A resignation letter from a top talent can be costly for a business. A 2017 report by the Employment Benefits News revealed that it could reach up to 33% of the person’s annual salary. The more senior the employee is, the more expensive it gets for the company.
The cost comes from many factors, including looking for replacements and eventually training them. During this period, one employee down means reduced productivity and efficiency for the entire team.
Although companies cannot keep anyone who pursues better opportunities, they can explore many options to decrease the likelihood. Here are three ways to hire and retain the best people:
1. Screen Employees Thoroughly
An underperforming, incompetent, and overall terrible employee is a liability for the company. It also demoralizes the entire team and reduces engagement and motivation. If you want to avoid having one, the screening process must already be thorough.
The HR department can consider the following ideas:
Spot the lies on the resume. Besides a smart interview technique, recruiters can work with a team that can perform back-door background checks.
Provide a personality test for applicants, such as the Adam Milo exam. The result will not be the only criterion for hiring, but it helps the business find the best fit among the candidates.
Use an applicant tracking system (ATS), which will immediately narrow down the choices by screening out candidates that didn’t meet the initial qualifications.
2. Improve Benefits
No doubt about it, salary matters to all employees. One reason employees lie on their resume is to have a shot at a higher pay grade someplace else. But talents these days also expect benefits. Many companies cannot provide what would truly count to them.
In a 2016 survey by HSRM, employees valued paid time off with a total satisfaction rating of 71%. In the Philippine setting, this translates to medical, vacation, maternity, and paternity leaves. Some businesses now offer a paid “holiday” on the employee’s birthday.
Next on the list is healthcare, which is understandable since medical care costs a lot of money. In the Philippines, a night in a private hospital can be worth over P2,000. A visit to a specialist might mean spending P500.
Other valuable benefits are:
Flexibility (e.g., ability to telecommute or work from home)
Pension or retirement plan
Family-friend benefits (e.g., scholarships or childcare)
Wellness program
3. Create a Conducive Work Environment
There are two ways to do it: design and reduction of workplace conflict. In a survey of 1,600 employees, over 55% of them valued air quality while half said they wanted a more comfortable light. Other factors essential to them are:
Water quality
Comfortable temperature
Connection to nature
Comfortable acoustics
Healthy food options
Tech offices of Google and Amazon became templates for other workplaces not only because they’re cool but also because they are employee-oriented. Google, for example, provides sleeping pods and cubicles, which are ideal for introvert workers. Amazon combined natural elements, with plants helping reduce stress levels.
Employers also need to reduce or avoid workplace conflict. Any tension can impact an employee’s mental well-being. As their stress increases, it can affect their performance and productivity. In a US survey, around 34% of employees take time off work because of burnout.
Amazing employees are the lifeblood of any business. While they will have the final say about their career, doing everything to keep them will be beneficial for the organization.
Wherever you look, if you ask about investments, you will probably be told to plow your money into stocks and shares. Think of bonds. Look at what you can do if you buy some cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. However, there are many things you can invest in that you don’t need an in-depth knowledge of the financial markets.
There are many more substantial and tangible ways to invest your money. We are going to look at just a few of them in this article.
Shimmer and Shine
Gold is a fashionable option for people who want to buy something tangible that continues to hold value pretty well. Although it might look like precious metals are not too reliable in price, it just is not true. Apart from having the bonus of being something you can touch – which stocks and shares do not have, it can also be bought in smaller amounts if that is all that your budget allows for. It is also extremely liquid, so it can be exchanged for cash quickly if needed.
Diamonds and other precious gems are worth some investigation here as well. Some types of diamonds have a higher value than several other types of investments. There are a few ways you can invest in these beautiful gems, purchase them from a company that has loose diamonds instock, or purchase the shares of diamond mining companies, or invest in diamond funds. What makes diamonds different from gold is that, while gold can be measured and priced at the current rate, each diamond must be priced individually. It is an exciting investment, and once you know what makes a large or rare diamond, you will enjoy the thrill. Just be careful not to inadvertently invest in a blood diamond – mined in war zones in poor conditions with proceeds funding conflicts.
