5 Tips For Companies To Improve Workplace Hygiene

Three key focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness, Organizational and Management Discussions, and Workplace Discussions. A key consideration in the discussion regarding restarting the economy following Covid-19 is workplace hygiene and making it safe for workers. If workers feel safe about the workplace, they may be more likely to return. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips For Companies To Improve Workplace Hygiene.

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The recent pandemic means that hygiene in the workplace is now front-page news. Everyone wants to make sure that they’re providing a sanitary environment for workers to keep people safe.

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Workplace hygiene, however, has long been a priority for management. Leaders know that if they can improve cleanliness, they can reap the business benefits. Hygienic firms are profitable firms, especially in hospitality and medicine.

Are you worried about staying safe and mitigating the spread of COVID-19? Check out these tips.

Limit Food To Entitled Areas

A lot of workers like to stuff their faces with sandwiches at their desks over the lunch hour. It’s a time-saving device that helps them get more done during the day so that they can go home on time.

It turns out, though, that eating and drinking at a regular desk is a hygiene risk, especially if your company operates hotdesking. Food going into the mouth can be a carrier of infection, potentially putting the person at risk.

Limiting food consumption to permitted areas can make a considerable difference to the risk of transmission. It is much easier to clean canteens than it is to go around, ensuring the keyboards and mice are germ-free.

If you operate a canteen, ensure that you keep workers at least one meter apart.

Install Sanitary Equipment

Mopping floors and wiping desks is easy. But cleaning equipment to ensure that it is hygienic is much more challenging. Machinery tends to have a bunch of nooks and crannies where nasty germs can hideout.

Sanitary tubing goes some way to alleviating this problem. You can open it up and easily clean it, preventing the buildup of bacteria you get with conventional systems. You can also buy plant and equipment from vendors committed to exceptional hygiene. Make sure that things like filters are easy to replace.

Keep Air Moving

Researchers now believe that coronavirus may spread via the air in the form of an aerosol. Keeping air moving in the workplace, therefore, is essential. The more draft you can generate, the less likely any virus in the air will come into contact with people. Enclosed indoor spaces tend to be the most dangerous.

Hire Professional Cleaning Services

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Business is booming for professional cleaning services, and it is not hard to see why. Companies want professional outfits that know what they’re doing when it comes to reducing the threat of COVID-19. Managers see them as a way to convince staff that their premises are “COVID secure.”

Most cleaning companies see the coronavirus pandemic as a business opportunity. For that reason, they’ve been investing heavily in training, giving their staff specific skills to combat viruses. In addition, they’ve been updating their equipment too. Many now use electrostatic cleaning tools to thoroughly coat surfaces using ionization to make sure all germs die.

Provide Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is now a staple in shops, pubs, and restaurants. Using it helps to prevent the spread of infection by killing any virus that might be on the skin. Place it strategically around your workplace.

Four Tips To Improve Worksite Efficiency

Two key focuses of my blog are Organizational and Management Discussions. If you’re running a construction site and working on projects, a challenge is keeping the job on schedule. As such you have to consider efficiencies that will optimize time and resources. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Tips To Improve Worksite Efficiency.

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When it comes to worksites, it’s important to be on point for deadlines that you have to meet and ensuring everything is going to plan with the timeline given. With that being said, there are definitely some things that are worth doing in order to help improve the efficiency of it. Here are four tips to improve worksite efficiency.

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Make Sure To Delegate

Delegating is part of the issue you can have when it comes to any site managers that are working on-site throughout the day. They might have their own duties to attend to, but it’s essential that there are daily meetings with workers to ensure everyone knows what they’re doing and when the progress should be done by. In order to keep to deadlines and to stop people from doing what they shouldn’t be doing, make sure you delegate. Otherwise, you’re going to have a lack of productivity in parts and also workers who are standing around doing nothing. It’s important to utilize every single member of the team and delegating is essential to making it work successfully for all those involved.

Use The Right Equipment

Equipment is essential for your worksite and the workers involved. If you’ve not got the right equipment on hand, then how do you expect those working to do their jobs and to do it safely. From Thompson Rock pugmills to any safety equipment that’s needed in order to protect your work staff effectively. By purchasing the right equipment and having it ready on-site or delivered when needed can ensure everything goes accordingly and that there are no delays caused due to lack of equipment.

