In today’s competitive business landscape, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for success. One effective way to motivate and engage your employees is through appreciation and recognition. While many organizations understand the importance of employee appreciation, it’s the unique and creative approaches that set you apart from your competitors. Let’s begin to explore some innovative employee appreciation ideas that your competitors may not have thought of yet. Additionally, we will discuss the role of the best-rated payroll software in streamlining your appreciation efforts.

• Personalized Recognition Programs

Every employee is unique, and recognizing their individual contributions can make a significant impact on their motivation and job satisfaction. Consider implementing personalized recognition programs that acknowledge each employee’s strengths and accomplishments. This could include personalized notes or emails from managers, highlighting specific achievements and expressing gratitude for their efforts. By personalizing the recognition, you demonstrate that you truly value and understand your employees’ contributions.

• Surprise Celebrations

Spontaneous gestures of appreciation can go a long way in creating a positive work environment. Surprise celebrations for birthdays, work anniversaries, or personal milestones can make employees feel valued and cared for. Organize impromptu office parties or bring in treats and decorations to celebrate these special occasions. Such surprises not only boost morale but also foster a sense of camaraderie among team members.

• Flexibility and Work-Life Balance

In today’s fast-paced world, achieving work-life balance is a challenge for many employees. Show your appreciation by offering flexible work arrangements such as remote work options, flexible hours, or compressed workweeks. This demonstrates that you understand and respect your employees’ personal lives and trust them to manage their responsibilities effectively. Embracing flexibility not only improves employee satisfaction but also enhances productivity and engagement.

• Employee Development Opportunities

Investing in your employees’ professional growth not only benefits them but also your organization as a whole. Provide opportunities for continuous learning and development by offering training programs, workshops, or conferences. Additionally, consider assigning mentors to help employees develop new skills or explore career paths within the company. By nurturing their growth, you show that you are invested in their success, fostering loyalty and motivation.

• Employee Appreciation Events

Hosting special events dedicated to recognizing and appreciating your employees can create memorable experiences. Consider organizing an annual appreciation gala, team-building activities, or off-site retreats. These events provide an opportunity to show gratitude for their hard work and dedication while also fostering a sense of unity and teamwork. Moreover, they allow employees to bond and build relationships outside of their day-to-day work.

• Peer Recognition Programs

While recognition from managers and leaders is important, encouraging peer-to-peer recognition can create a supportive and collaborative work environment. Implement a peer recognition program where employees can nominate their colleagues for exceptional work or acts of kindness. This could be done through an online platform or a physical suggestion box. Recognizing employees through their peers not only increases morale but also promotes teamwork and a sense of community within the organization. Consider providing rewards or incentives for those who receive peer recognition to further motivate and encourage this positive behavior.

The Role of the Best-Rated Payroll Software

To effectively implement these employee appreciation ideas, it’s essential to streamline your HR processes, including payroll management. Investing in the best-rated payroll software can significantly simplify your administrative tasks, allowing you to focus more on fostering a culture of appreciation. With advanced features such as automated payroll calculations, direct deposit, and tax compliance, software like Gusto Payroll software ensures accurate and timely compensation for your employees. By efficiently managing payroll, you can free up valuable time and resources to implement and execute creative appreciation initiatives.

Conclusion

In conclusion, employee appreciation is a powerful tool in today’s competitive business landscape. By embracing innovative ideas and going beyond traditional approaches, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and attract, motivate, and retain top talent. Streamlining HR processes with the best-rated payroll software enables you to focus on creating a culture of appreciation. Adopt these strategies to foster a positive work environment, cultivate loyalty, and drive organizational success. Prioritizing employee appreciation is a win-win situation that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole.

Hiring a new employee may be a difficult procedure in which you must continually appraise people’s talents as well as the decisions you make. You must ensure that you choose the ideal applicant for your organization, one who can do the best for the job and fit perfectly in with your corporate culture.

Hiring an employee is about more than just their qualifications and vast work experience; there are several other important criteria to consider as well. An interview, on average, lasts 40 minutes, according to data. It is impossible to know the candidate completely in 40 minutes.

Importance of hiring the right employee

Hiring new candidates or employees that are the best fit for the company is really important. There are many latest job openings in India and you must hire the right candidate as the company is known for its good employees and personnel. Employees are known as the face of the company and they are the ones who will engage with customers in huge settings. Hiring the incorrect person can cost you more money.

