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How to Lead Through Uncertainty - #WorkTrends Podcast Encore - TalentCulture

The Struggle Continues: How to Lead Through Uncertainty

December 1, 2023/Editor's Picks, Employee Experience, Featured, Future of Work, Leadership, Organizational Planning, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps, Talent Management /by Meghan M. Biro

The Gap Is Growing

Frankly, it’s hard to blame anyone for being weary of workplace challenges or disappointed by a lack of progress. But the distance between expectations and reality continues to increase, which isn’t a good sign.

For instance, Gallup says the number of workers who are angry, stressed, and disengaged is still climbing. And research from BambooHR indicates that employee satisfaction is now lower than before the pandemic, dropping 10% this year alone.

So, what will bridge this growing divide? It won’t be easy, especially if employee experience takes a backseat to other business priorities. Yet sadly, that’s exactly where organizations are headed.

In fact, Forrester analysts predict a full-on “EX Winter” in 2024, as companies start to freeze their employee experience investments. Yes, you read that right. Ironically, this is starting to happen precisely when our weary workforce needs more attention and better solutions. That means anyone who cares about the future of work will need to be especially creative and resourceful.

How Do We Lead Now?

Strategies that helped organizations thrive under different circumstances are no longer relevant. But with internal and external factors continuing to change, how can you preserve what’s valuable and unique about an organization? How do you lead through uncertainty?

These questions were top-of-mind for organizations a year ago, when I invited Ronni Zehavi, Co-Founder and CEO of HiBob to join me for the first #WorkTrends podcast of 2023. Little did I know then that this topic would become even more important as we look ahead to 2024. But as I look back now on that conversation with Ronni, it’s clear how enduring his management advice is.

But that’s not surprising, given Ronni’s background. With more than 25 years of experience in launching and leading successful technology companies, he knows first-hand how to guide organizations through volatile, uncertain circumstances.

Today, as we look at workplace challenges that lie ahead, I think you’ll agree that Ronni’s unique perspective and expertise can help others continue to lead through uncertainty…

One Solution: Resilience

According to Ronni, a key to surviving and even thriving through chaos is resilience — the capacity to survive, adapt, and grow in the face of adversity. But resilience doesn’t occur by chance. It takes a particular mindset. It also takes a commitment to developing skills and processes that help your organization remain viable and competitive, especially in a fluid, uncertain environment.

In a world filled with disruption, it’s impossible to predict what’s ahead. That means we need to build resilience so we can weather the storm. Ultimately, it pays to prepare for the worst, even as we hope for the best.

Resilience matters even more now. So how can you leverage it as you continue to lead through uncertainty? Check these takeaways from my conversation with Ronni:

Manage Multiple Unknowns With Caution

It’s a bit like driving a car. In 2020 or 2021, driving fast may have been easier because the road was clear. But today it’s bumpy and cloudy, so you need to slow down.

Uncertainty means nobody knows when this will end. We may see a recovery in 2023, or maybe 2024. So how do you deal with this uncertainty? It’s a big challenge for leaders.

First, read the map and then adjust your plan. How long is your runway? Do you have enough cash? Do you have funds to weather the storm?

Then look realistically at the environment. A slowdown will impact your customers as well as your organization. Will you be able to generate the revenues you expect?

When Slowing Down, Consider Your Culture

As you adjust to a difficult environment, layoffs are only one option in a CEO’s toolbox. First, you may decide to slow down hiring. If that isn’t enough, then you may need to freeze hiring or freeze salary increases, or both. And if needed, the next option could be salary cuts or layoffs. One or both.

But it is important to think about the people who stay as well as those who are laid off. Retention can be affected when those who remain are expected to do the job of two people or even more.

Communication and transparency are critical to preserve your culture.

Prepare Now for Better Times

It starts with your people. Invest in them. Make sure you can retain all of them. Or if not all of them, focus on your most important people. Because you’ll want them to be with you when the tailwind comes.

And more than anything else, think positive. What goes down comes back up. So optimism is critical.

Flexible Work Can Help

Flexibility was a nice-to-have perk a few years ago. Then the pandemic proved that organizations can deal with it. So I think hybrid work is here to stay.

The ultimate combination is two or three days at the office or two or three days remote. It offers flexibility, but also promotes engagement and collaboration.

Focus on Finding a Balance with Hybrid Work

It’s a journey. It will take time until it becomes a standard. But flexibility is all about what we call The Three T’s:

Trust. Transparency. Teamwork.

If your organization follows these values, it will help you create a flexible work culture.

More Ideas on How to Lead Through Uncertainty

Ronni Zehavi isn’t the only expert who has generously shared useful real-world lessons with us lately. Here’s helpful guidance from others in our community:

1. Resilience Starts Within

If you want a resilient business, ask yourself this central question: What are you doing to elevate employee mental health and wellbeing?

2. A Great Employee Experience = A Strong Business

To deliver an exceptional customer experience, focus on building a culture that puts employee experience first.

3. Resilient Work Cultures Put Humans First

Leadership is hard, but the most effective leaders invest in what matters to their employees: purpose, empowerment, recognition, positivity, and growth.

4. Gamification Can Defeat a Gloomy Culture

By getting serious about gamification, organizations are bringing hybrid teams together, boosting productivity, and lifting engagement.

5. Managers Need a New Toolkit

Employee growth is essential for organizations to thrive in the “Post-Everything” Era. That means managers need to embrace a fresh approach.

6. Choose Change Methods Wisely

Change management is tricky. Successful leaders bring people along by matching the method to the situation.

7. Individuals Can Develop Career Resilience

Everyone has the potential to recover from setbacks. It helps to practice proven strategies before you need to apply them.

8. A Flexible Talent Pipeline Fuels Productivity

In a fluid business environment, how rapidly can you adjust to changing talent requirements?

9. Onboarding Is Where It All Begins

No one can afford to lose great talent. For stronger retention through challenging times, start at the beginning and level up your onboarding game.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more in-depth information about how to lead through uncertainty, visit the HiBob website, where you’ll find all kinds of helpful resources for employers. And for more #WorkTrends insights, check our growing collection of podcast episodes at Apple or Spotify and subscribe!

Want a Successful Career? Dig In, But Give it Time to Develop

November 28, 2023/Career Development, Employee Experience, Employee Happiness, Learning and Development, Skills Development /by Chris Fontanella

A career, by definition, is something that develops over an extended period of time. In other words, a successful career is not born — it is made. Whatever you hope your career will become doesn’t just spring into existence on day one of your first job. Nor will it be baked by the time you reach midlife. A career is an ongoing process.

The reality: If you’re at the start of your career (or even if you’re somewhere in the middle), many things need to play out between “the now” and “the not-yet” (whatever you want to accomplish). With this in mind, how can you define a professional path you’ll eventually be proud to look back upon?

Dream Big, But…

I’d like to offer 5 strategies for managing your professional progress. But first, allow me to suggest an overarching mindset worth embracing from the outset:

Dream big, but plan for measured growth.

The best time to think expansively about your vision of a successful career is at the start. Go ahead. Embrace awe-inspiring ambitions, ginormous goals, outsized objectives, and infinite intentions. The career image you put in your mind can become a reality — if you truly want it to be and you work your butt off to get there.

But don’t expect it to happen overnight. Instead, take the advice offered by tech entrepreneurs, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier, in their book Rework. They say, “Trade the dream of overnight success for slow, measured growth.” Those who do so make their way over time through the twisting, winding road that takes them from the now to the not-yet.

5 Keys for Building a Successful Career

To help you move through the various stages of professional growth and achievement, consider the following five suggestions.

1. Map Out Your Area of Exploration

It’s never too soon to think carefully about your interests, desires, dreams, hobbies, talents, education, and experiences. Use them to outline a map that sets a general direction toward the “X-marks-the-spot” of your professional objectives.

Taking time to invest in this step is more than worth your effort, because it helps you define relevant territory. This sets the stage for you to focus where you’re most likely to unearth valuable career treasures throughout your journey.

2. Bring a Shovel

A unique, rewarding, and personal(ized) career awaits you. But finding it requires the willingness and ability to dig. This is why you’ll need a shovel.

The treasures of a dream job and a golden career are seldom found strewn about above ground, in plain sight. You won’t find them on a shelf like items at a grocery store. Instead, you’ll need to look below the surface for what you’re seeking.

So, how can you get below the surface? Don’t settle for a superficial approach to getting the career you really want. Dig deeper. Career archeologists — those who relish a rewarding professional path — often demonstrate their dedication in visible ways. You’ll find dirt under their fingernails, a sweaty brow, dusty boots, and other signs that tell you they aren’t afraid to plow through promising employment opportunities in their chosen field. They are committed to the task, and they stay with it until they find what they really want. It’s an example worth emulating.

3. Be Prepared to Modify Your Course

The initial sketch work for a career map seldom reflects the final results. But what’s true of all career mapmakers? They use as much of the pencil’s eraser as the lead itself. (Or even more!)

So take a tip from those who’ve gone before you. When mapping the professional territory you want to explore, resist the temptation to define its boundaries in permanent ink. Why? Because at some point, adjustments are likely to be necessary.

Some people think bolder lines make better, more accurate maps. But this kind of map-making confidence doesn’t allow for numerous twists, turns, and what-nots that can happen on any given day at work and in life.

What’s more, when you draw stark, vivid lines on paper and in your mind, they’re harder to erase. After 30 years of helping people develop their careers, I’ve learned that change always plays a role. So start by recognizing that change is part of the process, and as your career evolves, remain open to adjusting the map.

4. Expect Obstacles

Excavation work is not without challenges. Archeologists encounter geological difficulties, engineering issues, political red tape, structural problems, and more. All these issues make discoveries more difficult. The same is true with uncovering a successful career.

At each stage, you will face problems that threaten to prevent progress on your path of discovery. Instead of being distraught and distracted by these issues, consider them a confirmation that you are onto something worthwhile. You are heading in the right direction and getting closer to your discovery. If you embrace these challenges with enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and resilience, they are likely to teach you the most valuable lessons of your career.

5. Remember Time is on Your Side

One of life’s greatest blessings is time. Most of us assume we have more of it than we do, and many of us waste more of it than we should.

When it comes to your career, don’t waste time. On the other hand, don’t rush things, either. If you’re anything like me when I started my career, you’ll want to get where you think you are going as soon as possible. (Becoming an overnight success always sounds good.) But like most things that improve with time, successful careers typically develop less rapidly.

Whether you know it or not, time is on your side. There are countless examples that underscore this point. For instance, think about Walt Disney. It took decades of persistent effort for his dreams to become a reality. And J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series was published years after the story idea first came to her while she was riding on a train.

It’s not uncommon for careers to feel delayed, slowed, or even asleep. But time, courage, and consistent effort can clear the rubble-strewn roads that lead to whatever accomplishments you want to achieve. Keep showing up.

Secret to a Successful Career: Slow and Steady

Do not confuse a slower pace with failure. It’s tempting to become impatient or discouraged. I haven’t met anyone who wouldn’t prefer a simple, speedy route to becoming an overnight success — especially compared with the lackluster look of a laborer, working their tail off to get where they want to be. But slower, more measured movements are not inactivity. Keep pushing forward and keep learning and adjusting as you go.

Right now, if you’re in the middle of the muddle of all this career development stuff, here’s my parting recommendation: Let time work its magic. Don’t assume the fast track is your best bet. Refuse to skip over incremental steps and hard work. And don’t dismiss the tedious tasks that will clear the way for you to find a successful career. I guarantee you’ll look back and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

Top Tips For Extroverts Who Work From Home

November 27, 2023/Career Development, Company Culture, Digital Workspace, Employee Experience, Employee Well-Being, Workplace Empathy /by John Hackston

Are you an extrovert? About half of the people in the U.S. are. But what exactly does that mean? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality assessment model says extroverts tend to focus attention on — and are energized by — interaction with the outside world of people, things, and experiences. In contrast, introverts focus on — and are energized by — inner thoughts and feelings.

To be clear, this is not binary. It’s a spectrum. In other words, extroverts have an inner life, and introverts interact with the outside world. But everyone leans in one direction or the other.

Historically, the business world has aligned more closely with extroverts’ needs. For example, think about open-plan offices that define so many work environments. As Susan Cain notes in her book, Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, the modern office is “designed for extraverts.”

However, the pandemic has dramatically changed workplace norms. Now, many people work from home, at least part of the time. How is this shift affecting extroverts? Are they adapting successfully? Let’s take a closer look:

How Extroverts Feel About Working From Home

You might think extroverts would resist working from home, but that’s not necessarily the case. In fact, 78% of extroverts recently told us they enjoy working from home, while 74% said they appreciate the peace and quiet of a home office. (Not surprisingly, introverts are even more enthusiastic, with 88% and 86% answering affirmatively.)

Yet, some aspects of home-based work are particularly challenging for extroverts. For instance, 69% said they miss having people around them (compared with only 39% of introverts).

Work-From-Home Guidelines For Extroverts

If your personality preference leans toward extroversion, how can you improve your work-from-home experience? Here are some suggestions:

Extroversion isn’t just about connecting with people — it’s also about connecting with your surroundings. Make your home an interesting, stimulating place to work. If possible, choose a location with a window and natural light. Hang pictures around the room, add items you can interact with, and play music you enjoy.

Take hourly breaks by briefly “visiting” another room in your home — even if it’s just the hallway. If needed, set an alarm as a reminder.

Spaces outside your house or apartment are great places to connect with the external world. Take a walk around the block before work, at lunch, or at the end of the day. If you have a garden or a balcony, step outside occasionally to enjoy some fresh air.

Regular contact with others in your world is important. Take time to interact with family members. If possible, join them for lunch or coffee and a chat. Take time to say hello to your neighbors whenever you cross paths. And when participating in online calls, use video if possible.

Reach out to connect and communicate with co-workers. Schedule regular informal meetings and get-togethers. Seek out opportunities to collaborate on projects. Working together virtually can foster social interaction and build a sense of teamwork. Look for industry-related communities you can join, so you can develop a broader professional network. Reach out to introverted colleagues, too — they may want to participate.

Invite co-workers to meet up in person. If possible, rather than working exclusively from home, choose a hybrid work schedule or consider a co-working space, so you can feel part of a more socially connected environment.

To be sure you don’t forget breaks and meetings, schedule them. Also, schedule breaks between online meetings. Back-to-back sessions can be tiring for everyone — even extroverts!

It’s easy to get distracted when working from home. Therefore, book specific times on your calendar for focused work. Also, choose a quiet space for this kind of work, so you can minimize disruptions.

Work-From-Home Success Tips For Each Extrovert Personality Type

Extroversion and introversion are not the only aspects of personality covered by the MBTI model. The framework also considers 3 other characteristics. Specifically, how individuals prefer to:

Process information (Sensing “S” or Intuition “N”)
Make decisions (Thinking “T” or Feeling “F”)
Interact with the outside world (Judging “J” or Perceiving “P”).

Together, these traits combine to define eight distinct extrovert types:
ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ENTJ.

Below are detailed tips to help people with each of these extrovert personality types work effectively from home:

ESTP
(Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Perceiving)

Add variety to your day by pursuing diverse tasks.
Between each activity, do something to stimulate your senses. Look out the window, go outdoors, or talk to someone.
Make use of the flexibility remote working offers — but remember that others may not appreciate a late-night email or video call.
Plan blocks of time when you’ll be able to avoid distractions. Assign focused work to these time slots.
In your leisure time, do something physically active and energizing.

ESFP
(Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Perceiving)

Make work interesting by involving others in your projects.
Fill your day with a variety of people and tasks.
Set aside time when you won’t allow yourself to be distracted by people or unrelated conversations. Use this time to concentrate on tasks you need to get done.
Try not to snack too much, overindulge in treats, or binge-watch TV.
In your leisure time, go dancing, play a team sport, or pursue other physical activities with people you enjoy.

ENFP
(Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Perceiving)

Find trusted co-workers with whom you can share ideas online.
Immerse yourself in a creative work project.
Take a break from routine tasks to connect with people.
Working from home frees you to be flexible about where, when, and how you work. But remember to consider others’ work priorities and patterns before contacting them.
Even when working remotely, some people or situations may require a quick response. Act accordingly.

ENTP
(Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Perceiving)

Seek out co-workers who are open to regular online communication.
Develop remote communication channels and use them to ask questions and recommend ideas to others.
Take frequent breaks when working on routine tasks.
When working from home it’s easier to be flexible about where, when, and how you work. But be sure to consider others’ work patterns and preferences before you contact them.
Some messages or requests from others require a quick response. Don’t forget to reply and don’t spend too long deliberating.

ESTJ
(Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Judging)

Start your day by planning and prioritizing the tasks ahead.
Use video in online meetings. Pay attention to how people react when you’re speaking, and respond appropriately.
Be tactful in online communication and avoid being overly direct or aggressive. Check emails or messages for tone before you send them, especially if you feel rushed, stressed, or upset.
Be sure to establish a dedicated home office or working area. If it seems too quiet, take a break, go for a walk, or connect with family and friends. You’re allowed to be flexible!
When family, friends, and co-workers are facing challenges, they may need emotional support. You’re likely to be more effective by listening first, rather than jumping directly into problem-solving mode.

ESFJ
(Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Judging)

Create a separate home office or work space, away from others. This will help you concentrate and focus.
Find ways to stay in contact with the people you know. Schedule regular informal meetings and get-togethers to nurture those relationships.
Establish virtual work traditions and rituals to help bring people together online and support a connected culture.
Communication is more difficult when working remotely. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or take offense when none was intended. Feel free to ask questions when you’re unclear, and encourage others to do the same.
Colleagues and business contacts might not want to meet in person, via video, or on the phone. Email and direct messaging are legitimate channels that keep you connected with others throughout your work day.

ENFJ
(Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Judging)

Keep in touch with people and keep track of what’s going on by participating in regular informal meetings or virtual meetups. Invite friends and co-workers, old and new, to participate — but keep in mind that others may prefer not to join in.
Build consensus by soliciting ideas, bringing them together, and providing online discussion forums or feedback channels.
Others might skip the pleasantries in an email or IM, particularly if they’re busy or distracted. Try not to assume you’re being criticized when no offense is intended.
If your working day is too quiet, take a moment to connect with family or friends periodically.
Remember, you can’t support everyone all the time. Don’t forget your own needs!

ENTJ
(Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Judging)

Pay attention to details when developing and implementing plans.
Working from home may seem productive. But take care not to push decisions through without seeking input from others about their views, opinions, and ideas.
In online meetings, picking up on social cues can be difficult. Give everyone a chance to speak. Use video if possible.
Try not to be overly directive when interacting online. Maintain a balance between directing and listening.
Check emails or other written communications before you send them, especially if you’re feeling stressed or you’re in a hurry.

Side Hustles: Why do smart employers support moonlighting? And how do they make it work?

Side Hustles: Why Smart Employers Support Moonlighting

November 20, 2023/Career Development, Company Culture, Employee Experience, Employee Happiness, Skills Development, Talent Management /by Dakota Murphey

When it comes to careers, many of us no longer depend on a single source of income. In fact, people are turning to side hustles now more than ever. And according to Bankrate, nearly 40% of Americans dedicate time each week to at least one side hustle.

This rise in popularity makes sense, especially with 62% of Americans working paycheck to paycheck. But even though side hustles make it possible to generate extra cash, they’re attractive for other reasons, as well. For example, many people fulfill their creative aspirations through projects outside of their primary jobs.

Whether it’s selling handcrafted items on Etsy, offering freelance website design services, walking dogs, tutoring, or joining a band, side projects can provide much more than a secondary income. They’re often personally rewarding pursuits that fit alongside day-to-day careers. No wonder so many people are turning to side hustles.

How Side Hustles Benefit Employees

In the past, employers frowned upon moonlighting. Even now, some people think they should hide this activity from their employer. But as long as a side project doesn’t interfere with primary job responsibilities, there’s no need to keep it secret. In fact, with qualified talent in short supply, forward-thinking companies see multiple reasons to support it.

For example, employees often want to explore personal interests outside their day job. A side project can be an opportunity to earn some extra money while pursuing passions that may not be part of an individual’s primary profession.

