Nothing hurts your chances of landing a job more than checking your phone during an interview, according to new research.
More than three-quarters of executives remove candidates from consideration if the person uses his or her cellphone during the interview, according to a study from the staffing firm The Creative Group.
Showing up late without acknowledging it; failing to bring items that were requested, such as a resume, portfolio or references; wearing improper interview attire; and speaking poorly of a previous employer round out the other top five job-interview deal breakers.
"Hiring managers typically assume candidates are putting their best foot forward during job interviews, so any sign of unprofessional or unproductive behavior makes a big impact, no matter how qualified the person may be for the position," Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group, said in a statement. "Job seekers should do everything they can to tip the scales in their favor, including paying attention to the smallest details."
To help job seekers, The Creative Group offers several tips on how to avoid the top five blunders that can sink a job interview:
No phones: Even before stepping inside for your interview, make sure your phone is turned off and put away. While it may be tempting to check your email or browse the Web while waiting for the interview to begin, you are better off sitting patiently and reading over any company literature that is available in the lobby. Keeping your phone off will help ensure you give the interviewer your undivided attention.
Show up early: Arriving even a couple minutes late to an interview can send a signal to hiring managers that you don't respect their schedules. But it could also cause you to miss out on the interview altogether. Rather than trying to be right on time, plan to arrive 10 minutes early. Besides showing the prospective employer that you are punctual, the extra time will give you a chance to calm your nerves before the interview starts. If you are running late, call ahead and explain the reason for the delay.
Don't come empty handed: Never assume that the interviewer will have all of your application materials. In case they don't, it's best to bring extra copies of your resume. In addition, if you have a portfolio of past work they might want to see, bring a laptop or tablet with you so you can easily present it.
Dress to impress: While many companies today have laid-back dress codes, it's still not a good idea to show up wearing something too casual. Try researching the company's dress code, and wear something that's slightly more formal.
Don't bash former employers: Hiring managers may question your professionalism and attitude if you spend time during your interview badmouthing formers employers, bosses, co-workers or clients. While it's sometimes appropriate to discuss work-related challenges you've had in the past, tread lightly during these conversations. Being able to describe difficult situations diplomatically can boost your chances of landing the job.
The study was based on surveys of 200 advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees and 200 marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees
If you want to create and grow a successful company, you need happy, productive employees. So, what's the secret to keeping your employees content? The key is to maintain a great work environment.
Everything from physical changes (like lighting and organization) to shifts in the company culture and management techniques can turn a company from a place to merely put in hours and get a paycheck into a place employees love going to every day. Even subtle changes can take your company to the next level — not only to help you retain your current employees, but also to pique the interest of potential new hires.
So, how can you improve your company's work environment? Business News Daily asked business owners and experts for their best advice. Here's what they told us.
1. Hire the right staff.
"The kind of people you hire will be the ones to contribute to your work environment. So make sure you're hiring people who are professional, can work in a team and can contribute to a positive work environment, because one bad apple can spoil the bunch." – Jazmin Truesdale, CEO, Mino Enterprises
2. Let go of toxic employees.
"It's amazing to watch one bad attitude affect everyone's daily performance. I can't tell you how many times I have been thanked after letting poisonous employees go. Though it's a hard thing to do, it ultimately impacts the working environment, which can be felt by not only our employees, but also by our [customers]." – Claire Marshall Crowell, director of operations, A. Marshall Family Foods/Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant
3. Keep the office clean, comfortable and well-decorated.
"Working in a clean, attractive office can have tremendous effects on the interactions between co-workers and managers. Even if the sun can't shine into your workplace, make an effort to provide a relaxing atmosphere with comfy furniture, working equipment and a few extra-mile amenities. It might not seem cost-effective at first, but the change in attitude is visceral among staff members when they know you care enough about them to invest in their well-being." – Mike Canarelli, CEO and co-founder, Web Talent Marketing
4. Make sure your office is well-lit.
"My best advice is [to] make sure all your employees work in a space with natural light. Poor lighting can cause significant levels of eyestrain, blurred vision and headaches, none of which are conducive to a productive work environment. On the flip side, a well-lit office can keep your employees energized throughout the day. If natural light isn't an option in your office, then try to use light fixtures with adjustable filters." – Taylor Johnson, hiring manager and business plan expert, BusinessPlanToday
