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Cal Wilson / April 5, 2022

Authenticity in the workplace – the key to business success?

We hear the word ‘authentic’ thrown around a lot, often regarding what people, or rather consumers, want when interacting with a business. So, what does it mean to be authentic in business? In this article of The Pulse, we revisit a topic we first looked at all the way back in 2007.  

What is authenticity? 

The word authentic has several accepted definitions. These include: 

  • Worthy of acceptance or belief, as conforming to or based on fact.  
  • Conforming to an original, so as to reproduce essential features, or made or done the same way as an original.  
  • Not false or imitation.  
  • True to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.  

Regarding business, we can assume that we are looking at primarily the latter two meanings when it comes to how we represent ourselves, and perhaps the first two when it comes to our products and services.  

How can we apply this meaning to business today? In 2007, our article about authenticity stated, “as reality is qualified, altered, and commercialized, consumers respond to what is engaging, personal, memorable – and above all, authentic. If customers don’t view your offerings as real, you’ll be branded inauthentic – fake! – and risk losing credibility, customers, and ultimately the sale.” 

Does this hold up in 2022? 

Fifteen years later, is this still what consumers are looking for? According to experts, yes. According to Forbes, “burgeoning research on authenticity has documented its many benefits, including greater levels of well-being and life satisfaction” and “many organizations encourage employees to bring their true selves to work to spark proactivity, creativity, and effectiveness.” 

Why is authenticity important? 

As Forbes suggests, authenticity in business has a lot of benefits, from how your employees work and relate to each other, to how your customers see your brand.  

Here are some of the benefits of authenticity for your employees: 

  • It allows them to make a more informed decision about where they want to work, and whether they’ll be a good fit.       
  • Allows for better collaboration and trust between staff.  
  • Fewer interpersonal conflicts. 
  • Higher job performance. 
  • OfficeVibe says that authenticity leads to a sense of ‘psychological safety’ among staff. 
  • Employees will feel safe to provide better feedback and suggest newer, more innovative ideas.  

Likewise, the benefits for your customers: 

  • Allows customers to make decisions about where they get their goods/services based on an understanding of shared values and priorities, such as environmentally friendly initiatives, or inclusive, safe spaces.  
  • Happier and more confident employees will deliver better, more satisfying results for customers, which can lead to longer relationships, repeat customers, and recommendations and testimonials for your business.  

Do employees feel safe to be authentic in the workplace? 

It’s easy to say authenticity is welcome, but it’s another to make staff and clients believe it. At least ten percent of American employees feel they cannot be their authentic selves in the workplace, believing it could be detrimental to their job. However, 72% said they feel they are authentic at work.  

Forbes says, “when a person shares the values, priorities, and beliefs of the organization, their true self will be celebrated and appreciated by others.” 

In other words, if your business can demonstrate that its values and beliefs are in line with those of your ideal workers and customers, you’ll find that both will be able to be more authentic with you. Part of doing this means that managers and executives have a duty to authenticity, as well.  

How can leaders foster authenticity? 

Creating a workplace where staff can be authentic, and where customers trust in that authenticity, is going to be a top-down process. It starts with the leadership.  

As a business owner, manager, or leader in your workplace, there are specific ways to model authenticity that you can begin practicing if you don’t already: 

  • Don’t be afraid to be yourself – you don’t have to put on an act to get respect from your team. Instead, trust them and allow yourself to build those stronger connections.  
  • Model making mistakes and being resilient – you’re only human, and that’s okay. It’s okay to make errors and mistakes, and turn those into opportunities for positive growth. There’s nothing less believable than an infallible person, right? 
  • Start and encourage productive discussions with your team. Did you know, as much as 24% of employees don’t feel like their peers welcome different opinions?  
  • Create opportunities to get to know your team authentically, and for them to get to know each other the same way.  

In conclusion… 

In 2007, we said that authenticity mattered in the workplace. That is just as true in 2022. In order to have the happiest employees and customers alike, fostering authenticity in the workplace is a must.  

Cal Wilson / March 22, 2022

How play can spark new ideas for your business.

In an ever-changing world where businesses need to constantly re-imagine themselves in order to maintain a competitive edge, Martin Reeves recommends play and imagination for business executives.  

Instead of all work and no play, Reeves talks about how the right play can lead to more successful work and companies with more longevity.  

For more information, watch Reeve’s Ted Talk: How play can spark new ideas for your business. 

