How to Establish an Optimistic Work Climate

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Creating an enjoyable workspace involves a lot more than adding some windows and popping flowers on tables. Bringing about true improvement to your company’s work climate requires multidimensional effort and commitment. As an employer, you hold the power to influence the atmosphere by how you manage your team. Here are some ways in which you can introduce positivity into your company’s work climate.

Showcase your values: Understand and define who you are as a person, and make it clear through your leadership style. Let your personal values shine through the way in which you conduct daily business. Be clear in what is important to you from the start.

Cultivate community: Strive to build more than a cooperative team- build a sense of community so your staff members confidently support each other in reaching their individual and collective goals.

Support collaboration: Create groups of individuals who can learn from one another on a frequent basis. Employees will build dependency and create their own support systems. People can pinpoint their value when working together. Letting employees contribute to something bigger than themselves will help them realize their purpose.

Manage meaningful work: Know what your employees find most meaningful in their role and emphasize its importance. Supporting your staff to excel in the areas they value the most will create a more positive and passionate environment. If they are struggling to find meaning in their current role, work together in shaping meaning in what they do for your company.

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Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

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As more and more millennials join the workforce, managers are faced with an increasingly critical issue: managing a multigenerational workforce. As millennials join the workforce, baby boomers and Gen Xers stay working longer than previous generations. In the past, managers may have faced the challenge of managing one or two generations, but today, it is more likely to have a workforce that is spanning multiple generations.

Why is this so difficult? The different generations currently in the workforce have different styles of working, desire different things from employers, and have all-around different expectations of work situations. Because managers are faced with this challenge, their job can become increasingly difficult. Here are few ways to make this challenge a little less taxing:

Make It Personal

As you manage multiple people and multiple generations, you will discover that the best way to interact is to make it personal. You need to treat each employee as an individual because that is exactly what they are. When you go out of your way to learn names, hobbies, interests, and career goals, you will find that your workforce is more productive and motivated.

Offer Mentorships

If you find your employees are not working well together, it could be because older and younger employees work differently and view things on different terms. In order to help bridge this work gap, pair older workers with young ones in a mentor setting. Do not force the mentorship on anyone and be sure you are selective of who is paired with who, but a mentorship could be exactly what is missing.

Engage Employees

Keep your employees involved and stay involved yourself. When you take the time to engage employees, you take the time to show them you care. Engaged employees are typically better workers because you show interest in their work. Engaging employees goes beyond saying, “hello.” It is taking the time to listen to their ideas and to their goals within your organization.

Keep Things Open

As a manager, you might be tempted to set standards for things like communication. When you do this, you could be limited certain employees preferred styles of working, which means they could end up being unhappy employees. Instead, keep an open mind and allow employees to work the best way they know how.

Don’t Box Employees In

Managing employees who span multiple generations is difficult. In dealing with this difficulty, you might be tempted to treat everyone in a specific generation the same way. However, doing this will box employees in. By doing this, you are assuming that everyone in the same generation is the same, which is not the case. Instead, engage employees and treat them as the individuals they are.

 

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Why Do Workers Keep Leaving?

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As an employer or manager, you may find yourself asking “why do workers keep leaving?” For some organizations, high turnover rates are a real issue. For others, retention is a lot better, but still leaves something to be desired. No matter where you are at with retention rates, it is important to ask yourself why employees are leaving. Do you offer enough benefits? Do you provide enough salary incentive? Is your managing style to blame? There are many factors to consider, but some of the top things to ask yourself include:

Am I paying my employees enough?

Unfortunately, as an employer, you may not be able to do much about this question. Sometimes, what you can afford to pay employees just won’t be enough. However, before you lose great employees because you cannot pay them what they want, you should sit down with them, explain the goals of the company, and how you see them fitting into your future. By including employees in your company goals, you can provide them with a real sense of value.

Do I provide enough benefits?

Benefits are another tricky issue when it comes to employees leaving. Like salary, your hands may be tied with what you can offer and you cannot really do more than what you provide. For things like insurance, that may be the case. However, you can offset that by offering non-traditional benefits like an extra personal day, lunch once a week, or even allowing some employees to work remotely. When it comes to benefits, think outside of the box.

What is the work environment like?

One thing to examine when it comes to why employees leave is the work environment. This includes things like culture, organization, and cleanliness. Do you provide a comfortable place for office workers to take their lunch? Are warehouse workers have access to a clean space wherein they can take breaks? These are the types of things you should consider when it comes to the work environment you provide for employees. You may be surprised just how many of your employees are leaving because of these issues.

