Abhishek, Author at Engagedly

Gender Equality Challenges in Leadership and How to Overcome Them

Did your Director just thrust his hand toward your face while you were speaking in a board meeting? Was this just to get the POV of your male colleague? We have all been there. The humiliation. The sheer unprofessionalism of that one solitary gesture. Yes, you guessed it right. Today, in this blog, we are going to dive head-on to unravel the five major gender equality challenges women leaders face in today’s global economy. We shall also try to find tips and tricks to combat these challenges and triumph!

The prejudice and discrimination, silent and sinister, have created gigantic hurdles for female leaders everywhere. In an idyllic statement, Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook, professed that “In future there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” But how far are we from that idealistic world? Why is that Utopia, where there are no gender equality challenges, still a distant dream?

Why is there such a blatant gap in employment in the workforce between men and women?

World Population Prospects 2022, the official report from the UN, stated that there are going to be 8 billion people on this planet. And it turned out to be true. Think about it. 8 billion people. But according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 published by the World Economic Forum, only 36.9% of women were hired into leadership roles in 2022, a mere 3% increase from 33.3% in 2016.

Why to this day do such rampant gender equality challenges abound?

The global women leaders summit organized by GIWPS and The Rockefeller Foundation on June 20-23, 2022 addressed the urgent need for action to advance gender equity. One of the signatories, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, announced that “Women leaders are a catalyst for change.” But this begs the question that why is the percentage of these catalysts so low in the global workforce?

A report published in 2021 highlighted that the industries with the lowest share of female representation in the overall makeup of the industry were Technology, Agriculture, Energy, Supply Chain and Transportation, Manufacturing, and Infrastructure.

Why is it that when it comes to hiring women in leadership roles, organizations take a one-step-ahead-and-two-steps-back approach?

Let’s dive right into the heart of these problems and work our way through the tips to combat the challenges.

The Vicious Loop of Bias-Prejudice-Discrimination

The biggest hurdles many female leaders face are bias, gender stereotypes, and preconceived attitudes about female capabilities. It can also be the manifestation of a socially conditioned brain thinking, “Oh! She’s just a woman. Women can’t lead.”

Prejudice against female employees is fatal in management and leadership spheres. It makes it onerous a task for female leaders to become women who climb to executive levels.

In today’s society, outright bias and discrimination are unethical and disapproved of. Many female leaders daily fight the subconscious judgment prevalent at their workplace. Therefore, they are often less likely to be promoted.

How to fight this loop?

Many businesses spend time considering how to bring in a more diverse workforce without having a clear strategy. Culture and organizational paradigms play a role in this.

More than just laws and hiring procedures, creating an inclusive workplace matters. Everyone should feel respected, heard, and be able to make a difference while advancing their careers.

The single most effective action a company can take to encourage more women leaders is to foster a culture of “Conscious Inclusion” by increasing people’s motivation, awareness, and ability for decision-making. Lead, consider, and take action with the awareness of involving everyone. Business leaders need to walk the talk and lead by example.

Also Read: Building Diversity and Inclusion at Your Workplace!

Glaring Pay Disparity

Women in executive jobs still make between 8% and 25% less than male executives in the same positions, despite the gender pay gap of the 1990s decreasing. In most firms, there are fewer female leaders than male leaders. Even in the C-suite, women are frequently paid less than men.

Even if equal compensation for women executives should be a goal, that alone is not the answer to this problem. We have Chidi King, Director of the Equality Department of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), stating a fact that women are still getting paid 23% less than men in the same jobs.

Companies must check the availability of promotions. Women are frequently found in lower-paid leadership roles. Because they have less chances to achieve “high-paying” C-suite positions, these female leaders are compensated less.

How to bridge the gap?

Samir Modi, Managing Director of Modicare Enterprises, has shared an interesting two cents on this.

He says, “Women bosses exude positivity and can handle immense responsibilities with great finesse. They also bring in natural leadership attributes such as empathy and display higher emotional quotient, which are absolutely necessary in navigating through the complex business environments that we operate in.” He also goes on to expound that one must practice equality at home to achieve it at the workplace.

The only way to master this hurdle is to make a stand.

Leaders must create a safe work environment where any employee who has put in the effort, doesn’t shy away from reaping the rewards.
People leaders and managers must be trained and groomed to be approachable so that no one hesitates to talk to their immediate supervisors.
Business leaders have a love for data. Leaders should inculcate the culture of data-oriented analysis and discussions throughout the org.

The Arduous Chain of Expectations, Rising Stress Levels, and Burnout

One of the key insights that we have unearthed from Deloitte’s Women at Work 2022 report is that almost half of the women polled report feeling burned out, and 53% report that their stress levels are higher now than they were a year ago. This has, thus, become a major player in the gender equality challenges that we perceive worldwide.

Only 43% of people feel comfortable discussing mental health issues at work. The “always on” culture is still prevalent. Just over one-third of women evaluate their ability to switch off from work as bad or very poor. 42% of that group are concerned that their professional advancement will be hampered if they are not always available.

The question that pops into our mind is a resounding ‘Why?’.

Also Read: How to Foster a Positive Work Environment and Reduce Anxiety!

Why is it that women leaders and workforce are not able to adapt to and adopt this ‘hustle culture’ with aplomb?

There are multilinear narratives to answer that. The major factors are:

There are frequently less demands placed on female leaders than on their male colleagues. Even in senior management roles, women are more likely to report feeling compelled to:

-Balance being liked and respected

-Overcome assumptions

-Deal with gender-related expectations

These lead to a constant condition of walking on a tightrope, especially for women leaders.
Furthermore, global research continues to show that women often have lesser career advancement opportunities and are less likely to be assigned “authoritative” roles.

Even brilliant women leaders, thus, feel the need to constantly prove their mettle to survive in the corporate jungle.

While the hybrid method of working offers advantages, such as the ability for many to keep the flexibility that remote working can provide, it also raises the possibility of exclusion for those who are not physically there. Nearly 60% of women who work in hybrid contexts believe they have been left out of significant meetings, and nearly half claim they do not have enough exposure to leaders, a crucial factor in career advancement and sponsorship.

How to break this chain?

The major mantra to combat this chain is ‘Building a positive and nurturing workplace.’

Companies must set the bar high enough and control unfair demands if they are sincere about supporting a culture that empowers female workers.
Women must be given appropriate tasks and well-deserved promotions to prove their leadership ability.
The best way to promote career advancement for women is to ensure equal access to promotions and new leadership positions.
Mentorship programs and development strategies will be a huge boost to their careers and network.

The Oppression of Sexual Harassment and Microaggressions

Yes, even after the mega-publicized and still ongoing #metoo movement, there still exists gender-based harassment at every nook and cranny of today’s global economy.

Women who hold leadership positions are sometimes thought to be less deserving than their male counterparts. This may result in decreased collaboration and unprofessional behavior from people toward female leaders. One explanation for this is that women in positions of authority are more likely to encounter a range of unfavorable situations, such as sexual harassment, discrimination, microaggressions, unconscious bias, etc.

According to the Women in the Workplace 2022 report by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company, 55% of women in senior leadership positions have experienced sexual harassment at work.

As women leaders advance toward higher positions in management and leadership, they face the most traumatic hurdle of the gender barriers in the workplace, which is sexual harassment. This demon is like the mythical monster Hydra, with many ugly heads, like:

Sexual animosity
Undesirable body language or gestures
Derogatory statements or innuendos
Lewd and salacious intent and attempts

The Deloitte report divulges that the majority of women (59%) have experienced harassment (such as unwanted physical advances or repeated disparaging comments) and/or microaggressions (such as being interrupted or talked over, being patronized, and so on) over the past year at work, an increase over the 52% who reported experiencing harassment and/or microaggressions in 2021.

To deal with the harassment, many women are compelled to leave their professions, switch careers, or cut back on their work hours. Such behaviors could compel individuals to pass up important opportunities and further impede their job growth.

How to battle this?

Business leaders worldwide need to, rather, should be forced to implement anti-harassment training for each and every vertical of their companies. But, people have a tendency to be deaf as a post to the message conveyed in training and workshops. So, conducting sessions won’t do. Leaders need to set an example.

A zero-tolerance policy needs to be prioritized and set.
Lenient work culture and attitude toward harassment encourages such lewd advances more. Transgressors should be dealt with utmost severity and punishment.
Ignoring the victim’s complaint leads to a betrayal of trust and further shatters the victim’s morale. This should never happen. Every organization must have an anti harassment committee which needs to hear both parties and pass on fair judgment.

The Uphill Climb Toward Becoming a C-Suite Leader

“One of the greatest gender equality challenges that our women leaders face these days is making their way to the sacred C-suite. More and more women are bagging the roles of managers and supervisors, but walking in the hallowed walls of C-suite in the corporate world is still a distant dream for many female leaders today.”, says Aishwarya Khan Bhaduri, the Marketing Manager at Engagedly.

The glaring factors we stumbled upon, while doing a root cause analysis, are: the significant lack of mentorship and preconceived notions.

Anyone who has held a position in a huge organization is aware of the value of sponsors and mentors in advancing one’s career. Men still outperform women when it comes to creating a strong professional network, though. In certain circumstances, women are over-mentored and under-sponsored.

According to Dr. Konrad, an Ivey Academy professor, research reveals that people are much less inclined to recognize women’s expertise than they do men’s.

“Decision-makers at the highest levels in the largest, most-powerful business organizations continue to be men,” Dr. Konrad says. “Men prefer to be led by other men, and show a clear anti-female bias in their ratings of leadership effectiveness.”

How to scale up?

Leaders should drive toward helping promising female leaders break the proverbial glass ceiling and rise to the executive ranks.
Every vertical in an organization should have advocates, mentors, and sponsors for guidance.
Women in the C-suite must not be reluctant to participate in discussions about modifying current procedures and structures in order to foster a more inclusive environment.
Each and every leader today should imbibe the mantra of ‘be the change to make the change’ and throw away all preconceived notions of gender bias that have been mentally conditioned since times immemorial.
A big no-no to the culture of patronizing the ‘little woman’. Gender equality will then be a predominant truth and not a challenge.
Women leaders need to empower themselves and remember that their worst adversary is equivocation. They need to know what they want and take the bull by its horns.

Also Read: Five Inspiring Examples of Coaching and Mentoring at the Workplace!

Final Thoughts

General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra shared her encouragement for women in the workplace by pleading with all women employees to “Find your voice. Have a point of view.” “Too often”, she said, “women are discouraged from speaking up, which can close the door to future opportunities.”

Many businesses are ignorant of the gender equality challenges that women encounter at work. The only effective approach to learn is to evaluate the culture of your company, then figure out how to improve the culture and provide female leaders with the resources they need.

Leena Nair, CEO, Chanel, equivocates that “to create a balance we need to change the men, the women and the culture.” Before joining Chanel, she was the Chief HR Officer at Unilever where she in her own words, “…feel especially honored in steering Unilever to a more balanced future.

As a woman who has experienced being in the minority, I have empathy for anyone who feels marginalized. I take it personally.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the top five challenges faced by female team members?

Ans. Female team members face quite a few challenges at the workplace. A few them would be:

Gender discrimination and prejudice
Lack of acknowledgment for hard work
Opinions and ideas not being valued
Sexual harassment and other types of microaggressions
Anxiety

Q2. How does gender inequality affect leadership?

Ans. Women are seriously underrepresented in leadership. Authoritative roles in decision-making and management are, often, not assigned to women leaders.

Q3. What is the best solution for gender inequality?

Ans. Here are the top five solutions to battle gender equality challenges at the workplace:

Always assess employees based on skills and data
Eradicate the pay gap
Emphasize on having a work-life balance
Serious punishment for harassment cases
Proper mentoring programs

Open Offices or Closed Offices? – Why Good Office Design Is Important

Office designs speak volumes about the type of organization you are trying to position yourself as. And it is no surprise that office designs tend to play a huge role in retaining current employees and welcoming future employees.

And not just that, the right kind of office space helps increase employee engagement, improves employee productivity, and promotes a healthy work culture.

Continue reading “Open Offices or Closed Offices? – Why Good Office Design Is Important”

5 Tips for Leading Multigenerational Teams to Success

People want different things — it’s no secret. Depending on their social and economic status, education level, or unique preference, every person has their own set of priorities. And it is these priorities that determine what they want out of a job.

But while we, as a society, may be aware that people need and want different things, the truth is that modern management strategies still haven’t figured out that there’s one considerable obstacle to leading a team to success: age.

Because 19% of the modern workforce is actively disengaged (Gallup’s technical term for being miserable at work), it’s easy to conclude that great leaders need to find new ways to bring workers together. And that’s not just for the sake of organizational success but also to achieve higher job satisfaction levels, which, in turn, drive company-wide results.

So, if you’re a small business owner or manager looking to do what’s best for their multigenerational team, here are the best strategies that will allow your team to thrive.

Understand What Drives Workplace Satisfaction for Your Team

As you work towards developing your leadership style that will encourage success, you have to find out one thing: what is it that makes your employees happy?

By taking the time to understand your team and analyzing employees’ feedback to identify any discrepancies in terms of priorities, you can adjust your leadership style, set team goals, and even encourage your workforce to discover new meaning in their day-to-day tasks to make everyone happier and more productive.

Obviously, the best way to understand your multigenerational team is to conduct a survey and ask about their top priorities at work. However, if you don’t have the time or resources to do that, you can still find plenty of resources on what people want to get from their jobs.

Also Read: 15 Effective Ways: Keep Your Employees Happy Without A Pay Raise

In July 2019, SurveyMonkey and CNBC conducted an online survey asking people what made them happy at the office. The results revealed that most workers’ job satisfaction was boosted by finding meaning in their work. But it’s worth knowing that monetary compensation, autonomy, development opportunities, and recognition also played significant roles in helping people feel satisfied with their work.

