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If you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, that’s over 2,000 hours a year spent with the same coworkers (give or take a vacation or two, of course). Therefore, if it isn’t already your top priority, being a great coworker definitely should be.

Strong relationships are the foundation of a positive work environment and set the tone for nearly your entire work life. Even if you hate how Jim blows his nose at his desk, or you cringe every time Stacy brings up her cats, these people greatly influence your work day-to-day.

The bottom line is that collaboration and connection will get you much farther than you may think. (Trust us! Hubspot has been named #1 for happiest employees and #2 for best place to work.) For our exclusive insider tips, keep reading.

1. Appreciate and acknowledge.

When people feel unappreciated in the workplace, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to see the benefit of going that extra mile. With no recognition, there’s little motivation to continue.

That’s where you come in. Whether you’re a manager or just a grateful peer, make an effort to give credit.

Taking time in a meeting to give kudos, writing an email, or sending a Slack message takes minutes. However, this gesture can make someone’s entire day.

“As an intern, I assumed I would mostly go unnoticed and fly under the radar in my day-to-day work. However, this summer, I never felt so uplifted and praised for the hard work I was contributing to my team,” says one incoming HubSpot marketing associate and summer 2022 marketing intern. “Even my out-of-office accomplishments were recognized!”

2. Respond to emails or calls promptly.

Everyone has a job to do. And if your approval or feedback is required for one of your coworkers to move the needle on a project, don’t make them wait.

Bottlenecking a project is not only frustrating, but it can also have a significant impact on a person’s ability to reach team or company-wide goals.

Pro tip: If you’re unsure whether or not you’re guilty of this, ask your teammates to specify a time frame within the body of their emails to help you keep track of priorities.

If you don’t have time to respond immediately, one HubSpotter suggests shooting them a quick ‘I’m held up right now, but I’ll look this over this afternoon or tomorrow’ message.”

3. Be reliable.

Outside of prompt email responses, being reliable overall will go a long way. Your coworkers want to know they can trust you to complete assignments, offer support, and provide assistance during tough times.

Reliability not only improves your relationships. You’ll also play an important role in pushing projects across the finish line.

“To me, a great coworker is a reliable coworker, someone I know will get things done one time and with great execution,” says Jamie Juviler, a marketing manager at HubSpot. “That’s especially important in projects with many stakeholders and moving parts. If everyone stays on track, things get done.”

4. Be humble.

Being humble doesn’t mean selling yourself short. Instead, humility actually shows that you have a clear perspective, and you’re self-aware. In fact, this attitude is one of HubSpot’s core values.

In an office setting, this ability to recognize your own limitations can make it easier for you to build meaningful relationships with your coworkers. You’ll also be able to ask for help when needed, which improves the quality of your work.

Pro tip: Ask your colleagues for assistance when needed. This signals to them that you’re open to other ideas. They’ll also feel comfortable reaching out to you for your expertise in the future. Sounds like a win-win!

5. Create clear documentation.

You may be great at your job, but your impact will be minimized if no one knows what you do.

Take the time to clearly document your role, how you complete these tasks, and which processes you own. A few written documents (or even bullet points) can help people understand how to work best with you.

“Whether you’re in a small or large team, taking the time for proper process, project, or training documentation will make you the ultimate team player — all while saving you some time in the long run,” says Bianca D’Agostino, a senior marketing manager and SEO strategist at HubSpot.

Documentation becomes even more important if you are at a global company with employees in different time zones.

“My teammates and I take extra time and care noting down what we know, what we’re asking of each other, and being super transparent about our timelines/goals,” D’Agostino adds. “Since our team is global and scattered across a few different time zones, this skill has made our team so much stronger!”

6. Reach out to new teammates.

New job nerves are the pits. You toss and turn the night before your big first day, worrying about everything from what shirt will look best to whether or not your fun facts actually are some semblance of fun.

Experienced workers, do your part to help new team members feel at ease. Make an effort to help them get situated during their first few days or weeks on the job.

