With holidays being just around the corner, it’s only fair to say that the majority of companies are looking to hire seasonal employees. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t hidden talents among them!

HR teams simply need to be on a constant lookout for talents and if they find them among seasonal hires, they should keep them.

Festive Onboarding

Typically, new hires are welcomed with personalized, holiday-themed swags and hectic onboarding training. When it comes to the holiday season, time waits for no one!

This holds especially true for frontline roles, which are typically shunned left and right.

Seasonal onboarding practices don’t differ much from regular ones. New hires should receive prompt training, be paired with a seasoned mentor, and integrate fast. Except, “fast” is much faster than in other contexts.

Integration and alignment are also of immense importance, so new hires should be introduced to company values, mission, and vision from day one.

Sample Onboarding Checklist

All onboarding programs have a couple of goals in common, regardless of the industry, company mission, and roles. These typically include:

• Reduced turnover rates — holiday seasons are stressful
• Increased productivity rates — productivity needs to kick off ASAP
• Seamless cultural assimilation — communicating the organization’s values, norms, and expectations
• Enhanced employee experience — employee well-being in focus
• Employee safety—where applicable
• Compliance and legal requirements — where applicable

Here’s a quick onboarding checklist:

Before Day 1: Preparation

• Send a personalized welcome email (introduce the new hire to the team and provide info on their start date, time, and location)
• Prepare the workspace (set up the necessary equipment, supplies, and any relevant documentation)
• Assign a mentor

Day 1: Orientation and Paperwork

• Welcome session (introduce the seasonal hires to the company’s mission, values, and culture)
• Provide complete paperwork (tax forms, confidentiality agreements, and any other legal documents required)
• Provide access (login credentials and similar)
• Set up an office tour (for office workers)

Training and Development

• Job training (focus on specific tasks and responsibilities)
• Systems and tools training (software, tools, and equipment)
• Safety training (emergency procedures and protocols)

Team Integration

• Team introductions
• Social activities (team-building and similar)

Midway Through Seasonal Employment

• Check-in meeting (discuss progress, address concerns, and provide feedback)
• Additional training (as needed)

End of Seasonal Employment

• Exit interview (gather feedback on the onboarding process and employee experience)
• Return company property (badges, equipment, uniforms, etc.)
• Provide references

Ongoing Communication and Support

• Periodic check-ins (address questions and provide support)
• Periodic feedback sessions (address concerns)

Post-Season Evaluation

• Performance evaluation (based on set goals)
• Documentation (update records to include seasonal hires’ performance and achievements)

Sprucing Up Workspaces for the Season

Be creative during onboarding. The holiday season is the time when people unwind. New hires should feel relaxed even if the workload is pressing.

Create a sense of seasonal joy in the workplace. Apply a holiday makeover to the office. There are many ideas on how to make the office festive and here are some creative ideas:

• Festive lighting (string lights, fairy lights, or LED decorations)
• Door decorations (festive wreaths, garlands, or personalized decorations)
• Holiday wall murals (winter scenes, snowflakes, etc.)
• Company Christmas tree
• Festive meeting rooms (holiday-themed tablecloths, centrepieces, etc.)
• Window décor (snowflakes are a classic choice)
• Festive breakrooms (holiday-themed tablecloths, banners, and seasonal snacks)

Finally, greet seasonal hires with holiday swags.

Swags come in many shapes and sizes and don’t necessarily have to be expensive. It’s the intention that counts, after all.

Here are some ideas, based on employee feedback:

• Customized ornaments (personalized, with the company logo or employees’ names)
• Embroidered apparel (scarves, beanies, winter socks, etc. with the company logo or a festive message)
• Winter wellness kits (branded water bottles, hand sanitisers, etc.)
• Desk decorations (holiday trees, snow globes, festive desk accessories…)
• Seasonal stationery (holiday-themed notebooks, pens, sticky notes…)
• Branded snow globes
• Holiday-themed tech accessories (phone cases, laptop sleeves, mouse pads…)

Preparing Employees for the Year-End Hustle and Bustle

Preparing seasonal employees for the year-end hustle and bustle is a crucial step; otherwise, the word “seasonal” would lose its meaning.

There are numerous established strategies in this regard, notably:

• Pre-employment communication: Communicate the nature of the seasonal position. Employees need to understand workload volumes.
• Comprehensive onboarding: The onboarding process should include detailed training on the specific tasks. Ensure that seasonal hires understand company processes, policies, and procedures.
• Set clear expectations: Include info on work hours, productivity targets, and specific deadlines.
• Schedule training sessions: These sessions should simulate the demands of the holiday season. You may include time management training, stress management techniques, and practical tips for handling high work volumes.
• Communicate the importance of team collaboration: Encourage open communication.
• Foster a sense of belonging: This may be particularly difficult as seasonal workers know they’re joining the company temporarily but make sure to think of a way nevertheless.
• Guide time management skills: Create training sessions on task prioritization, realistic goals, and efficient workload management.
• Set up appropriate software: think in terms of task organization and time tracking.
• Flexibility and adaptability: Seasonal employees need to understand that the workload may vary and they should know how to adapt.
• Provide mentorship and support: Provide a support system for seasonal hires. Assigning a mentor and setting up proper communication channels is a good place to start.
• Ensure that seasonal employees have easy access to the resources and tools they need to perform their tasks efficiently (technology, training materials, etc.)
• Implement a system for recognizing and rewarding hard work during the busy season(team meetings, incentives, and company-wide acknowledgement).
• Set up emergency protocols: Provide clear guidance on how to handle emergencies and unexpected situations (escalation procedures, emergency contacts, and contingency plans).

Building Team Bonding From Day One

To help new hires integrate faster, you’ll need a proven strategy that encourages bonding beyond the workplace.

For starters, new hires will be greeted by a festive atmosphere, so couple the mood with a fun workshop. A gift-giving occasion may boost new hires’ morale. You can hand out holiday swags and social-building activities.

Ensure a warm welcome for seasonal hires. Schedule team-building activities to encourage interactions. Pair each seasonal hire with a more experienced team member (“the buddy system”). Encourage regular check-ins to ensure the new hires are adjusting well.

Conduct orientation sessions that cover job responsibilities, company values, mission, and long-term goals. Highlight the importance of teamwork and. Create an environment where open communication is a given.

Hold regular team meetings to discuss ongoing projects, share updates, and provide a platform for team members to express their ideas. Organize social events outside of work hours to allow team members to connect on a personal level (team dinner, a weekend outing, casual get-togethers, etc.).

Acknowledge the contributions of seasonal hires publicly (during team meetings or via the company intranet). Offer training sessions or workshops that contribute to personal and professional development. Establish a feedback mechanism.

Celebrate milestones and achievements as a team. Foster a sense of shared success.

There’s so much that can be done to make seasonal hires welcome. Hopefully, some of these ideas will help you brainstorm your onboarding strategy.

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The post Everything You Need to Know to Prepare New Hires for the Holidays appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Simply put, the success of your email campaigns relies on high deliverability rates first and foremost. Low deliverability rates can ruin your sender reputation, so it’s crucial to brainstorm techniques to achieve this demanding goal.

