Category: Company

  • Peer Recognition: How to Promote this Culture in Your Team

    Peer Recognition: How to Promote this Culture in Your Team

    What is peer recognition in general?

    People tend to think that recognition only comes from a boss to their employees, but peer recognition is of grave importance in the workplace. Peer recognition means employees acknowledge fellow employees’ abilities and skills.

    Why does peer recognition matter in the workplace?

    • Enhances engagement between employees and makes employees feel more appreciated and confident.
    • Makes your employees feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.
    • Decreases turnover rate: lack of recognition makes employees leave their jobs.
    • Fosters diversity in the workplace: Peer recognition in the workplace will lead each employee to increase their productivity in their own authentic way, so this will lead to diversity in the workplace.
    • Increases the productivity and performance of your team.

    Tips to promote a peer recognition culture in your team

    Put a peer recognition program

    You can include in your employee self service a feature that lets employees chat with each other and send recognition. This will allow them to recognize each other from any place at any time. Make the recognition platform a fun one, make your employees write their custom recognition messages, and add fun GIFs and emojis. Make the recognition public on the platform to let other employees react by liking or commenting on the same recognition. This will make the employee being recognized feel more valued and appreciated. Creating an online recognition platform will make your employees excited and ready at any time to recognize their peers. Publicize your peer recognition program at your workplace to make your employees aware of it and use it more.

    Make recognition immediate

    Make peer recognition immediate, when an employee completes a task that was taking longer due to being a challenging one. Peer recognition will give them a great boost. Peer recognition can be just words of praise that will give a great boost to the employee in the next tasks. At your workplace, you can reward your employees with bonuses or any kind of reward when completing a hard task or when doing something amazing in their jobs; also, words of praise from their boss will be of great value.

    Make it authentic

    Recognizing peers must be done in an authentic way and sincere way, your employees must put in mind that peer recognition is not a task that must be done, because if they think like that, peer recognition will lose its value.

    Be specific when giving recognition

    Train your team to be specific when they recognize their peers, and make them describe in detail what they liked about their peer’s work or what they did. For example, one of your employees sends recognition to one of their employees for sealing the deal with a very important client in a professional yet authentic way.

    Celebrate anniversaries and birthdays

    Recognizing and celebrating work achievements is of grave importance, but also celebrating personal achievements is important. Buying a new house, completing a diploma or course, and getting married are all personal achievements that peers can congratulate each other on. A birthday celebration can be a great way to increase engagement between your employees and make them feel valued and more appreciated in the workplace. You can include a birthday schedule in your employee self-service software to remind each employee of their peers’ birthdays.

    Create a reward system

    Set your employees’ eyes on a reward for getting a difficult task done, so that when they complete this task, they are rewarded immediately and feel recognition at the same time. Make the reward an immediate one; don’t make it an annual reward because it will lose its meaning after a few months. Keep the competition healthy, make your employees challenge their peers and recognize their achievements, and do not create an environment full of hate and jealousy.

    Be kind at the workplace

    Letting your employees form a connection in the workplace, for instance, when one of their peers has taken a leave or sick day. Make your employees check up on each other to strengthen the bond between them. Recognition comes in many ways, as the boss of a workplace, you have to keep a close eye on every employee.
    When one of your employees completes a hard task or makes an achievement, recognize their work immediately, and when you feel that one of your employees is stressed due to work and personal issues, give them some PTO and make them feel that they are irreplaceable in your team and value their work. This form of recognition will avoid burning out your employees and reduce the turnover rate of your team. You can use PTO tracking software to organize employees on PTO and make it easier for yourself and recruitment process .

    The power of the leader’s words

    Employees appreciate praise words from their bosses; you can give your employees words of appreciation for even the smallest task. You don’t have to wait for them to make an accomplishment or a great achievement, or make a gigantic deal. When you find your employees working extra time, appreciate them and tell them that they are doing a great job. Every now and then, you can order food to reward your employees for their efforts and appreciate them for what they do.

    Check the success rate of your recognition program

    You always have to upgrade your recognition program, so every once in a while, measure the success rate that your recognition program has reached. The metrics that you need to measure are: how much peer recognition is sent and received, and how many active leaders are on the platform. If you notice that your employee’s engagement is not high enough. You can think of better ways to make employees more engaged and encourage peer recognition.

    No matter the size of your team, peer recognition can directly improve employee engagement, productivity, retention, and sense of belonging. Keep in mind that peer recognition is essential to push your team forward.

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  • All You Need to Know About Team Development

    All You Need to Know About Team Development

    What is Team Development?

    A crew incorporates people brought collectively to meet a commonplace aim. every person performs a critical role in assembly the intention given that everyone has a unique talent set. although, only a few have the same mindset and orientation. This article will provide you with some steps to help you sort you team development.

    Getting anyone on the same wavelength sounds smooth on paper, however, that is not the case. it’s challenging to stabilize common and character goals inside a team mainly in the course of moments of discord, failure, or strain. it truly is in which team development is available.

    as the call shows, group development entails training and supporting a collection of individuals so they work as a cohesive unit to recognize the supposed outcome. A notable instance of group development is whilst colleagues from departments accomplice to work on a mission.

    initially, they might not apprehend each different’s expectancies and roles. they’ll aim to collaborate and divide roles and duties to ensure the mission receives finished on time. team development is the structured technique of bringing collectively a collection of numerous individuals and coaching them to appreciate their variations as they work towards a shared aim.

    What are the 5 Ranges of Team Development?

    According to Mr. Tuckman, an American psychological researcher, the five ranges of team development are:

    • Forming
    • Storming
    • Norming
    • Performing
    • Adjourning

    Forming

    In this phase, the team comes together for the first time, and participants get to realize every difference. The forming stage is often gradual and informal since it in general involves contributors getting familiar. consider is constructed, which plays an important position in the team’s fulfillment.

    all through the primary assembly, team members also analyze their roles and what is anticipated of them as they work closer to reaching the shared intention. ground rules to govern the crew get outlined in the forming phase. team leaders want to facilitate introductions and spotlight every member’s background and capabilities. time off tracking software will give you a shortcut to know everything about each employee you hired, their monthly tasks their presence, and many more.

    On their component, members need to learn how to arrange their duties. The forming stage is a honeymoon section in team improvement. Conflicts are normally minimal given that contributors are too newly familiar to have any.

    at some point in the forming phase, team members are often constructive and obsessed with getting started. they’ll additionally be polite and frightened approximately how the team will gel. The anxious conduct typically arises because contributors are unsure approximately the venture’s desires and their roles. but, as soon as it’s explained, they may regulate to the jobs that await them.

    Storming

    this is the second phase of the team improvement procedure. It entails a difficult yet crucial transition from the forming phase. there is an opportunity for failure at the storming phase as it’s here that conflicts start to show up. at the storming phase, contributors will start to sense comfortable around each different, proportion thoughts, and learn how their colleagues operate in a group placing.