“It’s always awkward being the ‘noob’ walking into a room of unfamiliar people, so sit next to them at their first meeting. It’s a small gesture that will make them feel all the more welcome,” suggests Anum Hussain, a former team manager at HubSpot. Today, Anum is the head of content marketing and audience growth at Reforge.

Pro tip: Ask your new teammates welcoming questions, or invite them to join you for lunch (either in-person or virtually).

7. Steer clear of gossip.

Ah, the office water cooler. Whether in an office or on a Zoom call, we all can fall victim to slipping in a cheeky comment or two.

It’s easy to get caught up in complaining about Steve’s work ethic or to gush about a suspicious relationship between two interns. However, engaging in office gossip is both risky and unprofessional. Plus, gossip can result in some pretty sticky situations.

Pro tip: Keep lines of communication open. The more transparent and honest you and your team are with one another, the less room there is for speculation.

(Want more on this? Check out this post on how to deal with office politics).

8. Avoid annoying office habits (remote or in person).

We all have quirks and idiosyncrasies. Even so, self-awareness matters, as does keeping tabs on behaviors that rub colleagues the wrong way.

So which office habits are considered annoying? In 2022, Quality Logo Products surveyed over 1,900 workers to find out. Interrupting (48%), taking credit for someone else’s work (47%), and oversharing (45%) ranked among the most annoying behaviors.

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Working remotely doesn’t automatically solve the problem. Quality Logo Products found that remote workers face a different set of challenges.

Slow responses to emails or instant messages ranked as the most annoying behavior in remote colleagues at 48%. Background noise during calls (47%) and eating on camera (43%) were also at the top of the list.

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The lesson: Be considerate of others and how you are in each space. If you share a common space such as a meeting room, be sure to clean up after yourself. If you’re on a Zoom call, be aware of your settings. These are simple tasks that truly go a long way for everyone around you.

“It took me a few weeks into my first job out of college to realize just how loud my chewing was in the roomful of quiet, concentrating people. Were my coworkers wearing headphones because they liked listening to music, or because I’d been chowing down on carrots for the last 20 minutes?” jokes Lindsay Kolowich Cox, a former marketer at HubSpot.

For more tips on how to be more considerate in the office, check out Lindsay’s article on breaking annoying office habits.

9. Share your resources.

Take a look at the people you work closely with. They’ve all been hired for a reason, right? Maybe Nathan is really great at problem-solving, while Sue can negotiate like no other. There’s something you can learn from everyone.

Regardless of our unique strengths and specific titles, sharing helpful resources can benefit your whole team.

“Find something particularly inspiring or thought-provoking? Whether it’s a blog post or intriguing design, it could be just what your neighbor needs to kickstart their big project,” insists one HubSpotter.

10. Gather feedback.

Competition hurts collaboration. Make sure your team has a psychologically safe environment where they feel encouraged to share ideas. That can include offering suggestions or pitching something entirely new.

“One of the biggest, and sometimes hardest, things you can do as a teammate is giving space to other coworkers to pitch their ideas and suggestions (even if you disagree with them),” says Pamela Bump, the manager of HubSpot’s Growth Team.

“When you work with or manage a team, it’s easy to hog the keys to the car. Because many workplaces can feel competitive, this is an instinct we all struggle to shove off.”

If you struggle with creating the space for contribution, remember that more voices can unlock new perspectives. A colleague can help you solve that problem you’ve been struggling with for months.

“Especially when building something from scratch, more voices can lead to more success,” Bump says. “By building a time or space for people to share their thoughts … you can get those great perspectives without getting overwhelmed by too much feedback.”

Pro tip: Consider building a feedback session into your meetings, holding a dedicated brainstorming workshop, or creating a collaborative Google Doc to gather ideas.

11. Be respectful of people’s time.

It’s no secret that we are all busy. Often, we wish there were more than 24 hours in a day.

While you can’t resolve these problems with the wave of a wand, you can take small steps by respecting your coworkers’ time. Be aware that 5 minutes here and 20 minutes there can add up during the day. Make an effort to show up on time and come prepared.

