Category Archives: Employee engagement

3 Ways You Can Improve Customer Experience

Does Outdoor Space Matter at an Office?

outdoor space for office An increasing number of office buildings are beginning to incorporate outdoor spaces into their design, and are seeing some fantastic benefits as a result. Incorporating nature into office buildings has meant that both business owners and employees are able to benefit from being able to go outside and get fresh air whenever the need arises.

The concept of creating a stimulating work environment that also incorporates an area of outdoor space has become one of the new models for creating the perfect office space. Having an outdoor area for team members to enjoy doesn’t mean transferring the entirety of your operation outside; it simply means creating a useable outdoor space that can be enjoyed by yourself and your team members.

Wondering what the benefits are of adding an outdoor space to your office? There are various benefits of incorporating a useable outside space for yourself and your team members to use and enjoy—it’s just a case of creating the right space. For everything that you need to know about creating the ideal outdoor office space, have a read of this!

Nature helps to reduce feelings of stress

The fact is that work-related stress can actually impact a team member’s ability to perform while at work, and can even cause a number of health problems. Workplace stress can have a seriously detrimental impact on productivity and efficiency at work, which is why it’s so important to find ways to help alleviate stress. Creating an outdoor space that you and your team members can use and enjoy is a positive step towards helping to better manage stress at work. Studies show that by encouraging team members to spend more time outside, you can help to reduce feelings of stress and therefore improve levels of productivity.

Having access to outdoor space helps to increase employee happiness

When it comes to employee retention, ensuring that your team members are satisfied with their working situation and setup is vital. That’s where creating an outdoor space that your team members enjoy spending time in can help—studies have shown that a lot of people find outdoor spaces to be extremely soothing, and having access to outside space can help improve happiness. Creating an inspiring outdoor area for your team members can be a great way to boost team members’ happiness and contentment. When creating the ideal outdoor area, think about incorporating some greenery, perhaps a pond, which you can learn more about pond management at Water-garden.co.uk, and potentially some flowers. You could also opt to add a seating area, so that there’s a comfortable place for your team members to sit and relax.

An outdoor space can be therapeutic

Having access to an outdoor area can be extremely therapeutic, especially if the outdoor space incorporates the right scents, for instance. Jasmine, rose, and lavender are all extremely soothing and relaxing scents, so you could consider planting some of these in your outdoor office space to make it easier for your team members to relax.

Keep these ideas in mind if you are considering adding an outdoor space to your office.

And if are looking for office space that allows for outdoor space for your employees, contact us to find the right office space at the best price.

5 Signals It Is The Right Time for An Office Redesign

Thanks to the pandemic many businesses are finding they need to have an office redesign to keep employees safe. Office redesign may be an intimidating project, but it is a great way to beat improve employee engagement and productivity in the workplace. A change in your office interior design needs to be carefully planned and be in accordance with your budget and space needs. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to seek expert advice. Nowadays, with the help of interior designers and online Interior products sourcing platforms, you can optimally redesign your office space within your budget.

Of course, one of the main questions you will ask yourself is, “Is this the right time for an office redesign?” Sometimes an office redesign project can feel like a massive investment of time and money with little return. But if the time is right, your office redesign may be the best decision you make.

Here are five signals that help you know the right time to of an office redesign:

Improve Productivity Levels – Your office design could be a reason for the lower productivity levels of your workforce. Especially if employees are having to work from home due to the pandemic. Look for ways in which your office layout hinders your employees from working safely and efficiently. Find a modern office design that improves productivity levels in your workplace.
Unused Office Spaces – Take a look around and think about the underutilized spaces in your office. It’s time to re-purpose those areas of your office to optimally utilize the complete area. Restructuring your office space can help you get more out of the same space at a small cost.
Reflecting Your Brand Image – Your office interior design is an important part of your brand image. Designing your office using the same colors and themes as your brand gives people the right idea about your company. But when there is a mismatch; it might be time to redesign your office space.
It Looks the Same as Before You Moved In – Think about it, what changes have you made since you moved into your current office? There have been a lot of changes in workplace design to improve productivity over the past few years. Consider redesigning your workspace according to modern office design ideas that fulfill your needs and reflect your brand personality.
Evolving Business Needs – As your business grows, your needs from your office space also change. As your company grows – you may need to create space for more people or equipment.

