At the heart of this routine are the classic daily standup questions:

1. What did you do yesterday?
2. What will you do today?
3. Are there any blockers?

Simple, right? But these stand up meeting questions don’t always deliver the intended results. Teams can fall into common traps—like giving vague answers, listing too many details, or turning it into a status report rather than a problem-solving session.

Let’s explore some of the common pitfalls teams face with standup questions and some fresh, unique ways to make your agile standup more engaging and effective.

Common Pitfalls of the 3 Daily Standup Questions

Even though the classic scrum meeting questions seem straightforward, they don’t always lead to productive conversations. Here are some common pitfalls teams run into:

1. Turning Standups Into Status Reports

A daily standup isn’t meant to be a play-by-play of everything someone did the previous day. Yet, many team members treat it like a detailed status update, listing every minor task. It slows down the meeting and adds unnecessary details that don’t help the team move forward.

Fix it: Encourage concise updates focused on progress, roadblocks, and collaboration. If something requires a deep dive, take it offline.

2. Ignoring Roadblocks

One of the key purposes of a daily standup meeting is to identify blockers. But often, team members either forget to mention them or hesitate to speak up, fearing they’ll slow the team down.

Fix it: Create a safe space for discussing blockers. If someone says, “No blockers,” but their task isn’t progressing, dig deeper with follow-up questions.

3. Lack of Engagement

Some teams rush through standup meeting questions with minimal engagement. Team members either tune out or provide generic answers. The result? a meeting that feels like a checkbox exercise rather than a valuable discussion.

Fix it: Keep things interactive by rotating facilitators, using an async check-in tool, or tweaking the agile standup questions to be more engaging.

4. Not Adapting Questions to the Team’s Needs

The standard scrum three questions work well for many teams, but they aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Some teams find them repetitive, while others struggle to apply them to non-development work.

Fix it: Customize the questions based on team dynamics. Instead of “What did you do yesterday?” try “What’s your biggest priority today?” or “What’s one challenge you’re facing?”

Fresh Takes on Daily Standup Questions

If the traditional standup meeting questions feel stale or ineffective, shaking things up can bring new energy to your daily standup meeting. Here are some alternative approaches that keep teams engaged while still maintaining alignment and accountability.

1. Focus on Outcomes, Not Activities

Instead of listing tasks, encourage team members to share their goals and expected outcomes. It keeps discussions high-level and purpose-driven.

New Questions:

• What’s the most important outcome you’re aiming for today?
• What progress did you make toward your goals yesterday?
• What obstacles could prevent you from reaching today’s goal?

2. Highlight Challenges & Collaboration

Rather than focusing only on individual tasks, use the daily standup questions to drive collaboration. Teams often work in silos, and the standup is an opportunity to connect people who can help each other.

 New Questions:

• What’s one challenge you’re facing that the team can help with?
• Who do you need input from today to move forward?
• Is there anything the team should be aware of before our next meeting?

3. Use a Theme-Based Approach

If your morning standup feels repetitive, add variety by introducing daily or weekly themes. For example, Mondays can focus on top priorities for the week, mid-week standups can emphasize blockers, and Fridays can highlight lessons learned.

 New Questions:

• Monday: What’s your top priority this week?
• Wednesday: What’s one thing slowing you down?
• Friday: What’s something you learned this week that could help the team?

4. Make It Fun & Engaging

Adding a little creativity to your daily standup call can improve engagement. Try starting the meeting with a quick icebreaker or framing the check-in around a unique perspective.

 New Questions:

• If your progress was a weather forecast, what would it be? (e.g., “Sunny and clear” or “Storm clouds ahead”)
• If you had to describe your task in one emoji, what would it be?
• What’s one unexpected thing you learned or encountered yesterday?

5. Adapt for Remote & Async Teams

Live daily standup meetings aren’t always practical for remote or distributed teams. Instead, teams can use Slack or project management tools for async check-ins, allowing flexibility while keeping updates transparent.

 New Questions for Async Check-Ins:

• What’s the top priority you’re working on today?
• What’s one thing you need help with?
• Any blockers the team should know about?

Using a tool like AttendanceBot can automate daily standup agile check-ins in Slack or Microsoft Teams, making async updates smooth and efficient.

Common Standup Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Daily standups are meant to be quick, effective check-ins, but they don’t always go as planned. Many teams fall into patterns that make these meetings feel repetitive, unhelpful, or even unnecessary. Here are some of the most common mistakes teams make—and strategies to fix them.

1. Standups That Drag On Too Long

Standups are supposed to be short and focused, but some teams let them stretch far beyond the intended 15-minute limit. It usually happens when updates get too detailed or discussions spiral into problem-solving sessions.

How to Fix It:

• Encourage team members to keep their updates concise and relevant to the group.
• If a deeper discussion is needed, schedule a separate meeting instead of using standup time.
• Use a timer or a designated facilitator to keep things on track.

2. Updates That Lack Clarity

Some standups become unproductive because updates are too vague. Team members might give responses like, “Still working on the feature” or “Making progress,” without explaining what that actually means.

How to Fix It:

• Ask team members to frame their updates around progress, challenges, and immediate priorities.
• Instead of “Still working on it,” a better response would be, “Finished the front-end integration, starting API testing today.”
• Encourage follow-up questions if an update isn’t clear.

3. Ignoring or Overlooking Blockers

A major reason for standups is to surface obstacles early, but some teams either rush past this question or hesitate to share blockers. It leads to hidden delays and frustration when issues aren’t addressed until it’s too late.

How to Fix It:

• Shift the focus from simply asking about blockers to discussing what might slow work down.
• Make it a habit to identify who can help resolve each blocker before the meeting ends.
• Reinforce that mentioning blockers isn’t about blame—it’s about solving problems as a team.

4. Lack of Engagement from Team Members

In some daily standup question meetings, only a few people actively participate while others check out mentally. It is common in hybrid or remote teams, where some participants may feel disconnected or see the meeting as a passive update rather than an interactive session.

How to Fix It:

• Rotate who facilitates the meeting to keep things fresh.
• Experiment with different formats, such as asynchronous updates via Slack or alternating between spoken and written updates.
• Ensure remote team members are given equal opportunity to contribute, especially in hybrid setups.

5. No Actionable Takeaways

Some standups end with no clear next steps. While everyone may have shared their updates, there’s no real resolution to blockers, and no one leaves the meeting with new insights or priorities.

How to Fix It:

• End each standup by summarizing key action items, such as follow-ups on blockers or cross-team dependencies.
• Track these takeaways in a shared document or project management tool to ensure accountability.
• Keep the focus on moving work forward rather than just sharing status updates.

By making small adjustments, teams can ensure their daily standup meetings remain efficient, engaging, and genuinely useful. A well-run standup helps teams stay aligned, address challenges early, and keep work moving smoothly.

How to Keep Standups Short and Effective

One of the biggest complaints about daily standup questions/meetings is that they drag on too long. A meeting meant to last 10–15 minutes can quickly spiral into a 30-minute discussion if not managed properly. Here’s how to keep your daily standup call focused and efficient.

1. Set a Hard Time Limit

The ideal scrum daily standup should last no more than 15 minutes, regardless of team size. Use a timer if necessary, and encourage concise updates. If a topic requires further discussion, move it to a separate meeting.

2. Stand Up—Literally

The name “standup meeting” isn’t just for show. Standing instead of sitting naturally encourages brevity. If you’re remote, encourage team members to stay on their feet or even walk around while giving updates to keep energy levels up.

3. Use a Talking Token

For larger teams, structure is key. A simple strategy is to use a talking token—only the person holding the token (or virtual equivalent) can speak. It prevents interruptions and side discussions.

4. Keep It Focused on Progress & Blockers

Encourage team members to share only what’s relevant. If someone starts going into too much detail, the facilitator should step in and suggest taking it offline.

5. Use a Standup Bot for Async Check-Ins

For remote or distributed teams, async standups using Slack or Microsoft Teams can be a game-changer. Instead of a live meeting, team members submit their updates in a Slack thread, using a bot like AttendanceBot to automate reminders and organize responses.

By implementing these strategies, teams can ensure that agile standup meetings remain short, effective, and engaging—without becoming a dreaded daily chore.

Final Thoughts On Daily Standup Questions

Daily standup questions should be more than a routine—it should be a tool that drives collaboration, problem-solving, and alignment. By tweaking the agile standup meeting questions to fit your team’s needs, you can turn these quick check-ins into valuable moments of connection.

If your standups feel like a drag, try experimenting with different approaches and formats. Whether it’s rewording the scrum three questions, introducing async updates, or adding a fun element, the goal is the same: keeping teams engaged and moving forward efficiently.

The post Daily Standup Questions: Common Mistakes and Better Options appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

A. Channel your inner organizer

Channels are a key Slack innovation, and the main way in which conversations are organized across people, departments, and projects. If you do nothing else, make sure you’re getting proper mileage from your channel!

1. Nail your naming

As your company expands and complexifies, so too will your channels multiply to cover past and present projects, initiatives, teams, and departments. To keep channels navigable and discoverable and they multiply, it’s crucial to create and maintain consistent channel naming conventions. This helps everyone adopt consistent sorting and saves weeks of guesswork when it comes to searching channels and channel content. 

The key is using clear prefixes to delineate types of channels and focus of content. Common prefixes include team-, dept-, proj-, sprint-, launch-, triage-, QA-, social-, announce-, and event-. Our own Slack includes real channels titled team-CS, proj-GPT, launch-testimonials, triage-bugs, social-2023-fun-stuff, and announce-upcoming-leave.

Before                                                                                            And After

2. Describe and define

Keep everyone on the same page and help jumpstart new hire onboarding by making sure every channel has a clear and detailed channel description. Beyond a mere label, these descriptions provide essential context, guidelines, and a sense of purpose, preventing confusion and miscommunication, especially in a crowded field of channels.

3. Make it Pin-teresting

Make sure team leaders regularly pin channel messages in channel details. By pinning crucial messages, you create a an easy-access reference to onboard new hires and new channels additions, while also keeping essential updates, guidance, and tactical or strategic discussions at top of mind for regular channel contributors.

4. Be programmer for a day

Work smarter in Slack by using the layman-friendly workflow builder to automate your daily tasks. Create a workflow for anything from channel form submissions, month end reminders, and weekly standups. The workflow builder doesn’t require any coding or engineering background to create or implement, and helps automate away little tasks like nudges and updates. While you can create direct workflows outside of channels, for example to send individuals recurring messages, workflows are most powerful in their channel context.

5. Light up keywords

Stay on top of critical info by using keyword notifications. Much like a google alert, keyword notifications allow you to surface and highlight important subject matters and message topics when they arise in channel discussion. To try these out, go to the preferences menu, then ‘My Keywords,’ and write in a list of words or phrases you want to be notified about when they come up in your channels (don’t forget to separate keywords or keyword pairs with a comma.)

B. Conquer your inbox

While there’s a million reasons Slack beats out email for internal communication, it doesn’t mean the inbox is extinct. Slay the dragon with these tips.

6. Dawn of the Unread

Instead of starting your day scrolling through missed messages channel by channel, try waking up to Unreads at the top of your left sidebar (you might need to adjust your sidebar preferences to “always show Unreads.”). Unreads allows you to browse (almost) all your missed messages without automatically “marking as read” so you can more easily browse, prioritize, and tackle one by one.

While it’s a great way to assess, focus, and build out your plan of attack, do keep in mind that messages in muted or archived channels won’t show up in Unreads, and neither will replies in Threads.

7. Save The Late

Every message or file can be saved for later to let Slack automatically sequence a to-do list. While “mark unread” is a classic and time tested way to make sure you revisit read messages, the 2.0 evolution for highly organized teams is the saved for later queue. By choosing to set a follow-up time or using the quick save for later tag, Slack automatically organizes items into three tabs in the ‘Later’ view:

1. In progress: here, you find your upcoming reminders and recently saved items. Organized by recency, this to-do list allows you to easily navigate to the original conversation, archive or complete a to-do, and create or edit the follow-up date and timing of follow-up reminder..
2. Archived: this serves as a less time-bound repository for messages you might need in the future. It’s a handy place for references or items without specific tasks.
3. Completed: when you’re done with a saved message or file, marking complete clears it from your to-do list and moves it to the completed queue. Everything saved for later and subsequently marked complete goes into this completed tab for historical reference.

As a final tip here, save for later is particularly helpful when browsing Threads to make sure that responses or to-dos that would normally be  marked as read are catalogued to revisit again later.

8. Talk to yourself

Direct messages aren’t just for team communication. Everyone has a DM with themself, which can be used in many ways but is particularly useful as a space to Slack yourself important information, which can then be pinned for quick access to notes, links, and reminders.

C. Clarify

“Those who know that they are profound strive for clarity. Those who would like to seem profound to the crowd strive for obscurity.” – Friedrich Nietzsche.

9. Rewrite the past

Mistakes happen, and if you’re like us they happen rather more frequently than you’d like. Responsible use of editing sent messages ensures that your communication remains clear and accurate. Whether new information has come to light, or you simply want to keep grammar at 100%, making use of message editing is a powerful way to promote clarity and precision across your team.

10. Link and (Hy)Rule

Context is key to effective communication. By linking back to relevant Slack messages, you provide a seamless trail of information and context, saving everyone time and reducing the risk of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Why make every reader search for context when you can give them single-click reference!

11. REACT

Communication isn’t just about words, and emotive reactions often carry more meaning and preciseness than any description. Using reactions liberally, and even creating your own custom reactions is a great way to inject personality and fun across the digital divide. And more than just the personal touch, reactions allow for more rapid communication of common responses that avoids the clutter of low-value thread replies and allows for quick-skimming within channels. Common reaction norms include thumbs up for “agree”, check mark for “complete”, eyes for “looking into it”, pray for “thanks”, and email for “reached out”. Feel free to get creative, as long as everyone is on board.

12. Huddle up

Rediscover casual office discussions with huddle audio or video. Since you can initiate a huddle channel or DM, they’re a great tool for instant sync ups that helps avoid dreaded calendar tag, unnecessary message crafting, and delayed collaboration. With everything from video to screen sharing to dedicated notes threads, huddles give you the core of video conferencing on a more immediate and convenient scale, so you can keep the momentum of discussions when you most need it.

D. Upfront and aboveboard

With communication, you frontload where you can, try to surface the right info at the right time, and create transparency for everything that falls through the cracks.

13. Schedule it

Plan your communication strategy with precision. Schedule messages to be delivered at optimal times, ensuring that your team receives information when it’s most relevant and impactful.

14. Be a status symbol

Let your team know what you’re up to and when you’re out of office by setting your status in Slack. It’s the quickest way to communicate availability, and if you’re interested in automating or further broadcasting statuses, consider plug-ins like AttendanceBot that automatically sync Slack status with leave and OOO calendars.

E. Explore the ecosystem

15. Plug it in!

As with AttendanceBot above, Slack has a rich ecosystem of tools to supercharge your effectiveness.

• Polly & Simple Poll: make group decisions a breeze with poll plugins like Polly and Simple Poll. Gather quick feedback, streamline decision-making processes, and ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
• HeyTaco & Karma: nurture a positive team culture with plugins like HeyTaco and Karma. Celebrate wins, recognize achievements, and foster camaraderie by incorporating these engaging and fun tools into your Slack experience.
• Workstreams.ai: elevate your project management capabilities with Workstreams.ai. This plugin enhances collaboration, streamlines workflows, and helps keep your team synchronized and productive.
• AttendanceBot: AttendanceBot is a robust Slack solution for time and time off tracking. Whether you’re interested in managing leave requests and approvals through Slack, timesheet and project tracking through Slack, or wfo planning and hybrid scheduling, AttendanceBot is a Slack-native option for Slack-heavy teams.

Conclusion

By incorporating these expert-tested tips into your Slack culture, you stand a chance of truly reinventing your workflow and invigorating team effectiveness. Unlike most tools which are critical for some roles and ancillary to others, investing in Slack best practices pays dividends across teams, roles, and departments and builds upon the very core of your business: people. Give these tips a try and see what’s possible with better communication, coordination, and collaboration!

The post 15 Expert Slack Tips from Pros appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What are the Benefits of Indoor Plants in the Office?

Office plants have several benefits for the workplace, including:

• Improving air quality: Plants absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air and release oxygen, helping to purify the air and make it healthier to breathe.
• Boosting productivity: Research has shown that having plants in the workplace can help improve productivity, creativity, and focus.
• Reducing stress: Plants can help create a more calming and relaxing environment, which can help reduce stress levels and promote well-being.
• Enhancing aesthetic appeal: Plants can help add color, texture, and life to an office space, making it more visually appealing and welcoming.
• Absorbing noise: Plants can also help absorb sound and reduce noise levels in an office environment.

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

The snake plant, also known as Sansevieria, is an excellent choice for an office low-maintenance plant that can improve indoor air quality by removing toxins.

• Low maintenance: Snake plants are incredibly easy to care for, making them ideal for busy work environments. They don’t require much water or light, and they can tolerate a wide range of temperatures.
• Air purification: Snake plants can remove toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene from the air, making the air in your office cleaner and healthier to breathe.
• Aesthetic appeal: Snake plants are visually appealing with their tall, upright leaves that come in various shades of green and yellow. They can add a touch of color and texture to an office space, making it more inviting and comfortable.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

The peace lily is a hardy plant that can tolerate low light levels and help remove common indoor pollutants. Peace lilies are known for their ability to purify the air by removing common indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. This makes them a great choice for improving indoor air quality in the office.

Peace lilies are low-maintenance plants that don’t require much light or water. They can thrive in low light environments, making them an ideal choice for an office with limited natural light.

They have large, green leaves and produce elegant white flowers that can add a touch of natural beauty to any office space.

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii)

Bamboo Palm, scientifically known as Chamaedorea seifrizii, is a popular indoor plant that is native to Central and South America.

It is a low-maintenance plant that can thrive in low-light conditions, making it an excellent choice for offices with little natural light. A Bamboo Palm also requires minimal watering, which makes it perfect for those who may forget to water their plants regularly. It is non-toxic to pets, making it a great choice for pet owners who want to bring a bit of nature into their workspace without harming their furry friends.

The Bamboo Palm has slender, green fronds that grow in a graceful arching pattern. It adds a touch of tropical vibe to the office environment and can help improve employee morale and productivity.

Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

Pothos, also known as Epipremnum aureum or Devil’s Ivy, is a popular indoor plant that is native to Southeast Asia. It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to care for. It can tolerate low-light conditions and infrequent watering, making it ideal for busy offices or for those who may not have a green thumb.

Pothos is an affordable plant that can be easily propagated from cuttings, making it a great choice for offices on a budget.

Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)

The rubber plant, also known as Ficus elastica, is a popular indoor plant that is native to Southeast Asia. It has large, glossy leaves that come in shades of green and burgundy, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to any office space.

The rubber plant helps remove pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air, making it a great choice for indoor environments.

The rubber plant is a low-maintenance plant because it is a slow grower and can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. It can thrive in low to bright indirect light and doesn’t require a lot of watering, making it ideal for busy office environments. The plant prefers to be kept consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so it’s important to allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. This means you don’t have to water it as frequently, making it a great choice for those who may not have the time or the green thumb for frequent plant care.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)

The ZZ plant, also known as Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is a popular indoor plant that is native to Africa. It has shiny, dark green leaves that grow in a graceful, arching form, making it a beautiful addition to any office space.

