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.

So, while working remotely has many benefits, it can also be difficult to stay productive when you’re not in an office environment. But don’t worry we will discuss 5 ways to improve your productivity when you have to work remotely.

5 ways to improve workplace productivity when you have to work remotely

There are plenty of distractions when working in an office, but when you are working from home, the distractions can be endless. Here are five ways to increase your productivity when working remotely.

1. Create and stick to a schedule

When you are working from home, it can be tempting to start work later in the day or take a break whenever you feel like it. But if you want to be productive, you need to create and stick to a schedule. Start your day by getting dressed and sitting down at your desk at the same time each morning. And try to break up your workday into specific chunks, with scheduled breaks in between.

If you find it hard to stick to a schedule when working from home, try using a timer. Set the timer for one hour and work until it goes off. Then take a five-minute break. When the timer goes off again, set it for another hour and work until it goes off. This will help you stay focused and productive.

2. Set priorities

When working from home, it can be easy to get distracted by other tasks or activities that need to be done around the house. It is important to set priorities and stick to them to stay on task. This means focusing on work during designated work hours and not letting distractions interfere.

One way to help set priorities is by creating a to-do list for the day. This will help keep you organized and ensure that you are completing the most important tasks first. If possible, try to schedule time for breaks in between tasks so that you can mentally refresh before moving on to the next item on your list.

Another way to stay focused when working from home is by setting time limits for each task. This will help you avoid becoming overwhelmed and stressed out. For example, if you have a project that is due in two weeks, try to break it down into smaller tasks that can be completed within a day or two. This will help keep you on track and ensure that you are not working until the last minute.

Lastly, it is important to remember that not everything needs to be done in one day. Sometimes it is okay to put off a task until tomorrow if it means you can focus on more important things. Just be sure to write the task down so that you don’t forget about it!

3. Select the proper tools

To be productive when working from home, it is important to have the proper tools. This includes a reliable computer with a good internet connection, as well as any software or applications that you may need for your work.

Another helpful tool is a designated workspace. This could be a separate room in your house or even just an area of your living room that you can use exclusively for work. Having a designated space will help you to stay focused and avoid distractions.

If possible, try to find a coworker or friend to work with remotely. This can be helpful because it allows for collaboration and discussion of ideas without having to be in the same physical space. Plus, it’s always more fun to work with someone else.

Lastly, make sure to take breaks! It is important to get up and move around every once in a while, especially if you’ve been sitting at your computer for hours on end. Breaks will help refresh your mind and allow you to come back to your work with fresh eyes.

4. Define boundaries

• Rope off your space

Rope off your space in some way. Whether it means using a specific room in your house, setting up a desk in a corner of the living room, or carving out an hour’s worth of work time each day, you need to create boundaries for yourself. If you don’t, the distractions of the home will eat away at your productivity.

Creating these boundaries also helps to signal to others that you are working and should not be disturbed.

If there are specific times of day when you are available for calls or video chats, let your team know. And if there are times when you absolutely cannot be disturbed, make sure people know that too. Putting these ground rules in place will help to minimize distractions and keep you on track.

• Allot your time

Working from home can be a great opportunity to get more done, but only if you’re disciplined about it. One way to do that is to allot specific times for work and stick to them.

If you try to squeeze in a couple of hours of work here and there, it will be difficult to stay focused. But if you treat your work time like any other appointment, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

Of course, there will always be times when something comes up and you have to adjust your schedule. But by setting some general guidelines for yourself, you’ll find that you’re able to get more done overall.

5. Practice self-care

One of the most important things you can do to stay productive when working remotely is to practice self-care. This means making sure you’re taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly. And take some time for yourself each day to relax and de-stress. This can be anything from taking a walk outside to reading your favorite book or watching a movie.

Self-care is especially important when you are working from home, as it can be easy to get caught up in work and forget to take breaks. When you’re constantly surrounded by work, it can be hard to stop and take a break, but it’s important to do so if you want to stay productive. So make sure you set some time aside each day to relax and rejuvenate yourself. This will help you stay focused and productive when you need to be working.

Also, make sure you’re taking advantage of any tools or resources that can help improve your productivity when working remotely. For example, there are many apps and tools designed specifically for remote workers, such as Asana and Trello. And if you’re having trouble staying focused, consider using a tool like RescueTime to track how you’re spending your time and identify any areas where you could be more productive.

Conclusion

Working remotely can be a challenge, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding way to work. With the right tools and techniques in place, you can increase your productivity and make the most of your remote working experience.

We hope that these tips have helped you to understand how to be productive when working remotely. And, as always, don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what works best for you.