Source: cnbc.com

And a recent article from Flamingo collected data from multiple resources, identifying the five most desired employee benefits. According to the company’s research, these include health insurance, PTO, retirement plans, flexible work, and wellness programs, and the guide gives plenty of great advice on how to provide these benefits and what to expect in return.

Define Communication Preferences and Expectations

One of the greatest difficulties for multigenerational teams is that every age group has specific preferences regarding the proper way to communicate at work.

And, sure, it may not seem that significant whether you assign tasks via email, face-to-face, chats, or Slack. However, research shows that defining communication guidelines (and stating why they need to be followed) might be one of the most impactful things you can change to lead your team to success.

According to a survey conducted in 2017, individuals over the age of 55 have a strong preference for voice communication. Conversely, younger employees (aged 18-44) favor digital communication methods like text and email.

Source: statista.com

So, an older employee may find it oddly strange (or even disrespectful) that their manager prefers to send them an email regarding a relevant matter than a call. Yet, data shows that over 20% of people still think it’s inappropriate to call someone without texting them first.

The good news is, leading a multigenerational team does not have to mean communication struggles. In fact, the solution can be as simple as doing a couple of easy things.

First, ensure that your employees know what to expect from you regarding team communication. If you insist on managing projects through online tools so that all information is easily accessed by those working remotely, just say so. Your employees will understand.

Also Read: Why Does Workplace Communication Matter?

Secondly, find out people’s unique preferences. If you need to communicate with someone one-on-one, ask them how they prefer to do it. Then, be prepared to meet them halfway.

Yes, older employees can change their way of thinking and accept modern, informal, or faster communication methods they’re not entirely comfortable with. But, if you can do them the courtesy of having important conversations face-to-face, you’ll show that you’re a leader who cares about them and nurtures intimacy and trust, both of which are crucial for a team striving for success.

Identify Strengths and Encourage Stimulating Work

A recent survey from Gallup revealed that as many as 58% of job seekers think that the way to achieve job satisfaction is to be allowed to do what they do best.

So, as a leader of a multigenerational team, you need to understand that one of the most impactful things you can do to drive success is to identify your employee’s strengths and encourage them to do work they find stimulating.

The fact that your employees belong to different generations gives you the advantage of having multiple points of view on the same topics. Plus, working with a diverse group of people could also allow you the flexibility to find out what your workers love to do. You can offer them the opportunity to spend at least a portion of their workday on tasks that feel meaningful (or downright exciting).

For instance, if you check out a business like Eachnight, you’ll see how well multi-generational (and multi-disciplinary) teams can work together to solve consumer pain points.

Because it targets people of all ages, Eachnight understands that producing valuable content requires different approaches. And, thanks to the fact that its team includes a large number of people — from well-established and experienced surgeons to health and wellness coaches to young content creators — the brand is capable of creating unique resources.

For example, the mattress quiz shown below is a piece of interactive content that none of the company’s competitors offer. And the way Eachnight acquired it is by simply allowing employees to do what they do best and what they find exciting.

Create Opportunities for Bonding and Collaboration

If the above example teaches us anything, it’s that success must be preceded by collaboration. So, if your goal is to successfully lead your multigenerational team, it might not be a bad idea to set aside a generous amount of time for team building.

Now, you can choose a host of team-building activities, depending on whether you want to help people bond, encourage creative thinking, or nurture their problem-solving skills. But the one thing you should remember is that, in general, people form stronger bonds when they have the opportunity to interact face-to-face.

With this in mind, it might not be a bad idea to insist on your entire team coming together at least once a year.

Yes, getting everyone in the same room might sound like it’s outside your budget. But there are always ways to work around financial constraints. So, if you’re thinking about organizing a team retreat to encourage employees to build closer relationships, make sure you do your best to plan something fun, and rest assured that the results will more than justify the cost.

Don’t Neglect Your Own Growth as a Leader

Finally, as you explore ways to help your multigenerational team to do better, don’t forget that your role as a leader is just as important as your employees’ role in achieving success.

With this in mind, you must work on your leadership skills as diligently as you work towards helping your employees achieve the desired results.

Also Read: 6 Leadership Challenges In The Workplace & Ways To Overcome Them

Explore resources that will open your eyes to new leadership techniques. Be prepared to gather and accept employee feedback (yes, even if it’s negative). And learn to acknowledge your mistakes and commit yourself to always trying to do better.

Is perfect leadership a destination you will ever reach? Most likely not. But rest assured that if your team sees how hard you are working on improving yourself, they will be just as inspired to invest in their own professional growth. Moreover, they’ll be more ready to widen their horizons, learn new skills, and collaborate with peers whose points of view they may not entirely understand (yet).

In Closing

There you have it, some of the best tips for leading multigenerational teams to success.

As you can see, the best way to bring people together, regardless of age, doesn’t necessarily depend on technical tools or strategies. Instead, the most impactful thing you can do is practice open and honest communication and encourage everyone to keep an open mind.

As a leader of a multigenerational team, don’t be afraid to do things differently and disregard age-ist stereotypes. Work with your team to build strong relationships, encourage lifelong learning in your organization, and accept that our differences aren’t an obstacle but an opportunity to come together and do something great.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is a multigenerational workplace?

Ans. A multigenerational workplace includes employees from different generations such as baby boomers generation, Generation X, the millennial generational, and Generation Z.

Q2. What are some of the challenges in a multigenerational workplace?

Ans. Some of the challenges include:

Communication issues
Negative stereotypes
Varying employee expectation

Q3. What are the significant benefits of a multigenerational workplace?

Ans. The benefits of a multigenerational workforce are:

Learning/mentoring opportunities
Knowledge transfer
Problem-solving abilities
Different perspectives
Unique relationships

This article is written by Natasha Lane.

Natasha is a lady of a keyboard and one hell of a geek. She has been working for, and collaborating with, individual clients and companies of all sizes for more than a decade. Natasha specializes in writing about design, branding, digital marketing, and business growth. She is also addicted to art in all its forms and grilled tofu.

5 Performance Management Mistakes That You Should Never Make

Performance reviews play an important role in an employee’s work life. They decide if an employee had worked well enough to get a promotion, a raise, etc. Most people are conscientious about how they handle performance reviews. After all, nobody wants to be the bad guy, even if an employee’s performance isn’t up to par.

An effective performance management system helps identify employees’ issues and find solutions for the same. This will improve their quality of work and in turn, increase productivity.

Continue reading “5 Performance Management Mistakes That You Should Never Make”

Quiet Quitting: Everything You Need to Know

Quiet quitting has become a social media sensation in recent days, especially among Gen Z and millennials. It might sound like someone is silently putting in their resignations, but the reality is different altogether. In fact, quiet quitting is a trend wherein the employees of a workplace stick to a bare minimum. It is a rebellion against the ‘hustle culture’ where employers ask employees to go above and beyond to get work done.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone’s lives in more than one way. It caused people to reconsider their chosen career paths. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 71.6 million people quit their jobs during the Great Resignation, which went on from April 2021 to April 2022, for a monthly average of 3.98 million. This also paved the way for another phenomenon called “Quiet Quitting.”

Let’s explore all you need to know about this new phenomenon happening at work, but first, let’s answer what quiet quitting is.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean employees leaving their jobs. They limit their tasks to only what is strictly required to match their job description. For some, quiet quitting is a form of rebellion against the hustle culture.

When employees choose to quit, they just want to do the bare minimum instead of working for extended hours or taking up any additional work. Their main concern is to get the job done. Therefore, they are setting boundaries for their professional work and focusing more on their work-life balance.

These employees are still performing their jobs, but they are not adhering to the ‘work is life’ culture in order to lead their careers and stand out to their employers. They stick to their job description, and when they get home, they put work aside and concentrate on non-work obligations and activities.

Quiet quitting, on the other hand, could indicate that a person is dissatisfied with their job or is suffering from burnout. Quiet quitting is a strategy for an employee to deal with burnout and relieve stress. It could also indicate that they are ready to move jobs or are already seeking one.

Who are the employees quietly quitting?

According to Deloitte’s 2022 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, Boomers and Gen-X approach work very differently from other generations. While older workers like the “up and grind” mindset, current generations are more focused on a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

According to a survey conducted by ResumeBuilder.com, 25% of employees across all ages stated they perform the bare minimum at work, but this figure rises to 30% among millennials. In comparison, just 8% of workers aged 54 and up reported decreasing productivity. While millennial employees are more inclined to be quiet quitters, unhappiness in other generations is evidently widespread.

What’s the reason behind quiet quitting?

The biggest reason for quiet quitting these days is burnout. According to a Microsoft survey of 30,000 workers, 54% of Gen Z employees don’t hesitate to quit their jobs. This is mainly because they want to get into jobs they prefer suitable for themselves.

The World Economic Forum rates youth disillusionment one among the many immediate dangers in its 2021 Global Risks report. According to the findings, mental health has deteriorated since the onset of the pandemic, leaving 80% of the youth workforce vulnerable to despair, anxiety, and disillusionment.

All of these factors are a big reason for quiet quitting. We have listed here a few other factors responsible for quiet quitting to gain popularity among working professionals.

Promotes mental wellness

Several studies have found a correlation between work-life balance and mental health. This movement seeks to restore balance where work has infiltrated your personal time. It can also assist you in distancing your self-worth from your work. When all you have is work, it’s difficult not to derive a sense of worth from it.

Protects against burnout

Burnout was recognized by the World Health Organization in 2019 as an occupational syndrome. The characteristics can be emotions of depletion, tiredness, cynicism, mental alienation from work, and poor performance. Overwork causes burnout, which can have long-term physical, emotional, and mental health consequences. Overwork and a lack of self-care can lead to burnout, which can be harmful to both the individual and the business.

Many people who suffer from burnout wind up taking time off work or working at less than full capacity. Quiet quitting can improve the balance of work and personal life, potentially preventing burnout before it occurs.

Improves workplace relationships

When employees are content, their productivity rises. This can even help if you’re preoccupied or don’t want to be present. Furthermore, when people are joyful, they are less tense and find it easier to establish friends at work.

Another effect of the quiet quitting trend is that simply completing your job eliminates the bad impact of continuously feeling in competition with colleagues.

Experts say that rather than being concerned about lost productivity, employers can take advantage of the silent quitting trend. They can encourage employee well-being and provide a conducive workplace.

Signs of quiet quitting at work

Quiet quitting signs might vary based on the employee’s reasons for wishing to take a break from work. If an employee is actually dissatisfied, the indicators may be far more visible than if they simply seek a better work-life balance.

As an employer or a team leader, it is important to know why employees are quitting. Then only you can find a solution. But how are you going to know that? Here are some quiet quitting examples by which you can understand the phenomenon better.

Skipping work-related meetings
Late arrivals and early departure
Low productivity
Low participation in team activities
Lack of enthusiasm for work

Impact of this quiet quitting trend on businesses

According to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace study, employees who are alienated at work cost the world economy $7.8 trillion in lost output.

With fears of an approaching economic slump circulating, employers are concerned about productivity levels. For instance, non-farm worker productivity in the United States declined by 2.5 percent in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the steepest yearly reduction since 1948.

Companies such as Google are indicating that layoffs are inevitable in reaction to decreased productivity. These layoffs are costly for both employees and companies, with the cost of laying off one person equal to 200% of the employee’s income.

Impact of this quiet quitting trend on employees

Slacking off at work can produce tension among coworkers because some are left to compensate for others. This, in turn, fosters a toxic working culture, which may compound employee unhappiness.

While the Great Recession resulted in more jobs relative to experienced workers, an impending recession has shifted the calculus in favor of employers.

According to a new poll conducted by consultancy firm PwC, half of the respondents in the United States planned to reduce their staff, including companies such as Apple, Peloton, and Walmart. According to a July research by a job-search service, 60 percent of job searchers feel a greater need to find work now before economic conditions worsen.

This suggests that employers have an advantage over employees. Quiet quitters or those accomplishing the bare minimum may be the first to depart in this scenario. Quiet quitting can jeopardize their future possibilities as well. Furthermore, underperforming employees may build a terrible reputation that will accompany them for the rest of their lives, especially when HR services are being outsourced and digitalized.

What can businesses do to counter the impact of quiet quitting?

Organizations must ensure that employees don’t suffer from burnout. Employees should be allowed to set realistic boundaries. For example, most employees feel guilty about taking yearly vacations as they feel it might impact their careers.

To combat the bare minimum norms, employers must urge employees to take care of their health. Furthermore, they should encourage breaks. If a company wishes to have a great working culture, it must respect the emotions of employees.

Favorable work culture will most likely result in increased production and productivity. Only then companies can finally solve the true issue with ‘quiet quitting.’ No one wants to feel like they’re getting a bad deal at work. If you want the best deal for your company, allow employees to have open discussions about what they feel and how they like to see things at the workplace.

Promote open dialogue

Employees must feel safe approaching their bosses with any problems or challenges they may be having. Managers should also make a point of checking in with their personnel rather than waiting on them. Employees who can approach their superiors openly are considerably more likely to discuss topics that are important to them, which affects their job engagement.

Encourage a good work-life balance

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is critical to keeping your workers interested and satisfied at work. Assure that your workforce has the ability to take a vacation, sick leaves, or personal day offs as needed. If possible, avoid scheduling too many meetings on late evenings or weekends.

Make sure your staff feels appreciated

Employees who feel respected, valued, and appreciated at work are more likely to be happy, committed, and interested in their roles. To keep staff engaged, make sure they receive both positive and constructive feedback. It is also an excellent idea to take the time to recognize your employees’ efforts. Do this in the best way possible for them, whether publicly or privately.

Also read: How to make your employee recognition programs work!

Try not to overwork your employees

Employees that are overworked are more likely to be burnt out, stressed out, and unhappy at work. You should avoid scheduling too many overtime hours or placing employees under too much pressure to reach unrealistic targets. Overworking your employees will just add to your stress and obligation.