Similarly, office designs after the pandemic will need to accommodate lesser people. Choose a modern design that can easily be changed to accommodate more or fewer people as required. Workstations should be easily moveable to change the layout.

Things to consider while redesigning your office space:

Finalize Your New Office Design – Before you begin restructuring your office space, you should finalize the new design. Work with an excellent online interior design agency to get a professional consultation and be clear about the new layout before you begin.
Keep a Checklist of All the Materials/Objects You Need for the Redesign – Make sure to have a list of the materials, equipment, furniture, and products that you need to complete the renovation. Find out where you can source these things from at the best price. You can search for the local or online sourcing agents who can help you with your product sourcing needs.
Procurement Company – Hire a good procurement company to source the required materials and objects for your new office design.

The decision to redesign your office may be tough, but the new design must fulfill your needs, motivate your employees, and not add unnecessary costs. Office redesign requires careful planning so that your employees can continue working with ease even during the transitionary period. And finally, always seek professional help wherever needed. This will help you create the office design you want without overstepping your budget.

If you decide that you would rather move than redesign, contact us. We can help!

Creating A Productive Workspace In The Office

Many of us long to end the day feeling satisfied with their accomplishments. While this might be ideal, it often isn’t the reality. Thankfully, there are a few small additions that you can make to the office environment which can result in a huge boost to your productivity and create a productive workspace. Let’s look at some of the best approaches for you to try.

Grow Some Plants

Adding some greenery to the office is one of the easiest ways to lighten up a room. There are dozens of options for you to explore. For example, you might be able to get a small pot plant, which will fit in the corner of your desk. In other cases, though, you might have the space to put in a bigger plant, like an indoor pine tree or bamboo shoots.

There are many benefits that plants provide. First, it will make the environment more pleasant. Many people find having a plant in the office creates a calmer environment, making it easier to focus on their work. It’s also been shown that adding plants can help you filter any chemicals out of the air, giving you a safer working environment. Because of these factors, adding plants to the office can, according to some studies, produce a 15 percent increase in productivity,

Personalize Your Workspace

Another great idea is to personalize the workplace, making it your own. This is a great way to feel more relaxed, as you’ll be surrounded by objects that make you feel comfortable. There are dozens of ways that you can inject your personality into the office. For example, you might want to add figurines from movies or TV shows that you enjoy. You can also decorate the area with colorful stickers or pictures. However, one of the best options is to put in a picture of your family. This can often help remind you why working so hard in the office is important to you, helping you stay motivated.

Add Some Activity

It’s believed that one in four adults don’t exercise enough. This can impact on general health, increasing your chances of becoming obese. However, a lack of activity has also been shown to impact on your mental health. For example, it’s been shown that a quick burst of activity will be able to help you focus. It can also give you more energy.

There are dozens of ways for you to bring more activity into the office. If you have a bigger budget, you might want to install a gym for your employees. For a smaller budget, you can put in team sports, like ping pong. As an added benefit, playing as part of a team can help you form stronger social bonds with your co-workers.

Check The Ventilation

Another simple way that you can improve your workplace is by adding in air ventilation. When the air isn’t flowing through the building properly, it can become stale. This can increase the chances that employees will get sick, as toxins can build up in the office. When they can get fresh air, it will be easier to breathe, creating a more pleasant working space. There are plenty of ways that you will be able to provide fresh, clean air. For example, you might want to add in some more windows or improve your air conditioning system. In other cases, you can put in an air purifier. When you do this, you’ll need to make sure that you get a model that has a HEPA filter, as these will trap smaller particles.