    The implementing personalities inside the crew become glaring at this stage, mainly when contributors start to percentage ideas openly. individuals who stand out begin to get usual by way of their peers as capability leaders. crew leaders should enforce measures for coping with opposition and capability war among individuals, Additionally, they need to streamline opposition and ensure the tasks they’re handling live on the right track.

    as the real work starts unevolved at some point in the storming phase, interpersonal and technical demanding situations will seem. employees management selections, personal painting behavior, and conversation lapses for the duration of the storming phase can create anxiety inside a group. Frustration, annoyance, and anxiety generally tend to rise as a result. crew participants want to learn to use war in order that it would not sluggish or hinder their progress.

    As sturdy personalities emerge, team leaders should ensure these individuals do not inadvertently dominate the relaxation of the group and the task’s results. An easy way to accomplish that is by way of encouraging everyone’s participation in crew activities. as soon as the storming stage receives navigated, the group can gain a better dynamic.

    Norming

    The norming stage is whilst the entire team begins to paint as a cohesive unit. by using now, crew individuals have discovered a method for running together. The inner competitions universal in the storming phase were rooted out. All crew member’s roles and responsibilities also are clear. As a result, the team works more successfully due to the fact participants understand what’s predicted of them and understand how to share their thoughts, and are seeking feedback.

    Within the norming phase, the group falls into a rhythm and starts to work as a cohesive project force. each member’s capabilities and competencies get verified and applied in executing the vital tasks. As a result, the team starts to function greater efficaciously and gains momentum toward figuring out the shared desires. members turn out to be extra relaxed with each different and apprehend the significance of making use of their various views to locate sensible answers to any challenges.

    although participants recognize each other, conflicts may additionally nevertheless arise in the norming phase of team development. even though the conflicts can’t spiral into disorder due to the fact the team has gelled. members have an extra profound commitment to every different and the project’s final touch, so it is easier to deal with conflicts.

    in case you’re a group leader, it’s exceptional to remember that an overlap between the storming and norming phases can also appear. Your group can without difficulty backslide into the storming phase, mainly while new tasks stand up or whilst managing the extra complex factors of the mission. for that reason, group leaders need to be handy to assist individuals to go back to the norming phase.

    Performing

    The team functions at top efficiency, and little or no oversight is wished. at the performing phase, it’s clear to accomplish obligations when you consider that individuals are in tandem and apprehend the process. crew members thrive while coping with personal and collective tasks on account that every person’s abilities are absolutely optimized.

    issues can also nonetheless get up, but extra occasionally. challenges have a minimum effect on team performance and morale because individuals have time tracking strategy for resolving them without compromising mission timelines and progress. A group’s performance is at top capability at this phase because absolutely everyone has found out to identify and leverage every other’s strength for commonplace accuracy.

    The appearing phase is important to the group, and attaining it normally portends the fulfillment it truly is to come back. It additionally precipitates crew gaining knowledge of, that is the system of collecting, discussing, and rolling out the strategies for group achievement. the team gaining knowledge of can appear via group tasks, revolutionary leadership, and training and is vital in ensuring healthy group improvement.

    Adjourning

    that is the very last phase of the team improvement process. it’s also called the remodeling system and occurs after the crew accomplishes what it got down to do. After a while, it starts to dismantle itself in readiness for different responsibilities. The adjourning phase is a time for both mourning and celebrating. Mourning because team individuals are paring after forging deep relationships all through the challenge and celebrating for a task well accomplished.

    Maximum groups get to the adjourning phase at some unspecified time in the future however that’s not constantly the case. some groups get created for tasks with endpoints, whilst others are ongoing. Even teams constructed for everlasting projects can still go through the adjourning procedure because of restructuring and re-allocation. The phase can cause uncertainty, specifically amongst group contributors who are unsure approximately their subsequent roles. therefore, leaders ought to be supportive and assist participants transition easily into new roles.

    The adjourning stage is an opportunity for team leaders to inspire lengthy term relationships, celebrate the mission’s ultimate, and replicate the group’s development and efforts. In a company, the adjourning phase ought to translate right into a trade in employees’ task obligations. for instance, if the crew develops a new work process for enhancing client enjoyment, individuals can be requested to supervise the brand new and advanced process.

  • Authenticity in workplace: How to promote it?

    Authenticity in workplace: How to promote it?

    The word authenticity means the quality of being real or genuine and truly showing yourself and being true to oneself. Authenticity at the workplace is when employees feel comfortable and safe to express their selves and show their true characters. Authenticity in workplace also means for your employees to feel a sense of belonging and fitting in the workplace to show their true character.

    A study has proven that there is a connection between authenticity and happiness, authenticity in workplace results in higher self esteem, lower stress, and higher life satisfaction.

    Here are some tips to promote authenticity at work.

    Make your employees share parts of their personal life

    We all know that your employees have a life outside of their workplace, and it may be a tough one most of the time. Asking your employees some random questions about their personal life and hearing them out, will make them much more comfortable at work. For example, if one of your employees clocks in late ask them if is everything alright at their end, they may tell you they dropped their kids at school or they woke up late because they slept late the night before for a family matter. You have to put in mind that your employees must have privacy, so you have to be cautious when asking questions not to invade their privacy. This will guarantee that your employees feel comfortable and fit in the workplace.

    Increase engagement in the workplace

    The majority of the employees are afraid to be authentic due to fear of being alienated in the workplace or judged for their thoughts. Engagement can be increased by doing Company trips, dinners, and celebrating birthday parties. You can include in your employee time off tracking software a schedule for birthdays to make your employees greet each other and celebrate birthdays.

    Tell your employees it’s ok to make mistakes

    We are only humans, after all, mistakes are expected in any workplace. You will be a great leader if you tell your employees that it’s ok to make mistakes. This will make any employee own any mistake they make, and not blame it on their co-workers. Make your employees know that they are an essential asset in your team and make them feel that you want them to stay at your workplace. Make your employees feel valued so that they feel a sense of belonging and wellness. By doing this you will establish psychological safety at your workplace so your employees will feel safe to show up authentically.

    Direct questions to your employees

    Your employees may be shy to share their thoughts on a problem, so take their opinions on how to solve a problem. Make them feel included in the major tasks even if their opinion wasn’t of much use, You can find a very useful solution from an employee so give them credit for their contribution. This will make your employees feel much more valued and included in the workplace, giving them more reasons to let their authentic selves out.

    You have to really know your team

    As a leader, you have to know every member of the workplace but to make them show their authentic selves you have to really know them. Spend time with your employees in one on one meetings to get to know them better and know their hobbies and how they think. They can include a part of their character in their work so let them know it is better to be authentic.

    Be honest with your employees

    Every workplace faces hardships at some point, but it is up to the leader how to face them. When facing a problem or a dead end at some point it’s okay to tell your employees about it and include them in discussions. Tell your employees about the bad news don’t sugarcoat them, transparency is a policy that will guarantee you build better connections with your employees.

