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Help Your Staff Avoid Work-From-Home Burnout

As we enter the new year, it will be nearly eight months since much of the American workforce has transitioned to working from home. In many states, this trend may continue indefinitely and will certainly follow us into 2021. The transition to working away from the office continues to present challenges. Balancing work-life and home-life can be difficult, and people often have trouble establishing new routines and creating boundaries and healthy work habits. As a result, many workers suffer from work-at-home burnout, which can hurt your business. Here are some ways to avoid it.

Value Communication

Fostering good communication habits between you and your team is more important than ever. Many workers feel that they do not receive clear enough instructions. That doesn’t bode well for managers who don’t feel comfortable communicating with their team. It can be harder for workers staying at home to feel connected with their team leaders and each other, which often leads to a sense of isolation. To keep their team members feeling more connected, managers can encourage daily or weekly huddles and instant messaging or video calls through apps such as Zoom, Slack, and Google Chat. Encourage workers to reach out to you and each other often. Use video and voice calls to keep staff up to date and offer guidance on a regular basis.

Demonstrate Trust

The lack of a normally structured workday and the knowledge that managers are not there to oversee progress and performance can lead to employees overworking themselves because they doubt their performance is recognized. To help your team avoid feeling unnecessarily stressed, overworked, and critical of their productivity, let them know that you trust them by being flexible and supportive. Set attainable deadlines and due dates, maintain a positive and trusting attitude during meetings, and deliver feedback and instructions.

Clearly Define Purpose and Priorities

Be clear about project deadlines, as well as the order of priorities. In an office environment, workers can lean on their peers. They may feel more comfortable asking questions and getting clarification as needed. Newer members of your team take a special hit when working from home, as they miss out on the huge impact that being in the office can have on their development and ability to pick up job skills. As a team leader or manager, the clearer you are about your team’s goals, expectations, and priorities, the better. Ensure that every team member is clear about the purpose of a given project or task and their role within it. Clearly defining purpose can make workers feel more important and give them a greater sense of direction.

Encourage Movement

According to many studies, regular exercise can lower stress, improve memory, concentration, creativity, and prolong mental stamina. Encouraging your team members to go for a short walk or get up and stretch could improve their performance and keep them feeling motivated. Try implementing movement-based games like step counting competitions.

Following these tips can help ensure your staff maintains a positive work-life balance and stays motivated so that you can retain your talented, best-fit staff through these challenging times.

Resources:

https://review42.com/remote-work-statistics/

https://hbr.org/2014/10/regular-exercise-is-part-of-your-job

https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/

https://timeqube.com/blog/tips-to-avoid-wfh-burnout/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235275530_Exercising_at_work_and_self-reported_work_performance

https://www.wellsteps.com/blog/2020/01/02/office-challenge-ideas-office-fitness-challenges/

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/

https://connecteam.com/communication-in-the-workplace-the-complete-guide-tips-to-improve/

Are You Tempted to Scan Candidate Social Media Profiles? Keep These Dos and Don’ts in Mind

Today, business owners and recruiters can access more information about candidates in their talent pool than ever before—much of it shared willingly by the candidates themselves via social media. Seventy-nine percent of the population has a social media account, according to a recent Statista poll. In comparison, 84% of companies hold social media accounts of their own. Another 70% of recruiters admit to using them to view candidate profiles in the hopes of learning more before proceeding with the hiring process.

Viewing a candidate’s social media profiles can give you details beyond what they’ve put in a resume, cover letter, or list of references. It can even warn you about problematic behaviors before you make a hiring decision—but it’s important to leverage this access wisely. To be sure you’re utilizing social media effectively—and legally—we’ve compiled some dos and don’ts of incorporating social media into your hiring process:

DON’T screen for protected groups. While viewing a candidate’s social media profile can give you access to information you wouldn’t see on a resume or application—such as membership in protected groups like race, religion, sexual orientation, disability status, and more—you cannot legally screen potential employees for these groups. For this reason, wait until after an interview has taken place to utilize social media.

DO treat each candidate equally. If you choose to scan one candidate’s LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, do the same for the remaining candidates. Ideally, develop a process—check to ensure the candidates’ resume claims line up with their public profiles and scan for any alarming content—and stick with it for each candidate.