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The post 5 Ways to Improve Workplace Productivity When You Have to Work Remotely? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

We’re all aware of the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Countless small and large businesses had to lay off their employees to trim payrolls or retrench staff altogether because employers could no longer run their enterprises.

The new normal for work we’re witnessing in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, is likely to continue for several years. Therefore, finding a new job during this ongoing economic recession requires new ways and approaches.

Therefore, if you’re looking for a new job during this recession, here’re the 10 best ways that might prove useful.

10 Ways to Find New Job during a Recession

While the majority of us are adapting to the new normal in our daily lives, the same holds true while looking for a job during the recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, these best 10 ways for finding a new job during a recession take into consideration the new normal.

Leverage Your Online Work Skills

Leverage your online working skills while looking for a job during the recession. That’s because work-from-home is now a necessity instead of a privilege that fewer people would earlier enjoy. As an increasing number of businesses move major parts of their operations to online platforms, they look for employees that can provide excellent services despite working from home.

Invest some time to learn the certified online courses and essential skills for working from home. This would prepare you better to meet the demands of the job market during the new normal. Basically, your online work skills have to be the latest and relevant to an employer. Nobody’s going to hire work-from-home employees with redundant skills. Hence, upgrading your online work skills and pitching them is the first best way to find a job during the recession.

Create a Killer Profile on LinkedIn

With over 706 million users in 200 countries, LinkedIn has become a premier source for employers to hire talent and jobseekers to find superb positions. Some 20 million recruiters use LinkedIn and there are anything between 18 million and 20 million jobs at any point of time that is available on this networking website for professionals, says Kinsta.com. At least one job seeker gets an offer every 10 seconds on LinkedIn, according to its official website.

This means that you simply can’t afford to ignore the vast potential that LinkedIn offers for finding a new job during the recession. And to find a job, you’ll require a killer profile on LinkedIn. It’s not difficult to create an amazing LinkedIn profile if you exert some extra effort and thought. Also, make a lot of connections in your profession through LinkedIn, including current or past bosses and colleagues, faculty members, and others whom you associate with. Especially, connect with persons that can provide excellent references to a prospective employer, if necessary, to find a new job during the recession.

Check Jobs on Facebook

Jobs on Facebook is a superb online resource that could help you find employment within your geographical area during a recession. There’s only one flipside with Jobs on Facebook: most recruiters would be smaller and local businesses. However, the very fact that they’re advertising vacancies on Jobs on Facebook is a clear indicator that they’re hiring new employees.

Often during the recession, large companies suffer the most. That’s because large corporations operate in several countries around the world. And global recession affects economically weaker countries harder than stronger ones. Hence, the overall revenues and operations of such large companies take major blows. To counter this issue, it’s advisable to take jobs at small and local businesses during a recession. You could always aim for bigger employers later.

Prepare for Online Interviews

Online job interviews are most common and necessary during the new normal. That’s due to the need for social distancing to avoid the Covid-19 infection. Furthermore, remote or online working means employers can hire the best talent from any location instead of those residing in a specific geographical area. As a result, online interviews are the mainstay of any business that wants to hire people.

Appearing for an online interview is very different from an offline or one-on-one type. An offline interview allows interviewers to assess your personality through body language and other means. Online interviews make such assessments impossible. Therefore, prepare for an online interview in the same manner as you would for an offline one. Keep clear scans of your educational and other certificates ready to share on the webinar and online video conferencing software with an interviewer. And remember to dress neatly for an online interview too.

Learn to Sell Yourself

Selling yourself to an employer is most important for finding a new job during the recession. That’s because every employer will have several job applicants for a single vacancy during a recession when unemployment figures are higher. Therefore, learn how to sell your skills and market yourself as the perfect candidate for the job. That means, speaking what you can bring to the employer’s table.

This can be fairly easy to do. Learn a lot about the company where you’ll apply for the job. Nowadays, most businesses have websites that make it easier to get vital insights about them. A lot of job boards also provide company reviews from employees. And study the roles that you’ll be playing at a specific job. This makes it easier to sell yourself to an employer.

Retain Your Bargaining Power

Retain your bargaining power for salary, even while applying for a new job during the recession. Underselling your services by settling for lower salaries and perks can often harm your long-term career prospects. Often, employers will cite lower profits as the reason for offering you lesser pay. Unless you’re desperate and unemployed, needing the job urgently, it’s best to bargain for your salary.

This doesn’t mean that you’ve to demand a specific amount of money as salary and perks. Instead, be a bit flexible because the employer could have genuine constraints in paying you the higher salary that you’re asking for. Nevertheless, throwing your bargaining power means that you’re not confident about finding better new jobs and are willing to settle for whatever is on offer. Often, employers can exploit this weakness.

