How to Win Great Employees

Did your company make it into Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards? No? Well don’t worry, the New Year is here and what most people do every year is make resolutions.  If you recognize your company needs change this year, make your resolution to achieve a culture that your employees can thrive in.  If you are wondering what kind of culture employees thrive in, the kind that wins awards and has employees singing your company’s praises, then check out some of the perks from the top five companies on the list:

Google was listed as number one according to the Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards.  As reported by employees, some of the perks of working for an internet giant include:  Retiree Health and Medical, On Site Health Care, Flexible Hours, Work from Home, Free Lunch or Snacks, Paid Holidays, Gym Membership, Pet Friendly Workplace, Childcare, Dependent Care, Company Social Events, Professional Development and Training.  These are in addition to the basic medical insurance and 401K or other retirement plan.

Nestle Purina Pet Care Company and Boston Consulting Group employees reported Sabbaticals as one of their many perks.  F5 Networks, developers of network management platforms, offers employees 3 weeks of paid vacation in the first year of employment and “Beer Fridays”.  Most of the top five offer Free healthcare, free snacks and a work from home option.

What is the one thing they all have in common? They all have the desire to invest in their employees in ways that benefit the employee professionally.  Tuition Assistance and Apprenticeships were highly prized benefits.  Professional Development and Training programs are used to provide opportunities for employees to enhance or learn new skills.  F5 company employees believe the company’s training program is a valuable asset. 

While you may not be able to bring pets into work or offer completely free medical to your employees, you can give them something that employees themselves say is more valuable than free snacks: an education.  Helping your employees with professional development is an achievable goal for the New Year.

Knowledgecity.com offers corporate training for Business, Computer Software and Safety Compliance.  With convenient online training courses that can be taken anytime and anywhere, set your resolution in motion and offer KnowledgeCity training to your employees.  We are adding new courses all the time.  Visit our website for a FREE TRIAL.

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When it’s Time for a Change

With 2015 fast approaching most individuals naturally begin to reflect on what has come to pass and start thinking about changes they want to implement in their lives for the coming year.  Change is inevitable whether we want it or not.  The same is true in business.  Technology changes so quickly it is obsolete before it hits the store shelves.  Customers wants and needs change at the drop of a hat.  The economy booms and busts with fluctuating fanfare.

To challenge the status quo businesses need to know when it is time for a change and embrace it.  Why? To stay competitive, explore new opportunities for growth and to meet the needs of their customers and teams.  Whether you resist change or roll with it will determine how many bumps and bruises your company will endure.

According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, “Why is Change Important in an Organization?” organizations who ask “Why?” often discover the answer in new ideas and innovations that can in the long run impact the productivity of employees and the company’s bottom line.

So how do you know when it’s time for a change?

1. Your business has hit a plateau. Your team has given all they can and used every facet of their skillset.  Much like the New Year’s diet and exercise resolution, it hits us hard.  We are struggling against a current and find the shore no closer.  It’s time for a change.  Maybe you need to add to your team—some new blood to invigorate—or perhaps you need to develop the team you have with training.
2. Your competitors have shaken things up. Competition is never a bad thing, but it may be time for a change.  When the going gets tough the tough focus on what they do best and evaluate the situation.  What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats?  The SWOT analysis can lead to important changes that can keep you competitive.
3. Your financial projections are amiss. When your financial picture looks askew, it’s time for a change.  Ask yourself these questions: Are your original projections accurate? What forces, both external and internal, are affecting these projections? When you have the answers to these questions you can work to fix what is possible to fix and make plans to work around the unfixable.
4. Employee morale has plummeted.  It’s time for a change.  Have you ever conducted an exit interview?  Have you ever polled your staff for feedback?  These are good ways to test the waters and see where the spoke in the wheel has become unhitched.  Sometimes employees leave and never tell you the real reason why.  Don’t wait until the wheel is broken and the support is gone.
5. Loyal customers have jumped ship.  Now, consumers can be fickle and it may not be a thing but when your biggest fans walk away—it’s time for a change.  Number one, ask your customer for feedback.  Research reviews on your business.  Ask your sales team for their insights.  Re-examine your product(s).  We can’t all be WD-40, some of us will need to change.

