videos that can, for example, provide a “welcome” message from the most appropriate senior executive (hopefully the president or CEO) or can provide an overview of the company’s performance (possibly by the CFO). All of these tools and activities are intended to build an initial and strong foundation for engaging the new employee and hopefully instilling positive momentum, excitement, eagerness and a feeling of being an important part of the organization. These “emotions” must be reinforced by an effective program that extends over a period of time. Research shows that the most effective and considered “best practice” onboarding programs should extend over several months and not end right after any formal orientation. Relationships Are Developed The last component of successful onboarding implementation is developing relationships in order to help employees become better integrated into the company. In order to achieve integration, someonboarding programs include rotational assignments; others may include special projects that are designed to expose the new employee to parts of the company they would not normally have any contact with. There is good reason to incorporate these types of activities during a period of months after the start date as this would expose the newly hired staff member to other corporate practices, locations, culture, and colleagues. Another critical component in the relationship development process is the need to include the direct hiring manager. Research shows that the relationship with the manager is one of the most significant in an employee’s work life and directly influences the engagement and eventual longevity of the employee. Most employee turnover is ultimately caused by that relationship (or lack of), which makes the ability to assimilate new employees a core competence of managers. An employee’s direct manager typically controls all career progression, educational opportunities, and the assignment of projects. So a manager who takes time to discuss goals and expectations and in effect serves as a “mentor” who shows concern over that person’s “socialization” and who knows what the employee can do and wants to do, will make wiser decisions and build loyalty over time. Using onboarding technology from LIKE.TG can enhance relationship development by building a new hire social network and engaging the new hire in the company’s social network. If you are hiring a significant number of young employees, an online new-hire community can help them feel more at home. These corporate social networks can be used for work tasks, allowing employees to help each other get acclimated, and provide for socialization. Quantifying Onboarding ROI As we know from many sources, among them the 2017 State of the American Workplace report by Gallup, which surveyed over 195,000 employees. “51 percent of U.S. employees say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for openings.” Undoubtedly, no one would argue that this indicates a loss of engagement and can only be remedied by ensuring that newly hired staff members are highly engaged from the start, even beginning with the first moment they have contact with an organization. The majority of company leaders would agree that employee engagement is important to success, but they may not realize the direct financial impact high engagement can have. According to research, “Companies with employee engagement programs achieve 26% greater year-over-year increase in annual company revenue, compared to those who do not have formal programs.” Regarding engagement with employees specifically by their leaders, “managers who are not engaged or who are actively disengaged cost the U.S. economy $319 billion to $398 billion annually.” With numbers like these, it’s no wonder that organizations are eager to adopt onboarding techniques and employee engagement programs that will not only improve employee retention, but also improve their net revenue. The question of which techniques work best subsequently becomes incredibly important, and various research reports have pursued the answer. Aberdeen determined the following as “best-in-class” onboarding components: Forms management: collecting, tracking and managing of all internal and external new hire forms. Task management: ensuring all tasks are tracked and completed. Socialization: engaging new hires into the company culture and providing individual guidance to create an overall positive experience. The most important findings in Aberdeen’s research pertinent to determining the ROI of onboarding is this: Results that add up where it matters most: your bottom line. Calculate your possible ROI now! Calculate Now In comparing best-in-class to all other companies (“industry norm” and “laggards”), the best-in-class companies who indicated they performed a reasonable mix of both strategic initiatives to engage new hires and tactical components that will ensure they can get up to speed on day one, improved their revenue growth to a significantly greater extent than those who did not. Aberdeen found that organizations that execute on these tactical and strategic activities are able to achieve business results such as customer retention and revenue per employee. Best-in-class organizations improved customer retention by 16% and revenue per full-time employees by 17%. By implementing a program to create efficiencies and also engage new hires, best-in-class organizations also improve the business. None of this will be effective without appropriate technology, front and center. Although onboarding isn’t all about technology, it is a critical factor in creating a best-in-class initiative that will provide the end result of improved company performance. That alone makes onboarding programs a needed and strategic capability in itself and also a justifiable target for strong technology support. This white paper covered how to launch a successful onboarding initiative, including incorporating technology and measuring ROI. For additional information about how technology improves HR processes, download LIKE.TG’s white paper,“10 Ways the Cloud Improves HR Processes.” The paper includes information about how cloud-based technology benefits HR in the areas of value, finance, and risk mitigation. For further insight into what makes an effective onboarding process, read on to view ourNew Hire Checklist. New Hire Checklist Template Here is the beginning of a sample New Hire Checklist for employers. The task owner is listed in bold font and underlined. This is the person/function/team responsible for the agenda item on the onboarding checklist. Pre-Boarding 2-4 Weeks Before (or Starting from Offer Signature): Recruiting Announce Hire to Team via “Win Email” — include a new hire's email address so employees can send congratulatory emails to the new hire If applicable, run a background check HR Send onboarding welcome emails to new hires — make sure this is within 24 hours! You want to capitalize on their excitement from the recency of signing the offer Add new hire start date to the calendar and add relevant teams Onboard new hire toHRISsystem Manager Complete Hiring Manager Form — assign onboarding buddy, assign desk, assign email groups/tools provision preferences IT Order technical equipment — laptop, mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. Provision new hire — email creation, group and access provisioning, key fob creation, etc. Pre-Boarding 2-4 Weeks Before (cont.): Manager HR Invite new hire to a team or event preceding the start date — if there is a significant amount of time between a new hire signing an offer and starting at the company, see if you can find an event for the new hire to come out and get to know the team or company in a social setting. Pre-Boarding 1 Week Before: Facilities Clean desk area Manager Begin “Road to Success” Form — outline goals and expectations desired Add new hires to any important reoccurring team meetings Setup 1:1 meetings between the new hire and any instrumental colleagues that the new hire will be closely working with Organize welcome lunch for a new hire at a local restaurant — including team members, important cross-departmental connections, or cultural champions Assign Dept/Team-specific training for new hire HR Assign company-wide training for new hire Assign a buddy to the new hire and communicate responsibilities to buddy Confirm “Week 1” schedule for a new hire — to be presented to the new hire on Day 1 Pre-Boarding 1 Week Before (cont.): HR Send First Day Details to new hire (when