Well, we’ll try to help! Read on for proven tips on how to ensure your emails land in the inbox.

The Challenges of Email Deliverability

There are literally endless challenges when it comes to email deliverability. So many intricate factors are involved that it is truly impossible to take everything into account.

However, a set of proven best practices can help you establish a pattern for all future email campaigns, so let’s take a look at a checklist of recommended steps:

• Sender authentication (implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols)
• List hygiene (regularly remove inactive and bounced email addresses and handle unsubscribe requests promptly)
• Content quality (compose valuable content and avoid spam triggers)
• Compose clear subject lines
• Keep an eye on engagement (monitor open- and click-through rates and customize content to audience preferences)
• Maintain a positive sender reputation
• Mobile responsiveness (ensure emails display correctly on all devices)
• Optimize sending frequency and consider time zones.
• Segment lists for targeted messaging and tailor content for each segment
• Avoid spam traps (clean your mailing list regularly)
• Cultivate positive relationships with ISPs
• Address feedback loop complaints.
• Phishing prevention (provide clear sender information)
• Conduct A/B tests
• Adhere to anti-spam laws (CAN-SPAM, GDPR).
• Monitoring deliverability

Getting around Spam Filters

Getting around spam filters calls for a strategic approach that maintains sender credibility.

The first step is to send relevant content only. Don’t use excessive capitalization, misleading subject lines, or spam trigger words.

Next, authenticate your emails using protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These verify you’re a legitimate sender.

Third, maintain a clean mailing list. Regularly remove inactive subscribers to prevent spam complaints.

Fourth, don’t overuse images and links. Including too many links is certain to raise suspicions with spam filters.

Finally, leverage engagement metrics. ISPs take into account how recipients interact with your emails when determining inbox placement. The factors that guarantee that your emails are welcome include high open rates, click-through rates, and low unsubscribe rates.

Email List Management

Managing your email lists is the focus of maintaining a healthy email marketing strategy. A well-maintained list guarantees solid placement of your emails and upholds your sender’s reputation.

Email list maintenance involves the following practices:

• Regular cleaning
• Unsubscribe requests
• Segmentation
• Growth strategies (organic list growth)
• Engagement monitoring
• Provide subscribers with options to customize their email preferences.
• Consistent communication (avoid sudden spikes in sending volume)
• Regular testing
• Feedback loop
• Comply with data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR).
• Update contact information
• Re-engagement campaigns
• Content relevance

Creating Compelling, Relevant Email Content

Creating compelling, relevant content is the prerequisite for success. Your emails should drive engagement and this is best done by resonating with the audience’s needs and interests.

That is to say, understanding your audience comes first. Insights will help you in this undertaking; research audience demographics, behaviours, and pain points. Compose subject lines that address these and follow through with your offer.

The next step is delivering value. Your emails should provide solutions and offer useful information the audience will appreciate. Keep your messages concise, as skimming is a common occurrence. Use eye-catching CTAs to maximize the impact of your campaigns.

Finally, personalize your emails. Address subscribers by name and segment your list to ensure only targeted content is being delivered. Refer to past interactions and purchase history to nail down targeting, but don’t be overly aggressive when recommending products.

Use visuals with care. Images and videos have their charm but mobile responsiveness is even more appealing.

Crafting Effective Subject Lines

Subject lines determine the fate of your email. If they fail to make an impact, your message may be ignored (bad option) or flagged as spam (worst option).

To ensure all of your subject lines hit the target, make sure that they:

• Convey the email’s purpose
• Align with the email’s main message
• Are short and to the point
• Are no longer than 50 characters (optimally, 40 to 50)
• Display dynamic content based on user preferences
• Spark curiosity
• Tease the content
• Contain action-oriented language (e.g., Discover,” “Grab,” “Join”)
• Highlight benefits that resonate with the audience
• Are adapted to suit different segments’ preferences
• Are displayed correctly on different devices
• Don’t mislead recipients

Optimizing Email Design for Deliverability

A well-crafted email design enhances the visual appeal of your offer. However, to make sure the content displays correctly across various devices, prioritize simplicity. A clean, minimalistic design is the best approach to embrace. It also upholds mobile responsiveness, which is imperative. The design simply must adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes.

Also, avoid excessive or messy HTML code that may trigger spam filters. Use codes that adhere to email client standards. This is a huge issue with emojis, as they may not display correctly on all devices and in all browsers. Make sure to test-send your emails!

Finally, pick a suitable font that makes emails easily readable (and skimmable!). Make sure to use only the fonts that are accessible across different email clients. Pick a fitting font size that minimizes the need for zooming or scrolling.

The bottom line, keep an eye on emerging trends as they change all the time. Present trends include interactive emails, dynamic content, and AI-driven personalization. Since AI is expected to explode, new AI-powered trends are to be expected.

Although it may seem that things are changing too fast, it is essential to keep track of the developments. Email marketing is used far and wide, and if you’re not careful, competitors may take the lead.

A fine balance of quality, personalization, and design can never go amiss, so test away!  

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The post How to Ensure Your Emails Land in the Inbox? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Field service roles require employees to bring together technical expertise and customer interactions, all the while retaining autonomy. As a result, frontline employees often find themselves constricted, lacking the means to balance out these complexities.

The main challenge businesses face is fulfilling field service roles. The nature of the work can lead to burnout. Oftentimes, frontline employees feel isolated and don’t have a sense of belonging to the company.

In other words, retaining field service personnel transcends monetary incentives. Businesses need to find a way to create a rewarding environment that acknowledges individual achievements.

As things stand now, not many organizations recognize field service contributions. The department is, in fact, critical for business success. Therefore, the best way to retain these workers is to create a workplace culture that values their contributions.

We’ll tackle a couple of major tips on how to achieve that demanding goal.

Exploring the Unique Nature of Field Service Roles

The nuances of field service roles are complex as they go beyond conventional office work. Office employees often work behind the scenes whereas field service professionals are the face of the company, so to speak.

Namely, they bridge the gap between technical solutions and customer satisfaction — a demanding role indeed.

Their daily routine comprises an array of locations and unexpected situations, requiring them to be resourceful at all times. To be efficient, field workers need to be autonomous and resilient, which must be backed up by the employer.

Identifying Common Reasons for High Turnover

Typical reasons for high turnover rates are attributed to the two key factors mentioned above. Also, the feeling of isolation leads to disengagement, which, sooner or later, ends in departure.

The third factor is even more severe: frequent travel and extended periods away from home disrupt employees’ work-life balance, the practice that usually leads to burnout.

Finally, inadequate training and a lack of clear career progression are almost chronic across the industry. Employees who feel stuck are likely to look for better opportunities elsewhere.

Needless to say, effective field service management starts with acknowledging these reasons and dealing with them swiftly and efficiently.

Building a Strong Foundation

That being said, a solid foundation for field service personnel needs to be set up. Strategic recruitment approaches are the first of many steps to undertake.

Assembling a team capable of handling the unique challenges of field service roles requires a throughout selection process that aligns employees’ skill sets with the demands of the role.