Put In More Windows

Putting in windows another simple way to improve productivity around the office. There are a few reasons for this. First, as we mentioned, it’s important to have good ventilation and fresh air. You’ll also be able to bring more natural light into the workplace. This has been shown to improve the mental health of employees, making them feel more positive about their working environment. It can also help you save money on electricity costs.

Find The Best Work Time For You

Often, the biggest improvements in your productivity come when you change your mindset. One of the best ways to do this is by figuring out the hours that you are most productive at. For example, some people might be more productive in the mornings, while others will get more done during the afternoon. Once you know these hours, you can structure your day around these times. To illustrate, if you tend to be more alert during the morning you might want to consider using this time to complete the most difficult tasks. You can use a to-do list to help you keep track of the things you need to do and plan the best times to do them.

Get A Good Night’s Sleep

The amount of sleep that you get each night might have a big impact on your performance at work. When you don’t get enough sleep, you will find it harder to focus and think logically. As a result, productivity tends to take a big dip. The simple solution to this is making sure that you’re getting plenty of sleep each night. It’s estimated that the average adult needs to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. If you’re having trouble falling asleep because of stress at work, you might want to try mediation or other techniques to help you achieve a calmer state of mind.

Get A Coffee Machine

Finally, one of the best ways for you to make sure that you’re focused at work is by installing a coffee machine. This can have a huge range of benefits. First, caffeine has been shown to boost alertness, making it easier to focus on the task at hand. It’s also been proven to help people improve their moods, improving mental health. However, coffee machines might also help bring the office together, providing a natural place for employees to meet and converse.

In this area, there are dozens of different types of coffee makers for you to explore. For example, there’s drip coffee, which can be used to make a pot of coffee for multiple people. In other cases, you might want to get an espresso machine, which will give you more customization options, so you’ll be able to get the perfect brew for your tastes. In other cases, you might want to get a French Press, which is a way of manually preparing your coffee.

The best type of coffee machine will often depend on your office circumstances. However, it’s important to make sure that you choose something that’s going to brew enough for the entire office. You also want to make sure that it will be durable enough to be used several times each day. To help make this choice easier, you can use this excellent analysis of commercial coffee makers for office.

Conclusion

Though we all want to improve productivity, it can often be difficult to know which techniques will yield the best results. Thankfully, as we’ve seen, there are dozens of small changes that you can make to your office to improve productivity. So, now you’ll be able to use these tools to create a more productive workspace in your office.

If you are looking for an office that will meet your needs, we can help. Our service is free. Contact us today.

5 Ways to Minimize Distractions in Your Office

Minimize distractions

Would you like to find useful ways to ensure a peaceful workplace and minimize distractions, but don’t know where to start? Noise and other distractions can hinder productivity and frustrate employees. Here are 5 ways that can help minimize distractions to help maximize productivity.

#1: Bring in Sound Absorbing Materials

If you are looking to reduce the noise distraction in your office workspace, then you need to bring in sound-absorbing materials without even sacrificing on the office design. The noise absorbing materials are quite required for contact working spaces or call centers. Typically, modern materials, such as acoustic cotton batts, wall panels, cubicle partitions, noise-friendly flooring, and noise-canceling workstations are used in offices to cut down on the noise distraction. However, if you want natural options, you can plant trees along outdoor hallways or place beautiful indoor plants to absorb noise.

#2: Install Soundproof Fans

We should also mention fans, They are an effective ways to control the temperature in your office. Many can be noisy and can cause a distraction. If excessive fan noise is hindering you from working peacefully in your office room, then it is better to change regular fan with a soundproof or a a quieter fan. Currently, a lot of reliable fan options are available in the market to keep your office space cool without causing any noise. You must check them online.

#3: Limit Technological Distractions

Next, if you aim to maintain the focus of your employees on the work, you need to set boundaries for technological distractions. You should devise clear policies around how frequently the employees are allowed to use their smartphones or personal devices during the working hours. Technological distractions can significantly impact the entire workforce. For instance, if one employee is on the call, he is disturbing his team members and colleagues as well. Constant emails, text messages, and social media notifications are equally annoying for co-workers.

