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Business Goals for Start-ups: What You Need to Know

We are living in the age of mushroom growth of start-ups.  Out of which few succeed and make their mark. Why is that the case? Here we have defined some business goals for start-ups. 

Goals are what define a journey

One needs to set realistic goals while planning a startup. Running is good as long as one knows the destination, without that its a waste. That doesn’t mean one should not be ambitious, in fact, ambition is a key element for success. Also when you create a team, they should be as passionate as yourself. But then what are realistic goals, and how to set them? 

What’s in demand?

Before starting any business, the most rational approach to see what’s lacking in the market? For instance, when researchers choose a thesis topic, they look out for the research gap. So a study is produced that is not merely there to get readership. Besides what’s its significance? Which means is there a need for it? And does readership seeks to know about it? Will it benefit from solving a problem? 

The same rules apply to startups.  One needs to research market tendencies to know if there is a demand for the said product? It requires extensive research to know what service is lacking in the market and needs to be supplemented. Or maybe it exists but demand is larger than supply. 

Success Stories

Many successful startups revolve around this idea. There were cabs but no cab service at doorstep. Careem and Uber were successful in making their mark by studying this trend. Airbnb’s founders faced difficulty in renting an apartment with a shortage of funds.

It struck them that there is no service provider for short term or affordable rentals in the market. Therefore, they created this startup that has grown into billions of dollars worth giant now. There was no startup offering online legal streaming of movies, so Netflix easily took over the market and set up its own platform that is giving a tough time to even cinemas.

No Time or space limitation

These startups; Airbnb, Careem, Uber, Dropbox, Netflix, and Facebook, etc spread around the world. They targeted something that wasn’t time-wise or geographically restricted. That is another factor of success if you are targeting something that is in short term demand, or within certain areas or regions. Such targets are bound to fail or succeed in the short term only. So business crucial! 

Marketing Strategies

It’s not money that works as a decisive factor, but shrewd strategies that sell the brand. Dropbox rose to billions of dollars worth with Referrals policy. Even though it was in decline and suffering more loss than profit. They adopted a referral strategy. It became easier to send invites through every social media site including, Facebook, Gmail, or twitter. The right technique facilitated the process. 

Another strategy was to use social media influencers to enhance the product’s community trust. It’s always expensive to use celebrities as brand ambassadors let alone hiring them for newly formed startups. Social media influencers came as saviors.

Man giving presentation on screen

With less money and huge followings, they could inspire many to buy the product. Airbnb threw a huge party in London, invited all major influencers as guests, who live-streamed the party thus their brand reaches out to thousands in one night. This way one event saved them millions of dollars from being wasted at a generic media campaign. 

Digital Marketing is another strategy where we can do marketing on different platforms. By approaching Digital Marketing Companies, they do give us a brief view of the marketing tactics and will bring brand awareness of a product to the public.

Strong social media presence

Other than hiring influencers, there has to be a strong social media presence in every major networking site. Strength alone won’t suffice, it has to be coupled with an interesting presentation. Brands, in order to reach their audience, need to have a  captivating presence on a Youtube channel, Instagram, Medium or advertising the product.

Merely posting about products can’t suffice unless it’s packaged with appealing presentation. Besides the general public is more subscribed to social media than the mainstream one. 

Some nice video interviews of satisfied customers won’t harm! 

Teamwork and consistency

One of the most striking features of any successful startup is to build a strong team. It won’t make sense that you are ambitious for your goals while your team members don’t share your vision. They have to be committed to the brand’s vision. Hire individuals based on skills and interests. 

Nothing would work without consistency though! If your message and brand strategies aren’t consistent, you will lose credibility in customers. Minor reforms are bound to occur, but change should be gradual, not abrupt. A simple word of mouth, at times, prove to be enough for destroying a brand’s repute. 

Increasing productivity by saving time

For any emerging startup time management can save hefty sums of money. But how? Time monitoring was a real challenge back then. Founders used to end up as either overpaying or underpaying employees, not sure who worked more diligently.

They didn’t even know how much workforce they need to hire for the execution of a certain task. But nowadays it has been made a lot easier by time monitoring software. So opting for the right technology is decisive for the success of any business startup. 

Conclusion                                                                                           

Recipe for the success of any business startup is embedded in its marketing strategies, and that can be done with the limited financial budget as well. All that is needed is a genius mind with a disciplined and passionate team. Funds shall kick in. 

8 Magical tips for maintaining a Work-Life balance

Adult life is tough. From performing your best in the workplace to taking care of your family, from maintaining a social life outside the office to set aside some me-time – That’s a lot on your plate. It’s often argued that maintaining a work-life balance is super cool when you are a single professional or working from home.

That we have a magic wand, and we have it all covered. In fact, it is not always the case. Married or not, working remotely or not? We always struggle to strike a perfect balance between work and life.  

Either personal or professional...

… everyone deserves a chance to a happy and fulfilling life. Good companies are actively promoting work-life balance. But they still struggle with finding the right opportunities to make it happen. It is hard to reconcile but good leaders are getting there.

To help managers, and employees we have gathered some of the best tips out there. There is no one size fits all, but hopefully, these tips will help you out. 