Effective Recruitment Strategies for Field Service Roles

To attract prospective candidates, businesses need to employ recruitment strategies that observe adaptability and interpersonal abilities on top of technical prowess.

One helpful approach is simulating likely scenarios during the interview process. The practice can help HR staff assess candidates’ problem-solving and adaptability skills.

The Importance of Job Descriptions and Expectations

It is crucial to clearly communicate job descriptions and expectations from day one. Listing demands, challenges, and rewards will help HR staff pinpoint the right candidates.

Of course, it is recommended to offer solutions that efficiently solve common reasons for high turnover. Some ideas include hybrid work models, reasonable travel expectations, adaptable work schedules, etc.

Finally, outline growth opportunities (and trajectories!) and skill development opportunities the company offers.

Investing in Training and Development

Training and development are critical for creating an inclusive culture built on trust. Training programs need to observe employee growth prospects and be able to increase employee satisfaction.

In plain words, generic programs that lead nowhere won’t go far in helping businesses retain field service staff. Deploy modern approaches, customized learning programs, and comprehensive onboarding.

Providing Comprehensive Onboarding Programs

Onboarding processes are more significant than they may appear at first. New field service personnel often find themselves helpless in situations they encounter.

Since anything and everything may come to pass, it is necessary to help them learn the organizational procedures and protocols they are expected to observe.

A structured onboarding program comprising interactive training modules, simulations, and mentorship can do wonders in this regard.

Continuous Learning Initiatives

In addition to onboarding training, a variety of learning initiatives should be set in place. Firstly, the field service ecosystem is evolving on the go. Helping field service staff understand and cope with emerging trends and productive project management is paramount.

With new tech expanding the boundaries of learning, businesses may rely on webinars, workshops, certification programs, and online training courses.

Creating a Supportive Work Environment

A supportive work environment may sound like a platitude but it actually has two main focuses:

• Team collaboration and communication
• Addressing isolation and burnout

The latter is especially seen in frontline staff as the nature of the work differs greatly from other teams. Thankfully, it is possible to address this burning issue efficiently.

Fostering Team Collaboration and Communication

Let’s face it: field service roles portend significant time spent alone. That’s why a strategy focusing on a sense of connection is the first step to consider.

There are many ways to do this, including encouraging team meetings and team-building activities. Deploying knowledge-sharing platforms can also help, on top of being useful professionally.

Basically, organizations only need to ensure that employees feel connected to their colleagues. The interactions also serve to help people share best practices and innovative solutions.

Addressing Isolation and Burnout

Finally, we come to the most detrimental part: isolation and burnout. The practices mentioned above can help with the first, but rarely with the latter.

Burnout is the real deal, but keep in mind that mental fatigue is no less dangerous than physical exhaustion. Extended periods of solitary work and the pressure of meeting customer expectations can lead to emotional exhaustion.

Team-building events can help but they won’t solve the problem. Stress management programs and open conversations about the challenges are the best approaches to solving this tragic issue in the long run. Quick fixes can only go as far as to provide immediate relief.

This is what building a supportive environment really means: fostering a culture of understanding and acknowledging the challenges field service employees face.

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The post How to Overcome the Difficulty of Retaining Field Service Personnel? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

It is essential to provide new employees with a warm welcome. This can include a personalized welcome message, introducing them to the team, and assigning them a mentor who can guide them when they’re starting out (elaborated below).

Next on, you should offer appropriate orientation programs that should include company values, mission, and goals.

For remote workers, many standard procedures need to be adjusted. While virtual meetings aren’t novel, you should think about how to step up integration.

If you deploy a combined hybrid work model, make sure to set up hybrid events from time to time so that all employees can enjoy them.

Let’s take a look at the most important steps to consider when onboarding and training new remote employees.

Include the Emotional Aspect

Yes, workplace digitalization is all the rage. Aren’t we all aware of that?

Even so, people cherish human interactions. New hires, in particular, need to get a sense of unity to be able to excel in their role.

Here’s our first tip: don’t hand out generalized, boring training materials that don’t make your onboarding program stand out!

Do put in some effort to add unique details and encourage new hires to ask questions.

Don’t Rush Onboarding

Next on, even if the apocalypse is imminent, don’t rush onboarding training!

No matter how urgently you need a new pair of hands on board, get it into your head that a scared and unprepared new hire won’t change anything for the better. Quite the contrary! They will only delay work and feel terrible for being incompetent.

Here’s our second tip: make new hires competent and self-confident. No matter how long it takes to achieve this goal, stick to the plan.

Combine Standard Workflows with Personalized Materials

Preparing training materials is an arduous task and no mistake. The materials should include both general guidelines and role-specific information. To top it off, they should be original and evergreen at the same time.

Arduous to a T!

Is there a shortcut?

Not exactly, but there’s a way to create a good foundation and apply creative hacks to personalize content.

For starters, create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which should detail the general part. A template will help you customize even the tiniest of details, so don’t kill the mood with formalities.

Naturally, the “boring’ part” can’t be avoided, as everyone wants to know about the perks, salary, and days off, but make it concise and laser-sharp.

Make up for it with engaging, personalized training that will invoke inspiration.

Here’s our tip: engage new hires. Ask for their input and ideas.

Naturally, training materials come in various forms. They may or may not include training materials (handouts), instructional videos, and online courses. Use any combination to achieve the goal, but avoid information overload like the plague.

Tell New Hires What Their Future Holds

New employees don’t know what to expect from the company. With so many uncertainties popping up these days, it’s only reasonable to be straightforward.

Tell them what their future in the company holds. Answer all their questions. Include a mix of different aspects such as facts, employee experience, and seniority.

Set Clear Goals

Make sure to communicate goals clearly so that new remote employees know what to expect.

One notable downside of new tech is that human interactions are greatly diminished (if not entirely eliminated).

Too often, remote employees are left to deal with whatever issues or questions they may have on their own. Relying on Slack channels and tickets to get the answers can be so frustrating and inefficient that new hires may just give up.

Not only do goals need to be communicated clearly, but you should also ensure that appropriate communication channels are set up and operating properly.

Assign a Mentor

Mentorship is a common onboarding practice. It only stands to reason to expect that even the most detailed of onboarding programs don’t stand a chance of training new hires for every possible scenario.

Although there are no hard and fast rules, many companies opt for a 90-day plan that covers all aspects of the role. Pick a senior mentor who hails from a different team this will help new employees meet more colleagues and integrate faster.

One critical part of successfully onboarding remote employees is directing them to the right people early on. Make sure to schedule a virtual meeting with key staff.

Identify the Training Needs of New Remote Employees

It is paramount to identify the training needs of new remote hires. There’s a huge difference between office workers and remote employees in this regard.

One way to go about this is by conducting individual assessments and performance evaluations. Set up regular feedback sessions to understand specific areas where remote employees may require additional skill development.

Additionally, rely on surveys to gather insights and analyze performance metrics. Examine productivity levels and project outcomes to identify areas where additional training may be needed.

Lastly, staying up to date with new tech and industry trends is essential for spotting potential skills gaps.

Decide Whether You Need Cross-Cultural Training

Cross-cultural training isn’t always necessary but if you hire multinational teams, it may be helpful (and engaging, to boot).

