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The Rostering Revolution: How to Effectively Track a Remote Workforce

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As the world sees a huge shift towards remote working in the last few months, businesses and offices all around the globe have had to find effective ways to manage and track their workforce. Managing staff in an office setting can be difficult enough, let alone managing a workforce that is situated all around the country. Whilst tracking a remote workforce can take a little time and effort on the part of a business owner, it is not an impossible feat. In today’s article, we have a look at how business owners can effectively track a remote workforce by using various tools and strategies that help streamline the tracking process. Read on to find out more!

  1. Software is Essential

When it comes to tracking schedules and work hours, software is an absolute essential. Relying on word of mouth or manual ways of tracking hours is almost always a recipe for disaster. This is why it is so important that business owners make use of tools such as an app for rostering your staff when engaging with a remote workforce. With the help of a timesheet and scheduling app, you will be able to effectively and closely monitor employee hours, shifts and schedules. Software essentially does the work for you, thus greatly reducing the burden on your shoulders whilst at the same time tracking your workforce with utmost precision and accuracy.

  1. Face-To-Face Interaction

Face-to-face interaction when it comes to managing a remote workforce is actually more important than you may think. It can be all too easy for both employers and employees to feel disconnected when working from home, which can ultimately prove to reduce motivation and efficiency levels. In order to prevent this, it is incredibly important that business owners engage in face-to-face interaction with employees at least once a week. This could be in the form of a team meeting, a one-on-one meeting with staff or even just an online socialising session that allows everyone to come together and let their hair down. Never underestimate the power of face-to-face interaction when it comes to tracking a remote workforce.

  1. A Culture of Accountability

Once a business has implemented its time tracking and scheduling software, it is important for those who are higher in the hierarchy to lead by example. This can come in the form of sharing your own timesheet with your employees and encouraging everyone to do the same. Openly sharing timesheets can greatly improve employee motivation and can easily set a benchmark for performance, efficiency and productivity amongst the workforce. Sharing this information also helps to foster a culture of accountability amongst your workers which will inevitably make your job of tracking them much easier in the long run.

  1. Focus On Deadlines

One of the best ways to encourage productivity and efficiency with remote workers is to set strict deadlines that workers have to meet. Ensuring that your team fully understands the scope of their work and being firm with deadlines is a fantastic way to ensure that every monitoring activity will be focused on one singular outcome instead of getting your team to collaborate together towards a shared goal. Individual deadlines can keep employees on their toes, thus ensuring that everyone is giving their 110% and reducing the need for business owners to constantly be checking up on activity and efficiency levels.

  1. End Of Day Report Summaries

With the number of tasks that your team has to deal with, it can be easy for them to lose track of what they have accomplished during the day. This is why introducing end of day report summaries is such a great idea. These summaries can be used as a tool to help both employer and employee identify opportunities for improvement, iron out any potential issues and keep track of their activity on a daily basis. Summaries should be paired with regular team meetings in order to make sure everyone is on the right track and no one is left lagging behind.

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Tracking and managing a remote workforce can be a challenging job, but it certainly isn’t one that is impossible. By utilising a wide variety of tools and ensuring clear and effective communication channels with your workforce, you’ll find that managing your team is a lot easier than you had ever imagined.

Isolation Innovation – 5 Tips for Small Business Owners Working from Home

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Across the world, business owners and employees are being urged to work from home. For some, it’s an effortless process, and one they may have already been doing to some degree. For others, it’s foreign territory that can take a while to navigate and explore. Here are a few different things that can help make that adjustment period a bit more comfortable:

Keep Your Professional Support Contacts

Working from home may mean you’re working in a different setting, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to face the same challenges as you would in your office. Don’t cut contact with those other businesses that keep yours going. Stay in touch with your small business IT support guru and remember to keep your accountant informed with business operations.

Everyone you needed to run your business at the office will still be required while you work from home.

