by Prompt Personnel | Jul 1, 2020 | Human Resources
A contract job is a career choice chosen by thousands of professionals every day. This structure can offer a wide variety of commitments that allow you to refine established skills, create new ones, and introduce you to a diverse group of individuals who are critical to building your network. Serving as temporary staffing will also alleviate financial worries. You can afford to be more cautious about the full-time positions you seek if you earn income from temporary jobs. A contract position can be suitable for professionals who want to spend more time with their families or concentrate on hobbies or other interests.
However, some professionals do not consider contract work, mainly because of persistent myths about what it does or does not involve. Here, we set the record straight to some of the most common misconceptions:
Myth: contract work is a low-level career.
Reality: As companies and employees’ needs have changed over the years, the temp agency has grown. The fastest growth in skilled and technological professions is taking place today. Both businesses and practitioners of all backgrounds and skill levels have come to understand the advantages of greater versatility.
Professionals have embraced the lifestyle of consulting as they can obtain demanding, complex assignments and earn fair pay while keeping some flexibility of when, where, and how much they work.
Myth: Working as an unpaid employee would hinder my chances of being hired on a full-time basis.
Reality: quite the contrary. Most organizations see contract hiring as a way to test individuals for full-time jobs, and temp staffing always leads there. This may be especially true as companies are again hiring. Employers are also diligent in recruiting employees. However, they know that they cannot engage in recovery if they are understaffed. To bridge gaps, they bring together the most accomplished temporary professionals they can find. Many temp agencies assess the skills and cultural fitness of these individuals to make them full-time employees if business provisions continue to improve.
Myth: Temporary employment is short-term, irregular, and low-paying.
Reality: Although project consulting often offers the option of working fewer hours than a full-time job might require, professionals with sought-after skills usually find that they can work as much as they want. Also, temporary staffing can last from a couple of days to more than a year depending on the project duration.
As far as salaries are concerned, many temporary jobs pay on par with workers, and individuals with the most sought-after skills are eligible for a premium. To recruit the most highly qualified workers, employers offer fair salaries and benefits, often providing access to health care, vacation and holiday pay, and even retirement plans.
Myth: While working for a Temp job, I may not get time to search for a full-time opportunity
Reality: Depending on how often you want to work, you will need to make some changes to how and when you conduct your job quest, but it should not be too difficult. This may include only moving your networking and study tasks to early morning or evening hours, or probably during your lunch break.
However, bear in mind that temporary staffing can also allow you to progress your job quest. You never know when a position may be opened in the company where you work, or when others you meet in the course of your assignment may be willing to recommend you for a position they have heard of through their network.
by Prompt Personnel | Jun 23, 2020 | Human Resources
In the current world scenario, most companies are running operations from home. Communication and coordination within companies is also seeing a new normal with video calling softwares and apps. In the world of recruitment as well, there are plenty of things changing and taking shape. If you’re a company that is still hiring during this pandemic period, you may want to get well- equipped with a few basics when it comes to conducting virtual interviews.
- Using the correct video calling software –
Imagine you’re in the middle of a serious interview process and the software starts to show some glitches. That would make a really wrong impression on the aspiring employee. Make sure your internet is functioning well and the software is up to date before you jump on the interview.
- Competent interview tools –
Although nothing can beat personally interacting with a potential hire to understand their personality and work ethics, with social distancing, that may not be possible. To test competency of potential employees, make sure you
are prepared with what questions are to be asked and tools needed to evaluate their performance.
- Background checks –
With any hire, HRs or hiring managers need to perform background checks but it becomes exceptionally crucial during the current times. Be prepared with a list of references and prior certificates of the candidate that can be checked at any time.
- Be presentable –
HRs and hiring managers are the first point of contact for any potential employee, so make sure you maintain a professional appearance while conducting the interview.
- Onboarding process –
If you happen to take a potential employee up to the finishing line and hire them, try to re-create a formal and official onboarding process as you would do in a normal scenario. Sending out emails to everyone in the team and
officially onboarding the new member on an all-team video call would be the best way to go about it.