    Show your vulnerable side

    As weird as it may seem but show vulnerability is not always bad, as we all know employees are always afraid of their bosses. You can break the ice with your employees by sharing one of your personal stories or even a story of a problem that faced you in your work before. Sharing your stories can be tricky because you have to be alert not to dump your emotions on your employees in the process. Making your employees feel that you are approachable will make them more comfortable and show their authenticity more.

    Create opportunities to discover your employees’ authenticity

    New experiences will reveal your employees’ authenticity no matter what. You can give your employees some challenging tasks and watch how they will evolve to complete them and how they will complete them in their own way. You can also give your employees tasks not mentioned in their job description to make them challenge themselves to new limits and show their authenticity.

    Be yourself at your own workplace

    Being the manager or owner of a company doesn’t mean that you have to be someone else other than yourself. You have to be an authentic leader and be yourself. It’s energy draining and tiring to act like someone else, and how could you ask your employees to be authentic if their leader isn’t an authentic one? Being yourself at your workplace will bring you much comfort and will make you much more approachable and increase teamwork between you and your employees.

    Ask your employees for their feedback

    Your employees need to be heard in the workplace to feel included in a safer environment, you can make a survey occasionally and ask your employees to fill it out. You can also get rid of the paperwork and make the survey included in your employee self service software so that your employees fill it in with ease.

    What are the benefits of promoting authenticity in workplace?

    When your employees feel safer in the workplace and they are being their authentic selves this will lead to many things in return. First of all your employee engagement rate will increase and your employees will work in harmony. Your team’s productivity will increase and the turnover rate will decrease.

  • Team Burnout: How To Avoid It?

    Team Burnout: How To Avoid It?

    There аre mаny strаtegies аnd асtiоnаble steрs thаt соmраnies саn tаke tо reduсe burnоut аnd inсreаse emрlоyee sаtisfасtiоn. Belоw, we list 13 wаys yоu саn stаrt соmbаtting Team Burnout tоmоrrоw.

    Set gоаls аnd exрeсtаtiоns eаrly оn

    Be сleаr аbоut the skills yоu’re lооking fоr right frоm the stаrt. If yоu exрeсt thаt а rоle will evоlve оr сhаnge оver time, yоu shоuld mаke this сleаr during the interview рrосess. Ensure yоu аre hiring sоmeоne whо саn embrасe аmbiguity, оr sоmeоne whо саn effeсtively соmmuniсаte when а рrоjeсt оr situаtiоn is nо lоnger wоrking fоr them. Tо рrevent аmbiguity when аdvertising а rоle, соnsult а reсruiter оn whаt tо inсlude in the jоb desсriрtiоn.

    Burnоut оссurs when yоur emрlоyees simрly hаve tоо muсh tо dо, оr lасk the resоurсes, skill оr аbility tо dо whаt’s required оf them in the аlot of time. 90% оf the рrоfessiоnаls surveyed feel it’s imроrtаnt their gоаls аnd оbjeсtives аre сleаrly соmmuniсаted tо them оn а regulаr bаsis. 

    Use the 80/20 rule

    The рrinсiрle sаys thаt 20% оf yоur асtivity will ассоunt fоr 80% оf yоur оutрut. Ensure thаt yоu mаke сleаr tо yоur emрlоyees whаt the mоst imроrtаnt tаsks аre, sо thаt they саn fосus most оf their time оn the tаsks thаt will сreаte the mоst imрасt.

    Emрhаsise wellness аnd enсоurаge time оff

    Tо рrevent burnоut аmоngst yоur emрlоyees асtively enсоurаge them tо tаke раid аnnuаl leаve, tаking regulаr breаks frоm wоrk will helр tо imрrоve mоrаle, рrоduсtivity аnd mentаl heаlth.

    А grоwing trend аmоng teсh соmраnies is tо оffer emрlоyees unlimited hоlidаys, but sоme then аdmitted tо hаving feelings оf guilt when tаking leаve. Emрlоyers need tо be mindful thаt just giving stаff mоre leаve isn’t reаlly sоlving the issue. А сlоser insрeсtiоn оf the wоrking сulture within the оrgаnisаtiоn is required.

    Соnsider imрlementing wellness initiаtives within yоur wоrkрlасe, inсluding things like free yоgа lessоns, mindfulness аррs аnd heаlthy snасks.it’s imроrtаnt tо hаve аdequаte time tо dediсаte tо their рersоnаl lives оutside оf wоrk. Соnsider оffering flexible оr remоte wоrk tо reduсe wоrk life strаin fоr yоur emрlоyees. This саn аlsо helр retаin yоur best рeорle.

    Disсоurаge emрlоyees frоm аdding their wоrk emаil tо their рersоnаl mоbile deviсes sо they аren’t temрted tо ‘сheсk in’ оutside оf their nоrmаl wоrking hоurs. Аlsо, shоw resрeсt fоr yоur emрlоyees’ ‘hоme time’ by limiting nоn essentiаl wоrk соmmuniсаtiоns оutside their regulаr hоurs.

    Day off offers you the following:

      • Annual leave tracking app

      • Day off makes tracking much easier & saves you plenty of time

      • Give emрlоyees аutоnоmy аnd соntrоl

    Оnly 18% оf the рrоfessiоnаls surveyed strоngly аgreed thаt their rоles аnd responsibilities were соnveyed аррrорriаtely tо them in the jоb desсriрtiоn аnd during the interview рrосess. Thаt соuld leаd tо а lасk оf аutоnоmy in hоw they dо their wоrk оr even а lасk оf соntrоl оver their future саreer рrоsрeсts.

    Аsk fоr feedbасk

     (65%) оf рrоfessiоnаls wоuld like tо give аnоnymоus feedbасk tо their mаnаgers, but (46%) оf emрlоyers reveаl thаt they ‘rаrely’ give their emрlоyees that орtiоn.

    Emрlоyees wаnt tо knоw thаt their соntributiоns mаke а differenсe. It shоws them thаt yоu vаlue their inрut аnd wаnt them tо be а раrt оf shарing the future оf the business. It саn аlsо leаd tо inсreаsed jоb sаtisfасtiоn аnd mоrаle.

    Сreаte а сleаr раthwаys fоr рrоgressiоn

    Estаblish сleаr рrоmоtiоn оr rewаrd раthwаys, аnd be sure tо соmmuniсаte exасtly whаt needs tо be ассоmрlished tо асhieve а сertаin title, level, оr sаlаry. Mаnаgers shоuld referenсe these раthwаys regulаrly in оne оn оnes аnd reviews.

    Аlwаys give feedbасk

    Nine оut оf ten оf thоse surveyed sаid thаt regulаr feedbасk wаs very imроrtаnt tо them. It mаy be сhаllenging оr unсоmfоrtаble, but it’s сleаr thаt feedbасk роsitive оr соnstruсtive is highly sоught аfter by emрlоyees, helрing them gаuge their оwn рerfоrmаnсe аnd understаnd their strengths, аs well аs аreаs fоr imрrоvement.

