4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers

One quarter of today's workforce is now virtual, recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. In 2015, 24 percent of employed Americans did some or all of their work from home. The numbers are even higher in some professions, with 38 percent of workers in business, management and financial operations doing some of their work from home and 35 percent of workers in professional and related occupations working from home. 

This trend presents companies with the challenge of keeping virtual workers engaged. Only 30 percent of fully remote employees are engaged with their jobs, compared to 33 percent of all employees, placing them among the least engaged of all workers, a Gallup poll reports. Here are three strategies business leaders and HR departments can use to help build a strong company culture that keeps virtual workers engaged.

In the past 12 months, the global hybrid and co-working office space market has grown an astonishing 18%. That means the market is now twice the size it was back in 2013 and accounts for a third of all flexible space across the world.

But what is driving this growth? John Williams, Head of Marketing at the Instant Group, believes it could be the growing need for workspace on demand.

Workspace on Demand
The idea of ‘Workspace on Demand’ revolves around businesses wanting more control, more flexibility and scalable business strategies that work for them, wherever and whenever they need them. Businesses have been expecting this from their HR, payroll and IT for ages, and are now looking to their properties to deliver the same flexibility.

As a business owner, you likely spend a great deal of time at the office and doing everything you can to ensure your customers are always happy. Of course, there's a dedicated team of people who assist in this endeavor and are right in the thick of things alongside you: your hard-working employees. 

Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, you'll no doubt want to do something to reward and thank your employees for their ongoing dedication and loyalty. And since you all spend so much time at work, you may want to focus on giving gifts that your valued employees can put to good use and enjoy while they're on the job. With that in mind, these three gift ideas are sure to put a smile on your employees’ faces this holiday season, while also helping to showcase your genuine appreciation for their hard work.

If you own a company or work in the HR department, then you know that employee satisfaction and engagement are key components for creating a positive work environment. Happier employees are more likely to work harder and produce higher quality work. But how do you create a company culture that promotes the perfect work-life balance? Here are four tips to create a positive work atmosphere for your employees: 

Be Flexible

“How can I manage my time better?”, is a question that crops up with alarming regularity. For entrepreneurs, this can have serious implications on their business – luckily there are steps they can take to prevent a productivity gap from opening according to Instant Offices.

Bryan Hunter, head of digital marketing at Instant Offices says, “It’s important to think ahead, and to plan day-to-day operations. In business, you are constantly overloaded with information and deliverables, while managing people, so interruptions are inevitable. At Instant, prioritisation is key because the company is growing so quickly – when you focus on completing what’s the most important, pre-planned task, it allows you to avoid interruptions or unnecessary distractions.”

When you say the words “team building” to your employees, you’re most likely met with a chorus of groans. That’s because they are picturing a typical team building outing, complete with trust falls and ice breakers. Research shows that team building exercises can have real, positive effects on employee performance.

Of course, that effect is dependent on what kind of activities you’re asking your employees to do. The key is to find a fun or rewarding activity or destination that incorporates team-building aspects, rather than individual or passive endeavors (think white water rafting rather than go-carting). How do you get the benefits of a team building outing without drawing the ire of your team? Here are three outing ideas for Midwest team building.

1. Tick Tock Escape Games

With the arrival of fall, everyone is getting excited for the upcoming holidays. This can be a tricky topic in the workplace because you have to be cognizant and respectful of everyone's traditions and beliefs. If everyone in your office wants to participate in a fun winter gift exchange, you now have the difficult choice between two traditions. Should you do white elephant or Secret Santa? 

White Elephant Pros 

White elephant is fun, silly and light-hearted. It is the perfect option for small offices that don't take the holidays or gift giving too seriously. If everyone has a good sense of humor, you can find some really funny products that can be used around the office for some team bonding even after the holidays are done. You also get to know your co-workers sense of humor and taste with these fun gifts.

 Talk to any business executive and you're likely to hear their core focus is on revenue and growth. But what about for everyday employees? While their day-to-day work is focused on meeting these executive-level goals, they very likely get out of bed each morning and are excited about their job for different reasons.

 Indeed, job satisfaction goes well beyond achieving overall company success. In particular, the daily grind can stress out anyone as well as put ongoing wear and tear on employees' health, morale and productivity. But it doesn't have to be that way. Here are five ways you can help re-energize your employees so they keep performing at their best. 

1. Fitness Challenges 

Only in your wildest dreams would you have thought that offices would be full of bean bag chairs, ping pong tables and nap pods. Work spaces have been changing drastically in the last several years to catch up with the millennial lifestyle and technology. While some of these changes may be just the current trends, others look like they're here to stay. Let's take a closer look at what your office may look like in the next decade:

Flexible Work Spaces 

Flexibility, agility and collaboration are some of the most important skills businesses have in the current marketplace. This means you need your work space to be just as accommodating. There is a lot of debate about open office spaces and if they promote or hinder employee efficiency. Open spaces are great for collaboration and team building, but they also can be distracting and noisy. The office of the future will have both open and closed working spaces where employees can work where they're most comfortable. Offices will have different types of rooms that adapt to the work being done instead of being rigid. You will not see boxy meeting rooms with one white board and some chairs, but rather spaces with a variety of materials, room to move around and even secluded spaces where people can get away to focus.

People around the world report that they feel stressed up to 80% of their time, with the number one cause being attributed to job-related reasons. Stress doesn’t only affect efficiency and concentration. In the long-term, it can impact a person’s physical and mental health, and that’s not to mention the damage absenteeism can do to business productivity.

So, it’s of little wonder that companies like Sage are offering guided mindfulness courses to help employees take some time to meditate at work. As companies realise the dangers stress can pose to business and employees, it’s worth implementing ways to reduce it and make work a more relaxing place to be. 

Meditation
Mindfulness is a specific type of meditation where you become aware of your thoughts and how the environment and people around you are affecting you. It can be hard to see what’s really bothering us in the heat of the moment, but finding a quiet place (or plugging in your noise-cancelling headphones) and taking some time to control your breathing and focus your mind can give you a perspective unlike any other.
Meditation has been proven to not only improve your problem-solving, multi-tasking, and creativity, but has even been shown to boost your immune system.

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