Rewarding your employees

Rewards, especially those with a financial element, help motivate employees and drive them to do good work for your company. But which types of rewards are the best, and which elicit the most positive responses from the team? The following is a list of the best rewards for employees, and why you should consider implementing them into your business plan.

Best rewards for employees:

Non-performance-based Raise/Salary Increase

Why they are good: With non-performance based salary increases, there is no jealousy among employees regarding the amount of raises given. Everyone receives their raises based on the same scale and according to their position. This helps manage expectations as well as avoid unwanted surprises.

Bonuses

Why they are good: Bonuses increase worker motivation, but if the amounts vary from employee to employee they can also bring about some discontent. Manage your bonus plan fairly and your employees will be pleased with the plan.

Profit Sharing

Why they are good: Provided your company is in a position to offer it, profit sharing is an outstanding way to motivate employees. Unlike other forms of financial reward, profit sharing helps reduce turnover within the company and creates a stronger team atmosphere since everyone is working that much harder to see the company succeed.

Stock Options/Stock Ownership

Why they are good: Another reward that keeps people at the company longer, stock offerings give individuals a real, strong sense that they are part of the company and not just workers at the company.

Verbal/Activity/Non-financial rewards

Parties and positive reinforcement may not help pay the mortgage, but they do keep spirits high around the office. Outings and parties in particular are a good way to build morale and give employees a chance to interact in a stress-free, non-work environment.

Visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

Be more productive by understanding your work patterns

We would all like to be productive throughout the day, but the reality is that as human beings we have hours where we are able to get more done than others. Understanding these peaks and valleys of energy, and planning our work day accordingly, will help us achieve more and feel better while we’re doing it!

Here are some simple tips for understand and maximizing our work patterns:

• Perform your hardest tasks when you are at your peak. If you are a morning person, then take care of demanding, detail-oriented tasks when you first arrive at work or get up in the morning. If you are the type of person who has a big rush of energy in the hours before bedtime, don’t just sit there watching TV during that time – get some work done instead and you will feel great in the morning.

• Track your energy cycles. To better understand when, exactly, you are at your peak, create a chart with all the hours in the day. Spend a few weeks making note of the times when you have a ton of energy, as well as when you are lacking energy. The resulting chart will show you when you can get the most done.

• Take advantage of flex-time. If your company offers flex-time, and many of them now do, then take advantage of the opportunity to schedule your work around your peak energy hours. This will help you get more done without expending more energy.

• Take breaks when your energy is low. Trying to get work done when you are in a low-energy cycle is not a productive use of your time. In fact, it is like spinning your wheels. Take short breaks throughout the day and reinvigorate yourself so you accomplish EVEN MORE during your upswing periods.

To create an office that runs as efficiently as you do, visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

Crazy People doing crazy things with their office chairs

Are they crazy, or just bored? You be the judge with this compilation of off-beat office chair videos!

The Rotating Office Chair

Anyone can spend the morning working, but learning how to turn yourself around in an office chair using the ancient Eastern art of Tai Chi is much cooler!



Office Chair Long Jump

Ever wonder why the mail room can’t seem to get your important letters and packages up to your office on time? This video might shed a little light on the subject…



Office Chair Racing

Confines of the office got you down? Why not strap some jet packs onto your office chair and engage in a little friendly racing action?



Office Chair Skating

It’s like the Olympics, only geekier. Check out the power, the grace and the majesty that is…office chair skating!



Want to create your own office chair adventures?

You can start with the best office furniture at the most competitive prices by visiting www.aceofficesystems.com! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

The most expensive office chair in the world

Got a few extra dollars lying around the office discretionary fund this month?

Are you a smart entrepreneur who knows a great deal when you see one?

Then get on down to the Emirates Millionaire Show and pick up the world’s most expensive office chair!

As the name suggests, the event is a gathering of people who have way too much money and not nearly enough places to spend it all.

About the Chair

Valued at approximately $60,000, this unique item was designed by world-renowned maker-of-things-for-rich-people Hadi Teherani who can also create really, really expensive bathrooms and other must-have accessories for your empire-in-waiting.

The gold plated chair was made for distribution by Interstuhl Manufacturing and includes such special features as: a place to sit, a foot rest and a handy holder to keep the receipt to show close friends and business associates.

For truly great office essentials, you don’t need the expense account of an Emir, just visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

Does your co-worker or employee need an intervention?

