Running a business is not an easy thing to do when considering every aspect of it. What it all comes down to is the bottom line, and if your employees are not producing the results needed to experience success, it’s time to take measures to ensure that they do.1. Recruitment, Hiring, and Induction
Locating, hiring, and settling in the right employees is essential for any business. You need to be impartial, and maintain a strict hiring process where barriers and biases are not present. The position will be given to the best candidate regardless of their gender, race, or disability factor. It’s also imperative to have a comprehensive introduction to the business informing new employees of the company policies, procedures, opportunities, and values.2. Leadership, Accountability, and Culture
An employer who ensures it’s leaders are able to articulate, model, and carry-out the visions and values of the company is well on it’s way to becoming a great employer. You, as do your staff, need to be able to communicate openly, take constructive criticism, and leave nothing to guess. You need to be just as accountable for successes and failures as your employees are, and grant them the opportunity to participate in organizational decisions. A leader among employers recognizes and understands the culture of their company and staff, and takes it into account when considering goals and aspirations.3. Employee Development, Promotion, and Exit
Great employers ensure their company encompasses a positive learning environment where opportunities are given to staff to further their education through internal and external professional development classes/seminars. They offer mentoring for new employees and encourage promotion opportunities whether within or out of the company.4. Flexibility and Work Design
In order to assist your employees better with balancing their work with the rest of their lives, consider scheduling and work procedures to compliment your staff. Take into account each of the department’s requirements and possible parental needs. Your company’s organization and design could turnout to be a draw for talented skillful professionals to want to sign on with you.5. Remuneration, Recognition, and Conditions
Top employers recognize their employees for their skills and what they can bring to their company. They do not base salary on gender, association, or other aspects. They are fair across the board and review their remuneration system regularly.6. Harassment and Bullying Prevention
Some of the best employers have a zero-tolerance policy for any type of bullying, or harassment in any form. You should want your company’s work environment to be one of healthy collaboration and relationships. Be pro-active in your training of your managers to ensure the subject of mal-treatment is rarely- if ever-seen. Be sure to have a set procedure in place with consistent consequences for those who engage in acts of insubordination.7. Safe and Healthy Environment
Employers of any worth will ensure the safety and health of all their employees. They will provide training informing their staff of their rights and responsibilities, health and safety standards, and provides a working environment that provides for a safe and healthy work day. It’s also important to take steps to reduce the level of work stressors and to accommodate for those who have disabilities.
7 Tips to Becoming a Better Employer
The Most Helpful Winter Travel Tips
Traveling is the most exciting activity for many of us. But it is only exciting and adventurous unless we have to move in the winter season or we are traveling to a colder destination. From worrying about uncertain weather changes, the limitation is gloominess and movements to uncertain weather conditions; traveling can be a great misery for many. But imagine all those fun activities like dog sledging, snowshoeing, snowboarding. Imagine the pleasure of relaxing in the calm evening of your desired destination with your loved one. There is certainly nothing that should keep you away from planning a trip in winters. To keep your travels worry-free, I have some fantastic tips for you.Pack SensiblyFor many of us, the winter season is all about worrying what to wear. So the next time you decide to travel in winter season wear a sweatshirt, sweater paired with a heavy coat, boots, muffler and gloves tucked in your pocket. This will save you from the hassles of carrying extra luggage with you while keeping you warm along the way. When choosing what accessories you need to take with you, remember the golden rule, they should be warm, light and waterproof. Woollen socks are the ultimate winter traveling essentials.Arrive The Earliest You CanDelays are very common in the winter season, and no matter what means of transportation you are taking, it is critical that you leave at your earliest to avoid the traffic jams.Driving TipsDriving during winter’s season can be pretty difficult, and you must make sure that you keep your safety as a priority. Before you start your journey, it will be best if you keep some emergency items in the car and pack some extra warm clothes. Get your vehicle checked properly to make sure that it is safe for a long journey. Driving in winters during snowfall can be quite challenging, so be confident that your taillights and headlights are clean.Health Comes FirstWe might not like the winter season but cold and influenza love it, and they can happily infect you. So to rid yourself from such a situation it is best that you get a flu shot from the doctor before you travel. Carrying a hand sanitizer with you is also a good way of keeping yourself germ-free.So now when you travel in the winter season, keep your chin and spirits high, as these winter travel tips can help you in planning properly.
The Biggest Branding Mistakes To Avoid
Branding is like an umbrella; it covers pretty much everything you do in business. And, to stay dry, especially during these challenging times, it’s important to make sure there aren’t any holes in it.
Obviously, the holes are the mistakes, but you can easily avoid them if only you’re aware of them. Let’s go through some of the biggest ones that you can’t really afford to make if you’re serious about developing your brand and growing your business.
Pricing that is not aligned with your brand identity
If your brand is supposed to “speak to” affluent business owners, for instance, your pricing needs to reflect that particular clientele. If even your most high end package is priced ridiculously low, they’ll probably get suspicious about the quality of your offerings and move on. Similarly, if your brand is geared towards a market with a history of investing exclusively in low to mid end items, you’re way off if you’re only selling very high end products and services.
Incompleteness – elements missing
Perhaps your brand has holes, too, just as your branding. So, do you “have all your ducks in a row” – are all your brand elements accounted for and aligned to form a clear, congruent and compelling brand? If there are parts missing, like the message, the values, the mission, the promise, a well-defined brand image, etc., your potential clients will see it and sense it and smell it – and most likely, hesitate to do business with you. After all, a confused mind always says no.
Marketing and selling that are not reflecting your brand identity
Your marketing and selling system needs to be in alignment with your brand, too; not only visually – i.e. displaying your brand colors, fonts, imagery, etc. in all your marketing and sales materials and using them for all your marketing and sales activities – but also in terms of your brand identity. The specific language you use, the marketing and selling methods you choose, the unique style of presenting an offer you develop – it all counts. Boring is out. Tall poppies are in.
Unclear values
Do you know what does your brand stand for? What are the values it promotes, not only in words, but in the value provided to the clients through services and/or products? For instance, if one of your top brand values is family, does your business, with its offerings, communication style, working hours, pricing, etc. support clients’ family life? If not, what can you do to fix it?