“If a meeting ends early, don’t try to fill the time. If a meeting doesn’t need to happen anymore, cancel it. Being respectful of people’s time is appreciated,” urges a HubSpotter.

12. Find ways to connect online.

If you work in a hybrid or remote environment, you’ll need to try a bit harder to form close connections with coworkers. Instead of being able to peer over your cubicle to say hi to neighbors, you now have to schedule in time for those casual catch-ups.

Pro tip: Set up weekly Zoom lunches, monthly team show-and-tells, or just ping a friend living across the country to grab a virtual coffee. These simple conversations go a long way, especially when it’s so easy to get caught up in heads-down work at home.

Aside from being a great excuse to socialize during the day, they provide a shared experience to look forward to while strengthening your company’s identity and culture.

13. Make valuable introductions.

Heard one of your coworkers is looking for a freelancer for the project they’re working on? If you know just the person, make a connection.

“Two networks are always better than one,” insists Eric Peters, a product lead at HubSpot.

Help your coworkers achieve their goals by making introductions between folks who would benefit from knowing each other.

Maybe you recommend a potential candidate for an open position or connect a new hire with a tenured employee to provide them with some guidance. These intros show that you’re a team player.

14. Get coworker buy-in.

If you’re running a project or initiative, make sure your coworkers feel connected toward their work. A common mission improves the culture of your team and strengthens colleague relationships.

“When you include people, try their ideas, or even just take the time to hear them out, they feel included — even if you respectfully disagree with one or two suggestions,” suggests Bump. “Involving your team will motivate them around a joint project which will be good for you and them in the long run.”

Buy-in creates a better work experience and establishes you as a trusting, empathetic colleague.

“Many will even want to work with you more often,” Bump says, “all because YOU gave them a platform to speak when others would have just micromanaged.”

15. Lighten the OOO workload.

Anytime you miss a couple of hours or days in the office — whether for personal reasons, a vacation, or an illness — it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

With this feeling in mind, act accordingly: Help your coworkers avoid this vicious cycle by stepping in to lend a helping hand when and where you can.

“Offer to help take over some of their work so they don’t come back to a pile of it and won’t worry about getting stuff done when they need to be away,” suggests Corey Wainwright, HubSpot’s former director of content.

Even if you can’t add more to your plate, remember to act with empathy and remind your colleague that they should take whatever time they need to catch up. There’s no need to make up all of the work in one day.

16. Listen.

Often, the most helpful thing you can do for a coworker is to give them a chance to talk through something. Whether it’s regarding their strategy to approach a complicated task or solely to share how much is going on in their personal lives and how they feel overwhelmed.

Active listening is a skill that will help you empathize with what your coworker is going through, even if you can’t put yourself in their shoes directly.

“I appreciate a teammate who is an active listener. I like to feel like I’m being understood and listened to during conversations, and I hope my coworkers also feel that from me,” says Flori Needle, a marketing manager at HubSpot. “I let people know that I’m listening by asking follow-up questions and being engaged during conversations, and I appreciate the same from my coworkers.”

Pro tip: Sometimes, people don’t need you to propose a solution. Instead, they just need to hear their thoughts out loud. Lending that ear can go a lot farther than you may assume.

Furthermore, these small acts of kindness help establish trust and comradery, feelings that bolster a productive and effective work environment.

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

A company’s reputation matters more than ever during a job seeker’s search, as 86% of workers would not apply for, or continue to work for, a company with a bad reputation with former employees or the general public.

Ultimately, you spend plenty of time creating a compelling brand story surrounding your products or services, but how do you build a strong employer brand that attracts top talent? Here, we’ll explore what employer branding means, examples of good employer branding, and how you can implement your employer branding strategy today.

Table of Contents: 

What Is Employer Branding?
Why Is Employer Branding Important?
Employer Branding Strategy
Employer Branding Examples

What Is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is the reputation you have as an employer among your employees and the workforce. It’s also how you market your company to job seekers and internal employees. 

