6 Astronomical Events to Add to Your Calendar

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astronomical events

While astronomical events happen so often, rarer events have been happening here on earth. With the pandemic and social distancing mandates, life has been challenging. But even as we’ve struggled, the earth has continued to move forward.

Planets still rotate, the sun sets, and the Moon rises. However, some of the most astronomical events have occurred in the last few years. For instance, there was a blue moon on Halloween in 2020. Did you see it? If not, you’ll have to wait until 2039 for that to happen again. But don’t worry, many astronomical events are coming up this year. You just have to make sure you see them.

Thankfully, we live in a time of online calendars. So instead of missing out on events, you want to witness — you can create events and even set reminders to ensure you don’t miss what’s important to you. Here are a few events you may want to add to your calendar.

1. Planets Align

When: June 24, 2022

On June 24th, there will be a rare astronomical event where the planets (Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn) will be bright enough to see with the naked eye. They will also appear in order from nearest to the furthest from the sun. Remember that the planets won’t be in line in the solar system — they will just appear that way to us on Earth. The Moon will also look to be aligned with the planets between Venus and Mars.

This alignment will occur before sunrise on June 24th across the eastern side of the Earth. And like mentioned, you won’t need a microscope to view it. Just walk outside and look up.

2. Southern Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower

When: July 28 – August 9, 2022

The Southern Delta Aquariids are a meteor shower best visible in the southern United States. This shower gets its name because of how it radiates in the constellation Aquarius. While the meteor shower typically takes place annually between the end of July and August, this year will be different.

At the shower’s peak, between July 28 – August 9, 2022, there will also be a new moon, which happens when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. With a new moon comes darker skies and a clearer look at the meteor. Keep in mind that the shower will be most visible from mid-evening to dawn, highest around 2 a.m.

3. Jupiter Opposition

When: September 26, 2022

During astronomical autumn (September 22 – December 21), Jupiter will appear more visible than at any other time. This is called the “Jupiter Opposition,” because the planet will appear opposite of the sun, making it look bigger to us on Earth. However, Jupiter will also appear brighter because of its proximity to Earth.

According to research, the best time to see and photograph a planet is when it’s in opposition. And while Jupiter will be more visible during the entire season, it’ll reach its peak visibility on September 26th. So to ensure you get the best photo, aim to take the picture when it’s high in the sky, and there aren’t any clouds.

4. Fireballs With Northern Taurid Meteor Shower

When: November 11-November 12, 2022

The Northern Taurid meteor shower will be active from late October to mid-December of this year. This meteor shower happens annually and typically only produces a few meteors per hour. This year, however, will be different.

During the peak of the shower (between November 11-November 12), bright fireballs will appear in the sky. A fireball is a meteor but much brighter to the naked eye.

These fireballs accompany the Northern Taurid meteor shower once every seven years. So, if you miss it this year, you’ll have to wait until 2029.

5. Mars Opposition

When: December 8, 2022

On December 8, Mars will appear more visible and bright — the perfect time to take a photograph. Mars is one of the closest planets to Earth but will be opposite the sun in December, illuminating the sky all night. This is an astronomical event you don’t want to miss, especially considering Mars is one of the smallest planets in the solar system. It’s rare for this planet to appear bigger than the rest.

Similar to other oppositions, this one doesn’t happen often. The next time won’t be until January 2025.

6. First Supermoon

When: June 14, 2022

Well, I didn’t get this one edited to publish until today — so we all missed the Supermoon and the Strawberry moon. Even Forbes wrote about the Supermoon and Strawberry Moon. And I’m mad it wasn’t on my Calendar! A supermoon is pretty much what it sounds like — when the Moon looks bigger than usual. While the Moon doesn’t change in size, a supermoon happens when a full moon occurs at the closest point to Earth during its orbit. Not only does this make the Moon look larger, but brighter as well.

Supermoons aren’t rare, but they don’t happen all the time. That’s because a full moon only occurs once every 29.5 days. That said, not every full Moon is a supermoon since it has to also pass close to Earth. Therefore, a supermoon only happens a couple of times a year. So to make sure you don’t miss out, set a reminder for the next Supermoon on June 14, 2022.

Here are the dates for the future moons in 2022. Add them to your Calendar.

DATE TIME Nickname

July 13 2:37 p.m. Buck Moon

Aug. 11. 9:35 p.m. Sturgeon Moon

Sept. 10. 5:59 a.m. Harvest Moon

Oct. 9. 4:54 p.m. Hunter’s Moon

Nov. 8. 6:02 a.m. Beaver Moon

Dec. 7. 11:08 p.m. Cold Moon

Conclusion

The events above are worth seeing whether you’re an aspiring astronaut or a casual observer. Not only are they known to be breath-taking but also rare.

So to ensure you don’t miss out on these events, take the time to set reminders now. Then, all you have to do is add the events to your online Calendar. Not only will this visually remind you, but you can even set up calendar notifications beforehand.

5 Software Solutions for Better Time Management

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Management

As an entrepreneur, one of the most difficult things to manage is your time. You wear multiple hats, trying to balance everything from checkbooks to customer complaints and internal affairs with your employees. Making sure you have time for all of that, plus a personal life to keep you sane, is just as important as it is challenging.

While discipline and hard work are certainly answers to time management concerns, there are other solutions worth exploring. In particular, consider these five software programs that have already been proven to help improve time management and overall productivity.

1. Project Management Software

If you were able to work through the COVID-19 pandemic, you probably became familiar with at least one type of project management software. These tools made it possible for teams to continue working together despite not meeting in the same place. Even as offices return to normal, project management software is still seeing use because of how helpful it can be for time management.

Project management software can help you manage your time in many ways. Delegating tasks can be done much more quickly, and roles can be assigned publicly for the whole team to see. Many software programs include messaging capabilities to send quick updates and questions, whether you’re on your computer or mobile device. Most programs also allow you to integrate other apps such as Google Drive and Zoom.

Your entire team will become more efficient thanks to the features that project management software provides. Meeting times can be cut down due to increased communication, and resources can be more easily stored and accessed within the program. Over time your team will adapt the software to its needs making it become increasingly effective as time goes on.

2. Time-Tracking Software

One of the best ways you can improve your time management is to keep a daily record. You can do this on paper, but you’ll have a much easier time using time-tracking software. Not only is it faster to track your time through a digital program, but the software often comes with additional, helpful features.

One such example is Calendar, the aptly named online calendar application. One of its features is time analytics. As you update your events and appointments within Calendar, it breaks down your daily and weekly time usage. This allows you to visualize how your time is being spent. You may notice you’re spending too much time in meetings and not enough time networking thanks to these analytics.

Time tracking will also help you keep yourself accountable to projects and commitments. For entrepreneurs trying to get a start-up going this is especially important. Time tracking ensures that you’re putting in the effort required for success while still spending quality time with your family and friends.

3. Checklist Software 

When you have so many tasks staring you in the face it’s difficult to decide where you should start. Do you need to begin your day by checking emails, or should you finish that high-profile sales pitch first? What you need is a good game plan for your daily checklists. The less time you spend mulling over your to-do list, the more time can be spent toward action.