Cal Wilson / March 8, 2022

How can businesses find and keep great talent?

In our last issue of The Pulse, we talked about the consequences of the declining rate of students enrolling in post-secondary studies. One of the impacts was that employers will continue to struggle to find qualified applicants to fill open positions. That means employee retention is more important now than ever. Business owners and managers would be wise to focus on giving their talent a reason to stay long term, where possible.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we look at what employees want, what some managers might be getting wrong, and how to foster a workplace culture that promotes longevity.  

It’s harder than ever to recruit qualified talent.  

You’ve probably heard that statement a lot lately, and there is some truth behind it. Following what has been dubbed the Great Resignation last year, a lot of jobs are open, and business owners are desperate to fill them. However, that’s not because talented job seekers don’t exist.  

According to Slate, many job seekers are unhappy with company policies, and many workers can accurately identify why recruitment is unsuccessful. In fact, it’s oftentimes the same policies that drive employees to leave.  

Let’s take a look.  

The price isn’t right? 

Slate found that businesses looking for new talent aren’t doing enough to make themselves competitive. In fact, they’re often asking for too much experience for entry-level jobs while “still operating on a model of underpaying and overworking at a time when workers have much better options.”  

Likewise, many of the employers aren’t changing their compensation policies to better match today’s realities. Examples workers gave to Slate include: 

  • Inadequate salaries to cover the cost of working in-person in expensive cities.  
  • Limited personal days with no room for negotiation.  
  • No COVID-related sick-time.  
  • Unreasonable experience expectations.  
  • Positions that are too demanding.  
  • Extremely slow hiring processes that can take weeks if not a month.  

No matter what your personal perspective on these issues is, this is the point of view of many workers in today’s world. And with a shortage of workers and abundance of jobs, companies are going to need to start meeting those demands if they want to recruit new talent and, more importantly, to hold onto existing employees.  

They key is adapting to the here and now.  

One of the big concerns should be, as an employer, do your employees have better options elsewhere, and could they leave you struggling to fill a role? What can you do to make your business more attractive to job seekers, but also to those you hope will stick around into the foreseeable future?  

Slate’s advice is to ditch the resistance to adapting to new conditions, and meet workers where they’re at, when possible.  

This is in your financial interest, too.  

Putting the extra effort into hiring the right people from the start, as well as keeping them around, is worth making some changes for. 

Research has found turnover costs companies $15,000 USD per worker. Likewise, stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found 31% of American workers will leave a new job before the six-month mark.  

So why do employees leave? 

According to Connect Team, some of the common reasons listed in exit interviews and offboarding are: 

  • Low salary 
  • Poor benefits 
  • Lack of room for growth or career advancement 
  • Feeling of being overworked, lacking recognition, lacking challenge or motivation, etc.  
  • Dissatisfaction with management 
  • Poor work-life balance or company culture 
  • Inflexible scheduling and lack of remote options 

What will make them stay? 

If you want to avoid the cost of turnover, here are some strategies you can take: 

  • Begin early with a thorough onboarding process that includes establishing goals for their first week, month, three months, year, and so on. Give every new hire the opportunity to raise questions and concerns in a safe way.  
  • Pair newer hires with seasoned employees to act as a kind of mentor while they adjust to the workplace.  
  • Make sure your employee has all the tools they need to succeed in the role.  
  • Establish a healthy line of communication between newer hires and their managers/supervisors.  
  • Celebrate wins and milestones. 
  • Build a workplace culture that prioritizes professionalism without stress or tension. This includes promoting a healthy work-life balance for all employees, and yourself, and making respect a primary value in the workplace,  
  • Ask for feedback and act on it. 
  • Practice team-building activities or outings. 
  • Offer additional training and professional development opportunities. 
  • Work to earn your employees’ trust and honor it.  
  • Challenge your employees in a positive way that promotes their growth.  
  • Offer flexibility with schedules and hybrid working models, if applicable to your business. This is especially important when research has found, as of 2021, 74% of the U.S. workforce would be willing to quit their job for the opportunity to work from home.  
  • Don’t make sudden changes to your employees’ routine/role – change is good, but not if it’s going to give your employees whiplash.  

At the end of the day, the important thing is to listen to your employees and treat them with the consideration they need to do good work for your business.  

In conclusion… 

The labor market is always in flux. Sometimes there are fewer jobs than seekers, but right now it’s the inverse. Employers will have to make changes and amendments to their set habits and policies in order to attract new workers and encourage them to stay.  