#4: Display Inspiration

Even if you have a team full of motivated and enthusiastic employees, you still need to make them feel excited and inspired regularly. It is one of the key solutions to limit the distractions in the office, and positively stimulate your workforce. You can hang motivational quotes and intriguing pictures on the office walls. You can also surround your office space with a small library. These visual attempts are a sudden push to inspire your employees. This will help them feel motivated to finish projects before due dates.

#5: Improve Work Setting

Lastly, you need to work on the overall office setting to provide a comfortable environment for your employees. It is an imperative factor to ramp up your workforce productivity while having reasonable control over distractions. Your employees spend the major part of their day sitting in your office and working for your company. Therefore, you need to ensure a positive environment so that your employees feel happy and deliver 100% focus & attention. You must provide dedicated rooms, bring in fresh air & natural lighting, install comfortable workstations, and equip recreational areas. Besides, you need to treat employees equally, employ open-door policy, and create a transparent setting to enhance the working environment and limit the distractions.

If you are looking for an office that will meet your needs, we can help. Our service is free. Contact us today.

6 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring An Office Cleaning Service

Cleaning Service

It is essential to provide your employees with a conducive working environment. This can be helpful in improving their quality of work and productivity. While many tenants with full service leases may not have the responsiblity for office cleaning, those that do need to know what to look for.

Finding the right office cleaning services can be quite tricky, and you usually won’t be getting it right the first few times. There will be instances when you’ll be hiring a provider that doesn’t live up to your expectations, which can be a total waste of money.

So, if you are planning on hiring the services of an office cleaning provider, take note of these mistakes that you should avoid:

Being Misinformed Of Their Specialty

Every cleaning company provides a specialty service. Some specialize in cleaning offices or commercial spaces, while some focus on cleaning houses or warehouses. Knowing what cleaning service providers specialize in will be helpful in choosing the best one for your office, particularly one that fits the cleaning needs of your company.

Choosing The Cheapest

When searching for a cleaning service provider, choosing one that fits your budget is always an essential part of the process. However, it does not mean that you should choose the cheapest option available to you. Although settling for the least expensive one may seem like you are saving some cash, the service they provide might not be up to par with your expectations.

That is not to say that cleaning companies who offer affordable prices are not that good. The same can be said for cleaning companies that have expensive price tags. Thus, it is important to also do your research on the cleaning service company you plan on hiring in order to see their track record before you could finalize your decision.

Remember to always try to strike a balance between affordability and high-quality cleaning service.

Hiring Without Checking For Liability Insurance

It is very important to check for a cleaning company’s liability insurance before hiring them. Without it, you cannot easily charge them if they cause damage to your properties during the process. Because the workplace houses expensive office equipment, liability insurance is a must.

A legitimate cleaning service provider should have no qualms showing you the details of their insurance, so never forget to ask them for it. If the contractor you’re talking to doesn’t have insurance, better start looking for another one.

Hiring Without Doing Your Research

Doing some research on the office cleaning contractor you’ve shortlisted is a must before hiring them. Confirm with their previous clients if they are good at what they do. Were they professional in executing their tasks? Were they thorough? Were they clumsy and damaged some equipment?

These days, having a website or, at the very least, a social media presence is very common. These platforms often have reviews and comments written there, so it would be best to check those, as well. They can be very helpful in determining whether or not a specific office cleaning contractor really offers high-quality services.

Not Looking For Certifications And Licenses

Certifications and licenses are very important for cleaning service providers to have. These reflect their dedication to their craft and the amount of time they have spent in developing their skills, therefore elevating the workmanship of their respective cleaning companies.

Although some cleaning service companies might have great reviews on their websites and social media channels, certificates and licenses legitimize that their cleaning skills are really topnotch and that they know what they are doing.

Not Fully Reading And Comprehending Service Agreement Or Contract

Once you have picked an office cleaning contractor, you need to discuss with them the types of services that they offer, as well as everything you expect from them. In doing so, you and the other party will have an idea of what the contract will look like.