Bricks and mortar
For as long as there have been houses, there have been people who buy them, repair them and sell them on for a lot more than they have paid. If you like to get intensively involved in projects and either has a lot of time or a lot of money, you might want to flip houses and property. You can pick up a starter project at an auction, but do some property analysis because sometimes they come up with a lot more issues than the advertisement would imply. Every now and then, the prices of real estate surges, and when that happens, even the smallest of investment properties will see a healthy profit.
Collectables
This can be a little hit and miss – some will pay off, others won’t. Before you sink your cash into a collection, do your research to see if it will be worth it long term. This could be stamps, fine wine, art, or even toys.
Preferably, choose something that you already know a bit about or that you already have an interest in – it’s easier to learn about something that you love. Whenever you can make sure that you get verifiable evidence that the item you are considering buying has a certificate of authenticity with it – this will make it easier and more valuable when it comes to resale.
Property has long been a popular choice of investment. If you have decided that you would like to diversify or begin your investment portfolio by purchasing a property, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made. One of the key decisions is whether to invest in commercial or residential property. It can be a challenge to figure out which one is going to be right for you.
It is important to be aware of the key differences between investing in residential and commercial property. Of course, you will already be aware that the former means that your tenants are going to be living in the property you have purchased, while the latter is an investment in business premises. Read on to discover more about the key differences between both options in further detail.
Investing in residential property
With residential properties, you can expect a more stable investment. This is because residential tenants are going to be available irrespective of the economic climate. If the economy was to take a downturn, the same may not be said for business tenants. A lot of people also find residential leases much easier to understand. The process is a lot more straightforward, which is ideal for those looking to make their first property investment.
Commercial property investment
While commercial property investment can be lucrative, it comes with more risks. Not only do you have to consider the impact of the economy, but also you probably won’t get as much financial assistance in terms of bank loans. Most banks are willing to lend around 75% or more for the housing market, yet 60% or less for the commercial market. Plus, there are many clauses with regards to the contract, so you will need a good lawyer on your side to help you navigate your way through this. If you do decide to go down this route, you need to have enough cash reserves to handle the higher risks, as well as greater experience and knowledge.
In terms of tenants, it is fair to say that both commercial and residential properties can be exposed to bad tenants. While luck has a lot to do with it, there are now stringent procedures in place for screening tenants to make sure you do not fall foul of a bad lodger.
Hopefully, you are now aware of the key differences between commercial and residential property investment. No matter what route you go down, it is so important to make sure that you seek the right legal advice and that you also update your will as well. This is imperative otherwise probate disputes can easily arise between your family members.
So there you have it: an insight into the differences between investing in residential properties and commercial property investment. Both can be great opportunities to make more money, and so it is all about figuring out what is going to be right for you and your current financial situation.
It is no secret or surprise to anyone that someone returning from battle is going to have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. The level of difficulty they experience is going to depend on many factors, of course, including the temperament and personality of the individual, the kinds of experiences they had in battle, and what their civilian situation is life. But all are going to experience at least some kind of difficulty adjusting back to normal life. But the question is: what is it that makes it so difficult? In understanding this, we might be able to help those around us who are suffering in this way, so it’s an important thing to know about.
Many people who have seen battle will experience some kind of psychological suffering after the fact. Again, the extent of this depends from case to case, but there can be expected to be at least a little stress, at the very least. In more severe cases, the individual in question might be suffering from PTSD, or experience panic attacks and related symptoms. All of this can be overcome in time thanks to the right therapy and having good friends and so on, but nonetheless they are very real concerns in the here and now for many returning soldiers. That kind of psychological suffering is something that a lot of people have to deal with every day.
Financial Hardship
You might not think that a returning soldier would have to put up with financial troubles, but the truth is that many of them do, for a variety of reasons. The last thing any of us would hope for is for a service person to have to experience this after coming home, but it’s the reality for many. There are some things that they can do in these cases, and there is quite a lot of help out there if you know where to look. They might look into making a VA claim for instance, if they are diabled as a result of battle. But it’s tough for many people to keep a hold of their finances in the way that they would want to, and it poses a major challenge in returning to civilian life.