    Be рubliс аbоut рrаise

    А little reсоgnitiоn саn gо а lоng wаy. Reсоgnising yоur tор рerfоrmers in internаl соmmuniсаtiоns, оr direсtly in frоnt оf the teаm, is hugely vаluаble in rаising emрlоyee mоrаle.

    Be fаir аbоut раyment

    Mаke sure yоur раyment rаte is соmрetitive, fаir аnd аligned with industry аverаges fоr аn emрlоyee’s rоle аnd exрerienсe.

    There аre mаny wаys fоr emрlоyees tо meаsure their оwn раy аgаinst the industry stаndаrd. If а disсreраnсy is disсоvered, brоught uр, аnd nоt reсtified, burnоut саn оссur.

    Рeорle wаnt tо соme tо wоrk аnd be аmоngst соlleаgues they resрeсt аnd whоse соmраny they enjоy. Сulture fit rаises its fаir shаre оf рrоblems, but there аre оther wаys tо ensure yоur business hаs а sense оf соmmunity where everyоne belоngs.

    Оrgаnise sосiаl асtivities tо enсоurаge teаm bоnding

    (73%) оf рrоfessiоnаls surveyed sаid they feel it’s imроrtаnt their соmраny оrgаnises teаm bоnding асtivities. Оrgаnise аn асtivity thаt everyоne саn dо tоgether viа videо соnferenсing teсhnоlоgy оr оutside оf the оffiсe tоgether if lосаl sосiаl distаnсing regulаtiоns аllоw it. Оrgаnising sосiаl асtivities tells yоur emрlоyees thаt yоu асknоwledge hоw hаrd they аre wоrking аnd thаt it’s imроrtаnt tо yоur teаm сulture tо steр аwаy frоm the dаy tо dаy tо reсhаrge аnd соnneсt with eасh оther.

    Review your internаl соmmuniсаtiоn сhаnnels

    There аre mаny рrоjeсt mаnаgement аnd соllаbоrаtiоn tооls аvаilаble. Sо, dо yоur reseаrсh аnd find оne thаt wоrks well fоr yоur teаm, then соmmuniсаte with them whiсh сhаnnel they shоuld be using fоr whiсh рurроse, аllоwing everyоne tо соllаbоrаte in оne рlасe.

    Соnsider mentоrshiр рrоgrаmmes

    Stаrting а mentоrshiр рrоgrаmme аt yоur business is а greаt wаy tо сreаte орроrtunities fоr emрlоyees tо grоw аnd develор аnd give yоur emрlоyees рeer tо рeer suрроrt tо get thrоugh tоugh times.

    Be inсlusive аbоut flexibility

    Burnоut саn eаsily оссur fоr individuаls whо feel they аre а minоrity within their wоrkрlасe. Flexibility is fоr everyоne. Mаny оrgаnisаtiоns and firms hаve begun tо imрrоve their роliсies fоr раrents, оffering flexibility аrоund аrrivаl аnd deраrture times, оr even оverаll wоrking hоurs. It’s important and necessary for businesses to remember that flexibility should extend tо аll members оf the business.

  • Company trips : 3 ways to make employees excited about them

    Company trips : 3 ways to make employees excited about them

    Employees get stuck inside the infinite cycle of work and they get bored after a while. Their motivation will decrease drastically, their productivity will decree, they will be gloomy about group projects, and eventually, they might quit their jobs. Employees try to fight their boredom by asking for raises and PTO but there is a better solution for it. Travel incentives are a great way to encourage your employees and make them motivated. When rewarding your employees it doesn’t always have to be cash prizes, because cash prizes will be used to pay the bills and much other stuff the same as their payroll. You can offer trips as rewards to make your employees make memories and change their moods so that they be motivated at their jobs. Here are 3 ways to get your employees excited about company trips.

     Make Arrangements or Make Your Employees Choose it

    Arranging a company trip that will impress your employees may be challenging, sometimes your employees would want you to book them the trips, choose the place, book the hotel and organize their vacation tracking but leave some activities to the choice of the employee. You should respect that not all of your employees will enjoy the same activities, so make your employees do some of their activities based on their likes and dislikes. Some employees will enjoy hikes and others will enjoy surfboarding, so put in mind the difference in mindsets. One way to make your employees excited for company trips is to let your employees choose the trip themselves, you can include a poll with multiple destinations in your employee self service software and make your employees choose the destination they would love to have a company trip at.

    Include Trips in Your Benefits and Create a Culture of Traveling in the Workplace

    Most employers when introducing benefits to their employees, offer them health and retirement insurance but they don’t include trips and wellness vacations. As an employer, you can form a strategy to include paid trips in your employees benefits and give the responsibility of planning the trip to HR.

    You could create a budget for traveling that can fully cover the expenses for your employees or only cover a major part of the expenses. Encourage your employees to talk about their trips and share their experiences, this will make your employees feel more excited to return to their jobs. Ask your employees to ask each other whether they enjoyed the trip or not and encourage your employees to tell you stories about their trip, this will increase engagement between your employees and excite other employees for company trips.

    Take your employees’ feedback after a company trip, did they like the hotel, did they enjoy the activities, and on a scale from 1 to 10 how much did they enjoy the trip? You can include a survey in your employee self-service software to take any employee’s feedback after they go on a company trip or vacation.

    Be flexible on Vacation Days

    When employees take a vacation to go on a trip they get worried that their bosses may not go easy on them on how many continuous days they can take, so they get afraid to ask for a vacation to go on a trip. You can be an easy boss and be flexible on the vacation days more and let them know that they can continue their work and tasks when they get back to the workplace and enjoy themselves. You can monitor your employees’ vacation days and activity more easily by using Vacation manager software or PTO manager software.

    What you should do when going on a business trip with your employees?

    Communicate with Your Employees

    During a business trip, you should have face to face talks with your employees, and check if they have settled well in their rooms. A face to face talk will make your employees feel more valued and appreciated and will make them more motivated for any upcoming business trips.

    Your Employees’ Mood Depends on Yours

    You can’t be gloomy and slack in your work and expect your employees to be joyful and do their jobs perfectly. You have to lead by example and be a joyful boss because good moods are infectious and will make your employees motivated and excited to go on any business trip with you.

    Let your employees have a great time after work is done

    After the work is done on the business trip you can extend the trip for a day or more for your employees to have a little fun and enjoy themselves. When your employees know that the business trip isn’t all about business and that they can enjoy themselves and have fun, they will be looking forward to and excited about any business trip.

    What will you benefit from making your employees travel?

    Breaking the work cycle

    Traveling and having fun whether it is a vacation or a couple of days after finishing a business trip will improve your employees’ morale and increase their productivity and also this will make your employees get rid of workplace or office boredom.

    Increase engagement in the workplace

    This will increase engagement between your employees and build your team better. During business trips, your employees can interact in activities together which will bring them to know each other better.

    Increase loyalty and reduce turnover rate

    This will increase your employees’ loyalty and reduce the turnover rate at your workplace. Once your employees have a travel experience in your business they will rethink multiple times before quitting.