It can also be a fulfilling creative outlet where people can express themselves in different ways, build expertise in new areas, and expand their capabilities. It may be a skill that translates into the workplace, like freelance writing. Or it could be a purely creative endeavor, such as nature photography. Regardless, this kind of growth helps people bring a fresh perspective to their 9-to-5 role.

Side gigs can also boost mental health in multiple ways. The freedom to pursue outside interests is rewarding and empowering. Also, these activities help employees connect with interesting people and expand their networks. Plus, earning extra income can improve wellbeing by reducing financial insecurity.

The freedom to develop side projects shows employees their company trusts their decisions, supports their growth, and cares about their happiness. This, in turn, builds goodwill that strengthens employee morale and engagement.

How Employers Benefit From Side Hustles

Employers also see multiple benefits when supporting people in their moonlighting endeavors. For starters, because employees feel more engaged when they’re free to pursue personal passions, they’re also more satisfied and loyal. And when employees don’t feel pressure to choose between jobs, it leads to higher retention rates and avoids costly turnover.

By encouraging people to take breaks from work and develop creative outlets, employers can prevent burnout and keep team members motivated. What’s more, when people are excited by their side projects, they’re less likely to get bored or stagnant in their primary role.

Completing passion projects outside of work also boosts confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that employees can apply on the job. Plus, when people gain new knowledge and skills elsewhere, they’ll bring those capabilities to their day-to-day roles. Ultimately, this enhances overall talent development.

Finally, backing side hustles can make any company more attractive to top talent. Great candidates often seek opportunities for career growth, creative freedom, and work-life balance. When supported effectively, gig work leads to a more skilled, loyal workforce, a healthier work culture, and a better bottom line.

How Managers Can Support Side Hustles

Managers are crucial in ensuring that employees feel empowered to pursue gig work and passion projects. Here are several ways to accomplish this:

One approach is to offer flexibility whenever possible, to accommodate employee side projects. This isn’t about making side hustles a priority. However, small accommodations go a long way toward making employees feel trusted and supported when juggling multiple agendas.

Even people with one job are looking for more work flexibility these days. And employers are discovering endless options. So, if you haven’t yet formalized flexible work policies, consider these questions:

Do you permit occasional remote workdays?
What kind of flexible hours do you offer?
Do you offer a 4-day workweek option or other schedule variations?
Are employees able to adjust their schedules to accommodate personal commitments or events?

Managers may also want to consider providing resources to assist people with side projects. Offering access to company equipment, mentorships, networks, or even a special development budget demonstrates a commitment to employee aspirations beyond their current role in the company.

Additionally, leaders can encourage employees to frame and manage side hustles effectively by offering learning opportunities focused on best practices. This could include hosting expert speakers or workshops, sponsoring a community of interest, or paying for professional courses or conferences.

Above all, the easiest way to make staff members feel valued is simply to take an interest in their side hustle and offer feedback when it’s requested. Asking engaging questions and celebrating milestones boosts morale and is always appreciated. With some creative thinking, any manager can find small but impactful ways to facilitate side hustles.

Addressing Potential Issues

While side hustles can be advantageous for employees and employers alike, there are also several potential downsides to overcome. Clear expectations and communication are key. First, managers should set the stage by emphasizing that the primary focus for all staff must be their day-to-day job responsibilities.

Employees need to be committed to their roles when they’re on the job. Offering them the flexibility to work around other projects is a privilege that shouldn’t be abused, and managers need to consistently reinforce this point. What’s more, it’s vital to ensure that a side hustle doesn’t create a conflict of interest with an employee’s primary role. Again, transparency is essential here.

With the right balance, companies can fully realize the benefits of encouraging employees’ passions without compromising business priorities. With some flexibility and support from managers, side hustles can be achieved successfully alongside normal workloads.

A Final Word

Employers no longer need to consider side hustles a threat. On the contrary. Supporting side hustles is a winning strategy for companies looking to attract and retain enterprising top talent.

With thoughtfully designed policies, open communication, and managerial oversight, organizations are finding that side projects help expand workforce skills, increase engagement, and improve loyalty. And with 44% of people expecting to moonlight throughout their careers, this trend is on track to define the future of work. How is your organization responding?

Keys to Positive Employee Experience in the New World of Work

Keys to a Positive Employee Experience in the New World of Work

November 17, 2023/Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Featured, HR Technology, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps /by Meghan M. Biro

Sponsored by Cleary

Leaders, I have two critical questions for you: 1) Does your organization truly provide a positive employee experience? 2) Would your employees agree?

If you’re not sure, I get it. These days, most organizations are struggling to close a serious gap between leaders’ perceptions and workforce realities. For instance:

74% of executives told Gartner they want staff to express themselves, yet only 56% of employees said they feel comfortable speaking up. Also, while 75% of executives said they consider employees’ perspectives when making decisions, only 47% of team members believe they do.

Sadly, this gap is even more pronounced among the 80% of workers with frontline jobs. In fact, according to O.C. Tanner, half of these people feel expendable. What’s more, only 30% feel seen and valued, while only 36% describe their work as a positive employee experience.

Factors That Turn the Tide

Of course, closing this gap isn’t easy — especially now. With so many moving pieces and parts transforming modern work culture, the definition of a positive employee experience is itself, constantly changing. All the more reason why employers should pay closer attention now. No one can afford to take their eyes off the ball.

So, in today’s fluid environment, what exactly does it take to improve employee experience? Certainly, communication, recognition, and reinforcement play important roles. But lasting impact requires a deeper cultural commitment. In fact, 94% of executives and 88% of employees agree that a distinct culture focused on engagement and motivation is the key — not only to a thriving workforce, but ultimately to business success. (It’s encouraging to see agreement on this point!)

So, what exactly can leaders do to create and sustain this kind of culture? Join me as I explore this topic with an employee experience innovator on today’s #WorkTrends podcast…

Meet Our Guest: Thomas Kunjappu

Thomas Kunjappu is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cleary, the employee experience platform for high-performing teams. Under Thomas’ leadership, Cleary elevates engagement in remote and hybrid work environments, with a solution designed specifically for the modern workplace.

With his background as a product innovator at companies like Twitter, Medallia, and HP, Thomas is a technology industry mover and shaker who understands the special connection between human behavior and business results. He’s also a very cool person who is easy to find online and at industry forums. So I’m thrilled he’s joining us here to discuss the latest issues and trends in employee engagement and how to sustain a positive employee experience.

Here are several key takeaways from our conversation…

Why a Positive Employee Experience Matters

Thomas, let’s start by clarifying the concept of employee experience. Why is it so important?

Well, it originally started with the idea of customer experience, where businesses focus on understanding what customers are going through at every step of their journey, and responding with feedback loops and processes that ensure customers have a good experience at every stage in the relationship.

But who actually takes care of customers? Employees do.

So employee experience grew out of that realization, and thinking about the employee journey in a similar way.

How Work Realities Are Changing

What does it take to create a positive employee experience in the post-pandemic world?

I think we’ve all felt the shift. Being an employee now is very different in a remote or hybrid environment. Work is much more distributed, flexible, and dynamic for many of us.

But with 50-100% of people working in this dramatically different way, any employer that wants to create a positive employee experience must also think about how to support employees in a dramatically different way.

Who Owns the Employee Experience Now

So in this new environment, who is responsible for ensuring employees are engaged, recognized, and supported?

That’s arguably the sole job of leaders and managers — getting the right people in the right places, and helping the whole company grow in the same direction — with leverage from the people team, right?

HR has shifted from focusing only on ensuring the company doesn’t get sued to actively ensuring a strong talent brand that attracts great people and fosters a positive employee experience so people want to stay.

Others have a role, too. For example, internal communications and even IT. A lot of different functions contribute because a positive employee experience is really everybody’s responsibility, now.

Tech’s Role in Employee Experience

HR tech can make a difference here. How does Cleary help organizations accomplish this?

Well, our tools fit into three categories that support our vision of a great workplace with a positive employee experience. That includes communications, culture and team efficiency. And it all comes together with journeys and moments that matter for employees, starting with onboarding.

With so many organizations trying to do more with less, we’re focusing on helping people redeem time by offering templates to streamline all kinds of processes.

For example, if you’re managing a strategic product update or managing change-related communications, we’ve got dozens of templates to help you get started much faster than if you’re starting with a blank canvas…

Start Creating a More Positive Employee Experience Today

>> Check Cleary’s collection of free templates and other helpful resources

Listen to This Full #WorkTrends Episode

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Do You Need to Escape a Professional Reputation “Box”?

November 14, 2023/Career Development, Employee Experience, Hiring Bias, Leadership, Performance Reviews, Workplace Empathy /by Jennifer Tice

Recently, I was talking with a dear friend who was about to interview a candidate she had unknowingly placed in a professional reputation “box”. The best way to describe this friend is fierce, in charge, and collaborative. And she was adamant about hiring someone who was different from her and could challenge her.

“What do you think?” I asked, “Does Pat have the skills you need?”

“Well, Pat is nice, but I just don’t think this is the person I need,” she replied.

“Why?”

“Well, Pat is more of a B player.”

I pressed further. Finally, she revealed that she doubted Pat’s strategic abilities. I asked for examples, but she didn’t offer anything concrete. Finally, I asked if she felt she might be biased based on her own personality. Suddenly, her face lit up with recognition.

Soon afterward, my friend thanked me for the conversation and said she was ready to approach the interview with a newfound lens. In this case, it was helpful to be sitting next to an executive coach at just the right moment. But that’s not always possible. So here’s some advice you may want to keep in mind…

Professional Reputation “Boxes” Are All Around

How do you know when assumptions about others are limiting your actions? What opportunities is this behavior causing you to miss? Here are several more examples:

Harper was introduced to the team’s new manager as the “go-to person” for everything, and Harper strove to live up to that persona. But recently, when stumped by a critical question, Harper made up an answer, rather than asking for help. When it became clear that the answer was wrong, trust was lost. Now, Harper no longer meets the expectations of the boss or colleagues.

Tracey is a mid-level executive who feels unsafe saying something in a group because all of Tracey’s comments are disregarded or met with skepticism. Tracey is unsure how this happened, but suddenly feels perceived as ineffective without knowing why.

Inside That “Boxed In” Feeling

In each of these cases, the individual feels trapped by a professional context they can’t seem to escape. It can be debilitating and alienating. Like the famous movie Gaslight, everything they say or do is received within a preconceived mindset: “B-Player”, “untrustworthy”, or “ineffective.”

This can create a sense of helplessness that fuels frustration, anxiety, and depression. At work, it directly influences an individual’s perceived competency, resulting in lower performance scores and fewer professional opportunities. And when left unchecked, it can drive valuable people to resign.

These situations may be extreme, but the themes are universal. At some point in life, we all feel like nothing we say or do can change the way others perceive us. But when perceptions go negative at work, organizations can lose talent that must be replaced, often at a higher cost.

The Roots of a Professional Reputation “Box”

There are many ways a professional reputation can become trapped in a perceptual box. Behavioral research highlights underlying factors. For example:

A famous large-scale audit of executives found that once leaders see an employee in a political context or situation, it solidifies their professional “reputation.” After this point, there’s little an individual can do to counteract this perception.

Often, the “horn effect” takes over. This is essentially the opposite of the “halo effect,” where people tend to assign negative attitudes or behaviors to someone based on one arbitrary aspect of their appearance or character.

“We only see what we want to see” is a well-known cognitive bias. Countless studies have shown that our desires affect our perceptions, regardless of reality. We tend to ignore some facts in favor of others that support our original premise or perceptual bias.

With attitudes and assumptions like these, we put individuals in a difficult loop to maintain — they can either do no wrong, or do nothing right. And once others agree, there’s a groundswell of opinion to undo. The situation seems impossible to remedy.

However, by recognizing and responding to these issues, leaders can help employees change their reputation, and hopefully keep them on board.

How to Break Out of a Reputation Box

If you’re an individual stuck in a reputation box, what should you do? First, get a blank book so you can write about your experiences, feedback, and things you want to change. Acknowledge what you feel and what you know. Then start adjusting aspects of the situation that are within your control. Specifically, you can:

1. Change your point of view: Coach yourself by considering your situation as if you were an outsider. What advice would you give someone in your position?

2. Change your behaviors: Note your feelings and reactions to challenging situations. What are the underlying triggers? Do you see a pattern involving a particular person, context, or environment? When this happens, how do you feel? What is your reaction?

3. Write what you want to say: Keep a book of helpful phrases. After a difficult situation, we often say, “Wow, I wish I had said this instead of that!” Please write it down! What would you have preferred to say and why? This increases self-awareness. It can also prepare you to respond more effectively when similar situations arise in the future.

4. Maintain a curious mindset: Develop questions that can help you learn more when interacting with others. For example, “Tell me more about that.” Or “I’m not sure I follow. Could you help me understand your perspective?” Or “What questions do you have?” Or “What do you think about this approach?”

5. Examine your outlook: If we appear defeated, others will perceive us that way. Instead, stay curious. Ask “why?” more often. Focus on staying open, gathering information, and receiving feedback.

How Organizations Can Get Rid of Boxes

Escaping “the box” isn’t just for individuals who want to manage their reputation. What if you lead a group, department, or organization? How can you fight this common situation within your teams?

1. Recognize bias: Understand that the best way to combat bias is to teach team members about it and call it when you see it. This includes all cognitive bias — halo, horns, perception, and beyond.

2. Give people opportunities to change and grow: Provide options for your employees to be mobile, try new managers, and gain new skills.

3. Actively coach people and share feedback: This seems trite. However, leaders tend to fail at providing constructive feedback when team members need it most. And it’s not just about timing. Feedback quality is paramount. So take care to offer actionable input and recognize that continuous learning is far more powerful than a one-off comment.

4. Embrace data-driven performance management: An MIT Sloan research study on performance management clearly shows that a flexible, data-based development and performance management system decreases backward-looking bias and other undesirable aspects of the performance management process.

A Final Note on Escaping the Reputation Box

These are some easy and effective techniques that can produce quick and positive results. I have personally witnessed a turnaround when coaching people to use these methods. Success depends on resilience and the perseverance to follow through and keep moving forward. But for all the Pats, Traceys, and Harpers out there who feel you can’t escape a negative professional reputation — and to your employers — I encourage you to stay curious and keep thinking outside the box!

Can Gamification Help Employees Beat The “Great Gloom”?

November 10, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, Employee Performance, Employee Retention, Gamification, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps /by Meghan M. Biro

Whoosh! The winds of workforce change continue blowing in every direction. Are you feeling it?

First, the pandemic forced employers to go all-in with remote work. Then by 2021, forward-thinking leaders rolled out hybrid work models, hoping flexibility would keep the “Great Resignation” at bay. No such luck. By last year, turnover reached record highs as employee engagement continued to sink.

What’s next? Well, now, in the face of broader economic troubles, many employees are choosing to stay put. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re happy. Not at all. In fact, researchers say the “Great Gloom” is upon us. Oh my. Yet another buzzword. And this one doesn’t sound promising for anyone.

What exactly should we make of this current wave of workforce discontent? It seems we’ve arrived at a sort of no man’s land, where people are neither engaged nor disengaged — just discouraged and disheartened. But that won’t steer anyone in the right direction. So what’s an employer to do?

This brings me to a topic we’ve discussed before — gamification.

Why It’s Time to Get Serious About Gamification

After so much disruption, some employers may welcome this pause as a moment of relief. But no one can afford to get too comfortable. If the past few years taught us anything, we know this isn’t over. Profound shifts will continue, even if we can’t see what’s around the corner. So, how can teams move forward and perform their best, while rolling with more organizational twists and turns?

I think gamification is part of the answer. I’m not just talking about fun and games, here. I’m talking about thoughtful strategies that fit into everyday work culture and tap into innate human traits, like curiosity and the desire to perform at our best.

We know from experience that gamification works for everything from recruiting and onboarding to team building and talent development. And these capabilities are within nearly every employer’s reach. So what are you waiting for?

What’s at Stake

Gallup estimates that employers lose $1 trillion each year to voluntary turnover. A majority of those former employees say their manager or organization could have done something to keep them. But companies aren’t asking, “How could we keep these people onboard?” until they’re already gone.

And now, even though more employees are staying, many are as disengaged and unfulfilled as those who left during better economic times. That’s not a good sign for business.

Success depends on productive teams — and productive teams depend on competent, committed employees. But building a high-performance culture isn’t easy, especially when remote and hybrid work schedules make communication, trust, and teamwork harder to manage. It sounds like a job for gamification.

Tips From a Gamification Expert

This reminds me of a previous #WorkTrends podcast guest who recommends that employers tap into the power of gamification to elevate the employee experience.

Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks is the Founder of Keep Wondering Out Loud (KeepWOL), a game-centered talent development platform she developed after 14 years in leadership at five Fortune 500 companies. An accomplished, award-winning black entrepreneur and engineer, Lauren is passionate about leveraging gamification to improve performance among individuals, teams, and organizations…

So, what is gamification, and how important is it for companies to gamify their training and engagement initiatives? Lauren explains:

Defining Gamification

We’ve all played games before. But think of gamification as game elements and mechanics you can add to work situations that aren’t meant to be games.

Think about how games work. They have rules, they have a framework, they have a structure. And these fundamentals apply to everyone.

For example, when you play Monopoly, you can’t just make up your own rules unless other players agree. This means games give everyone an opportunity to start on equal footing, so each of us has an opportunity to win.

Why Gamification Is So Powerful

As humans, we all want to win. Even if we’re not competitive, no one wants to lose or fail. So games hack your brain. They typically require strategic thinking or quick decisions that disarm people and bring them into a competitive mindset. This taps into the brain’s reward center so you tell yourself, “I want to do well. I want to put my best foot forward.”

I think all teams can benefit from gamification. However, the results depend on the types of games or game mechanics you use, and whether it’s done well. There are many possibilities, but it’s important to be mindful about how you implement it.

How Does This Prepare Us For the Future of Work?

Gamification isn’t a new concept. But companies are on a mission to incorporate it into talent development initiatives, so they can bridge the gap between learning and doing.

Deloitte predicts that soft-skill-intensive occupations will represent 2/3 of all jobs by 2030, and demand for those jobs will grow 2.5x faster than for others.

That means companies need to improve soft skills among today’s employees. And these skills are hard to develop. They don’t come intuitively. You have to practice. But games, gamification, and simulations are fun, creative ways for people to learn, practice, and retain information. They help us grow more naturally. So they’re ideal for soft-skills training.

Why Gamification Wins

We’ve worked with teams of all types and sizes — matrix-based teams, C-suite teams, and multidisciplinary teams. People who work remotely, in-person, and a hodgepodge of both.

That’s what’s amazing about games and gamification. It’s more expansive than a ropes course or an escape room or trivia questions. These methods can bring together people from different generations and cultures to build trust, connectedness, and productivity.

My Turn: How Gamification Helps

Is it really worthwhile to integrate gamification into employee engagement initiatives? That’s a fair question. Here’s my perspective. If you look closer, you’ll find multiple reasons to invest. For example, with these techniques, you can:

1. Inspire Individuals to “Level Up”

Modern employees crave personalized feedback and recognition for their contributions. Game-oriented platforms help with real-time performance tracking. This often includes reminders and rewards that motivate people to keep moving forward. It also keeps managers in the loop with alerts and insights that enable them to intervene when coaching is needed or to celebrate achievements when the time is right.

2. Help Teams Run-Up the Score

In this case, “the score” is your organization’s overall success. Adding game-based logic to department or group projects demonstrates how employee contributions translate into measurable business impact. For example, you can drive team performance by awarding points to people who collaborate effectively and share creative ideas. Similarly, you can help people sharpen their skills by integrating game elements into employee training programs.

3. Tap Into Employees’ Competitive Nature

Gamification shapes behavior with incentives that spark friendly competition and help individuals become better versions of themselves. This is where employers must tread lightly to avoid triggering a cutthroat war among staffers. However, team-oriented strategies and meaningful rewards can build confidence, competency, and camaraderie.

