What hurts our work-life balance – the hustle culture or smartphone addiction?

July 5, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Contacting employees after working hours is prohibited in some countries, such as Portugal or Belgium. In contrast, nearly 70% of US working professionals use mobiles for work during their downtime.

The question arises – is it the hustle culture or smartphone addiction?

The latest study conducted by Passport Photo Online about vacation smartphone usage shed some light on this issue. In their survey, 1,000+ Americans answered many questions related to their smartphone use habits, such as:

How often did you check your cell phone per hour?
Did your boss expect you to stay connected during your most recent time away?
Do you regret overusing a mobile phone during your most recent holiday?

Curious about the results? Read on to find out more.

Smartphone Use On Travel: Travelers’ Habits

In the past, to make a long-distance trip, people went to a travel agency. But times have changed. Now travelers have all functionalities at their fingertips – on their smartphones. Indeed, more and more Americans are comfortable planning a vacation using only a smartphone. As much as 84% of Americans feel at ease with it, compared to 48% in 2020.

But planning the trip is not the end. Of course, people use smartphones also during their holidays – and they use them a lot! Most American vacationers (71%) pull out cell phones 2–5 times per hour. Also, 10% admitted they take a peek 10+ times per hour. Assuming we are awake for 16 hours a day, it translates into over 160 times daily. So, it’s not surprising that only 14% of respondents can go longer than 4 hours without checking the phone.

Unfortunately, this smartphone addiction doesn’t work well for travelers. As much as 58% of people regret overusing mobile phones during their last trips, and at the same time, leaving a phone while traveling is not an option. A whopping 75% of American travelers claim that a smartphone is their number one travel accessory.

So maybe a return to travel agents will be a good idea after all.

The Hustle Culture – Working On Vacation

Vacations mean exactly a time without working, right? Well, not in our hustle culture. As mentioned before, a full of 68% of US professionals admitted they used smartphones for job-related purposes during their last vacation.

The consequences are unpleasant. As a result of using a cell phone for work, 62% of Americans could not recharge their batteries. Also, 60% of US travelers said using smartphones for work affected their vacation plan.

Unfortunately, the pressure comes from above. Nearly 6 in 10 US workers say their bosses expect them to stay connected during vacation.

But, on the other hand – maybe we don’t know how to relax? Over half of employees (55%) feel pressure to reply to work emails or messages during travel, even without any requirements from the employer.

Put the leisure time first

In the words of Winston Churchill –

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.

Without any doubt, we can’t expect results without putting some effort into our work, and at the same time, working too hard lead to burnout, low work satisfaction, and poor overall well-being. Unlocking your full potential doesn’t matter if you feel drained rather than happy.

So –

Maybe it’s about time to change priorities and put leisure over labor.

Interested in the complete study? Read Smartphone Use On Vacation [2022 Study].

Short bio: Karolina Zając, a writer at Passport Photo Online. With a background in cognitive science and communication, she is fascinated by how language influences our perception of reality. It’s more likely to find her in the forest than at the dance club.

12 Ways to Unlock Your Employee’s Potential

June 23, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

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Are you looking for ways to unlock your employee’s potential? If so, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we will discuss 12 strategies that you can use to help your employees achieve their maximum potential.

Many employers make the mistake of thinking that their employees are not capable of doing more than they are currently doing. This is simply not true! Employees have a lot of untapped potential, and it is up to you as an employer to help them unleash it. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

How to Unlock Your Employees’ Potentials

Employees are a company’s most valuable asset. They are the ones who drive the company forward and contribute to its success. It is therefore essential that employers invest in their employees and help them reach their full potential.

There are many ways to do this, but in this article, we will focus on 12 strategies that can be used to unlock your employee’s potential.

1. Know what motivates them.

One of the most important things that you can do as an employer is to know what motivates your employees. Everyone is different, and what motivates one employee may not work for another. It is therefore important to take the time to understand what makes your employees tick. Only then will you be able to help them reach their full potential.

2. Encourage them to set goals.

Another way to help your employees reach their potential is to encourage them to set goals. Setting goals gives employees a sense of direction and motivates them to do their best. When setting goals, it is important to make sure that they are realistic and achievable. They should also be specific, measurable, and time-bound.

