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As business leaders, we need to take our employees into greater consideration. They’re not just there to do a job we’ve set for them, but they are the face of the business and therefore it is their knowledge that will showcase your business to the world, for better or worse. It makes sense for us to figure out ways to ensure employees can do their jobs effortlessly. Making their lives easier is something we don’t always bear in mind, but we need to find ways to minimize stress and ensure that they can do their jobs. What are the best ways to do this?

Give Them Shorter Pathways

One of the biggest issues for employees at the very bottom of the ladder is that they have to work harder to get the basics done. You may give them cheap equipment or an inefficient internet connection, and these things may certainly save you money, but you are sacrificing quality and productivity. The best thing to do is to invest in tools that will give them those shorter pathways. Tools like btcore are invaluable because they cover so many different aspects of the business in one easy-to-access platform. We’ve got to spend time reducing the steps it takes for our employees to access information and use it effectively, which could make all the difference if they are on the phone with a customer and in desperate need to solve the problem instantly.

Reduce Their Stress

Employees can feel constantly strung out because of unrealistic expectations or deadlines. When they’re constantly feeling that fight-or-flight mode, they’re going to burn out. It’s going to hinder their abilities to function in their jobs, which is why you’ve got to do whatever you can to reduce their stress by creating a secure working environment and streamlining processes. Ensure they don’t feel like they are bearing the brunt from the clients and the top brass.

Provide More Clarity

Employees at the very bottom of the ladder are told to do something, but they’re not necessarily told why. You can give them a variety of tools to do their job and a list of tasks, but if they don’t understand why they’re doing it, they’re not going to be any more inclined to work hard for you. However, they will feel less inclined to speak up for fear of sounding stupid. If you can provide more clarity by giving your employees clear goals and inviting people to speak up in brainstorming sessions, while also fostering a work environment that does not threaten their psychological safety and allows them the luxury of making mistakes without worrying that their job is in jeopardy, this will create a far more viable solution that will ultimately improve your business’s culture.

We need to make employees’ lives easier, but rather than thinking that because we had to work in tough situations to get to the top, we have to pass it back to them, thinking this is the “circle of life” in the workplace. It’s far better to make everyone’s lives easier.

Virtual companies are popping up everywhere these days. Just as a brick-and-mortar business, it is important to find the right staff and keep them productive and happy to ensure success. Communication, organization and human resource skills are key to managing worldwide employees and can be easily accomplished with online tools and some imagination.

Finding Freelancers

It is reported that by 2028 over 90 million Americans will be a freelancer. Finding talent that suits your business needs can be accomplished through online job boards. Guru.com is one example that allows you to find capable contractors in various countries. For example, if you wanted to hire someone from the Philippines, you can go to https://www.guru.com/d/freelancers/ and enter ‘Philippines’ for the location. You are also able to filter all-time earnings and the number of employers to allow you to sort through various candidates.

The Fiverr job platform is another resource. Here, you are able to sort prospects based on services. If you are looking for a ghostwriter, type that in, and ghostwriters from all over the world will appear. You can sort through rates, job experience, and view portfolio samples and past clients’ reviews and ratings.

Communicating and Organizing

Virtual companies can have successful communication just as brick and mortars that utilize face-to-face meetings. Consider a streamlined communication system like Slack, Zula, or eZTalks Cloud Meeting. Depending on your business needs these platforms can offer integration with other tools and apps to make file sharing and video conferencing easy regardless of location. Using online meetings effectively is important in keeping colleagues involved and productive.

Efficiently handling documents can be accomplished by utilizing a PDF merging tool. This will keep documents all in one file and in one format when multiple people are working together on a project. It saves time in searching for documents, and once all PDF files are combined, you can move PDF pages to get your content in the desired order.

Paying Freelancers

When hiring internationally, remember that wire transfers can be costly to your bottom line. Consider using a low-fee money transfer service like Remitly where you can deposit money directly to the contractor’s bank account. Keeping with the Philippine example, you have the choice of sending payment within minutes using the express option or having the money transferred within three to five business days using the economy option which provides a better transfer rate. If you are sending over $1,001, there are no fees regardless of how you send it.

Keeping Staff Happy

All work and no play makes anybody a grump. Keep your people socially active and involved with their co-workers. Hold contests, enlist social conversation through Yammer, hold monthly luncheons and recognize staff for extra efforts. You can send electronic gift cards for birthdays, holidays, and special thank yous. Consider setting back funds to hold an annual centralized retreat so your staff can personally meet and work together face-to-face.

A monthly newsletter can be a fun tool to keep everyone engaged and current on various departments. Have staff participate in articles to maintain a sense of belonging.

You can run a successful online business with the right tools. Finding the right freelancers that fit your company, maintaining professional and efficient communication, and using your imagination to engage and recognize your staff will produce a successful worldwide virtual company.

For more marketing, business, and career-related content, visit Mike McRitchie’s blog.

Summer is a time for ice cream cones, trips to the beach and long cold alcoholic drinks sipped through a straw. Unfortunately, few of these things tend to be available to your employees as they work through the summer months. This feeling of missing out while waiting for summer vacation is an issue that can cause problems for your business, such as low morale and productivity. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can use to keep your workers as happy as possible during the warmer weather months. Keep reading to find out what they are. 

Head outside when you can

First of all, to keep your employees happier in the summer month, why not head outside when you can? One way of doing this is to hold meetings out of doors, which is easy if you have grounds or some outside seating space. 

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Also, supplying your workers with laptops means they can take them outside and work in the sunshine if they so choose, which can be a real treat for many. Lastly, why not swap a traditional 1 to 1 meeting across a desk with a walk outside instead? Indeed, a change of scenery is likely to reduce everyone’s stress levels. 

Adjust your dress code 

While looking smart is vital at work, if it’s interfering with your employee’s comfort and concentration in the summer months, it’s working against the success of your business. 

With that in mind, why not consider revising the dress code for when the weather gets scorching? Short sleeve shirts, khakis, and even Bermuda shorts can work well, and make sure to loosen your rules on ties. Watch out for sandals, though, especially in workplaces where they would cause a health and safety risk. 

Keep everyone cool 

Another way you can help your employees be happier this summer is to provide cooling facilities in the office in HVAC. Of course, when you have HVAC installed, you must make sure that it’s well maintained and ready for when the warm weather hits. Luckily, all you need to do is search for heating and cooling in my area to find an HVAC specialist local to you. Such professionals should help you with everything from selecting the right system to fixing one that is faulty. 

In addition to the suggestions above, summer can be ideal for getting some training and team-building skills going. Instead of putting your team in front of a day-long PowerPoint lecture, why not consider an outdoor alternative instead? Why not take advantage of the excellent weather and run team-building camping trips that include activities such as canoeing and other challenges?

Do not underestimate the power of ice cream 

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Some businesses even go so far as to hire ice cream trucks to come and sit outside of their places of work and provide free frozen treats to employees. However, even if your budget doesn’t quite reach this, treating your workforce to an ice cream bought from the Grocery store on a Friday afternoon can help keep morale up. In turn, ensuring that workers feel appreciated and stay motivated despite the heat.