 Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!
From talent shortages to disgruntled workers and ineffective hiring and performance processes, employers face a long road to fixing a thoroughly fractured workforce. 
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Scoop.it!
Are your corporate training programs not driving your desired level of engagement? Learn why and how you can fix it.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Is it any wonder why most companies shy away from training - yet the studies show the tremendous impact on the bottom-line from a well trained organization. Good list of things to think about in considering traiing.
My personal experience is that training is useless without follow-through of coaching, examples, role-playing, process, templates, tracking, tools, and practical execution.
In my hiring improvement training programs, I insist clients sign up for practical coaching of the concepts/ideas taught in the workshop - otherwise people tend to fall back on whatever they used to do.
Scoop.it!
This article pinpoints the seven most common employee engagement sins that teams commit and how to avoid them in your organization.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Interesting take on some of the issues that might lead to low employee engagement. The point about micro-management will turn employees off faster than almost any issue. Are some of your managers guilty of micro-management?
Scoop.it!
To retain top talent, in addition to pay, you need to treat people with respect, show appreciation, gratitude and empathy and offer a career path forward within the organization.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
So if it's not tocket science - why don't more employers put initiatives and programs in place to improve employee engagement and retention?
Scoop.it!
A CEO notes that there is no training ground for the breadth of workforce, recruitment, and employee-engagement issues hitting the leaders of today. But what if the Great Resignation is an opportunity in disguise?
Barry Deutsch's insight:
You probably focus a lot on innovation, experimentation, and creative thinking about your products and services. Are you applying the same approach to thinking about the wide range of opportunities that exist for engaging and retaining your workforce? Is your frame of reference "we've never done that or we can't do that" vs. "What if we did ....?"
Scoop.it!
Work will never be what it was before. As leaders, we now have to find a rhythm that allows for flexibility and cultivates strong company culture.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
My favorite line is at the end of this article - Greatness is a team sport. All of my clients that have managed to build high-performing teams do it by instilling the culture of working together, having each other's back, learning from each other. If you're still stuck in a 1970s model of top down management, there is no chance that you'll build high performing teams. This becomes an amplified issue when you've got a hybrid work environment.
Scoop.it!
Employee engagement and motivation is essential in managing a productive and efficient workplace.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Are you unconsciously demotivating your employees - scary stats out there - look at Gallup's research that indicates 50-70 percent of your workforce is disengaged - they DO NOT care they work for you. They are trying to get by doing the absolute minimum necessary so you will continue to keep them on the payroll. Disengagement leads to demotivation. What are you doing to re-energize your workforce and allowing your employees to self-motivate?
Scoop.it!
With so many performance management tools, it is crucial to understand which one is right for you. If you are searching for a reliable survey tool, read...
Barry Deutsch's insight:
The number one issue of performance management is that everyone knows what success in their job looks like - what their immediate boss expects of them. We can call these KPIs, outcomes, MBOs - they all translate into a clear, precise understanding of what is expected and how is it being measured.
If you have not cascaded down through the entire organization the idea of defining success for every job = you are failing miserably at hiring, retention, productivity, and performance management.
Scoop.it!
Startup Centrical closed a $32 million funding round led by Intel Capital and JVP...
Barry Deutsch's insight:
I am always in search of technology applications that raise employee effort, motivation, learning, and performance. Are you in a constant search evaluating these tools for enhancing the capability of your workforce, whether you have 15 people or 1500?
I heard a speaker in my Vistage group make the claim that every company was now a technology company. If you truly want to unlock the potential of your workforce - old school methods are no longer effective. Without leveraging technology you'll be left in the dust.
I am in shock how many of my clients are still doing things old school - such as no technology in managing success factors, rewards and recognition, or skills/knowledge inventories layered with a learning platform. How about all the on-boarding that is still manual and paper driven? The tools are out there to boost the productivity of your workforce and they are very cheap when compared to the increased output.
This article showcases one example of a tool that is becoming more popular for training, learning, and development - particularly in a work at home or hybrid work structure.
What's your next move to embed technology to unlock your workforce productivity?
Scoop.it!
Does the reality of your job not match the hype?