Communicate your needs

The first thing that employees should do is to be open to their needs. Be able to openly communicate about what matters to them in order to feel balanced and fulfilled, is encouraged. Do you need to leave work early, so you can spend some time with your family? Do you need an hour’s escape to pick up your children from school or attend a music class?  Whatever it is, identify your need, be transparent about it. 

Employees should have an open and honest conversation with their managers about what they want. In return, employers should understand what balance means, what works and whatnot. 

 

Spend time on things that really matter

Many people spend time on things that don’t really matter.
We are continuously bombarded with endless choices, stuffing our schedules and minds with endless tasks and try to do it all. At times we surrender to the distractions and eventually burn ourselves out just to leave our best lives behind. 

We fail to realize the very essence of time and its value. Time is the one thing, that’s never enough and something that you can’t either buy. So, know your priorities at work and otherwise, scrutinize your day, dedicate time to them and act accordingly. Make time for hobbies, passions, and relationships outside of work, at this very moment.

Elongate your time and try not to fall in the trap of

‘I’ll see or I am going with the flow, or let life take me in the direction it wants’.

The notion is flawed.

Getting work done from Miami

We understand sometimes, employees are too ambitious that they refrain from taking a day off. Ambition is a success but if you feel like you haven’t been able to maintain a good work-life balance in a long time, then we suggest give your mind a rest and work in the comfort of your home for a day. 

Nowadays, many digital devices and AI powered softwares are helping employers to stay connected with their remote employees. Time-tracking tools are helping not only track employee’s productivity but also regularly keeps employers informed about the status of the project. So working from home, while maintaining work progress has become a whole lot easier.  

Know your ‘tech’ limits

Getting hooked on these tech devices disturbs the work-life balance. Sometimes, it’s good to hit the snooze button on your gadget that’s always vibrating. We know it’s the hardest thing to do, EVER! But there’s a first time of everything. Try not to bring your cellphones where not needed.

Let’s say the dinner table, for example. Baby steps, remember? Set the boundaries, and keep on repeating the process until you reach a point where bringing a laptop to the beach seems super weird. 

Once you have unplugged, you will see life for what it is. Spend quality time with your friends and family, engage with things that make you happy.

Making the most out of weekends and vacations

Instead of saving office work to finish over the week-ends, get them out of the way in normal working hours so that you can unwind, Netflix and chill while on Sundays. 

Carve out a few hours to stay away from your screens. Put your digital devices away and do something creative that you really love. Go on a vacation with your family or friends, maybe. This way you’ll be able to fill in your days with something fun and relaxing and also, your mind will be more refreshed and renewed to start the next working day.  

Track your time to make time

Missing out on your tonight’s cello lesson? Our advice: Invest in time-tracking tools. Use a trusted time-tracking tool to track everything from the time spent on each task to overall productivity gain. 

Time-tracking tools give you an understanding of how long a particular task takes. You can easily estimate how long your next work will take and keeps your focus. It will maximize your productivity and work will be done before the deadline. Meaning no spending extra time on projects outside working hours or on holidays. Your family commitments stay intact. A win-win situation!

 

Enjoy your social life

Take a break, for a moment and give your social life a boost. 
Remember to take time out for yourself. Manage your mind, do meditation or read a book. Go out and spend time with intellectuals. Meet up with your friends over a coffee. Even at work, in your lunch breaks, talk about life instead of babbling about work at work. 

Keeping your social relationships alive is extremely important for your health and well-being.

Our special advice to your HR

Even though many companies have sound HR policies directed towards work-life balance. Yet, we urge employers to examine or update existing work-life balance policies. 

Carefully cater to employee’s work-life balance needs and address any issues that may arise in order to have a healthy and more productive work environment. Flexible working would be one step in this direction. Such policies should be embedded within the culture of organizations!

What are your best tips for work-life balance? Share with us in the comments section below!

The power of healthy communication in the workplace

Do you know good and powerful communication in the workplace is very important for maintaining healthy working relationships and achieving productivity?

Yes, it’s true!

Good communication is an important skill for day to day work collaboration. If you are a leader, understanding, workplace communication is the key. As it allows businesses to operate efficiently. 

Employees can experience high morale and commitment to work when communicated effectively. Not only does it eliminate conflicts and misunderstandings but also encourages a peaceful work environment. 


While on the other hand…

… Poor communication in the workplace can lead to unmotivated employees that may begin to question their own abilities. 

Now let’s look at some of the ways powerful communication is benefiting companies:

A happy workplace with no conflicts

Conflicts can erupt from minute actions and can give rise to never-ending brawls and growls. Poorly managed conflict can destroy long built relationships. However, conflict does not always have to be ruinous.

Successfully resolved conflict can contribute to deeper relationships when handled effectively, in the workplace. And for that, you need effective communication skills.

 


Our advice

Try resolving one problem at a time and then move to the next one. Map out your concerns, and isolate the primary issue in order to address it better. Avoid making unwanted accusations and blame game, as it only worsens the situation. Make sure you listen and understand what the other person is trying to say.

Additionally, strong communication is important in expressing your concern about the issue at hand and can stop an argument from escalating. As, conflict escalation can result in false assumptions, which further complicates the condition. 

