Culture

To Dress Up or Not to Dress Up – Halloween Costume Office Tips

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Dressing up for Halloween can be a lot of fun, especially when you work in an office that\’s cool enough to celebrate the annual festivities. And while we don’t have an office to parade our costumes around in, enjoying the fun is certainly on the agenda in each of our respective home offices!

If you work outside the home, however, it’s a fine line between a fun costume that shows off your personality, and wearing a costume that makes everyone you work with feel extremely uncomfortable.

Here are five rules for celebrating Halloween at work that will ensure you have a good time – without becoming the office fright show or clown:

The boss sets the tone. If you ask the boss and the boss says no, then the answer is no. If the boss says, \”Hey everyone, let\’s have a costume contest!\” then it\’s probably in your best interest to put on a wig, or witches hat, and go for it. If Halloween is your thing, but Suzy in Accounting despises it, don\’t harass or tease her until she agrees to play along.

Keep your costume politically neutral. Even if you have strong political views, keep them out of the office – trust me – it’s just not going to end well.

Keep it classy. Although the typical office dress code might be taking a vacation day, it’s still a good rule of thumb to stay mostly within the guidelines – leave the Daisy Dukes and Richard Simmons outfits at home, and opt for something that’s more office appropriate.

Keep it functional. Don’t wear something that prevents you from being able to do your job. Wearing vampire teeth all day might be amusing to you, but if your co-workers and customers can’t understand you, then it’s time to ditch them.

Don’t be disruptive. Having a parade around the office at lunch time is perfectly acceptable, how else are people supposed to judge your costumes? But avoid creating your own haunted house in your office or cubicle. It can get distracting to those trying to work around you, and even hinder your concentration.

One last tip, if you work with someone who has a deathly fear of spiders, clowns, or snakes, don\’t be a jerk and show up to work in a Halloween costume that will cause a panic attack. Some people do have very real phobias that they can\’t contain.

Celebrating the spooky season at work should be fun and light-hearted, not the cause of a heart attack! Have fun and make sure to send us some pics!

So, tell us, what’s your Halloween tradition at the office? Yea or Nay?

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The kind of workplace culture employees want

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One aspect of my job I particularly love is how much I get to interact with our customers. Obviously we talk about their marketing, but the conversations roam in many directions, which for me is part of the charm of working for Red Barn Consulting.

Our clients range from more corporate institutions like banks, insurance companies, and healthcare facilities, but also entrepreneurs and small businesses.

What strikes me is that no matter the business, and whether it’s based in Connecticut, the other side of the country, the need to “get it right” when it comes to workplace culture is crucial to retaining key employees, the ones you really can’t afford to lose.

As a whole, the job market is really tight. Employers are struggling to fill positions and hang on to good employees. Salary, benefits, and growth opportunity are obviously a huge part of the draw, but “culture,” often intangible, plays just as key a role.

When it comes to that je n\’ais se quoi of workplace culture, what are your potential employees looking for?

A seat at the table — Even junior level staffers want to know their contributions are valued. This doesn’t mean the CEO has to carefully consider every idea the greenest guy in the building has, but it does mean providing opportunities for employees at all levels to have their voices heard. Millennials especially do not want to just show up, keep their noses down, and go home. Being able to contribute is a strong motivator for quality employees.

A good mission — Whether your organization sells widgets or helps the homeless, it should have a strong mission that serves as a rallying point for your troops. More than just words, the mission needs to be reflected in your company’s ethos. Feeling good about what the company does and how it does it means quality employees will give 110%, with pleasure.

A comfortable environment — Starched shirts and rigorous enforcement of policy “just because” it is the policy are out. Good employees are looking for a workplace that feels positive and comfortable. When you’re spending 8+ hours a day there, it just makes sense!

