The pandemic caused companies of all kinds to recalibrate and devise new, more efficient ways of working – and news media was certainly no exception. In the midst of a global historic event, coverage was more important than ever. Unfortunately, advertising dollars were also at an all-time low.

Many – most – outlets found at least one solution for maximizing these tighter budgets by incorporating drone video footage in a bigger, better way.

Not only has the implementation of drone video footage helped news outlets save funds normally spent on flying and fueling helicopters, but by renting their drones out to other businesses, broadcasters benefited from a new source of revenue. Most importantly, drones provided the dynamic video clips contemporary viewers expect.

A new year has begun, bringing with it hope for a more lucrative and less chaotic existence. Still, businesses – and broadcasters – continue to adapt to a shaken economy and marketplace, while leveraging lessons learned over the last 10 months.

Here are just four reasons incorporating drone footage remains a choice option for making the most out of tighter news budgets.

• Versatility: From live reporting of sporting events to aerial traffic shots to enhanced B-roll, or simply snagging socially distanced crowd coverage, the sky is the limit (pun intended) when leveraging drone video capabilities. Be sure to set precise goals for your news crew, though, in order to get the most bang for your buck.
• Cost-effectiveness: As mentioned, purchasing, flying, and fueling a chopper for news broadcasts is a pricey endeavor that can easily top six-figures. Commercial drones, while admittedly not a wholesale replacement for a helicopter, can deliver many of the same perks – on a case-by case basis – at a fraction of the cost. Do your research to make a good case with the financial executives and powers-that-be.
• Accessibility: Using a quality aviation management platform, broadcasters can manage and log missions, confirm controlled airspace (airports, stadiums, parks, etc.), and instantaneously track all drones and pilots on their teams from a central hub.
• Technology: Advances in AI and other tech will soon allow broadcasters incorporating drone footage to soar to all new heights. It will not be long before operators are able to deploy their fleet to monitor traffic, weather, and other conditions independently with just one click. The advent of 5G networks, too, is incredibly exciting, as they will allow for the seamless streaming of HD video. And Artificial Intelligence is poised to expand a drone’s already powerful data wrangling capabilities, to deliver topographical maps, 3D models, infrared scans and more at a breakneck speed.

Maslow Media Group specializes in staffing certified drone video operators nationwide . What’s more, we can ensure your news outlet remains compliant with any and all regulatory requirements in your shooting area and can aid in the procurement of any necessary waivers or permits. Contact us to find out what the latest laws and regulations are for incorporating drone footage for your next shoot.

Competition for talent is increasing worldwide. The pandemic did not change that.

And while the employment climate has no doubt been drastically altered over the last eight months, putting recruitment on the backburner may turn out to be an egregious misstep.

Partnering with an outsourced recruitment agency can provide your company with those coveted skills your company depends upon.

As the economy continues to reopen, and the world adapts and transitions to a temporarily new way of working, seeking guidance from an outsourced recruiter may prove essential to bolstering your global workforce once the economy roars back to life.

The important thing is not to delay processes or put off hiring until positive changes begin to accumulate. When “this too” ultimately does pass, time will be of the essence for hiring parties.

For companies desiring to hire international workers, collaborating with an employer of record may be incredibly beneficial. Such organizations take care of all of the minutiae for you – from payroll to taxes to benefits and beyond. This ultimately allows a company to onboard new employees at a more rapid pace, barring any delays associated with post-pandemic rules.

When you outsource recruiting efforts, you give your business a fighting edge and allow your team to:

• Draw from a more extensive network of candidates
• Achieve greater access to on-demand talent
• Relieve your in-house legal and HR teams of the burden of learning and complying with international employment law
• Provide a financial boost to local economies
• Realize mission critical goals at a faster pace
• Meticulously navigate important details involving licenses, severance, commission, and more – mitigating your risk of non-compliance.

Maslow Media Group is an experienced outsourced recruiting team that works with a global network of industry professionals. As a leading provider of multimedia and video production services, MMG regularly provides broadcasters around the world with exceptional camera crews, creative talent, technical specialists, and so much more.

Most importantly, when you outsource recruiting efforts to our team, we handle the process from beginning to end.

• Interviewing and screening candidates
• Processing background & reference checks
• Negotiating compensation packages
• Monitoring performance

Can AI make the corporate onboarding process easier, faster, less stressful, and more efficient?

Yes, yes it can. And here’s even better news – human beings will still have things to do!

Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, when remote working continues to be a daily reality, company owners and managers are striving to find new ways to boost efficiency, while providing increased convenience and security for their teams.

In fact, AI powered solutions can help streamline your recruitment efforts, freeing up critical resources that can then be rededicated to more important jobs.

AI can be beneficial while onboarding new employees by:

• Eliminating the manual completion of monotonous tasks, such as requesting important items (diplomas, permits, certificates, and forms) from employees.
• Delivering contracts, policies, and SOPs to future employees electronically.
• Answering common questions regarding vacation, sick leave, pay dates, and work from home scenarios using a chatbot.
• Guiding the setup of office-related equipment and software via online resources and providing troubleshooting assistance any time of day or night.
• Onboarding can take place at any location, at any time, which is particularly helpful in a country that is still reopening.

During uncertain times, AI powered solutions can also help to ease anxieties and prompt important questions from new hires, who might otherwise be too self-conscious or intimidated to speak their minds after scoring a coveted position in your company. This ultimately expedites integration and positions your new employee ahead of time for a phenomenal first day on the job.

Recent events have provided new opportunities to use Artificial Intelligence in a complimentary role alongside traditional Human Resources teams.

As always, the heart and soul of your company will continue to thrive as a result of the engaged individuals you bring onboard your team. By leveraging all of the tools at your disposal – be it technological advancements such as AI or the outsourced workforce management benefits of Maslow Media Group – you will be able to devote critical resources toward making wise hiring decisions.

