Archives May 2022

A healthy work-life balance is paramount, regardless of where or when you work. If you feel like you are overworked and exhausted due to your job, now is a good time to set boundaries for a better work-life balance. That way, you can establish a healthy work-life balance and maintain moving forward.

There are several things you can do to set boundaries for a better work-life balance. These include:

1. Get Comfortable Saying “No” at Work

If you feel pressure to say “yes” to any work request that comes your way, you’re not alone. However, you also need to take care of yourself at work and outside of it. If you constantly accept work requests, you can start to feel overwhelmed. At this point, you may feel exceedingly anxious, stressed, and tired. Your work-life balance is likely to suffer, too.

In instances where work becomes too much to handle, share your concerns with your manager. You can let your manager know how you’re feeling. Then, you and your manager can revamp your workload as needed.

Furthermore, it is crucial to establish realistic timelines for work requests. If a coworker or superior asks you to complete a task right away, let him or her know a time frame for when you can finish it. And if necessary, you can say “no” to a task and explain why.

2. Stick to a Work Routine

Establish a work routine that gives you ample time to complete tasks and sufficient time to take care of yourself. Typically, you should give yourself at least a few minutes every hour to break away from the hustle and bustle of work. You should also take advantage of breaks throughout the day. Don’t forget to enjoy a healthy lunch, either.

At the end of the work day, turn off your devices. This allows you to break away from work and relax as the day winds down. You can then get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling revitalized and ready to tackle any work challenges.

3. Keep in Touch with Family Members and Friends

Communicate with family members and friends frequently. You can share any concerns about work with them. And your family members and friends can offer assistance and guidance along the way.

Family members and friends can provide moral support. They can also listen to you discuss work or any other topic. Meanwhile, you can listen to family members and friends and provide them with support as well. As a result, you’ll be better equipped than ever before to stay connected to family members and friends and improve your work-life balance.

Ready to Explore New Career Opportunities in IT?

If your IT job has a negative impact on your work-life balance, ABBTECH can help. We offer job placement assistance to IT professionals nationwide. Our team can meet with you and learn about your career aspirations. Next, we can help you land your dream job in IT. We can help you pursue a new job in IT right away. To get started, browse our job board.

You may believe all of your employees are happy. Yet, there are signs your employee already has one foot out the door. And the sooner you identify these signs, the sooner you can work with this employee to improve their experience with your company.

Here are five signs that an employee is ready to leave, along with tips to help you boost your worker retention levels.

1. Your Employee’s Performance Continues to Decline.

A worker’s performance can deteriorate as he or she becomes increasingly unhappy with your company. In severe cases, an employee may give up on trying to complete work tasks on time altogether. It helps to meet with a worker to review their performance regularly. If the worker has performance lapses, discuss them with the employee. From here, you and your employee can work in lockstep to address any performance issues.

2. Your Employee Appears Disinterested in Their Job.

If an employee looks distracted at work, it may be a sign that this individual is ready to move on. At this point, you should share your concerns with your employee. You can let the worker know you’ve noticed their lack of interest in their job. Next, the employee can explain why he or she may appear distracted. You and your employee can then seek out ways to help the worker feel engaged and motivated at their job once again.

3. Your Employee Remains Silent During Meetings. 

An employee might stop engaging in meetings if he or she is looking for work elsewhere. In this instance, the worker may struggle to provide fresh ideas and contribute to your company’s success. If a worker is silent in a meeting, you can ask the employee to share their opinions and views on topics during the session. This shows an employee that you value their input and want to hear what he or she has to say.

4. Your Employee Has Updated Their Social Media Profiles.

If an employee has posted on LinkedIn or other social profiles that he or she is interested in new career opportunities, this individual likely has one foot out the door. In this scenario, you can set up a time to discuss career opportunities with the worker. You can also offer upskill opportunities to help the worker grow their career with your company.

5. Your Employee Is Using Their PTO.

There can be times when employees use PTO to avoid losing it before they leave a job. Or, workers may use PTO so they have time to interview for a new job. If you notice an employee frequently using their PTO, speak to him or her about it. Then, you can learn from your employee and find out if there’s anything you can do to enhance their work experience.

Find Top Talent for Your IT Team

If you are concerned that there are signs your IT employee already has one foot out the door are ready to leave your company, ABBTECH can help. We can put you in contact with quality IT professionals who can help your company thrive long into the future. For more information, contact us today.