Is my managing style working?

This one may be tough for many to face, but some employees just do not mesh well with certain managing styles. If you find that you have a high turnover rate, then maybe you need to examine the way you are managing. Are you to hands-off with your employees? Maybe you micro-manage your employees? While there are many different ways to manage, you also need to be adaptable to what your employees’ needs are.

Keeping Top Talent

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As an employer, manager, or HR representative it can be a real struggle to find top talent, but more than that, it can be difficult to keep that top talent. As someone who oversees employees, part of your job is keeping top talent working for and with your company or organization. This issue goes beyond trying to retain your employees. The issue is retaining the right employees.

In the past, we’ve discussed how employee retention is crucial to your company’s success, but you also need to make sure that you’re keeping the right talent, not just all talent. Here are just a few tips on making sure you retain top talent:

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement goes beyond just internal communications. Yes, employees want to know what is going on at the company but they want more than that. Many employees, especially top talent employees, want to feel like they are a valued part of the company. This means taking the time to hear them, speak with them, and actually get to know them.

Benefits and Perks

In the past, offering employees more money or better benefits might have been enough to keep them around. However, benefits and perks, in today’s workforce go beyond money and basic employee benefits. For example, if your employees do most of their work online or independently, consider letting them work away from the office for at least part of the time. By offering less traditional benefits, you can keep top talent engaged in their work and happy working for you.

Company Culture

Employees want to work in an environment where they are comfortable, valued, and can feel like they belong. As a manager or business owner, part of your job is to create a company culture. You get to help steer your company into the right direction and into the culture you want for your office or work environment.

Training

If you really want to keep top talent around, then provide them with training opportunities. Whether it is leadership training or the opportunity to go to an industry-specific conference, these training opportunities allow employees to grow in their careers. Employees will improve which will in turn help your organization.

Keeping top talent around will not only improve your business, but it will increase productivity and decrease your costs of hiring new employees who may not be right for the job.

Eliminating Productivity Killers for Employees

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No one wants to be the boss or manager who isn’t fun or doesn’t know how to have a good time, but you do need to know how to motivate your employees to get work done. There are distractions all around us, even in an office and warehouse environment. When we allow these distractions to keep us from our work, productivity decreases. Eliminating productivity killers in the workplace can lead to increased productivity and overall company success.

In order to make your work environment a more productive one, you must eliminate productivity killers.

Socialization

People talk. People have phone calls and they have meetings. You cannot ask those in your office or place of work to stop talking. Doing that would be unproductive. However, you can encourage employees to keep socialization to the break room or places where they are less likely to distract other employees. For example, if two employees are talking next to the desk of someone who isn’t involved in the conversation, then they are probably being a distraction. Encourage employees to be mindful of where they are socializing.

Technology

From social media to text to emails, technology constantly interrupts our lives. As a boss or manager, you should establish some rules when it comes to using mobile devices. Your company may already have policies in place for mobile devices and Internet usage. If this is the case, remind employees about the policies and after providing some time for adjusting to the policies, start enforcing them.

Scheduling

If you’re managing or running an office, encourage your employees to take advantage of calendar applications. Whether in your email application or another format, these apps don’t only keep track of your day, but they can help keep you productive. Encourage your employees to not take non-scheduled appointments. By keeping to your schedule, you can avoid becoming distracted and stay on target.

Organization

Office clutter and desk clutter can actually greatly hinder our abilities to be productive. In order to help your workers eliminate their own productivity killers make sure the office or work environment is always organized and be sure you are encouraging employees to keep an organized workspace. Doing this will not only allow them to be more productive, but it gives them ownership over their space.

3 Steps to Better Recruiting

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When it comes to modern recruiting there are so many tools available so it can be challenging trying to choose the right ones. However, at the heart of recruiting is connecting with candidates. Whether you work at a staffing company, large organization, are hiring for a small business, or are just looking for advice, there are a few key things you need in order to have better recruiting results.

As you go about setting up or evaluating your recruiting process, here are three steps that will lead to better recruiting:

A Mobile-Friendly Site

Of all the tools a recruiter can have in the digital space, this is one of the most beneficial. Whether applicants are looking for general information about your company or want to actually apply for a job, you need to make sure they can do it from their phone or other mobile devices. With so many people turning to their mobile devices to stay connected rather than using their computer, you can’t afford to not have a mobile-friendly site. By updating your website, you are far more likely to reach new applicants and gain those top-talented individuals you need.

