human resources

wellness

4 Employee Wellness Trends for 2020

Employee wellness is more important today than ever. Not only it affects employee productivity and performance, but also influences a person’s mental health. So, most companies today treat this matter with utmost cautiousness.

Businesses in different fields, as well as other organisations, implement various programs to help maintain their employee’s wellness or improve it if needed. This is aside from their usual benefits such as paid leaves, sick leaves, health care, and more.

According to a study by ResearchGate, effective corporate wellness programs create a remarkable impact on an employee’s health and overall well-being. Also, improved motivation, capability, and skills are other traits that show the enhanced result.

The brief history of workplace wellness 

Interestingly, workplace wellness did not just start abruptly. It has a long history that started in 1633 whereas, an Italian physician wrote about the effects of work exposure on workers. In 1810, a Welsh social reformer proposed a 10-hour workday to protect the well-being of the workforce. By 1817, he proposed a more aggressive measure – an 8-hour workday, where the phrase, “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” originated.

Jumping to 1950s, this is when companies began to offer wellness interventions which are primarily focused on mental health issues and alcoholism. And not until the mid-1970s, true workplace wellness programs did begin. During this timeframe, financial responsibility for health care from government to employer was developed. From that year onwards, occupational safety and health insurance, health promotions, and fitness programs for employees were pursued.

In modern-day, employee wellness is one of the most important aspects that employers pay attention to. More regulations are looked upon and restrictions on working hours are strictly implemented. But, on a survey of employees by Quantum Workplace, 71.1 per cent of them still wants their employers to provide stress relief breaks, including naps and massages.

Employee wellness trends in 2020

As time passes by, every employee’s needs and wants changes too. So whatever it is that might work for your employees last year could not be as effective this year. To be able to adjust according to the changing needs of your workforce composition this year, take note of these employee wellness trends:

1. Workplace wellness culture audits

To closely monitor the changes and keep pace with the workplace wellness culture, companies nowadays should implement regular HR reviews, turnover, productivity, error levels, and workplace health and safety standards.

This audits should be able to help keep your employees aligned with workplace well-being programs such as turnover, retention, stress levels, and mental health issues. The main goal is to immediately adjust the well-being programs even if changing technology, societal conditions, and satisfaction affects it.

2. Millennials will dominate the workforce in 2020

The workforce in 2020 is highly anticipated to be mostly dominated by millennials. This generation is known to have a strong standpoint against structural issues, most especially, workplace burnout. Millennials love maintaining their work-life balance, as well as their career satisfaction. So if they feel trapped in a place that doesn’t value much of their wellness, moving on is their next step.

According to a survey by Class pass, 75% of millennial professionals believe that it’s the employer’s responsibility to provide health and wellness benefits. More than half, states that they would’ve stayed in a company that provided fitness and wellness benefits.

3. Establishing wellness programs that create real behavioural change 

According to neuroscience research, habit change takes at least 60 days. But, engaging programs that continuously support employees at work and home helps create the change. In return, companies expect reduced turnover, absenteeism, stress levels, and improved retention.

Investing in people bears nothing but good results both for the individual and the company. It boosts morale which could, later on, progress to improved productivity that will directly impact the company.

4. Promoting healthy mental and psychological well-being

Psychological and mental health is as important as physical health. Nowadays, an increased number of people with mental health problems is arising. Younger generations, as well as the working-age individuals, are the usual victims of these mental health issues.

So this year, businesses are crafting wellness plans that address mental health. Some of which includes; free mental health checkups, coaching, encouragement with team members, team building activities, or anything that might work.

Conclusion

We, at DBOS, cares about our employee’s wellness as much as we do with their performance and productivity. Our human resources officer make sure to stay on track with employee reviews and concerns. Employee wellness programs such as monthly birthday and anniversary bash have been part of the culture. We also encourage our people to join several volunteering programs and donation drives that we continuously practice. Aside from those fun activities, we also motivate our people to learn new skills through constant training and study.

Know more about one of the fastest-growing offshore staffing companies in the Philippines and save up to 70% on your labour costs! Contact DBOS today and get a free consultation with our CEO/Founder.

