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Taking a long leave from work can be both exciting and daunting. Whether you’re planning a well-deserved vacation, dealing with a family emergency, or simply taking a sabbatical, the process of preparing for an extended absence requires careful planning and organization. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to effectively prepare for a long leave, ensuring a smooth transition and peace of mind while you’re away.

1. Assess the Necessity of Your Leave

Before you embark on preparing for a long leave, it’s essential to evaluate why you need it critically. Is it for rest, a family event, or a pressing personal matter? Knowing the purpose behind your leave will help you make better decisions throughout the process. It is a critical step in ensuring your time off is well-planned and justified.

Just before requesting leave, consider its impact on your work, colleagues, and projects. Is it essential, or can it be rescheduled? Thoughtful assessment helps maintain productivity and team harmony, ensuring that your absence won’t disrupt essential operations. Make sure your leave serves a legitimate purpose and that you’ve explored alternative solutions, demonstrating your commitment to responsible time management and teamwork.

2. Notify Your Employer and Team

Once you’ve determined the need for a long leave, the next step is to communicate this to your employer and team. Be open and honest about the duration and reasons for your leave. Early notification allows your employer to plan accordingly, reducing any last-minute stress. Notifying your employer and team is a crucial part of the leave process. Keep them informed well in advance, providing clear details about your absence, duration, and reasons. 

This proactive approach allows for proper planning, workload redistribution, and ensures a smooth workflow during your absence. Effective communication fosters understanding and demonstrates professionalism, helping your team and employer manage the situation efficiently.

3. Delegate Responsibilities

In your absence, someone needs to cover your work responsibilities. Delegate tasks to your colleagues or team members, and make sure they have the necessary information and resources to fulfill these duties effectively. Identify key tasks and projects that require attention during your absence and assign them to capable colleagues. Effective delegation ensures that work continues to progress smoothly and that your team can handle any urgent matters that may arise. Providing clear instructions and support to those taking on your responsibilities is vital to maintain productivity and minimize disruptions. It shows your commitment to teamwork and responsible time management.

4. Prepare a Detailed Handover Document

A comprehensive handover document is your key to a smooth leave. Preparing a detailed handover document is crucial before taking leave. This document should comprehensively outline your ongoing tasks, projects, and any critical information your colleagues may need during your absence. Include clear instructions, deadlines, and contact details for any urgent issues. 

A well-prepared handover ensures a smooth transition, minimizes disruptions, and empowers your team to manage your responsibilities effectively. It reflects your commitment to a seamless workflow and responsible teamwork, helping everyone involved to stay on track in your absence.

5. Set Up an Out-of-Office Message

Before you go, configure a professional out-of-office message on your email and other communication platforms. Let people know when you’ll be back and provide an alternative contact in case of urgency. Setting up an out-of-office message is a practical step before going on leave. This auto-reply email informs senders that you are away, and it provides essential details like your return date and an alternative contact person if necessary. 

A well-crafted message should be concise, professional, and convey that you are temporarily unavailable while assuring senders that their messages will be addressed upon your return. This simple yet effective tool helps manage expectations, reduce stress, and maintain professional communication during your absence.

6. Emergency Preparedness

Identify potential emergencies and create contingency plans:

• Assess possible scenarios that could arise during your absence, such as project setbacks, technical issues, or unexpected challenges.
• Develop detailed contingency plans for each identified emergency, outlining specific steps and solutions.
• Consider involving key team members in brainstorming and refining these plans to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Share emergency contact information with relevant parties:

• Compile a list of essential contacts, including team members, clients, and stakeholders.
• Clearly communicate this list to relevant parties, ensuring everyone knows who to contact in case of an emergency.
• Include alternative contacts in case the primary ones are unavailable, providing a hierarchy for reaching out.