Don’t Change Your Routine

Working from an office has always promoted a sense of routine. You rise at the same time every day, get in the car or jump on public transport, then spend the working week doing the same things. While your morning commute is now from the bedroom to the dining room, that doesn’t mean your work routine must change.

Wake up at the same time, have a shower, get dressed in tidy attire, and start the working day at the same time. The sameness of your routine can ensure you achieve the same level of work as you would if you were in your office.

Educate Your Family

Your spouses and kids know that when you’re at the office, you’re not available to make them lunch, help with chores, and answer the door when there’s a knock. After all, how can you do those things when you’re not home?

Once you’re working from home, though, it can be easy to forget that you’re in work mode. When the working week kicks off, offer a gentle reminder that interruptions can be disruptive to how much work you achieve. Of course, spend time with your family, but set aside a few hours of your day just for you and your regular work routine.

Be Comfortable

Most people have their work station set up ergonomically at their place of business. Once you get home, though, you’re more likely to learn over a laptop in bed or stare down your phone with your neck at a crooked angle. Working at home should mean the same ergonomic principles apply.

Use a comfortable chair and desk, keep your monitor an arm’s length away, and adjust your chair height, so your hips and knees are level with each other. The more comfortable you are, the more you can achieve.

Use Apps

Working from home can mean you go without some of the creature comforts of the office. You may not have the same conferencing software, dedicated room for meetings, or microphones and camera equipment. Things are different, but there are some apps online that can make your working-from-home experience better.

Try apps like Skype, Slack, Trello, and Calmly. Whether you need fewer distractions or a working platform for you and your team, you’ll find plenty of options online.

Working from home may not be something you are familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it has to impact how much work you get done. Stick with your routine, talk to your family, and keep your same professional contacts so that your business operates like a well-oiled machine. You’d be surprised at how convenient and effortless working from home can be.

Building A Successful Business By Boosting Employee Satisfaction

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It’s been said by experts that employee satisfaction is key to a business’ success. An organisation will fall behind if it isn’t able to retain its employees. Even when the job market is weak, top talent will be able to find plenty of job opportunities. How can a business attract excellent employees and retain them?

When it comes to employee management, there aren’t any strict guidelines that you need to comply by. With that said, you’ll want to make sure you have a clear picture of how your employees are motivated.

Finding Intangible Sources Of Motivation

Naturally, a company will need to offer competitive wages and strong benefits if they want to get the attention of top talent. Unfortunately, paying well may not be enough to retain workers that have a lot of opportunities. Wages and benefits aren’t the only things that employees consider when they’re trying to decide whether or not they should leave a job. Some of the best ways to improve the satisfaction of your workers won’t cost you anything at all.

Some of the intangible things workers look for include:

● Workers want company leaders to communicate with them. They don’t want to find major developments via gossip or press releases. They want to hear about new strategies and plans for the future.

● Workers want to feel appreciated. They want to hear from leaders about the impact their activities are having on the company.

● Employees want to work with leaders who are willing to listen to them.

This is why it’s so important for managers to have regular meetings with the members of their team. During these meetings, leaders should pass along essential information, invite workers to ask questions and encourage them to give feedback. Companies should have an open communication policy that begins with senior management. From there, these policies will spread throughout the business. These values are something that should be expressed in employee handbooks and in any job descriptions that are posted.

Realising the Important Roles of Management

No matter what an employee’s title is, it’s likely that they’ll want to contribute to the organisation they’re working for through their leadership skills. Workers want to be involved in the decision-making process, especially when it comes to decisions relevant to their role at the company. They also want to be recognised for the contributions that they make.

Small business advisors at Lend say “employees quit bosses rather than jobs.In fact, a research proves that 57 percent of employees have left a job because of their manager. Moreover, 14 percent have left multiple jobs because of their managers. An additional 32 percent have seriously considered leaving because of their manager. ” They suggest, “employers need to evaluate the process they are using to select, develop, and train people in management or supervisory positions.