Cal Wilson / February 22, 2022

Are fewer young people planning on attending post-secondary education?

In 2021, following what has been dubbed the “Great Resignation,” many businesses found themselves in the troubling position of having positions to fill but not enough qualified applicants to fill them.  

Among other things, 2021 highlighted a shortage in skilled workers. Likewise, new data shows that this may continue to be an issue in the future as fewer and fewer young adults enroll in post-secondary education with every passing year.  

In this issue of The Pulse, we look at this phenomenon and how it might impact businesses in the future.  

2021 saw a concerning drop in post-secondary students. 

Data released in January found that there are currently one million fewer students enrolled in American colleges and universities in comparison to pre-pandemic numbers. In the fall semester of 2021 alone, institutions saw 500,000 fewer undergraduate students.  

According to the National Student Clearinghouse research center: 

  • Enrollment has fallen 6.6% in total since fall semester of 2019. 
  • This represents the largest two-year decline in over 50 years.  
  • Community colleges have seen a 13% decline from pre-pandemic enrollment.  
  • Roughly half the shrinkage comes from four-year programs.  

Is this representing a cultural shift?  

While the consequences of the pandemic have accelerated this trend, enrollment has been declining steadily over the past decade.  

These young adults aren’t just doing nothing. In fact, unemployment is down, and many businesses are struggling to find workers. Instead, many who might have streamlined to college before the pandemic, are now out working, as the wages for unskilled or low-skilled positions continue to increase. And of course, everything else is on the rise too; rent, gas, groceries. The choice between work and school might not be much of a choice at all. 

What does this mean for businesses? 

While this might have long-terms impact on some of the individuals who are choosing to postpone or forgo post-secondary education, it will also certainly hurt the economy.  

Tony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, explained the impact to NPR.  

“The direct loss to the economy is the workers themselves. If they were trained and ready, they would get higher-wage jobs and they would add more to GDP, making us all richer and increasing taxes, reducing welfare costs, crime costs, on and on. When you hire the crane operator, the crane operator goes and buys groceries. So the grocery clerk has a job.” 

Now more than ever, many jobs require some level of post-secondary training. Meaning, workers with anything after grade twelve are increasingly needed.  

A drop in post-secondary enrollment means that the future could find even more jobs sitting empty, and a continued skills gap in the labor market. This will leave many businesses struggling to run, leading to issues like decreased tax revenue, inflated prices, production delays, and supply chain issues.  

What can be done? 

The problem here is not the students – or lack of students – themselves. It’s not even the educational institutions who are to blame. While universities and colleges across the continent are ramping up enrollment incentives and advertising campaigns, it’s going to take a lot more than good marketing to fix this issue.  

Pandemic closures and increased cost of living are doing more to deter students than colleges can advertise around.  

In conclusion… 

In the coming years, businesses across North America may see struggles to recruit and maintain qualified staff, as post-secondary enrollment is at a 500,000 decrease in undergraduate students.  

While there isn’t much that can be done, on an individual level, to remedy the larger problem, businesses can focus on management strategies and workplace culture to maintain the talent they already have. 

Cal Wilson / February 14, 2022

What is surcharging and should your business do it?

If you accept any kind of credit card payment, you may have heard of surcharging. It’s the practice of adding an additional charge to a customer’s purchase to cover the fees a payment processor requires for processing credit cards.

While it may seem like a win for you, the merchant, it’s not a completely problem-free practice.

In this article, we take a look at this practice. Should your business consider it? What are the pros and cons?

Why do some merchants surcharge?

Every time a customer swipes their Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or other kind of credit card, you incur a processing fee. These are called interchange fees. According to Quickbooks, the following variables impact a merchant’s interchange fees:

  • The credit card company
  • The type of card being used – i.e., whether it’s a rewards card, a business card, etc.
  • How the transaction is processed – POS, over the phone, or online.
  • The price of the product or service.
  • The type of business of the merchant.
  • Whether the transaction is domestic or international.

Likewise, rates change twice a year, in April and October.

Interchange fees are just one of the many fees merchants are charged to be able to accept credit card payments.

How does surcharging work?

Without surcharging, that fee lies squarely on the merchant.