to arrive, who to contact, office address, etc.) Download Our Free New Employee Orientation Checklist! Download Now First Day Facilities Early in the morning, set up new hire swag on desk — let yourcompany brandingshine through! IT Place new hire laptop and tech setup on desk — include instructions in a one-pager with information on things like WiFi passwords, gaining access to work email, etc. Buddy New Hire Coffee meeting — new hire and buddy grab a welcome coffee and do an office tour (Your new hire will thank you when you teach them how the coffee machine works!) IT New Hire Meeting — Laptop setup and equipment troubleshooting. Manager New Hire New hire and manager morning meet greet — manager presents Week 1 schedule to new hire HR New Hire — Live (or Virtual)New Hire Orientation Tactical Technical Access: Confirm new hire can access all company-wide tools (HRIS,company intranet, etc.) Complete Forms: New hire completes Part 1 of I-9, W-4, direct deposit information, confidentiality agreeement, employee handbook acknowledgement, benefit elections and 401k election Present employee with theirnew employee checklist Cultural Culture Overview: Core values, mission/vision, company goals Overview onboarding contacts available to the new hire and network map of helpful persons during their first month Job Knowledge Review importance of the Road to Success Form Manager New Hire Team Welcome Lunch — new hire and pre-selected group celebrate at lunch Facilities New Hire Take photo of new hire for identification card goofy company photo wall Walk new hire to commuter lot to register for parking Manager New Hire Meeting — End-of-day catch-up with new hire First Week: New Hire Sign acknowledge company handbook Complete compliance training (anti-harassment training, etc.) Review all company policies Send new hire introduction email to company Manager New Hire New Hire “Road to Success” Meeting with manager — review Road to Success Form including 30/60/90/180 goals, expectations, and onboarding resources End-of-day catch-up meeting with new hire on Wednesday/Friday EOD Buddy New Hire Coffee meeting — casual coffee with new hire HR New Hire End-of-week check-in meeting with new hire First Month: Manager New Hire 30 Day Check-In — reflection, evaluation, realignment Continue having reoccurring 1:1 meetings to discuss performance New Hire All company-wide trainings complete All New Hires Lunch Meeting — casual lunch with all new hires only (this gives them time to bond since they are likely going through similar onboarding experience Manager Lunch Meeting — casual lunch with new hire First 3 Months: Manager New Hire 90 Day Check-In — reflection, evaluation, realignment Continue having reoccurring 1:1 meetings to discuss performance New Hire All department and team-specific trainings complete Company Quarterly New Hire Welcome Happy Hour HR Send Onboarding Survey to new hire Overview of the performance management process with new hire First 6 Months: Manager New Hire 180 Day Check-In — reflection, evaluation, realignment Continue having reoccurring 1:1 meetings to discuss performance Discuss possible growth or professional development opportunities for the new hire First Year: Manager New Hire Annual “Year in Review” — annual evaluation of the first year’s performance and growth HR Celebrate the new hire’swork anniversary! LIKE.TGhelps you enchant every employee by helping to foster social connections and company culture while saving companies time and money. We make it easy to stay compliant and automate HR responsibilities so that our customers can focus on building their companies. Create a custom,fully digital onboarding process with built-in automation using LIKE.TG’s onboard application. Click here to try our Onboard Interactive Demo. “As soon as we saw LIKE.TG’s Onboard demo, we knew this was the perfect solution for us. We loved that it was extremely simple and powerful out of the box, but that we could customize it with advanced capabilities to make it work in our company setting.” Elisa Garn Vice President, HR and Talent Christopherson Business Travel Learn More 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.

Organizations have discovered that customer satisfaction makes clients stay, but their employees play a significant role in that cycle. The Human Resource Department can help workers execute their tasks to their fullest potential by providing the necessary tools and resources. In this article, you will learn how to develop and sustain employee engagement in your organization. What is Employee Engagement? According to Forbes, employee engagement defines a staff member’s commitment and zeal to help an organization meet its goals. Highly engaged at work employees are often excited about their work because employees want to feel a sense of purpose. They don’t mind going over and beyond to ensure the business’s success. Engaged employees are productive employees; they have the zeal to learn, serve as good advocates, and positively publicize the organization in their day to day work life. In today's business world, organizations strive to promote employee engagement using inclusiveness in the workplace, employee training, workplace benefits, and lots more. Why is Employee Engagement Important? One primary reason most firms have a Human Resource Department is to look after the needs and welfare of employees to ensure that they are at their best. From boosting productivity to retention rates, here are some reasons why increasing employee engagement is essential to every organization. 1. Improved loyalty A work environment where employees are engaged and feel valued can breed trust and loyalty. When employees are satisfied with how they are treated at the workplace, they won’t bother to look for jobs elsewhere. Also, there will be no cases of sabotage since everyone's focus will be on measuring up and making the organization's vision a success. 2. Mutual respect Employee engagement promotes respect; remember, there is a fine line between fear and respect. When Managers and Heads of Departments show respect for their staff, the workers will return the gesture. They can ask their bosses questions, and nobody will belittle them. When bosses can trust employees to carry out their responsibilities, they will regard them highly. 3. Accountability Engaged employees are concerned with the quality of their service. So they strive to see the measures they can take to boost productivity and promote customer satisfaction. Having a business environment that supports the level of employee engagement can help to breed a company culture of safety where employees can own up to their actions. That way, everyone has a stake in the company's success, and a win for one is a win for all. 4. Reduced absenteeism If employees enjoy their job and workplace culture, they will not be absent from work without good reason. Incessant absenteeism can prove disastrous for a company if the management does not remedy the situation early. Usually, it happens when employees don’t take their work seriously, so they act without considering the repercussions or ripple effects. 5. Reduced stress ratio Sometimes, stress can make employees burn out faster. According to a survey by CareerBuilder, about 31% of respondents report that they are stressed out, negatively affecting their physical and mental health. Imagine a scenario where workers grudgingly dress up for work every morning because they are too tired to be productive. When employees have the right attitude to work, their managers will be surprised at the rapid reduction in stress levels and workplace accidents. Staff will be more focused and dedicate their time to only achieving organizational goals. 6. Higher employee retention rate Non-engaged employees are constantly seeking new opportunities in other organizations. The most toxic organizations have the highest turnover rates. Engaged employees do not bother looking for jobs outside their current work environment. They prefer growing with their companies than seeking job opportunities elsewhere. This is exactly what Brighterly startup did by implementing a personal professional development plan for every employee. This plan was designed individually for employees with their direct managers to make sure that the personal need for development meets company’s expectations and goals. It all resulted in a 21% increase of retention rate. 7. Better management Leaders who wish to motivate their personnel must first establish a relationship with them, so management needs to take time off their busy schedules to interact with employees. This way, there is room for better communication, and the administration can then learn the needs of the staff. When the team knows that the management cares about their concerns, employees will be more willing to put in the extra effort. They will work with management to bring up valuable employee engagement strategies. How to Improve Employee Engagement Managers are keen on sparking their employees' interest in their company’s mission; unfortunately, very few know how to do the entire process. You could start by focusing on the well-being of your employees by fostering healthy communication, encouraging them, and lots more. Here are some employee engagement ideas for your organization. 