However, it is not enough for you to assume that everything that was discussed during such talk will be reflected on the contract or the service agreement. Thus, you should read the contract in full. If there are terms or conditions that are not clear to you, ask before you sign anything.

Conclusion

Sometimes, it’s so easy to hire the first office cleaning company you see or hear about. However, it is imperative that you choose a cleaning service provider that offers professional and top-quality cleaning services.

Before choosing which cleaning company to hire, try to avoid making the mistakes mentioned above. Do your due diligence and think carefully. Whoever cleans your office can make a positive or negative effect on your employees, so take your pick wisely.

The Essentials Before Heading Out Into The World Of Business On Your Own

By 2020, it is estimated that approximately 27 million Americans will leave the workforce in favor of self-employment, according to estimations in the 2018 FreshBooks report.

self-employment

The penchant for self-employment and entrepreneurial spirit that is alive in the country is not necessarily new information. The country ranked first on the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI), and cities across America are quickly becoming hotbeds for business innovation and startups. With over 24 million Americans contemplating self-employment in 2019, one key consideration for them will be how they can best be prepared for this professional leap. Taking a few steps before starting your own business sets you up for success, and helps the incorporation period of your business run much more smoothly. It includes securing the right office space, a dedicated workforce and everything in between.

Define Your Target Market And Competition

Creating a customer profile helps you define who your potential customers will be so that you can personalize your communications, location and even packaging according to what they prefer or demand. To do this, you need to conduct thorough market research and seek information on competing businesses in the industry. Take note of current trends in the industry, such as social media communication and advertising trends or any new complimentary service being offered by other companies already operating in the market. Getting to know your competition means you can capitalize on their shortcomings, providing the customers with what they seek. It also helps you define your boundaries: do you have enough funds and human resources to fill the need uncovered by the market research? More importantly, how can you make your offering unique and notable?

Decide On Your Location – Brick And Mortar, Ecommerce Or Both?

Now that you know who and what you wish to be selling, it is time to answer the questions of where and how. The first question to address is whether you want to sell in-store or online or both. Thanks to technology and the embracing of the internet, most businesses now have an online presence in addition to their brick and mortar locations. When choosing a location, look at factors such as closeness to your target market, availability of your supply, and ease of distribution. Whether you intend to sell online or in-store will also determine the kind of premises you secure; whether it is intended for warehouse storage and distribution or customer browsing and storefront as well. OfficeFinder can help you find the right location.

Back Your Plans With The Funds

Once you have decided on the target market (who) and the good/services to be offered (what), it is time to answer the question of how. This is where financing comes in. To kick-start your plans for your own business, you will need some degree of startup capital for the purchase/leasing of business premises, stock, machinery and promotional activities. Around 77 percent of small business owners use their personal funds to start their business, while 16 percent rely on borrowing from friends or family members.

Alternatively, you can opt to apply for a bank loan or credit like 24 percent of other business owners do, according to GuidantFinancial. The average in business loans taken is USD$72,2771, with 23 percent of owners borrowing more than that. If you do intend on financing your business with the help of loans and other credit, you should also check your credit report to ensure it is in optimal shape. The credit report of business owners (particularly small business owners) is one of the go-to things lenders consider in your application, so now would be the perfect time to boost your score or address any discrepancies in your financial past. Find more information here.

Create A Mock-Up

If you’re going to apply for a business loan or secure investor backing, you will need to pitch your idea, and a mock-up can help you sell your vision. This means creating a business plan for your financing process, which should detail your product/service, your target market, and your plans to meet the needs of the said market. Plan execution will include a marketing and sales plan, along with financial projections of your revenue and costs and your projected cash flow. It is important that you pay particular attention to your cash flow, since lenders will be taking note of cash management strategies. Finally, to round out your business presentation, you can create a demo business website and sample business cards or adverts.

Making the decision to head into a self-employment business for yourself can be fraught with many decisions in the beginning. However, the trick is to approach it systematically and carefully taking into consideration the essential decisions before you kick-start your venture.