Communicate Properly

Communication is important because otherwise, it can be very easy for wires to get crossed. That’s not something you want when you’re running along with tight deadlines, and unexpected events can occur that throw you off a few days. Make sure that you have a proper line of communication set up so that you can inform your staff on-site when needed and to also have effective communications between those on-site and those at the head office. By having these lines of communication, you will often run into fewer problems as a result.

Hold The Workers Slacking Accountable

Workers who sit around and do very little are something you don’t want to see, let alone be it in a public place where it’s causing disruption to commuters and the public in general. It’s important that any breaks are taken but out of sight and that you hold workers accountable when they slack off. It’s important to set examples within the workplace, otherwise, everyone else is going to take liberties too. Try to enforce workplace rules so that everyone is working hard to meet the site’s deadline to be finished.

Operating a worksite isn’t easy, so make sure you follow these tips to help make it as efficient as possible. Keep up with the right communication, hold your workforce accountable for slacking, and always delegate to your workers.

5 Warning Signs in Life Where You’ll Need Legal Representation

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational and Management Discussions. One of the keys to being successful in business is to predict potential outcomes. A potential negative outcome for any business is legal encumbrances. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Warning Signs in Life Where You’ll Need Legal Representation.

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Hiring a lawyer is something that very few people do in life. After all, most of us tend to stay out of trouble so there’s no reason to hire one. However, there may be situations where trouble comes to us, or we make a bad decision that ultimately leads to a court case. Unfortunately, hiring a lawyer as a reaction to this can be a detriment. By the time you’ve been alerted that you’re being taken to court, you likely don’t have much time to find a suitable lawyer. While some situations (such as being arrested) will entitle you to some legal representation, other circumstances might not.

So to help you out, we’ve put together five warning signs to look out for that will tell you that you’ll soon need legal representation.

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1. Getting into investments and business

Legal representation is important when you’re getting into investments such as property. While you likely won’t be arguing against others in a court case, you might need legal representation for other situations. Legal assistance is always helpful to ensure that you are approaching your startup or investments in a safe and legal way. It’s also important to have due diligence meetings with investors and attorneys.

2. Your business is starting to get popular

Business lawyers are essential to any kind of company, but if you’re starting to gain in popularity then it’s a good idea to have legal representation ready. This is because you need to be able to protect your business, your intellectual property, and also take others to court for infringing on any copyrights and trademarks you own. If your business is getting into the big leagues, you’ll need all the legal assistance you need.

3. Facing any kind of injury that isn’t your fault

We’ve all heard it before; get a personal injury lawyer to help you claim compensation. No matter how cliché it sounds, it’s good advice that you should follow. Personal injury experts like https://www.shea-shea.com/ are going to be essential services should you experience an accident of any kind. They’ll help you get the legal representation you need to claim compensation and can help argue your corner. If you end up in an accident with multiple people, it’s a good idea to lawyer up as soon as possible.

4. Any kind of charge against you

Be it a DUI, drug charges or any kind of criminal charge, it’s a good idea to hire a lawyer quickly. In most cases, you’ll be offered legal representation, but we suggest looking for a lawyer on your own accord for more peace of mind. Always look into their experience and ensure they’re proficient in the area of law you need them to be. Ask about previous clients or knowledge of local news, such as the Daniel Fung arrest after he was murdered, to get a better idea of their track record. Being charged or arrested is scary, but with legal representation, it’s much easier to handle.

5. You’re going through a tough relationship

If you’re in a nasty or complex relationship that seems to be on its last legs, then you should get ready to hire legal representation. If you and your partner mutually agree on all aspects of your separation then you don’t actually need a lawyer. However, things can easily get nasty if you’re not careful, hence why we’d always recommend looking for lawyers when your relationship is starting to crumble. You’ll never know when you’ll need to defend your assets or custody of your child.

Updating Your Office Space: A Guide For Business Owners

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational/Management Discussions. Office space in any business or organization is critical. One of the keys to your business is optimizing and updating your office space. The following contributed post is entitled, Updating Your Office Space: A Guide For Business Owners.

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If you run an office space as a business owner, you’ll know that keeping your space safe, stylish and up to date is a challenge. Not only are updates to your space costly, but they are time consuming, and often create a disruption to the workflow of the office. But of course, with great power comes great responsibility, and if you want to be a responsible business owner, keeping your space user-friendly and up to date is essential.

How Often Should The Space Be Updated?

