Top 5 Latest Trends In HR

Navigating workplaces amidst the pandemic has become more difficult and unique than ever. COVID-19 has left a lasting impact on almost all aspects of our lives and workplaces have specifically been affected the most when we had to switch to a new mode of working. The backbone of these workplaces and organizations are its employees, the HR department works day and night to ensure that these resourceful employees are on the right track. This is why the human resource department has to keep up with the latest trends in the market so that their employees have a comfortable experince and employee retention increases. 

The top 5 essential trends that all HR departments should be following this year are:

1. Virtual Hiring And Onboarding

Ever since work from home has become the new normal the hiring processes had to change too! The conventional interviews, technical tests and onboarding procedures in the office can no longer be continued. The hiring of these new employees when done through virtual interviews has to be followed up in a similar manner. HR can send employee handbooks and other recruitment requirements in a soft copy and over time develop an automated system that sends these essential documents to the new hires. Similarly, a meeting with all the relevant people in the organization may not be possible so video introductions of the management teams and CEO should be recorded as a warm welcome for the employees. This will help mundane working for each new hire and save costs in the longer run! 

 

2. Virtual Learning And Upskilling 

Frequent training and workshops may not be possible anymore; however, the development of skills and learning is needed for the growth of your employees and organization. Our favorite HR trend is to appreciate and enroll employees in online courses on websites like course era and Udemy. This is essential for retaining employees and making the people you already have even more useful. Virtual learning can also be done via company-organized video lectures, meetings, and interactive learning activities. This will help keep the employees engaged even as they stay home.

 

3. Data-Driven Strategies 

HR serves as one of the key departments in the day-to-day working of an organization, making hiring and firing decisions, deciding upon employees’ benefits, employee evaluation, and much more. These decisions can change the dynamics of an organization drastically so incorporating data analysis and trends can help make the best decisions. Decisions will now be made based on metrics and analysis from computer software which have almost no errors. Data-driven strategies can be used by HR to retain employees, design training courses or enrollment, determining the risk areas, insight into employee engagement and motivational behaviors. As the organization progresses based on these strategies the chances of success would become greater. 

 

4. Emphasis On Mental Health

This pandemic has been very vicious to all of us. Companies that recognize the kind of peculiar and extremely difficult time we are going through have the best chance at retaining their employees. Everyone is suffering from distinct problems and support from their organization can help them a lot! The role of HR can be as such that they encourage employees to talk about the things affecting them, organize virtual meetups to keep them engaged, show more empathy and allow them to take breaks, and allow long-term work from home. If the organizational budget allows then mental health applications shall be provided to employees for free to talk to professionals and get the help that they need. Most importantly, create a safe and healthy environment where the work-life balance should be prioritized. 

 

5. Promotion Of Inclusion And Diversity 

Even though more employees may be working from home and interaction between them may be limited; nonetheless, creating an inclusive and diverse environment is necessary to become a well-respected organization. Issues like wage gaps, bias, race discrimination, and sex discrimination are persistent issues that should be addressed frequently. The company should be proactive in putting out their policies against an equal hiring employer, anti-racism, and discrimination this will help the company gain a better public image and increase their popularity. Moreover, the employees will feel safer expressing their concerns and more people would be encouraged to apply for jobs. Addressing D&I issues as a core policy of HR 

 

The future of work has finally arrived and caught up with all these trends is important for any successful company! If you run your own company or you’re an HR professional join the bandwagon now and start your journey to becoming a successful company. 

 

ITRenew to establish Ireland Headquarters & Logistics Centre in Drogheda and create 40 jobs.

40 roles to be created over three years as company looks to significantly expand its presence in Ireland.

ITRenew Inc., the global leader in circular cloud and sustainable data centre infrastructure has today announced that it will establish an Ireland Headquarters & Logistics Centre in Drogheda, Co. Louth, with 40 new roles set to be created over the next three years. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, ITRenew securely decommissions data centre hardware for the world’s leading global cloud service providers and transforms it into everything from critical components to fully integrated edge and data centre systems.

The announcement comes as ITRenew seeks to meet the strong increase in demand for its asset decommissioning, data erasure, value recovery and IT sustainability services across Ireland and Europe.