One of the most notable features of the ZZ plant is its ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, including low light and infrequent watering. This makes it an ideal plant for office environments where lighting and watering schedules may not be consistent or where employees may be too busy to care for plants.

In addition to being a low-maintenance plant, the ZZ plant is also known for its air-purifying qualities. It can help remove pollutants like benzene, toluene, and xylene from the air, making it a great choice for indoor environments where air quality may be a concern.

Lastly, the ZZ plant is a slow grower, which means it won’t outgrow its space quickly and won’t require frequent repotting. This makes it an ideal long-term plant for office environments where employees may not have the time or resources to care for plants that require frequent maintenance.

Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller)

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that is native to North Africa but is now grown in many parts of the world for its medicinal and cosmetic uses. It is a popular houseplant due to its low maintenance and air-purifying qualities.

One of the most well-known uses of aloe vera is its ability to treat sunburns and other skin irritations. The gel inside the leaves of the plant has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain and swelling, as well as promote healing.

In addition to its cosmetic uses, aloe vera also has medicinal properties. It has been used for centuries to treat a variety of health conditions, including constipation, diabetes, and digestive problems. Studies have shown that aloe vera may also have anti-cancer properties and can help boost the immune system.

Aloe vera is a versatile and low-maintenance plant that is both decorative and functional. It is a great choice for those who are looking for an easy-to-care-for office plant that also has medicinal and cosmetic uses.

English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

English ivy, also known as Hedera helix, is a popular houseplant that is easy to care for and makes an excellent addition to any office space. It is a fast-growing vine that can be trained to climb up walls or trellises, making it a great choice for adding a natural touch to any office environment.

English ivy is also easy to care for, making it a low-maintenance option for those who may not have a lot of time to devote to plant care.

Conclusion

In conclusion, adding indoor plants to your office space can have a significant impact on your productivity and well-being. From improving air quality to reducing stress levels, plants offer a wide range of benefits that can help you feel more focused, energized, and creative throughout the workday.

In this blog, we’ve explored 8 of the best office indoor plants that are easy to care for and can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions. Each of these plants offers unique benefits that can help to create a more welcoming and productive workspace, whether you’re working from home or in a traditional office setting.

From the low-maintenance pothos and ZZ plant to the medicinal Aloe, there is a plant on this list to suit every workspace and personal preference. By incorporating these indoor plants into your office environment, you can create a more inviting and productive space that supports your employees’ health and well-being.

The post 8 Best Indoor Plants to Boost Workplace Productivity appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

The other day I was video-calling my co-worker about how we were going to tackle a project together. They started talking about how they were excited about doing this project because he hadn’t worked on anything remotely since the pandemic. And then he said that the last time he’d been in the office was when they had to do a mandatory walk-through after they’d all been quarantined there during the pandemic. It really hit me that remote work is normal now—we’ve really settled into it.

We’re still working on making sure everyone feels comfortable with it, but things like video calls aren’t as hard anymore, they’ve become the norm. Zoom fatigue doesn’t exist as much as it did in the pandemic because we’re used to using it every day now. 

However, if you’re new to remote work, you can still get Screen fatigue. Let’s see how you can take simple steps to reduce it. In case you’re if you’re looking for ways to mitigate Zoom fatigue, we have a full-fledged piece on it that we did during the pandemic that you can read it here.

What is Zoom Fatigue? 

Zoom or screen fatigue is described as the air of exhaustion and futility that comes with using Zoom for extended periods. For example, you may begin a meeting by saying, “Let me just check my email before we start.” Then, as you try to explain your idea in a crowded conference room with no visual cues or physical feedback from your audience, you find yourself fumbling through slideshows while trying not to miss any key points or questions from those listening in. You keep thinking about how much easier it would be if everyone were physically present in the same space where they could see each other and take notes directly onto the paper.

What Does Screen Fatigue Look Like?

While the convenience and efficiency of tools like Zoom are undeniable, they can be pretty exhausting for us humans! Zoom fatigue is caused by several factors, including the lack of body language cues in conversation (since we do not see each other), prolonged close viewing of our faces (which we do have to do when using these programs), as well as mental exhaustion due to social overload. 

Mental Exhaustion

The mind is like a muscle. It needs to be exercised, but it also needs to be rested and renewed. Our mind is like a computer that needs to be rebooted if it’s been used for too long without a break.

Like any other body part, your brain can tire out if you overdo it with tasks that require heavy concentration and problem-solving skills—like working on a spreadsheet at work or trying to wrap your head around the latest episode of “Stranger Things.” And just as overexertion of specific muscles causes pain in those regions, overworking your brain can lead to headaches and other signs of mental exhaustion.

Mirror Anxiety

We all know that feeling—you’re having a great time and completely comfortable with yourself. You’re laughing with friends and feel like you can do anything. Then suddenly, you catch yourself in the mirror.

And that’s when it happens: the overwhelming sense of anxiety. The feeling that everyone is judging you, that everyone can see what an imposter you are, that everyone knows exactly how small and insignificant you are compared to them.

It’s called screen fatigue, and it’s a real thing. It happens when people get so used to seeing themselves as they are—in other words, through their own eyes—that they start seeing themselves through the eyes of others instead. They see themselves as they appear to others—when judged or scrutinized—and not as they actually look.

Women are especially prone to this phenomenon because of their tendency toward self-criticism. A study of more than 10,000 Zoom users revealed that women reported 13.8% higher Zoom fatigue compared to men.

A Lack of Bodily Cues in Conversation

Remote video calling lacks many of the visual signals that we use to communicate with each other in face-to-face settings. Without seeing someone’s facial expressions, body language, and gestures, we’re less likely to pick up on nonverbal cues like their tone of voice or emotional state. This can make it difficult for us to understand what our colleagues are saying or feeling—and it can also lead us to misinterpret what they’re trying to speak altogether.

Lack of Social Support from Remote Coworkers

The physical distance between coworkers means there’s no way for them to offer encouragement by patting each other on the back or high-fiving after a good brainstorming session (or even just saying “good job”). This lack of social support may negatively impact how much energy you put into your workday and how motivated you feel about going out into the world every day.

What’s the Zoom/Screen Fatigue Update?

According to research by Pew Research Centre:

• 56% of workers often use online platforms to connect with co-workers when working from home mainly.
• 66% of workers say they often use online conferencing services
• 77% of those workers who currently work from home most of the time – but never teleworked before this – say they use videoconferencing services.
• 59% of workers aged 18 to 49 say they often use Zoom when working from home.
• According to a 2020 study from the same source, 37% of teleworkers who use online conferencing said they were worn out by the time spent on video calls, while 63% said they were okay with using it.
• Lastly, the feeling of being worn out by using such tools was found to be more common in individuals with a bachelor’s degree or more.

How To Avoid Screen Fatigue and Make the Experience Enjoyable?

Zoom fatigue is a common affliction that the use of electronic devices can cause. It occurs when your eyes are strained from staring at a tiny object for too long. The symptoms of zoom fatigue include headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision, and difficulty focusing. If you experience any of these symptoms while using your device, it may mean that you need to take a break and give your eyes a rest.

There are several things you can do to prevent and treat zoom fatigue:

Take Breaks

Make sure that you are taking regular breaks from your device. If necessary, set the alarm on your phone or computer so you know when it’s time to stop working on your screen and take a few minutes off.

Get Rest

Make sure that you get enough rest and exercise every day. Staying up late into the night? Not getting enough sleep? Doing too much physical activity? There are many ways this could affect how well your vision system works during the day—one way is by causing zoom fatigue.

Turn off the Camera

While this rule may not apply to all your meetings, sometimes you’re better off without turning on the camera. It will give you a stress-free session without the hassle of constantly keeping a check on how you look. And ultimately prevent mirror anxiety.

Create a Pre-Meeting Plan

Another way to avoid screen fatigue is by planning so that you know exactly what needs to happen at the meeting. This includes having a plan ready before anyone arrives, deciding who will facilitate discussion at each point in time, and knowing how long each part of the meeting will take so as not to run over time limits (and risk annoying your colleagues). 

Ready to Cut Down on Screen Fatigue?

Zoom fatigue is a real thing, and it can affect your performance in Zoom meetings and other video calls. I think the key takeaway from this should be that video calls get easier over time. I can’t tell you how many video conferences I was dreading, but after just a few minutes, I sort of forgot they were there and focused on the work at hand. And I’m sure that those around me felt the same way. So if you’re already having trouble with Zoom but you’re not ready to call it quits yet, give it some time. Remote work often feels difficult at first, but with these tips and tricks, I know that you’ll be on your way to feeling better about your video calls before you know it!

The post Is Screen Fatigue Still Lurking? We Think Not. appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

The rise of remote work has led to an explosion of software tools and platforms designed to help teams collaborate, communicate, and stay productive from anywhere in the world. But with so many options available, it can be tough to know where to start.

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best remote work software tools on the market today. From project management and team communication to video conferencing and file sharing, we’ll cover the must-have tools for any remote team looking to thrive.

Whether you’re a manager trying to keep your team on track or a remote worker looking to streamline your workflow, these remote work software tools can help you stay organized, focused, and connected, no matter where you’re working from. So let’s dive in and take a look at the best remote work software tools for your team.

Slack – The Communication Hub 

Slack is a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among remote teams. Its user-friendly interface, robust set of features, and wide range of app integrations have made it an essential tool for businesses looking to streamline communication and increase productivity.

Key Features of Slack

• Channels: Slack allows you to create channels for different projects, teams, or topics, making it easy to keep conversations organized and searchable.
• Direct Messaging: Slack’s direct messaging feature allows team members to communicate with each other one-on-one, even if they’re in different time zones.
• Video and Voice Calls: Slack’s built-in video and voice call feature allows remote teams to communicate face-to-face, no matter where they are in the world.
• File Sharing: Slack makes it easy to share files and collaborate on documents with team members, whether you’re working on a project or simply need to share a file for review.
• App Integrations: Slack has a wide range of app integrations, allowing teams to bring their favorite tools and apps directly into Slack, from project management and time tracking to team polls and surveys. 

• Customization: Slack allows teams to customize their workspace with different themes and emojis, making it feel more personalized and fun.
• Mobile App: Slack’s mobile app allows team members to stay connected on the go, making it easy to stay up-to-date and in touch with colleagues no matter where they are.

Slack Pricing Tiers 

Free

Slack’s free plan offers a range of basic features, including access to 10,000 searchable messages, one-to-one video calls, and 5 GB of file storage. It’s a good option for small teams or organizations just getting started with Slack.

Standard

Slack’s standard plan is designed for small to medium-sized businesses and offers more advanced features, including unlimited message archives, group video calls, and 10 GB of file storage per team member. The standard plan starts at $6.67 per user per month, billed annually.

Plus

Slack’s plus plan is geared towards larger organizations and includes additional features like SSO (Single Sign-On) integration, compliance exports, and 20 GB of file storage per team member. The plus plan starts at $12.50 per user per month, billed annually.

Enterprise Grid

Slack’s enterprise plan is designed for large organizations with complex needs, offering additional security and compliance features, dedicated customer support, and unlimited file storage. Pricing for the enterprise plan is customized based on the specific needs of each organization.

Slack’s pricing is flexible and affordable, with options to suit the needs of businesses of all sizes. Teams can start with the free plan and upgrade as their needs grow. Making it a great option for businesses looking to scale.

AttendanceBot – Time Tracking and Absence Management 

AttendanceBot is a comprehensive attendance management tool that is designed to help remote teams streamline their time tracking and attendance management processes.

Key Features of AttendanceBot for Remote Teams:

1. Easy time tracking: AttendanceBot allows remote employees to track their time easily by logging their working hours, breaks, and overtime hours. The tool also provides a real-time overview of team members’ availability and schedules.
2. Customizable work hours: AttendanceBot allows remote teams to set custom work hours and schedules, so team members can adjust their work hours based on their availability and preferences.
3. Automated attendance management: AttendanceBot automates attendance management by allowing team members to clock in and out using different channels such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat. The tool also automatically calculates overtime, time off, and vacation days.
4. Accurate time calculations: AttendanceBot automatically calculates team members’ working hours, overtime hours, and time off, ensuring accurate and error-free calculations.
5. PTO management: AttendanceBot allows remote teams to manage PTO (paid time off) requests, approvals, and balances. Team members can request time off through the tool, and managers can approve or reject requests in real-time.
6. Real-time reporting and analytics: AttendanceBot provides real-time reporting and analytics, enabling team leaders to track attendance, productivity, and other key metrics. The tool also generates detailed reports and insights that help managers make data-driven decisions.
7. Integration with other tools: AttendanceBot integrates with other popular tools such as Google Calendar, Office 365, and Zoom, allowing remote teams to manage their attendance and schedules seamlessly across different platforms.

Pricing

AttendanceBot offers a 14-day free trial for all plans, allowing users to test the tool before committing to a paid plan. It is free for teams with 5 users, and starts at $4/month/user.

Trello – Project Management 

Trello is a powerful project management tool that helps teams of all sizes organize and manage their work in a collaborative and visual way. It is a popular platform that uses boards, lists, and cards to help teams track progress, assign tasks, and communicate in real-time.

Trello allows teams to create custom workflows and processes that fit their unique needs. Whether they are managing software development, marketing campaigns, or personal projects. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, users can easily move cards from one list to another, assign due dates and labels, and add comments and attachments.

Key Features of Trello 

• Boards, lists, and cards: Trello’s core organizing system is based on boards, which represent projects or initiatives, and are comprised of lists and cards. Lists represent the stages of a project, while cards represent tasks or items within those stages. This structure makes it easy to visualize progress and track work.
• Customizable workflows: Trello allows teams to create their own custom workflows and processes, tailored to their specific needs. This means you can use Trello for anything from managing a software development project to planning a family vacation.
• Collaborative features: Trello is designed to facilitate collaboration and communication among team members. Users can assign tasks to team members, add comments and attachments to cards, and use @mentions to notify team members of updates or changes.
• Time management: Trello has several features that help teams manage their time more effectively, including due dates, checklists, and the ability to set reminders and alerts. This helps teams stay on track and meet deadlines.
• Integrations: Trello integrates with a wide range of other tools and services, including Slack, Google Drive, and Jira. This allows teams to easily connect Trello with their existing workflows and tools.

Trello Pricing Tiers

Free

Trello’s free plan offers basic features for individuals and small teams. This plan includes unlimited boards, cards, and lists, as well as basic integrations with other tools.

Business Class

Trello’s Business Class plan is designed for larger teams and organizations. It includes all the features of the free plan, plus advanced collaboration and administrative features such as team overviews, custom fields, and advanced checklists. The Business Class plan also includes priority support and advanced integrations.

Enterprise

Trello’s Enterprise plan is designed for large organizations with complex needs. It includes all the features of the Business Class plan, plus enterprise-level security, compliance, and administrative features such as SSO, domain verification, and enhanced permissions.

Google Drive – Cloud-Based Storage Solution

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage and collaboration platform offered by Google. It allows users to store and access files, documents, photos, and other digital content from anywhere. With Google Drive, users can easily create, share, and collaborate on files in real time.

Key Features of Google Drive

• Integration with other G-Suite software: Google Drive is seamlessly integrated with other Google tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, which allows users to easily create and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in real time.
• Access control: Google Drive allows users to set access control permissions, so they can choose who has access to their files and what level of access they have (view, comment, or edit).
• Offline access: Google Drive allows users to access and edit their files even when they are not connected to the internet, which is useful for those who frequently travel or work in areas with poor internet connectivity.
• Version history: Google Drive automatically saves all versions of a document, so users can easily track changes and revert to previous versions if needed.
• Mobile app: Google Drive has a mobile app that allows users to access, edit, and share their files on-the-go, from any mobile device.

Google Drive Pricing Tiers

Basic

15 GB of free storage for individuals

Google One

Starting at $1.99/month for 100 GB of storage, with options for up to 30 TB of storage.

G Suite

Starting at $6/month per user. This includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and other productivity apps. As well as increased storage capacity and advanced administrative controls for businesses.

If you need more storage, Google also offers a storage upgrade program to purchase extra storage on a monthly basis. Additionally, Google periodically offers promotions or discounts on its storage plans. So it’s worth checking their website or Google One app for any current deals.

Asana – Task Oriented Project Management 

Asana is a project management and collaboration tool that helps teams track and manage their work, stay organized, and communicate more efficiently. It allows users to create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress, all in one central location. Asana’s intuitive design and customizable features make it a popular tool for businesses and individual users.

Features of Asana

• Task management: Asana allows users to create tasks, assign them to team members, and set due dates. Users can also add details and comments to tasks, attach files, and organize tasks into projects.
• Project management: Asana offers a range of tools to help teams manage projects, including project timelines, calendar views, and task dependencies. Users can also set project goals and milestones to track progress.
• Collaboration: Asana enables real-time collaboration, allowing team members to communicate, share files, and comment on tasks and projects. Users can also set up team conversations and notifications to stay up-to-date on project progress.
• Customizable workflows: Asana’s flexible design allows teams to customize workflows to fit their specific needs. Users can create custom fields, templates, and automation rules to streamline their work processes.
• Integration with other tools: Asana integrates with a variety of other tools and platforms, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Trello, to streamline workflows and improve productivity.

Asana Pricing Tiers 

Basic

Asana’s Basic plan is free for teams of up to 15 members. It includes basic task management features, project boards, and team conversations.

Premium

Asana’s Premium plan costs $10.99 per user per month when billed annually. It includes advanced features such as custom fields, task dependencies, and timeline views.

Business

Asana’s Business plan costs $24.99 per user per month when billed annually, or $30.49 per user per month when billed monthly. It includes additional features such as portfolio management, workload management, and custom rules.

Enterprise

Asana’s Enterprise plan is customizable and offers additional security and administrative features. Pricing is available upon request.

Asana also offers a free trial for its Premium and Business plans. Allowing users to try out the advanced features before committing to a paid plan. Additionally, Asana offers discounts for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.

ExpenseTron- Robust Expense Management 

ExpenseTron is a powerful expense management tool designed to streamline the expense reporting process for remote teams.

Features of ExpenseTron

1. Automated expense tracking: ExpenseTron automates the expense tracking process by allowing remote team members to upload receipts. The tool can also automatically categorize expenses and calculate exchange rates.
2. Real-time expense reporting: ExpenseTron provides real-time expense reporting. Allowing remote team members to monitor their expenses and check their spending limits in real-time.
3. Approval workflows: ExpenseTron allows remote team members to submit expenses for approval to managers or accounting teams. The tool also provides customizable workflows that can be tailored to specific business needs.
4. Integration with other tools: ExpenseTron integrates with popular accounting and finance tools. Such as QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks, allowing remote teams to manage their expenses seamlessly across different platforms.
5. Mobile app: ExpenseTron offers a mobile app for both Android and iOS. Enabling remote team members to upload receipts and manage their expenses on the go.
6. Multi-currency support: ExpenseTron supports multiple currencies. Making it easy for remote team members to track expenses in different currencies and convert them to their local currency.
7. Customizable expense policies: ExpenseTron allows remote teams to set customizable expense policies and rules. Ensuring compliance with company policies and regulations.

Salesforce – Comprehensive CRM 

Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions and streamline their sales, marketing, and customer service processes. It is one of the most popular and widely used CRM software on the market.