If you’re looking to pass that expense onto the customer, you have two kinds of surcharging options; brand or product surcharging. Brand surcharging adds a charge every time a customer uses a card from a specific credit card provider; some merchants may add a surcharge, for example, on Visa purchases, but not Discover purchases. Surcharging on the product level, however, only adds surcharges on certain types of cards under a specific brand. Merchants may choose one option, but not both.

Surcharging is subject to different laws in different regions.

As you can imagine, in order to protect the consumer, surcharging is heavily regulated. In some places, it is not legal at all.

In fact, in the United States, surcharging is illegal in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. In Canada, service fees can only be added on certain kinds of transactions.

For the regions where surcharging is a legal practice, merchant are beholden to a surcharging cap. These vary by area, but often fall around 4%. The caps are put in place to prevent merchants from making profit from surcharges.

No matter where you are, if you surcharge, your business is subject to rules of disclosure. Merchants must disclose their intention to surcharge ahead of a transaction, and at multiple touchpoints while a customer is in the store. This includes such notices as a sign notifying the business’ surcharging practice at the store entrance, as well as at the point-of-sale. The surcharge dollar amount should also be clearly visible on the customer’s receipt.

While these practices keep surcharging ethical, they can also be off-putting to some customers, who only see the addition of a fee they might not completely understand.

Does surcharging save your business money?

There is no simple answer to this question. It can, but it depends on your business and your customers.

According to Evolve Payment, “[i]f your industry is a ‘race to the bottom’ where the lowest price wins, then surcharging is likely to hurt more than it helps. This is especially true in B2B industries with corporate contracts.”

For some businesses, adding fees like surcharges is going to be more common practice and expected by the customer. In other industries, it might hurt your chance of making a sale.

Fortunately, there are other strategies.

So your credit card processing fees are eating into your revenue, but you don’t think surcharging is the right move for your business. Not to worry – there are other things you can do to ease the expenses.

For example, instead of surcharging, many businesses offer cash discounting.  In this practice, merchants discount the price of purchase if the customer pays with anything other than a credit card. And, while surcharging isn’t legal continent-wide, cash discounting is.

Cash discounting is only possible if you have a certain amount of wiggle room on your markup pricing. However, when it is an option, it certainly is a bonus for customer experience.

Another tactic is setting a minimum for credit card payments. Depending on your rates, it may not be profitable to offer credit card payments under a certain dollar amount.

Another strategy is working to reduce your overall merchant services spend. Part of this is exploring what options are available to you among multiple vendors, knowing rates are fair, and how to negotiate for the best price. A cost reduction professional who specializes in merchant services might be your best asset if you take this route.

In conclusion…

As Evolve Payment says, “surcharging is, at the end of the day, passing business expenses onto your customers.”

While it has the potential of saving you money on your variable expenses, it’s not always a great strategy optically. Offering cash payment incentives, working to reduce your overall merchant services fees, and ensuring you’re paying the correct rates, are alternative strategies to reduce your spend while keeping customers happy

Related articles:

Cal Wilson / February 9, 2022

Is sleeping well the key to workplace success?

Oftentimes, our working culture suggests that the key to success is putting in long hours, sacrificing sleep and wellness for the ‘grind.’ But is that really the way to get ahead? Some experts don’t believe so.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we are exploring sleep. How much do we need? What priority should it take? And how can we use it to counter workplace stress and manifest success?  

What is the 42% rule? 

How much sleep do we really need in order to be well-rested and ready to tackle work? One school of thought promotes the 42% rule to foster mental health and reduce work stress.  

This means that 42% of your time over a given period – whether it be a day, a week, or a month – should be dedicated to rest. That’s an average of 10 hours per 24 hour period, if you choose to break it into days. This is the ratio your body needs to function at its best.  

Think about times in the past where you’ve needed to ‘catch up on sleep.’ Maybe after you came home from a trip, or couldn’t sleep on a long flight. Maybe after you put in extra hours on a big project. If, afterwards, it felt like your battery was completely drained and you needed more rest than usual to get back to normal, this is likely because you were missing your 42%.  

Rest doesn’t have to be sleep.  

Although it may seem utopian to imagine sleeping for ten hours every day, your 42% doesn’t have to be solely comprised of sleep. Restful activities can also include: 

  • Relaxing/connecting conversations with loved ones
  • Eating
  • Certain kinds of exercise 
  • Activities or hobbies that help you destress

Essentially, if you’re using more than fourteen hours a day – or the equivalent ratio in a given period – on work or other strenuous, productive activities, your body might demand you catchup on rest some other time.  