Minister for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English TD said, “It is fantastic news for the North-East that ITRenew has chosen Drogheda as its new Ireland Headquarters and Logistics Centre, creating 40 new jobs in the region.  The company’s expansion in Ireland speaks highly of our continued success at attracting foreign investment, particularly within the tech industry.  The North-East offers a wealth of talented people and local resources which will allow the company to thrive in the years ahead, and I wish the ITRenew team the very best with their future innovative endeavours.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to establish ITRenew’s presence in Drogheda. This area offers us the skills and resources we need to open new financial opportunities for our EU customers and help them achieve their sustainability goals faster,” said Ali Fenn, President of IT Renew.  “The roles we’re creating will be highly skilled, ranging from operators to process engineers, with responsibility for data sanitization, component recovery, and responsible recycling.”

ITRenew employs more than 500 people globally and has had a presence in Ireland for a number of years, with a baseline staff responsible for hardware procurement, secure transport and decommissioning. The new premises in Drogheda will increase headcount and the scale of operations.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “The decision by ITRenew to establish in Drogheda is very positive news for Louth and the North East region, where the company will benefit from a rich pool of tech-based talent. Winning jobs and investments for regional locations is a key pillar of IDA  Ireland’s strategy Driving Recovery & Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024 and today’s announcement by ITRenew demonstrates the continued commitment to that pillar.  I wish ITRenew every success with its plans for expansion as the company continues to meet the increasing demand for its sustainable IT infrastructure services.”

Proven Strategies To Support Your Business And Increase Your Revenues

It is a common misconception that the only way to increase your business’s revenue is by simply increasing prices. There are a number of strategies to support a business and increase revenues. Here, you will find some proven strategies to help you be more successful in your business endeavors.

1. Invest in new customer acquisition channels

One of the biggest things you can do to increase your business’s revenue is by finding new ways to reach customers. Customers that may have been out of your price range or too difficult to find before could be within your grasp if you are willing and able to invest in some new technologies. If you’re wondering what might be the right option for you, you can check out exactly which customer data platform advantages you, and your customers can benefit from. A customer data platform, for example, uses complex algorithms to find potential customers and target them with ads. Customers may be easier to reach through CRM Software. A CRM will also help you manage everything about your customers; from their initial contact with your business to each purchase they make from you and anything in between!

 

2. Increase time spent on talking with customers

Increasing time spent talking to customers is a proven strategy to be more successful in your business endeavors. The key is finding the right balance between quality and quantity. The more time you spend engaging with your customers, the more likely they are to buy from you. However, if you spend too much time with them or make the wrong impression, they may leave feeling frustrated. To find the right balance, try talking to your customers for five minutes after each transaction. That will enable you to ask customers if they have any questions and/or listen for concerns that may come up.

 

3. Take social media seriously – post regularly and respond to customer comments quickly 

Many businesses are beginning to understand the power behind implementing social media strategies within their company. Social media is an excellent way to connect with old customers, attract new ones, or increase sales. This is a strategy that is often overlooked but it is crucial to take social media seriously if you want to increase your business’s revenue. Social media platforms offer a great amount of data and you can learn a lot about your customers and how to improve your business. You can speak directly with customers, answer their questions, and have a dialogue with them about the newest updates from your company. Posting regularly and responding quickly is an easy way to do that.

 

4. Invest in advertising that works for your business, such as Google Adwords or Facebook Ads 

Advertising is great for increasing your business’s revenue. Some avenues of advertising that have proven to work well are Google Adwords or Facebook Ads. These types of adverts are cheaper than other methods, but they produce a higher conversion rate than other forms of advertising. 

Google Adwords and Facebook Ads are two adverts that are suitable for many types of businesses and increase the company’s revenue. They can work efficiently if done correctly to improve sales and customer growth. With advertising done right, you can attract more customers, gain brand recognition, and sell more products.

5. Offer a loyalty program to incentivize repeat customers 

One of the best ways to increase your revenue is to offer a loyalty program that incentivizes the purchase of your products. One example of this is a typical 3-tiered reward system, where when customers spend $100 or more they are awarded points. This point system can be customized to fit your business and there are many different rewards they could receive for their points, depending on what you offer, such as product discounts, free shipping, gift cards, and much more. A loyalty program, when done right, can generate a great amount of revenue for your business.