Over the coming months, companies will be effectively working from home, so it’s only best to manoeuvre the challenges that come with it one by one.
by Prompt Personnel | Jun 6, 2020 | Human Resources
To overcome this global crisis, many organizations have changed the dynamics by asking their employees to work from home. However, while working professionals turn their homes into offices, they are also handling house chores, family commitments, other tasks, and seeking personal time. In such a scenario, it is important for employees and employers to keep their spirit and moral going. To cope well with these shifts in our personal and professional lives, it is imperative that HRs keep the work community engaged and motivated. Here are some of the ways HRs can use to keep their employees engaged.
- Rewards and Recognition
Offering positive reinforcements to employees acts as a great encouragement. HRs can introduce e-vouchers or coupons to the employee of the week. By awarding them with these vouchers, one can increase their confidence and productivity, as well as introduce healthy competition amongst the team members.
- Friday Activities
Many companies are now introducing ‘happy hour’ Fridays. One hour every Friday is dedicated to fun sessions where employees can interact, drink and eat together, enjoy some music, play the guitar or indulge in any form of entertainment.
- Hosting Cook-Offs
To keep things interesting, HRs are also hosting cook-offs every week with all employees. If you have a common company platform, you could design your own recipe and post it on the page. The best recipe could win incentives in the form of vouchers. This gives the employees something to look forward to in the week.
- Online Workout Sessions
Just like cook-offs, you could also dedicate an hour each week to indulge in a team workout session through video conferencing apps. Doing this will prevent burnout and keep the motivation going for everyone. It’s also a great way to maintain an active lifestyle.
- Games and Virtual Parties
One could also introduce games or interactive sessions during the week or on weekends. There are plenty of online apps like Karaoke apps, gaming apps or interactive apps that allow a group of people to participate in games.
We couldn’t have imagined that we would be living like this until a few months ago. But with changing times, we must adapt to the situation. Adopting these fun tips and tricks to keep the employees engaged while they work from home could do wonders for your organization. We at Prompt had a fun, interactive employee engagement session on Zoom too, where every member of the team showcased their talent and shared it with others. These are some great ways to boost employee engagement and keep their spirits up during this difficult time.
by Prompt Personnel | May 28, 2020 | Human Resources, Uncategorized
With the on-going battle against COVID-19, work from home has become a widely accepted work arrangement for most of us. However, as the lockdown restrictions are being lifted in certain parts of the country, and we hope to see some relaxations in other parts too, the doubts regarding going back to office are arising. Although the government is trying its best to impose safety guidelines, it eventually comes down to the precautions we consciously take when we go back to work. Here are a few things to keep in mind as we resume work after the lockdown –
- Observe Social Distancing
Avoiding gatherings has become the new mantra in today’s times. As you resume work, your natural instinct would be to gather in groups with your co-workers and catch up on all the lost time that was missed. But, safety overpowers it all. We also must ensure that social distancing is maintained even in the office premises.
- Maintain Hygiene
This should be a top priority for professionals for when they resume work. Sanitizing the surroundings and keeping yourself clean will definitely go a long way and is a requisite now. Maintaining cleanliness on your work desk and areas in the office, along with personal hygiene should be practiced on a daily basis. Sanitizing hands after using the toilet, and before and after meals must be strictly followed too.
- Protection Kit
Face masks, sanitizers, gloves, and wet wipes will now replace other essentials that you’d carry in the pre-COVID world. It is imperative to have your own sanitization kit, and it is all the more important to carry it everywhere, especially to work.
- Go Paperless
One sure-fire way to ensure your health when you commute to work is to rely on digital currency and make payments only via digital apps. Avoid the exchange of notes or actual paper as much as possible. This will ensure not just your safety but also the other person’s.
- Bring Your Own Food
There was a time when outside food was also a feasible lunch option. Now, however, to ensure your safety, you must only adhere to home-cooked food for lunch. That way, you will also be certain of the hygiene and quality of what you’re eating and who has handled your food prior to consuming it.