DON’T ask for passwords or send friend requests. Asking for passwords violates the law in many states. View only what’s publicly available and relevant to the candidate’s professional life, and remember that not all information provided online is factual.

DO utilize your HR professionals. If you’re a business owner, it can be difficult to remain unbiased—say, when you learn a favorite candidate follows your alma mater’s football team or does not hold to your political views. Utilize your HR department or an outsourced firm to conduct screenings for you to avoid any chances of bias and ensure your company is considering only what’s legal.

DON’T forget to document your findings. If you find something alarming on a candidate’s social media that leads to a hiring decision, print the item in question, date it, and note the (legal) aspects that went into the decision. If the post is later removed and the candidate attempts to claim you were discriminatory against their protected status—when a public post about ongoing participation in illegal acts was the true culprit—you have documentation.

While social media can provide you with valuable insights you can’t glean from a resume or interview, you must use it carefully to avoid bias and potential legal complications. In addition, social media screenings should not be your only method of screening potential employees before hiring. For a full picture of the hiring tools available to you on the HireScore Assessment Platform, reach out to Stang Decision Systems today.

Resources:
https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/social-media-survey-2017
https://businesstown.com/4-ways-use-social-media-hiring-process/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/#:~:
https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0914-social-media-hiring.aspx#:~:text=Employers%20can%20use%20social%20media,candidate’s%20qualifications%20for%20a%20position.

Typically, in an election year at the four-year mark of a president’s term—where there’s no certainty the administration will change—many US employers tend to delay their decision-making processes. This year, however, much like the election itself, the hiring process has already had to adapt to several changes. 

That got us thinking about the many other ways your hiring process might resemble the upcoming election. Some are positive and reflect the true beauty that is selecting the right person for the job. Others are not so positive, and demonstrate the potential for confusion and disarray if you don’t carefully structure your decision.

How Does Your Hiring Process Mirror the Election?

See if your current hiring decisions are putting you on the positive or the negative side of our comparison: 

• Negative—You have far too many candidates. Each year, it seems as if political parties without an incumbent in office produce more and more candidates for the American public to choose from. In 2020, there were a staggering 27 major Democratic candidates—far exceeding the previous record of 17—making it difficult for voters to remember the name of each candidate, let alone the platform. When it comes to hiring, while it’s essential to widen your pool initially, when you get to the interview/selection stage, too many finalists can breed confusion and lead to hiring the wrong candidate. 
• Positive—You know which skills are important for your potential candidates. In a presidential election, there’s a clearly defined set of skills we all expect a potential candidate to have—character, integrity, excellent communication skills, crisis management abilities, great with foreign policy, business acumen, and the list goes on. It’s a basic expectation that our president can utilize the necessary skills to further our country’s goals. Similarly, if you have clearly outlined a set of skills necessary for your potential hires to help your company further its goals, you’re more likely to hire talent that can accomplish them.
  
• Negative—You risk missing the most qualified candidates for the job. There are very few individuals with each of the skills necessary to achieve excellence as an American president, and they may not be the ones who apply. We’ve all weathered a few election terms where it seems like none of the finalists were qualified for the job. If this is consistently the case with your hiring process, you are likely neglecting the tools necessary to find and select qualified individuals.
  
• Positive—Technology is improving the process. Today, we know more about each presidential candidate and their respective platforms than any group of voters in history. In a year marred by COVID-19, many of the traditional accouterments of a presidential election would not have been possible in the first place without the use of technology. Similarly, we live in an age where you have the necessary technological tools at your disposal to screen applicants, identify candidates with your required skills, and hire the best-fit talent for your organization. 

If you find yourself without a clearly defined skill-set in mind or lacking the tools to help you identify the candidates that are most likely to become a lasting, positive addition to your team, contact Stang Decision Systems. Our innovative HireScore platform can ensure that you elect to hire the right candidate for your organization. 