Make it interactive by inspiring all team members to participate.

Literally, anything goes in this regard, and you may even ask senior team members for input.

Support Remote Employees

Remote workers can feel isolated and struggle with time management, so, at the very least, these two issues need to be addressed.

Rely on new tech to help you brainstorm ideas. Think in terms of virtual meet-ups, conferences, and hybrid events.

Schedule virtual team meetings where ALL employees can exchange information, discuss progress, and address drawbacks. Make sure that these meetings are interactive, allowing everyone to participate actively.

Encourage a culture of open communication where all employees feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns to foster inclusivity.

Create Development Opportunities

To ensure the growth of new remote hires, you’ll need to come up with appropriate development opportunities.

Again, new tech can come in handy. Organize virtual webinars and training sessions that address their career development.

Utilize Various Communication Channels

Offer a range of communication channels (e.g., email, IMs, video conferencing tools, project management software).

The practice allows employees to choose the most suitable channel for their communication needs and enhances connectivity among remote employees working in different geographies.

Encourage Feedback

Finally, a feedback system should be established where employees can suggest innovative ideas and voice their concerns.

Setting up a regular anonymous feedback system is the best way to foster honesty, as employees won’t fear retribution.

Plan Ahead

This should be plenty to go on, but with the corporate ecosystem evolving rapidly, you should think ahead.

Timely adjustments are often needed. To avoid creating all plans from scratch, create bulletproof templates and SOPs and apply tweaks here and there to meet new situations head-on.

Remote employees should be encouraged to communicate with their colleagues. Efforts to humanize interactions and management are essential.

With things changing this fast, it’s difficult to make long-term plans. It’s not impossible, though! Be inventive and listen to employee feedback. Allow your workforce to evolve alongside your organization.

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The post Successfully Onboarding and Training Remote Employees appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Describing a Pillar Page

One of the first things that comes to mind as a business owner when preparing a content marketing strategy is ensuring that you can keep and engage your target audiences if they visit the website. However, without having a stellar pillar page, that may not be easy to achieve. Pillar pages are more or less like web pages that give a thorough summary of everything about a particular topic your business specializes in.

Within a content hub, pillar pages serve as the main landing page, and they allow users to have an idea about the topics they want to learn about. Sometimes, pillar pages can end up being longer than normal blog posts and range between 2,000 – 3,000 words. And for your website to succeed, having more than one pillar page is essential. This is because multiple pillar pages boost your business’s chance of achieving excellent SEO ranking.

Are Pillar Pages Synonymous With Landing Pages?

Since pillar pages are designed to engage potential guests or visitors, most business owners have often thought they are similar to landing pages. They may be correct, but pillar pages differ significantly from landing pages. Pillar pages help guests to have a good overview of what your business is all about while landing pages ensure that they perform an action that is available in the CTA (Call-to-Action) provided in the content.

If you aim to ensure that your brand has excellent authority and standing on a particular topic, then pillar pages are your best bet. However, landing pages can help you gather leads to ensure your marketing campaign succeeds. Another thing about pillar and landing pages is that while the former is comprehensive, the latter only needs a few words, as they are created for calls to action. Although you can effectively use both in your marketing strategy, it’s essential to look deeply into both pages and see which one will work well for business.

What Pillar Pages Can Do for Your Business?

To improve your website’s chances of ranking well on search engines, you need to incorporate pillar pages into the SEO content strategy. That’s because pillar pages benefit business owners seeking to attract more customers through their websites.

Well, let’s take a quick look at some of the things that pillar pages can do for your business:

• Good Content Structure

Pillar pages can ensure your website contents have a cohesive and better structure. This helps guests quickly find what they want when browsing content pages. Aside from the fact that people can easily find the content they want on your website, search engines also can do that, thereby increasing SEO ranking. 

• Increased User Engagement

When folks visit your website and can easily view a particular content, they’ll always come back when they need to access other content. This occurrence can lead to users engaging with your business for a longer period. And when it becomes constant, you can build trust and credibility with them over time.

• Generate Quick Leads

 Well, one thing about SEO is that once you can improve your website ranking, it becomes easier to generate leads. That’s what pillar pages bring to the table, as they can help you to generate leads if SEO is enhanced. Also, an increased rate of engagement can result in more customers, which is a good sign of progress for your business.

How to Create Better Pillar Pages?

For any content marketing campaign to succeed, you need to maximize the use of effective pillar pages. Pillar pages are comprehensive content that can serve as valuable resources for users. Creating a better pillar page can increase the chances of your business website staying at the front of the competition in the industry.

So, let’s move further by glancing at some of the following tips that can help you create better pillar pages:

1. Perform Deep Research

To create an effective pillar page that offers accurate information, you need to conduct deep research. You can use many resources to aid your research, including industry reports, good pillar page examples, and reputable websites. This helps you increase your content credibility and know topics to include on the pillar page.

2. Select the Best Topic

Getting a good topic covering various sub-topics your business specializes in is always challenging. That’s why you need to use tools that include Ahrefs or Google keyword planner to perform keyword research which can help get a great topic. Remember that your selected topic should align with your audience and target members’ wants.

3. Use Clear Call-to-Actions

Although pillar pages are known to house detailed content, you need to ensure it has a clear purpose. You can set clear goals for your pillar page by including call-to-action words that are relevant to the content. Including CTAs on your pillar page can make them read related content and take further action.

4. Focus on High-Quality Content

Well, no one wants to read boring content that lacks edge and is unattractive to the eye. That’s why you should ensure that your pillar page has high-quality content since it will be comprehensive anyway. Ensuring that your pillar page consists of high-quality content can help you to be a go-to resource provider for people who need knowledge about a particular topic.

Summing Up

Digital marketers want to engage customers and gain traffic to their websites. This is to increase their business chance of generating revenue and building a better business. As a business owner, you can begin creating pillar pages by performing deep research, selecting the best topic, and using clear CTAs.

The post 4 Tips for Creating Better Pillar Pages appeared first on Tricky Enough.

In other words, it should be left to experts. Believe it or not, there is a term “integrator,” which is synonymous with “fractional executive.” These people are professionals who have learned the trade in multiple companies (usually working externally), trying to cope with rapid business changes. They can step in within an instant and immediately begin improving your company’s processes in the blink of an eye. It’s almost unreal.

There Are Integrators and Integrators

Firstly, since the IT sector is dictating the change, there are software integrators tasked with making everything work on this end. Digitalization needs to be perfected before fractional executives can take over.

Software Integrators

Software integrators are tasked with data transformation, software engineering, data mining, scripting, solutions architecture, customer experience and product strategies, project management, and digital strategy management. In essence, converting data from one format to another is not sufficient. Other business processes need to follow suit and there shouldn’t be any conflicts. There are various approaches to achieve this level of integration, so businesses need to determine their benchmarks and OKRs and find the most capable teams to run the process.

Fractional Executives

Once this complex process is well underway, consider a fractional executive. They may only stay with your company on a temporary basis, but their contributions will be recognized for years to come.