Make arrangements for someone to handle urgent matters in your absence:

• Designate a responsible colleague or team member to act as your point of contact during the leave.
• Clearly communicate the responsibilities and decision-making authority granted to this person.
• Ensure the designated contact is well-informed about ongoing projects, deadlines, and any specific requirements related to your role.

By proactively identifying potential emergencies, sharing crucial contact information, and designating a capable point of contact, you can significantly enhance your emergency preparedness for a long leave. This proactive approach helps minimize disruptions and ensures a smoother transition during unforeseen circumstances.

7. Health and Wellness Check

Prior to taking leave, conducting a health and wellness check is essential. Schedule any necessary medical appointments to address health concerns and refill prescriptions to ensure you have an adequate supply during your absence. Assess your overall well-being and make any adjustments to your diet, exercise, and sleep routines to maintain good health during your leave. This proactive approach will help you enjoy your time off while ensuring that you’re physically and mentally prepared to return to your responsibilities feeling refreshed and revitalized.

8. Reacclimatize to Work Upon Your Return

Your return to work is just as crucial as your leave preparation. Reacclimatizing to work upon your return is crucial for a smooth transition back into your professional responsibilities. Take some time to review any notes or emails you missed during your leave. Meet with colleagues to catch up on project updates and discuss any changes or developments in your absence. Ease into your workload gradually, prioritizing tasks and setting realistic expectations. By taking these steps, you can minimize stress, ensure a seamless return to work, and maintain productivity as you readjust to your professional routine.

In conclusion, preparing for an extended vacation involves careful planning, communication, and organization. By following these steps and addressing the key considerations, you can ensure a stress-free and enjoyable leave while maintaining a smooth reintegration into your work life upon your return. Remember, a well-prepared extended vacation is an opportunity to recharge and come back even more productive and refreshed.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How long in advance should I notify my employer about my long leave?

It’s advisable to inform your employer at least one to three months in advance to give them ample time to plan for your absence.

What should I include in my handover document?

Your handover document should cover project details, contact information, deadlines, and any specific instructions for your colleagues.

How can I ensure my home is secure while I’m away?

Lock all doors and windows, set up security systems if possible, and consider asking a trusted neighbor or friend to keep an eye on your property.

What is the ideal length for a long leave?

The ideal length for a long leave depends on your personal circumstances and the purpose of your leave. It can range from a few weeks to several months.

How can I make the transition back to work smoother?

Schedule a transition day upon your return to catch up on emails and tasks and gradually ease back into your work routine.

With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, BrioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post How to Prepare for a Long Leave appeared first on BrioHR.

It’s times like this that we wish to supercharge our productivity. You’re not alone – consultancies, authors, and other ‘productivity gurus’ have created a multi-billion-dollar industry out of worried professionals. But, with our simple hacks, you too can get more out of your nine-to-five and make daily tasks go by more smoothly.

1. Work Out a Daily Plan

When you create a daily plan first thing every morning, you give structure to your day. With this in mind, you can list out all the tasks you need to accomplish for the day. Think about what must be done today, what can be delayed until tomorrow, and what your overall goal for the day should be.

2. Sort Out Your Inbox

There are two types of people in this world: those with zero unread emails, and those with 5,000. Whatever the case, mastering your email/Slack/messaging app inbox is crucial to productivity.

As an HR professional, you’ll likely get hundreds of emails a day. Don’t read or respond to them the instant they arrive. Instead, spend something like two hours each day managing your inbox. Using that window of time to respond to each email ensures deep focus for the rest of the day.

3. Adopt the Pomodoro

Time management is key to productivity. And the time management technique that’s gotten the most praise is the Pomodoro technique.

Invented in the 1980s, the Pomodoro technique was named after a kitchen timer – and that is what you need. Essentially, the technique entails:

• Set your kitchen timer (or any other timer, really) for 25 minutes.
• Work on your chosen task for the 25 minutes.
• Once the 25 minutes is up, take a five-minute break regardless of completion.
• Continue the cycle until your task is done.