Features of Salesforce

• Sales automation: Salesforce offers tools for lead management, opportunity tracking, sales forecasting, and collaboration, helping sales teams streamline their processes and close deals faster.
• Marketing automation: Salesforce helps businesses manage their marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including email, social media, and digital advertising. The platform also includes tools for creating personalized marketing content, managing leads, and tracking campaign performance.
• Customer service: Salesforce offers tools for managing customer inquiries, complaints, and support cases, helping businesses provide better customer service and improve customer satisfaction.
• Analytics: Salesforce provides businesses with insights and analytics to help them make data-driven decisions, track performance, and identify opportunities for growth. The platform includes customizable dashboards, reports, and forecasting tools.
• Mobile app: Salesforce offers a mobile app that allows users to access their CRM data and manage their sales and customer service processes from anywhere.
• Customization: Salesforce is highly customizable and can be tailored to fit the specific needs of a business. Users can create custom fields, workflows, and reports, and integrate the platform with other third-party tools.
• Integration: Salesforce integrates with a variety of other business tools, such as email clients, marketing automation tools, and project management software, making it easy for businesses to manage all of their operations in one platform.

Salesforce Pricing Tiers

Essentials

The Essentials plan is the most basic and affordable plan, designed for small businesses with up to 10 users. It includes basic sales and customer service features. The price starts at $25 per user per month.

Professional

The Professional plan is designed for growing businesses with more advanced sales and customer service needs. It includes features such as forecasting, advanced reporting, and lead scoring, as well as integrations with other business tools. The price starts at $75 per user per month.

Enterprise

The Enterprise plan is designed for larger businesses with more complex sales and customer service needs. It includes features such as workflow automation, advanced analytics, and multi-currency support, as well as custom development and support. The price starts at $150 per user per month.

Unlimited

The Unlimited Plan includes all the features of the Enterprise plan, as well as unlimited custom objects, API calls, and storage. The price is custom and based on the specific needs of the business.

Conclusion

As more businesses shift towards remote work, it’s important to have the right tools and software to enable efficient collaboration. We’ve explored seven of the best remote work software tools available in 2023. 

Each of these tools offers unique features and benefits that can help teams work together effectively. By utilizing these tools, remote teams can stay connected, organized, and productive, no matter where they are located.

The post 7 Best Remote Work Software Tools in 2023 appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What is an Org Chart? 

An organizational chart (also known as an org chart) is a visual representation of a company’s structure that shows the roles and reporting relationships of employees within the organization. It is an important tool for businesses, as it helps employees understand their roles and responsibilities, and it can also help managers make decisions about hiring, promotions, and departmental reorganization. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about org charts.

What are the Different Types of Org Charts? 

Hierarchical Org Chart

A hierarchical org chart is the most traditional type of org chart. It shows the company’s reporting structure, with the CEO or president at the top, followed by the executive team, managers, and employees. Each employee is represented by a box, with lines connecting the boxes to show the reporting relationships.

Matrix Org Chart

A matrix org chart is used in organizations where employees report to more than one manager or team. It shows both the functional reporting structure (to who employees report for their day-to-day work) and the project reporting structure (to who employees report for specific projects). This allows for more collaboration across different departments and better coordination of resources.

While matrix org charts are flexible and can show how work is actually done in the organization, they can be overly complex.

Flat Org Chart

In a flat org chart, there are few levels of management between employees and executives. This structure is often used in startups or smaller companies where decision-making needs to be more flexible.

Flat org charts promote collaboration and can be more efficient than hierarchical org charts. But they can be difficult to manage as the organization grows.

Divisional Org Chart

In a divisional org chart, the company is organized into different divisions or departments based on product lines, regions, or markets. Each division has its own set of functions and management structure.

Team-Based Org Chart

In a team-based org chart, the organization is structured around teams that are responsible for specific projects or functions. This structure allows for more collaboration and cross-functional communication.

Circular Org Chart

In a circular org chart, there is no clear top or bottom level of management. Instead, all employees have an equal say in decision-making, and leadership is shared among the team.

Cross-Functional Org Chart

In a cross-functional org chart, employees are grouped by function, but they also work together on cross-functional teams. This structure allows for more collaboration and a focus on achieving shared goals.

How to Create an Org Chart? 

Determine the Purpose

The first step in creating an org chart is to determine its purpose. Consider the audience and the information they need to see when using org charts to communicate the organizational structure.

Identify the Key Positions

Identify the key positions within the organization, including managers, executives, and staff. You can also group positions by department or function.

Determine the Hierarchy

Once you have identified the key positions, you need to determine their hierarchy. This means deciding who reports to whom and the chain of command.

Choose a Format

There are several different formats you can use for an org chart, including hierarchical, matrix, flat, team-based, and divisional. Choose a format that best fits your organization’s structure.

Use Shapes and Colors

Use shapes and colors to differentiate between positions, departments, or levels of management. This can help make the org chart easier to read and understand.

Include Key Information

Each position on the org chart should include key information such as the job title, name of the person in the role, and any direct reports.

Update the Chart Regularly

The organization should update the org chart to reflect any structural changes as it evolves.

Share the Chart

Org charts are useful tools for communicating the organizational structure to employees, stakeholders, and customers. Share the chart in a way that is easily accessible and understandable.

Use Org Chart Software

Consider using org chart software to create your org chart. This can save time and make it easier to update the chart as the organization changes.

Tips for Creating an Effective Org Chart

Here are some tips for creating an org chart that is effective and easy to understand:

• Keep it simple: Don’t include too much information or too many levels of management.
• Use standard shapes (rectangles for employees, diamonds for managers, etc.) and colors (green for departments, blue for executives, etc.) to make the chart easy to understand.
• Including photos of employees can make the chart more engaging and help employees put names to faces.
• Update it regularly: The organization should update the org charts regularly to reflect changes in its structure.

Reasons Why HRs Love Org Charts

Clear Work Responsibilities 

One of the primary functions of an org chart is to allocate work responsibilities. This allows HR to use the org chart for job descriptions in the hiring process and even appraisals. 

Clarify Work Relationships

An important function of the org chart is to clarify the roles and reporting relationships between levels. In complex organizations where a single executive may be reporting to multiple managers, an org chart can be an invaluable tool.

An Information Repository 

Org charts don’t just need to be designations within hierarchies, they can also include information about the responsibilities of each role. With additional information, the org chart may not be as scannable but it can provide key information to new hires being onboarded and even established employees who are looking to navigate a new department. 

What Can’t People Find or Add to an Org Chart?

Easily Gets Out of Date

With attrition organizational charts can get out of date quickly, more so in larger companies. Which is why using an org chart software is key to keep a fully functional org chart up to date. 

Informal Relationships 

An org chart only shows formal relationships in a business. But what about a line manager who is really good friends with the VP of HR and can be a force of change despite not having direct authority? These informal social relationships are missing from an org chart. And these are a vital part of every business and can be a key component of effective communication. 

Management Style

An org chart only shows who can exercise authority over others, not how they do so. Management styles can make or break the productivity and profitability of a business. But unfortunately, an org chart is not able to express management styles in any form. 

Conclusion to Org Charts

In conclusion, organizational charts are a crucial tool for understanding the structure and hierarchy of an organization. They provide a visual representation of departments, teams, and reporting lines, making it easier to identify roles, responsibilities, and communication pathways.

With employee management software like AttendanceBot, businesses can create org charts that are up to date with any organizational changes.

The post The Comprehensive Guide to Org Charts appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this regard, there are two types of digital nomads. The first type of digital nomads stay in their native country but keep hopping to different locations to gain experience working from other places. The second type of digital nomads prefers visiting different countries while employed by the same employer. However, both of them need technological and infrastructure support to manage their work in a hassle-free manner. The basic idea is to keep switching locations while working. 

The pandemic-induced lockdown has led to a steep increase in digital nomads worldwide. A 49% increase in digital nomads was recorded from 2019 to 2020 in America. Leading a lifestyle of a digital nomad means choosing a work location that is comfortable and cheap for living. Different people may have other preferences when it comes to working sites. However, their ultimate goal is to achieve a work-life balance while avoiding the negatives associated with a 9 to 5 regular job. 

Digital platforms have made it easier to recruit professionals from around the world. However, HR might face several hurdles while managing remote teams and employees. Some employees might not be as responsive as they should be, whereas some may not meet the daily working hours. Therefore, HR managers must have a clear policy to deal with such digital nomads. Here are a few ideas that explain how HR can deal with digital nomads and taxation:

Managing various time zones 

The difference in time zones is one of the crucial things that HR managers have to deal with. Employees from diverse locations might be comfortable working at different hours of the day. Therefore, they can ask all the employees to work the same hours. Or else, they can allow employees to work in specific time zones so that the team leaders are accessible during their working hours. 

The digital nomad policy could mention extra perks to employees who agree to work from specific locations. Maintaining regularity in the time zones helps teams to manage work and productivity goals seamlessly. However, all digital nomads might not adhere to these rules completely. Such employees can be asked to overlap at least one work schedule with the regular working hours. For instance, employees working in India can agree to work at least a couple of hours as per the US time zone. 

Creating the right infrastructure

Working from anywhere means the employees will need to access company software, applications, and other resources at different times of the day. Therefore, the main job of HR managers is to create an infrastructure that is accessible 24/7. 

The HR policy for digital nomads must use tools and technology to ensure cybersecurity protocols. The employees must be able to access any files or data they need immediately. At the same time, they must also follow specific guidelines to meet the confidentiality of files and data. 

For example, digital nomads might encounter challenges while receiving emails from foreign locations. They must be provided access to virtual mail service to read an email online and forward it without issues. Also, internet connectivity might falter in many locations around the world. Having access to VPN (Virtual Private Network) that enables them to access and browse different portals easily can be of great help. 

Support digital nomads emotionally 

Working from anywhere and traveling constantly is not as fun as it seems. It usually makes people lonely as they are deprived of close connections like friends and family. Companies can create places where remote teams can work together. These teams should be trained to accommodate digital nomads whenever they wish to work with like-minded people. Or else, they must be encouraged to work in co-working spaces where they can meet like-minded individuals. 

Digital nomads should be asked to join social Facebook groups created specifically for them. HR managers can work with ex-pat communities to help and support digital nomads who travel to different countries. 

Encourage asynchronous communication 

Though digital nomads are known to work at odd hours, most of them stick to the regular working hours, i.e., 9 am to 5 pm, as per their time zones. HR professionals who need to maintain a collaborative workspace can invest in cloud-based communication channels. These channels can help them share their concerns and thoughts whenever they feel like it. Employees should not be forced to raise their concerns only during team meetings and video conferences. They should choose the right time and place to express themselves. 

Ultimately, a hybrid work model or completely remote workspace is designed for the convenience of employees. Therefore, HR managers shouldn’t restrict choosing communication channels to express their views and ideas. 

Avoiding irrelevant benefits 

HR managers should focus on providing relevant benefits to remote workers. Giving remote employees access to the gym or indoor sports isn’t a wise step. Instead, a company can offer a digital nomad visa that allows their workers to work from different locations for a reasonable time without needing to apply for citizenship. The HR managers should provide them with remote work visas and insurance policies valid for abroad locations. Traveling discounts and accommodation options can be offered to digital nomads who want to explore different tourist locations across the globe. 

Analyzing compliance costs 

Each country has specific rules and laws that may prohibit people from other countries from indulging in certain activities. Companies must adhere to specific international and regional regulations to enable their employees to work from anywhere. If they fail to meet these regulations, a compliance cost has to be paid. Therefore, employees working from multiple locations can burden the company with an exorbitant compliance cost. 

HR managers must understand various locations’ compliance costs and learn ways to train the management and employees to adjust in different places. Certain areas might not fit the policy created by HR managers to manage compliance costs as per the available budget. Therefore, the employees should be explained that they cannot take the term ‘working from anywhere.’ 

Dealing with taxation 

If the digital nomads keep working in the exact location for a long time, they might have to comply with the taxation policy of that particular region. Therefore, HR managers should ask them to keep changing their locations. While creating an employee contract, the HR managers must mention them as telecommuters. 

Managing multiple tax policies and regulations can be a complicated task. When the location of the company and the workers vary, HR managers must analyze the tax implications carefully to avoid any issues in the future. For example, employees with an explicit employee contract with a US company cannot work for more than six months in India. If they do, they must comply with the Indian tax rules. Therefore, HR managers should be prepared to deal with such complications while working with remote teams consisting of digital nomads. 

The employees might need the help of HR managers to claim tax deductions. For instance, US employees who have stayed a significant part of their work year outside the country can request a Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. Per this law, they can claim a tax deduction of up to $100,000 from their taxes if they have worked outside the country. HR managers should collaborate with CAs who have experience handling accounts of overseas employees to help such employees. 

Promoting company culture 

A company that employs a geographically diverse workforce usually finds it hard to induce the company culture in its employees. It is a critical challenge that HR managers who recruit digital nomads must deal with. For that, they can encourage online events and get-togethers. Employees must be allowed to interact with each other through social channels. Also, attendance and time-tracking applications like Slack could be used to manage asynchronous communication between teams and individuals. 

Creating and managing multiple pay scales 

The professional payscale might vary from one location to another. The difference between the pay scales of professionals from different countries is especially noticeable. While HR managers have the freedom to recruit employees from any corner of the world, they must comply with the pay scales of that particular location. 

One of the most challenging tasks for HR professionals is to create and manage multiple pay scales. Digital nomads can enjoy the freedom of working from anywhere, but the companies cannot keep modifying their pay scales frequently to accommodate their changing lifestyle expenses. The HR managers cannot strictly create pay scales per the digital nomads’ nationality. Their costs can take a considerable twist or turn with the changing locations. 

Also, some employees might expect to get paid according to a premium location and work in a relatively cheaper location. For instance, an employee might demand to be paid as per the hourly rate of Washington DC while working in a tinsel town in Mexico. Such practices must be deterred by strictly offering to pay the employees according to their location. 

Digital nomad jobs are primarily offered to technologically gifted and advanced individuals. They must be encouraged to work in areas where food, accommodation, and transport options are available at cheap rates. The companies could create establishments in different locations to accommodate digital nomads. At the same time, they can develop employee benefits and perks that are acceptable to one and all. 

Strict rules for careless travelers 

Digital nomads are generally known to travel without the consent of their reporting authority. They might also break employment rules purposefully or due to a lack of awareness. HR managers must arrange meetings with the management to develop solutions to handle these risks. Strict guidelines must be mentioned in the digital nomad policy to deter employees from traveling too frequently. 

The role of HR is pivotal in managing digital nomads consistently. The employees who are not meeting daily targets and work hours should be summoned back to the office. Also, they must be told to ensure quality work and that working from different locations shouldn’t deteriorate their physical and mental health. All these things should be specified in the policy clearly to prevent any untoward situation for both the employee and the employer. 

How do we manage digital nomads in the long run?

As remote working inspires professionals worldwide, digital nomads will continue to challenge HR teams. Companies will access a cheaper workforce, creating more opportunities for talented individuals from economically backward nations. Boundaries will no longer restrict them from using their talent to build livelihoods. 

HR managers should target individuals who are both flexible and talented. Hiring individuals based on their talent is not enough, as they also need to accommodate the shifting work patterns and conditions. This is true, especially in the case of digital nomads. HR managers keep an eye on the individuals who are fit to work in any work culture. They must promote and groom professionals who can be their business representatives in the long run. 

Companies must realize that hiring a geographically diverse workforce can also help them tap the business opportunities available in those areas. Management should convey to the HR teams to find individuals who can be their spokesperson, marketing guy, salesperson, or brand ambassador per the situation’s demands. Digital nomads could be trained to enhance their ability to adapt to difficult working conditions. HR managers should be able to collaborate with outsourcing teams and freelancers to manage productivity goals and deadlines. Finding means to execute work and tasks decentralized can help them meet the work requirements. 

For example, employees who are supposed to work with a particular application need to go through intense training sessions. HR managers must find a way to decentralize the task into multiple sub-tasks so that even those who do not know the application can contribute. It will not only help them create a process outline but will also minimize data leakage risks. 

Recruiting employees with laptops and internet access is another way of scaling up remote work without much investment. Cloud systems can be set up to address security and data breach issues. HR managers should freely discuss the issues and provide feedback to the digital nomads. They must be able to recognize hardworking and dedicated employees to provide them with lucrative opportunities and promotions in the future. Similarly, lackluster and lazy digital nomads should be terminated by conveying specific reasons. All these efforts will ultimately help them to bring people who can promote the company’s culture and values on global platforms. 

HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems) should be employed at multiple levels to ensure digital nomads have access to all the resources required to work peacefully. The HR managers will have to provide reporting tools to remote working employees. They must also integrate systems capable of capturing, modifying, and storing employee data. Such systems will allow them to monitor the remote working employees’ skills, progress, and knowledge. They must also ensure timely payment to the remote employees to maintain their trust and loyalty. 

HR managers could create a massive difference by focussing on every aspect of business rather than focusing on only hiring and retaining employees. HR managers should also focus on identifying and developing leaders in remotely working teams. They can organize L&D (Leadership and Development) programs to support and groom the leaders.

With context to the evolution of digital nomads, the critical role of HR professionals is to maintain engagement at all levels. Only an engaged workforce can provide quality work and meet productivity goals. Digital nomads don’t comprise only the millennials who are thrilled by the idea of working independently while exploring the joys of life. They also consist of professionals with physical and mental issues. Therefore, HR managers should also find means to provide medical consultation services to such people. 

Conclusion

We have listed multiple tasks and responsibilities the HR professionals in this article. However, these roles and responsibilities can be subjective and may differ for different industries. A well-groomed HR professional will understand the requirements of their company and the needs of their remotely working employees and create an HR policy accordingly.

The post How must HR deal with Digital Nomads? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

But it’s Monday and you have to work. You don’t want to call in sick… but if you don’t call in sick, then what? You’re a full-time remote worker, so you are technically already at home. Do you still need to take the sick day off?

The answer is, you probably should.

As remote work continues to grow, the discussion around taking a sick leave has once again ignited. According to several workplace experts, most people will still continue to work despite their sickness. Why is that so? Because they don’t want to make it seem that they’re taking advantage of their work-from-home.

“If you are only traveling from your bedroom to your home office, remote workers may rationalize, ‘What harm can be done if I work while I am sick? At least I’m not contagious.” says Jeanne Meister, founding partner of Future Workplace.

Should Employees Take That Sick Leave?

So there can be various different circumstances for taking a sick leave. A broken bone, an injury, or something of the sort, are all reasons an employee should take sick leave. 

“If employees have a condition that affects their ability to be mobile, like a broken bone or torn tendon, they might have to take a sick day if they work in a traditional workplace because work travel would be difficult, but they could easily work at home. I can think of other such illnesses, such as having something contagious and not wanting to infect others but feeling good enough to work or being postoperative and being able to work in short spurts. Working at home could be ideal for that.” said Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute.

However, working while sick is not recommended. In fact, it will likely into something more problematic for the employee. Working in sickness will not only cause a physical health decline but also affect mental health. That’s because when working with illness will; likely worsen the situation if the employee isn’t well rested. Even if they do, they won’t be able to work as efficiently. 

