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If like me, you are a working parent you’re facing the challenge of balancing work and home life like never before. How do you work remotely – and effectively, at that – when your home has also become a school and a playground? Below are several tips my team and I implemented in our own homes to help our families adjust to this novel situation.   1. Making A Plan Making a plan is a great place to start. Children of all ages thrive on structure, and in these uncertain times, it can help give them a sense of normality. It will also make you more productive. Here are some things to include in your plan: time for meals, quiet time, playtime, online schooling and homework. However, don’t stress over maintaining a strict schedule. Remember, this is new for everyone – your schedule will be a work-in-progress for some time until you sort out what works best for you and your family. Sometimes, it helps to involve your older children in managing their schedule and giving them some options for flexibility, so they feel they have more control over their days.   2. There’s An App For That In addition to reading books Audible is also offering a selection of free books for kids Duolingo is a game style language learning app and the school version is designed for children CBeebies learning area has a range of fun and free learning games Zoo and aquarium live streams - there are quite a few zoos and aquariums live broadcasting their webcam streams for you to pay the animals a virtual visit twinkl is an online educational publishing house which is currently providing free educational resources such as activity sheets and live-streamed phonics lessons Scholastic Learn at Home ABCmouse (for ages 2-8) Adventure Academy (for ages 8-13) ReadingIQ For more great apps including learning how to code with Disney characters click here.   3. Sparking Creativity There are tons of creative activities to get the kids away from screens. Here are just some that we’ve been having fun with: Set up an art station with supplies (indoors or in the garden if the weather is nice) Paint rocks Experiment with clay Make your own slime or playdough Get creative with chalk on the pavements Decorate your windows (window markers can be fun) Face painting (great for surprising grandparents on FaceTime!) Have them write and illustrate their own book Set up a still life scene for them to draw/paint Ask them to write and perform a song or rap about something they love Have them develop a play to perform for you at the end of the day (write the storyline, scripts and songs, design and build set and props, put together costumes, perform) Indoor camping can be fun for the less sunny days Build a den with cushions, pillows and blankets For more inspiration check out these 50 crafty ideas that are sure to keep the kids entertained. 4. Getting Active While staying at home means fewer opportunities to be physically active exercise is a great mood booster and keeps your immune system strong. If you have access to a garden or outdoor space now is the ideal time to involve the kids with growing plants and vegetables. You can easily order bulbs or seeds online and many local garden centres are also offering contact-free delivery straight to your door. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can grow things like tomatoes, cress or sunflowers indoors or on your balcony. My son Leo has also been making the most of the outdoors and has mastered riding a bike. No stabilisers or anything, not bad for a 3yr old! We’ve also been joining in with a few initiatives in our village including putting teddy bears in our windows so that when children go out on their daily walks each day, they can go on a bear hunt. Leo has also been busy painting rocks which people have been putting around the village, for others to spot and brighten up their walks. Here are some more ideas that will get their heartrates up: Joe Wickes The Body Coach is hosting a free PE lesson every weekday at 9 am that you can stream on his YouTube channel – some are even fancy dress themed! Kid’s yoga sessions such as Cosmic Kids Yoga are also a fun way to stay active Bring out the karaoke and have them sing and dance to their favourite tunes Build an obstacle course and run a timed contest at the end of the day with prizes Get them involved with completing chores around the house such as tidying up their rooms (check out TikTok for some ‘Clean Room Challenge’ before and after videos and maybe record your own).     5. Staying Connected At times this situation can be stressful so it’s important to stay connected with others, especially whilst social distancing. My colleague’s two daughters schedule in ‘virtual’ playtime with their school class for 30 minutes each day. My family and I also call friends and family via FaceTime to touch base and see each other which has gone down well. There are also some helpful groups for parents you can join on Facebook to share tips and show support for each other. One of these is Parents Keeping Sane During Coronavirus but there are lots more out there. Writing letters to friends and family is also a great way to stay in touch and can lift spirits!     6. Asking For Flexibility Every family is different and depending on your circumstances and the needs and ages of your children, you may want to adjust your working hours to reflect something realistic. For example, you may find it more productive to work early in the morning before your household is awake and then return to work later in the day. Once you’ve agreed on an arrangement with your manager, make sure to share your availability with your co-workers, reschedule meetings if necessary, and block off time on your diary when you plan to be offline.   7. Enjoying Time Together With no daily commute to navigate, you’re in a unique situation to be able to spend more quality time with your family (as testing as they might be at times!) I have found that trying to finish work on time helps me switch off and gives me more of a distinction between work and home life. Using your daily exercise allowance to take the kids outdoors also gives you (and them) something to look forward to. Now is also a great time to explore the night sky. With most businesses and shops shut in cities around the world, stars are even brighter and easier to spot due to the lack of light pollution interfering with the view of the night sky. Here are some ideas from National Geographic to get your family stargazing in no time.  