Barry Deutsch's insight:
The problem I see is not an overstatement of the job or hype - it's the opposite. Most companies market their jobs with job descriptions describing the work in boring, mundane, repetitive terms which are basically convey you as an employee will have any value -and you will not matter significant to your boss, team, customers, or organization. Obviously, your job ad/marketing statement must align with the real role. However, most job descriptions are not compelling. They are a disgusting, revolting, repulsive, and repugnant tool to atttract top talent = great employees.
Why would I raise my hand unless I'm desperate for a job. You must describe work in more compelling terms by addressing what would employees at that level want from a new job - is it being challenged, is it job security, is it working with a great team of people?
Scoop.it!
Why is Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) important? We share 10 reasons eNPS should be part of your employee feedback strategy.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
I've published a number of articles on tracking nEPS as a metric to measure the success of your initiatives around employee experience and engagement. If you can't measure it, it's probably not worth managing. How do you track the success of your talent management initiatives?
Scoop.it!
From
wambi
Learn how real-time employee recognition is an effective fiscal measure in fighting the costly impact of employee turnover.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Although the example used in this article was about dissatisfaction among nurses not finding meaning in their work" the exact same issues affect your employees regardless of industry. Are you leveraging recognition and appreciation to motivate, engage, and help show employees how they matter to your success?
Scoop.it!
New leadership can mean all kinds of changes at an organization, but the hardest one by far to create and sustain is culture change.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Some key points in this Forbes article about culture change. How do you adapt to a post-Covid world? How do you integrate the baby boomer managers with staff of younger generations? How do make significant strides forward in employee effort, productivity, and engagement?
The author doesn't talk a lot about specific strategies, but rather the change management elements of having a plan and communication - 2 of the key reasons why 80 percent or more of cultural initiatives fail miserably.
|
Scoop.it!
Tweet It’s no surprise that working from home is on the rise, and many companies are ditching the traditional in-person workspace in favour of hybrid or completely remote working structures. And who can blame them? No commute, more flexibility and the ability to work in sweatpants does sound pretty amazing. However, even with numerous benefits, there are new challenges that come with the increase in fully remote work. Some social connection between colleagues is lost when you can’t simply swivel your chair to talk to your coworker, tell jokes by the watercooler or tagalong to try that new café for lunch. Missing that employee engagement can negatively impact workplace culture, productivity, and heighten employee turnover. It is clear that companies need modern solutions to this modern working structure. Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 7 tips for boosting engagement on your remote team! 1. Virtual Team-Building Your company is still as much of a team when in-person or remote, so it stands within reason that team building activities are just as valuable to your company regardless of your workplace structure. So do not overlook using team-building experiences made specifically for virtual settings as a way to bring your team together and foster strong connections. The virtual team-building industry boomed when the pandemic started, and there are a plethora of activities that utilize the virtual setting to its advantage. With virtual games, you are not pinned down by the practical restrictions of being in-person and after 2 years of the pandemic, there’s a multitude of options to choose from. Need some inspiration? Check out this blog post for 30+ Virtual Activity Ideas. Pro Tip: Try organizing a virtual team-building experience once a month. Not only is this a perfect way to engage your remote team on a consistent basis, but also gives them something new and exciting to look forward to each month. 2. Company Retreats Most fully remote teams host a company retreat at least once a year to bring everyone together in-person. By choosing an exciting destination and having everyone meet to participate in team-building activities, business related workshops, can completely change the company dynamic and reduce turn-over! Connecting, celebrating, and working together in a beautiful place was a rewarding and invaluable experience and truly strengthened our bond as a team. A company retreat should be a top priority for all companies, virtual or not. However, especially as a remote company, it’s the perfect way to use the money you’ve saved on having a physical space and reinvest it in your team. Take a look at some examples of company retreats that have been created for remote companies and see the amazing possibilities of your own company retreat to engage your remote team! 3. Friday Socials An amazing way to increase company engagement and connection is to involve your employees in the actual planning process. Once or twice a month on Fridays, place one person is in charge of running a fun Friday social for the rest of the team. Learning a new recipe, tarot card readings, get-to-know-you trivia, fitness classes, water colour painting and even drag Queen bingo are all examples of fun options for Friday socials. Provide each person with a small budget for the necessary provisions for their activity and leave it to them! Not only does it feel more personal, but also inspires much more creativity to think outside the box. Friday socials are a great way to let loose after a long week, reward your team and get everyone engaged. 