Create opportunities for career growth

If a person feels trapped in a dead-end job, they are more likely to be unhappy and disengaged at work. Create possibilities for people to grow and rise within the firm to avoid this. Offer courses and training programs to employees for upskilling themselves and learn interesting new things.

Take feedback from your team

Your employees are the most reliable source of information about what it’s like to work for your company. As a result, you must pay attention to what your staff says and consider their recommendations. This will show them that you respect their opinion. This will also allow you to take the required actions to create a better work culture. When the work environment is conducive and employee-friendly, output and efficiency from employees will also be the highest.

Invest in an employee engagement tool

Employee engagement tools are another creative way to enhance engagement in the workplace. They can help you boost employee engagement with technology by integrating all of your engagement initiatives together on a single user-friendly platform.

The bottom line

Quiet quitting may be a temporary trend that is viral on social media, but it originates from real-world issues that employees encounter on a daily basis. That is why it is important to pay close attention to why this trend started in the first place.

All stakeholders should consider a human resource specialist approach to redesigning the work culture. This can be accomplished by acknowledging the existence of an issue and committing to resolving it rather than abandoning it entirely.

5 Must-Have Features to Look For in an OKR Software Tool

The key result has to be measurable. But in the end, you can look, and without any arguments: Did I do that or did I not do it? Yes? No? Simple. No judgments in it.

– Andy Grove

When it comes to setting goals and being successful, the one organization that comes to our mind is Google. Google’s OKRs are legendary and a lot of the company’s success can be attributed to their OKRs.

As a result, it’s no secret that everyone wants to emulate Google’s goal setting method and perhaps their meteoric success as well.

OKRs stand for ‘Objectives And Key Results’. OKRs are a popular approach for goal-setting which allows employees to execute individual as well as company objectives.

Objectives are something that you want to achieve, and key results are a measurable way to keep track of how close you are to achieve your goals.

OKR software helps employees with task management and to track the progress of their goal easily. But with too many options available in the market, it becomes a difficult job for an organization to select one.

OKR Software Features To Look For

The section below highlights the best OKR software features to look for before you invest in a tool.

1. Easy And Simple to Use By Everyone

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci.

The OKR software should be user-friendly and easy to use. Users should be able to understand how the software works with little or no training. The user interface should be clean and not cluttered with useless information. The simpler the software, the easier it would be for everyone to use. Understanding and managing the software should not be a new project in and of itself for all employees. Additionally, it should support easy integration with other tools or processes. The adoption rate of software depends on its user-friendliness and simplicity of use.

Also Read: Why OKRs Are Crucial When Onboarding New Employees

2. Flexible and Customizable

OKR software should be flexible and support easy customization. OKRs/Goals check-ins can be in the form of a percentage, quantity, or milestone. The software should give users the flexibility to check in on their goals as per their needs. Flexible and customizable software will be useful for the organization in the long run.

3. Allows Comment

OKRs have a shelf-life and are generally set every quarter. The ability to comment on OKRs allows managers and employees to discuss it regularly. OKR platform with comment functionality promotes two-way communication and helps in setting a culture of regular feedback and a healthy work culture.

Also Read: Have You Set Effective OKRs For Your Customer Success Team?

4. Cascade and Align

OKR software should possess the basic functionality to align and cascade OKRs and goals. OKRs and goals are often shared responsibility. Cascading goals will allow the sharing of goals from one level of the organization to the next. For example, a manager can cascade his goals down to his direct reports.

Goal alignment, on the other hand, helps everyone visualize the bigger picture. It allows individuals to engage in goal alignment and goal management. For example, if one of the organization’s main goals is to break into an as-yet untapped market, the ability to align goals shows an employee how exactly they are contributing to this specific goal.

5. Dashboards and Insights

OKR software tools should present actionable dashboards and insights. It should be easy to understand and analyze so that it is actionable. Moreover, it should highlight the number of goals, the percentage of completion, goal alignment, and their status. It will help employees know whether any goal will be a bottleneck and needs attention. Moreover, an OKR software with an actionable dashboard and insights will help employees stay aligned and focussed.

6 Tips That Self-Motivated Leaders Follow

A team always looks up to its leaders, especially, self-motivated leaders. Businesses always look out for mantras to motivate managers and leaders. Self-motivation in leadership team is the primary essence of a successful brand. Great leaders are surprisingly approachable, open, and always motivated. Read more to find few tricks or tips that self-motivated leaders follow.

1. Setting Goals

Even before learning how to motivate managers and leaders, any good organization first focuses on setting goals. Self-motivated leaders, with their organized minds, set goals for themselves which they want to achieve. Setting non-achievable goals do not mean that they cannot be achieved. Leaders always strive to reach their goals and do not get discouraged or let negative thoughts stop them. When you can set gigantic goals for yourself, you imbibe the capability to achieve them.

Set goals and set up a plan to achieve those goals!

2. Being Open to Change

Motivation in leadership can only stem from the inherent flexibility to adapt to change. With the changing dynamics of work culture and the current global scenario, rigidity means being obsolete. Being open to change is a refreshingly cool trait to have. This shows how flexible you are and how well you can handle yourself in case of any uncertainty.

Great leaders believe that values change with time, so they constantly and consistently adapt to and adopt change.

3. Learning from People Around Them

Modesty and being respectful to people around them is another quality that makes self-motivated leaders successful. Great leaders believe that no one is superior or inferior to anyone. Everyone has their challenges to face and their ways of overcoming those obstacles. They learn from everyone around them. Leaders are observant and good at conversations. They try to be unbiased and imbibe the good things from people they interact with. That’s how they grow!

4. Reflecting on Their Progress

In the journey of being successful leaders, it is important to know where we are going wrong and how we can improve. Successful leaders reflect on their progress toward their goals frequently and work hard to improve themselves.

Self-motivated leaders stay motivated because of their constant laser-sharp focus on their goals. They strive to achieve the impossible, always. This is how they leave a mark on their team and the world! Teams get motivated seeing the zeal in their leaders.

5. Balancing Emotions

We are all human beings and not automatons, ergo we have feelings and emotions. Sometimes our emotions can be so strong that they can either make us extremely happy or extremely sad. Feelings have the ability to make us successful or a failure. Motivation in leadership comes from channeling the feelings in a positive and productive way. Successful leaders do not dwell on negativity. They try to perceive failure as a learning to improve the next time and not as a failure per se. They carefully balance their emotions to make the best possible decisions.

Also Read: The Different Kinds Of Awkward Situations At The Workplace

6. Being the Best Version of Themselves

Leaders try to focus and improve themselves by trying to be the best version of themselves. When teams sense this passion to improve and prove, they reciprocate the same traits. When such self-motivated leaders try to achieve goals, overcome any challenges, streamline processes, bring in innovative initiatives, their team follows them with enthusiasm and excitement.

20 Company Culture Ideas To Drive Team Cohesion

Organizational culture can be defined as the set of shared values, goals, and practices that characterize an organization. It’s about how people think about their work, what values they believe in, where they see the company, and what they do to get there. These characteristics represent the personality and culture of an organization.

Why is Company Culture Important?

Company culture is as important as business strategies, as it either strengthens or undermines the objectives. A positive culture is significant and here are 5 reasons why it is important:

1. Increased employee engagement

A work environment with organizational culture is driven by goals and clear expectations. This encourages employees to be more engaged in their work and in their interactions with others. It also leads to higher levels of employee engagement, which increases productivity. A strong connection between an organization and its employees creates a positive atmosphere that is hard to ignore.

2. Raised Productivity

It helps improve productivity and overall performance levels when employees have the resources and tools they need to succeed. Organizational culture influences the structure of the workplace in ways that bring people with the same skills together. People with similar backgrounds and skills can work together more quickly on corporate projects.

Also Read: 5 Tried and Tested Ways to Improve Employee Productivity

3. Brand identity

A company’s organizational culture reflects its public image and reputation. People make assumptions about companies based on their internal and external interactions. A lack of organizational culture or a bad image can make customers hesitant to do business with someone associated with your brand. Companies with strong brand identities tend to attract more businesses and job seekers with similar values that support their mission.

4. Successful Onboarding

Organizational cultures increasingly rely on effective onboarding practices to train new hires. Onboarding practices, including orientation, training, and performance management programs, help new hires access the right resources and achieve a better transition to the role. This promotes employee longevity and loyalty and reduces the frustration some employees experience when they don’t have the information they need to do their job well.

5. Healthy Team Culture

Organizational culture contributes to the improvement of work processes and guides the decision-making process. It also helps teams break down barriers of ambiguity. Team members who are well informed and knowledgeable about a particular process are often more motivated to complete the project. A clear culture that connects employees and promotes an organized work structure helps people work together in a goal-oriented way.

How to Improve Company Culture?

Communicate Well

Knowing how to communicate well is the best way to improve your company culture. Misunderstandings are the main reason people are dissatisfied with their jobs and look for other opportunities. Improve your team’s experience by doing your part and communicating well. When sending emails and joining meetings, try to share your ideas as clearly as possible. It may be helpful to provide some background information on the topic or give a specific example.
Listen to Concern And Welcome Ideas

If you are in a leadership position, provide your employees with a public or anonymous platform where they can easily share their opinions. Encourage one-on-one meetings with members of the team, giving them the opportunity to talk openly and confidentially about sensitive issues. Employees feel valued by letting them know they can count on you for questions.
Encourage Feedback

If you identify a particular aspect of your business that needs improvement, take the time to provide feedback on the issue and encourage others to do the same. While some businesses have strict standards requiring a procedure for submitting feedback, others are more relaxed. When providing comments, be sure to communicate in a professional and genuine manner. Discuss details and potential alternatives to the company’s challenges.
Consistency

Consistency in leadership efforts helps people feel stable. Once your company’s organizational structure is in place, do your best to maintain processes and procedures. Treat everyone professionally and equally and avoid preferential treatment.

20 Company Culture Ideas

A successful company culture that includes clear and concise policies, effective communication strategies, and fair and equal treatment helps employees feel engaged and valued. Beyond base pay and benefits, check out these 20 company culture ideas that can make your small business a better place to work and ultimately more successful.

1. Launch a company culture committee

A cultural committee can be a very valuable tool for boosting morale and cohesive teams. The committee should be responsible for developing and implementing policies that promote a positive work environment (e.g., developing codes of conduct and setting standards of behavior for employees) and should consist of representatives from all departments and levels of the company. By establishing a cultural committee, employers can ensure that their employees have the resources they need to succeed in their roles.

2. Company culture in job descriptions

A job description contains some of the most important information a company can provide when hiring a new employee. These can not only specify the requirements of a particular role but also provide a snapshot of the company’s culture and values. This allows you to attract qualified candidates and high salaries. With this in mind, job descriptions should always reflect company values and employee expectations.

3. Include company culture in your employee handbook

As an employer, you want your employees to feel welcomed and valued. But what about communicating your company’s culture? How do you make your employees aware of this? One way is by including a culture section in your employee handbook. This creates a common ground for all employees and ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them.

4. Establish town hall meetings

Town hall meetings are company-wide gatherings to discuss policies, procedures, events, and employee recognition. This is a great time to make sure all employees are on the same page when it comes to expectations at work. Additionally, these gatherings promote open communication. It provides a forum for employees to raise concerns and ask questions while allowing companies to receive feedback on internal culture and opportunities for improvement.

5. Categorize diversity & inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are key values in the workplace, as they help create a welcoming and supportive environment for all employees. Cultivating a culture that prioritizes these can improve communication and teamwork, reduce stress in the office, and ultimately improve employee productivity and happiness.

6. Evaluate office workspaces

The majority of office space is rooms and booths lined up against walls and interiors, giving employees a sense of self-containment. You can contribute to collaboration, employee well-being, and the overall well-being of your company culture. Start by getting rid of cubicles and creating a more open workspace. This has many benefits, including improved communication and collaboration. An open workspace also allows creativity to flourish.

7. Develop culture with benefits

Benefit packages are one of the most important benefits for employees. You can strengthen your company culture by creating something full of traditional benefits. Start offering typical benefits such as paid vacation, health insurance, life/disability insurance, and retirement plans. Next, consider extras who can demonstrate and support your company’s culture and values.

8. Offer remote and hybrid work schedules

To reduce commute times and improve work-life balance, remote work and flexible working hours are growing in popularity in today’s competitive job market. As mentioned earlier, offering these types of options can improve company culture and help attract and retain top talent. Flexible working hours can also reduce stress and increase employee productivity.

Also Read: How to Build and Sustain Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment?

9. Encourage time off

Encouraging employees to use paid time off is an important way to keep employees happy and productive. This is a direct result of a healthy corporate culture. There are many ways to make paid time off available to your employees, including:

Make sure your PTO policy is clear and concise. Employees need to know exactly what rights they have and when they can exercise them
Require an employee to use a certain number of his/her PTO days per year
Unused PTO Rollover Permit

10. Promote work-life balance

Too much work can lead to burnout, while too little work can make employees feel bored or undervalued. Employers must ensure a healthy work-life balance for their employees. There are several ways to do this:

Setting clear and reasonable deadlines
Providing flexible working hours
Provision of maternity and childcare leave
Creating an environment where employees can easily take time off

By enforcing certain policies and practices, businesses can help employees manage their time and workload in a productive and enjoyable way.

11. Create collaborative teams

A collaboration team is a group of people (usually from different departments) working together to achieve a common goal. This can take the form of a brainstorming team, a project team, or a scrum team. It is an integral part of an organization’s success and helps reduce conflicts and improve communication among employees by enabling them to share knowledge, skills, and ideas. All of this leads to increased productivity.

12. Recognize employee achievement

Recognizing employees for their contributions to the company is an easy way to develop company culture. This can be done through praise and appreciation, recognition on important occasions, and awarding employee perks such as employee discounts and free tickets to company events. These simple actions contribute to a positive work environment.

