Remote work has persisted long after Covid restrictions were lifted. In August/September 2022, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that about 27% of U.S. employees still worked remotely at least part time. But, according to a survey by Forbes in mid 2023, 12.7% of US employees currently work full time from home and another 28.2% work a hybrid model. And, the percentage of full-time remote workers is expected to increase to 22% by 2025. More importantly, a staggering 98% of workers surveyed expressed a desire to work remotely at least part time. This overwhelming figure reflects the workforce’s growing affinity towards the flexibility, autonomy, and work-life balance that remote work offers. If ‘Work From Home’ isn’t going away, then employers must ensure that remote workers are efficient and effective. A good place to start is with Environmental Priming.

Here’s how. Continue reading →

Customer Service is not a department. And it is not a team of people assigned to handle customer concerns and complaints. Customer service is a behavior… it is what every employee in a company does to ensure that an organization’s customers are treated well and get what they need. The most successful companies truly understand this and provide the vision, mission and training to ensure all employees are dedicated to servicing their customer. That kind of service comes at a price. But not delivering that level of service has an even higher cost.

So what is the real cost of customer service? Continue reading →

Word Count: 1,599Estimated Read Time: 6 ½ Min. In sports, coaches are constantly telling athletes that they must embrace a winning mindset.  But this phrase is also heard in conference rooms and boardrooms throughout corporate America.  Leaders exhort their rainmakers, … Continue reading →

Ever had a big objective or goal that that was hard to achieve? Most people in that situation focus on the result they are trying to achieve and how the goal was tackled in the past. But perhaps that’s the problem. Instead of focusing on the outcome, researchers have found that it’s much more effective to focus on the actions most connected to achieving that goal. Just supercharge the actions on the front end most likely to achieve the ultimate goal.

It works. Here’s how. Continue reading →

Attracting and retaining labor is difficult. In a tight labor market, it’s even more challenging. And to hire top talent – the A Players who can really transform a company – requires companies to take their HR to a whole new level. It’s not enough to just do the basics like salary and typical benefits. The most qualified candidates are interviewing the company as much as the company is interviewing the candidates. And candidates want to see that the employer will invest in developing the employee as much as the employee will invest in the growing the company. What does that look like?

Here’s a sneak peek. Continue reading →

Leaders, do you want to reduce job turnover and create a culture of caring that makes employees want to stay at your workplace forever? Yes? Then it’s simple. Assign work that is meaningful and gives them a sense of purpose. It turns out that isn’t as simple as it sounds because what each person considers “meaningful work” varies. An employer is usually just focused on hiring staff who have the skills and ability to do a job that the organization needs done and will fit in with the rest of the team. Assigning work that is also meaningful and provides a sense of purpose to the employee can feel like a heavy burden – perhaps even unrealistic or absurd concern — for an employer. That may explain why staff turnover and job vacancies remain high. So how can leaders help employees find meaning and purpose in what they already do?

Here’s how. Continue reading →

Employees who are learning, growing and feel challenged at work stay in their current workplaces longer… even when offered better positions, pay and benefits. In fact, a recent LinkedIn study found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in helping them learn. According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report, employees recognize that learning helps them stay up-to-date in their field, facilitates them getting better jobs internally, and better positions them to reach their career goals. From training and course completion certificates to industry or professional certifications, employees see that as a BIG JOB PERK. There’s just one problem: employers aren’t necessarily providing the kind of learning opportunities that employees want. Why? Where’s the disconnect?

Here’s the scoop. Continue reading →

In general, smart business owners and savvy managers want employees to feel valued and keep turnover low. But they also need to keep productivity and efficiency high in order to be profitable. So what should be prioritized: people or profits? As in most things in life, the key is balance. Employers must weigh the needs of staff against the needs of the business to find a happy medium. By establishing a culture of caring with everyone working together for the good of the company, balance can be achieved. This is not just a pipe dream. There are new approaches, in addition to standard ones, that businesses are taking to get the most from their employees and also ensure those employees feel seen and heard and their own professional goals are achieved.

Try these tools! Continue reading →

A LinkedIn study at the end of 2022 indicated that almost 70% of Gen Z and Millennial Americans said they planned to leave their jobs in 2023 and another survey conducted in February 2023 by CBS found that 75% of respondents planned to look for a new job over the next 12 months, up from 65% in 2022. So, while the so-called ‘Big Quit’ is thought to be tapering, there are still many workers wanting to change jobs, if they haven’t done so already. That said, turnover rate varies widely from state to state and even more so from company to company. Many factors play a role in turnover. A major factor that is specifically leading workers to yank the ripcord and bail from their jobs is toxic workplace culture and toxic leadership. What can business owners and managers do to ensure employees feel valued, and keep their organization’s turnover rate low?

Here is what works. Continue reading →

Low unemployment is generally considered a good thing, and the US unemployment rate is currently at 3.6% even after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates 11 times (for a total of 6%) in the last 18 months. But for employers, this means the US labor market is tight. Labor shortage is one of the top six challenges business owners say they face today. Barring some radical changes, filling job openings in the US will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future. Employee retention will remain key to business growth and success. What can companies do to retain their existing talent and maximize their productivity? A lot… and we don’t mean pay raises.

Here’s how. Continue reading →