5. Have a relaxation space.
"Provide a segregated place for employees to unwind — employees need breaks and need to have some form of social interaction. Providing a location for employees to unwind without disturbing employees at work will help morale tremendously." – Josh Lindenmuth, chief information officer, Payce
6. Make a dry-erase board wall.
"Make an office wall a dry erase board. It's productive, encourages on-the-spot brainstorming and is a great visual of the work we are doing. Employees will take photos on their phone of the board to refresh their memory of action items when they meet in smaller teams; it keeps important work front and center, and the [enthusiasm] flowing." – Vic Keller, founder, ZAK Products
7. Make your employees comfortable.
"We let people choose their own desks — sitting or standing — and chairs and make it easy for them to purchase things like exercise balls and plants on the company dime. We also trust our employees to manage their own time. They're free to take breaks to play games or just recharge as necessary." – AJ Shankar, CEO and founder, Everlaw
8. Encourage personalization.
"Giving each employee the space and freedom to customize their area to their personal work preferences is one of the best ways to create a better work environment. Instead of just having the same issued everything, give everyone a budget to customize their own setup." – John Turner, CEO, UsersThink
9. Foster collaboration.
"Whether your office is cabins, cubicles or open-concept, be sure to have small and large spaces that employees can collaborate in. This will spark team creativity and camaraderie and indirectly encourage people to be more invested in their work and their colleagues." – Slisha Kankariya, marketing director, Four Mine
10. Eat together.
"One simple way to help improve the relationship of employees with each other is by having meals together. You do not need to spend a lot of money. You can simply have pizza, sandwiches or Chipotle. Do a short presentation. Leave most of the time for employees to chat with one another." – John Crossman, president, Crossman & Company
11. Hold fun activities during the workweek.
"Each month, we incorporate employee-suggested events to bond as a company. Such events include monthly birthday celebrations with ice cream socials, baseball opening-day cookouts, Easter-egg hunts, Kentucky Derby races and so on. Each event takes place during work hours to break up the week and thank employees for their hard work, while improving company culture." – Michelle Burke, marketing strategist, Model55
12. Let employees move around.
"Don't ever let employees feel like they're chained to their desk. Sitting at a desk does not equate to billable hours or even doing your best thinking. Move around, walk to the corner coffee shop, sit outside for an hour, cut out early and work from a bar. Having the freedom of mobility leads to better thinking." – Prentice Howe, president and executive creative director, Door Number 3
13. Focus on wellness.
"Creating a work environment that places emphasis on wellness is the key to success. We instituted 'Wellness Wednesdays,' where employees participate in yoga and meditation, as well as a 'bring-your-pet-to-work day,' which is an incredible stress reliever. These small additions make a significant impact on happiness and productivity, and really help to encourage a light-hearted attitude and mind-set among employees." – Jennifer Adams, CEO, Jennifer Adams Worldwide
14. Have face time with employees.
"In this modern world of technology, we forget that face-to-face meetings with employees are important. They need to meet with you from time to time, and you need their feedback from time to time. Emails can be so impersonal and imply messages that are not there. Talk to your employees. You might be surprised at what they have to say." – Sue Procko, owner, SPPR
15. Rephrase instructions.
"Replace 'You should' with 'Let's' when giving direction to staff who report to you and to your peers. It's a simple but effective way to create a sense of shared mission. It works everywhere from big strategic plans to small projects. Once you create that mind-set, you can break the mission down into specific tasks and make it clear who is accountable for what. The result is a better, more engaged environment." – Christopher G. Fox, founder, Kindness Communication
16. Don't overload your employees.
"One of the top reasons people quit their jobs is because management demands that one person do the jobs of two or more people. It is crucial that you do not give your employees more than they can handle. If you suddenly have a high burst of work that needs to be completed, outsourced employees can complete the tasks." – Bill Peppler, managing partner, Kavaliro
17. Be flexible.
"I encourage my employees to schedule their personal lives the way a CEO does. Unless it conflicted with a meeting, I wouldn't think twice about scheduling a mid-day doctor's appointment or more trivial personal appointment, such as a haircut, and I encourage them to do the same. A trusted hardworking employee should be able to schedule their day like a CEO. Why should they cram every one of life's inconveniences — [like] oil changes, etc. — into a brief period of time before or after work?" – Ashley Judge, president, The Funtrepreneur