A flex policy — Good employees are happy to give it their all, and not just 9 to 5. They are willing and eager to stay late when needed, to handle something off hours, to contribute when helpful to projects far outside their functional area. At the same time, good organizations provide flexibility in return. Need to leave early to catch a daughter’s softball game? Need to work remotely while the plumber fixes a leak? No problem.

A team worth supporting — “I want my employees to work collaboratively, to help each other.” The good news is, your employees want this as well! The key though, is building a team worthy of helping. It’s vital to pay attention to culture and overall “fit” when hiring. One bad apple can indeed spoil the whole bunch. You are building an army of sorts, and you need every member to feel invested in the success of everyone else.

What are some important elements in your workplace culture? I’d love to continue the dialogue.

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How to Attract Top Talent for Your Business

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When your company is expanding, hiring the right people becomes more important than ever. In order to keep up momentum and reach the next level, every seat has to be filled with just the right individual for the job. If you’ve been recruiting for a while, sometimes it feels like there are slim pickings out there. Finding candidates that match EVERY requirement are hard to come by. And to make matters worse, sometimes the people you do hire prove to be not a great fit for your company culture in the long-run. So how can you leverage your current resources to find the right player for the team? Consider these tips!

Turn Mixers into Interviews
Use every networking event as an opportunity for recruiting. Tradeshows, mixers, and marketing events are common places to find professionals you want to partner with. As a hiring manager, go in with an eye-open for your next recruit. Having this intention in the back of your mind will encourage you to listen a little harder when the people around you talk about their experience. Find ways to plug their expertise into your business. In many cases, the people you meet may even know someone who could possibly be a good fit for your vacancy.

Create an internal referral program
If your employees know that you are hiring, they may be open to sending you recommendations for the gig. Who better to choose a good fit for the company than an individual who is actually involved in the day-to-day. By setting up a generous sign-on incentive you will increase your chances of finding a recruit via your current staff. To attract the best talent, add a clause to this program that says new hire must last 30-60 days in order to receive full incentives. This will ensure your employees remain selective.

Write a detailed job description
In many cases, we will still have to use online job boards to generate a nice pool of applicants to choose from. Make sure your job description is detailed and accurately reflects the culture of the company. Those small details will attract candidates who align with your values and discourage those that don’t. Take some time to craft a meaningful job description that gives applicants a precise view of what their duties will be. Spell out the requirements clearly differentiating between mandatory qualities and qualities that re just pluses.

Make the job worth it
The small pool of top talent has top notch requirements to match. Make sure the position has perks and a salary that is competitive and worth their time. Things like flexible work schedules, lenient dress codes and work from home hours excite applicants looking to feel empowered. The best of the best is not likely to settle for or even apply to a job that doesn’t make them happy. They’ve earned their right to be selective.

Last but not least, congratulate yourself on your business growth! By following these simple steps you’ll be one interview closer to building your dream team. Good Luck!

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Calling in Sick – When is enough, enough?

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You get the flu, sprain an ankle, or have a sick child – these all fall under reasons you’d probably call out of work and take a sick day, right? But what happens when Susan calls out of work every other week because she has a hang nail, she has a flat tire – AGAIN, or she has a sniffle? According to CareerBuilder, about 38% of employees have called in sick when they felt perfectly fine. So, what can you do to curb employee sick day abuse? We’ve got a few suggestions.