1. Build trust and confidence For organizations to build trust, managers need to concentrate on what their employees care about most. To show that you care about your employees, emphasize communication, advocate for the well-being of workers, resolve team issues, and attend to the specific requirements of each employee. From there, employees can feel safe in the work environment. 2. Provide an environment to foster personal development Encourage the development of employees by presenting them with new challenges and possibilities for advancement. Your staff should gain new skills to tackle issues in the workplace. Organizations' should make room for study leaves and seminars so that employees can have a conducive environment for personal development. 3. Show appreciation Recognize and reward your best workers, but don't forget about the others. Employees appreciate words of support and encouragement from the management. You can also give them an employee appreciation gift or proper recognition during meetings. By showing appreciation, staff members know that their efforts are appreciated. It can also serve as an example to those who are lagging. So, motivate workers by giving them praise and rewards. 4. Ensure the well-being of your personnel Having a company that values its employee is good for morale. It encourages good management and ensures leaders know their responsibilities. So, give your workers opportunities to enhance their physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Make room for leaves, yearly vacations, maternity leaves, all-expense-paid trips, and other benefits to enable the staff to refuel. You can arrange employee engagement activities by coordinating volunteer opportunities and sports events. 5. Lead by example As a manager, promote a supportive work environment that emphasizes health and happiness. Take regular stress breaks, get away from your desk for a few minutes, or go for a brisk walk to clear your mind and recharge. You can also share your well-being objectives and priorities with your coworkers. Keep in mind that you are just as important as everyone else. 6. Get valuable employee engagement tools and resources Learn to automate routine administrative tasks. Let HR software handle allocating work to employees, generating documentation, and educating new hires about their duties. A well-designed Human Resource program can provide activities tailored to each employee's specific requirements of employees so that everyone will get an equal chance to do well. 7. Train your employees Your employees will stick with your company if they know that they can pursue their career growth and still meet their personal needs. They need training, as formal learning doesn’t stop in childhood. Your employees can also level up their skills and education to make them suitable for higher positions within the company. So, arrange employee training with reputable bodies, and invest in your staff. It’s a profitable long term growth strategy. Conclusion Employees who feel valued and supported will retain the passion that drives them to succeed and avoid burnout in the workplace. When employee productivity is a priority, they will limit frivolities and put more soul into their responsibilities. And as an employer, you will reap the benefits of employee engagement in increased productivity and workplace efficiency. About Author: Employees who feel valued and supported will retain the passion that drives them to succeed and avoid burnout in the workplace. When employee productivity is a priority, they will limit frivolities and put more soul into their responsibilities. And as an employer, you will reap the benefits of employee engagement in increased productivity and workplace efficiency.

Work environments come in many shapes and sizes and they all depend on the superiors and teammates that are present. There are situations where your workplace can start becoming toxic due to a new teammate, a dynamic change, or even a change in workflow. Many managers choose to ignore any internal issues linked to human connections since they tend to focus solely on profits, though a burnt-out employee is as good as a missing one. Certain situations may seem like silly office drama but can easily lead to marginally larger problems down the line, which is why they should be brought to everyone’s awareness. Today we will be looking at signs to watch out for to be able to recognize whether your work is a toxic work environment or not since there can be many traits that go overlooked. Lack of communication Team members not communicating with each other is a subtle yet influential sign that your work environment is toxic. Healthy team members express themselves within the group and maybe even argue. Participation is key in a workforce and if you find yourself in a team that is extremely passive and non-verbal, it may be time to reconsider your position there. The lack of communication can also be an indicator of a lack of trust between members of a team since it creates dysfunction and results in less commitment. Aggression can also be a side-effect of distrust since it is a show of primal instinct that is not suitable for the workplace. That missing clarity leads to many failed projects and will also shape employees’ listening skills negatively. Too much communication Gossiping at the workplace is equally as unhealthy as a lack of talking since it is created from a lack of communication. Colleagues should be able to talk openly with each other and no one should be spreading rumors on others’ personal matters. The reason many workers start gossiping is often related to not being heard. Creating an open environment fixes this usually. Group separation When cliques start forming in the workplace it leads to a counterproductive dynamic within the workplace and even bullying/ workplace harassment in worse cases. These exclusions also mean that team members won’t help each other when they should, won't do nice gestures for one another, and those members may also be less productive due to chatting. Adding employee perks and having certain bonding activities all help teams not have extreme cliques. Cronyism If you start noticing a trend of only friends and acquaintances getting hired and promoted at your workplace, try to leave as soon as possible. There have been many cases of cronyism in workplaces and not only do such businesses tend to fail, but they also lack diversity. These workplaces overstep well-performing employees to just show favoritism and the lack of diversity leads to monotone, black-and-white thinking. High turnover rates If a workplace has employees constantly leaving it, there usually is something wrong with the employer or team manager since it isn’t the job employees leave but the boss. Toxic work culture is a large driving force for resignations, which is an act that takes a lot of energy, thought, and effort from the employee side. Other reasons for high turnover apart from inadequate leadership are disorganization, lack of communication, lack of opportunities, and so on. Burnout Burnout shows up in different ways depending on the individual but can be defined as a feeling of exhaustion from being overburdened. Though burnout may seem like a sign that your workplace is toxic, it can also just mean you and your workplace are not compatible. There are three main types of burnout, the first being frenetic burnout. This form of burnout portrays a person who overworks themselves in hopes of achieving some type of reward but doesn’t get it after all their efforts. The second type is overworked burnout which is when an employee completely loses all motivation due to constant extreme amounts of stress and minimal rewards. It would be a superior’s duty to make the workplace sustainable and enjoyable. Lastly, under-challenged burnout is when an employee becomes bored and the lack of challenge demotivates them from continuing at the company further and disengages them. Uncertainty When project clarity and employee boundaries are unclear, the workplace can become an isolating place where conflicts can easily arise. Having a clear structure in a workplace with certain rules and policies put in place keeps everything organized and motivates employees to have a battle plan and continue working for the company. If you’re noticing a lack of structure it may be time for you to resign unless changes are being planned. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Onboarding new employees is a process that takes place at the start of employment with an organization, and it usually lasts around four weeks. To provide a healthy onboarding experience, it's essential to familiarize the new employee with their new workplace and help them to get comfortable with their new job. You can achieve the employee onboarding process by introducing them to some of your most essential practices and policies, like how you communicate with customers or how you do invoices and submit work reports. To help your new employee learn and improve their productivity as soon as possible, here are ten things you can teach them during onboarding that can create a healthy work environment. How do you efficiently train new employees? This article will look at the ten best employee onboarding practices, which is a part of the employee onboarding program that will boost employee productivity and increase retention 1. Introduce them to your team During a hiring process, when hiring a new employee, it's very important to welcome them to your team. Your culture is hugely important, so showing them what it looks like is one of their first steps into your company. Introduce them to everyone by having each of your employees share about themselves. It can help break up some ice and ensure that they feel like a genuine part of your team 2. Explain company rules When you are onboarding new hires, it's easy to get so excited about a new pair of eyes that you forget to give them some crucial information. But when you skip over giving them a clear breakdown of what is and isn't acceptable at work, you risk making your company look unprofessional—or even worse, an unsafe place to work. Make sure you have clearly outlined policies regarding both written and unwritten expectations before bringing on your new employee. And make sure everyone knows about them. Also important: Explain how to submit time-off requests or send an email request for more supplies without committing a major faux pas. 3. Make their first day memorable. On the employees’ first day, your new joiner will be excited to start working at your company. For many, that means excitement and optimism. When you're planning their first day on the job, keep those emotions in mind and design a great first experience for them. Here are some tips: 4. Give them a tour of your office. Introduce your new employee to other staff members and answer any questions they may have. You should also show them how to access different departments, where they can get help with specific tasks, and your company handbook. An organization can assign a mentor for such an activity. Your organization may also have additional protocols that you should explain, such as confidentiality or expense-reporting procedures. If you work in a physical space and your new hire is starting soon, give them a tour of their office or cubicle before they begin so they don't feel confused on their first day. Even HR professionals can also introduce new employees to office staff. 5. Explain what they need to get done first In addition to what you do as a manager, you must explain your expectations for new hires. The first 90 days are vital, and that time period should be used to teach them what they need to do before starting their job on their own. As a manager, you should provide a list of job duties and job responsibilities that a new employee should perform. Schedule at least two weekly meetings in which all of your team members share tasks for completing, whether assigning work or delegating duties. Ideally, each session will end with a checklist of who's responsible for what over the next week. Always provide an employee handbook for noting daily routines or important tasks. 6. Assign them an important task Teaching someone new to a company, department or job site isn't always easy. If your new hire's role is critical to your business, you have an even more significant challenge. Since mistakes and confusion can lead to lost time, money, and productivity (not to mention the loss of faith in your leadership), you must make sure they get up to speed quickly. 7. Spread out the paperwork Make it a habit to assign or hand over necessary paperwork when an employee is hired. They can review and sign documents when they have time to focus on them and won't be left scrambling in their first week. The same goes for welcome kits: If you send out things like company swag, checklists, or other welcome package items right off the bat, your new hires will feel supported right from day one—and more likely to work productively. 8. Start building up their relationship with you. Even though it's just a small thing, being nice is always a good idea. However, as you are helping them get started, make sure to focus on building up their relationship with you. It's important for them to feel like they can trust you and turn to you if they need anything. If they feel comfortable talking to you and know that they can always ask for help, then your first week will be all about getting them acclimated. 9. Put them in touch with other coworkers if needed. A new employee needs to get acquainted with their team as soon as possible. A great way to do that is through an effectively onboard buddy. If you have a large group, you can ask one of your established workers to act as a guide and help them learn how your office operates by teaching them tricks of their trade—and getting them acclimated in turn. So, if you want two employees who work well together to hit it off, they need to spend time together. Discuss more personal details, like their background It can be helpful to start a conversation with a new employee by addressing any questions they may have about their role, job description, and department. If you're leaving room for them to ask questions, try out a question like What are some things you want to learn more about? Be sure to make yourself available when it comes time for meetings and projects. Being accessible will set them up for success in other areas of their workday. Conclusion No matter how good they are or how much experience they have, every new employee needs cyber security training to perform well in their new job. Some of your best hires might be those that require more education. Please make sure your team and you are prepared for them by implementing these easy steps during onboarding. They'll quickly become productive and valuable members of your company. A well onboard employee can effectively contribute to the company and adopt the company’s culture easily. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