3. Help them develop a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is a belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, good teaching, and practice. Individuals with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with hard work and are not limited by their current abilities. On the other hand, those with a fixed mindset believe that their abilities are set in stone and cannot be changed.

4. Persuade them to take on new challenges.

Another great way to help your employees reach their potential is to encourage them to take on new challenges. Taking on new challenges helps employees expand their skill set and grow as individuals. It also helps them build confidence and develop a can-do attitude.

5. Urge them to think outside the box.

Another strategy for unlocking your employee’s potential is to encourage them to think outside the box. Thinking outside the box helps employees come up with new and innovative ideas. It also allows them to challenge themselves and push their boundaries.

6. Allow employee input.

Another great way to help your employees reach their potential is to encourage employee input. This allows employees to share their ideas and opinions. It also shows that you value their input and are willing to listen to their suggestions.

7. Rotate job roles.

Rotating job roles is another way to help your employees reach their potential. This will allow them to gain new skills and knowledge and become more well-rounded. It will also make them more engaged in their work as they will be constantly learning new things.

8. Provide employees with feedback.

Another important strategy for unlocking your employee’s potential is to provide them with feedback. Feedback helps employees understand what they are doing well and where they need to improve. It also shows that you are invested in their development and willing to help them grow.

9. Let your employees network.

Networking is another great way to help your employees reach their potential. Networking allows employees to meet new people, learn new skills, and gain valuable experience. It also helps them build relationships and develop their professional network.

10. Have a well-managed leave allowance system.

If you want your employees to be productive, it is important that they have a good work-life balance. This can be achieved by having better leave allowance management. Employees should be given the opportunity to take paid vacation days and sick days when they need them. This will help them recharge and come back to work feeling refreshed and energized.

11. Reward top performers.

Another important strategy for unlocking your employee’s potential is to reward top performers. This helps motivate employees to do their best and strive for excellence. It also shows that you are willing to invest in your employees and their development.

12. Provide training.

Finally, one of the best ways to help your employees reach their potential is to provide them with training. Training helps employees learn new skills and develop their abilities. It also shows that you are committed to their development and willing to invest in their future.

Bottomline

There are many different ways that you can help your employees reach their potential. The most important thing is to find what works best for your organization and your employees. Try out a few of the strategies listed above and see what works best for you. With a little effort, you can unlock the potential of your employees and help them reach new heights.

Do you have any other tips for unlocking your employee’s potential? Let us know in the comments below!

4 Steps To Take a Remote Workation

May 31, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Photo by Mikey Harris on Unsplash

Working remotely is the future for many industries, from content marketing to telecommunications. If you feel like you can’t focus as a remote worker, it might be time to get out of your home office.

Whether you’re in charge of an entire team or report to a manager, a workation (work vacation) might be exactly what you need to get out of your home office and out into the world.

Since remote work is the future of the workplace, workations will become a household term. This guide will teach you four steps on how to take advantage of working from wherever you please.

Get it approved

The first step to taking a successful workation is similar to the first step of taking a normal vacation: Get it approved before you start packing any bags. Odds are your employer wants to show appreciation to their remote employees. Submit a request in your online platform and carefully lay out how you plan on getting work done while you’re in a different city or state. It also might be a good idea to take your travel days completely off so you don’t have to worry about working at 30,000 feet.

Keep your work secure

It doesn’t matter if you’re working from home or from a Kiahwah Island vacation rental in South Carolina, you need to ensure that your work is secure. You can do this by installing a VPN on your computer so prying eyes can’t get ahold of sensitive work information and email exchanges. Other ways to keep your password safe while traveling include using a password manager or two-factor authentication.

Set Boundaries

Ensuring that you set personal and professional boundaries is essential to having a successful telecommuter vacation. If you are taking a workation with your family, make sure that you set clear parameters for when it’s time for work and when you can relax. The same can be said for remote work boundaries: Manage your remote team to ensure your coworkers know when you will be online and when they are not allowed to contact you.

Enjoy Yourself

This step should go without saying, but it’s important that you enjoy yourself on your workation. Don’t overload yourself with work but don’t slack off, either. It’s important to find a balance so you can really enjoy the “-ation” part of your workation.