 

6. Offer freebies when someone buys something from you, like a discount on future purchases or a free gift with purchase 

One way to provide some additional value to a customer is to offer them a freebie when they purchase something. This could be a discount on future purchases or an added free gift with the purchase. For online shopping websites, this could also include having special deals for subscribers and customers who are referred by another customer. This could also include exclusive discounts and coupons for repeat customers. These types of additional incentives can encourage customers to buy more from you and come back in the future.

 

 

In today’s digital world, it is important that a business stays relevant and up-to-date with the latest trends. Outdated marketing strategies can be detrimental to your company if you are not careful. It is crucial that businesses stay on top of their game by continuously improving and adapting their methods for success as well as staying knowledgeable about what other companies in similar industries are doing so they know how to compete against them effectively. Hopefully, these helpful tips provide some insight into how your business can stay at the top of its game.

Dell Technologies Study Reveals Data Has Become A Burden Rather than an Advantage for Most Businesses in Europe

Dell Technologies is today releasing the results from a study conducted by Forrester Consulting, showing that for most businesses the proliferation of data has become a burden, rather than an advantage. The sheer volume, velocity and variety of data is overwhelming their technology, people and processes. They have data goals – and many believe that they are data-driven – but they’re held-back by an array of barriers. These include a data skills gap, data silos, business silos, manual processes, data privacy and security weaknesses.

#dellBased on a survey with 4,036 data decision-makers from 45 locations, the findings build upon the biennial Dell Technologies Digital Transformation Index (DT Index) study, which assesses the digital maturity of businesses around the globe. The 2020 DT Index revealed that “data overload/unable to extract insights from data” was the second highest barrier to transformation in Europe. Dell Technologies commissioned the study with Forrester Consulting to understand why and how we can stop data becoming the number one barrier to transformation.

The study identifies several data paradoxes hindering businesses today, including:

  1. The Perception Paradox

Almost two-thirds of respondents in Europe (61 percent) say their business is data-driven and state “data is the lifeblood of their organisation.” But only 21 percent of European businesses testify to treating data as capital and prioritising its use across the business.

The results show that 89 percent of European businesses are yet to progress either their data technology and processes and/or their data culture and skills. Only 11 percent of businesses are defined as Data Champions: companies that are actively engaged in both areas (technology/process and culture/skills).

  1. The “Want More Than They Can Handle” Paradox

According to the research, 71 percent say they are gathering data faster than they can analyse and use, yet 64 percent of businesses in Europe say they constantly need more data than their current capabilities provide.

Consequentially, the explosion in data is making their working lives harder rather than easier: 64 percent of European business leaders complain they have such a glut of data they can’t meet security and compliance requirements, and 62 percent say their teams are already overwhelmed by the data that they have.

Commenting on the results, Jason Ward, Vice-President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “At a time when Irish organisations are looking to transform at speed, it’s vital that we uncover the obstacles preventing companies from turning data into actionable insights. Particularly now, with 45% of organisations saying the pandemic significantly increased the amount of data they need to collect, store and analyse.

“The results of our study reveal an interesting paradox. Despite businesses believing they are data-driven, they have more data than they can handle and secure right now. To address this challenge, it’s vital that businesses process data at the edge – where it is generated. The edge can be a video camera, drone, an engine in a car or the whole car. In gaining real-time insights at the edge, organisations in Ireland will be able to roll out new applications and transform the way they do business in a data-driven age. This will accelerate the pace of digital transformation and result in an 800% increase in apps at the Edge by 2024.”

  1. The “Seeing Without Doing” Paradox

While economies have suffered during the pandemic, the on-demand sector has expanded, igniting a new wave of data-first, data-anywhere businesses. However, the number of businesses that have moved the majority of their applications and infrastructure to an as-a-service model is still small (Europe 16%). Even though 61% of organisations in Europe believe it would enable companies to be more agile while 64% see the opportunity to scale to changing customer demands.

  1. Hope on the Horizon

Although businesses in Europe are struggling today, many have plans to create a better tomorrow: 69 percent intend to deploy machine learning to automate how they detect anomaly data, 60 percent are looking to move to a data-as-a-service model and 56 percent are planning to look deeper into the performance stack to rearchitect how they process and use data.

Additional resources

What Big Companies Do To Protect Their Data

In the modern tech scenario, businesses are worried about the maintenance of their speed to match the fast-paced momentum of the rest of the tech world. This is why cyber-security concerns have escalated in the industry.