How do sleep and rest impact your stress levels?  

Stress is more than just an emotional state. It’s physiological as well, impacting everything from your immune system to your digestion. Likewise, stress is connected to how much we allow ourselves to rest.  

  • Irritability 
  • Trouble focusing 
  • Poor memory 
  • Muscle strain 
  • Increased risk of several chronic illnesses  

All these things, especially irritability, memory, and focus issues in the short term, can have a significant impact on workplace stress and performance. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), “most Americans would be happier, healthier and safer if they were to sleep an extra 60 to 90 minutes per night.” 

The APA has also found that stress levels are higher in individuals who sleep fewer than eight hours a night.  

How does stress impact your work performance? 

While a certain amount of stress can keep you on your toes – some people work best under pressure, after all – in general, stress can have an extremely negative impact on your work life. The long term affects of stress on your job may include: 

  • Strained relations with your coworkers and supervisors 
  • Diminished self-esteem and confidence in your performance 
  • Lack of focus 
  • Trouble processing new information 
  • Increased likelihood of errors during both analytical and physical tasks
  • Poorer overall health

In conclusion… 

Sleep is incredibly important to our bodies, our minds, and every aspect of our lives. In order to be our best selves both at work and at home, it’s important to prioritize sleep and rest in our daily schedules.  

Despite the pressures of a culture that celebrates all-nighters and overtime, one of the best things you can do for your career success is build healthy sleep schedules into your life and respect your body’s needs. 

Cal Wilson / January 31, 2022

Construction companies – how can you keep expenses low when prices are on the rise?

2022 is looking to be a year of careful balance for construction companies. On the one hand, demand for projects is up, increasing job opportunities across the industry. On the other, ongoing supply chain issues, among other causes, are seeing the cost of doing business steadily increasing.  

In this article, we’ll examine the current climate for the construction industry, and share some advice on how contractors can keep certain expenses low to protect their bottom line and make the most of growing demand.  

Industry demand is on the rise in Q1 of 2022.  

A recent survey conducted by Associated General Contractors (AGC) and Sage found an overall optimism looking ahead into 2022 across construction contractors.  

Specifically, the survey found that contractors expect to see a high demand for the following kinds of projects: 

  • Highway and bridge  
  • Transit and rail  
  • Airports 
  • Water and sewage
  • Power infrastructure
  • Private sector
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Residential
  • Educational facilities
  • Manufacturing facilities

According to AGC and Sage, the only areas in which construction companies are unlikely to see an increase in business are in retail and private office projects.  

Many companies are looking to expand.  

These positive projections are leading many businesses to expand. In fact, 74% of the firms AGC and Sage surveyed responded they looked to increase their headcount in 2022, compared to only 9% looking to downsize.  

However, with continentwide labor shortages impacting all industries, many construction companies looking to expand are having trouble doing so. Not only does this prevent the companies’ desired growth, but also limits the projects they can take and turnaround time of completing said projects. 

The supply chain is also an issue. 

Labor shortages have only been made harder by supply chain delays inflating the price and availability of materials. The majority of contractors have found that projects are taking longer and costing more.   

According to international property and construction consultancy firm Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) construction costs in Canada and the United States are up an average of 7.42% from pre-pandemic rates.  

So what do construction companies do to stay profitable? 

Even in difficult economic situations, there are strategies businesses can take to remain profitable.  

With the supply chain crisis, certain expenses are inevitably going to increase. Materials, for example, are an area where it is difficult to make concessions based on price, considering their necessity in finishing any job. So while the prices of materials and their delivery may be on the rise, cost management in other areas can go a long way in helping your bottom line.  

One such expense is fuel.  

Fuel is a big spend for many contractors.  

Every contractor goes through some degree of motor fuel, and that spend will vary from project to project. It is difficult to dedicate the time to sourcing the most cost-effective and dependable fuel supplier. However, optimizing fuel costs can hugely benefit your business’ bottom line.  

According to industry publication Construction Business Owner,  some areas where contractors struggle with their fuel spends include: 

  • Knowing how and when to purchase fuel at optimal levels.  
  • Ensuring accurate fuel inventories.  
  • Implementing tank monitoring and fuel-control systems, which “can drive greater business value through access to real-time fuel usage and cost data”. 
  • Auditing transportation and fuel related expenses to implement savings strategies and keener financial management.  

