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    "result": {"data":{"posts":{"edges":[{"node":{"url":"the-benefits-of-using-the-gig-economy-to-outsource-work-for-your-business","title":"The Benefits of Using the Gig Economy to Outsource Work for Your Business","description":{"description":"The gig economy took off in a big bad way when the professional world went online. Now it’s really easy for people to apply their talents to both physical and virtual jobs. Work when you want to, on the projects that interest you. It’s an enticing promise, but for employers, it’s fair to regard the equation with a degree of skepticism.\n\nYou spend a lot of time and money on recruitment. How much can you trust a stranger you met online? Are they going to be talented enough to deliver the level of quality that you demand? \n\nIn this article, we examine the freelancer landscape and explain how you can use the gig economy to cut costs and increase profit. "},"body":{"body":"The gig economy took off in a big bad way when the professional world went online. Now it’s really easy for people to apply their talents to both physical and virtual jobs. Work when you want to, on the projects that interest you. It’s an enticing promise, but for employers, it’s fair to regard the equation with a degree of skepticism.\n\nYou spend a lot of time and money on recruitment. How much can you trust a stranger you met online? Are they going to be talented enough to deliver the level of quality that you demand? \n\nIn this article, we examine the freelancer landscape and explain how you can use the [gig economy](https://online.maryville.edu/blog/what-is-the-gig-economy/) to cut costs and increase profit. \n\n### Do Freelancers Cut the Mustard?\n\nIt’s a fair question. How can you know that this person you meet on a freelancing platform can do what they say they can? While no transaction is completely safe, the gig-economy marketplace has ways of regulating itself. \n\nFor people dipping their toes in the freelancer waters for the first time, there are platforms like Fiverr and Upwork that take on virtually all of the risk. They serve as a middle-person between you and the freelancer, handling the money to ensure that you get what you pay for. \n\nThe structure of the gig-economy marketplace also works in your favor. Freelancers live and die on the strength of their reputations. They need solid references to keep getting jobs and will work hard to that end. \n\nAsk the freelancer you are interested in about their references, and see if you can speak to someone who has worked with them in the past. A good freelancer will be all too happy to validate their credentials for you. \n\nYou can also start small. Consider giving your freelancer paid skills tests that verify their abilities to your satisfaction. Don’t worry, they won’t be offended. Experienced freelancers are used to that sort of thing. \n\n### Why You Should Hire Freelancers\n\nNow you know how you can hire a freelancer, but what is the advantage to your business? Below we take a look at a few of the benefits gig workers bring to the table. \n\n### Cost Management\n\nThe gig economy makes it very easy to get good talent at a low cost. Having a resident designer on staff cost five to six figures just in salary, and that’s before you even start thinking about benefits. But when you hire someone off Fiverr or Upwork, you can get comparable quality for pennies on the dollar. \n\nThe freelancers are still well-compensated. They set their own prices and work on the projects that interest them. In supporting the gig economy, you put money in the pockets of small business owners while saving significantly on expenses.\n\nIt also just allows you to effortlessly bridge skill gaps within your existing team. Let’s say you are a marketing firm. You specialize in digital marketing. You have people that design pages, do SEO research, make sales, analyze data, etc, all working as full-time employees. \n\nBut you aren’t quite sure that’s the direction you want to go with your writers. You use them a lot, but there isn’t always something for them to do. You could keep one on the staff and pay them to sit idle, or you could hire out by the word, and pay only for what you use. Your team still has access to the writer’s skills any time they need it, but they don’t have to pay for work they aren’t using. \n\n### Greater Talent Pool\n\nOne of the nice things about using freelancers to bolster your business is that you can recruit talent from all over the world. When you staff a full-time position, you are typically limited to people who live within driving distance of your business.\n\nEven companies who have made the switch to remote work at least try to make sure that they hire people who are living in comparable time zones. With freelancers, you are usually not limited by time or space. They can work anytime, anywhere to help you with your project. \n\nThis radically expands the number of qualified professionals you have to choose from. \n\n### Expand Your Bandwidth\n\nSometimes businesses bring in freelancers to help take on a bigger project. Perhaps you’ve landed an account that requires more hands on deck than you can spare. You can’t quite justify creating a new position just to handle this account, but at the same time without a little extra help, you will probably lose the client. \n\nFreelancers are the solution. They increase your bandwidth in a way that is sustainable and scalable. As an added bonus, they are also usually able to provide you with great turnaround times, as the delivery date is typically a contract contingency. If you have a deadline, you simply build that into the contract. \n\n### Turnkey\n\nFinally, freelancers are able to weave in and out of your business with minimal disruption. A full-time hire is an investment in the future. You spend thousands of dollars on recruitment and training. You stall productivity for months at a time in favor of onboarding in the hopes that the person you brought on will have a long-term future at your business. \n\nOnboarding is important, but when an employee leaves prematurely the resources you put into training them go down the drain.\n\nFreelancers are turnkey. They don’t need to know how to be part of your starting lineup. You brought them in to pinch hit and that’s something they can do without being asked twice. Not only does this save you time but it also reduces risk significantly. \n\n### Conclusion\n\nMost people won’t be replacing their entire staff with freelancers (though businesses that rely primarily on gig workers are certainly out there, and thriving). However, if you can learn how to pick your spots, you’ll find that getting short-term help from the right people is a way to [cut costs](https://onlinebusiness.umd.edu/blog/how-to-categorize-expenses/) and boost productivity at the same time. \n\nIt does take a little bit of recruitment savvy to find the right people. However, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be thrilled to have access to a steady pool of freelancers to take on responsibilities at your business. \n"},"publishedOn":"2023-06-06T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"key-information-to-know-before-hiring-an-accountant","title":"Key Information to Know Before Hiring an Accountant","description":{"description":"As the owner or hiring manager of a company, the process of hiring an accountant can be daunting. From needing someone trustworthy enough to deal with your business’s financials to needing a professional with an adequate amount of experience and expertise, it can be difficult to find the perfect candidate. \n\nFortunately, there are some practices that you can take advantage of to simplify