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January 24, 2023

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Remote Work Digest: January 24, 2023

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

How to Get Ahead in Your Career While Working From Home | Sean Mitchell, Makeuseof.com

Even if you love your job, there are several reasons you might want to advance your career: you want increased financial security, you’re motivated to take on more challenges, you want to make a greater impact in whatever field you’ve chosen, or you enjoy the recognition and respect that comes with professional advancement. Maybe all of the above.

Here are several ways to advance your career in a remote world.

1.Network via LinkedIn

According to a survey from LinkedIn, 85% of all jobs are filled via networking. While this may differ between industries, it suggests that networking activities, including setting up informational interviews (one of the overlooked steps in finding a new job), can be a great way to advance your career remotely. Before reaching out to people on LinkedIn, ensure your profile accurately represents your professional brand (consider these tips to create a strong profile).

2. Sign Up With Online Recruiter

As a job seeker, online recruiters can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. For instance, by signing up with an online recruiter like ZipRecruiter, you can not only apply for jobs from anywhere, but these services use algorithms and artificial intelligence to match you with job openings based on your skills and experience.

3. “Professionalize” Yourself Daily

There are several ways to stand out while working remotely. This includes everything from completing projects on time to attending company-sponsored events. If you expect to advance your career while working from home, you’ll need to make connections virtually, which means you’ll need to present the best version of yourself possible.

Don’t forget, your background matters. While there are some great backgrounds you can use for virtual meetings, avoid a digital background if you can, since real-time masking isn’t perfect. Consider positioning yourself in front of a bookshelf, some plants, or other items that aren’t too distracting.

4. Keep a Positive Attitude

Career-building efforts can be discouraging. They often require an inordinate amount of time, and the rewards can be difficult to see when progress is slow. For that reason, it’s important to practice self-care and not be too hard on yourself.

5. Upskill Using Online Resources

One of the best things you can do for your career is to build more skills. This is true if you’re young and just entering the job market, or if you’ve got a lot of experience but need to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and technologies.

Upskilling demonstrates to employers that you’re committed to professional development, and you have a desire to continuously learn and grow.

The upshot is that by completing online courses or certificates, you learn things that can help you do your job better, increase your chances of being eligible for a wider range of roles, and boost your confidence, which is a great quality to build when you’re in the process of upgrading your career.

Advancing Your Career While Working From Home

Working from home has many potential benefits, and the best part will depend on an individual’s circumstances and preferences. However, if you plan on advancing your career as a remote worker, you’ll have to take steps to ensure you reach your maximum potential.

Where Should You Have Meetings If You Work From Home? | Sarah Vulpio, Glam.com

The ability to work from home seems like the ultimate setup, but then the time comes when you have to take a meeting. If you have kids or pets or live in a generally busy area, the odds of finding a quiet place to sit down for a video call are slim. Then there’s the issue of choosing an appropriate background, as you don’t want your boss and or fellow employees to see your messy home or family photos posted on the wall behind you. In order to keep the meeting professional, it’s important to designate a specific area when you work from home.

Don’t even think about staying in bed

Whatever you do, do not — we repeat, do not — take meetings from your bed. In fact, it’s unwise to do anything related to work from there, even checking your email. Not only does it look super unprofessional, but by staying in bed, you’re also way less motivated and much more likely to doze off. Additionally, taking meetings from the comfort of your mattress could ruin your sleep schedule, as your brain begins to equate lying in bed with working. It can affect even your posture, as your back isn’t receiving the proper support.

Create a home office space

The key to having a successful meeting while working from home is creating an office space free from distractions. Don’t worry if you don’t have a spare room to designate as an office; all you need is a spot in your apartment where you won’t be easily distracted. This space can help you focus better while working from home. Ideally, your background should be free from anything that would take the focus off of the meeting as well. It’s also crucial you find a spot that doesn’t throw off your work-life balance. This is any space you don’t want to associate with writing emails and sitting in meetings, such as the bedroom.

There are actually several benefits that come with keeping a separation between your work life and personal life. When you have a strong work-life balance, productivity rates generally increase, you’re less likely to call off, and, not to mention, it drastically enhances both your mental and physical health. It’s a win-win if you ask us.

5 Reasons to Fully Embrace Remote Work in 2023 | Carrie McKeegan, Inc.com

While some of the world’s most well-known companies have recently begun to require their employees to return to the office, that doesn’t mean it’s time for your work-from-home team to throw in the towel. In fact, there are several compelling reasons why your team should go all-in on remote work in 2023.

1.Win the war for talent

With more employees looking for flexible work arrangements, offering remote work options can help your business stand out from the competition and attract the best candidates. Remote work also allows you to hire in any locale, scouting the best talent from around the country or even the globe.

2. Build a diverse workforce

By removing geographical limitations, remote work allows your business to tap into a naturally varied, global talent pool. The resulting diversity brings a wider range of perspectives and ideas to your team that boosts innovation and accelerates problem-solving. This can be especially beneficial for companies that operate in niche industries.

3. Make employers happier

Remote work can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee retention. Without the distractions of a traditional office environment, remote workers are often able to better balance their work and personal lives, which can lead to happier, more engaged employees.

4. Cut costs

Remote work saves your business money in the short and long term. With remote employees, you don’t have to worry about the costs associated with maintaining office space. While hybrid work models help with cost reduction, the biggest savings come when companies eliminate rent, utilities, and office supplies entirely.

5. Adapt to hit goals

When done right, remote work requires teams and their leaders to focus on results. With their eyes on the prize, remote teams become more agile. They quickly adapt to new opportunities and challenges and respond to changing market conditions to hit strategic goals. This flexibility can be especially beneficial for businesses that operate in fast-paced, rapidly changing industries.

Despite its numerous advantages, it’s important to keep in mind that remote work isn’t for all teams. Leaders will need to decide what’s best for their businesses. However, if remote work is a fit for your team, committing to the strategy fully can help you take advantage of its many benefits. From the ability to win the war for talent and build a diverse workforce to making employees happier and cutting costs, remote work can be a powerful tool for achieving long-term success.

8 Ways To Refresh Your Work-From-Home Space for the New Year | Sarah Lyon, Theeverygirl.com

In the spirit of a January refresh, we’ve rounded up eight tips from the pros to help make your WFH space shine in 2023. With these home office ideas, we’re betting you’ll feel a little more excited to sit down and tackle everything on your to-do list this year.

Switch Up Your WFH Location

Maybe you’re in need of a change of scenery after literal years of working from the same spot. “Find an area with a beautiful view, great light, or terrific furniture,” advised professional organizer Heidi Solomon of POSH Boston. “Really think about what energizes you,” she added. “Create a space that makes your heart sing. You, and subsequently your work, will benefit.” Consider moving your desk from the bedroom into the living room or switching around your furniture arrangement to give your workspace some fresh perspective.

Make Use of Closed Storage

It’s time to stop letting your desk serve as a dropzone for clutter. So how do you ensure that your desktop doesn’t become overwhelmed with supplies? “Make use of available closet space or cabinet storage for non-essentials that shouldn’t be cluttering your workspace,” suggested Jen Van Buskirk of The Neat Boutique.

File Papers Like a Pro

Yes, you can file papers neatly without investing in a clunky filing cabinet. Although plenty of paperwork and projects are handled digitally these days, you’ll likely still want to keep some printed-out documents on hand. “Consider using bins on a bookshelf close to your desk to store active projects in,” Gilgrist advised. “Label a bin with the project name and bring the bin over to your desk when it’s time to work on the project.” Gilgrist also likes using hanging clipboards or letter trays for this purpose.

Have Fun With Color

“Don’t underestimate the importance of plant life and colors that speak to you to complete your space,” Van Buskirk said. Head to the plant store and pick up a new green friend to spruce up your desk. For some color, consider painting an accent wall in a peppy hue that can double as a chic Zoom background.

Grab Some Stylish Supplies

Pick out some office essentials that will get you excited to start the day: new pens, a personalized notebook, or a pretty mouse pad may help do the trick.

Focus on Fragrance

Grab a candle that helps you feel relaxed and energized and keep it on your desk. Lighting it each morning as you start the day will become a soothing ritual. This is something that definitely wouldn’t fly in an actual office building, so be sure to revel in this cozy WFH perk.