13. Provide growth opportunities

Corporate culture is stagnant and ambitious. To break this cycle and improve employee engagement, companies must offer professional development opportunities. This may include training and development programs, mentoring partnerships, and other opportunities to help employees expand their skills and contribute to the company’s success.

14. Offer wellness program

When it comes to creating a healthy work environment, many companies overlook one of the most important factors: wellbeing. Wellness programs help employees feel better physically and emotionally, which in turn can improve organizational culture.

15. Provide company merchandise

Merchandise placement is the simplest way to push your business. There’s nothing better than having your company’s employees wear your company’s logo on their t-shirts, mugs, and pens. This is often called ‘company swag’ and maybe a product that showcases your name and logo.

16. Give performance incentives

Incentives are a vital part of performance management and are shown to be effective in motivating employees. There are various sorts of incentives, each with its own benefits and disadvantages. It’s important to settle on the correct form of incentive and ensure it’s appropriate for the staff involved.

17. Encourage volunteer work

Employees are passionate about more than what they do. You have desires and goals outside the workplace. Help your employees nurture their passion by offering them incentives to volunteer in their communities. This shows that employers care about their employees and what they do outside of work, rather than just focusing on the productivity they bring to the organization.

18. Use employee engagement survey

Employee engagement surveys help to assess employee satisfaction, morale, and motivation. By understanding employees’ opinions, organizations can make informed decisions about a way to best serve their customers and employees. Surveys may also be accustomed to identify areas of improvement.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About Employee Engagement Surveys

19. Improve onboarding process

Onboarding is the first point of contact for new hires. To improve the onboarding process, companies should focus on creating a welcoming environment for new hires.

This can be done by:

Create a welcoming culture
Ensure all new hires are properly introduced to the company and its purpose
Ensure new hires are provided with clear instructions and expectations of their role within the organization, as well as customer-facing guidelines.

20. Mentoring

Mentoring is a great way to develop and encourage an employee’s career. Employees who have a mentor feel more involved in their work, stay with the company longer, and communicate better. The benefits of mentoring go beyond individual employees. Companies that mentor their employees are seeing lower turnover, increased creativity and productivity, and increased innovation.

Real-world Examples of Company Culture

Google

Google is known for being an excellent employer that has pioneered many of the perks and advantages that startups are now known for. Google’s employees are hardworking, talented, and enthusiastic. For its employees, Google’s corporate culture is a treasure trove of perks and bonuses. Free meals, employee vacations and parties, cash bonuses, open speeches by high-level executives, employee recognition, gyms, and a pet-friendly atmosphere are all available at Google. It’s no surprise that Google’s company culture is the gold standard by which all other IT firms are judged.

Zappos

Zappos’ culture is now well-established and well-known. They concentrate on hiring to keep things going. The goal of the hiring process is to discover people who share the company’s values. Zappos devotes a significant amount of time and resources to employee team building and culture promotion. They want every employee to embody the company’s principles. Customers can even tell that Zappos staff are happy.

DHL

DHL is unique in how it benefits from its dynamic, multicultural environment. With a variety of programs, such as the unique integrated learning platform that fosters talent development, the organization looks after its employees throughout their careers.

Another pillar is workplace wellness, which includes annual events and long-term activities to protect employee health.

What conclusions can be drawn from company culture?

A company’s culture includes values, beliefs, behaviors, norms, and artifacts that connect the members of an organization. As in all other cultures, an organizational culture develops over a long period of time with the participation of the members. Through studying or analyzing the culture of a company, people can come up with various conclusions. These include conclusions about the resistance of culture, performance, communication, and leadership styles. These conclusions can be helpful for managers and consultants seeking to encourage better company cultures.

FAQs About OKR Tracking Software

Objectives and Key Results, or OKRs, are used to focus a group or an individual on a bold objective.

Google, a current high-growth company to which many aspire, was first introduced to OKRs in 1999!

This demonstrates that the benefit of utilizing this approach to measure performance has not diminished. However, we now use OKR software to help us plan (and track) these goals. With several software solutions available, it might be tough to figure out exactly what you’re looking for in terms of your overall business goals.

What Are The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Related To OKR Tracking Software?

To assist you in your search for the finest OKR tool, we have a set of frequently asked questions that you’d like to consider when you compare the various solutions. If you’re persuaded of the advantages of using an OKR tool, let’s look at the important questions you should ask to determine the best one for the specific company’s needs:

1. Why is it important to know what your goal is?

Begin by making a set of demands or objectives that your OKR program should meet.

Do you want your OKR tool to just create goals, or do you want it to provide maximum visibility, transparency, and accessibility for all employees? Make sure everyone in your company understands what you want to accomplish with your OKR tracking software.

2. What are the benefits of measuring the team size and scaling up requirements?

OKR tracking software is tailored to specific team sizes. As a result, you must consider the number of employees who will use the product. Furthermore, if your firm is rapidly expanding, you will most likely need to extend your workforce size shortly and OKR will help you to do that.

As a result, choose a tool that allows you to scale up (or down) without investing money from your pocket.

3. What integrations do I need to use?

If you already have to switch between various tools, your staff will unlikely use the OKR tracking software. As a result, determine the most important integrations your team uses and make sure the tool you chose supports them.

Engagedly, for example, offers advanced integrations with systems like GChat, MS Teams, and Slack, as well as data and project management apps like Jira, Github, Trello, HubSpot, MySQL, and a host of others.

4. How should I work and find out my OKR experience?

If you’re introducing the entire OKR framework, for the first time, look for software that includes coaching from specialists and onboarding assistance for all users.

The right software will help you set the right goals and implement best practices to get the most out of your OKRs.

5. How would knowing your company’s budget assist you?

When choosing the correct OKR tool, you must also consider your budget and money. If you’re in the early stages of your company’s development, you may have budgetary constraints and must pick a solution that meets your needs while staying within your budget.

Begin by establishing a list of the fundamental functions you want from your OKR software and building a budget around that. Then, using that list, evaluate the OKR tools in the marketplace to make an educated decision.

6. Why do I need OKR tracking software for a user-centered approach?

The success of the OKR tracking software will ultimately be determined by how well your team uses it. As a result, concentrating on the user experience is critical.

Answer the following questions:

Does your team have to switch between platforms to use the OKR tool?
Is the platform compatible with mobile devices?
Are the directions easy to understand?
How quick is customer service?

These are some factors to consider to determine how users (members of your team) will respond to the tool and just how many hours they will require to manage it.

7. How does OKR Software help me in understanding Data Protection Compliance?

Finally, you’ll use your OKR to share a lot of critical information about your organization and team members. Such data and information must be safeguarded, and anonymity must be respected.

You must verify that your chosen software complies with the primary data security and GDPR. You would normally speak to your sales consultant about this.

8. Does the OKR software provide the whole roadmap for the business?

Many OKR programs will just provide you with an overview of what you want to do, not the overall picture. They’ll mostly use a quantitative approach, providing you with knowledge in the form of data sets and statistics.

However, you should select a tool that can assist you in making insights from each data item. The correct software should comprehend the difficulties your team is encountering. Otherwise, you may accomplish the desired outcomes, but you will be sacrificing the correct culture.

Also Read: How To Get Started With OKRs? Types| Process| Benefits| Templates

9. Is this OKR software capable of scaling up?

You might be planning to expand pretty quickly if you’re growing quickly. However, you must consider if you will be able to boost with the software you have chosen. Preparing for a circumstance when your team has increased significantly is ideal.

For example, you might want to integrate OKRs throughout the business, or create separate teams – can your software be customized to match your growing needs?

10. How well does the OKR program assist you in tracking your progress?

The greatest OKR software not only assists in establishing goals and aligning duties tracking but also in tracking progress. This way, you’ll be able to keep track of the status and take practical steps to accelerate it.

Engagedly, for example, enables enhanced goal transparency and cooperation among departments of an organization by allowing team leaders to link OKRs and measure collective progress. It also allows you to combine OKRs and 1:1 check-ins to ensure that all members and leaders are always on top of high-priority objectives.

11. Is the software capable of increasing engagement?

Finally, huge targets and critical outcomes should not frighten your team members while using an OKR tool. It should concentrate on fostering an inspiring culture in which employees are empowered and aware of their role in the organization’s success. This will encourage them to do better.

The correct OKR software should assist in starting the right discussions so that team members can give feedback on what is and is not working. They can invariably shift the discussion narrative from a top-down perspective to guarantee that issues are addressed before they stifle progress and that cooperation is seamless.

12. What features should an OKR tool have?

Actionable dashboards, as well as insights, should be provided by OKR software products. It should be simple to comprehend and evaluate to be useful. It should also emphasize the number of objectives, the proportion of goals completed, goal alignment, and goal status.

13. In Microsoft teams, how do I keep track of OKRs?

To keep track of your goals, add live OKR dashboards as a tab to any team channel or personal chat. To understand target status, compare OKR improvement over time.

Conclusion

OKR is a common management method for setting goals and tracking progress. It promotes alignment and participation in quantifiable objectives. It was first used at Intel in the 1970s and has since expanded throughout the technology industry as a tool to assist employees to know and participate in the company’s charter.

Engagedly connects your business model to technical prowess. Engagedly gives a clear perspective into targets, key results you measure, and the effort toward fulfilling objectives, whilst OKRs monitor the results of execution. The native OKR capabilities in Engagedly let your team become oriented, remain aligned, and integrate work with value delivery instantaneously.

If you’re looking to find out more about OKRs, then take a look at our Ultimate Guide to OKRs – we‘ve included some nifty templates to get you started today.

What You Can Learn from P&O’s Firing of 800 Employees by Video

Is a video message enough to offboard employees who have been serving your company for years? Well, this is precisely what happened at the leading UK shipping company P&O Ferries. P&O made a decision of firing employees over a video call.

The company announced sudden mass layoffs over a video conference which led to many civil and criminal investigations against the firm. Multitudes of people suggested putting the owners behind bars.

Such a scenario was inevitable, because no one expected losing one’s job so abruptly, just over a video call. P&O employees did not have any idea that they would be laid off even hours before the actual thing happened.

This begs the question: how could the HR personnel have avoided such an unpleasant scenario? Laying off is normal, but not this way. What are the acceptable practices for termination? Let us find out the common HR practices for mass layoffs and how they can be improved.

How and Why Did P&O Lay Off Employees?

P&O, a leading shipping firm in the UK, fired around 800 employees on March 17th, 2022 in a move to restructure its operations that would guarantee the company’s future viability. According to company officials, “no unions could accept our proposals”.

While wage negotiations often lead to a deadlock, what is more surprising in this case is that the termination notice came just minutes before the actual action took place which led to widespread protests and chaos at the Port of Dover.

In a 24-second-long video clip received by BBC on March 17th, a person from the P&O office in Dover is seen saying that the company has decided that they would be going forward with a third-party crew provider. The company said, “Therefore, I am sorry to inform you that this means your employment is terminated with immediate effect on the grounds of redundancy. Your final day of employment is today.”

Immediately after this, around 800 employees were sacked within minutes.

According to sources, one of the P&O officials told a leading magazine that it was necessary to take this step to keep the business afloat. They have incurred huge losses, around £100 million over the years. Such a situation urged the company to take necessary actions without which the business would not be viable.

How Did This Sudden Layoff Impact Employees in the Post-Covid Era?

Such an abrupt action has undoubtedly set an unhealthy example for companies around the world. Companies decide to lay off employees usually after thorough strategic planning to enhance organizational efficacy. Employees should at least be given a heads-up that the company might downsize soon to prepare for layoffs.

In a survey released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about one-third of US employees battled anxiety about their companies shutting down during the COVID 19 pandemic. Such anxieties are not only detrimental to the employees affected by layoffs but also to the growth and productivity of the company and the remaining employees.

How Did It Impact P&O?

Company officials confirmed that they had to suspend all sailings immediately after the protests started. Due to this sudden suspension of services, the company lost one million pounds each day. Cross-party MPs and Nautilus Unions called for stringent actions to be taken across the ports of Liverpool, Dover, Hull, and Larne.

To add to their woes, the shipping company lost the Border Force Contract that was supposed to bring in huge revenue. The UK Home Office terminated the contract to provide contingency services over the company’s sudden decision of mass layoff.

How Should HR Personnel Handle Mass Layoffs?

HR teams should be aware of the various ways to manage remote workers, especially during these post-Covid times. Here are some common practices that HRs can follow to keep things under control:

They should discuss the HR policies and agreement clauses during employee onboarding. Employers or company HRs are legally required to consult employees during the statutory notice period regarding layoffs.
Before conducting an exit interview, company HRs should serve a notice for termination and settle the severance pay. HRs need to have meetings with the employees who are to be laid off and send out a clear message on the termination. A better thing to do is notifying the employees about the impending layoffs before the actual announcement.

Conclusion

The point to be noted is that P&O suffered dire consequences not just because of its random and sudden decision of mass layoffs. It suffered because of the way that decision was communicated to the employees. Company HRs should consider this a great learning. News regarding layoffs should be imparted to employees well before the actual event, that too with empathy.

Check out how Engagedly can help you find the right performance management software for your remote workplace. Book a live demo with us.

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7 Common Questions Related to Setting OKRs That Are Achievable

You will find it difficult to successfully operate a team without defining proper goals and objectives. It would be taking a stab in the dark. Your bright personnel will be useless if they don’t have a shared goal to strive toward. That is where setting apt OKRs come in to play.

Have you ever wondered how the industry’s behemoths slaughter the market with ever-increasing profits? The key is to use OKRs.

You might be wondering what setting OKRs are and how they operate.

Without further ado, continue reading to find how to create a sustainable OKR approach as well as some practical examples you can use in your management to accomplish more in less time.

What Is an OKR?

OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results. It’s a goal-setting strategy that dates back to the 1970s. OKR was popularized by John Doerr, a prominent venture capitalist. It lays the groundwork for outlining your organization’s goals over a given period of time.

We know that every project or task needs to be completed on time. OKRs are often created and assessed during the lifetime of a project. They may also be used in the future to see how successfully you completed the tasks before.