Here are some of the reasons why hiring the proper person is critical:

• Customer Support: Hiring the best candidate will help you in providing excellent customer service and also providing the best client experience. In today’s competitive market, managing and dealing with potential customers is very difficult.
  
  
• Business Development: The right candidate will work hard to participate in all activities which will result in making the correct hire and will also result in saving time and money in the future. As a company expands, the properly recruited candidates will grow to fit in perfecting investing and maturing under the firm’s growth and will help in benefiting the business.
  
  
• Reduce your turnover rate: People search jobs by category and look for the employees by choosing the right category as hiring a new employee is a time-consuming procedure that necessitates a large investment of resources and money. When you hire the incorrect person, you typically have to recruit another after some time, or the candidate will quit the company too quickly. As a result, the company’s turnover rate will grow which will also lead to going through the same procedure of onboarding.

Steps for hiring the right candidate for your company

When the company is looking for the best and right candidate, the company hiring team should be aware of and know what qualities they are looking for in the candidate. There are many latest job openings in India and people are actively applying for the jobs but you should always look for the right candidate for your company. You can take plenty of your time to look at and choose the right candidate. Below mentioned are the steps you can follow to find the perfect and the right candidate for the job and help to achieve your company goals.

• Define the job position: The hiring right candidate hunt begins with a good and detailed job analysis. You and your HR team colleagues can examine the company’s internal needs and determine whether positions are available. Defining the role allows you to develop an effective recruitment approach to discover the perfect candidate.
  
  
• Write an excellent job description: Once you’ve selected the post to fill, you may concentrate on creating the position’s crucial requirements. The candidates looking for jobssearch jobs by category so make sure to define and prioritize the user’s credentials. After that, you have to define the qualities and professional experiences you seek in a candidate. Your job description should be short and concise along with the full job requirements so that the right and the best candidate can look out for all the requirements of the position and consider applying if they are a good match for the position. This also helps in the elimination of applications from individuals who lack the necessary skills and credentials for the post.

• Evaluate the job vacancy internally: Once you’ve drafted the job description and determined the salary, see if you can fill the position internally. You can send an email to all workers informing them about the job and telling them that you are searching for applicants internally. Existing workers can show their interest in the post by completing an internal position application. If you identify potential internal candidates, make sure to notify their existing manager that you are exploring a new job with their team member.
  
  
• Schedule the interviews for internal candidates: Schedule one-on-one interviews with each internal applicant who is interested. As the recruiting manager, you can conduct interviews alongside the team manager for whom you are looking. The interview evaluates the candidate’s technical abilities, expertise, and cultural fit for the post. If you have chosen an inside applicant for the post, make a new job offer that outlines the new position and remuneration.

• Post job openings on external platforms: If you haven’t filled the position internally, you can post about the openings externally on the company’s career website and professional social media profiles. You can also post the open position on the websites of professional associations, employment fairs, and university placement pages. It is a good idea to create a database of skilled external applicants from whom you may recruit in the future for open positions.

• Shortlist and conduct candidate screening: When you get applications from qualified applicants, email them an acknowledgment saying that you have received their résumé. You can examine their resumes, and cover letters, and after the evaluation of the application, create a shortlist of applicants that meet your selection criteria. Contact the selected candidates over the phone or by email to let them know they passed the initial screening. Also, ask them to see if they are available for the next interview round.

• Conduct interviews for shortlisted candidates: Schedule phone, video, or in-person interviews with suitable prospects. Inform the candidate of the interview process’s estimated timeline so that they may plan properly. You can request that team managers and other members of the HR team conduct interviews to assess the candidate’s technical competence, abilities, and cultural fit for the job and position. In addition to interviews, certain professions may need written examinations to assess the candidate’s competency in skills such as coding.

• Shortlist the final candidates: Once the finalists have been narrowed down, you may invite additional HR team members to review the candidates’ qualifications, references, and other documentation. Keep in touch with qualified prospects via email during the interviewing process so they are aware of their possibilities of selection. Discuss the finalist for the post with other HR team members and recruitment managers based on the performance of applicants in earlier interview rounds.

• Conduct final discussions: Once the HR staff, recruiting manager, and team manager have agreed on a candidate, make an offer to the selected applicant. Inform the candidate of the outcome in a casual discussion, and explain the offered pay and other benefits. Check with the candidate to see whether they accept the terms. You can proceed with an offer letter if they approve. Be willing to negotiate wages and perks with the candidate. Negotiations are a normal aspect of the employment process. If a candidate persists in excessive negotiations, you may select another finalist from the list.

