Author Archives: Cassie Steele

Critical Internal Business Communications Software Every Business Needs To Invest In

Posted on by Cassie Steele
Reply

Shockingly, 60 percent of businesses do not have a long-term internal communication plan, according to a Workforce report. Those organizations could be making a costly mistake – one that hinders their business productivity. Poor internal communication leads to low employee engagement, low employee productivity, and lower profit margins. In fact, companies with engaged employees reported a 20 percent bump in sales and a 21 percent hike in profitability. At the same time, many businesses have no idea where to start when it comes to internal business communications protocols and tools, including choosing an internal business communication software to invest in. Regardless of the phase that your business is in, there are a few key communication tools that can prove invaluable. 

Team Messaging And Video Conferencing Tools

The idea of the ‘office’ has become much more expansive over time. More companies are moving to remote working. With such models, investing in employee communication software, including internal messaging and video conferencing tools, becomes paramount to maintaining great internal communication. Video conferencing software and messaging apps like Slack, RingCentral, and GoToMeeting include file sharing and group video meeting features that enable employees to share business documents or screens while on a call- simulating an in-person meeting in every way.

Analytics And Sentiment Software 

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. This popular saying is particularly applicable to a business’s internal communications. A business could be disseminating information and news to its employees, but it does not guarantee that it’s being received well by your employees. For instance, a Prescident Digital Media survey showed that 31 percent of employees never use their company intranet. Similarly, some employees report that the communicators can often use jargon-rich language, which can be alienating and confusing. The makers of Tryane analytics software note the value of insights into commonly-used applications like Office365 to drive digital transformation and boost the efficiency of business communications: by using analytics, you have a better understanding of how software is being used, and can gauge employee understanding.

Employee Engagement Platforms

Regular communication with your employees is important to maintaining their engagement and satisfaction. Cultivating a culture of constructive and non-judgmental communication helps employees feel like they can express their concerns – and helps the business address those concerns. Employee engagement is a useful way to gain employee feedback and useful employee engagement data, without cutting into the company’s time and resources too much. 

Approximately 83 percent of HR leaders say all people decisions should be made using data, yet only 37 percent of leaders do so, according to a survey by Sage People. Therefore, the right employee engagement platform can make all the difference in your organization. Employee engagement software Achievers Listen provides managers with continuous feedback, and encourages them to follow up. The platform also automatically creates reports and presentations of key findings and trends. Other employee engagement solutions include Ascentis, Lessonly, and Culture Amp, which tracks employee job satisfaction trends.

Clear and effective communication is vital in running your business smoothly. For any organization, internal communication isnot only about sharing information with employees, but enabling ongoing conversations with your employees and implementing the best practices to give your company a good internal communications strategy – and valuable internal business software like these can be a good start.

Digital Businesses turn to Third Parties for Proper Remote Support

Posted on by Cassie Steele
Reply

Digital business is an inherently fast-moving industry, but the past few months may have been faster-moving than ever. As a result, business experts writing for the Forbes council suggest it might be time for many businesses to look to outsource their IT solutions, to help manage workflow and lend expertise. This input can help businesses to remain competitive while covering areas of their business in a safe and secure manner. Increasingly, businesses are turning to whole-system management.

Managing Secure IT

As a digital business expands, the infrastructure and tools it relies on are not always up to the task. This can lead to security and bandwidth issues, as critical business goes unanswered due to a simple lack of capacity. More seriously, this can cause security errors; the Russian SolarWinds hack was, according to NPR, able to sneak in on outdated and understaffed security systems. This is especially the case in rapidly digitizing communities; Nebraska is an example of where a historically rural community is starting to modernize as people adapt to urban living in Omaha. As businesses move to remote work, the communications and IT services Omaha require will have had a strong focus on security following the Nebraska Medicine incident.

The Security Question

The new levels of remote working pose a security question that is most easily answered through third parties. Governments globally are focusing on the overarching risks of cybercrime. In the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre saw fit to produce documents highlighting the risks of remote working to business owners. Outsourced systems, including larger-scale VPNs and institutions offering security services, provide good protection for these new risks.

Workforce management

A secure shield is one step of the way to maintaining a proper remote workforce, but having management tools in place to drive up productivity is essential. While statistics show that remote workers are more productive, using their flexibility to provide up to 1.4 more days of work per month, this isn’t always the case – and work can fall by the wayside in unmonitored cases. Once again, having expert third party advice allows employers to maintain proportional workforce control in a way that is safe and legally sound.

Between the use of proper IT systems, cybersecurity solutions, and workforce management, third party control allows businesses to focus on their product and growth. As remote working becomes more and more commonplace, these solutions will be ever-more important. For businesses, it’s a great way to ensure they stay profitable while doing the best by their day-to-day matters.

Transforming Your Business’ Productivity Through Employee Well-being And Workflow Management

Posted on by Cassie Steele
Reply

According to Gallup, employee engagement has been at an all time high of 33% in recent years. This is likely the result of the well-being revolution occurring in businesses across the nation. As a small business owner or manager, understanding the importance of employee well-being and how it relates to productivity is crucial to long term success.

Work Smart

As a small business owner, if you’re leading or managing a team, then get to know them. Understanding what your employees excel at and delegating tasks based on this knowledge will greatly improve your business’ productivity. Many employees lack a clear picture of all the tasks they need to accomplish. Rather than prioritizing tasks based on importance, they spend time switching between them as they come to mind. Focus on employee engagement, having your workforce attend productivity training and giving them the tools to improve their workflow will significantly increase your business’ productivity.

Understand that while multitasking sounds like a good idea, in reality it is entirely counterproductive. Research by John Medina revealed that multitasking can increase the completion time of a task by as much as 50% and even worse, quadruples the likelihood of mistakes. Instead, focus your energy on one task at a time, and work through a list of priorities for the day. Time tracking experts Journyx highlight the importance of cloud-based tools for project management. Enabling employees to access schedules and tools anywhere can simplify your company’s workflow immensely, boosting productivity as a result.

Unlimited Time Off

Over the last few years, large businesses have begun to understand the importance of employee well-being and satisfaction. Research has overwhelmingly demonstrated the benefits of flexible work hour policies and a focus on mental health. Happier, healthier employees produce better quality work. Unlimited vacation time policies are a result of this new approach to employment. While on its face, the concept may sound ridiculous, in practice it makes total sense. Why work harder or faster when it changes nothing? If you can’t leave until 5pm, why expend the extra effort? The traditional nine-to-five removes an employee’s sense of ownership over their time, and puts the focus on running out the clock. As a result, employees might sit at their desk for hours doing the bare minimum until they can leave for home. In contrast, unlimited vacation time produces a results-driven workplace culture where employees understand that as long as they produce satisfactory results, they can leave as late or early as they want. Giving employees power over their time like this is a powerful motivator, increasing morale and the quality of the work done. 

Productivity is as much about psychology as it is business management. Understanding the strengths, needs and wants of your employees is the key to boosting the productivity of your organization. This is especially important for small businesses, where profit margins are often tight and any boost to output will have significant results. Luckily the research is quite clear, providing a multitude of methods and approaches that can transform your business overnight.