HR

8 Fundamental Benefits of Embracing Big Data in HR

The HR department in any organisation is pivotal. It plays one of the most important roles in a business because it handles strategic planning, company image, acquiring the right talents, and hiring. With all the tasks that HR personnel should do, the introduction of using big data has become a huge breakthrough in running the department.

What is Big Data?

According to SAS, the term “big data” refers to the data that is so large, fast or complex that it’s difficult to process using traditional methods. The idea was there for a very long time, but this concept gained momentum in the early 2000s.

Doug Laney, an industry analyst, enunciated the importance of big data as the three (3) V’s.

1. Volume: In businesses, data could be collected from a variety of sources including transactions, smart devices, videos, documents, and so much more. In previous years, storing big volume data takes up a lot of space on external hard drives and backups on other storage devices. Nowadays, there are affordable online platforms that could ensure security for any volume of data.

2. Velocity: The data streams that businesses acquire comes at an unprecedented speed and must be handled in a timely manner.

3. Variety: There are a huge variety of data. Whether structured or unstructured text documents, databases, emails, videos, audios, graphics, and others, the big data sure can handle it all.

Why is Big Data Important?

In today’s innovative world, using big data has become highly important. Initially, it doesn’t just focus on how much data you have, but what you can do with it. While all of those could be overwhelming to analyze and manage, big data enable cost reductions, time reductions, new product development, optimized offerings, and smart decision making.

While all those important aspects of acquiring big data alone is a huge feat, let us also find out what’s in it for the HR department.

HR

8 Benefits of Embracing Big Data in HR

Traditionally, the HR department is one of the busiest and most cluttered places in an office setting. Papers piled up on desks and file cabinets lined up everywhere are just normal during this time. Sorting all those files take up a lot of energy, manpower, and time. However, technological advances came fast and most businesses became reliant on outsourcing.

Moving forward, a lot of advanced years came by and the usage of online storage became a hit. Companies are suddenly going paperless and fewer people are needed to run a department while most are utilised for other roles.

Suddenly, HR outsourcing in the Philippines became famous and even the smallest entrepreneurs use this practice. To learn more about the usage of big data in human resources, check out these benefits:

1. Improving strategic workforce planning

Big data has the ability to sort all candidates by their specific skill sets, work arrangement options, work experience and other categories. This help businesses tap into a very precise talent pool and immediately exclude other candidates that do not pass the qualifications. By doing this, the HR department can save more time to look at a broader talent pool.

2. Predicting hiring needs

One very specific benefit of big data in HR is that it helps employers improve their quality of hire. It also strengthens employee retention and better predicts hiring needs. By mining employee data and identifying their pattern of skills, performance, education, professional experience, and more, then hiring the right talent would be so much easier.

3. Improving retention

According to a relevant HR study, the company culture hugely affects employee retention. With big data, HR can now immediately identify if a candidate and their personality align with the company values and goals. For an organisation’s long-term survival, employee retention is the key.

4. Providing hidden talent insight

The use of big data in HR lessens the actual number of staff needed in the department. So, instead of employing a whole HR department, the company can actually cut the number and have them do other things that will help with their career growth. Now, this is where hidden talents could be discovered.

5. Enabling decision-making without bias

By implementing big data in HR, decision-making would be quicker and simpler. There won’t be any issues of being biased, because all of it will be based on actual numbers. And so, the HR people will be able to accurately track the demographics and performance of each and every employee.

6. Automating your processes

Embracing the use of big data in HR allows you to use tools to automate your processes. On the other hand, your human resources team will be more available for strategic planning, reaching out to employees, and finding more ways to engage and support them.

7. Tapping into shared experiences

Being exposed to HR trends in other industries allows employers and their staff to get better ideas. It will also aid the HR leaders to create strategies that would best fit the organization they belong to. This drives new big data analytics and AI-powered solutions onto the market.

8. Unlocking powerful ideas

As analysing data can give you other points of view to focus on, it can also unravel more ideas that could later turn into an opportunity that will change the way companies handle their HR.