• Provide offer letters and start with the onboarding process: Prepare a formal offer letter if you have achieved an agreement with the candidate. The employment position, pay, additional perks, supervisory and reporting relationship, and other terms and conditions agreed upon throughout the recruiting process are all included in the letter. As part of the hiring packet, the candidate receives copies of the offer letter, job description, non-disclosure, and compliance agreements. You can include the starting date on the offer letter after discussing it with the candidate and team manager. The candidate signs a copy of the offer letter and returns it to the HR department for record keeping.

And yet, even with the remote world growing at an accelerated rate, there are still plenty of concerns that team leaders need to address to optimize their fledgling remote workspaces. One of the top issues is communication. Many remote and hybrid teams struggle to stay on the same page as they collaborate on a daily basis.

If your team is struggling to stay connected, here are a few common ways you can improve remote team communication.

1. Set Up Clear Guidelines

Healthy communication starts with good structure. This is easy to establish when a team shares the same space. When you’re scattered across different geographic regions and various time zones, it can be difficult to know how and when to contact one another.

This can lead to one of two things. Either team members will reach out with questions or comments out of office hours, or they’ll be too concerned about interrupting others to connect in the first place.

You can address this by setting up clear communication protocols. These look different for every organization. However, they should address a few key points. Establish what channels your team should use to communicate (email, texting, Slack, etc.). Select certain times of the day when communication is preferable and designate these as your “core hours” of synchronized operation. Create response windows of time, too — like responding to emails within one business day.

2. Meet With an Agenda in Place

One of the powerful benefits of remote work is the ability for your team to operate asynchronously. One team member might function best first thing in the morning, and another might prefer to burn the midnight oil. This disjointed yet connected group effort can lead to impressive results.

And yet, you don’t want to continue in this asynchronous mindset when you do come together for a live meeting. Instead, when you formally gather as a group, it’s important to create a clear sense of structure by providing a remote-friendly meeting agenda.

A good agenda should include a roadmap of how you want a meeting to go, including:

• The main themes of the meeting.
• Talking points to discuss.
• Any supporting documentation that is required.
• The decisions you need to make in this session.
• Action items to implement moving forward.

Starting each remote meeting with the right elements in place is a great way to keep your communication efficient and on track.

3. Facilitate Collaboration

Communication is a specific activity that involves two parties exchanging information over an established medium. It can take many different forms. If you shoot an email to a boss asking for time off, you’re communicating. You can network with another professional at an event, and you’re communicating, too.

If you want a remote team to improve their interactions, though, you have to remember that they aren’t just exchanging information. They’re collaborating, too. If you can streamline their ability to collaborate on projects together, you can naturally help your team communicate effectively.

You can increase collaboration in many ways, such as:

• Setting attainable goals to work toward together.
• Establishing deadlines to keep everyone focused.
• Assigning clear roles and responsibilities within your group.
• Requesting feedback to improve future communication and collaboration.

Along with addressing this concern within your team, it’s also important to think about cross-team collaboration. If your remote team needs to work with other departments at times, make sure that the best tech tools and protocols are in place to ensure a smooth and efficient experience.

4. Conduct Team Building Exercises

The concept of team building exercises isn’t anything new. In-person teams have always spent time playing games, going on trips, and otherwise engaging in bonding activities. And yet, it’s far too easy to underprioritize the team building stuff when your team is remote. But the truth is, it’s more important than ever.

If you want your remote team to communicate effectively, it’s important that you invest in helping everyone feel comfortable and connected. When team members are familiar with one another, they’ll be more willing to reach out and communicate.

There are many remote-friendly team building games and activities that you can use to bring your team together. Investing consistent time “together from afar” as a group can do wonders in improving overall team communication.

Communication is a must for remote teams. It improves engagement, enhances collaboration, and boosts productivity.

However, communication never comes easy. Even in a traditional workspace, it takes an effort to keep everyone in the conversation. When your team is operating from their own isolated workspaces, it’s even easier to become disconnected.

Use the tips above to keep your remote team’s communication functioning at peak efficiency. Use meeting agendas and communication protocols to set expectations and keep everyone on track. Focus on good collaboration as a key complement to good communication. Spend time team building to bring your team together. If you can invest in your group’s communication, the results will be a stronger team that can tap into the benefits of remote work without sacrificing communication in the process.