In fact, research has shown that working while ill leads to negative work performance and exhaustion. In addition to that, research also shows that working while sick increases the likelihood of needing to take sick leave at a later stage, and it can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Lambert suggests workers can play a role in finding their own balance. “I think the most important thing you can do as an individual is to figure out what works for you – and work in an environment that supports your thriving. So, if working even when you are just a little sick, feels like thriving to you – go for it. Though I would add a disclaimer and say: proceed with caution.”

However, to improve productivity, employers need to take a few steps.

What Should Employers Do?

Communicate Beforehand

Employers should communicate to employees that they expect employees to take time off when they’re sick. If you have a policy of mandatory sick days, make sure your team knows about it. Explain why the policy exists and give examples of how it can be beneficial for both the company and the employee.

It’s also important that employers make clear what happens if an employee doesn’t take a sick day when they need one.

Make Employees Care For their Physical and Mental Health

It’s important for employers to talk to employees about taking care of their physical and mental health. 

When working from home, people may think they can just ignore their health because they don’t have to go into an office that day. But if your immune system isn’t up to snuff, it could affect the quality of your work and make it harder for everyone involved—especially if other people are depending on your output.

Taking sick days when necessary is especially important for remote workers because there is no one else around to take over for them during their illness, which means there will be an impact on productivity if they do not take time off for their own health needs as well as those of others.

To raise awareness, employers can bring this topic to an all-hands meeting where both remote and on-site workers are present. 

Encourage Remote Employees to take Breaks even When They’re Not Sick

Employers should encourage employees to make time for themselves when they’re not sick.

As a remote worker, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of your job. And that’s okay! You probably have a lot of responsibilities and no time to spare. It’s not always easy to take time for yourself when you have so much going on.

But even if you’re healthy and feel like you don’t need any “me time”, it’s still important to take some time for yourself. Your health is important, and taking care of it will help you stay productive at work and make sure that you don’t burn out too quickly. The more rested and relaxed you are, the better you’ll perform in all areas of life—including work!

Make Employees Follow Your Lead

Ensuring that managers and executives take sick days themselves is the best way to ensure that others do the same.

It’s important to take sick days when you’re feeling under the weather. And it’s equally important to not make your employees feel bad if they have to do the same.

If you’re a manager or executive, it’s your job to lead by example and show everyone else in your company that taking a day off when you need one isn’t a sign of weakness or failure—it’s a sign of good health, self-care, and good judgment.

If you’re an employee, it’s important that you don’t feel like taking a sick day means giving up on your career aspirations or letting go of some kind of “professional” facade. You need to know that taking a sick day is just another part of being human and living the kind of life we all want: one where we get enough sleep, exercise regularly, eat well, and spend time with our friends and family.

Summing Up Sick Leave In Remote Work

The rise of remote work has changed how workers take sick leave, but it’s important that employees take sick days when they’re not feeling well. Employees who take time off when they’re sick are more likely to be productive in the future than those who don’t. Taking time off when you’re not feeling well gives your body a chance to rest and heal so you can do your best work later on.

Sick leave is an essential part of keeping yourself healthy, which is why employers should encourage employees to take it when they need it.

The post Sick Leave in Remote Work: Things You Need to Know appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

With that in mind, it’s time to let you in on a little secret. You have already inspired a few of our best feature iterations and we want to take this time to walk you through our latest.

Custom Leave & Hybrid Status Emojis

Yes, we heard a whole lot about how daily leave and work updates weren’t always enough for employees to keep track of who’s on leave and who’s working from home. 

That’s why we’ve made our leave and office status integration seamless with Slack. Now when an employee applies for any leave type or a WFH, their Slack status is automatically updated for those days with an emoji of your choice. 

The process is simple: 

• Go to Settings > Basic Settings > Available Leave Types 
• Click the Pencil Icon to edit the Leave Type 
• From there, it’s a simple matter of typing in your emoji, here is a simple cheat sheet that can help
  
  

Just to get you started, we include defaults: 

• :sneezing_face: for Sick Leaves 
• :palm_tree: for Vacations 
• :working-in-office: for Working from the Office

Now every time an employee looks up another to drop a message, they’ll be able to hover on their status to see where they are. 

Custom Birthday and Workaversary Announcements

With a rapidly changing workscape, it makes sense to celebrate even small wins, including employee workaversaries and birthdays. 

In its previous form, AttendanceBot allowed HR to queue celebratory messages that were formatted by us at HQ. But now, AttendanceBot allows you to create custom birthday and workaversary announcements to make your company communications consistent with your culture. 

Once again, the process is straightforward: 

• Go to Notifications 
• Click the pencil icon to edit any Birthday/Workaversary announcement
• Scroll down to Point 5, where you can add custom text in addition to our regularly scheduled Birthday/Workaversary announcement

Enhanced Slack-native Project Management 

As a SaaS business, project management has always been one of our passion projects. But now we’ve really got the time to stretch our legs and take a leap to make our Slack-native project tracking more robust. 

What have we changed? 

Mapping Projects to Clients

We know that a lot of our customers use project management for billable hours and projects that may need to be mapped to clients. Keeping this in mind, we’ve added more project-level settings to allow admins to map projects to specific clients and employees. 

We believe that doing so gives customers better summaries and employees a more streamlined project selection process. After all, having a powerful project management tool isn’t enough – it’s got to be easy to use. 

Introduction of Nested Projects 

We understand that sub-projects allow you to capture task-level work and map out entire project-scapes with ease. With the introduction of nested projects, we aim to solve the issue of too many small projects. 

Admins will be able to create and assign sub-projects within the Sub-Projects section of Project Settings. Employees can then track time against each sub-project that will be mapped to the larger project, and optionally the client. 

Self-Selection of Open Projects 

We’ve added a self-assign setting to projects, allowing employees to assign themselves the project and/or sub-projects. Using this setting employees can use AttendanceBot as a personal time management tool and create their own workstreams to measure productivity. You can also give employees more flexibility to choose their own projects per pre-defined conditions. 

Ramped up Project Reports 

We’ve always had a robust analytics dashboard for project management where you can view project and employee-wise breakdowns. But now, in addition to all of that, we also allow you to access dedicated project report downloads that include totals for wages & client billables.

More Slack Options for Shift Management

Shift management is something that businesses continue dedicating mountains of manhours to optimize. Although we’re proud of our solution, we see no reason to stop improving. In the past few months, we’ve introduced: 

• Robust alert options for any and all shift activity so you’re never blindsided. For instance, we can send channel notifications every time someone picks up a specific type of shift when overtime is assigned, or any time a shift is self-assigned or re-assigned. 
• Are you scared your open shifts won’t be picked up and you’ll be left scrambling to find a fill? You’re not the only one. After a lot of feedback, we’re introducing shifts that can be opened for a single day. So your employees can sign up for a single open shift on Slack.
• Add comments to shifts to provide special instructions for employees or additional insight into reporting.
• Sort your daily or weekly shifts by start time for quick browsing.
• Missed shift report. Time is money and people turning up late or leaving early can be a slow drain on resources. With that in mind, we now offer dedicated reporting for missed shifts, late shifts, and early sign-offs.

Beta Version of our new Harmonize software 

Nothing is more exciting than something exclusive. Our beta version of Harmonize is now available on request. If you’re interested in replacing the magic of AttendanceBot chat with one-click buttons in Slack, reach out to us at hi@harmonizehq.com to test it out for yourself and experience the magic. 

Reach out to us at hi@harmonizehq.com if you have any suggestions or if you just think Dwight is right.

The post What’s New in AttendanceBot? The Mid 2022 Edition appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What are Some Issues Organizations are Facing Now? 

Employees are returning to offices on a larger scale. Therefore, upgrading offices with all the facilities required to complete daily functions smoothly is the need of the hour.

• The demand for technology-based jobs is at an all-time high. HR professionals must recruit candidates based on their affinity to technology and the digital landscape. 
• Most employees and managers are returning to offices. However, some higher-level managers might still want to continue to work from home. 

It means that managing organizational change includes the shift to a hybrid working model. Figuring out a way to bring offline and online work on the same platform to fix this is imperative.

• Organizations are gearing up to meet the challenges of managing change concerning employees’ changed beliefs, consumer buying preferences, and so on. The recession is also likely to hit the market soon. 

Therefore, HR managers must prepare the workforce to deal with layoffs and structural shifts in their organization.  

• HR managers must focus on retaining high-performing employees to deal with the global recession. They can halt the hiring process whenever necessary. Also, extensive workforce training is essential to meet productivity goals. 

Recognizing employees who showcase multiple skills verbally or through an appreciation letter can encourage them to enhance their performance. 

• Smart management of the workspace can ensure the smooth implementation of the hybrid work culture. Employees returning to the office must have access to a casual and informal setup, so they do not miss the comfort and leisure of being at home. 

However, managers should implement strict measures to track the attendance and performance of employees who still work from home. 

• Managing the recruitment process for distributed teams is difficult. The HR managers must arrange a get-together once in a while to increase employee bonding. 

Arranging online meetings and video conferences will build rapport among the team members. The latest messaging applications like Slack can ensure smooth communication between the multiple teams that work on the same project. 

• Introducing the company culture and values to the newly hired employees who have never been to the office due to the lockdown is quite challenging. Developing a camaraderie through online meetups and activity sessions is possible. Still, it won’t be as strong as the camaraderie between employees who work in the office. 

Therefore, the HR professionals can plan a short trip with employees who live nearby or arrange a dinner together. The employees who work in remote locations can join the meetups online and engage actively. A time-tracking application or software can track the attendance of the remote working teams.  

• Arranging fun Fridays and similar activities for the employees who have started working from the office can help. Managers must also support the employees who struggle with stress-related mental health issues. They can talk to the employees one-on-one and discuss their problems and issues. 

A mental health expert can provide consultation to employees who need mental support and tips to get their mental state back to normal. 

While all these changes are subjective, HR professionals can decide what is best for their organization and team. It is possible to steer the organization in the right direction with proper support from the team and guidance from the management. 

What is Change Management?

Change management is a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization’s goals, processes or technologies.

Why is It Hard to Manage Change?

Managing change is difficult because our brains are wired to work in a specific way. Whether it is management or employees, most people are set in their ways and do not want to embrace change. It is the job of HR to introduce changes and manage stakeholder reactions and expectations. 

HR professionals must explain the following things to the employees and management while communicating the processes of change management:

1. What is the change? 
2. How will it transform the organization?
3. Why was it necessary to make a change?
4. What does the modification mean to every stakeholder?

Employees and management can be more prepared to adjust to the changes once they receive effective communication about these things. 

Leaders need to discuss these questions with various stakeholders of the company. 

• Clients might want to know about the sudden changes in the organization. 
• The suppliers and vendors might be curious about the new procurement procedures, and management would be curious to measure the impact of change. 

Ways of Managing Organizational Change

Create a Positive Mindset 

People always perceive change as a threat. The foremost challenge would be to create a positive environment in the organization for change. 

A few employees might not be able to understand the new process or might take time to fit into their new roles. Leaders must address their queries and assure them that the change is only for their benefit. 

The leaders must instill faith in the stakeholders that the benefits of change will outweigh the cost and difficulties faced while managing the change. The change will happen irrespective of how difficult it is once their mind is ready for it. 

Clarify Roles and Priorities 

Often existing job roles and priorities change too. 

Assume that an organization is planning to shift its focus from advertising to marketing. The decision will reduce the cost overheads that are involved in advertising. 

The same team who created advertising plans will now focus on learning the latest marketing techniques. Their basic roles in research will remain the same. However, their priority will be finding new ways to promote the brand and products. 

The leader must clarify the role of each individual in the marketing team. The sales team will operate similarly. 

Discussing the things that remain the same can be helpful instead of focusing on what needs to be changed.

Steer Clear of Micromanagement 

Some employees might have to put in extra effort to manage change effectively. HR professionals should ensure this strictly. However, too much control can make the employees less interested in the transition. 

The leaders must give enough freedom and choices to the employees while implementing change management strategies. The tone and manner of controlling things cannot be too dominating or intimidating. 

Implement Changes Smartly 

Managing organizational change can be easy if one makes the changes smoothly. HR professionals must be ready with an outline of smaller changes required to attain the purpose of a bigger transformation. 

The change could also be related to a company’s culture, technology, or strategy. Therefore, the outline must include precise steps to usher in the change without forcing things. Empowering employees is essential to enable them to make decisions independently if the change requires quick implementation.

The company can hire change managers to oversee the process. The leaders must also be vigilant about whether the organization is attaining the goals of the transformation. 

They need a concrete change management plan with the help of experts. HR should hire the right individuals who can handle the change without the fear of losing their status in the team. 

Some employees might need to unlearn their ways of rendering their duties to implement a new change completely. It could be especially tough for the employees who have worked in the organization for years. Such employees should have access to flexible options. It will make them feel comfortable while managing the change. 

Implement Changes Phase-Wise

Implementing and managing change can be difficult if the previous process is operational until the newer process takes over. 

In such cases, the change managers tend to give a deadline to the employees up to which they can follow the old method to some extent. The managers may restrict the employees from using the old process after that specific date. 

However, employees might get confused by utilizing both processes simultaneously. It might also hamper their productivity.

Companies should focus on the phase-wise implementation of change. It will allow them to address the issues proactively and would also enable them to redefine the entire process gradually. 

For example, informing all the employees when an organization plans to implement a new payroll system for managing their wages is a norm. However, the HR admins will have to learn a new technology or software from scratch. 

The leaders can ask them to implement the change for a portion of the workforce as they would need some time to adopt it. The payroll processing for the remaining staff can happen through the old system. The organization can terminate the previous approach once the HR admins become more familiar with the new system.

Create a Reward System 

HR managers can introduce a reward system for smartly managing change in the organization. 

The employees who implement the change without affecting the workflow or work culture will receive a monetary benefit. It will motivate the employees to bring faster changes in their working patterns without affecting the organization’s culture, workflow, and process. 

Comparing the Outcomes 

The new process should be allowed to be functional for some period after implementing a change. The leaders must monitor the implemented changes to analyze whether the organization has attained the transformational objectives.  

Suppose a company has developed a new website for managing its online sales. It should compare the performance of the old and new websites in terms of ROI, visitors, and conversions. This approach allows them to analyze whether they have achieved the purpose of developing a new website.  

Conclusion 

Managing change in a post-pandemic world without the right change management plan can be tough for companies. 

The leaders must be able to convey the reason for the changed priorities or processes of the organization. Discussing the benefits of change with all the stakeholders and strategies like providing a reward to deserving employees can help them to implement the changes swiftly.  

The post Managing Change in a Post-Pandemic World appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Let’s take a look at what are the causes of underperforming remote employees exist:

Causes of Underperforming Remote Employees

Ineffective Hiring

When hiring someone to remotely work on your team, you should understand the role requirements and know what skills and experience are needed. You should also understand their personality, work style, communication style, and collaboration style. Finally, you should ensure they have the technical skills to do the job.

Lack of Team Collaboration

If your remote team is struggling to collaborate, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do anything too drastic. You can easily create a culture of collaboration in your remote teams by implementing these simple strategies:

• Encourage interaction through Slack and MS Teams for fostering collaboration along with employee engagement apps. 
• Create an open-door policy for employees (and supervisors) so they feel comfortable approaching you with questions and concerns
• Use video conferencing tools when possible

Poor Management Skills

One cause of underperforming remote employees is poor management skills. Even if you’re an amazing manager, if you don’t know how to manage remote employees, they’re going to feel like they’re not being managed at all.

You can’t just rely on email and Slack messages to make sure your team is on track. Consistency is important. It’s easy to get distracted when managing several people at once over the Internet—but it’s important to keep an eye on everyone so they can see how they are doing in comparison to others’ performance.

Fairness and impartiality are key when it comes to giving feedback, even if there are some who may be more difficult than others (or require more patience). Be patient with each team member, and make sure that everyone gets an equal chance at success by being treated fairly.

Poor Communication

Communication is the key to success. This sentence sums up how important communication is when working remotely. Communication allows you to build relationships with your team members, get things done efficiently and make decisions quickly.

Poor communication can lead to more disengagement and burnout within teams, causing them to feel less connected with each other on a personal level compared to those who work in offices together face-to-face every day. To prevent this from happening, it’s important that you communicate clearly, directly, and honestly with co-workers so they know how they are performing their tasks or if there are any problems with their work that need addressing.

Less Accountability

One of the most common causes of underperforming remote employees is a lack of accountability. When employees are not in the same room as their manager, it’s easy for them to feel like they can slack off without much consequence.

Managers need to be proactive and ensure that their employees are staying accountable at all times by focusing on performance and results instead of just attendance. A great way to foster this kind of environment is through regular check-ins via video conferencing or other types of communication software so that you can see each other face-to-face. 

Finally, managers should keep track of daily progress by asking questions like “What did you do today?” rather than just checking schedules. It’s important that managers stay engaged with each team member regardless if they’re in or out of the office.

Issues with Remote Technology

We all know an employee who is not performing up to par and is not getting along with their manager. What if, instead of a personal problem, it is actually a technology problem? One reason for underperforming remote employees is having issues with remote technology.

There are many reasons why you might want to hire remote employees: they can work from anywhere, they can work at any time of day or night, and they can help solve your staffing problems without having to relocate people. However, when you hire remote workers, it’s important to make sure they are set up with the right tools so that they can do their best work.

Remote technology is growing more sophisticated every year, but there are still some common issues that plague remote workers. These include:

• Lack of quality internet connection in certain locations (ie: rural areas)
• Lack of equipment such as headsets or headphones with good noise cancellation features
• Poor phone quality (ie: bad reception)

Uncomfortable Working Conditions 

Disorganization

When you’re in an office, it’s easy to keep track of your workday. You have a desk and a computer, and everything you need is right there in front of you (or at least within 10 feet). But when you’re working from home, with no physical space or time constraints, it can be hard to keep track of what needs doing and when.

This can lead to stress and frustration—and ultimately, lower performance. What’s more, the more scattered your space becomes, the less likely it will be for you to focus on what really matters: getting things done!

Define your goals before you start working on them. If you don’t know what your goals are, it won’t matter how much effort you put into achieving them because there will be no point at which they reach completion and satisfaction.

In addition, remote workers need to set ambitious but realistic targets for themselves; there’s nothing worse than having high hopes shattered after investing time/effort into something only for it not to work out as we planned.

Lack of Connection

Another cause for underperforming remote employees is a lack of connection.

A lack of connection can be a major problem for remote employees. It can lead to feeling isolated at work, which means they don’t get the same level of mentorship and support that people who are in the same office might receive. It can also lead to employees feeling like they’re not being given the same opportunities as their colleagues. If remote employee is given fewer opportunities, they’ll likely feel as though they’re not as valued by their company—and this will affect their performance.

Lack of connection can be in many ways: 

• Lacking camaraderie with colleagues because of not enough engagement opportunities
• Lacking a connection with your boss because you don’t have enough opportunities to interact in an informal setting
• The hybrid setup is where in-office employees may have better connections and opportunities because of a better connection with the management.

Lack of Training and Support

Your remote employees won’t be able to perform at their best if they don’t feel supported. Training and support are the keys to making sure that your remote workers feel like they have everything they need to succeed.

When training your remote employees, it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page about company goals and how each person fits into that vision. When you provide regular training for your team members, you can ensure that everyone understands what it takes for them to succeed within their roles as well as how their role fits into the bigger picture of the company’s success and failure.

