Communication Is The Bedrock Of Business Success

If you look at some of the most successful businesses in the world, they all have something important in common: a clear strategy for where they’re headed. Everyone in the organization knows why they’re doing what they’re doing, helping to improve productivity. 

The statistics for workplace engagement in the US, however, are shocking. As the following info graphic indicates, only around 33 percent of all American workers feel engaged by their jobs, and a further 16 percent say that they are actively miserable. Around half are present but not engaged. 

The solution to this problem isn’t to hire better people. Instead, it is to explain to colleagues why their role is so valuable and what the company is trying to achieve. For people to be engaged in a task, they need to feel as if they have ownership over it. They need to know how their particular responsibility impacts the mission of the rest of the firm. 

At the core of this process is excellent communication. If leaders in an enterprise can’t sell the corporate mission to their employees, they’ll forever struggle with low levels of engagement and poor performance. 

Communication isn’t just crucial for colleagues. It is also important for shareholders and employees too. Companies, for instance, that regularly keep shareholders informed encourage greater loyalty and increases in the value of their equity. 

Would you like to find out more about communications and its value to business? If so, check out the following stats in this info graphic.


Infographic by USC This is a contributed post

Why It Pays to Get to Know Your Suppliers

Whether you’re a small business or an international brand, getting to know your suppliers comes with some advantages that you simply shouldn’t pass up. It doesn’t matter what kind of industry you’re in, how many employees you have or even if you’re a remote business with no office. You’ve likely got a supplier delivering physical or even digital assets to your business. It could be offering you server space, an internet connection, shipping boxes or even the product you’re selling. Whatever it is, it’s worth getting to know your supplier–and here’s why.

Minimizing the risks of price volatility

Stock pricing can occasionally be volatile because of unpredictable market conditions. A product that you purchase for a low price can often increase in price based on the raw material price. This usually isn’t a problem for digital assets such as server space and bandwidth, but it can still cause an issue when the prices change drastically and suddenly. 

By getting to know your suppliers, you can often get wind of these changes before they have a chance to take place. In some cases, you might even be protected from volatile pricing. This is a fantastic way to help you stabilize your business and ensure that your financial situation remains predictable and stable. 

Immediate delivery and additional services
Many suppliers are more willing to offer additional services, such as immediate deliveries or even weekend services, for companies that they’ve worked with for a long time. For instance, if you need gas oil to power your machines or vehicles and it’s an emergency, then it’s worth building a good relationship with your suppliers so that they can provide you with unique services that most other companies don’t offer. 

By building up a good relationship with your suppliers, you tend to unlock more opportunities for specially-tailored services. You can also make more detailed requests since the supplier is more accustomed to the way you do business and is more likely to accept your custom orders and needs. 

Improved efficiency of your business
Once you’ve defined a solid relationship with your supplier, it opens up the possibility of improving your overall workflow and efficiency. Suppliers can gain a better understanding of how you do business and tweak their services to fit your needs. However, this isn’t possible unless you build a good relationship with the company that supplies you with your essentials. 

A good example is in communication. If you have a dedicated member of staff assigned to your business, you have a direct line of communication that avoids any queues in their support. You’ll also find it a lot easier to speak to the same person instead of a different employee each time. This will help you speed up the service you get from the supplier, resulting in a more productive workflow. 

Reliability is a factor that is highly valued in the world of business since it offers consistency and predictability. That’s why it’s a good idea to get to know your suppliers regardless of what they offer you.

This is a contributed post

Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/MGaFENpDCsw (CC0)

3 Ways Technology Is Aiding Healthcare

We all know that technology can really boost the way we do things, but this can apply to work and vital areas of our lives and not just for fun. Like healthcare. Here’s exactly how that is happening. 

Electronic Healthcare Records
One of the basic ways that technology can aid in healthcare is with electronic healthcare records (EHRs). This streamlines administration and makes it easier for a patient to be cared for accurately, as all professionals have access to the information. Thankfully, a survey from 2017 shows that almost 90% of hospitals have some kind of basic form. 

Barcoding
Something that is incredibly useful in the process of blood transfusions, is barcoding. It minimizes errors and their subsequent risks. Of a study that was carried out in 2015, research showed that a full range of medical departments were using barcoding technologies, such as laboratories, pharmacies, medication administrators, and radiology departments. This allows processes to be tracked more efficiently. 

Radio-Frequency Identification
Finally, there’s also the addition of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in patient-lead care. Right now, it seems that around 97% of medications are using them, 89% of patients are using them, and 59% of nurses are. And it’s definitely safe to say that communication innovations like this can make it easier for diseases and illnesses easier to monitor. 