Upgrade to the Right Digital Solutions – To stay connected remotely to your clients and peers, make sure you leverage digital solutions to maintain a consistent flow of work. Understand the nature of your work and see if you need new software solutions, higher speed internet, hybrid cloud, communication toolkit, etc. These technology solutions are necessary investments that will help you operate smoothly even from home. 

Stay Disciplined and Productive – While many may consider working remotely or working from home more comfortable, it actually requires a higher level of discipline. That’s because you may have a lot of distractions such as social media, household chores, family members needing your attention, etc. So, try to implement small changes that will help you stay productive. Here are a few things you can do:

• Start early and follow your work schedule. This means scheduled hours for meetings, training material creation, curation, breaks, etc. 
• Maintain the correct balance between work and home. Do not let any household responsibilities interrupt your work and hamper its quality. 
• Shut down social media or turn off notifications to avoid distractions. 
• Set up a clutter-free workspace that receives ample sunlight. A cluttered workspace hampers productivity. 

Appear Professional – When working from home, you may be tempted to sit in your pajamas all day. But you can’t afford it when you’re on video calls with your clients and team members if any. Your appearance, especially when training clients on soft skills, speaks volumes of your professionalism. So, make it a point to dress up professionally every day so that you are ready for even unscheduled meetings. 

Convey Professionalism Through Your Body Language and Background –While your clients and team members understand that you’re working from home, it’s still your number one responsibility to make sure that you convey the right attitude. So, avoid a few things while you’re on phone calls or video calls, such as:

• A cluttered or unprofessional backdrop
• Constant disturbing noises such as television or music blaring in the background
• Eating while talking
• Breathing into your microphone

These small things will make a lot of difference. 

Establish Ground Work for Long-Term Success – Here are a few things you can do to ensure consistent work on a long-term basis:

• Collaborate with organizations that may need remote training support. 
• Offer online courses and keep updating them to make sure they are relevant despite the changing training dynamics. 
• Create e-books and other training materials such as self-help activities to maintain consistent cash flow. 

Follow all these tips diligently, but most of all, make sure you learn something new every day. Keep trying new approaches and continue offering excellent training services. All the best!

Author Bio:

Suman Agarwal is an award-winning image management professional. She has helped students, home-makers, women on sabbatical as well as people seeking second career alternatives to explore Image Management and Soft Skill Training as a vibrant professional choice. She frequently writes blog posts about the urgent need of image consulting professionals and soft skill trainers in the 21st century and loves guiding people in exploring lucrative career options. Write to her at sumanagarwal@imageconsultinginstitute.com to seek advanced career guidance.

The absence of a proper work environment along with at-home distractions has affected the productivity of many remote workers. Further, remote workers often feel isolated and cut off from the team. Hence, to ensure productivity and better mental health in this fast-paced world, remote workers are turning to coworking spaces for working in a professional work environment. 

Did you know approximately 933K people in the U.S. are already using coworking spaces? This number is enough to tell us about the popularity of coworking spaces. 

A study by TeamStage reported that 64% of remote employees have observed an increase in productivity ever since they started working from a coworking space. Further, 68% of these employees said that their concentration levels improved.

Coworking spaces offer excellent benefits to remote workers. In this blog, let us explore various reasons why coworking spaces are the best option for your remote teammates.

1. Provides an Opportunity to Work in a Professional Space

Coworking spaces offer employees the right work environment with the infrastructure required to create a professional and productive work environment. For example, coworking spaces are equipped with high-speed internet, secure network infrastructure, video conferencing capabilities, mail service, printers, scanners, and other equipment. 

It also offers teams the flexibility to choose the time and place they wish to work from. For example, if employees wish to work for extended hours on Mondays, they can do so by informing the concerned management team. As the memberships are booked on a monthly basis, they have the flexibility to change the workstation as per their work requirements.

2. Eliminates Work-from-Home Distractions

Regardless of how determined your remote employees are about completing the tasks, working from home often brings in a lot of distractions. For example, the urge to check phones as soon as a notification is received, visiting the kitchen to grab some food, or chatting with family members. Remote workers often carry out home chores instead of working on the tasks assigned to them.

Although these activities seem to be minuscule, they consume a significant amount of time making them less productive. This results in delays in submissions and missed deadlines.