The term “integrator” was coined by Gino Wickman in his best-selling business books Traction and Rocketfuel. You typically learn about integrators when implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as a management practice for your company.

“An Integrator is a person who is the tie-breaker for the leadership team, is the glue for the organization, holds everything together, beats the drum (provides cadence), is accountable for the P&L results, executes the business plan, holds the Leadership Team accountable, and is the steady force in the organization.” (EOS Worldwide). Integrators help corporations achieve integration, differentiation, and agility. A complex task, to be sure. It’s no wonder, then, that fractional executives are graced with a variety of skills, including prioritization, consistency, leadership, and agile methodologies.

When choosing an integrator, look for the following traits:

• Business and data analysis skills
• Situational leadership skills
• People management skills
• Decision making
• Performance assessment skills
• Contribution skills
• Balanced behavior patterns
• A balanced orientation
• Decision-making rooted in knowledge and competence
• Sense of unity
• Ability to resolve disputes in an efficient manner
• Skill sets compatible with the industry
• Capability to uphold the company’s core values
• Same or similar vision to the business
• Ability to find new perspectives
• Ability to come up with innovative ideas
• Ability to find solutions to fill the gaps in business procedures
• Ability to identify errors and mistakes in business procedures
• Ability to bring forth a positive challenge

How Business Integrators Can Help Avoid Burnout

How to avoid business burnout?

Business Integrators boost corporate development, engagement, communication, and project management, among other elements. All these help employees be more efficient, which, in turn, helps prevent burnout.

The focus should be on prevention, not dealing with burnout, which is somewhat more difficult to achieve. To achieve this goal, Business Integrators should work on differentiation in a way that befits everyone involved. Because these people are natural-born leaders with mild manners, they know how to diversify roles without any issues popping up in the process. The basis of successful integration methodologies is strategic thinking. Aligning employees with the company vision and adapting corporate dynamics to eliminate burnout is the right approach.

Offer Flexible Work Models

Flexible work models are the most efficient way to allow employees to set up regular breaks, and get to unwind when they need to. They also allow for preferred ways of socialization, as some people still prefer face-to-face contact to speaking to a screen.

There are six flexible work models to choose from:

• Partially remote work, with flexible office space no permanent offices; rented flex space used for periodic collaboration (but not connectivity)
• Almost entirely on-premises limited remote work, large office space the majority of managers and workers
• Partially remote work, multiple hubs multiple offices with the workforce dispersed among them
• Partially remote work, large office space the majority of managers and workers spend most, but not all, of their time at the office
• Almost entirely premises mostly remote work with no office space
• Multiple micro hubs management and employees are dispersed across small micro hubs located in different cities (or countries, depending on the scope of your business operations)

Make the Office Space Enjoyable

An enjoyable office space can do wonders in terms of deflecting burnout. For some mysterious reason, businesses seem to forget this simple fact. Painting the walls a soft hue, adding some office plants, opening windows, and allowing employees to personalize their space is certain to help everyone feel better. This matter may be difficult to administrate for remote workers, for obvious reasons. However, that doesn’t mean the case is hopeless. Think outside the box! How about creating a fun course on this topic? For some added enjoyment, you may stage a hybrid event where all employees can contribute ideas. It also doubles as a team-building activity!

Add Gamification to the Mix

Digital transformation is the chief reason for workplace stress. Even though the end result is likely to simplify many company procedures, the transition process is still difficult to keep up with.

Business Integrators can do wonders, but they can’t change human nature. People need to take a break, slow down, and process all the rapid changes taking place left and right.

And that is what is usually impossible. At the very least, corporations can make the transition more enjoyable. Why not consider gamification? It can be used for learning, socialization, certain processes… Brainstorm ideas! It is a matter of learning that gamification has proven to be the most efficient. While educating the workforce on literally anything, you can add gamification elements to make learning enjoyable.

Gamification is using what some might consider gaming in a specified eLearning experience. The government has been using it for decades. Imagine that? It’s only (relatively) recently that it has made its way into the corporate setting, so you can raise the bar while helping your employees avoid burnout, too!

The Right Approach to Gamification

Gamification boosts engagement through extrinsic motivation. In plain English, it offers external rewards. It has three chief goals:

• Meaningfulness
• Conditioning
• Communication

To achieve these goals, gamified programs should include the following elements:

• Points (identify progress)
• Badges (display achievements)
• Leaderboards (provide rankings)
• Additional elements to consider depending on your goals) include: progress bars, incentives, rewards for the milestones achieved, a narrative, feedback, and interactive elements.

Can Burnout Be Avoided Completely?

Business Integrators, common sense, hybrid work models, and gamification can do wonders in helping employees avoid burnout. However, whether it can be totally eliminated in this hectic setting we live in is another matter entirely. It seems likely that work models will undergo changes in the future as digitalization is changing the rules of the game. While this unavoidable process is taking shape, it is crucial to not forget that employees are just humans.

They should be given an outlet to enjoy human activities. Which exact ones to include is best left to their input. Ask them which activities they’d like to participate in.

The post How Business Integrators Can Help Ease Employee Burnout appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Delivery and shipping services are changing or, more precisely, new tech is changing it. Whether novel solutions are making the shipping process more predictable remains to be seen. Meanwhile, they are simplifying some aspects of the process, which we’ll mention hereby. Before that, however, let’s take a look at the main challenges of local and international shipping (source: More Than Shipping).

We’ll focus on the critical issues and see how they can be addressed. For, even though 100% predictability is impossible when it comes to shipping, some known problems can be avoided or prevented nevertheless.

Predicted Slowdown Due to Global Recession

The Delivery and Shipping Services industry is expected to face a slowdown due to deindustrialization and global recession. Even though freight prices dropped towards the end of 2022, this scenario is unavoidable, experts claim.

The news comes amid a slowdown in the international economy, with some countries already entering a recession. In this environment, businesses should make use of lowered shipping prices but there are customers’ budgets to keep in mind, too. This chain reaction is difficult to tackle, so serious planning should precede any decision. What is predictable is that the demand for products will keep decreasing and manufacturing is also slowing down. Simply put, the entire supply chain is affected, so predictions can be tricky.

International Trade Volumes Are Plummeting

High volatility and even higher unpredictability have also hit customers’ pockets. Due to rising uncertainty, trade patterns are being disrupted, resulting in rising rates. However, this is not necessarily bad news for shipping service providers as equipment shortages are now a thing of the past and port congestion is also resolving all on its own.

Compare Shipping Services

Comparing Delivery and Shipping Services should be an obvious first step for everyone. Still, some businesses haven’t learned the lesson and are looking into prices alone, forgetting that there’s usually a good reason why a service provider would offer underpriced services. The usual reason is poor service; in the case of shipping, low accuracy can also be added to the list. This doesn’t mean businesses should pick the most expensive option, either. The best approach is to compare multiple feats, including prices, quality, tracking options, backup options, and customer support. The latter shouldn’t be disregarded by any means. Should anything go wrong, businesses should make sure the service provider’s CS is immediately available.

