The Jotted Line

Remote worker happiness and connection are vital in today's work environment. To understand this better, we surveyed remote workers and interviewed four business owners. Today, I'm going to talk about: What the data on remote worker happiness says How these businesses handle the remote working environment The tools that can help build your remote company culture. Here's what we figured out. Remote worker's self-reported happiness level How connected the employee feels to the business How businesses stay connected to their remote workers The key takeaways for creating remote employee happiness Click here to read the full survey results. Are Remote Workers Happy? We surveyed 288 remote workers to determine if they feel their lifestyle and productivity has improved since moving to remote work. As per the results, 74.3% agreed that their productivity improved while 74.7% said their lifestyle had improved. These findings coincide with the larger scale survey done by Tracking Happiness. This survey focused on the strong correlation between life happiness and work happiness as well as the 20% increase in life happiness that occurs in workers who are fully remote. Remote work does increase employee happiness and lifestyle improvement. Remote Worker Connection to Company Culture Next, our survey sought to explore the employee's sense of company connection and loyalty. We posited the statement "I feel connected to the company that I work for." 38.9% of remote workers strongly agree that they feel connected to their business despite being physically distant, and 33.7% somewhat agree. Most surprisingly, 59% of remote workers stated they either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that they felt a greater sense of loyalty to their company through remote work than they experienced when working for a company on site. This evidence shows that employee happiness and company connection can be fostered and increased through remote work positively. So in what ways can you help to foster your remote worker happiness? We interviewed four remote businesses about their company culture and this is what we learned. How Businesses Create Remote Worker Happiness and Connection We interviewed Carson McComas of Fuel Made, Alex Oxford of TaxValet, Brian Toomey of JB Analytics, and Jeff Oxford of 180 Marketing and asked them the following questions about their remote work companies: How would you explain the general attitude of your staff in a fully remote workplace? How have you tried to help your employees to feel connected to your company and how has this affected team loyalty or morale? What tools or initiatives do you use to build team loyalty and corporate culture? (Eg. corporate gifts, incentive structures, managerial strategies, etc.) Working with the general attitude of your staff The first key to having a happy remote work environment is setting a positive outlook. Additionally hire employees who already have an interest in remote work. The starting point for a great team and happiness in the workplace is hiring the right people for the job. Jeff Oxford of 180 Marketing stressed that culture is the most important tool for company culture: There are plenty of A-players with extensive experience and capabilities that we've turned down because they just didn't mesh well with our team's culture. We want people who are smart and passionate, but are also someone we could sit down and have a beer with. It is also incredibly important to have people in remote working positions who actually want to work remotely. Both Alex Oxford of TaxValet and Carson McComas of Fuel Made stated that remote jobs are a huge incentive for all their employees. McComas said, It's often listed as the perk they appreciate the most about working here. They share that they love the flexibility, improved ability to maintain work/life harmony, lack of commute and associated stress, and better ability to focus while working. Occasionally they'll have to address some loneliness or friction in team communication, but they share that those issues are a small price to pay for the benefits. McComas points out that the desire for flexibility is: Pivotal to the employee A useful way to avoid micromanagement Avoid Micromanaging Micromanaging will be the death of the remote work environment since it is impossible to be physically present. Instead, the focus of the business must be completing a task or a goal by a certain time. How the employee gets to that goal is entirely up to them. Part of the draw of a remote work environment is that the employees do not want or need constant oversight. Brian Toomey of JB Analytics sticks firmly to the principles of ROWE and a results-oriented business for this exact reason. Jeff Oxford put is this way, Other than a few minimal requirements, our team members have the autonomy to approach problems and complete tasks however they'd like. By giving them more freedom and the ability to work autonomously, they...feel respected which has helped to create more loyalty. Focus on hiring the right people for your company. Additionally, give them the freedom both of location and of workflow to accomplish their goals. Facilitate communication and connection Open communication must be a big part of the work dynamic. Each business said they never hesitate to reach out with questions. Additionally, they utilize video and phone calls so that each employee has every resource they need to complete their goal. Use of Phone and Video Calls Jeff Oxford stated, Having video calls as needed has been very helpful. We're very quick to hop on Google Hangouts to discuss the best way to solve a problem, answer questions, work together, etc. Even if we're not in-person, just seeing each other on video frequently goes a long way. Using phone calls and video chats can build a greater sense of personal connection between coworkers that goes beyond the work itself. Additionally, seeing each other face to face or voice to voice can prevent misunderstandings in the remote office space. Much can be lost in someone's tone of voice or body language by not being present. Support Virtual 1-1 Each business stressed the importance of creating a space for their employees to have a personal connection with one another. Indeed, a universal trait between each business that we interviewed was a regular check in of a nonwork related nature. Brian Toomey intentionally keeps his business small so that he can easily create remote worker