Keep Company Culture with a Remote Workforce
It's no secret that we are amid something incredibly life changing. Businesses are going through many challenges and changes as companies transition to a remote workforce. If we know one thing has stood the test of time, it is the work ethic of employees.
Any emotional response from leadership can send a ripple through the company, good and bad. As we weather through this storm, every leadership team must align with how to encourage and appreciate all individuals within a company.
1. Recognize Small Wins
If fortunate enough, many individuals have already begun a remote working schedule. Even with progressive work environments, not everyone has the foundation in place to adapt to this new remote workforce structure. Technology may lapse, calls may drop and a new wave of company culture forms out of the idea of going to work in pajamas.
To keep a pulse on everyone's spirit, celebrate small wins. Every person on this planet is affected by this current pandemic. No matter the struggle, small or large, we are in this together. When leadership keeps a positive outlook by recognizing the good with the bad, these habits will trickle down to the rest of the team.
2. Appreciate Everyone Individually
Whether your team consists of a few employees or your company can fill half a football stadium, everyone is unique and interprets recognition differently. In order to adequately accommodate for each person's needs, it is important to connect with all of them individually.
Find the time to appreciate the hard work and initiative. From a simple 'thank you' to a gift card to the grocery store, appreciation goes a long way.
If your company has the means, formal modes of recognition are an easy way to celebrate individuals. Whether it is a commemorative medallion for a kooky version of work-from-home office Olympics, or an award for hitting those Q1 sales goals, rewards in the physical form are always a safe approach to recognition.
3. Give Support Often
There should be no short supply of appreciation. During this time, employees are not just the building blocks to a positive work culture. They are quite literally keeping every company afloat. Every day should be filled with support for those individuals that are putting all of their best efforts forward.
Take a few minutes each day to plan out how to support others. Is there something you can do as a manager to appreciate your employees differently today? Switching up the form of praise and appreciation each day will give employees a boost in morale. Not only will this give them something to look forward to, but this anticipation can positively impact their lives.
4. Be Genuine
Genuine appreciation will prevail during this difficult work environment. Appreciation validates a worker's efforts, but a genuine approach can increase the effect tenfold. By not just praising those around you but doing so with genuine interest and appreciation, employees will remember the sincerity for months afterwards.
A boost in productivity can occur during this time, but do not lose sight of what is important. Your employees are going to great lengths to keep their jobs functioning as normal as possible. In turn, receiving appreciation and recognition for their hard work will go a long way.
Find out what other small ways you can show big appreciation. From experience, our remote workforce is ready to help shape your recognition program to its fullest potential. Connect with us today.
Written By: Samantha Mikos
See this article and more on Cristaux.com
Shipping Solutions if Your Event is Canceled
Amidst the rising concerns of the Coronavirus, it is becoming more common to postpone events with larger groups of attendees. In some extreme cases, event planners have outright canceled award shows. As the global status continues to evolve with further preventative measures, find out what options you may have from your award supplier.
While it is understandable that safety is the most important concern to address, we want to make sure that each award show planner knows that they have choices when it comes to the actual awards shipping.
Drop Ship to Individual Recipients
Likely to be the easiest solution if you find yourself in a bind, drop shipping is the highest recommendation. This is a great way to avoid any headaches with shipping logistics. With this option, the award shipments skip the middleman and will ship directly from the production fulfillment warehouse. Wipe your hands clean knowing you do not have to run around and ship each individual package yourself.
This takes the responsibility off your shoulders for ease of transfer. Also, if the event is in fact canceled, this is a great way for the recipients to still receive their honor right away.
When shipping from Cristaux, our Chicago-based production facility is taking substantial precautions to ensure that we ship each package with the highest quality and care.
Ship Directly to Company Office(s)
Similar to the drop shipping option, shipments to an office, or even multiple office locations, will help eliminate added stress. If an event is postponed and you have the extra space, you can house the inventory internally, or you can deliver the awards personally to the recipients.
This is also an alternative if the award recipients are internal employees. You can hand the awards out to recipients before or after the workday. If there are awards for employees at multiple offices, the process will still work just the same.
Postpone Event and Hold Inventory in Supplier Warehouse
Although this is not the last resort with awards shipping, this option is not ideal because many manufacturers will not have warehouse space to hold excess inventory. You may be lucky enough to have a vendor hold your inventory for an extended period of time. In this instance, your awards supplier will be allotted a holding fee.
This a good alternative if you know that your event will not be postponed for an extensive amount of time. If the show will be eventually rescheduled, this option is ideal. That way, when the time comes, you can ship the awards as normal.
The fee for this can range depending on the supplier, so make sure to get a quote before you decide to go ahead with this option.
Last Resort: Cancel the Order
This may seem like an easy option with awards shipping, but this is the most unfortunate and stress-inducing option for both parties. Not only will this cause a major supplier issue if the order is already in production, but more than likely there is contractual agreement that obligates you to pay a fee if you cancel. Oftentimes this fee is a heavy sum to counteract any supplier costs that incur with your order.
We understand that sometimes this is the only option that has been given. The important item to note is whether or not you will have to start this process again in the future. It might be ideal to be charged a holding fee instead and avoid any future setbacks if the event will resume in a few months.
Article by: Samantha Mikos
Visit Cristaux for the original article and more