Conclusion

The implementation of big data in most companies is an advanced move that will help the business reach, understand, and target their supposed audience. On the other hand, the HR department is indeed a huge beneficiary of big data.

So if you’re thinking about working with an outsourcing provider who shares your goals and aspirations, check out DBOS and get to save up to 70% on your labour costs!

Contact us today and get a free consultation with our CEO/Founder.

destress

6 Simple Ways to De-Stress Your Work Day

At times, stress has its own way of overpowering our thinking. Well, it’s natural for work to leave you a little stressed. But if you’re not moving forward with your tasks for almost half a day, then you might need to breathe and de-stress a little.

Here are 6 simple ways to de-stress your work day:

#1. Get a head start

Wake up earlier than usual and leave home at least 30 minutes prior to your accustomed time. This would guarantee a little calmness as you’re not worried about being late.

Research proves that the less rushed you feel in the morning, the less stressed you’ll be for the rest of the day.

So try to start your day right to avoid stress the whole day!

#2. Pack some of your favourite snacks

Kickstart your day with your preferred coffee because it tastes best in the morning!

Also, make it a habit to pack some of your most favourite snacks at home and bring it with you. If you’re allowed to eat on your desks at work, go munch a little. But if you’re not, then take little breaks as you must.

There is no doubt that food alone can make our days lighter and brighter. However true, just make sure to not focus only on eating instead of doing some actual work.

#3.  Socialize with your colleagues

It is not prohibited to chat a little with your seatmate as long as you don’t interrupt each other’s business. So whenever you’re feeling a little queasy or you just wanted to take a break from staring at your computer for too long, do converse. Laugh a little, throw random jokes, smile more and do your job well.

Communicating even in the slightest way possible is all-important.

#4. Remember your goal

Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed and a bit stressed, take some time to remind yourself why you are doing all that hard work. You can also display a little family photo or your pet’s portrait that inspires you. Reminisce each photo and go back to when it was taken. Ride down the memory lane and remember your happiest moments.

Every now and then, bravely going through life to achieve your goals and dreams is something that no one can stop you from doing.

To keep yourself motivated, carry your goals every day.

#5. Celebrate small wins

Arrived early at work? You deserve a full breakfast meal! Praised by your boss for a job well done? Then treat yourself some ice cream!

No matter how small your achievement might be, make sure to give yourself some credit. Doing so will give you a little push to do better so you can celebrate even more. But, do note that celebrations doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sometimes, the little things are what matters the most, so learn to appreciate it.

#6. Take short walks and just breathe

Whenever work feels like a little too much to handle, going out for 5 minutes to calm yourself would make a difference. Instead of getting aimlessly upset over the futile things about your job, learn to take short walks and breathe.

Breathing is a good practice to help calm the nerves and ease the irate feeling. Read this for the complete proper breathing exercise.

The truth is, at the end of the day, no matter how stressed you are, deadlines still won’t wait for you. So you have to pull off a little courage and get yourself out of that stress before your day ends. Follow these simple tips above to help you de-stress a little and then continue to do your job.

Here at DBOS, we promote a happy working environment so that stress won’t wear you off.

Join our growing family and check out our careers today to see what job fits you best!

positive work attitude

How a Positive Work Attitude Affects Your Job

A positive work attitude creates wonders on your mood and everyone else’s near you. It affects them unintentionally and impacts their perspective throughout the day. It is something that goes deeper beyond the surface cheer. Meanwhile, a negative attitude promotes the opposite of every positive there is. It ruins the atmosphere and harmony of the workplace.

So what would you be? The mood ruiner or the mood maker?

If you decided to be the latter, here are a few tips on how to sustain the positiveness radiating inside you.

How to maintain a positive work attitude?

A positive attitude amplifies a good working environment for you and your coworkers. It is not just about plastering a smile on one’s face and trying to think happy thoughts all day.

Studies have shown that having a positive attitude makes your life seem broad and full of possibilities. It can also create real value in your life and help you build skills that last much longer than a smile.

In a typical office setting, maintaining a positive work attitude might be hard because of numerous pressuring factors. So here’s how you can maintain a positive attitude at work:

Surround yourself with positive people.