happiness and connection. He will even pay travel expenses so people can come together in-person. He warned that it is not a scalable method, but he prefers a very personal business model that caps their company as a boutique consultancy. Carson McComas works to build his company culture on a weekly and yearly scale. He has a Slack channel for his employees with a question prompt where they can share photos and stories about their weekend. Moreover, the company then does a Friday check-in to see how everyone's week went. He said, "We only hold a staff meeting about once per month, and it's typically just for fun - everyone answering a 'get to know you'." Alex Oxford noted, We host weekly 'social events' with different topics each week. Most importantly, we try to create a culture of openness where everyone feels safe to talk about what's going on in their lives so that we can support them the best we can. We do this by starting each weekly team meeting with 'How are you feeling on a scale of 1-10, and why?'. A little bit of empathy goes a long way! Finally, Jeff Oxford explained that they are planning an annual meet up so everyone can be in person together. Each of these examples shows a different way that each company works to help their remote workers feel connected to each other, which in turn helps them feel more connected to the company that brings them all together. In a remote work environment, these methods are critical to developing a thriving company culture with a good morale. Tools help everyone Lastly, we asked our interviewees what tools they used to build team loyalty and company culture. Meet Ups and Special Events The first big common tool was annual meet ups and special events. Though many annual meetups were affected by the Pandemic, each company stressed that they were bringing back the annual meetup either through a corporate gathering or by attending a work conference together. Sometimes just a special event or a gift can do wonders. Jeff Oxford from 180 Marketing said, We started doing beer tasting where we sent all remote employees a variety pack of beers from a bunch of different breweries. Then each Friday we would taste a new beer together while also just chatting about anything non-work related. This also matches up with the survey talked about at the beginning of the article. The Importance of Gifts We posited the statement "I feel more valued because my company sends me regular gifts or care packages as an outreach effort," and 83.5% of people agreed with 60.7% of those answers being Strongly Agreed. Often, the thoughtfulness of a gift can speak volumes to a person working remotely since it is a physical thing that connects them to the workplace and the people there. Indeed, people like receiving gifts and tangible awards even in the remote environment. Alex Oxford of TaxValet uses gift cards as awards every quarter for employees who have been "key players" and exemplified the core values of the business. The gift physically connects people. Surveys and Honest Feedback Alex also talked about the important tool of getting honest feedback from his employees. I...personally have a meeting with one random employee each week to collect feedback on what we should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. This is a great opportunity to hear 'from the field' what changes need to be implemented in the business. It also serves as an opportunity to provide historical context and coaching to some newer employees. This hands on approach helps him know how everyone in the company is feeling and work to make a better business for all his employees. Carson McComas utilizes a survey for the same purpose. I...ask them to fill out a very brief survey each Friday asking them to rate how they felt at work that week on a scale from 1 to 5 with an optional field to explain why. This has helped me be better in touch with any concerns I may not otherwise be aware of. Tools such as these surveys and work check-ins are crucial to a company culture of honesty and transparency. Transparency of the Entire Business That transparency can also be an impactful tool on a grander scale. McComas and A. Oxford both stressed how being a transparent company with their employees (with regular updates on the state of the business and company access to profit and loss statements, balance sheets, etc.) communicates the culture the company wants to create through its open honesty. They take the time to make sure each employee understands their benefits and the resources they have for their professional and personal needs. Doing the Research to Be a Good Boss Lastly, Brian Toomey pointed out the time he takes in learning how to be a good boss and work with people. Instead of just focusing on the business, he thinks about the cognitive psychology and the personalities of his remote workers. This helps him avoid micromanaging and set each team member up with the skills they need to tackle the work together. The Takeaway Seeing each remote worker as a person and a pivotal member of your team can be one of the most important ways to build the culture of your company and create a loyal, trust-filled work environment. Each tool and method used by these businesses highlights the capacity remote office based work has to increase employee happiness and benefit the people that make a business. And...sometimes a gift never hurts anyone. Create Remote Worker Happiness and Connection Today Remote work is a viable, sustainable medium for a successful business with a thriving company culture. It has the ability to improve the lifestyle of the worker. They can still experience happiness and connection to the company they work for without a shared physical space. Companies that work hard to create a feeling of connectedness and community utilize a variety of different tools and methods to sustain their remote workers. Sam Di Nardo is an author for Dayspring Pens, where she has honed her expertise in ballpoint, rollerball, gel and fountain pens since joining the team in 2018. From her initial role as an Engraver to becoming the Production Manager, Sam's journey has been marked by her passion for the history, manufacturing, and the unique value of gifted writing instruments. A graduate of Regent University with a degree in English Literature and a special interest in Old Norse literature, dive deeper into Sam's world and discover why she's your trusted guide in the realm of gift pens. Follow Sam on LinkedIn.

