Get Organized

Do you feel overwhelmed with the never ending list of responsibilities waiting for you at the office? Some of the stress you may feel at work can be significantly reduced simply by becoming more organized. Follow these simple steps and you will be surprised how much more productive and less hectic your days will become.

1) Clear off your desk
Your work day has officially started as soon as you sit down at your desk. Being welcomed by a huge stack of unorganized papers, old post-it notes and a dirty coffee mug can make your day feel out of control before it has even started. Take time to purge and use stacked trays or other desktop organizers for important documents. Store as much digitally as possible.

2) Separate your inboxes
Most email providers have features that will separate personal emails from promotions, purchases and spam. Organize your inbox even more by creating folders for certain projects and for people who you work with regularly.

3) Create a schedule for responding to emails.
If you try to respond to every email as soon as you receive it, you will not get anything done. Some emails are urgent, most are not. In order to complete time sensitive projects, you need to be focused and uninterrupted. Along with creating a schedule for working on those projects, also create an email responding schedule for yourself. An example of this could be setting apart three 15 to 20 minute time blocks to respond to emails, once in the mornings, once mid-day, and once at the end of the day

4) Learn to Delegate
You can’t do everything yourself. Part of being organized is learning to properly delegate tasks to the right people.  

5) Take 10 Minutes to Plan
The last 10 minutes of your day should consist of preparing for the next day. Write out 3-5 important projects and schedule time blocks to work on them the next day. Taking time to plan allows you to start each day with a purpose. It only take a few minutes and it can save a substantial amount of time and stress the next day.
 

Is an inconsistent hiring process allowing bad or crazy employees to get in? To prevent bad hires, it’s important to be consistent with your hiring process. Here is a sample hiring process to guide you in making your own standardized hiring process.

1) Write a job description
- Be as specific as possible with hours, salary, complete job functions, PTO, on call and anything else important about the job. The more specific the better.

2) Pre-screen potential candidates over the phone
- Start the hiring process with a quick “get-to-know-you” phone call. Your objective here is to mainly listen and ask a few questions. It’s a great way to weed out the crazies and sniff out the winners. This initial phone will also give you a chance to determine the candidate’s experience level, credentials and licensing. 

3) Do they “light up” about the position?
- The in-depth interview will give you a chance to assess their personality, relevant skills learned, and motivations for applying for the position. Do they light up when they talk about the position? If they’re just looking for a paycheck, they’ll never be satisfied with any position. 

4) DISC personality test
- Certain personalities may thrive in one work environment but struggle greatly in another. Taking a personality test will determine whether or not the candidate will fit best in the specific position they are interested in.

5) Reference Check
- How do the candidate’s supervisors and co-workers describe his or her work ethic and relevant skills?

6) Extensive background check
- Be very thorough in your background checks and use a professional agency if possible.

7) Make an offer
- Your work is finished. The ball is now in the candidate’s court!