The fundamental principle to follow while setting an OKR is to set an aim and three to five expected or desired outcomes. These important outcomes are clear and quantifiable actions and contribute to the achievement of goals.

An essential reason behind setting OKRs is ensuring that everyone understands what they want, need to accomplish, or is expected of them.

Now that you have learned about OKRs, you might be wondering how they differ from another similar concept which is KPIs or Key Performance Indicators.

OKRs vs. KPIs

Although both can be considered as performance indicators, they serve a distinct and different purpose. Here are a few differences between OKRs and KPIs:

KPI	OKR
KPIs are critical measures used to assess how well a team is meeting its objectives. These measurements are often quantitative in form and correctly describe the current state of the product.	OKRs, on the other hand, are related to wider corporate goals. KPIs are primarily tied to individual ability.
KPIs are used to control daily operations and assess the performance of a certain process or activity. OKRs, on the other hand, are primarily concerned with measuring goals and priorities in order to measure operational success.	The OKR framework places a greater emphasis on strategic goals, identifying a goal, and brainstorming strategies to achieve it.

Advantages of OKR

Do you know how the giants like Google, Intel, Spotify, Target, Airbnb, and ING have become these huge beacons of success?

They are some of the major businesses that employ OKRs in their daily operations. Of course, you don’t need a large workforce to get the benefits. The continuous usage of OKRs by small and big businesses demonstrates the value of goal management in providing direction and objectivity.

Implementing and setting OKRs will offer you an edge over your competition when it comes to getting the job done and keeping yourself and others accountable. “At the end, you may look, without any kind of arguments: Can I do it or can I not do it?”, remarked the Father of OKRs, Yes? No? Simple. There are no judgments in it.”

Questions About Setting OKRs That Are Achievable

The primary question that needs to be answered is how to set up an org-wide process of setting OKRs.

Setting up a procedure for OKR alignment might take varying amounts of time and effort based on the scale and structure of your business. We’ll go through the fundamentals in this part to help you plan for success. You may use the sample OKR cycle shown at the conclusion to figure out how to get started right away, after reviewing the following considerations for setting the OKR process.

1. Timing

Timing is a crucial consideration while setting up the procedure. Our goals should not just be time-constrained. We need the goals modeled in a way that will surely give us some feedback on our work. The best way is to set achievable targets and regularly monitor them. Many businesses follow a quarterly schedule, but it’s important to include time for planning, implementation, and assessment.

2. Keeping It Simple

Concentrate on goals you believe you can accomplish in the specified time. Many employees believe they must contribute to every department’s goal and end up overstretching themselves. Prioritize your goals based on what the company most requires. Remember that the amount of targets you should have depends on how difficult they are and the time and energy you have.

3. Cascading the Objectives

Employees, sometimes, struggle to recognize how their profession contributes to overarching corporate goals and achievement. What can a payroll clerk do to assist their organization in reaching 10,000 users? The answer is cascading the goals from the corporate level to the department level to the individual level.

4. Be Specific

When establishing objectives, consider multiple approaches to achieve the desired outcome. Create a detailed strategy on how to reach your goal. Consider how performance may be measured for each major result. The more precise you are in setting goals, the more clear your expectations will be. With clear objectives, you’ll know precisely everything you need to accomplish your aims.

5. Stop Worrying About Stretch Goals

Managers are sometimes concerned that setting simple goals may be a hindrance for an employee in the way to reach their full potential. Are stretch goals, on the other hand, a good idea? It depends entirely on how authentic they are. Employees will not like being given unachievable assignments if incentives are used to inspire them. Ambitious objectives are excellent, but they shouldn’t be set up to fail.

6. Connection to Performance

Considering the fact that setting OKRs should push us beyond our perceived boundaries, it’s critical to establish a criteria for success and separate them from the performance evaluation process. For example, some companies, like Google, utilize a 70 percent success rate as a metric. We’re just not thinking big enough if we’re constantly reaching 100 percent. However, if it appears that we aren’t functioning to our full potential because we don’t meet the maximum level of our OKR, it can be disappointing and daunting.

If your organization and the employees solely connect setting OKRs with an assessment process at the end of a year or month, they’ll be more motivated to set objectives that are simple to attain. While quantification aids in benchmarking and identifying opportunities for improvement, our entire performance is much more than a collection of numbers.

7. Celebrate the Achievement

When you accomplish a goal, reward and acknowledge yourself and others. Positive behavior helps in the maintenance of optimal practices. Don’t only acknowledge work at the conclusion of a project; acknowledge incremental progress as well. Encourage everyone on your team to post their OKRs openly and form a support system.

Conclusion

Executive leadership should maintain that the organization, as a whole, shares both the triumphs and mistakes as a method of identifying areas for development and celebrating hard work. Personal development should be greatly promoted because it is tied to corporate performance and growth. As there is a high level of faith in individual responsibility, being accountable should not be something to be afraid of but rather an opportunity to shine. Thinking outside of established boundaries should be encouraged, resulting in a work atmosphere where any ambition appears feasible.

Does this seem like a place you would want to work at? If you want to create the perfect workplace, start by establishing an OKR-based culture of continual development and progress, helpful feedback, and transparency.

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you set up a perfect OKR system in your organization? Book a live demo with us.

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7 Unwritten Office Etiquette rules

Most employees spend more than half of the time at their workplace. But it is sometimes frustrating to see the fellow employees not following basic office etiquette rules just because they are unwritten.

Don’t be the one employee everyone hates because of the lack of etiquette. Here are 7 unwritten office etiquette rules that you should follow.

1. Plug in – No loud music

Listening to music might be make you feel really energized but not necessarily everyone has the same taste in music. And everyone doesn’t want to listen to music at the same time; you don’t want to be a disturbance to people around you. So plug in your headphones and listen your music.

2. Respect Co-worker’s Privacy

No matter how close you are to your co-worker, you have to respect their privacy. Always ask before entering their cubicle. And never take their stuff without their consent. If you happen to borrow your co-worker’s stationery stuff or anything, return it as soon as possible without fail! (And in working condition)

Also Read: Dealing With Mental Health In The Workplace

3. Keep Your Voice To Yourself

When you are on phone, your colleagues don’t have to know what the conversation is. So stop screaming and yelling; keep your voice to yourself. Be calm and smooth when on phone so that your conversation doesn’t disturb anyone around you.

4. Re-organize Messy Space

Your work-space is not only in view of your colleagues but also the visitors at your office. No one wants to see a messy, smelly and dusty table at workplace.
It creates a really bad impression on you as a person as well as on the organization. So make some efforts to re-organize and clean your work-space from time to time.

5. Dress Appropriately

This is a very important part. When someone looks at you, the first thing they observe is your dressing. You don’t have to wear a really costly dress, just a clean, simple and appropriate-to-work dress. Dress codes vary from industry to industry but no one wants you to dress as if you are going to a carnival down the street.

Also Read: Make Your Work A Craft

6. Don’t Steal The Time

You might really need someone to talk at your workspace sometimes, but do not pop into your co-workers’ cubicle and start the conversation. They might be in the middle of something important, so wait till lunch break or tea break to talk to them. Do not steal their work time!

7. Mind Your P’s and Q’s

No one will tell you this but it is really important to use ‘Please’, ‘Thank You’ and ‘sorry’ in your conversation with your co-workers.

Being at your best behavior can make a huge difference (In a good way!).

Interested in knowing how Engagedly can help you with communication and employee engagement?

Request a demo to find out!

4 Ways To Get Away From Work On Weekends

Most working professionals are always connected to their work through their smart phones, laptops, i-pads, etc. But it is also important to disconnect yourself from work during the weekends. Everything in life needs a break, and so do you from your daily work.

Continue reading “4 Ways To Get Away From Work On Weekends”

9 Ways To Inspire Your Team To Meet OKRs

“A mission keeps you on the rails. The OKRs provide focus and milestones.” -Christina Wodtke

The world of business is goal-oriented. Every business organization and different teams within the company have their own goals to chase. These goals are in alignment with the overall vision and mission of the company. If we observe closely, the task of setting goals is easier, but the task of accomplishing them is challenging.

To continue, while pursuing goals, our vision often gets blurred as we only know the finish line. We know where we want to go, but we don’t often know how far we have come or how close we have come to our final destination. Consequently, a lack of a sense of progress inhibits our motivation.

Realizing these things, John Doerr, one of the richest American investors and venture capitalists, came up with the term, “Objectives and Key Results.” OKRs help you set measurable goals. When you measure your goals, every day is a saga of progress that takes you ahead toward your final objectives. To validate, as per statistics, 95% of the U.S. adults who use the OKRs goal-setting framework know and understand how their work contributes to achieving their company’s business objectives.

However, if your team doesn’t feel inspired to meet OKRs, despite setting the best key results to achieve along the way, you cannot meet your objectives as per the schedule. This implies that when it comes to accomplishing the OKRs, a lot depends on how motivated your team is.

This blog provides 9 refreshing ways to inspire your team to achieve their OKRs.

9 ways to encourage your team to meet OKRs

Involve your team in the goal-setting process

This is one of the best ways to motivate your team. Involve every team member in the goal-setting process. Consider their ideas, opinions, and visions when it comes to setting goals. Even if you have some predefined goals, ask your teammates what they think about the key results that you should achieve while progressing towards your ultimate goal. This is important because when you make your team feel heard, you inspire them to give their best every day.

As they answer these questions, you can try to link their goals and aspirations with the team objectives and then get their assistance in defining the key results. Moreover, when your team members see that you have set their suggested key results, they feel elated. Consequently, they feel motivated to achieve those goals.

Celebrate every milestone accomplished

Don’t be deluded by the idea that only big milestones are to be celebrated. No, that’s not how it is. You should celebrate every milestone your team accomplishes on the path to achieving their objectives. Whether it is big or small, celebrate it. These celebrations are motivation boosters. They are a token of praise for your team’s efforts and motivate them to perform even better and pave their way towards many more such celebrations.

Furthermore, every celebration should also include a short gap analysis where you all together see where you have reached and how far you still have to go. This analysis will gear everyone up for the next mission.

Exhibit trust in your team’s capabilities

Many times, we just need a little external push to evolve into the best possible versions of ourselves. Hence, you should exhibit trust in your team’s capabilities and let everyone know that you are there for them at all times. You should not only express these things through your words, but your actions should demonstrate them.

For example, you can’t say that you trust your team when you engage in micromanagement. If you trust your team, there is no question of micromanagement. You give everyone the autonomy to work freely in the office without any control. As a leader, you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders, but the more you trust your team and delegate responsibilities without micromanaging, the more you’ll feel at ease and the better the overall performance of your team will be.

Communicate effectively

Effective communication leads to effective leadership. It is the key to inspiring your team to achieve their OKRs. When there is a communication gap between you and your team, you aren’t connected with them emotionally. The lack of this emotional connection is one of the prime reasons why often, team members don’t feel as inspired to pursue the goals you want them to pursue.

Given that, you should engage in effective conversations with your team members. These conversations should always be two-way. This will ensure that your team is emotionally inclined towards you and feels encouraged to leave no stone unturned to keep you happy.

Moreover, you should also remind your team about the OKRs to be achieved. This will assist in enhancing their efficiency and will assist you in attaining the SMART goals of your business.

Be a role model for your team: Inspired leaders lead to inspired teams

Whether you believe it or not, your team is a reflection of you. If you exhibit high levels of enthusiasm towards your work, your team will exhibit high levels of enthusiasm too.

Quite the contrary, if you don’t take things seriously, your team doesn’t either. If you exhibit low levels of professionalism, your team will do the same too. In short, your team looks up to you and reflects your personality as a leader. Given that, if you aspire to inspire your team to meet the OKRs, you should be inspired to do the same first.

Incorporate team play sessions into the daily schedule

It is imperative to know that all work and no play makes employees dull workers. Yes, that’s true. When our professional lives get filled with too much work, dullness seeps in.

The best way to prevent that is to incorporate team play sessions into the daily schedule. Devoting 20 to 25 minutes to these play sessions can be a game-changer. Try this out and see the results for yourself. You’ll find your employees happy and energized, which will eventually lead them to meet the OKRs.

Focus on improving team engagement

Did you know that engaged team members are more likely to meet the OKRs? That’s true because engaged team members have a strong inclination not only towards their work but towards their team as well. This inclination inspires them to give their best for themselves and for their team.. Moreover, as per the report, highly engaged businesses successfully generate 21% more profitability compared to non-engaged ones.

Whereas, disengaged team members do the exact opposite. With that said, engaging your team members can go a long way in inspiring them to accomplish the OKRs. Further, below are multiple strategies that you can implement to engage your team members.

Appreciating everyone for their efforts, however small it isTake
anonymous feedback to resolve their issues

Organize happy hours

Establish cordial connections within your team

The relationships between your team members have a significant impact on their overall performance. When you are a part of a team, you are impacted by the relationships with your team members. If you don’t have a good relationship with them, you feel elated in their presence. But, if you have a poor relationship with them, you will feel irritated and agitated in their presence. Your mood obviously impacts your work performance.

Given that, it is imperative for you to focus on the relationships between your team members. The major reason behind the same is that positive, cordial relationships add to the happiness of employees, which further enhances their productivity. To substantiate, according to the University of Oxford, happy employees are 13% more productive and efficient.

Hence, there should be cordial bonds between them if you have to derive the best performance from your team. Further, informal discussions, weekly team outings, and involvement in sports are some of the most effective tactics to form cordial relationships between your team members.

Design your workplace in a captivating manner

The type of workplace we work in also impacts our productivity and potential. If it is chaotic, doesn’t have an appealing appearance, or radiates positive vibes, we can’t function at our full potential. Hence, it is imperative for you to design your workplace in a captivating manner. Try to add some color to your workplace, bring in some plants, and allow your employees to bring their pets if you feel okay. These things will together contribute to uplifting the energy level of your employees, which will eventually help them meet the OKRs.