Working from a coworking space helps remote employees keep such distractions at bay. It motivates them to manage their time effectively and finish the tasks on time. 

3. Helps Build a Routine 

Balancing work and personal life is a struggle for most remote workers. They often work after office hours to complete the pending tasks. Whether it is replying to a simple email or attending a short virtual meeting, it disrupts their work-life balance. 

Working from a coworking space pushes remote teams to stick to a work schedule and carry out professional responsibilities in the stipulated time. It structures their day and brings stability by setting boundaries for work and personal life. By separating the two, they feel motivated, happy, and satisfied. 

4. Boosts Productivity

Working from home upholds work flexibility but this can lead to procrastination and chaotic routines, thereby hampering productivity. 

Moving to a coworking space helps remote teams stay disciplined while enjoying flexibility. Plus, they are away from the work-from-home distractions. All this boosts productivity and performance. With 100% focus and attention to the task, they are more likely to finish it in less amount of time without compromising on its quality. 

The perfect desk setup and distraction-free environment contribute to building a great office setting that fosters creativity and responsibility and promotes productivity.

5. Reduces Remote Work Anxiety and Isolation

Working from home can at times make your remote employees feel lonely and cut off from the team. It can impact their mental health, leading to depression or anxiety. According to a study conducted by Qualtrics, 44.4% of working professionals admitted that remote working hurts an employee’s mental health because of the isolation and the stress it caused.

By joining a coworking space, your employees will be surrounded by working professionals throughout the work day. They can strike friendships with these professionals and chat with them during break times. It will provide them with the much-needed support that was missing while they were working from home. 

6. Access to Top-Class Amenities

Coworking spaces offer unique facilities and amenities that can help remote employees focus solely on their work. Conference rooms, meeting rooms, offices, well-equipped gyms, and cafeterias are common in coworking spaces.

These spaces are designed to accommodate various working styles. If your employees enjoy working from a traditional office setup, you can book a cubicle for them. If they prefer an outdoor setting or a relaxed environment, you can opt for workstations on an open terrace or high-rise tables on the premises. 

Some coworking spaces also offer meditation rooms, gaming zones, daycare rooms, nap rooms, and other amenities to improve the productivity and well-being of employees. 

7. Presents Opportunities for Networking and Collaboration

Joining a coworking space allows remote employees to be surrounded by like-minded professionals who are themselves working remotely. By meeting these professionals from different industries, job roles, and skills, your employees can network with new acquaintances to build meaningful business connections and offer fresh business ideas. 

Coworking spaces offer employees ample opportunities to connect with other professionals across various industries and grow their networks. They might meet some people who could greatly help the projects they are working on. 

Besides, coworking spaces hold networking events for business partnerships, collaboration opportunities, and educational workshops. These events will help in building lasting relationships with talented professionals. 

8. Ensures Flexibility in the Work Location

Coworking places are located in almost every corner of the world. If the remote employees are avid travelers, they can work from different locations without disrupting the work routine or productivity. All they need to do is book a desk at a coworking space and get started. 

Destination coworking, as it is commonly called, enables remote employees to visit new cities and satiate their passion for travel without going broke. Some coworking spaces are open 24X7 allowing them to work on a holiday or Sundays, thereby saving some time for exploring places without compromising on work delivery.

9. Upholds Social Wellbeing 

Working from home and remote work are often accompanied by social isolation. According to the 2020 State of the Digital Workplace report by Igloo, 70% of remote employees feel left out of their workplace. This eventually leads to social isolation and mental issues like depression.

Working from a coworking space exposes remote workers to a large community of freelancers, talented professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners from different industries. They can socialize with other professionals like themselves over a cup of coffee and make meaningful connections. 

Coworking spaces provide a social atmosphere for making professional connections and building a community. Besides, they also organize fun events, lunches, workshops, and other after-work activities to engage the existing members. 

Summing Up

Coworking spaces offer remote workers interactive and motivating workspaces that are equipped with modern office amenities. Working from a coworking space keeps your remote employees away from distractions and boosts their productivity. We are sure by now you are convinced of the benefits these spaces can offer to your remote teams. 

Author Bio

Aanya Rachel is the Content Manager at The Address, a coworking space in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, experience, and extensive research in this field. She writes on a wide range of topics related to coworking, the growth of remote workers, startups, and real estate.