“No matter the size of the company, there can be a lack of coordination and communication between its various expenses,” Construction Business Owner warns. “This can result in additional, often unnecessary fuel-inventory reporting processes that can lead to disruptive runouts or inefficient refueling needs, with any mistakes potentially leading to higher fuel costs or prohibitive equipment downtime.” 

Depending on your location, some of your fuel expenses might be tax deductible.  

One solution to saving on fuel expenses is by understanding which of them are tax deductible. Quickbooks advises that construction businesses, you can’t deduct the commute between your home and the jobsite, but you can deduct trips between multiple job sites, as well as those made for business-related trips throughout the day. 

On top of the price of gasoline, various other transportation related expenses can generally be deducted on your yearly taxes. These include: 

  • Lease payments 
  • Insurance
  • Maintenance and repairs
  • Vehicle registration
  • Parking and tolls

Come tax season, make sure to work with your bookkeeper to be thorough and use deductibles to your business’ advantage.  

Work with professionals.  

There are software and technology that assist in monitoring and alerting managers to best fuel practices. Likewise, working with cost reduction professionals can save the time and hassle in auditing fuel spend, researching market insights, and finding and implementing solutions. 

In conclusion..  

With the construction industry looking forward to a prosperous year of growth and new projects, economic issues such as labor and supply shortages. 2022 will be a year of balancing opportunity with expense, and as such, there is no better time than the present to optimize fuel expenses.  

Cal Wilson / January 26, 2022

The hidden power of compliments.

Despite the often-sincere goodwill behind compliments, some of us are nevertheless nervous about giving and receiving them. However, research shows that there are real benefits to being on both ends of a compliment.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we are looking at the hidden power of compliments, and examining how they might have an impact on your workplace and working relationships. 

Anxiety prevents us from giving compliments.  

If you’re being genuine, all compliments come from a good place. However, the natural human anxiety surrounding how others perceive us can hold us back from letting others know how we feel.  

If I tell them I appreciate their work, will they think I’m being patronizing? Will they think I’m a suck up? Worries like these silence us from saying what we feel. We can all remember a time when we held back from sharing a complimentary sentiment for fear of how it would be interpreted.  

However, new evidence suggests that our fears are unfounded, and that by keeping our compliments to ourselves, we are missing out on significant benefits to our relationships.  

Psychologists are paying more attention to compliments.  

In the past decade, researchers in the field of psychology have begun to take a closer look at the power of compliments.  

One of the big ideas to come from studies over this period is the idea of reciprocity. This means, an act of kindness like a compliment allows for mutual goodwill, and generally makes the recipient more likely to follow a compliment with a helpful deed.  

Think of the English phrase, “paying a compliment.” This implies that compliments are in nature transactional, even when we mean them sincerely. Although this may seem like a jaded way to describe compliments and praise, if we break it down, this is a communication tool to help us uplift each other and strengthen our relationships.  

Compliments break down social discomfort.  

Research has also found that actively engaging in giving compliments can disprove some of our social anxieties.  

In studies where participants are asked to randomly pay compliments to strangers or pre-existing relationships, results found participants both underestimated how happy the recipient would be to hear praise and overestimated how awkward and uncomfortable they would feel during the experience. Consequently, participants found the exchanges surprisingly pleasant.  

Researchers have tied this phenomenon to the human perception of our own social competence. When challenged to compliment a friend or stranger, we worry we will not come across competently; whether due to poor articulation or incorrect tone.  

As it turns out, most people don’t care if you deliver a compliment clumsily. The compliment itself makes them feel seen.  

Compliments in the workplace.  

The science behind compliments and the concept of reciprocity is directly linked to the way positive feedback is a powerful tool in the workplace. In fact, it may be one of the most powerful tools employers and managers have at their disposal.  

For example, a study by Intel and Duke University found that verbal praise is a more powerful motivator for workers than even a cash bonus.  

What does this tell us? If you’re in any kind of supervisory or collaborative role in your job, it’s important to pay attention to the language you use. Do you effectively communicate praise and positive feedback? If not, you could be missing an opportunity to motivate and bond your team.  

So how do we pay compliments? 

The answer is: authentically. There’s no need to overthink it. If you have praise to deliver, deliver it.  

At the same time, don’t feel the need to lay it on thick. Over-complimenting may come across as insincere. Avoid this by giving credit where credit is due, and not digging for reasons to pay compliments.  

Stick to the kind of compliments that convey the recipients’ social value, to you, your workplace, friendship, team, etc. 