Consider Part-Time & Temporary Jobs

You could consider a taking part-time or temporary new job during a recession. Taking such jobs has two distinct advantages. Firstly, you’ll have some source of income to meet your household needs, if you’re not working.

And secondly, if your services are impressive enough, the employer could consider hiring you on a full-time basis either during or after the recession. One more benefit you get is learning the latest skills that are necessary for the job market, by working part-time and temporary jobs.

It’s possible to work two or three part-time jobs during a recession since it would be only for a few hours a day or every week. This fetches you extra income. It’s quite possible that at least one of these employers will go ahead to offer you a full-time job in near future, provided your skills and work are relevant to their business.

Look for Freelancing Jobs

Look for freelancing jobs to overcome joblessness or to step up your income during a recession. That’s because lots of employers lay off staff whose full-time employment isn’t really necessary for their business operations. Instead, they look for freelancers that can work on an assignment and project basis for short terms only. If your skills match their requirements, you can definitely become a successful freelancer.

About 58 million Americans already work as freelancers- either full-time or part-time. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects, that the number of freelancers in the US is set to increase over the coming years. They cite the new normal as one of the main factors for an increasing number of people turning to freelance jobs. Freelancing jobs are generally recession-proof. Means, your skills, and work will remain relevant during recessions too, and help earn a stable income.

Register on Top Job Boards

Registering yourself on several top job boards actually increases your chances of finding a new job during the recession. All you need to do is sign-up on these topmost job boards using your Google or Facebook account or a valid email. The next step is to create an excellent resume that highlights your academic qualifications, job skills, work experience as well as extracurricular activities. You’ll have to update your profile occasionally. Don’t forget to add your contact details to ensure that an interested employer can contact you directly if necessary.

Most top job boards offer free registrations as well as premium, paid ones. You can opt for any of these according to your needs and budget. Usually, every job board will send you email alerts about any new vacancies in your field, on your email. They offer the quick apply option, which allows you to simply press the ‘Apply’ button to forward your application and resume to a prospective employer. Nowadays, several job boards also offer free apps that you could download on your smartphone to apply for jobs during a recession or update your profile, among other functions.

Join Professional Forums and Organizations

Joining forums and organizations in your profession is one of the best ways to find jobs in your field during a recession. That’s because you’ll get superb opportunities to network online and sometimes, offline with other members of such forums and organizations. Spread the word around that you’re available for full-time, part-time, temporary, or freelance work to such members. Also, enquire whether their employers have any suitable vacancies for you.

Over the years, such forums and organizations are becoming top hunting grounds for employers to hire people. One of the reasons is that it lowers hiring costs and saves the hassles of inviting dozens of applications through online and offline ads. Secondly, memberships in such groups indicate you take your profession rather seriously. Thirdly, employers can get easy and honest references for you from these organizations.

In Conclusion

Try these best 10 ways for finding a new job during the recession. They would make your job searches easier and more enjoyable. As you can see, some of these steps are simple while others require some effort.

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The post Best 10 Ways for Finding a New Job during Recession appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Working from home is growing in popularity. The study discloses that thousands of masses are searching for how to get a remote job for the last decade. But these days the percentage of people willing to work remotely has surged because of the possibility of sickness generated by covid-19. Also, people are looking for opportunities to work remotely so they can have a flexible timetable and spend more time with their families. Moreover, many companies are providing remote job opportunities to their workers due to the pandemic condition going on.

Best sites where one can find a remote job?

1. FlexJobs:

FlexJobs is the website specified for the remote job research market. It provides service in a better, safer, easier, and faster way to find remote and flexible jobs. This site has been classified into over 50 kinds of job categories that provide work-from-home opportunities to every single kind of profession. Moreover, it does not include any scams as the expert research team rigorously examines the jobs and it also gives guides and video courses to workers to enhance their skills.

2. PowerToFly:

PowerToFly is specially designed for women to help them earn while taking care of their kids. This platform provides flexibility to the pro workers who want to work from different locations. The aim of PowerToFly is to tide over female abilities in the tech industry. This also conducts a virtual job fair providing a platform where most of the recruiters and employees meet. Not only this but it also helps to build networking. Networking is an integral part that is key to growth.

3. We work remotely:

We work remotely is another platform where one can find a remote job. This site comes under the best website for remote jobs for the company as well as for the freelancer. To get a job, workers should have experience in remote work and should have few skills. A number of jobs for every profession are listed on we work remotely such as marketing, design, programming, customer support, etc.