  •  Create a combined PTO policy. Merging sick and vacation time under one Paid Time Off (PTO) umbrella may not seem like it will make a difference, but when constant sick time abusers realize that their excessive call outs may affect their actual vacation days – they may think twice about blowing through all their time by March.
  • Track the abuse. Is the employee calling out the same day of the week each time, or the same days of the month? If you notice a pattern, it could be traced to a sport schedule or perhaps their child’s school schedule.
  • Is it a medical or disability issue? An employee may have an issue at home that they don’t want to disclose, or an illness that requires a lot of doctor appointments or days when they aren’t capable of working. You’ll want to investigate whether it may be an American with Disabilities Act issue or an FMLA issue and you just aren’t aware.
  • Create a call out policy that requires speaking to someone. Employees are much less likely to call out if they must speak to their boss on the phone vs. leaving a voicemail, email, or text.
  • Talk to the employee! This ones seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how nonconfrontational some managers may be. Open the lines of communication and see if you can find out the root cause behind the behavior[/cs_text][cs_text]This next part may seem counterintuitive, BUT we think it’s pretty darn important at the Red Barn. Don’t discourage employees from taking mental health days if they really need them. Many employees struggle with work life balance and that stress can get overwhelming at times. If employees are starting to get burnt out – encourage them to take a day mental health day. Trust me – everyone will benefit from it, AND it will help prevent employee turnover. I’m not saying it’s OK to take one every week, but if they are working on a particularly tough project or account, taking one day a month won’t kill any.
    Curious what some of the most popular and ridiculous reasons people call out of work? Check out this list – there are a few good ones! CLICK HERE

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The Employment Offer Letter – When to Send it, and Why You Need it!

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It’s been a long and grueling search to find the perfect candidate who’s not only qualified for the job opening, but also fits your company culture, embodies your Core Values, is within your salary range, and is ready to hit the ground running. So, what’s next? Making them an offer of course!

Most people will call a candidate on the phone and share the good news with them. It’s the perfect time to lay out what the initial offer will be and allow them to ask any immediate questions. Since you already know the candidate’s salary requirements, and most companies address the benefits of the job beforehand – there really should be any sticker shock on either end.

A simple, and easy way to follow up the conversation is to then let the candidate know that you will be sending a formal offer letter via email. This allows the candidate time to process all the information, review it with a spouse or trusted friend, and not be pressured to make an immediate decision.
While a handshake may have been the preferred method of acceptance in the past, you should require your new hire, upon final negotiations, to sign and return the offer letter back to you. Here’s a few items that we suggest you include in any offer letter:

  • Congratulatory/celebratory comments. Express your excitement about them joining the team.
  • The company/organization. Include the specific company name or department that the new hire will be working for along with their official title.
  • The job requirements. Briefly touch on the key requirements again for the position.
  • The supervisor. Who will the person report to, and what is their title.
  • Conditions of employment. If your company performs any drug or background checks be sure to indicate that employment is contingent upon the results of these checks.
  • The pay and benefits available. Is the position full time or part time, temporary or regular, and exempt or non-exempt? Make sure to clearly list these along with the hourly or weekly pay. Also include any guaranteed bonuses, overtime eligibility, and what benefits the employee may qualify for.
  • Hours and where to report. Clearly lay out the expected working hours and where the employee should report to for their first day of work.
  • At Will Employment. Probably the most important thing to include in your letter is a statement of “At Will”. You do not want the employee to believe that your offer letter is a contract for employment.
  • Conclusion: Let the candidate know what to do next. List the start date of employment and when you require the candidate to accept the offer by. Also provide them with instructions on where to return the signed letter and any next steps.

A job offer letter allows you to itemize the facts about the offer, outline the job’s responsibilities and highlight relevant details about the company. Candidates may be uneasy without an offer letter and might wonder about the organization’s commitment to them in the long run if they are not even willing to commit at the beginning.

Creating an offer letter doesn’t need to be a daunting task. Simply create a template so that each time you want to make an offer of employment you can easily fill in the specific/unique pieces for the candidate. By using an offer letter, you can convey to your new employee that they are joining a professional organization.

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Company Culture – It’s Why I Joined Red Barn

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If you’ve read my bio, you know that I’m not the “corporate type.” I’m much happier kicked back in jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops (or sneakers in cooler weather). And even though I’m technically a millennial, I’ve tried enough of the corporate world to know that it’s just not a fit for me.

