Tag: Employee

5 Things To Be Sure Of As An Employer

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. As an employer, you often have competitors and have to make sure that you’re doing everything you can do to attract and retain quality employees. Failure to attract and retain the right employees will make the completion of your mission that much harder. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Things To Be Sure Of As An Employer.

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When you’re an employer, there are many things that you have to consider. Sure, you have a business to run, but you also need to be certain that you’re following all of the right guidelines, and keeping your staff as happy as possible. Striking a balance here can be difficult, but there are some things that you should keep in mind if you want to be a great boss with a happy team of employees behind you. We’ve noted down 5 of them here.

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#1: That you pay well

One of the first things to be sure of as an employer is that you’re paying your staff at least the minimum wage. However, going above and beyond this will really help you to retain the right team members, and you’ll find that they have a lot more respect for you if you pay them a fair amount for what they’re doing. Lift them up, and you’ll find that they lift your company up as a result.

#2: That you look after health and safety risks

The health of your employees is integral to your business, and your staff should never feel like their safety is being compromised as a result of your laziness or lack of concern. Whether you’re keeping risks to a minimum or sharing information, for example, pages like what is an ankle sprain – and what should you know? you should be doing all that you can to make them feel safe.

#3: That you respect them

With great power comes great responsibility. That’s what Spider-Man said, anyway. And it’s true; if you let your status as a business owner get to your head and think that you can start disrespecting your staff as a result, then you’re not going to be very well-liked. Sure, you may not see this as a problem, but when your employees move to a company with a better boss, you’ll be sorry!

#4: That you door is open

Being approachable is also important if you want to have happy staff members, because you don’t want to end up with problems just because they feel that they can’t talk to you. Encourage them to bring new ideas to you, and make yourself as open and friendly as possible. This will help with any issues, but will also improve your business when you all work together in an open environment.

#5: That you don’t overload them

Sure, you hire your staff on the understanding that they’re going to do a certain amount of work for you. However, don’t overload them with tasks, and don’t make them work through lunch hours or demand excessive amounts of overtime. Your team are only human just like you are, and they don’t owe you a mental or physical burnout just because you want to get things done quicker!

So, if you want to be a great employer, then keep these 5 things in mind. You’ll have happy staff who are contributing amazing things to your company, and you’ll all benefit as a result!

Take These Steps to Get The Best From Your Employees

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success. Two of its key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the keys to success in business or any business is keeping your employees happy. Getting the best from your employees will bode well for your organization. The following contributed post is entitled, Take These Steps to Get The Best From Your Employees.

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When it comes to your workplace, we can guarantee two things are true.

1. You want your employees to work as hard as they possibly can.

And…

2. Your employees want to live up to their potential.

However, problems arise when your employees aren’t given the tools they need for the jobs they have to do. When they are underequipped to take on certain tasks, slowdown will occur. And the upshot of all this?

1. Feelings of frustration from yourself when your employees underperform.

And…

2. Feelings of frustration from your employees when they are prevented from being the best of themselves.

And the upshot of this?

You get annoyed with your employees, and your employees become disgruntled when you complain to them. They might then become less productive because of their inevitable low morale.

To alleviate the problem, you need to take the relevant steps.

Step 1: Provide your employees with the correct tools

It’s not just about giving them the obvious. If you run an office-based business, you know you need to give your employees a computer. Its also about giving your employees the tools they need to work efficiently. It’s about giving your employees the tools they need to make light work of any tasks they find complicated. With the correct tools, your employees will get work done, and they will then feel a sense of accomplishment. You will be happy; they will be happy.

So, think about the people you employ and provide them with the relevant tools and tech for the jobs they have to do. As examples, you might provide your sales team with CRM software, as used correctly, this will give your employees the ability to identify sales opportunities. They will then stand a better chance of meeting the targets you have set them. And you might simplify administrative processes in your HR department with HR management software. This is useful for your team, as the software will streamline their day and help them work in a more efficient way. They will then have the ability to get through their to-do lists without having to commit to overtime. The result of both of these examples? Happier employees, a happier you, and a better business.

Extra tip: The linked software is also good for analyzing employee performance, so use this tool to ensure you are able to get the best from them. This might include an adherance to the suggestions in this article.

Step 2: Ensure your employees work to their skillset

When your employees are taking parts in jobs they are skilled to manage; you can guarantee better staff morale and greater productivity. The opposite is true if you give them tasks they are ill-equipped to handle, as they will work at a slower pace, make mistakes, and consequently, feel dissatisfied in their roles. You will feel dissatisfied too when work doesn’t isn’t completed on time and to a quality level.