18. Be transparent.
"From promotions to pending changes in business, employers have to operate openly and frankly. Allow your employees to be adults and react with information as it presents [itself]. It prevents the usual misunderstandings and rumors that stem from not being open and honest about business matters." – Janine N. Truitt, chief innovations officer, Talent Think Innovations
19. Train employees properly.
"Most employees want to do good work. Give them the proper tools, and they'll succeed. This means clearly letting employees know what they are responsible and accountable for, communicating regularly with workers so everyone is on the same page, and developing opportunities for employees through training and education to better themselves — professionally and personally." – Noelle Nelson, business consultant and author, "Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy"(MindLab Publishing, 2012)
20. Have a device policy for meetings.
"Ever been in a meeting with the guy who won't stop texting? Limit what's acceptable in meetings. My policy is to stay in the moment, and if you have nothing to contribute to a meeting, then don't go. No matter what kind of office you have, you must be present to win." – Sean Higgins, co-founder, ilos Videos
21. Give feedback.
"Employees are motivated and feel valued when they're given positive reinforcement and shown how their work contributes to the success of the business. This means going beyond a 'Hey, good job' and making the time to regularly offer employees specific feedback on how their work is feeding into the broader business objectives." – Dominique Jones, vice president of human resources, Halogen Software
22. Be open to feedback, too.
"When you involve your staff in decision making in an effort to create a better work environment, they feel valued. Don't be afraid to ask employees for their opinion on a new benefit offered or what they think of a new client project. Even asking an entire department to provide feedback on their team leader can be a productive way to involve staff members." –Samantha Lambert, director of human resources, Blue Fountain Media
23. Say "thank you."
"Create a culture of appreciation. Appreciation is so vital. Employee recognition done right can transform and elevate an organization. It ignites enthusiasm, increases innovation, builds trust and drives bottom-line results. Recognize the importance and value of the team and the contributions of its members. Even a simple 'thank you' after an employee goes above and beyond on a project, or puts in a series of late nights, goes a long way." – David Sturt, executive vice president, O.C. Tanner Institute
Technology has made today's workplace entirely different from the one employees knew just five years ago. And at the rate mobile devices and remote work capabilities are advancing, it won't be long before the workplace completely changes again.
But it's not just evolving technological trends like wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) that companies need to account for. Legislative changes around health care and labor laws, as well as the changing generational makeup of the workforce, will also require employers to adjust their strategies going forward.
To help businesses start preparing for tomorrow's work environment, human resources experts and business leaders weighed in on some of the most important issues that will affect or continue to affect the workplace over the next several years. [
Freelance and remote workers
Thanks to nearly ubiquitous mobile devices and Wi-Fi, more and more work is being done outside the traditional office. But as companies add freelancers, independent contractors and full-time telecommuters to their workforce, they often find that managing remote workers requires a whole new approach to leadership.
"Managers need to know who they're managing," said Matt Poepsel, vice president of product management at business consulting firm PI Worldwide. "In a time when managers are finding themselves in charge of workers all over the globe, the act of 'getting to know' all of them seems nearly impossible."
From an HR perspective, Poepsel said that successfully managing workers who aren't physically there means learning more about the individual employees and freelancers on your staff.
"The key to making it all work is having a plan that ensures an efficient and cohesive working relationship that keeps both employees and employers happy," Poepsel told Business News Daily. "For example, [our client] Raidious [looked at] individual team members' motivational needs and behavioral drives. They then used that insight to assign roles and responsibilities, manage job expectations and drive the team's performance over time."
Generation Z
While there's some disagreement as to the exact start year of Generation Z, one thing is certain: The oldest members of the post-millennial group will be off to college and joining the workforce within the next few years, and employers need to be ready for them.
There's certainly some overlap between Gen Y and Gen Z, both in age (depending on whom you ask) and workplace preferences. But these two groups are not identical, and can't be treated as if they are, said Denise Lage, vice president of channel sales and strategic alliances, Americas at workplace solutions provider Condeco Software.
"Unlike millennials, who gravitate to places of work that offer the best happy hours, game nights and on-site gyms, Gen Z-ers look for a workplace that minimizes distractions so they can fully focus on making a difference both in and out of the office," said Lage, whose company recently conducted research on Gen Z workplace attitudes. "They value being productive and will not tolerate any logistical or technological hiccups in their workday."