What is it about writing with a pen that seems to all at once soothe the mind, capture the imagination, and connect us to endless possibilities? Well, for starters, a pen is a lovely piece of technology: simple yet elegant, unassuming yet capable of helping us to create wonders. To help craft your written labors of love (as well as your doodles and weekly grocery lists), there’s something incredibly satisfying about using a customized pen that’s made just for you. Personalized pens have long been popular with prolific writers as well as other great thinkers and celebrities. With your custom pen, you’re in good company. Let’s have a look at four of our favorite famous pen lovers.  Queen Elizabeth II Numerous heads of state around the world are known to have favorite pens. Bill Clinton used a Cross rollerball, while John F. Kennedy used a Parker ballpoint. Queen Elizabeth II is also a fan of the Parker brand, using the Parker 51. Image from: Wikimedia Elizabeth is known for her incredibly long life and reign, serving as Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth since 1952. What do the duties of a modern queen include? Well, for one thing, she signs her name. A lot. From official documents to birthday cards; applying her treasured signature is one of Elizabeth’s fundamental royal obligations. In fact, anyone celebrating a 100th birthday, or various other anniversaries and personal landmarks, is eligible for a personalized card from the Queen. To write like royalty, select and customize the perfect Parker pen for you or the person that you’re gift shopping for. Parker pens are available in a variety of styles, including a fountain, gel, ballpoint, and rollerball pen (read on to learn more about these styles). And of course, any pen purchased through Dayspring Pens can be personalized.  Further Reading: The 6 Best Parker Pens: #1 Is Super Affordable! Stephen King Stephen King has been described as the “King of Horror,” having published 61 novels that have sold over 350 million copies — including terrifying classics such as Carrie and The Shining. After suffering a road accident in 1999, King wrote Dreamcatcher using a Waterman cartridge fountain pen. He found writing with a fountain pen to be therapeutic, rhythmic, and calming. Furthermore, King stated that the use of a pen slowed down his thought process and helped him to consider each word. Many pen users will relate to King’s opinions on the benefits of writing with a pen. King even went so far as to describe the fountain pen as “the world’s finest word processor.” The perfect personalized pen for Stephen King? Maybe some blood-red lettering spelling out “King of Horror” in a spooky gothic font.   Related Topic: 3 Reasons Why Stephen King Writes With a Fountain Pen Neil de Grasse Tyson You don’t have to be a famous astrophysicist to collect personalized pens. But if you do happen to be one, you’d have some truly stellar pen designs on your desk. Astrophysicist, author, and science communicator Neil de Grasse Tyson is a known collector and user of fountain pens. Pen nerds will enjoy hearing one of the world’s great thinkers and speakers breaking down his pen preferences in this interview. Tyson’s enthusiasm for his pen collection is contagious, as he clearly goes the extra mile (or light year?) with his taste for customizable pens. Tyson’s three rules for custom pens are as follows: the pen needs an interesting nib (the part that contacts the writing surface); the cap has to post (slide on to the back of the pen while you write); and the personalization should, of course, be astronomy-themed. Neil de Grasse Tyson’s custom pens feature outer space imagery and travel with him in a special small briefcase. One of his favorites features a replica imprint of a lunar boot footstep made on the Apollo 11 moon landing. But, that’s not all; the pen features materials that were actually on the Apollo 11 mission!   Discover More: Customizable Luxury Fountain Pens Emma Watson In the Harry Potter films that shot her to superstardom, Emma Watson played the clever and studious Hermione Granger, often sporting a feather quill pen to assist in her spell and potions studies. Outside of her acting career, Watson has proven to be equally as ambitious as the young witch she portrayed. Watson has promoted gender equality and education for girls around the world; work that has brought her as far as Bangladesh and Zambia. In 2014, she was appointed as a United Nations Women Goodwill ambassador, which resulted in her famous delivery of a speech on gender equality at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. It should come as no surprise that Miss Watson carries a fountain pen. In an interview with Candy Magazine, Watson described the contents of her handbag, and included in the shortlist of items, was a Parker fountain pen which she exclaimed to be “so good!” Parker IM Fountain Pen She’s certainly not wrong about that! Fountain pens use liquid ink, allowing for a smooth and easy glide over the paper without needing to press down excessively. That means a fountain pen is great for use during an extended writing session. We aren’t privy to any details regarding personalization in Watson’s pen set. However, whether buying for yourself or as a gift, a personalized fountain pen is a great way to make a favored writing implement stand out and stay with its owner for years.  Check It Out: The 7 Best Parker Fountain Pens Finding the Perfect Pen From literary and Hollywood royalty to the British royal family — brilliant and distinguished individuals love a good pen, for reasons both practical and stylistic. If you’re looking to elevate your own writing game or send a special gift to a friend, loved one, or coworker, start by reviewing the four basic ink styles for pens: ballpoints, rollerballs, fountain pens, and gel pens. Ballpoint is the most popular pen-style. Ballpoints are reliable, consistent, widely available, and low priced. They function via a small ball at the tip that rolls on contact, releasing ink from the tube cartridge. Rollerballs, such as uni-ball pens, function like ballpoints, but usually use water-based ink, which requires less pressure to leave a strong mark on the page, but can still write with a fairly fine point. Fountain pens have replaceable ink cartridges. Instead of a point, there’s a nib, which is split down the middle, releasing ink through an inner channel. Fountain pens are elegant and iconic, but they also excel in performance, providing excellent ease of writing.  