4. Avoid “Game Over” Scenarios

HR and business managers can use insights from gamification platforms to understand and respond to employee development needs. Think of this as a form of workforce intelligence gathering, where employee performance metrics reveal red flags, as well as exceptional performance that deserves attention. When you actively support employee career growth, your team members are less likely to leave.

5. Appeal to All Generations

Younger employees tend to care about the purpose behind their role and they want more control over their career destiny. Gamification can provide them with a more satisfying, personalized work experience. For example, Deloitte’s Mass Career Customization program lets employees pick their work preferences. Another company, Valve, uses gamification to help employees choose projects they prefer. Methods like this offer younger employees the kind of instant gratification they crave but often miss in traditional corporate settings.

6. Boost Your Employer Brand

By improving job satisfaction, engagement, and retention, gamification can eventually transform employees into brand ambassadors. This elevates recruitment by demonstrating that your company culture is modern and healthy — and puts employees first.

7. Lighten The Mood

Let’s face it. When thoughtfully implemented, gamification is fun. And don’t we all deserve a little less friction and a little more fun in our lives these days? Positive emotion can help connect us more deeply with our colleagues and with our work. Sounds like a smart “gloom slayer” tactic to me.

Game On! Can Your Culture Outplay The “Great Gloom”?

Gamification isn’t likely to solve all of today’s workplace challenges. But it can give employees something new to be excited about. And when employees are motivated to engage, work together, and accomplish something greater, good things are much more likely to happen.

Honestly, it’s hard to think of any other talent management methods with the power to pull people out of a sense of gloom. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. So, what are you waiting for? It can be exactly what you need to get your employees more invested in their roles and engaged with your organization. Ultimately, that means you can build a winning culture. So get ready, set, go!

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more in-depth information about how to develop and manage successful gamification initiatives, visit the Keep Wondering Out Loud website, where you’ll find helpful resources for employers. And for more #WorkTrends insights, check our growing collection of episodes at Apple or Spotify and subscribe!

Veterans at Work - How to Create an Inclusive Culture

How to Create an Inclusive Culture for Veterans at Work

November 7, 2023/Company Culture, DEI Diversity Equity Inclusion, Employee Experience, Employee Retention, Talent Retention, Workplace Empathy /by Marcus Farris

Recently, one of the soldiers in my reserve unit decided it was time to hang up the uniform and transition to the civilian world. During an “exit counseling” meeting, I asked him about his thought process behind this decision and the reasons he joined a part-time reserve unit after active duty. He responded in a way I believe reflects the thinking of many transitioning soldiers. He was concerned that, without the structure of full-time service, he might not be able to land on his feet.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Only a few months after moving on from active duty, he was applying his passion for graphic design in an organization that welcomes veterans at work.

Reintegration Realities

However, for many former service members, this gear shift isn’t nearly as fluid. It may seem odd that veterans face so many hurdles when seeking meaningful employment. After all, American corporations offer a plethora of opportunities, and civilian organizations generally view veteran culture in a positive light. For example, employers tend to associate military service with premier leadership acumen, dedication to working within a group, superior adaptability, and strong problem-solving skills.

These perceptions are on track. Former service members bring a wealth of skills, dedication, and a deep sense of duty to their corporate roles. Military responsibilities are rich in leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. But these strengths sometimes get lost in translation during the civilian hiring process. With a more inclusive, accommodating environment for veterans at work, you can more easily recruit and retain candidates from this attractive talent pool. The following ideas can help:

Ways to Welcome Veterans at Work

1. Customize Your Onboarding Process

Recognizing the unique qualities veterans bring to the workforce is important for their success as they reintegrate. Effective employers acknowledge these distinct characteristics and tailor onboarding programs accordingly.

Imagine starting a new job and discovering that your military experience is not only acknowledged, but embraced. That’s the aim of tailored onboarding. You’ll want to show veterans their service is valued. It’s about demonstrating that an individual has a unique role to play within your company, and that role ties into a bigger vision.

Frame Your Culture in a Meaningful Way
For successful onboarding, begin with a clear, complete introduction to your company and its culture. Focus on what’s expected, including organizational values, communication styles, and workplace norms. This kind of orientation equips veterans with the knowledge they need to assimilate more quickly and easily.

Fast-Track Assimilation With Relevant Tips
Don’t forget to address the unique challenges veterans may face during their transition back into civilian life. For example, they will need to learn corporate lingo, adjust to a different chain of command, and understand how to operate effectively within existing teams.

Make the Most of Mentoring
Mentorship within the organization can play a major role here. Pairing veterans with experienced colleagues is a natural way to help them establish valuable relationships while providing a reliable source of guidance during the initial stages of employment.

Bottom line: Effective onboarding isn’t just a gesture. It’s a commitment to help veterans succeed by ensuring they feel valued, clarifying how they contribute to your mission, and equipping them to grow and excel in their new role.

2. Provide Skills Translation and Training

After welcoming a veteran into the fold, your focus should shift to translating their military skills into the context of their civilian job. This critical process acknowledges a veteran’s unique talents and nurtures their abilities, so they integrate more seamlessly into the organization as a whole.

Veterans often possess years of experience in leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving in a military context, but these skills don’t always seem directly aligned with their civilian roles. Cultivating a work environment that allows these potential skills to shine can be a game changer.

Identify Transferable Skills
Employers can bridge this gap by helping veterans understand how their expertise aligns with civilian job requirements, especially as it relates to organizational and leadership skills. Many military occupational specialties (MOSs) don’t transfer one-to-one with corporate skill sets. Identifying transferable skills in creative ways can boost a veteran’s work ethic while addressing your company’s specific needs.

Invest in Developing New Skills
Upskilling opportunities also play a vital role in this process. Veterans bring a wealth of skills to the table, but their military experience teaches them there’s always room for further growth and improvement. By offering relevant training and development paths, you can ensure that vets remain confident about their professional capabilities and stay up-to-date with industry standards and practices.

At the same time, it’s crucial to recognize and leverage veterans’ unique abilities. Attributes such as leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and a strong work ethic are ingrained in their DNA. By acknowledging these strengths, you can honor veterans’ service while harnessing their potential to add value to your team.

3. Offer a Flexible Work Environment

People from all walks of life appreciate a flexible work environment. However, for people juggling multiple aspects of life as they transition from active service, the freedom to work without rigid clock-in/clock-out times is especially important. Employers can help in multiple ways. For instance:

Offer Self-Directed Scheduling
Veterans often need to adjust their work schedule so they can accommodate medical, financial, and other crucial appointments. Also, participating in extracurricular lifestyle activities is essential. For example, veterans benefit from joining group workouts, taking time to re-establish bonds with family members, and engaging in other practices that support mental health. By accommodating these needs, you make it possible for veterans to take care of themselves without stress or conflict. At the same time, this demonstrates that employee health and wellbeing matter to you.

Provide Access to Helpful Resources
Along the same lines, paying for fitness class memberships, health advisor services or a life coach builds yet another layer of resiliency and goes well beyond token gestures of care. Taking advantage of these lifestyle resources helps relieve a variety of mental health concerns, not just for veterans, but for your entire organization.

Encourage Work-Life Integration
A flexible work environment naturally promotes work-life balance, which is a crucial factor in successful reintegration. Giving veterans the freedom to manage their personal responsibilities in tandem with work-related duties empowers them to be fully engaged and present during their working hours. Trusting them to do the right thing without an overbearing management culture enhances job satisfaction and productivity. This benefits your organization, as well.

Keep in mind that work flexibility for veterans isn’t just about convenience. It’s also a meaningful way to acknowledge individual needs and responsibilities outside of work. Offering a supportive atmosphere where individuals can flourish both professionally and personally is a powerful way to demonstrate your commitment to every team member.

A Final Note on Supporting Veterans at Work

Ultimately, ensuring that veterans transition successfully into civilian work life is a collective effort. It challenges employers to take a genuine, proactive interest in employee wellbeing. Those with successful veteran-centered programs are tapping into a highly talented pool of people with demonstrated skills, commitment, and work ethic.

In return, this creates an environment where veterans feel comfortable sharing their competencies, ideas, and lessons learned from their military experience. By developing supportive communities, offering a broader vision for growth, and providing a strong mission focus, supportive employers can leverage veteran talent to build a more diverse, skilled, resilient, and innovative workforce.

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Change Communication: Visual Design Lessons From Apple

November 6, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, HR Communications /by David Pitre

Let’s go back in time. Way back to 1997. Apple’s high-flying identity as a tech innovator had been seriously tarnished. It certainly wasn’t the global tech giant it is today, with a massive, loyal customer base and an iconic brand image.

Actually, Apple was struggling so badly that it had only 90 days of cash remaining in the bank. And that’s when Steve Jobs turned the Titanic around by asking this tough, strategic question: “Who is Apple and where do we fit into this world?”

After some serious soul-searching, the company reduced its product line and launched a groundbreaking ad campaign: Think different.

This campaign was so successful it continued for five years, returning Apple to profitability and reestablishing Apple as a brand juggernaut. In fact, Apple won the Grand Effie Award in 2000 for the most effective advertising campaign in America.

What stood out about this campaign? Aside from the beautiful black and white photos of legendary “crazy ones,” it made technology feel personal and exciting. Apple customers wanted to join this tribe of crazy ones because they could relate.

During times of change, we tend to focus on facts and figures. Apple could have easily taken that approach by listing its products’ technical specifications. But Steve Jobs knew he had to think differently. He had to build an emotional connection with Apple’s audience.

What can we learn from this story? As internal communicators, let’s look at what happens when you pull emotional threads as you communicate about change within an organization.

Change Communication: A Step-by-Step Scenario

I’d like to introduce you to John, a fictional internal communicator. He works at a large pharmaceutical company and is gearing up for a massive company transformation — a new strategy that will change the way employees work.

John is tasked with getting employees on board and excited. Just as Steve Jobs did, John understands that the emotional aspect of organizational change is just as important as helping people understand the details. To help employees feel more deeply connected with this change, he decides to emphasize imagery and visual design.

Here’s John’s creative journey and the advice we would give him at each stage in the process:

Stage 1: Kickoff

The Challenge: Before jumping into design, John needs to align with broader objectives so he can define what communication about this transformation should accomplish. He has a group of stakeholders to consider, but first, he needs to achieve consensus on what employees should know, feel, and do as a result of this transformation process.

Our Advice: The best way to align on an end goal is to bring all key players together. That could include leaders, project owners, change and/or communication teams, and cross-functional partners such as IT and HR.

To discuss, collaborate, and agree on objectives, design a meeting around these important questions:

How does the change impact employees?
What do employees need to know about this change?
How should employees feel about this transformation before, during, and after?
What do employees need to do differently to ensure this change is successful?

Answers to these questions will shape communication objectives. Once these priorities are clear, John is ready to consider how visual communication will help the message resonate with employees and showcase the change. (For example, visual elements may include a campaign logo and tagline, imagery or photo styles, type treatments, supplemental art, and other details.)

What would Steve Jobs do? Treat employees like customers. Explore who they are, what their work context is, and what kind of symbols and messaging are most likely to engage, persuade, and motivate them.

Stage 2: Creating the Visuals

The Challenge: John wants employees to connect to the transformation, and he knows a visual identity can accomplish that and more. He sets out to ensure the transformation feels relevant, familiar, and personal, so it is easier to understand, internalize, and support.

Our Advice: Visuals can help you attract attention, influence perceptions, and leave a lasting, meaningful impression. Here are three ways to get there:

Share the change story — Because stories influence how we feel about change, they are the antidote to facts and figures. Layer on images and you can offer a more accessible way to bring big concepts to life. Think of these images as shortcuts that help employees understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and why it’s important for them.

Make communication recognizable — Because change initiatives are usually one of many other things happening within an organization, communication needs to stand out and be easy for employees to identify. By consistently leveraging custom graphics, a distinctive logo, and a punchy tagline, your materials can break through the noise and invite employees to engage.

Break down complex topics — The human brain processes visual cues 60,000 times faster than written language. Put another way, highly visual communication makes it easier for employees to consume information and retain it. For example, illustrating a new process or using icons to break down a strategy can build knowledge and reinforce actions.

What would Steve Jobs do? Turn brainstorming on its head. Instead of spitballing words, draw illustrations or curate visuals. This exercise will pinpoint the emotion and tone you want to represent throughout your change communications. Use these ideas to focus on creating simple, memorable visuals.

Stage 3: Making it Stick

The Challenge: John knows that successful change communication depends on how well you prepare people who are responsible for sharing critical information. Everyone needs to understand which materials and assets are available, why these visual tools have been developed, and how to use them.

Our Advice: Consistency is key when it comes to communicating during change. A standard package of communication resources and recommendations helps all stakeholders deliver a consistent experience for employees. Here are three examples:

User Guide — This document (including imagery, logo, tagline, colors, and fonts) prepares people in communication roles by providing access to visual assets and specifying how they can be applied.

Templates — These standard tools bring together various elements in a cohesive context. (This could include a PowerPoint deck, Word document, video opening/closing, logo/tagline files, digital signs, printed flyers/posters, and more).

Communication Plan — This playbook should explain when, where, why, and how to use each piece in the toolkit, and how they fit into the broader change process.

What would Steve Jobs do? Take the opportunity to express the importance of change tools by meeting with key stakeholders to reinforce the strategic objectives, explain how each element supports these goals, and answer questions about how to move forward.

More Visual Design Ideas to Elevate Change Communication

When using visuals to support change communication, it’s not just about sharing information. It’s about connecting with employees on a deeper level and making the change process meaningful to them. So the next time you’re tasked with a change campaign, ask yourself: How can I tap into employees’ emotions? What do I want this campaign to represent? How can I think differently?

For our advice on how to design more effective change communications, download these tips:
>> 3 Steps to Make Change Communication More Visual

What Would Your Culture Map Reveal?

October 30, 2023/Company Culture, Editor's Picks, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Featured, Leadership /by Ron Ricci

Sponsored by The Culture Platform

What makes maps so special is they tell you exactly where to find places you want to visit.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if every organization had a culture map? Wouldn’t it be even better if that culture map worked like Google or Apple Maps? Anyone could easily search to find organizations whose cultural values are clearly marked on the map, and get directions to those companies. What a useful tool that would be.

The “Why, What, and How” of Culture

I think enough has been said about the “why” of culture and its role in organizational success. Anyone who has managed people or led a business knows a healthy culture is paramount to attract the best employees. And the best cultures consistently outperform and out-execute the competition.

We also know “what” culture is. It’s a set of stated values, beliefs, attitudes, rules, and behaviors expected where you work. For example, when I worked for Cisco CEO John Chambers, one of his stated cultural values was: “Treat people the way you would like to be treated, yourself.” Another was, “Deal with the world the way it is, not the way you wish it was.”

Now, as we enter the post-everything era, it’s time to focus on the “how” of culture. Companies have no other choice. “Post-everything” signaled a fundamental change in expectations. GenZ and Millennials are ready to leave one job for another faster than any generation in history.

If your company wants to attract and keep the best employees, you need a way to prove that you “walk the talk” of your stated values. But all too many miss the mark. The top reason organizational cultures don’t live up to their stated values is a lack of leadership commitment to those values.

Any organization that wants to be a magnet for talent must prove that it can live up to its aspirations. As we used to say at Cisco, “We’re in Missouri now — the ‘Show Me’ state.”

How a Culture Map Can Show The Way

For employers, a culture map is a way to show employees what the organization actually stands for. Mapping organizational culture is a new idea. It will require the same GPS features as digital maps on our phones:

Pin Drops: Destinations on the map need to be accurate.
Step-by-Step Navigation: Destinations must be accompanied by directions that explain how to get there.
Re-Routing: The map should reveal better ways to get to the desired destination — how to “walk the talk.”

I started The Culture Platform because I wanted to surround myself with thought leaders who have “GPS” models to measure cultural values. Because my professional background is in research, my bar is high. I’m willing to work with a model only if it is either research-based or battle-tested in the market. In other words, the models must predictably measure a specific cultural value.

I think it is a mistake to “boil the ocean” by relying on a single culture indicator. Every organization is different and unique — and every organization doesn’t need to share the same values.

The ability to measure a specific aspect of culture with a data model is what makes culture-specific “pin drops” on a map possible. In my search, I found five models that meet my criteria. Each solves a specific element of the “how” for culture-building. Those dimensions can be either curiosity, self-awareness, a sense of belonging, transparency, or empowerment.

For example, consider these five culture scenarios:

Many companies say innovation is a strategy — but does their culture promote curiosity, the necessary belief that it’s okay to challenge the status quo without fear of retribution?

Many companies say listening to their employees is a key value — but are their leaders and managers self-aware of their behaviors?

Many companies say a diverse workforce is their people strategy — but does their culture fundamentally embrace a sense of belonging?

Many companies emphasize autonomy and decentralization — but do they truly empower every employee?

Many companies want to be transparent and open— but do they set clear expectations?

These five models do more than provide the pin drop. Each has a set of step-by-step directions that represents the most effective route to the “pin.” For example, a culture of curiosity has four main “turns” to reach the pin. It should:

Encourage exploration
Inspire creativity
Emphasize openness to new ideas and
Drive engagement and focus from the top

Culture Meets GPS

The “how” of culture has always been the hardest part. It can’t be done without leaders leading the way. That’s why I was so lucky to be a direct report of John Chambers who helped him build Cisco’s culture. We had the luxury of time, though. Today, organizations need to move faster. And the way to accomplish that is with a map that includes clear “directions” to reach specific outcomes.

I remember when we Boomers printed out step-by-step directions in MapQuest (and tried to read them while driving). A culture map transports us all to the “GPS” era. Now, we can finally get to desired cultural destinations safer, faster, and with confidence.

If you want to give culture mapping a try and see how your culture stacks up, we welcome you at The Culture Platform. To get started, just email me at: TheCulturePlatform@gmail.com.

Mentoring: Are You Building a Culture of Connection and Growth?

October 27, 2023/Career Development, Employee Experience, Learning and Development, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps, Skills Development /by Meghan M. Biro

Sponsored by Together

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Mentoring is a key to the future of work. That’s not hyperbole. It’s a fact. I’ve been beating the mentorship drum for over a decade. Yet, I’ve never been as confident about it as I am today. And I hope employers are listening. Why?

The Business Case for Mentoring

All the signs point to mentorship as one of the most powerful ways to navigate increasingly turbulent workplace waters. Here are just a few proof points:

Pandemic-era job disruption has created knowledge and skill gaps across many organizations.
Even before the pandemic, average job tenure was shrinking among all age groups.
Managers and senior-level leaders are moving on and opting out at a record pace.
Younger people are looking for more guidance and support as they enter the workforce.
Demand for future-ready employees is intensifying as organizations continue to invest in new technologies.
The average half-life of skills continues to decline.
Many employers are still struggling to find qualified talent for critical open roles.

With 84% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies already offering mentoring programs, this seems like the right time to double down on that strategy. Why? Consider these research findings:

90% of employees with a mentor say they’re happy at work.
75% of executives give mentors credit for their success.
People with mentors are significantly less likely to consider quitting. This includes managers, senior managers, vice presidents, and individual contributors.
Among millennials, 68% who stay onboard for 5 or more years have a mentor, compared with 32% who don’t.
In fact, one Wharton-led study found much higher retention among mentees (72%) and mentors (69%) than among those who did not participate in these programs (49%).

But here’s the kicker: While 76% of people say mentors are important, only 37% actually have one. Is your organization facing this issue? You may be able to bridge the gap more easily than you think. For helpful ideas, read on…

Advice for Mentoring Program Success

Let’s start by clarifying a key point. Mentoring, alone, is not the answer. Organizations really need to aim higher by developing a culture of learning. However, one of the most effective ways to foster this kind of environment is through mentoring in all its forms.

So where should employers start to establish or enhance mentorships? One of the smartest sources I know is Matt Reeves. Matt is CEO of Together Software, a platform that helps companies run best-in-class mentoring programs. Early in 2022, Matt joined me to discuss mentoring strategies on our #WorkTrends podcast. To hear his advice, listen to this encore version of our conversation and read the show notes below…

How Mentoring Works

1. Defining Mentorship

So tell us, Matt, what does mentoring look like to you?