I spent about 6 years working for a few different corporate companies, but I always felt restless and afraid to rock the boat for fear of getting fired. I could never put my finger on what was missing to make me happy though. At first, I thought it was money. So, I left my first corporate job after almost 5 years for something slightly different that paid more. I spent 2 miserable months at the new job trying to make it work. Guess what?! It wasn’t the money that was the problem. The people were nice enough too, but something just wasn’t working. So, with no plan on what I was going to do, I quit. I enjoyed 6 amazing weeks during the Summer lounging by my pool in between job interviews trying to find the perfect job.

Sadly, my summer staycation came to an end, but I was excited to start a new corporate job doing something very different from what I had done in the past. I’d be able to use a different skill set from my repertoire, and learn some new things as well. I really thought this was going to be my dream job. After a few months, I was bored out of my mind and that restless feeling had started to set in. I started my job hunt, again, waiting for something to come along that really felt right.

A few months later I came across an ad on Indeed for an operations position for a small marketing company. SPOILER ALERT: it was with Red Barn. The job sounded challenging, marketing was certainly something I hadn’t done before, and the real kicker – I got to work from home. After meeting with Cindy, I knew this was the job for me. And if you ask Cindy how the interview went, she’ll tell you I totally interviewed her! I was scared to start over yet again, so I had to make sure this was the right fit. Some people are intimated by Cindy, I get it, she’s a strong personality, but something just clicked. I knew I had found my home! Now it wasn’t all butterflies and unicorns at first as my BFF Kim likes to remind me. It took some time to fine tune my relationship with Cindy and learn how to work together. BUT, I finally realized what the missing piece was – Culture.

For me, I just didn’t fit in with the corporate model. And that’s OK – it’s not for everyone. But, having a company culture that allows me to be myself is. In the past, I had a set dress code, set work hours, and I never felt comfortable expressing my concerns or issues to my supervisors. Finding a company where I can work when I feel inspired, wear what I’m comfortable in, and have the confidence to tell my boss when she’s being a Jerk was the missing puzzle piece. I needed the flexibility and honestly that the culture at Red Barn offers.

So, I guess the moral of my story is – no matter how much money you make, how much you like the people you work with, at the end of the day it comes back to Company Culture. Employees will stick around longer if they feel appreciated, empowered, and like they are making a difference. And that directly affects their work and their interactions with customers.

If you want to share your company culture stories I’d love to hear them – good or bad – drop me an email!

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PTO – take every last second. That’s an order.

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I think we can all agree that having Paid Time Off (PTO) is a huge perk for employees. But if your employees aren’t using the time off, then it should be a red flag. Years ago, most companies thought that employees who didn’t use PTO were more productive, but after some research, it was determined that the opposite is true. Not taking PTO can take a physical and emotional toll on workers, and potentially make them unhappy and unproductive. In contrast, well-rested and recharged employees may view their workplace more positively. High employee morale has a positive impact on the workplace, company culture, and the bottom line.

Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness and founder of the consulting firm GoodThink, found that when \”the brain can think positively, productivity improves by 31 percent, sales increase by 37 percent, and creativity and revenues can triple.\”. The U.S. Travel Association’s Project: Time Off found that employees who take all their vacation time increase their chances of getting promoted and getting a raise by 6.5 percent, compared with people who leave 11 or more days of paid vacation unused.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t use all my PTO – even though Cindy tries to make me. Surveys discovered that the reason many employees don’t use all their vacation time is because they worry that no one else can do their job. Now, I’m not saying no one else at Red Barn can do my job, but I have a tough time giving up control. Before you start rolling your eyes thinking I’m a moron for choosing work over a Margarita and the beach – I do take at least 2 vacations a year. I just may sneak in checking my email at least once or twice a day.

A few companies made the news a year or two ago when they decided to offer their employees unlimited vacation. You might remember hearing about it, but you may not have heard the results on how it went. The company Mammoth decided to give it a try, and while the employees ranked it as the third highest employee benefit, each employee averaged the same amount of days off as when they had an accrual system.