the process. In particular, understanding some specific details about accountants before hiring them can be incredibly useful. "},"body":{"body":"As the owner or hiring manager of a company, the process of hiring an accountant can be daunting. From needing someone trustworthy enough to deal with your business’s financials to needing a professional with an adequate amount of experience and expertise, it can be difficult to find the perfect candidate. \n\nFortunately, there are some practices that you can take advantage of to simplify the process. In particular, understanding some specific details about accountants before hiring them can be incredibly useful. \n\nHere is key information to know before hiring an accountant. \n\n### Prior Knowledge and Experience\n\nWhile it’s always admirable to take chances on younger or less experienced candidates when filling positions, in the realm of business accounting, this can be a dangerous gamble. Accountants play a vital role in helping businesses thrive in a myriad of ways, and those unable to adequately complete a range of accounting tasks can jeopardize the success of your organization. \n\nIn addition to possibly being inexperienced as an accountant, some accountants have skills that aren’t conducive to certain industries and organizational needs. This being the case, assessing an accountant’s prior knowledge and experience can help you determine if their specialization matches your business’s needs. \n\nGiven the importance of accountants having the necessary skills to serve your company in keyways, it’s imperative that you assess their accounting acumen as well as their prior work experience. By using this as a foundational assessment tool, you can quickly whittle down your candidates to a capable few and go from there. \n\n### History as an Accountant\n\nAs has been noted, organizations place an immense amount of trust in the accountants they hire. This is because they have access to financial information and are tasked with recording and organizing this information accurately. If accountants have a history of being dishonest or fraudulent, you may be victimizing your organization by giving them access to such important information. \n\nIn fact, many of the biggest [accounting scandals](https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/blog/worst-accounting-scandals/) in recent history could have been avoided if employers had been more careful with who they hired. This being the case, it’s essential to find out if accountants have ever been involved — even remotely — with a situation resembling fraud or a compromised sense of morals. \n\n### Ability to Communicate \n\nThough many don’t necessarily view communication skills as an important part of being an accountant, the truth is that it can play a major role. Without being able to communicate effectively with others in one’s organization, accountants won’t be able to thrive in their role and help organizations reach their full potential. \n\nTo ensure that you’re not inadvertently hiring an accountant that lacks the skills necessary to communicate effectively, it’s important to have various rounds of interviews. In addition, it’s key that you, and others in charge of making hiring decisions, understand that communication is just as important as past accounting experience. \n\nFortunately, assessing someone’s ability to communicate can be relatively easy when compared to the process of assessing other skills. By simply conversing with candidates, you and your team will be able to easily guage their ability to communicate and collaborate with others. \n\n### Familiarity with Different Accounting Software\n\nAs the world around us evolves, so do the tools that businesses use to perform a range of accounting tasks. This being the case, to truly thrive as an accountant in the modern world accountants must have a good command of various accounting software while also being aware of the ways that the field of [accounting has evolved](https://online.maryville.edu/blog/history-of-accounting/). \n\nBeyond needing basic digital literacy, different organizations utilize different software depending on their specific industry and organizational preferences. As such, you’ll need to assess whether accounting candidates are familiar with your specific company’s software of choice. \n\nWhile this may sound like an unnecessary step, giving candidates accounting software assessments can help you both choose the right candidate and avoid the time-consuming and costly process of finding a replacement. Consequently, understanding an accountant’s familiarity with various accounting software is an essential piece of information to understand prior to hiring them. \n\n### Being Proactive Can Help You Choose the Perfect Accountant\n\nThough the process of hiring an accountant for your organization may seem daunting, being aware of some key information you should know about candidates can significantly simplify the process. From understanding their history to discovering which accounting software they’re able to use, these frameworks can help you choose the perfect candidate and avoid having to replace them. \n\nAs such, if you’re in the market for a new accountant, utilize these pieces of information as a guide to help you uncover the perfect fit for your business. "},"publishedOn":"2023-06-05T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"the-art-of-crafting-an-engaging-job-advertisement-to-attract-the-best-candidates","title":"The Art of Crafting an Engaging Job Advertisement to Attract the Best Candidates","description":{"description":"Employee retention efforts begin with hiring the right people. It can take months to get someone settled into a job. That’s a significant period during which your workflow won’t be optimized the way it should. To be successful and grow, you need to make sure that your recruitment periods are bringing in people that will stick around for the long haul.\n\nEasier said than done, right? Fear not, we are here to help. In this article, we take a look at how you can craft engaging job advertisements to attract the best candidates. "},"body":{"body":"Employee retention efforts begin with hiring the right people. It can take months to get someone settled into a job. That’s a significant period during which your workflow won’t be optimized the way it should. To be successful and grow, you need to make sure that your recruitment periods are bringing in people that will stick around for the long haul.\n\nEasier said than done, right? Fear not, we are here to help. In this article, we take a look at how you can craft engaging job advertisements to attract the best candidates. \n\n### Step 1: Think About Your Existing Work Dynamic\n\nFinding a good job candidate is about more than just skills. Compatibility plays an enormous role both in productivity and in your overall workplace dynamic. When people can establish strong social relationships at work, it improves the flow and significantly reduces the risk of employee turnover. \n\nYou can find someone who is a good personality fit by thinking about your company culture. What does it feel like to work at your business? Do you run a tight, fast-paced environment, or do you prioritize flexibility and letting people work at their own pace?\n\nNote that highlighting your company culture will also be a big draw for the candidates. A significant number of job seekers report that finding a work environment that is a good personality fit matters more to them than compensation.