Weatherproof: how hirealliance's talented team stays productive on snow days.

Weather alerts blew up the phones and laptops of the hirealliance team throughout the day yesterday as another winter storm blew toward southern NH, scheduled to hit right in time for the morning commute today. With team members who commute from across the state and many employees having to adapt around changing school and child care schedules, adjusting whenever a winter storm warning pops up has become part of the routine for our team. But that adjustment hasn't been the detrimental or demotivating issue many leaders fear and in fact, we've recognized that our team is quite focused and almost unfailingly productive on these days. This makes it easy to make the sound decision to keep them off slippery roads and give them back a bit of their time on those days when roofs and walks and drives need shoveling and de-icing!

Given what we sometimes hear from other organizations that struggle with the decision to close the office in wintry weather, and the number of joke memes and comments about snow days being opportunities to blow off work, we realize how lucky we are to have this committed and engaged group of talent professionals. We also thought we'd spread the wealth with our followers and share some of our teams' top tips for staying productive! Read on about how the hirealliance team makes these days counts. Happy recruiting and safe shoveling!

Katherine Little: "Get up and shower for the work day just like any other day! I do my morning routine, put on real clothes (no sweats!) And feel bright eyed and bushy tailed, not sleepy and slow.

I also rotate my work station. Being home can be less stimulating than the office, so having a standing set up at my kitchen island, a desk at my dining room table, and a comfortable retreat in the living room for long calls helps give me new things to look at, moves me around, and prevents me from getting tired and feeling confined."

Marisa Landry: "I make sure I have the house to myself. I take over the large table in our dining room and load up the diffuser with energizing peppermint oil to keep me focused!"

Paul Drennan: "The best way to stay productive on a snow day is to act like you're at work.

First, shower, get dressed, make a plan and stick to it. There are a lot more distractions at home, so keeping yourself to a schedule is key.

If you have a house full of people like I do today, setting ground rules is key. Make sure you get to a place where you can work without interruptions. Take breaks and visit with those who are politely letting you work, but don’t get caught up in all the other activities that are going on around you."

Jess Darrach: "I use the snow day to my advantage. It's less about a trick and more about just calling people and getting them on the phone. I have a snow day and they probably do too!

I have found some companies don’t even give snow days and some people have to take a sick day to avoid driving in the snow. This gives me a perfect opportunity to talk to them when they're not preoccupied at work and to have a more open conversation about their career and how I can help!"

Hannah Duff: "I find that sitting at a table versus my couch makes a huge difference in my productivity; simulating a work space puts me in the mind set of getting things done.

I also get very restless, and cooped-up feeling when I work from home. A quick walk outside here and there is refreshing and re-energizing!"

Jenny Smith: "Other than not needing to put on work clothes and start the car, I don’t change my morning routine on a snow day. It’s business as usual to kick off the day which puts me in the right mental space to make the day productive from the start.

Once I'm online, I make an effort to reach out to every member of my team individually to say good morning or check in. Working remotely creates the possibility of me or them feeling isolated, so even if it’s just to say hello, that check in can help keep us all connected. "