If your original office space was well-built and well-designed, you should not need to update it often. With proper maintenance, cleaning and care, the building may only need refurbishments every fifteen to twenty years. This also depends on the business. If you run a café or restaurant with a lot of footfall, these refurbishments should happen more frequently, as the general wear and tear of the place will increase.

What Should Be Prioritized?

As with most things, safety should be the number one priority. If you feel your space needs multiple changes to be made, take it one step at a time. The core safety of the building, its structure and safety exits should come first. Installing fire-safe MCM panels on the outside of your building and ensuring that fire exits are safe and well-signposted are essentials for your building.

After safety is taken care of, the next priority should be your office’s usability for its employees. Offices should be spaces that encourage collaboration, concentration and productivity. This means that the layout of the office should be designed for employees to have both peace and quiet, and spaces to collaborate.

Finally, there are the finishing touches. To make your office a standout space which your employees love to spend time in, add colour, nature and a few easy perks. These are simple additions which transform your office from a mundane place of work to a chic locale.

Some ideas for these design finishing touches are:

Houseplants. These are fantastic additions to any room with natural light. They are inexpensive and beautiful, and amazingly, they help purify the air in your office.
A good quality coffee machine. Seriously. Although a coffee machine is a slightly expensive addition, your employees will be thrilled with this addition. Coffee goes a long way, particularly in stressful times when extra energy reserves are needed.
Chill-out spaces. If your office is not in a city centre, and is not surrounded by cool hangouts for your employees to kick back in on their breaks, create one in your own space. This can be as simple as a few bean bag chairs and a Playstation for everyone to enjoy their downtime.

Outsourcing Your Updates

If you are concerned about updating your office space, contact a contractor who can talk you through the process and ensure the work is being done safely and legally. If you need help with design, contact an office designer for a quote, or use the internet for office design inspiration!

How To Make Your Employees’ Lives Easier

A key focus of my blog is Organization/Management Discussions. If you’re in management, getting the most out of your employees doesn’t entirely mean squeezing everything out of them like a sponge. There’s a balance between setting the bar high in terms of productivity and make their lives and working conditions easier. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Make Your Employees’ Lives Easier.

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Some bosses think that simply hiring an employee will be enough to push their company in the right direction, but this is not the case. If a team of staff is going to bring results for a business, then they need to have the right framework in which to work. Their role within your company should be as easy and straightforward as possible. It’s easy to get caught up in carrying out your duties and so on, but it’s worthwhile taking the time to strengthen your employees’ capability to help your business. Here’s how you do it.

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Be Direct

Of all the soft skills that an employer can have, none are quite as important as strong communication skills. Your employees will be happy to work to a high standard, but they’re not mind readers. They can’t know what you want if you’re not telling them directly. Ultimately, you can make your staff’s lives much easier by giving clear instructions and guidance (of course, in a friendly way). It can sometimes feel as if bosses overcomplicate their management style; talk plainly and directly, and you’ll avoid this problem.

Let Them Work

If you want to make your employees’ lives easier, then endeavor to avoid doing the things that they really don’t like. It’s simple, yet effective! Right at the top of employees’ ‘pet peeves’ list is micromanagement. If you’ve hired a person to do a job for your business, then let them get on with it. They’ll most likely have more experience and talent in doing the task than you do anyway, providing you’ve hired correctly. If you can’t trust your staff to work to a high standard, then there are two things you can do: improving your hiring process so you get better quality candidates, and also work on your own leadership style.

Avoid Information Overload

Staff can also become annoyed when it feels like their time is being wasted. There can be a lot to know at any company, but do your employees really need to know all of it? Information overload can lead to burnout, and also, it must be said, can reduce the quality of the staff’s work (since they’ll find it harder to focus on their main task). You can avoid this problem by reducing the number of meetings that you hold. If you have many pdfs to send, then look at dividing up the content; many bosses have used this for pdf splitting, so they can just send the key information from a file rather than the whole thing. There’ll be things about the company that your employees really will need to know, but it’ll be far from everything about the business.

Work/Life Balance

Finally, remember that you have an obligation to help your staff maintain a healthy work/life balance. Life can become much more difficult if it feels like you’re always at work; stress can build quickly. So have realistic expectations and be mindful of giving your team a break when it’s needed.

4 Leadership Skills Any Manager Needs

A key focus of my blog is Organizational/Management Discussions. Leadership is an amorphous word which can mean any number of things. When it comes to management in an organization, it does however mean very specific things. Exceptional managers tend to have a specific set of skills that make them successful. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Leadership Skills Any Manager Needs.