You have great technical skills. However, to succeed as a technical job candidate, you need the right people skills as well. Below are people skills every technical candidate should have. That way, potential employers can view your hard and soft skills in combination with one another. From here, they’ll easily see why you’re the top candidate for a technical role.

Now, let’s look at five people skills that every technical job candidate should have.

1. Creativity

The best technical candidates are willing to think outside the box to solve problems. They frequently consider a variety of solutions to address issues and prevent them from recurring. And they are willing to let their creative juices flow to help their businesses thrive.

As a creative technical candidate, you must be willing to brainstorm. If you are open to feedback and suggestions, you’ll be well-equipped to understand all aspects of a problem. This can help you identify creative solutions to any issues that crop up.

2. Adaptability

If a problem occurs at a moment’s notice, a technical candidate should be able to respond accordingly. If a candidate is adaptable, this individual can thrive under pressure. As a result, the candidate can help their employer accomplish great results in any circumstances.

To become an adaptable technical candidate, you may need to revamp your approach to problems. If an issue comes your way, you must be willing to address it head on. Then, you can quickly remediate the problem, learn from it, and move on.

3. Communication

With strong communication skills, a technical candidate can seamlessly share information with peers and superiors. This minimizes the risk of miscommunications that can otherwise hamper a business’ productivity.

If you want to bolster your communication skills, take advantage of all of the communication platforms at your disposal. For example, if you work a full-time remote job, you can use emails, text messages, video chats, and other communication methods to engage with peers. Also, you can be open to questions from your coworkers and be willing to reach out to them any time you need support.

4. Empathy

An empathetic technical candidate can put himself or herself in another person’s shoes. This allows the candidate to understand someone else’s perspective and provide an appropriate level of support.

For those who want to become more empathetic, listen to what others have to say. If you’re an active listener, you can gain insights into how others feel in the moment. You can then provide support to those in need.

5. Collaboration

Typically, a technical candidate must be open to collaboration. As part of a team, a technical candidate can help this group of individuals achieve outstanding results.

When it comes to collaboration, keep in contact with peers and superiors. If others need your help, be ready to provide assistance. As a result, you can help your team succeed.

Find a Technical Role in Which You Can Use Your Hard and Soft Skills

At ABBTECH, we can help you identify and land a technical role where you can use your hard and soft skills every day. To get started with us, check out our job board.

Building an effective remote onboarding program can be tricky. You risk miscommunications and other errors during the remote onboarding process. These mistakes can disrupt new hires’ first few days with your company. Even worse, they cause new hires to rethink their decisions to join your business.

An effective remote onboarding program is a must-have. This program is well-equipped to help remote new hires hit the ground running right away.

Tips for Building an Effective Remote Onboarding Program.

1. Establish a Simple and Straightforward Pre-Hiring Process

Give remote new hires plenty of information they can use to streamline the onboarding cycle. In the days before a new hire joins your team, set them accounts for them in your systems. You can also ensure any paperwork an employee needs is sent to him or her and completed accordingly.

2. Give Remote New Hires the Right Technology

Ensure your remote new hires have the technology they need to succeed. For instance, you can ship a laptop to remote workers and confirm they receive it before their start date. You can also provide setup instructions for their computer. Meanwhile, you can ensure a remote worker’s computer is equipped with software and tools needed for work. If these software and tools are preinstalled, a new hire won’t have to worry about setting them up on their first day.

3. Make Orientation and Training Collaborative

Revamp your orientation and training programs to meet the needs of remote new hires. Virtual orientation sessions allow remote workers to connect with their peers and superiors. Games and other training options are engaging to remote personnel. Remote workers can quickly get acclimated to your company and their role with these orientation and training programs in place.

4. Prioritize Communication

Keep the lines of communication open with remote new hires as much as possible. You can schedule frequent check-ins with remote workers during their initial days with your company. These check-ins allow you to find out how remote employees are adjusting to your company and offer support. Moreover, you can help remote workers establish a healthy work-life balance and avoid work-from-home fatigue.

5. Get Feedback from Your Remote Workers

Learn from remote workers as you implement and execute your onboarding program. There is always room to improve your program. Remote employees can offer tips and insights to help you do just that. Collect and apply feedback from remote personnel to enhance your program regularly.   

The Bottom Line on Building an Effective Remote Onboarding Program

Hard work and patience builds an effective remote onboarding program. With the right approach, this establishes and maintains a remote onboarding program that serves your company well long into the future.

Of course, ABBTECH can assist if you need extra help recruiting remote IT workers. We can put you in touch with top IT talent from around the world. For more information, get in touch with us today.