So, ensure your employees work to their skill set. Don’t give them tasks that are far removed from the responsibilities you set out on their job descriptions. With a view to the advice we gave you in this article, outsource those tasks that aren’t able to be completed successfully in-house, or if you have the budget to do so, employ new people onto your team with the additional skills that are needed. Your employees will then experience greater job satisfaction when they are allowed to get on with the jobs they are proficient in, and there will then be an upturn in staff morale when you then praise rather than complain to them about the work they have turned in. Consequently, they will have the motivation to give your business the best of themselves because you have given them the opportunity to be the best of themselves!

Finally

It only takes a couple of simple steps to get the best from your employees, so follow our suggestions, and relate them to your business. Then, as your employees experience success, so will you when your business grows as a result of their improved efforts at work.

Thanks for reading.

You Need To Take The Best Possible Care Of Your Employees

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what kind of business you’re running, keeping your employees happy will be key. Taking care of your employees will likely ensure their loyalty and maximize their productivity. The following contributed post is entitled, You Need To Take The Best Possible Care Of Your Employees.

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There are a lot of things that a business needs to be successful. It needs a product. It needs capital and investment. It needs relevant technology. These are all incredibly important. But there’s one thing that a business needs more than just about anything else. A business needs people. Without people at the heart of it, working hard to make it as great as possible, a business is doomed to fail. It’s absolutely crucial that you take care of your employees and make sure that they feel valued and important to the business. Here are just a few ways that you can care for your employees, for the good of them, you and your entire business.

Be honest with them

One of the most frustrating things in the world for an employee is when their boss isn’t being straight with them. If there are changes coming up in the business or adjustments to the way people work, don’t keep them to yourself. Be as open and upfront with your employees as much as you possibly can. This might mean that you’ll sometimes have to be the bearer of bad news. But you employees will appreciate your honesty far more than if you kept them in the dark for extended periods of time. This is a great way to maintain an atmosphere of trust. If employees don’t feel like you’re being honest with them, any trust and goodwill that you had will go out of the window pretty quickly. By being honest and upfront with your employees, you remind them that you’re on their side and that you’re there for them. Even if it’s difficult, make sure that you don’t keep things from your employees that you should be talking to them about. A difficult discussion early on is better than having to explain why you kept them in the dark further down the line.

Show your appreciation

Consider just how obvious and easy this is, it’s shocking how many employers forget about it altogether. Don’t just leave your employees to get on with it and never let them know how much you appreciate them. Eventually they’re going to start to resent their work and by extension, you. It’s just human nature to want to be rewarded for a job well done. This doesn’t mean you need to offer a raise or a promotion every time someone completes a task. But if you do little things every now and then to let your employees know that their hard work is being acknowledged, it can make a big difference. Offer a small bonus near to the end of the year. Maybe set up small outings to do things like beach cleaning for your employees as a team building exercise. Not only with this offer them something fun and different to do, but will bring them closer as a team as well.

Unhappy, frustrated employees produce work that is shoddily done and half finished. I you want your employees to help your business run as successfully as possible then you need to make sure they’re well taken care of. Even just small things like this advice will make a massive difference to the attitude of your employees.

Lighten The Load For Your Employees – And Yourself

Two of the focuses of my blogs are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Management of yours and your employee’s workload is critical in growing your business. Having the proper workload in your business will encourage that you and your staff will continue to happily produce. The following contributed post is entitled, Lighten The Load For Your Employees – And Yourself.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make life a little easier for yourself and your employees, and this is something that most business owners will be keen to do from time to time. The truth is that once you start to look into it, there are many ways in which you can hope to lighten the load in the workplace. That can have many enormously positive effects, from generating more time to reducing stress in the workplace and improving the health and safety aspects of working in your workplace. So clearly, it is beneficial to be able to lighten the load from time to time – but how can you actually make sure that you do this? In this post, we will discuss a number of the things you might consider in order to ensure that you are making life a little easier for your employees, and for yourself.

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Outsourcing Where Possible

Most businesses today engage in a little outsourcing here and there, and it’s easy to appreciate why that might be. After all, you can’t be in charge of absolutely everything, and if yours is a small business with limited resources then you will simply need some help for certain tasks that need doing from time to time. There are a few things which tend to lend themselves particularly well to outsourcing, such as marketing and financial analysis, and even your answering service and email replies too. Outsourcing such tasks will mean that your employees have much more time to do their own work, and that the feeling in the office is just generally much less stressed on the whole. That is clearly hugely beneficial, and it will mean that everyone enjoys and appreciates their job so much more because of it. Outsourcing is very often the way to go when you want to make things better for your own employees in a number of ways.