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While many people believe they are not cut out for leadership, for others, it feels natural. However, just because you think you were born to be a leader doesn’t mean you have the skills to do so. Without the proper leadership skills, whether in business, at home, or on the field, you risk seeing negative results. To avoid this, you must obtain leadership skills to ensure you can motivate and inspire your team. You could argue that all skills are as crucial as each other, but some are more important than others.

Communication

Excellent communication skills are vital in many aspects of life. If you are unable to put your point across, you will struggle to pass messages on or explain the plan of action for different challenges.

This does not merely mean clear and concise speaking, but also demonstrating that you can listen to others. Through this, you can use your practical communication skills to overcome problems, inspire ideas in your staff, and deal with any issues without coming across as aggressive.

Compassion

Too many managers and leaders will see their staff as commodities, especially if they are part of a large corporation and are rarely in the office or area themselves. However, your team are people, and they have their own lives, meaning compassion and understanding are crucial.

From unreasonable requests to repairing condensate pumps for the AC system, it’s vital to provide them with a comfortable office or classroom. You should also accommodate their requests, whether to leave early or start late, because they have lives outside of work that demand their attention, and their work should revolve around their life, not the other way around.

Relationship Building

Success and relationships go hand-in-hand. Without the ability to build relationships, you will not achieve the heights that you expect or desire as a leader.

But how does a leader make relationship-building a priority? You need to create foundations of trust with your staff, clients, suppliers, and customers. Furthermore, your organization should boast the accessibility that everyone requires, as this will allow them to feel welcomed at your business no matter who they are. Often, merely showing your face regularly will also help you appear more involved than faceless CEOs.

Reflection

Leadership is not just about what you expect from your employees, but also what they expect from you. There will be ideas you have that do not work. But, rather than dig your heels in and close your eyes to the problem, it’s vital to reflect and adapt.

No one is expected to get things right every time, and the same goes for being a leader. You will make mistakes, but standing up and admitting what went wrong and taking clear steps to change it will demonstrate fantastic leadership qualities and boost your team’s respect.

Leading the Pack

Being a leader is all about recognizing when things are not working and adjusting your approach. If you can show this while also demonstrating fantastic compassion and communication and building relationships with your team, you can guarantee you will grow into a strong and effective leader. You will see the results reflected in your team.

Supporting Mental Health In The Workplace

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Health/Wellness and Organizational and Management Discussions. When you’re in management, you want to support the overall health of your staff. Doing so will both maximize their productivity and foster their loyalty. The following contributed post is entitled, Supporting Mental Health In The Workplace.

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Supporting mental health in the workplace is essential; people deserve to be able to open up about how they’re thinking and feeling, and to feel encouraged to do so even in a professional setting. We’re human beings, after all, and we can’t just turn our brains off when we’re at work!

So, if you’re someone who’s out to support mental health in the workplace, but you’re just not sure where to start, we’ve collected a few ideas together for you to look into. Mental health matters a lot more than people tend to think, and as a small business leader, it’s time to advocate for healthy management.

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Give Each Employee Some Time

Your employees deserve to have one on one time with you or with a supervisor they’re under the care of. Give them the chance to have private and/or personal meetings, where they can air their struggles or concerns. Because when you make time for meetings like these, you show your employees that their thoughts and feelings matter; you show them that the workplace doesn’t have to be just another problem on their plate.

Try Out a Workshop

A workshop or a training program is essential for supporting mental health in the workplace. With a strategy like this, you create an environment of education about mental health, and you place some positive emphasis on creating an open workplace that people can be productive in.

Indeed, a mental health workshop can be beneficial for all kinds of reasons. It can lead to more sensitivity in the workplace, it can lead to further treatment options to be explored, and it can even just mean a healthy, honest, and open dialogue about mental health at work is being had. Give a keynote speaker the platform, and give your employees the chance to take some time and put their needs at work first.

Provide Options

And finally, be sure to provide as much information on the options for mental health that are available to your employees. Let them know there’s help out there, and that the company can help them get it. Of course, plenty of businesses work closely with mental health charities and private organisations to ensure there’s always a counsellor on hand for an employee to see if need be.