The better you are at employer branding, the more likely you are to retain and attract your top talent, as 69% of surveyed employees think it’s extremely/very important that their employer has a brand they’re proud to support.

Let’s say you’ve done a phenomenal job building up a strong brand with your products or services. Unfortunately, that alone won’t convince someone to work at, or stay at, your company. You need to implement the same branding strategy when communicating your company’s leadership, values, and culture.

If a job seeker asks an employee at your company, “What’s it like to work there?” the employee isn’t going to say, “We’ve built some awesome merchandise.” Instead, he’s going to lay into the day-to-day of people management, company values, and workplace culture. To ensure a good employer brand, you need to tell a compelling story.

Employer branding goes deeper than storytelling — you also need to walk the walk. Telling your employees and the general public that having a ping-pong table makes you a great place to work isn’t going to cut it. 

Why Is Employer Branding Important?

At this point, you might be wondering, does this really matter to me and my company? 

Yes — employer branding is critical to your bottom-line. It can reduce turnover rates and cut your costs per hire in half, helping you save money. Additionally, active job seekers are more likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand. 

You have an employer brand whether you’ve put effort behind it or not — so why not put effort in to ensure it’s a brand you can be proud of?

Next, let’s explore how you can implement an employer brand strategy today.

A good employer branding strategy can help you attract better talent, cut down on hiring costs, and reduce employee turnover.

1. Know your company’s unique value proposition.

A powerful employer brand begins by focusing on your company’s mission statement, values, vision, and culture. It can be helpful to identify what your business needs are and work backward to understand the type of talent you need to fulfill those objectives. 

For instance, consider Teach for America’s mission statement — “One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.”

With this statement, Teach for America can tell a compelling brand employer story on their Values page, where they promise employees the chance for continuous learning, stating, “We operate with curiosity and embrace new ideas to innovate and constantly improve. We take informed risks and learn from successes, setbacks, and each other.”

In this way, they’ve aligned their values, and their employer brand, with their business goal.

2. Conduct an employer brand audit.

You might not be fully aware of your company’s reputation among job seekers, or even your employees. 

Conduct a brand audit and send out internal surveys, conduct social media searches, monitor career sites for reviews, or hire a firm that monitors reputations. Your research should help you uncover your employee’s favorite aspects of your company culture that you can focus on highlighting and any areas for improvement to ensure a strong employer brand. 

Glassdoor found that brands with above-average or leading employer brands devote time to monitoring employee engagement, take action on employee feedback, and keep an eye on brand health, more than average or below-average employer brands. 

3. Write an employer value proposition.

Once you’ve researched, cultivated a list of business values, and learned about your existing perceptions, you’ll want to create an employer value proposition. 

An employer value proposition is a marketing message and a promise, so say things that are factually true about your business that your employees would agree with. You can use this value proposition on your website, recruitment materials, or LinkedIn Company Page, and recruiters and HR teams can discuss it with potential candidates. 

It’s important to note that your value proposition should have nothing to do with compensation. Instead, you want it to evoke passion in employees and potential candidates by expressing your company’s deeper purpose and positive impact on the world. People want to feel their work is meaningful, often even at the expense of a bigger paycheck. 

For instance, Accenture’s employer value proposition is prominently displayed on its Careers page:  “Every day our People of Change are doing incredible things by working together to pursue our shared purpose–to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity. Come be part of our team–bring your ideas, ingenuity and determination to make a difference, and we’ll solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.”

4. Leverage current employees.

Job seekers that want to learn more about your employer brand want to hear from and see real employees at your company. In fact, your employees are three times more credible than CEOs when talking about the working conditions at your company. So, your employees are some of your best advocates for building your employer brand. 

Leverage their sentiment towards your business however you can, like sharing reviews and testimonials on your hiring pages or creating short interview videos for your social media channels. 90% of companies with leading and above-average employer brands agree that their employee experience is a big part of their brand, meaning that what they say can significantly impact perception.

5. Cultivate a strong onboarding process.

Onboarding is a new hire’s first experience, and a negative impression can have big consequences. In fact, people who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to seek a different opportunity.