Connect with people who love their job and is interested in lots of other things besides work. Talk with them on your free time and slowly, you’ll adapt their mindset. Just like how the saying goes, “birds of the same feather flock together”. However, you can’t pick your co-workers. So instead of avoiding the negative ones, why not try to be the bigger person and spread positivity?

Practice the attitude of gratitude.

Start from the moment you wake up in the morning. Be grateful for a new day. Appreciate the fact that you have a house, a comfortable bed to lie down, and a job to look forward every day. Learn to say “thank you” for the smallest of favours or when a coworker opens the door for you. Every day won’t be perfect, but focusing on what we are grateful for tends to wash away all the feelings of negativity.

Paul Mills, a Professor at the University of California School of Medicine conducted studies that looked at the role of gratitude on heart health.

Now, help yourself. Make expressing gratitude a habit and see where it brings you.

Control your language.

Restrain yourself from cursing. Using a foul language to insult your coworker will only cause misunderstandings and probably hidden grudges in the long run. So to avoid having bad blood with your colleagues, it is best to not use heavy languages that will only result in unnecessary arguments.

Be nice to people.

A significant study in the Journal of Social Psychology reveals that doing something kind for people has the same effect as trying new and exciting things when it comes to feeling happy. So, if you are nice to other people on a regular basis, it’ll become a cycle of generosity and happiness that will eventually go as far as it could. Remember the saying that says, “mind over matter”? Practice thinking positively every day and witness how your whole being responds.

Being nice and kind with colleagues is so much better than talking behind their backs and arguing for the most nonsensical reasons. Bear in mind that a peaceful and happy workplace eases the mind, increases productivity and lessen the stress.

We here at DBOS promotes a caring and happy environment that opens up new opportunities for self-growth and development.

Check out our careers and be a part of our growing family!

 

hr services

Top 3 Advantages of Outsourcing your HR Services Today

Outsourcing all HR services has gradually accelerated over the last decade and it will continue to do so, said Lisa Rowan, research vice president at a market research firm.

Gone are those days when HR was just a stand-alone department that workers often visit to ask a question, get a form, look for advice, or drop a complaint. Human resource tasks nowadays are much more challenging than before. The HR people are usually juggling between taking care of the employees, handling their benefits and busy going through the legalities.

To gain access to an organised and strategic HR operation, you can choose to outsource the whole department or just a function of it.

Below are the top 5 HR functions:
1. Recruitment
2. Training and Development
3. Labour Law Compliance
4. Compensation and Benefits
5. Employer-Employee Relations

These HR functions are all vital to the company’s growth as they deal with the most important resource – the people.

To help you decide whether to outsource or not, here are the top 3 advantages of outsourcing your HR services:

Access to HR experts

Upon identifying which human resource function you should outsource, you will be able to focus on the qualifications of your possible candidate. Outsourcing HR functions allow you to thoroughly select from a huge pool of talent. Deducing the candidates one by one based on their skills, experience, and credibility.

Save costs

Offshoring your HR services are way much cheaper than hiring in-house staff. It is also a better bet than picking a newbie who costs less but might create a fatal mistake in the end. Then your best shot would really be hiring an offshore HR expert whom you can save costs but with a lower risk of creating an error.

Increased efficiency and accuracy

In a company setting where the in-house HR department has tons of tasks to accomplish, efficiency and accuracy are much needed. By outsourcing your HR service, you can now focus on the most vital task and then delegate the rest to a responsible outside service provider. There are tons of credible companies who offers offshore back office services of all sorts. The key is, you have to choose wisely.

Every company’s human resources department plays a huge part in its growth and success, be it a small or medium enterprise. So choosing the right people, especially the right offshoring partner should not be considered lightly. It is a must that they are skilled, professional, and compassionate at the same time.

These advantages enumerated above are just a few of the many things that you will gain once you decide to outsource.

Now we here at DBOS, assure to connect you with highly skilled human resource professionals for convenient and affordable staffing options.

Contact us today to learn more!

work attendance

How to Effectively Improve Your Work Attendance

First impressions last. Now, do you want to be remembered as the most delinquent employee? Or do you prefer a deteriorating work attendance rather than a clean track record? Think again and decide.

