The work culture of today could not exist without happy employees. There are a number of reasons why happiness is so integral for the company to become successful. Happy employees overall perform better, are more engaged and support what the company does. Such employees make the company more profitable and the turnover is much lower. If employees are not happy, productivity levels fall rapidly and also it costs a lot to replace the employee with a new one. You should start caring about employee happiness because happy employees when they do not feel stress and anxiety make smarter decisions, workers who are unhappy are more likely to leave the job position, customer service is executed more effectively by employees with a better attitude, happy employees are more creative and can make their colleagues happier.

Work-life balance

It is very important to start from the most simple and basic thing which is the work-life balance. Every person wants to manage their work so it complements their personal life and doesn’t cause any necessary stress that can disrupt regular life. Creating a workspace which allows the employee to manage their work and life effectively is significant to happy employees. Chronic stress due to long work hours, pressure or overtime hours lead to burnout and anxiety. Some ways that you could avoid this and make your employees feel the best are by offering flexible work options such as remote work sometimes, let them take breaks at work, give volunteering opportunities, review the workload of employees or increase support packages for hard times.

Building a positive work environment

The work environment that the employee works in has to be positive because it directly affects him or her. When you spend most of your day in one place, you of course wish for it to vibrate good emotions and happiness. It is important to be open about any problems and maintain dialogue throughout the organization. In addition, there could be training that teaches the employees more about the company or even some social activities which include the whole company and makes everyone play games or have fun. In the end, all it matters is for the employees to be able to smile in their work every day.

Encourage breaks between work sessions

Working hard is important as long as you do not overwork. This can lead to burnout and a lot of unhappiness. What managers should do is encourage employees to take a break from work. They either work very hard to prove their results so as to get a snack, take a walk, have lunch, talk with the colleague or just get outside the office. This will clear the mind of the employees and bring the focus to continue working productively.

Show gratefulness

While working a lot and focusing on the company’s operations, it is possible to forget how much the employees are actually working and what value they actually bring. They may become unhappy because they don’t feel engagement from the top management and feel like there is no recognition which eventually makes them leave. A good thing for the managers to do is to periodically praise something that the employees have done or do good. Saying thank you to a person who works hard can make a big difference and give a lot of motivation and positive energy.

Mindfulness meditation

The last tip may seem weird and maybe not belonging here but it is definitely a crucial point. Many people and especially employees get stuck in their heads too much and do not get a mental break. Science has already proved the effect mindfulness meditation has on raising happiness levels, helping people enjoy the present moment more and increasing focus by minimizing stress. You can give such meditation to employees by providing access to a mindfulness app which can guide them throughout the process, give a planned break for light breathing meditation to clear their heads or just to play some natural music while employees close their eyes. A perfect solution would be to have a special meditation room where employees would have to come from time to time and practice mindfulness. All of this would definitely change the mood of workers and increase their happiness.

Good communication and an efficient work process have always been a part of any job. There have to be tools or processes available that systemically structure how the work plays out. In the office environment, this is done by actual meetings in the office, direct communication between colleagues and emailing. The remote work environment functions a lot differently. When working remotely, there is a need for different software that allow for meetings to happen, work processes and results to be monitored and that gives tools to manage communication and work operations.

Slack

Slack is one of the best online communication tools for remote work in the professional world. It offers the possibility to communicate with specific people one on one or in rooms which are group conversations. For those that like and use Facebook Messenger, Slack will be perfect since it is the work synonym of Facebook. It is also a flexible app because it supports asynchronous work. It means that when working in channels you can access all the information at any given time comfortable for you. Finally, the app is inclusive. Everyone in the company can access the same searchable and shared information. Employees stay connected and channels give an opportunity to make decisions faster and manage the working process better. However, remember that since it is an online communication app, the number of conversations or groups may become overwhelming and could pose a distraction to work so be mindful of that.

Trello

Trello is a productivity and work management app that tracks team projects, highlights tasks and monitors the whole process until completion. It is based on the principles of Kanban that uses project boards to organize the workflow tasks and have an overview of the whole project. The main components of trello are boards, cards and lists. It starts from boards which focus on a project, the lists in each board indicate the progress of the project and individual cards in lists have information about specific tasks. This tool is great for remote team management because it separates the tasks in stages and allows for asynchronous communication through individual commenting. The app is free from the start with paid plans starting at $10.