4. Co-Working Days Co-working days are the perfect way to strike a balance between work from home and in-person connection. Once a month, book a co-working space (or a few depending on the cities your team resides in), and bring everyone together for an in-office work day! Almost reminiscent of pre-pandemic times, it’s a fun way to reignite that team mentality and enjoy working side by side with your colleagues once more. These mini-reunions are a truly special way to boost morale, but will also boost productivity or allow opportunities for important monthly meetings or even fun brainstorming workshops. Making these co-working days a monthly occurrence will give your team something to look forward to, and a perfect opportunity to catch-up with one another and even ditch the sweatpants and dress up for a day. Pro Tip: Show your employees you really care by ordering in a lunch or treats, or taking them out for happy hour after work. 5. Consistent Weekly Meetings No one wants more meetings that could have been an email but hear me out, structured meetings two to three times a week can have a huge effect on team engagement. Schedule meetings for thirty minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Each day of the week has its own purpose. Mondays allows for the team to reconnect after the weekend, receive high level updates, and share goals for the week. Wednesdays can include a fun ice breaker question and the sharing of daily goals. Wednesdays also include an opportunity to “ask the boss anything” as questions do always come up during the week. Fridays are for debriefing, identifying tasks that need to be done before the end of the day, setting goals for next week and having a few laughs. Each meeting should also include sharing any blockers to our daily goals which allows the team to collaborate and help each other when needed. This fosters a sense of collaboration, strengthens our team’s connection and allows us to align on team goals. Even if it’s a twenty minute meeting to bring everyone together twice a week, this consistent routine and ability to see everyone face to face will without a doubt increase remote team engagement on a day to day basis. 6. Coffee Breaks Taking breaks to actually disconnect from work can actually be more challenging in a virtual setting. It’s easier to step away from the desk, clear your mind and re-energize when you can actually interact with your coworkers face-to-face. Colleagues can jet out for a coffee, stand by the watercooler or try out a new lunch spot together. This valuable social interaction and mental health break can be sorely missed in the virtual world. Well, Donut has a unique solution that not only brings that day-to-day coworker communication back, but also encourages small healthy breaks throughout the day. This app can be used via Slack, and will periodically ask fun and unique get to know you questions! What did you want to be when you grew up? What’s your biggest pet peeve? Which fruit is the best? These questions are specially designed to inspire further conversation, friendly debates and simply make people smile. There is also an added option called Donut Intros, which essentially mimics an in-person coffee break, lunch break or happy hour. Each month, the app will pair up two coworkers who will then be responsible for finding a time to get together via an online platform of choice and get to know each other a little more. This can bring together people from different departments, and create a more connected and engaged workplace, not to mention it will brighten everyone’s days and keep that valuable social connection alive and well. Pro Tip: Not a Slack user? That’s okay. Try Coffee Pals instead! 7. Always Ask For Feedback Don’t overlook how important engagement is in your remote workplace. It can make all the difference in creating a productive workplace and increasing job satisfaction. Every company dynamic is different, and will therefore thrive on a unique combination of the above ideas. The best way to stay in tune with your team is to get in the habit of asking for feedback and actually implementing changes to continue to improve. Consider sending out a quarterly “Pulse Check” survey where each employee can share their thoughts and feedback on a range of company aspects. This information is invaluable in continuing to facilitate a dynamic, engaging and positive workplace culture.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
My clients are so frustrated by the continuing trend of hybrid work environments. Most are still stuck in a 70s timewarp of "if I can't see you, I can't trust you." They also believe it's impossible to be part of the culture without physically being present. This article offers some ideas of how to stimulate engagement and feeling part of the team and culture with remote workers.
Scoop.it!
Barry Deutsch's insight:
The number one reason people turn off, become disengaged, join the Great Resignation is a lack of clarity on what their boss expects from them. Number two is a weak or minimal non-monetary reward and recognition system that showcases your lack of appreciation, gratitude, and thankfulness for great performance.
Scoop.it!
We've listed 40+ questions leaders must ask their employees to improve workplace morale, from employee satisfaction to growth questions. Grab the list here!
Barry Deutsch's insight:
One of the recommendations I make in my workshop titled "You're the Person We Want to Keep" is to conduct a periodic LIB discussion - learning-impact-becoming. In the Hr world, this is frequently referred to as a "stay interview." Here are some great questions to ask to help people realize their dreams and vision for themselves.
