Tag: Employees

More That a Cog: Show Your Employees That You Care

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Whichever kind of organization you’re running, taking care of your employees is key. If you do that, they’ll continue to give maximum effort. The following contributed post is thus entitled, More That a Cog: Show Your Employees That You Care.

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These days, employees want more than a paycheck from their employers; they want to feel like they’re part of something more important, to believe that they’re not just slogging away at a job so that a salary ends up in their bank account each month. Of course, money is a factor – a big factor – but there are others, such as knowing that their boss sees them as more than a cog in their machine. Showing a more caring approach doesn’t just affect your employees, either – it’ll be good for you, too, and the culture of the company. Below, we take a look at a number of ways you can become a more caring boss.

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Beyond Business Chat

You’ve hired your employee to do a job for you, but that doesn’t mean that all of your interactions have to be solely about business. If they are, then you can’t have any complaints if they think you just see them as an expendable employee. Get to know your staff on a deeper level. No, that doesn’t mean you should spend every Friday night bar-hopping; it just means getting to know what makes them tick, what they want to achieve in life, what their dreams are, things like that. Their chief aim in life isn’t to work for you — but maybe you can help them along on their journey to wherever they want to go.

Give Trust

There are some bosses who really shouldn’t have hired any employees at all, since all they want their employees to do is whatever they’re told to do. They’re micromanaged to death, and when that happens, there’s no amount of personal chit-chat that can make up for what is painfully obvious — that the professional side of the employee’s life is of no importance. As such, one of the best ways to foster a deeper relationship is to give the employee the opportunity to do the job they were hired to do, without looking over their shoulder. It’ll be a big step along their professional journey, and you’ll have been responsible.

Sympathy

In the cold-hearted corporate world, you’re told to park your personal problems at the door when you arrive at work. This might work if the human switched to robot mode once they entered the workplace, but it’s not realistic if that’s not an option. If you’ve got a huge personal problem in your life, then there’s not much you can do about the influence it has on your life, nor should you need to. No-one likes a boss who puts the company’s profits above an employee’s personal problems. Show some sympathy, and do what you can to alleviate any problems that they may have, such as giving them extra time off from work.

Look After Their Health

Employees are working longer hours than ever before, and it’s beginning to take its toll. There’s been a sharp rise in work-related health conditions, especially those connected to mental illness and prolonged periods of sitting. This, of course, does nobody any good — not the employee nor the company. So put making sure your employees are fit and healthy at the heart of your employee wellness programs. If someone’s feeling the mental strain from work, give them a few paid days off. You can also initiate a telemedicine system at the office, so your employees can get their health virtually assessed by a professional. These types of workplace initiatives will, primarily, show that you care about your staff’s wellbeing, but also boost morale and reduce sick days, too.

Take Their Side

If you’re in business for long enough, eventually you’re going to have to deal with a rude or hostile client. Or, to put it another way, your staff may have to deal with such a client. Now, in business, it’s generally recommended to make believe that the customer is always right, but to do this, this may sometimes mean throwing your employee under the bus. Once you side with a client who was rude and in the wrong, you’ll have lost the trust, and most likely respect, of your employee. You do not have to take the side of a customer who is rude and insulting towards your staff — side with your employee, and tell the client that their business is no longer welcome.

Employee Perks

You are, of course, paying your employees a salary, which is hopefully relatively generous in the first place. But just think about how much money they’re making for you; it likely greatly exceeds their salary. While your staff will know that this is part of the deal of a job, a few employee perks that go beyond their pay are always appreciated. Even small things, like buying a few drinks at Friday happy hour, will be a good start. Treat them well, and they’ll treat you well — it’s the same in business as it is in life.

Tell The Truth

An employee will always be skeptical of a boss who says nothing but good things. And why wouldn’t they be? There are problems in every aspect of life, including business. If the boss isn’t mentioning anything contrary at all, then what’s the deal? Get into the habit of telling it to your employees straight. This could be about the health of the company, your expectations for their work, or any mistakes the employee has made. It’ll make the praise all the more believable. And talking of which….