Zoom

Probably everyone has tried or at least heard of the virtual meeting software Zoom since the pandemic started in 2020. The popularity of the software surged when the COVID-19 crisis happened. From the start it became one of the leading platforms for online meetings and gained its ground in many companies. Zoom allows you to create virtual meeting rooms for people to communicate through video and audio, you can also share your screen, share files and use text chat while being in the meeting publicly or privately. Zoom platform can be used on the computer desktop or as a mobile app and signing up is free.

Firstbase

This software is relatively new and helps companies set up their workers to do work from anywhere setting up, managing and retrieving the physical equipment. It includes automated onboarding (employees choose the products they want), equipment tracking with the touch of a button, efficient and fast offboarding giving the possibility to retrieve everything and reuse for the future, simple expense management. Firstbase software spins around the remote work revolution and since remote work will not disappear, invites people to seek better experiences for employees and higher quality of life using it.

Crystal

Crystal is an interesting software that helps fix the problem of colleagues not understanding each other in their job or not being acquainted with the personality of the employee. It uses machine learning to predict the DISC (dominant, influential, conscientious and steady) profile through personality tests. It is a great way to find out the personalities of individual employees and how you work together. You can take a free personality test when you sign up on the software and this way you understand the styles of people that you work with in a remote team. Crystal also gives an opportunity to see these results on Gmail and LinkedIn.

Software is an important and integral part of remote work. It helps employees effectively manage their tasks, communicate and overall replace things that should be done in the office. For managers, software means a way of creating a strong and collaborative remote team that knows everything they are doing and stay updated with their colleagues. We wrote a recent article about 5 software that would be great for a remote work team (link to the article is here).

Having read the article, which software do you personally think would make or makes your job the most efficient and time-saving?

Slack
Crystal
Zoom
Firstbase
Trello

The Covid-19 pandemic brought changes in many areas of life, including the job market. According to EuroStat unemployment rates in Europe raised from 6,3% to 7,7% in March 2020, but they stabilized and got lower. However, in November 2021 the Western world faced another challenge that impacted the whole job market and caused a labour shortage. Covid affected people’s choices and made them rethink their priorities, this forced workers to massively quit their jobs. So why did this happen?

The Great Resignation or in other words The Big Quit is an economic trend that appeared in 2021 during the ongoing Covid pandemic. These phenomena describe the process of individuals voluntarily quitting their jobs. According to data from Linkedin the industries that were affected by Great Resignation, the most include retail, healthcare, and hospitality. Even though each individual had his own reasons for leaving his job, here are some of the most common ones.

Low payment and no growth opportunities were the most common reasons, also a total of 41% of the workers left their previous jobs as they were not satisfied with their current salary. Not all companies were able to provide compensation benefits as well as additional bonuses to their employees, workers didn't get any guarantees of advancing to a higher position.

Work-life balance was one of the leading reasons why Great Resignation happened since many people reevaluated their goals and priorities. 72% of Europeans indicated that they felt burnout and unmotivated to continue working on their current position, many of them were physically and mentally exhausted, that’s why employees decided to pursue a different career path. In addition to added anxiety and stress, a great majority of people found remote work more effective and efficient. Some of them didn't support business coming back to fully in-person mode, since “work from home” experience had proven to boost employees’ productivity, reduce turnover, save time, and lower organizational costs.

The US statistics of 2021 show that young adults with a lower income were more likely to quit the job, in comparison to adults and middle to upper-income individuals. This proves that those who have less education and overall young generation is most likely to risk and switch to a different job position or even field, while others prefer stability and are not willing to risk.

The Great Resignation was definitely a big hit for many companies, however, businesses can still prevent employees from quitting their jobs. The management can easily spot the signs that would indicate the desire of employees to leave the company. Here are some of the main signs:

• Employees are less interested in what they are doing
• They do not participate in team meetings and their productivity decreases
• People are doing minimum work
• They are leaving the workplace early and ask for more sick leaves or days off

In such cases, it's essential to have an honest and open talk with your employee, listen to his concerns, and reach a compromise. Managers can offer their workers flexible schedules, different working modes, benefits and discuss further career opportunities. Directors also should show recognition to their workers, give credit for their hard work, provide feedback and stay connected as much as possible. Finally, if the employee feels overwhelmed, he should be allowed to take a short vacation to recharge and come back to the office with more energy and motivation.