Gives ‘Employee Engagement’ a kick

Communicating is not just talking, talking and talking. It’s about connecting with people while talking. It’s a known fact that companies with highly engaged employees can improve operating income by 19.2 percent over a 12-month period. And that engagement comes from better communication in the workplace. 

When an environment of powerful communication is developed in the company, only then an employee can feel more engaged and aligned with the overall company’s goals. 

Not only does it make companies, understand the needs of their workers but also help them better understand their skills. 
It also promotes and strengthens manager-employee relationships.

New besties: Client – Employee!

One perfect way to establishing long-term client relationships is to become great communicators. It is a key that binds employees and clients together from the initial stages of the project until the end. 
It builds a culture of trust, which is always significant. As well as, can help solve project issues a lot easier, which may arise during the project cycle. 

In order to have stronger client relationships, we suggest you stay transparent so as to overcome any client uncertainty. Also, try to be personable and friendly in your speech and say hi to longlasting relationships.

Communicating in diverse environments

Workplace diversity is something that every company is promoting nowadays. They are coming up with strategies for workplace inclusion. 

Managers and employees must know how to effectively communicate with the employees since different people come together to make up an organization, from diverse cultures. At the workplace, we often say things that we are not supposed to, which might offend others. Even when said unintentionally. 

The ability to communicate effectively with diverse people is extremely important. It portrays your company’s values. While on the other hand employees feel welcomed and understood. They get a feeling that their voices and ideas are heard and respected and in return increases their morale.

 

More strategic team building

Teamwork is always very important for achieving the company’s goals. In order for the team to work together, effective communication is a must. It reduces unwanted competition within the team and among departments. 

Each individual member of the team knows their roles and know what they are expected of. It promotes and fosters positive relationships that are benefitting for the company as a whole as well as for individuals. 

Few tips & techniques

We can help you improve communication at the workplace with just a few simple tips!

  1. Ensure that the communication lines are always open to your employees. 
  2. Communication is a two-way process. Listen carefully, and encourage a healthy argument.
  3. Have clear objectives and expectations, provide clear and smart goals.
  4. Send your message clearly within the team and among the department to avoid any ambiguities. speak clearly and politely, avoid offending anyone. 
  5. Encourage face-to-face communication rather than adopting other channels, gets the message across in the best way. 
The bottom line is…


… The bottom line is that good communication is about so much more than initially mentioned. It’s about the content you use to communicate, it’s about consistency, it’s about context and how the other person has perceived your message. Was it clear? Was it not? So it’s important to keep each and every factor in mind and make powerful communication in our work even stronger.

What are you doing to bring good communication in your workplace?

Break these 5 bad habits that hinder Employee Productivity in the workplace

Do you often find yourself getting distracted? Do you find social- media at work more enticing? Do you find working for longer hours, near to impossible? Are these bad habits hindering your productivity at work?

You are not alone!

Believe it or not, we all are guilty of doing things that we regret every single day. Say, procrastination, for example, that is constantly hurting our performance and in return, making us less productive.

We all agree that maintaining productivity at the workplace is not that easy, it takes effort to stay away from our worst distractions. But it doesn’t have to be this way. All it takes is a little pinch of responsibility, proactiveness, and awareness to make things better again, to make things happen.

Let’s have a look at some of these ‘bad habits’ that affects your work negatively and a way around them:

Multitasking: Good or bad for productivity?

It has been argued upon, time and again, whether multitasking is good or bad for productivity? Some say, juggling through things at the same time is an art while some say it destroys productivity and the remaining one percent, rather keep their views to themselves.

A number of researches have been conducted to determine the impact of multitasking, not only on productivity but on our brains. According to a Stanford University study from Clifford Nass found that heavy multitaskers probably think that they are good at balancing the act. However, not as effective as they think they are. 

In another study by Bryan College, handling more than one task at a time actually hinders employee performance. Also, that lack of productivity due to multitasking equates to global losses of $450 billion, annually. So, reality or myth? Here lies your answer!

Here’s what you should do:
  • Create a list of tasks, in order of priority
  • Schedule time to complete each task
  • Keep yourself away from distractions, switch off your cellphones, stay focused
  • Avoid switching back and forth between tasks, complete the task at hand before you shift your focus to another and take notes
  • Better yet, use a time tracking tool such as Stafftimer App. 
  • If you are an employer, encourage your employees to take breaks throughout the day

At the end of the day, it may be unrealistic for employers to think that they can eliminate multitasking completely. But they can always promote and adopt approaches that are not impulsive rather the opposite.

Lack of planning or planning poorly!

Planning tasks in advance are actually the most powerful tool for overcoming procrastination and boosting your productivity. However, lack of planning or planning poor is one of the reasons that lead to productivity deficiency. Not only this, it is one of the fatal reasons why projects fail. Our advice: Avoid project failure at all costs!

Planning is actually the foundation on which you base your overall productivity. And without productivity, the project is more likely to collapse. 

Here’s what you should do:
  • Set realistic goals
  • make a list of every step you will have to complete to finish a project
  • Layout the project, you can see every step and task, avoid redundancy
  • Identify KPIs and monitor them
  • Plan properly and take action so to avoid redundancy
  • Ensure that resources are ideally utilized

If you are motivated to improve your productivity levels, contribute to the overall success of the company by planning ahead.