The above-discussed methods are some of the tried and tested ways to motivate your team to meet their OKRs. Do try them out and see the results for yourself. We hope that these tactics truly impact your team and that you, together, achieve all that you aspire to accomplish.

Author’s Bio

Jessica Robinson is a charismatic corporate leader, a selfless educator, and a versatile content creator. Despite a management degree, her vision behind blogging is not only to follow her passion but to create more informed societies. Her selflessness reflects in every piece of her work on The Speaking Polymath.

Understanding OKRs: Best Practices and Benefits

Occasionally, you hear about organizations gaining popularity owing to their performance and achievements. However, the real story of how they got there is rarely told. To elaborate, some of the most recognizable brands, like Google, Apple, and Amazon, began with objectives and they all had one commonality: they all used the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) approach or OKR best practices.

When properly enforced, the OKR framework aligns organization, team, and employee objectives with quantifiable outcomes.

According to Google co-founder, Larry Page, OKRs have the potential to lead to “10x growth” in the long term.

OKRs are a straightforward yet effective method for establishing objectives and monitoring progress. Techniques that other businesses have tested and improved should also be beneficial to your company — when you follow the tried-and-tested OKR best practices.

Continue reading to understand the best practices of OKR for your teams! Managers and executives may use OKRs to enhance accountability, openness, and alignment of objectives with performance in their businesses.

Differentiating factors of OKRs and their effectiveness

Setting goals, a fundamental component of every performance management strategy, assist organizations in increasing their productivity. OKRs are a common goal-setting framework that organizations use to establish and monitor achievement at various organizational levels. OKRs foster creativity, unify teams and establish a clear roadmap for organizations to reach the next level when applied successfully.

Most often, OKRs are specified quarterly (a 3-month cycle). Andy Grove, “The Father of OKRs,” created this framework in the 1970s. Later, Google applied this structure with great success and saw exponential growth. Thousands of enterprises, from Apple to Amazon and the United States Navy, use OKRs today.

OKR structure framework’s primary objective is to align employees, working company-wide, to direct their efforts toward clearly stated objectives. OKRs apply on a global, department, workgroup, and/or team level.

Why do most organizations prefer OKRs?

OKR best practices provide a tangible method for measuring progress. In addition, they provide the flexibility to fulfill your goals. They enable you to concentrate on outcomes rather than micromanaging the execution of activities.

Other important reasons for employing OKRs include:

— Improving collaboration by aligning individual efforts with shared objectives

— Increasing employee commitment and motivation.

— Enabling managers to provide effective performance evaluations and constructive criticism.

Also Read: Have You Set Effective OKRs For Your Customer Success Team?

OKRs’ approach to driving business success

Companies can utilize OKRs in five fundamental ways to manage performance:

Arrangement

OKRs ensure every employee understands what agendas and objectives teams are working on; their purpose, and how they can contribute to the company’s success.

Establishing priorities

OKRs fill the void between high-level objectives and everyday tasks. This provides employees with the ability to prioritize daily chores and long-term ambitions.

Openness

OKR best practices build transparent organizational cultures by apprising everyone, from the CEO to the intern, about the priorities and goals of multidisciplinary teams.

Accountability

OKRs outline the responsibility and goals of each employee and eliminate any ambiguity about who is accountable for achieving certain objectives.

Trust and confidence

OKRs allow employees to see the results of their efforts and feel in control of their own progress.

Are the objectives and the key results the same?

No, the objectives and the key results differ in concept and definition. We have described each of them individually so that you can get a better understanding of them.

Objective

An objective is a desired accomplishment and hence, conveys the “what” has to be achieved by employees. By nature, thus, an objective is both decisive and realistic. It is measurable, distinct, and should be obvious whether a goal has been achieved. Most significantly, an objective must provide unambiguous and specific value to an organization.

Key Result

A Key Result is associated with an objective and offers an understanding of how well an organization is performing and whether it is on the intended track to meet its objectives. It’s a measuring stick for the milestone or the target (objective). An objective should preferably include no more than five key results.

An example of differentiating objective and key results for a marketing team is:

Objective:

Increase market growth, compared to Q2, 2021.

Related Key Results:

Expand lead generation pipeline by 15%
Increase email marketing campaigns by 2X
Increase social media read by 3X

A step-by-step implementation guide of OKR best practices

Setting objectives is not a one-size-fits-all approach. To implement an OKR management framework successfully, an organization must plan out a variety of processes before, during, and after implementing the OKR checklist. Given below are some step-by-step guidelines for implementing OKR practices.

Goal, vision, mission, and strategy

In order to get the most out of an OKR program, organizations need to clearly understand their goals, mission, vision, and business strategies. OKRs should be based on your goals and business strategies; serve as a vehicle for fulfilling your vision, and be consistent with your overall mission statement.

Make sure the OKRs are simple

Ensure that OKRs are simple to understand and achievable. Too many objectives may make prioritizing and implementation difficult. Hence, begin by making OKR objectives separately for an organization and its teams. Ideally, each team should have a maximum of five objectives and three Key Results per objective.

Familiarizing employees with best practices of OKR

The ability to establish goals is a taught rather than being an intrinsic talent, thus, organizations must offer employees with sufficient directions on how to set achievable OKRs. Workshops are an excellent tool for helping newcomers to get familiarized with the OKR process.

Analyzing essential elements before developing OKRs

The business environment of an organization should define its methodologies for achieving objectives. Before developing OKRs, businesses should analyze several facets of their day-to-day operations, including headcount, management structure, and business processes.

Employee Participation

Occasionally, it may not be possible to include every employee in every step of the OKR-setting procedure. Employees should understand who is accountable for defining and monitoring OKRs at each level; which projects and KPIs they should prioritize; why the company is implementing a new goal-setting process, and how their work relates to the business.

Allow employees to contribute to the development of their own OKRs

Empower employees to actively participate in their own OKRs in order to foster autonomy. This may enable individuals to concentrate on initiatives that pique their interests; maximize their skill sets and advance their careers. Their supervisors may help ensure alignment with departmental and corporate OKRs, as well as fulfilling business requirements.

Defining OKRs in advance before each quarter

Start establishing OKRs prior to the beginning of the quarter, particularly company-level objectives. Developing team OKRs may also require significant work, preparation, and consensus.

In addition, you will need time to outline the strategies and programs that you will implement to achieve success on the Key Results. It is ideal to prepare OKRs two weeks before the beginning of the quarter. This way, you will be prepared when the OKR cycle begins.

Integrating Departmental OKRs with Organizational OKRs

OKRs for a specific department are distinct from those for the whole organization. However, they must align to support the organizational objectives to produce optimal outcomes. You can start working as a team today by using Engagedly’s solution (OKR/Goal Alignment platform), which offers you the best functionalities and ideas to create OKR for both department and organization.

Dedicated goal tracking software to maintain the quantitative nature of OKRs.

Tracking OKRs may be a difficult procedure for businesses of any size. To keep OKRs transparent and quantifiable, you may use a goal tracking software, which includes OKR performance evaluation tools and a specialized goal-tracking program.

Also Read: Know Why Your Organization Should Start Using An OKR Software

Evaluating OKRs through a grading system

Grading is the method through which organizations assess OKR performance objectively. OKRs are scored on a scale, ranging from 0.0 to 1.0. Each key outcome is rated, and the average of those grades is used to determine the grade for each goal.

If an employee consistently receives a perfect score on your OKRs, create more challenging objectives. Similarly, if an employee frequently scores less than 0.3 on your goals, it may be time to revise your objectives and key outcomes.

Sharing Developments

Meetings to review OKRs are crucial. Every quarter, employees, managers, and higher management should meet to review OKRs achievement, established at the beginning of the previous goal cycle. Managers’ review of feedback and management of direct reports should include OKRs in their one-on-one sessions.

Reward your employees for achieving OKRs

Reward your team after they have successfully met their OKRs at the end of a quarter since recognition is more like positive reinforcement. However, note that OKRs work as an efficient tool for goal alignment than for employee performance appraisal. Use OKRs with other assessment elements, such as agile metrics and workplace behavior, to analyze team success.

Analyzing to get insight and make corrections

Grading is an objective assessment, while learning is the process of examining success and failure within the OKR cycle. Evaluation of OKRs should occur often, but each cycle should also involve a more in-depth analysis of what went well; what did not go well, and what lessons may be transferred to the following cycle.

Top advantages of adopting the best OKR practices

Determine how the planned progress aligns with the mission, vision, strategies, and key objectives
Align and link your employees to your organization’s objectives
Make better judgments that are more effective and well-founded
Provide each team and employee with clear guidance
Increase productivity by concentrating on your objectives
Analyze the underlying reasons why goals are not met and work on them with the corrective measures
Enhance allocation of resources and their efficiency
Achieve transparency, accountability, and clarity.
Utilize weekly updates to gain perspective and understanding
Measure regular progress toward objectives
Manage accomplishment and execution with increased responsibility and transparency
Your goal-setting approach may help employees to feel more empowered and engaged
Enhance executive-level visibility and openness across the company
Establish clear and explicit objectives
Identify and document cross-functional linkages across teams

Summing up:

The OKRs framework is a potent instrument for assisting organizations in defining objectives and the corresponding quantifiable activities. Here are some concluding recommendations for making OKRs work for your organization:

Keep your OKR checklist simple and adaptable
Use the lessons learned from previous OKRs to iterate, design, and build new OKRs.
Establish OKRs periodically – preferably quarterly, or set OKRs at least every six months.
Ensure OKRs are aspirational, quantifiable, and transparent
Use technologies that facilitate and prioritize OKR tracking

To understand more about OKR best practices or how Engagedly software can enable you to better organize, measure, and accomplish your objectives, check out its features and book a demo. You can chat with one of our OKR specialists about your organization’s OKR or management requirements.

Want to know how Engagedly can help you manage your hybrid employees better? Request us for a demo.

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Performance Appraisal Checklist For Managers And Employees

Performance appraisals are important, but conducting them effectively and efficiently is even more important. Many managers and employees dread employee performance evaluations because of their complexity and convoluted structure. But what if we provided you with a performance appraisal checklist that lays out all the steps in a structured and easy-to-understand manner?

This article will discuss some important checks that every manager and employee should follow to get the most out of the evaluation process. Feel free to customize the list based on business and industrial requirements.

Performance Appraisal Checklist For Managers

The following performance review checklist will help managers in conducting a detailed evaluation of an employee.

☑ Have feedback sessions before the performance review

In the time leading up to the performance review, schedule feedback sessions with the employee, be they formal or informal. The appraisal process shouldn’t hit the employee like a lightning bolt from nowhere. Preparation is key!

☑ Lay out clear expectations

Setting out clear expectations should definitely be on your employee evaluation checklist. Do not assume employees know what is expected of them. Clarity is good for everyone involved in the review process.

☑ Create goals and objectives

Before you meet with an employee, review their past goals and objectives and outline the goals and objectives you would like for them to tackle this year. Having a good understanding of an employee goals will help you in providing them with clear and open feedback. Therefore, it must be a part of your employee performance review checklist.

Also Read: 8 Most Engaging Performance Review Examples for 2022

☑ Collect feedback from previous discussions

It’s always good to review the past feedback an employee has received (assuming you have collected some of that feedback in a place). This allows you to carry out a more nuanced review process rather than relying on just your memory.

☑ Be prepared to listen to feedback about yourself

A review process should not be a one-way street. When you share feedback about an employee’s performance, likewise employees too should be allowed to share feedback about your performance as a manager. After all, an employee’s performance also depends on how their manager leads them.

☑ Discuss long term plans

A performance appraisal is also a good time to discuss an employee’s future plans at the organization. Irrespective of whether those future plans will come to fruition or not, it’s good to discuss to where the employee envisions himself two years down the line or so. It can help you and the employee chart out prospective goals, inter-departmental moves, new job descriptions etc.

☑ Leave open room for negotiation

Don’t end the review process with a refusal to discuss it any further. Instead, the end of the review process should be like a free period, where you and the employee can discuss anything other than what was brought up during the review process. Employees too need room to express opinions and thoughts. Like I said before, a review process is not a one-way street. Communication should go both ways!

☑ Be ready to make some hard decisions

On the off chance that the review process is not going the way you envisioned, be ready to take a hardline. During the review process, you might find that you and the employee have completely different ideas of good work. Or you might discover egregious errors that have been previously swept under the rug etc. Alternatively, an employee might get recalcitrant or even worse, make a scene. It’s best to be prepared for any such eventuality, though if you have been communicating with the employee much before the review process even began, you will at least have an idea of what’s going on.

Performance Appraisal Checklist For Employees

The following performance review checklist will help employees in preparing for a strategic and open discussion with the reviewer.

☑ Do your homework

The first thing on your performance appraisal checklist should be a list of all the contributions you have made for the team. By doing your homework, I mean you need to think of all the possible situations your manager will discuss during the review process. You could always conduct a mock review to prep yourself for the actual review!

☑ Come prepared with facts and figures

Sometimes your manager might remember the specifics of all that you have done. Sometimes they might not. If you come to the review process armed with the right facts and figures, or proof of your work, it becomes easier for your manager to review your performance and adds more weight to the review.

☑ Steel yourself- Stay Calm and Think Rationally

When I say steel yourself, I don’t say you should go into a review meeting dreading the worst. What I do however mean is that you need to be mentally prepared to deal with all that the meeting throws at you. This means, that if you hear something you do not like, about your work, or the way you work, then you should be able to react calmly and rationally and get your point across, rather than getting angry, losing your temper or dissolving into tears. Emotions are not bad. However, they definitely do have their place and a performance review is not the place for them.

☑ Discuss about your future plans

A discussion about your future plans might be inevitable during the review process. Especially, if the review comes around at the end of the year. You should have at least some idea of what you want to work on. The idea in itself need not be concrete or set in stone. It should, however, give your manager and you an indication of what avenue you would like to pursue next.