\n\n### Step 2: Speak with Your Employees\n\nYour existing staff will understand your business with a perspective that is different from your own. If you want to create a job advertisement that accurately reflects the sort of team member that will best suit your existing dynamic, it’s important to chat with your staff. \n\nAs a side note, you may also be able to use your existing team members to fill the position [through networking](https://onlinemba.wsu.edu/executive-mba/resources/executive-networking-groups-and-opportunities/). Ask around and see if they know anyone who might be good for the job!\n\n### Step 3: Bring in Your Marketing Department\n\nYour [marketing department](https://online.maryville.edu/blog/types-of-advertising/) specializes in communicating succinctly and in a way that appeals directly to the target audience. That’s a skill set that your HR department may not specialize in. Have both teams work together to create engaging job advertisement copy that highlights what you are looking for in a way that is as compelling as possible. \n\nYour marketing team will also know where to reach the type of person that you are targeting. When they are selling to customers, they make profiles and explore mediums that are best suited to accommodate the interests of people who fit into said profiles. \n\nThe same concept can apply to recruitment. For example, if you want to find someone who is experienced, your marketing division may focus their job advertisements on LinkedIn because that is the site that gets the most activity from middle-aged business people. \n\nIf you are hoping to attract newer talent that can grow into the role, they might target Twitter—the favorite site of recent college graduates. \nNot only will this help you find ideal candidates, but it may even reduce expenses during your recruitment campaign. Data-driven marketing efforts are typically more "},"publishedOn":"2023-05-13T00:10+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"the-four-day-work-week-a-pathway-to-professional-growth-and-development","title":"The Four-Day Work Week: A Pathway to Professional Growth and Development","description":{"description":"The talk of a four-day work week is growing, and though it may seem a bit surreal, there are a slew of benefits that have caught the attention of employers and employees. As a result, the productivity, time, ways, and demands set for employees have shifted. Just what have employers considering and implementing shorter work weeks? "},"body":{"body":"The talk of a four-day work week is growing, and though it may seem a bit surreal, there are a slew of benefits that have caught the attention of employers and employees. As a result, the productivity, time, ways, and demands set for employees have shifted. Just what have employers considering and implementing [shorter work weeks](https://online.maryville.edu/blog/shorter-work-week-pros-cons/)? \n\n### Benefits to Business\n\nIt may be surprising to hear that the four-day work week is not a new idea. In fact, a bill set before congress in 1933, and supported by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was passed by a significant margin reducing the work week to only 30 hours. Even if the motivations were to create more jobs in response to the Great Depression, the point is that legislators and businesses have considered these variations before, generally always with higher productivity in mind. \n\nInterestingly, the U.S. is behind in this philosophy by comparison to other well-developed countries like Germany, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Germany averaged 29 hours a week; Ireland, 33.5; Belgium, 29.8; Norway 27.3. Each country had a higher GDP rate per hour. Germany’s was $93.4 in comparison to the United States's $68.3 with a 33.6 hour work week. \n\nMuch of lost time and productivity in business is related to things like unnecessary meetings, digital distractions, constant emails, and disinterest in work. Companies that have experimented with a four-day work week have found that less time over the course of a week means increased pressure to stay on task for employees. \n\nOn the other side of that, employees demonstrated greater productivity, job satisfaction, teamwork, and better work/life balance. It is easy to postulate why those factors would also add up to a 45%-34% decrease in stress levels. More than that, the extra time actually becomes an opportunity and excuse for employees to spend more time on their [professional development](https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/professional-development-resources-for-teachers/). \n\nWhen considering how much time is typically needed to be allocated by businesses to set up trainings formally versus employees making the time to learn more skills in their free time, a four day work week makes sense. \n\n### Professional Growth and Development\n\nThe 40-hour work week, though it has been standardized for generations, has obviously proven itself to be flawed in some ways. When considering just the factor of how much time employees have left over to themselves per week after commuting both ways, running errands, managing other responsibilities, and trying to maintain some sense of physical health, that leaves very little time for professional development. \n\nThis is especially true when considering that a job takes up the majority of energy people have at the beginning of a day. An alternative model for a 70-20-10 workplace purposefully injects tailored professional development into the workplace. 70% of the time should occur through on the job experience, 20% through social interaction and mentorships, 10% by formal training programs. By intentionally weaving hands-on experiences and voluntary learning experiences, employees have the choice of how much and in what ways they can engage. This freedom and empowerment means more skills to be drawn from and a lower attrition rate in workplaces. "},"publishedOn":"2023-05-13T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"how-easy-is-it-to-hire-a-remote-employee","title":"How Easy is it to Hire a Remote Employee?","description":{"description":"For people who’ve built careers in the nebulous field of digital business, it can sometimes feel as though the whole world has gone remote. In truth, of course, the progress of remote operation has varied significantly across nations and niches. Some industries can function remotely but haven’t quite accepted it yet, while others just can’t: from store assistants and hairdressers to factory workers and farmers, there are people for whom it isn’t an option."},"body":{"body":"For people who’ve built careers in the nebulous field of digital business, it can sometimes feel as though the whole world has gone remote. In truth, of course, the progress of remote operation has varied significantly across nations and niches. Some industries can function remotely but haven’t quite accepted it yet, while others just can’t: from store assistants and hairdressers to factory workers and farmers, there are people for whom it isn’t an option.\n\nWhat this means in the context of this piece is that hiring employees remotely hasn’t yet become the default option, and there are plenty of companies that have yet to try it. And since you’re reading this piece, there’s an excellent chance that you’re in a leadership position at a company (perhaps even the head) and curious about this prospect. Could hiring remote employees take your business to the next level?\n\nWell, it’s entirely possible — but if you’re going to take that road, you need to be aware of the challenges that lie ahead of you. In this post, we’re going to answer the titular question and offer some general tips for hiring remote employees. Let’s get started.\n\n### How far afield are you looking?