In its traditional sense, mentoring is based on pairing two colleagues for career development and professional guidance. Usually, this involves a more junior employee who’s the mentee with a more senior employee who’s the mentor. And typically, they meet on a particular cadence, like once a month for a year or even more.

2. Evolving Trends

How are mentorship programs changing?

We’ve seen companies break the mold and experiment with various types of programs. But the common thread is that they help employees learn from their colleagues through relationship-building and ongoing conversations.

3. Mentorship Variations

What are some of the different flavors you’re seeing in mentorship programs?

The classic approach is one-on-one, where a more senior person mentors a more junior person for a specific period.

However, peer-to-peer programs are increasingly popular. Also, we’re seeing more reverse programs, where a more junior-level person who is experienced in a particular topic mentors a more senior employee.

In addition, many organizations are successfully breaking the mold with the duration of these relationships and in offering participants more flexibility.

4. Benefits of Mentoring

It may seem obvious why mentees are attracted to these relationships. But it helps mentors, too. In fact, more than 90% of professionals who’ve mentored young people say it has helped them become better leaders or managers…

Yes. It’s probably easy to understand why a mentee would want to participate — to learn, develop, and progress in their career. But mentors benefit, as well.

Senior-level people are expected to develop others and carry their organization’s culture forward, and mentoring is an opportunity to visibly demonstrate this. Also, as people move up in an organization, they’ve probably experienced some mentoring (or wish they had a mentor). So this is a way to give back.

5. How Technology Enhances the Mentoring Experience

What role can technology play in bringing people together and keeping them connected?

Technology significantly reduces the workload for program administrators, while significantly improving the mentoring experience for participants.

For example, when a program is managed manually, making a strong mentee/mentor match can take a long time. When you’re eager to move forward, it can be frustrating to wait for weeks or even months for a suitable match. You may even be matched with a mentor who has left the organization. This is easily avoidable when you use technology.

In addition, technology can help you scale a program much more efficiently, and keep people connected with reminders and feedback that helps them stay on-track and helps you tweak your program.

Tips for Modern Mentorship Programs

What else should you keep in mind if you want to achieve strong mentoring results, especially in today’s hybrid work environments? When building a game plan, keep these considerations in mind:

1. Assess Your Current State as a Baseline

With or without a formal program in place, mentoring is probably already happening all over your company. It often occurs organically, the same way culture exists, with or without intentional leadership involvement.

So start with a broad-reaching reality check. Research and evaluate the various ways people share knowledge, skills, and experience, and assist others professionally. What seems to be most effective? Can you leverage these methods? Alternatively, what isn’t working well? Does it make sense to provide additional resources that can reinforce, enhance, and expand what’s already in place?

2. Clarify and Communicate the Purpose

When people understand why mentoring is important to your company, they’re more likely to sign up and take responsibility for their role in its success. But there are many ways to frame mentoring initiatives. What goals do you want to accomplish? How closely do your objectives align with your organization’s values? What would success look like for your company and for participants? For example:

To improve retention among new hires, incorporating mentoring into the onboarding process can provide a stronger start.
If employees from underrepresented groups lack a sense of inclusion and belonging, “bridge mentorships” could help you move the DEI meter.
Or if you need to build bench depth, peer-to-peer cross-functional skills mentoring could be a solution.

The possibilities are endless. But no matter what your agenda is, you’ll need top-down support. How committed are your senior-level executives to mentoring? How willing are they to make mentoring participation a leadership priority? What can you do to demonstrate the power of mentoring from cases within your organization or among competitors? What kind of budget and other resources will be required to achieve these goals? Engage senior leadership early in discussions that address these questions.

3. Focus on Learning and Holistic Growth

Although cohort-based social learning is a popular trend — especially in remote and hybrid work environments — one-on-one relationships can drive deeper personal growth and enrichment. Encouraging people to form stronger direct bonds opens the door to a more holistic approach, where participants can connect as individuals and grow, even outside of their professional roles.

Also, keep in mind that the most enriching approach to mentoring isn’t about “teaching” per se. Classic mentoring models emphasize a one-way flow of information, guidance, and access. However, modern mentoring relationships are often a two-way street, where both sides actively aim to learn and grow together, even if their roles and experience levels are not comparable.

4. Provide Structure Along With Flexibility

When matching a pair of participants, you’ll want to formalize expectations in a way that respects the time and effort required to establish and sustain a productive relationship.

It helps to specify basic parameters, such as the minimum mentorship duration (for example, 1 year), and minimum activity frequency (for example 1 meeting a month). However, beyond these parameters, individuals often find it helpful to negotiate their unique goals. Both sides can use this agreement as a discovery tool and as a reference point throughout the relationship.

In addition, you’ll want to encourage consistency with a reasonable ongoing communication cadence. Flexibility is key, here. Mentoring isn’t a full-time job, relationships take time to develop, and informal interactions don’t need to be regimented. However, if participants agree upfront to a minimum pace (such as 1 digital check-in a week), this can help keep the relationship top-of-mind.

5. Measure and Adjust

This may seem obvious, but unless you quantify your mentorship program’s performance, you won’t know if your organization is moving in the right direction. Ideally, you’ll establish success metrics that tie to program objectives even before you start to match participants.

However, once you launch the program, you’ll want to monitor progress regularly by measuring key performance indicators. For example, if you want to build workforce competencies in a particular set of skills, you’ll want to track active mentors and mentees for each of the skills you’re targeting. If you don’t have enough experienced mentors to fulfill mentee demand, you’ll want to recruit more mentors who are qualified in these areas. (Or you may decide to address the demand with another type of skill development intervention.)

Also, plan to seek feedback from participants periodically. Pulse surveys can help you gauge sentiment about the program and identify weaknesses that need attention. At the same time, keep in mind that mentoring is a long-term commitment. Over time, business priorities will shift. To stay ahead of the curve, you’ll want to build periodic program review cycles into the management process, so you can adjust accordingly as goals and needs change.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more in-depth information about how to structure and manage a successful mentoring program, visit the Together Platform website, where you’ll find all sorts of helpful resources for employers. And for more #WorkTrends insights, check our growing collection of episodes at Apple or Spotify and subscribe!

How to Choose the Perfect Wellness Incentive Provider

October 24, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Benefits, Employee Experience, Employee Well-Being, Health and Wellness, Healthcare and Benefits /by Kathryn Felke

In today’s competitive post-pandemic world of work, HR and business leaders recognize that employee wellbeing is a must-have for a strong, successful organizational culture. This is why wellness incentives have emerged as a powerful tool to attract and retain top talent.

By enhancing employee morale and engagement, strong wellness incentives help boost retention and productivity. Ultimately, company performance improves, as well. What else should you consider about wellness incentives? Take a closer look:

Understanding the Power of Wellness Incentives

In recent years, the number of people struggling to manage mental, physical, and emotional health has risen dramatically. Naturally, these issues are spilling over into our professional lives. As a result, most employers no longer treat wellness programs as optional perks. Instead, many organizations now consider wellness programs a strategic investment that fosters employee wellbeing and organizational growth.

This isn’t just wishful thinking. Studies show that a healthy workforce is more engaged and productive. In fact, companies with carefully designed wellness programs experience lower healthcare costs, less absenteeism, and higher employee satisfaction levels.

What’s more, a holistic approach to wellness (integrating physical, mental, and emotional health), demonstrates that people are valued as individuals. This resonates deeply with employees, who increasingly place work-life balance and personal wellbeing above other priorities.

But all wellness solutions aren’t created equal. So what does it take to find a wellness incentive provider that meets your particular needs? Here are steps that lead to successful outcomes:

7 Steps to Find the Ideal Wellness Incentive Provider

1. Identify Your Organization’s Needs

As you embark on a journey to select a wellness incentive provider, it’s crucial to assess your organization’s specific challenges and requirements. Start by defining your wellness requirements based on factors such as company size, employee demographics, industry practices, and standard wellness program benchmarks.

However, it helps to dig deeper. You can pinpoint specific issues that need attention by gathering intelligence from multiple internal sources. For example, conducting surveys, analyzing health data, and gathering ongoing employee feedback, can provide the insights you need to better reflect employees’ concerns and interests.

Whether you focus on reducing stress, promoting physical activity, or supporting mental health, staff input can align your wellness initiatives with their priorities as well as your organization’s mission and values.

2. Evaluate Potential Providers

The market for wellness incentive providers has grown substantially in recent years, so the number of available choices may seem overwhelming. However, not all providers are created equal. You’ll want to thoroughly research potential partners to ensure your organization reaps all the benefits you want to gain from a wellness program.

Because first-hand experience can offer valuable insights, it’s a smart move to ask trusted peers and industry networks for recommendations. Once you have a reasonable shortlist, take the time to investigate each provider’s expertise, reputation, and track record in delivering effective employee wellness solutions.

It helps to develop a qualification scorecard mapped to your organization’s priorities. For example, consider factors such as the range of services each vendor offers, as well as their ability to customize programs, their technology capabilities, and the level of customer support they provide.

3. Tailor Your Program Offerings

Today’s workforce is increasingly diverse. Team members bring a variety of interests, backgrounds, and needs to the table. That’s why one size does not fit all when it comes to wellness incentives.

A successful program offers a menu of options that cater to these differences. For instance, while some employees might be motivated by fitness challenges and step competitions, others may benefit more from mindfulness workshops or nutrition seminars.

The right provider should be able to craft a program that resonates with your employees and encourages broad participation. By recognizing and responding to individual preferences, you create a more inclusive and effective wellness initiative that will appeal to a spectrum of employees.

4. Consider Technology and User Experience

In today’s digital age, technology plays a pivotal role in the success of wellness programs. In fact, a highly accessible, user-friendly platform can make or break program adoption, engagement, and momentum. The wellness incentive provider you choose should offer a seamless digital experience that simplifies program enrollment, participation, and progress tracking.

Whatever technologies are at the heart of your program — mobile apps, wearable devices, online platforms — should be intuitive and easy to navigate. This helps employees develop a sense of empowerment and motivates them to integrate wellness activities into their lives. A provider with robust, well-designed technology can ensure that wellness becomes an integral part of employees’ daily routine, rather than a chore.

5. Prioritize Culture Fit and Communication

A wellness incentive program should seamlessly integrate with your organizational culture and values. Look for a provider that understands your company’s ethos and is prepared to design initiatives that resonate with your workforce.

Effective communication is a linchpin of these programs. The provider you choose should help you craft compelling communication strategies to raise awareness, engage employees, and drive participation. Working hand-in-hand, you can develop and deliver regular updates, newsletters, and workshops that create a sense of community and enthusiasm around wellness, fostering an environment where people feel fully supported and valued.

6. Measure and Demonstrate ROI

To secure buy-in from stakeholders and justify your investment in wellness incentives, it’s imperative to measure and demonstrate return on investment (ROI). Establish clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your organization’s objectives.

Be prepared to track metrics such as increased productivity, reduced healthcare costs, decreased absenteeism, and improved employee morale. The right wellness incentive provider will assist you in collecting and analyzing data, offering insights into the tangible benefits your organization reaps from the program. Effective data-driven reporting not only showcases your program’s success but also guides future adjustments for even better outcomes.

7. Don’t Forget Contract Terms and Pricing

When finalizing your partnership with any wellness solution provider, pay careful attention to the contract terms and pricing structure they offer. A fair, transparent contract ensures a fruitful relationship that benefits both parties. Focus on these factors:

Negotiate agreements that align with your budget and long-term goals. Inquire about any hidden costs that might arise during program implementation or expansion.
Also, keep scalability in mind. As your organization grows, your wellness program should have the flexibility to adapt and accommodate a larger workforce without disproportionately increasing costs.

A Final Note on Wellness Solution Providers

In the evolving landscape of workplace trends, wellness programs have become a cornerstone of employee satisfaction and organizational success. By understanding the power of wellness incentives, identifying your organization’s specific needs, and carefully evaluating potential partners, you set the stage for a program that will enhance employee wellbeing and elevate business performance.

Through tailored wellness programs that cater to diverse employee preferences and effectively leverage digital technology, you can create an environment where wellbeing is not just a buzzword but a shared commitment. In addition, by ensuring a strong cultural fit, incorporating ongoing communication, and measuring ROI, you will strengthen your program’s foundation, so your organization can successfully foster employee wellbeing now and in the future.

Engagement and Feedback and People Science, Oh My!

October 20, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Employee Happiness, Employee Performance, HR Technology, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps, Talent Analytics /by Meghan M. Biro

The world of work isn’t exactly the Land of Oz, but it can be a scary place. These days, we’re surrounded by uncertainty. Leaders must find the courage to face the unknown and act on whatever they encounter along the way. It isn’t easy. But it’s a path that leads to a stronger work culture, a more enriching employee experience, and sustainable change.

After all, management is a journey. It’s a process. At its best, it’s a virtuous cycle, fueled by feedback that reveals important truths about the human realities of work. Often, we uncover this intelligence through tools based on the principles of people science. But which tools really help? Let’s dig deeper…

So Many Tools, So Little Time

This is the perfect season to assess your organization’s existing feedback capabilities and identify future needs. I’m sure that’s what many employers are doing after seeing what’s new at the annual HR Tech Conference earlier this month. But innovation isn’t the only thing driving their choices.

Just think about the complex issues weighing on leaders’ minds:

Employee engagement and retention continue to slide. Still, productivity and performance expectations remain high.

After years of overwhelming change, stress, and burnout, managerial ranks are dwindling at all levels.

Many organizations are still trying to reconcile return-to-office policies with flexible work preferences. This means they must prioritize workforce wellbeing, inclusion, and trust — all of which depend on strong communication.

In the face of ongoing economic headwinds, employers are hesitant to move forward with expansion plans. Some are even cutting staff. Yet, finding and keeping highly qualified talent for in-demand positions remains an uphill climb.

AI is rapidly reaching critical mass. On the heels of the recent surge in generative AI, other forms of automation now touch every corner of our work lives. And momentum is expected to accelerate.

With all these factors in play, it may seem tempting to turn to technology for solutions. But that could make the situation even worse. Why?

Tech stacks are already suffering from post-pandemic bloat. After years of investing in tools to support changing workforce dynamics, too many organizations are still not making the most of their incremental tech investments or managing them strategically.

The story is all too familiar, isn’t it? No matter how many tools we acquire, if the right people can’t, don’t, or won’t apply them effectively, what’s the point? After all, technology is only as powerful as the people who use it to connect, communicate, collaborate, discover, grow, and perform each day.

On the other hand, the right tools in the right context can make a huge difference — if the right people put them to good use. Sounds like a people science challenge to me.

How People Science Helps

This reminds me of a conversation I had about a year ago on a #WorkTrends podcast with people science expert, Kevin Campbell. Over the years, Kevin has worked with some of the most prestigious firms in workforce strategy, including Culture Amp, Deloitte, Gallup, and now Qualtrics.

How does people science add value, in Kevin’s opinion? Check these snippets from our discussion:

Kevin, what exactly do you do?

People science requires expertise in multiple disciplines. Think of a Venn diagram with three intersecting circles:

One is people analytics, another is organizational psychology, and the other is applied practice. An employee experience scientist sits in the intersection of those three areas.

What does the term “employee engagement” mean to you?

It’s important to talk about what it is not, as well as what it is.

It’s not a survey. Often, we lose sight of the fact that engagement is an emotional and psychological state. A survey is just a tool that helps us measure that state.

Engagement really starts with emotional commitment. I emphasize the emotional aspect because it’s about the desire to stay with an organization and help fulfill its objectives — not because you’re obligated or you feel forced to do it, but because you want to.

What is the most critical challenge you’re seeing right now?

Organizations often overemphasize understanding and underemphasize improvement in action.

For example, according to 2021 data, nearly 90% of companies measure engagement or have some type of employee feedback program, but only 7% of employees say their company acts on feedback in a highly effective way.

How can employers address this problem?

It’s important to recognize that the engagement survey or data isn’t the end. It’s really just the beginning.

To improve, you’ll want to translate results into actions that can have outsized impact on your company culture. And the key is simple coaching skills.

For more insights, listen to the full podcast episode here…

5 Feedback Strategies People Science Experts Use

So, if you want to gather ongoing insight to improve the employee experience, where do you start? We didn’t discuss that in our podcast interview, but Kevin did share helpful ideas in a LinkedIn article, “The Truth About ‘Always On’ Employee Listening.” Here’s a summary of his recommendations:

“Always on” means different things to different people. So I would start by asking stakeholders to define “always on.” Some surveying solutions work better than others at improving the employee experience and increasing employee engagement. Here are five use cases and considerations for each:

1. Digital Suggestion Boxes

Some organizations add intercepts on their intranet home page asking things like: “What feedback do you have?” Also, they post QR codes in break areas or add links to surveys in leaders’ email signatures. Digital suggestion boxes can build trust in other ways, as well. For example, you could gather ideas for peer recognition or business improvements.

Considerations:

It’s important to continuously monitor employee input and ensure that leaders reply. At small companies, it can be highly effective when the CEO responds directly. However, input volume can quickly become unmanageable. You could streamline the review cycle by establishing a process to filter and delegate suggestions as they are received.

2. Daily Surveys

Increasingly, we see daily surveys with a handful of simple questions about how employees feel. This kind of on-demand, anonymous channel for employees to raise issues, share feedback, and offer insights helps capture a real-time snapshot of staff morale and satisfaction.

Considerations:

As with digital suggestion boxes, volume can become overwhelming. However, this method can be beneficial if employees realize they can use it to gauge their own experiences without expecting others to act on all input. For instance, you could invite people to assess their own activities and emotions with a daily wellbeing check, so they can understand where they’re focusing time and attention, and how they feel about it.

3. Surveys to Optimize Specific Work Experiences

This involves in-the-moment feedback in the flow of work. For example, you can survey employees during and after each support instance, including live help desk, online chat, and self-service. Digital intercepts can capture feedback whenever people complete key milestones or engage with online properties like company intranets and HRIS systems.

Considerations:

It’s important to close the loop on these touchpoints with dashboards and alerts that notify experience “owners” and “designers,” so they can act quickly on the issues raised. This is also a great integration point for pulse surveys. For example, say a pulse survey identifies equipment ordering as a workplace issue. You can add an intercept on your intranet where people order equipment.

4. Lifecycle Surveys

You may not think of lifecycle surveys as “always on.” However, people are constantly being onboarded, leaving the company, and returning from leave. Each of these events is an opportunity to collect a stream of valuable feedback for leaders to consider.

Considerations:

This is also an integration point for pulse surveys. For instance, pulse questions that tie back to goal alignment, expectations, or enablement could indicate that onboarding surveys would be useful. Or if employees express concern about training and development, you could create an event-triggered survey about learning experiences.

5. Frontline Customer Feedback

You might think of this as a customer experience use case, but enabling frontline employees to make suggestions on behalf of their customers is another “always on” strategy that can elevate both CX and EX.

Considerations:

This makes the most sense when customer-facing employee roles aren’t already empowered to make changes, or they don’t have other ways to frequently share ideas and feedback with leaders.

What Would a People Science Expert Do?

Clearly, effective feedback isn’t just about the ability to gather input. Although it’s essential to welcome ideas and measure staff sentiment, that’s not enough to make the right kind of impact on workforce commitment, engagement, or performance. In fact, too much of a good thing doesn’t serve anyone well.

What really matters is whether leaders take timely, appropriate action to address whatever the feedback process uncovers.

Knowing this, the challenge in the year ahead is probably not where to find money for new or better feedback tools. The question is, whenever employees let you know the truth about their experience, do you pay attention? And are you willing to do what’s necessary to drive change and keep the conversation going?

That takes more than a big budget or fancy tools. It takes courage.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Find more helpful insights for business and HR leaders who care about people and the future of work. Check our growing collection of #WorkTrends podcasts and subscribe!

How Can Employers Better Support Working Parents?