Cyber-security has always been a point of concern for all kinds of businesses due to the importance of the field and the significance of data for businesses. For this reason, many organisations are now channelling their focus towards building a protective shield around their systems to ensure nobody can break through the security. However, to fully understand how companies protect their data, you will have to learn first about the significance of data for all kinds of businesses.

Importance of Data for Businesses

Data has always been a part of our systems, but its importance has seen a major rise in the last couple of decades. From being explicitly limited to medical calculations and analyses, data has now proved its importance in all aspects of life. From managing businesses to saving lives, every field of life requires proper data analysis to ensure the decisions are factual and relevant.

For this reason, businesses have developed an increased amount of interest in building their business models around their data analysis. This allows them to map their company’s performance as compared to other competitors, improve the customer’s experience, and make quick relevant decisions. Furthermore, the significance of the maintenance of your company’s success also relies heavily on data analyses.

How Do Companies Protect Their Data?

The significance of the protection of data has escalated in the last decade due to the shift in the business models across the tech society. For this reason, companies have followed certain steps that ensure their data is bullet-proof against all kinds of dangers. Let’s traverse through these steps to spread awareness among emerging businesses.

  • Data Protection with Cloud Protocols

As digitisation has picked pace, cloud management has become an active contributor in managing the tech infrastructure of a company. Although cloud service providers have standardised security protocols that ensure the safety of your data, the process of transferring to and retrieving their data from their systems holds major security concerns for many businesses. However, these channels have advanced levels of encryption to ensure the information remains secure.

  • Develop Strategies

Instead of having vague policies that create further confusion for the governing bodies, companies tend to develop standardised IT security strategies that ensure the protection of both data and resources.

  • Ensure Safety of Their Wireless Network

Ensuring the safety of the wireless network holds key importance for businesses. Since every major business has a systematic database that contains their data, they need to ensure the safety of their wireless network. To cement their efforts of ensuring security, businesses tend to build cost-effective oracle database standby systems that work as disaster recovery software to provide an instant backup in the event of an emergency. This provides a buffer time to let the organization make the necessary changes in their main system and bring it back online without having to enforce any kinds of inconveniences on their customers.

  • Protect Their Passwords

Many people believe that remembering or using complex passwords can be a tiring activity, considering they are difficult to remember. However, standard laws of security suggest that your passwords need to be bullet-proof and this can only be achieved if your passwords are complex and difficult to crack.

Moreover, modern-day password managers provide companies the liberty to secure their passwords and use them without having to remember them, so there is absolutely no reason left not to secure your systems with a complex password.

Benefits of Improving Cybersecurity for Businesses

Cybersecurity has been a point of interest for the majority of businesses in recent years. Here are a few benefits that help organizations who prioritize cybersecurity over everything else.

  • Productivity Boost

Since a cyber-attack can halt your productivity, by maintaining their security protocols, companies can avoid this stutter and allow their systems to run smoothly without a dip in their productivity.

  • Restoration of Customer Trust

Customers crave customized user experiences to ensure they feel an emotional connection with the brand. This connection can only be strengthened if the customer feels secure with their data. This is why businesses establish advanced security protocols to maintain the trust of their customers.

Cyber-security is not an alienated concept for the technical fraternity. It has been around since the start of online businesses, and it will remain as long as online businesses exist. However, the significance of ensuring your company’s data security has only increased with time. This increase in significance is directly proportional to the dependency of organizations on their data and the change in the structure of building their business models around their acquired data. This is why many emerging and established businesses are now focused on ensuring their data security to make sure they continue to stay unique due to their business logic.

How Manufacturing Technology Boosts Business And Revenue

Manufacturing technology has changed dramatically in the past few decades. From manufacturing robots to 3D printing, manufacturing is now faster and more affordable than ever before. This article will discuss how manufacturing technologies have changed business for the better and led to increased revenue opportunities for manufacturing companies of all sizes.

The benefits of manufacturing technology

Manufacturing technology has led to increased manufacturing efficiency and revenue opportunities for manufacturing companies of all sizes. According to a report by the International Federation of Robotics, the global robotics market will grow from $42 billion in 2015 to nearly $70 billion by 2020. With more robots on factory floors than ever before, the manufacturing output will be higher and less laborious over time.