Ultimately, instilling a positive company brand image starts with a good onboarding process. Getting employees engaged and excited about their roles and their teams is important from the start. You’re ensuring a smooth transition, lower turnover rates, and more productive teams by arming your new employees with the instructions and tools to excel in their roles.

6. Offer learning and development opportunities.

A large reason why people quit and leave their jobs is that they’re bored and need a new challenge. Ultimately, this should be a relatively easy fix. 

Giving employees the opportunity to pursue learning opportunities and become proficient in new skills shows your commitment to on-the-job learning and professional development. And by challenging your employees, you’re ensuring they won’t get bored in their roles — which could lead to higher retention rates. 

Plus, as they develop new skills, they become more valuable employees for your company. A win, win.

7. Use videos, blog posts, photos, and slideshows to tell your company story.

When implementing a strategy to improve the market’s perception of your brand, use multiple channels. Share videos, photos, slideshows, blogs, and other forms of messaging to ensure you reach a large group of audiences on the platforms they already use. 

Similarly, it’s critical you use high-quality videos, photos, and text to tell your company story. You might consider putting employee interviews on your job page or a slideshare created by your CEO on your About Us page.

8. Create a strong diversity and inclusion initiative.

A pillar of a strong employer brand is a continuous commitment to building diverse and inclusive teams. 

There are plenty of benefits to this, most significantly being that all your employees will feel like they belong and are safe at work. People who feel seen, recognized, and respected among their colleagues are more likely to bring their best selves to work and commit to their day-to-day tasks. Plus, a McKinsey study found that companies that are more diverse and inclusive are more profitable. 

A commitment to DI&B ensures you’re extending your brand’s reach to everyone, especially considering that 3 out of 4 candidates say a diverse workforce is an essential factor when evaluating companies and job offers. If someone can see themselves in the people who already work at your company, they might be more inclined to apply.

9. Be transparent, honest, and genuine. 

One of the most important factors in developing an employer brand is honesty, transparency, and being genuine. 

Don’t ask for employee feedback because you want to hear the positives to share on your career pages. Negative feedback can also help you learn about areas for improvement, and making changes can help you meet more of your employees’ needs. In turn, satisfied employees have higher retention rates and are more likely to promote your business and boast about the culture they’re happy to be part of. 

The same goes for job seekers and the general public. Making false statements and promises about your values, culture, and happenings will come back to haunt you if your conditions are too good to be true, like if prospects accept job offers based on promises you don’t fulfill. 

Be genuine and honest in your efforts, and commit to building a culture exactly as it seems — doing the opposite can cause more harm than good.

1. Starbucks

Starbucks works to cultivate a strong community among its employees. For instance, it refers to current employees as partners, instilling a sense of pride, and has Instagram and Twitter accounts (@StarbucksJobs) to promote its employer brand and interact with job seekers.

By creating social media accounts to demonstrate appreciation for current employees and evoke passion in potential candidates, Starbucks shows its commitment to being more than just a product. The company also uses the platforms to demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot’s Culture Page features something called the Culture Code, which publicly shares every vision and value HubSpot hopes to promote and instill in employees, candidates, and customers. 

Further down the page, you’ll learn more about opportunities for learning and development, HubSpot’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and insight and reviews from real employees. The language also consistently focuses on the job seeker: “Picture yourself at HubSpot.” 

3. Wistia

For consumers, Wistia brands itself as a video marketing software that helps grow audiences and build brands. It only makes sense that it would be brand-conscious and use its software to underscore the ideas they want to convey to job seekers. 

Rather than brag about how great a workplace they are, the first message on its Careers page encourages job candidates: “We’ve got big plans — and they include you!” They continue to underscore that idea with multiple videos about the people who make up the company and the culture they instill.

4. SoulCycle

SoulCycle aims to transform traditional corporate culture by offering benefits that evoke a sense of purpose and belonging to each employee. 