As more and more employers take their interview process online, the chances are that you’ll be interviewed via video at some point during your job search. Whether you’ve had previous remote interviews or if this is a completely new experience for you, these seven tips will help you avoid the pitfalls and take the stress out of video interviews!   1. Test Your Tech Is your internet connection fast enough to chat in real-time? What room do you have the best reception in? Does your webcam work? Have you checked if your microphone picks up your speech well? Make sure to check these things well in advance of your interview and do a trial run with a friend or family member beforehand to make sure everything is working as it should.   Your interview could be taking place on a variety of different platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts etc. so find out which one they’ll be using. Then get signed up to it and have a play around to make sure you know how everything works before your interview. Don’t forget to send them (or your recruiter if you’re going through one) your contact details so the interviewer can set up the call.   You may want to share your screen during the interview (e.g. to show your portfolio or to complete a live tech test), so double-check that there are no other irrelevant windows open on your desktop.   2. Set The Scene Before your interview carefully assess the background that will appear. Are you in a messy room? A neutral background with plenty of natural light works best. Have a play around to find what computer height and angle looks the most flattering and raise your laptop on some books if needed. How’s the lighting? Arrange some lights so that your face is lit and there are no major shadows, but avoid placing lights directly behind you, since they can interfere with the camera’s ability to focus. Seeing yourself on video can be distracting so practise looking straight at the camera for that all-important eye contact. Finally, keep a pen (that works!) and paper close by in case you want to make any notes or write down any questions you want to ask at the end.   3. Avoid Distractions Your interview is not the time to replicate the famous BBC live interview that went viral for all the wrong reasons. So if there’s anyone else in the house make them aware of your interview.  Be sure you schedule the interview for a time when you will have some privacy, and when any children or animals are out of the house or are being supervised in a non-adjacent room. Remove any distractions such as children’s toys or personal items that may distract from your interview. Also, make sure to either switch off your phone or put it on silent. This also goes for your radio and/or television.    4. Look The Part Even if you’ve spent all day in your loungewear, you want to make sure you still dress appropriately for your interview. Dress as if you were going to meet your interviewer face to face. Not only will this leave a much better impression but also gets you into the right frame of mind. Do your research into the company to establish their dress code (if you are working with a recruitment agency, you can always ask your recruiter for this information). Remember, your appearance also reflects your attitude! Practice speaking clearly and, calmly, and rehearse a bit in the clothing that you intend to wear so that you can spot any potential wardrobe issues ahead of time. 5. Do Your Research Research and prepare for the interview as much as you would for an in-person interview. Delve into their website, look at their social pages and their company news – dig up as much information as possible! Not only will this make a good impression on your interviewer, but it will leave you feeling confident and prepared. If you need to refer to any notes, keep them as minimal as possible so that your eyes aren’t always flitting away from the screen. Are you working through a recruitment agency? Make some time to speak to your recruiter before and after your interview (a good recruiter will schedule these with you).    6. Ask Questions Make sure you go into your interview armed with questions for your interviewer. As a rule of thumb, you should always have at least five questions prepared as some might be forgotten or answered during the interview. If something about the role is unclear now’s the time to ask. You’ll find more great questions to ask in this blog.    7. Show Your Personality Showing enthusiasm about the company and the role in your interview can go a long way. Think about your posture and your tone when speaking to your interviewer – if you are perceived as being bored or restless, it will seem like you’re not interested in the role. Remember - employers want to hire people who want to work for them! Of course, it’s important to be professional and get your points across succinctly but you also have to make sure your personality shines through. Wasting time badmouthing your former manager and the company you worked for is a massive no go. Instead, take the time to highlight your successes and contributions and how you can apply these to your new role. As with any interview, make sure to thank the interviewer for their time and express your interest in the company/position a final time. Finish your interview on a positive and don’t forget to follow up with a thank you message.   If you’d like any more help with prepping for remote interviews please get in touch with us to schedule a call with one of the team. Good luck from all of us at Understanding Recruitment!

