Rewarding Work Well Done with Fun

Has your sales team just completed its third record-setting month in a row? Did your advertising team pull off a spectacular campaign under a tight deadline? Have you just closed the books on your most successful year ever? One of the best ways to motivate your employees to continue working hard is to reward work well done with fun.

Keywords:
corporate event, team building, team building activities

Has your sales team just completed its third record-setting month in a row? Did your advertising team pull off a spectacular campaign under a tight deadline? Have you just closed the books on your most successful year ever? One of the best ways to motivate your employees to continue working hard is to reward work well done with fun.

It’s a simple enough concept, and one that is central to the concept of team building. People work harder when their hard work is noticed and appreciated. While a little extra in the pay cheque is always appreciated, there are other ways to show appreciation and recognition that can help cement the team spirit you’ve been working so hard to foster. One of the best of these is to offer special corporate event weekends for your hardworking team.

Corporate events have come a long way since the old fashioned company picnic. These days, companies are taking advantage of travel and networking to offer corporate events that are fun, productive and memorable. Many companies these days make their annual meetings and other corporate events do double and triple duty – a business meeting, a recognition and appreciation reward, and a strategic team building event all rolled into one.

Want to reward your most prized team members? Why not treat them to full weekend of activities to go along with the annual meeting? A professional corporate event planner> can put together a multi-activity day with program of activities that will please everyone on your staff – including corporate headquarters. When you work with a professional planner, it’s easy to combine high profile fun activities like wind surfing or quad biking with team building activities designed to promote and foster the team relationships.

Whether you’re looking for a way to reward your hardest workers, impress your clients or cement relationships between key team members, a bespoke design corporate event weekend can be just the thing you need. From a day on the golf course to a night on the town, professional corporate event planners can help you design the perfect event for your company.

Share This

Recruiting a Diverse Workforce: Don’t Making Two Common Mistakes

To be a successful business in today’s culture you need to create an environment of inclusion where people feel valued and integrated into a company’s mission, vision and business strategy at all levels.

Keywords:
diversity, Diversity Training, Cross-Cultural Communication, diverse workforce

To be a successful business in today’s culture you need to create an environment of inclusion where people feel valued and integrated into a company’s mission, vision and business strategy at all levels. When employees’ skills and knowledge are recognized, appreciated and utilized they are more engaged in contributing to an organizations’ success. They are more willing to go the ‘extra mile’ and share ideas and innovation. The visible and invisible dimensions of diversity that they bring are used as resources for success and growth. In order to create an inclusive work environment you need a diverse workforce.

Organizations make two common mistakes in recruiting a diverse workforce that cause them to fall behind their competition and even lose market share.

1. “Company photo diversity”

The organization only considers the visible dimensions of diversity primarily race, and gender. The company photo looks good but everyone thinks the same. Differences that include sexual orientation, geographic background, thinking and communication style, work function, ability and disability, religion, and work style are not valued and are even discouraged. This is a very narrow definition of diversity and offers little or no value to the organization in terms of new ideas, creativity and innovation.

2. ” Diversity by Numbers”

Again diversity is defined by what you can see. Demographics reflect the outside community but it is only at the lower levels. (Production, and unskilled labor) There is little or no diversity as you move up into management. When questioned about diversity in their organization, they point to all the numbers. Every year they have good “numbers”, but the people are constantly changing. Employees leave and get jobs where there is a value of diversity at all levels and they are encouraged to move up in the ranks.

Addressing the Issues

To be a successful business in today’s culture you need to create an environment of inclusion where people feel valued and integrated into a company’s mission, vision and business strategy at all levels. When employees’ skills and knowledge are recognized, appreciated and utilized they are more engaged in contributing to an organizations’ success. They are more willing to go the ‘extra mile’ and share ideas and innovation. They spread the word that your organization is a great place to work. They are enthusiastic about recruiting their talented colleagues to fill open positions who bring new ideas and diverse ways of thinking, solving problems and expanding market share.

Share This

Reap The Benefits Of Logistics Management

It is important to know the processes that a company is involved in and master them for a more efficient production output. Logistics management, on the other hand, is a critical component to achieve business goals. This is defined as the organized movement of materials, and sometimes, people. The term logistics was originally associated with the military. Eventually, the term has gradually spread to cover business activities and processes. In terms of transportation, for exa…

Keywords:
chain logistics management supply,logistics management system,knowledge logistics management,council logistics management,logistics management services

It is important to know the processes that a company is involved in and master them for a more efficient production output. Logistics management, on the other hand, is a critical component to achieve business goals. This is defined as the organized movement of materials, and sometimes, people. The term logistics was originally associated with the military. Eventually, the term has gradually spread to cover business activities and processes. In terms of transportation, for example, this is a vital cost-containment key that one should consider. If a company is working with carriers and couriers, the products should be transported in a timely, safe and efficient manner, thereby managing company costs. There are certain companies and establishments who offer logistics management services. If you want your company to run in a timely and efficient manner, you have to choose a company who provides logistics management services and make sure that they can meet your business’ transportation needs. You must coordinate and tie together your firm’s logistics system. It is good to consider the five elements or functions of logistics and how important they are to your company.