    Improve your employees’ well being

    Travel opportunities will improve your employees’ well being. When your employees travel and have a change of scenery, this will recharge their social battery and any employee who was less productive due to boredom will have the chance to relax and recharge their productivity and be motivated for their work when they return to the workplace.

  • Employees’ Benefits in Germany

    Employees’ Benefits in Germany

    Employees that are happy and pleased contribute to the success of your company and increased earnings. However, you may not be aware of all of the special advantages available to employees in Germany. We can offer valid labor contracts for employees in Germany, including local benefits, utilizing our PEO and EOR services. This article will give you a brief about employees benefits in Germany.

    When establishing a presence in a new nation, you must ensure that your employment contracts and benefit guarantees are compliant. To name a few, these include social security contributions, sick leave, health insurance, and unemployment. Employees benefits in Germany can be guaranteed by labor law and legal requirements, as well as through collective bargaining agreements with trade unions or workers’ councils.

    Pensions for retired people

    Employees’ primary issue is retirement funding, as pension scheme levels continue to decline as the retirement age rises. Every employer is required by law to make the minimum contributions to the state pension system, as stated above, for both the employer and the employee.

    Contributions to the pension scheme do not build up in a cash backed fund on behalf of the employee but are instead paid out of current income from pension insurance through a procedure called allocation (pay as you go system). Based on 45 years of contributions and an average income, the gross monthly regular retirement pension amount is around €1,154 due to the financing problem. Early retirement is allowed starting at the age of 63, with monthly decreases of 0.3 percent. Pension benefits now are taxed as a result of changes in the pension law. To prevent unnecessary hardship for retirees, this is implemented gradually for pensions that have already been paid. About €3,000 is the maximum standard monthly gross retirement pension. This is a theoretical figure, as it is nearly impossible to achieve.

    Unemployment benefits

    Unemployment insurance is available to anyone who works at least 18 hours per week in a gainful job. Benefits begin the first day of unemployment for involuntary termination (dismissal) and end after 12 weeks for voluntary termination (resignation), assuming the jobless person has worked for at least 12 months in the previous two years.

    The benefit is equal to 60% of the previous year’s net earnings, or 67 percent if there are children. The length of payment is also determined by the length of time duration calculator that contributions were paid and the claimant’s age. Benefits are paid for a minimum of six months and a maximum of eighteen months. Following this period, the payment is decreased to around €374 per month, with an additional child allowance that varies depending on the age of the kid.

    Health care Advantages

    Everybody in Germany who works or lives there is required to have insurance. 90 percent of Germans have public health insurance, and govt plans continue to provide a wide range of good services, including vision, dental, pre-and prenatal, and pediatric care. Unemployed spouses and children under the age of 25 are covered at no additional expenses under public health insurance. Contributions to healthcare are split evenly between the company and the employee and are withdrawn from the employee’s paycheck. People earning more over a government-set annual threshold are eligible for private insurance. Despite the fact that these benefits are funded through payroll, this is managed privately rather than through an employer sponsored plan.

    Retirement pension

    Defined contribution or hybrid defined-contribution systems are used in retirement programmes. Depending on the industry, firm size, and employee hierarchical level, contribution rates range from 2% to 5% of pensionable earnings. Employer matching contribution programmes are frequently constructed as 1:1 or 1:12 matches, with a maximum employer contribution based on the employer contribution ceiling.

    Life Insurance

    Benefits are normally one or two times the employee’s pensionable wages or a set amount paid in a lump sum to the employee’s survivors. The beneficiaries of life insurance payouts are liable to income tax at the time of payment. However, the premiums paid to cover life insurance benefits are tax deductible.

    Medical Insurance

    Due to the fact that additional health and dental plans are not essential and are taxed to the employee, most employees have public insurance. Furthermore, if an employee has been employed for at least four weeks and becomes unwell, the employer is compelled to pay the employee at 100% for the first six weeks of the illness. The employer’s obligation to continue paying employees ends after the seventh week, and the corresponding state sickness fund takes over the payment of the so-called sickness benefit. This perk is worth 70% of the gross salary.

    Dental Insurance

    Even public health insurers provide dental benefits in Germany, therefore this is rarely supplied. Dental coverage is a taxed perk.

    Occupation & Family

    Flexible work schedules and locations allow parents, in particular, to work from anywhere and at any time that is beneficial for both work and family. It is also utilised by single and childless employees who can plan various activities outside of work hours.

  • The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization suffers when an employee does not trust their manager. The true, fear based rule works, but the employee will only do the bare minimum of work required to keep their employment. Smart leaders understand that engaged employees bring innovation and passion to their work, which means more minds looking for new ways to solve problems or streamline procedures.

    All of this is critical for outperforming the competition, not to mention employee retention: Good employees will not stay at an unsatisfactory job until they believe they have no other options.

    Earning the Trust of Employees

    The Organization may create trust with their employees by being transparent and honest about changes that could affect them; successfully connecting by talking to them rather than at them; maintaining an honest policy and then following up, and being willing to pitch in to help. Taking them out to lunch might be a modest act of compassion that goes a long way.

    Give them your full name, not your title

    You may be compared to or branded as a “manager” depending on the industry and, most likely, the organization. Make it clear to your employees that you are a person first and a boss second. Take appropriate action. Concentrate on the person in front of you, get to know them, and look for opportunities to say “yes” to them more frequently.

    Find out what is most important to your employees

    In all of my years of coaching leaders, I’ve discovered that the most ignored method for developing trusting connections is the most basic. Ask! In order to create trust, find out what is most important to your staff, how they want to be recognized, how they wish to receive feedback, and how they talk. Recognizing and acting on their preferences will help to create trust.

    Effective Listening

    Managers build trust by asking effective questions and then actively listening to employees’ responses. A surface level chat can be transformed into a meaningful dialogue by “drilling” down with questions. Keeping up with evidence that supports employees’ ideas and concerns enhances the manager’s ability to listen.

    Keep Surprises for Special Occasions

    Employees generally dislike unexpected reviews, news, or something serious from supervisors. Managers can establish trust with employees through regular communication, scheduled reports on work productivity, and being open about the organization’s health. When an employee believes they can rely on their management to tell them the truth, it can be motivational and aid in the development of trust.

    First, provide your own trust.

    “The greatest way of finding out if you can trust someone is to believe them, Try trusting your staff first if you really want them to trust you. Give them a task, even if it’s a simple one, and let them finish it on their own. Employees will run through walls for you if they believe you have their back.

    Be Respectful of One Another

    Respect is the simplest way to build trust. It’s a respectful acknowledgement of achievements and openness about shortcomings. It is the link between leaders and teams. Buying it doesn’t cost anything However, each side must make time for it. Daily respect habits such as “listen and care, make eye contact, and admit your flaws” will continue driving interaction and, ultimately performance.

    Demonstrate That You Aren’t Afraid Of Failure

    An unconfident leader sees every former employee as a threat. Any blunder or lapse in performance will reflect poorly on thehr manager , so every employee is viewed as a threat. This leads to selfish, bad behavior and creates an unsafe environment for the team. Trust can only develop in a fear free environment. Every leader must work on their own fear issues in order to focus on team building rather than ego.