The first step is to make good lists. Checklist software can provide good templates for your to-do lists. You can organize tasks by type and urgency while adding colors and designs to set them apart. Visualizing your checklists will improve your ability to complete them.

Ranking your to-do list and prioritizing items in your schedule will be a little tougher. Try something like the Eisenhower Matrix to help determine which tasks should take precedence each day.

4. Automated Scheduling Software 

When it comes to time management, automation will always be your best friend. The more tasks you can automate, the fewer things you have to worry about each day. This frees up a lot of time for you to focus on a more concentrated list.

Let’s say you operate an appointment-based business. Clients can use automated scheduling software to book their appointments without needing to go through an agent. All of the time and effort needed to schedule appointments is now spent by the customer.

You can use automated scheduling software within your organization as well. A scheduling link can be shared with employees who might want to meet with you periodically. That same link can be shared with other companies or investors who work with you for optimized communication.

5. Knowledge Base Software

Also known as help center software, knowledge base software allows you to set up self-service content for your customers. A common use for this software is creating a Frequently Asked Questions page for your website. Informative blog posts or tutorial videos also fall under this category.

Such a tool is extremely valuable for small business owners who are more likely to be answering questions for customers. If prospective clients can get their questions and concerns answered on your website, there will be fewer calls to field and emails to respond to. Since most of these customer interactions can’t be planned for in advance, you’ll have an easier time sticking to a concrete schedule while building your business.

In addition to this list, there are many other types of software solutions that can help you better manage your time. Give at least one of them a try this month and pay attention to your time usage. Compare it to last month, and you’ll see which solutions are actually fixing your problems.

How to Schedule Remote and Office Work

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office working

Many of us have become used to working in hybrid work environments– whether it be in-office work or remote work– and also balancing personal life. Companies are focused on returning employees to work and many have worked through the challenges of the remote “era.”

Some companies have taken an approach of “okay, we went easy on you during covid — but now it’s time to get back to the office.” After the epidemic, just 46% of firms would accept remote work. Others have returned to the office or embraced a hybrid paradigm that allows remote and in-office work.

Companies and employees know how to work from the office and everyone learned how to shift and work remotely during the pandemic — but may still struggle with the hybrid approach and there’s no need to worry. Just learn how to do the hybrid work better.

Obtain the best of both worlds and utilize the hybrid work option

Desire the convenience of working remotely with the benefits of visiting your coworkers for the best results.

How to explain your option of a mixed schedule

For a hybrid work model to function for your organization and workers, it must be planned and purposeful.

Begin by choosing a model that fits your business. You may not get it right at first but choose one. The cohort schedule is arguably the simplest. You can build on this schedule after you know what works for you and your company.

Don’t apply a remote and office work hybrid schedule randomly

Introduce a one-day policy or a WFH policy. You may tweak and develop your model over time. It’s also wise to test your hybrid model on a small group of individuals before rolling it out to the whole company.

Record your work habits and that of your team. You may think of it as your company’s hybrid work manifesto. For example, is it simpler to brief everyone in writing, over Slack, or in a once-a-week, face-to-face meeting over Zoom< How will you handle something like onboarding new personnel?

Finally, choose the tools you will use to manage your varied work schedule. Therefore, apart from communication platforms (like Slack), you’ll need project management and reporting tools to guarantee everyone is on the same page.

Scheduling Remote Workers, Hybrid Employees, and Office Work Best Practices

If you’re ready to start using hybrid work in your workplace, some helpful habits, tools, and strategies are everywhere for you to take advantage of. You’ll want to manage hybrid work gaps — from policies to documentation, continuing education, and the specific tools you will all use consistently.

Here are a few notable areas to check for your hybrid employees.

1. Define KPIs

KPIs are your key performance indicators and the best way to see your staff’s effectiveness. For example, sales calls, articles created, and support tickets resolved will be some of your KPIs from the past that will still be relevant.

2. Adequate tools — still a must

Using platforms like Slack or Zoom to interact with your team is easy. Starting with Google Workspace is an excellent start, but it has limits. The best technologies allow your employees to operate productively and collaboratively from home. Yes, you may have to kiss a few frogs (as they say), but ask for suggestions from your team. And maybe the communication method you’ve always used with remote issues is fine. But check it out.

3. Set up schedules (and stick to them)

If you use a cohort or staggered schedule, have everything in writing and it to your online team calendar. However, understand that your staff will know exactly when and where they will be working — so ask them. As a manager, set an example — let your team know where you are and ensure that you keep to your timetable, or let someone know.

4. Decide how and when to communicate

Many hybrid and remote businesses use asynchronous communication, where workers respond to contacts when they are available. This is only one form of communication, so ensure there is a document where everything is written down and employees can refer back to it.

Determine the appropriate and type of communication for your requirements. You can use Zoom for customer-facing conversations and Slack for internal business calls. You can also send emails or put messages in your project management application.

Avoidable errors in your remote schedules and office work requirements

Rethinking your workplace has its own set of issues. Here are some frequent pitfalls to avoid while implementing or improving a remote-hybrid model.

Schedules may boost productivity, cooperation, and teamwork even while working out the issues associated with such implementations.

1. Not everyone follows the same rules — big rule breaker

When creating a hybrid schedule, one rule must apply to everybody.

It’s disheartening to work in an office 3–5 days a week while senior management works remotely full time. Therefore, all workers must follow the same rules to maintain a fair game where everyone wins.

2. Using outdated productivity tracking techniques

Monitoring employee productivity via invasive time-tracking or screen-recording equipment is obsolete. Understand that your employees will not only feel betrayed by your invasive behavior — but over-monitoring will hamper their productivity and career advancement.

3. Forgetting it — a huge error

Your model’s effectiveness requires constant innovation in hybrid methods and procedures. Include and fairly treat all members of your team. Monitor their reactions to the new structure. Your workers should not feel unjustly treated or that you favor a particular team. Create a timetable that meets each employee’s demands.

4. Offering possibilities based on hybrid workplace presence

Depending on how your employees live, some individuals can afford to be more present at work. Others, like parents or caregivers, cannot come as frequently. Therefore, as long as everyone does their job effectively and on schedule, everyone should develop their own career path. Never penalize individuals because they cannot be in the workplace more since this defeats the objective of a hybrid model and timetable.

5. Managing schedules

Companies let managers lead the way when experimenting with flexible work options. Many of them forced their staff into the workplace for no understandable reason and the timetable disappointed these employees.

If you have just implemented a hybrid model — don’t micromanage your staff. Micromanaging from a company or employer  can be so difficult that employees will resign. Make your company rules and follow them. And use scheduling apps whenever possible.

6. Breaking destructive behaviors with no information

Breaking destructive behaviors requires patience. But if you use such tools with your staff the hybrid schedules will begin to work well for you. Don’t make the mistake of just replacing workers who want to try a hybrid schedule.

Conclusion

You’ll have the temptation to resume office meetings if you partly enable staff to work from home. It’s crucial to include everyone, including those who still work remotely.

But seriously — squelch your fist-in-hand tendencies to keep control of everything in your company and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much more productivity you see — along with heightened well-being in your team.

Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thanks!

How to Schedule Remote and Office Work was originally published on Calendar by .