But if your company hasn’t taken a step like this yet, it might be time to do so. Look into your own options for providing mental health care to those in your workplace; companies such as Meridian Psychiatric Partners are out there, and could become part of the healthcare package you provide. Even just storing helpful leaflets or official pamphlets on the front desk allows a person to pick up the information they need when they need it.

Supporting mental health in the workplace is essential to working well. Make sure you’re leading by example and providing the right resources for your employees. For a modern workforce, mental health and wellbeing should be a top priority.

Team Cohesion Is Not Rocket Science

A key focus of my blog is Organizational and Management Discussions. One of the keys to successfully running any business or organization is promoting team cohesion. Many managers don’t understand this but it’s absolutely critical. The following contributed post is entitled, Team Cohesion Is Not Rocket Science.

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Brand cohesion is only achieved when you have boardroom cohesion. But brands are built off of the backs of incredible employees who are able to deliver the message you want, effectively. This is why so many companies are investing so much in team cohesion as the lockdown has shown us all, employees need to stick together through thick and thin. So how do you, as a business owner go about making each and every single employee, feel connected to the colleague sitting next to them? It’s a task that requires deep thinking and excellent leadership skills which personify a people management know-how that’s on another level.

Go around the room

If you want to send a powerful message to your employees, the next time you’re in a meeting, go around the room and ask them how they feel. It sounds so simple and obvious, right? But, what you’re doing as the leader is, showing everyone who works for you that you want to hear their professional opinion. It’s very easy to pull someone into the office to see how they’re doing and if they are finding some things difficult. But when you’re in the process of making decisions and you ask a low-ranking employee what their opinion is, you blow their mind. It’s generous, caring, thoughtful and most of all, shows you don’t have an ego that overrides your ability to hear differing views.

Take the time to give employees that aren’t in a management role, to speak their mind. What you should make clear to them is, you’re not going to judge them or hold them responsible for a decision you make based on their opinion. The buck always stops with you.

Encourage employees

When employees feel scared of being in doubt, this is a sign of poor leadership. In the world of rational reasoning, when you’re in the midst of problem-solving and you feel doubt about something during, this is a sign that you need more clarity. Leaders are there to provide just that. Employees should be encouraged to ask questions when they’re not sure about something. But what is their method?

Middle management should regularly ask employees at their desks if they need help or support with something. Ask are they sure what their responsibilities are in a task or project. Many times, employees won’t say anything until they hit a wall and simply cannot complete a task. But this ends up wasting time and money, so just cut to the chase and ask them in a friendly tone, if they need clarification on what they are supposed to be doing for the day.

Forming a visible team

You need to show employees that at the end of the day, talk is cheap. You’re ready and willing to make them part of your team. Using commercial photography, you can take headshots and group photos of employees and teams, so that they can feature on your website, social media, and to the industry at events on banners and posters. The photographers are experts at lighting and they will make sure the background is clean so that focus is on their faces and figures. This is so important for brand identity because you want to show the world that people make your business what it is.

The after-hours club

Businesses used to have events that were outside of work but this practise has largely died out. Only large companies like Google and Apple are refusing to let this pastime fade away. And guess what? It’s super effective in building team cohesion. Work isn’t just working anymore, it’s a lifestyle. When you feel as if your colleagues are your friends, you care more about them. Thus, this comes in the form of loyalty and working harder as to not put them in a bad position, like when deadlines aren’t being met.

What kind of events should you have? Focus on things everyone can do. Go out bowling with the gang, go to a sports event or perhaps hire a holiday home and invite employees to a house party. After-hours events are brilliant for businesses because it breaks down the walls between employees that they didn’t even know existed. Being away from each other for 3 months due to lockdown, colleagues will want to reacquaint with one another, which is best done with a leisurely gathering.

Business owners yearn to be experts in team-building. So many don’t realize that it’s not rocket science. Don’t be too complex, just ask employees to share their views and show each of them that you have the time to make them feel welcome.

Recruiting During The COVID-19 Pandemic: Top tips For Holding Video Interviews

Two key focuses of my blog are Organizational and Management Discussions and Technology. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic has at least in the short-term changed how organizations are run and how workers are hired for example. During this time, new staff members are being interviewed and onboarded using video interviews. The following contributed post is entitled, Recruiting During The COVID-19 Pandemic: Top tips For Holding Video Interviews.