Additionally, offshore manufacturing is often seen as one-way manufacturers that can cut costs without sacrificing quality or speed of production. However, this may not always be true with recent advancements in manufacturing technology. Increasingly sophisticated equipment combined with automation investments has resulted in better overall service and lower prices even when outsourcing jobs overseas. Offshoring can sometimes lead to expensive delays in manufacturing, quality issues, and a prolonged turnaround time.

At the same time, manufacturing technology has also led to an increase in retrofitting opportunities for manufacturing companies with older machinery that may not be up-to-date or efficient enough. With newer technologies being more affordable than ever before, it’s now easier to invest in new equipment without breaking the bank as much as it used to be. In this case, explore online sources. This is where you will be able to find burn tables for manufacturing in case you need them for your processes. Invest in this equipment should you need to address certain bottlenecks in your process.

Manufacturing systems automation is often used to increase productivity and efficiency in manufacturing environments. Automation has several different benefits that have been noted by companies such as increased production rates, less downtime due to machine failure, lower labor costs because you only need one operator per shift instead of multiple operators for the same amount of work, and improved quality control monitoring on the manufacturing floor. And with so much money being saved through these methods (about 50%), implementing this system should be at the top of your priority list. An automated manufacturing solution will typically save time and reduce errors in manufacturing processes across an entire plant or facility.

Manufacturing is changing dramatically because of advancements in manufacturing technology. If you are considering investing money into your current facilities or looking at other ways to grow your business through manufacturing investments, remember these benefits! If you need more assistance try vendor managed solutions

How to implement a new system

Implementing new manufacturing technologies often means changes are needed in many areas including business processes, human resources practices, plant equipment design and layout, training programs, and more. This change comes at some cost and often means changes are needed in many areas including business processes, human resources practices, plant equipment design and layout, training programs, and more.

Through careful planning of the transition to a new manufacturing technology system or process can improve profitability as well as productivity. The following steps will help you plan for success:

 

  • Conduct a needs analysis – gather data on what is happening now; identify opportunities for improvement with your current manufacturing process; assess how much risk (and reward) there may be if you were to implement a new manufacturing technology strategy. Conduct a manufacturing technology assessment that will identify the manufacturing processes, equipment, and systems that work well with the new system. 
  • Create an implementation team that has representatives from all parts of the organization involved in the project – management teams should include people who understand inventory

To implement a new system, manufacturing companies need to:

 

  • Implement a manufacturing technology plan or roadmap for updating existing manufacturing technologies so they align with changes in their production process.
  • Develop an implementation strategy using information from their manufacturing technology assessment and then finalize it by developing clear timelines, assigning responsibilities, and establishing budgets.

 

What are the best systems for your company?

The best systems for manufacturing companies depend on the manufacturing process. For example, a company that manufactures metal products uses machining to cut and shape parts in advance of assembly whereas a company manufacturing plastic or rubber products will use injection molding for production. It also depends on the manufacturing environment such as factory size, location, and whether they do outsourcing work offshore or domestically. The type of machinery that is best suited to each situation must be chosen carefully because not every system can handle all types of materials well enough for industrial applications.

 

Why it’s important to have a system in place 

It is important to have manufacturing technology in place so that manufacturing businesses can maximize their potential and grow revenue. The manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in America, with a total value of $800 billion, and yet for many manufacturing companies, it seems like there are too few resources to manage all aspects of manufacturing while simultaneously pursuing growth.

 

The importance of training employees on the new process 

It is important to train employees on the new manufacturing process, which is a difficult task to undertake when they are used to an older system. This is because the old manufacturing process required a lot less training than the new systems. The main reason for this was that employees were able to learn how to do their job simply by doing it, whereas now they need extensive coaching and instruction before being allowed on a manufacturing line at all. 

It can be difficult finding people who are up-to-date with manufacturing technology so there’s not much point in hiring those without experience if you want them trained quickly enough! There will also be an increased cost of time needed per person as opposed to just throwing someone into the mix and expecting them automatically to know what needs to be done (although admittedly this might work out cheaper).

 

 

The benefits of manufacturing technology are apparent, but the implementation process is not always easy. It’s important to do your research and find a system that best suits your company’s needs. Make sure you train employees on how to use this new system so they can be prepared for future changes in the workplace. All these are geared towards maximizing the key benefits that innovative technology can bring to your manufacturing business.