Recent geopolitical events impacted many spheres including the job market. As Ukrainians started fleeing to various European countries including Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania, and the Baltic states, more companies started offering job opportunities. According to “Verslo žinios” currently there are around 7300 job offers in different Lithuanian cities, and during the first week, more than 170 Ukrainians were employed, also since March 1 employers are able to provide jobs to Ukainins refugees without any additional procedures. Some professionals that Ukrainians were employed as include teachers, cooks, tailors, administration workers, etc. In addition to this, some companies will provide a living place and flexible working schedule for everyone, especially for women with small kids. Both skilled and unskilled workers are needed, however, most of the proposals were received from the manufacturing sector, food and clothing, and other textile companies. The hospitality sector offered jobs in hotels and restaurants for the construction companies they are also looking for new colleagues.

The Ukrainian-Russian war impacted Lithuanians and their career choices as well. Many of them were thinking to relocate to other cities or even countries and find a new position there, but the fear of war changed their plans. Now many of them are searching for stable jobs in any sector, also those who wanted to leave their current companies and start new positions decided to remain in the place where they are now in order to not risk.

War is the word that many people wish not to hear, but as events in Ukraine unfold and Russian aggression towards Ukraine escalates, employers face fear, apathy, and uncertainty regarding the future including their job and wellbeing. Unfortunately, a great majority of people get traumatized by current events and many of them develop vicarious trauma. This condition can be transmitted through observation but not through direct contact. Information overload, violent videos and images, brutal acts, and immoral behaviors are the things that each individual observes on the media and affect his mental state. Sofiia Fedorkova, Social Media Manager at Soprana Personell International, who is also a native Ukrainian, will share some tips that may help others.

Limit exposure on social media

When the invasion started, all news portals and social media platforms were exploding with shocking and overwhelming information. According to Lara Wolfers from Leipzig Media Research Center, social media can serve as a stressor in many cases, when a person gets bombarded with disturbing information over and over again he may develop anxiety and other horrible conditions. Even though it is really tempting and the desire to stay updated is high, it’s crucial to set a rule for yourself to not check the news every minute. It is even harder when a person is at his workplace since loses focus and his mind is occupied with completely different stuff. In this case, setting a rule is key, an employee may finish his job-related task and then as a reward check the news, or he can try to not check any portal for at least 30 minutes.

Take actions

Studies have shown that it is easier to cope with stress when an individual is involved in something. During wartime there are plenty of things that anyone can do, some of them include donations, discussion groups, presentations, peaceful demonstrations, or voluntary activities. An employee can easily discuss share his thoughts and worries with the company’s employees, in this way he will relieve his stress and discuss with others things that bother him. Working in a bustling office can be hard during such times, so don’t hesitate to ask your boss for an option to work from home or even a day off.

Focus on self-care

Taking care of both physical and mental health is utterly important in this situation. Getting ample sleep, focusing on good nutrition, and spending more time outdoors exercising or simply walking will drastically improve the situation. “The first days were the hardest for me, as I was spending at least 7 hours a day on the phone, I was sleeping for 3-4 hours and my eating habits were awful, but when I started focusing on my health and my wellbeing, by spending more time outdoors and limiting my technology exposure, I noticed that my performance at work increased and I was more productive,” says Sofiia, Social Media Manager at Soprana Personell International. There are many apps that can help anyone to calm done and find life balance during these hard times. Here are the top five apps for self-care and meditation:

• Calm- one of the best apps- 70-400$
• Happify-great for sleep- $13 per month or $70 per year
• Headspace- great for meditation- free
• Insight Timer-best budget- $10 per month, $60 per yearMoodkit- great for
• Self-awareness and cognitive health- $4.99

Connect with others

War is an extreme situation and not everyone is prepared for such serious changes in the lifestyle. Both at work and in daily life a person may have troubles concentrating on regular tasks, he may have fear and even paranoia about the future of him and his family, emotional waves, anger, apathy, depression, and health problems like lack of appetite, headaches and stomach issues are the most common symptoms in this case. Connecting with other individuals who are affected by the same issue may be helpful and even beneficial since showing compassion to each other would relieve the stress and anxiety. Moral support from friends, work colleagues and even strangers can relieve and even eliminate some of them. However, if symptoms don’t go away or even intensify, it’s a good idea to seek professional help and talk with the psychologist in order to get back to normal life.