In conclusion… 

Compliments hold power; the kind of power we often let go unutilized because of our own anxiety in giving compliments. Whether a work, family, or social relationship of any kind, giving compliments to those you value is important. Don’t miss an opportunity. 

Cal Wilson / January 17, 2022

What will 2022 look like for VoIP phone systems?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) helps businesses across the world better manage phone systems which need a growing number of lines, virtual solutions, worldwide capacity, and more. In comparison to traditional analog phone systems, VoIP phone systems tend to have lower costs and higher reliability.  

For these reasons, VoIP is becoming increasingly popular with businesses. This trend isn’t slowing down in 2022; in fact, it’s picking up speed. In this article, we look at the future of VoIP technology, and what you can expect to see from providers this year.  

The industry is growing.  

With the digitization of communication still going strong, the VoIP industry is seeing the benefits. One provider, RingCentral, reported its subscription revenue grew 34% since pre-pandemic sales. Experts predict the industry will grow by at least 55 billion USD by 2025. This is due in part to the technology’s large expansion into previously untapped markets.  

For years, specialized business phone systems were used mainly by larger enterprises with hundreds of employees. Nowadays, the cost and customizability of VoIP has made it accessible to all businesses, whether you’re an office that needs a few phone lines or a call center requiring hundreds.  

The VoIP industry’s growth will include exciting new trends that take the convenience and mobility of this tech forward into a new era.  

VoIP is part of the rise of UCaaS.  

In 2022, we will likely see VoIP expanding as one part of a larger Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) product. UCaaS platforms offer services like VoIP along with a suite of other cloud-hosted communication services, such as video/web conferencing, instant messaging, faxing services, and collaboration tools.  

As TrustRadius explains, “one large benefit UCaaS brings is the ability to centralize virtually all online communication within one platform. Rather than having to purchase a separate video conferencing tool, instant messaging application, and voice solution, companies can invest in one product that has it all.” 

One of the trends that will continue to grow in 2022 with UCaaS is integrated communications apps, which host all the communications tools, including VoIP, from a single application. This prevents the frustration of having to switch between multiple apps or overload your devices with several different communications software running.  

As UCaaS continues to save enterprises time, money, and hassle, VoIP will continue to grow alongside it.  

5G capability will expand VoIP’s accessibility.  

With the number of 5G compatible devices being sold on the rise in North America, VoIP systems will inevitably be impacted.  

5G compatibility for devices with a VoIP phone installed could potentially solve two of the biggest concerns that hold some back from making the transition from traditional phone systems: 

  • Call latency leading to dropped calls. 
  • Quality of service on 4G networks.  

While VoIP is an improvement on traditional phone systems in a lot of ways, we all know internet connectivity can be spotty, especially in high traffic environments. Luckily, 5G promises significant improvements. While VoIP services on 4G networks can take 10 milliseconds to connect to a network, creating some latency, 5G is reported to speed this up to less than one millisecond.  

Likewise, because of the capabilities of newer devices and stronger networks, many VoIP providers now support applications on iOS and Android, alongside the typically desktop/softphone solutions. This has huge benefits for companies with remote or travelling workers.  

VoIP will be integrated with AI.  

In 2022 and onwards, we will see increasing integration of VoIP with AI customer service technology. 

With AI’s propensity for analysis, automation, and convenience, the combination of AI and VoIP will seriously change the way many businesses do customer service. It enables companies to: 

  • Set up advanced call routing. 
  • Use auto attendants to handle incoming calls.  
  • Speed up communications for customer service lines and reduce wait/hold times. 
  • Create smarter digital assistants that will conduct real-time analysis that gathers a customer’s emotional state and other information.  
  • Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) tech to translate voice or video calls in real time.  
  • Prevent fraud for businesses of all sizes.  

The potential benefits of this technology are endless and will result in quicker interactions and less customer frustration.  

VoIP and CRM integration.  

Some companies have already made the smart move of integrating their VoIP solutions with their CRM data. Going forward, this will become increasingly standard practice.  

When VoIP and CRM are integrated, whenever a known customer or client number calls, the system automatically loads all their information, saving time and confusion on both ends of the interaction. In sensitive industries, such as banking, this can also prevent mistakes and data breaches from happening.  

The Education Industry is tapped for VoIP adoption.  

While enterprises were early adopters of VoIP across industries, 2022 is looking to be a big year for VoIP and UCaaS integration within the education world.  