Helping in Career Development

The majority of employees want to develop and advance in their career. This is especially likely to be true when it comes to top talent. If people aren’t able to do their job properly, they won’t stay in that position for long. Training and developing an employee shows workers that their employer is willing to invest in them. Costly training isn’t always necessary. In many cases, companies already have experts on their staff that can train employees. This does two things: it provides the trainer with recognition and a development opportunity, and it gives trainees a chance to learn new skills and information.

Having a Flexible Work Environment

In 2013, The Australian Bureau of Statistics pushed through the Flexible Working Environment (FWE). That same year, a change in the office environment and supporting policies and guidelines were first trialled.

Over the past years, a focus on -People, Place and Technology which are the three key contributing factors needed to build a flexible workforce, has seen a positive cultural shift in flexible working attitudes.

Nowadays,workers are looking for employers that acknowledge that they have responsibilities and interests beyond their job. Employees appreciate benefits like flextime, job sharing, telecommuting, and modified schedules. When used appropriately, these benefits can do a lot to boost employee retention. FindLaw has an article on this subject that goes over some of the benefits and drawbacks of telecommuting.

It’s also crucial that workers have choices and flexible options. It’s important to remember that not all workers are going to be motivated by the same thing. Parents may be interested in on-site child care. Single adults might be drawn to fitness centres or gym discounts. Other workers might want a company phone or car. It’s becoming increasingly common for companies to do away with rigidly defined categories when it comes to time off work. Instead, businesses are offering flexible policies that allow workers to take a day off when it makes sense for them.

Being a Good Listener

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If you listen to your workers, you won’t need to wonder what they want. They’ll tell you. Surveys, suggestion boxes, and exit interviews are all excellent ways to get more information about what employees are looking for. Any company that does conduct exit interviews will want to take the time to analyse these interviews. This can help a business to determine where changes need to be made.

Seeking Legal Assistance

When it comes to job retention strategies, companies can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. If you have questions about human resources management, you may want to consult with an attorney that specialises in employment law.

Employee Engagement – 5 Ways to Keep Staff Feeling Motivated & Appreciated

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It can be hard enough in today’s fast-paced world to keep your finger on the pulse of day-to-day business operations. Throw disgruntled or unhappy employees into the mix, and your life as a business manager or owner just became that little bit harder. Keeping your staff happy is a priority in business, if not for their happiness in their job, but for your bottom line. If you want satisfied, productive and long-term staff, here’s how to get them:

Tokens of Appreciation

While you might believe that paying their salary every week should be enough to keep them happy, in many cases a non-monetary gesture in the form of corporate gifts and rewards can be even more effective in letting employees know how much you value and appreciate them. Whether in recognition of professional, personal or performance milestones, holidays or acknowledgement of a job well done, a thoughtful gift or reward can say much more than money.

Measure Employee Engagement

If you’re a business owner or manager, a certain degree of arms-length from the coalface of business can leave you unaware of complaints, staff unhappiness, or discontent. All you might see is low productivity that leaves you scratching your head. Disengagement costs organization up to $550 billion per year, so there’s every reason to find a solution. It pays dividends to look into software that provides a platform for staff to speak their mind in a safe and non-threatening medium. In doing so, you’re able to identify areas of employee dissatisfaction and lost productivity and develop strategies to address them.

Provide Opportunities

While you may have hired your team to do a specific job, that doesn’t mean they won’t feel the need to upskill. By offering educational and training opportunities to your staff, you have a higher chance of retaining valuable employees. Almost half of the millennials surveyed left their last job because there was no opportunity for growth. Help your staff to feel appreciated and motivated by actively encouraging education and upskilling. The long-term benefits to your business of the increased skill levels will likely far outweigh the short-term costs.

People Not Numbers

In large corporations, it can be challenging to see your team as more than just numbers. After all, if you have several hundred employees, knowing them all on a first name basis would be tough for anyone. However, viewing your team as more than just numbers can help to make them feel appreciated and motivated.