When the Covid-19 pandemic started, the world’s economy faced big challenges due to many businesses closing. Private sectors such as hotels, resorts, and restaurants were closed, so the hospitality industry encountered economic difficulties. Even though the Covid-19 situation has a long-lasting effect, Norway was able to recover its economy and open up to new opportunities

Hybrid hospitality

When Covid-19 hit most of the companies closed their offices and shifted to hybrid or remote work mode. When everything reopened coworking places became popular and many companies started offering their employees to rest somewhere while still working. Hotels took the initiative as they have the resources to combine hotel rooms for rest and office places for productive work. They also provide a wide range of options to choose from, such as gyms, food, cozy rooms, cafes, and many more. Hybrid hospitality offers many benefits including 24/7 services, adaptable spaces, and opportunities to connect with other professionals.

Scarcity of workers

The hospitality industry is facing a “labor crisis” since during the pandemic a lot of workers were left without jobs and found new opportunities in other areas. Due to the overall pandemic and economic situation, hospitality places were recruiting fewer people to reduce the cost. This resulted in a decrease in customer satisfaction. According to ReviewPro, in 2021 there was around a 1,4% increase in negative comments regarding staff members and their services. Besides, many remote areas are lacking skilled workers and their current employees need to multitask.

Digital Marketplace

Presence on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn has become crucial for any hospitality place. A company can increase its brand awareness and target a wider audience if it will actively post and develop its social media. Things like benefits, job offers, accomplishments, future goals, and visuals can be some of the ideas that can be posted online. In the case of seasonal workers, who work in different environments and with various businesses, it is important to understand the ways that would motivate them to come back to the company. With the active usage of social media and emphasis on job opportunities as well as benefits, a company can attract potential candidates with a relatively-low commitment way.

Soprana Personell International is a leading hospitality recruitment company in Baltics. We help businesses with staff recruitment as well as campaigns. Soprana helps its clients by taking over all administrative tasks, insurances, taxes, and other legal processes. Our clients will be provided with answers to all HR related questions and some specific recommendations on employer branding. As for the workers, they will have an opportunity to work in an international environment with a professional team.

Known for its magical skies, magnificent fjords, and welcoming people Norway remains a popular tourist destination, but jobs opportunities there are much more diverse. According to the data from “Statista” Norway has one of the lowest unemployment rates, which scores only 3,5%. Not to forget that Norway is ranked 3 as a country with a high amount of happy people.

High Quality of Life

Due to its rich economy, Norway is a country known for its high living standards. Even though Norway has a relatively high cost of living, people still maintain to have a healthy work-life balance. The minimum wage is not designed in Norway, since every employer has a right to decide how much he is willing to pay. Norway's employment rate is 74,4 percent, which is significantly higher compared to other European countries. A regular week consists of 7,5 hour days, on the weekends Norwegians tend to spend their free time outdoors with their loved ones. The secret of high living standards in Norway is simply a balance between work, outdoors activities, and a relaxed attitude towards life.

Captivating Sights

Norway offers jobs in modern innovative cities surrounded by mountains, as well as magnificent remote areas where you can work and enjoy nature at the same time. Those who enjoy a busy lifestyle should consider the vibrant and contemporary city of Oslo, with equipped co-working places, entrainment facilities, and shopping malls. People who prefer a calm and relaxing atmosphere should consider working in smaller cities which have spa centers, recreation facilities, restaurants and much more.

Social Security and Benefits

If you obtain a job in Norway and start paying taxes, social security will be provided and you will automatically be involved in the National insurance scheme. Each person can get a D-number or a social security number. In addition to this everyone can get benefits which include: healthcare services, sickness and disability benefits, retirement pension, family and pregnancy benefits. If a person loses his job he has a right to get unemployment payments. When there is a case of temporary layoff you do not need to work and your employer doesn't have to pay the wages. Due to the Norwegian leading economy, there are many more benefits that can be offered to everyone.

High demand for workers

As Norway’s GDP has been growing for over a decade and the job market expanding, Norway has a great variety of job opportunities in all sectors. Health, construction, and IT sectors are still in high demand, however after Norway eased its Covid-19 restrictions, the hospitality sector, which was stagnant for more than a year is finally opening up. “Hotels, restaurants and spa resorts are currently searching for chefs, bartenders, receptionists, and other hospitality staff”, says Arunas, Business Development Lead, at Soprana Personnel International. Due to the lack of qualified hospitality workers and the increasing number of foreigners that are coming to Norway, there is a high demand for skilled personnel.