For instance, Soul gives its employees two paid business days off per year to volunteer at a charity of their choice with the hope that the charity days will help employees feel happy and more fulfilled. Additionally, employees can take classes for free at any time that suits their schedule. This displays Soul’s deeper commitment to making fitness fun and using exercise to de-stress and connect with the community.

With high ratings on Indeed, SoulCycle has undoubtedly cultivated a strong employer brand.

5. Canva

Canva’s employer brand stands out because of its commitment to its mission. Its Careers page highlights its values for job seekers in an interactive carousel and pairs each value with key facts, underscoring the idea that design can be a force for good. 

Canva also doubles down on this idea on its social media channels, which are full of inspirational content and ideas furthered by design.

6. Eventbrite

To demonstrate its commitment to recruiting high-quality talent, Eventbrite created a web page to introduce job seekers to its recruitment team. The bios are funny and relatable with fun facts about each recruiter.

Additionally, the Eventbrite recruitment team page states, “Interviewing shouldn’t be nerve-wracking —– it should be exciting. It should spark great conversation. We believe in respect, transparency, and timely responses (we don’t leave anyone in the dreaded recruiting black hole).”

Its language reflects their values, likely inspiring job seekers to apply.

7. Jet

The ecommerce site Jet created this inspirational, employee-focused video to spread awareness for its fun, engaging, motivational workplace. The video is especially powerful because it uses real employee interviews, giving the job seeker a sense for Jet’s work culture and values.

Additionally, the video is likely empowering and pride-evoking for current employees, who can see their company’s clear commitment to carrying out its mission statement through videos of its workers.

8. Shopify

It can be challenging to find qualified applications to fill tech jobs. For many companies, their leverage is having an incredible employer brand and great perks to attract top talent. Companies can take a cue from Shopify, where it recognizes this and tell job seekers that it’s its turn to apply to you.

This acknowledgment is one step toward earning rapport with a potential candidate, and they continue to empathize with the reader by stating that finding the right job and fit is hard work.  The rest of its careers page provides all the information someone would need to take a chance and apply to Shopify. 

Each one of the examples on this list has in some way shown their empathy, a human element, and a slice of their culture to begin attracting great employees. Human capital is your biggest investment and asset, but remember that your candidates are also investing in you.

When you’re trying to meet personal and/or professional goals, one of the first things you evaluate is your productivity.

Are you managing your time well? Are you checking off items on your to-do list? Or do you find yourself falling behind? If so, this article’s for you.

Discover low-effort ways to boost your productivity – whether you’re working from home or heading to the office.

How to Increase Productivity at Work

Figure out your productivity patterns.
Don’t multitask.
Be accountable.
Break up large tasks.
Block off your calendar.
Use productivity apps.

Ways to Increase Productivity at Home

Limit distractions.
Stick to a routine.
Prioritize breaks.
Set up your environment.
Have a designated workspace.

How to Increase Productivity at Work

1. Figure out your productivity patterns.

Just because the average work day is between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. doesn’t mean those are the hours in which you do your best work.

Some of us focus best in the early morning before the sun is even up and some of us are night owls.

The first thing you should do when working on your productivity is first to observe yourself – specifically when you get the most or least done. Because some days are naturally more hectic than others, do this over a period of a week.

Identifying these ‘sweet spot’ days and hours will enable you to plan your day better and perform tasks faster without compromising on quality or accuracy.

For instance, I’ve designed my Mondays to include low-effort tasks because I tend to be in and out of meetings. This makes it hard to get anything done that requires intense focus. As a result, I schedule tasks that are short and quick.

Tuesdays, on the other hand, are very quiet and I do my best work between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. With that in mind, I get my heavier tasks done like research and writing.

Once you’re aware of which hours you work most efficiently, you can allocate projects accordingly and use that time for difficult tasks.

Many of us think we’re lazy or unproductive when the truth is, we’re not listening to our bodies. Identifying which parts of the day bring out the best in you is likely the key to increased motivation and effectiveness on the job.

Once you do that, all that’s left to do is adjust your schedule accordingly.