When it comes to prices, cheaper shipping costs help a business remain competitive as customers will go elsewhere if delivery is too expensive. Pick the service provider offering the best quality-price balance. To stay informed, make a list and compare the list of shipping service providers’ performance over time. Parameters to track should include:

• Type of delivery service
• Delivery speed
• Security regulations
• Range of deliveries (oversized products, fragile products, etc.)
• Costs associated with delivery (always confirm with the service provider!)
• Professional overall experience (priority should be given to professional and amicable delivery service providers)

Due to the reasons mentioned above, carriers are projected to decrease shipping rates to attract volumes, so keeping an eye on updates is recommended.

Calculate the Accuracy of the Shipping Provider

Shipping accuracy is calculated by subtracting the number of orders dispatched and delivered on time. Use a specific period and include known issues to get a realistic prediction. E.g., holiday seasons are busier than other seasons, so count this in. You should aim for at least 99% accuracy (yes, it’s doable) as it suggests professional practices. Finally, don’t overlook the importance of electronic proof of delivery. Opt for providers offering this benefit.

Train Your Workforce

Workforce training is always a good idea. When it comes to shipping, good processes can change performance levels dramatically. Training should not avoid the basics (particularly best practices), including packaging and labelling. These two simple steps can prevent a load of potential issues, so don’t skip them. All parcels should be wrapped individually and the boxes cushioned and sealed. Use high-quality packing materials to avoid product damage. Damaged products don’t reflect well on the seller, so don’t use cheap materials. To avoid products from getting lost in transport, attach detailed shipping labels, which should include:

• Recipients name and delivery address
• Company info
• Package weight
• A handle with care warning for fragile orders

Educating your workforce to supervise the shipping process is considerably more challenging to do, so use all approaches at your disposal (online training, printed materials, field training). To optimize loading, teach your workforce to separate batches by required truck specifications (order destination, cargo size, etc).

Optimize Delivery Tracking

A real-time delivery tracking system is always recommended. Need we deliberate? When customers know where their package is they can plan accordingly. New tech is recommended here, as the most sophisticated apps use GPS monitoring and field status updates. You will want to pay attention to utilizing last-mile delivery tracking, as this is the most critical shipping phase.

Use a Warehouse Management System

Large businesses may consider setting up a warehouse management system (WMS) as it helps with resource and item tracking by optimizing warehouse procedures. A WMS also enables real-time inventory tracking from any location (facility and transit included) and streamlines how workers pick products and pack orders.

Deploy Digital Procurement Platform to Increase End-To-End Visibility

End-to-end visibility of the shipment is crucial. A digital procurement platform (DPP) can help with this aspect. DPP is a platform that centralizes supplier, category, and contract administration and links the procurement function with the rest of the organization. It is a complex app intended for international shipping. If you are shipping locally, you may skip this step. DPPs are pretty much the only solution that can address all shipping phases as it creates visual breakdowns of the rate sheets.

Key Takeaways

Shipping can get complicated but the ongoing crisis (recession and deindustrialization) is, ironically, making it more predictable. In addition, shipping service providers (SSP) are depreciating their rates to attract new clients, so it would seem the momentum is perfect. However, a recession also means customers have tighter budgets, so it is crucial to find reliable and affordable SSPs. Even then, businesses should expect fewer orders. To ensure all customers are satisfied with your shipping practices, plan, educate your workforce, and use new tech to help you streamline processes.

The post Top Ways Your Business Can Flourish Through Its Delivery and Shipping Services appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Amazon’s Alexa are the best-known examples.

How will this technology impact customer experience going forward?

Conversational AI in a Nutshell

The term “conversational AI” is as straightforward as it gets. Behind the scenes, it portends human-computer interaction through speech or text. The more sophisticated the app is, the more natural interactions will be.

The technology is evolving rapidly, with more and more businesses using it in their day-to-day operations, notably in customer service.

AI Chatbot Impact Is Yet to Be Evaluated

Customer service is taking big strides toward the future, with artificial intelligence (AI) changing processes and approaches.

Novel frontline trends necessitate the deployment of AI chatbots, which combine natural language processing (NLP), cloud, and machine learning (and, in some cases, biometrics as well).

However, the hype has yet to materialize into palpable results. Evaluation of AI chatbot service quality is still hindered by the lack of relevant evaluation instruments.

That’s why understanding conversational AI has become a necessity for businesses hoping to keep customers in the future.

No doubt new tools to aid in the attempt will keep emerging but, for the time being, take all stats with a grain of salt.

What is certain, however, is that these tools can address several critical issues, notably the trend pioneered by millennials, who look for dynamic web behaviour.

Another obvious benefit is that customer service is available around the clock. Presently, AI chatbots can’t address personalized issues, but they’re developing fast to address this critical point.

Can Conversational Intelligence Mitigate App Fatigue?

On the other hand, mobile users are increasingly experiencing the so-called app fatigue. As the term portends, it is the trend among computer and mobile users to lose interest in using new apps.

The chief reason for this is the vast number of apps that have managed to become counterproductive. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find new tools capable of meeting customer needs without being overbearing.

The most illustrative example is the rising number of instant messaging service users, as opposed to social network users’ information overload at its finest.

As a direct result of the trend, businesses are witnessing decreased retention rates. Using conversational intelligence for sales has become critical, urging corporations to focus on promising AI-powered tools and setting up viable data-driven strategies.

Outlining Meaningful Customer Relationships

With even human interactions becoming a case study for digitalization, it is more important than ever to stick to human sentiment. In corporate terminology, this translates into building meaningful relationships with customers.

To achieve this goal, businesses need to re-think their engagement strategies, which have been greatly altered due to digitalization. Digital interactions have taken over; “humanizing” them has become the greatest focus.

Customers Are Becoming More Demanding

The other side of the coin is that customers have become “spoiled” thanks to new tech. Research shows a significant change in customer behaviour, driven by the instant gratification trend.

Customer service is particularly challenging, as people have less patience to wait for an agent to pick up. AI-powered tools have been deployed to alleviate the issue but, as mentioned above, they have yet to achieve optimal levels of self-service.

In the meantime, businesses are focusing on more intuitive customer care, which is rooted in the following parameters:

• Faster issue resolution
• Personalized self-service
• “Humanized” customer interactions
• Lower rates of customer issues
• Higher customer engagement scores
• Extended customer lifetime value

Types of AI-Powered Apps

It’s always challenging to attempt the systematization of new tech in development. However, due to significant gaps in AI usage and implementation in industry and services, a certain distinction needs to be made in order for businesses to be able to tell the forest for the trees.

To this end, we’ll use the classification by Shai Rozenes (Department of Industrial Engineering and Technology Management, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel) and Yuval Cohen (Department of Industrial Engineering, Afeka Tel-Aviv College of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel), who propose the following “hierarchy of AI techniques, tools, methods, and implementations into three distinct levels”:

• General AI techniques
• Domain specialization AI techniques
• Application-tailored AI solutions

General AI techniques can be deployed for all kinds of purposes and may include “pattern recognition, data mining, machine learning, deep learning, rule-based reasoning, fuzzy logic, expert systems, etc.”

Domain specialization AI techniques focus on a single domain specialization, e.g. natural language processing (NLP), speech and tone recognition, face and emotion recognition, gesture recognition, and case-based reasoning (CBR).