Top five steps to building a brand for your business

To build a brand, you need to be consistent throughout the entire decision-making process. Figure out what you’re trying to achieve and who you want to attract – this way you’ll never lose sight of your end goal. 

Whilst there’s seemingly endless advice out there for how to best build a brand – we’ve saved you a bit of time and condensed the top five steps into an easy to digest list. Read on to find out more.

#1 Figure out your brand’s values

In order to progress with your brand’s development, you need to know the values and aims of your business. Your core values should go on to influence the rest of your decisions when building your brand. Establishing and defining your brand values will help you develop your brand in a number of ways, such as:

  • Aligning with your brand’s mission
  • Boosting employee engagement 
  • Creating a memorable brand
  • Creating a deeper connection with your audience
  • Boosting brand consistency
  • Staying authentic with your brand
  • Inspiring brand loyalty

As you can see, your brand’s values will act as an influence for almost all aspects of your brand.

#2 Identify and research your target audience

Before you can make any big decisions regarding your brand, as well as the values, you also need to find out who your target audience is. This will require brainstorming and research to identify and profile the theoretical members of this audience. With this information, you can adapt your branding decisions accordingly. 

This is often referred to as a buyer persona, which is essentially a fictional biography of your ideal consumer. This will usually include the buyer’s goals, habits, struggles and problems, amongst other factors. Ask yourself some of the following: 

  • Where do they work? 
  • Where do they live? 
  • What are their main conflicts in life? 
  • What are their hobbies or interests?
  • How much disposable income do they have?

If you can build up an image of your ideal audience members through the answers to these questions, then you can tailor your branding decisions to the wants and needs of those who will help you reach success.

#3 Develop your brand’s voice

Now you know what your audience wants to see, you can use this to develop the voice of your brand. This dictates how you communicate with your consumers and can aid you in developing a (hopefully positive) reputation.

You can exercise this voice via your brand’s story. Let your audience know how far you’ve come and where it all started – always keeping in mind the tone and language that would appeal to them the most. 

#4 Design your logo

Your brand’s logo will represent the identity of your business, and act as a quick identifier for your audience. You want people to instantly recognise your logo – this will increase your brand awareness and allow you to stand out amongst the crowd.

Whether you choose to reach out to an individual graphic designer or use a platform like Tailor Brands the key is to stay consistent. Whilst you want your logo to stand out, you also want it to be in keeping with the style of the rest of your visual marketing materials. The aim is to make your logo synonymous with your business. 

#5 Stay consistent with your branding

As we have just touched on, remaining consistent is always going to be important. This applies to all areas of the business – marketing, branding, the voice and the identity. If one of these factors doesn’t sit nicely alongside the other, then the overall message of the brand will become unclear. Consistency will also help build brand awareness, which is key to gaining recognition and notoriety within your industry. 

Irish businesses losing €3.3 billion per year as staff struggle with accessibility & collaboration

Auxilion, a leading provider of digitally transformative IT services and solutions, today announces the results of a new survey which indicates that Irish businesses are losing €3.3 billion per year as staff struggle to find and share documents. This is based on staff losing, on average, more than 21 minutes per day searching for and exchanging documents.

Conducted by Censuswide and involving more than 500 office workers in Ireland, the research also reveals that male respondents waste more time per day on this activity compared to female respondents – spending 25 minutes compared to around 17 minutes.

Difficulty gaining access to or finding work files and systems was found to be the third biggest blocker in terms of effective collaboration with colleagues, as a quarter (25%) of office workers cited it. The biggest blocker is not being able to talk in person (44%), followed by people not being as available as before (30%).

Meanwhile, 22% of workers said security concerns using communication tools is a main blocker to collaboration with colleagues.

Looking for and sharing files isn’t the only activity that takes up considerable time, with staff sending, on average, around 62 minutes per day on virtual meetings. Furthermore, this is unlikely to ease in the future with three quarters of respondents (75%) believing their organisation will continue to use virtual applications when restrictions ease.

However, more than a fifth (22%) of office workers say they don’t feel their input is as valuable in online collaborations as it is in person.

The study also found that 41% of workers have had a family member or partner accidentally appear on camera during a work meeting, while a pet made an appearance for a third (34%). A similar proportion (35%) of workers have done a virtual work meeting in their pyjamas, with more than a quarter (27%) joining one while in bed. Some 26% have lied that their wi-fi crashed to get out of a meeting.