5 Ways to Prepare This Summer for Employees Going Back to School

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back to school

It’s normal for business to shift as the school year approaches, and this transition can affect employee availability and general operations. The academic calendar and breaks from school affect your business and your employees’ lives. So, how do you make their lives easier and maintain your daily operations?

Summer is an important time to prepare your business for the coming changes as some employees take classes in the fall. Don’t wait to plan your accommodations. Here are a few tips for managing back-to-school preparations during the summer:

1. Schedule Around School Hours

It’s a good idea to schedule your business with school hours in mind. As classes are in session, depending on your business, you may have more clients or less. If college students are a large portion of your customer base and they leave town for summer break, you might choose to be open less hours during that time. Then, the opposite is true for the fall when they come back.

It’s important to monitor these trends and adapt your operations. Ensuring business hours meet demand means that you’ll be able to schedule the appropriate number of employees and plan more strategically, even if your employees are in school themselves. You can also make sure these hours work for clients by asking them on social media, which improves brand engagement. Do your best to accommodate everyone’s schedules, and you can make up potential income dips elsewhere.

2. Consider Additional Hires or Shifts

It could be worth hiring additional employees to fill gaps as the availability of summer employees may shift as classes begin. Say that one employee will soon need a certain time frame free from work due to upcoming classes. You could hire a part-time employee to ensure their role is still fulfilled.

In addition to this change, you could also adjust your shift system to offer even more flexibility. Many businesses have a four shift system, with individuals working morning shift, mid-shift, evening, and overnight. To accommodate more workers’ schedules, you could offer additional hours. Maybe it’ll be easier for your new employees to come in with shorter shifts or different start and end times.

3. Stay Up to Date With Your Employees’ Schedules

Your business may be a seasonal one or have different workers during different shifts. In any case, you want to make the transition for incoming employees as smooth as possible. Check in with them as summer progresses, so they can update you with new needs and schedule changes. This also gives you the benefit of alerting customers should business hours need to change as a result.

If you have set up a shared employee shift calendar already, this is the perfect reason to use it. While you have all of the shifts organized on it, your employees can include their timelines right in the application. There won’t need to be any delay in finalizing shifts and operating hours for all to see online.

4. Permit Remote Work, If Possible

For a not-necessarily-in-person business, the remote option can make it much easier for employees to be available, faster. Being a student requires a lot of time dedicated to studying, and it’s typically easiest to do so at home. The less time they need to spend commuting, for instance, the longer they can focus on work before switching gears. They can even use the same devices to switch between these responsibilities, increasing efficiency on both sides.

Allowing remote work can also show your employees and clients how much you care about your personnel. In such cases, the former will feel a lot safer coming to you and therefore have higher morale and bandwidth. And the better the work your employees do, the more satisfied your clients will be.

5. Help Streamline Your Employees’ Workflows

Alongside scheduling around school hours, it can make the work feel more fulfilling if you streamline things for everyone. One way to do this is by planning difficult or high-effort tasks to be done earlier in the shift. When an employee needs to leave, they won’t feel guilty or anxious that important things are being momentarily put aside. Also, if you set up programs to automate little tasks, it can free up time for the important ones.

Instituting a new management system to keep projects on the public radar and up-to-date for those involved also improves workflow. This can eliminate the need for someone to sit down and plan something when they may not have the time. It can also keep everything and everyone organized without much human effort.

The end of summer doesn’t have to be a bad omen for business, if you prepare accordingly. The most important takeaway is to make sure that you’ll have the hands you need when you need them. Take your time and consider your employees’ needs, and you can help make them happen. When the fall comes around, you’ll be ready for anything.

Image Credit: Olia Danilevich; Pexels; Thank you!

Sharpen Your Calendar Skills to Increase Productivity on Social Media

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Make Your Webinars More Conversational

Productivity on social media is not as difficult to achieve as one might be led to believe, and can be done in a few simple steps. Doom-scrolling, on the other hand, is the last thing anyone wants to waste time on, as this is a task that does not provide any productivity value. This‌ ‌is‌ ‌particularly the case if you are unsure which of those tasks actually produces‌ ‌results. After all, time is too precious to waste on useless‌ ‌tasks.

And, this is especially true when it comes to social media. After all, the average daily social media usage is 2 hours and 27 minutes.

Like most of you, I have limited time to spend on social media each day. ‌As a result, I’ve got to use that time wisely. ‌This means figuring out which social media tasks produce results and how to do them most efficiently.

Although ‌it sounds easy, being more productive on social media has taken a lot of trial and error. ‌The best thing I’ve found is to sharpen your calendar skills.

Set goals and understand why you use social media.

How can you practice ‌more‌ ‌productivity ‌on‌ ‌social‌ ‌media? ‌First, understand why you’re using those channels.

In other words, you shouldn’t just scroll through a feed of updates when you log into Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. ‌Instead, it should serve a single‌ ‌purpose. If you’re unsure, you could ask the following questions:

  • Would you like‌ ‌to‌ ‌gain‌ ‌followers?
  • Do you wish‌ ‌to‌ ‌increase‌‌ ‌‌brand‌‌ ‌‌awareness?
  • Are you seeking‌ ‌referrals‌ ‌or‌ ‌connections?
  • Are you interested in sharing‌ ‌resources‌ ‌with‌ ‌your‌ ‌followers?
  • Do you want‌ ‌to‌ ‌drive‌ ‌traffic‌ ‌and‌ ‌leads?

Aim for greater productivity on social media:

To reach your own social media productivity success, you may find that you need a mix of platforms and goals. ‌Having multiple channels might serve different purposes. ‌First, make sure you are clear about the results you want.

There are so many ways to break down a business goal once it’s clarified, such as:

  • Decide on an overall goal. ‌Maybe it’s to reach more ideal clients and to increase‌ ‌sales.
  • Assess how you’ll measure the result. Then, find out how you will know if you have met your‌ ‌goal. ‌For‌ ‌instance,‌ ‌grow‌ ‌your Instagram followers by 10% by the end of the quarter.
  • Break‌ ‌down your specific goals into action steps. Then, you need to do what it takes to achieve it. Maybe it’s posting five days a week or running a poll.

Make sure your actions match up with your goals. ‌‌‌Taking time-sensitive approaches will also keep you from getting overwhelmed.

And most importantly? Add your social media goals to your calendar. You’ll be less likely to give up on them when you do.

Always batch.

“Task batching allows you to take all of your tasks for the day and very carefully and methodically determine similar and repetitive actions performed within each task,” explains Calendar’s Angela Ruth. “In short, you’ll be ‘reverse-engineering’ each task you have on your list and coming up with the most efficient combinations of activities.”

It might take a while to get started. ‌But it’s worth it. ‌After all, batching will save you brainpower ‌throughout‌ ‌the day. ‌And, when your mind is sharper, you’ll be have increased productivity on social media.

Yet, that is only‌ ‌scratching‌ ‌the‌ ‌surface. Batching also simplifies tasks and reduces transition time. ‌Instead of multitasking, you concentrate‌ ‌on‌ ‌just‌ ‌one‌ ‌task‌ ‌at‌ ‌a‌ ‌time. ‌As‌ ‌a result,‌ ‌there is no time wasted in transitions.

