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Preferred Blog

Preferred has been serving the Tinley Park area since 1991, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Are You Dealing with Toxic Productivity?

Are You Dealing with Toxic Productivity?

There is one question that workers don’t hear enough, and if they do hear it, it is usually said in passing as a rhetorical question. That question is:

“How are you doing?”

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Remote or In-House, Keeping Your Staff Upbeat Is Essential for Productivity

Remote or In-House, Keeping Your Staff Upbeat Is Essential for Productivity

More than ever, it is important for your employees to have positive work experiences. People have many more resources to find new work today, and with so many people willing to find the “right fit” it can be quite expensive for organizations. While the best way is always to compensate people well, if you are facing a situation where you need to be creative to keep your people around, we have three suggestions. 

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Companies Seeing a Lot of Turnover in Their IT Teams

Companies Seeing a Lot of Turnover in Their IT Teams

We all know the importance of IT maintenance and management when it comes to effectively running a business, but it’s really hard to ensure that your technology is being properly maintained when your staff have one foot out the door. A new survey from Gartner suggests that IT employees are more likely to leave your business than other non-IT employees, and this puts a heavier burden on you to make sure technology is properly taken care of.

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Employing Remote Workers Carries New IT Challenges

Employing Remote Workers Carries New IT Challenges

Remote work carries with it a different set of risks than does a traditional workplace setup. Being forced to move in that direction only exacerbates the issue of figuring out how to operate under what people are calling the “new normal”. This month we thought we would go through a couple of the risks that come with having your staff working remotely, and what to do about them. 

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New Study Addresses the Challenges of Readjusting to the Office Environment

New Study Addresses the Challenges of Readjusting to the Office Environment

For the past year or so, most workers around the world were forced to work remotely in order to adhere to the strict social distancing guidelines imposed by governing bodies. Now that the time has come to return to the office, many workers are finding that their expectations are a bit different than they were previously, forcing business owners to respond.

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Remote Work is Not Without Its Issues… How Can They Be Addressed?

Remote Work is Not Without Its Issues… How Can They Be Addressed?

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it no small amount of uncertainty, including amongst business owners who were looking at a very up-in-the-air future. With so many lacking the technology needed to support remote operations—never mind the fact that remote work was a new concept for so many—the learning curve was a considerable hurdle. However, with vaccines being administered and restrictions lifted, it now becomes critical to find a balance.

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Technology is Helping to Build Better Employee Engagement

Technology is Helping to Build Better Employee Engagement

An engaged employee will be invested in the future of your company, as well as their own future that they can see within your business. Unfortunately, research showcases that the numbers don’t look so bright for employee engagement in the workplace. According to a 2015 poll from Gallup, only about 30% of employees find themselves engaged in the workplace, while about 50% say they aren’t engaged with their work, and 20% claim to be actively disengaged by their workplace.

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Retaining Workers with Technology

Retaining Workers with Technology

The right technology can be a catalyst for change. While the right kind of change can be enough to drive innovation and push the limits of your business, the wrong kind of change--namely, employee turnover--can put a halt to productivity and force you to trace your steps back down the old, familiar path of onboarding and training. How can you use technology to retain top talent and reinforce the right message amongst your employees?

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How to Fire Stress from Your Business

How to Fire Stress from Your Business

Stress is a reality of everyday life, especially in the workplace. Of course, different people find different things to be stressful, as well. Here, we’ll review some of the biggest sources of stress to be found in an office environment, and what some of the effects of this stress can be.

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Is Your BYOD Strategy Up to Standards?

Is Your BYOD Strategy Up to Standards?

BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, policies have proven to be a highly effective way for companies to save money. However, these policies need to address some of the shortcomings, potential costs and issues that comes with employees bringing and using their own devices could present to your business--not to mention security concerns.

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When Employees Argue, Quality Suffers. Here’s What You Can Do About It

When Employees Argue, Quality Suffers. Here’s What You Can Do About It

When you talk about your employees, you hopefully often refer to them as a department, or a “team.” These terms often come with predetermined assumptions, with one of them being that the employees work together to accomplish something specific. However, it’s often not so simple. If your employees aren’t working together as a team, how can you fix this dilemma?

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Prepare for Employee Turnover with a Foolproof Exit Checklist

b2ap3_thumbnail_turnover_checklist_tips_400.jpgOne of the most dreaded situations in the modern office is the resignation of experienced talent. It’s always sad to say goodbye to a colleague and friend… under the right circumstances. What would happen if an angry employee left your company and used their privileges to wreck havoc on your IT?

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Tip of the Week: The Best Workers are Looking for a Flexible Work Environment

b2ap3_thumbnail_happy_employees_flexible_workplace_400.jpgOne of the biggest challenges of running a business is attracting and retaining quality workers. To accomplish this, you’re going to need more than an old-fashioned “help wanted” ad. These days, you will need to offer what quality employees are looking for--a flexible workplace environment.

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Tip of the Week: Don’t Let Work Ruin Your Friendships, or Friendships Ruin Your Work

b2ap3_thumbnail_be_the_boss_400.jpgAs a business owner, you walk a fine line between boss and friend. While you want to be approachable and have a company culture that’s friendly, you can’t have your employees be your closest friends. Being too close to your staff will blur your authority, breed favoritism, and make it difficult to fire people; but not being friendly will make for a cold working environment. How do you manage this social dynamic?

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      Preferred is rated Best Places to Work - 3 Consecutive Years!

      Preferred has been named as one of the Best Places to Work in Illinois in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The awards program began in 2006 and is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council and Best Companies Group.