Fill a Drawer with Little Pick Me Ups

Maybe you’re tired of running downstairs to grab a granola bar at 3 pm every day or searching your apartment for gum after lunch. Why not dedicate one of your desk drawers to housing these essentials? Fill it with gum or mints, non-perishable snacks, lip balm, lotion, and other items you frequently reach for during the workday. These will really come in handy when busy days roll around!

Evaluate Your Lighting Situation

Remember that good lighting is key when working. If you need to spend some time searching online for a new lamp or pair of curtains, do it! You’ll thank yourself when you no longer have to squint at your screen or turn on an overhead light just to see what you’re working on.

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June 28, 2022

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Remote Work Digest: June 28, 2022

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

7 Unique and Niche Job Boards to Find the Perfect Workplace for You | Mihir Patkar, Makeuseof.com

Recently, there has been a rise in niche job boards that list select jobs from companies with specific purposes or work cultures that appeal to particular candidates.

Some cater to companies making a social impact, while others focus on diverse and inclusive work cultures. Also, you’ll find jobs where you can work anonymously in a remote location or jobs where the company is willing to relocate you to a new country. Check these out; you might just find the job of your dreams.

1.Anon Friendly (Web): Job Board to Work Under a Pseudonym

Anon Friendly is a job board for listings where you can work without revealing your true identity. Most of these jobs are remote, naturally, but there is a wide variety in the nature of the task, from engineering to community managers. The interface is pretty simple and normal, and the site is pretty new, so there aren’t a vast number of listings right now. But it’s a great start nonetheless.

2. Sustainable Development Goals (Web): Find Jobs That Make a Social Impact

The jobs are broken into several categories you can filter, such as clean energy, gender equality, climate action, zero hunger, no poverty, clean water, peace and justice, and many more. Pick what you want, and you can further search within those filters. For example, you can filter the list to find only remote jobs or be open to on-site jobs. SDG is straightforward to use, and you can also sign up for a newsletter to get alerts for jobs in your preferred niche.

3. GoodJobs (Web): Engineering Jobs to Make the World Better

It’s a pretty simple site, with the only option being to filter the job board by remote and non-remote jobs. As an aggregator, the listings link to one of the best job posting sites where the original requirement was listed. And don’t buy into the header that says these jobs concentrate on climate change and food insecurity; there are a variety of social impact causes listed on GoodJobs.

4. Remotewide (Web): Remote Jobs with Same Salaries Regardless of Location

Remotewide is a job board that collects listings for the latter. All jobs on the site are for remote work only and promise location-independent pay. Do note that companies might still require you to be based in the US or Europe, but that is usually more about the organizational structure and tax implications.

5. 4 Day Week (Web): Find Jobs for 4-Day Work Weeks

4 Day Week curates only 4-day work week jobs to give you more personal time. The jobs are divided into four categories: engineer, data and analytics, product and UX, and marketing. You can filter the jobs by adding your current location (North America, South America, Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe) and searching for designations. You can also filter by hours worked (over 30 or under 30) and whether you want a remote or hybrid remote job.

6. Relocate.me (Web): Find a Job That Helps You Move to a New Country

Several companies will offer to pay your relocation expenses if you want to move to a different country to seek a job. Relocate.me shows job listings for such work opportunities in various tech fields.

The jobs listed are mainly for developers or engineers, but you will sometimes find opportunities for UX design and other tech-related fields. You can filter the list by countries, including Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Singapore, Sweden, the UK, and the USA.

7. EqualOpportunity.Work (Web): Jobs at Companies Pushing Diversity and Inclusivity

There is a growing trend of companies noting in their hiring posts that they celebrate diverse workplaces and believe in equal opportunity. If these are essential parameters in the work culture you are looking for, EqualOpportunity.Work will show job listings only from such firms.

Judge a Job Board by Recent Postings

With the number of different and niche job boards to go through, how do you decide which ones you should rely on? A good thumb rule is to see how many recent job postings the board has. Companies typically post jobs across several of these boards, so you don’t want to waste your time applying to a listing that has already been filled. And a job board that posts new job ads usually also prunes filled vacancies.

15 Best Work-From-Home Jobs for Retirees | Michael Keenan, Finance.yahoo.com

Whether you need the money to make ends meet or are just figuring out what to do in retirement, there are options, especially work you can do from your own home.

Virtual Assistant

You don’t have to come into the office to help busy people with their smaller tasks anymore. Instead, add it to the list of jobs you can do from home and still manage to make good money. To work as a virtual assistant, you need good communication skills, a computer, a phone and internet access. Some companies prefer you have a bachelor’s degree as well. Your hours depend on the role you take on.

Customer Service Representative

You can find a new career at 50 working from home as a customer representative. Instead of having a centralized call center, some companies opt to allow their representatives to work from home. The company saves on overhead, and you save on your commute time to and from work.

Transcriber

You can get paid to transcribe audio files to Word documents thanks to this job done in the comfort of your home. To work as a transcriptionist, you need to be very detail-oriented and accurate with punctuation, grammar and spelling. In addition, you might need industry experience or manuals to make sure you know specific terminology.

Car Rental Sales Representative

If you can sell a customer on a rental car over the phone, you could land a job with Enterprise as a reservation sales representative. The car rental company does provide some work-from-home opportunities where you could expect to earn $21 per hour on average.

Create and Sell Crafts

Gone are the days when you needed to have a storefront and lots of capital to interact with potential customers. With the power of the internet, you can open your own business with just $100. For example, you can start an online craft store. You can make, sell and ship all your products under your own roof.

Business Consultant

Just because you’ve retired from your main career doesn’t mean you no longer have any valuable business knowledge. You can put that knowledge to work starting your own business consulting company from your den. Your experience and know-how, accumulated over decades during your working years, can prove invaluable for business owners who want to get ahead.

Taking Care of Pets

If you like animals, consider starting a pet sitting business from your own home. You can start from scratch or use an online platform like Rover, where you can post your profile. Of course, Rover checks all applications first. Once you’re on board, you can advertise your services and set your own prices and availability.

Online Tutor

If you enjoy working with students, consider online tutoring as a good job for senior citizens. You can connect with students across the country and teach the subjects you’re passionate about. Plus, as an independent contractor, you can pick and choose which students you want to tutor.

Virtual Juror

Lawyers do lots of research before going to trial, including trying to figure out how potential jurors would feel if they were presented with the case. To get those opinions, they hire people to serve as pretend jurors for their cases so they can gauge whether they are likely to win, and how much a jury might award their clients in damages.

Graphic Designer

Working as a graphic designer makes the list of jobs for people over 50 because you can easily do it from home. If you have a computer and graphic design software, you can create logos and images for companies and organizations.

Internet Search Engine Rater

If you thought surfing the web was a complete waste of time, you’re in for a surprise. Some companies, including Lionbridge, will hire you to evaluate websites and search engine results. To qualify, you need access to a computer and internet connection. Positions are typically part-time and pay hourly.

Editor

You can make a second career out of editing other people’s work before it gets published. Companies like Cactus Global hire people to work from home as full-time editors. The requirements vary depending on what category of writing you want to edit.

Translator

If you are bilingual or fluent in multiple languages, add translator to the list of jobs for retirees. You’ll need to demonstrate your fluency, such as by passing a proficiency test. If you prefer to work on your own schedule, sign up with a company like VerbalizeIt, where you can opt-in to translation jobs that suit your preferences and get paid per job.

Insurance Claims Adjuster

If you have previous experience working in insurance adjusting, you could parlay that experience into a full-time job that you can do from your house. For example, a Cottingham and Butler Claims Services job posting sought senior workers comp claims adjusters with prior experience. Workers receive an allowance to pay for their home offices, equipment and tech support, plus covered business expenses.

Fundraiser

The last option on the list of best jobs for retirees is working in development and fundraising for a nonprofit. Some nonprofits allow their fundraising directors to work remotely as long as they can accomplish all the job duties.

Four Key Strategies for a Successful Asynchronous Remote Work | Umme Sutarwala, Enterprisetalk.com

Working asynchronously isn’t just for totally remote teams; hybrid and office-first teams can benefit greatly from it as well. Here are four suggestions for businesses to help their staff take advantage of asynchronous work.

