Methods of Improving Employees Attendance Records

Absenteeism goes very expensive in the workplace. Every time when an employee misses a day, you have to bear costs as well as there is a reduction in productivity as regular work flow is interrupted. You may feel to meet your projected deadlines due to absenteeism. There are many simple ways that can be followed for promotion of better employee attendance records. Try these Tips to Handle Employees Attendance Problems and improving your recording methods:

Absence Monitoring

Keep a proper track of employee absences. Make a proper attendance sheet to record who is absent and when. This will make you identify the trends in one’s absences. If you see several employees sick on every Friday then investigate into the matter. There is possibility that these employees are abusing the system. This record maintenance can also bring some other issues on the scene that is related to employee satisfaction.

Flexibility to Reduce Absenteeism

You need to examine flexibility of the organization. Is your organization doing anything to help employees cope with the stresses of balance between professional and personal lives? Are you giving time to your employees to attend their appointments? Can employees work from home? Etc.

When you make environment of your organization little flexible then employees are less likely to take a day off from job.

Reinforce Excellent Employee Attendance

Spend some time in viewing attendance record of employees who have excellent attendance record. Personally encourage them and let them know that their regularity will be reflected in performance appraisal.

Provide special incentives to other employees also to improve their attendance records. A small bonus for regular employees will work to improve employee attendance records. Some employers declare a special prize at the end of each month that is arranged from deductions of employees with frequent absences.

Employee absenteeism can be a financial drain for the company. There are different positive ways to encourage employee’s attendance in positive manners. It is hopped that above mentioned tips will work for your organization.

PTA Meeting Strategies

I have been a long-time member of the PTA. I have sat through so many meetings that I can possibly count. This year I am announced as a member of executive board for two different PTAs. I have noticed that few strategies can make a PAT meeting more successful so I am going to share these PTA Meeting Strategies with you today:

• You need to get the butts in the seats to have successful meeting. Get the words out to the parents with every possible way. You can use any of these techniques to communicate a message to all parents about this meeting. These techniques include; have meeting on same day every month, send a home flyer with all students about meeting, have your meeting appear on school marquee, send emails to parents one week before meeting and have the principal announce about the meeting in weekly PA announcements.
• Offer free food in meeting. If you mention that you will offer free food in meeting in flyers and emails you send, you will surely notice an increase in attendance.
• Create an agenda of meeting and a form to take meeting minutes. You can also provide the parents with Tips to Take Minutes at a PTA Meeting to take proper notes of what will happen in meeting for future considerations.
• Keep strictly on track as many parents come to PTA meetings with specific agenda that would affect only their own child. This happens on almost all meetings. Many parents will come with specific problems and questions that would be better to be answered in a separate room because they know that all teachers and principal will attend the meeting. If any parent comes with a problem then a meeting can be heated quickly. You should let the debate continue for few seconds and then say the words that this problem is valid and will be given to a charge of a committee to try and resolve it.
• Think for a door prize as people love free stuff. Arrange a prize for the people staying till the end of the meeting. Ask for donations from local vendors.

Role of a Stage Manager

Stage manager is a key position in successful theatrical production. This position is meant for unique function because it serves dual functions as a stage managers works as assistant of director and production staff during rehearsals and same person becomes in charge of production during actual performance. A stage manager is required to act differently in different theater productions. Role of a stage manager becomes more difficult in educational theaters. Stage manager duties will vary according to the theater but here is basic information about role of a stage manager:

General Responsibilities

• Serve as a key assistant to production director
• He will maintain Production Call Board, posting notices for crews and cast
• He will create company Roster containing information about assignment, address and phone numbers of each company member and associated people. He has to complete it at the initial company meeting.
• He is responsible to create prompt script.
• Maintenance of Production Book that will contain necessary information about production.