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Each To Their Own

You should also make a point of determining with each individual in your business what it is that they are capable of doing, and what they might find a little more difficult or challenging to be able to do. That doesn’t mean that you should never push them to their limits and a little beyond – of course you should, as that is how everyone does their best work. But you might want to make a point of trying your best not to overburden them with too much work which they find too stressful. In many cases, that basically means leaving the harder work for those who have been at it longer and can do it much more easily. However you approach it, it’s important to appreciate that each employee has their own limits, and that to a certain degree those limits need to be respected. That will ensure that you are going to get the most out of them that you can, without causing burnout along the way.

Grow It Slow

Although it is often tempting to grow a business as fast as you possibly can, you don’t have to approach things this way. If you prefer, you can instead think about trying to grow your business in a much slower and steadier manner, with a view towards ensuring that you are not going to cause yourself too much stress in the process. This is something that more and more entrepreneurs are turning to as they realize that the old idea of constant ongoing progress doesn’t have to be quite so gung ho. You can, instead, simply ensure that you are always moving forward in a steady, easier manner. That will mean you still advance as you wish to, but you are making life so much easier for yourself and your employees by not expecting too much in a short frame of time. You will find that that makes things so much easier for everyone, so it is absolutely the way to go. It could be all you need to do in order to make sure that you are lightening the load for everyone.

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Making Processes Simpler

There are many processes in your business, and you should ideally be aiming to make them as simple as possible. The simpler you are able to make your processes, the more likely it is that you will be able to keep your employees happy and that they won’t feel overworked. It will mean that what they do is more efficient, which makes it clearer how much progress is being made – and that in turn means that they will feel much happier about the work, and more able to put their all into it. Making processes simpler will absolutely add up to make a huge difference overall.

3 Types Of Employees That Are Incredibly Bad For Your Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The employees you hire to accomplish your objectives are critical. Bringing on the right staff can pay dividends while bringing on the wrong staff can be costly. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Types Of Employees That Are Incredibly Bad For Your Business.

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As a business owner, you are unlikely to have the ability (or the desire) to handle every aspect of your business alone. Be you a small or a large business owner then, you have probably hired one or more people to work for your company.

In theory, your employees will carry out the tasks you have set for them. They will help you to promote your business. And they will show commitment to the business you have set up. We are saying ‘in theory’ because that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, you might unwittingly hire a bad egg, a rotten apple, and whatever idiom you care to use when describing an employee who isn’t doing what they are supposed to be doing.

So, what do you do with these employees? It depends. You should have policies in place with the correct warning procedures. If an employee steps out of line, you need only point them to the way they are breaching the contract they signed with you. Hopefully, they will then fall back into line. However, there are times when you might need to fire an employee, especially when their behavior is far removed from what you expect of them. You should, of course, seek legal action beforehand to ensure you aren’t breaking any labor laws – you don’t want a lawsuit on your hands – but in relation to the types of employees we mention below, you might have no other option than to remove them from your company. Check out these tips on how to fire an employee, some of which are connected to the types of employees we mention below.

These are the employees who are bad for your business.

1: The employee who goes against your policy’s ‘standard of conduct’

The ‘standard of conduct’ refers to the type of behavior you expect from your employees. It should fall under the remit of the key policies within the employee handbook that you give to your members of staff after hiring them. Typically, the policies that fall under ‘standard of conduct’ refer to those related to bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment. If you discover your employee has breached such policies, a simple warning might not suffice, especially if their behavior has threatened the welfare of other staff on your team. An investigation needs to take place with eye witness statements, and if found guilty, you have grounds to fire the employee. Your business depends on it, as you might suffer a walkout from your other employees, as well as legal action if you haven’t taken their complaints about the offending employee seriously.

2: The employee who engages in criminal behavior

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Closely associated with the previous point, but we have included it here as criminal behavior might also include the need for police intervention. For example, consider an employee who steals from you. Now, we are not talking about the occasional paper clip or notepad (although you should still clamp down on minor thefts), but rather those employees who are caught with their hands in the till or who syphon money from your account into their own after accessing your computer systems. On a financial level, your business is obviously going to suffer. And then there’s the employee who engages in violent behavior, perhaps against you, another employee or a customer. They might even take their violent behavior out on your premises, damaging furnishings, doors, walls, and equipment, etc.