Business logistics is a series of separate activities or functions which all fall under a business firm’s logistics umbrella.

- customer service
- demand forecasting
- documentation flow
- inter-plant movements
- inventory management
- order processing
- packaging
- parts and service support
- plant and warehouse site selection
- production scheduling purchasing returned products

1. Supply

Consider the supply of materials that you have as this would help meet your self-imposed quota for the company to profit.

2. Transportation

This is where logistics management applies. A company should have the transportation services needed to move the products and deliver them in a timely and efficient manner to the customers.

3. Facilities

Different companies employ different services according to their needs. Each of them has a different facility which helps produce the products and services which they eventually offer to customers. These facilities should be tailor-made and fit the client’s and customer’s specifications.

4. Services

From customer service, to delivering an order on time, to resolving order-related problems, a company should employ a logistics management service provider which will provide all of these services.

5. Management and Administration

This is an aspect of logistics management which is common to all organizations. A well-balanced and knowledgeable staff and leaders make for a better, service-oriented company. In relation to this, here are the important factors that you should consider when employing a logistics management service provider that will best benefit your company:

6. Inbound Transportation

- You should choose a logistics management service provider who will give out quotes for the inbound transportation costs of components
- This might include the delivery of individual components to your production line
- For a better price comparison, you may also ask if they can deal with clients who buy some or all of their components from a particular supplier
- You can look for cost and time frame quotations that you can use to consider the service provider that is most cost-effective

7. Outbound Transportation

Outbound transportation refers to the carriers who meet the customer’s needs. Different clients need various freight and carrier services, and a logistics management service provider should be able to provide these individual needs. The deal can either be on an over-all operational basis, or on a per-shipment basis. This provides a comprehensive solution for a company’s primary need for logistics. Choose a logistics management service provider who will provide rate comparisons from different couriers to meet and handle the customer’s goals. The main point here is that you need to have somebody to handle and ship out your main products in a safe and timely manner.

8. Troubleshooting Capabilities

A logistics management service provider should know how to handle unusual and day-to-day complications and problems. If a customer has a specific shipping need, would they be able to deliver and solve the problem? Should a serious delivery or shipping problem arise, they should be able to troubleshoot and come up with the perfect solution and at the same time soothe a customer’s ruffled feathers.

9. Keeping Customers Informed

The customers have the right to know the details about a particular order shipment. They should be informed of when the products were shipped, how it was shipped and who shipped it. Some logistics management service provider give out their contact numbers directly to their client’s customers. This would avoid a pointing of fingers should problems arise. Also, there is online tracking information available for most couriers and carriers. All in all, you have to choose a logistics management service provider that would fit your company’s needs to a tee so that both of you will reap the benefits in the end.

Share This

Is It Time To Start A Perm Practice?

Compelling reasons and helpful tips for starting a permanent placement division.

Keywords:
staffing software,recruiting software

The national unemployment rate is dropping. Your temp staffing operation is starting to take off. You often hear that the direct hire business is on the move. What should you do? Consider starting a perm placement division. Here are some compelling reasons to do so and some helpful tips to start you on your way.

Why now?

The time is right.
With unemployment dropping and the demand for qualified workers outstripping supply, it’s the best time to do this. Many of your existing clients will likely be interested in this service.

You can make a lot of money in a short amount of time.
The industry standard fee (depending on your industry) is any where from 15 to 30 percent of the first year’s salary. This means a $50,000 placement could translate into $7,500 to $15,000 in new revenue, and that’s a lot of billable hours.

You have relationships in place that can be instantly leveraged.
You already have relationships with a lot of hiring managers. Even if these people don’t handle the direct hiring for their companies they’re in a good position to connect you with the right person. And, if you’ve done a good job for them, the introduction may come with a recommendation. You’re also already an expert at recruiting, matching, negotiating, etc., so use these skills for additional profits. You also have relationships with a lot of the people who will become direct hire candidates for another firm. By offering this service to your temp employees you can get one last big revenue hit instead of just wishing them well when they leave.

Some helpful hints:

Do it with a team.
It’s probably best to tackle this with a team instead of with a guy. As tempting as it will be to minimize the start up expense, a three person team offers several advantages:They can share relationships. What we don’t want to see is the new line of business getting off to a good start, and the person bolt to start his or her own firm. As much as any business, this is a relationship sale. We want that relationship to be the property of the firm, not the employee. It shows you’re serious. One person all alone may not adequately convey your intentions to be in it for the long haul (even if you’re not sure yourself).They can feed off of each other. Without someone to compete with many sales people become complacent. Having a friendly competition in the perm placement division will benefit everyone. The weekly meetings will become much livelier if they’re all vying to be the top dog. One of them can emerge as the manager. It’s a good idea to hire at least one person with experience. The job of manager of a growing division is the carrot.
What’s in a name?
This is a tougher issue. Should this perm division operate under the same brand as your established temp business? Or should it brand itself as a new entity. The answer is: “I don’t know”. By using the existing name, you have a chance to capitalize on all the good work you’ve done with your temp business. This will lead to more instantaneous brand recognition. On the other hand, if the perm thing doesn’t work out, it could have a negative impact on you brand. You should consider this carefully before starting.