\n\nThe first big factor here is how remote an employee is going to be, because there’s a huge difference between someone working from home a few miles away from the office and someone working in another time zone. If you’re only interested in candidates close enough to make occasional office appearances, the process should be relatively straightforward: you’ll have a modest pool of applicants and a path ahead with few obstacles.\n\nIf you’re looking farther afield, though, things are more complicated. Hiring someone who lives on the other side of the country is tricky. You need a fully-remote interviewing process, of course, and you may need to factor in regional laws and regulations (it depends on your country). And then there’s the option of hiring overseas.\n\nThough there’s no practical reason why you can’t have an effective full-time employee who lives on the other side of the planet, it does introduce various issues. Most notably, it requires you to become familiar with local laws and have a legal entity in place to hire them. This isn’t quite as awkward as it sounds (more on this next), but it’s certainly worth keeping in mind.\n\n### Are you willing to use third-party services?\n\nOutsourcing parts of the recruitment process isn’t exactly new, but some companies still like to keep things in-house. If you’re in that position, bear in mind that hiring remote employees without any support can be a nightmare, especially if you’re used to having in-person contact. If you want to proceed, try to keep things as simple as possible, and make absolutely sure you have full confidence in a prospective hire before you sign on the dotted line.\n\nIf you’re happy to work with outside services, though, you can make the process pretty easy. [Skillmeter](https://skillmeter.com/features/) can make it hugely simpler to assess skills remotely, of course, allowing you to efficiently tell which candidates are best positioned to deliver success. Since finding the right people is a vital part of the process, this isn’t something you can take lightly.\n\nAnd the reason I noted that having a legal entity in place to hire someone overseas isn’t as awkward as it sounds is that employer of record services exist. If you’re not sure [what an employer of record is](https://remote.com/services/employer-of-record), here’s the gist: if you want to hire someone in Italy but don’t operate there, you can have a company with a legal entity registered in Italy hire them on your behalf, ultimately handling all the legal roadblocks for you.\n\n### What incentives are you prepared to offer?\n\nYou may have a limited talent pool when you’re looking to fill an office-based position, but you also have reduced competition. Someone who prefers to work in such an environment will only have so many options near their home, of course. When you open things up to remote employees based around the world, you end up competing with everyone.\n\nDue to this, you need to have a strong idea of what you’re prepared to offer. How high will you take salaries? Which [employee perks](https://www.perkbox.com/uk/platform/perks/10-fresh-ideas-for-company-perks) can you guarantee? How can you reshape your business to make it maximally appealing to your target prospects? The more you can sweeten the deal, the easier you’ll find it to win over top talent — but if you can’t compete effectively with industry-standard employee packages, you’ll have no chance.\n\n### Why you need a strong onboarding process\n\nFinding and attracting talent is tough, yes, but that isn’t the big stumbling block for many companies. Complications tend to arise during the [onboarding process](https://www.brighthr.com/articles/hiring/employee-on-boarding-process/): you’ve reached an agreement with the new hire, so you need to turn them into a reliable member of the team, and that’s easier said than done (particularly if they live overseas).\n\nAt a minimum, you’ll need to add them to payroll, get them a secure work device (most likely a laptop), run them through the software setup, add them to the necessary accounts, make them familiar with your preferred systems, introduce them to their colleagues, and establish their working hours (keeping time zone differences in mind). Handling all of that at a distance is time-consuming and potentially frustrating.\n\nThis is why you need a slick onboarding process that you can repeat with every new hire. Whether you set this up internally or have a third-party service manage the onboarding for you, ensure you make it as convenient as possible, as it’ll save you a lot of effort.\n\nWrapping up, then, how easy it is to hire a remote employee depends entirely on the circumstances. If you take advantage of third-party services and set up a strong onboarding process, you shouldn’t have any issues — so do just that!"},"publishedOn":"2023-05-11T00:20+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"how-a-web-scraper-can-help-your-hr-department","title":"How A Web Scraper Can Help Your HR Department","description":{"description":"One area where web scraping can have a significant impact is the HR department. By gathering information on potential hires and analyzing competitor strategies, web scraping can be a powerful tool for HR professionals.\n\nInstead of manually gathering data from various sources, a web scraper can collect the necessary information in a matter of minutes, which means faster recruitment and better analysis of similar businesses to make data-driven decisions.\n\nWant to know how web scraping can work for your HR department? Read on for all you need to know.\n"},"body":{"body":"One area where web scraping can have a significant impact is the HR department. By gathering information on potential hires and analyzing competitor strategies, web scraping can be a powerful tool for HR professionals.\n\nInstead of manually gathering data from various sources, a web scraper can collect the necessary information in a matter of minutes, which means faster recruitment and better analysis of similar businesses to make data-driven decisions.\n\nWant to know how web scraping can work for your HR department? Read on for all you need to know.\n\n### Why is web scraping important for the HR department?\n\nWeb scraping is important for HR departments because it can help streamline the data collection process and provide valuable insights for decision-making. In today's job market, a wealth of information is available on potential hires, and web scraping can be used to gather this information quickly and efficiently.\n\nFor example, HR departments can use a [web scraping API](https://www.scrapingbee.com/) to collect data from job boards and social media platforms to identify potential candidates and gather information about their experience and qualifications. This can help save time and resources compared to manually searching for candidates and gathering information.\n\nWeb scraping can also be used for competitive analysis of other companies' HR strategies. By collecting data on job postings, employee reviews, and benefits packages, HR departments can gain valuable insights into their competitors' hiring practices and make data-driven decisions.\n\nIn summary, web scraping can help HR professionals by:\n\n• Making them more efficient.\n• Giving them a better overview of the job market.\n• Collecting valuable data needed for recruitment.\n• Keeping the business competitive.\n• Helping better decision-making through the use of data-driven insights.\n\n### How can web scraping be used for recruitment?\n\nDid you know that [web scraping can help HR teams hire new talent](https://skillmeter.com/blog/7-keys-to-help-your-hr-staff-recruit-the-best-iinternational-talent)? Today, recruitment isn't the same as it was even just a few years ago. The growth of remote work, the expectation for more flexibility and other changes means attracting new employees is more competitive—but web scraping can help in a few important ways.