It’s also important for managers of remote teams to remember that communication is key when working with virtual employees—both in terms of providing feedback on performance and communicating any information necessary for work tasks or projects. This means using tools such as Slack or Zoom —or even just having monthly meetings in person—to ensure there are no misunderstandings between managers and their teams when completing projects together.

Remote Employees can be Productive and Enthusiastic if the Right Steps are Taken

Remote employees are an easy way to hire new people without needing the overhead costs associated with maintaining a physical location. Hiring remote workers allows you to bring on more team members without having to worry about whether or not they’ll have somewhere to park their car when they come to work every morning.

Such employees need to feel connected to the company, so they need clear communication channels and ways to contribute without being in the office. 

They should have an email address, phone number, or another way of reaching out if they have questions or concerns that need immediate attention. The employee should also have a dedicated team member who can answer questions, address concerns, and help with any problems that arise while working remotely. 

The company should provide training materials in multiple formats (text, video) so that remote employees can learn how to do their job from anywhere in the world. Training materials should include instructions on how to use software programs used by the company as well as instructions for common tasks like filing paperwork or completing reports.

How Can Employers Help the Underperforming Remote Employees Perform Better?

Constant Feedback

One way that employers can help underperforming remote employees perform better is to coach and train them.

When you’re not in the same room, it’s hard to gauge how well your employee is doing. It’s easy to miss their body language and facial expressions—things that would tip you off if they were sitting across from you. That’s why it’s important for employers to provide constant feedback and guidance for remote workers.

Remote workers need regular feedback about their performance, so they know what needs improvement, and why. This is especially true if there are other people working on similar projects who are also remote. If your team is spread out across different states or countries, you may not have an opportunity to talk face-to-face very often, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected!

Mentor and Support them

The first step in helping an employee improve their performance is to identify the problem. If you notice that an employee is struggling, take time to talk with them about it. You may find that they have a specific task they’re struggling with, or maybe they’re just feeling burnt out. Either way, being able to identify the source of their struggles will make it easier to come up with a solution.

Once you know what the problem is, you can start looking for ways of solving it. If your employee needs more training or resources, offer them one-on-one coaching sessions where you can walk them through their issues together. If they need more time on the clock, consider working with them during off hours or giving them a project that only requires part-time attention so they can still work from home while being productive at work too!

Give them the Right Tools to Do their Job

One of the best ways employers can help underperforming remote employees perform better is by giving them the right tools to do their job.

This may seem obvious, but it’s actually pretty surprising how many companies don’t do this.

But when you think about it, there are so many tools out there that can make an employee’s life much easier—and make them much more productive as well. For example:

A time tracker software that tracks hours worked but also breaks down where your time goes each day so you can see where you’re spending most of your time (and maybe figure out how to get more done in less time).

An app that lets you keep track of what tasks need to get done and when they need to be completed.

Luckily, AttendanceBot offers all of those features. With it, remote workers can easily check in or out as the day begins or ends. In addition, they can track time spent on each of their tasks and manage their projects easily.

Give them the Right Resources 

One way employers can help underperforming remote employees perform better is by giving them the right resources.

This is especially true when it comes to working remotely. While there are many benefits of working remotely, it also comes with its challenges. One of those challenges is that remote workers often lack the same level of support and resources as their co-workers who are at the office daily.

Employers can help by making sure that remote employees have access to all of the information they need to do their jobs well. This includes giving them access to company-wide documents, training materials, and internal communication channels so that they can access them from home or wherever else they may be working.

Create an Environment where they can Thrive

If you’re hiring a remote employee, make sure that you’re clear about what the role entails before bringing them on board. You don’t want to have an employee who feels overworked or undervalued because they weren’t told what they were signing up for in the first place.

It’s also important to have regular check-ins with your remote employees so that you can assess how well they’re doing and see if there are any issues or concerns that need addressing immediately. You should also be prepared with a plan of action if there are any problems that arise—this could include anything from training sessions or additional resources being provided, depending on the situation at hand.

Finally, make sure you set realistic expectations with your remote employees so that they know what it takes from them in order to succeed in their role at work!

How We Do It at Harmonize

At Harmonize, we believe in the power of remote work. We’re a completely remote company with team members spread across Asia and the United States. We communicate through Slack and Zoom/Google Meet, and we make sure to schedule time for our weekly team video calls.

Because we’re a remote business, managing time off and attendance can be tricky– but it doesn’t have to be! We use AttendanceBot, an app created by use for Slack and MS Teams. It helps us track time, manage shifts and leave requests for employees.

AttendanceBot is a great tool for managing the time of our employees who are working remotely or in different time zones. We can easily keep track of their working hours, leave requests, shift scheduling, and other needs through this tool. 

We use its project management feature as a way to measure productivity. For instance, if we know that a project/task normally takes 4 hours and an employee takes 8, there is a possibility that the employee may be underperforming. Like that, the manager can then keep a closer eye on their output and see if this is a pattern or a one-off issue.

We hope this will help you to find the solution for underperforming remote employees.

The post How Managers Can Fix Underperforming Remote Employees? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Remote work has become the ultimate employee perk—offering freedom, flexibility, and a better work-life balance. Yet, despite all these benefits, some of the world’s largest companies are digging their heels in, refusing to let go of the traditional office model. Why?

“Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla. This is less than we ask of factory workers. 

Moreover, the office must be where your actual colleagues are located, not some remote pseudo office. If you don’t show up, we will assume you have resigned.

The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence. That is why I lived in the factory so much – so that those on the line could see me working alongside them. If I had not done that, Tesla would long ago have gone bankrupt.”

Says Elon Musk.

Let’s look at the several reasons.

14 Reasons Why Big Companies Are Scared Of Remote Work

They Want to Keep their Employees in the Office

One reason big companies don’t want their employees to work remotely is they want to keep their employees in the office.

This is because it’s easier for managers to have control over the people that are physically near them. They can see what their employees do and make sure they’re working hard and staying on track, as opposed to working from home where it’s harder for managers to monitor employee’ productivity.

One-on-Ones are Harder to Do

One-on-ones are a key part of any manager’s job. These meetings are designed to keep employees up-to-date on their projects and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. Since it can be difficult for remote workers to get into the office for these meetings, managers will need to figure out how best to use video chat or other means of communication in order to make sure one-on-ones happen regularly.

Another reason why companies don’t want remote workers is that it’s harder for managers and their teams when their employees aren’t around:

• Their work styles may clash (for example, if a manager prefers face time while an employee thrives remotely)
• Employees may not have enough access or training if they aren’t in the office

Working Remotely is Rather Hard

Many companies have employees working remotely, but they are still facing difficulties in managing the work of their employees. One of the main reasons behind this difficulty is that each employee has their own way of working. Some employees prefer to work alone while some like to take part in group projects. Some other employees prefer to work at home while others want to work in the office.

Another reason why it is difficult for companies to manage the work of their employees who work remotely is that they do not know how much time they spend on different tasks and what tasks they need to prioritize most. It is also difficult for them to keep track of these things because there are no rules which state how much time should be spent on each task by an individual employee.

AttendanceBot lets you record time on projects, clients, or tasks from the comfort of your messaging platform.

Lastly, working remotely is not for everyone. Employees might think they’re the kind of person who can work from home comfortably, but if they’re easily distracted by the people around them or need a boss to keep them accountable, remote work isn’t going to be their cup of tea.

The Cost of the Office Buildings has to be Paid Regardless

One reason big companies don’t want their employees to work remotely is because of the cost of the office buildings. Regardless of whether or not a company has employees working remotely, they still need to pay for the building and everything in it.

So often when companies start making cuts, they’ll say “we’re going to do away with remote working” because it’s one way they can cut costs without having to lay anyone off.

Employees are Out of Sight in Remote Work

As a manager, the only thing you can really measure an employee on is output and results. If someone works remotely, you don’t know how much time they’re spending on a project or how many hours per day they’re working. Since communications are more difficult over long distances and it’s harder for companies to supervise remote employees, managers may feel that their teams’ performance suffers when working remotely.

Loss of Tribal Knowledge

There is a lot of tribal knowledge that someone working in the business for a long time may have. In a remote system, it may be hard for the manager to quantify what that is to make sure that the employee transfers this knowledge adequately.

Informal Learning is Harder to Do

Informal learning is hard. It’s difficult to learn from others when you’re not physically around them, but remote workers don’t have the luxury of being in the same room as their colleagues. The key here isn’t just being able to see other people working and chatting; it’s also about being able to learn from them explicitly by asking questions or watching them do their job.

Informal learning is an essential part of how we grow professionally—it’s something that happens naturally when people work together closely. Teams grow when they have access to more informal ways of learning what each person does and why they do it that way. People who are on different teams but share a common goal will always learn better.

In Remote Work, there is No Sense of Control

When people work remotely, they are able to do their job without any kind of supervision from their employers or managers. This makes it difficult for companies to see how employees are performing and whether they’re doing a good enough job with their work.

To make matters worse, this lack of visibility can also create an environment in which employees feel like they aren’t being adequately monitored by management—and as a result, may not be held accountable for their performance (or lack thereof). It also means that companies have fewer opportunities to spot problems early before they grow out of hand; if something is going wrong on one person’s end but nobody knows about it until later on down the line —by which time things might already be out-of-hand—then clearly this isn’t working well!

There are Team Collaboration Challenges

As a remote worker, you have to be very aware of the time differences in your team. It’s important that everyone is on the same page and knows what’s expected of them. If you’re working with people in different time zones, this can be even more difficult because it takes longer for communication and collaboration between co-workers. You need to make sure that all stakeholders are aware of any deadlines or requirements by communicating with them regularly (via email, and video calls). This may require more meetings as well as project management software depending on how big your company is.

Working Remotely can be Isolating For Employees

Let’s face it—people are social animals, and they crave interaction. In the workplace, socializing is just as important as doing your job.  Be it an employee or the employer, working remotely comes with the feeling of being isolated. 

Just like you might miss out on that great lunch with a colleague if you work from home rather than in an office building, you also miss out on the camaraderie that comes from working together and interacting regularly with other people who share similar interests and goals. You lose opportunities to meet new people and learn about their experiences, ideas, and perspectives–and this may mean missing out on professional growth as well.

Productivity goes down in Remote Work, Sometimes

Some feel that productivity goes down when people work from home. When you’re at home, those distractions are right there in front of you. You can’t help but check Facebook every two minutes. And then Instagram. And then Twitter. And pretty soon, it’s been an hour and you haven’t done anything productive at all! 

Some say the quality of work may suffer if employees aren’t under the watchful eye of their managers and co-workers.

The Hiring Process Becomes More Complicated

Hiring for remote work is different than hiring for in-office work. Instead of looking for a good fit with your company culture, you need to find someone who is self-motivated and self-disciplined enough to do their job without the day-to-day oversight of an in-office supervisor. This can be more difficult than it looks! In addition, there are lots of questions you must ask during the interview process that wouldn’t have come up if you were simply hiring someone who works from an office. 

For example: Is this person going to be able to meet deadlines? Will they need constant contact with others online? Do they have reliable internet access? How far away does their home or apartment sit from the nearest coffee shop or library where they can get online when needed? Can this person answer emails and phone calls during evenings or weekends (if necessary)? And so on…

Remote Work doesn’t Suit Everyone’s Needs or Personality Types

One reason big companies don’t want their employees to work remotely is that it doesn’t suit everyone’s needs or personality types.

You see, when employees are working in a remote environment, they have to be self-motivated. They have to get things done without being able to rely on the mutual trust, friendship, and accountability of their coworkers in the office. And if they’re not a self-starter, this won’t work for them.

And even if they are a self-starter, there are still some people who aren’t going to be good at working remotely. If someone gets distracted easily and doesn’t have much focus on their goals, they’re probably not going to do well with remote work.

Skills are Lost

One reason big companies don’t want their employees to work remotely is that skills are lost. The idea that a person can work from home in their pajamas and still be able to do their job well is hard for some people to grasp.

They’re afraid that the skills and knowledge that an employee would gain from working in an office will not transfer to working from home, which could lead to quality problems and mistakes being made.

It’s true: when you’re in an office all day, you end up only interacting with the people who are there. You don’t get to build relationships with people across departments or learn about what other teams are working on.

You also lose out on the chance for serendipitous interactions, which can lead to great ideas and collaborations between people who never would have met otherwise.

Is Remote Work Also Problematic For Smaller Companies? 

If you’re a smaller company, it may seem like the ideal solution to have your employees work remotely. The problem is that you don’t have as many resources available to your team as larger companies do. This means that if an employee is working remotely and needs help with something, they may not be able to access answers quickly enough or receive assistance from others on the team who might be sitting in an office nearby.

For example, let’s say you’re working on a project with two other people on your team; one person sits next to you in the office while another works remotely from home. You are struggling with how best to approach this project and need advice from someone who has experience solving similar challenges or knows more about this area than you.

However, since they’re both remote workers there isn’t really anyone else around who could answer these questions for you (or at least not in person). As this issue continues over time without being resolved, it can cause frustration among employees who feel like their concerns are being ignored because there aren’t enough resources available for everyone working on projects together at once.

To Sum Up

In summary, there are many benefits of remote work, yet some companies remain hesitant when it comes to allowing their employees to work remotely. While some of these reasons may seem legitimate, there are potential solutions that help business’ reach their corporate goals without sacrificing the employee mindset.

The post Why Are Big Companies So Afraid of Remote Work? 14 Surprising Reasons appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What is The Walkie Talke Feature In Microsoft Teams?

The Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature is a great way to stay connected with co-workers, especially when you’re on the go. With this feature, you can easily communicate with others without having to stop and type out a message. Simply press and hold the talk button and speak into the mic. Your message will instantly be transmitted to the person or group you’re talking to. 

You can also use the walkie-talkie feature to conduct conference calls, which is a great way to stay in touch with remote team members. The best part about the Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature is that it’s free to use – all you need is an internet connection. So next time you’re out of the office, be sure to take advantage of this nifty tool to stay connected with your team.

Microsoft Teams offers a walkie-talkie feature that allows you to talk with colleagues and coworkers on your iPhone, Android phone, or another supported mobile device. This feature can be used in a variety of situations, such as when you need to communicate with someone who is not in the same room as you, or when you need to communicate with someone who is not available by telephone. 

What is Unique about this Feature?

• The Walkie Talkie feature on Microsoft Teams is a quick and easy way to communicate with colleagues, whether you’re in the office or out of the office. 
• With Walkie Talkie, you can instantly send a voice message to any contact in your company directory. The recipient will receive the message immediately, without having to open the app or even have their phone on them. 
• This makes it perfect for quickly getting someone’s attention or sending a quick update. Walkie Talkie is also great for larger groups, as it can support up to 100 users at once. This makes it ideal for conference calls or team meetings. 
• With push-to-talk capabilities, it’s easy to keep everyone on the same page. Whether you’re in the office or out of the office, Walkie Talkie is a great way to stay connected with your team.

The walkie-talkie feature is easy to use; simply press and hold the “walkie-talkie” button, and then speak into the microphone. When you are finished speaking, release the button, and your message will be transmitted to the person you are talking to. 

Remember that MS teams Walkie Talkie allows users to connect with their team using the same underlying channels they’re members of. Only users who connect to Walkie Talkie in a channel become participants and can communicate with each other using push-to-talk, one at a time.

How to Use Walkie-Talkie on Teams?

To use the walkie talkie on Teams, follow these instructions:

App setup policies let you customize Teams to pin apps that are most important for your users in your users.

To pin the Walkie Talkie app for your users, you can edit the global (Org-wide default) policy or create and assign a custom app setup policy. To learn more, see Manage app setup policies in Teams.

Open Walkie Talkie

In Teams, tap Walkie Talkie in the navigation bar.

If you don’t see the Walkie Talkie app when you open Teams, swipe up from the bottom of your screen or tap the More options button to access it.

Connect to a channel

You can connect to only one channel at a time. To listen or speak on a different channel, switch channels.

Tap the right-facing arrow next to Channel.

Next, you’ll see several options for the channels you have. Select a channel and then tap connect.

The number next to the People icon indicates how many people are currently connected to the channel, including yourself. You can tap that to see who is currently connected.

Who Can Benefit From This Feature?

The Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature can be a valuable tool for a variety of users. For example, it can be helpful for business professionals who need to stay in touch with colleagues while away from their desks. It can also be useful for students who need to communicate with classmates during group projects. Additionally, the walkie-talkie feature can be a lifesaver for parents who need to coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs for their children. Ultimately, the Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature can benefit anyone who needs to stay connected with others.

whether you’re in the office or out of the office this feature will help you stay connected with your colleagues, The walkie-talkie feature allows you to send instant messages and make voice calls, without having to use your phone. This can be a great way to stay in touch with remote workers or people who are in different parts of the world. The walkie-talkie feature is also a great way to stay connected with friends and family, whether you’re on the go or at home. 

How can Employees Use This Feature?

For many employees, the Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature is a game-changer. No longer do they have to waste time walking to find a colleague – they can just pick up their phone and call them directly. The walkie-talkie feature is also great for those who work remotely, as it helps them stay connected with their colleagues instantly. 

And because the walkie-talkie feature is built in to the Teams app, there’s no need to download a separate app or sign up for a new service. It’s simple, convenient, and easy to use. Best of all, the walkie-talkie feature is free for all Teams users. So if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to stay connected with your colleagues, give Microsoft Teams a try.

Are There Any Limitations?

The Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature is a great way to stay connected with co-workers, but there are some limitations to keep in mind. First, the feature can only be used when you have an active internet connection. 

And secondly, the walkie-talkie feature is only available on mobile devices, so you’ll need to have your phone with you in order to use it. Despite these limitations, the Microsoft Teams walkie-talkie feature is a valuable tool for staying connected with co-workers.

Why Use the Walkie Talkie Feature in Microsoft Teams?

The answer is pretty simple: because it’s enjoyable, and it should be used for more than just emergencies. Sure it can be used for quick, serious conversations about business and deadlines, but what about for fun during those slow times? 

It’s a great way to engage with co-workers in a fun manner, or just to hear their voices. Like any other communications tool, users will get the most out of Teams if they use it in smart ways. Experiment and have some fun with the Far Field technology!

The post Why Use the Walkie Talkie Feature in MS Teams? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

if your team is located all over the world, there are tools to make things easier and simpler for you. Today we have tools that help make it easier to manage a remote team which will still help your company immensely since remote work is one of the hottest trends out there in business.

Working remotely is great. You can work from the location of your choice and you don’t have to worry about packing your bag every day and commuting. However, as a business owner, you might find it hard to stay in control of all the remote workers that are scattered across different countries, states, and cities. This can be detrimental to the performance of your business. 

To ease hybrid work for you, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to help hybrid team members work more efficiently and effectively; this is why we’ve compiled a shortlist of remote work software. Did you know hybrid employees have been engaged at the highest rates with 81 percent reporting high engagement? 78 percent of remote employees say they are highly engaged followed by only 72 percent of on-site employees. 

This is good news for companies looking to hire, but not great news for the employees who have to make remote-work-work. That’s where these tools come in!

This post is about software that your remote team should be using in 2022 if it already isn’t. So let’s begin.

AttendanceBot

AttendanceBot is an attendance and time tracking solution that offers many features to facilitate hybrid and remote teams. To facilitate its users, AttendanceBot offers the following great features:

Absence Management 

• Using AttendanceBot you can set up and manage approvals, work shifts, and create leave policies just like you want.
• AttendanceBot integrates with all your calendars keeping manual time-off management at a bay saving you hours. 
• You can easily keep everybody informed about who’s working and notify your team’s attendance on a channel.