Trying to put up a ‘One-Man’ show

It totally makes sense to rely on oneself and be independent but sometimes it’s better not to do all by yourself especially when you are working in a team. It’s perfectly normal to ask for help, at times. Not only can it improve relationships but also you can get more done in less time. 

Being a perfectionist is also one of the biggest offenders to productivity. When you feel like you have high work standards, and it’s against your principles to ask for outside help. Sometimes, it’s healthy to get out of your bubble, set your ego aside and seek help whenever needed!

Here’s, what you should do:

Rely on coworkers when you need to and we are sure they’d be happy to help. It’s that simple! 

Procrastination is a productivity killer

There would be no exaggeration to say that we all procrastinate from time to time. Either it’s working from home or working on a full-time job. Random emails, social media, cellphones keep you distracted. 

According to The Procrastination Equation, about 95% of people admit to putting off work. It not only keeps people from completing otherwise important tasks but also makes you fall behind on your schedule. 

 

Truth be told, there are no positive impacts of procrastination, only negative. Such as, low project performance, declining physical and mental health, high level of stress that can be avoided otherwise, only if we never let procrastination breach your productivity.

Here’s what you should actually do:
  • Do you have this bad habit of procrastinating often? Step back and ask yourself this, just once. Why are you doing, what you are doing and see yourself falling back in line! 
  • Try an app like the Stafftimer app to help keep you organized. For companies: it gives employee productivity a boost throughout the day.

Being a ‘YES SIR’, all the time!

Most of the time at work, we find our selves saying ‘YES’ to almost everything. You may ask yourself ‘If this is something you can do? Yes, sir. Is it something you want to do? No, thank you.

We understand, at work, we are bound to do what we are told and that’s fair. But sometimes, if you feel like, you are asked to do something that you probably can not pull off before the deadline or something that you don’t excel at. Just don’t take it! We know the idea of accomplishing everything at once sounds mesmerizing but greatly unrealistic. 

Speaking of which, here’s what you should do instead:

Be sure you’re only working on tasks you know you can. If you don’t see yourself pulling off something or have other tasks that need your attention on priority, politely let your supervisor know that you won’t be able to work on it.

Can you think of any other habits that hinder your productivity? Feel free to share.

7 Teamwork skills you need to boost your Career growth

Wondering what is the key to enhancing teamwork? The usual answer is pretty obvious;  ‘be a team player’.

Undeniably, teamwork is crucial for the success of all businesses, worldwide. Companies don’t work well without proper teamwork. No matter the industry, field or job title, effective coordination skills are essential for a high functioning workplace. 

It’s a given that in order to move forward in your professional life, you have to play well with others.  Only then you will be able to succeed in achieving goals. And in order to succeed, you need to build teamwork skills, to collaborate with others. In short, working with colleagues and clients while creating a healthy work environment can do wonders for companies. 

What skills are we talking about? Here it is! 

Be a part of Solutions; not Problems

There are different kinds of individuals who make up a team. They have different mindsets, different values, and beliefs. With this, come different ideas and ways of doing things. We all agree that expecting individuals to just get along is an unrealistic expectation. But with the just-right touch of strategies, team leaders can build a truly remarkable team of problem solvers. 

Yes. Teamwork can help solve difficult problems. Collaborating with the team for brainstorming enables you to come up with creative ways of eliminating conflicts. Not only this, it gives you an opportunity to exchange ideas, and find solutions that work best. 

There will always be opposing views but if you learn to find common ground and learn good problem-solving skills only then a group can be considered an effective team.

Communicate clearly, listen carefully

Effective communication that is respectful and honest, makes teams succeed.  

Feel free to express your idea, thoughts, and opinions clearly. Ask questions frequently as it determines the effectiveness of the team. Moreover, it makes you deeply understand your team member’s point of view.

It’s important to emphasize communication skills when working in a team since it makes team members more comfortable in sharing insights. 
While communicating with your team members, it’s essential you listen actively too. It’s an important part of communication The ability to listen carefully allows team members to better understand the tasks they are given, better understand your ideas and concerns. 

 

Have a sense of Responsibility

Teamwork is more of personal responsibility rather than just a group process. 
Nowadays, it acts as fuel for companies. Teamwork is all about responsibility. You have to accept responsibility as individuals and as a team. The blame game and lame personal justifications are a big turn off. You fail as a team and you succeed as a team. Any success or failure should be celebrated or grieved together. 

It’s important that teams understand their work responsibilities and work together to reach the expected outcome.

T for teamwork, T for trust

Managing people who don’t trust one another can be quite challenging and draining.

A team without trust cannot be categorized as a team. They are simply a group of people. They may be working together but may not cooperate or share information with anyone else. No matter how talented everyone is, but without trust, a team can never reach its full potential. 

However, it’s essential that trust is in place within the team. It makes the team stronger and more cohesive. The team as a whole can achieve meaningful results and flourish in the long run when each and every member of the team trusts each other. 

Promote shared Decision Making

As mentioned earlier, different members of the team bring different ideas, values, and perspectives. It’s important you learn to be inclusive. Include everyone in decision making. 

