Biz-commPulse

Many businesses that used to deny employees access to social media are now increasingly making access available.  It is as if there is a renewed awareness that use of social at the office is not necessarily always a bad thing.   The main reason why businesses did not in the beginning want to give employees access to social media is because of fear of loss of productivity and even misuse of social media.  Why is use of social media at the office a good thing?  I can think of at least the following reasons: Source: Twitter. A more favourable perception of the business by employees is created which in turn could result in even higher productivity. Networking opportunities for employees outside the business are possible which could benefit the business in the long term. Employees are granted the opportunity to build a personal professional brand through various social media. Employees can even assist in building the company brand thr...

Source: Freedigitalphotos.net Many business owners want to motivate employees for better productivity but lack the knowledge how to do it effectively.  This, however, might become easier for managers in future as some businesses now contemplate using gamification to motivate employees while others already successfully implemented this.  What is gamification?  Gamification uses game elements such as rewards or badges to reward online users for using a specific service or purchasing a particular product.  In this way users feel appreciated while some might even aspire to gain more rewards.  Game elements also engage users and add a human element to an otherwise impersonal environment. How can gamification be used in a business environment?  First of all the right software should be obtained and installed on all employees' computers.  Once all employees are registered on the system,  the games can begin.  A good point of departure is...

Managers should not only motivate, but also engage employees for better outputs.  A manager has to deal with people who have different personalities, prejudices, feelings, tensions, emotions and attitudes based on their own frame of reference which they bring to the workplace every day.  To motivate employees, their needs should firstly be understood as well as that many employees are not only motivated by a salary. Good managers show an interest in their employees and their personal lives. There are also many other factors which might play a role in motivation, for example being given more responsibilities in the business. Employees want to be recognized, empowered and even challenged. A manager should also create a working environment which will contribute to employees’ work satisfaction.  Part of this is to create an interest in the business and its activities. Employees on all levels should have a good understanding of the business and their own roles in ac...