Plan ahead of time and properly manage time

While asynchronous work offers more freedom, individuals must still manage their time wisely. IT leaders should schedule time for asynchronous work in the same way that they schedule synchronous time for meetings. IT executives must foster a culture in which asynchronous work is valued similarly to synchronous meetings so that synchronous meetings do not necessarily take precedence.

Keep a record of everything

Documentation is essential when quick communication is not available. Asynchronous learning is significantly more accessible when data is stored in a single hub, especially for new recruits. IT leaders should ensure that their corporate and team values, as well as rules, processes, and guidelines, are documented. They should also record and take notes at meetings so that those who are unable to attend may still engage and act.

Create a feedback and recognition culture

When companies work asynchronously, it’s easy to neglect recognition. To make the most of face-to-face interaction, IT leaders can include recognition procedures in their synchronous meetings and catch-ups. If meetings are not possible, IT leaders should utilize systems that automatically seek input so that managers may give staff praise and constructive criticism in an asynchronous way.

To socialize, sync up

Working asynchronously may be forlorn; therefore, IT leaders should make time for social events on a regular basis. If the teams are dispersed, they can participate in several virtual activities and events. While regular in-person social activities may be impossible, IT directors may host a company-wide get-together once a year to introduce employees, bond, and strengthen relationships.

Signs You’re Not a Good Fit for Remote Work | Chris Odogwu, Makeuseof.com

Almost everyone nowadays wants to do remote work. However, remote work isn’t for everyone. Here are some signs that you’re not suited for remote work.

1.Lack of Self-Motivation

Self-motivation is an essential trait of an effective and result-oriented remote worker. Since you are operating from a place of comfort with little to no direct physical contact with management and your colleagues, you need to stay motivated to work and express efficient initiatives in the delivery of your official task(s).

2. You Aren’t Tech Savvy

Since you execute remote work online, you must be hands-on with the latest communication technology. It’s not enough to know this in theory. You must have an in-depth knowledge of the practical use of both hardware devices and gadgets, as well as software applications (web and mobile), while being at the top of technological trends as they emerge.

3. You Don’t Communicate Effectively

Remote work thrives on effective communication; it keeps the workflow running smoothly. So, if you have a problem with communicating, remote work isn’t ideal for you. You can’t carry out objectives towards the achievement of organizational goals in isolation as a remote worker—you need to communicate.

4. You Are Highly Prone to Distraction

Even though remote working is outside the confines of the formal office space, all remote tasks, duties, and obligations must be carried out with utmost concentration. You need to avoid distractions and focus on your work while working remotely. You can employ measures like putting your phone in airplane mode while you work.

5. You Lack Time Management Skills

Remote work often creates an illusion of having all the time in the world. Since you don’t have anyone breathing down your neck and you are in the comfort of your home, it might feel like you have time in your hands. However, the clock continues to tick. Before you know it, the day is far spent, and you haven’t accomplished much work.

6. You Are a People Person

Remote work requires you to work in isolation. If you are a people person, you must be a social bird that struggles to work in isolation without any form of physical interaction. And that’s because you perform better with people around you.

7. You Thrive in a Team Environment

A healthy social life allows you to interact, mingle and be in tune with reality away from the virtual world. Having a social life reduces your chances of being mentally stressed, overwhelmed, and depressed.

8. You Can’t Work Independently

A remote worker must be independent-minded in executing their duties while being open to suggestions. You should be discerning enough to trust your intuition and personal decisions while carrying out organizational tasks.

Remote Work Is Not for Everyone

Remote work is changing the dynamics of work. You don’t have to be in a physical office to work as an employee of an organization. As long as you deliver on your responsibilities, it doesn’t matter where you are working from. However, it’s not ideal for everyone.

The most efficient remote workers are mentally and emotionally sound for a remote job. If you aren’t in the right frame of mind, you’ll lack the motivation to work at all, let alone excel at work.

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March 29, 2022

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Remote Work Digest: March 29, 2022

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

You want to work remotely. Your boss wants you back in person. Here’s how to negotiate | Jane Their, Fortune.com

It’s a source of friction at workplaces nationwide now that the pandemic is receding: The boss wants everyone back in the office, but the workers are just fine at home.

Because of work-at-home benefits like more family time, more sleep (on account of no commute) and better work-life balance, many employees are staunchly against reverting to old ways.

If you’re being pressured to return, and don’t want to, there’s hope. You can frame your argument for staying at home — at least a few days a week — as a win-win, according to Shannan Monson, a women’s leadership expert and serial entrepreneur who outlined a four-step approach to that conversation with your boss.

Step #1: Determine what’s best for you

Before you go to your boss, define your goals. What would make you happy? Working two or three days from home or working remotely full-time?

At heart, this is a negotiation, Monson says. “You’ll probably meet somewhere in the middle, but you have to remember you have the power, and you’re in control of what you say yes or no to.”

Monsoon recommends practicing the conversation in advance to ensure you sound level-headed and clear. “The worst thing they can do is say no,” she adds. “You won’t be fired for wanting more.”

Step #2: List all your wins

Before the conversation, compile all your achievements over the past two years of lockdown, and highlight the wins you can take credit for. Bosses tend to have short memories — don’t hesitate to remind them of your successes, she says.

In this way, the work-from-home negotiation resembles the conversation you’d have when asking for a raise.

“You want to be the most prepared person in the room,” she says. Plus, you have leverage. “You’re not asking to work from home so much as asking to continue being your most productive self.”

Step #3: Request the meeting

Once the talking points are in order, it’s time to get the meeting on the books. Monson recommends opening with a line like “Hey, I’m excited to be coming back to work. I’d like to discuss what that looks like.”

Acknowledge, outright, the discomfort your boss may be feeling. “Say, ‘I know there’s been a lot of uncertainty around what returning to work might look like. I want to discuss how I can keep bringing my best work and productivity to the team,’” she recommends. Then launch into your ideas, pitching them as net positives.

Step #4: Pitch the idea

How do you convince your boss that working remotely would be good for your company? By presenting evidence.

Monson recommends a script like: “Based on the work I have been able to do from home in the past two years, and what I’ve accomplished, I’d like to continue doing so. Here’s evidence that that would be good for the company too.”

Most important, Monson adds, is for employees to not be scared, and to recognize how much power they currently hold. “The entire workforce is facing a massive labor shortage, and it’s really hard and expensive to hire and train talent right now,” she says. “Don’t go in with a fear of getting fired. Your boss knows you’re valuable, so don’t you forget it.”

Remote work isn’t enough: 5 tips for the future of flexibility at work | Keren Rubin, Enterprisersproject.com

No longer is remote work seen as a perk – it’s now a common offering that’s here to stay. To compete for talent, companies need to focus on being “people-first.” This means providing employees with the flexibility they need, and merely offering remote work will no longer cut it.

5 tips for work flexibility

1.Create a remote work guide

Consider creating a remote work training program for new employees that outlines remote work expectations, including company hours and a flexible schedule policy. By establishing clear parameters, employees have the opportunity to work as they please within those boundaries.

2.Encourage time blocks

As a fully remote manager, I encourage my teams to block time on their calendars throughout the day to ensure they have time to step away, have lunch, or walk the dog. Working from home doesn’t mean employees can’t take breaks.

3.Establish meeting-free times

Meeting-free time is a simple concept, but implementing it takes careful planning. While meeting-free days are most successful when the entire company can adopt them, implementing them on a team-by-team basis can also be impactful.

4.Create opportunities for mobility

The ongoing technology worker shortage presents new opportunities for companies to fill vacant roles internally. Many organizations are now looking to remove the high (and sometimes unrealistic) barriers to entry for certain roles to increase the talent pool. If you take this approach, clearly outline roles and responsibilities for all roles and be transparent with employees about how they can reach the next level. When roles are clearly written out, it’s easier to evaluate how well your existing talent might fit with internal opportunities. It also gives your employees a goal to work toward.

5.Focus on continuous learning

Continuous learning empowers a flexible workplace. Consider providing sessions hosted by outside experts or internal executives on topics such as eliminating bias, improving team communication, and best practices for leading virtual teams. These will help “normalize” flexible work and equip your workforce with new tools for long-term success.