Onboarding is one of the most important times for a new person joining your company. Done well, it immerses them in your culture and sets the tone for their engagement right from the start. ​Having to onboard new starters without physically being in the office may seem challenging but companies of all sizes are taking this experience online and we’re here to help you find out how they do it.   Getting Started Find out what common challenges your employees faced when they joined your business. To get this information send out a quick survey to existing onsite and remote employees. Once you're aware of any issues you’ll be in a better place to mitigate these in your remote onboarding.   Pre-Onboarding 1. Have the right tech Send your new starters IT hardware and manuals and make sure to order these well ahead of their start date. A client in the financial cloud space sends their candidate's laptops across the EU using private couriers, who are still operating during the lockdown. Don’t forget that the current situation may cause delays to delivery dates. Make sure to check with your candidate if they’ve received their equipment and need any help getting it set up.   2. Send a welcome package Time to get creative! Sending out a welcome package by post is a nice touch and will make them feel excited to join the team. Here are some things you could include: Items that embody your company culture Information about your company Welcome letter from your CEO (handwritten is always a nice touch) Postcard from the team they’re joining Branded merchandise including homeworking essentials – mugs, hoodies, stress balls Some sweet treats   3. Induction documents Prepping a comprehensive ‘guide’ for their role will make sure new starters get off to a flying start. Here’s what to include:   List of tasks to help them learn about the role and what's expected of them List of handy tools your company uses Where to download useful apps Logins/passwords they’ll need Contact details for their team members Regular meetings   4. Prep for their first day A schedule for their first day/week can help new starters know what to expect and stay on track. We also recommend sending legal and formal documents using an e-signature tool, like HelloSign or DocuSign, so that employees can add their signatures digitally and share contracts with you in a secure environment.   Their First Week 1. Introduce your new team member to the rest of the team on their first day Your weekly team meetings are a great time to introduce new faces. You can also get them to write a short bio about themselves and send it to the team so everyone can get to know them. At the end of the first week get the whole team to check in with the new starter to introduce themselves and their role.   2. Communicate, communicate, communicate Communication is key to making remote onboarding a success and there is an array of tools at your disposal (we’re fans of Microsoft Teams!). Employees at Stack Overflow are mostly home-based across 12 countries and enjoy orientation calls with each member of the executive team where they learn about the company’s history, culture and goals. A healthcare technology company we work with recommends setting up video calls with: Their co-workers Their manager and direct reports Employees from other departments they’ll work closely with HR (as needed)   3. Set up a buddying system Mentors are a great way to guide new starters through your onboarding. They can help make them feel welcome and answer any questions.   4. Set up social events for the team Remote working can be lonely so make sure your new starters stay connected with the rest of the team! This could be online fitness sessions, a Friday happy hour on Skype or team tea breaks on Zoom. There are loads of fun things you can do so make sure to get the team involved in planning these!   5. Create training goals Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Setting smaller milestones can make new joiners feel more at ease. Agree on the targets and goals for their first 30 days as soon as possible and adjust them as needed. Their manager should also discuss goals for their first 30, 60 and 90 days.   6. Have regular check-ins You should schedule important appointments such as reviews and team meetings in advance. Less formal check-ins are ideal to discuss personal and professional goals. They are also a great forum for new starters to share their ideas and suggestions. Don’t try to force your way of working because it has worked until now – be open to change!   For the More Advanced Dell, who have 160k employees worldwide, have a dedicated onboarding website. They also have a "Day 1 success team" providing support via chat, email and calls during the onboarding process. Some companies enable people to learn at their own pace, housing all of their onboarding materials such as pre-recorded videos, guides and company news on their existing intranets. In a mobile-first world, many companies have also designed their own onboarding apps.   Feedback Is Everything To get the onboarding process right make them feel welcome, encourage honest conversations and feedback. New starters bring a fresh perspective so make sure you listen to their feedback, not just about their onboarding experience but on the business as a whole.   Would you like more advice? Download our complete Remote Onboarding Guide here or contact us to schedule a call with one of the team.