Scoop.it!
Want to take employee engagement beyond the next level? Apply all 8 of our tactics and reap the benefits of having happy, engaged, and productive employees.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Some good practical examples of companies working on employee engagement. A great illustration - Recently I was purchasing a MAC desktop with my daughter. Choices were BestBuy or the Apple Store. The level of positive energy, helpfulness, knowledge, and positive experience was exceptionally higher at Best Buy? Why? Why do some employees want to show discretionary effort in helping customers and in others they could care less?
Scoop.it!
When companies discuss their values frequently enough, employee engagement is 88% higher.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
During this period of the "GREAT RESIGNATION", improving employee engagement is critical to keeping your best talent. Interesting survey/metric in the article shows that engagement is 25% higher when you talk about values every day instead of once a quarter. So simple - yet so few companies actually do this - less than 20 percent. That one tactic might help save that valued employee who is thinking the grass might be greener somewhere else.
Scoop.it!
From
hbr
Almost half (41%) of the sales professionals surveyed reported satisfaction in their role but are still searching for a new job, and 44% of satisfied high performers are actively on the hunt. SBI research surfaced a remarkably stark conclusion: compensation adjustments, work-life balance,...
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Frightening statistics! This mirrors a lot of the research showing roughly 50 percent of your employees are actively looking for a new job. Are you doing everything you can to show your employees the "Grass is as Green as it can be right here" as opposed to you've got leave us to see if the Grass is Greener somewhere else?
Scoop.it!
7 measures leaders can employ to reduce employee paranoia over losing their jobs, a fear that can adversely impact productivity and growth.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
I liked this article. It addresses the proverbial "elephant in the room" with many of your employees. In my executive search practice, I am amazed at the sheer number of folks who are willing to talk about future opportunities because they are scared they might lose their current job through a RIF.
Some good ideas here to reinformce positive thinking. Obviously, you can't make guarantees - but you can go a long way to show people who important they are, how they matter, and how much you care.
What's your plan?
Scoop.it!
Employees are a company’s most valued asset, and if they feel unappreciated, retention becomes a big problem for organizations.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Do your employees feel underappreciated? Are you aware of your practices around the elements listed in this article. Is it time to take a hard look at whether your culture is one of appreciation, gratitude, and thankfulness?
Scoop.it!
Workers are looking for appreciation, but many say their company doesn't recognize them or offer incentives.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Wow - catch this quote in the article:
"Yet more than 40% of respondents say their employer does not offer an incentive/rewards program or recognize employees."
In my workshops on employee engagement (productivity) I teach that having a rigorous reward, recognition, and appreciation program is second to helping employees understand what is expected of them.
Why do so many organizations fail at appreciating their employees?
Scoop.it!
Here are three fundamentals of effective employee recognition and creative ways managers can show appreciation for their team today. ...
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Many companies have very weak non-monetary reward and recognition programs. Here are some ideas to experiment with for boosting employee engagement in your organization (I use the phrase employee engagement to be an alternative to employee productivity). Next to not defining success, a lack of a rigorous process for employee appreciation and recognition is the next biggest mistake I see at most companies in regard to employee engagement and productivity.
Scoop.it!
How can employees remain motivated and resilient despite the challenges ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Barry Deutsch's insight:
Key take-away from this article is the idea that companies should be focused on talent management - the entire range of an employee's experience. My personal perspective is that most organizations are still stuck in a 1970s model of management and culture. How do we continue to keep employees learning, growing, being challenged, and motivated?
Scoop.it!
Our partners at Purple share how they've been cultivating culture, even throughout the pandemic.
Barry Deutsch's insight:
There are some interesting ideas here related to engaging, appreciation, and recognition. Are you pursuing any of these initiatives for your culture/team?
|
Whether it's in the US or internationally, it's downright frightening that almost 50% of employees are open to leaving their current companies. Layer that on top of the fact that most employees are still using techniques from the 1970s to attract people (job posted),and hiring managers who are only accurate in their hiring 25%-33% - you've got a tidal wave of pain coming regarding having an effective workforce.
Most employers approach to solving these problems is to wring their hands and pray for better times. Very few companies are proactively and creatively fixing the problems in their workforce or in finding new employees.