Why Flexible Work Boosts Employee Productivity | Carline Castrillon, Forbes.com

Flexible work helps attract top talent, but it also makes employees more productive. In the Gartner 2021 Digital Worker Experience Survey, 43% of respondents said that flexible working hours helped them achieve more productivity, and 30% of those surveyed said that less or no time commuting allowed them to be more productive. Here are some reasons why flexible work boosts employee productivity.

Flexible work allows employees to work more

Flexible work arrangements allow employees to work more during the hours they are most productive. In a survey conducted by Airtasker, remote employees worked 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year, than office workers. And on those days, they were more productive. While office employees reported an average of 37 minutes each workday not getting work done, remote employees only lost 27 minutes of each workday to distractions.

Flexible work reduces turnover

Allowing employees to work flexible schedules can help retain valuable staff. Without a doubt, flexibility is one of the most important perks workers want from their employers. In fact, a Flexjobs survey found that 80% of respondents said they’d be more loyal to their employer if they provided flexible working arrangements, and 52% said they’d already tried to negotiate flexible work with their current employer. When your workforce is engaged, they spend more time on their work and less time looking for new opportunities.

Flexibility increases engagement

According to a Gallup study, flexible work also drives employee engagement. Engaged employees are more enthusiastic, energetic and have better physical health. And, as decades of Gallup research shows, when employees are engaged, their performance soars. In addition, highly engaged workplaces claim numerous benefits like 40% fewer quality defects, 41% lower absenteeism and 21% higher profitability.

Flexible work allows for better work-life balance

Statistics around the effects of work-life balance on productivity show that companies can double employee output by embracing flexibility. Flexible work gives workers the autonomy to create a schedule that benefits their physical and mental health. That could mean going to a yoga class, spending time with family or going to the gym. With more control over their time, they have a greater sense of freedom to complete work tasks and still take care of their own personal responsibilities.

5 Tips to Boost Employee Productivity | Todd Smekens, Muncievoice.com

Follow these tips, and you’ll see a big improvement in the quality of work and productivity of your team.

Provide training

Invest in regular training sessions, whether that means bringing in an outside expert or simply having someone on your team who is responsible for providing training on a regular basis. And don’t forget about ongoing training. As your business changes and grows, so too should your employees’ understanding of how it works.

Regular training will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them. It will also help you to identify any areas where employees are struggling and need additional support.

Give feedback often

Giving feedback is essential if you want to improve employee productivity. But it’s not enough to simply point out when someone has made a mistake. You also need to explain why it was a mistake and how they can avoid making the same error in the future.

Constructive feedback will help your employees understand their errors. It will also give them the opportunity to correct their mistakes. It’s important to be clear, specific, and objective when giving feedback. This will give your employees precisely what they need to work on.

Offer incentives

Offering incentives is a great way to motivate your employees to do their best work and avoid making mistakes. If you know that there’s a financial reward for doing a good job, you’re more likely to be careful and double-check your work before handing it in.

Set clear expectations

Be specific about the standards you expect your employees to meet, and make sure they understand what will happen if they don’t meet those standards. This will help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal and that mistakes are less likely to be made.

Encourage a culture of learning

Encouraging a culture of learning will help your employees to understand that mistakes are part of the process and that they can learn from them. Encourage your employees to ask questions, share their ideas, and experiment with new things. Encouraging a culture of learning will help your employees to feel more comfortable making mistakes. It will also help you to identify any areas where employees are struggling and need additional support.

In conclusion, following these tips will help you to get your employees to make fewer mistakes. By providing training, giving feedback, and offering incentives, you can motivate your employees to do their best work and avoid making costly mistakes. Invest in your team’s development, and you’ll see a big return on investment for your business.

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Remote Work Digest: December 30, 2021

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

How to Ask to Work Remotely Full Time | Robin Madell, Money.usnews.com

Asking your company to work remotely – particularly full time – can be nerve-wrecking. Not only is it challenging to understand exactly how to tell your boss you want to work remotely, but there’s also the worry that your request to work from home full time might be turned down.

Craft Your Personal

You’ll need to work steps into your proposal that will convince your boss that you’re work-from-home worthy, reveal evidence of why working from home works for you, and show you care about team connections, communications and contacts.

Prove You Can Get the Job Done

To prove that you are work-from-home worthy, gather tangible, data-driven evidence that shows your results and your value. If you’ve made yourself indispensable to your team and company where you work now and can show proof of that in your proposal, this will help justify that you are ready and responsible enough to be entrusted with full-time remote work.

Compile Evidence of How and Why Remote Work Works

Despite how common and popular remote work has become, some bosses and employers still prefer to have everyone in the office, so proving how and why virtual work helps teams and companies thrive can help break through that mindset and gain strength for your work-from-home proposal.

Care About Team Connections and Contact

If your boss has concerns about you working from home full time, it likely traces back to a worry that you’ll be harder to communicate with when you’re working off-site. Your proposal should thus address exactly how you plan to stay in close touch with your colleagues, foster team connections and maintain regular contact for collaboration when needed.

Carefully Consider the Answer You Hear

Even with a solid remote work proposal, it’s possible that your manager won’t want you to work from home – at least not full time. If your boss offers a hybrid model that allows you to work remotely some of the time, consider whether this setup will get you close enough to your goals.

Many more companies offer the opportunity for remote work today, so it’s more possible than ever to find a full-time, work-from-home job. If your remote work proposal is rejected or modified, think about whether you want to accept the compromise – or whether a full-time, work-from-home arrangement is important enough for you to seek another position.

Are Your Employees Happy with the Support You Provide? | Saurabh Kumar, Entrepreneur.com

Employees are the building blocks of an organization, and their contributions to a company’s growth are invaluable. Just like you cater to your customers by providing them with personalized customer support, it is equally important to understand the needs of your employees and resolve their issues. Ensure you are always there for your employees whenever they need you and provide them with a friendly workplace. Employee engagement and productivity are directly connected to the support you provide to them.

Does conducting employee satisfaction surveys matter?

Here are some of the reasons why an organization needs to conduct regular employee satisfaction surveys:

1.Making unsatisfied workers productive

Employee satisfaction surveys help you identify the employees who are not satisfied working in your organization. Once they are identified, managers can understand their issues, resolve them, and increase their productivity while ensuring they are more engaged.

2. Preventing a toxic environment

Taking regular surveys and working on the findings prevents a toxic environment. Disgruntled employees lead to increased turnover and reduced productivity.

3. Increasing employee retention

Without conducting employee satisfaction surveys, you will not understand how your employees genuinely feel about working in your organization.

4. Improved customer relations

When employees are engaged and motivated, they build healthy and lasting relationships with your customers.

Essential questions to include in employee satisfaction surveys

Here are some of the most important questions that you should include in your employee satisfaction surveys to reach conclusive findings:

1.Do you feel connected to your peers

Workers spend a large part of their day interacting with each other. If they do not feel connected to their peers, it will affect their overall work experience.

2. Do you like the company’s culture?

Your employees must be in tune with your company’s culture. If they have issues with your culture, talk about it with them and work to find a solution.

3. Do you think the organization is open to change?

In the age of digitization, organizations need to be dynamic and implement flexible approaches to work. If your employees feel the company follows stringent rules that curb their free will, it affects their performance.

4. How seriously do the managers take your feedback?

This question helps you ascertain how well the management responds to the feedback provided by your employees and how valued your employees feel.

5. Do you feel that your efforts are recognized enough?

Management should acknowledge and show appreciation for efforts put in by employees. If employees feel managers do not value their contributions, productivity and engagement will take a hit.

6. Do your managers keep you updated about company news on a timely basis?

When your employees are regularly updated about important company news, they feel valued. Conversely, if they feel kept in the dark because of inadequate communication, they may feel like they don’t matter.

Effective ways to keep your employees happy

Here are some of the most critical ways in which you can keep your employees happy with seamless support provided to them:

1. Implementing Conversational AI

Modern help desks use conversational AI to facilitate seamless interactions between your employees and AI chatbots. Implementing this technology makes it easier for your employees to obtain personalized primary support without relying on support agents every time.