1. Communicate Effectively

Honest and open communication prevents problems and helps resolve issues quickly. A 2021 study reveals that effective communication helps increase employee productivity by 25%. The research also mentions that enterprises maintaining effective communications have a 3.5 times higher tendency to outperform their market competitors.

An example of effective communication is a well-planned team meeting. This productivity hack is beneficial both for the individual employee and the enterprise as a whole. Also, the ability to judge whether a piece of information to be communicated can be sent through an email or message rather than a meeting, goes a long way in improving overall productivity.

2. Motivate Your Employees

Employees find purpose in their work when they feel encouraged. A recent study by Gallup Inc. highlights that motivated individuals work 20% better, resulting in a 21% increase in company profits. Moreover, the global attrition rate stood at 20% in 2021 due to unsatisfied employees in the workplace.

An enterprise should develop innovative ways to encourage its employees for enhanced productivity. For example, rewards and benefits programs play a significant role in boosting employee confidence. It also helps to reduce attrition rates within the company. Likewise, companies should also focus on ensuring a healthy work-life balance while also tending to employee grievances.

3. Implement Modern Workplace Tools and Technologies

A company should foster an innovative work environment. Studies indicate that collaborative tools increase operation efficiency by 131%. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another way to reduce skill gaps. Studies also speculate that AI can increase global worker productivity to 6.2 billion hours by the end of 2024.

Collaboration and management tools help team members communicate and work cohesively in business-critical projects. In addition, frequent technological advancements help optimize, streamline, and organize daily tasks in the workplace

For instance, Apty helps boost productivity using an in-app help deck that provides instant support to employees within any web-based application. It houses contextual content for different types of users which improves employee engagement and in turn their productivity. Employees can access content in several formats like PDFs, PPTs, videos, and walkthroughs that make them confident, and less reliant on IT support teams.

4. Leverage Proactive Time Management Techniques

Recent studies indicate that 18% of the workforce is inefficient in time management. Taking note of your work timings and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial in ensuring enhanced employee productivity.

The Pomodoro process is an efficient time management technique developed by Mr. Francesco Cirillo. Pomodoro was Mr. Cirillo’s kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato from which the technique derives its name. The technique divides the given work into 25-minute intervals, each followed by a short break of five to ten minutes. It is highly effective since it manages time by ensuring minimum distractions. In addition, the technique imparts discipline to employees and improves concentration in the workplace.

The process includes six steps:

• Decide or assign the task to yourself.
• Set an alarm for 25 minutes.
• Keep working until the alarm rings.
• Stop the work and take a short break. The duration is usually five to ten minutes.
• Resume after the break and keep continuing for four intervals of 25 minutes each.
• After four Pomodoro’s are complete, take an extended break of 25 to 30 minutes.
• Once you come back from your break, check the progress of your work.
• Repeat step 2 for any pending tasks.

5. Create the Right Team at Your Workplace

Always strive to collaborate with people with the right mindset. Having a skilled and professional team will help achieve business goals effectively. A way to ensure this, is by interviewing candidates in a structured manner to ensure that the right talent is hired. Skilled professionals will add experience to your team, thus increasing knowledge and generating business growth in the long run.

Employees favor a workplace that allows room for creativity and growth. Ensuring that your team structure doesn’t restrict employee freedom is crucial not only for engagement but also for the general well-being of everyone involved.

6. Prevent Distractions

Enterprises should help minimize distractions to boost employee productivity. Studies indicate that 98% of the workforce faces interruptions around three to four times a day. This leads to increased errors in the workplace, resulting in substantial losses. Therefore, an enterprise must manage distractions and make employees productive and accountable for the tasks.

The best employee productivity hacks to prevent distractions involve implementing time management techniques like the Pomodoro method mentioned earlier. It ensures the use of focused time and staying away from non-productive tasks. Additionally, a company might also allow personal leisure time to its employees in short intervals without impacting work activities.

7. Train your Employees Effectively

An employee that doesn’t know what they’re doing is severely going to hinder productivity. However, it isn’t just about knowing how to use an application. Krishna Dunthoori, Founder and CEO of Apty, says that productivity is guaranteed when the user knows what to do and does it right on the first attempt.

This is one of the outcomes that Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) are built to achieve. The Apty DAP is one of the best ways to ensure that employees are trained in the right manner. This allows business processes to be executed smoothly without hindering productivity at all.