For smaller businesses, this process is simple. Arrange meetings with each person to find out what their goals are in life and business, and what they require improve their experience on the job. In larger corporations, assign the task to department managers. If you show personal interest in how your staff operates, they are more likely to feel appreciated in their job.

Incentive

Most people love a little bit of healthy competition, particularly when it can involve team bonding, camaraderie, and improved productivity along the way. Therefore, you may find that including contests, incentives and milestones into your workplace dynamic could help your staff’s motivation levels, while simultaneously boosting your bottom line. It’s important that the competition doesn’t lead to unhealthy rivalry and animosity. However, when structured wisely, most employees will thrive when such an option is available, making for better levels of motivation and engagement.

You can’t expect your staff to feel motivated and appreciated through regular income alone. It takes thinking outside of the square and being a responsible leader. Any of these five tips above can more than help to improve your workplace productivity while benefiting your employees at the same time.

Outsourcing your day Job

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Learn to outsource your job and make more time for this

Credit : Flickr Relaxing in Maldives by nattu is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The outsourcing revolution

Entrepreneurs regularly outsource to save time, access specialised expertise and get work done. In the last decade as access to the internet and data-speeds have improved, particularly in developing countries, an entirely new freelance workforce has emerged online.

Many skilled freelancers are based in lower-cost countries such as the Philippines, India or Pakistan, and can be hired for significantly less than local talent. Fuelled-by, or perhaps fuelling this phenomenon, freelancer marketplaces have exploded in popularity, stimulating a rush of new talent into the global marketplace.

These trends now make it possible for employees to outsource aspects of their jobs to relieve stress and win back time for things they’d rather be doing.

Where to find freelance talent

Virtual marketplaces such as Fiverr.com, UpWork.com and others provide online platforms where freelancers can advertise their services plus examples of their work, their rates and related information. Buyers can search for freelancers by a range of categories or keywords, save profiles of promising contractors and then interact with them by messaging service.

Buyers can post jobs and invite applications from qualified freelancers and when a job is agreed by both parties, these platforms even manage the contract, billing, payment and receipt aspects of the relationship. All of these features make it easy to find, engage, manage and pay for freelance talent, not just for business owners, but for employees themselves.

You can access freelancers like this graphic designer using marketplaces such as UpWork.com

Source: Flickr – Credit : Design freelancer working b2b business by thods is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

What kind of talent is available?

If you’re thinking freelancing is only good for building a mobile app or procuring some cheap copywriting, then you might be surprised and the sheer range of talent available.

UpWork.com, which describes itself as ‘the world’s leading freelancing website’ claims that “annually, freelancers are earning more than $1 billion via the site each year and providing companies with over 3,500 skills.”

Need an academic paper written? What about a bookkeeper? Perhaps you need an interior design for a new rental property you’re considering buying? Or how about a webpage translated into Chinese? All these are available, and more, often at very low prices.

Can I outsource my job to freelancers?

If you are an employee looking to outsource aspects of your role, the nature of the work you do will determine what aspects can and cannot be outsourced. Most jobs have a range of common elements that may be outsourced cheaply and effectively.

Outsourcing your general administration can save you hours of unproductive time. Managing emails, scheduling meetings, formatting documents, preparing Powerpoint presentations, filing, managing your digital documents and countless other time-consuming yet necessary tasks can be outsourced effectively to a virtual administrative assistant.

Caption: Feeling frustrated at work? Outsource the admin and get your life back

Credit : Flickr – Frustration by peterhess is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

What does it cost?

 

For as little as $200 per week, you could employ a full-time administrative assistant. That means that for around $10,000 a year, you could have a full-time person working for you, available by phone or email or instant-messaging application, ready to work at a moment’s notice.

Depending on your personal financial situation, it may also be possible to claim the expense as a tax deduction related to your employment. As a result, the real cost of engaging the freelancer may be far less.

If you’d like to outsource but don’t have the money available, there are plenty of ways to find the cash you’ll need at short notice.