Ulrik Bo Larsen, CEO of Falcon Social, employs Gen Z-ers at his enterprise social media management platform, and noted that their technological proficiency is one of this generation's most defining characteristics. While older millennials grew up during the dawn of the digital age, much of Gen Z was born into it, and employers should prepare to use this truly "digital native" generation to their fullest potential.
"I'd advise employers to take advantage of the fact that this will be the most online, social generation yet," Larsen said. "Get them involved in your branding through employee advocacy programs. With Gen Z, you'll soon have a hive of social media experts on staff, so encourage them and benefit from their reach –– but they will expect to be involved and activated in return."
Social media use
Like the millennials that run them, newer companies accept social media as a part of everyday life. Even many established brands have jumped on the social media bandwagon — they know that connecting with customers and sharing company information via Twitter, Facebook Instagram and the like are integral parts of their marketing efforts.
Where it gets tricky, however, is when employees start using their personal social accounts to post comments about their workplace. Most employers would love to have their staff promote the company to their networks, but that freedom to post also means inviting the possibility of negative comments — and you can't legally stop them.
Kim Davis, senior vice president of corporate human resources at benefits broker NFP, said that according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), people have the right to discuss their employment terms and conditions — for better or for worse.
"Employees can have these conversations and we can't and shouldn't stop them from highlighting their engagement with the company," Davis said. "But you can set limits — talk about the appropriate use of social media, who can post on behalf of the company, how often you can access personal accounts during business hours, etc."
If you want to encourage (but never force) employees to become your brand ambassadors on social media, check out Business News Daily's guide here.
Work-connected smart devices
Today, most companies have some kind of BYOD (bring your own device) policy regarding the use of personal tech devices for work purposes. Several years ago, these policies primarily meant smartphones and laptops, but today, employees also have tablets, smart watches, fitness trackers and other Internet-enabled devices — all of which can connect to employer networks and access work data.
Jim Haviland, chief strategy officer of Vox Mobile, said that businesses will no longer be able to ignore the crossover of personal mobile devices into work territory, especially when it comes to wearable tech. Rather than banning such devices from the office, employers will have to create a mature, realistic approach to data security and privacy.
"Wearables will open up a new chapter in the privacy debate as they make real-time personal information available to enterprise applications," Haviland said. "Some of this exposure will offer great personal benefit, like worker safety, but the ground rules for use and access are yet to be written or tested legally. Sound policy around wearables will require IT, operations, legal and HR to work together on policy and communications."
Haviland noted that the best way to avoid future problems involving personal devices in the workplace is to make sure employees have a clear understanding of the rules around their use. He advised having your company's legal and HR departments play a lead role in outlining technology use policy.
Similarly, Davis said that device-related policies should address not only use-case scenarios, but also confidentiality and security. Companies should set guidelines around operations that are important to the business: who owns the device and what happens when it's lost, stolen or compromised.
"Be clear on what to do, and the responsibilities of the employees who carry these devices around," Davis said. "Tell employees ... what [data] is being collected, processed and stored. It has to be covered — it's critical that policies are clear and consistent. Help employees understand how important what they have in their hand is, and how to use it without hurting themselves or the business in general."
The changing role of HR
Changing company policies to meet the demands of the modern work environment also means acknowledging that the role of human resources as a whole is shifting to become more strategic and critical to everyday business operations. Claire Bissot, a certified senior professional of human resources (SPHR) and HR consulting manager at business services provider CBIZ, advised employers to steer HR managers away from being "glorified generalists" and instead work toward becoming real strategic thinkers in the organization.
"You have to get the HR department engaged with the staff and leadership," Bissot said. "In the HR field, [professionals] tend not to step up to the plate with succession planning, recognition programs, business strategy, etc. HR is beyond paperwork — they're human capital managers."
Max Yoder, CEO of online training software company Lesson.ly, noted that while technology does help modern HR professionals do their jobs, they need to remember that their job is to first focus on the "human" element of their companies.
"Now that a newer generation has jumped on board and requires different types of communication and management, there have been tendencies in human resources and management to fail to [adjust]," Yoder said. "If HR wants to remain top of mind, they will need to become more valuable than the technology that's preceded them in the last few years."
The Acer Chromebook 15 earns 3.5 out of 5 stars. Credit: Jeremy Lips
Looking for a big-screen work machine at a budget price? Acer's new Chromebook 15 might fit the bill, if you can deal with the inherent limitations of Google's Chrome OS operating system.