2. Automating the ticketing system

Traditional service desks often make the ticketing process tedious and complicated. By implementing a modern employee service desk, you can automate the entire ticketing system. These platforms allow your employees to create support tickets simply by initiating a chat with virtual assistants.

3. Integrating your employee help desk with a collaborative platform

You can leverage the support provided to your employees by integrating your help desk with your collaborative platform. Doing so would provide your employees and HR managers with a centralized platform to interact with each other.

4. Easy communication of employee benefits

Instead of reaching out to the HR managers to obtain every tiny detail about employee benefits, try automating communication of these benefits. Modern HR help desks allow your employees to get all relevant information about their benefits by chatting with virtual assistants.

The final word

Addressing the issues faced by your employees would help you leverage engagement and productivity. First, however, remember that it all starts by asking your employees if they are happy with their support. You’ll be surprised by what they are willing to share!

Having Trouble Embracing Remote Work? You Need To Overcome These 3 Limiting Beliefs | Larry English, Forbes.com

Companies that embrace the new world of work are reaping the benefits. For instance, they’re able to attract a significantly larger talent pool. A recent report found that employers that fail to offer remote work will be passed over by 58% of candidates.

“Why are some organizations wildly successful? It’s not by doing the same things they’ve been doing for the last few decades,” says Amy Lescke-Kahle, vice president of performance acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP Company. “It’s because they’ve acknowledged and adjusted to the changes to work, the world and the market.”

Shed These 3 Little Beliefs To Finally Embrace Remote Work

To move forward, these leaders need to reexamine their beliefs around work and how they measure employees. Some of the most pervasive myths or limiting beliefs that need busting include:

Myth 1: Employees Need Babysitting

The best thing you can do in a remote setting is to simply trust your people. Yet many leaders are going in the opposite direction, using tracking software to keep an eye on employee activities. The 2021 ADP Research Institute People at Work report found that 62% of workers say they’re being more closely monitored than ever before.

Myth 2: In-Person Collaboration Is Always the Most Effective

Studies have shown that the traditional approach to collaboration—with people gathered in the same room—isn’t always the most effective method for generating good ideas. A few people end up dominating the conversation, leaving introverts and junior team members behind. In fact, a concept called Bartleby’s Law says that meetings waste 80% of the time for 80% of attendees.

Asynchronous communication and collaboration, necessary elements of remote work success, help solve this problem. When collaboration doesn’t always happen in person (or over videoconference), you remove the on-the-fly pressure and end up getting more input from more people.

Myth 3: Remote Work Just Adds Another Layer of Organizational Complexity

Reimagining work offers an opportunity to rethink all our systems—many of which are more complex than necessary, wasting time and causing major employee heartburn, Leschke-Kahle points out. Instead of making things more complicated, leaders should use the shift to remote work to streamline and simplify.

“We’ve so over-engineered the world of work with policies and processes that are not necessary in a grown-up version of work,” Leschke-Kahle says. “Simplification must be a big piece of what we do next.”

Welcome To The Great Work Experiment

Change can be scary, but as Leschke-Kahle points out, work is an easy, relatively low-risk place to test new practices. “This is really the great work experiment, and we should be digging into what works and what doesn’t. If you’re slow and hesitant to change, both your employees and your business are going to end up suffering, because the market will pass you by.”

6 Time Management Techniques To Utilize In The Forthcoming Year | Steve Johnson, Newsakmi.com

We all know how chaotic things can get at work: constant changes, slipping deadlines, and a to-do list that seems never-ending. Especially now that the year is coming to an end, many people claim that their New Year (business) resolution is “managing time better” or “becoming more efficient.” But is that possible, or will better time management become another New Year resolution that never came to be? Fortunately, you can enter the year more relaxed, as this article includes 6 effective time management techniques that will help you always be on schedule from now on.

1.Make Your To-Do List

This is the most important step, and yet many people skip it. There’s no reason to go into the office and take each day as it comes. Instead, start by gathering the notes that are stuck on your computer, the scribbles in your notebook, and your mental notes, and make a checklist of all your tasks. Having everything in one place helps you create a daily to-do list that gets you easily through the day.

2. Prioritize Your Tasks

Try to delegate or eliminate unimportant and non-urgent tasks, and bring important and urgent ones to the top of your list. Important tasks that don’t require your immediate attention should become part of a long-term plan.

3. Invest In Time Tracking

If lack of time management techniques is a company-wide problem, you should consider utilizing time tracking software. That would allow you to see when your employees clock in and out and how much time they’re spending on specific tasks. It could be that inconsistencies in attendance or excessive time being spent on unimportant tasks are to blame for your missed deadlines.

4. Resist The Urge to Multitask

Trying to take on multiple tasks at once, or constantly switching from one task to another can be time-consuming and detrimental to your productivity. Instead, you should focus on the task at hand and try to block any distractions. Taking on tasks one-by-one can also help you get through seemingly endless to-do lists without getting overwhelmed and stressed out.

5. Set SMART Goals

As you set your goals for this year’s resolutions, you might want to keep this acronym in mind. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-oriented. These are the characteristics all your goals should have if you’re hoping to achieve them within the accepted time limits.

6. Learn To Say No

The final and very important time management technique we’re sharing with you is learning to say no. It might seem hard for you, but you should know that you can’t successfully manage your time at work if you don’t say no once in a while. When someone comes to you with a request, pause for a beat. If you have some free time, by all means, help them. However, in case you’re truly swamped and have to neglect your own tasks to accommodate them, don’t hesitate to politely decline.

Conclusion

If your New Year resolution is to become more productive, efficient, and better at managing your time, you should consider the time management techniques we shared in this article. Follow them and organize your time to become less stressed and more successful.

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Remote Work Digest: August 31, 2021

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

How to Improve the Efficiency Of Your Small Business: 6 Tips | Yucatan Times, Theyucatantimes.com

Growing your business will largely depend on how efficient you run it and what is certain is that it won’t happen overnight. Though some companies will experience faster growth than others, improving your business is primarily a matter of time. There are many things you need to do to improve the efficiency of your business for it to grow, including:

Review Existing Processes

The first and foremost thing you have to do to improve your business’s efficiency is to evaluate the existing process. To make anything better, you first have to assess its current state. By reviewing the existing processes of your business, you can get a good idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Understand Your Customers

A vital thing you have to do to improve the efficiency of your business is to understand your customers. They are the backbone of every small business and will help you grow even in difficult times.

One of the best ways to reduce the inefficiencies in your business is to embrace feedback. Collect information from your employees and customers through research and surveys and find ways to improve your business efficiency.

Use Technology

One of the best tools to use to improve the efficiency of your business in the modern age is technology. If you embrace technology, you can dramatically improve business efficiency and have great results.

Automation of business processes has become incredibly popular in the recent past, and it will continue to do so. The greatest benefit automation offers to small businesses is eradicating menial, time-consuming tasks from your staff so they can focus on higher priority tasks.

Consider Outsourcing Your Payroll

Managing payroll is a time-consuming task that burdens most HR departments or payroll offices. It can make business processes very inefficient, negatively affecting employees, which further increases inefficiency.

Companies that outsource their payroll can free their employees for much more critical work. The increase in efficiency should also increase profitability and employee satisfaction.

Get Funding

All small businesses need access to capital for them to grow and improve their business processes. Investing in technology, collecting and receiving customer feedback, among other activities, will require finances.

Therefore, you should figure out a way for your business to obtain some financing which can be difficult for small businesses. Loans are one way for small businesses to get funding for their endeavors.

Set Realistic Goals

The goals you set for your business should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Moreover, it would be best to give your business ample time to incorporate the necessary changes and then review their effects in six months to a year.

It would be best if you did not let change management become more important than improving efficiency. If you correctly set goals, improving the efficiency of various business processes will take a functional and stable approach.

In conclusion, improving the efficiency of your business is a challenging undertaking. The six tips above will be of tremendous help. They will help your business become more efficient without compromising other essential elements.

Work From Home Set Up Ideas: 5 Easy Tips For Any Space, Floridanewstimes.com

Establishing a work-from-home location that’s practical, pleasant (and relaxing!), and at the same time feasible should be among the first things on your to-do list.