Is it legal?

 

Your employment agreement and the terms and conditions of your employer may or may not prohibit you from outsourcing work without their express approval. Factors like confidentiality deserve careful consideration. As a rule, don’t go outsourcing your entire job like this person did.

Consider also what other aspects of your life admin you could outsource to free up to time you’d rather be spending on more important things.

Should I tell my boss?

 

Aside from the ethical and moral issues, there’s a good reason you should consider sharing your plan with your boss. If you can make a convincing business case for it, such as the amount of time you could spend acquiring new clients, then your boss may consider reimbursing you for the expense.

What else should I consider?

Managing freelancers to deliver work is a skill, meaning it takes time to learn and perfect. Start by outsourcing small tasks and practice the act of working with a third-party to get back the results you expect. It can take time to develop an efficient and productive working relationship. Don’t put yourself at risk by outsourcing critical work without having a backup plan in place (which may simply be you doing the work yourself).

Bottom line

Jump online and check out a freelancer marketplace for yourself. Start small and learn how to take advantage of the wonderful world of freelance available to you.

3 Problems Plaguing the Australian Construction Industry (And How to Overcome Them)

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The construction industry can be a harsh place for businesses. It requires a huge investment in potential profits. Until a customer has paid for a project or contract in full, there is no guarantee that this investment will be worthwhile. It means that cash flow is very important and any delays to payments or problems with receivables can become big obstacles very quickly.

In Australia, the construction sector is very healthy and diverse, but it has its challenges, just like construction sectors all over the world. For instance, the rising cost of raw materials is a constant pressure and contractors have to find ever more innovative ways to meet them, while also keeping their rates competitive.

This guide to the construction sector in Australia will discuss some of its biggest problems and how your business can overcome them.

Slow Invoicing and Payment Cycles

Many contractors (small businesses especially) find it hard to regulate cash flow because they don’t put suitable invoicing systems in place. By using aprogress payment schedule you can easily outline what is expected of your contractors at different phases of the project. It’s important to be crystal clear on what is required for a phase of the project to be considered ‘complete’ and for a progress payment to be issued so that there is no confusion or disagreements as the project progresses. Expect contractors to request a progress payment approximately every two weeks, depending on the scope of the project.

Without regular progress payments, it can be very challenging to keep your current construction project on track. Furthermore, it will be virtually impossible to begin another project as you will have too much of your financial resources tied up in the current job. Agree on a progress payment schedule that works for all parties and the job should run smoothly from start to finish.

Rising Cost of Raw Materials

As already mentioned, the price of commodities like oil and metal continues to rise alongside interest rates and the strength of the Australian currency. In some ways, this is good news for contractors, because it means that they can justify raising their own rates. However, if rates climb too high, customers look elsewhere for their construction work and deals are lost.

It is a tricky problem and one that has no easy solution. Nevertheless, businesses can try to cut costs in other areas. For example,learning how to streamline operations with the use of technology can be an effective way to minimise waste. Digital invoicing apps and record keeping software are tools which boost profits by helping companies keep track of payments and close out on projects faster.

Lack of Safety Training

One recurring problem for the Australian construction industry is safety. As demand grows, so too does the need for qualified contractors and construction experts. This can encourage some companies to cut corners and try to maximise profits by reducing their investment in things like safety training and risk management procedures.

Unfortunately, this is nothing but a fast track to serious injury and, in many cases, subsequent litigation. So,investing in high-quality safety training is not just a way to keep employees safe, it also protects the business. Technology can be a great tool in this area as well because apps and mobile devices mean that training doesn’t have to be limited to formal meetings.

Why Technology Is the Future of the Construction Industry

It is often said that technology represents the future of all industries, no matter what their objectives. While this might sound a little far-fetched, the reality is that digital resources can transform everything from project planning to managing supplies, tracking deliveries, and processing invoices. It is particularly valuable for regulating cash flow, as automating payments eliminates errors and increases visibility right the way along invoicing channels.