    Integrity in Leadership

    As a leader, you can prove your trustworthiness by keeping your word to your employees. Allow them to see your honesty. simply say what you’re going to do, and then do it. Demonstrate that you are leading in accordance with the organization’s values. Reward those who behave honestly. Give your trust and ask for theirs in return. Be trustworthy and honourable, and make it clear that you expect the same in return.

    Allow Them to Manage Some Tasks

    Allow them to be free by no longer micromanaging them. Give them the ability to manage their own activities. Allow them to lead the end of month performance review sessions, and ask them to evaluate and adjust their KPIs. This behavior organically develops leaders within your organization and fosters a sense of personal accountability, resulting in a trusting relationship.

    Request feedback

    Supervisors should be willing to listen to feedback from their team members. Staff members are very often reluctant to share honest advice, let alone with their manager, which creates a barrier. However, if supervisors are open to suggestions, they can gradually cultivate a feedback culture within their team, thereby increasing trust.

  • Cross boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross boarding and onboarding are the methods of recruiting a person to a job vacancy. Both of the methods have different advantages and disadvantages.

    Cross boarding:

    Cross boarding is the process of looking for existing employees in the organization. The employer chooses his talents after assessing who can be suitable for the vacant position. It can be a promotion or change of position. This process leverages the existing resources in the organization to perform the tasks that arise in the organization, rather than searching for new employees outside.

    Onboarding:

    Onboarding is the process of hiring new people on the job vacant. Employer chooses the new employees after several tests and interviews. Employers select the employees that pass through the examination for the job. hr software solutions of the organization are responsible of this process. It allows the outside resources into the organization to perform the tasks that arise in it, rather than appointing the employees from within the organization.

    Cross boarding and Onboarding have their benefits. They also differ from each other. The difference between Crossboarding and Onboarding is as follows:

    Risk factor:

    The risk factor is differentiated on the basis that which method has the high risk involved or not. 

    Crossboarding: The risk is not so high in this method. The cross boarded employee can be less proficient in his job as compared to the previous job. But the risk is still less than hiring an external candidate. Because he worked with the organization in the past.

    Onboarding: The risk is high in this method. The employer doesn’t know much about the new employee. The new employee can be proficient in his job or could be incompetent to the job. He doesn’t know much about the organization, so he will take time to adjust to the new environment.

    Talent and Ideas:

    Each employee has different talents and ideas for the benefit of the organization. This factor differentiates between these two factors as:

    Cross boarding: Cross boarding doesn’t allow new talent. Since the employer selects the employees from within the organization. The employer either promotes or shifts to another job the same talent. New ideas may take place, but will not be something that the organization did not have before.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding allows new talent. This process of selection allows for the appointment of employees from outside. When the new talent enters into the organization, they also come with new talent and ideas. These fresh ideas can be beneficial to the organization.

    Cost:

    The cost is involved in appointing new employees in the organization. It is differentiated on the basis that which method is more cost effective.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding is less costly. Because the recruitment process is played within the organization, so, it costs less. Because there is no need to pay the salary of a new employee. The company pays the same employee in the organization for another job.

    Onboarding: Onboarding is less cost effective. The recruitment process includes tests and interviewing costs of the hiring of a new employee. After that, the salary of the new employee also gets added into the cost. It takes more time and cost as compared to the cross boarding process.

    Employee retention: 

    Employee retention refers to the ability to retain the employees in the organization. The methods differ in a way that has increased employee retention in the organization.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding boosts employee retention by keeping the employees within the organization, by just switching the employee from one job to another. It also encourages the other employees who see their fellow employee’s internal transfer in the organization. They may not leave the organization thinking that they may also get a similar opportunity in the future.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding is not that effective for employee retention. When the employer hires new employees in his organization, the retention rate is increased but there is a possibility of those employees leaving the job. But if the employer implements the Onboarding process effectively, the new employees will retain their jobs. As a result, this will increase the employee retention rate of the organization.

    Experience:

    The employee who has worked in the same organization in the past has experience with the same organization, whereas, the employee who is new in the organization may have experienced from the other organization. This differentiates as:

    Crossboarding: In this process, when you hire an employee from the same organization. That employee has a connection with the managers, staff, and the organization in the past job. It benefits the employee to easily get the job because he has relative experience of the work.

    Onboarding: In this process, the employee is new to the organization and doesn’t know about the organization. But he may have work experience from another organization. Which may or may not be beneficial for the organization. The employee has to make connections with the other employees of the team. The employee may require training for the job and can take time to adjust to the new environment.

  • Fun company culture: How will it benefit your business?

    Fun company culture: How will it benefit your business?

    An enjoyable workplace often has a relaxed, supportive work environment. Such workplaces often arrange formal and informal activities to improve employee morale. These events help improve morale by reminding employees of their value to managers, coworkers, and the organization. The company culture plays a vital role in a successful business. Across all income levels, the top predictor of workplace satisfaction is not the pay, a company’s culture, the quality of its senior leadership, and the career opportunities it offers will greatly determine whether you will be happy working there. A fun company culture attracts new talent and retains that talent. When people feel connected to an organization, they are more likely to stick for the long term. It helps in lower turnover, fewer new hires to deal with, and better relationships among the team members.

    10 ways the fun company culture benefits the business

    The fun company culture helps in the following ways to benefit the business:

    Helps in engaging the employees

    Engaged employees management are always ready to take initiative and more productive. Fun company culture attracts the employees to the organization. It boosts their interest in showing up at work every day and putting in their best efforts. Also, it keeps them enthusiastic about the tasks and be appreciative of all that you do to ensure that the workplace environment is enjoyable. Additionally, it helps contribute new ideas and innovation to the workplace when you add enjoyment to the workplace.

    Attracts new talent

    Fun company culture attracts new talent. An enjoyable workplace always attracts new talent and helps retain the talent in the organization. When employees love their company, they naturally become company ambassadors and help to spread the word, which ultimately impacts the company’s recruitment strategy and leads to new talent acquisition.

    Builds relationships

    Fun activities help in building relationships amongst the employees. The employees get to know their colleagues with the help of such activities. They are not just colleagues, but friends now. The employees get to know each other despite just work, they know each other as people. Good relationships keep them connected and united toward the company’s goals.

    Long term employees

    Engaged employees are connected to the organization for the long run. They stick to their jobs because they are impressed with the workplace, connected to their colleagues, or they’re happy with the day off policy, and they like to get to their job every day. Long term employees reduce turnover, have fewer new hires to deal with, and make the organization an important part of their life.

    Workplace involvement

    Companies with great cultures encourage involvement and offer positive, fun ways for employees to get involved in their personal and professional development inside and outside of their regular working hours. It’s possible to measure the culture of an organization by how involved each employee is. For instance, if the company sponsors a charity event or fundraiser on a Saturday morning and everyone shows up willingly. it’s a sure sign that everyone in the company cares about what the organization does.