Interventions help people struggling with addiction and substance abuse understand that they have a problem and need to get help immediately. Traditionally organized by friends or family, more and more concerned co-workers and employers are stepping up to the plate and helping save the life of those people they work with who have an alcohol or drug addiction.

And employers have a lot to gain as well. The cost of an intervention, and even paying for an individual’s rehab treatment, is less expensive that terminating their employment, then finding and retraining a new hire.

Here are some important tips for anyone considering a workplace intervention:

• Contact a professional first. Never attempt a workplace drug intervention without consulting a professional interventionist first. These experts can help create a plan of action for the intervention, and insure that everything is handled in a safe, straightforward manner.


• Consult with your employer. Unless you’re the boss, it is essentially that you receive approval from the company before moving forward – especially if the intervention is going to take place on office property.


• Have a plan of action. Hold a “dress rehearsal” before the intervention to make sure who will say what and when during the actual session. Try to elect a single spokesperson for the intervention so that people are not talking over one another.


• Don’t be confrontational. A workplace intervention is not the time to tell the individual in question how angry you are with them. This is a time to be supportive and explain to the individual, in clear but caring terms, that they have a problem.


Visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

Tips on Handling Getting Fired and Firing

Previously in this blog, we have focused on how to handle getting let go by your company. Getting fired is a very stressful occurrence – no doubt about it. But so too is being put in a position to have to terminate someone else’s employment.

If you have reached a certain level within the company, you are likely to have people reporting into you, and it is the performance of these individuals that will be reflected in your next performance review, salary increases, etc.

Therefore, the time may come when letting someone go is the only option. When that unfortunate day arrives, here are some tips for getting through it in a manner that is as productive as possible.

Tips for firing someone:

1. Don’t go it alone – Have members of upper management or human resources in the area to back you up. Many companies will actually allow ONLY HR to be present for firings, which would leave you a bit more off the hook.


2. Try and hold the meeting during off-peak hours – Studies have shown that the optimal time to undergo a termination meeting is near the end of the day and then at the end of the week. This minimizes distractions and commotion that could occur.


3. Have a detailed plan in place – Do not leave the individual without a distinct plan of action for what will occur post-termination. Explain to them very clearly what they need to sign, how much time they will have to go their desks, etc. From a legal perspective, these moments are crucial and must be well documented and thoughtfully executed.


4. Prepare yourself emotionally – Individuals who get fired are unpredictable. They may walk out quietly or just as easily begin screaming at you or crying. Prepare yourself for any of these occurrences by reminding yourself that this is a business meeting, and you should not stray from the facts of the matter. Getting too emotional yourself can lead to all types of problems moving forward.


Visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.

Five tips for impressing your boss!

Building an excellent rapport with your boss is an important part of being a success at work. And those individuals who think that having a great relationship with the head honcho means “sucking up” are the same folks who wonder why they get passed over for big promotions year after year.

Impressing your boss is synonymous with doing a good job and being a productive member of the team.

Here are some tips for impressing the boss – and making yourself look great in the process:

1. Be positive. A positive mental attitude impresses management and also projects you as a person who is generally excited about coming to work every day. People who mope around the office and complain about their situation rarely advance through the company.


2. Be honest. Getting caught in a lie is an irreversible occurrence. Once the boss sees you as untrustworthy, you’re never going to be entrusted with any serious responsibility again. Even if the news is bad, always tell your boss the truth.

3. Be on time. Many people mistakenly believe that being late for meetings and work is no big deal as long as they get the work done. That may be true, but punctuality and perfect attendance help you stand out above the crowd.

4. Do more. The employees who get remembered come promotion/raise time are the ones who are willing to step outside their responsibilities and help out their teammates during busy periods. Innovation is also rewarded by the boss – so new creative ideas as to how to get things done should be shared whenever possible.

5. Give your boss strokes. Although it may come off as ingratiating if handled poorly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with letting the boss know when they do a good job, or has done something that has impacted YOU in a positive way.

Remember, at the end of the day, it is all about GOOD ATTITUDE and HARD WORK. People who embody these qualities are the ones who build great relationships with the boss.

Visit www.aceofficesystems.com for the best office furniture at unbelievable prices! Call us at 1866-964-8457. Or contact us via e-mail @ sales@aceofficesystems.com.