October 16, 2023/Employee Benefits, Employee Burnout, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Employee Retention, Employee Well-Being /by Lynn Perkins

Currently, about 40% of people in the U.S. workforce are parents whose kids are under 18 years old. With soaring childcare costs and limited government assistance, many organizations know it’s important to support working parents more fully. However, no standards have been established that define the kind of benefits these employees should receive.

While some companies provide comprehensive perks like paid family leave, free on-site childcare, lactation support, and family health care, others offer nothing. And sadly, research reveals that 44% of working parents think their employer does not care about their family’s financial wellbeing.

Still, one question remains on employers’ minds: Will providing more benefits and policies for parents lead to better business outcomes? New research says yes.

Key Facts About Today’s Working Parents

Earlier this year, an UrbanSitter study explored the challenges working parents are facing. These findings underscore the impact of seismic changes that are redefining modern organizations.

1. Parents Are Struggling to Adjust

From pandemic health concerns to remote work demands — and now return-to-office requirements — working parents continue to struggle as they navigate ongoing work trends. Now, unfortunately, the situation has reached an abysmal low:

Last year, 46% of working parents missed 10 or more work days to address caregiving issues.

Many attribute these missed days to family needs arising from a particularly strong surge in cold, flu, RSV, and COVID-19 cases during the previous fall and winter.

Additionally, an alarming 52% of working parents say they or their partner have had to make career changes due to caregiving issues.

2. The Stress is Showing

Hands down, for working parents, the need to juggle work and home responsibilities is the number one cause of stress. Caregiving issues and financial strain round out the top three sources of stress. No wonder nearly half (46%) of working mothers, a quarter of their partners, and more than 1 in 10 children are currently seeking therapy.

3. Federal Funds Are Running Dry

Adding further fuel to the fire, the government pull-back of pandemic relief childcare assistance in September is projected to cause 3.2 million children to lose childcare due to program closures.

This so-called “Childcare Cliff” and its ripple effects will have widespread implications. From parents being forced to quit or reduce hours so they can care for their children, to the financial impact it will have on organizations that lose valuable contributors, the drain on U.S. talent is bound to be felt across the employment landscape.

What Working Parents Need

Despite these gloomy statistics, our research suggests a clear path forward. When employers invest in benefits and policies to support working parents the situation improves. Specifically, absenteeism declines, productivity increases, employees feel supported, loyalty improves, and company culture gets a boost.

For example, when caregiving benefits are available:

Working parents miss 68% fewer workdays.

77% of new parents return to work after childbirth, significantly surpassing the industry average of 57%.

What’s more, 87% of survey participants said they would be more likely to stay with their current employer if they had access to caregiving benefits.

Ignoring the data – and the resounding call for comprehensive support – is no longer an option. Simply put, businesses that prioritize working parents’ needs will attract top talent and retain a more dedicated workforce.

5 Strategies for Employers to Support Working Parents

1. Prioritize Childcare Benefits and Stipends

Studies show that working parents desire childcare benefits more than any other financial reward — even performance-based bonuses or 401(k) contribution matching. This means employers should offer whatever childcare options they can reasonably afford.

Programs can include access to trusted in-home care or third-party centers, or even stipends managed through a reimbursement program. Various solutions are available to employers, so any company can implement a program that aligns with its budget and workforce preferences.

2. Embrace the Power of Flexibility

Employers can make a tremendous difference by offering working parents more freedom to determine the best way to balance work and family demands.

For instance, offering flexible schedules enables parents to choose work hours that suit their family’s needs. This gives them the ability to participate in school activities and manage doctor appointments without jeopardizing their work commitments.

3. Respond to Remote Work Preferences

Many parents strongly prefer remote work options over full-time return-to-office mandates. When this is the case, hybrid work models can be a viable compromise.

Numerous companies are finding success with flexible schedules based on 1-2 days per week in the office. Others are experimenting with more creative structures. For example, some alternate 1-2 in-office weeks with 1-2 remote weeks, so parents can more closely align their schedules with school holiday weeks.

4. Innovate with a 4-Day Workweek

Other non-traditional work arrangements are highly attractive to talent right now. For example, the 4-day work week is gaining momentum among many employers.

To understand why this strategy is becoming more mainstream, consider the case of online thrift store, ThredUp. Since the company moved to a 4-day workweek in 2021, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

A year later, 93% of the company’s workforce said their overall productivity had increased. In addition, the retention rate among corporate employees reached 96%. Plus, 60% of newer employees said the shorter workweek “tipped the scale for them” when choosing to work for ThredUp over other companies.

5. Offer More Holistic Support

Expanding care benefits to include a broader spectrum of services can further ease the burden working parents face. For example, assistance with tutoring, pet care, senior care, and household needs such as housekeeping and errands helps parents stay focused and more productive when they’re working.

What’s more, this more expansive approach not only benefits working parents, but also non-parent employees who are caring for pets or elderly family members.

A Final Note on Supporting Working Parents

In a world where the demands of home and work have intensified, employers must acknowledge the critical role they play in working parents’ lives. By taking tangible steps to provide comprehensive support, businesses can create an environment that nurtures the wellbeing of working parents and also helps their organizations thrive.

Employers that invest in these strategies are seeing tangible benefits, with increased employee retention, productivity, innovation, and overall business performance. The choice is clear. Now is the time for employers to set the course for a brighter future by empowering working parents to succeed.

11 Innovative Ways to Reward and Recognize Employees

October 10, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Benefits, Employee Experience, Employee Happiness, Employee Recognition /by Brett Farmiloe

Recognition matters. We hear it over and over again in leadership books and best practices articles. It makes sense to recognize employees early and often. But workforce appreciation isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing, and random acts of recognition usually fall flat.

So, what do successful organizations do? They focus on building a culture where appreciation is consistently expressed in meaningful and memorable ways. But what methods actually work? For real-world advice about how to recognize employees, we asked business and HR leaders these questions:

What is one innovative way your organization recognizes and rewards employees?
How is this making a positive difference?

We received feedback from across the business world — from HR Directors to CEOs. And if you just skim this list, I’m sure you’ll find at least a few suggestions worth implementing:

Allocate “Dream Vacation” Time to Stellar Performers
Provide a Monthly Recognition Allowance
Make Recognition Special with “Spotlight” Experiences
Foster Collaboration with a “Skills Swap” Initiative
Lift Morale with a Peer Spotlight Program
Support “Passion Projects” that Boost Job Happiness
Incentivize Excellence with Employee of the Month Awards
Promote Team Unity with a Specialized Listening Tool
Show Genuine Appreciation with Personalize Gifts
Encourage Career Growth Through Learning Autonomy
Reinforce Team Spirit with Virtual Toasts

To learn more about how recognition is enhancing employee engagement, job satisfaction, and other key employee experience metrics at companies large and small, check the responses below…

11 Unique Ideas to Recognize Employees

1. Allocate “Dream Vacation” Time to Stellar Performers

We’ve implemented a special recognition program called “Flexible Dream Vacation.” Employees who surpass extraordinary performance goals receive an extra week of paid vacation time, which we call a “Dream Vacation.”

This additional week is not subject to typical vacation rule restrictions. It can be used whenever the employee wishes — even on short notice. This creative idea enables employees to take much-needed time away, so they can realize personal travel goals and come back to work revitalized.

The program has improved enthusiasm and morale among our team members, while boosting their productivity and sense of loyalty. In fact, since its adoption, we’ve seen a phenomenal 20% increase in employee engagement scores on our yearly surveys.

Greg Rozdeba, Co-Founder and CEO, Dundas Life

2. Provide a Monthly Recognition Allowance

We empower everyone in our organization to take charge of recognition. Every month, we distribute $5 to each staff member, so they can say “thank you” to others, $1 at a time.

It’s not about the money. The $1 is really just a nudge to remind everyone to pay attention and share appreciation with people around them.

At our company, team members are celebrated 4.7 times a month on average. This has a much bigger impact than a typical monthly MVP award ever could!

Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity

3. Make Recognition Special with “Spotlight” Experiences

One innovative way we recognize employees is through a unique “Spotlight Experience.” Every month, we grant one outstanding employee a “day-in-the-life” experience tailored to their personal passion or aspirations outside of work. For instance, we arranged for an employee who is deeply interested in culinary arts to spend a day with a renowned chef, cooking alongside them and learning advanced techniques.

Our “Spotlight Experience” program underscores our commitment to recognizing each employee as a whole individual, not just their professional contributions.

Because this unique approach goes beyond conventional bonuses and focuses on individual interests, it builds deeper connections with people and motivates them more deeply. For example, a recent internal survey revealed a 40% increase in job satisfaction scores and a 30% uptick in employee engagement.

William Phipps, Founder, AI Tool Portal

4. Foster Collaboration with a “Skills Swap” Initiative

One way we recognize employees is through a “Skills Swap” program. In other words, employees teach their unique skills or hobbies to colleagues during dedicated instructional sessions. For example, one of our software engineers hosted a workshop on basic coding for non-technical team members.

This endeavor has significantly improved employee morale, motivation, and engagement. It creates opportunities for employees to showcase their expertise outside their job roles, fostering a sense of value and recognition. As a result, 85% of employees recently reported feeling more appreciated and motivated because of this initiative.

Moreover, these sessions have fostered a stronger sense of community and collaboration. Employees from different departments are interacting and learning from one another in new ways. This is breaking down silos and enhancing communication. In fact, we’ve seen a 30% increase in cross-departmental collaboration on projects.

Beth Worthy, President, GMR Transcription Services, Inc.

5. Lift Morale with a Peer Spotlight Program

We have initiated a “Peer Spotlight Program,” where employees nominate colleagues for outstanding contributions that might otherwise fly under the managerial radar. Each month, we showcase selected employees company-wide and reward them with a unique experience, like funding to participate in a masterclass that focuses on a topic of their choice.

This peer-driven recognition effort has elevated team camaraderie, with our internal surveys indicating a 25% boost in overall team morale and collaboration.

Brett Ungashick, CEO and CHRO, OutSail

6. Support “Passion Projects” that Boost Job Happiness

One innovative way our organization recognizes and rewards employees is through a “Passion Project” initiative. Each employee is invited to pursue a project outside their usual responsibilities that aligns their personal interests with our company’s goals.

For example, an employee with a passion for sustainability initiated a “green office” project. This led our organization to reduce waste and save energy. It even inspired involvement with our local community.

This approach not only enhances job satisfaction but also promotes creativity and ownership. As a result, our employee turnover rate has decreased by 15%, and overall job happiness has improved by 25%.

Sarah Politi, Founder and Managing Director, Jade & Sterling

7. Incentivize Excellence with Employee of the Month Awards

To publicly recognize high-performing team members, we’ve implemented a unique Employee of the Month award program. Rather than simply hanging a plaque with names on it, we hang a custom-made life-sized poster of the top performer in our office entryway. Surprisingly, this program has become extremely popular with staff.

Not only is it a source of employee pride and connection, but it has also sparked friendly competition. Everyone strives to be the face that greets people as they walk into the office. And since we implemented this program, productivity has increased by more than 10%, which we believe is due largely to improved employee morale and engagement.

Janelle Owens, Human Resources Director, Guide2Fluency

8. Promote Team Unity with a Specialized Listening Tool

Our organization has improved employee engagement by implementing an innovative listening tool that facilitates peer recognition. Through this platform, employees can recognize coworkers’ behaviors that exemplify our core values. We call these “Cheers for Peers.”

When someone goes above and beyond to demonstrate a value like “driving results” or “learning relentlessly,” a colleague can quickly log in and send positive feedback. This instant feedback loop makes it easy for employees to recognize value-driven actions in real time. And because people can see all the “Cheers for Peers” nods they’ve sent and received, it further boosts their participation.

Integrating values-driven recognition with daily interactions has been a game-changer for our company. The instant validation employees receive when peers celebrate them for living our values has strengthened staff unity and purpose. As a result, we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in morale and motivation.

Max Hansen, CEO and Co-Founder, Y Scouts

9. Show Genuine Appreciation with Personalize Gifts

We’re a small startup with a social mission, and we really try to personalize the way we acknowledge team members who deserve recognition. Don’t get me wrong — we still all have the same new-hire swag with the same branded mug, notebooks, and pens. It’s not like we’re all crafting unique mugs from clay (although that could be fun!).

But here’s our approach: When someone in our organization goes above and beyond, we find a gift that is meaningful to them. For example, our first hire is proud that she’s employee number 1, so we sent her a branded sweater with a personal note about how she’s #1 to us. (She really is a #1 person in life!)

And when another member of our team attended a Beyoncé concert this summer, we arranged a hotel stay for the weekend, so she could really live it up!

There’s a time and a place for a standard gift card or a company t-shirt. But when employees work extra hours or go above and beyond to help a customer, we know it’s not for the money. It’s because they care. So we find little ways to show them how much we care, too!

Ashley Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder, CultureAlly

10. Encourage Career Growth Through Learning Autonomy

We like to focus heavily on learning autonomy. In other words, we let our team members develop knowledge and skills the way they want to, rather than how they’re told to learn.

Although this isn’t technically a “reward,” it’s a way of approaching professional development that demonstrates a genuine commitment to everyone’s success. It also shows that we trust our staff and we want individuals to flourish in whatever ways are most effective for them.

Tracey Beveridge, HR Director, Personnel Checks

11. Reinforce Team Spirit with Virtual Toasts

Something as simple as toasting the week’s top-performing employee can help bring people together for a common purpose. In our organization, this has become a weekly tradition. Every Friday, about an hour before closing time, we host a virtual happy hour. It isn’t a mandatory meeting, but everyone in the company usually joins with a beverage of their choice.

During this online huddle, our leaders take the floor to toast the agent of the week. This is an opportunity to detail the employee’s efforts and acknowledge their achievements.

Afterward, the team tends to linger, usually playing some group games or watching a movie together. It’s a fun way to connect, socialize, and start the weekend on a high note.

Aktug Dogan, CEO, Refermate

Employee Experience: 5 Paths to a More Human Work Culture

October 6, 2023/Career Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Employee Well-Being, HR, Leadership /by Meredith Fish

Anyone who says being a leader is easy is simply not being honest. Leadership is hard. Yes, I said it. And that shouldn’t shock anyone. After all, modern managers are expected to be nearly super-human. They’re responsible for inspiring people, bringing out the best in their teams, and getting positive results. And naturally, they play a crucial role in shaping the employee experience.

Effective leaders create a positive work culture that fosters engagement, enhances job satisfaction, and increases productivity. Innovative work processes and technology can help. But the most influential leaders rely on more than KPIs, annual performance reviews, and cool digital tools to shape individual and organizational success.

Instead, these enlightened leaders put wellbeing and productivity at the center of their employee experience strategy. All of this sounds good, doesn’t it? But it is much easier said than done.

This article challenges leaders to focus on five factors that drive employee experience in today’s complex work environment:

Empowerment
Purpose
Recognition
Positivity
Growth

To uncover areas for improvement, consider these questions…

1. Do Employees Feel Empowered as Individuals and Part of a Team?

For any organization, balancing individuality and teamwork is a delicate art. Do you provide an environment where employees feel free to express themselves openly and authentically, as members of a cohesive, supportive team?

Aim for a Sense of Belonging

The desire to feel connected with others is part of the human condition. In childhood, we begin to fulfill this need by forging relationships with family members and groups of friends who accept us for who we are.

Similarly, at work, a sense of belonging develops when we feel free to show up and contribute as ourselves. In fact, extensive research reveals a strong relationship between authenticity, psychological safety, trust, and a sense of belonging. By behaving openly and authentically, you give peers and team members unspoken permission to do the same. What’s more, by letting go of unnatural roles, everyone has more energy to focus on what really matters.

Breed Trust Through Authenticity

As a leader, you can set a powerful example for others by sharing your own personal and professional setbacks and successes. This lays the foundation for a more genuine, relatable team atmosphere. Employees who see their leaders as real people with strengths, weaknesses, and a desire to learn, they’re more likely to open up, collaborate, and take calculated risks. Ultimately, this can drive creativity, innovation, and growth.

2. Do People See Purpose in Their Work?

How well do employees understand the significance of their efforts? When people understand how their jobs support an organization’s broader mission, they become more motivated, engaged, and committed to their work.

Connect Tasks With Meaning

We’ve all had moments of reckoning at work when we suddenly wonder, “Why am I doing this? Why does this matter?” Don’t wait for this to happen to your employees.

When assigning projects or responsibilities, you have a unique opportunity to share meaningful context. Don’t hesitate to underscore the impact you believe your team members will have on your department, your organization, your customers, or the community at large.

Frame Work as a Fulfilling Endeavor

We all want our efforts to mean something. In fact, research confirms that when employees understand how their daily efforts fit into the bigger picture, they’re more motivated and fulfilled.

Speaking to the value employees bring to the table can deepen their commitment to their job, their team, and the organization as a whole. So, remember to regularly remind people about their significance and acknowledge their contributions.

3. Do You Make Recognition Integral to Work Life?

Celebrating employee contributions strengthens their connection to the organization. Ultimately, this leads to better performance, higher profits, and stronger retention rates. How well do you respond to this need?

Acknowledge Excellence and Effort

Recognition is a core pillar of employee experience. That’s why you’ll want to acknowledge team members on a regular basis.

We all crave validation, but every situation is unique. So take time to think about the most effective approach. Some public acknowledgments resonate for some people, while others prefer a personal note or private 1-on-1 conversation.

Acknowledging excellence boosts morale, builds engagement, and reinforces a sense of value. So don’t hesitate to share a simple “thank you” or reward people formally through a recognition program,

Encourage Everyone to Participate

At WorkRamp, we’ve created a #Props Slack dedicated to employee recognition. We encourage all employees to use this space to express gratitude, brag about team members, share accomplishments, and celebrate work wins. It’s one of our most popular Slack channels, and team members of all levels regularly contribute.

4. Is Your Environment Positive and Inclusive?

Company culture directly affects employee employee wellbeing and productivity. A supportive, collaborative workplace attracts and retains top talent, motivates people to excel, drives job satisfaction, and leads to organizational success. How can you build a better culture?

Cultivate Positivity

A positive culture helps employees feel comfortable and supported, which boosts job satisfaction and wellbeing. As a leader, you can set the tone for this kind of environment. To move the meter, you’ll want to embrace change, champion open communication, and ensure fairness whenever possible.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance can be elusive, especially these days, when more employees are working remotely or in a hybrid mode. However, by helping team members balance personal and professional priorities, you can help employees gain a stronger sense of wellbeing.

There are multiple ways to encourage self-care. For example, you can remind people to take breaks, use their vacation time, and unplug during off hours. By supporting healthier habits, you can help team members become more focused, motivated, engaged, and productive teams.

Prioritize Diversity and Inclusion

Promoting workplace diversity and inclusion is not just a moral imperative — it’s a strategic advantage. Embracing diverse perspectives and backgrounds enhances employee engagement. It also fosters creativity, problem-solving, and innovation, all of which can lead to better business outcomes.

By building a diverse environment where all voices are heard, you can avoid bias and foster a more inclusive workplace where employees feel valued and respected. Organizations that excel at this tend to attract and retain talent much more effectively than their counterparts.

5. Are You Committed to Employee Career Goals?

Do you emphasize employee growth? Research consistently shows that employees prefer to work with employers that invest in their future by offering professional development opportunities. This boosts employee morale and job satisfaction. At the same time, it means employers have a more skilled, motivated workforce, with people who are prepared to contribute to the organization’s future success.

Commit to Ongoing Growth

When you actively help team members work towards their professional goals by providing continuous learning and growth opportunities, you can expect to see improved morale, satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.

These opportunities can take various forms. Initiate regular conversations to understand each team member’s aspirations. Then work with them on an ongoing basis to identify relevant educational paths, stretch assignments, cross-skilling and upskilling opportunities, and mentoring relationships that will enrich their daily work lives and expand their capabilities portfolio.

Employee Experience: A Top-Down Imperative

No doubt about it. Leaders have a direct impact on employee experience — for better or worse.

