New Year Resolutions For Your Business

New Year Resolutions For Your Business New Year Resolutions For Your Business 3 Jan 2020 As we say goodbye to 2019 and step into the roaring 20s, people around the world are taking this opportunity to set new targets, make resolutions and revitalise their lifestyles. We wanted to share with you some ways to refresh your business and start off the new year on the right foot. Rethink Your Values A business’ values are at the core of what it does; the values should be the very essence of what it stands for. However, with the fast-paced and ever-evolving world we live in, sometimes it can sneak up on you that your values could do with a bit of a refresh. As companies grow and recruit new people, the culture will evolve and your values have to evolve concurrently to continue nurturing the culture that has made your business successful. So, now might be a good time to sit down with your team and enthusiastically dive into what your company is all about. If your values are still fresh and relevant to the business, consider new and exciting ways to further implement these into the day to day workings of the company; maybe use a recognition scheme to reward those that are fully embodying and displaying values (at Eden Scott, we have a regular  Values Champion  to recognise just that), or even just something as simple as displaying your values around the office for employees to see. Either way, there’s no better time than now to freshen up those values and get everyone excited about work again. Increase Your Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Companies are increasingly coming to appreciate the importance of diversity in the workplace and are making great efforts to improve their inclusion practices. If you’re not fully embodying this, you’re falling behind. Not only does it give you a varied cache of skills and capabilities, but diverse companies are said to make better business decisions 87% of the time. There’s myriad ways you can improve your efforts in this category; such as being mindful of the vocabulary in your job descriptions so not to exclude people, utilising assessment centres to create fair and transparent opportunities for candidates; and improving the accessibility of your physical environment to accommodate everyone. For more information on how to improve your diversity and inclusion efforts, read our previous blog on the subject. Boost Your CSR The relationship between businesses and society is becoming increasingly symbiotic and we have a moral duty to give back to the society that made our success possible. Not only does this have the immediate effect of doing something positive for your community, but it significantly helps your brand image. Businesses can’t stand back and be complacent anymore; 87% of consumers say that they would be willing to buy a product or service based on a company’s advocacy concerning a social matter. Also, effective CSR strategies can increase market revenue by 4-6%, highlighting the significance it now has. There are many ways to boost your CSR efforts in the new year, such as adopting a charity partner, swapping to suppliers that are more eco-friendly, hosting regular charity events, assigning staff a couple days a year to volunteer in a way of their choice; the possibilities are endless. Just focus on giving back and making a positive impact â€" you can never do too much. For some more inspiration, check out our Aberdeen office’s ‘10 charity activities for 10 years’ challenge! Prioritise Balance A healthy work-life balance is more important than ever before. Overworking is a very real epidemic and remuneration is not the only motivating factor for employees anymore. Benefits such as flexible working not only make your employees happier, it has also been proven to lead to higher productivity levels and greater staff retention. So, if you’re looking at improving in any of these areas, consider implementing more of a work-life balance in your employees’ (and your own!) schedules â€" they’ll thank you for it. Need more convincing? Read up on the hidden benefits of flexible working. Here’s to the New Year The new year is a perfect time to recharge and make fun memories, but it’s also an excellent time to reflect and set new goals. No matter how big or small, setting new targets for both yourself and your business provides great motivation to tackle the new year positively. So, raise a glass to your efforts over the past year and then start preparing for the exciting work ahead. If you’re looking to take the opportunity to recruit in the new year, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Other blogs in our wellness series include: How to deal with workplace stress Advice from musicians about happiness at work How you can, as an employer or employee, change the psychology of the workplace for the better New year resolutions for your business How to motivate your team through the January blues When is it time to change careers?