    Transparency

    Transparency is one of the key elements in the company culture to benefit the business. When leaders don’t communicate with employees, it fosters a culture of insecurity and uncertainty. Positive workplace cultures support a philosophy of transparency so that every employee feels they know where they stand, where the business is heading, and how they are contributing to it.

    Clear mission and values

    Great company culture is something that takes time and effort to develop. The leadership skills and employees at all levels must first be able to articulate and communicate it throughout the organization, then embody it in their personal behavior. Positive culture has values that employees know by heart. They follow the values of the business and put their best step forward to accomplish the mission of the business. 

    Celebrate small achievements

    Every achievement should be celebrated in the workplace. It keeps the spirit of the employees high and positive. The employees get motivated when they get rewarded for every small achievement they make. As a result, they are more focused on accomplishing the goals of the business.  

    Leaders are visible and accessible

    When the fun activities take place, every team member, leader and HR management take part in these activities. So they all get a chance to get along with each other. Through these activities, the leaders make themselves available to everyone. By focusing employees’ goals on your company’s mission and creating a sense of “we’re all in this together,” you can increase employee motivation.

    Comfortable workspaces

    The fun company culture helps to create comfortable and easy to adjustable workspaces for the employees. The more interesting the workspace is, the more employees are focused on their jobs. Truly motivated and focused employees are the biggest asset to the company. This helps the employees to reach their career goals and ultimately, the business gets benefited. 

  • Employee promotion: When to do it?

    Employee promotion: When to do it?

    Employee promotion is a recognition given to the employee in the form of advancement of his job from one position to another position, that has a higher salary range, higher level job title, and more higher-level job responsibilities in an organization.

    It can be tricky for the manager to decide when to promote an employee. Some factors and methods are taken into consideration while promoting an employee. These factors work as a guide and help to decide whether to promote the employee or not.

    The manager has to give opportunities for promotion to the employees. Because after a particular period and experience of the work, the employee seeks promotion. But, if the organization fails to give opportunities at the right time, then the employees begin to look outside the company for the advancement they seek.

    Signs when an employee needs a promotion

    An employee should be promoted when he shows the following signs:

    Ready for new challenges

    If the employee is looking for a promotion, he should be prepared for the new challenges. Because a new role comes up with new challenges on the way. When the employees seek new and challenging projects and get successful in accomplishing them. It shows that it’s a sign that the employee is ready for the promotion. Giving them a chance to develop skills will help them stay motivated, employee engagement, and productive.

    Have well built “People Skills”

    Technical skills and systems can be taught easily, but people skills and communication skills are difficult to teach. For creating a healthy environment for the workplace, people skills are a must to have. Anyone fantastic at people skills such as resolving the issues, handling the workload, giving feedback, engaging people, communicating with difficult people, and values the organization would be the best fit for the higher position and requires less training.

    Come out with Solutions Instead of Complaints

    The ones who can figure out the problems, and come up with a solution to them, are standout employees and they work as an asset to the organization. Everyone at the workplace complains so they may also have complaints but they try to get over it and come out with the solutions to it. It shows that they are ready for increased responsibility.

    “Go getter”

    High performers drive their career development on their own. They are the go getters. They have a clear vision in their mind that how they want to progress with the company. They are always open to discussing their future goals and plans with the manager. When these employees approach their managers, with a proposal for a new role, showing their skill set for the job and how they will add value to the organization, this is a sign that the employee needs promotion.

    A team worker

    Performing well with the team shows the qualities of a good team worker. In an organization, you are always around people, so the qualities of working in a team are a must to have. While considering for promotion, an employee should have these skills. Not all promotions are for leadership roles, but they can have a requirement of HR Management qualities. Thus the right team spirit should be considered while promoting.

    The budget allows for promotion

    The promotion comes up with higher level pay. So, the budget should also allow doing the same. Sometimes, the promotions are not about the pay raise, but that rarely happens. When the employee gets a promotion, his responsibilities are increased and he also looks for the increased salary rate. High pay keeps them satisfied and motivated to do their best at the workplace.

    If the company is facing a situation of financial instability, then it’s not the right time for giving promotions to the employees. Always read the situation before doing such changes.

    Contribution to the Organization

    If an employee has consistently demonstrated their impact on the organization, they have proven their worth and should get rewarded with growth opportunities. Every employee in an organization contributed to it but some stand out by putting in some extra effort and helping the organization grow. When an employee brings profits, saves money, and makes improvements or other benefits, fostering such achievers can bring excellent returns to the organization.

    The employee asks for a Promotion

    When the employee asks the manager for a promotion, it shows that he wants to enhance his career. Also, all other signs indicate that he is deserving of the promotion, so it is the right time for promotion. An employee who comes up with an excellent case for how their advancement will benefit the organization has the potential to get the opportunity. Reward their dedication with the opportunity for development to them.

    If the organization fails to give growth opportunities to the employees, they start looking for opportunities outside the organization. It can take away the good employees of the organization. It is important to give promotions to the employees on time, to make them stick to their jobs and stay in the organization for the long run.

  • 7 Incredibly Useful Software Tools for Small Businesses

    7 Incredibly Useful Software Tools for Small Businesses

    Recently small businesses have been blooming all around the globe, managing finances, HR management, and employees’ requests can become a difficult task. Small businesses search for ways to make their business management become simpler and easier so here are 7 incredibly useful software tools for small businesses.

    Accounting software: Xero

    Overview:

    Accounting is a time and effort consuming task, Xero is an online accounting software. Xero accounting is a cloud based software. Xero is mainly developed for small businesses. Xero allows you to track and pay bills and get an overview about finances in general and cash flow. It makes tracking expenses easier and gives you a detailed view of your expenses spending. You can connect your bank account to Xero and set up your transactions securely and bank feeds. Accepting payments can be an effort and time consuming job, so Xero makes it possible to claim payments rapidly by connecting to E-wallets and connecting them to Xero. Xero also helps in tracking your projects. Multicurrency payment option, Xero has multicurrency payment acceptance which makes it more flexible for any international dealing.

    Payment plan:

    Xero has 3 payment plans depending on what you will need in your small business, it also offers a 30-day free trial.  

    Customer support:

    Xero has 24/7 online customer support.

     Small business communication: Slack

    Overview:

    Making decisions and communication in the workplace, slack makes it easier to communicate with your own team and teams at other businesses. Voice calls, video calls, and also messaging are available to communicate with your teams or other teams from other businesses. You can connect slack to multiple programs like google drive and Office 365 and many more to make video conferencing easier. High security and complete control of your data is also available in slack.

    Payment plan:

    Slack has 3 payment plans to choose from and also has a free trial with limited features

     Best online payment software: PayPal

    Overview:

    E-wallets have become greatly used in our time; PayPal can make payday easier by securely transferring the payrolls of employees to their PayPal accounts. PayPal is easy to use, and millions of customers use it around the world. PayPal can also help in accepting payments.