When we do resume offices properly, we hope that health and hygiene becomes a little more of a priority now than it was before. With these few considerations, things will resume normalcy very soon.
by Prompt Personnel | Apr 24, 2020 | Human Resources, Uncategorized
During this tough time where businesses are facing challenges; we thought it would be more helpful to gain some in-depth insights from the top management who are well-adept with the industries and work. With our new series on #PromptProductivity, we spoke with some key people in our organization, for a detailed chat on how current scenarios has impacted productivity levels. We had a talk with our Executive Director, Mrs. Monisha Basakhetre who heads Permanent Recruitment vertical at Prompt Personnel, to know her take on achieving productivity levels during Covid-19.
It is a tough time for the workforce of all levels, especially for you. How are you coping with this sudden, unprecedented challenge, in terms of managing work from home? How has the current situation impacted productivity levels in your department?
Yes, it is indeed a tough time, but tough times do not last; tough people do. And, I am sure this time too shall pass away As far as teams working in Prompt Personnel are concerned, as soon as it was announced that Pan India offices of Prompt Personnel shall start WFH there was preparedness from day one. I still remember the last day when we were winding up operations in office. Everyone was on their toes grabbing their dairies, papers, files, notes whatever they felt was important, no one knew what was coming in the next few days or what was work from home culture or for how many days would we be under lockdown. There was an air of excitement ,a beginning of something new and fear of the unknown . Dedicated Admin and IT team were working night and day to set up systems in individual homes, software, technology infrastructure and all that was needed to make work for employees as comfortable as possible. Loads of detailed planning went into this process every minute detail was checked with accuracy alertness and promptness, there were absolutely no compromises in any way by the management and the Task force.. The whole purpose was to make sure employees working from home had no difficulties whatsoever. Technology was a big game changer This surely helped for smooth transition of work from office to work from home.
How are you managing your employees and their work from home? How are you overcoming these challenges to ensure regular flow of work?
Work from home has been a new journey of mixed feelings for employees. It has been filled with excitement, fear of failing sometimes , uncertainties of deliverables, happiness in achievement of tasks . However, it has not been as difficult as it seemed. Teams were quick to adapt to their new work culture of WFM as their Reporting Managers and the Head of the department were in constant touch with them. They made sure to follow a structured format of daily con calls with MIS reports weekly, interactions through emails zoom calls to keep in touch with each other. An eagle eye on the workflow process, was maintained by Leaders clear communication with minute detailing of the work was done. at all times empathy and patience by the Leaders for some delays in work has all helped the teams to perform and work well productively. As a matter of fact, the teams have bonded well helping each other during these tough times .. I can proudly mention here that productivity and efficiency has gone up from the time we have started work from home.
How are you ensuring good performance despite the situation and work for clients?
We have made sure to be in touch with all our clients and customers through emails and con calls. Effective and Transparent Communication was adopted , persuasive methods of follow up calls and emails with clients and customers for feedback was followed diligently We spoke with empathy and gave a patient hearing to all concerned in the current situation …Technology and digitzation of processes kept up the morale and positivity of work from home for the teams ..Recruiters were told to show care and empathy while interacting with candidates looking for jobs, maintaining strong follow ups with both candidates and clients, Payroll Executives were asked to go that extra mile to help during payouts of salaries for our Temp associates . Sourcing strategies were discussed regularly during team con calls to ensure quick turnaround time and ensure genuine candidates are on board. Strong bonding handholding methodologies were discussed within the teams which has surely helped them to work and perform better.
What techniques are you implementing/implemented to ensure productivity and efficiency?
Speed and accuracy in communication have been implemented for better productivity. Also, transparency in all transactions has helped to build trust and camaraderie among team members. Daily updates on work performance has also helped in closing loose ends and ensure maximum productivity. Constant communication between Clients Leaders and team members through calls and emails has helped to keep up the productivity and morale of the employees.
What tip would you give to professionals out there and to top-level management to maintain productivity even in this situation?
“Change is the new constant.” It is always better to embrace new changes with a positive and open mind. Meticulous planning and discipline help to prepare for the way forward in the current uncertain situations we are facing today.
Empowering employees to complete their tasks, trust, and empathy in their work performances, constant mentoring, and guidance to them, as Leaders is very important.