It is a fact that getting up in the morning to prepare for work is tiresome. Everyone does. However, keeping your job is essentially important. We all know how hard it is to find a job, right? So might as well, change your habits now or lose your job soon.

Like it or not, attendance and tardiness add up to your work attendance. It doesn’t matter if you’re really good at what you do when you’re always late or missing-in-action (MIA).

Just as the saying goes, “skills can be taught but not attitude”.

Here are a few tips to help you improve your work attendance:

work attendance

Healthy Living

One way to improve your punctuality and attendance is to live healthily. Eat right, exercise, take your vitamins, and other habitual routines that will help lessen your stress. Make sure to still practise your favourite hobbies and spend time with your loved ones. Doing so will help you balance your work and personal life. Also, maintain a healthy and positive mind.

Sleeping Habits

Practice at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. But if you’re having trouble sleeping at night, try drinking any calming tea or milk, and do not drink coffee before going to bed. Refrain from too much social media browsing and playing mobile games until the wee of night. Also, avoid binge-watching your favourite TV series if you have work for the next day. You have the weekends to do that. Getting enough rest at night is important as it helps you regenerate your liveliness for the next day.

Preparation

Ready your office attire the night before, so you can save time from rummaging through your closet in the morning. Also, as traffic always gets bad especially during the morning rush hour, make it a point to allow another hour in case you get stuck on the jam. In addition, it is highly advisable to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled time starts. And to be able to save more time, you can also prepare breakfast on the go instead of eating at home. Always remember that it is better to prepare earlier than be in a hurry the next day.

Listed above are just a few tips to help you get through the struggles of getting up in the morning and going at work. All of those mentioned are important,  however, the decision to improve your attitude towards work is on you.

In some companies, consecutive absences and tardiness can lead to immediate termination. Don’t let it happen to you. Don’t mess up your hard-earned career just because you’re bored or tired. Some people can’t even get a decent job so be appreciative and exert more effort.

Living in this fast-paced world is the only way to survive. So you should carry a positive mindset and a clear mind. And always remember that the most hardworking people are much needed for a successful dynamic business.

Check out our career openings and see which one fits you best!

 

choosing-new-job

Essential Factors To Consider Before Choosing A New Job

Deciding to look for a new job is a huge milestone in an employee’s life. It adds up to the possibility of growth, career development, and if lucky enough – the road to success. Its vital importance is something that we cannot decide on rashly.

The mere thought of choosing to leave your comfort zone, only to dive into a whole new world is itself, nerve-wracking. So, to help you determine if you’re picking the right company for you, we laid out a few tips and suggestions.

1. Look past the paycheck.

While a good paycheck is one of the huge reasons why we are working, there are still other factors to consider when choosing a new job. And though essentially important, it doesn’t always spell happiness. So you should somehow look past the paycheck and consider asking your employer as to what the position can contribute to your personal growth. Of course, you should focus on impressive paychecks, but do not solely target for it.

2. Do your values and principles align?

Another important thing when choosing a new company is to consider if your values and principles align with them. Though it’s hard to notice these things when you haven’t been in the company yet, you can always check the feedbacks and reviews on the company’s website or social media accounts. Also, during the interview, you could politely ask as to what the company believes in and how do they view their employees. It could also be a good point for you as they’ll realize that you are guided by a set of values and principles.

3. Are there growth opportunities for you?

One of the best parts during an interview is the questions about growth opportunities. Do the company sends its employees for seminars and workshops? Can employees learn other stuff that might be helpful for your cream of the crop? Or do they only let you stick to a single task and none other than that? After the interview, you can then evaluate if that company would let you grow professionally.

4. Do they exude passion for their craft?

Passion is probably one of the things that any person cannot hide. For an employee, doing what you really love and being rewarded in the end is the greatest fulfilment. So pay attention to your co-workers and notice if they had the same burning passion as you do. When people talk about the things they love, their eyes shine unintentionally. It is something that would probably be very obvious to not grasp. Only then you can be assured that your teamwork would work out for the best.