And, because we’re all hoping to prevent traveling to the supermarket, and many establishments are presently shut, you would like to construct this temporary workspace out of items you already have at home. The good news is that if you become imaginative, you will probably already have everything you need.

Get the correct equipment.

Before we set up ideas for a remote office, we need to understand what the required equipment is for such a place to work.

Listed below are the basic requirements of any workspace that is required daily to work professionally.

A desk for all your things.
A chair to support you.
A strong Wifi connection for proper functioning.
Proper and adequate lighting to not put any stress on your eyes.
A calendar to mark the important dates and timeline.
A to-do list so you can keep track of all your activities and pending work that you need to pay attention to and complete.
Plants and other things brighten the room and calm you to give you the inspiration to work better.

To succeed in working independently and designing your own schedule, you’ll need motivation, strategy, and support from your manager and organization. The atmosphere has a tremendous impact on people who are looking to effortlessly convert to telecommuting.

Decorate your wall with canvas prints

It becomes easier for visual learners to work efficiently and effectively and at the same time increase their productivity. It also helps in increasing the level of focus while working and increasing creativity at the same time.

Walls with chalkboards for artistic remote working

For individuals who desire to live on the go, contemporary work from anywhere lifestyle offers some inventive alternatives. An extremely creative and innovative idea for artistic workers is to make use of walls with chalkboards. This does not require a lot of space at all and, at the same time is very easy to set up. Moreover, it is an extremely useful thing for workers who need to constantly chalk out ideas or do calculations frequently.

Try to get hold of a desk with storage

The best idea for creating an office at home with minimal space is to try to incorporate a desk that has multiple storage spaces to make optimum utilization of free space. This would help when the space is compact and needs to be utilized. If you do not possess space for a filing cabinet or a cupboard, try getting a table with some built space to keep all of your essentials hidden.

Working office under the stairs

This creative office is capable of including a storage area, a table and workstation, and sometimes even houseplants if a little greenery is the magic recipe in your personalized learning pot. This innovative room, which would be around 18 square feet in size, would incorporate everything required to work from home by incorporating built-in bookcases and also a tiny desk chair. This is the idea you most definitely need to create an efficient home office with very little space that you can set up yourself.

Conclusion

More worldwide workers are functioning from anyplace than ever before in the post-COVID-19 era. Gone are the days of mandatory on-site work and strict daily commuting. However, one reality about modern work stays constant: having a dedicated location where you can concentrate, work quickly, and be creative without distractions is critical.

How to improve employee productivity and well-being | Bmmagazine.co.uk

Employees form the backbone of every organization; they are integral for success, so how do you improve their productivity?

First, you should try to improve their well-being and happiness at work. Research has consistently shown that workers who feel acknowledged and appreciated at work perform better than unhappy employees. To help improve employee productivity and performance, here are some of the most effective tips:

Recognize Employee Achievements

Recognizing employee achievements is one of the best ways to increase employee well-being and happiness. Whether you applaud an employee’s recent hard work on a project or how they helped another coworker, any recognition can go a long way to making employees feel more appreciated and satisfied at work.

Encourage Employees to Take Care of Their Physical Health

Physical health plays a huge role in mental health and overall well-being. Management should encourage employees to take care of themselves by routinely going on walks and eating healthy foods.

Provide Mental Health Resources

Offering mental health services from Human Resources or an external mental health agency is crucial for preventing employee burnout or depression. Mental health “sick days” have also been effective at lowering worker stress and anxiety. Management should encourage employees to seek out help if needed and promote awareness of mental illnesses and burnout.

Reward Employees with Fun Outings

Employee performance is often increased if fun rewards or outings are offered for good performance. Some ideas include having a company-provided lunch once a week, going out for group dinner or drinks after a big sale or project, or getting breakfast for workers in the morning. These activities are also great for building teamwork and collaboration between coworkers, which in turn can improve productivity and project success.

Conclusion

By simply acknowledging helpful or hard-working employees, promoting positive physical and mental health habits, and offering incentives such as group meals can help employees feel more motivated to go the extra mile at work.

The 4 essential skills to include on your resume to find remote work in 2021 | Cristina Fernandez Esteban and Qayyah Moynihan, Businessinsider.com

These are the top four skillsets Infoempleo says you should include if you’re looking for a job while working from home.

Digital and programming skills

With a growing number of companies moving towards remote working or hybrid working models, it’s crucial to have an understanding of digital tools and programs needed for remote work.

Social network skills

Being able to navigate and manage social networks is a professional skill that has been growing in demand for some time, but demand has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic.

Tech skills

Tech skills in fields like robotics, augmented reality, the internet of things, or AI can be invaluable to companies in the context of the changes brought about by the pandemic.

Soft skills

Self-discipline, communication skills, and initiative are generally considered to be very sought-after traits but are particularly so if you’re looking to work from home.

These skills are even more essential now that, often, your colleagues and those to whom you report are at a physical distance.

As a result, you need to make it clear on your resume that you’re able to put these skills and qualities to use.

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Remote Work Digest: August 2, 2021

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

How Leaders Can Maintain Efficiency During Difficult Times | Josee Larocque Patton, Forbes.com

In the years to come, there will likely be studies on how the past 16 months have changed the business world, whether it’s for better or worse. Since the future of business is unknown, it is up to leaders to continue to create the best employee experience they can. Leaders are just like everyone else – they can excel, they can make mistakes and they, too, need guidance to stay abreast of trends.

Here’s what leaders can do to help themselves while supporting others:

1.You don’t have to know everything.

Showing vulnerability is actually a good thing. If you want to be a progressive, fair and equitable business, then 100% honesty is the way to go. Not everyone will like it; however, I truly believe they will respect you for it and that is what matters.

No matter who we work with — peers, subordinates, clients — we all want to feel we are being treated with respect. There really is no substitute for this. Own the fact that you do not know everything but will do your best to help.

2. Work on your time management.

Time management is about prioritizing how much time you are willing to give to tasks or even social events.

Leaders need to have good time management to be able to teach their team about efficiency. One of the worst mistakes a leader can make is to not use their time effectively. I have heard many times how people feel there are too many meetings, too many calls, meetings to discuss the agenda of meetings, etc.

3. Offer clear direction.

Over the years, I have adapted the “interpret after me” mechanism. If I am sharing something with a client or direct report, I ask them to reiterate what I am sharing with them in their own words to be sure they understand the task/message. Or, for example, if you are sending out a company-wide message, always ensure it could be read and understood by a 5-year-old. This is not to dimmish anyone’s intellectual abilities, but drafting a simple message is a great way to feel confident that everyone will understand what you are trying to share no matter their age, language ability, etc.

These are just a few suggestions of what leaders can do to help get through unchartered territory. There is no doubt that we all want to do what is best for the company we work for as well as the employees who are part of our team. But when we are unfamiliar with what comes next, we can only do our best to help navigate the future. The three tips above are transferrable to any organization, any industry and are relevant no matter the situation.

As leaders, it is important to know that our role is to set others up for success and, by doing so, we get to be teachers and learners at the same time.

How Technology Can Boost Your Business Productivity | Analyticsinsight.net

In the business world, technology has revolutionized almost all industries and became a lifeline for several companies. Nowadays, businesses are always on the lookout for innovations that can enhance their efficiency. Here are some notable ways how technology can significantly affect the productivity of your business.

Connect employees

Technology helps companies ensure that everyone remains connected. You can now hold virtual meetings through the use of video conferencing tools such as Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, and Cisco Webex. Messaging applications also allows your employees to efficiently communicate with one another, improving business communication and employee productivity. With the help of technology, you can efficiently expand your workforce in a more cost-effective way.

Improve collaboration

Technology redefined how employees collaborate. If you want your employees to have a certain degree of autonomy in handling their tasks, there are several web-based project management tools that you can utilize such as Basecamp and Zoho Projects. Additionally, your managers can proficiently coordinate with their teams and oversee their tasks without the need for face-to-face meetings.

Enhances customer service

Innovations such as chatbots and artificial intelligence can efficiently manage customer transactions, enhancing the overall customer experience. These tools are also more cost-effective in the long run.