Genuine Praise

Let’s never forget that employees are human, and, like all humans, like praise! So if one of your workers does something praise-worthy, then tell them. And don’t just say “good job” and punch them on the shoulder; tell them specifically what they’re being praised for, including what it was about their work that impressed you.

All In It Together

Finally, work hard to avoid any divisions between you and your employees. You do not exist on a higher plane to your “regular” workers, you’re just the leader of the team. Emphasize that you’re all in it together!

Warehouse Fixes That Will Wow Your Employees

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A key component of many businesses is its warehouse operations. An optimally functioning warehouse can make or break a business and there are several keys to running an efficient facility for your employees. The following contributed post thus entitled, Warehouse Fixes That Will Wow Your Employees.

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When business owners are looking for ways to improve and upgrade their company, most of them are mainly concerned with their office. It’s true that the office is a very important part of the business overall, but there is one other equally critical area that is so very easily overlooked – the warehouse. Every company that has a warehouse will find that it is an essential part of their operations, and ensuring that it is streamlined can really help with the company’s overall efficiency.

So, do you think that it is time you took a look at your warehouse and considered how you might be able to improve it? Here are a few ideas that you may want to consider.

Automate Processes

One of the first things that you might want to think about is automating some of the warehouses that take place in the warehouse. This can make the workload a lot more manageable for all of the employees who work there. For instance, you might want to use software that can automate the delivery notification process. So, when a customer orders something online, a quick notification will be sent to the warehouse to let everyone know that they can start the whole shipment process.

Make The Layout More Efficient

It might also be a good idea to reconsider the whole layout of your warehouse. A poorly organized warehouse can quickly become a pain to work in, and it can reduce the overall efficiency of your staff. So, make sure the layout is an easy one to work in and doesn’t promote any disorganization. It’s also necessary to try to reduce hazards by improving the layout as much as possible.

Give It A Face Lift

Do you remember when the last time you updated your warehouse was? If it hasn’t been for a while, then it could be due a bit of a facelift. You might want to install a new concrete countertop onto a workstation and it might also be time to replace any flooring that looks past its best. Keeping all of the warehouse in good working order will ensure that it stays a lot safer for a few more years to come. It can also be a much more pleasant working environment for all of your staff.

Improve Staff Training

Don’t forget that it is also essential that each of your employees gets sufficient training throughout the year. This is even the case for all your employees who are based in the warehouse. Ideally, they need at least one training session each year. However, all of the most successful companies ensure that their staff are well trained with various courses throughout the year. This ensures that they can always carry out their job to the best of their abilities and that they are up to date with all the modern warehouse practices.

If you follow all of these tips, then you should find that your warehouse processes greatly improve, and this can help you turn over a larger profit.

Keeping Your Employees Happy

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two of its key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what kind of business or organization you’re running, it will be very important for your operations to keep your employees happy and continually dedicated to your mission. The following contributed post is likewise entitled, Keeping Your Employees Happy.

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When it comes to running a business, the most important thing besides making money should be keeping your employees happy. At the end of the day, they help your business tick over, improve and become more successful. So what ways can you keep your own staff happy?

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Make Work-Life Balance Important

We all want to have an equal amount of work-life in our lives. And not all businesses focus on this when it comes to their employees. By overworking employees and giving them little time for their own lives can end up having a huge effect on their mental wellbeing. They also might be more likely to leave the organization if they don’t feel like their lives outside of work are considered.

Find ways of bringing work-life balance into the business whether that’s through flexible working or offering overtime or lieu for hours worked outside of their contract.

Reward And Give Employees Incentives

Respect between the employer and employee can only lead to good things. So be sure to reward your staff when they’ve worked hard and offer employees incentives for projects and work that needs to be done. These don’t necessarily have to be cash related, but any sort of reward can have a great effect on your staff’s productivity and keeps them happy within the organization.