Resources: 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/business/dealbook/election-years-are-steeped-in-markets-least-favorite-thing-uncertainty.html

https://www.ushistory.org/gov/7e.asp

https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2016/02/01/3-common-problems-with-hiring-and-the-presidential-election/

https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/human-resources/2016/01/4-reasons-why-presidential-elections-broken-hiring.html

“Genius is the gold in the mine; talent is the miner that works and brings it out.” —Lady Marguerite Blessington

Lady Blessington—An Irish child of poverty who became a successful author—was no stranger to hard work and perseverance. She was a firm believer in using her natural and painstakingly developed gifts to improve her situation. The parallels between Lady Blessington’s motivations and the mindset of today’s top workforce talent are apparent, as is the need of businesses of all shapes and sizes to attract these individuals.

However, it’s one thing simply to attract talent and quite another to hire (and retain) talented individuals.

Humanity Wins Out Over Salary

If you’ve found success finding and bringing plenty of potential recruits and talented individuals to the hiring table, but have struggled to make the hires, it’s time to take a look at what’s preventing talent from committing to your company. While insurmountable differences regarding salary and benefits can certainly be a factor, it’s not the most important indicator of a good fit for your prospects. A lackluster recruiting experience is a top reason talented individuals turn down a job. Company culture is the number one reason talent chooses one position over another.

If all this points to improving your hiring techniques and showcasing company culture in the process, the question remains—how can you humanize your hiring (and your company), and increase your odds of recruiting talent? In the digital era, it’s likely no surprise; the process starts with technology.

1. Utilize hiring technology. While meshing technology and humanity can seem counterintuitive, using technology to ensure the best-fit potential employees enables you to hire talent that’s right for the job. Better yet, they’re more likely to feel a personal connection to their work—a factor the average office worker would give up $9,000 in salary to achieve. Include company culture items in your hiring platform assessments to put a human face on your company—and ensure you’re hiring employees who identify with you.
2. Stay connected during hiring and onboarding. Even if you use technology for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, you still need to make an effort to build a connection with your potential hires. You can use automation to ensure timely responses to emails and completion of training but ensure all your outreach reads as if it’s crafted for each potential hire.
3. Involve your current employees. Whether you’re still on the hunt or onboarding newly hired talent, utilize your current hires to put a warm, welcoming face on your business. Invite them to share their opinions on working for your company via sites like GlassDoor and Indeed, and involve their friendly faces (and yours) in training literature and reach outs via sites like LinkedIn—provide them with a framework, first. Finally, after the hire, consider beginning an employee mentorship program, so your new talent doesn’t feel adrift within your organization.

Even if you offer an excellent salary package and remarkable benefits, real talent isn’t likely to stick around if your company comes off as cold, sterile, and uncaring. Do your best to put a human face on your recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes—and increase your chances of obtaining talent that sticks.

Need more information about how to incorporate HireScore hiring technology into your hiring process? Speak with the team at Stang Decision Systems—call 906.226.2829 or request a free consultation today.

Resources:

https://www.hcamag.com/ca/news/general/forget-money-and-power-employees-want-meaningful-work/163438
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marguerite-Gardiner-countess-of-Blessington
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/28/half-of-job-seekers-rejected-a-job-offer-after-an-interviewheres-why.html
https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/workforce-of-the-future/hr-recruiting.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/28/half-of-job-seekers-rejected-a-job-offer-after-an-interviewheres-why.html
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/335609

Is your workplace stressful?
No matter your sector, chances are, the answer is “yes” for many of your employees. In fact, in a recent survey published by the American Institute of Stress, as many as 83% of American workers say they suffer from workplace stress. 

What are the impacts of workplace stress? 

While you’re likely feeling the pressure associated with the everyday stresses of operating your company, it’s crucial to recognize just how much a stressful work environment can affect your employees. Heightened stress levels can cause weight gain, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, fatigue, and anxiety—and result in absenteeism, poor performance, and even resignation. In short, workplace stress could be costing you money and talent.

As a result, the price of a stressful workplace is real in many ways—which has led more companies to institute health and wellness programs to help employees manage stress at work. Unfortunately, only 41% of workers report that their employers offer any health and wellness resources at all—and only 35% of those believe the resources are sufficient. If you’re a manager or business owner, however, you need a staff that is as physically and mentally healthy as possible, and a health and wellness initiative is an excellent place to start.