Rehearsals

Stage manager is responsible for taping out the set on floor and set the rehearsal room. Collects dimensioned ground plan from director and then follows it in further settings. He obtains necessary supplies from technical director. He is also responsible to remove all tape from rehearsal floor once the rehearsal is over. He is responsible to gather, store and return all necessary rehearsal pops and rehearsal furniture. Role of a stage manager in rehearsals can be discussed in different categories. These categories include:

Before Rehearsal

• Reaches 20 – 30 minutes earlier
• Makes the space ready 15 minutes before call time
• Unlocks doors and turn on appropriate lights
• Checks that all instruments are ready for use
• Makes sure that all props are ready for use

Beginning of Rehearsal

• Assembles cast and records attendance
• Makes announcements and delivers information
• Gives proper instructions for rehearsal period

During the Rehearsal

• Makes it sure to maintain quiet and order
• Calls cues to begin the action, curtain, lights and sound
• Records blockings
• Records changes to script
• Records running times
• Keeps the directors informed of time allocation

End of Rehearsal

• Provides the director with necessary notes
• Gives announcements and takes questions
• Prepares daily log

After Rehearsal

• Responsible to leave the rehearsal space neat and clean
• Stores all props properly and maintain their record
• Locks all doors

Safety and Security

His role is not limited to serve during or after rehearsals. He is also responsible to deal with all safety and security measures. Main actions of a stage manager in this regard include:

• Building security guidelines
• Dealing with accidents
• Fire, evacuation of building
• Tornado, storm warnings

Interview Questions from Employers

An employer may ask range of questions during a job interview. Purpose of asking questions is to scan a certain candidate to best suit a job position. As an employer, you need to make sure you define job requirements and type of employee looking for and then plan a list of questions to be asked in interview. Being a candidate you should know the position you are applying for and be prepared for all possible interview questions. Providing a list of interview questions is one of the best interview tips for employers and candidates as well. I have made a list of all possible interview questions that should be there in list of an interviewer/employer. This list would also be helpful for candidates preparing for an interview.

• Tell me about yourself
• What is your current position in company
• Share your experiences
• Tell your most significant accomplishment to date
• How would you describe your ideal job
• Why did you choose this career
• What goals do you have in your career
• Where you want to reach in future
• What were your responsibilities and which one was more rewarding
• What were your starting and final levels of compensation
• How do you evaluate your present firm
• What mistakes had you made in your career to date
• Describe some situations when your work was criticized
• Are you a team player
• Why should we hire you
• Why do you want this job
• What is your philosophy of management
• Why were you fired from previous job
• Why you want to leave your current job
• Describe your weaknesses and strengths
• How long will you work for us
• Do you have any plans for further education
• Describe some situations when you face pressure and was successful
• What are your long term and short term career goals
• When you enjoy your work
• What type of person is hardest for you to work with
• What other jobs are you applying for
• One thing about your previous job you liked the most
• How many hours do you normally work
• How would you handle rejection
• How do you spend your time
• How would others describe your weaknesses
• What do you know about our company
• When you are available to join us
• Are you willing to travel
• Are you willing to relocate
• Do you have any questions to ask
• What are your salary expectations
• What salary do you need or look for
• What is importance of money in your career

How to Write Meeting Agenda

All business people need to know how meetings run smoothly and can end successfully. Active participants and effective facilitators can make it possible to run a successful meeting provided if they move with a planned agenda. Meeting agenda is a structured outline that outlines flow of entire meeting process. It is a framework that controls the participants and keeps them focused on subject matter. A meeting agenda provides meaningful purpose and direction for any type of meeting.

Meeting agenda should be creative enough to cover all important points for planning a meeting. It is important for facilitators or meeting organizers to know about components of an effective agenda.

Basic Components of a Meeting Agenda

It is necessary to send a meeting agenda to all invited participants when meeting organizer forwards meeting invitation to all concerned people. Main purpose to send meeting agenda is to give them ample time to prepare for meeting and think about the matter of discussion. Getting meeting agenda beforehand, they can prepare outlines for discussion and organize their ideas.

