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4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated this Summer

Ever notice that employee productivity tends to drop as the thermometer skyrockets?
Between the heat, fun, and distractions that come with the season, it’s crucial that bosses summer-proof their workplace. Andrew Filev, CEO of project management application service Wrike, has a few ideas on how employers can keep the summer days from drifting away their employees’ work ethic and motivation:

1. Encourage vacations
Encourage your workers to take a break this summer. Taking time off actually does wonders for employee productivity. “Vacations give employees the opportunity to relax and recharge, so they come back refreshed and ready to work,” Filev says. “Plus, promoting work-life balance leads to satisfied employees, and research shows that satisfied employees work harder.”

2. Set summer goals
Just because your workers have got summer breeze blowing through the jasmine in their minds doesn’t mean your company should get off track when the weather gets hot. “Without proper planning, a string of employee vacations can stall team productivity overall,” Filev says. “Leaders should sit down with their teams and review vacation schedules along with goals for the work that needs to be done so that there is plan that is optimized for the summer schedule.”

3. Be flexible
No one likes sitting around the office on a hot, sunny day. In the summertime, when the weather is fine, boost team morale by being more flexible about when and where your employees work.
“Hold meetings or team events outdoors, and let your team work remotely and/or leave early on Fridays if you can,” Filev says. “Great employees will appreciate the additional freedom and trust that comes with flexibility.”

4. Have fun
All work and no play never ends well, so have some fun with your employees this summer.
“Throw team events and parties, like a BBQ, or an outdoor retreat, like white water rafting,” Filev says. “Hold competitions. Sponsor team outings and happy hours. There are countless ways to mix up the work week with activities that bring your employees closer together. These activities will not only boost employee happiness and celebrate the summer, but also set your team up to be more productive and engaged over the long-term.”

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

Are You Working More Than a 40 Hour Work Week? “You May Not Be As Productive As You Think”

Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook has been getting quite of bit of coverage recently, praising leaving the office at 5:30. She just recently has become public with this fact. Sandberg felt the need to hide the fact from her colleagues due to she did not feel they would have found this to be acceptable.

However there has been a century of research establishing the fact that working more than a 40 hour work week actually decreases productivity.

In the early 1900s, Ford Motor ran a dozen tests on their employees work productivity. Ford Motors discovered that the “sweet spot” is 40 hour work week and that while adding another 20 hours provides a minor increase in productivity, that an increase only will last for three to four work weeks, and then turns work productivity will turn negative.

Even though times have changed it has been found that factory workers a hundred years ago is still often true for the productivity of the office workers today.

Many times the workaholics may think they’re accomplishing more however, in many cases the long hours result in work that must be scrapped and redone.

Europe’s Ban on 50-Hour Weeks

In six of the top 10 most competitive countries in the world (Sweden, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom), it is illegal to demand more than a 48 hour work week. You simply don’t see the 50, 60, and 70 hour work weeks that we see in the US business world.

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

Sales Source by Geoffrey James, INC. Magazine

1. Business in an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of “troops” to order about, demonize competitors as “enemies,” and treat customers as “territory” to be conquered.

Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by “pulling levers” and steering the ship.”

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community.

3. Management is service, not control

Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they’re told. They’re hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the “wait and see what the boss says’ mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision-making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and interviewing only in emergencies.

4. My employees are peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can’t be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from the attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employees as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear–of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege–as a crucial way to motivate people. As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they’ll be a part of it. As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization’s goals, truly enjoy what they’re  doing and know they’ll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don’t value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that works is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

Summer Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

Getting the “the right people on the bus, in the right seats”, according to Jim Collins, is a tricky endeavor in general, and even more so with seasonal or temporary positions. Below are a few pitfalls even seasoned managers fall into when looking for the perfect new-hire for summer and beyond.

1. Small Talent Pool – Take the time to build a candidate pool with a number of potential employees who meet the needs of your organization. If you don’t have several qualified candidates, your pool is too small. Don’t “settle” because even a bad hire for a seasonal position can be costly.

2. Jumping to Conclusions – Take your time reviewing resumes. A quick glance isn’t enough information to understand if a candidate has what it takes for the job. Be fair, and discover the truth behind a resume.

3. Cultural Fit – All too often hiring decisions are based solely on experience and skills, when hiring for the correct cultural fit is just as important. After all, few terminations are the result of wrong skill sets or experience.