Such behavior cannot be tolerated. You will need evidence of criminal behavior of course – you can’t accuse somebody if you are in any way uncertain as to who the culprit is – but you can get this from the surveillance equipment you should have set up, and from eye witness reports from your staff and customers. When the culprit has been found, either by you or the police, you should consider firing them, unless, as in the case of violence to your property, there are mitigating circumstances, such as provocation from another employee or feelings of being treated unjustly from yourself. In such a case, you might be lenient, though you will need to put an action plan in place to reduce the chances of such behavior happening again.

3: The employee who is repeatedly absent

There are times when absences can be allowed. If your employee falls ill or has a family emergency, for example, then you can expect them to be absent from work. Hopefully, they will show you courtesy with a phone call to let you know why they aren’t coming into work. On the other hand, there are some employees who might try to take advantage of you. They might not turn up for work at all without any explanation. Or they might have a string of excuses as to why they can’t come in, some of which may be genuine, but then again, some of which might not be. You need to take action if absences become a regular thing. This involves you sitting down with your employee to discuss the reasons why they haven’t shown up to work.

In some cases, you may be to blame. If you have overworked your employees, or if you haven’t provided a functional working environment, they may have used excuses for their absence because they dread coming into work. The same applies if the employee feels threatened by another member of staff. On the other hand, they might simply be lazy and uncommitted, in which case, you might want to fire them, especially if there is no reasonable excuse. If you don’t, your business will suffer if absences continue, because work won’t get done and you will struggle to make a profit.

Finally

Firing an employee is sometimes the right thing to do, so while you might be reluctant to do so – you might want to avoid hurting their feelings, or you might be afraid of confrontation – you should still take steps to remove the employee if their actions hurt your business and the people who work within it. You might need to start the hiring process again, but despite the time and the expense involved, this is better than having an employee on your team who is incredibly bad for your business!

How Responsible Are You For Employee Health And Safety?

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key concern for employers is employee safety. If not properly managed, a lack of safety for your employees can be very costly. The following contributed post is entitled, How Responsible Are You For Employee Health And Safety?

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Being an employer us something which most people don’t expect when they are going through school. The idea of having a team of people working for you will seem far-fetched, with the vast majority of the world working for someone else, rather than controlling their own destiny. This makes it very difficult to know what to do if you find yourself in the shoes of an employer, with the responsibilities you have for your team being confusing and often overwhelming. To help you out with this, this article will be exploring the most important of these, health and safety, to give you an idea of what can be done when you’re working to improve this side of your business.

In The Workplace

There are a lot of strict rules in place which govern the way that employees have to be treated in the workplace, along with the sorts of environments they will be exposed to. No matter how hard you work to keep the office or warehouse tidy and safe, though, there will always be a cable or box in the way which could cause an accident. Training is one of the easiest ways to overcome something like this, with the skills you give to your team members protecting you if they ever get hurt by something like this. Along with this, though, it will also make sense to do some research about the laws you have to follow.

Using Machines & Tools

It’s rare to find a job in the modern world which doesn’t involve some sort of machine, with a lot of today’s roles relying heavily on computers to get work done. Of course, though, a PC isn’t really very dangerous, and it will be unlikely that these devices will cause injuries. Something like a tarmac roller or forklift, though, has far more potential to do harm, and you will be responsible for making sure that everyone is trained properly to use them. Along with this, you will also be in charge of maintaining your machines, though companies offering digger and roller hire will often handle this side of the job for you.

On The Commute/Breaks

It can be easy to feel responsible for your employees no matter where they are. During their commutes and breaks, though, they will be in charge of their own safety, and you can will have the chance to step back. If someone has an accident when they’re not on your property or working for you, they will be responsible for their own safety. Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that you can’t help out, with a lot of employees offering self-defense training to their team members to make sure that they are safe on their way to and from their workplace.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling inspired to start working on this side of your business. There are a lot of people out there who worry about their employee’s health, but this is usually for good reason.

Fun Features For The Office This Summer

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of success. Change is good throughout the year if you’re running a business or organization. Changing up the environment for the summertime may in fact increase the enthusiasm and productivity of your employees. The following contributed post is entitled, Fun Features For The Office This Summer.

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The office is the heart of the workplace, and the way we decorate and fill our office can have a profound effect on the happiness of our employees on a day to day basis. A boring old office with a blue carpet is what no one wants in their workspace, which is why today we are taking a look at some fun features you can add to the office to make it feel more exciting and fun this year.