    Payment plan:

    PayPal doesn’t have a free trial, and it also takes a certain fee for transferring money

    Customer support

    PayPal offers technical support in the forms of emails; texts and they have a forum.

     Best marketing software: MailChimp

    Overview:

    Making an entrance to the market from the start can be challenging at first, MailChimp is the best marketing option for small businesses. MailChimp has proven its effectiveness,12 million businesses rely on MailChimp to do their marketing. MailChimp sends the right messages on the right channels like social media ads, emails, and Landing pages. MailChimp also offers to build a website for your small business to prosper your E-commerce.

    Payment plan:

    MailChimp offers a free version for small businesses with less than 2000 subscribers, this plan allows you to form landing pages and build a website.

    Customer support:

    Email support is available for the free version and the paid version, while voice support and chat support are available for the paid version.

     Best project management software: Trello

    Overview:

    Project organizing is hard and requires a lot of effort to do, Trello is a project management PTO software that organizes your projects in an organized and easy way to understand. Trello helps you track due dates, completed projects, and to do projects. You can also attach photos, files, and documents to your projects. Trello is available for IOS and Android.

    Payment plan:

    Trello offers a free version with limited features and has many flexible payment plans depending on your needs in your small business

    Customer support:

    For customer support, Trello has a help site and a community for the most answered questions and for fellow users to help each other. Trello also has customer support to answer questions.

    Best PTO tracking software: Day Off

    Overview:

    Tracking your employees’ leaves, absences, and paid time off is exhausting, so a PTO tracking software will be very helpful. Day off is a PTO tracking software that has a very easy to use interface with step by step help in creating your team and adding your employees. It also presents a mobile app that makes it easier for you and your employees. One of the best features of Day Off is that it presents push notifications to notify you of any leave requests and notify your employees if their requests are accepted or not. It gives you and your employees a calendar to monitor the workflow, vacations, and time off.

    Payment plan:

    Day Off has a free version with the basic features to try out the software, for the full version 1 USD is paid per employee per month which is a great price for what the software offers.

     Best documenting software: Microsoft 365

    Overview:

    Microsoft 365 is a software that everybody is familiar with, it helps in many things, making reports, presentations, and documents in general. Despite having a pc version for when at home or at the office Microsoft 365 has a mobile version and an online version, this helps you when you are on the go to see some reports or presentations and many other features. Microsoft 365 provides you with Excel, Word, Publisher, Access, and PowerPoint.

    Payment plan:

    Microsoft 365 offers 4 payment plans for business; this makes it flexible for the needs of your small business. It offers a free month trail for any plan of your choice which is helpful to determine which plan suits you. Microsoft 365 also has a family plan which offers up to 6 licenses, this plan can be very economical if your small business doesn’t contain more than 6 people including yourself

    Customer support:

    Microsoft 365 has a FAQ section to help answer your questions if they have been asked before. Microsoft 365 has billing support, and you can also contact customer support. 

  • Employee orientation program: How to create a successful one

    Employee orientation program: How to create a successful one

    Being alienated in the workplace is the most common fear that newly hired employees face. Not fitting in, and lack of engagement are all hindrances that face the newly hired employees at first. It is the responsibility of the employer to help the newly hired overcome these hindrances. So here is how to plan a successful employee orientation program.

    Why create an employee orientation program?

    Reduces employee turnover

    Newly hired employees commonly feel left out in the workplace and can’t fit in easily. When newly hired employees don’t feel they fit in, it makes them think of leaving the workplace. So, an employee orientation program comes into action to reduce the issue of not fitting in. You have to be cautious about this reason because this reason is the most common reason for employee turnover.

    Saves time and increases efficiency

    Your HR holiday management should organize an orientation that sums up all the main topics of your company. Giving the newly hired a brief about the current employees, how to run the work, and teaching them the policies of your company. This will save effort and rapidly increase the productivity of your company.

    Creating an employees orientation program main reason, is to make the newly hired employees comfortable around your company and be excited about working. Here is a complete guide on how to create a successful new employee orientation program.

    Planning your program

    Putting a detailed plan for your orientation program can be very helpful. You have to appoint certain employees at your company to be responsible for the newly hired at the orientation to answer their questions. Design a timetable with all the activities that will be made during the orientations, and the time of each activity, by doing this it will make the implementation of the orientation program easier.

    Take your current employees’ opinions

    Let your current employees help you with some of their ideas and opinions, your current employees were newly hired before and attended an orientation program once, so their opinions will be of grave importance and help you in organizing a successful new employee orientation program.

    Reduce their tension

    The first day at a new job is the hardest for a newly hired employee, so it is your responsibility to help your newly hired employees get over it. The most important thing in a successful employee orientation program is to give your new employees a warm greeting. You have to introduce the newly hired to your current employees and let your employees greet them as well. Before the orientation program, you can send them a greeting email and tell them that you are delighted to work with them and that you are waiting to know them better during the orientation program. This will decrease their tension significantly.

    Tell them about the company and its policies.

    During the orientation program, you can give a speech to the newly hired employees about the company’s history, targets, and main objectives. Your speech can be an inspiration to the newly hired and excite them to work at your company. Go over your company’s policies as well because they are of grave importance. Tell the newly hired about the holidays, working hours arrival times, and give them answers to all the frequently asked question

    Give them a tour

    Giving your newly hired employees a tour around the workplace and introducing them to their supervisors will bring them up to speed and break the barrier of shyness to deal with their supervisors for the first time. Tell the newly hired about their new jobs and how to execute them.

    Don’t overload them with information

    During the orientation, you will tell the newly hired about their jobs and how they are done, but don’t overload their brains with information. The newly hired need to break the tension at first so during the orientation they aren’t ready for much information, so you have to look out for how much information you give them. Answer any questions being asked and give them time between the activities you planned to eat a snack or drink, this will help the grasp much more information.

    Give your newly hired a tour in your virtual workplace

    Digitalization has done a great role in making our life easier, now companies use numerous software to make their jobs easier. You have to introduce the software that your company uses to the newly hired such as PTO tracker software, Employee self-service software, and many more. Create accounts for the newly hired to make them feel included and teach them how to use each software.

    One on One time

    Providing one on one time between the newly hired and their managers is very important. This will save you a lot of time and effort. Scheduling one on time between the newly hired and their managers will break the tension between the two parties. That will also help the newly hired get the hang of their new jobs faster.

    Take their feedback

    At the end of the orientation take the comments of the newly hired. Their comments will be of great help in the next orientation programs.

    After orientation

    Don’t let the onboarding of your newly hired employees end after the orientation and their first day. The newly hired may take a few months to reach their full potential. You should keep an eye on the newly hired and offer them a hand every while to make them produce the best work they can offer. Ask the newly hired regularly about how they are doing in their new jobs and if they are comfortable or not in the workplace. Try as possible to provide the newly hired with an workplace environment that helps them be creative and feel free to express their opinions. You should ask the newly hired employees after the orientation if they have any unanswered questions and repeat the questions a couple of times in case anyone is shy to ask.