Time Tracking

• AttendanceBot maintains an accurate record of clock-ins and outs to give you
• detailed timesheets in excel.
• Working remotely or from home? Want to take a quick break? Simply type ‘in’ or ‘out’ and let AttendanceBot do the rest.
• Auto track billables for clients wit AttendanceBot

Employee Scheduling 

Create employee schedules right inside your team collaboration software. AttendanceBot keeps your employees on track with reminders and notifications.

WFH With AttendanceBot

Sick days, PTO, availability, hours, timesheets, or projects, AttendanceBot takes care of all.

Create projects and let people track their hours spent working on them.

For employees working in different timezones, or multiple offices, you can create multiple offices, and set different leave calendars.

Pricing 

• AttendanceBot offers a 14-day free trial
• Standard: $5/user/month or $4/user/month (billed annually)

Trello

Trello is group management and productivity tool. With Trello you can:

• Collaborate and manage projects, 
• Manage productivity
• Trello offers “boards” to organize tasks and you can create columns with tasks inside them.
•  You can customize and expand with more features as your teamwork grows. 
• Organize tasks

Pricing 

The paid plan starts at $10/month

Asana

Asana is another great software for hybrid teams. With it, you can see your tasks as lists or as Kanban boards, and then your team can decide which tasks to take up as priority and set deadlines for others. Some other features include:

• Add and assign tasks. Teams know what needs to get done, which tasks are a priority, and when work is due.
• Manage dependent, unscheduled, and overlapping tasks, and create plans teams can count on.

Pricing

The premium paid plan starts at $10.99 per user per month.

ClickUp

Up next on our list of the best software for hybrid teams is Clickup. It is a great productivity tool, but remote teams can avail the collaborative features in the cloud-based project management software. With ClickUp:

• Plan, organize and collaborate on any project with powerful task management that can be customized for every need.
• Simplify complex projects by breaking them down into levels of subtasks. Visualize your tasks and subtasks in multiple views and easily rearrange or edit in bulk with the Multitask Toolbar.
• From weekly meetings to daily reminders, stay on top of it all with recurring tasks. They take just seconds to set and can save you hours of setting the same reminder over and over.

Pricing

For small teams, the paid plan starts at $5 per member per month.

TimeDoctor

TimeDoctor is another software for hybrid teams that is a great tool. It offers employee time tracking software. Its automatic time tracking lets you know where the team excels and where it needs help so you can easily improve individual and overall performance. In addition to offering standard time and attendance features like time tracking, it offers:

Project tracking

Timesheet approvals

Pricing

The paid plan starts from just $7 per user per month

Threads

Threads is a modern forum for work where focused discussions and decisions take place. This should be your pick if you want to pose questions to your team and receive responses in a simple and easy to locate, way. Using Threads you can:

• Separate the signal from the noise by keeping the casual conversations in messaging apps, and the proposals, updates, and decisions in Thread
• Easily keep track of threads and stay in the loop with conversations across forums, so you never miss an important discussion again.

Pricing

The standard plan starts at $10 per user per month.

Slack

Everybody loves Slack because it is a great communication tool for remote teams. Using Slack you can:

• Create a single team channel for your entire company to communicate in.
• Set reminders and notifications for alerts 
• Manage tasks
• Create custom shortcuts and commands
• Call up to 50 participants in a channel using Slack huddle

Pricing 

The pro paid plan starts at $US6.67 per person per month,

As you know, the remote collaboration landscape is changing rapidly, which means that your remote software needs tend to change over time as well. If you’re in a remote team and looking for new tools, or just want to update your current solutions and practices, consider these recommendations of software for hybrid teams. Each app has something to offer and has been selected specifically for remote work, so they should be a good fit for most teams.

The post 7 Best Software for Hybrid Teams appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this article, we will go through each of these queries. In addition, we’ll also see some of the major companies going remote. Let’s begin by defining what a fully remote company is:

What is Fully Remote Work?

So what is a remote job? A remote job is a role that an employee can complete outside of the typical office environment using just a computer and a strong wifi connection. It could be from anywhere since it allows you the flexibility of traveling everywhere. If your office for instance is located in New York, working from California means you’re working remotely. 

Fully remote work means you don’t work from the office physically, instead you work from anywhere without any travel restrictions. After the pandemic, many companies have gone fully or partially remote. During these times, working from the comfort of your lounge, too, is working remotely.

Is Your Company Fully Remote?

That depends. If all of your employees do all of their work remotely, yours is a fully remote company. However, your company can be partially remote depending on how many employees work remotely and how many work onsite. 

How do People Work Remotely?

The beauty of remote work is at people can work from anywhere. Some people, for instance, have a major portion of their week dedicated to remote work. They may typically work from their home, a nearby cafe, or even while traveling. When necessary, they can work from their office. 

Others may head to coworking spaces which are a hub of connectivity, communication, and networking. These spaces are designed to give you many opportunities to meet people from various industries. People who are using these coworking spaces come from all types of jobs. They can be freelancers and even entrepreneurs who want to rent out workspace for themselves or their team. 

In a nutshell, coworking spaces give you the freedom of working remotely/from home with all the professional amenities and networking opportunities that you’d find in a normal onsite office. 

What are the Benefits of a Fully Remote Job?

In a fully remote job, employees and employers both find many benefits. Some people prefer working remotely because of the liberty of working whenever they feel the most productive it comes with. Some people also find the most productive and creative when they’re traveling. Remote work allows them to do that and that helps them work with a fresh mind and perspective.

Let’s dig deeper into the benefits of working remotely for both employees and employers:

Flexibility

Perhaps the biggest upside of working remotely is the flexibility it offers. This allows employees to maintain their lives outside of work as well. For instance, parents can take care of their children while working at the same time. If someone wants to pursue their education, with remote work that is possible, too.

Greater Pool of Potential Talent

One big advantage of remote work for employers is that it allows for a greater pool of potential talent with almost no geographical restrictions. Employers can hire talented employees from all over the world resulting in a diverse workforce. 

Less Commute Stress

Statistics tell us that the average commuting time for a person in New York is 35.9 minutes. When the work is fully remote, it saves you the stress of commuting and saves time. 

Saves Money

One benefit to working remotely is that it saves money. According to FlexJobs, the average person can save about $4,000 per year by working remotely. As for the employers, a typical company can save around $11,000 per year for every employee who works from home at least some of the time according to Global Workspace Analytics. 

Fewer Sick Leaves

When employees work from home they aren’t exposed to as many germs. This leads to fewer sick days and hence fewer leaves from work. This is especially a great way to combat contact of Covid-19. 

Remote Work is Good For the Environment

It is clear that working from home, using fewer resources, fewer cars on the road will have some impact on the environment. Transportation which includes vehicles and other modes of commuting is the largest source of greenhouse emissions in the US. When most of the people will be working from home or remotely, it will lead to less traffic congestion and hence reduced carbon emission. 

Work-Life Balance

Numerous studies tell us how job stress can be chronic for human health. Working remotely helps maintain a heath work-life balance because it allows workers flexibility. Remote workers also tend to be happier and more stress-free as compared to those that aren’t. One reason for this is that it provides more time to engage in hobbies and improve personal relationships. 

In addition, remote work also provides workers more time for exercise, the ability to eat nutritious foods, recover from illness if there are any, and creates a comfortable work environment.

Higher Retention and Lower Turnover Rates 

When offering fully remote work, employers may experience fewer turnover rates because of the benefits it comes with it. Another reason for this is that employees have fewer reasons to look for a new role. For instance, an employee looking for a new job because of relocation may not have to do that while working remotely. 

Saves Time

Time is a valuable asset. Both employers and their employees can save quite a bit of time working from home. Getting ready each day and then traveling consumes a lot of time every day which can be used productivity otherwise. However, with remote work, workers save a lot of time ultimately increasing productivity. 

Increased Job Satisfaction

Remote work comes with freedom and flexibility that in turn increases job satisfaction. Employees who can adjust to their roles like this tend to be happier leading to many benefits fr employers such as loyalty, more productivity, a better reputation of the company, and satisfied employees.

What are the Disadvantages of a Fully Remote Job?

Difficulty with Communication 

Remote work calls for ways to communicate using online tools, strong internet connections, and being vigilant at dealing with various time zones. Amidst all of that, some difficulty with communication, loss of facial expressions, and inability to interpret body language are inevitable. 

Distractions 

When you’re working away from the office, distractions in the environment are likely to follow. Whether it’s a crying baby, someone at the door, or a neighbor, distractions can help slow down work and waste time. 

Isolation

For workers who are habitual of working in an environment full of people may find it hard to work in isolation. 

Hard to Build Team Spirit

When working on-site, it is easy to raise team spirit through motivator and arousing interest. With remote work, doing this may be hard and not as effective. Similarly, it is hard for employers to look after each and every employee in a remote environment. This leads to employees feeling isolated and overlooked. 

10 Hybrid/Fully Remote Companies 

If there’s one thing the pandemic has proved is that workers can be productive no matter where they work from. Considering this, many big companies today are going either fully remote or hybrid. Below are examples of some such companies that have embraced the new change:

Apple

Apple is a multinational technology company located in California, USA. The tech giant specializes in consumer electronics, online services, and computer software. In June 2021, Apple announces its workers will work three times a week with the option to work from home twice a week. Apple also offers the option to go fully remote to its employees for some roles. 

Facebook

Facebook, the largest social media network announced in June 2021 that its employees can permanently work remotely.

Microsoft 

Microsoft announced that its employees can work from anywhere for half of their workweek with the option to go fully remote as they see fit after the approval from management. 

Spotify 

Spotify is one of the largest online music streaming services that allows its users to search, listen to and download as many songs as they want. Spotify too announced a hybrid work approach for its employees where employees can work from anywhere across the globe. For employees that choose to work in an office environment, Spotify also offers a coworking space. 

HubSpot

Launched in 2006, Hubspot has risen to become the leading inbound marketing and sales platform in the world. Hubspot offers its employees three modes of remote work. First, they can work from home with an approved setup at home. Second, they can work from the office for two or fewer days every week, and lastly, they can work from the office for three or more days every week. 

Twitter

Twitter was one of the first companies to announce that its employees can permanently go remote depending on their roles. In addition, they also offer a hybrid work option for those employees who choose to work on-site. 

Upwork

One of the biggest freelancing platforms, Upwork announced in May 2020 that its employees can now choose to work from home permanently or they can adapt to a hybrid work approach as per their roles. For employees who wish to work, on-site can do so in their offices located in Chicago and San Francisco.

Pinterest

Pinterest is known for its pinboard-style social networking site where users can pin, manage, or create images based on events, hobbies, or interests. After the pandemic struck, Pinterest made it clear that it’s not expecting their employees to work on-site and therefore they announced a remote-first hybrid work approach. In addition, they also opened their doors to hiring employees from all over the globe with no geographical restrictions.

Slack

Slack is a channel-based messaging platform. Slack offers its users messaging, searching, and communicating with the team efficiently. Most of the employees at Slack permanently work from home and it’s also looking to hire more remote employees. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows millions of users to search job posts and create their professional identities to grow their professional careers. In July 2021, LinkedIn announced that its employees will work in a hybrid work environment with the option of going fully remote. 

How to do Remote Work the Right Way

Remote work requires some practices that make sure you do it the right way. Let’s see some of these:

Hone Your Skills

In order to do remote work successfully, you need to add more to your skills. You can also learn skills from scratch or hone your existing skills. For example, you may be a great writer but to do professional writing you may need to familiarize yourself with tools such as WordPress or GoogleDocs, etc. 

Use Productivity Tools

To make the most of your remote work, you can use productivity tools to be more time-efficient. For instance, you can use a time tracking app like AttendanceBot, to help you track the time you spend on each task. You can also use tools that help you reduce distractions during work. 

All Set to Ace Your Remote Work?

Going fully remote is quickly becoming a favorable work setup. Many companies are therefore going either fully remote or hybrid. With the right tips, skills, and practices you can do your remote work successfully. 

The post What is a Remote Job? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

Consider this article the guide that shines the light on the importance of self-management.

What is Self-Management?

Self-management skills are not limited to employees but are the need of the hour for team management and personal growth. Self-management is how well we manage our thoughts, behavior, and emotions and choose a course of action.

Mastering self-management gives the ultimate power. People who master the skill can make rational decisions and react well to multiple situations. They know the right thing to do when they get caught up in a particular situation.

Self-managed teams are the highest performing groups, destined to do wonders and achieve greatness. It is indeed safe to make this claim as they are the grand maestros of their productivity. Such people do not get distracted while working, and nothing can shatter their emotional stability. They tend to be well-read about their goals and how they can achieve them. Their management level surpasses their passion, which helps them work the plan besides crafting it.

Self-management in the workplace means you are well aware of your responsibility and know-how to fulfill it.

What Are Self-Management Skills?

People who set forth on a path to self-awareness are more likely to excel in work. Success in personal life is just the net addition.

Self-management skills signify the capability of managing oneself in a workplace or many aspects of our life. If you have the personal management skills, you would be able to control your thoughts and make a clear decision. The skills let you focus on your feelings and actions and ensure feelings never take over the best in you.

You would be able to push aside your emotions and prioritize your work with personal management skills. Also, you would be able to curate a follow-up plan for your job and diligently walk through it. If you conquer the skill, you will achieve success in the process of setting up goals. Creating do-able goals is forever emphasized, and when you meet them, you open many opportunities for career growth.

Importance of Self-Management in Workplaces

Corporates hire employees who value self-management and handle individual and team tasks with due diligence. The aim for such recruitment is because employers know how self-management leads to better and effective functioning. We can only think of the basic possibilities that self-management skills foster. The ideal workplace is the one where employees are all organized, stick to the task plan, can prioritize tasks, and get the job done duly. Such teams are the dream work cultures for employers.

Managers use multiple self-management techniques and help employees understand the power of self-management. Mastering self-management skills help an employee be an asset for the company and be innovative and resourceful. It all begins when an employee is self-aware and knows the responsibilities and goals that the company expects from them.

The ultimate goal is to empower employees to make the right decisions and produce the best output. Personal management and control of oneself are signs of reliability.

The Seven Self-Management Skills Crucial to Master

You need to do a reality check to evaluate your game of self-management and where you stand. Multiple warning signs can indicate it may be time to make self-management the next big goal. Missing work deadlines is probably one such red flag.

Here are some of the self-management examples or the skill list that you must aim to acquire.

Clear About Job Roles

An employer hires people based on certain jobs and responsibilities. Each job role has a designated set of responsibilities for employees. The first step toward self-management is knowing your responsibility, work nature, importance, and relevance. Self-management also includes knowing our dependency. The overall idea associated with it is, you need to know your specific place in the company. You must have a fair understanding of where your work contributes and how you must continue to serve the purpose.

Defined Goals

An organization has a specific set of goals that all the employees need to meet. It doesn’t matter what personal agendas employees have, and if they are distinctive, everyone needs to work toward the common goal. You may as well have your agenda, but you should walk on the organization’s track. You need to keep yourself in control of the organization’s goals and discipline yourself to achieve them. Your agendas are your call after that.

Strategic Planning

Another crucial personal-management skill is employees’ ability to plan strategically. It includes perceiving how they can contribute to the common organization’s goals. If you have a personal aspirational goal as well, you need to strategize and reach them both. Align both the goals, the organization’s, and your personal goal, and work toward it.

Ability to Prioritize

When individual roles are clear in the workplace, employees further get clarity about task priority. If you want to outgrow and be self-managed, try to understand the mechanism of prioritizing. When you segregate and manage each task correctly, you will meet every deadline assigned to you.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness means understanding your feelings, thoughts, and desires. Keeping your behavior in check can work to your advantage, mold your performance, and change other’s perspectives about you.

Emotional Drive

Emotions have multiple faces, and humans tend to feel anger, resentment, regression, happiness, fear. The catch is not to let your emotions come in the way of your work and secure the ability to think rationally. Discomfort or otherwise, rational thinking would let anyone battle it out. Another crucial emotion to master is stress. You must try to be a pro in stress management if you want consistency and success. Avoid situations that trigger stress, such as missing deadlines, being unaware, or trailing your counterparts. Manage your work better to manage your stress better.

Accountability

You need to take accountability for any job not done. Using excuses as a way out is just not the way to go. Rather it is about standing tall and facing the consequences. This clears the pathway for glory, and you tend to be right above the mainstream perspective. If you need an insight into it, this attitude separates leaders from the rest of the people.

A clear mind would also give you the ability to care for and nourish yourself. When you realize the self-care process is crucial, you set forth toward heightened productivity.

How Can You Master Self-Management Skills?

Productivity, consistency, and accountability make you a pro at self-management, yes. But, it is your practice that determines your success. If you do not make an effort to be consistent, you may lose your way. Let us walk you through some self-management strategies that would most probably keep you on track.

Gratification

Satisfaction is what you should long for; you are not engineered to work 24/7. Resting and some time off is a serious part of our system, and you need to take productive breaks. You cannot expect to function productively all the time if you do not get enough rest and let your body and mind recover. Do not let the feel of ‘not doing enough’ creep in, and make yourself feel satisfied for everything that you do.

The Two-Minute Rule

If you do not know what the two-minute rule is, look it up now. It means – “If a task will take under two minutes, do it right away.”

It is as simple as it reads, and there is no deeper explanation to it. The catch is to wind up any work that, according to you, needs no more than two minutes. Do such tasks immediately. If something needs longer hours, you can always add it to your to-do list for later. This way, you stay organized and improve the quality of your work-life and yourself. You must apply it to your personal activities to avoid heaps of overdue work.

Consistency

If you want to master your personal management skills, you need to aim for consistency. Consistency is something people struggle with and is often the key to a majority of solutions. You must not do 100% on a Monday and have 0% of the energy on a Friday morning. Evenly distribute your energy for every workday and achieve goals you never expected you would.

Avoid Procrastinating

Make procrastination your enemy, and avoid any habit that would let you easily drift into it. There is a motivational goal doing rounds on the internet, an idea that Matt D’Avella suggests. Skip any activity or habit two days in a row, and you will easily fall prey to procrastination. Skipping for a day may be fine, but then, show up the next day and go ahead with your habit or goal. This is how you attain consistency in your life.

Seek Expert Advice

There is a chance that what you aim to do, someone has already done. Instead of beating around the bush or tiring yourself out through mindless possibilities that may or may not work, seek guidance. Search for people who have mastered their way to the goal you set to achieve, and seek some inspiration.

Are There Any Rules to Self-Management?

Sooner or later, if you stick with your determination, you will be a self-management emotional intelligence machine. However, there are no hard or fast rules to personal management skills. There are only tips for self-management, which you may consider as rules to keep yourself organized.

• Create your unique values and principles and stand by them.
• If you have something to contribute, speak up.
• Stay true to what you say and the promises you make.
• Be accountable and own your responsibilities.
• Be productive by developing good habits.
• Follow a good code of conduct at work.
• Keep yourself well-read and think interesting thoughts.
• Keep yourself disciplined.
• Be polite, respectful, and kind to everyone.
• Be enthusiastic and look for motivation rather than making excuses to dodge work.
• Take care of your mind and body; make healthy habits your best friend.