A garden bar

Let’s start with a super fun idea: a garden bar. If you have an office which is singular and has its own car park and outdoor space, it would be a shame not to make the most of the fresh air in the summertime. One amazing idea for a Friday lunch treat would be to use a utility cart and fill it with ingredients for cocktails, and have this ready outside whenever your employees want to make a quick tipple on a Friday. You can also buy a utility cart cover with your company logo on which will keep the cart dry and will also act as some fun free advertising if you ever take it out!

A herb garden

One of the things you could do with your employees this summer is give everyone a pot and compost each, and they can all plant a herb seed of their choice and watch as it grows. Not only will this make the outside of the office smell amazing, but it will also allow you to use the fresh herbs for fresh soups and salads in the kitchen!

A coffee bar

If you have a flexible and fun workplace and you are off the philosophy that trusting your employees is key, a coffee bar is a wonderful addition to the office. This can be the ideal escape for anyone who wants to work on a project alone or have a quick brainstorming session with others, and it will act as a more comfortable and informal place for them to work for a little while. It can be an amazing idea and one which will give your workers a change of scenery and pace during their working day.

Events

If you have a policy of fun in the office, a great way to promote local businesses and also bring your employees together is to have people visit the office every month with new products to try or services to provide. It could be cake pops, cocktails, yoga… there are a wealth of things you can offer and this will be a great chance for your employees to try something new and bond a little as a team.

An art wall

If there is a prominent wall in the office which everyone can see, you can send out an email for employees to bring in one piece of art to create a collage on the space. They might choose their own paintings, photographs, movie posters or something different entirely. It will brighten up the space and also allow your workers to get to know each other in a new way.

Essential Employees Your Business Needs!

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Depending on the kind of business you’re running, a key to its success is hiring the right employees. The following contributed post discusses the types of employees your business needs and is entitled, Essential Employees Your Business Needs!

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There are a lot of things that go into making a business truly successful. Everything from clear planning to the right levels of investment are necessary to ensure that your business succeeds. However, there’s one thing that your business needs above just about everything else. That thing is the right people. You might be the head of your business, the driving force behind it. But without the right employees, you’re never going to be able to actually turn your plans into a reality. With that in mind, here are just a few essential employees that your business really needs.

IT

The modern world is one that is run almost entirely on computers. Thanks to the right of computers, smartphones, and high-speed internet, many businesses look completely different from the way that they need even a decade ago. Because of that, you need to make sure that there are people in your business who know exactly how to handle the various challenges that can arise when trying to manage the IT of your business. Otherwise, you run a very high risk of making any problem even worse than it needs to be, wasting huge amounts of time, money, and productivity in the process.

Drivers

When your business gets to a decent enough size it becomes necessary to bring more of the various elements of your business in-house rather than outsourcing them. One of the most common things to start handling in-house is the logistics of transporting and delivering your products. Of course, to do that you’re going to need great drivers. The best thing to do is to contact a truck driver recruiting agency to make sure that you’re finding the best people. This kind of job is simply too important for you to not bring in the most reliable employees possible.

Marketing

One of the most common mistakes that a lot of business owners tend to make is that they assume that marketing isn’t going to be that much of a challenge. And on the surface, it looks pretty simple but thanks to the rise of the internet, digital marketing has become a massive force in the business world. Digital marketing can often be so complicated that it can be kind of overwhelming. That’s why having a dedicated marketing team in your business, even if it’s just a small one, is so important. After all, even the best business can’t survive if no one knows about it.

Of course, it’s not just a matter of finding the right employees who will do the job properly. You all need to think about what your responsibilities are. If you’re not taking proper care of your employees then you run the very serious risk of them becoming frustrated, resentful, and even burning out entirely. You need to make sure that you’re providing them with all of the help and support that they need. Remember, you need them just as much as they need you and only by creating that kind of balanced relationship can your business truly thrive.

How to Avoid Conflict At the Workplace

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and a key focus is Career Discussions. Regardless of whether you’re an employer or an employee, it’s critical to understand how to avoid conflicts at the workplace as they can both hinder productivity and hinder career advancement. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Avoid Conflict At the Workplace.

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If your employees are unhappy and disengaged, chances are that their productivity will suffer, and they will not represent your company and brand as well as possible in front of your customers. This will lead to reputation damage and conflict in the workplace, which can cause long term problems. Instead of dealing with conflict, you might want to prevent it and take a proactive approach to maintaining a positive work environment. Find a few tips below.