The work-then-break cycle ensures focused attention, with a break to manage stress levels. You can easily adapt this to the office – just use a quiet timer to avoid disturbing your colleagues.

4. Stop Multitasking

It doesn’t matter how good you think you are at multitasking. Research has shown that trying to multitask lowers productivity and increases errors. Our brains are simply not designed to multitask. This is why scheduling and daily plans are so important as it helps organize your time.

5. Don’t Get Distracted

According to a study by University of California Irvine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back on track after an interruption at work. It might be tough for HR not to be distracted, but you do need this headspace to do deep work like resource planning, writing job descriptions, and other focus tasks.

To do this, schedule an hour or two each day for serious, head-down work. No meetings, no notifications, no chit-chat – just a pure state where the productivity should flow freely.

6. Learn to Say “No”

As an HR professional, it’s hard to say “no” to someone. You want to help out and be a team player, but sometimes you need to set boundaries to stay productive.

Doing tasks that are ultimately not within your job scope is a surefire way for productivity to slip away from you. Of course, it is important to help where possible – but not at the expense of your own work. Consequently, set your priorities and deadlines and stick to them. This will help you say “no” easier.

7. Go Natural

Being cooped up in a stuffy office is no one’s idea of a productive time. Natural light and fresh air are crucial to wellness and productivity; hence productivity will increase in a healthy environment. It’s also no coincidence that modern office design emphasizes bright, open spaces with plenty of ventilation.

8. Make Time for Yourself

It may sound counter-intuitive, but people who take breaks tend to be more productive. Thus, making time for yourself is important not only for productivity, but also to avoid burnout. Taking a break and relaxing enables you to recharge your energy, get back your motivation, and return to the job with renewed productivity.

9. Automate Tasks with HR Software Like BrioHR

The HR function is full of repetitive tasks, such as payroll, expense claims, leave tracking, and more. Doing all these manually is slow and error-prone.

With software like BrioHR, you can automate all of these functions and more, leaving you with room to do strategic, productive work like teambuilding and employer branding.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post 9 Productivity Hacks for Busy HR Professionals appeared first on BrioHR.

One of these types of candidates are boomerang employees. Basically, a boomerang employee is someone who previously worked for the company and left, but then gets rehired.

We frequently think that quitting a job is a permanent decision that cannot be reversed. In fact, some organizations have policies against rehiring. However, amidst a historically tight labour market, more and more employers are open to hiring former colleagues.

The boomerang phenomenon is also more common than you think. According to this survey, 15% of employees said they had boomeranged back to a former employer, and nearly 40% said they would consider going back to a company where they previously worked. HR practitioners also use several channels to keep in touch with former colleagues, such as email newsletters and alumni groups.

There are also many reasons why a former employee would wish to return. Perhaps they left to pursue other interests that didn’t work out. Or they had a major life event (parenthood, caregiving duties) and are ready to return to work. Either way, boomerang employees would feel familiar with the company – and in some cases, even gain skills elsewhere to grow in a new role.

But do take note that employees should have left the company recently to be considered a ‘boomerang’. An employee that left more than 10 years ago should be treated as a new hire.

Why Hire a Boomerang Employee

Hiring a boomerang employee can be of mutual benefit to the organization and the employee concerned. Here’s why:

• Companies can save time and money when rehiring boomerang employees. Less time is spent on training and onboarding, and they can reach full productivity sooner.
• Boomerang employees already know the company well. They will be a familiar face to their former managers and teammates, making them a good culture fit.
• The company can benefit from the expertise gained from the employee’s time away.
• Boomerang employees can return to a place where they feel comfortable and rebuild a long-term relationship.
• Rehiring former employees conveys a powerful message to current employees about your business. They are proof that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and can further strengthen organizational culture.

Interviewing a Boomerang Employee

If you think it’s a good idea to rehire a boomerang employee, the interview process will be slightly different from that of a completely new hire.