4. Forgetting Legal Requirements – Hiring a new employee, whether full, part-time or temporary, means fulfilling a number of state and federal requirements. For example, all new hires must complete Form W-4, appropriate state tax forms and a Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification). Employers must also report all new hires to the appropriate state agency and provide all new hires with a Notice of Coverage Options, as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

5. Inadequate Reference Checks – Many times Human Resources conducts reference checks, but it is actually more fruitful if the hiring manager does the digging. This allows them to speak frankly to peers about the candidate and hopefully get candid and honest responses. One crucial question we suggest posing is “If you could have Joe work on your team again, would you hire him?” While the answer matters, it’s more about the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) that is noteworthy.

6. Lack of Orientation and Training – Job failure is directly linked to the lack of a well thought out orientation and new hire training process. Employers should prepare existing employees by informing them of the assignments the new workers are hired to complete and the resources available to help them get up to speed as quickly as possible. In addition, part-time and temporary employees should generally receive the same training as other new hires, especially in the areas of anti-harassment, nondiscrimination, safety, and other important workplace issues.

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

Time to Spring Clean Your Business

Typically, the first quarter is all about wrapping up the previous year and ensuring your business is on track for the new year. With three more quarters to go, the focus should be on internal improvements to meet organizational goals.

Consider the following:

  1. Are there any processes that need to be updated and documented or software systems due for an upgrade?
  2. Is it time for employees to update their annual trainings – things such as IT Security or Anti-Harassment Training?
  3. Are there any hiring gaps or critical positions that need to be filled?
  4. Are there clear inefficiencies that are a waste of time and money?
  5. Are personnel files up-to-date and compliant in preparation for audit season?

Successful organizations review critical processes every year to ensure their business is on track and moving forward. Use your “spring cleaning” as a time to dust off the cobwebs of your organizational strategy and continue progressing toward your goals.

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

Limit Your Liability-Retaliation is on the Rise

Liability is a concern to all corporations and can diminish profits as well as affect employee morale. The US equal employment opportunity commission “EEOC” announced an increase in complaints of retaliation for the 2nd year in a row. This surpasses complaints regarding violations of title the VII (discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion and national origin)

Human Resources Risk Photo

Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because the employee takes a legally protective activity participating in a complaint against the employer.

Most retaliation suits are filed by employees who claim their bosses fired or mistreated them after they filed a discrimination claim or participated in a “whistle blowing” activity.

For an employee to assert a retaliation claim the following must be present. 1. The employee participated in a protective activity acting against unlawful activity. There was adverse employment action present (denial of a raise or termination, and there is a connection between the employees involvement in the protective activity and the adverse action from the employer).

Reasons for Increase in Retaliation

There are several proposed contributors for the increase in retaliation claims. A difficult economy, increasing employment rate has caused many employees to stay at their job instead of seeking employment else where when they are not pleased with the job activities and retaliate through unlawful employment practices. More employees would rather challenge their employer practices and decisions instead of changing their jobs.

A second contributor is an increased understanding of the laws governing retaliation by employees. Retaliation claims are often easier to prove then discrimination or harassment claims. Additionally in 2006 the US Supreme Court lowered the standers to win a retaliation claim under Federal and anti-discrimination laws specifically the court determined that the employer took an action that “might have dissuaded (to persuade a person not to do something) a reasonable worker from making or supporting a charge of discrimination.”                                                                                                           

With soaring statistics in 2010 and now in 2011, evidence shows that retaliation complaints will continue to grow in 2012.

Ways to Avoid Retaliation

  • All employee manuals should have procedures to follow when a retaliation claim is made. The employee manuals should always be signed by the employees before the employee begins working for the company in which states that the employee has read and understands the following procedures of the manual.
  • Employers should research and become familiar with the laws governing retaliation.
  • Employers can mandate a Zero Tolerance Policy for retaliation.
  • All rise complaints should be kept confidential during the investigation to avoid the practice of retaliation.
  • All employee concerns should be brought forth and handled in a fair and consistent matter. This illustrates that every employee is governed under the same policies and procedures.

Hot Jobs, Inc. recruiters work closely with both clientele and candidates to create a successful placement by identifying, screening, as well as helping with retention according to the clientele’s personnel needs. We service the Roaring Fork Valley and surrounding areas including Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Aspen, New Castle, and Rifle, with our corporate headquarters located in Carbondale, Colorado.

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