\n\n#### Writing better job descriptions\n\nHow you advertise your vacancies matters. For example, the job title and description you choose can play a big role in whether someone applies or not. If it doesn't reflect the true nature of the job or is written in a different way, someone might pass it over. A copywriting role, for instance, might also be listed as \"Content Writer,\" \"Staff Writer,\" or something similar.\n\nWeb scraping can help by gathering information on how similar roles are listed, the job descriptions included, and even salary expectations, so you have a better idea of the landscape and can position your role in the best way possible.\n\n#### Recruiting in line with competitors\n\nBy automating the process of collecting data from job boards, social media sites, and other online platforms, web scraping allows HR teams to analyze large volumes of information quickly and efficiently. This data can be used to identify patterns in the job market, such as the most in-demand skills or the companies that are hiring the most.\n\nWith this information, HR teams can develop more effective recruitment strategies that are tailored to the current job market. Is there a specific skill that other businesses are advertising for? By being up-to-date on recruitment trends, HR teams can ensure that they are attracting the best candidates and staying ahead of the competition.HR’s can also use a [recruitment CRM software](https://www.salesmate.io/recruitment-crm-software/) to manage data of all the candidates collected by the scrapper and streamline the process of hiring. It allows them to get insights on overall recruitment pipeline.\n\n#### Offering more competitive perks\n\nWeb scraping can also help HR teams [offer more competitive perks](https://www.talentlocker.co.uk/blog/the-most-desirable-employee-benefits) to attract and retain top talent. By analyzing data from job postings and company websites, HR teams can gain insights into the benefits and perks offered by other companies in their industry. This information can be used to benchmark against the competition and identify areas where their own company can improve.\n\nPerhaps your company is offering less annual leave or is not as flexible. These are two things that won’t go unnoticed by candidates. But, by leveraging the insights gained through web scraping, you can offer more attractive compensation packages and benefits, which can help to attract and retain the best talent in their industry.\n\nIf you're looking for new ways to improve your HR department, give web scraping a go. From recruitment to overall efficiency, it can transform the way you work!\n"},"publishedOn":"2023-05-11T00:10+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"why-you-should-treat-your-employees-like-customers-aand-vice-versa","title":"Why You Should Treat Your Employees Like Customers (And Vice Versa)","description":{"description":"For any successful business, there are two concerns that are (or at least, should be) held in higher esteem than anything else: its customers, and its employees. And while these two groups sit on opposite sides of the fence (one is paying for the product or service, while the other is being paid to help deliver it), in many ways a business’s relationship with each group isn’t that much different — after all, keeping both your customers and your employees happy, engaged, motivated, and (crucially) loyal is fundamental to achieving success."},"body":{"body":"For any successful business, there are two concerns that are (or at least, should be) held in higher esteem than anything else: its customers, and its employees. And while these two groups sit on opposite sides of the fence (one is paying for the product or service, while the other is being paid to help deliver it), in many ways a business’s relationship with each group isn’t that much different — after all, keeping both your customers and your employees happy, engaged, motivated, and (crucially) loyal is fundamental to achieving success.\n\nSo, when it comes to driving employee engagement and retention, should businesses be treating their employees just as they do their customers? As we’ll explore, many employee and customer motivations align and intersect (from demanding flexibility to needing to feel valued), which means there could be ample benefit in treating these two seemingly-distinct groups as one and the same.\n\nIn this article, we’ll delve into the key reasons why you should be treating your employees like your customers, and vice versa.\n\n### Keeping them engaged is key\n\nFor almost any business, the goal is to keep customers engaged with their product or service — whether that’s through connecting with them via social media, personalizing their user experiences, offering exceptional customer service, or a combination of these. Engagement creates loyalty which in turn increases the speed at which the customers will return to your brand, ultimately boosting your revenue-earning potential. \n\n[Investing in employee engagement](https://skillmeter.com/blog/8-reasons-why-investing-in-employee-engagement-is-the-key-to-achieving-business-objectives) is just as important — keeping them engaged might involve offering development opportunities, introducing a recognition program, or running team-building events — and the outcome is largely the same. Engaged employees are likely to feel more deeply connected to the company and therefore stick around for longer, while they’ll also be more productive, contributing more to the business’s bottom line.\n\n### They value flexibility\n\nThe concept of workplace flexibility has come into sharper focus in the years since the onset of the global pandemic, with a sharp rise in the number of businesses embracing remote and hybrid working practices. This, in turn, has led to employee expectations (or demands, you might say) shifting, with the flexibility to work from home (or anywhere, theoretically) with flexible scheduling now widely considered not a rare perk but a necessity.\n\nCustomers, too, value this commodity: for example, by enabling their customers to select specific delivery time slots or choose from multiple [payment providers](https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/online-payment-services) when ordering online, businesses are more likely to acquire new customers and retain them for longer. Though in slightly different ways, flexibility is just as important to the acquisition and retention of customers as it is to those of employees.\n\n### They want autonomy\n\nA recent study revealed that more than [two-thirds of consumers](https://raffle.ai/newsroom/14-stats-that-prove-the-importance-of-self-service-in-customer-service) prefer serving themselves over speaking to customer service assistants when they’re ready to order. And from self-service checkouts to automated chatbots, businesses are increasingly finding ways to put customers in control of their own experiences, lightening the load on their human staff in the process.\n\nIn much the same way, workers with a high level of autonomy are [12% more likely](https://riworkplace.com/autonomy-is-the-key-to-employee-happiness/) to report being happy in their roles, with many valuing the freedom they’re afforded to carry out their duties without continual supervision or surveillance. They’ll ask for support when they need it (and it’s important it’s there when called upon), but, like your customers, they should mostly be empowered to find their own solutions.