Strengthens marketing

With the help of digital marketing, you can now reach a more comprehensive network and target a more diverse clientele. To drive more traffic to your business, you can leverage on social media, as it is a proven effective marketing tool. Aside from social media, establishing a website, utilizing search engine optimization, and using data analytics can also further boost your business productivity and yield stronger results.

Reduce business expenditures

Since employees are working at home or remotely, companies can save on overhead costs. As a business owner, you have the option to move your operations and scrap the need for a physical office. Doing so can give you a lot of savings while ensuring that your employees are safe. Aside from saving money for the overhead expenses, you also don’t need to spend on expensive office furniture and equipment.

Facilitates continuous employee education

An online learning management system can enhance your staff’s knowledge and expertise, which can heighten their engagement and retention. By continuously providing skill development training to your employees, it will make them more appreciative of their work, making them productive and motivated to stay in your company.

Simplifies planning and time management

Utilizing time trackers or scheduling applications can help them accomplish their tasks within their deadlines. You can also keep track of their progress, which will motivate them to be more conscious of how they manage their time.

Easy access to data

Having instant access to information will save your company valuable time. Investing in cloud computing or in a database system that enables your employees to have immediate access to their business files can help increase your business productivity. Your employees can exchange and retrieve sensitive documents eliminating the need for them to waste countless hours going through manual storage. These data management platforms also have security measures that can mitigate the chances of a cyber breach.

Technology has undoubtedly changed how companies do their businesses. Investing in the right technological innovations can help you improve your business productivity and boost your chances of success.

Best freelance websites 2021: Find jobs & remote work | Lena Borrelli, Zdnet.com

Today, there are many job websites that claim to help you find immediate employment, but the freelance gig industry is a world of its own. As a freelancer, your needs are far different from the average commuter and salaried employee, which is why a specialized freelance job website can better suit your needs.

Though seemingly similar, these services are much different from one another, not only in available jobs but also your membership structure. Pricing can include whatever charges and finder’s fees come with using a third-party provider of this nature. Accessibility and job quality can also vary based on the freelance website you choose.

To help, we have compiled the five best freelance websites to find work in 2021. This is how they compare.

Upwork

For the new freelancer

Upwork is great for jobs both domestic and international. You can make a free profile to advertise your skills, and then you can either wait for jobs to find you, or you can take a more proactive stance to find and apply to jobs yourself. Upwork uses a currency called Connects that allows you to apply to jobs. Connects are refreshed on a monthly basis, and up to 200 can roll over each month.

There are two plans that you can choose from. The Basic Freelancer plan is standard, or you can opt for the Freelancer Plus at a monthly subscription rate of $14.99 per month. With the Freelancer Plus, you receive a total of 80 Connects per month, plus a customized profile URL, confidential earnings reporting, and competitor insights when bidding on a job.

Fiverr

For the gig freelancer

Fiverr advertises that it has been used by over “11 million satisfied businesses” for freelance projects. It has an impressive client roster that includes notable companies like Facebook, Netflix, and Google. Through the Fiverr business plan, entire teams can use the platform to connect with freelancers who have proven business experience.

For freelancers, there are over 200 different categories with gig work and ongoing projects. It services a host of different professionals, such as graphic designers, developers, writers, musicians, social media marketers, and voiceover artists. To help out, there is also 24/7 customer support.

Freelancer

For the international freelancer

Based in Australia, Freelancer is a popular global platform for freelancers the world over to connect with employers. Employers hire for specific projects, choosing from a pool of more than 50 million freelancers possessing over 1,800 different skills. Freelancers bid on the projects they want and then wait for an approval or denial.

Similar to Upwork, projects are either hourly or fixed-price. Payments are secured by the Milestone Payments System, so you do not have to worry about whether a client can pay. Payments are also available in 39 currencies, and there is 24/7 customer support if you have any issues. Freelancer takes a 10% fee for projects and contests and 20% off services.

Toptal

For the discriminating freelancer

Exclusivity is the name of the game with Toptal. The company has made a name for itself in hiring just 3% of freelance talent. The platform connects employers with specific freelance professionals, including software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers.

However, you have to apply and be approved before you can officially join. After approval, recruiters and industry experts help filter the applicant pool and pair freelancers with jobs. Hiring usually happens within 48 hours.

LinkedIn

For the professional job seeker

LinkedIn is a great resource for the job-seeking professional. There is a strong emphasis on networking, and using your family, friends, and colleagues to build a professional network, collect references, and build recommendations. It is also known for excellent job opportunities for both corporate jobs and freelance positions, especially in copywriting, graphic design, and translation.

What is a freelance job website?

A freelance website is a service that links job seekers with employers. Users are able to advertise services, post jobs, interact, and complete work all within the service platform.

How does a freelance job website work?

Every service has different requirements to get started, but typically, you begin by creating an account. There will likely be terms and conditions that you must agree to before you can begin searching for work or advertising your services.

How much does it cost to use a freelance job website?

The cost to use a freelance job website depends on which service you use. It is common for freelance websites to take a commission off your earnings, but this percentage can vary.

Which is the right freelance job website for you?

These are some factors to consider when choosing the best freelance website to find work:

Fees and penalties: The amount that a platform charges is important to consider when choosing a freelance site for work.

Payment: Some services may pay right away, while others may pay in milestones or require a waiting period.

Ease of use: Accessibility is important in a job website because you are likely to spend a lot of time on the platform.

Membership requirements: While some sites help brand-new freelancers get started, a la Freelancer, others like Toptal have strict requirements and search for more experienced workers.

Customer support: If you hit a snag while racing to meet a deadline, you may need customer support to help out. That is why you should consider what types of customer support are available through your chosen site to help out during the hours you need it most.

Terms and conditions: All services will have their terms and conditions available for review, and you want to be sure that you agree to these terms before you accept any jobs and complete any work on the platform.

Are there alternatives worth considering?

Although these services did not make our top five list for 2021, they still may be worth your consideration based on your needs:

Craigslist: This is an email-based platform that allows users to post and apply to jobs via email.
FlexJobs: This membership-based service features handpicked jobs based on your skills and preferences.
TaskRabbit: This is a great option for the everyday person looking to make money off traditional gigs like shopping, errands, yard work, and home services.

Be sure to carefully explore your options and review the terms so you can find the best freelance website to get you back to work in 2021.

The Top 3 Soft Skills Of The Pandemic And How To Cultivate Them | Amy Blaschka, Forbes.com

According to Prudential’s latest Pulse of the American Worker survey, the top three soft skills workers gained last year include adaptability, problem-solving, and time management; here’s how to cultivate them in a post-pandemic world:

Adaptability

In the business world, change happens—and not just during a pandemic. Between mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and management changes, those who remain flexible hold the key to career success. Maintaining the ability to adapt your thinking and actions to handle unforeseen circumstances can help position you as an indispensable member of the team who can roll with the punches.

To build your adaptability:

Challenge yourself to consider new possibilities instead of falling back on “because we’ve always done it this way” thinking.
Offer up alternative solutions, even—and especially— when initial ideas are turned down.
Keep calm and confident under pressure when faced with unexpected challenges and changing circumstances.
Move away from a one-size-fits-all mentality when managing your team, and instead, ask each person their goals and how you can best support them.
Look for opportunities to stretch yourself and showcase your adaptability by volunteering for new assignments and proactively increasing your skillset and knowledge base.
2. Problem-solving

Problem-solving skills help you solve issues quickly and effectively and often use the additional soft skills of awareness, creativity, innovation, curiosity, and grit to be most effective.

To hone your problem-solving:

Use awareness to identify and anticipate issues. When you pay attention, you’ll notice details other people miss.
Change your mindset to see problems as hidden opportunities.
Employ creativity to come up with solutions. Creativity is the ability to perceive the world in new ways, find hidden patterns, make connections between seemingly disparate things, and generate innovative solutions.
When you implement and evaluate solutions (especially new ones), don’t get discouraged if they fall short. Use grit to determine what worked and what could be improved, and then make tweaks to keep going and find a way to solve the problem.
3. Time management

Your ability to prioritize and focus your attention to tackle work projects is crucial. How and with whom you spend your time and your productivity while doing so demonstrate your focus and commitment to what—and who—matters most.