If you have a leadership role, you can help improve your organization’s culture. It won’t happen overnight. But by focusing on building an environment of authenticity, purpose, recognition, inclusion, and career growth, you can help team members feel more valued, fulfilled, and engaged. And over time, with a consistent commitment to these elements, your organization can improve productivity, retention, and overall organizational success.

It’s not easy. But I assure you, it is worth the effort.

Employee Experience by the Numbers: Top 5 Concerns

September 26, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Employee Recognition, Employee Retention, Healthcare and Benefits, Talent Analytics /by Jose Andres

In recent years, employee experience has taken center stage as a primary indicator of organizational success. As a result, HR and business leaders increasingly want to understand which employee experience concerns are top of mind for today’s workforce.

Gone are the days when a stable job with a reasonable salary was the only key to employee satisfaction and retention. Now, employers recognize that a more holistic approach yields numerous benefits. For example:

Satisfied employees tend to be more productive, innovative, and loyal.
Employees who are committed and engaged, become powerful company advocates, not just internally, but among public circles, as well. This kind of support leads to a more positive employer brand.
A strong employee experience helps attract and retain top performers.

Recently, we conducted a survey to explore today’s biggest employee experience concerns and their underlying factors. Based on input from more than 10,000 employees at nearly 100 technology companies, this employee experience report paints a comprehensive picture of how people feel about their jobs and work environments.

Whether you’re an HR professional seeking to improve your organization’s talent strategy or a business leader aiming to provide a more fulfilling work environment, these findings can help you drive positive change. Specifically, the survey revealed 5 issues that deserve more attention…

Top 5 Employee Experience Concerns in 2023

1. Compensation is Lacking

Fair, competitive salaries are essential to attract and retain top talent. However, many organizations don’t seem to meet expectations. In fact, 46% of survey participants told us they deserve a salary increase.

If financial constraints make it difficult to offer direct salary increases, creative alternatives may fill the gap. Strategies like these may help:

Expand Benefits Choices

Adding more options can make a significant difference. For instance, practical perks such as meal vouchers, childcare discounts, and transportation subsidies are highly appealing to some staff members. Diverse choices add flexibility to your compensation framework while helping more employees feel valued and supported.
Emphasize Intangible Benefits

Quality of life is deeply important to many employees. You can appeal to their interests with solutions that address post-pandemic work-life challenges. For instance, develop a formal remote work or hybrid work program, try implementing a 4-day workweek or flexible work schedule, or offer extra vacation time as a company-wide bonus option.
Manage Private Healthcare Coverage More Effectively

Healthcare coverage is the cornerstone of a holistic compensation package. It promotes employee health and wellbeing, while serving as an attractive incentive for job candidates. However, as healthcare costs continue to rise, access to quality care is at risk. Negotiating better insurance packages on behalf of your staff can position your company as an industry leader.
Facilitate Training Scholarships

Many employees recognize the value of continuous learning and skill development. Adding subsidies for professional development and continuing education to your compensation scheme encourages professional growth while preparing team members for the future of work.
Encourage Performance-Based Bonuses

Does your organization have a well-defined bonus program? Fair, equitable financial incentives are a dynamic mechanism that motivates people and reinforces achievement. By linking goals to rewards, you inspire employees to excel while advancing your organization’s agenda.

In summary, salary remains a critical concern. However, because employee experience is complex, a multifaceted compensation strategy makes sense. Think of creative ways to circumvent internal constraints so you can keep your workforce motivated, satisfied, and engaged.

2. Stress is Overwhelming

Persistent stress erodes physical and psychological wellbeing. As a result, unrelenting work stress drains employee motivation, productivity, engagement, and performance.

Remarkably, 33% of employees told us they suffer from work-related stress. Employers can’t afford to ignore this issue. But what actions are helpful?

Invest in Wellness of All Types

Employee wellbeing touches all facets of life, including mental, physical, emotional, financial, social health, and beyond. Ideally, all these dimensions work together to support people throughout their professional lives. By offering a variety of wellness programs, you can help employees build the strength and resilience they need to adjust and move through personal and professional challenges.
Promote Awareness and Education

If people don’t understand what causes work stress, they’re likely to struggle. Raising awareness about warning signs and skills to deal with these challenges helps people act on their own behalf. For instance, you can offer classes and resources about mindfulness and stress reduction, as well as time management, communication, and delegation techniques. By developing skills like these, employees learn how to recognize and respond to factors that trigger stress.
Establish Channels for Open Dialogue

Healthy cultures foster open communication. This includes opportunities to acknowledge employee issues and actively address those concerns. Collaborative conversations about stress and its causes not only lead to better solutions but also strengthen the bonds between employees and the organization.

The ramifications of chronic stress transcend the individual experience, casting a shadow over workforce productivity and morale. By fostering a culture of wellness, you can ease stress for individuals and create an environment where employees thrive.

3. Work-Life Balance Doesn’t Exist

Healthy work-life integration drives employee commitment, motivation, and performance. At the same time, it relieves work stress, which can increase job satisfaction.

Our survey revealed that 26% of employees think work encroaches on their personal life. That’s not ideal. How can employers reduce this statistic?

Commit to Flexible Work Solutions

There are many viable possibilities. Flextime, remote or hybrid work models, and 4-day workweeks can help steer employees toward a more harmonious work-life coexistence.

As heated return-to-office debate continues, post-pandemic organizations have reached a critical crossroads. Standard work models may seem “safe,” but many employees no longer think they’re realistic.

In terms of work-life balance, flexibility helps people thrive professionally without compromising personal priorities. This can reduce work stress and elevate job satisfaction. If your company is still on the fence about return-to-work mandates, carefully weigh the potential consequences of ignoring work-life balance.

4. Employers Impose Too Many Needless Rules

Managing internal mandates consumes valuable time. Even worse, they can undermine your team’s ability to perform at its best. At least this is what we heard from 25% of employees who say their company enforces too many rules that serve no purpose.

Clearly, this gap needs attention. A possible solution is to involve employees in decisions about policies and procedures. By actively seeking input, you’re more likely to uncover redundant or needless standards. In addition, you can confirm which rules are crucial to operational excellence and gain broader support for enforcement.

When streamlining processes, constructive feedback is a powerful tool. It can help improve organizational efficiency. At the same time, it cultivates a sense of ownership among employees, which can foster a culture of continuous improvement.

5. Recognition is in Short Supply

When people aren’t recognized enough for their effort and results, their motivation and satisfaction levels suffer. And unfortunately, too many employers are missing the mark. In fact, 31% of respondents told us they prefer more frequent recognition.

Overcoming this challenge requires proactive measures. One strategy is to develop a formal process that encourages managers to share more meaningful recognition on a more consistent basis.

For example, programs that incorporate gamification techniques have proven highly effective. Some organizations also include peer recognition in their programs. This adds a dimension of mutual appreciation while reinforcing a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

By prioritizing interpersonal workplace dynamics, recognition programs can boost morale and strengthen organization-wide engagement and performance.

Employee Experience Concerns Matter

Today’s post-pandemic workplace is shifting in multiple ways. Employee expectations and career aspirations are changing rapidly. It’s essential for companies to understand and respect these dynamics.

As you consider the 5 employee experience concerns we’ve outlined, what should you keep in mind? Organizations that prioritize these issues and respond thoughtfully are better equipped to attract and retain talent. Also, they’re creating cultures that thrive on adaptability, appreciation, and wellbeing. In short, they’re preparing now for continued success.

If you build your workplace on this foundation, you can look forward to being much more successful in the years ahead, as well.

Organizational Transparency is the New Normal: How Open Are You?

September 25, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, HR Communications, Leadership /by Ian White

Imagine this: You’re attending one of your company’s senior staff meetings. The CEO nods and smiles when one executive shares a KPI chart with an upward-trending graph. Clearly, the CEO appreciates seeing how performance is improving. It confirms the management team’s commitment to excellence and its ability to deliver. But these results don’t really surprise anyone. That’s because your company embraces organizational transparency.

In today’s complex business landscape, a culture of transparency is not just a nice-to-have option — it’s a strategic necessity. Why? Because open communication is a catalyst for engagement, accountability, and success at all levels of a company.

What Makes Transparency Tick?

CEOs never aim for mediocrity. They want teams that are highly motivated, engaged, and productive. This is why organizational transparency is so powerful.

Leaders who champion open communication ignite employee trust, commitment, and motivation. In transparent cultures, success isn’t just about hitting the numbers. It’s about creating an environment where people are all in — where team members know they matter and their efforts make a valuable difference.

Who’s Responsible for Organizational Transparency?

The answer to this question isn’t always clear. Certainly, openness starts at the top. But kickstarting the process and keeping it moving requires a partnership between senior leaders and People Operations.

C-suite leaders bring the company vision and goals into focus, while People Ops teams conduct daily tasks that turn that vision into a reality. Their responsibilities include onboarding new hires, managing the employee experience, and supporting workforce growth and success — all efforts that strengthen an organization’s backbone.

By working together, executives and People Ops can keep employees in the know, so their mindset and contributions align with the company’s vision, values, and objectives.

3 Ways to Enable Organizational Transparency

Here’s how People Ops can partner effectively with the C-suite to foster a transparent work environment:

1. Give Employees a Voice

A culture that welcomes feedback is a cornerstone of transparency. Employees deserve a say in how their organization operates, and leaders can promote this behavior by proactively seeking input.

Regularly inviting employees to express their insights, ideas, and opinions creates an environment where communication is accepted as a norm. By working hand-in-hand with executives, People Ops can develop, promote, and manage multiple feedback channels — both open and anonymous.

For example, you can conduct periodic focus groups or town hall forums with employees who are willing to participate in an open dialogue. And for those who prefer confidentiality, you can initiate private interviews and 1:1 conversations.

Also, to calibrate broader sentiment, insights, and trends, you can conduct periodic anonymous pulse surveys and employee net promoter score assessments.

When mapping a strategy, it’s worth noting that 47% of employees aren’t totally honest when sharing feedback with HR. But 56% of those employees are more likely to be honest when their anonymity is assured.

Although managing employee feedback channels may seem complicated, it’s worth the effort. For instance, organizations that listen and act on these findings are 3x more likely to reach their financial targets.

In addition, when you’re receptive to feedback, you build a sense of connection and trust across the organization. Ultimately, this can elevate workforce wellbeing by reducing stress, disengagement, and even burnout.

Bottom line — it pays to offer various feedback options and keep employees in the loop about how you’re responding to their concerns.

2. Share Information Quickly and Consistently

It’s essential for leaders and People Ops to agree on how to treat sensitive company information. Striking the right balance between transparency and confidentiality prevents misunderstandings. This is especially important when communicating about decisions or events that directly affect employees — for instance, when you’re dealing with layoffs, salary changes, or restructuring plans.

Leaders who care about transparency insist on timely, accurate communication. This preserves trust and positions your company as a reliable source.

For example, publishing pay scales and compensation guidelines helps avoid ambiguity and clarifies career advancement paths. Actually, pay transparency laws already cover more than 25% of the U.S. workforce — and this figure could soon rise to 50%. But this is just one reason why transparency is essential in the modern workplace.

3. Make Company Information Accessible

Ready access to information is critical for the kind of awareness and understanding a cohesive culture needs. Partially informed employees can’t be expected to contribute fully to an organization’s success. This is why a variety of communication channels can help you reach team members where they’re at and keep them up-to-date.

Platforms such as town halls, executive “Ask Me Anything” sessions, online chat forums, and email newsletters can play a pivotal role by adding context to announcements about company priorities, programs, and performance. In addition, these channels give employees an opportunity to share direct feedback with decision-makers and discuss their thoughts with peers.

To take full advantage of these channels, you’ll want to provide clear, consistent messaging across the board. Using an integrated People Ops platform, you can gather, track, and analyze internal communications activity data, and map it to broader organizational objectives.

4. Let Go of Lazy Labels

Most employees want to be seen as people. Yet, only 45% actually think their organization views them that way. Transparency can bridge this gap, so you can build a more unified, empowered workforce, where individual strengths and aspirations contribute to a collective success story.

That’s why it’s time to trash stereotypes — especially negative buzzwords. Terms like “lazy girl jobs” and “quiet quitting” aren’t constructive.

This kind of workplace shorthand may seem harmless, but it doesn’t serve anyone well. In fact, it only undermines employees who value work-life balance over work-at-all-cost expectations.

So make no mistake. Transparency isn’t about mindless judgment or brutal honesty. It’s about intentionally creating an environment where people feel like they belong and they can flourish.

This mindset fuels trust, confidence, and commitment through communication that empowers people to contribute their best. Other benefits include:

Heightened job satisfaction
Enhanced collaboration
Increased engagement
Strengthened leadership credibility
Improved problem-solving

At its best, organizational transparency aligns everyone with shared objectives. From Gen Z to your most seasoned team members, everyone can work more happily and productively when they’re part of a culture based on open communication.

But be prepared. Developing this kind of relationship takes time, consistency, and persistence.

The Case for Transparency

“The Great Resignation” began in 2021, when nearly 48 million people quit their jobs. But experts say the “Real Great Resignation” actually happened last year, when resignations reached nearly 51 million.

What caused so many employees to leave? According to research, 40% of former employees could no longer tolerate a toxic work environment.

Contrast this with people who feel their work culture is transparent. Their job satisfaction rate is 12x greater than others. That’s a key point because satisfied employees are much more likely to stay on board longer.

It’s no secret that employees want to feel supported, respected, and motivated to do their job well. This starts when top-down transparency is baked into your culture. With a genuine, ongoing effort, business leaders and People Ops can cultivate the kind of transparent workplace that attracts great talent, respects them as individuals, and gives them a powerful reason to stay.

Worktech Can Work Better: Employers, What’s Your Plan?

September 18, 2023/Employee Experience, Hiring and Retention, HR Technology /by Dan Carlson

Over the years, worktech solutions of all types have repeatedly promised to transform the workplace. Still, employers aren’t so sure. In fact, it can feel like an impossible dream if your tech stack has ballooned into a jumble of loosely coupled platforms, applications, tools, and data.

Sound familiar? If so, it’s time to rethink how you tie together all the elements in your worktech ecosystem. But sorting through an alphabet soup of platforms — ATS, HCM/HRIS, ERP, CMS, TMS, LMS, LXP, and more — can be arduous.

Of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. You’ll also need to consider sub-level features that reach across systems. For example, is SSO fully deployed? Are you prepared to support enterprise-wide video or XR capabilities? Can you leverage APIs or SFTP for data sharing? And how will you demonstrate ROI to your CHRO?

The potential pitfalls are rampant, but employers don’t have a choice. To attract and retain high-quality people in today’s competitive talent market, a stellar employee experience is crucial. And the right worktech plays a central role in bringing that vision to life.

What’s Behind This Worktech Challenge?

Three factors:

1. An Overwhelming Array of Options

The landscape is massive. Thousands of HR tech solutions are available. The learning tech segment, alone, includes hundreds of platforms. And each system offers its own unique set of features.

For example, in the learning space, you can find platforms focused on content creation and curation, skills and competencies development, microlearning, training resource management, learning analytics, and much more. Similarly, among applicant tracking systems, features may include resume parsing, candidate screening, interview scheduling, job board integration, AI-based chatbots, and so on.

This barely scratches the surface of worktech functionality. Yet even more features are on the way, thanks to advances in generative AI, process automation, predictive analytics, and other machine learning-driven capabilities.

In other words, the options are overwhelming. And the landscape is becoming even more complex. Any organization could spend years trying to find clarity in the noise this saturated market generates.

2. A Disjointed Experience

Another challenge involves existing legacy infrastructures that result from ad-hoc purchasing decisions. Too many organizations suffer from a proliferation of systems, selected in silos, to address specific business needs over time.

What’s more, if decision-makers embrace the “sunk cost” fallacy, they’re likely to hold on to existing technology. But this only causes disjointed infrastructures to persist.

Highly cohesive digital experiences come from minimizing the need to toggle between technologies. Also, by combining data with actionable insights, you can ensure that system administrators don’t become full-time reporting specialists.

Every platform in your worktech stack needs to be flexible, so you can seamlessly integrate, share, and synchronize data. This ensures your ecosystem will scale and reduces disruptions in an otherwise harmonious employee experience.

3. Functional Silos

Talent, HR, and learning teams typically work in parallel, but not together. They don’t communicate or collaborate on the tools decision-makers invest in. This only compounds the proliferation of work tech tools and flawed sunk-cost logic.

The result? Perhaps your ATS doesn’t share data with your HRIS, so they don’t work together seamlessly. Your LMS may not sync with your LXP. Or your LXP may not share data with your HRIS. The potential disconnects grow with each incremental system you add.

Ultimately, you’ll find multiple dead ends, isolated data sets, and organizational blind spots. All these issues drain productivity. In fact, estimates say employees waste as much as five work weeks each year, just toggling between applications.

Obviously, this causes frustration for employees. It also harms platform engagement and adoption. Even worse, it contributes to employee dissatisfaction, disengagement, and even turnover.

So, What’s the Solution?

1. Take the Long View

As you choose platforms and vendors, let your long-term interests guide you. Look as far into the future as possible. Aligning worktech with your long-term strategy helps ensure it will support you well beyond the initial contract. Here are several “future-proofing” tips:

Be sure each platform and application is designed to integrate beyond its own proprietary products.

Select vendors with robust research and development resources. You should expect to see tangible examples of recent innovations. Evaluate each vendor’s recent product releases to understand how frequently and effectively the solution has improved over time.

Vendors may also help you look ahead by sharing a brief overview of their product roadmap. And if you both sign non-disclosure agreements, you can more freely discuss how well a vendor’s product strategy aligns with your organization’s objectives and expectations.

Don’t hesitate to ask specific questions about innovations of interest to you. For example, these days, generative AI, process automation, and other machine-learning capabilities are hot topics. Vendors who are ahead of the curve won’t hesitate to respond. Those who continuously adapt and innovate are far more likely to keep up when the next disruptive enabling technology or killer app enters the worktech space. The best vendors can demonstrate a consistent track record of advances and a clear vision for the future.

With so much at stake, you don’t want to leave these decisions to chance. If you don’t have sufficient expertise or bandwidth to develop a game plan or identify appropriate platforms, you may want to rely on an independent IT solutions architect or Consultant for insight and advice.

2. Pick the Best Worktech Providers

Speaking of vendor selection, choosing the right partners can be a bit of a minefield. You can find numerous suggestions and “top 10” lists for any flavor of HR platform. But keep in mind that each of those lists is based on the author’s point of view. Are your goals and their criteria aligned?

Ultimately, nothing beats conducting your own thorough research to learn about various platforms, understand each vendor’s use cases, and verify the results their customers have achieved.

No solution will be perfect. But some will be a better fit for your business. When engaging with a new vendor, I look for green flags like these:

The company has a clear mission and vision, with industry-leading partnerships and evidence of consistent, sustainable growth.
Sales representatives ask numerous intelligent questions about your specific needs.
You have access to a comprehensive demo or trial period, so you can test the platform.
They readily share user experience details – how they optimize UX and how this contributes to overall tech stack efficiency.

Ultimately, you’re looking for partners who will serve as an extension of your team and celebrate your wins. When they are invested in your success, everything else falls into place.

3. Focus on Open Platforms

Why does this matter? Open platforms are not just a work tech feature, they are the way forward. And they are proven. Many well-established enterprise tech stacks already depend on open systems. Atlassian, WordPress, and Zendesk are all examples of open platforms that support millions of businesses, globally.

The strength of open platforms comes from the flexibility of publicly available Application Programming Interfaces that make it easy for systems to exchange data. By leveraging APIs, your IT team and development partners can efficiently build desired functionality into your platforms, and continue to customize as your needs evolve.

Open Means Freedom to Explore Options

With an open platform, you aren’t limited to the functions, products, or partners defined by your chosen vendor. You have more latitude to experiment with various work technologies so you can configure the best solution for your business needs.

For example, at some point, you’ll probably want to build on the core capabilities in your LMS. Perhaps you want to offer a dedicated talent intelligence marketplace to improve internal mobility, or a coaching app for high-potential talent, or a just-in-time learning experience for frontline workers. Open systems make it possible to add these enhancements incrementally.