Now that you have all the steps to take a workation, it’s time to get on your HR platform and take some travel days off!

Unique Ways to Implement AI in Every Business

May 19, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Artificial Intelligence, once only fantasy brought out by science fiction movies is now a reality. So many tech companies are looking for ways to implement AI into software and technology and how it can be used to help businesses grow. With new AI implementations coming out every year, here are some of the ways these professionals use it to their advantage.

Influencer Marketing

“A great yet often overlooked way to implement artificial intelligence into every business is through influencer marketing. Influencer marketing in the coming years will grow significantly with AI. AI makes it possible to identify the best influencers that can produce results in your company’s campaign rather than just choosing influencers based on followers. AI can save time and money by analyzing data on influencers and creating more relevant content. Having more in-depth data on influencers will create an opportunity to make better decisions. AI can also determine an influencer’s future performance and reach target audiences. Using AI to measure engagement and feedback will allow businesses to better use their budget and expand their reach on social media”

– Jeffery Pitrak, Marketing and Account Manager at Transient Specialists

Chatbots

“Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way businesses operate. One great AI tool is Chatbots, which are known to improve sales and make it simple for customers to interact with your site. By producing personalized messages and responses, customers can receive answers to their questions, learn more, or come back at a later time, wherever they left off. They also provide 24/7 communication without a human employee, making it ideal for users all over the world. These AI-powered bots will reduce wait times and connect deeper with customers, overall improving user experience and sales. Just ensure that your chat box leaves an alternative resource to connect with a live person, in case the chatbot isn’t able to answer all of their questions.”

– Jarrid Raney, Director of E-Commerce and Marketing at Shop Blends

Performance tracking

“These days businesses can use artificial intelligence in performance management. When

properly configured, the AI can take a lot of the legwork out of tracking performance, reporting goals and achievements, and providing individuals feedback. When the AI detects an employee is overperforming, it can prompt a “keep up the hard work” message to reassure the employee that they’re appreciated. On the other hand, when it detects an employee isn’t on track to reach their goals, it can suggest the individual take a different approach, take some time to review training materials or reach out to management for suggestions. This can also eliminate the feeling of micromanagement in an organization while allowing management to focus on other areas.”

– Kevin Mako, Founder of Mako Design + Invent

AI In Customer Service

“Implementing AI in customer service can help provide better and faster support for your clients, increasing productivity for your business. One of the greatest benefits of having AI customer service is 24/7 support. This allows customers to access your support team whenever it is that they need help, and not have to wait for regular business hours. Implementing AI can also allow companies to gather predictive data, which will then in turn allow their customer service to predict their customers’ inquiries. If you’ve been wondering how to implement AI in your business, I would definitely recommend looking into AI customer service solutions.”

– Rich Rudzinski, Founder of Tragic Media, Oversight and Drivey

Using Data Analysis

“AI can be used to retrieve large data sets within a matter of seconds and translate that information into a more easily digestible format for humans to analyze. It can be used best for developing more innovative pricing strategies, highlighting where costs can be reduced and uncovers inefficiencies. You should use AI to gather insights into customers’ preferences. This is super helpful when identifying the different patterns that your data shows. These insights can be used to help the business and employees make better-informed decisions. In the future, AI may be able to complete tasks in milliseconds and just continue to get faster and faster. But Ai programs that will only improve the efficiency at which humans can get tasks done will help businesses astronomically. AI can help get your monotonous tasks out of the way so you can put some time back onto your team’s calendar.

– Sacha Ferrandi, CEO and Co-founder at Source Capital

Data Security

“Nowadays, data security has become an increasingly big factor in the implementation of every business, especially as we continue to rely on technology to store sensitive information. That said, AI has become a leading agent in helping the fight against data leakage. Some efforts that contribute to data security include, but aren’t limited to the following: phishing, ransomware, malware, or even insider threats to name a few. With the help of AI, companies can use machine learning to make certain that data is secured. While nothing is susceptible to mistakes, ensuring that there is a system in place to include warnings to that behavior is definitely enough to put many businesses at ease.”