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While we are all becoming accustomed to video calls within our teams and with external partners, having others come into the company can feel different. The recruitment process is a complex one, that needs a personal touch. From judging the firmness of their handshake and how they walk into a room and command attention, interviewing takes into consideration many non-verbal cues. However, if handled correctly, it is more than possible to manage the interview and recruitment process without meeting the candidates in person. You can even read their body language without that ‘hands-on’ sense.

Here, we look at some tips to help you get through a video interview and pick the right candidates for your position.

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Ask questions that are relevant but unconnected to the position

You might be wondering how you can ask tangential questions, but still relevant, but it is more than possible. The more that you can find out about your candidates and how they would approach certain situations and what they think about particular things can tell you an awful lot about them. However, you may want to avoid asking them questions that do not directly correspond to the job responsibilities, as these may be well-rehearsed and not as meaningful. One question you could ask, for example, is about their relationship with their previous or current employer. How they answer that can be very telling.

Make clear your expectations

When everyone involved in the process, including the candidates, knows what to expect, it will go a whole lot smoother. When people know in advance what will happen, they will come better prepared to talk about their relevant work experience and bring the appropriate resources or certification. It is also helpful to give them an idea of how long the interview or the recruitment process will last, as this keeps them – and you – engaged.

Impress them

Remember, an interview is to benefit both parties. You, to see if they are a good fit for your business, and for them, to see if you are the kind of company that they can envisage themselves working for. You have the upper hand when it comes to an in-person interview; they are visiting the workplace and see other employees and get a sense of who you are and the brand you represent. When you conduct interviews remotely, you do not have that footing, so just as they need to impress you, you need to impress them. Making sure your video stream is as high-quality as possible is just one part of that as it gives the candidate a good idea of how professional you are to work for. Also, think about your own appearance. It may seem shallow and frivolous, but first impressions DO make a big difference. Did you know, for example, that blue is the color that you are recommended to wear to make an impact?

Video interviewing is not all that different from face to face interviews. Making sure that the technology works, that everyone knows the process, and that you look for the nuances that really give you an insight into the candidate is key to a successful interview.

The Most Important Tests You Should Give Potential Employees

Two of the focuses of my blog are Organizational and Management Discussions and Career Discussions. One of the most important decisions you can make as an employer, running or managing an organization/business is choosing the right employees. How do you properly vet potential employees? The following guest post is entitled, The Most Important Tests You Should Give Potential Employees.

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Finding the right employee to hire is essential for building a company that can perform effectively and have a trusted network within that can gear it toward progress and innovation. Often, the downfall of businesses that would otherwise be successful comes at the hands of poor management and bad hires who take away from the company in one way or another. While you can find ways to root out these offenders, the best course of action is to avoid hiring them in the first place.

A vital tool in finding the best individuals who can contribute to the workforce is by conducting a test (or a number of them) before employment. With platforms like Aptitude that create comprehensive online assessments for potential hires, it all comes down to what specific sectors you want to filter.

• Integrity

This factor is an essential one when figuring out the character of the individuals you will be bringing into your workspace. Employee theft and fraud have been on the rise in recent years, with the statistics showing alarming numbers. In general, companies lose 5% of their revenue to fraud annually, over 50% of employees have stolen company equipment or supplies at least once, and around a fourth of workers falsify their work hours.

Sifting out these potential threats from even getting into your business is the first step that should be taken. It necessitates a complete test of responsibility, trustworthiness, compliance, and transparency.

• Skill

Part of your screening, of course, needs to accurately show how reliable a person may be with designated tasks and performing well in their role. A survey of job interviewees revealed that the majority of candidates lie or manipulate parts of the truth to make them seem like the most viable choice for the position. Within this, 60% of those lie about their skills, saying they have proficiency in programs and services that they don’t have that level of mastery with.

To accurately assess their actual abilities, you can’t merely base it off of references and job history. You should provide a monitored test that can be timed and directly hits skills that should be appropriate for getting the desired spot.

• Personality

Although this factor is more important for titles that place the worker in charge of a team or department, it’s generally essential to figure out their work ethics and how well they can adapt to the environment in your business. A study of employees and their work habits revealed that, on average, more than eight hours a week are spent slacking off and doing other non-work related tasks on company hours.

Allowing this type of mindset in your workforce can affect productivity levels significantly and end up costing you crucial time and money. Testing this early on can also give you insights on how to best engage your employees and get them working efficiently.

Once you’ve covered all these markers, you can be more assured that you are getting the best fit for your business and that you can focus on operations.