Takeaway

With the ongoing pandemic, 88% of business organizations worldwide encouraged their employees to work from home. The main reason for such an increase is to maintain business continuity within enterprises. During the pandemic, employee productivity hacks included encouraging team members remotely, adhering to deliverable timelines, and staying focused on business goals.

For a deeper insight into productivity, you can always get in touch with Apty. The renowned company offers an exceptional Digital Adoption Platform that trains your employees with perfection so that they execute their jobs with ease and contribute their bit to increased ROI.

____________________________

Author bio

Revanth Periyasamy

Revanth is a B2B Marketer who has a definite flair for outreach and networking, alongside being a prolific writer. As an author, he enjoys exploring all things related to digital adoption and transformation. When the ‘B2B Marketing ninja’ mask is off, Revanth is an ardent tech geek, a lover of road trips, and a sports enthusiast who plays badminton, cricket, or any sport, really!

Find me on:

Employee engagement is paramount as it drives performance on top of making the workplace optimal for everyone. However, just what engages people may be different from one person to another.

According to Kevin Martin, i4cp Chief Research Officer, the lack of incentives and rewards is the most common and powerful barrier to effective collaboration and that the problem is that the majority of talent management systems are designed to reward individual achievement, not team accomplishments.

He says that the solution to boosting employee engagement is in recognizing and rewarding individuals, leaders and teams who engage in productive collaborative behavior.

For the effort to be efficient, however, it is necessary to communicate clearly, so let’s start with defining that a bit.

Team Communication Is a MUST

Team communication is extremely important, and never more than today when we’re relying on online apps and tools to replace basic social functions. The key is in getting people to communicate efficiently, meaning you should provide appropriate training.

Keep multiple communication channels open and make sure the apps are updated.

Stay Organized as a Team

This is just the first step towards staying organized as a team. The next, logical one is paying proper attention to an efficient email marketing calendar. Task management tools are also crucial, so put together a solid strategy and provide adequate training to the employees for best results.

Regularly Brainstorm for Employee Engagement Ideas

Last but not least, make it a habit to brainstorm employee engagement ideas on a regular basis as this will ensure engagement and team building is taking place. After all, there’s nothing more satisfying than being a part of a bigger picture.

Other ideas may also come to mind, but these three are absolutely crucial so start with them. There’s no really wrapping them up as engagement is a continual, vibrant process. Make sure everyone is enjoying it!

Living green is a global effort, but not many people are aware of all available incentives. Usually, the focus is on changing detrimental habits and buying expensive equipment, but the key really lies in education.

Look up the latest online; you can even book a free course to stay on top of green trends.

Let’s take a look at three easy steps to make your life greener straight away… especially at the office.

Helping You to Be More Mindful Overall

If you’re unfamiliar with lateral thinking, it’s time to consider changing your habits. Lateral thinking is, simply put, a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious.

Basically, it’s a method to mindfulness, which is all the rage these days. Use a different approach to reach a green lifestyle, and remember that you can apply almost all of your learnings to both your home and work lives!

Staying Healthier

Eating healthier and walking or riding a bike to work can help the environment – not to mention your health. 

Stick to proper meals and – equally important – healthy snacks. Switch chips for fresh fruit and balance your diet. A healthy diet comprises fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products, and whole grains.

Exercise regularly and don’t sit for too long. When working, schedule regular short breaks to take a walk and stretch your muscles. And don’t forget to always take injury recovery very seriously!

Taking Advantage of Federal Incentives

On to more specific matters, take advantage of federal EV incentives that have been set up to boost the green agenda. The credit varies between $2,500 and $7,500 depending on the battery capacity (at least 5 kWh). For every kWh of battery capacity in excess of 5 kWh, $417 is added to the credit.

Many large corporations are offering EV chargers for employees. However, if your office does not, there are multiple apps to help you find the closest options for you.

As you can see, it’s not that difficult to go green little by little and there are even some considerable material benefits involved. Take a step towards a happier life while helping the planet cope at the same time. Every little is a gain.

We have rounded up the list of the best employee gifts all under $50 that will always get smiles.

Picture: https://unsplash.com/photos/e6n7uoEnYbA

For the Coffee Lovers

Give your employees the ultimate coffee experience with this smart mug . Not only it looks super cool, but it can be also controlled with a smartphone. From setting the temperature of the drink, customizing presets, receiving notifications, and more… perfect cup for enjoying a drink to the last drop, if you ask us. It is a bit pricey, around $110, so It’s for those with a bigger budget.