As for the most annoying virtual meeting habits, these were revealed as forgetting to go on mute (44%), always joining the meeting late (35%) and eating on camera (32%). The worst time of the week for a virtual meeting is Friday afternoon (36%), followed closely by Monday morning (35%).

In terms of the most popular collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams is the platform of choice with 59% of respondents using it for work. Although some 57% say they hadn’t received proper training on how to effectively use their work collaboration system (like Microsoft Teams).

Speaking about the findings, Donal Sullivan, CTO, Auxilion, said: “There is absolutely no reason Irish workers should be losing so much time out of their day trying to find files and work with colleagues – and that’s not to mention the €3.3 billion it’s costing businesses. The tools are already out there to enable people to collaborate in real-time, access files securely and swiftly, and realise the benefits offered by remote or hybrid working.

“Of course, staff also need to know how to use these tools effectively so there is an educational piece that companies need to address. But if they do embrace this type of digital thinking, backed up by the best technologies and the right strategies, it will not only empower workers but boost business output and support company growth both now and in the future – whatever, and wherever, their future workplace is.”

Planning To Build A Membership Site? Here’s What To Do

If you’re looking to start a membership site, then you might be overwhelmed with all the information out there about how to get started. This article will help guide you through creating your membership website and provide some tips on what it takes. It will discuss everything from choosing a domain name, deciding if it’s suitable for your business needs, and setting up an account on WordPress.

 

1. Get a Domain Name

Securing a domain name is the first step in building a membership site. First, you need to decide whether or not you want your domain name (ex: my-domain.com) or if you’re going to use a free web hosting provider like WordPress. So think about this before registering your domain name because it can be difficult and expensive to change after registration!

Domain names are typically registered for one year at a time. That’s why you are advised to do some research on what kind of pricing plans each company offers so that when the renewal date approaches, you don’t pay more than necessary. Some websites offer discounts if paid annually rather than monthly, while others charge an extra fee per month for the past twelve months.

2. Choose your Niche

Many niches can be found on membership sites. For example, online yoga courses on different topics, like Yoga for Beginners or Gentle Yoga. If you aren’t sure where to start, it’s easier to get learning today on how you can find a profitable niche. The best option depends on how much time and effort you’re willing to invest in this endeavor from day one.

The best way to start is by asking yourself what you want your membership site to be about or for whom it will serve. Do you want a course on blogging? A course on finance basics? All of these topics can work well in the form of an informative membership-driven website.

3. Decide on a Pricing Plan and Structure

A membership site should include a plan and structure that helps you know what your memberships will cost, how much content they’ll have access to, and when the pricing plans are renewed.

A membership site should also be personalized for each member so all of them can get their money’s worth out of it.

 

4. Create Content for the Membership Site

 

Content is everything in a membership site. It’s what differentiates the members from your other visitors, and it’s why they’ve chosen to pay you for content rather than just reading free stuff elsewhere on the internet. Quality content takes up most of the space in any website and is also one of its key features, making it stand out from similar websites that offer content.

An excellent way to start would be by looking at articles related to “how-to” topics such as cooking or car maintenance so you can give people something practical for them right away.

 

5. Set up an Email List 

Keeping tabs with your audience is crucial, even if you have a small email list. There are many ways to do this, and you must find the one that suits your business needs best.

The first step is setting up an opt-in form on your website or blog so people can subscribe to be notified of any new content published in the future without having to check back frequently.

If your audience includes businesses, how about creating a mailing list? That way, they’ll receive information on industry updates explicitly related to them from time to time – just like when their favorite store sends out its latest coupons via mail!

Another option would be for those interested in what’s happening with your company, but not necessarily as frequent subscribers themselves could become members of a Facebook group. They’ll receive updates from you and have easy access to your content as it’s published on Facebook, but still not be bothered by other posts in their timeline too often.

6. Promote

Like any other site, you’ll need to promote your membership site.

Promote it on social media, blog about the benefits of joining a membership site in your niche, and link back to your website. When talking about these things online, create quality content that solves problems for people looking for solutions right now!

 

This article discusses all the details you need to get started with your membership site. Whether you want a place for customers to access exclusive content, offer services or sell products- now is the time to make it happen! It can be overwhelming and intimidating at first, but with the tips shared in this article- you’ll have all the information and resources needed to build your membership site.