– Gregg Dean, Co-Founder, and CEO of Layla Sleep

Timekeeping Management

“AI can be used to help schedule employees and set up appointments for customers which any company can and should take advantage of. Artificial intelligence can determine the best times to schedule employees based on historical peak times, patterns and preferences of individual employees, and other factors in an amount of time that humans wouldn’t be able to do. In the same way, AI can help businesses systematically set up meetings with customers in an efficient way and in a much smaller time frame. You can input your preplanned schedule and rules so that the software can work around you and your team to find the best time to create appointments with others. Artificial intelligence can allow your business to automate these processes which frees up employees’ time and helps improve productivity.”

– Adrian Pereira, CEO, and Co-founder of Eco Pea Co.

Start Small

“While everyone aims to implement AI into their business with full force, simply applying AI to a small sample of data is the best way to ease into these processes. Using AI in increments will allow your business to collect the necessary feedback and grow accordingly. Focusing on specific issues at a time will allow your AI to narrow in on it and now have all of the data thrown at it at once. Once your AI can gradually grasp certain values, you will see the large rewards it’s able to grasp in the future, giving your business the max potential of your AI and diminishing the returns from AI investment.”

– Jim Williams, Outreach Manager for Ziebart

AI In The Accounting Department

“Many businesses are finding it extremely useful to implement AI in their accounting department. AI takes away from the tedious hours that go into repetitive tasks that are usually done by accounting professionals. With AI focused on these tasks, the accounting department can put their time towards higher-level activities that can’t be accomplished by a computer. Not only does AI allocate the accounting department more time, but it also drastically reduces common errors that are commonly made by humans. With the accounting department free of errors and able to put more time towards the important stuff, your business should be running smoother than ever with an AI system.”

– Sanem Ahearn, Head of Marketing of Colorescience

Qualifying Targeted Leads More Accurately

“Technology has made it easier to connect with people and corporations on both a business and personal level. Yet, popular sites have millions of users, so it’s time-consuming to find information alone. Using AI to help gather data on leads in your industry, is an accurate and quick way to increase marketing and productivity. AI tracks clients’ habits and purchases, which allows the system to predict what each user would like to buy. AI knows what to sell because it follows the customers closely. It makes a huge difference when you get the right ads in front of the right people.”

– Megan Jones, Community Outreach Manager for NutraSweet Natural

Personalized Learning

“AI can be used to provide personalized education to individuals through adaptive learning. With various learning software and programs readily available for students, AI can take advantage of this and create a curriculum based on the individual’s needs. This system can adapt to a student’s needs, goals, and progress as it adjusts to focus on units that need more attention. Not only will this be beneficial in a school setting, but it can also be used as a training tool for employees who are looking to further hone their skills in their specific career path.”

– Doug Crawford, Founder of Best Trade Schools
Artificial Intelligence is becoming a part of everyday life and it’s up to companies to stay ahead of the game and take advantage of these new features. AI works to make your day-to-day tasks more efficient and effective. With some of these examples, how will you be implementing AI into your business?

AI In Call Systems

“AI can be used by any business with a phone system to direct phone calls to the right point of contact. This helps free up time for the customer service representatives and can even get the information right to the callers straight from the initial point of contact with the AI call system. This is a great way to save money by taking out the middleman in the call conversation. With the help of AI, the conversation can be sped up and a caller can get access to the person or information they need faster than if there was a person answering the phone.”

-Peter Reagan, Financial Marketing Strategist at Birch Gold Group

“AI can be implemented in every business through AI-powered predictive analytics tools. These can be tailored to each industry’s needs, but it has changed the game for financial institutions, by enhancing risk management, fraud detection, and customer relationship management. These AI tools can analyze huge amounts of financial data to predict things like loan defaults or payment delays, enabling banks and lenders to make more informed lending decisions. AI can provide real-time risk assessments by assessing factors like transaction history, credit scores, and economic trends, allowing financial institutions to adjust interest rates, terms, or approval processes. Additionally, these systems continuously learn from new data, becoming more accurate over time at identifying fraud risks, which helps to reduce false positives and ensure smoother operations for legitimate transactions.”

– From Bill Lyons, CEO of Griffin Funding.

