Save our workforce! There must be a better way.

 

Post written by Maya Pillai.

The latest global report from McKinsey Global Institute: “Unlocking value and productivity through social technology" show that on an average an employee spends 61% of their day writing emails, searching for information and collaborating internally. This leaves only 39% of the time to accomplish their role-specific tasks – or what is more commonly called “work”.  

At this point let’s take a look at how to unclutter our email inbox and also find out whether there are other modes of communication that are more collaborative and productive than email. 

Tips to unclutter your email inbox 

• The first and foremost thing we all need to do is fix a time for checking emails. Let’s say for an hour a day. That is once in the morning as soon as you take your first coffee break and then again after your afternoon tea break. 
• Make your own system. Email programs today have a feature to create folders - here you can label them accordingly. Here you can store the emails that fall under a specified title and you have search option if you want to retrieve them later. Start using good and descriptive subject lines when sending emails. This will help you to search for the communication faster. Also ask those with whom you communicate frequently to do the same. 
• Start using block sender instead of unsubscribe, for newsletters where you don't trust they will carry out your wishes. Many email service providers have included a simple Block Sender button. 
• Once you have read the mail and dealt with it, ensure you file it or delete it. Never hoard emails to save email addresses. If you want to get in touch with someone again, save the information in the email address book.  Respond quickly to emails that require only a crisp and short response. Learn to prioritize the emails you receive. 

There are a few social media tools such as Twitter, micro-blogging and Dropbox that can decrease your dependence on email.  It is a proven fact that if you spend less time on reading and responding to emails, it will increase you productivity. So which tools should we take time to use on the job. We recommend checking out the following for ways to save our workforce:

• Organizations should encourage their employees to use social media technologies such as Chatter and Yammer the products of Salesforce.com and Microsoft respectively. 
• However, the productivity of the workforce will not increase simply because the organization has installed social software. Also ensure that the employees are aware of how to use these social tools. One should assume that just because people tweet socially, they will transfer the same habit to work automatically. 
• Make a simple telephone call instead of sending an email whenever possible. This saves a lot of time. 
• Use software such as Dropbox to upload files and videos instead of send it as attachments to various people. These files and folders can be shared among various users.
• You save a lot of time by having a quick discussion instead of writing lengthy emails.
• Established and start-up companies should introduce good social technologies or get a software such as Unified Inbox installed to increase the productivity of their employees and to reduce the email inbox clutter.

Join the "save our workforce" movement today and let us know what tools and techniques you recommend to regain the time lost to email.

Why it's important for all of us to support the Startup Eco-system

Unified Inbox is sponsoring the Palmerston North Startup Weekend on the 24th of August and here are our reasons why.

We see startup events as a key part in developing a thriving startup ecosystem in New Zealand and beyond. They are the risk-free, well-supported playground that allows our fledging entrepreneurs the chance to flex their wings before they take flight and create benefits that all of us will reap in coming years.

• job creation
• innovation and creativity
• it's fun

Job Creation 
The Kauffman Foundation in the US has looked into the dynamic between job creation and job destruction and has identified startups as a key force in driving job creation in the economy.

“Put simply, this paper shows that without startups, there would be no net job growth in the U.S. Economy.”

For our part, that seems reason enough to do what we can to aid their development.

Innovation and creativity

• “Give me the freedom of a tight brief” - this quote from a creative is one of my earliest business memories and in the startup weekend process – that 6pm Sunday pitch deadline is about as tight as it gets! 
• A focused team to bounce ideas off – check. 
• Support and input from smart advisors – check. 

Is it any wonder that the output of startup weekends can surprise and delight in their originality and innovation.

It's fun
Have you ever been to a Startup Weekend? When we attend, we can't help but have fun. The drive, the energy in the room is infectious and often leads us to some of our most productive work in the weeks following. 

For companies that are considering getting involved and sponsoring these events, we can only say  - “see you at the next one!” 

 

What Unified Inbox offers startup companies attending the Startup Weekend events.
Unified Inbox is the platform on which a small company can seamlessly grow into a big one. By bringing all your Twitter, Facebook and emails into the same inbox, and assigning permissions to your team, as appropriate, you ensure that all communications are answered in a timely manner by the person best equipped. 

 

Flexible Working beyond the Olympics

Flexible working during the Olympics, a choice many UK commuters crave but how many companies actually view this as a realistic option?