5. Office hours and transportation.

Before committing to a responsibility that you should meet, ask your employer first of their expectations about the flexibility of your working hours. And if you are not certain about coming into work on time, maybe you can negotiate other options as to not harm your records, as well as the company. Or better yet, find a job that’s not too far from home so you can always have a place to rest after a hard day at work.

Wherever you might be landing a job, always remember to love what you do. Give it your best shot and never hesitate. Your 100% dedication and hard work will be rewarded in the end. Just make sure to wisely choose the company that will value you as an employee and see your full potential.

Here at DBOS, we give our employees full guidance until they’re of the best in their field. We do not hesitate to trust them fully and appreciate their labour. We also encourage them to unleash their outstanding talents and work on improving it little by little. Maintaining a close relationship with our employees is also a key point for our company dynamics. In the end, we both benefit as the company and our employees grow together.

Want to be a part of our strong and supportive family? Browse our careers today!

dayshift job

Perfect Reasons Why You Should Choose A Dayshift Job

The majority of BPO companies in the Philippines observe graveyard shifts. Thus, leaving no space for a dayshift job.

Since the Philippines became one of the most competitive countries in the BPO industry, its growth dramatically rose over a limited span of time. As this industry soared, it opened a lot of opportunities for the unemployed. Despite its flight, every business sure has a flaw. For the BPO industry, it is its “night shifts”.

Contact centres usually operate at night to accommodate overseas clients with different timezones. However, the drastic change in every employees’ body clock brought a lot of health issues. Agents have no choice but to report at work when most people are in deep sleep, and their safe travel home raises concerns.

On the other hand, there are still a few BPO companies who offer dayshift jobs! And I dare say, it’s a gem on the field. Who would say no to, right?

Then let’s distinguish the benefits of a dayshift job.

Convenience

Most employees prefer working in the morning like everyone else, rather than in the middle of the night. As for the food, everything else from fast food to bakeries is still open during the day. However, during at night, there were only a limited number of 24/7 stores from which you could buy. Also, personal tasks like paying bills, grocery shopping, even to the mere mall hopping is still doable.

Work-life balance

A healthy work-life balance is essential for an employee’s performance. It contributes to the well-being and mental health of each employee that might affect her/his productivity. Working on a dayshift can spare you so much time to go home when everyone else in your household is still awake. On the contrary, when assigned to the night shift, it is almost impossible to keep your family and social life intact.

Health issues

No matter how young or old an individual is, one’s health remains the most important. However, working on the night shift has serious disadvantages. While young, mild palpitations and irregular sleeping patterns are still fine. Contrastingly, during the mid-30s, your body will slowly start to betray you. You’ll be in for several serious conditions, such as diabetes, ulcers, cardiovascular disease, and more.

Safety

It is not rocket science to understand that night commute is unsafe. As the most heinous crimes happen at night, it is very much dangerous to travel, whilst, alone at the wee of hour. No matter how ready you are for possible attacks, the risks still won’t decrease.

For an employee, receiving a huge paycheck every end of the month is greatly fulfilling. Even so, there are bigger factors that aid each employee to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Particulars like a happy working environment and schedule are also of huge importance.

Now, if you’re looking for a particular company that offers dayshift jobs, guarantee weekends off, and gives significant meaning to a happy working environment, then you’ve found the right one! We here at DBOS, understand the employee’s needs, acknowledge their best, and encourages growth in or out of their comfort zones.

Check out our job openings and be a part of our growing family! Contact us for a free consultation today! 

 

business team meeting

Quick Tips to Hosting Better Team Meetings

Team meetings are important for catching up with your co-workers regarding your group’s weekly or monthly accomplishments and challenges. It strengthens the communication between employees and designated leaders within the workplace. Being in charge of a team meeting can be daunting to some, especially for those who are doing it for the first time. The following tips can help you get on track and start organising amazing meetings!

1. Enumerate objectives to set the tone

Before starting a meeting, list down your agenda for the whole session. You can dedicate a slide to this at the beginning of your PowerPoint presentation or write in on the board. This gives the participants an idea of what to discuss and which topics are to be prioritised. Anything outside the list of objectives can either be discussed in another meeting or if there’s time left. Having a prepared list also helps everyone stay on track in means of topic and time.

business team meeting
Discuss the agenda beforehand to inform every one of the meeting’s objectives.

