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Deep Work to the Rescue

Deep Work to the Rescue

by | May 8, 2018 | Productivity, World of Work

Focus and concentration are probably the two most scarce resources in the world of work. Well, the good news is, while they might be scarce resources, they are not in short supply. Because how we harness them depends entirely on us. If you are someone who works in a very distracting environment, or someone who is prone to distractions fairly often, or just someone who wants to achieve the most from every working day – the ‘deep work’ technique is something you must give a shot.

Simply put, and like the name suggests, deep work is when you delve into your work with utmost focus and concentration, and get things done. Fast. Sounds like a dream? Even I thought as much until I tried it out myself. Here are some easy action steps for you to start incorporating bits of deep work into your daily work routine, until it becomes a habit you can’t do without!

  1. Planning

    To get more done, the most done, the first step is to know what you have to do. That is, to plan your work well, and plan it well in advance. A lot of people believe that this is a waste of time, however, it is the very opposite of that. When you plan your work well, you know exactly what your deliverables and deadlines are. There is no way you are going to waste time thinking about what you have to do next, or feel intimidated about how much you have to do. Having a plan on paper, even if it is just a few bullets, will do the magic. Planning the week in advance is a great idea since it gives a good overview of what your week looks like and you can prepare and take stock accordingly.

  2. Doing one thing at a time

    Once you have a plan, you need to get to the next step, that is – to do. And whoever said multi-tasking is the way to go, couldn’t have been more mistaken. When you multi-task, you are doing the very opposite of deep work. Your focus is fragmented because you are doing too many things at the same time, in the bargain you don’t really get much done. Before you begin work, spend a few minutes reviewing your plan for the day, and tackle your tasks – one at a time.

  3. Schedule “deep work” slots

    We live in a world where connectivity is a must. A lot of people advocate turning off all devices and switching off the internet to get into the deep work mode. However, for some of us, this may not be a practical option since our work might be dependent on being connected. There is a work around for this. Use the first two or three hours of your day as “deep work” slots, during which you turn off your notifications and your phone. And also – like anyone who is good at what they do will tell you, don’t get to the emails first thing in the morning. The first few hours in the morning after you wake up is when your mind is at its peak. So make sure you make the most of it!

  4. A strict “no social media” rule

    Whether or not you are working in a deep work slot, for consistent deep work, make it a point to not use social media during your work hours. You can start with going a week without using any social media at all, and then use it only for a few minutes during lunch, or breaks. The social media and screen addiction has an extremely detrimental impact on our productivity. Stepping away from our phones and apps, and turning all our focus to the task in front of us is the simplest mantra to being super productive!

  5. Remembering to shut down appropriately

    How you sign off from work does have an impact on your over all work life. When you shut down at work, make sure you leave everything that belongs to your work place at your desk. Don’t carry work home. Or for that matter, even feelings from work home. Treat your time after work as sacred and do whatever makes you happy so you feel recharged for the next day. Remember that tomorrow is a brand new day and you’ve got to be in your most mindful state of being to make the most of the day!

    Have your stories of productivity, deep work, or just about anything related to the world of work to share with us? Do write to us and we’d be happy to feature them!

HR Essentials – 5 Things to Have in Place

HR Essentials – 5 Things to Have in Place

by | May 4, 2018 | Management, World of Work

An HR department is indispensable to an organisation – regardless of how big or small the organisation is. While the overall nature of the role and responsibilities of an HR team remains the same across organisations, the finer details depend on the organisational principles. Aspects such as recruitment, training, professional development, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and labor law compliance form the core of an HR body. How efficient the HR team is has a direct influence on the efficiency and success of your overall organizational goals.The reason being, an HR department works closely with the employees who in turn are the lifeblood of any organization.

Regardless of what the details are of how your HR department functions, having these five things in place improves the efficiency of your HR department in a significant manner.

  1. Keeping Pace with New Technologies

    Constantly revising your HR strategies based on the latest technologies sounds tedious, however it is the very opposite of that. Keeping pace with the new technologies enables you to find more efficient ways which help you do what you do better, and faster. For example, using Artificial Intelligence for the initial process of screening potential candidates will save you a lot of time, as against screening all applications manually. Investing in new technology helps your HR staff become more productive and also gives them the time to focus on more important tasks.

  2. Integrating Online Systems

    Instead of having several independent applications to manage various tasks, it is much more efficient to integrate it all into one place. For example, a separate system for payroll management, another for employee review, or time management – managing these independently takes up much more time. By investing a little bit in a customized software, you will increase the efficiency of your tasks related to staff management and internal communication. This makes transacting every day business smooth.