The revolution in the workplace brought on by new technologies has created a raft of new digital jobs. Corporate culture has changed as a result. Novel approaches to work communication and employee engagement are now needed. There are many innovative tools that can be used in the workplace to create a positive employee experience. Improving employee experience doesn'tneed to be difficult - or expensive! Learn how The Digital Age In the digital age, the whole economy is based around IT. The fast flow of information provided by new technologies enables the entire society to function. The digital revolution has changed every facet of the human experience. The workplace, especially, has been changed forever. The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably sped up technological transformations in the workplace. With people unable to interact at work, many remote and digital jobs were created. This changes everything about the way that people work. Work culture and work organization are going to be hugely influenced by these changes. This means that companies need to find new ways of ensuring employee satisfaction and creating social ties within work teams. This is essential for retaining staff. If an employee is working remotely and feels completely detached from their team, they are much more likely to leave a company. Dialogue With Employees There is a saying among HR experts that goes, “There is no golden rule for every business”. For a company to create a tailor-made solution, it must study the problem carefully. Only constant communication with employees will allow management to keep track of what is happening. Everybody in the digital age is dealing with feelings of constant change and uncertainty. For effective communication, two-way dialogue is essential. Engaging Employees In The Digital Age There are a number of factors that will help you to engage employees. Give Regular Feedback One of the most basic tools for creating two-way dialogue is creating a culture of feedback. This is a way of rewarding positive work behaviors and letting people know where they can improve. Giving feedback can help to create a sense of safety at work. It will help employees to feel appreciated and will increase their job satisfaction. Engaging in regular conversations with employees can help to activate and motivate them. Creating a culture of feedback will make people feel that they are allowed to express opinions openly. Team members will be more likely to share how much they are enjoying work or that they are struggling and need some assistance. Carry Out An Employee Satisfaction Survey This can end up being a big project due to the large number of research areas and the potential volume of the data that is obtained. If the survey is conducted well, it can provide a ton of information on key areas that may need to be examined. You can learn about the levels of cooperation, communication, team morale, work atmosphere, organizational issues, professional development, work satisfaction, and employee relations with their superiors. This is only going to be effective if management is actually willing to listen to the employee feedback and make the appropriate changes. This will help employees to feel like they are actually an influence within their company. They are then likely to feel more attached and loyal. Work On Staff Development There are many different approaches to staff development. This can include building a clear career path within the company, mentoring and coaching programs, and planning ways for upskilling and development. These tools obviously need to be adapted according to the size of the company, the capabilities of team members, and the company goals. Learning and development can be key to helping employees feel motivated at work. It helps people to have a sense of meaning. Build Remote Integration Building a team that is going to be loyal, committed, hardworking, and ready to make sacrifices requires building friendships at work. Companies need to realize the utmost importance of building relationships. Let’s look at some ways to achieve this in the digital age. 4. Mutual trust The efficiency and success of any company are built on the mutual trust of the process participants. The company wants to trust its employees, from top management to line staff. Employees, in turn, want to trust management at all levels and, most importantly, each other. People spend a lot of time, effort, and emotions defending their positions and decisions. Team members solve a collective problem every day, and there is a constant mutual intersection. Without trust, employees begin to control and double-check each other's work. There is an unhealthy industrial atmosphere, sometimes open hostility. There is no productive communication. As a result, the desire to do their job disappears, motivation drops, and, ultimately, the staff either ceases to be responsible for their duties or simply quits. Collaboration in a team with trusting relationships is built quite differently. People are focused on personal matters, as there are no distractions. Warm, friendly relations are established in the team. High-quality communication develops into active cooperation and partnership. As a result, the team works cohesively and creatively and is aimed at a common result. Tools To Increase Employee Engagement Digitization may be a threat to the more social aspects of work culture. However, there are a number of tools that can help employees to interact and build relationships. Employee Experience Platforms Platforms such as LIKE.TG can be used to show appreciation for employees' hard work. This kind of employee engagement software can be used to engage individuals and whole teams. These platforms can be used in every stage of the employee lifecycle. This includes onboarding, career advancement, and staff retention. These platforms are designed to provide a positive employee experience and drive business results. Learning Management Systems These are applications that can help to support employee development and remote work. These apps can manage training courses, track the skill progression of team members, and identify any areas that may need improvement. Benefit Systems This can include cafeteria systems where employees can get lunch without leaving work, possibly paid for by the company. Investing in employee development and increasing their skill set is another benefit system. There could also be systems in place for car-sharing, sharing parking spaces, or ordering lunch to work. The Employee Lifecycle Let’s take a look at different stages of the employee lifecycle and how they can be supported to have a positive experience. The Onboarding Process Onboarding gives companies the chance to form deep and long-lasting relationships with employees from day one. A successful onboarding strategy will help new team members to feel engaged and motivated. The focus should be primarily on the experience of the employee. In the digital age, technology can be used to help new employees to connect with their peers. Technology can be used to outline objectives and to give and receive feedback. Platforms such as LIKE.TG will help new employees to become immersed in the company culture and positively interact with all of their new team members. Career Development Today there are many technological solutions that will help to measure employee progress and plan their development. These digital feedback solutions allow for the creation of a culture of constant feedback. These solutions can help to create continuous improvement in the workplace. Digital solutions can generate relevant data so that companies can clearly see and understand how each employee is engaging with the company. This data can be used to create a positive employee experience. The Learning Experience In the digital age, learning has been revolutionized. There are many interactive resources and AI systems that make it much easier to give a more personalized learning experience. In the digital age, employees can take an active role in their own learning. Constant digital transformation means that employees need to be able to “relearn” quickly. We are immersed in a world that is rapidly changing. New technologies are emerging all the time. Choosing what to learn is essential. In Summary In the digital age, the whole economy is based on IT. The world is changing at a rapid rate. Many people are now working remotely. It is essential to create a two-way dialogue with employees. This can be achieved by giving regular feedback, carrying out satisfaction surveys, working on staff development, and building remote integration. There are a number of tools that can help to increase employee engagement and create a positive experience. This includes employee experience platforms, learning management systems, and benefits systems. Technology can be utilized to ensure that employees have a positive onboarding process, that their career development progresses smoothly, and that they have a personalized learning experience. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Every entrepreneur needs to have proper business management software to enable them to manage their businesses. HR management software makes it easy to manage all your business-related activities. But as you’ll come to find, it’s not easy trying to find an efficient HR software solution. You must evaluate the software features present in every solution before choosing one that meets your business needs. In this article, you’ll find a comparative analysis of some of the leading HR management systems in the market today. Use it to evaluate which one best meets your business needs. Read on for more. Criteria Used in Selecting the Best Vendors The following is a summary of the factors to consider when choosing HR management software: Value for Money Spent: Small businesses don’t have large budgets to splurge on HR software. The solutions recommended below are affordable or available at no cost. • User Interface (UI): User experience plays a critical role in all programs. An ideal tool should have a clean interface that is easily navigable using smartphones or PCs. • Integrations: Integrations with other business tools assists in task automation. For example, you can have an integration that links your payroll solution to your onboarding software. • Usability: Any HR tool being considered should be user-friendly. It should have good customer support and be accompanied by proper documentation. Overview of the Best HR Software for Small Business 2022 The following is a brief description of every available HR management software to showcase its noteworthy features and best use cases. Many of these tools use the SaaS business model, meaning you must pay a monthly fee to use them. 1. LIKE.TG LIKE.TG provides human resource teams with an advantage over past practices. You can use it to onboard new hires more efficiently, automate manual processes, and drive engagement, collaboration, and communication to new heights. It allows your business to perform to its potential by providing it with the tools it needs to perform its most critical goals. LIKE.TG provides your business with a competitive advantage while helping it simplify performance management. With it, you get to: Have a centralized source of feedback. • Manage performance together • Customize your questions • Allow your employees to be heard and have their issues addressed Request a FREE Demo today and join the over 500,000 small businesses already using LIKE.TG. You don’t need to provide credit card information for the Demo, which comes with unlimited customer support. 2. Gusto Gusto is the HR partner your business needs to grow and continue nurturing its team. It’s ideal for all businesses, regardless of whether you’re a startup or have started scaling fast. With it, you get modern human resource features such as: Management resources • Payroll • Hiring • Benefits All these features are located in one place. Since its launch, the system has attracted more than 200,000 users across the United States. It provides small businesses with a single system containing expert guidance to empower employees and competitive compensation tools. Pricing: $45 per month. 3. Monday.com It provides great value for small businesses as it can assist in streamlining different types of data collection processes depending on what the business needs. Monday.com comes with more than 200 pre-built templates. It’s straightforward and makes it easy to transfer your business data to its system. It has an inbuilt functionality that can allow you to upload information from existing Excel spreadsheets. Apart from fast data upload, you can also use different visual formats to look at your data. Some of these visual formats include: Gantt charts • Pie charts • Bar and line graphs Pricing: Monday.com offers a 14-day trial period. 4. RUN Powered by ADP RUN Powered by ADP HR solution assists in making your payroll easy and quick. It’s backed by a robust technology offering a streamlined process, which ensures that your small business gets to complete its payroll in no time. With RUN, you can choose from basic payroll to a complete suite having all the HR tools and services needed to run a business. With its payroll features, your small business gets to: Process payroll from the office or on the move • Calculate, pay and deduct taxes automatically • Receive automated quarterly and annual reports • Remain ahead of state and federal taxes • Keep ahead of human resource regulations with automatic updates for all the 50 states • Enjoy peace of mind with round the clock customer support • Integrate time tracking with payroll Pricing: This information is not publicly available. 5. Open HRMS Open HRMS is an open-source human resource software with tons of valuable features for startups and other small businesses. Its inbuilt features will assist you in managing appraisals, attendance, payroll, transfers, and vacation time. You’ll like the fact that its creators have organized this tool in modules allowing you to customize the solution according to your business needs. It ensures that you won’t get bogged down with unnecessary functions. The best part about Open HRMS is that you can add new features as they become necessary. As an open-source tool, you’re at liberty to download it, install it in the company services, and use it for free. Pricing: Free 6. BambooHR BambooHR is a renowned Software-as-a-Service company that provides online human resource systems for use by both small and medium-sized enterprises. It’s ideal for businesses that have surpassed or outgrown spreadsheets. The Cloud-based solution provides an affordable way for growing businesses to keep track of and manage employee data in a customized HR system. With BambooHR, your HR managers will have more time on their hands to execute the more meaningful tasks. Pricing: It offers a limited trial period. 7. Bitrix24 Bitrix 24 is a free web-based human resource system intended for use by small businesses. The solution packs lots of features ideal for companies that don’t have a large in-house team to manage their needs. Its top features include:• Document management• Time and work attendance features• Employee directory The self-service portal is one of the features you’ll easily fall in love with, as employees can use it to access various human resource functions. What’s more, they can do so without physically contacting the HR team. For example, you can use it to set up different workflows for business trip permissions and vacation requests. Its core features are available for free, and they may be all that your small business needs to function. Companies that require dedicated human resource features may need to update their accounts. Please note that all plans come with unlimited users. Bitrix24 provides a small bonus for SMBs using their portal. Pricing: Free and paid versions start at $159 per month. 8. Start building up their relationship with you. Even though it's just a small thing, being nice is always a good idea. However, as you are helping them get started, make sure to focus on building up their relationship with you. It's important for them to feel like they can trust you and turn to you if they need anything. If they feel comfortable talking to you and know that they can always ask for help, then your first week will be all about getting them acclimated. 9. Put them in touch with other coworkers if needed. A new employee needs to get acquainted with their team as soon as possible. A great way to do that is through an effectively onboard buddy. If you have a large group, you can ask one of your established workers to act as a guide and help them learn how your office operates by teaching them tricks of their trade—and getting them acclimated in turn. So, if you want two employees who work well together to hit it off, they need to spend time together. Discuss more personal details, like their background It can be helpful to start a conversation with a new employee by addressing any questions they may have about their role, job description, and department. If you're leaving room for them to ask questions, try out a question like What are some things you want to learn more about? Be sure to make yourself available when it comes time for meetings and projects. Being accessible will set them up for success in other areas of their workday. Conclusion Every small business needs to have a form of human resource. While you don’t need to employ a dedicated team, you’ll need someone who can find and onboard new personnel, process payroll, and manage your employees. Human resource solutions can significantly simplify all these activities. As seen above, there are many tools to choose from; all you need to do is find a tool that meets your business requirements. The right tool will guide you on employment law and compliance. About Author: Greg Tuohy is the Managing Director of Docutec, a business printer (mostlymultifunction printers) and office automation software provider. Greg was appointed Managing Director in June 2011 and is the driving force behind the team at the Cantec Group. Immediately after completing a science degree at UCC in 1995, Greg joined the family copier/printer business.