To master time management:

Learn to say no to things that don’t support your short- or long-term goals.
Realize that not all tasks are created equal. Do, decide, delegate or delete tasks based on their urgency and importance.
Batch routine tasks (like responding to emails) by carving out specific times in the day for it—and let others know to call you if something is really important.
Eliminate distractions by turning off notifications, putting your phone on airplane mode, and closing your door.
Establish (and maintain) boundaries. You are not obligated to be on 24/7, so limit your availability.
Embrace mono-tasking to make progress on one thing at a time.
Work with your own circadian rhythms, doing your most important work during your peak time, whenever that is.
Don’t forget to build in breaks to rest and recharge so you can tackle another day.

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Remote Work Digest: May 29, 2021

The latest on all kinds of information, news, and resources that help you make working remotely better.

5 Strategies to Boost Employee and Client Retention | Matt Goebel, Mytotalretail.com

It’s critical for retailers to understand that what’s happening on the inside of an organization is often felt on the outside by its customers. Luckily, there are a few workplace management strategies that retailers can integrate into their operations to help boost employee and client retention:

1. Prioritize Open, Two-Way Team Communication

Effective communication helps retailers identify workplace issues and gaps in employee engagement or performance, gauge team and customer satisfaction, and more. One way to support two-way communication is to provide an easy-to-use, one-stop platform that eliminates confusion and operational errors that stem from juggling too many touchpoints.

2. Centralize Workplace Operations

One study found that 40 percent of workers said they left a company because they lacked access to state-of-the-art digital tools. In addition, 45 percent of employers complain that outdated technology keeps them from being productive.

3. Establish Clearly Defined Team Roles and Responsibilities

This helps employees understand how the quality of their efforts feed into the overall success of the company. Employees crave meaning and ownership in their work with 49 percent of employees stating that they would trade a portion of their salary to continue in their role with an added sense of purpose. When a team is striving toward a common goal, productivity spikes, improving customer satisfaction.

4. Re-evaluate and Modernize Employee Training

Proper training takes education and experience, that’s why for long term results, employee training should be continuous. Using a performance and assessment based training program that provides employees with feedback and rewards for skill development is a great step to producing desired workplace outcomes.

5. Foster a Positive Workplace Culture That Thrives on Teamwork – Not Competition

A strong workplace culture can directly impact employee productivity, making positive culture a key factor for business success. In order to build a positive culture, management must offer opportunities for employees to engage with their leaders and peers.

Addressing major pain points like employee and customer retention in retail can seem daunting, but taking the time to evaluate your operations strategies is the first step. Building a more positive and employee centric workplace will help you retain top talent and in turn, retain your customer base.

Why prioritizing employee wellness is more important now than ever | Anjan Pathnak, Yourstory.com

Employee wellbeing is not limited to physical health; various other factors determine an individual’s overall functioning. Employee health and wellbeing have always been a priority for employers as they boost employee productivity, reduce burnout, improve workplace culture, and offer many other benefits.

The use of technology and AI to derive the appropriate wellbeing solution for the organization will ultimately help revive employee engagement, productivity, and job satisfaction.

Here are effective steps to address employee wellness:

Encourage communication

This will make them feel included and help them deal with stress, personal or professional. You also need to make sure that they receive the correct information on time.

Recognize their efforts

Appreciate and reward them for their hard work and dedication. Recognizing employees for their work will boost their confidence and fuel productivity. This enhances working relationships and workplace culture

Be a good listener

If you let your employees speak up about their challenges and struggles, and empathise with them, it will create employee trust. They will feel valued and may also feel little less burdened by life.

Introduce wellness challenges

Wellness challenges will help employees remain intellectually and socially motivated. You can try workouts, cooking, online games, learning, or writing challenges that will boost morale and motivate teamwork.

Ensure financial wellness

Finance is one of the significant stressors today. Employers must ensure their employees’ financial wellness, especially during the time of COVID-19. Financial literacy is a must-know subject and you must keep employees aware or wise financial practices.

Host informal online sessions

Keeping your employees entertained during these tough times can be a stress buster for them. It also nurtures the connection among team members.

Reward your employees

Special incentives always contribute to a better workplace with an agile workforce. Employee rewards and recognition are the buzzwords in the human resource management space and the most substantial for employee engagement.

Host online sessions

Creating awareness on mental health issues is very vital now. When the leaders can build trust among their employees and encourage them to share their issues, whether or not they share, they feel a little relieved to realize having a shoulder.

Wellness is a broad term with multiple dimensions. Employee wellness programmes are vital to attract top talent, keep them happy, and decrease employee turnover and absenteeism.

A healthy organization starts with healthy employees; it safeguards company culture. Thus, prioritizing employee wellness is crucial for growth and development.

5 Things to Know about Your Remote Workforce | Barbara Weltman, Smallbiztrends.com

Now that the economy is opening up, businesses are deciding whether to retain remote work arrangements. A PwC survey found that 55% of employees expect to continue working from home even after the pandemic passes. In making the decision, employers should keep the following factors in mind.

1. Productivity may be better

Many companies are concerned about whether employees who work from home are as productive as those who work at company headquarters, offices, or other locations. A 2-year study by Great Place to Work reported that most employees working remotely said they were at least or even more productive.

2. Tax issues become very complex

If all employees live within the same state where the business is located, then permitting remote work arrangements does not impact payroll and income taxes. However, if employees live in a state that’s different from that of the employer, taxes get complicated. ADP has an extensive article explaining the complexity of this problem.

3. Workers’ comp may need to be expanded

A remote work arrangement raises 2 issues for workers’ compensation:Whether an employer needs coverage in more than one state. Usually, a claim depends on the state in which the injury occurs. If the company is in one state and the employee is working from home in another state, the company may need coverage in both states (i.e., “extraterritorial coverage”).

Whether a worker’s injury at home is covered. Workers’ comp covers liability for injuries sustained by an employee in his or her own home if it’s considered to “arise out of and in the course of employment.”

4. OSHA isn’t a problem

The DOL said its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have any regulations regarding telework in home offices. The agency issued a directive in 2000 stating that it would not inspect employees’ home offices, would not hold employers liable for employees’ home offices, and did not expect employers to inspect the home offices of their employees.

5. Cybersecurity is a big concern

Employers allowing remote work arrangements to continue should adopt policies to protect company data. This could include, for example, providing employees with devices to be used only on company business, educating employees about best practices for security, and helping them secure their networks.

It’s not going to be easy for all small businesses to decide on whether and to what extent they permit remote work arrangements. Many employees like this option and it may be an important way to attract and retain good workers in a tough labor market. If you decide to allow employees to work from home some or all of the time, be sure you address various issues to protect you and your employees.

9 Ways Your Company Can Save Money With Telecommuting | Recentlyhear.com

Whether you are an employer looking to save money and become more environmentally responsible or an employee who would rather skip the commute and work out of their house, there are many reasons to turn employees into telecommuters.

Here are 9 ways your company can save money with telecommuting:

1. Reduce the Rent – Fewer employees in the office means less office space needed. Down size the office and save on rent.

2. Lower Utility Bills – Less employees in the office and smaller digs translates to lower utility bills.

3. Purchase Less Furniture – With employees supplying their own office furniture at home, the company does not need to supply desks for them in the office. If you already own desks and chairs that will no longer be needed, sell or donate them.

4. Lower Insurance Premiums – Smaller office space and less furniture should lower your insurance premiums.

5. Fewer Sick Days – Someone that is feeling sick but still able to drag themselves out of bed can work even if they need to visit the bathroom 12 times during the day. What’s more, sick employees will not be spreading their germs to everyone else.

6. Flexible Work Hours/Working Part Time – When employees do not have to drive 30 minutes to and from work, they are generally more willing to work part time hours. Do not pay for a full 40-hour week if the job can be done with less.

7. Save on Office Supplies – With more employees working at home and less in the office, office supplies will not be so rapidly consumed.

8. All Employees Are More Productive – Let’s accept that when you have several employees working near each other, they find ways to distract each other from their job. Some isolation can lead to better focus and more productivity.

9. Less Overhead – Your overhead will be dramatically less when you start saving money on rent, utility bills, furniture, insurance, sick days and paid hours. With less overhead, it will be easier to generate a profit.

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