You can find out more information about the emerging technologies and innovation in patient centered care in the infographic below.


Infographic Design By Bradley University

Finding The Right People For The Job

If you are a business owner, then you will want the best people working for you. You probably don’t have the time or money to waste on bad employees. Having a well- managed and productive workforce will mean that you get work done in a timely manner so that you can continually be looking toward the next project or moving onto the next phase or season. 

Having the right people by your side will make your life so much easier. But finding these people can be hard work. Recruiting and interviewing a team can take a considerable amount of time, and, if you get it wrong, you will be stuck with people that may become a hindrance rather than a help. 

Hiring a company such as DSC Personnel may be the answer that your business needs in terms of finding the right people for the job. 

Using A Recruitment Firm
Using a recruitment company to bring talent into your company is a great idea as it will save you a lot of time and effort. While you may know what you want from your new employees, identifying someone with those skills can be harder than you may think and using a specialist recruiter will mean that you can take advantage of their skills and expertise in the area. 

From advertising the role in all of the right places, through to sifting the applications as they arrive, you can save yourself considerable effort leaving you free to run your business. Then, your recruitment firm can run a series of interviews on your behalf and work towards finding people with the specific skillsets that you need. 

Use Temp To Permanent Solutions To Ensure That You Have The Right Person
Getting the right person for the job can be tricky. And, if you bring the wrong person into your business, you will then have to deal with the stress of performance managing them or even sacking them eventually. This can be an inconvenient and costly process that can also have a severe impact on your productivity. 

By hiring people as temporary staff with a view to making them permanent will mean that you are not obliged to renew, extend, or replace their contract at the end of their fixed term. This period will allow you to assess the workers on the job and to see whether they are the right fit for your company. 

Having the incentive for a temporary position to become permanent can also help to bring out the best in potential new hires, especially if they are working alongside competition for the role. 

All Your Legal Checks Are Covered
With so many legalities surrounding an employee’s right to work, you cannot afford to put a foot wrong. But by using a specialist recruitment company, this can all be managed during an on boarding process that they can assist with. All identity and reference checks can be carried out ahead of your new employee’s first day with your company. 

This is a contributed post.

 

How to Find Reliable IT Technicians You Can Trust

IT Technicians are crucial for any business. Ensuring that your computer equipment is up and running 24/7, fixing any issues that occur and maximizing efficiency within your workforce, it’s essential that you find reliable and trustworthy staff. You don’t want to lose money because your equipment isn’t working. So cut any issues in the bud by investing in an IT technician/s for your business. 

But how do you find reputable IT technicians in your area? To help you through this process, here are the four key methods that you can try:

Word of Mouth 
Know of other companies within your industry that have a credible IT technician? If they are outsourced and not hired as full-time staff, you could get in contact with them and see if they would have the capacity to work for your business too. 

Through this method, you’ll also get an idea of their performance – comparing and contrasting their services along with others that you have found during the research process. 

As it’s such an important role to play within your business, these customer testimonials can prove to be an invaluable resource that helps with your final decision.

Recruitment Websites
Whether you’re looking for a temporary or full-time IT technician, you can find them through recruitment websites. By advertising the position, you can list the responsibilities, skills and experience that they must have for the role. 

Once the applications start to come in, you can then take a look at the various CV’s – paying attention to how closely they align with what you require.

Through Social Media
Nowadays, a lot of people within the service industry post about their business on social media platforms. So it’s always a good idea to check the various platforms whilst on the hunt for an IT technician. Many companies also post job adverts on them – in order to appeal to a wider breadth of employees. 

However, with this method, it’s important that they have experience and have customer testimonials showcasing their skills. Without doing this, you might hire an IT technician with little knowledge or experience in the field – costing your business far more in the long run. 

Just as vital as keeping your business safe online, you also want an employee that will be there to help when you need it and that you can contact any time of the day.

On a Local Marketplace Platform
Similarly, when outsourcing for IT technicians, it’s worth looking at marketplace platforms. A website for businesses, they will list various IT and computer technicians in your local area. Snapshots of what they can offer you, you’ll be able to filter the results based on your bespoke budget.

Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are the key four techniques that you could use to find reliable IT technicians that you can trust for your business. Of course, the method that you use is completely up to you and what hiring practices you use. 

Whether you opt for a local marketplace platform or hiring through word-of-mouth, you’re bound to find a credible IT technician that will help with the growth and success of your business.

This is a contributed post.