An organization is nothing without its employees. Hence, handling them with care is the most essential and crucial task for the HR department. Companies are always on the hunt for the best HR software to have a competitive advantage. Plus, they opt for the best employee engagement model to motivate employees. “Our idea of what constitutes human nature necessarily changes with new scientific discoveries, methods, and theories.” Dieter Steklis A constant new approach towards improved employee engagement is a competitive advantage to keep up with the newly accepted engaged workforce. Today, employees are the tangible assets of any organization because nobody can achieve their objective without an efficient and devoted team. As a competitive advantage, owners take employee engagement programs much more seriously than before to motivate employees. After the pandemic, many businesses have accepted the idea of flexible workplaces as a part of improved employee engagement. This real-time challenge has become tougher to deal with because of the various engaged workforce in the market. Hybrid is the future, as many believe! The motive of this article on our website is to explain some strategies for employee engagement and the positive impact of employee engagement as a competitive advantage for the new age working models with a quality employee experience. What is employee engagement? Employee engagement encourages employees to work with complete dedication by engaging in activities, mentionable appreciations, rewards, tokens of appreciation, etc. Thus, these are known as strategies for employee engagement to strengthen employee experience. Source: https://www.aihr.com/wp-content/uploads/employee-engagement-metrics-social.png Employee engagement has become a vital tool to stay in the market to motivate employees. Numerous companies conduct special employee engagement programs to know employees closely to provide a better work environment. The new-age working models create a competitive advantage to demand consistent and improved employee engagement patterns. What makes improved employee engagement a substantial detail for employee experience? Increase in retention: Real-time competitive culture in every industry keeps the administrative group on its toes to produce a new level of employee experience. Attract, engage and maintain: These are three primary targets for the Human Resource Department. A company can only meet several targets if the managing partners understand the importance of improved employee engagement as a competitive advantage for an engaged workforce. With a better understanding of it, any company can maintain its highly experienced employees in real-time. Healthy and easily adaptable employee engagement programs can pull more employees and retain them for a prolonged time. Finer productivity: Every employee has a subjective take on professional life and the method of working. Thus, it becomes prominently smoother for any company to increase their competitive advantages by satisfying their employees' reasonable desires as strategies for employee engagement. Good employee experience is vital to make employees feel welcome at work and produce an engaged workforce that supports them in a constructive mindset. Employee engagement programs ensure that employees aren't overwhelmed with work and provide them enough downtime to recharge in real-time. Quality results: This is the most dominant and unavoidable part of the employee engagement model to motivate employees. Money cannot buy passion! Owners need to invest in worthy strategies for an engaged workforce to promote a passionate work attitude. Specific employee engagement programs invest money into quality workers to express their gratitude and loyalty to the organization. These can be monetary gifts, holidays, vouchers, travel, etc., to motivate employees. Such positive incentives in the employee engagement model can uplift an employee's performance, transform into better products and services, convert to higher customer satisfaction, and upgrade the company's market value. The result is a commendable profit margin in improved employee engagement. How to strengthen employee engagement for the new age working Models? These days, holding onto employees in real-time has become challenging considering the varied working models. Multiple companies keep updating their employee engagement model to exhibit their confidence and trust. Constant upgrade in office culture to motivate employees: Optimization of a variety of engaged workforce (E.g., Remote work, office work, hybrid system) has made retention of employees much more complicated. But it is a tremendous competitive advantage and a business move. According to the situation, employers are attentive to creating strategies for employee engagement. As a result, the employee experience in the company is one of the factors that keeps asking for change for better results. Updated employee engagement models help increase productivity, maintain/increase turnover, retain/pull employees, enhance market value, etc., according to the real-time trend and needs. Keep in touch: Because of the vivid workforce, communication has become the most potent tool in employee engagement programs because not everyone is working from the office. A consistent, engaged workforce with the employees is the only way to master remote working. Today, due to various platforms, every member of an organization can stay in touch with each other via audio call, video call, mail, text message, etc., while working from different locations. Audio and video calls leave a lasting effect on employees and make the connection more robust, especially for the WFH model. Numerous companies opted for fun video call interactions, such as showing your WFH space to build better bonds between the team members as strategies for employee engagement. As mentioned in a survey, productivity increased by 50%, and more than 80% of people felt connected with their colleagues due to video calls and enhanced employee experience. Provide a space for growth to motivate employees: One of the top-most reasons employees switch their jobs is to learn something new or take a sabbatical. As per the survey of the Sitel group, numerous employees would leave their current jobs if they don’t provide formal training to learn something new to be updated with the market. Today, sabbaticals are becoming more and more common, and there is a huge talk about “Great Resignation.”. Besides, pandemic and hybrid model culture encouraged many people for sabbatical for multiple reasons like self-healing, productive break, travel, etc. Hence, many companies add sabbatical programs to motivate employees to feel free to explore the world in the safety of their jobs as a part of strategies for employee engagement. Realistic constant engagement: One of the primary targets of employee engagement programs is to develop team player spirit for employees that work from home to offer a better employee experience. Usually, such activities are followed by valuing employees for their dedication and hard work. It results in higher self-esteem and self-worth in employees, producing pure morale, loyalty, and efficient work efforts in real-time. Moreover, the teams work more collaboratively with outstanding professional bonds even when they aren't under the same roof. As a result, it creates a lively and engaged workforce that motivates quality outcomes in every aspect. Additionally, strategies for employee engagement are to level up the labor force and bring positive changes to a firm for a better employee experience. Thus, it is a two-way street in improved employee engagement programs. Motivate employees by adapting new activities or skills in real-time: The world keeps changing, and industries as per real-time market and demand. Knowledge is never wasted, no matter how small or big it is! A company's human resource strategies work well when its improved employee engagement model focuses on real-time expanding skills and knowledge rather than purely paying attention to onboarding new talents. Multiple improved employee engagement programs include off-beat activities that might look simple and fun but significantly impact employees' mindset and brain functionality, such as mind games, music shows, sports activities, etc. These activities also bring healthy competition and increase the involvement of employees in every engaged workforce. Hence, workers highly appreciate such interactive and productive strategies for employee engagement. To conclude Flexible workplace culture has undoubtedly brought many benefits to employee experience. However, it is up to skillful management teams to fully lay down their improved employee engagement strategies so that everyone can get competitive advantages. Employee engagement programs should keep evolving as per the real-time plan of various businesses to motivate employees. Employers should keep their workforce model in mind while planning for a robust employee engagement model. About Author: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

