Thursday, March 19, 2020

5 tips on how to keep employee turnover low

5 tips on  how to keep employee turnover low One core aspect of successfully running a business- regardless of its size or the industry it’s operating in- is keeping staff happy and motivated so that they continue to perform at effective levels. It also helps to reduce levels of employee turnover- something that strategic, forward-thinking management teams should always consider.Why is employee turnover so crucial to manage carefully? Simple- its potential negative effects on an organization can be profound, and can impact every aspect of a company’s ability to operate efficiently.Entrepreneur published an insightful article on the hidden costs of employee turnover  in which  Toronto-based human resources consultant Tom Armour discussed the hidden ways turnover can have a financial effect on a company, including:The cost  of  the work that isn’t getting done when an employee is missingCo-workers not being able to work to their full potential because they’re picking up the slack from missing e mployeesA loss of credibility for management when a work environment has a reputation for excessive turnover and employees grow discouraged that they will thrive thereSo, it’s clear that employee turnover is a potential problem for any business and that its potential effects are wide and deep. That said, there are some strategic steps that key management, HR teams, and hiring personnel can take in an effort to minimize its prevalence. Forbes recently published an article that highlights several key ways to reduce employee turnover.Consider using these 5 strategies in your company.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});1. Hire the right people.Keeping employees starts with hiring the right employees. You likely  hire employees  who have strong skills that match your open position. But, how well do your employees fit in with your business’s culture?You must hire employees who are behavioral and cultural fits for the job. You can ask emplo yees  behavioral interview questions  to find out how they react in certain situations. Also, during interviews, be sure to show candidates around your business and tell them about your workplace culture. Candidates will hopefully eliminate themselves if they don’t fit in.If employees don’t fit in with your work environment, I guarantee they won’t be happy. They won’t fit in, they won’t get along with their co-workers and they’ll feel lonely. An outstanding candidate that doesn’t match the behaviors and culture of your business won’t stay around long. They’ll take their skills somewhere where they fit in.2. Offer competitive pay and benefits.People want to be compensated well. They need to cover standard expenses like housing, utilities, and food- and most people want enough money for extras, too. If you don’t pay your employees well, they’ll find a business that will.When determining compensation for y our employees, it’s good to do market research on wages. Find out what your competitors pay their employees. Research a  competitive salary range  based on similar jobs in your local area. For example, if you want to hire an IT specialist in San Francisco, you should consider what other businesses in San Francisco pay their IT specialists.And you can’t simply give employees paychecks and be done. Employees want good benefits, too. You must offer competitive benefits that your employees want. Learn about  common employee benefits. Then, find out what benefits competitors and other businesses in your area offer.3. Give praise freely and often.Your employees need encouragement and recognition. When they do something right, show your appreciation. When they finish a large, difficult project or submit a project before the deadline, congratulate them. Show them that you see their hard work.Of course, don’t feel like you have to shower employees with praise for e verything they do. You don’t have to praise employees for small, everyday tasks. But, when employees truly do something worth congratulations, give it.The goal here is to create an encouraging, positive work environment. When employees feel respected, acknowledged, desired, and motivated, they are more likely to stay. Best of all, this method to decrease employee turnover is free. You just have to use your words.4. Guide employees down a career path at your company.If employees stay stagnate in one job for too long, they might search for another job where they can advance. Most employees want to increase their skills and knowledge and move up the career ladder. Showing employees a projected career path gives them a sense of direction and purpose.You should lay out an ideal plan for your employees. Where can they go from their current position? Maybe it’s an upward or lateral move. Or, maybe your employees can earn more responsibility in their current position. Whatever it is, let your employees know how they can advance.After you’ve set up a plan with them, you can help employees advance along their career path. Provide them with coaching quarterly by recommending ways to advance. You can also offer employees training opportunities. Give them plenty of chances to learn new skills and put them into practice in their current job.5. Don’t shy away from flexibility.If it’s possible, allow  flexible work schedules that let employees adjust their work time and location. That way, employees can create a work-life balance for themselves. Your workers can pursue things beyond work, go to appointments, and take care of their families- all while getting their work done on time.Flexible work schedules might not be possible for all businesses; your employees might need to be at your business at specific times. But there still might be ways you can offer flexibility, such as the option of working from home one day a week or adjusting a s tart time for the day.There you have it- if you’re interested in minimizing the effects of employee turnover in your organization, take advantage of the tips listed here to help keep your business operating effectively.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Landscape