Flat structure and inspiring working environment

Coming to Norway might be an adventure of a lifetime and a well-developed working environment would make it even better. Norwegian working environment has a flat structure, meaning that you will be on the same level as the managers. Trust, punctuality, and honesty are highly valued by Norwegians both at work and in daily life. ‘Frihet under ansvar’ is an unwritten rule which emphasizes the responsibility of an employee. Norway, being an egalitarian society aims to treat everyone with the same amount of respect.

Having stable mental health is a big challenge nowadays since many people are stressed due to their personal issues, busy working schedules, and hustling lifestyles. However, some of the external stressors that can influence our wellbeing include major life events, ongoing world conflicts, pandemics, and much more. It is essential to stay up to date and not distance yourself from the news source, however, it's even more important to set limits to how much information you should consume. Recent research had found that an individual may develop anxiety, PTSD, sleep disturbances, and even more serious mental traumas if he is routinely being exposed to depressing and disturbing events.
The topic of mental health is being widely discussed nowadays and there are many solutions that can potentially improve a person’s wellbeing. There is an ample number of ways to cope with stress, some professionals suggest staying active and distancing yourself from technology, others focus more on the body, lifestyle, and social interactions. In any case, we are lucky to have plenty of mobile apps that are available for everyone and that combine all practical tips as well as reading materials, which would definitely boost your mental state. Here are 5 most popular apps for self-care and welfare

Calm

The “Calm” app was founded in 2012 by entrepreneurs with the mission to help people and introduce them to meditation, different ways of relaxation and improve their sleep quality. Calm has a gorgeous interface with beautiful background imaginary and users can even customize the dashboard according to their own preferences. The main goal of the app is to improve the mental health of each individual, by offering focus and self-improvements meditations, which would also improve sleep quality and reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Main Benefits:

• Meditations available for kids and teenagers ages 3-17
• Check-in feature for tracking mood and gratitude
• Large selection of music with a sleep timer option
• Easy to use

Price: $14.99 a month

Happify

If you were ever interested in positive psychology or cognitive behavioral therapy, then Happify is the perfect self-guided app for you. App’s content is aspiring and approachable for people who don't have knowledge in psychology and therapy. Happify aims to help their users with building mindfulness, gain confidence and improve self-esteem, decrease anxiety levels and stop negative thought patterns. Happify app relies on science and that's why they collaborate with VIA Institute on Character to closely assess different character traits and develop unique approaches.

Main Benefits :

• User-friendly and non-intimidated app
• Learning materials, activities journals, and notes are supported by scientific researches
• Wide variety of guided meditations and quick activities

Price: $14.99 per month

Headspace

Headspace is one of the most popular and frequently downloaded apps in the world, due to its huge variety of meditations, breathing exercises, and other stress-relieving exercises. The app has four main categories: meditate, sleep, move and focus. There are numerous meditations for finding focus, creativity, and confidence. As for the “sleep” section it includes nighttime meditations, sleep radio which contains different relaxing sounds, and “sleep casts”. The “Move” section has a wide assortment of workouts guided by Olympians and finally “focus” section offers guided meditations and calming music. Headspace is also suitable for kids since it teaches them the basics of meditation and provides simple courses on the importance of benevolence and kindness.
Main benefits:

• Great for beginners
• Contains more than 100 meditations
• Statistics and daily progress is provided
• Website content is free and available for all users.

Price: $13 per month

Insight Timer

Insight tracker is a unique app with more than 44,000 meditations that can fit absolutely everyone. It is a huge library that consists of different workshops, live events yoga classes, and of course meditations on topics like stress, sleep, self-esteem, etc. It's also great for kids because it has stories that are engaging and can boost kids' interest in the area. One of the coolest things that “Insight Timer ” offers is the ability to connect with your mentors and the community, as each person has a different approach on the same issue, and sharing personal experiences might be helpful.
Main Benefits:

• More than 44,000 meditations
• Great variety of content
• Opportunity to connect with other like-minded people
• Free yoga classes and workshops are available

Price: $10 per month

Moodkit

Moodkit is an evidence-based app since it was developed by two clinical psychologists and it is also based on the principles that are frequently used in cognitive behavioral therapy. A “journal” feature can be used to track your current mood and focus on positive thoughts. It also has a wide variety of activities that a user can select and practice, for example, employment, productivity, social, physical, and healthy habits. All of the activities rely on scientific principles, that are designed to help each person cope with stress, reduce anxiety, find life balance, and improve overall wellbeing.
Main Benefits:

• Science and evidence-based
• Track your progress with the “journal” feature
• Affordable price

Price: $4.99