But that’s really not the important take away from the vacation policy. It conveyed three things to the employees:

1. The company views its staff holistically–acknowledging that employees have demands and interests beyond work that can’t always be scheduled in advance.
2. Unlimited vacation policies convey trust, and put the responsibility for making sure the work gets done on the employee before they take time off
3. Unlimited vacation treats employees as individuals. Time off is a personal issue – everyone needs a different amount, and it changes from year to year.

While you might not be ready to go down the unlimited route yet, encouraging employees to take their allotted time off to relax, reboot, and enjoy some time away from the office should be on the To Do list.

Curious what sparked this blog topic? Shoot me an email and I’ll send you some photos from the island paradise I just returned from!

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Should you fire that client?

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Don’t worry – any of my clients reading this you are all safe 🙂 I love you and appreciate your loyalty – hell, you guys are all just great to work with, and fun.

I often work with clients who are struggling with time management, revenue growth, and scaling. As you well know, one of the first things I do is dig behind the scenes. Who are the customers, who is the team servicing those customers, who is selling – the list goes on.

Sometimes the issue is…. the customer or customers.

I’m a huge fan of deciding what your Target Client Profile is – or TCP for short. Your magical client – the one you want millions of – ok, maybe not millions if you are the size of Red Barn. Let’s just say you want a bunch.

Now, I’m realistic. Not all your clients will be as perfect as your favorite client. Current clients don’t ask me who that is – that’s like asking a Mom who their favorite child is! Back to being realistic. You should identify the traits in your favorite clients and then STRIVE to find others who share those traits.

If you have a client who makes you and/or your staff miserable or is never happy no matter what you do – divorce them. Regardless of the revenue. Yes, I said regardless of the revenue. Why? Well, beyond making you miserable, which affects your culture, they also are preventing you from finding clients who are in your TCP.

Sometimes letting revenue generating clients go isn’t easy – it’s kind of like letting a good producing salesperson go. But if they aren’t playing nicely in the sandbox – rip off the proverbial band-aid. Sure, it will be unpleasant for a while, but in the end, you will be better off and happier.

A wise woman – aka Robin Bienemann from Crimson Rook – once taught me perhaps one of the most valuable lessons. Write this down – remember it.

ONLY – and I mean ONLY work with people who:
1. You can bring true value to and they must appreciate that value
2. Can afford your services. No haggling allowed.
3. You like, your team likes, and hey, you wouldn’t mind having a Friday afternoon cocktail with.

BTW- above is a pretty darn good formula for determining who is in your Target Client Profile.

Homework: Look at your clients. Which do NOT follow the 3 rules above? Are you ready to let go?

Another BTW – if all your clients are in the hate column then Houston we have a bigger problem. No worries – there is always a solution, but for this one you need to call me. A serious phone chat is in order.

Cheerio!
CD

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Do Adults Need Recess?

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Recess – (noun) temporary withdrawal or cessation from the usual work or activity.

Some adults are five-year-olds in disguise and they absolutely need recess, but do the rest of us fairly normal middle agers need a break? YES.

Baby boomers are born workaholics. (I’m dating myself now – don’t tell) We were taught early on the no pain no gain thing, and that you don’t get anywhere in life unless you put the time in, push through the pain to achieve the goal. I’m not poo pooing hard work at all, I am saying that at some point your brain, and you become grossly inefficient after only a couple hours.

Take my world. I do a lot of writing, thinking about strategies, meeting with clients and my brain has a hard time “shutting off”. I am far more efficient if I take a break every hour or so and do something “else”. In the warmer months, I go play in the dirt – I weed flowers, plant flowers – harvest some veggies. Being outside in the sunshine clears my brain. I also go for runs in the nicer weather – I’m not into bundling up and running in 4 degree CT winter weather.