Citrix Systems research finds the 24% of respondents intend on implementing flexible working during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The YouGov survey, which polled more than 500 senior decision-makers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the London area, also found that only 10% of respondents will adopt new working practices. It also found:

·         58% of respondents are prepared to cope with the expected disruption.

·         64% of respondents believe that some staff will be late into work, with 27% concerned that they will not get in at all.

·         37% of respondents trust their staff to make up any time lost.

·         56% of respondents expect more staff to work from home.

Andrew Millard, senior director, Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) marketing for the online service division at Citrix, said: “Despite the fact that so many anticipate Olympics-related disruptions, it is surprising that almost 60% of SMEs don’t think that any formal change to existing ways of working is either relevant or necessary. With London in the global spotlight over this period, it provides the ideal opportunity for UK employers to show that it is possible to reap the benefits of hosting the games and avoid the fall-out of any pressure on the transport network, by using collaboration technologies to ensure their staff can work effectively wherever they are.”

The UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced earlier this year that the government was considering extending flexible working patterns beyond parents in order to make it “much more common – a cultural norm”.

Currently it is possible for employees to request flexible working patterns and in fact this is something which has been encouraged during the Olympic period due to the expected increased strain on the London transport system. Having visited London many times I am aware that even during the quietest commuting periods it can be hellish, as such I can only imagine what the poor souls who face this regularly are facing for the rest of this summer.

I expect that many, if given the chance opted to work from home during this period, but why not continue this after the games? Some may be restricted to continuing the standard 9 – 5 work pattern during this period but others may have experienced increased flexibility. If only this were to continue, both employees and employers could benefit from this change.

Employees who have the chance to work flexible working patterns feel an increased sense of loyalty and improved morale. Management may view this as a “nice” employee relations exercise that falls under the umbrella of human resources but perhaps now is the perfect time for this to change. Remote working does not mean working from a kitchen table surrounded by noisy children and builders. It means working from anywhere that is not the firm’s physical office. This can be done easily with modern technology such as Skype and Facetime for video conferencing, combined with tools such as, Unified Inbox, Dropbox and Google Docs for collaborative working.

Employers often argue that they cannot be certain that their employees are working hard and an element of trust in every working relationship but unproductive people will finds ways to procrastinate wherever they are. Whether they are working remotely from home or gossiping with colleagues at work.

Remote working gives employees flexibility and can also give employers access to new markets. By allowing them to coach a sports team, help with their children’s homework or give piano recitals it means that they can then work extra hours that evening talking with clients in another time zone. It is the 21^st century so operating in a global scale is the norm, very rarely will you only have clients/colleagues within your country and by offering this flexibility you can build better relationships with those away from the office.

Remote working can also have an enormous benefit in reducing sick days, according to a study of 24,000 IBM staff worldwide, employees who were able to work flexibly provided an additional 19 hours a week before they reached the same levels of stress as those who did not work flexibly. By doing this you will reduce current levels of sickness which is something all employers seek, with flexible working looking more and more like a win – win solution.

Remote working can also manage the high percentage of office space that employers fail to utilise. BT allows their staff to vary their hours for a range of different reasons, with an additional benefit in a reduction of office space which has apparently saved BT £500m. Another benefit is the removal of “dead commuting time”, the time wasted on journeys to and from work which then also helps reduce environmental impact, with 22% of domestic carbon emissions in the UK coming from traffic. The government is considering legislation to reduce parking spaces at work, with Nottingham leading the way with a “workplace parking levy”. Opting for a remote working solution is a solution which will impress not only employees but shareholders also.

Currently the UK government is fighting Europe to prevent legislation which would make employees work less than 48 hours a week. The main debate in Europe relates to Working Time Regulations 1998, which implements the European Working Time Directive and whether the UK can ask its employees to sign a document in which they “opt out” of the 48 hour working week (aggregated over a 17 week reference period). Rather than relying on this companies should think imaginatively and by offering the flexibility to work remotely many of these issues can be avoided. Yes, meeting clients and colleagues face-to-face should be encouraged as it is an effective way to develop relationships, but by also offering flexibility and embracing the fact that we have moved on from the Victorian era the workforce of the future are free to grow. Employees should be judged by their result and not by attendance.

Flexible working can:

• Provide access to new markets
• Reduce sick days
• Free up office space
• Reduce your environment impact
• Meet the European Working Time Directive
• Improve efficiency
• Save money!

Please share your thoughts below.