One example would be to offer bonuses in return for completing a project before the initial deadline or by completing a certain amount of tasks. You might also be in the position to offer a promotion, so always consider this as a reward or incentive to staff members.

Listen To Their Worries

Good communication between staff members and those in higher positions is hugely beneficial to employment mediation. Listen to staff concerns and do your best to recommend solutions or fix them if you can. It’s important to make staff feel valued, and if they don’t, then they’re more likely to leave. Being honest with them is also appreciated so if something is going on that affects them, let them know. Be transparent and open with your staff, and they’ll do the same if they have anything they’re concerned about.

Encourage Socialising With Staff

A strong team of staff is more beneficial than one who doesn’t spend any time with each other outside of working hours. That being said, it’s useful to organize staff parties and days out that can help staff members socialize with one another, especially if it’s a big organization.

Make sure your office space provides an opportunity for socializing too whether that’s in the form of a canteen or breakout space. If you can’t offer that, then maybe have a budget to organize a group lunch every so often.

A happy organization is a productive one so it’s always ideal to keep tabs on your staff and what can make them happier. If you don’t care about your employees enough, they’ll feel the same, and that can have a negative effect on the company.

Businesses Are Heading For A World Without Employees

Three of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship, and Technology. In current times, there is a lot of talk about workers being replaced by machines and automation. This discussion is often approached from the perspective of the employees, but is seldom discussed in terms of the advantages of the employers. What are the advantages to employers? The following contributed post is entitled, Businesses Are Heading For A World Without Employees.

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At least, employees in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, there are new options for business owners that need help but don’t want the headaches that come with having a full team of workers on staff in their building.

This isn’t surprising as when you get right down to it, workers can come with a lot of problems. That’s not to say this is their fault or that they are the ones to blame. In most cases, it’s fair to say that it’s employers who are causing the brunt of the issues, but that doesn’t matter. Now that the business world is, changing employers can escape the responsibility they were once tied to. So, let’s look at some of the issues employees cause and the factors that will bring big benefits for business owners.

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Employee Headaches

There are quite a few issues that you can have with employees. Harassment claims are certainly in the spotlight right now thanks to various Hollywood scandals, and slowly but surely they are seeping into the real world too. Offices are being flooded with claims, some legitimate others not, of workers who feel they have been treated terribly. It could cost business owners horrendous amounts of money.

Or, how about injuries at work? As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to keep your office or workplace safe. Failing to do this will result in a hefty fine that yes, you will need to pay. Workers comp lawsuits are often hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and may, in some cases reach the low millions!

There’s even the time and effort it takes to hire and fire employees to consider. You have to spend hours interviewing people, many of whom won’t be qualified enough or experienced enough for the job in question.

So, why are employees now on their way out of the business model?

Machine Learning

Yes, machine learning will almost certainly pave the way for more processes to be completed by machine and an automated workplace. This is already starting to happen, and if you’re let go next year, there’s a good chance it’s because a computer system or piece of software can now fulfil your role. Don’t worry though, everyone will be on the chopping board for this reason soon enough.

Going For The Gig

As well as this, businesses are now learning more and more towards hiring freelancers and outsourcing companies. The good news is that these outsourcing companies still need staff and it’s causing a boom in the gig industry. The bad news is that it’s allowing businesses to essentially ‘hire’ employees without offering any of the typical benefits or incentives. So basically, it’s a big win-win situation for business owners.

What Does It Mean?

For business owners, it could be the solution to perilous lawsuits. For society as a whole, we might see the introduction of a universal living wage, and it does seem like the only suitable solution as workers become less needed in far more industries.

Is Your Company Ready To Take On Employees?

Some of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Organizational and Management Discussions. A major key to running a company is knowing when additional help is needed in your workforce. If you need help, what’s the best way to approach finding it?  This contributed post is thus entitled, Is Your Company Ready To Take On Employees?

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Thinking of hiring employees to work for your company? Preparation is essential when taking on staff members. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you take steps to hire employees that will tell you whether you are ready or not.

Can you afford to take on employees?