\n\n### They benefit from efficiency\n\nWhen your business runs smoothly from an operational standpoint, both your customers and your employees stand to benefit equally: your customers will ultimately receive a slicker, more efficient service, while your employees will enjoy more productive working days, feeling unburdened by sticky processes, haphazard project management, and unwelcome bureaucracy.\n\nThink about your internal invoicing process, for instance. If you use an efficient automated [recurring billing and invoicing](https://www.chargebee.com/recurring-billing-invoicing/) system instead of handling each invoice manually, both your customers and your employees will benefit: your customers will find it easier to pay for ongoing products and services, while your employees will have some of the manual burden removed from their day jobs, enabling them to focus on more stimulating tasks.\n\n### You need to focus on retaining them\n\nRetention is a word that gets used a lot in business (for good reason) and it’s just as applicable to your employees as it is to your customers. You’ve probably heard the one about customer retention being [more cost-effective than acquisition](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/12/12/customer-retention-versus-customer-acquisition/), and that applies to your workforce too — after all, wouldn’t you rather focus on retaining a talented employee than go through the costly (and often lengthy) process of replacing them?\n\nSo while successfully retaining customers is the cornerstone of any thriving business (it suggests a high level of engagement, loyalty, and a positive overall customer experience), successfully retaining employees is almost as valuable. Businesses with disengaged employees likely have high turnover rates, while those with contented and motivated workforces will inevitably find that their employees remain loyal for longer.\n\n### They want to be rewarded\n\nWe all want to be recognized for the things we do, and there’s no greater motivator than the promise of a reward. Customers and employees are broadly the same here: while customers expect to be rewarded for their ongoing loyalty to particular brands, employees want to feel they’re being adequately recognized for jobs well done, whether they’ve delivered exceptional results or gone above and beyond in the name of work.\n\nMany customer-centric businesses operate [customer loyalty programs](https://squareup.com/gb/en/software/loyalty) in which customer devotion turns into rewards — the more (and more frequently) a customer spends, or carries out actions such as signing up for an email list, the more rewards they earn. For employees, recognition may come in the form of bonuses, rewards from employee-of-the-month-type schemes, pay reviews, gifts, or simply shout-outs in company-wide meetings. \n\n### Their feedback is invaluable\n\nIf you run any kind of customer-focused business, you’ll know the paramount importance of customer feedback — and if you needed something to illustrate this, simply consider that [93% of consumers read online reviews](https://trustmary.com/reviews/online-reviews-statistics-that-will-blow-your-mind/) before placing orders. Customer feedback is critical in driving conversions, then, but it also provides crucial insights into overall customer satisfaction, enabling you to identify areas of improvement and address common concerns.\n\nEmployee feedback is just as valuable to a business, however. In much the same way, seeking regular feedback from your employees will enable you to understand how satisfied they are, whether they have any pressing concerns, and what you can do to improve their employee experiences. You can do this through anonymous surveys, or have a more open forum for employees to share their thoughts and feedback with you as an employer. \n"},"publishedOn":"2023-05-11T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"best-practices-for-managing-employee-relocation-in-the-current-remote-work-environment","title":"Best Practices for Managing Employee Relocation in the Current Remote Work Environment","description":{"description":"Employee relocation rates have increased significantly over the last few years, and they’re likely to continue rising.\nHR professionals must take special care to support and guide employees through their relocations, no matter how near or far they’ll be from the main office. \nEmployee relocation can be stressful, particularly from an HR standpoint. With some careful planning and preparation, though, you make the process much more manageable.\nBelow, you’ll learn some best practices to help you manage employee relocation, especially in the current remote work environment."},"body":{"body":"Employee relocation rates have [increased significantly](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/worker-relocation-increase-pandemic-fears-fade.aspx) over the last few years, and they’re likely to continue rising.\n\nHR professionals must take special care to support and guide employees through their relocations, no matter how near or far they’ll be from the main office. \n\nEmployee relocation can be stressful, particularly from an HR standpoint. With some careful planning and preparation, though, you make the process much more manageable.\n\nBelow, you’ll learn some best practices to help you manage employee relocation, especially in the current remote work environment.\n\n### Evaluate and Prioritize Employee Needs\n\nWhen moving from one city to another, employees have a lot to consider. And their reasons for moving span a wide range of possibilities. To understand [why someone would move from New York City to Philadelphia](https://www.ozmoving.com/blog/why-are-people-moving-nyc-philadelphia), for example, you need to find out what is important to them in their daily life.\n\nThe following are some of the most significant issues your employees may have to navigate during the transition:\n\n### Housing\n\nNaturally, employees need a place to live when they relocate to a new area. Housing issues become especially important if they’re moving to a place with a higher cost of living or higher property tax rates.\n\n#### Spousal Employment\n\nWill the employee’s spouse be able to do their job remotely from a new location? Will they need to quit and find a new job? If so, they may expect your company to offer spousal support to make up for their lost salary or help them find a new position.\n\n#### Childcare and Education\n\nIf the employee has children, they’ll need to find new schools for them to attend. They may also need to find other resources for children with special needs or other challenges. \n\n#### Tax Changes\n\nWhat kinds of tax-related issues will the employee face if they relocate? Will they have a higher state tax rate, for example? How will the sale of their house (if applicable) affect their tax situation?\n\nYou will likely need to help your employee navigate these challenges and connect them with a tax expert.\n\n#### Emotional Support\n\nRelocating to a new city, state, or country can be emotionally challenging for everyone involved. \n\nAs an HR professional, you’re likely aware of mental and emotional health resources that can help the employee and their family adjust. Share these resources and offer ongoing support and guidance throughout the transition. \n\n### Communicate, Communicate, Communicate\n\nProper communication and coordination can make all aspects of the employee relocation process less stressful. Here are some specific strategies you can utilize to stay connected:\n\n•\t__Reach out early__: Give employees plenty of notice regarding their proposed relocation so they have time to consider various factors and decide if it’s the right choice for them and their families.