The Chromebook 15 is targeted at home and student use, but that doesn't mean business users can't benefit from the notebook's big 15.6-inch display, speedy performance and long battery life. You also get a comfy keyboard and a roomy touchpad, starting at just $250. And while Chrome OS isn't as robust as Microsoft's Windows or Apple's OS X, the Google operating system is still a low-maintenance, easy-to-use platform for basic productivity.
Design
Don't expect to lug this one on your daily commute; the Chromebook 15 is a big, honking 15.6-inch laptop. In fact, it's the biggest Chromebook we've seen, and the first with a screen bigger than 14 inches.
My review unit came in a bold, white color; it also comes in black. I'd recommend the latter, since the white version has a somewhat toylike appearance and shows every speck of dirt. Over time, I would be shocked if the matte-plastic exterior didn't show some serious discoloration.
On the bright side, I like the textured surface, which helped me get a good grip on the machine whenever I had to move it. Plus, the whole package feels sturdy and well built.
You probably won't want to move the Chromebook 15 from your desk very often. At 0.95-inches thick, with a footprint measuring 15.1 x 9.7 inches, the Chromebook 15 is much larger than HP's 14-inch Chromebook 14 (13.56 x 9.44 x 0.81 inches) and Samsung's 13-inch Chromebook 2 (12.72 x 8.80 x 0.65 inches), though both those notebooks have smaller displays than the Acer. The Chromebook 15's dimensions are actually pretty typical for an affordable 15 incher; the Windows 8-powered Toshiba Tecra C50, for example, is about the same size, at 14.9 x 10.2 x 0.95 inches.
At 4.4 lbs., the Chromebook 15 is heavier than other Chromebooks, but light for a 15-inch system. The Samsung Chromebook 2 weighs just 3 lbs., but the Tecra C50 weighs 5 lbs. The bottom line is that the Acer Chromebook 15 is a relatively bulky machine, but it's still easier to carry around than the average notebook this size.
Display
Acer offers two display options for the Chromebook 15. The baseline model comes with a 1,366 x 768-pixel panel for $250, while the upgraded model includes a full-HD display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 for $350.
My review unit came with a sharper screen, which is absolutely fine for a screen this size. Compared to competing Chromebooks, the supersize Chromebook 15 certainly gives you more space to work. In particular, I noticed that split-screen multitasking felt very comfortable, with plenty of room for two windows positioned side by side. That should help boost your productivity, especially since Chrome OS lets you drag a window to one side or the other to automatically "snap" it into place over one half of the screen, just like in Windows.
I wouldn't recommend the 1,366 x 768-pixel model for most business users. I didn't get a chance to test it for myself, but my recent experience reviewing the Toshiba Tecra C50, which sports a similar low-res screen, convinced me that the resolution feels cramped for serious productivity, even on a large screen. On the other hand, this resolution is acceptable for basic computing tasks like composing documents and responding to email, so it's worth a look if you want to save that $100.
Although the Chromebook 15's screen is plenty large, it's still a bit underwhelming. In particular, colors aren't very vibrant, thanks to an anti-glare coating on the display. On the bright side, the coating does a good job of preventing glare from overhead office lights.
Chrome OS
The Chromebook 15 offers decent hardware at a great price, but its operating system will make this device a hard sell for many business users. Like all other Chromebooks, it runs on Chrome OS, a lightweight platform based on Google's Chrome Web browser.
As soon as you boot up the machine, you're asked to sign in to your Google account, then kicked to a desktop that looks like the Windows desktop environment. But this isn't Windows. In fact, you can't install any Windows (or Mac) software on a Chromebook. Instead, you get Chrome apps, which is a fancy term for browser extensions.
Chrome apps can be pinned to the Windows-stylus taskbar at the bottom of the screen. A button in the bottom left corner functions a lot like the Windows Start menu, letting you view all your applications and perform searches. Finally, icons in the bottom right hand corner provide quick access to utilities like Wi-Fi and battery settings. All in all, it should be a familiar experience for PC users.
Chrome OS may seem limited compared to other platforms, but its barebones construction is also its strength. For starters, it launches in mere seconds, so turning on your Chromebook feels a lot like waking your smartphone or tablet. There's no real learning curve, since advanced settings are minimal, and OS updates are installed in the background with no restarts required. That means you can get to work immediately and keep working without interruptions.
