Top 5 Productivity Tips From  2015

In the ever-elusive search for ways to get more work done faster, these ideas proved to be some of the most popular on our website.

BY ANNA HENSEL

 Ar2

Editorial assistant, Inc.@ahhensel

As an entrepreneur, it doesn't matter how successful and profitable your company is--there are still days when you can feel like a failure for not getting enough work done.

10 Things to Look For in a  New Hire in 2016

After having successfully launched several companies during my career, here are the 10 things that I look for in a new hire.

BY JOHN

Ar1

Entrepreneur and investor@johnrampton

Hiring the right people for your small business isn't a nice little perk. It's an essential part of your business since your employees the heart and soul of your business. They're your biggest brand advocates and will responsible for the successful growth of your business. Furthermore, if you can retain great employees, you'll save a ton of time and money since you won't have to be concerned with a high turnover. 

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly!

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale-

The curtains close on yet another year with the magical show of Christmas! With jingle bells on silent nights, winter wonderlands, mistletoe and wine. While Santa makes his list and checks it twice, and Rudolf prepares for his sleigh ride, the entire world prepares to welcome the most wonderful time of the year. So as the sleigh bells ring, let’s deck the office halls with boughs of holly and rock around the Christmas tree. Let’s bring a little bit of Christmas magic to the office!

Announcing the 2015 10 Most Influential Brands on LinkedIn

It’s all about the content! Check out this year’s top contenders.


For brand marketers using LinkedIn it’s imperative for them to be able to measure their content marketing efforts. At LinkedIn, content is king and engaging professional audiences with information that not only educates, but also inspires them is ultimately our goal.

‘Women in IT Forum’ encourages women to take a seat at the table

From left: Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation Executive Director Ho Se Mun; MillenniumIT Project Director Vidumini Ranasinghe; LOLC Chief Risk Officer Shamini Wickremasekera; Department of Computer Science and Engineering Senior Lecturer Vishaka Nanayakkara from the University of Moratuwa; Microsoft Education Programs Manager Yashinka Jayasinghe Alles; FITIS Manager Administration and Operations Chadika Yahampath; Deputy Head and Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office of Sri Lanka Rosy Senanayake; ICTA Chairperson Chitranganee Mubarak; TechAdvisor.lk Editor Mihiri Wikramanayake and FITIS Chairperson Chinthaka Wijewickrama

30 Under $30 Gifts for Your  Millennial Employees

What They Want

Shopping for the Millennial generation (those between the ages of 18 and 34) doesn't have to be hard. Here are 30 under $30 gifts that your young and tech-savvy employees will love.

These Are Bill Gates's Favorite Reads of 2015

The Microsoft founder is out with his annual list of his favorite books of the year.

As the billionaire founder of Microsoft and head of a world-changing philanthropic foundation, you'd imagine Bill Gates is a pretty busy guy. But he still makes time for books... a lot of books.

As a voracious reader and all around brilliant guy, Gates is in a great position to evaluate which books are worth the time of a busy entrepreneur. And happily, he's frequently up for providing public recommendations. At TED each year, he offers his fellow attendees a list of suggested reading, for instance, and he also has an annual tradition of listing his favorite reads of the year in December.
His 2015 list just came out and it contains some interesting suggestions for fellow bibliophiles looking for thought-provoking reads. Here are his six picks:

Rugrats through the eyes of HR

Rugrats may have been nothing but an interesting cartoon back when you used to watch it. But let’s look back on those little episodes that brought many a laughs and smiles to our faces with a different perspective in mind.

Career lessons learnt from The Avengers

Back in May 2012, the blockbuster hit movie, The Avengers was released and was shown in almost every theatre in town and it was always a full house. Whether you watched it as a massive fan of the Marvel comics or as someone who got hooked from the other Marvel movie (Thor, Iron Man etc.), you probably loved every bit of the movie. The interesting thing about the movie is that there are certain lessons you notice that people can relate to, in terms of careers.

Building competitive organisation s: The next venue for sustained success

Prof. Dave Ulrich highlighted on what every leader should acquire. He says that leaders should be adaptable as the effect of culture is reciprocal, and while shaping culture, the leader must allow culture shape their self as a leader, ensuring that is ‘the leader the company deserves’. In reconciling the short/long-term paradox, leaders have to learn to have productive conversations with their people. A leader must also be able to talk to their people - to help employees understand, to coach and not to criticize employees.