First of all, you need to be certain that your company can earn enough to pay your employees wages. On top of this, you need to be able to afford recruitment costs, insurance, equipment and work incentives. It’s worth getting a financial advisor to help draw up a budget so that you can decide whether you’re ready – you can always take out a loan at first to pay for recruitment costs and initial equipment.

Have you got the time?

You need to be able to dedicate time to the recruitment process such as reading resumes, conducting interviews and providing training. Make sure that you’ve made this time for yourself, otherwise you could end up rushing the process and hiring the wrong employees. You also need to be there for your employees when they’re actually working for you – nobody likes a distant boss.

Have you got the tools and equipment?

Hiring employees could mean having to hire extra equipment. Some of this could be required for admin purposes such as payroll software. Other equipment could be for your individual employees needs such as uniforms, extra tools and safety equipment. You may want to stock up on some of this beforehand, whilst uniforms may be something you want to order when you know your individual employees sizes (although you may still want to come up with a design prior to this).

Do you understand the legal requirements?

There are a lot of legal requirements to consider when hiring staff. You’ll need to first take out employer liability insurance to protect you from injury claims – this is compulsory in many countries. You’ll also want to do a risk assessment of your workplace to ensure that aspects such as fire safety and basic health and safety are met. On top of this, you’ll need a clear understanding of all the benefits you should be providing such as a pension and holiday pay. PEO companies can help when it comes to putting benefits in place. Make sure to keep up to date with your local employment laws. If you are looking for a German PEO visit globalization pedia.

Do you have the personal skills to become an employer?

You may also want to consider taking a couple courses in leadership and management. These could help you to get a firm grip of the admin required whilst also helping to develop leadership skills such as delegation, communication and motivation. You can also try reading books on leadership or simply taking advice from blogs and vlogs. You don’t need experience or qualifications to be a good leader, however educating yourself could go a long way.

The Importance Of Providing Your Staff With The Right Tools

The first principal of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and a key focus is Business and Entrepreneurship. A key to success in any business or organization is providing your staff with the proper tools. The following contributed post is thus entitled; The Importance Of Providing Your Staff With The Right Tools.

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You may have heard the phrase, ‘you are only as good as the tools you use’. It’s been around for some time and doesn’t just refer to the tools that YOU would use for a job, but also the tools that you provide your staff with. When you’re running a business, you need to be able to offer the right tools to your staff to enable them to perform to the best of their abilities. When it comes to staff motivation, you need to do what you can to help your people to feel equipped for the work. It doesn’t just help them to understand how to do their job efficiently, it allows your business to be as productive as possible.

Tools mean different things to different businesses. Sometimes, the word ‘tools’ refers to the physical tools that are required to complete a job, such as power drills and hammers. They can also mean the cranes and large vehicular tools such as the ones that you can find at www.servicetrucks.com as used by the construction industry. The tools to do the job right in an office would be the technology that is used to complete tasks on time – even the computers that are used every day. There are thousands of examples of tools out there and if you are running a successful business, then it’s up to you to ensure that you are providing the right ones so that your staff can work as effectively as possible.

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There are two kinds of tools: the physical ones that complete a project and then there are the tools that help your business to run its processes effectively. Having the tools for the job can enable your staff to work efficiently, giving them the chance to grab more opportunities at work. Tools that you provide your employees can make or break your business. Without the right ones, your people can’t get their job done, slowing down your business and minimising your level of profit that year. You can also inadvertently lower the morale of your employees when you don’t offer them that support and equipment that they need.

When you miss out on supplying the right equipment for your employees, you are shooting your business in the foot. There are many applications and services that you can implement into your workplace to keep tasks organised, make employees feel as if you are listening to them and help you to keep your internal business processes running smoothly. Without the right tools, inefficiency creeps into your business. A slowed workforce isn’t one that can make the right waves and can keep up with the changing times. Providing your employees with the right tools for the job is the only way to keep up with those changes. You should never allow the lack of correct tools to put your business behind; communicate effectively with your staff and you can work out what you need to provide.