\n•\t__Reach out often__: Stay in touch throughout the transition, letting them know what information you need, what you’ve learned about their new location, etc.\n•\t__Leave a paper trail__: Stick to email and other forms of written communication so you have a paper trail and something to point employees back to if they get confused or seem to misunderstand you.\n•\t__Set clear deadlines__: Always let employees know when you need answers to specific questions, need to receive particular documents, etc. This helps to prevent confusion and saves you from constantly having to chase down information.\n•\tBe open to feedback: Let the employee know that you’re open to feedback and want to see what you can help them (within reason) to help them through the move.\n\nDepending on the size of your HR department, you may also want to appoint a specific team member to help oversee the relocation (or at least certain aspects of it). They can help to lighten your load and ensure you have time to handle other parts of your job.\n\n### Use Technology to Your Advantage\n\nUse technology and digital resources to your advantage throughout the relocation, from planning to helping employees settle in their new place. For example, tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams allow for asynchronous communication and will enable you to overcome potential timezone-related hurdles.\n\nMake sure employees have access to all the tools and technologies needed to do their job remotely in a new location, too. For example, they might need help setting up a high-speed internet connection along with a reliable computer and essential software logins to ensure clear and consistent communication. \n\n### Salary, Benefits, and Expenses \n\nFinancial and benefits-related issues are some of the most common -- and also most critical -- ones to address when helping an employee relocate. Here are a few topics that will likely arise when organizing an employee relocation.\n\n#### Salary Adjustments\n\nWill you need to adjust their salary to accommodate a higher cost of living? Are they willing to take a slight pay cut in exchange for being able to work remotely in a new place? Will you need to look into different insurance and benefits options? \n\nBe transparent about what the company can do financially, and avoid making promises you can’t keep. If you don’t know the answer to the question, let the employee know that you’ll find it and get back to them.\n\n#### Moving Expenses\n\nYou’ll need to consider moving expenses, too. Does your company offer a lump sum to help employees relocate? Will you reimburse them for moving-related costs?\n\nAlways review company policies and speak to higher-ups if necessary before making any promises. \n\n#### Housing\n\nSome organizations offer to help employees sell their homes or break leases when relocating. They may even purchase the house if it doesn’t sell by a specific date.\n\nIf your company offers incentives like this, share them with your employees and tell them what you can and can’t do.\n\nYou may also need to help your employee find a new place to live. This task might involve researching average housing or rental prices in the new area, looking into the best school districts, etc. \n\n#### Final Thoughts\n\nEmployee relocations -- especially with so many people working remotely these days -- can be tricky, especially when you include factors like buying a new home, choosing an area with good schools, etc. \n\nLuckily, these tried and true best practices can make the process easier for everyone, including you. Keep them in mind as you communicate with your employee and help them plan their next moves."},"publishedOn":"2023-05-07T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"top-five-skills-your-saas-marketing-team-needs-in-2023","title":"Top Five Skills Your SaaS Marketing Team Needs in 2023","description":{"description":"SaaS marketing is a method of digital marketing that promotes software-as-a-service (SaaS) products. Because you don’t have a physical product, you might think it’s a challenge to market your service. However, if your SaaS marketing team has the top five skills, you’ll have no problem finding new customers and broadening your client base."},"body":{"body":"[SaaS marketing](https://www.saasacademy.com/blog/saas-marketing) is a method of digital marketing that promotes software-as-a-service (SaaS) products. Because you don’t have a physical product, you might think it’s a challenge to market your service. However, if your SaaS marketing team has the top five skills, you’ll have no problem finding new customers and broadening your client base.\n\n### How To Create a SaaS Marketing Plan\n\nBefore drafting your own SaaS marketing plan, check out the competition. See what other providers do and think of how you can build on that foundation to stand out from the crowd. You might already have an effective marketing plan in place, so look for areas where you can scale up the approach to pull in even more customers.\n\n### Top Five Skills Your SaaS Marketing Team Needs\n\nThere are many approaches to SaaS marketing that work, and your team can try different strategies along the way. However, with these top five skills as their baseline, you’ll find that the sky’s the limit when trying new campaigns to attract your ideal customer.\n\n#### Search Engine Optimization (SEO)\n\n[SEO](https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo) is crucial when it comes to organic advertisements and traffic. You can easily integrate this strategy into your website, landing pages, and product listings. When you naturally use popular keywords in your content, your page shows up high on the search results. With [over 53% of people](https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2012/10/10/53-of-organic-search-clicks-go-to-first-link-study/) clicking on the first link, you want to be as close to the top as possible.\n\nGoogle penalizes sites that use keyword stuffing, so your marketing team should understand how to organically insert the keywords into relevant content. They can research keywords and find the most popular searches for each month or quarter. From there, they can add keywords to meta descriptions, titles, and tags.\n\nWhen your website utilizes keywords to appear at the top of the search results, you’re already going to get decent traffic. By further implementing these SEO practices in the landing page copy and blog posts, you’ll keep people on your page even longer. As they learn more about your company, you’ll earn ad revenue and increase your chances of making them customers.\n\nIn addition to those methods of on-page SEO, you can use off-page SEO by link-building. This process involves getting quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your field. Influential social media accounts sharing your content will also boost your traffic.\n\n#### Influencer Marketing\n\nInfluencer marketing is important regardless of what app is currently the most popular. Influencers have loyal followings because they show their real lives and attract certain types of people. When you find an influencer in your target market, you can work out a partnership that will help promote your brand to thousands or millions of potential customers.\n\nYou can also boost your SaaS business’s social media to increase this type of engagement and traffic. Create content, images, and videos that share your brand and company’s mission. Engage with like-minded people online and share links to your blog posts and products. \n\nReaching users on their platforms will help raise awareness of your brand instead of relying on them to come to you. While you can link your homepage and relevant blog posts, creating fresh content that shares bite-sized information about your SaaS will attract more views.