Final Thoughts on Self Management

It is difficult to step out of your comfort zone. But it is necessary to ace self-management. Here are some end tips for you to keep up with self-management in the workplace. Set personal goals every now and then, both for the short and long term, plan your routine every day at work, show up prepared, make your words count every time you speak up.

The post Why Is Self-Management Important in the Workplace? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

What is a Fixed-Term Employment Contract?

In a fixed-term contract, the organization employs an employee for a fixed tenure. The organization hires employees for a pre-decided duration under a fixed-term contract. Usually, employers hire fixed-term employees for a year, and their employment ends at the end of the contract.

Employees governed by a fixed-term contract are not on the payroll of the organization. 

Key Features of Fixed-Term Contracts

• Length of Employment

A primary feature of a fixed-term contract is the length of employment. Fixed-term employees are not permanent employees of an organization. They are appointed for a specific time and dismissed when the predefined term ends. It is short-term employment. The period of employment may vary according to the nature of the work and the organizational requirements. Generally, fixed-term contracts are for one year.

• Salary

Fixed-term employees have a fixed salary determined by organizations. It remains the same for the entire period of employment. Employers cannot change the remuneration before the expiry of the contract. As fixed-term employees are not permanent employees of an organization, they are not on the organizational payroll.

• Notice

For fixed-term positions, the employer does not give any notice period to the employees. The contractual relationship between an employer and a fixed-term employee ends after the expiry of the contract tenure. 

• Renewal of Fixed-term Employment Agreement

Employers can renew fixed-term contracts. Both parties should be willing to continue the relationship. If a fixed-term employee continues to work after the expiry of the defined period, the contract renews. However, if the employer fails to terminate the contract after the defined term, the fixed-term employee becomes permanent.

Suitability of Fixed-Term Contracts

Fixed-term contracts are best suited for the following kinds of work.

• Seasonal Work

Business organizations may require an additional workforce during the peak season. They prefer to hire fixed-term employees in such conditions as it provides flexibility and meets their needs during high season. For instance, hotels may require additional staff during the summer holidays to attend to the onslaught of visitors. Therefore, they may hire fixed-term employees during peak season and terminate them after the season.

• Project Work

Organizations prefer fixed-term employment when they have a project that requires a specific skill. The employer may not need a specialist once the project concludes. Therefore, they would hire employees on a fixed-term basis in such cases.

• Maternity Cover

Business enterprises hire fixed-term employees to fill in a temporary gap when a permanent employee goes on maternity leave. The fixed-term employee takes care of the duties of the employee on leave. They work till the employee on leave returns. 

At-will Employment vs Contract-based Employment

At-will employment means that there is no written contract between the employer and the employee. The employer and employee are free to leave the job without any prior notice. Further, the employer can terminate the employee whenever they wish to. Similarly, the employee can also leave the job whenever they want to. 

Both the parties work together as per their will. For that reason, it is a no-term agreement between both parties. The employer cannot force the employee to work for them. In the same way, the employee also can not bind the employer to hire them. Both parties have equal rights to terminate the contract.

Fixed-term Employee vs Contractor

Fixed-term employees are like regular employees of an organization. They work for a specified duration with the organization but are not contractors. Contractors work independently and render their services to the organization for a predetermined period. They have the autonomy to decide their working style and are not under the control of the organization. Further, contractors can have a flexible work schedule if they want. 

However, fixed-term employees are under the total control of the organization. They cannot work according to their whims and fancies. Fixed-term contracts, like contractors’ contracts, are for a definite period. Still, the nature of the relationship between the two is different. In fixed-term contracts, there is an employee-employer relationship between the parties. On the other hand, in contractors’ contracts, it is a business-to-business relationship.

Fixed-term Contracts and Pregnancy

Employers should have knowledge regarding employees’ rights in fixed-term contracts. Fixed-term employees have the right to avail of maternity leave. Employers pay the fixed-term employee on maternity leave in the same way as they pay the permanent employees. In some cases, the employee qualifies for statutory maternity pay during the tenure of their fixed-term contract. If so, they continue to receive the statutory maternity pay even if their tenure has ended. It would be unjust if the fixed-term contract is not renewed owing to pregnancy or maternity leave.

Fixed-Term Contract and Redundancy

It is crucial to understand what is fixed-term contract redundancy, and what are the rights of fixed-term employees regarding claiming redundancy benefits. Fixed-term employees are entitled to receive redundancy benefits since they are like the regular employees of the organization. Entitlement to redundancy pay depends on the length of the service period. If a fixed-term employee works for an organization for more than two consecutive years, they become a permanent employee. In such cases, they can claim redundancy benefits. Organizations must pay fixed-term employees redundancy benefits if they have served the organization for more than two years.

Advantages of Fixed-Term Contracts

• Flexibility

A fixed-term employment contract benefits both parties. It offers enhanced flexibility to the organization and the employees. The organization can easily meet its requirement for additional staff during peak periods by hiring fixed-term employees.

• Cost-savings

Fixed-term employment also leads to increased cost savings. It allows companies to hire when required. Organizations dismiss the employees once the project finishes and the requirement ends. Further, the firm does not needlessly bear the burden of employees. Fixed-term employment is beneficial when the job is seasonal or for a definite period. It does not alter the budget of the organization.

• Provides Maternity Leave Cover

Fixed-term employment is used to hire an employee to work in place of a permanent employee on maternity leave. Companies recruit a fixed-term employee for a specified duration to take care of the responsibilities undertaken by the employee on leave. It is an effective tool in such circumstances, and organizations use it to their advantage. 

• The Benefit of Special Skill

With the help of fixed-term contracts, the organization can take advantage of the unique skills of an employee for the desired period. Organizations prefer hiring fixed-term employees for projects that require specialized knowledge and skill. It is not feasible to recruit permanent employees for such jobs as they are not recurring in nature.

Fixed-Term Policy

Organizations should understand the critical factors involved in fixed-term contracts to avoid legal hassles. The regulations governing fixed-term employment may differ in different countries. Therefore, firms should draft the fixed-term policy, keeping in mind these regulations. The HR department should understand and implement the following mandates.

• Reason for Fixed-term Employment

In certain countries, organizations can hire fixed-term employees only for a justified reason. For example, the Peruvian government allows fixed-term contracts only in the establishment phases, emergencies, or seasonal jobs. 

• The Proportion of Fixed-term Employees

Certain countries restrict the number of fixed-term employees to the total workforce. Organizations can not hire fixed-term employees more than the sanctioned limit. For instance, in Lithuania, fixed-term contracts cannot exceed more than 20% of the total employment contracts.

• Duration of Fixed-term Contract

Many countries determine the length of fixed-term contracts and the number of times they can be extended for an employee. In Greece, the total duration of fixed-term contracts cannot be more than 24 months, including four renewals. Further, in Germany, the aggregate duration can not exceed 24 months, including three renewals.

• Written Contract

Employers must draft a fixed-term contract with utmost care and diligence. It must be a written contract stating all the terms and conditions clearly. Both the parties should agree to the terms of the contract and abide by the same. Moreover, both parties should sign the contract.

• Discrimination

In certain countries like Japan, there is no discrimination between fixed-term and permanent employees. Organizations are required to treat fixed-term employees the same as permanent employees. 

• Working after the Expiry of Contract

If a fixed-term employee works after the expiry of the defined term, it may result in an indefinite-period employment contract. In countries like Canada, if fixed-term employees continue to work after their term expires, they are deemed permanent employees of the organization. Their contract is considered to be renewed automatically for an indefinite period.

Are Fixed Term Contracts Better? 

Business organizations prefer fixed-term contracts over indefinite-term contracts because they provide for easy termination of employees. However, organizations should draft fixed-term agreements carefully because they are subject to local regulations. It might lead to legal complications and litigation. Hence, organizations must understand and comply with the requirements of fixed-term contracts.

The post Fixed-Term Contracts: A Flexible Solution for Modern Workplaces? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

The pandemic has subsided a little with the advent of vaccines but the fear still prevails. Who knows when we will be completely free from it. The stress and anxiety still overtake us when we hear the news of new variants of the virus coming in.

Consequently, people find it difficult to focus on work. Those who are working remotely tend to feel more isolated in such circumstances. So what can be done to add a flavor of humor to this stressful routine?

Well, the options are plenty. One such option is workplace memes.

We all know what workplace memes are. Let’s have a better understanding of what they exactly are and why are they important.

Moreover, gear up for some laughter sessions. This article lists down a variety of work memes applicable to various contexts.

What are Work Memes?

Workplace memes are images, videos, phrases, and a combination of text and visuals shared on social media platforms. They bring humor and camaraderie to the workplace.

Why are Work Memes Important?

Managers expect employees to meet their goals and fulfill their responsibilities. But a manager should also keep in mind that providing an environment that fosters productivity and goal achievement is equally important.

Employees enjoy their work and perform better when their workplace is lively otherwise a mundane environment fuels frustration and exhaustion.

Work memes are important for some of the following reasons:

• Keep employees motivated
• Help get through a rough or stressful day
• Make employees feel great about their jobs
• Allow remote workers to have fun while at work
• Strengthen bonds with colleagues
• Communicates a funny message non-verbally

What do work memes signify?

With the increase in the use of social media, there has also been an increase in the sharing of memes in social and workplace settings. The idea behind sharing memes is to attract the target audience.

This type of content usually has a hidden meaning behind it and speaks about culture and work dynamics.

People enjoy sharing work memes with each other. It has become one of the ways of communicating and bonding with your workplace peeps.

There are several work memes that can get you smiling. We have divided them into several categories. Let’s begin with the hilarious ones.

Funny work memes

Funny work memes help employees relax in a stressful work environment. Because they are easy to share, they create a cheerful and fun vibe in the workplace.

If you see your colleague or your team member in a stressful mood, send them one of the following memes to put an instant smile on their faces. This is a little gesture that can go a long way.

So, let’s begin.

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Monday Work Memes

Most people experience Monday blues even before the weekends. They have had too good a weekend and dread going back to work. Some even anticipate what their week may look like especially if there are too many deadlines and meetings to attend.

However, a positive mindset can subside those Monday blues.

Monday work memes help cheer up those who dread Monday. Actually, who doesn’t?

When you share Monday work memes with your colleague, you’re basically making them feel better by letting them know that you share the same pain. This can put them at ease and help them get through the day or even the week in a breeze.

Monday work memes signify that Monday can be associated with fun and excitement and not lethargy. Sharing a Monday meme right in the ring can set the tone for the day. Basically, when we take a break from work over the weekend, our bodies take time to adjust to the grind again. But that’s okay! These memes are here to make you feel better and tell you that it is a common phenomenon.

So, share some of the memes below with your colleague and help them recharge their batteries for a productive Monday.

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Friday Work Memes

Friday is the one day that employees look forward to. Why? Because TGIF!

Everybody looks forward to Friday because it marks the beginning of the weekend. It’s when employees get to take breaks from their hectic schedules. Fridays in a company give fun vibes.

Because this day brings so much joy with it, employees usually are in a relaxed mode. They have eyes on their clock the minute they hit their desks.

A Friday work meme helps employees enjoy the pleasant atmosphere on a Friday and prepare to indulge in weekend plans. Here are some memes that you can send o your colleagues before signing off for the week.

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Work from Home Memes

The work-from-home trend has become permanent or that’s what we presume until some time.

Many people are working remotely part-time if not full time with video calls as part of their routine. Remote work has many advantages such as less or no commute, spending time with family, and taking care of home chores that were previously only limited to weekends. However, remote work also comes with a few challenges. one thing that remote employees miss the most is the social interaction and water cooler conversation with their colleagues.

In such a time, it is important remote workers get to enjoy work from home too. Here are a few memes that can help them stay connected with their workplace peers.

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Meeting Work Memes

Let’s admit we all dread attending meetings especially those that go beyond the allotted time.

A better way to get through a boring meeting is by sharing fun memes with your colleagues.

Memes for meetings make you realize that you’re in the same boat as everyone. You’re not the only one who dislikes attending long meetings whether they are in person or virtual.

So here we have a few funny memes for meetings that will surely set your mood right and gear you up to attend a meeting

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Back to Work Memes

Remote work has inculcated a new habit in us- working in PJs all day. Some of us may also have stopped showering every day since the only commute we do is from our bedroom to work desk.

However, now that many companies have adopted a hybrid model, many employees have started resuming work from the office. Sigh!

While some may actually be excited about this, others may be dreading it. In such a situation sharing relatable memes with your peer can minimize the stress. Let’s have a look at a few:

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Is your Work Memes Gallery Ready?

So, this was our collection of some relatable and funny work memes. The internet has many more that you can add to your collection.

The idea behind sharing work memes is to ensure fun and engagement. Our work routine often gets mundane and stressful with ongoing projects and deadlines. In such circumstances, one needs a little break from work. Although you can apply for leave but, what to do when you have exhausted all of them?

Well, you share some fun memes with your colleague. They not only get you through the week but also strengthens your bond with colleagues. It keeps you motivated and engaged to strive and achieve your goals.

So, get your gallery ready!

The post Share Work Memes to Put an Instant Smile on an Employee’s Face appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

How is Slack Frontiers Structured?

A lot of conferences can feel a bit irrelevant because they only suit a specific niche, but Slack understands that Slack users are diverse and it tailors its sessions to suit this diverse group. The sessions are divided into different categories and the event platform lets attendees mark sessions to their favorite lists in advance so they can get the best out of the event. There are three top-level categories – keynotes, luminary speaker series, and general sessions.

Keynotes

Slack Centric Keynotes

• Reinvent Work from Your Digital HQ: Slack leaders come together to discuss how Slack’s new platform innovations will empower employees to build solutions and transform their work styles. Jump to Slack = Digital HQ to read the details.
• A Conversation with Bryan Stevenson: Human rights activist Bryan Stevenson discusses mass incarceration in America and how Slack’s Next Chapter program can help tech companies employ formerly incarcerated individuals.

Luminary Speaker Series

• A Conversation with Jennifer Doudna: Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jennifer Doudna’s thoughts on collaboration in the lab, what she’s learned about leadership, and how to approach the ethical dilemmas that come with innovation. Amazingly inspiring and learning how she had to grapple with the attention after getting the Nobel and how she rethought time management and came up with a strategy for spending time with her son.
• A Conversation with Simone Biles: The world’s most decorated gymnast discusses how her indomitable spirit can inspire others to defy personal limits and reshape conversations around mental health.

Playlists

Playlists are an amazing feature of Slack Frontiers 2021. They’ve categorized sessions by interests, roles, and location in the hierarchy so you can just hit play, and the sessions stream like a TV channel.

The following playlists are available at Slack Frontiers 2021:

• Collaborative
• Developer
• Engineering Apps and Solutions
• Engineering Decision Maker
• Government
• Innovation at Work
• Insights for Partners
• IT and Security Apps
• IT Decision Maker
• Marketing Decision Maker
• Marketing Professional
• New to Slack
• Sales Decision Maker
• Service Decision Makers
• Sales Professional
• Sales, Service, and Marketing Apps
• Service Professional
• Slack Admin
• Slack and Salesforce
• Solutions to Transform Your Business

AttendanceBot and Slack Frontiers 2021

Interestingly, the first platform we launched AttendanceBot on, was Slack and since then we’ve been Slack power users even in our own workspace.

So it made sense that our leadership attended Slack Frontiers 2021.

This year our Co-Founder Ujjwal Grover and Growth Lead Dakota LaFee took their pick of sessions at Frontiers. They will live blog their notes and takeaways from the sessions they attend here.

Slack = Digital HQ

New tools launched by Slack to supercharge your Digital HQ

If Slack is your Digital HQ right now, wait till you hear about these new powers that Slack is about to get.

New building blocks for workflow builder

Slack now offers reusable building blocks that let you create actions either inside Slack (like sending a DM) or outside Slack in another app (like opening a Jira ticket) to create more powerful workflows. There is also a list of extensive templates so you can don’t need to start from scratch and just pick what you most useful and update it as needed.

Connecting with Sign-in-with-Slack link for other products

Slack will now allow other apps to leverage Sign-in with Slack making it super easy for you to get in and out of your Apps without needing to set up another username-password.

App makers will soon be able to let users subscribe to updates in Slack

Subscribe in Slack

What if you could get alerted about mission-critical updates from other apps like a failed deployment, out-of-budget ads campaigns, a spike in user-reported issues, etc right inside Slack. Well, soon you’ll be able to. Apps will soon be able to offer a “update me on Slack” subscription to other Apps.

Brand new developer tools to help build apps faster

The new Slack CLI helps developers build and deploy apps faster. Soon developers will not only be able to create and test their apps using the CLI but also host the app data in Slack too.

Apps can now attach metadata and talk to each other in Slack

Attach metadata to messages that can be consumed by other Apps

Taking one more giant leap, the workflow builder will soon allow developers to attach metadata to messages that can be used to power really cool workflows. Imagine being able to take different workflows based on the value of user input.

Interested in learning more, head over here

Enabling Hybrid Work

Monty Hamilton shared several insights on mastering hybrid @ Telus

Structure the unstructured

With so many working remotely the need for human connection has only intensified. As a result, we can no longer rely on spontaneous connection but need to structure our schedule to include unstructured time with others. Planning ad-hoc interactions do little to devalue the quality of time spent. Get disciplined about calendared huddles!

Plan for digital-first in the office

Though digital-first has become a dominant strategy, what will be kept as companies return to the office? There’s no one answer, and that’s kind of the point. For employees, some will thrive in an office and others at home. Externally, many customers have come to appreciate the faceless digital experience while others still demand a human face. In either case, the key is that differentiating needs to empower preference and need.

Avoid false flexibility

Though office policies themselves may be flexible, if leadership themselves don’t lead by example then much of that flexibility is lip service. When leaders work strict schedules and refuse to take advantage of flexibility themselves, it sends negative signals about irregular work hours and creates real differences in outcomes for access, perception, and promotion.

Better Marketing Campaigns with Slack

Slack offers a wealth of advantages to supercharge a marketing team (or any team at all), exemplified by channels, no-code workflow building, and seamless integrations. Among these, channel is king.

Are channels really so much better than email? Yes.

• Transparency – there are no silos between stakeholder groups, which avoids duplicative work and misalignment.
• Agility – navigation is infinitely easier than one or multiple email threads, and central document housing eliminates time spent chasing references.
• Focus – context switching is minimized because so many software services integrate right into Slack

Which are the most critical features of channels?

• Descriptions & pinned items give new (& existing) users instant access to key stakeholders and content being discussed.
• Threads, search, and emojis make navigation seamless. Threads keep conversations neat & tidy, AI-assisted search eliminates lost conversations, and “react-jis” make status rapidly available to viewers – what’s complete versus what has urgency, approval, or eyes on.
• Slack connect is the ultimate platform for customers, partners, and vendors. Not only does the channel have a more personal relationship than email, but it drastically reduces the back and forth for items that require approval, review, or any kind of collaboration.

Any superuser tips? Of course.

• Use naming conventions for your channels! At Slack, they use prefixes like team, proj, and help
• If you’re new to channels, start with projects. If you’re experienced, make sure you have department-wide and cross-department channels.
• Huddles are a particularly good resource for quickly explaining topics that may be lost in translation over text. They’re great for explainers, creative work, or trains of thought.
• Slack connect can house up to 20 different organizations in one channel – don’t be afraid to collaborate with multiple partners.