Landscape Landscape Landscape By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, What is the meaning and usage of landscape in [phrases] like emerging media landscape or emerging distribution landscape? First I’ll address traditional meanings of the noun landscape as it refers to scenery. Although Old English had the word landscipe, meaning â€Å"a tract of land† or â€Å"a region,† the word landscape entered modern English in the early 17th century from another Germanic language, Dutch. It was borrowed as a technical term for a painting or drawing that represented natural inland scenery–as opposed to a portrait or a seascape. By the 19th century, landscape had also come to mean â€Å"a tract of land with its distinguishing characteristics and features, especially considered as a product of modifying or shaping processes and agents.† The features could be the result of either natural processes or human design. Here are current examples of both meanings: William Turner (1775-1851) was an English Romantic landscape painter, water-colorist, and printmaker. Running for 186 miles, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path takes you through a rich assortment of different landscapes along Wales’ west coast, from limestone cliffs to red sandstone bays and lush, glacial valleys. The New California Landscape promotes a balance between urban landscapes and the environment, includes diverse and beautiful aesthetic qualities, and facilitates the efficient use and management of resources, especially water. The phrases â€Å"emerging media landscape† and â€Å"emerging distribution landscape† reflect landscape’s new use in the vocabulary of marketers and bureaucrats. The Ngram Viewer shows that â€Å"media landscape† appeared in the 1960s, but didn’t soar until the 1980s. â€Å"Distribution landscape† emerged in the 1990s. The â€Å"media landscape† refers to the way people get their news and entertainment. In earlier times, we read newspapers and books, listened to the radio, watched television, collected records, and went to the movies. That was the â€Å"old media landscape.† Now we have smart phones, electronic notebooks, digital books, home theaters, and the Web. Distribution in â€Å"distribution media† is a business term referring to the way vendors get their products to consumers and how consumers pay for them. One channel of distribution is the simple transaction of buying a set of dishes at a yard sale: the seller of the dishes puts them outside with a price on them; the buyer hands over cash and takes them home. A more complicated channel of distribution is involved in buying a computer. The buyer places an order–in a store, on the telephone, or online. Payment is made in advance–by cash or check in the store, by credit card in the store or online–or by some other method, such as PayPal. The computer is then transported–likely from China–by air and by truck to the point of purchase. The â€Å"new distribution landscape,† moves beyond traditional methods of delivery. For example, it’s possible to buy a product such as software or music online and have it delivered by download. This figurative use of landscape has nothing to do with the physical world. It seems to be a trendy replacement for the once-fashionable paradigm as an inflated synonym for pattern or model. This abstract use is trickling into other contexts: The Changing Content Distribution Landscape Reflections on the New Compliance Landscape Navigating the New Rural Banking Landscape The New â€Å"Meaningful Use† Landscape: A Transition from Incentives to Penalties A brief discussion about  the new lending landscape In the context of printing, landscape is used as both adjective and adverb in reference to shape (oblong) and directionality (horizontal). The opposite of landscape in this context is portrait (vertical): Should I design my illustrated kindle ebook for portrait or landscape mode? AOL pages print Landscape Instead of Portrait Print set-up shows portrait but prints landscape. As a verb, landscape means to beautify an outside area by making it part of a continuous and harmonious scene. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?"Latter," not "Ladder"7 Other Types of Pronouns