Buy Acer Chromebook 15 on Amazon.com
Apps
Let's cut to the chase: If you depend on a particular piece of Windows or Mac software to do your job, Chromebooks aren't for you, period. But if your workday is limited to more basic tasks like checking email, browsing the Web, and composing documents and spreadsheets, then you can probably get by with a Chromebook.
After all, most PC programs have a suitable online alternative. For example, Microsoft's own Office Online apps (including Web-based versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint) are surprisingly powerful, and Google's own Docs, Sheets and Slides provide another good alternative.
Other highlights in the Chrome OS app library include Evernote for taking and saving notes, Wave Accounting for balancing your books, Hangouts for videoconferencing, and Yet Another Meeting for sharing agendas and calendars.
One downside is that some of those apps store your data in the cloud, so you may not be able to use them when you're away from the office. On the other hand, many Chrome apps offer excellent offline support. For example, Google Docs lets you create new documents and spreadsheets offline, and they'll be synced to the cloud the next time you connect to the Internet.
Keyboard and touchpad
While most 15-inch notebooks make good use of all that space with a full 10-key number pad, the Chromebook 15 lamentably leaves that feature out. That's unfortunate for business users, especially if crunching numbers is part of your job. It's understandable, though, since the notebook is targeted at casual users, not professionals.
Like other Chromebooks, this one also lacks a Delete key, which is a drag for anyone who wants to use the machine to do a lot of typing. Chromebooks put the machine's power/sleep button in the spot where the Delete key resides on Windows and Mac computers. However, Chrome OS does let you set up custom keyboard shortcuts. I used Alt + Backspace for Delete while I wrote this review, but this took some getting used to.
Overall, the typing experience on the Chromebook 15 is decent. Keys offer an acceptable amount of feedback, but a bit less travel than I'd like, with a depth of just 1.3 mm. That's a bit shy of the laptop average (1.5 mm), but deeper than the Toshiba Chromebook 2 (1.2 mm) and Samsung Chromebook 2 (1.1 mm). Greater key travel usually means a more comfortable, desktoplike typing experience.
Meanwhile, the Chromebook 15's roomy 4.2 x 3-inch touchpad feels nice and responsive. Mousing around feels accurate, and gestures like two-finger scrolling are responsive.
Specs and performance
The Chromebook 15 isn't just bigger than competing machines; it's faster, too. Acer sells the notebook in two basic hardware configurations, with the baseline model offering a dual-core Intel Celeron 3205U processor with 2GB of memory, a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD) and a 1,366 x 768-pixel display, all for $250. For an extra $100, you can upgrade the RAM to 4GB, the storage to 32GB and the display to full HD.
My review unit was the pricier model, which blazed its way to impressive marks in our performance tests. It handily beat out all other Chromebooks in the Peacekeeper browser speed test, as well as the Sunspider Javascript test. My subjective experience backed up those results; the machine whizzed along while I launched numerous apps in more than a dozen browser tabs while streaming HD video from YouTube and editing a spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
Do you need that much power in a Chromebook, though? Probably not. Based on my experience with similarly specced machines, the lower-end model's 2GB of RAM should be plenty for the kinds of everyday tasks you'll be doing on the Chromebook 15. On the other hand, the higher-end model's sharper display and larger SSD are still compelling reasons to upgrade.
Ports and connectivity
The Chromebook 15 offers a healthy number of ports, including one USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 port for connecting accessories like a mouse or external hard drive, an HDMI port for linking to a larger desktop monitor or a projector for showing presentations, an SD card slot for expanding the internal storage, and a Kensington lock slot to keep your notebook chained to your desk as an extra security measure.
Webcam
The Chromebook 15's front-facing camera produces predictably grainy images, with a fair amount of visual noise. That's the case with most laptop cameras, though, and this one is perfectly adequate for basic videoconferencing. Plus, the big speakers located on either side of the keyboard provide loud audio, so you'll have no trouble hearing a client or colleague on the other end of a video call.
Battery life
Even though you're likely to leave this king-size laptop plugged in at your desk, its battery is beefy enough to last the whole workday if you need it to. The Chromebook 15 ran for an impressive 9 hours and 1 minute on our battery life test, which simulates continuous Web browsing via Wi-Fi with the screen set to 100 nits of brightness. That's a lot longer than the average for mainstream notebooks (6:12), and longer than the Chromebooks from Toshiba (7:49) and HP (7:57). Samsung's Chromebook 2 is the battery-life king, though, lasting 9 hours and 34 minutes.