Improve Productivity! 8 Tips for Designing an Organized Office Space

Do you want a workplace that encourages your employees to be more productive? Here 8 creative tips for designing an organized office space.

office Productivity Tips

Do your employees have low productivity? Or do you believe that there’s still room to improve? Redesigning your office might be the key.

Office design affects the productivity level of employees. However, this doesn’t only pertain to the aesthetics of the office. If it looks good yet is disorganized, employees can still suffer from low productivity.

To produce more and better output, your employees need a good environment. You can provide this by having an organized office space with the following tips.

Purging Junk and Files

The first step to organizing the workspace is purging all the unused equipment and old files. Throw out anything you or your employees don’t use anymore.

It could be a printer that’s always broken. You might as well throw it out to gain more space for other items — like a new printer that works.

The best way to go about this is to purge one area at a time. Take the time to go into your file room, too. Anything you can digitize, do it now so you can throw them out later.

There’s a way to keep the filing room neat and organized, but we’ll get to that later.

More Defined Spaces, Less Open Space

The idea of an open working plan is to encourage collaboration and creativity. It became the mark of a modern office that breaks the traditional walls.

However, studies show it’s not bringing the results it’s meant to bring. The employees in this kind of workspace atmosphere have lower satisfaction and productivity.

Instead of going this route, create and define different spaces in your office. Allot a space for collaboration, and then design it in a way that will encourage that interaction. You can also use smaller spaces for individuals who need some quiet, or you may also give them a space for bonding.

If you’re concerned with going modern for your office design, having spaces without desks is a nice compromise.

Optimizing the Office Layout

The next step for an organized office is a great floor plan. Employees should have easy access to all rooms and spaces. The more often they have to use a space, the closer it should be.

If it takes them 10 minutes to go to the bathroom because they have to pass by several rooms, that’s a bad layout. It decreases productivity because it wastes their time.

In shorter terms, your employees should not have to go through a maze to get to places.

Considering the Equipment Placement

While figuring out a good layout for your office, think about the proximity of your equipment to your employees. Are they able to use the printer in only a few steps? What about the suppliers they use daily?

Keep these things in mind while designing your office, not only the rooms. Anything essential to their work should always be within reach.

As for the supplies, keep them well-organized but well within range, as well. Keep the papers close to the copying machines, for example. Likewise, the filing folders should be near the cabinets.

For things employees don’t use often, it’s okay to put these in a room or a cabinet farther from the desks.

Creating Movement Opportunities

This might contradict the previous point, but this tip keeps your employees healthy and, by extension, productive.

It prevents them from being stagnant at their desk. Research suggests that for every 20 minutes you’re sitting, you must stand for 8 minutes and then move for 2 minutes.

In that regard, placing the machines far enough (but not too far) to get your employees moving will do the trick.

The five-minute trip to the bathroom, for example, can refresh their minds. This can help them overcome a wall and regain their momentum.

A short break spent in the water cooler has the same effect, and even the short walk to the filing room can do wonders.

Creating an Organized Filing System

Speaking of files, it’s time you take a trip to your filing rooms and realize the chaos. It’s not unusual, but if you want more productive employees, don’t let them stress out over your filing system.

Reorganize the room to include more cabinets, shred the unimportant files, and develop a filing system that will ensure the files will be easy to locate afterward. Keep all your client files in one corner, for example, and then your employee files in the other.

Don’t forget to hold a meeting to teach your employees how to use the new system.

Improving the Lighting

Natural light makes for a healthy work environment, and it may be the best perk you can give them. Having no access to natural light can make your employees gloomy, lacking motivation, and prone to illness.

Installing large windows to let as much light as possible is ideal. If your office can’t have windows, however, consider a smart lighting system.

This can sync with and mimic natural light outside. In particular, it mimics the color of natural light throughout the day. Daylight is bluish-white, while the afternoon light is more orange.