Top 6 Hot Careers In Marketing You May Consider

May 16, 2022 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Image Source: pexels.com

Marketing is essential to businesses as it looks for new opportunities the company can generate revenue. It is also a dynamic career to venture into. And when done right, it can be a lucrative career. However, many think you need to be a marketing whiz or have years of sales experience. But, marketing is similar to computer programming or coding because these are careers that don’t require a degree. You don’t need to take up formal education if you want to switch to a marketing career. That said, this article will tell you the jobs in marketing you may consider.

Social Media Manager

Being a social media manager is an excellent gateway to starting a career in marketing, especially if you have zero marketing or sales experience. Think about it; you are getting paid to manage a Facebook or Instagram account. And considering how almost everyone has social media, no special skills are required on this one. A social media manager is concerned with handling the brand’s social media accounts.

All you have to do is make sure the brand increases or maintains its online presence by creating and publishing content, engaging with followers, and monitoring their feedback. Having a social media platform is also crucial for businesses to boost their online presence as dozens of people spend their time on it. It is also fitting, seeing as most people air out their grievances or concerns on social media rather than through emails, as it is a surefire way to get them noticed.

Data Analyst

If you want to develop a successful career in marketing, you should think about seriously improving your technical skills. Nowadays, analytical skills are favored in marketing, and if you are more data-oriented, then a data analyst might be your cup of tea. It will broaden your career opportunities and make you a valuable team member.

A data analyst gathers information on consumers and the brand’s competitors. However, it goes beyond mere data collection from Google Analytics or HubSpot. You have to make sense of that data and guide the company so they can act on it when they implement their PR and marketing strategy. It is crucial because the data gathered can help a company decide its next plan of action and business decision.

Brand Manager

The brand is how the people view the company. Therefore brand managers are responsible for how the brand is perceived. It takes a big picture approach and is focused on all aspects of the brand, not just particular products or services. Like creating a career development plan, brand managers need to create a game plan for the company.

When you decide to be a brand manager, you’d be in charge of conducting market research, such as finding out your target demographics and developing a marketing strategy for a new ad campaign or a product release. You also have to make sure the brand maintains a positive reputation and is aligned with the company.

SEO Specialist

Search engine optimization (SEO) may be one of the marketing field’s newer additions, but it has quickly gained momentum. Like data analysis, it requires strong technical and analytical skills. It also requires coordination with the web development and marketing teams to ensure the website’s content is optimized for search engines.

It involves running tests, figuring out which keywords to use, and navigating keyword tools like Moz or Ubersuggest to increase the website’s visibility and ensure the company’s website is at the top of search results. It is also quite tricky because you need to adhere to best SEO practices, so the website doesn’t appear spammy. On top of that, SEO trends and standards are ever-changing, and algorithm updates, so you’d have to be informed on the latest happenings.

Email Marketing

Emails may not be the primary medium you’d think of when reaching out to customers. But it is a tried and tested form of digital marketing, making it relevant, even with the prevalence of social media marketing. Such responsibilities entail sending out email marketing campaigns and turning them into website conversion rates and sales leads.

Ultimately, your goal is to inform the customer or potential customer about new product releases, discounts, or promotions. Unlike other forms of advertisement, email is more effective than SEO because it is not affected by algorithm updates. There is also more leeway to personalize the content for your customers.

Market Research Analyst

If you possess strong technical and analytical skills, perhaps being a market research analyst is the one for you. It entails gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. It can be in the form of statistics from customer satisfaction surveys, website traffic, and marketing campaigns’ effectiveness. That said, you must also know how to use marketing analytics tools and customer satisfaction tools like Statista, SurveyMonkey, and Typeform, to name a few.

Market research is similar to UX design because both are focused on researching users’ needs and finding a way to bridge that gap. In terms of the qualitative side, you must keep an eye out for people’s opinions and experiences with the brand. In addition, you should also be on the lookout for your competitors to see how well the company fares against them, which areas they are left behind, and more.

However, the only difference is that marketing focuses more on selling a product to the people while UX designers are more concerned about how to design the product customers want. If market research isn’t exactly your cup of tea, you can take some pointers if you want to switch to a career in UX UI design.

Conclusion

No doubt there are other careers in marketing, and traditional roles like public relations manager aren’t defunct. But given the advances in technology, these are the ones that are gaining a lot of traction these days. Strike while the iron is hot, and jumpstart your marketing career now.

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