Closed Means More Complexity and Cost

On the other hand, a closed platform is just the opposite. Closed systems limit you to a predefined set of available data, features, developers, and partners. Any changes or additions require a skilled external developer or solutions integrator with access to proprietary knowledge and tools — and a budget to match.

All things considered, an open ecosystem makes sense for most organizations. This gives you the flexibility to decide for yourself which functionality works best for your workforce, along with the freedom to implement changes while preserving your core investment. You can prove and disprove the effectiveness of different platforms with relative ease because your technology foundation is integration-friendly.

The Result: Worktech That Works

Talent, HR, and Learning Working Together — Not Alongside

Your organization’s various “people” functions may already be collaborating. After all, most software buying cycles now involve stakeholders from HR, Learning, IT, the C-Suite, and others.

However, nothing is more valuable than ongoing visibility into related organizational functions, and direct communication with counterparts in those business areas. This helps you better understand others’ buying priorities. Plus, it helps you recognize where others’ teams, platforms, and efforts can be more fully aligned for more effective, cost-efficient operations, overall.

You may even discover that one team’s problem could be solved by another team’s platform.

For example, nearly every HR team is grappling with how to attract the talent they need in today’s tight labor market. Most organizations rely on relatively costly recruiting solutions to solve internal skills shortages. Still, many roles remain unfilled. Yet upskilling from within saves an estimated 72-90% over the cost of hiring new talent.

Now, think of this challenge from the perspective of a worktech ecosystem where platforms are integrated and working cohesively.

One solution could be to closely connect a talent intelligence marketplace with an employee upskilling platform. This lets you consolidate and mobilize valuable skills data, so you can efficiently identify which employees have desired proficiencies and which are strong upskilling candidates.

As a result, your organization could save time and money, while also improving business productivity and performance. Ultimately, this could move your organization forward in using skills as a strategic factor that improves workforce agility, innovation, and responsiveness.

Of course, this is only one example of the benefits that come from an open, integrated worktech game plan. Many more opportunities are getting attention from organizations these days. What workforce challenges are you ready to tackle with this approach?

What Does the Voice of the Employee Say About Your Culture?

September 15, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, Featured, HR Technology, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps /by Meghan M. Biro

Sponsored by WorkForce Software

Employers, you know the story. For years, organizations have been struggling to engage and retain employees, yet few have really moved the meter. So, how do the best employers succeed? Some say the answer lies in listening more closely to the voice of the employee. Why?

Here’s what statistics say:

90% of workers told Achievers they’re more likely to stay at a company that seeks feedback and acts on it. Yet 67% rate their organization as only “okay” or even “horrible” at doing this.

According to a Gallup survey, 52% of people who resigned say those in charge could have done something to prevent them from quitting. But only a third actually discussed their disenchantment with their manager before they left.

It is time to lean in and listen to the voice of the employee more closely and more continuously. But what should that look like in a modern work environment? This question is super important. And that’s why we’re talking about it today with an expert in the psychology of work…

Meet Our Guest: Angelina Sun

Today, we welcome back Angelina Sun, PhD, WorkForce Management Solutions Director at WorkForce Software. With extensive experience in multiple industries, she is deeply interested in innovative ways to build and sustain healthy organizational cultures.

In her current role, Angelina focuses on helping leaders more effectively manage and communicate with employees – especially deskless workers. Angelina’s finger is clearly on the pulse of modern workforce challenges and opportunities. That’s why I asked her to join us earlier this year to discuss the state of today’s deskless worker experience.

But this topic is much bigger than just one podcast episode. So I invited Angelina to return so we could dig deeper. Here are some highlights from our latest conversation…

Defining the Voice of the Employee

Welcome back, Angelina! What is the voice of the employee, and why is it so valuable in organizations?

People often think of the voice of the employee in terms of responses to staff surveys. But it’s more than that. It encompasses all their feelings, perceptions, and experiences. And it includes all communication channels.

There are so many ways you can tap into the voice of the employee. For example, you can learn by paying attention to team meetings, one-on-ones with managers, service sentiment, and information sharing at company gatherings, interviews, focus groups — anywhere you gather feedback.

The Need to Feel Heard is Universal
You’re so right, Angelina. This extends far beyond employee surveys…

Everyone wants to be heard and valued. Whether we are office-based, remote, hybrid, frontline hourly workers or shift workers, we all want to feel like we’re doing meaningful, purposeful work.

But for deskless workers, the voice of the employee has a unique operational focus. Because these workers are closest to production or customers, their feedback is crucial. It helps identify what’s really happening in the workplace or with the customer experience, so we can take action and improve.

Technology’s Role

How can technology, especially mobile, help create a more seamless communication flow between employees and employers?

You know, smartphones are an essential tool for managing our day-to-day lives. This is why organizations really should employ these powerful, pocket-sized supercomputers to connect with frontline workers.

In fact, our research reveals that 45% of employees would prefer to receive training and information on their mobile phone. Yet only 20% of them actually have this option.

Improving the Communication Process

What are some of the best ways employers can select a communication vehicle and make it work for everyone?

The biggest obstacle is adoption. Why? Because deskless workers don’t sit or stand in front of a computer all day to check email and respond.

So if you want a successful solution, it must integrate into the technology deskless workers are already using in the field or on the shop floor.

We are not just talking about a simple chat system. It should be workflow-driven. It should help people get their job done and make it easier to manage schedules and work-life balance, while also helping managers have the right conversations with the right people at the right time…

Learn More About the Voice of the Employee

For more insights about how your organization can benefit from listening to the voice of the employee, listen to this full #WorkTrends episode on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or wherever you tune in to podcasts. And while you’re there, be sure to subscribe, so you won’t miss future episodes.

Also, visit WorkForce Software anytime for details about the company and its modern workforce management suite.

And whenever you want to continue this conversation on social media, follow our #WorkTrends hashtag on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Let’s talk!

How to Become a Great Manager (And Why It Matters)

September 8, 2023/Career Development, Employee Experience, Featured, Leadership, Podcast, Podcast Recap, Podcast Recaps, Talent Management /by Meghan M. Biro

Sponsored by The Culture Platform

You probably know at least one great manager. Maybe you’ve even worked for that person. If so, I imagine it was a fulfilling experience. How do I know? It’s a safe bet because research tells us just how deeply managers influence our work experience. For instance:

Gallup says managers affect employee engagement and performance more than anything else. In fact, 70% of the variance in a team’s engagement is determined solely by its manager.

A Stanford study found that productivity increases by as much as 50% when employees move from a manager with “average” capabilities to a high-quality boss. Not surprisingly, retention is also higher among those with better bosses.

Sadly, great managers are a rare breed. But we can change that. First, we need to understand what it takes to be the kind of manager everyone wants to work for. And that’s exactly what we’re exploring with a management development expert on today’s episode of #WorkTrends…

Meet Our Guest: Ron Ricci

This week, I’m thrilled to welcome a long-time friend of TalentCulture, Ron Ricci. Ron is the founder and CEO of The Culture Platform, the foremost data-based system to measure, manage, and magnify organizational culture.

With more than two decades of experience in leading large teams, Ron is an expert voice on management best practices. Previously, he held multiple senior leadership roles at Cisco, where he managed more than 5,000 employees.

Because he is so passionate about helping managers succeed in what he calls the “post-everything” era, I know Ron has a wealth of ideas to share. So let’s get started!

The Anatomy of a Great Manager

Welcome, Ron. What did your successful career at Cisco teach you about being a great manager?

I knew I was only as good as the people on my team — so to attract the best people, I needed to be a great manager. And to be a great manager, I learned that I had to be really good at setting clear expectations for people.

Being a manager is probably the toughest job in any organization. You sit between leadership’s expectations and your people’s expectations. That’s why it’s critical to be a strong expectation-setter.

Factors Affecting Managerial Success

Why do so many people fail in management roles?

I think this happens for two reasons:

First, being a manager is hard because it involves human-to-human communication. It takes a lot of courage to be a great manager. You have to tell people the truth. You have to follow through on your word. You have to hold people accountable.

So folks fail because they don’t understand how hard it is or how to develop an effective communication style.

Also, I think companies contribute because they’re often very inconsistent in how they act and behave. We’ve all seen it. Companies start a project, then stop it. They launch an initiative, then they don’t fund it. They don’t measure things consistently. Or they don’t have a calendared process to hold people accountable.

Managers need to challenge their company to do better. If companies operate more consistently, managers can do a better job of helping people see future opportunities and move in that direction.

Unsung Heroes

I really feel for anyone who is a manager these days. We talk nonstop about employees and leaders, but managers are left behind…

Good point, Meghan. Over the past few decades, organizations have emphasized leadership and over-invested in employee engagement — and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Meanwhile, we’ve under-invested in manager training and development.

We have to stop doing something to do something else better. We have to decide that the manager role is more important. We need to help managers improve how they set expectations, so their employees fall in love with their job and kick ass in whatever their role may be.

In my opinion, this is 20 years overdue.

The Manager’s Toolbox

I’m glad you offer a resource called The Manager’s Toolbox. What’s inside?

Rather than over-emphasizing technology, the toolbox focuses on developing the human-to-human communication process every great manager needs. It’s based on three elements:

1) How to align company priorities with a job role.

2) How to measure something people are doing so you can communicate with facts.

3) How to set priorities and make sure you measure things in a consistent way across the organization so there’s no ambiguity.

You can’t really replace this kind of communication with technology. It’s a process.

Learn More About How to be a Great Manager

For more insights about developing better managers, listen to this full #WorkTrends episode on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or wherever you tune in to podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe, so you won’t miss future episodes.

To get a copy of The Manager’s Toolbox, send an email request to Ron at TheCulturePlatform@gmail.com. Also, visit The Culture Platform anytime for details about the company or to schedule a demo.

And whenever you want to continue this conversation on social media, follow our #WorkTrends hashtag on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Let’s talk!

Leaders: Do You Connect Employees With Their Noble Purpose?

August 28, 2023/Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, Leadership, Talent Management, Talent Retention, Winner: Impact Award for Content Excellence /by Amy Brown

When employees feel disconnected from their jobs — or their work doesn’t bring a sense of purpose to their lives — they’re more likely to quit. Unfortunately, this is happening all around lately. Troubling signs like productivity theater and resenteeism are flooding the work zone. Clearly, many employees are struggling to connect their organization’s purpose with their own.

According to McKinsey, 70% of employees find a sense of relevance through work. This doesn’t mean people expect their job to define them 100%. But when personal and business purposes align, everyone benefits. Workforce engagement and loyalty tend to improve significantly. As a result, employees become more willing to advocate for their employer and recommend prospective applicants.

Why should leaders care? Because when you create a culture of psychological safety and compassion, you empower people to be authentic at work. This, in turn, drives commitment, satisfaction, and team performance.

Keys to Connect With Employee Purpose

1. Start by Ensuring Psychological Safety

In a world overflowing with toxic workplaces, psychological safety is more important than ever. No one should have to fear humiliation or punishment when they share concerns, ideas, and mistakes. Everyone should feel free to speak up and support one another without rejection or embarrassment.

The definition of psychological safety isn’t everyone being nice to others all the time. Rather, it is a work environment where everyone is welcome to:

Share feedback
Challenge the status quo, and
Work together to resolve disagreements.

But these conditions don’t materialize out of thin air. They depend on supportive top-down leadership.

2. Facilitate Open Communication

Purpose-driven cultures thrive when leaders consistently encourage a free flow of communication. This is possible when everyone feels a shared sense of ownership and trust.

In practice, trust emerges when all team members are willing to offer peers a “soft landing.” In other words, when a teammate is in a vulnerable position, others recognize and respect their situation and honor their point of view.

When teams approach authenticity with grace, it sends a powerful message throughout the organization. But this won’t start until leaders establish ground rules and set a consistent example for others to emulate in day-to-day settings. As team members become more familiar and comfortable with others’ abilities, personalities, and perspectives, respectful collaboration can naturally take hold.

3. Measure What Matters

Finally, companies that recognize people as their most valuable asset apply appropriate metrics to measure engagement, growth, and satisfaction.

Quarterly pulse surveys can include some probing questions to assess employee sentiment about psychological safety and leadership communication. This provides meaningful data you can use to compare results against historical trends and statistical norms.

Benefits of Connecting Purpose and Work

Studies show that people who live their purpose at work are more productive than those who don’t or can’t. They’re also more resilient, healthier, and less likely to leave their company.

Most of us find this kind of culture appealing. In fact, more than 80% of employees want their employer to value them as humans — not just worker bees. Yet, only 45% actually believe they’re seen this way. This gap is important. It means too many of us feel like mere cogs in an endless wheel designed for others’ benefit.

So, where does the concept of engagement fit into this picture? Successful performance doesn’t happen by accident. It comes when organizations tap into employees’ passions and strengths. People who feel engaged, seen, and heard are more likely to contribute their full selves to work whenever they’re working.

Of course, in today’s “work from anywhere” world, leaders often find it difficult to understand what team members feel internally. This uncertainty can cause them to respond in unhelpful ways. No wonder remote and hybrid employees often find it harder to connect with their organization’s purpose!

The best solution is for leaders to reach out proactively to ensure that team members are finding meaningful value in their work. Building and maintaining those connections takes time, space, intention, and investment. But eventually, as you engage in conversations and build camaraderie unrelated to business tasks, trust will develop and the rest will follow.

Compensation and benefit packages matter to employees. But even the best salaries and perks can’t compare to a purpose-driven culture. People need regular reinforcement to confirm that they are contributing in ways that make a meaningful impact. This kind of human connection only comes when leaders take the time to develop genuine relationships with everyone on their team — and encourage others to do the same.

Building a Culture of Authenticity: One Idea That Works

Although connecting with each employee’s purpose may take time, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Start by committing to bring everyone together in person, even if only periodically or on an annual basis. People naturally want to form human connections with team members, and in-person meetings are the best way to promote that kind of relational energy.

At Authenticx, we’ve established a practice that helps. We invite each team member to choose one word as their own personal beacon for the year. The goal is for everyone to select a term that describes how they’re trying to grow as an individual.

Part of living that word comes from the act of sharing the word’s meaning with others and the journey each of us travels with that intention throughout the year. So we all know each other’s words. Each quarter, we schedule word-sharing sessions to discuss where we’re struggling, where we need to be accountable, and where we’re finding success.

Recently, one of our employees shared the word “engagement.” It’s a perfect word for capturing the need to tap into people’s passions and strengths to achieve business success. When people feel seen, heard, and engaged they’re likely to contribute more fully when they’re working.

We’ve found that this practice opens a window into each employee’s mindset and often offers a new insight into their work role and performance. By learning more about what matters to team members, we can spark more useful discussions. And we see this “single word” exercise as a starting point for these conversations.

A Final Note on Purpose at Work

When people feel empowered, respected, trusted, and valued, they’re more likely to challenge themselves, remain committed, and stay on board. These are worthwhile outcomes for any organization, no matter what the mission may be.

This is why purpose-focused leaders don’t hover, but they do pay close attention. They listen to employees’ needs, tap into their passions, and promote connections across teams. As a result, team members can develop a healthy emotional commitment to their work and resilience that keeps them moving forward — even during difficult times.

Offboarding: How to Give Employees a Fond Farewell

August 22, 2023/Employee Experience, HR, Leadership, Talent Management /by Pam Loch

One of your employees just handed you a resignation letter. What happens next? Are you prepared to set your company’s offboarding wheels in motion?

Situations like this might keep you up at night, especially when a valued staff member decides to move on. It’s natural to worry about how your team will fill the knowledge gap, and how soon you’ll be able to replace an employee who seems irreplaceable.

But sometimes these concerns create unexpected tension between you and the employee who, until this point, enjoyed working at your company. You may want the exit to go smoothly, but despite your best intentions, this kind of transition can go awry. It may even disrupt your work environment and put unnecessary strain on the rest of your team, which can damage morale and productivity.

No employer wants a team member to leave on a negative note. That’s why it’s useful to develop and implement a well-crafted offboarding plan. But what does that look like? First, let’s look at what this process can help you accomplish.

Why Is Effective Offboarding So Important?

Offboarding is an integral part of the departure process for employees, as well as for your business. The right steps can help you:

Manage the practical aspects of shifting the employee’s responsibilities to others
Gather work-related feedback, so you can identify key issues and improve
Minimize security risks (for example, by removing employee access to company accounts and recovering company assets)
Prevent legal issues (such as contract or compensation disputes and wrongful termination)
Part ways on the best possible terms

By addressing each of these concerns, you can close the employee’s chapter at your company in good faith.

Is It Really Over?

But what if the story isn’t yet finished? What if a departure could be avoided? Offboarding discussions may expose unresolved issues with an employee’s pay, holiday entitlement, pension contributions, benefits, work schedule, location, and more.

If you discover that someone is disgruntled but not fully committed to leaving, you may have the potential to fix these issues and avoid an unnecessary departure.

The key is to pay close attention. Is unhappiness or dissatisfaction with your company motivating someone to leave? If you identify the root cause and resolve it quickly, will the employee reconsider? Each situation is unique. But you may find it worthwhile to address these issues so you can keep a valued employee onboard.

Managing Employee Exits With Grace

Above all, don’t assume an employee’s departure is a personal rejection of you or your company. Staff members leave for many valid reasons. Another company may have offered an irresistible pay increase, a compelling promotion, or more attractive benefits. Or maybe it’s time for a career change.

By keeping this in mind, you can manage offboarding in a respectful way that motivates a departing employee to cooperate in handing off responsibilities with minimal upheaval.

Always try to keep the situation professional and treat the employee fairly, regardless of the reason for their departure. Helping people maintain a positive relationship with your company is important for multiple reasons. It minimizes negative internal consequences and potentially avoids public discord. Also, it reinforces the integrity of your employer brand and preserves your ability to attract strong talent in the future.

Ultimately, when an employee chooses to resign, you cannot stop them from leaving. And if the relationship turns sour, it is often best to let people go, rather than become upset or try to strike a deal.

Watch for Warning Signs, Even Before Offboarding

Sometimes, the first sign of trouble may come long before an employee actually resigns.

For instance, when you meet with a team member for a casual one-on-one conversation, or to discuss a specific concern or disciplinary measure, what response do you receive? Does the employee arrive late, avoid answering questions, appear disengaged, or show other signs of a negative attitude?

If it’s clear this employee is disgruntled, you’ll want to address the issue immediately, honestly, and with an open mind. Perhaps you’ll find that this person doesn’t feel sufficiently supported or compensated. Their actions could be a form of “quiet quitting,” where they refuse to go above and beyond.

By encouraging clear, honest communication, you may be able to address the individual’s specific concerns in a way that improves the employee experience for others, as well.

On the other hand, if a negative employee has already handed in their notice and isn’t interested in discussing solutions, it’s important to let them go. Invite them to an exit interview and do what you can to encourage them to attend.

Offboarding Checklist

To successfully manage an employee’s exit and avoid costly claims, be sure to take these steps:

Always acknowledge the resignation or exit situation with a letter explaining logistical steps. This should include the date an employee’s contract will end, the amount of any remaining annual leave, pay arrangements, and instructions for returning any property or equipment.

Remind employees before they leave about any contractual obligations that apply, which may include confidentiality clauses and post-termination restrictions.

Revoke the employee’s access to IT and security systems. This protects you from anyone who may try to change or delete information before they leave.

Emphasize that they are not permitted to remove or share proprietary data or confidential information. Provide a list of documents and details you need from them before they leave, including passwords and relevant client or customer information.

If appropriate, conduct an exit interview to clarify any unresolved issues and gather useful feedback. Venting at this meeting can be a type of therapy for exiting staff and provide valuable insights you may want to act upon.

Top Tips for Handling a Difficult Exit Interview

Instead of treating an employee’s exit interview as the full stop at the end of their time with you — or only an opportunity to uncover issues that may be causing them to leave — use this time to collect actionable data you can share with others in your company who want to improve your work culture and reduce future turnover. These guidelines can help:

1. Think of This as the Opposite of a Recruiting Interview

Instead of asking questions about why an employee wants to join the company, you’re asking why they want to leave. This type of conversation may seem uncomfortable, but it is vital. When someone chooses to leave your company, you’ll want to know why. People rarely leave for trivial reasons, and their feedback could provide insights into your company culture or team dynamics.

