Forbes has named Green Key Resources among their lists of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms, and America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms in 2023.
To determine the best staffing and recruiting firms, Forbes partnered with Statista, a market research company, to survey over 5,200 external recruiters, hiring managers, and job seekers.
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Experienced work-at-homers know to keep the dog out and the door closed when on a conference call. For video meetings, they know it’s important to present a professional appearance. That may mean dressing as they would in the office. They’re also mindful of what’s in the background that everyone can see.
Now that so many of us are working from home for the first time, it’s too easy to fall into bad habits and neglect to practice the same professionalism we do when surrounded by colleagues. For team leaders it’s important to recognize that managing remote workers in the best of times requires greater understanding and even stronger communication than if everyone were together.
Dianna Booher, a globally recognized expert on business communication, says those new to working from home need to be acutely aware of how they present themselves and how they use their time. While taking a break to have lunch with the family is one thing, Booher warns against falling into the trap of taking extended breaks only to work into the night to catch-up.
“That’s a potentially troublesome habit to adopt if you’ll have to return to actual office hours after the crisis subsides,” Booher cautions. “If you get into the habit of working sporadically over a 24-hour period, you may soon experience the feeling that your work has consumed your life. And it will.”
Another hazard of remote work is the lack of interaction with co-workers that occurs naturally in a physical setting. Feelings of isolation can become common among those working from home, Booher says. To combat that, managers should encourage remote workers to chat as they do when together. Slack is a popular collaboration tool where channels can be created specifically to encourage conversation. Equally important is for managers to reach out to every employee regularly to ask how they are doing.
Video calls are booming, in large part because they help promote connectedness. They also make it possible for people to see presentations and share their work. At the same time, video conferences also make it possible for everyone to see your environment. Booher tells of a vidcaster who was to interview her changing his clothes while she watched. You might never do something like that, but what about the setting you’re in? Does it look professional?
Zoom, one of the most popular video conferencing tools, allows for the use of a virtual background. You can upload a photograph of your own or choose one Zoom offers. You’ll forego the personal feel, but that may be better than showing everyone you’re working in a cluttered garage.
As Booher points out, maintaining a professional appearance and practicing the same good work habits you do in the office will avoid damage to your career and help you resume a normal routine when the crisis is over.
Image by Free-Photos
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With summer promising to be a hot one and workers returning to offices, the perennial battle over the thermostat is about to heat up. (Yes, the pun is intended.)
It’s a battle office managers are all too familiar with. Their struggle to reach the perfect Goldilocks temperature is never-ending. Some like it hot; some like it cold, and there’s rarely agreement on the “just right” office temperature.
BusinessNewsDaily attempted to help out in an ambitiously headlined article, “How to Resolve the Office Temperature Debate.” But does it? Of course not.
The article mentions that OSHA, which has no specific requirement, recommends an office temperature setting between 68 and 76 F. The article then cites a study by Helsinki University of Technology’s Laboratory for Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning declaring the ideal office temperature to be exactly 71.6 F. But then, the annual average temperature in southern Finland is only 43.7 F.
A study the article doesn’t mention puts the ideal temperature at 77 F. That study measured typing output and errors in an insurance company headquarters, so don’t expect to convince the men in your office to bump up the thermostat.
Men prefer cooler temperatures. This 2019 study from the University of Southern California has men doing better when the temperature is at or below 70 F. Women, on the other hand, did much better as the temperature went up.
Concluded the authors of the study, “Our findings suggest that gender mixed workplaces may be able to increase productivity by setting the thermostat higher than current standards.” Obviously, the authors were never office managers, otherwise they would be keenly aware of the loss of productivity to bickering, surreptitious thermostat resetting, and formal complaining caused by those finding the office too hot.
Because it’s easier to warm up by wearing a sweater – or a Snuggie as one interviewee told BusinessNewsDaily – office managers tend to dial down the thermostat.
Jared Weitz, CEO and founder of United Capital Source, told the publication he keeps his office at 73 F. “We encourage people to bring in sweaters or jackets if needed, and desktop fans are allowed.”
No matter what you do, you’ll never please everyone. CareerBuilder found that out years ago when it surveyed office workers on the issue only to discover half of them thought their workplace too hot or too cold.
So how does BusinessNewsDaily resolve the issue and justify its headline? The article makes two suggestions. Consult an HVAC professional to set the temperature, then you can blame them. We added that last part.
Or, says the article, “You may be better off enforcing one temperature and requiring your employees to stick to it.”
Photo by gryffyn m on Unsplash
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