Slack Tips to Spend More Time Selling

A handful of hot tips to grease your sales engine:

• Dedicate space for recurring topics. Best practices include maintaining a channel for wins, new hires, tactics, and appraisals.
• Organize your channels! Use naming conventions like CUST-[name] to organize channels for all your (major) accounts. For external partner channels on Slack Connect, use a prefix like EXT- to clearly signify external visibility.
• Integrate, integrate, integrate. Connecting with your source of truth – say CRM – means you can not only automatically update channels with relevant information but send comments back to your CRM without ever leaving Slack.
• Use huddles to most quickly share recorded insights OR start open huddles in a channel to collaborate with everyone who’s relevant and available.

Deliver a Great Customer Experience with Slack

CX agent onboarding

Onboarding a new CX agent involves inundating them with a lot of information. One way to handle this is to create personalized onboarding channels where you can offer them guidance and learning material and feedback. Gabrielle Dracopoulos from Intuit talked about how they use custom bots and channels to power their support team for their high-volume days.

Problems faced by new CX agents

Informal Communication

Foster informal connection and recognition to create an environment of belonging. Use clips and huddles to have lightweight conversation flexibly. Alex Holmes from Influx talked about the use of channels to empower people by letting them ask questions openly and transparently. Use emoji protocol (eyes to indicate seen and a checkmark to indicate done, etc) to act on messages and update or delegate actions.

Gabrielle also spoke about how their survey platform integration with Slack enabled agents to see what did or didn’t work – faster and more accurately.

What customers value in terms of support experience

Using Slack Connect

Chris Bryan from Slack talked about how using Slack Connect to bring all partners and third-party service providers together. Everyone can work together to deliver an amazing customer support experience. Simple queries can often require agents to interface with multiple parties. With Slack Connect, they can reply to your customer faster by conferring with your partners, right inside Slack, without losing context. You can invite your customers to a Slack Connect channel to offer priority support, simplify reach out, or give feedback, creating a long-lasting and mutually valuable relationship.

Use apps to handle internal queries

Andrew Gillespie talked about how Slack uses Slack to service its customers using workflows, custom bots, and channels. As a result of leveraging context support in Slack, they’ve been able to reduce escalations by 65%. Voice of customer is driven by prioritizing customer feedback via channels. Agents bring up customer feedback to specific channels where product experts and owners can act on it. Once feedback is acted upon, the agents need to inform the customer to close the loop, and using emojis and apps in channels, helps them achieve this seamlessly.

Resolve Customer Issues Faster with Slack

Customer success is transitioning from a cost center to a profit center

• Customer loyalty is increasing in value. Often, a 5% increase in retention means a 25% increase in profit.
• In a Slack survey, 50% of customers said they’d switch to a competitor after just one bad CS experience. 80% said they’d switch after two.
• The trifecta of customer experience is personalization, differentiation, and proactivity. These are not the domain of marketing or sales.

While gaining prominence, customer support suffers from classic plagues

• Answers to customer questions are poorly organized, undocumented, out of date, or distributed across systems
• Customer support becomes slow and ineffective when information is not easily accessible or relies on individual experts
• Inaccessible information creates a vicious cycle: slow search begets frequent escalation which begets further delays and weighs down productivity. Not a good experience for customers or support teams.

Slack solves most or all these afflictions, even for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority

• Channels connect agents, experts, and managers in one location.
• Channels also bring key documents under one roof.
• Integrations bring ticketing software directly into Slack for maximum visibility and responsiveness
• AI search means even recent, relevant documents are a keystroke away, or even recent conversations when no document is available.
• The MTA solved huge gaps in communication between field-office customers by codifying verbal information, structuring workflow, and integrating an army of siloed data systems. The result = more transparency and greater credibility.

Day 2 Launch

Design Your New HQ: People-Centric and Digital First

Sheela Subramanian from Future Forum presented findings from broad research on designing an effective workspace, and Dolapo Falola from Slack followed up with specific tips for implementing in Slack.

Redesign > Retrofit

The spontaneity of covid-19 meant most businesses adopted a lift + shift approach to migrating to remote work: RETROFIT processes, behaviors, and culture from WFO to WFH. Stay C-suite-centric instead of transitioning to people-centric.

Retrofitting refuses to recognize that one-size-fits-all no longer exists and it isn’t working. Currently, 1/3 of women are considering leaving or downshifting their careers, and 57% of knowledge workers are looking for new opportunities.

The only way forward is flexible, inclusive, and connected

Flexibility is consistently the highest employee priority behind compensation, and works best using both the WHEN and the WHERE dimension. That said, flexibility also requires structure to work, and indeed employees prefer flexibility within a framework.

Inclusivity, on the other hands, is a less vehemently demanded but equally critical norm. Future Forum has found that middle management in particular suffers from grievous lack of training typically imparts the most damaging cultural environments in an organization. Employees that think their teams lack transparency have barely half the level of excitement for work.

Finally, connection is conceptually the easiest and logistically the hardest to implement in a post-covid world. Particularly for digital-first companies, it turns out the investment in digital tools is a much stronger indicator of connection than prior culture or behaviors. In a rather wild finding, companies with high levels of connection tech investment saw 100% higher feelings of belonging and 200% higher overall satisfaction.

Tips for Bringing Your Digital HQ to Life

Along with the specific advice offered by Sheela, Dolapo offered a smattering of Slack-focused tips for shifting cultural and behavioral practices.

• Video clips: we need to do more than just shift meeting from office to zoom. Slack clips offer transcripting and easy navigation like markers and speed up/down in order to supercharge verbal communication. The simplicity and speed of clips make them competitive with text for shifting team behavior.
• Slack Atlas: makes key internal data readily available to allow employees to connect more easily by browsing org charts, advanced user profiles, and even custom fields like food preferences or hobbies.
• Slack Connect: allows fully customized protocols with external customers and partners to much higher levels of collaboration while maintaining security needs and preferences. 77% of the Fortune 100 uses Slack Connect for external stakeholders.
• Apps and workflows: use the giant Slack App Directory or Workflow Builder to automate and normalize everything from sharing weekend plans and photos to provisioning for new teammates.

IDC Marketscape

Wayne Kurtzman talks through wisdom from two years of IDC research on collaboration software.

What did the pandemic do to collaboration?

• Collaboration was already a red-hot space, and covid-19 was much more than a tipping point
• Adoption of collaboration progressed by about 5 years in just the first 6 months of lockdown
• The value of trust and openness have quickly accelerated

Why did Slack stand out among vendors?

• Integrations in the app directory outnumbered competition
• Ability to connect externally was true competitive advantage
• Asynchronous audio and video options elevated a once messaging space
• At the end of the day, companies with more than 3 Slack integrations were able to bring products and development to market 77% faster than their peers

The future of collaboration is hybrid, and only a small fraction of businesses are truly ready

Takeaways from Tayo Rockson, Professional Storyteller

Digital channels and remote communication provide more ways to tell a story, but more doesn’t always mean easier.

Keys to any remote culture

Different environments require different behavior to succeed, and remote work is just like any physical or emotional environment – it all comes down to appreciate differences in success, belonging, and safety.

• Success looks different by country, culture, phase of life, identity, and remote teams must deeply understand how contributors differ in their goals.
• Belonging is similarly individual, and while shared traditions can help bridge gaps between individuals, they can also alienate those unable or unwilling to participate.
• Safety is freedom to be oneself, and is equally valuable for people and businesses. Without safety, teams lose the ability to have difficult conversations, push back, or fully participate in the market of ideas and effort.

Tips from a digital nomad

• Use difference to make a difference: historically we’ve treated differences as a zero sum game and either chosen to deny, exploit, or eliminate. Taking time to appreciate open the window to mutually beneficial difference.
• Curiosity DIDN’T kill the cat: asking questions healthy, even when there’s risk of showing ignorance. The key is to keep asking questions but keep them open-ended and listen to understand
• Try out an empathy hour: work connections can’t be 100% about work. Healthy relationships require multi-faceted connection, and something as simple as huddling for a team “empathy hour” where work topics are prohibited can make a world of difference.

And finally, Tayo reminds us that a globalized, digitalized world doesn’t actually make connection easier – systems and institutions still exist that make it difficult to be yourself, and often they too are strengthened by digitalization. It’s up to us to intentionally build teams and cultures that promote identity.

Platform’s Next Frontier – Employee Experience

On the back on Slack’s recent push to personalize each unique slack experience and make workflow builder a tool for non-technical users, Angela Ashenden @ CCS Insight shares research on the evolving employee experience.

Employee experience is more and more reliant on tech

While employee experience is a highly complex topic that impacts career opportunity, fulfillment, and relationships with family, colleagues, and work, tech is an increasingly crucial factor for knowledge workers. In fact, 3/4 of employees now consider technology among top considerations for choosing an employer.

Diving deeper, it turns out that IT complexity is the single biggest issue employees have with their tech stack. Excessive context switching is so pervasive – even within short tasks – that nearly 2 in 5 employees recognize that it’s become an issue for them. Meanwhile, an average of 2 hours a day is being spent on simple and repetitive tasks, which further drains time from high-value, creative work.

In looking to solve for these problems, Slack continues to deliver value by centralizing focused conversations, keeping documents and information within arms reach, and providing no-code solutions for repeat workflows.

Strengthen Teamwork with Slack Atlas

After acquiring Meadow last year, Slack finally provided a little more insight into their much awaited Slack Atlas enterprise functionality for enhanced user profiles. Currently only available to North American teams over 500 employees, Atlas will soon be available in other geographies.

Slack Atlas at 1000 Feet

• At base, Atlas is an enhanced user profile to supplement Slack’s basic profile
• Atlas also enables beautiful, interactive org charts
• The end goal of Atlas is further enriching context for human to human interaction

How is Atlas different than the basic Slack profile?

• The basic Slack profile provides – well – basic information to make sure you’re messaging the right person. Name, title, photo.
• Slack Atlas provides much, much more context about colleagues, including:
  • Who they work with
  • What they work on
  • What expertise they have
  • Where they’re at
  • What they like
• In the future, Atlas may even provide information integrated with partner – marketing may be able to see accounts assigned to a sales colleague directly from Salesforce.

Okay but what specifically does it look like?

• Below we can see the Atlas profile window on the right and interactive org chart opened in the center screen.
  • At the top of the profile window remains basic profile info
  • Below basics are action options to message, huddle, and more
  • Next up we see high-level org info like manager and direct report, with a link to open the org chart
  • Underneath immediate org info are key people, likes assistants, mentees, or mentors
  • Below people are affiliations, including static groups (departments) and fluid (projects)
  • Finally, the bottom of the Atlas window shows highly customized bio additional information, including expertise, interests, or fun facts.

The post Our Takeaways from Slack Frontiers 2021 appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.

In this blog, we will talk about employee burnout, causes of burnout, employee burnout signs, how to manage employee burnout, and more. Because to tackle something as serious as this, it is important to address each and every aspect, right from the start.

What is Workplace Burnout?

Employee burnout, also known as workplace burnout, has gained so much momentum that it has now found a place as an occupational phenomenon in the 11th revision of the World Health Organization or WHO’s ‘International Classification of Diseases.’

As per WHO, it is “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

To put it in simple terms, employee burnout in the workplace refers to a condition, where the employee is exhausted physically and mentally to the point of a breakdown. This level of exhaustion impacts productivity and lack of help on the part of the employer further fuels it, often leading to bitter exits or other serious consequences. 

The question is, how to deal with burnout at work? For starters, know what causes the problem.

What Causes Employee Burnout?

Endless competition and the hustle culture often take a toll on the employees, sometimes even inadvertently. All of these can lead to employee burnout: 

• Pressure to be quick with work
• Unclear communication
• Unrealistic expectations 
• Lack of managerial support
• Discrimination at work

A good work environment fuels productivity and achievement of the organization’s vision and mission. Employee burnout is what happens when an organization is not able to provide a good work environment.  After knowing the leading causes, it is important to know the signs of employee burnout so that they can be pre-empted.

What are Employee Burnout Signs?

Dealing with workplace burnout is not easy. But you have to start somewhere. The first step is to recognize the signs of burnout in employees. These are also known as work burnout symptoms.

Disengagement

Do you notice your employees getting disengaged from tasks? Disengagement often happens when a person has lost interest in the work, which may be a result of burnout.

Visible Exhaustion

An employee’s depleting energy and disinterest are often visible in their appearance. This also leads to a sharp change in personality. Burnt-out employees are more prone to rapid mood swings, constant irritation, and an overall negative professional perception about work, the workplace, and teammates.

A constant state of stress can also lead to them not being too attentive as far as the employee dress code is concerned.

Reduced Quality of Work

A burned-out employee who has lost interest in work will never be able to deliver the same quality of work that an enthusiastic employee would. Does that make the person a bad employee? No. But this is surely a sign that the employee needs help and is not in the best mental space to take up any more work or assignments.

Overly Cynical Attitude

Burnt-out employees bicker a lot; about their job, key performance indicators, job responsibilities, and the workplace as a whole. Anything and everything can tick them off as they dangle between cynicism and pessimism.

Demoralization

Once the employees are done with their cynicism, the next stage of burnout is worse. It is a state of ultimate defeat and demoralization wherein the employee does not think they are fit to do any task in the right way. They are demoralized and unmotivated. As a result, they only half-heartedly attempt tasks, because they have already assumed they would be bad at it. 

Chronic Absenteeism

Someone suffering from employee burnout will often take more sick leaves as compared to the others. This may either be the case because they are actually sick, or because their mental afflictions are being manifested physically. 

Absenteeism should be tracked consistently by HR to find out if there are certain employees who may be taking too many leaves. HR can then check in on these individuals to find out what is their concern. If it is a health issue, they can offer additional paid leave, FMLA, or even short-term disability.

If it is a burnout symptom, they can be given help before it is too late.

Multiple Unfinished Tasks

The number of unfinished and incomplete tasks going up and being carried forward indefinitely? This is a sign that the employee might be too burnt out to create something new and more often than not unable to finish the task despite dedicating the requisite time to it.

Increased Employee Attrition

Employee burnout, due to a poor work environment can lead to a higher rate of employee attrition, something that can become a pain point for the organization. It will not only increase hiring and training costs but also reflects poorly on the organization in the market.

A Negative Work Culture

All of the above-mentioned factors, when combined together, perpetuate an extremely negative work culture. 

If one notices these signs, there is a pattern. Most of these signs reflect negativity and dissatisfaction, either with the attitude of managers or with the workplace in general. The solution lies with these two as well.

What is the best way to make your employee feel motivated and energized?

How to Manage Employee Burnout in the Workplace?

Employee burnout signs and causes can help you identify the problem. But you also need to know the solutions. This is an extremely crucial situation that not only affects the professional aspect but the personal one as well, for the employee. For the organization, it not only leads to higher costs and a bad image but also a constant state of negativity that leads to the exit of the present employees and the difficulty in finding new ones.

So, how to manage employee burnout so that none of this happens? Let’s take a look.

#1 Combating Employee Burnout: Set Realistic Expectations

How can you do that? By setting realistic Key Performance Indicators and then having a one on one discussion with the employee about it.

One-on-one meetings have a personal touch of care that helps the employee open up and tell you about their strengths and weaknesses. They can also be vocal about what they can realistically do and what they cannot. Alternatively, you can provide them the relevant assistance if they need it, to help them achieve their goals better.

#2 Combating Employee Burnout: Provide Relevant Training

Candidates are hired as employees for a specific job but, as the organization grows, so does the role. In such a scenario, as the expectations grow, the employee may need help. The managers and HR should keep a tab on such expansion. Ensure that there is a buffer period, both during the training period and after the training period when the effects are to be observed. The best way to do it is by implementing an Employee Assistance Program.

#3 Combating Employee Burnout: Strike a Balance Between Work and Life

New hires are mostly enthusiastic about the job. The manager has to ensure that the work and management remain interesting enough for the employee to be engaged throughout their time with the company. At the same time, they need to encourage the employee to take enough breaks, to avoid the possibility of burnout. Remember that burnout never serves anyone. It may provide double the work on a single day, but might end up affecting the productivity of the rest of the week.

#4 Combating Employee Burnout: Take Mental Health Seriously

Mental health is not a fad. It is as real as any other physical illness and should be taken seriously. If ignored, it can snowball into something really big and spin out of control.

Your employees are people. They need their minds healthy as well. Ensure that you have Employee Wellness Programs keyed in at relevant times. If possible, also have contacts and connections with therapists who can come in to improve the overall mental well-being of your employees. 

#5 Combating Workplace Burnout: Offer Rewards for Taking a Break

A little unusual, but quite effective. Organizations often reward employees who go overboard with work, even if the quality suffers.

Do the opposite. Encourage and reward your employees for taking a step back by accepting when they have reached their limit. Reward them for taking a break and passing on the baton at the right time, rather than waiting for burnout and breakdown.

Promote taking sabbaticals and involve zero contract employees when an employee goes on a break for a few months. This may be an unconventional route to follow, but when your main goal is organizational well-being and ensuring the employees perform in the best possible manner, this technique works well.

#6 Combating Workplace Burnout: Keep Tabs on Work Culture

People grow up when seldom grow out of their attitudes, especially if these traits are deeply rooted. Keep an eye out for the work culture. Keep a close eye on the workforce and be proactive when it comes to spotting any form of bullying or harassment, even if it is going on silently and may be swept under the rug.

The best way to tackle this would be to be an Agile HR and be proactive, so that such issues are solved on priority, for better and healthier work culture. This will help negate employee burnout.

#7 Combating Employee Burnout: Discourage Knee-jerk Managerial Reactions

Have training in place for upcoming and current managers as well. Train them on how they can manage their employees in a better and less stressful manner. The feedbacks and reactions should not be knee-jerk, as they contribute to stress, again, causing employee burnout-like situations. The work done when the employee is so stressed out seldom comes out to be good.

#8 Combating Employee Burnout: Keep all the Channels of Communication Open

Communication is key. It can resolve differences and solve many issues, even employee burnout. Each person has a different way of communicating. Similarly, every person has a different mode of communication with which they are comfortable.

As HR, have all the possible channels open for the employees. Encourage team managers to do the same. This will help keep the conversations transparent and the employees will not keep things to themselves, further contributing to employee stress and burnout.

#9 Combating Employee Burnout: Consider Shift Scheduling

Another brilliant way to combat job burnout is by considering a shift schedule. This type of work schedule means that employees work limited hours and have more time to balance out work and life. It also prevents their mind from tiring down, thus gearing them up for the next day. It increases their productivity and reduces stress and burnout considerably.

#10 Combating Employee Burnout: Respect Time Off the Job

Understand that the person you are dealing with is not just your employee, but also an individual with aspirations that go beyond the workspace. Be understanding of their issues and provide them the relevant space when they require it.

Be mindful of their off-job obligations, be it another job or freelance assignment that they may have undertaken to have a better financial portfolio, or even therapy to help them combat their mental health.

Do You Need to Tackle Employee Burnout?

It is extremely important to be aware of your human resources. Keep an eye out for when their mental health is crumbling. The signs are plain and visible. The only thing required is a watchful way to know that they are truly burning out. Most of the time the employees do not recognize this. That’s why it is important for the organization, managers, and HR department as a whole to constantly enforce practices that encourage a healthy work environment and discourage employee burnout.

What do you do at your workplace to tackle this issue? 

The post How to Manage Workplace Burnout? appeared first on AttendanceBot Blog.