\n\n#### Email Marketing\n\nWhile many companies focus solely on influencer marketing and social media as the latest trend, it’s crucial to keep your email marketing going strong. Email marketing has an [ROI of 4,200%](https://financialpost.com/personal-finance/business-essentials/email-marketing-has-potential-roi-of-42-for-every-dollar-spent), so it’s worth creating regular campaigns to reach customers on your mailing list.\n\nYou can automate your campaigns to send welcome emails, regular discounts, reminders about reactivation or upgrades, and newsletters about the company. While the algorithm may make it hard for your company to get eyes on social media, you know your email campaigns land directly in your users’ inboxes.\n\nWhile you know your customer will see the email, you should still engage them with personalized greetings, easy-to-read text, and catchy subject lines that convey your purpose concisely. You don’t want to irritate customers and push them to unsubscribe, so keep each message short and simple, and don’t send emails too frequently.\n\n#### Understanding of User Experience\n\nThe most efficient marketers understand the ideal customer on many levels. They know what the customer wants and why they search for it. When an ad explains the pain points potential customers feel, they connect with the brand and want to know more. That’s the first hurdle of the user experience.\n\nOnce your SaaS marketing team harnesses the potential customer, they must streamline the process. You don’t need to create too many steps between the initial contact and closing the deal. The more effort it takes, the more likely the customer will go back to the search engine and find another option.\n\nBy streamlining navigation, simplifying the checkout process, and offering the best products and upgrades, your SaaS marketing team will ensure people who see the initial ad quickly become subscribers to your product.\n\nHowever, it doesn’t end there. You want to ensure your company can follow up on this initial connection by continuing to provide top-notch customer service to retain clients.\n\n#### Pay-Per-Click Advertising\n\nThis skill is one that costs more money than the other, more organic options, but if your SaaS marketing team knows how to make the most of this approach, it pays off exponentially.\n\nPeople often click on search engine ads and banners on other sites, so paying for ad space is worth the investment. You can use paid outlets such as:\n\n•\tFacebook Ads\n•\tGoogle Ads\n•\tInstagram Ads\n•\tLinkedIn Ads\n•\tMicrosoft Ads\n•\tTwitter Ads\n\nGoogle and Microsoft ads are the most helpful outlets for search engines, but the other social platforms will ensure you reach your target audience and get good returns for your investment.\n\n### Final Thoughts on SaaS Marketing Skills\n\nIf your SaaS marketing team masters these top five skills, you’ll find that there’s plenty of potential for finding new customers. Take advantage of these paid and free outlets to grow your brand and get your SaaS product in the hands of everyone who can benefit from it.\n"},"publishedOn":"2023-05-01T00:00+02:00"}},{"node":{"url":"benefits-of-using-skillmeter-to-test-candidates-skills","title":"The Benefits of Using Skillmeter to Test Candidates' Skills during Recruitment","description":{"description":"Recruiting top talent is a challenging task for any organization, but it's a necessary one to ensure that the company stays competitive and grows. With the increasing competition for jobs, recruiters must go beyond the traditional resume review and interview process to identify the best candidates for the job. One way to do this is by using tools like Skillmeter to test candidate skills during the recruitment process. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of using Skillmeter to save time and money in the recruitment process."},"body":{"body":"Recruiting top talent is a challenging task for any organization, but it's a necessary one to ensure that the company stays competitive and grows. With the increasing competition for jobs, recruiters must go beyond the traditional resume review and interview process to identify the best candidates for the job. One way to do this is by using tools like Skillmeter to test candidate skills during the recruitment process. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of using Skillmeter to save time and money in the recruitment process.\n\n### Efficient screening process\n\nOne of the significant advantages of using Skillmeter is that it helps recruiters to screen candidates more efficiently. With Skillmeter, recruiters can create customized skill tests that evaluate the candidate's knowledge and expertise in specific areas of the job. This means that only those candidates who pass the test are invited to the next stage of the recruitment process, saving time and effort in screening candidates.\n\n### Objective evaluation\n\nAnother benefit of using Skillmeter is that it provides an objective evaluation of the candidate's skills. This is especially important when it comes to technical roles, where the candidate's ability to perform specific tasks is critical to their success in the job. By using Skillmeter, recruiters can avoid subjective evaluations and rely on data to make informed decisions about the candidate's skill level.\n\n### Reduced hiring bias\n\nHiring bias is a prevalent problem in the recruitment process. Recruiters can be influenced by various factors such as gender, ethnicity, age, and education level when evaluating candidates. Using Skillmeter can help reduce hiring bias by focusing solely on the candidate's skills and abilities. This ensures that all candidates are evaluated fairly and equally based on their performance on the skill test.\n\n### Cost-effective\n\nRecruiting can be an expensive process, particularly when it comes to advertising job openings, conducting interviews, and onboarding new hires. By using Skillmeter, recruiters can save money by reducing the number of candidates who make it to the interview stage. This means that recruiters can spend more time and resources on candidates who have passed the skill test and are more likely to be a good fit for the job.\n\n### Improved candidate experience\n\nCandidates want to feel valued and respected during the recruitment process. By using Skillmeter, recruiters can provide candidates with a positive experience by offering them a fair and objective evaluation of their skills. This can help build the company's reputation and attract top talent in the future.\n\n### Increased retention rates\n\nOne of the challenges of recruitment is finding candidates who will stay with the company for the long term. By using Skillmeter, recruiters can identify candidates with the right skills and abilities to succeed in the job. This can lead to increased retention rates as employees who are well-suited for the job are more likely to stay with the company and contribute to its success.\n\nIn conclusion, Skillmeter is a valuable tool for recruiters looking to save time and money in the recruitment process. By using Skillmeter, recruiters can efficiently screen candidates, provide objective evaluations, reduce hiring bias, save costs, improve the candidate experience, and increase retention rates. This makes Skillmeter an essential tool for any organization looking to recruit top talent and stay competitive in today's job market."},"publishedOn":"2023-04-20T00:00+02:00"}}]}},"pageContext":{"skip":80,"limit":10,"pageNumber":9,"hasPrevPage":true,"prevPageLink":"/blog/8","hasNextPage":true,"nextPageLink":"/blog/10"}},
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