Onboarding is a mandatory procedure to introduce the newly hired employees or teams to the organization, its services, and product. Using AI all throughout the onboarding is becoming more common. Two important facts to consider about AI-embedded solutions in the onboarding process include the following: AI can accelerate document exchanges, talent acquisition, and analyze feedback by newly hired employees. AI-powered processes such as gamification and cognitive analysis will always need the human touch. Stability in the job market is immensely dependent on hiring and onboarding processes that run smoothly. There are still several uses of smart, process-expediting AI in human resources that aren't yet foolproof like in many other fields. This blog article will discuss how AI is revamping the onboarding process for HR and how automation increases productivity and efficiency for both the new hires and the recruiters. But first, let's talk about… The Role of AI in HR AI is reshaping how industries and organizations operate across sectors, including their hiring procedure. Several ways AI is streamlining talent acquisition today involve: Sourcing and engaging candidates Applicants’ assessment Involvement and onboarding of employees An organization’s onboarding methods majorly impact a business's success. A recent report by Glassdoor stated that a strong onboarding practice could upgrade new hire retention by 82%. It can also lead to improved productivity by up to 70%. AI is revamping several industries and sectors within our economy. And it can be said that AI plays a crucial role in workplace efficiency and optimal use of resources. AI is speedily growing to the point where recruiting and talent acquisition, evaluation, and people placement at organizations is being largely handled by AI, machine learning, and especially supervised learning techniques. Applications of AI in HR AI helps HR departments to improve employee or candidate experience by automating low-value, repetitive tasks and frees up their time to focus on creative and strategic work that HR teams usually desire and require. Instead of spending time supervising every step of the latest employee onboarding procedure, AI can smartly automate those steps. Here are some examples of AI applications in HR: Talent acquisition and onboarding Talent acquisition is one of the most significant tasks of the HR department as hiring skilled and talented individuals will cause the potential growth of the organization. From screening to maintaining databases of the applicants, arrangement of interviews, and addressing and adjudicating contestant queries, AI decreases the time and effort needed to complete these tedious tasks. Orientation and onboarding of new employees Employees are more likely to stay long-term with the company if the onboarding process is well-organized and instructive. All of the questions that new hires might have can be answered by AI for HR, saving time for employees who would otherwise have to do it manually. Artificial intelligence in human resources enables the separation of tasks and the customization of procedures to meet the specific needs of individual employees. Other vital activities, such as verifying legal papers, can also be handled by artificial intelligence. Training the new hires AI can automatically comprehend and allocate training to the employee based on the evaluation of papers and tests. For improved growth of employees, AI offers relevant skillset information based on their job descriptions. Recruiters may discover employees' training needs by using AI in HR systems. Using this method, employees' engagement and productivity will be improved, and they will be able to learn particular programs and skills more quickly and efficiently. Employee experience enhancement With a higher level of automation and a primary focus on good customer experience across the environment, employees usually expect a constructive and useful experience when they join a company with personalized engagement. Consumer technology is already influencing employee experiences, and as a result, employees are looking for new ways to be involved and supported in their work. By creating a more tailored employee experience, AI may be used throughout the employee lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding to career pathing and HR service delivery. You might be surprised to know that 20% of freshly hired employees leave the organization within the first 45 days of their employment. Thus, human resources departments can now measure employee engagement and job satisfaction with greater precision than ever before using employee appreciation programs and tailored feedback questionnaires. Top 6 ways AI is Reinventing the Onboarding Process for HR Smart technology adoption is significantly changing workplaces, even if artificial intelligence was originally believed as a science fiction concept by the majority of technology specialists. Using AI in human resources processes improves organizational efficiency because these apps can evaluate, anticipate, and diagnose in order to aid HR professionals in making wise decisions. Only 32% of employees in past years used artificial intelligence in the workplace. 50 percent of employees will be adopting AI in their jobs by 2020. Employees are optimistic, excited, and joyful about the prospect of working alongside machines (65 percent), and over a quarter feel they have a positive working relationship with artificial intelligence (AI). Here are the top 6 ways how AI is reinventing the employee onboarding practices in HR: Smart digital forms for applicants’ biodata Smart digital forms allow you to gather, validate, and incorporate data with the business system. The availability of important information helps streamline processes, reduce costs, and make wise decisions. These smart digital forms are easy to design and modify by anyone without technical or programming skills. They provide accurate data. The real-time data entry eliminates the need to enter data manually, thus the risk of mistakes and data loss reduces. Companies use AI to assist applicants shift their personal information to smart digital forms from their resumes and submitting applications faster. Human Capital Management AI is playing a vital role in incorporating major HR functions thus overhauling the whole pedigree of workers’ experience. It is aiming to developing talent processes to minimize employee turnover and handle major areas like workforce planning, performance management, career-pathing, people analytics and virtual assistance. Allows new employees faster integration Onboarding can be rushed, and employees may be hesitant to ask questions because of this. AI can be helpful making these activities less stressful and more engaging. For example, chatbots can be used to address queries regarding remote-work or leave policies that a new employee might otherwise be uneasy asking on their day one. If AI can address their queries, new hires can start feeling more at home in the company even before their official start date. Generally, this should be done by gamification to make it more fun and interactive. However, the human factor of onboarding must not be forgotten by HR in the rush to implement more efficient and straightforward processes. Joining a new organization usually brings a massive change in an individual's life, so if you make the onboarding process simple without making that individual feel welcomed, you may ostracize the newly hired person inadvertently. Employee referrals Employee referral programs benefit from AI's analysis of the types of employees referred to them and its knowledge of who refers the most productive employees. AI can determine when successful employees recommend applicants similar to them based on past performance data. Key takeaways Machine learning and AI are speedily becoming mainstream technologies and transforming the trajectory of HR. This has changed the way people communicate with technology. Employee productivity can be substantially improved with AI-based HR interventions, and HR professionals can improve employee experience and performance. Using AI-enabled solutions in HR, key stakeholders may analyze, forecast, and make smarter choices. Achieve your business's goals by integrating AI technologies that work with your organization‘s culture. The AI function will have a variety of effects on employees in the long run, and they will be able to say that they have benefited from a fast-paced and reliable user experience. Because of this, it is critical to prioritize the requirements of employees and be clear about the desired goals. HR data privacy is also a massive challenge in deploying AI. Employee data must be protected and proper governance guidelines must be set up for administering AI-driven HR interventions. In addition to technological and data entry issues, the guidelines should also cover a wide range of legal issues. About Author: Employees who feel valued and supported will retain the passion that drives them to succeed and avoid burnout in the workplace. When employee productivity is a priority, they will limit frivolities and put more soul into their responsibilities. And as an employer, you will reap the benefits of employee engagement in increased productivity and workplace efficiency.