A lot of people returning from battle will also experience a great deal of social difficulty, especially in trying to relate to those who have never had such experiences. It can seem incredibly jarring to come home to a normal way of life with people who have never seen what you’ve seen, and for that reason it becomes difficult to relate to those people in a healthy or normal way. With a poor social life, many negative results can come from that too, and it is something that most people need to try and avoid as much as possible. Some therapy can help with this, and it does generally get better with time, but it can take a while for it to get back to a normal social life.
Camera technology is always a hot topic as everyone likes to take great photos. We know that a general trend in the industry is that photos get better and clearer year after year. You only have to compare a photo from a modern camera to one back in the year 2000 to see how far we’ve come.
This begs the question: what does the future hold for camera technology?
Specifically, what can we look forward to as consumers? Are there any technologies or features that will become more prominent in the next five or ten years? To answer this, we can look at some of the current trends while mixing in a few predictions of our own.
Enhanced technology in smaller packages
Much like the future of gaming, camera technology seems to be focused on delivering big hits in small packages. What we mean is that you see better quality photos in much smaller devices. Smartphones are a prime example of this. Unless you’re buying a proper DSLR camera, you’re unlikely to find a digital camera with as much photo-power as a modern smartphone. The cameras on these things are tiny, yet they’re capable of producing crystal-clear imagery. We’re bound to see this trend continue as professional photo-power will soon be available through smaller mobile devices.
Low-light technology
There’s been a huge trend in the photography world around low-light technology. Nobody likes taking photos in a dimly lit area as the quality deteriorates. Not only that, but adding a flash to proceedings can mess up the image you wish to create. Therefore, many cameras are being built with low-light features to take better photos in darkness. This enables you to capture things as a more accurate representation of what you see with your eyes. How often have you seen an image or looked through a camera and seen something that looks clear and awesome? Then, you take the photo and it just looks dark and blurry. Low-light technology corrects this, making night-time photos more appealing.
Drones fit into the first point about big tech in small packages. However, they deserve a spot on their own as drone cameras are a huge trend. It mentions on DrDrone that some drones already have HDR capabilities and up to 48mp sensors. This is already a dramatic improvement on the first drone cameras we ever saw. However, things are bound to get even better. Drone cameras are receiving significant attention from some of the biggest camera giants in the photography world. The aim is to create something that delivers DSLR levels of quality in something that flies up high. Of course, this demands a great balance between camera technology and drone weight. So, it will be interesting to see how close these cameras get to rivaling handheld professional ones.
Better selfies
Selfies are probably the strangest trend in the world of photography. Who’d have thought they would become this popular? We’ve mentioned smartphones already, and selfie cameras have become a key selling point of these devices. People want clear and HD images of themselves! But, this will translate into the wider camera world as well. Many handheld cameras come with screens that can be flipped around to let the user see themselves. This makes selfies a lot easier to do as you remove the guesswork. So, expect to see more cameras adopt an emphasis on selfies. This could come in the form of flippable screens, or it could be through accessories. Either way, DSLR cameras will become more capable of rivaling smartphones for top-quality selfies.
One battery cameras
Typically, a DSLR or handheld camera will come with a place to put a battery. When the battery runs out of charge, you swap it for a charged one and re-charge the old one. It’s a good system, but it can be improved. In the future, you can expect to see cameras that require one battery. They will work like smartphones in that you simply charge the camera when the battery is low. However, things can be taken to another level by implementing solar power. A camera will usually be out in the sunlight, so it makes sense to take advantage of this? Some manufacturers are already toying with the idea of adding solar technology that charges the camera while you use it. Or, it stores the energy generated into a reserve battery, calling upon it when required. The idea is that your camera will never run out of charge when you’re out and about! Funnily enough, many security cameras already implement this technology.
Which one of these trends do you think is more likely to take off? Better yet, which one are you most excited for? Regardless, the future of camera technology certainly looks very intriguing.
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