How Can You Incorporate Health and Wellness?

While companies like Chesapeake Energy, Google, and Coors are famous for providing employee wellness perks like an Olympic-sized swimming pool, massages, cooking classes, and even beer on tap—most businesses don’t have the resources to match them. Still, making an effort to be mindful of your employees’ health and wellness can help you attract talent like these major brands. Whether it’s offering a flexible schedule or allowing people to occasionally bring their dog to work, there are many low-cost ways to accommodate your workforce and make your organization more appealing. Until you’re ready to roll out a comprehensive health and wellness program for your workplace, here are some tips you can use to help you ensure you’re providing your employees with valuable perks that have little relative cost: 

• Raise awareness. Acknowledge the common sources of workplace stress and encourage employees to help plan ways to alleviate them. A sense of preparedness can help nip stress in the bud and improve response from both you and your employees.
  
• Focus on fitness. Fitness in the workplace can take on different forms for different businesses. You may consider beginning a socially distanced yoga program, providing a gym membership, or even offering free or reduced-cost wearable fitness bands so employees can track their efforts.
  
• Promote rest. Employee productivity is vital, but work performed while fatigued or unfocused can turn out to be of low quality. Encourage employees to take provided breaks during the workday, and make the most of leave time and other time out of the office.
  
• Try meditation. It’s an activity that incorporates both mind and body and does not necessitate close contact. Meditation is a simple, virtually cost-free way to relieve stress. Try a shared app or begin a program that your employees can use when the need strikes.
  
• Facilitate employee connections. Especially challenging to do in the remote work era, the above activities can be performed remotely and individually—but can also be a part of a larger group wellness effort. Employees who feel connected at work are more likely to feel satisfied with their employment and show 41% lower absenteeism. 
• Educate yourself. In the current era of information, there is an endless supply of extremely high-quality information that 20 years ago would either not have existed or only would have been available to the very wealthy. Unfortunately, there is also a tremendous amount of misinformation. Below are a handful of people that we have grown to trust over the years. The importance isn’t on the specific sources of information so much as it is on showing that there is an amazing amount of information that can easily be shared and discussed at work.
  • Peter Attia https://peterattiamd.com/
  • Ben Greenfield https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/
  • Rhonda Patrick https://www.foundmyfitness.com/
  • Tim Ferris https://tim.blog/

Implementing one or more of the above tips can help you ensure your employees can achieve a healthy work-life balance, and—more importantly—feel you are invested in their health and wellness. Then, work to develop a full-scale health and wellness program to continue addressing these concerns. With some effort, you can ensure the best-fit, talented staff you’ve hired remains with your organization long-term.  

Resources:

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/how-managers-can-help-stressed-workers-.aspx

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/howtoestablishanddesignawellnessprogram.aspx

https://www.stress.org/42-worrying-workplace-stress-statistics

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx

We are always incredibly grateful to hear from clients who tell us our services have helped them hire great talent or fix a problem with filling difficult positions. One of our clients, Laser North, Inc., recently reached out to us to express how our services were integral to helping them fill several difficult positions with the right people.

Mark Niemela, Vice President of Laser North, told us that as a growing metal fabrication firm, they face the common challenge of filling open positions with suitable employees. In the past, they have met this need to varying degrees of success. Recently, Mark had a conversation with a respected business associate about how they find quality help.

“He said that they have been using Stang Decision Systems (SDS) for some time, and were very happy with the results,” says Mark. “We contacted SDS, and they explained their whole process and pricing structure. It made sense to us, and we wanted to move forward with it.”

Mark was put in contact with Jody Johnson, HR Advisor/Project Manager at SDS. Jody worked closely with Mark and Laser North to put a selection and assessment system in place for the key positions they were looking to fill–Outside Sales Representative and Production Manager.

“Jody stepped right in and has done a great job for us in locating, screening, interviewing, and then recommending competent candidates to us. She has been with us in the on site interviews here at Laser North, and has very professionally questioned the candidates to draw out their strengths and weaknesses, and then turned it over to us for further discussion.”

Mark says the process put in place by SDS worked very well and allowed them to fill their needed positions with quality candidates, and that they plan to continue using SDS for future openings.

“