Shared decision making is the process through which a team chooses an alternative together. Team performance largely depends on decisions. On the other hand, Team members may help each other improve the team’s overall performance and abilities to make team decisions. 

In the end, you agree with the decision or not? It’s important you stand together and support it. 

Be Reliable, Supportive & Respectful

It’s important that team members support each other, demonstrate mutual respect and show reliability so that your coworker can trust you. You should exemplify loyalty and motivate your group members in the time of need. 

Often, team members start competing with one another, ignoring the fact that they are not competitors, rather collaborators, working together for a mutual goal. 

Another important skill for working in a team is to be respectful, always. Communicate your opinions that respect others, give constructive feedback and make sure you stick to your words and deadlines. 

Always be Accountable

Accountability is critical to teamwork. In a team setting, not only an individual is accountable but also his team members. So, for the team to function properly and improve accountability, it’s important you set clear expectations, consistently ask and share updates, to avoid any ambiguities. 

Remember the Ultimate Goal in Mind

At the end of the day, teamwork is all about reaching your ultimate goal for which you and your team have been striving for days. The end result could literally make or break a team, a department or even the entire business. So, you should learn to appreciate your team and demonstrate positive teamwork skills. 

Can you think of any other effective teamwork skills? Let us know in the comment section below.

5 ways Real-Time Monitoring is Revolutionising Businesses

Generally speaking, many employees misunderstand the concept of Real-time Monitoring. When it comes up, we start imagining spy technology, cameras, deep surveillance, and secret data agents, keeping an eye on an individual’s every move.

Like it or not,  it might be true in many cases. But we do like to believe that employees over-exaggerate the very idea of real-time monitoring more often than not. 

Companies are always able to monitor employees to ensure the productivity that whether the employees are making the best use of their resources. And surprisingly the emergence of new technologies is specifically designed for providing exactly that; tracking employee time, productivity, online browsing data, screen monitoring and what not. 

Evidently…

… Real-time monitoring is raising concern among teams. But it doesn’t sound so bad. Look at the bright side; how it is helping employers to understand the trends and state of an employee’s progress and productivity.

You don’t believe us?

Let’s look at some of the ways in which real-time employee monitoring is revolutionizing global businesses:

Insight into Employee’s Productivity

Perhaps the most common argument for real-time monitoring, deployed by companies is that it can make employees more productive. Pioneers of monitoring software claim they are helping managers to ensure that employees make better use of time. Also, to minimize the number of wasted hours.

Keeping in view, that often employees are expected to do more in less time, in order to catch up with the world of business. Real-time monitoring is providing companies with a  new and innovative way to scale their businesses, preventing a drop in efficiency. With so many challenges it can be difficult for employers to measure individual productivity that’s why having real-time employee monitoring tools is a great deal. 

Acting as a ‘Big brother’

By monitoring employee screens, companies can easily see what workers are doing, on the spot, it also prevents employees from deviating from their set working schedule. 

Real-time employee monitoring works as a ‘Big brother’ to the corporate world. It can see into everything on employee’s computer screens from the URLS that employee has opened to which project are they working on. It will instantly let employees know when they violate the company’s internet policy, which also automatically makes them more productive.

 

Employee Feedback in Real-time

Customizable employee screen recording lets employers give feedback in real-time. Which in return can improve employee productivity and they can easily correct course.  Real-time feedback not only motivates team members but also reinforces positive contributions towards the end goal. 

Moreover, it reduces bias and supports fair decision making during formal performance reviews, solely based on individual talents & progress, since all performance data can be collected through employee work logs. 

Supports Smarter decisions

Real-time monitoring provides constant information for making informed and smart decisions. How? By seeing trends in employee’s progress as they develop.

All the information gathered through real-time monitoring can then be used to coach and train employees who might not be performing up to the mark while rewarding those who are. It helps employers more effectively point areas where employees may be lagging behind and suggest appropriate improvements accordingly. 

It greatly helps in retaining top talent by keeping them motivated by recognizing their best work and constant appreciation. 

Ensures a smooth workflow

One of the most important aspects of employee screen monitoring software is to see how much time has the employee spent on each project from start till finish. It’s a common knowledge that monitored data can prevent bottlenecks in the workflow. 

Real-time monitoring helps employers with effective workflow about how things should work and, who should be responsible and of which task. For example: with workflow automation, the task that was supposed to take 15 minutes will be completed in 45 seconds.

Convenient for Managing Remote teams

Real-time employee monitoring allows companies to track their distributed team’s work activities and monitor their engagement. Making it easier for them to measure productivity, and collect proof of actual working hours from afar. 

Productivity monitoring in real time ensures that your company is delivering peak performance in today’s competitive business landscape and helping them stay ahead of the curve.

 

Having said that…

… Real time Employee monitoring tools are providing you an easy way to ensure whether your staff is spending too much time binge-watching Netflix at work rather than actually working. They’re also an important part of scheduling tasks and generating accurate invoices. 

Since we are talking about tools, Stafftimer App is an employee monitoring tool that can provide huge benefits to your business including comprehensive insights into employees, data gathering, time-tracking, smart reporting, and automation. 

Our advice, choose the tool that’s right for your team, we bet it will be worth it.