Using batching will help you avoid forgetting important tasks. ‌This can include social media postings or blog posts.

I should add that there are a variety of ways you can save time when it comes to social media by batching.

  • Think of‌ ‌post‌ ‌ideas‌ ‌all‌ ‌at‌ ‌once. ‌The goal is to accumulate a wealth of social media post ideas you can refer to as needed.
  • Regularly schedule posts. ‌You’ll save a lot of time if you schedule all your posts at the beginning of each week or month. ‌Then, you can adjust your schedule throughout the week or month if something special arises.
  • Engage in social media only during designated‌ ‌times. ‌Check and respond to critical social media posts and messages once or twice a day. If you don’t want to get sucked in, set a timer for 10-15 minutes. ‌It’s amazing what you can do when you set strict limits.

Choose your distractions.

Social media is inherently distracting. ‌Staying connected and being available are some reasons, according to one study. Also, avoiding a task can play a role.

Social media was ranked fourth on Atlassian’s list of main workplace distractions. ‌So you will inevitably be distracted by social media tasks.

As a result of distractions taking over our day, we are less productive. But, at the same time, navigating distractions can be a challenge. So, what can you do?

Well, utilize your calendar.

To be more productive on social media, put batching on your schedule, for example. That’s what I do every Monday. From 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., I schedule all my posts for the week. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I turn off social media notifications until I’m scheduled to check them. Do this after lunch and right before I’m done work for the day.

Also, plan for distractions as well. ‌Unfortunately, there is no way‌ ‌to‌ ‌prepare ‌for‌ ‌every‌ ‌distraction. ‌However, you can schedule a buffer time to ‌accommodate‌ ‌them.

Create a content calendar.

“A content calendar is simply a planner, spreadsheet, or calendar that details the content you’ll be publishing for weeks or months in advance,” Abby Miller writes in a previous Calendar article. “This not only gives you a quick overview of your content schedule, it can also be shared with your team so that they’re aware of deadlines and project details.”

“Content calendars will help you stay on top of content creation schedules, generate new ideas, and encourage team collaboration,” Abby adds. ‌Furthermore, a content calendar helps ensure accountability, utilize different formats, and identify the type of content your target audience responds to the most.

Don’t worry if you haven’t created a content calendar before. Here’s how to get started:

  • Brainstorm content ideas. ‌Topics should fit your brand persona, address concerns or questions your audience has and establish your authority in the‌ ‌industry.
  • Determine your publication channels and frequency. You can use social media channels to promote content, build brand awareness, and engage‌ ‌with‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience. “The frequency changes between channels as such; Facebook no more than twice a day, Twitter 3 times daily, LinkedIn once per day, Instagram 1.5 times daily, and Pinterest 5 times daily,” she adds.
  • Use a spreadsheet and calendar to map everything out. You should include details like publication date, title, content description, and where it’s going.
  • Define the workflow. As a part of your content strategy, this should include overall goals, editorial guide, best practices, and assigned responsibilities.
  • Schedule, publish, promote, track, and tweak your content. Review your analytics so that you can make proper adjustments.

Put the right tools to work.

One of the best ways to increase your productivity? You’ve got to use the right tools. ‌For example, you can use a digital calendar to manage your time. It’s also handy if you want to track your time and plan‌ ‌meetings.

Moreover, you can take your productivity to new heights when paired with project management software, video conferencing apps, and social media.

As‌ ‌far as productivity on social media goes, specific tools can help you get more done. It’s all about choosing the right tools for the job, though.

There‌ ‌are‌ ‌several tools available to you that can help you accomplish the following:

  • Schedule your social media posts ahead of time.
  • Become a better listener and responder.
  • Keep track of the metrics you chose when selecting your goals for social media.
  • Analyze your social media metrics to improve ‌productivity‌ ‌and‌ ‌results.

However, it’s important not to get distracted by every new shiny tool you see. Instead, find out what works best for you, your goals, and your process by reading reviews, using free trials, and testing tools.

De-stress.

Stress can cause shallow breathing, whether at work or elsewhere. ‌Therefore, the brain receives less oxygen, making you even more stressed and unable to think clearly.

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed on social media will make you less productive. According to the American Institute of Stress, an estimated $300 billion is spent annually by U.S. industries due to stress.

Develop a daily productivity checklist of your social media activities to reduce stress and overwhelm. ‌Plan it based on your goals and the tasks you need to accomplish daily or weekly.

Also, you may want to add activities that can help you de-stress to your calendar as well. For example, you could go for a walk after lunch before diving back into your social channels. You could also carve out time for self-care and ‌pursuits that you enjoy doing.

Efficiency is built on templates.

It is unquestionably true that templates are incredibly useful today. An example is calendar templates. Why? Because they’re real-time-savers.

Make it easier on yourself by using a pre-made calendar instead of making a new one every time. ‌Just fill in the blanks, and you’re set. Calendar template examples include tracking the progress of goals, a to-do-list checklist, or a social media content calendar.

Moreover, you can create templates specifically for your social media efforts. For example, you can use successful headline templates rather than coming up with new headlines each time you create a new social media post idea. For example, “X Ways To Do X.”

Another idea? ‌Take advantage of Canva’s social media templates. You can even use templates for social media posts. Again, I’d head over to Buffer for more info on how to create a social media report.

Block out time to check your metrics.

Determining how you’ll measure your success with social media is essential.

Consider scheduling a weekly or twice-weekly review. And, consider recording your key metrics on your calendar. ‌These‌ ‌might be follower counts,‌ ‌views,‌ ‌comments,‌ ‌likes,‌ ‌and‌ ‌shares.

The reason? ‌Monitoring your metrics regularly will help you see patterns emerge. Additionally, you’ll be able to make better decisions about what to post, when‌ ‌to‌ ‌post,‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌to‌ ‌engage‌ ‌with‌ ‌your followers. For example, let’s say you’ve been posting daily at 7:30 every morning. After a month, however, you ‌discover that your posts have more engagement at 4:30 p.m. As a consequence, you begin scheduling content at that time.

Whatever metrics or feedback you choose to use, tracking your progress will allow you to see progress‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌channels‌ ‌over‌ ‌time. ‌As a result, you will be able to adjust as required to become productive‌ ‌on‌ ‌social‌ ‌media.

Image Credit: Cottonbro; Pexels; Thank you!

Sharpen Your Calendar Skills to Be Productive on Social Media was originally published on Calendar by .

How to Make Company Flex Schedules Work for Everyone

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Flex Work

The demand for flex schedules at work is on the rise. ‌ ‌Almost ‌80%‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌workers in the U.S. would prefer a job offering a flexible work schedule over one without. As a consequence, this results in employers starting to accommodate this request. ‌

So, why are so many people ‌‌‌expecting flex schedules? ‌Well,‌ ‌flexible‌ ‌work‌ ‌schedules‌ ‌are good for employees, because they can organize their lives around their jobs — not‌ ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌way‌ ‌around.

However, it has plenty of benefits for employers too. ‌For example, employee retention, productivity, diversity, and engagement may all be boosted by flexible scheduling. ‌As‌ ‌such,‌ ‌it’s no surprise that this is one of the most popular employee benefits.