  3. Having a Brand Profile for Recruitment

    The HR department plays a key role in the recruitment processes of any organization. While the individual departments will focus more on the skill set of the potential candidates, it is up to the HR department to source candidates whose ethos and principles match those of the organization. This is important in creating the kind of work culture you aspire to have in your organization. And towards this end, it is important to have a brand profile based on the guiding principles and goals of the organization.

  4. Having a thorough and fair performance review system

    In order to help your employees stay motivated, inspired and productive, you have to invest time in developing a thorough and fair performance review system. The only way to help your team do their best is to apprise them of their performance on a regular basis. Having a fair system of performance review is as important as having a system in the first place. Creating a space which encourages dialogue is an important aspect.

  5. Paying attention to the finer details

    It is always the finer details that make all the difference to the work environment of an organization. Taking a deep dive into the existing HR structure and changing things for the better is the best thing you can do for your organization. For example, do you still have outdated HR policies like a no reference policy, or the bell curve performance review policy, or an insensitive bereavement pay policy?  Have a look at the five outdated HR policies that need to go. Are your employees protected against sexual harassment? Do you have a POSH committee in place? How gender sensitive is your organization? These are all things that an HR department needs to address. And these are the details that set an organization apart from the rest.

Have more things to add to this list? Share with us! The best part of our day is definitely reading what you write to us!

Exit Interviews and Why you Should Conduct Them

Exit Interviews and Why you Should Conduct Them

by | Apr 30, 2018 | Management, World of Work

If this is the first time you are coming across this term, “Exit Interviews”, a good place to begin the post would be by explaining what it is. Simply put, an exit interview is an interview you conduct with a team member who is leaving the company. To clarify, an exit interview is conducted with an employee who is resigning, and not one who is asked to leave for reasons already known. While recruiting someone, the conversation with the potential candidate usually involves discussing why the said person is interested in the job. Similarly, for an exit interview, the conversation is about why the team member wants to leave.

And why should you conduct these? Here’s why.

  1. You will get a good gauge of any problems within the company

    The prime reason for conducting exit interviews is to try and understand how you can create a better environment, and work culture. The only way you can take proactive steps towards this is when you know what the internal problems are. It is usually harder to get an honest perspective of what’s not working on the inside, from employees. However, a frank discussion with someone who is leaving, might give you valuable insights into what you may have to engage with in order to bring about positive changes to the work space. A starter question for the conversation could be something along the lines of, “what do you think the company can change to be better?”

  2. You will understand why people are leaving

    High retention and low attrition is one of the goals every company aspires to achieve. Conducting exit interviews with individuals who choose to leave the company will help you understand if there are any issues within your company that need your attention. The reasons for an individual leaving a company are varied, and at times it may have nothing to do with the company. For example, the individual in question may have been offered a better salary elsewhere, or may be leaving for personal reasons, or other reasons entirely beyond your control. It is nonetheless good to understand the reason, just so you don’t miss out on knowing whether there is a problem you can fix.

  3. You create a culture of dialogue

    Exit interviews cost almost next to nothing, unless you mind paying with your time. This is an extremely cost effective technique which also adds value to your HR process. Having a process like an exit interview is a great practice which speaks about your concern, as well as enthusiasm when it comes to the work environment in your company. More than anything else, it shows your willingness to invest in communication and dialogue. This goes a long way in creating a sustainable work environment, which nurture’s its employees. One where they know that how they feel and what they say makes a difference, it matters.

Besides all these reasons, an exit interview is also a great way to simplify the way forward for both yourself, and the individual who’s leaving. Any last minute paper work/ surprises can be avoided with this step. Overall, it provides an opportunity to end the professional relationship on good terms.

AI vs Humans: The Way Forward

AI vs Humans: The Way Forward

by | Apr 27, 2018 | Artificial Intelligence, World of Work

In the last two weeks, we have taken a deep dive into Artificial Intelligence (AI) backed technology, and its role in the world of work. Having spoken about the role of AI in recruitment, the reasons why it can never really replace human recruiters, and how AI can be used to eliminate HR and recruitment bias, we sum up the series with this post which advocates a nuanced approach towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the human world. While AI is here to stay and that is for sure, AI can never replace the humane qualities of politeness, empathy, compassion and humour.