Social Media Engagement

If people are turning to their smart phones and tablets to access information, then social media is where they are most likely finding it. Making sure you are using social media is another crucial step in recruiting in the digital age. From sharing relevant content to sharing the jobs you are trying to fill, you can target a new audience through social media. If you aren’t currently using this form of communication, consider making a change and embracing this great tool. It will increase your engagement with a community of potential applicants.

Easier Screening Processes

Through following the first two steps, you’ll naturally end up at the third: new and improved screening processes. By making it easier to screen your applicants, you’ll be able to find the best talent and fill positions much more easily. Consider adapting communication channels like video interviews and placing a strong emphasis on company’s culture. Allow applicants an inside view of your company so they can help make the hiring and screening process easier on you.

What makes recruiting easier and more efficient for you? What else should be on our list? Leave your stories and suggestions in the comments below!

4 Ways to Keep Employees Productive in the Winter

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For many organizations and companies, the winter months are the busiest. With holiday shopping and budgets resetting, this is a great time to add new employees and hire seasonal help, but there is one common problem many face: winter slow down. It can be incredibly difficult for anyone to stay productive in the winter, but keeping your employees productive can be just as difficult.

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Making a Great Candidate First Impression

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We’ve talked extensively about employee engagement, but what about candidates? How should you be interacting with candidates? While you may not think it’s important, you need to make a great first impression on candidates. When you don’t make a solid first impression, you aren’t going to capture the right candidates.

Without a great first impression, candidates are more likely to turn away from you and choose a different company. By providing a great candidate experience and making that first impression fantastic, you could end up turning candidates into long-term associates or employees.

Get Your Message On Point

From your website to print collateral, candidates are going to read about your company in one form or another. In today’s world, candidates will most likely learn about you from your website, a job posting, an employer review, or a social media site. It can be difficult to manage all of these messages, but it’s crucial to not only have a defined message for candidates, but also a consistent message. Make sure that all of the content you have in various places match your company, your message, and what you offer candidates.

Test Your Processes

If you’re hiring someone, then you have at least one process in place. During the hiring, interviewing, and screening processes, you could be sending candidates away without even knowing it. You need to review and test these processes every few months to see if there is anywhere you can improve on things. When you have a great application process, a solid interview process, and an engaged onboarding process, you can better attract top talent.

Office Setting

We aren’t necessarily talking about the physical location of your office, though having a great location definitely helps. You need to think about the way your office is laid out—what is visible to candidates when they walk in, and how you will greet those candidates. Having an organized office that is inviting to candidates can help you create a great first impression.

Ultimately, first impressions can be the difference between onboarding a new candidate and not. Make sure you’re creating great experiences.

How do you create a great first impression for candidates? Do you have any tips for others? Leave your stories and suggestions in the comments section below!

Why You Need to Know Your Employees

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Depending on what industry you’re in, you may find it difficult to find the right candidates or even to retain your best employees. From salaries, to commute times, all the way to employee engagement, there are several factors for employee retention rates. One way to help keep top talent in your workplace is to know your employees.

While there might be a traditional separation of executives and managers from their employees, there doesn’t need to be. By learning what employees like about their jobs, what they don’t like, what they spend their free time doing, and what their career goals are, you can better connect with them.

Here are three reasons why you need to know your employees and make better connections:

1. Improve Retention Rates

It’s no secret that retention rates can affect the activities of your business. From a loss of productivity to the costs of hiring a new employee, high turnover rates have a huge impact on your business functions. By taking the time to get to know employees, you increase engagement and can better satisfy employee needs. Don’t just say hi to employees. Instead, encourage them to communicate with you on ways to improve the work environment and other innovative ideas they may have. Open and honest communication between managers and employees can go a long way.

2. Accelerate Growth

You could have a star employee and not know it. You could lose that star employee and lose innovation, productivity, and opportunity to grow your company. If an employee isn’t comfortable or feels like they don’t matter at work, then they’ll keep their ideas to themselves. When this happens, it could mean losing out on opportunities to grow, expand, improve processes, and ultimately grow revenue. Instead, talk with your employees, establish communication channels, and put effort into making them understand you are interested in their ideas.

3. Increase Productivity

While it was mentioned earlier, opening up communication channels with your employees and getting to know their needs can increase and improve productivity. By knowing your employees, they are more likely to care about the work they are doing, which will increase their productivity. When productivity increases, oftentimes, profits increase. By taking a few minutes every day or every week to talk to employees, you have the potential to see dramatic rises in productivity.

How do you get to know your employees? What are some of the employee engagement success stories at your companies? Leave your stories and suggestions in the comments section below!