What are the best ways to set up flex work hours‌ ‌that‌ ‌work‌ ‌for‌ ‌your‌ ‌business‌ ‌and‌ ‌your employees? ‌Here’s what you need to know.

What is a Flexible Work Schedule Policy?

Before going further, let’s quickly explain a flexible work schedule policy.

Employees can modify arrival and departure times when employers offer flexible work schedules. Employees can also decide how long and where they work. ‌It’s an alternative way to work instead of the antiquated 9 to 5, 40-hour workweeks.

You should know that the Fair Labor Standards Act in the U.S. doesn’t ‌address flexible work hours. ‌Instead, it’s something‌ ‌between‌ ‌employer‌ ‌and‌ ‌employee.

With that in mind, employees should be clearly informed who is covered by the policy and when a flexible schedule is available. ‌In addition, you should consider a variety of flexible schedules to meet the needs of all your ‌employees.

  • Flextime work schedule. With Flextime, workers can choose their working hours. ‌It‌ ‌also allows employees to adjust their operating hours from week to week, depending on the needs of the business.
  • Remote working schedule. An employee who doesn’t come into the office regularly works remotely. ‌For example, working from home could be an arrangement in which the employee works exclusively 2-4 days per week from home or from home.
  • Compressed workweek schedule. This allows employees to work their 40 standard weekly hours. But, over a shorter period than five days or ten days during the usual week. ‌An example would be to work an extra hour Monday-Thursday and to take a half-day off on‌ ‌Friday.
  • Part-time work schedule. This is a conventional type of flexible schedule. ‌For example, when an employer does not wish to lose a skilled employee, they may agree to let that person work part-time. ‌However, the employee cannot dedicate their time to full-time work.

How to Make Company Flex Schedules Work for Everyone

Hopefully, you have a better understanding of what a flex schedule is, as well as its variations. Now you can focus on making a company flex schedule that works for everyone.

1. ‌Involve employees in planning.

When establishing flex plans, companies often make the mistake of not communicating well‌ ‌with‌ ‌workers. So, the easiest solution? ‌Develop a flexible work program based on the interests and needs of your employees.

Determine whether the new work arrangement is right for them. ‌For example, will ‌employees remain productive under the new arrangement? ‌An ideal agreement would satisfy the employees’ personal needs while addressing the company’s need to provide high-quality‌ ‌products‌ ‌and‌ ‌services.

How can you get your team involved? You could collect feedback through surveys, one-on-ones, or town halls.

You can ask your team for feedback in many ways, but know what works best‌ ‌for‌ ‌your‌ ‌people. For example, in team meetings, some employees might feel more comfortable offering candid feedback. Others might prefer a confidential, anonymous‌ ‌survey.

2. Know your team.

“As a business leader, it’s your responsibility to know the people on your team,” writes Howie Jones in a previous Calendar article. “Knowing who you work with allows you to be mindful of their tendencies and build more than just trust.”

It is also easier to delegate tasks to your workers if you know them well. ‌As a result, you’ll have more insight into the team, which will help when selecting a combination of personalities for a specific‌ ‌project‌ ‌or‌ ‌team. ‌Knowing you’ve already done the hard work, you can resist the urge to micromanage them.

Remote workers can be more challenging to get to know than their in-person counterparts. ‌Follow these steps to get to know them:

  • Prioritize facetime. “You might not be able to be physically together, but technology can be a bridge,” says Howie. “Eat lunch together once a week via videoconference.” ‌Plan to fly them in at least once a quarter for meetings.
  • Be generous. ‌To build trust, you need to take risks. ‌And — you should give people a chance. For example, “If they want noise-canceling headphones, could you surprise them with a pair?”
  • Ask questions. ‌Around 60-80% of our conversations revolve around ourselves. ‌Encouragement not only enables you to understand who they truly are. But it also strengthens your relationship with them.

Respected leaders motivate their workers to keep working through tough times. ‌If more needs to be done, they will speak up for it. ‌In short, make an effort to get to know them.

3. Instill a sense of purpose.

“It is time for a flexible work paradigm shift, with less focus on where or when we work, but rather on how value is generated,” Jason Grover, HR Vice President Polaris Industries Inc., told Forbes. “COVID has taught us that our productivity is contingent less on location, more on leadership instilling a sense of purpose.”

When we align employees with salient priorities and foster an environment where they can give their best effort, he says people are more likely to choose‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌productive‌ ‌path.

4‌. ‌Conduct‌ ‌a‌ ‌trial‌ ‌run.

If‌ ‌you’re apprehensive about starting a flex work plan or getting a lot of resistance, a trial run might help. ‌

Create a trial, flexible work program before launching a full-scale program. ‌The process can be carried out by a single department or a small group of employees from various departments. ‌Run the trial for at least a month to work out the kinks and collect‌ ‌data.

You may notice that not everyone is cut out for remote work. While others, however, thrive in a WFH environment.

5. Flexibility is all about being flexible.

How does a company like Vistaprint make flex schedules work?

“Some of us work best from our bedrooms,” the company states. “Some of us prefer an office environment.”

The company’s goal is to provide its team members the flexibility to choose the work environment that best suits them.

“Our offices have become collaboration centers with bookable hotdesks and a mix of spaces where team members can meet in person to work and socialize whenever needed,” they continue. “Any team members who choose to leverage these collaboration centers can do so as frequently or infrequently as they like, and they will continue to have the autonomy to create their own schedules.”

6. Establish a standard work window.

It can be challenging to bring people together if they have different schedules at work. ‌Thus, a typical window schedule helps manage flexible scheduling most effectively.

Regardless‌ ‌of‌ ‌the time of day your employees work, set core hours, for example, ‌between‌ ‌10‌ ‌a.m. and 3 p.m. That means everyone is expected to be available at those hours throughout the week. ‌You can use this time to delegate tasks, hold meetings, ‌or‌ ‌bond‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌team.

Employers have a “schedule center” if a typical work window is implemented, which they can use to plan their schedules. ‌However, it is the workers’ responsibility to manage their schedules efficiently.

7. Be consistent.

When informal policies aren’t applied consistently, it causes resentment, bad morale, employee loss, and even legal trouble. To prevent this, develop a detailed, clearly-stated, and non-discriminatory policy on the company’s flex work arrangements.

8. Redefine productivity.

“Flexible work demands a shift away from seeing productivity in terms of being present for fixed working hours,” says Jane Parry. “Indeed, the problem of presenteeism — where people feel compelled to show their face at work even if they are ill—only feeds into the productivity puzzle.”

Companies (and managers) need to establish better performance metrics. How? By asking questions like:

  • Was a project completed on time?
  • How well did the team work ‌together?
  • Was high-quality work delivered?

“These are much more effective yardsticks of success than whether staff clock in at 9 a.m. each morning,” adds Parry.

9. Don’t have a communication breakdown.

A flex work schedule may leave co-workers and supervisors without business and social contacts. However, including flex staff in staff meetings will prevent them from feeling overlooked or alienated from co-workers‌ ‌and‌ ‌managers.