Handholding with team bonding to bring effectiveness into work. Also, helping them organize work flow charts ,to do lists , prioritize work in a scheduled manner, so that they bring in discipline and positivity to their work schedules.
Mental , Physical , Emotional health and well being of employees has to be kept in mind by the Leaders of the company while re-framing policies and processes..
The pandemic has been an unprecedented situation for not just companies but also employees. What everyone needs at this point is to keep Trust transparent communication empathy and care for each other during these testing times ..These are a few of my thoughts to share with the Leaders and their teams in the industry..
by Prompt Personnel | Apr 15, 2020 | Human Resources, Uncategorized
During this tough time when businesses are facing challenges; we thought it’d be more helpful to gain some in-depth insights from the top management who are well-adept with their area of work. With our new series on #PromptProductivity, we are sitting down with some of the key people in our organisation, for a detailed chat on how to achieve productivity during unprecedented times like Covid-19. We had a talk with our GM – Business Operations & Automation, Mr Ali Khan to understand how he has tackled and managed work from home for his team, and here is what he says.
It is a tough time for the workforce of all levels, especially for you. How are you coping with this sudden, unprecedented challenge, in terms of managing work from home? How has the current situation impacted productivity levels in your department?
Work from home has always been an exciting concept for me, ever since I was first introduced to it in the early stage of my career. In this MNC, I finally got the opportunity to develop a Work from the Home arrangement. In my next career move, to an MNC Tech giant, I used to work from home quite often. So, adapting to this new working style did not pose any challenge.
The current COVID-19 pandemic situation has enforced the Business Continuity Plan. However, the productivity levels in my department remain unaffected. The biggest reason is the time that was earlier used up by commute is now being invested in adapting to the changing environment of work from home.
How are you managing your employees and their work from home? How are you overcoming these challenges to ensure a regular flow of work?
The Daily Pan India team conference call comes in handy in this situation. We started this practice in December last year, where all team members come together on a daily basis over a call and discuss what’s been done and what can be done next. To address any challenge, the Team WhatsApp group acts as a catalyst to attract required attention and thereby, getting the issue/challenges resolved. There are also regular guidelines shared on a new working style and ways to remain focused on the basic KRAs.
How are you ensuring good performance despite the situation and working for clients?
We have a couple of team output trackers, where each team member is mandated to update his daily output. The regular follow-ups and reviewing of these trackers keep us focused on continued performance.
What techniques are you implementing/implemented to ensure productivity and efficiency?
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- The idea of having a ‘shared team performance tracker’ helped maintain productivity and efficiency. Since they can see each other’s performance, team members do have a healthy competition amongst themselves to stand out.
The onboarding of associates happens majorly on Prompt Associate Mobile App and a few cases via Email. We can rightly term it as E-Onboarding where all joining documents are collected electronically and managed centrally by HO Onboarding TL.
- All the solutions that I implemented were pioneered with the thought of ‘ANYTIME-ANYWHERE’ approach. That is why I chose the ‘Cloud Based’ technological solutions. Be it Talent Recruit ATS, Mobile Attendance or Bulk SMS Service, all are cloud-based and can be accessed from anywhere at any point in time. During this pandemic, all these solutions are being tested to their core, firmly holding their ground and giving the desired output.
What tip would you give to professionals out there and to top-level management to maintain productivity even in this situation?
This Pandemic has changed EVERYTHING, even the way we think and operate! A LOT is going to change around the world in every industry, every country and economy with A LOT of lessons to be taken. Technology’s role has only doubled in the current scenario. I am in touch with my friends who are in the Tech world and have been listening to them that their activities have increased multi-folds. Be it the enablement of work from home or business continuity, everything has become possible due to the quick implementation of Technological solutions available in the market today. My advice to professionals out there and to top management would be to always have an appetite for ‘embracing technology’ and driving this culture from top to the bottom. At the same time, I also suggest having a dedicated Tech Budget; that would be an added advantage.
This has been an unprecedented situation for not just companies but also for employees. What everyone needs at this point is to keep communication clear and transparent while also considering other factors like any pain points of employees and their overall well-being