Have the right system in place.
While you probably have a system in place to manage your temp placement effort already, it may not be suited to the nuances of the perm placement process. It will not be good enough to fill out a job order and check a box or add a code to indicate that it’s a perm order. The actual data you have to collect is different. The search and placement processes will be different. You’ll even find that the things you want to search on are different. Also, since you’re hoping to leverage your temp placement data into perm placements, the best system is one that offers a side-by-side temp and perm placement capability. The system must offer more in the document management area as well.

Share This

Selling to the C-Suite

Having trouble gaining access to the C-Suite? There’s a good reason why…

Keywords:
Selling Skills

According to the 2001 U.S. Census Bureau survey, there are over 10 million non-retail sales representatives in the United States. As there is no listing for C-Level Executive (hereafter, CLE) in the Census, let’s estimate the number of CLEs in the B2B selling world using the Global 2000 list of companies. If we estimate an average of five CLEs (CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, President) and seven additional “close to C-Level” executives” (i.e., EVP Sales, SVP marketing, SVP HR, Divisional President, etc.) then we arrive at a total of approximately 24,000.

That’s 417 sales professionals for each C-Level Executive! How can you possibly differentiate yourself in this crowded market?

And let’s face it, few in the C-Suite care to spend much—if any—time with salespeople. Nonetheless, you are told by your boss that in today’s selling environment it is imperative that you reach the C-Level.

Huthwaite’s research has revealed that getting into the C-Suite requires three very particular skills:

* The ability to identify when a CLE would be most receptive to your request for time
* The ability to navigate the most effective route to obtain an audience with a CLE
* The ability to properly execute a meeting with a CLE to increase your chances for success

Our research reveals that the optimal time to approach a CLE is at the beginning of the buying process. It is the time when senior managers are looking for diagnosis and are open to new insights about their business. After that, the C-Level will take little to no interest in the buying process until his buying team has evaluated various options and made a tentative decision.
To learn more about the ideal time to reach out to a C-Level Executive, the best method to secure a meeting with a CLE and how to execute a C-Level sales call, please download our latest free whitepaper: Selling to the C-Suite

Share This

It’ll Be All Right On The Night

There was only a week to go before the major product launch and Sara had a “concern”; a phrase she used when she was shaking in her boots with sheer panic. She had been checking with all of the presenters to make sure that their presentations were well into development, if not complete and, although she had not heard or read them all from end-to-end, she could tell that there was an unacceptable amount of repetition. The audience was in danger of walking out after the first h…

Keywords:
online booking, event managment,booking mananger, booking, registration

There was only a week to go before the major product launch and Sara had a “concern”; a phrase she used when she was shaking in her boots with sheer panic. She had been checking with all of the presenters to make sure that their presentations were well into development, if not complete and, although she had not heard or read them all from end-to-end, she could tell that there was an unacceptable amount of repetition. The audience was in danger of walking out after the first hour if she could not convince these high-flying executives to modify their approach.

Originally, Sara, as the event organizer, thought she could avoid a rehearsal to save cost and time, she now saw that this might be the only way to rapidly convince the presentation team to “adjust” their material. “Adjust”, in this case, might mean “completely rewrite” but it sounds less challenging.

Wherever possible, it makes sense for the entire event team to assemble before the event to run through the complete timetable. If this cannot be done at the venue, then find somewhere that is a close approximation to the venue in size and shape. Lay out the audience seating as you believe it will be and provide the equipment that will be available on the day. Invite along a few colleagues who can spare the time to act as the audience and provide valuable feedback.

As the event organizer, you should be most interested in the timing of each activity and, if elements of the program turn out to be too long or too short, don’t try to debate how to change them there and then. Let the entire event run its course, take copious notes about areas for improvement and then once the final words of the event have been spoken, hold a formal review meeting to discuss how the program or the timetable should be modified in order to better fit the time available.

Other review subjects may include:

• presentation content

• quality, consistency and clarity of slides

• segue design between elements

• energy levels in the audience throughout the event

If you have not run an event before, this is a useful opportunity to gauge how much time you will need to set up and dismantle everything that is to be used on the day and to plan any last minute changes that might need to be made.

Sara’s “concern” was quickly taken on board by the entire presentation team when they were given an opportunity to sit and listen to each other’s scripts during the rehearsal day and they quickly decided on a recovery strategy. As a result, on the day the event flowed effortlessly from beginning to end without noticeable repetition. According to the audience feedback, they were entertained and informed and they found the presentations to be slick and professional. Although Sara may not have been fully recognized for saving the day, she was praised for her quiet efficiency as event organizer.

Share This