2. Schedule Exit Interviews on an Employee’s Last Day or Soon After

Why is the timing important?

Any sooner, and they might hesitate to share honest feedback while still onboard.
Any later, and they may feel distant and disengaged. When this happens, you run the risk of receiving feedback that isn’t as accurate, specific, or complete.

3. Keep it Casual

For example, if you can meet at a nearby cafe, the conversation will feel more relaxed and less like a formal work session.

The way you handle this interview is also important, particularly if you’re facing a difficult situation with an irate employee. Try to listen more than you talk. Avoid responding to feedback. That’s not the objective of this process. You’re not trying to defend the business. Instead, you want to learn as much as possible about how the departing employee perceives things.

4. Take the High Road

Keep in mind that retaliation of any kind is likely to worsen the situation. Even if you want to match the employee’s behavior, resist the temptation. If it becomes difficult to remain calm, consider pausing or adjourning the interview. If you anticipate a volatile discussion, ask a peer to remain close, and request assistance if needed.

5. Document Everything

Remember that you are responsible for the meeting’s tone and agenda. Try to stay focused on your purpose as a fact-finder. Make a note of any unexpected issues so you can return to them later in the discussion. Or reschedule the meeting for a later date if you need more time to gain closure. Make a note of any physical action such as slamming the table, shouting, or storming out of the meeting, so the minutes and outcome of the meeting can reflect the nature of the discussion. Finally, always follow up in writing to document events and outcomes.

How to Ensure a Smooth Departure

For productive handoffs, many organizations turn to trained HR consultants for assistance. This is especially useful if you’re new to the offboarding process or you don’t have sufficient internal resources available to ensure its success.

Relying on specialists for help is a very effective way to be sure that a departing employee can leave your organization on the best possible terms, and a replacement will be ready to step into their role. In addition, you’ll sleep more soundly, knowing you’re prepared to fill the open position with a suitable candidate as soon as possible.

What's your best management advice? 13 senior business leaders share useful lessons learned.

What’s Your Best Management Advice? 13 Top Leaders Reply

August 14, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, Leadership, Skills Development /by Brett Farmiloe

Management advice is everywhere. But how do you know which guidance to trust? To find truly useful answers, we asked business executives to answer this question:

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice for how to become a better manager, what would you say?

In response, we received excellent management advice from 13 experienced leaders — including company CEOs, founders, and C-level executives. And I’m sure you’ll agree, the collective wisdom they shared reads like a playbook for any aspiring manager who wants to level up:

Prioritize Leadership Skills and Embrace Vulnerability
Conduct Regular Check-ins and Learn from Errors
Practice Active Listening
Master the Art of Delegation
Respect Individual Ambitions
Create a Psychologically Safe Team Space
Seek Team Feedback
Plan for Contingencies and Create Transparency
Foster Open Communication and Employee Understanding
Uplift Others and Practice Humility
Listen More and Trust Your Team
Develop Strong Relationships and Set Clear Expectations
Understand Your Management Style

To dive deeper into these responses, read on…

13 Senior Leaders Share Their Best Management Advice

1. Prioritize Leadership Skills and Embrace Vulnerability

Reflecting on my own professional journey, I would tell my younger self to prioritize the development of leadership skills over technical expertise. Through the years, as I ascended to the C-suite, I realized my role was less about nitty-gritty details and more about guiding the team toward our shared vision.

For instance, when I was a manager, I was deeply involved in the technical aspects of our projects. I prided myself on my ability to solve complex problems. However, as I moved up the ladder, I found that, although my technical skills remained important, they took a backseat to my leadership abilities. It’s essential to inspire my team, manage people through change, and build a strong, inclusive culture.

My unique advice to aspiring leaders is to embrace vulnerability. It might seem counterintuitive, but showing your human side can actually strengthen your leadership. When I started sharing my own challenges and failures with my team, I noticed a significant increase in their engagement and trust.

Johannes Larsson, Founder and CEO, Financer.com

2. Conduct Regular Check-ins and Learn from Errors

I would advise my younger self to become a better manager by checking in with my team. Humans commit mistakes. Smart humans learn from those errors.

I’ve learned that checking in regularly with each employee makes a difference in our business. Talking with people about their short-term and long-term plans and how to achieve them helps employees feel valued. It improves retention, for sure.

Regular conversations give you a chance to gauge employee satisfaction when it comes to workload. Then you can make adjustments if needed. Early on I failed to do that, which caused us to lose people with strong potential. However, I’ve learned from experience, and am doing better now.

Eli Pasternak, CEO, Liberty House Buying Group

3. Practice Active Listening

If I could go back in time, I would practice active listening. Initially, I focused on sharing my ideas more than understanding my team. Now I recognize the value of listening. It’s important to seek feedback and create an environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Regular one-on-one meetings and open forums encourage dialogue and collaboration. These practices improve engagement, productivity, and satisfaction.

That’s why I urge mid-level managers to prioritize communication and active listening. Encourage people to engage in meaningful conversations and open dialogue. This unlocks team potential and opens the door to innovation and overall success.

Josh Amishav, Founder and CEO, Breachsense

4. Master the Art of Delegation

I would tell my younger self to accept the fact that I can’t do everything myself. Delegation is a critical skill both for maturing as a team leader and growing a business.

When I was just starting to get the company off the ground, I had an intuitive desire to handle every process myself. Finance, marketing, client management — I spent half of my working time trying to touch areas where I lacked expertise.

Eventually, I saw how unproductive and ineffective that approach was, so I began handing off small tasks. But team members couldn’t see the big picture, so small-scale delegation didn’t help either.

Finally, I realized how important it was to trust my team and rely on their expertise without trying to interfere with their work. Today, I’m lucky to have a team of professionals by my side who let me focus on activities that will yield the highest returns and grow the company.

Tatsiana Kirimava, Co-Founder and CEO, Orangesoft

5. Respect Individual Ambitions

As a driven leader, I used to project my ambition onto my team, expecting everyone to have the same level of commitment and desire to progress professionally. But over time, I realized not everyone aspires to be a C-suite executive — and that’s okay.

It’s crucial to respect the unique ambitions of each team member instead of imposing your own aspirations on them. When I made this mental shift, I saw improved team dynamics and productivity. Moreover, it alleviated unnecessary frustration, allowing me to find greater satisfaction in my work.

Remember, demanding too much from your team can lead to dissonance. Ask people about their goals and ambitions, and you’ll unlock a more harmonious, effective working environment.

Rafael Sarim Öezdemir, Founder and CEO, Zendog Labs

6. Create a Psychologically Safe Team Space

If I could turn back time, I’d tell myself to create a safe space for the team. I never aimed for psychological safety, but it happened. Team members have confided they feel safer than at previous jobs.

Once, a member of our marketing team spotted a software issue. She spoke up without fear, and we fixed it together. Another time, a new guy from the UX team suggested that we add an automation process. Despite being new, he didn’t hesitate to share.

It’s hard to calculate the financial impact of this but I’m sure that psychological safety makes a difference between failure and a team that prospers.

Vladislav Podolyako, Founder and CEO, Folderly

7. Seek Team Feedback

If I could go back in time, I would actively seek more feedback from my team. I used to be close-minded. I believed I had all the answers. However, I soon realized that true growth and improvement come from embracing diverse perspectives and valuing input from others.

By creating an open, safe environment where my team feels comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns, I’ve been able to foster more collaboration and innovation. Also, I’ve gained valuable insights that help me make better decisions and ultimately become a more effective leader.

Chris Muller, Vice President, Money Under 30

8. Plan for Contingencies and Create Transparency

I would encourage myself to make contingency plans a priority. Although planning for success is obviously critical, having backup strategies in place can help address unexpected obstacles that arise.

Effective contingency plans help decision-makers recognize that their leader has fully evaluated the situation and taken appropriate measures to adjust and move forward.

By nature, I am an organized person, so I tend to anticipate potential obstacles and map out other options. But earlier in my career, I wasn’t always transparent about this.

Failing to communicate about contingencies sometimes made my staff uneasy, so I missed opportunities to gain their trust. However, over time, I learned to take proactive steps to support staff through change and reassure them that a Plan B was available.

Tasia Duske, CEO, Museum Hack

9. Foster Open Communication and Employee Understanding

In the past, I’ve seen many problems come from miscommunication and thoughts left unsaid. I know top talent left the company when they felt unheard and underappreciated because their opinions did not receive enough attention. This is why my management advice would be to foster more open communication and listen more closely to employees.

For example, it’s important to conduct satisfaction surveys so you can understand staff concerns and take action to make the work environment better. This reduces employee turnover, as well as the cost of training new hires. It also builds a positive company culture that attracts great people and keeps them on board.

Jeff Moore, CEO, Everyday Power

10. Uplift Others and Practice Humility

“Talent doesn’t give you license to be an a**hole.”

I was both blessed and cursed with many natural gifts and talents. I was creative, charismatic, a born salesman, and a spotlight hog. When I got the chance to be “the boss,” I assumed I had a responsibility to share my awesomeness with everyone and prove that I could do their job as well or better than they could.

What a jerk I was!

Through the words and actions of various true leaders, I’ve come to realize that great leadership requires humility, patience, and the ability to lift others up to levels they never thought possible. I’m so grateful to those who were patient enough to give me the latitude to figure it out on my own. Today, as a sales and leadership trainer, I’m “paying it forward” by helping others avoid the mistakes I made.

Bill Guertin, Chief Learning Officer, ISBI 360, LLC

11. Listen More and Trust Your Team

When I think back, I remember times when stress was high. People on my team were feeling disconnected and lost trust in me because I communicated much more than I listened.

But leadership is not about being in the front of the team, always speaking or telling people to execute tasks and ideas. Effective leaders do just the opposite.

By practicing saying less and listening more, I stopped believing I needed to carry everything on my shoulders. I learned that people want to feel like they are heard and their contributions matter.

Listen first and believe that your team can add value and succeed. Nurture them so they feel you trust their decisions. Right or wrong, we can learn from our mistakes and create better solutions.

So speak less, inspire those you lead, and trust that your direct reports will rise and deliver great results.

Michele Delgado, CEO, Hartmetrics

12. Develop Strong Relationships and Set Clear Expectations

One piece of advice I would share with myself is to have the courage to step out of my comfort zone and take the time to develop strong relationships with my team.

Strong relationships are key to being a successful leader. Before taking any action, it’s important to understand the motivations and viewpoints of each team member, so you can make informed decisions based on their unique needs. So encourage people to express themselves openly. And when they share ideas, listen actively.

Also, make sure expectations are as clear as possible. Setting expectations up front makes it easier to develop an environment conducive to collaboration and innovation.

Leadership is about inspiring and encouraging your team to do great work. Ensure you acknowledge their efforts, offer guidance, and provide constructive feedback to help them grow. By providing reinforcement and support, you can foster a culture of respect, trust, and appreciation.

Nataliia Tomchyshyn, Marketing Manager, Relokia

13. Understand Your Management Style

Early in my career, I didn’t recognize my management style. Although this is not a necessity, it helps to know your style and how it works in a real-world environment.

For instance, if your approach is more participative, take time to understand the steps involved and their implications. For example, talk with managers who’ve used this approach and learn about its impact. This discovery process doesn’t need to be lengthy, but it can be revealing.

I planned to manage my team based on my predecessor’s advice. Although this helped, it took a long time to develop and test my approach. Fortunately, everything eventually worked out. But the sooner you can get a grasp of your style, the better.

Marco Andolfatto, Chief Underwriting Officer, Apollo Cover

Are You Turning Into THAT Boss? 4 Red Flags

August 7, 2023/Company Culture, Employee Experience, Leadership /by Mark Wachen

We often hear that people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. We all get what that means. But what does it mean for those of us who take on broader roles? As we rise through the ranks, we silently vow never to become THAT boss. You know the one. It’s the manager employees fear and avoid — the one they talk about in hushed tones or in private Slack messages.

How do you know if you’re morphing into the very kind of leader you swore you’d never become?

At a time when companies are struggling with an uncertain workforce, high turnover, and a lack of employee engagement, leaders must stay focused on talent retention. This means you’ll want to be extra careful not to become your employees’ worst nightmare.

But what kind of signals indicate that you’re the kind of boss no one wants? And how can you steer clear of this fate? Let’s take a closer look…

4 Signs You’re Becoming THAT Boss

1. THAT Boss Replaces Flexible Work Options With Rigidity

The pandemic dramatically changed our work environments. Now, after working remotely for more than three years, many leaders are eager to see an office full of employees. But some are moving too swiftly and going to extremes.

Rather than retaining some of the flexibility that became the norm when many of us were working from home, some leaders are intent on forcing employees to return to pre-COVID office standards. Yet according to multiple studies, employees prefer flexible work options. In fact, research shows that productivity and collaboration don’t need to suffer when team members work from various locations.

For example, according to The Hackett Group, professionals want to work remotely 60% of the time and in the office 30% of the time. This clearly indicates that employees want the flexibility to work on their own terms. This study also found that employees who can choose their work location are more engaged. Specifically, engagement increased among 58% of those with work flexibility. Also, these respondents indicated greater willingness to remain with their current employer, rather than look elsewhere.

Some leaders are concerned that employees who aren’t working in the office may not feel connected or engaged with their team. This has prompted them to implement hybrid work policies. But the Hackett Group found no change in collaboration or engagement when comparing hybrid and work-from-home models. In fact, respondents who are free to choose a flexible work model said they feel more connected with team members and with their organization’s values, mission, and culture.

2. THAT Boss Needlessly Cuts Pay and/or Benefits

Budgets are tighter — and inflation and economic upheaval aren’t making the situation any easier. In this kind of situation, leaders may be tempted to reduce compensation and benefits. After all, payroll is usually an organization’s biggest overall cost.

But unless your company is truly in dire straits, these cuts can be a serious morale killer. It sends a message that you undervalue employees. Even worse, it suggests that you aren’t willing to invest in keeping exceptional talent onboard. This can leave some of your most critical employees feeling overworked, under-appreciated, and frustrated. Ultimately, they may even become burned out.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that although salary is a key issue for employees, it’s not the only factor they consider when deciding whether to stick around.

According to recent Forbes Advisor research, 40% of employers say employees leave because they’re attracted to better benefits elsewhere. In other words, today’s workforce places a high priority on health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, mental health support, paid time off, and other employer-sponsored programs.

This may seem obvious, but as a leader, you need to ensure that your team’s basic needs are covered. This starts with fair, competitive pay. But if you also offer diverse benefits that support employee wellbeing, people will be much more inclined to stay onboard and do their best, even during difficult times.

3. THAT Boss Doesn’t Show Appreciation

Don’t ignore the efforts of your greatest asset — your people. Attitude costs you nothing, and an attitude of gratitude goes a long way toward helping people feel they’re valued and they belong. In fact, workplace surveys consistently show that employee appreciation and recognition programs help boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, lift engagement, and drive better business results.

There is actually science behind this. Genuine recognition and appreciation meet employees’ basic psychological needs. This is why several studies equate consistent work recognition with higher pay in terms of providing a fulfilling employee experience.

We also see this in data at my company, CardSnacks. We offer electronic greetings and gift cards for holidays of all types. However, our business category is driven by ongoing employee recognition and appreciation, not just specific calendar events like Employee Appreciation Day or Administrative Professionals’ Day.

It’s easy to send someone a quick note or a gift card along with a heartfelt thanks. Even that small investment in time and resources strengthens your connection with employees in ways that boost their commitment and productivity.

4. THAT Boss Flubs Communications

Employees look to managers for leadership every day. Good leadership requires strong communication. Don’t just focus on your team’s mistakes and what hasn’t been done yet. Instead, speak with empathy, communicate clearly, and try to inspire others. As a manager, make it your mission to act like the person you’ve most enjoyed working with in your career.

Also, remember to maintain an even keel. Organizational life is a continuous cycle of highs and lows. Effective leaders know a steady hand is essential to navigate the storms of business life. If you create an environment where people feel they’re lurching from crisis to crisis, it won’t be long before valued team members start jumping ship.

So stay calm, pick the right words, and set the right tone. The better you communicate, the better your results will be as a manager, and the more people will want to work with you.

Don’t Become THAT Boss

No one needs you to be the worst kind of boss. Instead, you can choose to listen to your staff, show empathy and gratitude, and ensure that everyone receives compensation and benefits that outshine your competitors.

You can create a work environment that encourages your employees to be successful on their own terms. If you do this, I guarantee, you’ll never need to look in the mirror and see the boss you never wanted to be.

The Gap Is Growing

How Do We Lead Now?

When Slowing Down, Consider Your Culture

Prepare Now for Better Times

Flexible Work Can Help

Focus on Finding a Balance with Hybrid Work

More Ideas on How to Lead Through Uncertainty

1. Resilience Starts Within

2. A Great Employee Experience = A Strong Business

3. Resilient Work Cultures Put Humans First

4. Gamification Can Defeat a Gloomy Culture

5. Managers Need a New Toolkit

6. Choose Change Methods Wisely

7. Individuals Can Develop Career Resilience

8. A Flexible Talent Pipeline Fuels Productivity

9. Onboarding Is Where It All Begins

Dream Big, But…

5 Keys for Building a Successful Career

1. Map Out Your Area of Exploration

2. Bring a Shovel

3. Be Prepared to Modify Your Course

4. Expect Obstacles

5. Remember Time is on Your Side

Secret to a Successful Career: Slow and Steady

How Extroverts Feel About Working From Home

Work-From-Home Guidelines For Extroverts

Work-From-Home Success Tips For Each Extrovert Personality Type

ESTP (Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Perceiving)

ESFP (Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Perceiving)

ENFP (Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Perceiving)

ENTP (Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Perceiving)

ESTJ (Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Judging)

ESFJ (Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Judging)

ENFJ (Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Judging)

ENTJ (Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Judging)

How Side Hustles Benefit Employees

How Employers Benefit From Side Hustles

How Managers Can Support Side Hustles

Addressing Potential Issues

A Final Word

Factors That Turn the Tide

Meet Our Guest: Thomas Kunjappu

Why a Positive Employee Experience Matters

How Work Realities Are Changing

Who Owns the Employee Experience Now

Tech’s Role in Employee Experience

Start Creating a More Positive Employee Experience Today

Listen to This Full #WorkTrends Episode

Professional Reputation “Boxes” Are All Around

Inside That “Boxed In” Feeling

The Roots of a Professional Reputation “Box”

How to Break Out of a Reputation Box

How Organizations Can Get Rid of Boxes

A Final Note on Escaping the Reputation Box

Why It’s Time to Get Serious About Gamification

What’s at Stake

Tips From a Gamification Expert

Defining Gamification

Why Gamification Is So Powerful

How Does This Prepare Us For the Future of Work?

Why Gamification Wins

My Turn: How Gamification Helps

1. Inspire Individuals to “Level Up”

2. Help Teams Run-Up the Score

3. Tap Into Employees’ Competitive Nature

4. Avoid “Game Over” Scenarios

5. Appeal to All Generations

6. Boost Your Employer Brand

7. Lighten The Mood

Game On! Can Your Culture Outplay The “Great Gloom”?

Reintegration Realities

Ways to Welcome Veterans at Work

1. Customize Your Onboarding Process

2. Provide Skills Translation and Training

3. Offer a Flexible Work Environment

A Final Note on Supporting Veterans at Work

Change Communication: A Step-by-Step Scenario

Stage 1: Kickoff

Stage 2: Creating the Visuals

Stage 3: Making it Stick

ESTP
(Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Perceiving)

ESFP
(Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Perceiving)

ENFP
(Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Perceiving)

ENTP
(Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Perceiving)

ESTJ
(Extrovert/Sensing/Thinking/Judging)

ESFJ
(Extrovert/Sensing/Feeling/Judging)

ENFJ
(Extrovert/Intuition/Feeling/Judging)

ENTJ
(Extrovert/Intuition/Thinking/Judging)