14 Types of Colleagues You Will Find at Every Workplace

The entire universe is a blend of different, and contradictory personas. In other words, everyone has got a personality of their own! We are all different, and that what makes it more interesting. Out of 24 hours a day, we spend half of the time at the office with our colleagues.

During that time, we are exposed to different thoughts, ideas, and responses. Some like rock n’ roll, some are introverts while others pour milk before cereal.
Either reluctantly or enthusiastically, we must adjust ourselves to the people around us. We might like spending time with some, while others would just drive us insane and find us bumping heads into walls.

Humans as ‘Social Animals’

Aside from just aimlessly scrolling through the internet, tirelessly working, pointlessly staring at the ceiling, humans, tend to converse and socialize with their work buddies. It’s only natural, my friends! The reason, why humans are categorized as ‘Social animals’. With this in mind, it is safe to say, during your professional journey, you’ll come across a few recurring personalities, repeatedly. 

Here are the 14 most common people you will find in every workplace that you can most probably relate to. So, let’s dig in:

1. The Know-it-all

Every workplace has a colleague who thinks they know everything! Who likes to believe, that without their knowledge and expertise, the company will not survive. Someone, who thinks they have the answer to all your questions, and solutions to all your problems.

One who has strong opinions, and make decisions on their own without your input. They talk more and listen less!. Well, we can go on and on about their stupendously beautiful innate qualities but our goal here is not to offend anyone.

2. The Creative Genius

It’s quite common to meet creative geniuses at the workplace. Their only aim is to ‘show creative, be creative’. Their definition of success starts with creativity and ends with creativity. Additionally, they are all about adding colors, sunshine, and rainbows to everything they are responsible for.

They believe there is only one way of doing things, the creative way. No alternative ways! Above all, they always urge others to ‘think outside the box’ no matter how small the task is. Therefore, they are the ‘unicorns’ of every organization. 

https://stafftimerapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ezgif.com-gif-to-mp4-8.mp4?_=1

3. The Joker

These types of coworkers love to crack work jokes and funny puns. Think they are very good at it and they actually are! Here, we said it and we simply love their company. Right? Their sense of humor is absolutely appreciable. They always have several fun tricks up their sleeves and do know their way around making the group laugh.

They can turn a blue Monday to a happening Friday. Truly, spending time with such people at work is a blessing in disguise and a good way to unwind. They warm our hearts with harmless humor. Cheers to them!

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4. The Grumpy Cat

At any job, you’re bound to have that one co-worker who always complains about things. They just want to be heard all the time and want to do things their way because their way is always the right way. 

These kinds of people grumble all the time at work. They always need something or someone to whine about or else it’s the end of the world. Complainers are said to be the pioneers of negative work-talk.

Our advice: Avoid being an office complainer. It’s important if you deal with them, professionally and handle the unpleasantries in an appropriate way. 

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5. The Attention Grabber

‘I am Carmelita Spats and I am an adorable, beautiful, cute, dainty, eye-pleasing, flawless girl’

Yeah, you got us! Prepare the red carpet, because these people love to be in the spotlight. While you slip and trip in your sneakers,  they will walk around in cut crease make-up looks and tailored suits.

No matter whom you are talking with, they always manage to draw your attention. Believe it or not, we do end up loving them. Surprise!

6. The Professional Sleeper

You are right. They snooze for a living! They find it extremely hard getting out of bed every morning. And literally, crawl to work dreaming about climbing back into bed.

You will find them sleeping here and there, even with their eyes open. They believe there is no such thing as too much sleep. They also possess an amazing ability to nap anywhere, anytime!

7. The Chatterbox

There is always that one person in the workplace, who simply loves to talk! They are the socializers! Always keeping people engaged with their endless chatter.

They are the ultimate masters of water cooler chats and gossips! Sometimes you adore them, sometimes you don’t, but you do know, that your life without them is gloomy. 

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8. The oh-so Diligent

They are said to be the mentors. Need any career guidance and help with challenging problems? They are your go-to guys. Ms. or Mr. Diligent would give you a perspective on how to handle your life problems. Additionally, they keep you connected with the team. 

They are hard workers and they consider work their life, always glued to their laptops and instantly give email replies. Who doesn’t like super fast replies?  This person possesses a never-ending enthusiasm towards work. They are admired by everyone and inspire everyone. 

9. The Tech Junkie

It’s clearly not easy being a tech junkie and every workplace has one in their stock. They always make use of cutting edge technologies to solve all life’s problems. 

A new product launch? You’ll probably find them cramped out and in front of their computer screens, waiting in line for pre-orders! They can not survive without their tangled earplugs because they tend to be more productive with the rhythm of the music. Being the one everyone always calls when they have tech or software problems. But often, misunderstood for someone who fixes bikes!

‘Hey Luke, my bicycle breaks are not working, can you please have a look at it?’
‘Hey Adam, I am a tech guy, not a freaking mechanic’

10. The ‘Look busy, do nothing’

You know that coworker who’s always in his cabin, working, as he has so much to do like he has carried all the weigh of the world on his shoulders? Yes, we are talking about the one who looks busy and does the least productive every day.

They’re always looking for ways to wiggle out of work. And no one knows, what they really do!