The rise of remote learning has created a need for virtual communication platforms that are accessible to teachers, staff, and students alike.  

A good UCaaS system would provide a host of benefits to a school doing in person, remote, or hybrid teaching. This includes: 

  • Adding supplemental learning sessions, enrichment classes, labs, and more virtually.  
  • Offer tutoring to the curriculum hosted online.  
  • Allow staff, students, and parents to request equipment, forms, books, and more in an automated, trackable way.  
  • Allows teachers to send bulk emails, announcements, and voice messages to students. 

While post-secondary institutions are leading the adoption of this tech, it seems that UCaaS is the future of education across the board.  

In conclusion… 

2022 is projected to be a great year for business phone system providers, whether that be just VoIP or UCaaS as a whole. Global circumstances, tech advancements, and more have created the perfect environment for the rapid growth of virtual communications solutions, which means a lot more opportunities for businesses to find services that fit their needs.  

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Cal Wilson / January 12, 2022

Is the office evolving for a new era of work?

For generations, the office has been both an important physical space of work and a symbol of North American working culture. It has dictated our daily lives – the way we work, socialize, and how we represent our working culture in the media.  

However, a post-pandemic landscape has the future of the office looking a lot different than the space that has occupied our working expectations for decades. In this issue of the Pulse, we look at the projected direction of the office, and whether or not it’s truly homeward bound.  

Did 2020 change the office forever? 

Two years on, and it still feels like we are grappling between a supposed return to normalcy and a bigger push towards hybrid work. Can we really return to a traditional office setting? Many believe the answer is no.  

Square Enix’s hybrid solution.  

As reported by CBC, the Montréal location of Japanese video game developer Square Enix has approached the return to office on a person-by-person, voluntary basis. Beginning in September of 2021, it allowed staff to choose to return to the office or remain working from home.  

Of Square Enix Montréal’s approximate 150 employees, a mere 20 are working out of the office each day as of CBC’s report. The employees who did choose to return cited socialization, getting out of the house, and collaboration with colleagues as their biggest reasons behind their choice.  

While the initial office shutdown and transition to work from home presented challenges – as anyone who experienced this transition can empathize with – its current hybrid solution is what’s working best for the employees.  

How do downsized offices accommodate staff?  

Hybrid working solutions, like Square Enix has adopted, often mean a business can save on expenses by downsizing.  

In Square Enix’s case, one solution has been to reduce the number of machines and devices kept in the building. Since staff devices are largely kept at home, there is not a 1:1 ratio of devices to staff in the office. Instead, employees coming into the office book the use of a floating workstation for a given day.  

Believe it or not, there are even applications for enterprises that allow employees to collaboratively book workspaces and schedule days in the office.  

Canadian telco Telus is headed towards a similar setup when its offices reopen this year, with the vast majority of employees still expected to be working virtually.  

Telus’ director of people and culture, Jennifer Anquetil, told CBC that leadership is being encouraged to move toward a workplace environment where “the office is a place to collaborate and meet with team members, on whatever schedule ‘makes sense for the individual and their team.’” 

This will see huge changes for the company which employs 29,000 people across the country.  

What are the real estate implications? 

Downsizing offices might see a change in the way businesses rent or lease properties.  

A typical commercial lease is signed in five- or ten-year periods. So, while not all companies who are looking to downsize their office spaces can immediately do so, many may be finding they’re looking for different spaces or solutions as their lease terms come to an end in coming years.  

What could this mean for the commercial real estate market? Could larger office buildings be sitting empty in the future?  

Not every company functions the same.  

While its important to listen to data and employees asking from virtual or hybrid solutions, your business does not have to conform to what others are doing play for play. As Forbes points out, the future of the office does not have to be a one-size-fits-all solution.  

Going fully or mostly virtual will not work for all companies, especially those with both highly collaborative and highly skilled roles.  

Likewise, Forbes says, “organizations that are more sales- and customer service-centric than many other industries need the human connection that makes their teams stronger and more nimble and promotes career growth.” 

A hybrid model of work is certainly the future of the workplace, but what that hybrid looks like should depend on what is best for your business and your staff.  

In conclusion… 

The future of the office is still uncertain. As many companies begin to downsize, re-imagine, or phase out the traditional concept of the office, others are still nonfunctional without this space. One thing is for sure, working culture is changing, and with that, so will the spaces it creates.