You could also set dedicated Slack channels so everyone can communicate and collaborate. Or schedule regular Zoom check-ins.

Furthermore, contact with other employees shouldn’t be limited to e-mail. Make it a point to have additional contact points, such as phone numbers. At the same time, know when it’s appropriate to text or call your team members. For example, contacting them Friday evening should be avoided unless it’s an absolute emergency. Preferably, you should reach out during the agreed-upon core hours.

10. Monitor, assess, and update.

An evolving process of improvements or developments may be required as a condition of flexible work arrangements. Therefore, take the time to review whether or not flex programs are meeting goals. If not, then adjust them as necessary.

Again, encourage employees to give feedback and keep the lines of communication open. ‌And as mentioned above, you can use a limited-time pilot program when launching a new plan. ‌If the plan is unsuccessful, you might have to return to the company’s prior traditional work arrangements.

One more thing. Stay abreast of any potential legal issues. ‌Employees must be carefully classified as exempt or non-exempt by their employers. For example, for hours worked beyond 40 hours in a given work week — non-exempt employees get overtime. ‌Therefore, those employees will have to document their work hours.

Image Credit: Fauxels; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Make Company Flex Schedules Work for Everyone was originally published on Calendar by .

5 Ways to Up Your Workplace Efficiency

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workplace efficiency

“Work smarter, not harder,” they say. We’ve all heard this modern productivity axiom by now, but there’s actually a lot of truth in the statement. Working hard is important, but working efficiently is even better. The two combined can lead to incredible results.

So, what’s the secret to making work more efficient? This is a question that business owners and managers ask themselves every day. This article outlines some ways employers can enable and motivate their workers to become even more efficient without working them into the ground.

1. Implement Self-Service Options

This one is a no-brainer for appointment-based businesses operating in the modern era. Self-service can open up so many possibilities for both your business and its customers. For example, having online booking options takes a huge load off of your employees and simultaneously empowers your customers. Clients can set and adjust appointment times whenever they want, and employees no longer have to spend hours on the phone coordinating bookings.

This frees up a lot of time for your employees during a regular shift. Instead of manning the phones all day, they can work on other projects. This could be as simple as staying on top of office organization or taking part in training to prepare for other roles.

In addition to online appointment scheduling, you can implement a self-check-in system for when customers arrive to their bookings. A tablet or kiosk can do all of the work that a front desk representative can. Customers can signal their presence and make relevant notes in their customer portal upon their arrival.

2. Embrace Office Automation

Businesses have myriad ways to automate processes, from CRM systems that will auto-email leads to social media tools that will auto-post on Instagram. But even humbler forms of automation can improve your workplace efficiency. There are myriad small tasks that consume workers’ attention during the day. A coffee maker set to auto brew will give your office manager 15 minutes back each morning, and that’s just one example.

A smart thermostat saves energy and keeps the temperature even so that extreme heat or cold don’t throw your employees for a loop. Smart light fixtures are likewise energy efficient and can also be set to dim or turn off without any human intervention. No one will have to traipse through the office at the beginning or end of the workday turning lights on and off. While these solutions might seem small, together they can make your workplace more efficient than you realize.

3. Retool — or Replace — Meetings

Companies waste a lot of time in meetings. Some estimates state that over 30 hours are squandered each month in meetings that aren’t necessary. Simply put, most meetings can be condensed or bypassed entirely to allow for greater workplace efficiency.

One solution is to plan meetings more effectively. Have an agenda prepared and share it with all participants beforehand. Practice getting to the point and rein in discussions to make sure the group doesn’t get sidetracked. Better yet, replace frequent meetings with constant communication through technology.

Take project management software, for instance. Instead of a status update meeting, you can use a digital chatroom to send messages, updates, and reminders. These can be addressed to the entire company, a specific department, or even to an individual. Such communications keep parties informed and don’t cut into productivity like a formal meeting where everyone is trapped inside a room with no escape.

4. Crunch the Numbers

The value of data cannot be underestimated. Insights gleaned from data can help you serve your customers better, increase revenue, and also make your workplace more efficient. Gathering data is easy; it’s knowing what to do with the data you have that’s the trickier part.

Let’s focus on workplace efficiency, which you can monitor with a time-tracking tool like Toggl or Harvest. Here are some examples of workplace data you can track:

  • Number of tasks completed on average per day
  • Amount of time spent per task
  • Amount of time spent per task category
  • Average time spent in meetings
  • Hours worked per week

This doesn’t have to be your full list, but it’s certainly a good place to start. Once you have a sufficient sample size, you can start to make some conclusions about what needs to change to increase productivity and efficiency. You may notice that efficiency takes a huge dive for the last hour of the day, for example. You might opt for a shorter workday or add an additional 15-minute break to try to keep energy levels high.

5. Improve Employees’ Quality of Life

No matter what the numbers say, sometimes the best adjustments you can make are to the quality of life in the office. Happy employees are more productive employees, so seek out work-life enhancement opportunities. Ergonomic solutions such as sit-stand desks and optimized keyboards can help employees work more comfortably for longer periods of time. Improved lighting can make early mornings and gray days more bearable.

Helping your employees outside of the office will often improve their efficiency on the clock. Benefits such as hybrid work or childcare services give workers fewer things to worry about at home, so they’ll be less distracted while working. Workers who also feel cared for by their employers are also more likely to stick around for the long haul. High retention rates improve company efficiency, as you won’t be spending a lot of time and resources on constant training and hiring cycles.

With greater workplace efficiency, you’ll see improvements in company profits, customer satisfaction, and work quality. To maintain optimal efficiency, you’ll need to continue to adapt, so keep looking for new ways to enable your workers to be the best they can be.

Image Credit: Pixabay; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Deal With a Customer Complaint Quickly

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Customer Complaint

No matter what industry you’re in, customers want quick responses when they contact you with complaints. Customer service agents similarly want to resolve issues on the first try. First contact resolution (FCR) is a metric that plays a crucial role in whether your customers keep coming back. It also affects whether they refer you to others. Let’s dive into some best practices for resolving customer tickets quickly — for the good of both your customers and your agents.

Train Agents to Ask Good Questions

Good FCR starts with training agents to ask questions that uncover the root causes of issues. Again, Role-playing can help agents learn to do this.

Let’s say your company sells architectural software. In one scenario, a customer named Sara calls your help center. Sara was unable to save a project and now needs help recovering it. In the scenario, the agent, Drew, helps Sara recover her project. Then, as instructed, Drew closes by asking if there’s anything else Sara needs. Sara says, “Nope! I guess it was user error! Hopefully, I’ll save it correctly next time.”

By asking a follow-up question, Drew revealed what Sara actually needed: clear instructions for how to save her projects. Drew responded by explaining the process to Sara and sending a follow-up email with the instructions written out.

Drew was able to both solve a customer’s root complaint and suggest a change to his company’s software manual. This scenario helped him become confident with digging deeper on calls.

Analyze Your Data to Find the “Why”

If your FCR is not where you want it to be — look at your data for clues. A few metrics to start with are customer effort score (CES), customer satisfaction (CSAT), and quality assurance (QA).