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11. The Latecomers

They are habitually late and never shows up on time.  Always have excuses for why were they late. Sometimes, it’s the kids, sometimes, commute problems. This breed of people is the last to arrive and the first to leave. 

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12. The Coffee Lover

This kind is truly passionate about coffee! 

You’ll often find them judging those who don’t drink coffee: ‘Do you not like coffee? How do you live?’  For them, every day is a global coffee day. It’s in their DNA that simply makes them crave coffee. They can’t get through the day without a legal caffeine hit! There best argument:  I need focus, to be more productive, simply put, I need coffee.

If they are feeling tired, give them a small cup of latte or espresso and then see them winging it at work.

13. The Aggressive Eater

People who love food, are always the best people, we couldn’t agree more! 

There will be one coworker, who you will find always eating at all hours of the day. They’re always hungry, and always need something to munch on. All you’ll ever hear from them is how hungry they are. ‘For God’s Sake, Annie, You just had lunch’. 

They basically live to eat and repeat! And they don’t like sharing. 

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14. The Chandler Bing

Now, we all agree every workplace has one sarcastic kind. They are constantly coming up with perfect one-liners to comment every single time with utmost perfection. They are often underappreciated for their talents but trust us, its a special skill, not many people have. 

You can see them rolling their eyes on their work buddies, many times. 

We are sure, you have seen at least some of these coworkers at your workplace. which one are you?

6 innovative approaches in Design to look for in 2019

 

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, Inc.

A good design is crucial for an ever-changing, modern and competitive business environment. Nowadays, companies run on innovation. Making use of creative minds and imaginative ideas, then turning them into a reality is the core of any successful business.  

No matter which business field you belong to, you need impressive marketing materials to stand out from your competitors and attract the ideal audience.  An exceptional design does not only promotes your business but helps you build your niche, your brand identity.

2019 is a year to show your ultimate ‘Creative’

Design helps us connect with the audience, it keeps them engaged and makes them listen to you. In short, it is capable of evoking emotion!

Whether you’re in Marketing or Product Development, you need to stay on top of the latest trends. Understanding, how design patterns are evolving each day keeps your work in line with the client’s expectations. It can help transform businesses. 

This year is all about innovation, delivering eye-catching designs, overcoming challenges, beating the competition and embracing new ideas. It’s a year of Bold colors, 3D and isometric designs, realism and custom illustrations.
Unleash your inner creative genius with these design trends in 2019, and set a benchmark:

1. 3D: Make design come alive!

Who doesn’t like 3D? Designs in 3D are persistently trending over the course of the last few years and have started to get more attention than expected. 3D shapes and forms seem to be evolving rather quickly in 2019.

Allowing, designers to create amazing masterpieces, immersing us into a whole new world of exciting and unreal, yet so real visuals. 

 

 

In 3D design, the possibilities are endless, this trend is going to be the main element in future design preferences. As it gives life to your fabulously flat designs. Designers are embracing this trend, as it gives them autonomy to improvise and bring out their best to create AR and VR experiences, as well as websites.

2. Tailor-made Illustrations

Elegant custom made illustrations seem to be on the rise in 2019 and they are one of the most powerful visual elements in any design. These intricate illustrations can turn an average looking website into something remarkable. They are simple but have the power to attract the user’s attention and get the brand message across beautifully. 

 

 

Many techniques have emerged including vector and 3D illustrations with bold colors which adds an incredible meaning to simple flat and semi-flat designs. 
We can see illustrations dominating all design fields in the coming years, without a doubt.

3. ‘Bold’ & Beautiful

Going bold in colors and big in fonts is a trend that we can see growing in 2019. 

Colors have the power to influence our mood and behavior. There is complete psychology associated with it. The current landscape in bold and bright colors is spectacular. In 2018, it was a year of pretty pastels and metallics but this year you can observe a shift from flat and muted colors to vivid colors. 

We can see many designers adopting this new approach to web and app designs. A mix of vibrant colors with gradients is taking this trend to the next level. Many brands are using these pallets for their visual identities and we can expect this color transition to stay in the years to come. 

Write with ‘Style’

Along with this, if we talk about fonts, serif fonts never go out of style. This year we will get to explore a range of serif fonts which will continue to be highly visible.

4. Isometric Design Dominance

As the 3D design is on the rise, the Isometric design is beefing up too. It’s like a mix of flat and 3D design but better. In other words, it’s an evolution of flat design.

In Isometric designs, you are not only able to see the sides but also the top of a design; retaining its simplicity, with added depth. These designs let people see a graphic from various different perspective thus, making it even more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. 

5. Go Asymmetrical

Asymmetrical, on the other hand, is about perfectly balanced imbalance. Now designers are moving away from all the rigidity and creating more bespoke and live designs. This trend lets designers create interesting layouts by intentionally ignoring balance.  Asymmetrical are generally attention grabbers and inculcate curiosity among users, creating a feeling of excitement as they scroll down a design.

This type of design is more dynamic and creates an emphasis on motion. It can be complicated to pull off but it is said to be a subtle, harmonious design trend in 2019.

6. Animating the world

What’s more powerful than the animated artwork? Many creative minds are always fascinated by digital art. So are we!