The best way to embrace change is to educate—yourself and your team.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledgecity.com has some courses for you to consider in the New Year: Managing Change, Building a Successful Team, Marketing Principles, Strategic Brand Management, Managing Assets, Managerial Budgeting, HR Management, Consumer Behavior, and Operating a Business are just a few of the courses that can help your business manage change with ease.

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Leadership is A Skill You Can Learn

What is a leader?  A leader is a multifaceted style that encompasses more than managing people.  According to Kevin Kruse in an article for Forbes, “Leadership doesn’t automatically happen when you reach a certain pay grade.” (What is Leadership?)  It is a learning experience all its own.

"Leadership scholars define a leader as a person who sets attractive goals and has the ability to attract followers, or constituents, who share those goals. Above all, a leader must be trusted and respected. Trust between a leader and constituent’s opens up two-way communication, making it possible for them to realize their common goals." (Marvin Bower, The Will to Lead)

One of the most important aspects of leadership is good communication skills.  Whether it is coaching or delivering performance evaluations, leaders need to have the ability to communicate effectively.  Leadership and communication skills can be taught.  The ability to communicate and build teams is important for emerging leaders to be able motivate groups of people toward a common goal—the goal of the business. 

In an article, Businesses Don’t Fail – Leaders Do, Mike Myatt writes: ”Why do businesses fail? If you’re willing to strip away all the excuses, explanations, rationalizations, and justifications for business failures, and be really honest in your analysis, you’ll find only one plausible reason—poor leadership.”

In our new course series, Management to Leadership, instructor Dena Loverde explores the differences between managing people and leading them.  Not everyone is a leader, but with the skills learned in this course anyone can learn to be one.

Take a sneak peek at the lesson: Leader as Goal Setter, from the course Defining Leadership which will be posted live on our website: www.knowledgecity.com in the coming weeks.

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Business & the Future of Social Technology

There are 1.5 billion social network users world-wide.  According to a global survey conducted by McKinsey&Company, businesses can, not only benefit from social media, but actually become more productive in the process.  

By utilizing web 2.0, as social media is often referred, businesses can virtually eliminate the wait time created when using traditional methods of business communications such as e-mail and instant messaging.  In fact according to the survey, 72 percent of the companies reported that they used some form of social technology in their day to day business.  90 percent of these businesses reported a benefit from the use of social networking technologies.

Who is using social networking? Not as many people as there should be.  The highest percentage of social technology users were middle managers at 65 percent.  Frontline users were not far behind at 60 percent. As businesses begin to utilize social networking technologies as a way to connect with their customers, it is fast becoming the trend in marketing and customer service. According to the survey, 35 percent of businesses are using social networking for customer service.

Depending how much Web 2.0 technologies are integrated into the infrastructure of the business, the benefits can range.  What can be said about using social network technologies in business is that the more “networked” a business is, the more benefits they will see—internally as well as in their customer base.  Customers are way ahead of businesses on the social networking front and businesses have a lot of catching up to do.

Using social networking both internally and externally in business can increase the speed at which information is obtained—as much as a 30% improvement according to the survey.  It can also reduce communication costs, decrease travel costs, reduce operating costs, and increase the effectiveness of marketing.

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Multitasking: You’re not as Productive as You Think

Mobile technology enables us to be hyper-connected to the ever expanding network of social and business worldwide.  It enables us to multitask like never before.  According to a study on technology and human potential, the negative effects of this “always on” mentality is an increased loss of patience and the need for instant gratification.