2. Don’t multitask.

It seems like we all got a memo as young adults that multitasking was peak productivity. Turns out, it’s not. In fact, recent studies suggest that attempting to multitask will actually hinder your productivity.

Although switching back and forth between multiple tasks may seem quicker, it ends up taking longer because the mind can only focus on one activity at a time. As such, your brain ends up doing double the work to refocus on each task.

Ever have a conversation with a friend but then get realize you didn’t register something they said because you got distracted? With multitasking, you may not realize it and end up making mistakes.

Your best bet is to focus your energy and attention on one task at a time. You’ll clear out distractions and allow your mind to be more present.

You will find that giving yourself enough that space leads to much faster completion times and higher quality work overall.

3. Be accountable.

Accountability can be a major productivity driver for both personal and professional goals. They often remind you of your “why” and serve as motivation to keep going.

At work, that accountability will have to be self-imposed, unless you have a co-worker or a team you can depend on for this.

Being accountable looks like this:

Blocking out times on your calendar to get specific tasks done.
Putting a 1-hour timer on to complete a task.
Scheduling a reminder.
Setting deadlines, even if your task or project doesn’t require it.

If you work from home, having an accountability partner can be especially helpful. Maybe your team gets together on Mondays for an hour to work together via Zoom, even if it’s in silence.

Or you could meet with your co-worker once a week to give each other progress reports on upcoming projects.

Whether it’s personal or shared, accountability can significantly increase your productivity.

4. Break up large tasks.

Imagine you have a high-impact project due in a few weeks. Every time you think about it, you picture the project as a whole and how far away you are from completion. That’s a recipe for disaster.

To remain productive, it’s essential that you break up your tasks into bite-size, actionable chunks. This will decrease (or remove) the anxiety often associated with the work itself and enable you to stay motivated as you reach important milestones.

5. Block off your calendar.

There’s nothing more frustrating than attempting to get in the zone but being interrupted by a last-minute meeting or a Teams notification.

One way to protect your time is by blocking out your calendar during set times to tackle your to-do list. This will create necessary boundaries to avoid interruptions while also setting expectations for your colleagues on when you’ll be available.

If they ping you during this time, don’t feel obligated to respond immediately.

Better yet, turn on the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your group messaging application to indicate you’re unavailable.

Most of the strategies for increased productivity require you to take a proactive approach, rather than a reactive one. And this is one where the benefits are immediately clear.

6. Use productivity apps.

If all other techniques fail, there’s likely an app to help you increase your productivity.

Productivity apps will range in purpose and function. Some focus on time management while others zero in on the organization. Here are a few top options:

Toggl – A timer to use when using the Pomodoro focus method and when tracking how much time each task takes to complete.
Notion – A digital workspace to store your documents, to-do lists, and more.
Mindfulness – An app to use during your breaks to recalibrate.

Ways to Increase Productivity at Home

1. Limit distractions.

Distractions can be a major obstacle to productivity at work, which is why it’s so important to limit them as much as possible.

When you read this, you might be thinking about things like social media and the TV. Those are bad too but there are some unsuspecting distractions to consider.

The first is roommates – whether they’re talking directly to you or in the background, they’re hard to ignore. If you can, make sure you isolate yourself during your most productive hours to ensure you can get your work done.

Pro-tip: If separation is not possible, put on headphones to block out the noise.

Next is your pet(s). Sure, they’re fluffy and adorable but when they’re having zoomies or begging for attention, that can quickly become disruptive.

Lastly, your cellphone. It’s likely what you’re reaching for any time you look away from your computer but it’s also what will keep you from going back.

One way to avoid this is by placing your phone outside of your workspace. If you’re worried about missing calls, put on your loud ringer to ensure you hear your calls.

Keeping distractions to a minimum can do wonders for your productivity, as they’re little time sucks you often don’t account for.

2. Stick to a routine.

When I operate outside of my normal routine, that’s when my productivity is at its lowest.

That’s because the mind loves what’s familiar. From the time you get up to the music you listen to at your desk, every step in your routine serves as cues for your behavior.