☑ Draw up your own goals and objectives for the following year

Your manager might have his own set of goals prepared for you, but there’s no reason why you should not set a few goals of your own as well. These goals will give your manager a broader understanding of your work as well as your areas of expertise.

We hope the performance evaluation checklist discussed in this article will be helpful to you. Share your thoughts on what more an employee review checklist should contain in the comments below.

A Guide to Choosing the Best OKR Software for Your Business

One of the most widely accepted frameworks for strategy execution in an organization is Objectives and Key Results, often abbreviated as OKRs. For the success of an organization, each team and department in the entity should work towards the fulfilment of its overall business plan. The short-term objectives should align with the key results, and a consistent feedback mechanism should ensure performance management.

OKR is a management method that has helped organizations like Google and Intel align their team members with the right goals for their growth and success. It also steered LinkedIn to a market capitalization of over $20 billion.

The importance of implementing the goal-setting framework for an entity cannot be overstated. However, it is essential to understand that each organization differs in its size, goals, mission, core values, etc. Hence, your OKR tool has to align accordingly.

If you plan to roll out OKR for your team, the market has many tools to offer. These tools differ in their functionalities and the issues they prioritize. Hence, finding the right software for your business becomes quintessential. The selection process begins with obtaining an understanding of the framework and finding the right match to create a high-performance culture.

What is an OKR Management Platform?

Goal setting is a quintessential step in an organization’s journey to success. For most organizations, setting objectives and Key results begins with a simple spreadsheet. However, as an organization grows, it branches out in multiple directions, with each team contributing to the overall business strategy.

OKR software provides a convenient tool for setting goals, tracking progress, and measuring results in an organization. It also offers a platform for communication with subordinates and peers to ensure that the challenges are tackled before they become critical.

Also read: How company culture shapes employee engagement?

OKRs help organizations drive real performance by making employees accountable for their activities. Our expert guide on OKRs talks about how businesses just like yours can get started with them.

Take a look here. “The Ultimate Guide To OKRs And Templates.”

Best OKR software for your business

An OKR software follows the objective and key results methodology and ensures the fulfilment of business goals. With so many OKR tools in the market, choosing the right one for your business can become a tedious task. However, considering a few factors can help you find a perfect match for your organisation.

User-friendliness

Quality of user experience is the most important factor in the success of an OKR management software. The OKR software for your business should have a simple, clean interface that attracts and engages the users. The interface should be easy to navigate and use, even by members who lack a strong grip on the technology.

Getting new users on the platform, editing objectives and key results, and tracking progress should be hassle-free. The OKR tools should have a responsive design that offers optimum performance irrespective of the user device. The layout and instructions should be clear, even for new users. Also, you need to check the kind of customer support offered by the developers.

Size of the business

The size of your enterprise is an essential consideration when choosing the best OKR software for your business. You need to consider the number of members who will use the software. Also, the prospective size of the organization plays a critical role. Hence, plans for scaling up your company in the near future must be taken into consideration before choosing the OKR tool.

Business goals

Every organization has different reasons for choosing OKR tools. Your choice will depend on the type of organizational culture and the business needs you aim to fulfil.

To understand your requirements, you need to assess:

What are the key benefits that you wish to achieve from OKR framework execution?
Which of these goals are immediate?
What is the time frame for the other goals that you want to accomplish?
What are the challenges you plan to tackle with the OKR tool?

The answer to the above question will help you understand your requirements and streamline the selection process.

Some reasons for implementing OKR software are:

To set clear and specific business goals
To align employee performance with the business objectives
To enable employees to measure their contribution to key business results and boost engagement
To create accountability and empowerment for the workforce
To facilitate clear communication between management and team members

Coaching

Despite the popularity of the OKR framework, many organizations are unaware of the tools and the best OKR practices. Even the most effective OKR tool may fail to create the desired impact for your business if it is not executed and used in the right manner.

To use the OKR management software for your enterprise, you need to be aware of the OKR framework. Learning from a team of experts will enable you to set the right goals and leverage the best OKR practices for the success of your organization.

The need for coaching becomes paramount if you are implementing OKR tracking software in your business for the first time. The key to a successful OKR strategy execution is understanding the framework and the OKR software.

In the absence of a thorough understanding, an organization continues to use the OKR tools as an extension of their routine activities, which brings no productivity boost. Hence, it is essential to find software that also offers coaching by a team of experts for its successful execution in the entity.

Integration

Toggling between different software can be a cumbersome task. It can hinder employee productivity and can also make the OKR tool ineffective. Hence, to maximize the potential of your OKR tracking software, you need to ensure that it offers integration with other applications.

Take a look at the existing tools used by the various departments and make a list of the software that the product sales or marketing team would like to use in the future. Choose an OKR software that offers integration with these applications.

This will ensure that the team members can link their efforts to the business strategy and results. Also, the OKR tracking software should provide seamless integration with performance management tools within the organization.

Pricing

The price of OKR management software is an essential consideration. The pricing should be transparent, with no additional or hidden charges. However, it should never be considered the sole determinant when choosing a software solution.

Apart from the price, analyse whether the tool offers value for its investment. This requires considering factors like the size of the company, the functionality offered, integration with other tools, coaching by experts, etc.

For small businesses, pricing can be a critical factor, as the organization is still in its early stages and may suffer from financial restrictions. A suitable solution in such a case is to consider the desired functions and features to set a budget accordingly.

This will allow you to make a comparison between different software that offers the functionalities and fits your budget. Also, it is advisable to try out a free trial version of the software before you make the ultimate commitment. This will help you understand how well the OKR tracking software fits your organizational needs.

Data protection

Irrespective of its size and business objectives, data is the most valuable asset for any organization. Hence, it needs to be protected from data leakage and confidentiality breach.

Once you roll out OKR software, it becomes an ultimate part of your organization. The process of goal setting involves sharing a lot of critical organizational information and data. Hence, it is important to ensure that this information remains confidential and well protected.

Before you choose the best OKR software for your business, you need to ensure that it complies with the major data protection and GDPR guidelines.

Conclusion

The OKR management platform enables an organization to achieve unprecedented results through clear goal-setting and performance evaluation. It allows each team to contribute to organizational success by focusing their efforts on the business objectives and key results.

The OKR tools make the strategy execution process more convenient by providing a platform for continuous evaluation and monitoring. It helps each member to track their progress to the organizational goals and boosts employee morale and engagement. Also, it creates a sense of accountability on the part of employees as they can see their contribution to the organisational objectives.

OKR tools enable goal-setting, as well as continuous monitoring to ensure that any discrepancies are addressed at the earliest. It also provides a means for consistent communication with subordinates, as well as peers. Hence, OKR software bridges the gap between strategy execution and performance evaluation and helps in achieving organizational results.

However, the best OKR management platform for each organisation depends on the specific requirements, size, functionality, budget, and software integration needs of the entity. Hence, for a successful OKR execution, an organisation needs to find the balance between available financial resources and desired functions.

Finance OKRs Examples- Balance Growth, Cost, And Efficiency

Finance leaders and strategists are at the helm of managing the cash flow, revenue streams, and expenses of the organization. With such responsibilities at their shoulders, it is important for them manage their goals and activities effectively to achieve organizational objectives.

Enter, Finance OKRs, a methodology to help finance leaders operationalize and streamline their tasks to focus on key areas and harbinger results.

Finance OKRs have become an important part of performance management in today’s changing business environment. Many thoughtful leaders are adopting them to accomplish their organizations’ most important financial goals. The Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) methodology is one of the most simple and effective ways for goal setting and monitoring.

In this article, we will discuss Finance OKRs and provide pragmatic examples that you can use in your organization.

Also Read: Marketing OKRs examples

Finance OKRs Examples

Writing OKRs for the finance department can be a daunting task, especially when you are doing it for the first time. You must be aware of the critical areas that require your attention, as well as what you must track and monitor. Well-written OKRs can help increase the productivity of the team by aligning team members’ objectives with the organization’s goals. And it requires several improvement cycles to come up with the winning OKRs.

You can refer to the below guide to understand the process of writing effective and successful business OKRs and recreate them for your finance team.

Also Read: The Essential Guide To OKRs: Your Ultimate Tool To Setting Winning Goals

Objective 1 – Strengthen and make the auditing process transparent

Key results –

Complete an internal audit before the end of Q3
Audit 60% of the identified risks
Prepare a monthly report to avoid loss of data
Identify departments and process where repeated losses occur

Objective 2- Get budget variance to less than 5% (budget to actual)

Key results –

Identify loss areas and reduce unnecessary expenditure by 80% by Q4 2017-18
List all categories that have used excess of budget more than 3 times in last 6 months
Identify the categories where repeated losses occur

Objective 3- Improve annual budgeting and business planning

Key results –

Increase Average Monthly Revenue Growth Rate to 20%
Reduce costs for the budget meeting by 50 percent
Close the final budget by November 30th
Have each business line manager start using our online dashboards

Objective 4- Create annual financial strategy

Key results –

Finalize budget by Q4 FY 2020-2021
Active discussions all the team function managers by Q4 FY 2020-2021

Objective 5- Make quarterly financial analysis processes more efficient

Key results-

Create a strategic plan for optimizing the 5 most important processes
Organize 3 webinars per month discussing the importance of internal reporting
Create customizable internal templates for quick reporting

Objective 6- Make financial reporting more transparent

Key results-

Payment processing time to be reduced from 22 hours to 18 hours
Automate categorizing every invoice based on the type of expense
Primary documentation to be reduced from 80% to 50%

Also read: Goal Setting Processes – OKR vs KPI

Objective 7- Reducing payroll errors

Key results-

Create a 3 step verification process including maker, checker, and verifier
Reduce payroll errors to vendors and consultants by 30%
Reduce error resolution time from 48 hours to 36 hours

Final Thoughts On Finance OKRs

Goal setting is critically important to reaching organizational objectives. With the help of methodologies like OKRs, organizations can create and analyze the progress of their most important goals. The finance team OKRs discussed in this article will help your team gain greater visibility into their goals, making them more accountable for their performance.

Customer Success OKRs [Importance & Examples]

As per a report by Hubspot, growing companies are 21% more likely to give importance to customer success than their stagnant counterparts.

Customers are often referred to as the lifeline of every organization as they determine their failures or success. Organizations take a conscious effort to retain their existing customers and attract new ones. So it becomes crucial for all to have an efficient customer success team in place. They play an important role in all the stages of the customer life cycle and act as a direct connection between customers and your company.

Moreover, they help in creating and nurturing a strong relationship between the organization and its customers. In this article, we will guide you on how to set effective OKRs for your customer success team so that they provide amazing customer support continuously. But before we learn more about OKRs for a customer success team, let’s first understand what OKRs are and Why you should use them.

Also Read: The Essential Guide To OKRs: Your Ultimate Tool To Setting Winning Goals

What Are OKRs?

OKRs or Objective and Key Results is a goal-setting framework that has been adopted by successful organizations such as Google, Amazon, Disney, LinkedIn, and more. The concept of OKRs was first introduced in the ’70s at Intel by Andy Grove. Later, it was popularized by John Doerr when he introduced it at Google in 1999. It became a central element to Google’s culture as a management methodology, which will help focus company efforts on the same important issue throughout the organization.

OKRs consists of two components, namely:

– Objectives : a clearly defined goal to be achieved

– Key Results : measurable steps to achieve the objectives

Each objective ideally should have 3-5 associated key results. An ideal OKR should answer two basic questions: ‘What do you want to achieve?’ and ‘How will you achieve it?’.

Also Read: Goal Setting Processes: KPI VS OKR

Why Use Customer Success OKRs?

The benefits associated with OKRs have made it a popular goal-setting tool among all organizations. Here are some of them:

Focussed : OKRs are limited in number and set for a quarter or any specific time interval. It helps the team and the team members to focus and prioritize their tasks, depending on what is important for the month and the quarter.

Aligned : OKRs make it easy to align every employee’s goal to the organizational goal and vision.

Stretchable : OKRs allows organizations to push themselves a step ahead and set stretch goals for themselves. As John Doerr says, “Larry Page of Google is the high priest of 10x-ing everything, stretching further. He’ll say, ‘I’d rather have the objective be to go to Mars, and if we fall short, we’ll get to the moon. This is how you make moonshots.’”

Accountability : Everyone is accountable for their own goals and knows how success will be measured and who is responsible

Customer Success OKR Examples

Customers success OKRs are helpful at every stage of the customer success journey. Be it production, support, team performance, and customer experience, having well-defined OKRs for customer success leads to clarity and better output. Along with proper OKRs, make sure to invest in customer experience programs which can increase the interaction of your reps with the customers and help to elevate the customer satisfaction.

Check out the customer success OKR examples below to you get started with effective and measurable goal setting in your team.

Customer Experience OKR Examples

Objective 1: Improve Customer Satisfaction Index in Q4 by 30%

Key Results:

– Conduct 50 customer satisfaction surveys every month

– Conduct monthly interviews with 10 recently churned customers

– Achieve a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 10.0

Team Performance OKR Examples

Objective 2: Maximize Performance and Efficiency of the Support Team

Key Results:

– Ensure that the team attends at least three training sessions every month

– Organize business communication programs for new joiners

– Conduct weekly team huddle meetings to discuss issues faced by team members

Objective 3: Increasing Customer Product Adoption Through Exemplary Customer Service

Key Results:

– Resolve customer onboarding issues within 2 hours

– Provide product updates while resolving issues

– Inform every customer regarding upcoming services and updates that are relevant to them

Also Read: Wondering How To Set OKRs For The Engineering Team?