Gel pens feature a water-based ink with a high color pigment to water ratio, which helps them apply a full color effectively over dark-colored paper or slick surfaces. Did you know? While not an ink style, stylus pens used for touch screenwriting are another important modern pen type. The Ultimate Guide to Pen Writing Styles will help you to better understand the different types of pens and which ones you might prefer. Knowing the basic pen styles will get you started, and then you can enjoy selecting your various preferred characteristics, such as weight, color, and material. Pens are as varied and fascinating as the people that use them. To complete the perfect pen, have it personalized.  How to Personalize Pens Personalization might be done to express your taste or personality on your own pen, to create logo pens for a business or special event, or to craft the perfect gift. Along with selecting a pen’s specifications (color, design, etc.), the personalization of a gift pen will typically involve adding the person’s name to the pen. There are some ways to get this done cheaply, namely imprinting or pad printing. However, these methods will not result in a precise and elegant aesthetic finish, and the lettering will degrade over time. To achieve a beautiful and permanent personalization, have the name engraved. At Dayspring Pens, we engrave the majority of our orders in-house. Most of our engraving is performed with a fiber optic or CO2 Laser Engraving Machine. This offers precise and permanent engraving that will never fade or wear away. Engraved gift pens make for an absolutely classic gift and one that anyone would appreciate. Premium brands to consider include Cross, Waterman, and Parker. Excellence in Craft  We’ve been satisfying discerning customers for over 25 years thanks to the pride we take in both craft and customer service. As stated by recent customer Nancy H: “The pen I purchased, the engraving, and the packaging are all fabulous… I want to spread the word that there are still GREAT companies out there with top-notch customer service and this company is one of them in my book!” If you’re ready to reach for the stars, it’s time to start writing like the stars. Get started today by finding the perfect customizable pen from our premium selection. Featured image: Wikimedia Daniel Whitehouse is the President and CEO of Dayspring Pens. He uses his expertise with premium writing utensils to create exceptional, intentional products and craft easy-to-understand articles that help both new and experienced users learn more about their writing tools. He lives in Virginia where he and his wife are raising their four children. To learn more about him and his insights about custom engraved gift pens, follow Daniel on LinkedIn.

Take time out of your day to relax with a good literary word search. Find your favorite books, authors, poets and flowers hidden in amongst an array of jumbled letters. Written in gently flowing scripts you'll find these puzzles challenging but calming. Free to download and share with friends. Enjoy! Need a pen to complete these tricky puzzles? Shop our extensive collection of fountain pens. However if you don’t know where to start, check out this Dayspring favorite. Books There’s nothing like curling up with good literature in your favorite armchair. However, working through this wonderful literary word search on a hunt for some of the most popular titles of all time is a close second. Download plain font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Download fancy font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Characters Is your favorite character noble and valiant or fractured and complex? Maybe they’re both. Whoever your preferred protagonist you’re sure to recognize some of these literary characters in this word search. Download plain font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Download fancy font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Authors Can you find all of these famous wordsmiths amongst these mixed up letters? If so, who is your favorite and what is their best work? In your opinion of course! Download plain font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Download fancy font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Poets Everyone has a poet that speaks to them on a level they can barely put into words. We’ve hidden a collection of some of the biggest names in the poetry throughout this literary word search. Grab your favorite pen and start looking! Download plain font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Download fancy font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Flowers Springtime is almost here and flowers are starting to pop up everywhere. But before the parks are full of flowery majesty, you can find your own in this literary word search. The swirly font makes this word search the perfect way to unwind after a busy day. Download plain font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Download fancy font Word Search as JPG | PDF | PNG Daniel Whitehouse is the President and CEO of Dayspring Pens. He uses his expertise with premium writing utensils to create exceptional, intentional products and craft easy-to-understand articles that help both new and experienced users learn more about their writing tools. He lives in Virginia where he and his wife are raising their four children. To learn more about him and his insights about custom engraved gift pens, follow Daniel on LinkedIn.