Using animation in design strongly enhances the overall look and feel. Many new designs are using animation for better user experience thus, making interactions delightful. Not only do they look spectacular but also can help with high conversation rates if used right in marketing campaigns. 

BONUS

Eclectic Design is a visual trend that we can increasingly see, in the creative industry lately. It turns an image into something special and quite pleasing to the eye. 

This design trend uses textures and patterns, dotting and layering effects, abstraction, imbalance and overlapping elements coupled with vibrant, contrast colors, all smudged together to create something extraordinary.

Design is Boundless

Amazing things happen when you go beyond the traditional, break the barriers of rigidity and adopt out-of-the-box approaches. Design is boundless. Good ideas take time to grow but once you have them, they can do wonders. 

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try”
Dr. Seuss 

What are your design preferences this year? Care to share!

5 Strategies to Attract Women in the Workplace

In this 21st century, Gender equality is exceedingly under the spotlight, among industries. Women are profoundly shaping every aspect of work across the globe. Therefore, delivering results at an unprecedented rate in this never-ending race between Men V/S Women. Radically redefining workspaces!

Organizations, on the other hand, are evolving, plowing ahead in bridging the gender gap by eliminating gender-based barriers and supporting a diverse culture. Additionally, companies seem to be changing the way they hire and promote women, with better performance and good business. They are now more inclined towards improving women’s representation no matter the color, cast, or religion they belong to.

There would be no exaggeration to say…

… that we’ve made significant progress in pushing diversity forward, things have taken a turn for the better. Women are increasingly participating in all walks of life and their motivation is beyond comparison.

According to a study, 2019 sees the highest percentage of women in senior management on record, at 29% as compared to last year.

Still, there are many ways in which we can make the workplace a safer and more hospitable place for not only women but for people from diverse cultures.

Let’s take a look at some of these key trends:

Say ‘No’ to Workplace Harassment!

The first and foremost responsibility of the company is to ensure comfort to its female employees. Harassment of any kind should be considered as unwelcomed conduct and should be taken seriously. In short, have a zero tolerance policy!

According to Women in the Workplace 2018 report released by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org., stated that 35% of women have experienced sexual harassment at the workplace in 2018.

What should you do?

Managers, supervisors and human resources, collectively, should deal fairly when they come across any knowledge of harassment within their teams and departments. No matter how minor the issue is, all complaints should be taken into consideration. Appropriate action and prompt investigation should be in place to prevent any kind of retaliation and reoccurrence of such events.

Not only this, companies spend thousands on their creative recruitment practices. What good are these procedures, when they can’t even retain employees? That’s why, the employers have to ensure that the female employees are not facing discomfort and also, regular training should be conducted for male employees in order to explain the severity of this issue.

Having said that, it is mandatory for a company to strictly punish those who are in violation of harassment policies, in order to make a safe working environment for women.

Offer Flexible Work Schedules

Another most important aspect of attracting women to the workplace is flexible work timings. Simply adjusting their timelines, can give them an opportunity to maintain a work-life balance!

Maintaining a professional life with personal can be a bit of a challenge for women all over the world. It becomes intense when their work starts to take over their personal priorities.

Strict timings are actually the main reason that stops women from joining a company.

Be flexible!

If you want to squeeze productivity out of them, then it is your duty to give women the liberty to choose the schedule that favors them. Help them manage their time and effort, by providing comfortable working hours to your female employees. If sometimes, your company is unable to provide the required timings; pay them over-time, facilitate transport and ensure safety.

‘Congratulations, it’s a girl’

Yes, we are talking about Maternity leaves here. Motherhood brings about a lot of changes in a woman’s life!

In order to ease this growing challenge, it’s important for the companies to best support women by providing them with decent maternity leave packages. Because if you can’t support women after having a baby, you probably don’t deserve to utilize their talents to grow YOUR business!

If you want to attract top female talent to your workplace, offer them full salaried maternity and paternity leaves. As it is one of the most effective ways through which you can show concern and commitment to working women and families. Go above and beyond, in promoting gender equality and inclusion at the workplace.  

‘Yes’ to Women Empowerment

Want to attract talented and capable women to your thriving company? Then, initiate ways through which you can empower them.

Include them in decision-making procedures, provide your female employees with company perks, give them growth opportunities, offer exceptional benefits and market competitive wages and give them the tools to succeed.

Make sure that women in your workplace are appreciated and recognized for their work. Promote them as much as your male employees, show them that they are being valued, help them grow their potential and skills.

Women as Future Leaders

Women are the leaders of the future. Companies that are serious about recruiting female talent should make sure that they provide infinite possibilities for women in leadership roles.

With challenges specific to women, such as maintaining a work-life balance, pay gaps, and gender inequality, sometimes hinder their growth.  As s company, you should help them climb up the corporate ladder.

Having women in strong leadership roles is actually benefiting the companies as it brings diversity into teams and enables success.

A Long way to go…

Companies with strong anti-harassment, and equal rights policies and that have taken successful steps to address the imbalance, are progressing towards success every day.

There is so much more that companies can do for their female employees. It’s important that they focus on making small changes, only then can you attract talented women to the workplace.

What steps are you taking for the safe future of women in the workplace?