The competition
The biggest competitors to the Chromebook 15 ($250) are other Chromebooks, as well as inexpensive Windows notebooks.
Toshiba's Chromebook 2 ($250) has a smaller, 13-inch screen and a bit less power, though it's also more portable, and has a more vibrant screen.
Samsung's Chromebook 2 ($250) also has a 13-inch display, as well as a sleeker design, but it doesn't last as long on a charge as the Chromebook 15.
HP's Chromebook 14 offers a sharp, 14-inch display, but starting at $299, it's more expensive than Acer's Chromebook 15.
HP's Stream 13 is a solid Windows 8 notebook that can run all PC apps for just $217, but it has much shorter battery life than the Chromebook 15, and its colorful design might make it a hard sell for business users.
Bottom line
Acer's Chromebook 15 is an impressive value. It's bigger and faster than its rivals, and lasts longer on a charge than most of them. Plus, it starts at a bargain price: just $250, making it an enticing option for business users on a budget. It's bulky, though, so Toshiba's Chromebook 2 is a better pick if you need something more portable.
The most important question to ask yourself, though, is whether or not a Chromebook can meet your needs in the first place. If you absolutely depend on a specific Windows or Mac app to do your job, then Chromebooks aren't even an option. For everyone else, these machines offer a surprising amount of power and flexibility at a bargain price.
Have you ever wondered if your boss can see what you're doing on your computer all day? The answer is "yes" — and you might be surprised by what your supervisors can see.
Your work computer is not as private as you think it is, and with the help of technology like firewalls and monitoring software, your boss can see every file you access, every website you browse and even every word you type. Although most companies access this information only if they already suspect you're up to no good, it's safe to assume you're being monitored on some level.
And if you think you can get away with goofing off at work by deleting some files and clearing your browser history, think again. Here are seven ways your work computer is betraying you:
1. Your emails aren't as private as you think.
"Many companies archive all emails indefinitely. Employees may not realize this. Organizations might search their mail archive for various reasons, such as discovery related to a court case. A government agency may conduct searches pursuant to a public records request by a newspaper. Emails unrelated to the request might come up in the search, including personal emails." – Beth McIntire, IT manager, North Carolina State Bar
2. Clearing your browser history won't help you.
"Once an employee decides to access a site outside of the local network, the packets their computer sends out to access websites pass through the company firewall. The Web address these packets are sent to and received from are recorded in a firewall security log. The information contained in these logs not only shows the website address, but how long the website was accessed. If an employee chooses to spend a great deal of time on Facebook, for example, the company can easily see how many times a day their computer is sending and receiving packets from Facebook and for how long." – Jay Watt, IT expert and startup consultant, Energy In The Bank
3. Your phone isn't private, either.
"Most companies have an Internet filter of some kind installed. These devices, such as Barracuda Web Filter appliance, can track all Internet activity from every computer [or] device on the network, including your mobile phone that you connect to the office Wi-Fi." – Peter Davis, owner, 311 Media
4. Remote workers, beware: Your location is visible.
"Geolocation is a capability that many employees may not realize is available on software that their company uses. It tracks a computer's location using IP addresses. A key use for geolocation is a simple one — to help locate and recover lost or stolen laptops. However, one use that may go unnoticed is that geolocation can help identify rogue behavior as well, so employees should keep that in mind to avoid any trouble." – Steve Luong, information management expert, CommVault
5. Employers can track every word you type.
"Many companies also install key-logging software on computers, which records every keystroke an employee makes throughout the day. Typically, this data isn't thoroughly reviewed unless a manager notices a problem, such as consistently late work or suspicious behavior." – Cameron Graham, managing editor, TechnologyAdvice
6. You're not the only one who can see your screen.
"Employers can run white hacker programs — or some may call them spy programs — that monitor employee activity. For example, one such program takes a screenshot of any open Excel or Word doc every 15 seconds, then uploads the photo to a centralized portal for employer access. So, you may think that the cover letter you quickly typed up to apply for another job, then deleted, is gone for good, but your computer may be betraying you!" – Bob Herman, co-founder and president, IT Tropolis
7. Every file you access is visible.
"Working from a server? We know every file you've pulled and put on the server, and when. There are many more ways, but clients always ask me, 'Can my boss see what I'm doing?' and the answer is always 'yes.'" – Justin Esgar, CEO and president, Virtua Computers