From the interview, you want to ascertain the employee’s intentions for rejoining, as well as their reasons for leaving in the first place. It’s also a good idea to check with their former colleagues to determine if they left on good terms, as well as any performance or behavioural issues to be aware of.

Importantly, during the interview session, you want to encourage boomerang employees to be open and honest about why they left and why they want to return.

Here are some interview questions you should ask prospective rehires:

• Could you tell me why you first left the company?
  • With this, you can gain an insight on the circumstances that led to their departure, and whether they are suitable to be rehired.
• What skills and experiences have you gained since then?
  • Often, the most valuable thing a boomerang employee can give to the company is the skills and experiences they have gained. This is especially helpful if they are applying for a different or higher position than the one they left.
• How has your perspective on the company changed since, and how do you think you can improve?
  • Time away from a relationship gives you the space to reevaluate the good and bad about it. The same goes with an employment relationship. Returnees can give you a unique perspective that you can’t get elsewhere.
• Why are you looking to return? Could you tell us what excites you about this role?
  • This shows their reasons and motivations to boomerang back. From there, you can evaluate if they remain a good fit for the role they are applying for.
• How do you see your future with the company?
  • There’s always the probability that a boomerang employee will bounce straight back out. From here, you can gauge whether they are a flight risk, or whether the factors that led them to quit remain an issue.

Recruit Boomerang Employees with BrioHR

Whether you’re recruiting boomerangs or new hires, BrioHR’s recruitment module enables you to hire faster, better, and smarter.

The built-in applicant tracking system allows faster and more robust hiring decisions, where you can collect and share feedback from candidate screening and interviews, between colleagues and across departments. This way, you can gather feedback on any boomerang employees and their past record with the company.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Boomerang Employees: Guide to Interviewing and Hiring appeared first on BrioHR.

But how is such performance measured? In a nutshell, leaders want to see that staff members are achieving predetermined goals, contributing to the team, and using critical thinking techniques to support the smooth running of business operations.

Hence, key performance indicators are used to tracking how well employees are doing at their job. While indicators can vary according to industry, job position, seniority etc, several metrics remain crucial for determining performance.

These three indicators listed below are the core ones that every HR manager should track, no matter the business.

Work Efficiency

Both employers and employees alike value efficiency as a key metric to track performance. Essentially, efficiency is the output of work produced for a given input.

Here is a simple efficiency calculation:

• Find out how many tasks have been finished.
• Measure the number of tasks that were finished over the course of a month.
• Measure the output in relation to the workplace average.
• Measure the output in relation to the industry average.
• Measure the employee’s input, i.e. the amount of hours they work.
• To find the efficiency figure, divide the output by the input.

This value can then be used to compare the efficiency of each employee across the business.

The ability to measure efficiency enables the identification of problem areas. This enables a firm to change how certain tasks are carried out or identify where certain departments are falling short.

However, measuring efficiency can complicated by the nature of work done, especially knowledge work. It is more or less impossible to measure the input and output for complex tasks that need deep thought, and thus would need other metrics to measure performance.

Quality of Work

Employees producing good quality work is crucial, as poor-quality output can result in dissatisfied customers and reputational damage.

The metrics used for measuring quality will depend on the work done, such as QC/QA for manufacturing or net promoter scores (NPS) for customer-facing positions. For other job functions, 360-degree feedback and manager feedback are also another way to capture a snapshot of the employee’s quality of work.

In any case, tracking work quality is important for ensuring that employee output isn’t just about quantity, it’s about quality as well.

Teamwork

Today’s complex problems more than ever require employees to operate as a team. For example, delivering a great customer experience is an effort that requires the whole organization to think as one towards this goal. It starts from the product, down to the point of sale, through to customer support for post-sales follow up if needed – all the while supported by marketing and other functions.

Furthermore, high teamwork indicates a high degree of engagement with the company and with the employee’s work. Consequently, it’s crucial that organizations measure teamwork as a key metric.