Additionally, it’s better to have this agenda list crowdsourced beforehand: ask participating members in advance if they have core issues they want to share in the meeting that can be part of the objectives list. This way, you are giving them an everyone a fair chance of getting their voices heard.

2. Encourage participation

Always dedicate even just a small part of the meeting to hearing out everyone present in the room. Even quiet members can sometimes have great ideas and opinions to share. Keep a mindset of hosting meetings not just because you have something to say to everyone, but rather, making it a platform for everyone to be heard. You can also take the time to ask everyone about their weekend, share a piece of good news from their personal lives, or a short weekly update on their tasks. This can help liven up the meeting or serve as an icebreaker and help lighten up the mood.

3. Find solutions as a team

Though different tasks and challenges are delegated to each member, it’s important to also steer focus on working together to help each department lead or participating member who’s experiencing difficulty come up with action plans. Adopting this into practice further develops communication between employees and provides a fresh perspective in approaching different issues. It also builds a strong sense of camaraderie and increases the probability of having more successful interdepartmental collaborations.

business team meeting
Make every success a team effort.

4. Incorporate something new

Having weekly meetings can get monotonous especially when you keep following the same format. To spice things up, you can try adding something to break up the pattern: show a related Ted Talk, bring in snacks, ask everyone to dress the same colour or have the meeting at a different location. Introducing variety even in the smallest of ways can help make the meeting feel different every single time.

 

Mastering the art of leading an engaging meeting can be very tricky, but we hope that these steps will help turn your reporting into something your team members can look forward to every week.

How to Work Smarter and Quickly Avoid Burnout

As working adults, burnout is something we have felt at least once in our lives. It’s natural to get tired from constantly working hard day and night, after all, we’re only human. However, there’s a solution to help you avoid this so you don’t get sidetracked from reaching your goals. We’ve compiled a short list of tips to help you stay focused and refreshed.

1. Set clear boundaries between work and play

From the very second, you leave the office, set aside anything that’s work-related. Tomorrow’s tasks is tomorrow’s problem, and quit checking your emails outside your shift. You can choose between leaving your work phone behind or use apps like Cold Turkey or Focus Booster to help encourage you in keeping your mind off from work. The time you spend outside your job should be dedicated to your home life, other interests and self-care. My friend from Japan shared that her bosses advise her to turn down clients when they call her outside her shift. Even the mere act of answering their texts can give them the impression that her time isn’t as important as theirs.

multi tasking

2. Take things one at a time

Some people are born multitaskers, while the rest of us try in vain just to keep up with the demands of our job. There are ways to help you manage your time better, all of which you can easily adapt to your daily routine. Forcing yourself to do two different things at the same time might compromise the quality of your output and unnecessarily stress you out. Research has shown that when multitasking, your brain spends 40% more time to process switching between tasks. Additionally, a study by Stanford University discovered that even people who believe they are great at multitasking to tend to make more mistakes and took longer to complete tasks. The efficiency of multitasking is a common misconception and it’s better to focus on doing one task instead and then transition into another once it’s accomplished.

 

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Outsourcing small tasks can do so much for time management. Apps like TaskRabbit allows you to hire people for specific tasks and you can always check out UpWork and Fiverr for freelancers. Not only will you save on time, you can also save on energy and materials to get things done. You can also opt for a personal virtual assistant to help you plan ahead and manage your schedule better. There are also other productivity apps like Indigo, Hound and EasilyDo that can serve as your personal assistant if you’re tight on budget.

stress

4. Mental health is just as important as physical health

Self-care must always include checking on your psychological health. However, not everyone can afford to go to a therapist regularly which makes it harder for people to get the proper help that they need. When things get tough, you can opt for cheap and virtual alternatives such as Talkspace and BetterHelp which connects you to a licensed professional and allows you to have counselling sessions without ever leaving your home.

 

Staying motivated may be hard, but it’s not impossible. It just takes the right approach to help make sure you are on the right track to success.