When the weather isn’t so promising, I’ll take a break and cook or my delve into my latest hobby- painting. I’m no Monet but it sooths my soul and I really enjoy it. The point is I’m doing something that isn’t work related – I’m taking a Cindy recess from my crazy work schedule. You know what – it works. Now that I stopped feeling guilty about taking a break, I am far more efficient.

I used to sit and stare at my laptop screen waiting for the words to come. Eventually I would “take a break” on Facebook or Twitter only to feel not satisfied because it was just wasted time that I wasn’t really enjoying, then I felt guilty AND I still didn’t get my work done. Now I do something that brings me joy and I look forward to it. I tell myself I’ll write for an hour –then I get a 15 or 20-minute break. If I’m going for a run – I allow myself an hour.

Life is so much better with recesses. I know every company can’t afford to give their team recess –especially manufacturing type settings or call centers. But you can get creative – have something fun in break rooms, put in a gym or a reading room. Someplace where employees can get away for a bit during their scheduled break time. Trust me, the results will be Amazing!

For all you crazy entrepreneurs who like me, tend to always be “working” – find your inner Monet, put on your running shoes or go play in the dirt. Give your brain a break – it will thank you over and over again.

Here’s to being a 5 year old in an adult body!

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Is Work and Life Balance Really Achievable?

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Here at Red Barn Consulting, we absolutely love our jobs — What could be better than working with fantastic clients, building a team of fearsomely good people, and sharing what makes your business brilliant with the world?

But, even we know you can have too much of a good thing. It’s why there’s no end of articles on work and life balance — Trying to spin the plates of work, home, friends, family, and commitments simultaneously, without losing your mind.

Honestly — we’re not sure that’s the very best approach. That’s why we think about work life balance a little bit differently (big surprise)!

Balance = Flexibility – To us, it’s all about flexibility — Knowing what you want to do and getting rid of what you don’t. It’s not about jumping the “work” hurdle and then the “life” hurdle, but about making those hurdles smaller. Then you don’t need to waste time worrying that you might stumble.

Why do we think this way? Well, employers are demanding, especially if that employer is you! (Yep, the self-employed are probably the worst at separating work and personal life…) Because of those demands, you probably will check email after 6 PM, work late to get the presentation out the door, and crunch through the weekend to put the proposal together.

For good or bad, it’s what’s expected — But think about this in terms of flexibility and removing the time-wasting stuff, and things get much easier.

If you’re an employer, be flexible in how you let your team work. If they need to work from home occasionally, give them the opportunity. If they’ve worked late and need to leave early to watch their child in a school play, give them the time off with your blessing. Provide your employees with autonomy and let them manage their days — They know what they need to do and when they need to do it, so build trust by letting them decide how.

As an employee, it never hurts to ask. Demonstrate to your boss how you’ve made their lives easier through the work you’ve put in. Ask about flexible working arrangements that will let you spend quality time with your family. If you can demonstrate good work, your employer will probably be open to your suggestions.

Remember, working is a give and take relationship — If both sides respect one another, it becomes less about work and life balance, and more about what works best for employer and employee.

Second to flexibility is getting rid of the stuff that’s just wasting your time. You’ve probably heard of the “Pareto Principle” — That 80% of results comes from 20% of actions. It’s time to find that 20% and cut out as much of the other stuff as you can. Keep a log of what you’re doing on a daily basis for a couple of weeks and ask yourself “Is this making the business better?” If it’s not expanding the business, making things more efficient, bringing in greater revenue, or enhancing how you work, get rid of it.

Be ruthless — Talk to your colleagues and your boss and get them to take on the same mindset. Look at the waste in the business — The processes that could be improved, the way that you and others work. Then, make a conscious choice to change, and encourage others to change with you.

And that’s really it — There’s no big secret to work and life balance, other than approaching it differently. Think of it as flexibility, and not some magical target you have to reach, and you’ll be much happier (trust us, we know!) Cut out the stuff you don’t want to do, be awesome at what’s left, and there will be no stopping you.

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