Application-tailored AI solutions address specific user needs.

Domain Specialization AI Techniques

Of these three, domain specialization AI techniques can benefit corporations greatly, as they allow for meaningful synergies, according to the same authors.

They propose that “in the context of service provision, the main identified AI clusters” are:

• Speech-related cluster (focus on speech analysis and generation)
• Text analysis cluster
• Emotional recognition cluster (focus on recognition of emotions)
• Collaborative cluster (focus on human-computer collaboration)
• Computer vision cluster (focus on analyzing pictures, photos, and videos)
• Awareness cluster (focus on awareness capabilities, “such as self-awareness and context awareness”)

Classifying the Service Quality of AI Chatbots

A proposed methodology to classify and measure the service quality of AI chatbots in the frontline needs to take into account seven service quality measurement dimensions, as follows:

1. Understanding meaning (explicit and implicit) and the emotional implication of the text
2. Close human-AI collaboration
3. Human-like behavior
4. Continuous improvement
5. Personalization
6. Culture adaption
7. Responsiveness and simplicity

For businesses struggling to integrate AI chatbots to fit their specific goals, this means a lot of experimenting.

Because technology is changing rapidly based on continual experiments and beta testing, the corporate focus should be on best-use scenarios.

Focus on Humanization

Finally, the most critical issue businesses need to weather is low customer acceptance rates of conversational intelligence.

Forbes has found that 87% of customers prefer human interaction to interact with AI chatbots. The reason for the trend lies in the fact that chatbots are still machines; people prefer human agents because they understand them better.

This is particularly evident when customers reach out to solve complex issues, which is the main challenge AI developers are trying to solve.

Things are likely to change in the future as research progresses but, for the time being, corporations need to find a fine balance between conversational intelligence and human customer care.

A word of wisdom, though the development of new tech is accelerating, complex concepts take time to materialize in their best form.

In the context of conversational intelligence, suffice it to say that text and natural language interface research had been big in the 70s and 80s of the past millennium before graphical user interfaces made their grand debut.

Chatbots have been around for far longer than people think. The first one, MegaHAL “chatterbot” was developed by Jason Hutchens in 1996.

In plain words, businesses must focus on their targets and deploy conversational intelligence only where they can boost customer satisfaction. Forget the word “innovation” for a while. Customers are having a difficult time keeping up with novelties. Focus on simplicity, fast response, and feedback until finalized solutions pop up.

The post How Conversational Intelligence Can Positively Impact the Customer Experience? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Digitalization might have a part in it. With businesses rushing to integrate employees and streamline procedures, specific training has become necessary. Add to that, hybrid work models that are gaining momentum, and the need to keep everyone on the same page to boost alignment increases exponentially.

Let’s take a look at some ideas in this regard, without being repetitive.

Knowledge Management

First of all, due to all the abovementioned processes taking place all at once, corporations have come to face a seemingly insurmountable challenge: knowledge sharing.

Typically, remote workers have a different approach to learning than office workers and letting everyone deal with the matter separately is a massive no-go.

That’s why setting up a knowledge management system is a preferable approach.

Unfortunately, traditional knowledge-sharing procedures are obsolete, mildly put. Research shows that only 20% of overall organizational knowledge is documented. This means that every employee needs to collect data separately even though training has occurred.

It’s a huge waste of time and resources.

Knowledge-sharing systems deploy new tech to keep data in one place and make it accessible to everyone.

Corporate Training

Supplemental learning for corporate training has become a norm nowadays. This learning type portends using optional training resources to enhance an eLearning course.

Supplemental materials don’t necessarily have to be delivered virtually; they may include books and similar.

So far so good, but corporations need to keep in mind that not just any material will do. Format aside, supplemental materials should be well-structured and take difficulty level into account.

This means that not every learner has the same foreknowledge, so personalization is in order.

Similarly, businesses may opt for different material formats, depending on learners’ choices. Some people prefer to access materials online, while others are more traditional.

From a corporate viewpoint, the ultimate aim of eLearning should be to change employee behaviour in line with new information.

Video eLearning is Trending

Video materials and vlogs are getting more popular by the minute. The reason is not so difficult to discern, either. Hectic lifestyles and multitasking have boosted the popularity of eBooks and video materials are following suit.

Effective video eLearning enables corporations to include topics that are hard to describe or can benefit from visualization. Just like listicles add value to written content, audio-visual elements can enhance the efficiency of video learning.

Augmented Reality Learning Just May Be the Future

AR technology is slowly becoming standardized, judging by its present level. Its popularity is not surprising, given that it combines a computer-generated environment and the surroundings. AR apps interact with the users, meaning that every person will experience a different sensation.

AR is great for eLearning because it integrates with other technologies, enabling learners to connect on a higher level.

Personalized Online Courses

While there are many online courses available, it is always a good idea for businesses to create training videos.

This should be obvious to anyone. Different companies have different training needs. However, there’s another reason that often gets overlooked: businesses get to establish themselves as trendsetters and can also offer their specialized courses externally, boosting RoI in the process.

Identifying priorities is the first step when deciding course topics; fitting them into other businesses’ needs comes second.

Supplement Learning with Engagement Topics

Employee engagement is crucial for overall business success. It is surprising, mildly put, that corporations aren’t teaching about it on a larger scale.

Perhaps the trend will change in the future, but time waits for no one. If you want your business to stand out (and who doesn’t?), you should consider supplemental learning about engagement.

However, it is important to understand what engagement portends. For many businesses, the first thing that comes to mind is a high salary.

This is incorrect.

Motivation is something personal and can take various shapes. It draws from diverse experiences and goals and usually includes metaphysical patterns.

While there’s room for improvement in this regard, elements that should be included in all engagement training courses include:

• Strategic alignment
• Processes in place
• Transparent communication
• A clear understanding of processes
• Helping employees achieve their goals
• Anonymous feedback

Benefits of eLearning

Training Takes Less Time

eLearning takes less time and resources and is easier to organize than, say, traditional courses. It is especially beneficial for onboarding, as it will help new hires integrate faster.

However, the catch is to keep an eye on the quality of the materials. While information overload is to be avoided at all costs, materials shouldn’t compromise quality and topics.

Productivity Boost

When done right, eLearning has proven to increase employee productivity and job performance.

Still, companies shouldn’t forget that some employees simply aren’t used to online learning. If they need extra time to complete the training program, they may be discouraged.

Here, personalization is key.

Hot to Evaluate the Effects of Online Learning

Lastly, no matter how stellar the courses are, if businesses don’t measure the success rate, results will suffer.

We’ll at this moment mention the four most beneficial evaluation models: Kirkpatrick, Training for Impact, Success Case Method, and Kirkpatrick-Phillips.

The Kirkpatrick Model

The Kirkpatrick model focuses on the outcome based on reaction, learning, behaviour, and results.

The Training for Impact Model

The training for impact model links training materials to actual business needs, issues, opportunities, or any combination of the three.