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Clear Policies
To avoid disagreements that are based on assumptions and misconceptions, it is important that your business has clear human resources and behavior policies. If you don’t have one at the moment, chances are that your employees are just guessing which one is the best approach, and this will lead to conflict and arguments. Talk to a human resources professional to get help with developing your workplace policies.

Value Alignment

When you recruit people to represent your brand, you will need to make sure that they share your values and your vision. If your employees couldn’t care less about customer service or quality, chances are that you are employing the wrong people. There are many ways you can check whether or not your applicants’ values are aligned with your company policy and brand philosophy, using online tools and personality tests.

Effective Communication


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If there is a block in the communication channels, you will find it hard to communicate your goals and get your employees to commit to them. Workplace communication should never be flowing in one direction only. If you haven’t studied democratic leadership yet, it might be time to find out how you can encourage debates and discussion and avoid value conflict in the workplace, so your employees can fully engage with your company mission and vision.

Shared Goals

To make your workplace run smoother and to encourage collaboration and support, you will need to create shared goals. If you hold monthly appraisal meetings, take your time to sit down with each individual and find out what their personal career goals and aspirations are, so you can find a common trait and goals you can work towards together.

Conflict Management Frameworks

It is crucial that you have a procedure map in case conflict happens in your company. There is no point trying to deny that there is a problem, and the sooner you deal with it, the better you can handle the situation. Mediation, disciplinary procedures, training, and development, as well as sitting down with a civil attorney to learn about the legal framework of dealing with conflict and ethical problems at the workplace might be some of the best options.

When you have employees from different walks of life, conflict is something that may seem inevitable. Create a company culture that values and respects diversity and find a way to align your mission and vision with your employees’ own aspiration. Open up channels of communication, so you can deal with conflict as soon as possible.

Employee Engagement Ideas For Remote Teams

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two focuses are Business/Entrepreneurship and Career Discussions. A great perk for many employees is being able to work remotely. Working remotely gives a lot of flexibility and can add to productivity. There’s a downside to it too, and management must consider how to get the most of teams of employees working remotely. The following contributed post is therefore entitled, Employee Engagement Ideas For Remote Teams.

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Ensuring your employees are engaged is not always an easy task, yet it can become even more difficult when dealing with remote teams. Nonetheless, the following employment engagement ideas from Unum should give you a helping hand…

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Frequent Communication

When dealing with a remote team you should never take the ‘no news is good news’ stance. This is likely to lead to disengagement, as the team members may feel you don’t value them enough to tell them what’s going on. It is definitely a case of the more communication, the better.

Embrace Instant Messaging

A lot of managers believe it is more efficient for them to be the only point of contact. However, you risk alienating the team in question, and this is extremely damaging. Why? Well, information won’t flow effectively and work relationships won’t develop. Instead, promote healthy communication via the use of internal instant messaging.

Consider Various Communication Tools

When engaging with a remote team you need to make sure you use the right tool in relation to the message you are giving. If you merely need to rely on a simple message, an email will suffice. However, when something is more elaborate, or complex, or requires brainstorming, it will be more effective to use an advanced video tool. You can easily find these on the Internet, and some are even free to download. However, managed solutions come highly recommend, as they will be developed to suit your business.

Better Scheduling

Why should those on the other side of the world always have to take a conference call whilst they should be sound asleep? A lot of businesses schedule in relation to what is convenient for their home office. However, if you consider your remote teams and schedule for their benefit in some instances, you show that they are just as important and this keeps them engaged.

Give An Explanation

This is a simple yet effective engagement idea for remote teams. Often, everyone in the home office will know what is going on and consequently their reason for performing a particular task. However, remote teams may be asked to do something and they have no clue why. This may interrupt their current workflow and thus cause irritation. Moreover, it may lead them to feel disengaged because they are working on something without purpose. Therefore, all you need to do is explain why.

Create Personal Connections

It doesn’t hurt to ask someone how he or she is and what is going on in their life. A lot of managers neglect to do this because they feel they are wasting time. However, creating a human connection is time well spent. If you can’t spare five minutes of your time to get to know an employee, no matter where they are located, they won’t feel valued. Instead, they will feel overlooked.

So there you have it, six easy yet highly effective employee engagement ideas for your remote teams. As soon as these practices are implemented you will immediately notice a difference. Start today by making a personal connection when you next communicate with someone in a remote team.