Meeting agenda should consist of:

• Name of attendees
• Meeting date
• Start and end time of meeting
• Meeting location and venue
• Title of meeting
• Topic headings for discussion
• Meeting objectives

Meeting title should contain words that will prepare mindset of people for meeting. Keep meeting objectives brief but topic should be descriptive. Indicate expected output for each topic. Allocate discussion time for each subject matter.

Meeting agenda should be effective otherwise it will mess up course of meeting. Agenda must be prepared in advance and forwarded to all participants. Be very careful in writing meeting agenda. Consider all components listed above. Have a sample meeting agenda template to follow its format. If you want to create an effective meeting agenda then keep the fact in mind how does a meeting agenda work?

Once you write meeting agenda, start sending meeting request to all participants with a copy of meeting agenda. Participants can respond to this invitation and have right to accept or decline meeting.

Well organized meeting agenda format offers many benefits to make a meeting successful. It is a best way to communicate pertinent information about subject matter to all participants and allow them to prepare for meeting in advance and organize their thoughts. Meeting agenda serves as a roadmap in meeting and keeps the meeting activities on track.

Car Wash Business Tips

Everyone needs car washing services and looks for cost effective car services. There is a tough competition in car washing business therefore it needs much care and concentration for planning a car wash business. Here is a collection of tips that should be kept in mind while thinking to start car wash business. Mainly you need to focus on five things including:

• Cost
• Experience
• Location
• Franchise
• Time Commitment

Cost

You can start car wash business from very beginning or you can also buy a running car wash business. Whatever the option you choose but cost factor is one of basic car wash business requirements. Consider years of running and location while determining cost of a running car wash business. If you are thinking to start a new business then costs will be very high.

Experience

Having experience in this business will be a positive edge for your business. You need to involve too many people in this business but absolutely they all will not have complete knowledge of this business. It will be a very effective idea to do temporary job on a car wash to get knowledge. Little experience in this field can help you a lot in running your business.

Location

Selection of location is of greater importance for any business to survive in business competition. Selecting location for your car wash business is a supply and demand issue. Select a place that doesn’t have another car wash near you. Select high traffic area.

Franchise

It is safer to get involved in franchise models but it will be very costly. Franchise models have well established systems at that place that has been proven for several years. Getting involved in this model will help you by providing special training. You will get a chance to learn everything from A to Z about business. These models conduct a survey and select best location for your business.

Time Commitment

Mostly business people work for 60 hours per week but if you want to run your business in your own ways then you may not follow any time commitment and work for open hours.

Email Marketing Tips

Online travel marketing is a great idea to make your business in access of general public over the world. You just need to find out what market needs, what is available in market and provide what is needed now. You can conduct off and online surveys to get information exactly about what your clients and prospects need. First of all make a list of their top questions, issues and concerns and then build email campaign format to answer frequently asked questions from prospects. Work to provide your clients with what they need by your email campaign as getting and retaining subscribers is a key to building profitable list.

Here is a collection of travel email marketing tips that will help you in advertising your travel agency over internet. These tips are a part of commonly used travel marketing tricks:

• You can use incentives to increase interest of prospects in your business
• Work to make it easy for prospects to opt-in and opt-out from your email broadcast
• Make sure to include subscriber’s first name into subject line of all emails for optimizing open rate
• Make sure that the email you create merges subscribers name into content at least once
• Try to broadcast evergreen content
• Broadcast every special event
• It will be effective to integrate written and audio testimonials and some photos of happy tourists in your email
• Ask your clients and general public in target market for what they need by conducting online surveys
• You need to keep your contact ongoing and regular to earn new and guaranteed customers.

Email is one of best marketing tools. You have to work hard to develop some specific features that are considered to be in top email travel marketing suppliers:

• Provide live and recorded either video or audio training and technical support
• Provide text and HTML templates
• Try to be able to do unlimited broadcast announcements
• Canned spam complaints
• Easy opt-in and opt-out forms
• Use a tracking software to measure open rates
• Use built-in survey so you can better serve clients needs

Email marketing is one of the best, efficient, cost effective and fastest ways to market a business online.