Controlling the Noise Level

Noise has a lot of negative effects on your employees. Aside from less productivity, they also have lower job satisfaction and more stress. This may be one of the reasons why open floor plans aren’t successful.

For a positive work environment, control the noise using noise. You can hide speech, computer sounds, and more by distributing white noise through your speaker systems.

You can also reduce the noise levels by moving the machines creating a lot of noise. Printers and copiers should go where noise won’t be an issue. Having a separate room for them is ideal.

Get an Organized Office

Having an organized office space will not only boost productivity. It will also boost your employees’ happiness. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional office designer to help you with designing a good working space.

For more tips, feel free to check out more of our guides. You can discover more tips and tricks with our library of helpful posts today!

5 Things to Look for on the Resume of Potential Employees

Hiring takes time and money. You want to make the best choice the first time around. Here are five important things to look for on a resume.

Resume

We all know how important relevant work experience and education are on a professional resume. But as an employer, do you know what else to look for on job applications?

If you’re an employer, these are the things you should be looking for on a resume. If you’re job hunting, make sure you’ve included these necessary parts of every professional resume.

A Professional and Clean Resume Appearance

Never underestimate the power of a visually pleasing resume. That doesn’t necessarily mean graphics and clip art.

A resume that is professionally formatted indicates computer skills, good visual taste, and attention to detail.

Potential employees can go here for a professional-looking, free template for resumes.

This also includes the candidate’s ability to be concise. If you’ve got more than 10 years of experience, there’s usually a lot of data you have to fit on one page. Look for a candidate who’s skilled at being clear and brief.

Don’t Neglect the Grammar

You can learn a lot about a potential employee by their correct or incorrect use of grammar and spelling on a resume.

A simple run through an online spell checking software can illuminate spelling and grammar errors.

Your potential employees are the representatives of your company. And if they can’t manage to put forward a passable resume, then it’s likely their work will be the same.

Filter Out the Fluff

It’s important to be able to cut through the fluff to understand the real substance of a resume.

While an extensive vocabulary indicates education, it can sometimes get in the way of understanding the bare bones of someone’s qualifications.

People without a lot of experience will go to great lengths to fluff up what they have. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Just don’t mistake fluff for industry experience.

Red Flags

If your job position listing asks for references and the resume provided says “references available upon request” it is probably an indication that they’ve been fired or let go recently.

Employment gaps can be caused by various circumstances. Not all of them are bad reasons. But if you notice a space where the applicant wasn’t working, make sure you understand why before hiring.

If an employee ignores or doesn’t follow the directions on your application, it’s another red flag that they aren’t detail-oriented or attentive to authority.

Values

How well could the applicant fit into the company culture? Most resumes provide an indication of the person’s strengths and personality traits.

Pay attention to how their values compare with yours and those of your company.

Don’t hesitate to search for social media accounts to get a better understanding of who they are as a person.

For hopeful employees that means you should make sure your social media accounts wouldn’t embarrass you.

You’re Hired!

Finding the right employee has so much to do with their resume. Don’t miss these important steps.

Once you have the right emplpoyees, contact us for more info on finding the right office space for your business needs!

6 Easy Ways to Keep Your Business Running More Efficiently

Messy Office Desk Keeping up in an increasingly competitive economy requires running your business as efficiently as possible. From the smallest sole proprietorships to massive multi-billion-dollar corporations, efficiency is a must. Believe it or not, it’s even more important for small- to medium-sized companies. Smaller businesses have fewer resources to fall back on than larger corporations, making efficiency in the workforce an absolute must.

Your company may be running smoothly, but there is likely room for improvement. Whether you find yourself running into setbacks that delay projects by a few days, you’re finding that your meetings are not productive and waste more time than they save or distractions are slowing down progress and driving up your expenses, there are several things that could be negatively impacting your company’s efficiency.

How can you correct these issues? Here are a few easy ways to keep your business running more efficiently.

Automate Anything You Can

Modern technology can save your business a lot of time and if you are not taking advantage of it, you are missing out. From sending pay stubs to employees to running backups to shipping receipts to vendors, there are several tasks that can be automated.