Customer Support OKR Examples

Objective 4: Reduce The Turnaround Time and Provide Resolution within SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Key Results:

– Critical issues response time should be one hour and resolved within a day

– Each member of the customer support team resolves eight customer issues every day

– Standardize or automate solutions for five similar issues every quarter

– All customer complaints receive a response within 48 hours

Production OKR Examples

Objective 5: Help Customers get Maximum value from the product

Key Results:

– Smooth onboarding and training of all new customers

– Communicate issues and bugs on time to all existing customers

– Schedule downtime and maintenance activities on weekends

Conclusion

OKRs are a time-tested tool that is being used by numerous Fortune 500 organizations to keep track of their most important organizational goals. We hope the OKRs for customer success discussed in this article will help you get started with goal setting in your organization.

The Complete Guide To Employee Health And Wellbeing Strategy

Employees’ health and wellbeing initiatives have always been a crucial offering of most organizations, but of recent have even gained more traction. The pandemic has presented us with a cruel reminder of why having an employee health and wellbeing strategy is essential for any organization. The report of increased stress levels, loneliness, anxiety, and sick days has highlighted more than ever the benefits of having a happy and fit workforce.

Also read: Employee Wellbeing And Absenteeism At Work

Since employees are the backbone of every organization, it is necessary to pay attention to their mental, physical and financial wellbeing. This article will explore the meaning of employee health and wellbeing strategy. We will also highlight steps you can take to develop an employee wellbeing strategy or, if one exists, improve it.

What is Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategy?

Before describing the employee wellbeing strategy, let’s first define what employee wellbeing is. Employee wellbeing refers to the physical, physiological, and financial welfare of employees of an organization. Therefore, an organizational wellbeing strategy is a plan, system, or actions taken to achieve the health and wellbeing of employees.

The goal is to have a system or culture that helps employees thrive to the best of their ability. A study by SFM shows that 77% of companies have an employee wellbeing program. Another survey by Buffet National Wellness reveals that only 36% of organizations evaluate the effectiveness of employee wellbeing programs. A successful strategy ties the wellbeing program to other organizational strategic objectives-allowing management to measure its effectiveness.

What Areas Should Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategy Address?

When most people hear about employee wellbeing programs, they think of the psychological health aspect alone. But it also comprises the financial and physical. It is the holistic view of all three combined. And while you may lean towards one more than the others, it’s best to have elements of all when preparing an organizational wellbeing strategy.

Physical Wellbeing

Physical wellbeing is all about encouraging your employees to take their physical health seriously. A study published in ACOEM and led by Nicolaas P. Pronk shows that physically fit employees are more likely to engage more in the workplace. They are also more productive. Physical wellbeing aims to help employees stay fit through exercising and eating healthy. It is trying to help employees build healthy physical habits.

They are various ways organizations promote these habits, and some are:

Offering a discount on a gym membership
Free healthy snacks
Healthy Cooking Classes
Massage Therapist
Fitness resources and workout videos, etc.

These are some examples of physical employee wellbeing activities in an organization. Some employers also provide health information like taking walks every thirty minutes, sitting positions to help with posture and back pains, or even specialized tables and chairs to help you practice these healthy work habits.

One aspect that seems not to pop up as often is the importance of rest and sleep. A study by AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) shows workers who report sleeping 5-6 hours experienced 19% productivity loss, and those who slept under 5 hours were 29% less productive. Adequate rest is as essential as exercise and nutrition when thinking about the wellbeing of your employees.

Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is the one that has attracted the most attention in recent times because of the pandemic. It covers the state of the employee’s mind. Issues like a sense of meaning in what they do in the workplace, personal accomplishments, and working relationships factor into the employee’s mental wellbeing.

Some ways organizations have helped tackle this is by offering.

Flexible Working days
Offering mandatory mental health training for managers
Offering courses on mental health
Reviewing and managing the workload of employees
Providing the tools necessary to deliver on their assignments
Meditation classes
Non-monetary rewards
Access to a psychologist

A study by the World Health Organisation shows that the global economy loses up to 1 trillion dollars because of depression and anxiety. The figure shows just how important the mental health of employees is.

An essential aspect of mental wellbeing is its social aspect. How employees interact with their coworkers and bosses in the workplace is crucial. As well as their social support system outside the workplace, like friends and family members. A positive relationship can help them bring about a decent level of stability.

Financial Wellbeing

Financial wellbeing is crucial because one primary reason people work is to earn money. It covers the present upkeep of the employees, retirement plans, job security, and debt management.

One thing we saw during the pandemic was layoffs, something that threatened the financial wellbeing of many people. Another was cuts or removal of certain perks.

So what are some ways in which employers have tried to support their employees?

Complimentary perks like; free movie tickets or coffee.
Discounts on meals in certain restaurants or holiday destinations.
Cashback schemes.
Vouchers at certain grocery stores.
Insurance and pension packages
Payment schemes for smartphones and laptops

Now that we have gone through the three primary aspects of health and wellbeing. Let’s look at why companies need to take them seriously.

Why is Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategy Important to Companies?

Every organization wants assurance about their investments or at least proof that the investment is worthwhile. Most companies that have not taken the wellbeing strategy in the workplace seriously argue that it isn’t necessary. This assumption couldn’t be more inaccurate. A well-executed employee wellbeing strategy has its advantages, some of which we will highlight in this section.

Improves Productivity

A well-executed wellbeing strategy can lead to improved productivity. A 2017 GSK study that surveyed workers in China, India and the Philippians revealed 60% of them said they experienced head pain relating to their jobs, leading to loss of productivity. Health and wellness programs improve employee engagement, which in turn improves employee productivity.

Also read: The Impact Of Employee Engagement On Productivity

Helps to Reduce Costs

A company with an ineffective employee health and wellness program is a company that will react to health-related problems. The disadvantage of reacting rather than being proactive to situations is that the company pays for them. And we mean literally, it will cost you more to treat a problem than to prevent it.

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, employers on average can save $3.48 on lower health care and $5.82 on absenteeism costs for every $1 spent on employee wellbeing.

Helps to Reduce Stress Levels

Stress is a problem every organization seeks to minimize. A CDC study revealed that 40% of workers are extremely stressed and 25% of them experience burnout often. Stress levels can be regulated and maintained with the proper wellness plan in place.

Attracts Talents

According to a 2019 survey by safety and health magazine, 87 percent of workers between 18-34 consider employee health and wellbeing when choosing a Job. This is proof that talents today are watching out for companies that take good care of their employees. Another study by APA showed employees are also more likely to recommend a company as a good place to work if they support wellbeing initiatives. These studies prove that an excellent program will attract the best talents.

Improves Employee Retention

Fatigue and burnout are two deep concerns for organizations. A study by the American Psychological Association shows that employees are 2.6 times more likely to quit their jobs due to fatigue. The same report also revealed that people are 23% more likely to visit an emergency room and 69% more likely to call in sick.

All the above points are viable reasons you should start an employee health and wellbeing program and if one already exists, work on it to get better.

Also read: Employee Retention Strategy: How To Retain Top Talent?

Key Points to Consider for a Successful Employee Health and Wellbeing Strategy

When it comes to implementing the right organizational wellbeing strategy, it isn’t a one-fit-all approach. Each organization has their own peculiar need, and therefore it requires a lot of customization from the HR team. This section will highlight some tips to remember when setting up an employee wellbeing initiative.

Know Your Employees

The first thing to remember is you cannot set up an employee wellbeing program when you do not know their pain point. It’s easy to be swept away by what other companies are introducing, but remember that each organization has its own tailored needs. The first thing you need to do is take a kind of census. It can be a quick survey highlighting the pressing needs of the employees. The essential thing to note is to involve them in the development process.

Link Wellbeing Strategy to Company Objectives

One way to make sure your health and wellbeing strategy goes well is to tie the goals to business objectives. Doing this ensures that you are clear on the goals of the employee wellbeing program. An example is setting a goal of reducing absenteeism by 5% within the next two years.

Setting an obvious goal ensures that the company can keep track. Another goal that can complement this is to improve revenue by 5% in the same period. Setting these goals allows you to measure the effectiveness of the health and wellbeing initiative.

Also read: 3 Factors To Remember While Setting Employee Goals

Get Leadership Support

For any strategy to succeed, it must come from top management. As the HR team involves employees, it’s also important to involve senior management. A study by APA shows that 73% of employees supported by their top management said their wellbeing initiative program was effective. Only 11% of employees not backed by senior management agreed the health and wellbeing initiative was effective.

Communicate The Initiative Frequently

One vital aspect of implementing any strategy is communicating effectively. Part of your strategy will be an engaging way to launch the program. How would you pitch the idea to the employees?

Ideally, there shouldn’t be a problem since they were involved, but there is nothing wrong with reminding them of the issues the wellbeing program solves. It is also best to have weekly, bi-weekly or monthly reminders on the wellness programs employees have access to so they make use of them. It’s also essential to introduce new employees to the various perks to stay informed.

Take Regular Feedback

No strategy is perfect, so you need feedback from those using the program. Employee feedback is key in improving and adapting the health and wellbeing strategy for the organisation. It also keeps employees engaged with the program. Companies can carry out feedback quarterly, bi-annually, or annually to get a feel of its effect.

Continue Improving the Process

Collecting feedback is only one of the two-step processes. Implementing and putting the feedback into effect is the other side of the process.

A bonus tip here is when starting, begin with a few initiatives. Monitor and improve them, and when ingrained into the company system, add another wellbeing activity to it. For example, if your company starts a subsidised gym membership, don’t start with a mental health first training session at the same time.

It’s best to have other wellbeing activities that complement the subsidized gym membership, like nutrition classes. This way, you can measure their effectiveness since they aim to achieve the same goal – employees in better physical shape.

In conclusion, creating a successful employee health and wellbeing strategy isn’t a walk in the pack. It involves research on the needs of the organization and the employees, and trial and error. What will make the process a success is it involves everyone, from the employees to top management.

Learn how Engagedly can help you with employee health and wellbeing by requesting us for a demo.

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Leadership In Times of Crisis: How To Lead Efficiently

The real test of leadership does not occur when everything is sailing smoothly. Rather, leadership is oftentimes tested during a crisis. The way a leader behaves and acts during a crisis will establish their credentials as a good leader or a poor one. In this article, we will discuss the importance of leadership in times of crisis and how crisis leadership can provide a way to lead effectively.

Continue reading “Leadership In Times of Crisis: How To Lead Efficiently”

Why is there such a blatant gap in employment in the workforce between men and women?

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The Vicious Loop of Bias-Prejudice-Discrimination

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-46016" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Beige-Blue-Yellow-Simple-Gender-Equality-Campaign-Instagram-Post.png" alt="Gender equality challenges at the workplace" width="500" height="500" />

How to fight this loop?

Also Read: Building Diversity and Inclusion at Your Workplace!

Glaring Pay Disparity

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-46017" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Purple-Pink-Quote-Womens-Rights-Social-Media-Post.png" alt="Pay disparity in gender" width="500" height="500" />

How to bridge the gap?

Also Read: What Is Pay Transparency? Pros and Cons

The Arduous Chain of Expectations, Rising Stress Levels, and Burnout

Also Read: How to Foster a Positive Work Environment and Reduce Anxiety!

Why is it that women leaders and workforce are not able to adapt to and adopt this ‘hustle culture’ with aplomb?

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-46018" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Grey-Burnout-Syndrome-Illustration-Instagram-Post.png" alt="burnout at workplace" width="500" height="500" />

How to break this chain?

The Oppression of Sexual Harassment and Microaggressions

How to battle this?

The Uphill Climb Toward Becoming a C-Suite Leader

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-46019" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Grey-Pink-Simple-Business-Leaders-Instagram-Post.png" alt="female business leaders" width="500" height="500" />

How to scale up?

Also Read: Five Inspiring Examples of Coaching and Mentoring at the Workplace!

Final Thoughts

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the top five challenges faced by female team members?

Q2. How does gender inequality affect leadership?

Q3. What is the best solution for gender inequality?

Understand What Drives Workplace Satisfaction for Your Team

Define Communication Preferences and Expectations

Also Read: Why Does Workplace Communication Matter?

Identify Strengths and Encourage Stimulating Work

Create Opportunities for Bonding and Collaboration

Don’t Neglect Your Own Growth as a Leader

In Closing

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is a multigenerational workplace?

Q2. What are some of the challenges in a multigenerational workplace?

Q3. What are the significant benefits of a multigenerational workplace?

What is quiet quitting?

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-44628 size-medium" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Untitled-design-4.png" alt="Burnout at work and quiet quitting" width="300" height="251" />

Who are the employees quietly quitting?

What’s the reason behind quiet quitting?

Promotes mental wellness

Protects against burnout

Improves workplace relationships

Also read: Building a positive workplace culture!

Signs of quiet quitting at work

Impact of this quiet quitting trend on businesses

Impact of this quiet quitting trend on employees

What can businesses do to counter the impact of quiet quitting?

Promote open dialogue

Encourage a good work-life balance

Make sure your staff feels appreciated

Also read: How to make your employee recognition programs work!

Try not to overwork your employees

Create opportunities for career growth

Take feedback from your team

Invest in an employee engagement tool

Also read: Employee experience vs. employee engagement

The bottom line

OKR Software Features To Look For

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42128" src="https://engagedly.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/OKR-2.png" alt="OKR software features" width="900" height="600" />1. Easy And Simple to Use By Everyone

Also Read: Why OKRs Are Crucial When Onboarding New Employees

2. Flexible and Customizable

3. Allows Comment

Also Read: Have You Set Effective OKRs For Your Customer Success Team?

4. Cascade and Align

5. Dashboards and Insights

1. Setting Goals

Also Read: Leadership traits that drive high engagement!

2. Being Open to Change

3. Learning from People Around Them

Also Read: How Important Is Feedback In Today’s World?

4. Reflecting on Their Progress

5. Balancing Emotions

Also Read: The Different Kinds Of Awkward Situations At The Workplace

6. Being the Best Version of Themselves

Why is Company Culture Important?

1. Increased employee engagement

2. Raised Productivity

Also Read: 5 Tried and Tested Ways to Improve Employee Productivity

1. Easy And Simple to Use By Everyone