With the advent of AI in almost every conceivable sphere our lives, the fact that AI will change our lives like never before can be said to have safely crossed the threshold of just speculation. Technology, and its innumerable by products – such as AI are important, but they can never wholly be independent of the indispensable human touch. Especially in fields such as recruitment which are based entirely on human resources, one cannot replace value of real human interaction to gauge and hone human talent, with mechanics of technology. While technology is an aide to help simplify the job of recruitment, and help perform tasks efficiently and effectively, it cannot replace the human connect.

Anupama Raju in her article “Beyond AI”, takes a witty stand on the tussle between AI and the human touch. Quoting from her article,

Every day, debates continue to rage between two schools — one that sees AI as some kind of evil force that will annihilate the human race, take away jobs and another that sees its wondrous possibilities. Amidst all this, one clear pattern is the machine’s or computer’s ability to advance till the day technological singularity will occur — when AI will reach human levels of intelligence. According to futurist Ray Kurzweil, this could happen in the next 30 years. We see AI around us every day as we rely, like hapless babies, on our smart phones, as the algorithms complete words and sentences for us in our WhatsApp messages, as we hang on to Google for every little piece of information, as we tumble dry our clothes in intelligent washing machines, visit a smart store or proudly display our Alexas. Henry Thoreau once said men have become the tools of their tools. Now more than ever!

AI is already becoming an area of billion-dollar investments for many companies globally. Departments that traditionally relied on human intelligence could all be augmented or perhaps replaced by an AI or a super intelligence. We will see more workplaces where AI will create superlative experiences for employees.

…At the same time, I’m not sure about the effectiveness of the algorithms of politeness, empathy, compassion or humour that could be fed into the machines. These are some factors that make life in the workplace and home worth living.

“There are some factors that make life in the workplace and home worth living.” And these factors are precisely the ones that separate humans as sensitive, rational, thinking beings from automated machines. In our hopes and efforts to shrink the world through technology so that every aspect can be capitalized, with efficiency and with speed, let’s remember to pause and look back every now and then.

Being happy in the now, being mindful in the now, being kind and present and human –  supersedes everything else. In the larger scheme of things, it is with the human qualities such as these do we create the moments we cherish for life. AI, and everything else is just a by-product of human intelligence, which cannot and should not replace the latter.

Eliminating HR and Recruitment Bias with AI

Eliminating HR and Recruitment Bias with AI

by | Apr 25, 2018 | Artificial Intelligence, World of Work

Some of the biggest challenges in the field of recruitment stem from HR (Human Resources) bias, which impact the crucial aspects of diversity, inclusiveness and equality in the world of work. These issues can be hard to resolve since a lot of times certain prejudices or biases are so deep-seated and normalized, that one doesn’t even realize they are being biased. With a judicious use of AI in recruitment and HR, we can hope to create and sustain a more equal and diverse work space. And here is how.

  1. Using AI to root out bias during recruitment

    This by far is one of the best uses of AI. While AI learns the patterns of recruitment by analyzing the past history, it is possible to mould the algorithms in a way so that while playing the necessary filters of finding probable candidates, it doesn’t stick to the past biases in recruitment. In this case, the result is having a much greater chance at a diverse work force, and at a fair recruitment process which keeps in mind only the necessary qualifications which defines the successful candidate. Thus, keeping at bay any and all biases related to gender, caste, class, religion, et al.

  2. Using AI to identify gender biased job descriptions

    Here is something Amanda Bell, Director of Recruiting at Lever, has to say about Gender biased job descriptions:

    “Luckily, this can be pretty easy. Review your job descriptions with the lens of “Who is the audience here?” If your answer is “any qualified candidate, regardless of gender,” you’ve done a good job! It’s not just about the presence of gender-specific pronouns – it’s also about using language that is inclusive of all genders. Stay away from phrases like “kick ass,” “ninja,” and, believe it or not, “brah.” You can also ask a few employees of various genders to read the descriptions and solicit feedback.”

    In fact, this problem is deeper and more pervasive than we think. Even seemingly harmless words have an impact on how gender inclusive the descriptions are. With the help of AI, we can move a step closer to creating gender inclusive job descriptions. This is often the very first step of recruitment. And getting the beginning right, helps ensure the standards of fairness all through the process.

  3. Using AI to see the “invisible bias”

    While bias in recruitment, and the way job descriptions are crafted can be identified to a certain extent, there are multiple other forms of biases which aren’t visible. These are often the more insidious ones. And are also often the mound of biases leading up to the formation of the glass ceiling.