To Boost Mood and Energy

Something that your employees would definitely appreciate –Himalayan salt lamp. Made from Himalayan salt crystals, these lamps will contribute to calm and soothing energy in any workspace. Best of all, the Himalayan salt lamp will help to cleanse and purify the air, alleviate allergies and reduce asthma, reduce stress, boosting energy levels resulting in happier and more productive employees.

For the Employees who Love to Take Notes

A beautiful notebook is always a great idea! We found an amazing one on Amazon – with a ‘team awesome’ written on it. This gift idea is also a great choice for those on a small budget, as it cost under $10.

Perfect for Winter Season

Is there a better gift for winter season than gloves?! They are both practical and fashionable. And it will keep the fingers warm. You can opt for matching sets – gloves and scarves, or even touch screen gloves, which will keep hands warm while using touch screen devices. Price ranges from $5 to $10.

Gift of Zen and Relaxation

Give your employees a spa experience with a simple diffuser. Let’s face it, the workplace can be a stressful environment, which affects employees’ productivity. Aromatherapy gifts, such as diffusers and essential oils are a great way to lift the spirits up when employees’ morales are down. It will also eliminate any odor and leave the workspace smelling fresh. Prices range from $20 to $100.

If you want to go above and beyond for employees who have done the same for you, consider gifting them an actual spa experience. Everyone loves a good facial, and depending on your area, there are tons of resources. For example, send your employees to the best skincare expert in LA.

Techie Gifts

Tech gifts are always a great choice. And there is really a wide selection, from power banks, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers and so much more. You can also opt for a tile tracker – with this they will never lose their keys, or wallet again. All they need to do is attach this device onto belongings and use the app to find them. Cool, right?

A Timeless Gift

A personalized pen is another great appreciation gift. You can personalize it with the name of the employee, or maybe add some unique quote. You can find beautiful ones on Etsy for only $4.

We have rounded up the list of the best employee gifts all under $50 that will always get smiles.

Picture: https://unsplash.com/photos/e6n7uoEnYbA

For the Coffee Lovers

Give your employees the ultimate coffee experience with this smart mug . Not only it looks super cool, but it can be also controlled with a smartphone. From setting the temperature of the drink, customizing presets, receiving notifications, and more… perfect cup for enjoying a drink to the last drop, if you ask us. It is a bit pricey, around $110, so It’s for those with a bigger budget.

To Boost Mood and Energy

Something that your employees would definitely appreciate –Himalayan salt lamp. Made from Himalayan salt crystals, these lamps will contribute to calm and soothing energy in any workspace, as there are many health benefits of salt. Best of all, the Himalayan salt lamp will help to cleanse and purify the air, alleviate allergies and reduce asthma, reduce stress, boosting energy levels resulting in happier and more productive employees.

For the Employees who Love to Take Notes

A beautiful notebook is always a great idea! We found an amazing one on Amazon – with a ‘team awesome’ written on it. This gift idea is also a great choice for those on a small budget, as it cost under $10.

Perfect for Winter Season

Is there a better gift for winter season than gloves?! They are both practical and fashionable. And it will keep the fingers warm. You can opt for matching sets – gloves and scarves, or even touch screen gloves, which will keep hands warm while using touch screen devices. Price ranges from $5 to $10.

Gift of Zen and Relaxation

Give your employees a spa experience with a simple diffuser. Let’s face it, the workplace can be a stressful environment, which affects employees’ productivity. Aromatherapy gifts, such as diffusers and essential oils are a great way to lift the spirits up when employees’ morales are down. It will also eliminate any odor and leave the workspace smelling fresh. Prices range from $20 to $100.

Techie Gifts

Tech gifts are always a great choice. And there is really a wide selection, from power banks, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers and so much more. You can also opt for a tile tracker – with this they will never lose their keys, or wallet again. All they need to do is attach this device onto belongings and use the app to find them. Cool, right?

A Timeless Gift

A personalized pen is another great appreciation gift. You can personalize it with the name of the employee, or maybe add some unique quote. You can find beautiful ones on Etsy for only $4.

Whether you’re looking for teacher appreciation gifts or congratulating a team for their work on a successful project, gifting your employees is a great way to recognize and acknowledge their hard work.