4. Upwork:

Upwork is a worldwide remote job website. It is an independent market that brings together businesses to freelancers to work remotely. Further, Upwork offers workers to take ability tests to measure their intelligence or skills and observe the outcome on the basis of which users can select proficient applicants. In addition, Upwork features jobs in various categories such as content writing, programming, web design, video editing, etc.

5. Freelancer:

Freelancer.com is the best website for those who desire to work as a freelancer. It links more than 44 million employers and freelancers universally. On freelancer.com one could even view jobs on the site without creating a profile, but you will be required to sign up to communicate and collaborate with the employers. It covers almost all types of jobs including technical writing, internet marketing, data processing, etc.

6. Remote OK:

Remote OK is one of the popular online job sites that list thousands of remote jobs and is updated daily. Jobs are listed on remote OK according to the type so it will not be difficult for you to find a job in your profession. You can filter your searches by type of job, based on experience, position level, etc. You can also sign up for daily, weekly, or monthly emails to see the newest job posting.

7. Fiverr:

Fiverr is one more freelance marketplace where one can find an abundance of remote opportunities. After creating an account on Fiverr you can create your “gig”- it is a rapid service or job that you provide to the buyers for $5 for instance graphic design, video animation, content writing, business planning, etc. However, creating your gig works as an advantage for you as you could show your talent here and give the information to the buyers they need to know. After you get hired by a client and earn good ratings then you’ll receive the chance to get more jobs on Fiverr.

8. Working Nomads:

Working Nomads is a remote job board that features a systematic list of telecommuting jobs from firms all over the world. These sites comprise online jobs of different categories like marketing, management, sales, design, etc. The Tele jobs on this website include both temporary jobs as well as full-time jobs. Besides, you could also sign up for a daily email alert to get updated about new jobs. Unlike other job board sites, this website lists the jobs of small businesses. If you are really looking for ways to become a digital nomad then this working nomad website is for you.

9. Arc:

When you are a skilled developer and looking to earn some extra bucks by developing a website. There you go to the Arc website which provides a number of opportunities for developers across the world to get the work done. They not only provide remote gigs but will also help you connect with other developers to help expand your knowledge and skill set. Moreover, they hold live meetings and help to develop some interview skills.

10. Angel List:

It is a specially designed app for startups, investors, and job seekers. This platform gives equal opportunity to help startups with fundraising without any charges. This allows more and more startups to work. Not only does it provide funding but also helps new startups recruit a fresh and creative workforce. This way it motivates new startups to grow.

11. Remote Tech Jobs:

If you’re looking for a job in tech, Remote Tech Jobs is one of your best bets. With over 30 tech job categories and thousands of recently published jobs, you’re bound to find a job you’re interested in. All jobs on Remote Tech Jobs get removed after 30 days, so you don’t have to worry about going through many old jobs that are no longer active.

12. Lensa:

Lensa is a US job board that uses AI and machine learning to match job-seeking freelancers to the best opportunities. Additionally, as a career advocacy platform, Lensa supports millions of job seekers to make better career decisions. On Lensa, freelancers have a variety of remote opportunities at their fingertips. Freelance job seekers here can find gigs in photography, accounting, copywriting, web design, programming, graphic design, and more. All in all, Lensa, gives job-seeking freelancers a complete picture of their job search, as well as predictions for their career paths. This enables them to realize their full potential in the most suitable position. All of this is thanks to strong AI-based job matching, quick and clean job searches, tailored job alerts, and job seeker assistance.  

The above-mentioned sites that list remote jobs require proficiency and skills in a particular job. One should have worked earlier as a remote worker. Without experience and skills, it will be difficult for you to get a job.

How to get a remote job without experience?

One could even work remotely without experience. There is an abundance of remote jobs available in the market for inexperienced such as proofreaders, editors, freelancers, sales representatives, data entry specialists, virtual assistants, project managers, customer service administrators, Tele-calling executives, digital marketing executives, and so on.

To gain some experience one could apply for an internship in the field they are interested in. In the period of your internship, you will get guidelines from your mentor or employer which will make you ready for the real jobs out there. To apply for a real-time internship is very intimidating. One needs to find and choose their interest out of different fields and then apply to an internship to get hands-on experience with the related work. When you think that you have gained some knowledge then you could apply to relevant remote jobs by applying on the websites listed above.

Conclusion

My final words, are don’t get disappointed while trying for remote jobs because these require a lot of patience. No one can get remote jobs in minutes. One needs to apply the requirements listed on the website. My suggestion would be to never lie or exaggerate your skills anyway. Most probably after applying to a number of jobs you will land a remote job in the field of your interest. By following the steps given, you will end up finding your gigs.

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