    Turns out, it is very much possible to sniff these biases out with the help of AI. For example, Joonko, a new application powered by AI, acts as a diversity coach. Based on experiential learning of CEO and Co-founder of the product, Ilit Raz, she designed it after becoming aware of the several forms of unconscious biases she as a woman faced in her everyday work life. In contrast to the available AI tools which mostly look at recruitment biases, this tool aims at illuminating unconscious bias in workplace situations where very few people even think or feel it exists.  “We try to catch these ‘micro-events and point them out to managers and workers immediately.”, says the co-founder on what the product aims at.

    This is a beautiful way of blending technology and human understanding to create a truly inclusive and fair workplace.

  4. Using AI to eliminate biases from Performance Management Systems

    It is no secret that performance assessments are often shrouded by conscious and unconscious biases of the individual entrusted with the task. An unfair assessment of an individual’s contribution to the organization definitely impacts the overall work space environment, making it a less happy place for people to thrive and work in. A way of dealing with these biases is by using AI in performance management systems. It can take care of two main things that are often said to influence a manager’s decision making with respect to performance assessment:

    – Regency Effect: i.e., when a manager bases the performance of an individual on a recent event, rather than looking at his/her performance over a period of time, cumulatively.
    – Contrast Effect: i.e., when a manager compares or contrasts an individual’s performance against someone else’s, instead of comparing it to the pre-set standards for the given task role.

While the role of humans in the world of work can never be completely over taken by AI, there are things that AI can help humans do better. With the right balance, and insights, AI powered technology can help us move towards fairer, equal, diverse and happy work spaces.

Making Your Remote Employees Feel Valued

Making Your Remote Employees Feel Valued

by | Apr 10, 2018 | working from home, World of Work

Work from home is becoming an increasingly viable option – for both employees as well as employers. With this development, there is a need for employers to pay more attention to making the “virtual work space” more conducive, and employee friendly. One of the most important aspects which has a direct impact on the productivity levels of your employees is how valued they feel. This can be an especially difficult task to achieve, and to measure when your connection with your employees is through remote access. But is it really?

You would be surprised the small ways in which you can make your Remote Employees feel valued. In this blog post, we speak about some elementary ways which should define the norms of every work place which encourages Work from home/ remote spaces options.

  1. Clarity in Communication

    This aspect is a crucial unit for developing a healthy relationship with your employee, and for ensuring that they are at all times aware of their deliverables. One of the main concerns remote working raises is the fact that responsibilities, goals and outcomes are not streamlined meticulously – unlike in physical work environments. When this happens there is the danger of your employee under performing for no fault of his/her, which means you lose out on the valuable skill set of someone you have   invested time in to select and recruit. Being clear in communicating goals, outcomes and responsibilities helps employees feel more engaged, and in sync with their work, which in turn has a direct impact on the quality of work they churn out.

  2. Checking in

    Really one of the easiest and most basic way of showing your employees that you care. That you value your relationship with them beyond the contract of employment. Once again, since we are speaking about work in a remote environment, checking takes just a bit more effort than it would if it were a physical office. That, however cannot be an excuse for not keeping in touch with your employees. Establishing a system for this is a great way of making sure that you check in regularly. For example, every month schedule one day for a team call (if your team is spread out), and one day for individual calls. There are so many ways you can do this, and with just a little bit of thought, you can truly help your employees be enthusiastic about the work they do. And if you have a team of enthusiastic employees who feel valued, you’re a winner.

  3. Be there for them

    A good manager has an open door policy, and his team is aware of this. This applies even to teams which work remotely. In the context of the blog post, one could safely argue that this aspect is especially important to have your remote employees feel valued. Operate with a degree of decentralization, especially when it comes to your team having access to you when they need you. If your team comprises of employees who work remotely, because of an absence of a traditional physical work space they might need to reach out to you more often than other ‘regular’ employees. In which case, take care to stress on the fact that you are available when your team needs you. No better way to set precedence about this other than by leading through example.

If we summarize all the three things we’ve said above, there is one main takeaway – communication. The quality of communication between colleagues is something that determines the overall work environment – even when the work environment is virtual. And we’d say, especially when the work environment is virtual. While these small efforts wouldn’t cost you anything, bypassing them surely would. The quality of work you expect, is directly proportional to how motivated your team feels to deliver the expected quality. And feeling motivated is a direct by-product of feeling valued.

Do you have a remote team and are you proud of your team management techniques? Share your story with us and we will share it with the world!