As the world’s relationship with AI continues to grow and change, Maslow Media Group will continue to serve as your number one partner for any recruiting needs. Call us at 202-965-1100 to learn more or reach out online to schedule a consultation.

The HR department typically gets a bad rap; regularly associated with unpleasant news such as punishments and pink slips. These associations can be avoided by adopting the game-changing practice of people analytics, which helps puts numbers to the nuances of the HR profession.

Many HR departments probably know offhand the height of a company’s turnover on an annual basis, but just how many of those losses are considered regrettable by the organization? That percentage may be a bit harder to quantify.

The fact of the matter is that many HR departments do a considerable amount of data wrangling – but those stats and figures end up collecting dust instead of being put into motion to benefit the business.

People analytics – or using data to drive Human Resources and its strategies – eliminates a traditional overreliance on instinct, and it also helps to gauge the efficacy of new policies and practices.

Initially, such practices were met with skepticism – as insiders wondered if this tool would be just one more way to treat people like numbers. But over the last several years people analytics has grown to be seen as a pivotal tool.

Common internal sources for gathering people analytics include:

• Employee demographics
• Payroll
• Social network
• Performance
• Engagement

External sources might include:

• The labor market
• The local population
• LinkedIn resources
• And more!

Almost any data can be leveraged if it is somehow relevant to the project at hand, however.

“People analytics” and “HR analytics” are often used as interchangeable terms – but the former is a far more direct translation, because it doesn’t bury the lead: using this tool will ultimately revolutionize your recruitment and performance management practices, and when used properly can be leveraged to:

• Predict churn
• Evaluate performance
• Calculate an ROI
• Boost acceptance rates
• Reduce help tickets
• Establish workforce planning practices
• Establish a business case for an HR intervention

Once you can predict the hires that will leap to the head of the class – or determine who will abandon ship within a year’s time – your decision-making will be all the better for it.

How it Works

1. Mining data begins with formulating a question regarding a business concern that you have the power to change.
2. Data is gathered in response to the question.
3. Personnel comb through the data to analyze it.
4. Actionable insights are revealed.

As offices continue to open, and teams return to the workplace, people analytics will be a valued tool, implemented in a number of new ways, for a number of new work environments.

Has productivity been maintained while employees worked from home? If not, why? People analytics can be used to mine information regarding the circumstances in which your employees work best and allow you to make sure they have what they need to excel.

Other post pandemic intel to be analyzed and leveraged could include:

• Staff levels
• Engagement
• Wellness
• Inclusion
• And more

Using people analytics does require certain skills that may serve as obstacles for some companies, such as the ability to analyze raw data, and the visualization skills required to share results with an audience in a clear way.

Maslow Media Group can operate as your outsourced HR department, handling the day-to-day responsibilities such as payroll, insurance, benefits, and more, while allowing your on-site team to focus on bolstering their people analytics skills. Contact us today  to get started and begin mining the data that will serve your company well, well into the future.

Gamification is defined as the application of traditional game elements and strategies – such as competition, point scoring, and rules of play – to other, real-world areas and situations. It has frequently been used in online marketing, to prompt engagement with a company’s products or services, but has also been touted as being particularly effective in business development.

So many people have turned to gaming during the pandemic as a way to pass the time. Gaming appeals to people of all age groups, genders, and backgrounds. Incorporating gaming strategy in a Human Resources setting helps companies score big by tapping into the competitive nature of human beings, and our intrinsic desire to achieve.

HR gamification has been proven to stave off employee disengagement. Introducing features such as leaderboards and/or point systems can make routine and meticulous assignments more appealing, boosting productivity exponentially, and even cutting down on the man hours required to complete such tasks. Studies have also shown that gamification can assist in the long-term retention of information. This may be effective with critical training that would otherwise be met with indifference, or outright ignored.

Gamification does not necessarily have to entail costly software applications or development, either. By now, most people have heard of – if not experienced firsthand – an escape room. This popular recreation places a small group in a locked room before a countdown begins, and the party must decode a series of hidden clues to move on to subsequent rooms and ultimately win the game. Outings like these can be a phenomenal way to build morale between your team members, while helping to hone essential problem-solving skills.

HR gamification also provides recruiters with new opportunities to gauge a prospect’s skills prior to their hiring, and then uses those same tools as a means of training and onboarding. An oft-mentioned example is the Marriott corporation’s development of an online simulation game that allowed candidates to assume the role of a hotel owner, and everything that entails, from top to bottom. By doing so, the company could pre-screen candidates for applicable skills, from customer service to collaboration to the ability to remain cool under pressure. With an investment of time and effort,

HR gamification can work wonders for your company, too. Consider the following suggestions when establishing your plan.

• Make HR gamification part of the hiring process. Reward prospects with recognition and perks at each “stage” of hiring – from the application process to the first day on the job. This not only helps to attract eager and qualified candidates from the jump, but ultimately makes onboarding more efficient – and enjoyable.
• Boost engagement and retain employees: Avoid turnover and improve your corporate culture by using gamification platforms – leader boards, etc. – to keep track of collaboration between departments and volunteer efforts in company programs. These tools can prove invaluable when it comes time for raises and promotions.
• Promote training opportunities: No one enjoys routine training programs, but HR training including diversity and harassment, are critical to ensure a safe and secure workplace. Motivate employees to take part by incorporating a gamification element, allowing participants to earn rewards for completing tasks – or “missions.”

Maslow Media Group can serve as your outsourced HR department, allowing you to free up in-house resources and get your game-face on. Our team specializes in recruiting, payroll, benefits, insurance, and so many other daily details. Contact us today  to find out more.