So, when you fail to maintain a consistent routine, it can be difficult to focus and be productive.

A routine can look like this:

Starting and ending work at the same time every day.
Having a designated work space.
Taking breaks every two hours.
Associating each work day with a set of tasks. E.g. Mondays for meetings, Tuesdays for writing, and Wednesdays for analytics.
Listening to music when completing certain tasks.

3. Prioritize breaks.

To keep productivity levels high at home, taking regular breaks is key.

In an office, breaks are embedded into the environment. You might stop to chat with co-workers or get up to grab snacks or coffee. At home, you have to structure your breaks or you run the risk of burning yourself out.

Stepping away from your desk – even for just five minutes – serves as a reset, a brain refresher that will actually help you stay focused throughout the day.

In addition, a break doesn’t have to look like a food break. It can be:

Taking a walk
Sitting outside
Doing breathing exercises
Working out
Stretching
Journaling

Unlike doom scrolling, these activities are considered energy boosters that will help you stay productive during work hours.

4. Set up your environment.

Just as your routine serves as a cue for your productivity, so will your environment. As such, it’s important that you set yourself up for success in this area.

Start by organizing your desk to keep it neat. Though it will likely get messy throughout the day, make sure you end each work day by tidying up for the next day. Think of it as a small investment into the future you.

Music can also be a great cue to start your work day. My personal favorite is my Cafe con Leche Spotify playlist. It’s soothing but upbeat and indicates that it’s heads-down work time.

Whether it’s jazz or Dembow, music can be a huge productivity booster if you use it wisely.

5. Have a designated workspace.

Working from home has become a long-term reality for many, but the change of scenery can be difficult if you don’t take the time to establish an effective workspace.

Having a designated area set up specifically for work will help keep you focused and organized. It will also provide a physical and mental barrier between home life and business – which is essential when trying to remain productive.

Being able to switch into ‘work mode’ as soon as you sit down at your desk or table can enable you to get into the right mindset for achieving your goals.

Once in place, having a designated workplace is sure to make it easier to stay focused on your work while still enjoying the benefits of taking it on remotely.

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to becoming a productivity powerhouse.

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The beginning of January is like the Superbowl for fitness and wellness brands.

Year after year consumers set goals to form healthier habits in the new year and 2023 is no exception. According to Statista’s Top New Year’s Resolutions Survey, 52% of American adults want to exercise more, 50% hope to eat healthier, and 40% are looking to lose weight this year. 

You would think fitness brands would be going all-in to capitalize on this momentum, right? Well, upscale fitness chain Equinox had other plans.

On January 1, Equinox updated the company website and shared controversial social posts claiming the company “Doesn’t Speak January” and isn’t allowing new members to join during the month to prioritize those who are dedicated to fitness year-round.

The statement has been controversial, with some consumers criticizing the brand for shaming those at the beginning of their wellness journey and being exclusionary.

Reading through the tweet replies left me wondering: do we truly expect a company that charges upwards of $330 per month for membership dues to be the poster child for inclusivity?

New Year’s resolutions, especially those geared towards fitness, have a bad reputation because so few people achieve them. Many believe those who don’t achieve their resolutions fail because they aren’t motivated enough to stick with it when in reality it’s often because people don’t have the tools, resources, and support they need to make lasting changes.

As a consumer, frequent year-round gym-goer, and former fitness professional, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and disagree with Equinox discouraging new members from joining in January.

As a marketer, I could see the messaging from Equinox did exactly what it intended to do — create a viral moment that got people talking (we know the brand is no stranger to controversy).

If the goal of a brand is to help people live healthier lives, forming the habit of exercise should be encouraged year-round especially when people feel motivated and excited to do so. But I would argue that isn’t the primary goal of Equinox.

Instead, the goal is to sell a lifestyle that prioritizes upscale experiences and social status, not accessible wellness solutions.

When exclusivity is part of a brand’s ethos, exclusive messaging may be disappointing but is ultimately on-brand. 

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