It has 12 defined steps:

1. Identify Business Needs and Clients

2. Form a Collaborative Relationship

3. Conduct an Initial Project Meeting

4. Conduct a Performance Assessment

5. Conduct Cause Analysis

6. Tabulate and Interpret Data

7. Report Results to the Client

8. Design Evaluation System

9. Design a Tracking System

10. Conduct Training

11. Collect, Tabulate, and Interpret Data

12. Report to Client

The Success Case Method

The success case evaluates training outcomes in the context of organizational strategy. It can be implemented quickly and comprises the following steps:

1. Focusing and planning

2. Creating an impact model defining “success”

3. Designing and distributing a survey to search for the best and worst cases of program success

4. Interviewing the participants

5. Preparing a report of the findings

The Kirkpatrick-Phillips Model

Also known as The Phillips Five-Level ROI Framework, the Kirkpatrick-Phillips model adds RoI to the Kirkpatrick model.

Simply put, it shows how knowledge can be monetized by transforming information into behavioural patterns.

Is eLearning the Future of Corporate Training?

Everything considered, eLearning is running strong in a corporate setting (and beyond). As things stand now, it is one of the most popular training methods.

However, trends do change, and judging by the developments so far, anything that makes training less time-consuming is welcome.

Presently, video materials and AR learning are all the rage, and what the future may bring we can only guess.

Corporations should adapt their training materials to reflect popular trends in learning.

Finally, efficient measuring protocols need to be established. The model to choose should be aligned with desired outcomes. In this regard, too, trends may change, but that’s what running a business is all about remaining relevant and competitive.

Keep an eye on learning trends and enjoy the ride!

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The post Why Corporations Are Turning to eLearning? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Notwithstanding the hectic atmosphere, it is crucial to allow plenty of time for new hires to adapt and there are a couple of tips on how to set them on the right track ASAP.

Now, keep in mind that hybrid work models have changed several approaches, practices, and procedures, onboarding included. It’s only natural that office workers and remote teams will interact in different ways.

Even though hybrid and online meet-ups can bridge the gap, there’s still a significant difference between face-to-face communication and online meetings. Some people simply have their preferences, so make sure to balance the approach to suit every taste.

Onboarding Best Practices

Polishing onboarding training materials is common, but have you ever thought of surprising new hires? Nowadays, there are some stellar kits to help employee onboarding, so giving it a go might help businesses break the ice.

Next on, make sure to make your onboarding training procedures engaging. This should be a priority as newcomers should be fired up and look forward to their job adventure.

The finest of onboarding materials teach the hires how to cooperate efficiently and adapt to rapid changes.

Different businesses will settle for different materials, but several guidelines should be observed.

For starters, it is crucial to define best practices for communicating the schedule, compensation, responsibilities, and tasks.

Next on, you should make the transition simple. Make sure that your HR teams have collected the necessary paperwork so that new hires can hop right in. Send job requisition documents to the manager, too.

New tech comes next. With so many solutions nowadays, training is unavoidable. Before that, ensure that new hires have access to corporate tools, and set up necessary accounts and logins.

These would be the universal parts. As for personal onboarding procedures, have your HR teams adjust them as necessary.

To overcome the toughest HR challenges, your HR professionals should be equipped with state-of-the-art software solutions.

How to Go About Remote Onboarding?

Remote teams have become customary, meaning that onboarding procedures have been adapted to fit the new trend.

Since training materials usually take the form of a video, there’s practically no difference in onboarding for office workers and remote teams.

However, there’s that little conundrum certain to come back with revenge if you neglect it: integrating office workers and remote employees.

It is better to organize hybrid meet-ups earlier than later. Cross-team collaboration is one of the most complex processes to manage, so getting team members to know one another as soon as possible is recommended.

Make a Spotless First Impression

As the saying goes, there’s only one chance to make a good first impression, so make it count. Building a healthy relationship with employees starts with this small step, too.

Alas!, due to the rapid pace of workplace development, people have forgotten good manners and the basics of human interaction. Superficiality is rooted in a lack of time and motivation, in most cases, so think hard about the type of business culture you want to establish.

The road to a positive and encouraging environment starts with a genuine gesture. Make it clear that you’re set to help new hires succeed.

This is no hearsay, either. According to the Human Capital Institute, ca. 70% of new hires decide “whether to stay or leave an organization within the first six months of joining.”

“Business as usual” can wait human interactions cannot.

Greet New Hires With a Welcome Message

In life, small gestures often make the greatest input. The same applies to welcoming new hires.

Create a welcome message for each new hire. It doesn’t take much time to do this and the person in question will appreciate it.

In addition, inform the team about the newcomer in advance. Provide a brief introduction, noting the employee’s professional background and other relevant info.

In this way, awkward introductions can turn into enjoyable moments.

Organize Introductions

Organizing an introduction day is a good method to help new hires relax and meet colleagues upon arrival. The event doesn’t have grand and costs an arm and a leg: a simple meet-up will do.

In this matter, it is generally a good idea to stick to the start-up mindset where every employee sees company success as their own. Getting new hires to fit in under these circumstances is much easier than in a traditional workplace, so why not get everyone to share a drink and introductions?

Set Goals

Of course, work isn’t all about partying. Setting goals and communicating them clearly should be done during the onboarding process.

The goals need to be realistic and, preferably, come with milestones.

New hires should be let in on standard operating procedures (SOP) early on and provided assistance with practical tasks.

It is always a good idea to set up a knowledge-sharing system, but since it’s a complex process that takes time, if you don’t have one, connect new hires with employees who can help them with their tasks.

New employees must know who to go to for advice and not waste time looking for the right person.

Assigning a mentor is highly recommended, and we’ll detail a bit exactly why.

Assign a Mentor to Each New Hire

Every new hire should be assigned a mentor. The practice helps newcomers learn the ropes faster and meet many colleagues early on. To that end, it is recommended to pick a mentor from a different team.

Socialization is critical for new employees as they may feel isolated or overwhelmed in the beginning. There’s nothing that says “welcome” better than an enjoyable work culture.

In addition, the practice upholds knowledge transfer. No matter how stellar your onboarding training is, still, a lot of time is needed for new hires to learn everything. Mentors can provide prompt information and feedback, the fastest way to transfer knowledge.

Consequentially, the practice will boost engagement; obviously, having a mentor teach their colleagues will show new hires that they’re valued. By comparison, they could watch some random training video.

Finally, mentors help new hires understand the work culture. Basically, this means that new employees will integrate faster and when that happens, they’ll know exactly where to go for advice when they need it.

Encourage Networking

To understand the plight of new hires, we only need to go back to our first job. The feeling of an alien culture, unknown people, and procedures yet to be digested is not a pleasant one.

While mentors can help ease this initial anxiety, it is also recommended to encourage networking within an organization (and beyond).

Positive workplace connections are directly linked to employee satisfaction and all good habits that spring from it (engagement, productivity, high morale, etc.).

Integration, Productivity, Agility: A Trio for the Future

All of these tips should lead to better integration, productivity, and agility. After all, these 3 processes are a prerequisite for success. Organizations that always consider these factors will have no trouble getting new hires to fit in.

Lastly, don’t forget to set up appropriate communication channels (that are easy to use!). Communication is the first step to organizational success.

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