Once seen as a luxury, business automation has become a necessity in today’s competitive world. Automating monotonous tasks means that you–or your employees–can focus on tasks that require a human touch or more critical thinking than a program can perform.

Implementing automated processes sometimes comes at a steep price upfront, but the investment will pay off quickly. In the long run, business automation saves time and money while boosting efficiency.

Hold a Short Meeting Daily

Office Meeting

Monday morning meetings are a good way to start the week, but they shouldn’t be the only Ofimeeting for the entire week. Holding short, 10-minute meetings every day helps ensure that all employees are on the same page. Getting together daily keeps everyone up to speed on important company happenings and ensures that everyone knows exactly what they need to be doing.

That’s not the only benefit of a short, streamlined daily meeting, though.

Take a few minutes during each meeting to celebrate accomplishments, acknowledge achievements and praise employees for their good work. Make it known when someone goes the extra mile to improve the company or satisfy a customer. Doing so only takes a few seconds, but it goes a long way toward boosting morale and making workers feel appreciated. And happy employees who know they are appreciated work harder and more efficiently.

Increase Printing Efficiency

No matter what type of business you run, it is likely that you do a lot of printing. While it may not be something that you think about often, your printing process could be slowing down productivity and wasting money.

Choosing the right hardware helps you save money while improving efficiency. Choose printers that are appropriate for the size of your business and your printing needs. If you do a lot of printing, pay close attention to how many pages can be printed per minute. If you primarily print text-based documents and you need to print several pages on a daily basis, laser printers could save you both time and money.

Prioritize black-and-white printing over color. Color toner and inkjet cartridges are more expensive than black. Printing in color also typically takes longer. Print most documents in monochrome and save your colored ink and toner for specific projects. If you have no need to print in color, a monochrome laser printer is an extremely affordable and efficient option.

Use Task Management Software

Emails and sticky notes on desks are not efficient methods of task management or collaboration. Task management software makes it much easier to assign projects and track progress. Projects can be broken down into individual tasks and assigned to the appropriate individuals. Task management software also allows teams to collaborate and work together in one space rather than going back and forth on email or leaving notes.

Using task management software also makes it easier to estimate how long various projects and tasks will take, simplifying the scheduling process. Programs like Asana, Trello and Wrike are flexible, affordable and make it much easier for everyone to work together.

Limit Interruptions

While it may be impossible to avoid all the distractions that tend to pop up on an hourly basis, there are steps you can take to limit interruptions. If work starts at 9 a.m., there is a staff meeting at 10 a.m., a client meeting at 11 a.m. and lunch at noon, your employees may find it nearly impossible to stay on track.

Rather than scheduling multiple meetings throughout the week, try to combine as many into one as possible. When multiple meetings are necessary, schedule them all on one day to ensure your employees have other days to work uninterrupted.

There are also tools to help you avoid distractions like email alerts, chat pop-ups and task management software notifications. Tools like Inbox Pause can be used to reduce email notifications, and a free app known as SelfControl can be used to block email, Web sites and distracting apps for set periods of time. Using these tools–or any of countless other options–helps limit interruptions and prevent distraction.

Encourage “Single-Tasking”

multi tasking office worker Just about everyone claims to be an amazing multitasker. As I’m writing this article, I have six tabs open on my Web browser and that is a pretty conservative number compared to most days. While we all think we are great at multitasking, we may not necessarily be as productive as we would be if we focused on just one thing at a time. Committing to “single-tasking” could actually make your business a lot more efficient.

Single-tasking allows you to complete projects faster. Focusing on one thing at a time also helps decrease stress and results in a greater sense of accomplishment when a task is completed. By working on just one task at a time until a project is complete is much more satisfying than chipping away at several tasks at once and feeling like nothing ever gets finished.

Making your business run more efficiently helps you save time and money while improving company morale and ensuring that you meet your goals. In today’s market, being efficient isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential. By implementing the simple tips listed above, you can help your business run smoother.