As you look at the data, be curious about why customers may be contacting your team multiple times. Is it because customers don’t understand how to communicate their problems? Or perhaps they need the solution in writing? Do you have a policy that is not customer-friendly? Once you have some answers, brainstorm your next steps.

In order for this exercise to work, you need reliable internal data. Consider implementing a quality assurance scorecard system using a platform such as MaestroQA. A quality assurance system software will automate repetitive data collection tasks and give your team access to the data. Access to this system empowers your team to troubleshoot first contact resolution (FCR) issues quickly and independently.

Provide Coaching for Your Agents

Have you found FCR-related issues caused by individual behaviors? Because customer service agent coaching is highly personalized, it can target that behavior. For example, an agent might escalate most calls. During a coaching session, the agent might share that they feel insecure about navigating the internal knowledge base. The coach can provide resources to help the agent become proficient at doing so.

In the end, coaching is an excellent way to increase your agents’ confidence and improve FCR.

Update Your Learning Management System and Knowledge Base

Good customer service basics don’t change much over time. But the specifics of your industry may vary and change a lot. So, someone in your organization should be responsible for keeping your learning management system (LMS) up-to-date.

When your training materials aren’t regularly updated, you might notice red flags. Second and third phone calls from the same customer might include complaints like, “That’s not what the last person told me.” Different agents might follow different workflows to solve the same problem. Creative problem-solving is good, but your customer experience should be consistently excellent. An updated LMS helps make that happen.

In addition, your internal knowledge base should be easy to navigate. Agents should be able to find information and easily navigate to related documents quickly. Customers notice when an agent can answer questions quickly. With quick, confident responses, customers feel more comfortable asking follow-up questions — knowing the interaction will be succinct. Fast and accurate feedback will improve your FCR.

Eliminate Steps For Your Customers

When someone submits a help ticket, it is generally impossible to resolve it entirely with one message. For example, if someone needs to exchange a pair of shoes, they might initiate a return via email but leave out critical info.

To streamline any process — your customer agents should be trained to gather all necessary information at one time on the first phone call or contact. Sometimes, this call is best accomplished via an online form. Other times, the solution is best accomplished via email. (“Please send a screenshot of your original order, plus the size you’d like.”)

Whenever possible, automate frequent needs. For example, you might create a place on your website where customers can cancel their subscriptions. Your solution can include the option to pause a subscription or to receive a discount instead of canceling. Clearly written solutions on your website will save customers time and your company money.

Finally, keep the dreaded phone tree as short as possible. A brief recording might answer frequently asked questions (for example, a restaurant could include its hours on its answering machine). But anything longer risks frustrating your customer, causing complaints, and thus making your agents’ jobs harder.

Invest in Best Practices

To provide excellent customer service, you can leverage available tools and innovations. You may find a new report that helps your team, or a new technology might be helpful. For example, a video call solution that integrates into existing CS workflows can help resolve issues that typically require a site visit. Creative solutions can infuse new life into your help desk.

But sometimes, you just need to spend the time reviewing simple, reliable data. Then you can implement changes and best practices to quickly assess and resolve customer complaints.

The payoff? Happier, more loyal customers and agents. And that makes investing time and resources into these best practices well worth it.

Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Deal With a Customer Complaint Quickly was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie

5 Ways to Customize Your Client Experience

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Client Experience

From start to finish, there’s a lot that needs to be done to take care of your customers. You want them to have a flawless check-in experience, an ideal appointment, and a clean exit. Satisfied customers will leave positive reviews and refer your business to their friends.

One way you can set yourself apart from competitors, while simultaneously enhancing the client experience, is by offering customization options. This way, each client can have a unique experience that fits their needs and preferences. Customization isn’t always easy in the brainstorming phase, so here are some ideas you can use to get started:

1. Provide Onsite Child Care 

Many clients have children, but they won’t always have access to childcare when they have time for appointments. Additionally, few businesses allocate resources toward onsite child care services. This monumental gesture could be huge for your local community, if implemented correctly.

Just think of how many parents will appreciate being able to go to the salon on a Saturday because they can take their child along. Parents with working partners also don’t have to postpone dentist appointments or doctor’s visits simply because they’re too busy with kids during business hours.

Onsite child care should have at least one designated employee to take care of any children present. Some sanitized toys and a TV are enough to keep them entertained for a half-hour appointment. Your clients will be extremely grateful and may return frequently due to this service.

2. Send Personalized Gifts

Who says you should only take care of your clients while they are inside your building? A lot of what can make a client experience unique occurs before and after their appointments. For example, you can go the extra mile by sending some personalized gifts to your regulars.

In your customer portals, you can keep track of birthdays or other special events worth recognizing. An email saying happy birthday with a gift certificate or coupon attached is a nice gesture that isn’t required. Going out of your way to send little messages and gifts like that can really set your organization apart.

To make this strategy work you really have to be sincere. Get to know your clients and remember key details about them. This way you can congratulate them when they grow their family, graduate from school, or accomplish other things outside of regular holidays.

3. Offer Loyalty Discounts

Appointment-based businesses are no strangers to loyalty and rewards programs. What you might not have considered is offering a variety of loyalty programs for customers to choose from. This way each client will receive bonuses and incentives that actually matter to them rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Let’s say you set a benchmark of 10 appointments for the first loyalty bonus to kick in. Customers can have the option to accept a discount on their next appointment or receive an Amazon gift card, among other options. You’re offering them a simple choice to make, but the freedom to choose is a powerful gift.

Loyalty points are perhaps the most flexible way to incentivize and reward your clients. Points can be redeemed for discounts, gift cards, or even stockpiled for larger rewards such as electronic devices or even hotel stays. Some customers might strive to unlock the highest reward possible, while others will be content to receive a voucher for a free meal.

4. Keep Preferences on File 

If you get your haircut at the same salon, they likely remember exactly how you like it. This shows they put forth effort to customize each client’s experience and keep it consistent. Your business might fall under a different sector, but the principle is still the same. Keeping customer preferences on file can add a lot to their experience, especially when repeated.

A few examples would be recording a client’s favorite massage therapist or the nail tech who knows their preferred style. You can also keep track of details such as appointment times, so you can suggest the best date and time for a follow-up appointment. This information is best tracked in a customer portal that can be created and maintained through a CRM or customer relationship management tool.

5. Provide Snacks and Refreshments 

You should do everything you can to keep waiting times low. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that are out of your control, wait times might run longer than you’d expect. Additionally, some industries can’t help but have wait times, such as a mechanic’s shop providing an oil change.

If you have a lot of early morning appointments, a fully stocked coffee bar should be a big hit. You can provide all sorts of flavors and fixings to keep guests comfortable in your waiting room. A soda fountain machine or individually packaged snacks are other treats you can leave out for your clients while they wait.

After going through this list, stop and think about what your clients would appreciate the most. Be creative with the ideas you choose to implement. As long as you have their best interests in mind, you will find success in customizing their individual experiences.

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How Can You Make the Recruiting Process Faster?

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recruiting process

Did you know that the average time to fill a position is 42 days? ‌However,‌ ‌the recruiting process varies from industry to industry. Still, during that span, top talent may accept an offer elsewhere. And that means you have to continue devoting resources to filling that opening. This puts more strain on your current team as they have an additional workload.