Teamwork is not a quantitative metric, but it can be measured using feedback tools. Just like work quality, 360-degree feedback and manager feedback can also be used to assess teamwork. It may be somewhat intangible, but of all qualitative metrics this is the one to measure.

Track the Right Metrics With BrioHR

Maintaining a high-performing team depends on tracking the right metrics. With BrioHR’s performance management module, you can design your own performance management process and collect 360-degree feedback.

BrioHR’s all-in-one, cloud-based solution automates repetitive tasks and empowers HR in a user-friendly interface. With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post The Three Key Performance Indicators You Must Track appeared first on BrioHR.

Nevertheless, these seven recruitment methods are widely used by companies and jobseekers alike. Utilizing any one of these will increase your chances of finding the perfect hire – the right person, with the right skills, eager to take on the opportunity.

Online Career Sites and Job Boards

Websites like JobStreet and Hiredly are some of the most common avenues for recruitment due to their popularity among jobseekers. For jobseekers, these platforms are free to use and user-friendly, enabling easy resume uploads and one-click job applications.

For companies, online career sites have a wide reach at low cost. It also takes only a few minutes to set up a job advertisement. Many sites also include candidate pre-screening and resume filtering functions, helping HR eliminate unsuitable applicants quickly.

Recruitment Agencies

Using a recruitment agency is not cheap, but they do offer valuable skill and experience in finding the right candidate for the job. A good recruiter will manage the recruitment process end-to-end, leaving you to run the business instead of fretting about the job position.

Another situation in which a recruitment agency shines is hiring for specialized roles. For example, if your business needs to hire a foreign language speaker, going through a recruitment agency is your best bet. They will have contacts among the language community and are best placed to find potential candidates.

Social Media

Some companies use social media networks like Facebook and Instagram for recruiting, especially if they have a large following. This is a great chance to show off their employer brand as well.

However, the social media platform that is by far the most popular in recruitment is LinkedIn. As a social network focused on professional relationships, it even includes a job board for companies to post openings.

Hiring and Job Fairs

The COVID-19 pandemic put these on hold, but now they’re surging back. In-person job fairs allow employers to show their best side to potential talents, while jobseekers can use this opportunity to talk to their future colleagues and get a feel for the job.

Job fairs tend to attract younger jobseekers – in fact these events are regularly held at universities around graduation time. But with the increase in redundancies due to the pandemic as well as resignations, job fairs are also attracting more experienced hires.

Industry Publications

If you’re recruiting in an industry with specialized skills, it may be worth advertising in industry-specific publications or websites. This way, you will have access to a talent pool that will very likely match the specific job requirements of the business.

Employee Referrals

Don’t underestimate the power of referrals from your staff. There’s a reason why many companies include a referral bonus if their employees refer a successful candidate for a job.

Your employees are your greatest ambassadors for your organization as a great place to work, and they can be great at identifying candidates that will be a good fit for the position. Plus, hiring a prospective candidate who already knows one of your employees will make the onboarding process much easier and will help develop a sense of belonging from the start.

Internal Recruitment

The ideal candidate for your job opening may already exist within your company. Internally, this includes posting your job opening on your company’s website and utilising your HR department, but it also includes looking for potential transfers and promotions within your organisation or among recently retired employees.

Promoting a current or recent employee can create an opening for a position that is much easier to fill, while this type of move can also save your company money onboarding and training a new employee. It also shows employees that there is a career path within the organization.

Recruit the Right Way with BrioHR

With BrioHR, recruitment is made easy. You can create a professional-looking job board to attract the best candidates and enhance your employer brand. Plus, BrioHR’s applicant tracking system makes sifting through resumes easier and faster.

BrioHR’s all-in-one, cloud-based solution with nine powerful modules automates repetitive tasks and empowers HR in a user-friendly interface. This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post 7 Recruitment Methods to Find the Perfect Hire appeared first on BrioHR.