As technology advances it creates avenues for getting things done.  Working on multiple projects, doing multiple tasks all at the same time—but what are the results?  In our new inpatient world, we may be watching television, while checking emails; and at the same time: surfing the net, texting with friends, scheduling appointments, and even throwing in a game of Candy Crush—after all there may be a few seconds of lag time between texts, commercials, and webpage loading.  

The question is: How much attention are we giving to each of the projects or tasks we are doing? Are we really being that productive?

“When we talk about multitasking, we are really talking about attention.” --Christine Rosen, The Myth of Multitasking

One study estimates that multitasking costs global businesses 450 Billion each year.  The research shows that people who engage in multitasking actually end up wasting 40 percent of their productive time switching between tasks.  They also have a higher susceptibility to distractions.  Why is this? 

According to a study on distracted drivers, multitasking is a myth.  In this study it was revealed that the brain does not perform two or more tasks at once—what we like to believe it can do when we multitask.  Instead the brain actually performs these multiple tasks very quickly in a sequential order.  This “attention switching” gives us the false feeling of doing more in less time.  

While the brain attempts to juggle the tasks it is given, it must also juggle the focus and attention to each task, this results in a reaction time or delay.  These delays may be a few tenths of a second or more.  That may not seem like a lot, but they do add up. 

When we multitask we are also prone to making mistakes, which then we need time to fix.  Multitasking ends up making us ineffectual.

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Need Training? Stay Up-to-Date on Our New Course Offerings

KnowledgeCity has a new LinkedIn Showcase Page.  To keep up to date on all the new courses coming to KnowledgeCity over the next few weeks log in to your LinkedIn account and follow us.

Some of our upcoming courses include:  Microsoft Excel 2013: Introduction, Microsoft Word 2013: Introduction, Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud: Introduction, and Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud: Advanced.

Do you need to learn how to use the new tools in Excel?  Would you like to restore an old family photo?
Do you want to learn how to communicate effectively with your team?

If you are looking for courses to update your skills, or even if you are wanting to learn something new, KnowledgeCity has courses for everyone.

For a quick and easy way to stay connected to all the latest and greatest courses we have to offer follow our New Courses Showcase Page on LinkedIn. This page will let you know what courses are in the works, what courses will be available in the coming weeks and alert you when a new course is available on our site.

If you need to train your staff in a cost effective and efficient way, look to KnowledgeCity.  With over 7000 training videos, expert instructors, administrative and training needs analysis tools, and the convenience of 24/7 access from any location or device; KnowledgeCity is your solution.

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Succeeding in the Business World

Have you ever considered starting your own business? Or thought about going back to school for your MBA? Or perhaps you are already employed, but want to better understand the principles that drive the economy and how to navigate changing market trends.

Regardless of your industry, job title or the state of the economy, there are certain principles that remain true for businesses of all kinds. KnowledgeCity’s Introduction to Business illustrates the fundamentals of any thriving business. This dynamic course gives you a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look at the various types of businesses, what drives economies and global markets, how to analyze the competition, marketing strategies, business ethics, and more. Instructor Lisa Sharpiro explains key terms and concepts, teaching you essential strategies for avoiding common pitfalls.

For example, one of the tools covered in the course is something called a SWOT analysis.

A what?

A SWOT analysis is way to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats facing your business. Here is a small sampling of the types of questions that can help you reflect on how you can improve your business: 

• Strengths
• What does your business do well?
• What resources are available?
• Weaknesses
• What can you improve?
• What should you avoid?
• Strategize to overcome weaknesses
• Hire talent
• Get training
• Outsource
• Opportunities
• Be aware of:
• Positive trends
• Favorable technology
• Changes in regulations
• Threats
• What is the competition doing?
• Does the business have cash flow problems?
• Are regulations becoming stricter?
• What dangers can threaten the business?
• Environmental
• Social/Political
• Economic
• Consumer behavior

By better understanding these principles, you can enter the business world with more confidence and a firm foundation.  Check it out at KnowledgeCity.com.

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