But, there are some additional benefits to speeding up the recruitment process. It improves the candidate experience, but this can also lead to higher acceptance rates. And it will put a smile on the faces of your recruiters and leaders.

But, how can you make the recruiting process faster? Well, try out these ten strategies.

1. Enhance‌ ‌your‌ ‌job‌ ‌postings.

Let’s not mince words. Having a lot of unqualified applicants applying to your job openings might be due to‌ ‌your‌ ‌job‌ ‌posting. ‌So what makes an effective advertisement?

Yes. ‌Your job posting must include all essential requirements. ‌However, it should also be aspirational as well.

In order to attract the best talent, you need to write about why the candidate should choose you over anyone else. ‌In other words, promote your company as their best option.

There’s nothing wrong with the description of your job following a general template. ‌However, it should also include‌ ‌the‌‌ ‌‌following‌‌ ‌‌criteria:

  • Give a brief description of your company. ‌Make sure you include your firm’s tagline or pitch.
  • Make it clear whether the position is remote or on-site. It’s simple to narrow candidates who are only seeking remote work opportunities.
  • The‌ ‌job posting should also be specific‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌role. ‌For example, describe who the candidate will report to and their responsibilities. ‌Also, explain how they can succeed in their new role and how to track their performance.
  • List the skills, requirements, or pre-requisites that your candidates must possess. ‌Of course, some candidates may not apply unless they meet those requirements. ‌Yet, it can assist serious candidates in deciding whether this role suits them.
  • Explain what the perks of your job or company ‌are. ‌By doing so, candidates will feel valued before they even meet you.

2. Make it easy to apply.

A lengthy and exhausting application process is not appealing to candidates. ‌What’s more, they expect to apply for the job directly from their phones. ‌According to Indeed, it is estimated that 62% of job seekers use mobile devices for their job search globally. Mobile job searching is driven primarily by convenience for 55% of job seekers. ‌Additionally, 66% of applicants would use a mobile device to apply for a job if it were easier.

‌As a result, they expect you to parse their resumes. And also limit the remaining fields to relevant information related to the application process.

In fact, Careerbuilder reports that 20% of candidates abandon application forms that take more than 10 minutes to complete.

Take the time to review your application process. If it doesn’t meet these standards, you need to step up your recruiting game. To start, you can offer a mobile-friendly application process that helps candidates apply faster by choosing the right recruitment software. Some suggestions would be Zoho Recruit, Recruitee, or Freshteam.

3. Encourage passive candidates.

Passive candidates are also encouraged to reach out during recruitment. ‌Often, those not actively looking for work have extensive experience, ideal for a position you’re filling.

Is‌ ‌it‌ ‌hard‌ ‌to‌ ‌convince‌ ‌specific ‌passive‌ ‌candidates? It can be. ‌You might be able to secure an interview with nothing more than a quick email to a few candidates you’re interested in.

4. Automate tasks.

Looking to focus most of your recruiting efforts on the jobs that have the most significant ‌impact? ‌Well, removing time-consuming tasks from your schedule is key.

Thanks to technology, recruiting has become more effective and ‌time-efficient. ‌In addition, these tools allow employers to automate menial tasks. ‌For example,‌ ‌screening‌ ‌resumes,‌ ‌scheduling‌ ‌interviews, answering‌ ‌simple‌ ‌questions,‌ ‌or‌ ‌sending‌ ‌‌rejection‌‌ ‌‌emails.

In the same way that talent pipelines influence efficiency, task automation does the same. ‌This way, you can focus on improving your hiring process’ speed and quality.

5. Implement an employee referral program.

There’s no spoiler warning here. Many of the best employees are hired internally or through ‌employee‌ ‌referrals. ‌About half of referrals (45%) stay for four years or longer. And, only 25% of employees hired from job boards remain for more‌ ‌than two‌ ‌years.

Employee referral programs let your employees do a substantial amount of recruiting on your behalf. ‌By doing so, recruiting and hiring will take a lot less time, and advertising costs will be reduced. ‌It is also more likely that candidates with a personal relationship with a current employee will accept a job offer.

Best of all? Referral programs are not ‌complicated‌ ‌or‌ ‌expensive. ‌You could, for instance, try an old-fashioned approach like asking your employees who they know. ‌However, you should make sure that they know you will help them through the process.

6. Leverage AI-powered candidate screening.

Screening candidates is a crucial step in the hiring process. ‌Why? Recruiters can eliminate applicants who are not suitable for the job, focusing on the most qualified ones.

However, you probably have to perform this manual task daily. And, suffice to say, it can take a lot of time and effort. ‌Moreover, if you receive many applications, it is practically impossible to screen all of them accurately and ensure only the best are considered in the hiring ‌‌process.

The best solution? Automate the screening process with AI.

Using an applicant tracking system allows you to automate the process of selecting candidates based on the job requirements you set. ‌As a result, it can speed up your recruiting process while retaining the quality of screening. Also, this technology doesn’t get tired of screening candidates and reviewing their CVs. ‌Additionally, it doesn’t rely on human biases.

7. Expand the reach of your job listing.

Again, providing a good job listing will appeal to prospective employees and make the hiring process faster. ‌If the listing has not been placed correctly, serious repercussions can be. ‌Without enough job advertisements, your candidate pool will be less diverse, and the number of applicants will also decline. ‌You can save time and resources by diversifying where you advertise your job openings now and in the future.

The thing is, if you do it inefficiently, actively increasing the preparation phase can bog down the process even further. After all, if you aren’t using the right tools or channels, you’ll be wasting both time and money. ‌So instead, make your company more recognizable by increasing brand awareness, or use the next tip for optimal results.

And, despite your personal feelings, don’t overlook the power of social media. For example, 94% of recruiters leverage LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter in their recruiting efforts.

8. Hire from within.

Employees should always be encouraged to apply for new positions. The reason? Well, it’s less expensive and boosts employee engagement. But, it also makes the recruiting process faster.

Based on your current employee’s skills, knowledge, loyalty, and work ethic, you already know they are a good fit for your business. ‌Likewise, it takes time and effort to welcome a new team member. ‌But, on the other hand, an existing employee is already settled and comfortable in your organization.

9. Embrace flexible interviews.

Can you offer more flexible interviews? For example, do you have the availability to meet with them during the evening or weekend? Are you willing to travel to meet them? Or, the interview can be done remotely over Zoom.

10. Enhance the candidate experience.

Lastly,‌ ‌improving the candidate experience will make your hiring process more efficient. ‌Besides improving candidate experience, these methods also speed up ‌hiring.

Candidates would get a better experience if the application and overall recruiting process were shortened. ‌Recruiters would also have fewer touchpoints.

If you keep an engaging career page and employer brand, candidates will be able to decide if they will fit in with your company culture. ‌By pre-screening, they can reduce the number of applicants not fit for the role. ‌Informed and enthusiastic candidates will also feel more qualified and enthusiastic about the job.

Final tip. Keep in constant contact with candidates. ‌Through effective communication, you can improve their experience and prevent delays and roadblocks.

Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thank you!

How Can You Make the Recruiting Process Faster? was originally published on Calendar by .

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