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Author: Srikant Chellappa

Srikant Chellappa is the Co-Founder and CEO at Engagedly and is a passionate entrepreneur and people leader. He is an author, producer/director of 6 feature films, a music album with his band Manchester Underground, and is the host of The People Strategy Leaders Podcast.

30+ Smart Performance Review Questions For Employees

Conducting a good performance evaluation is a skill, that you need to develop if you want to have the most productive employee evaluation sessions. If you ask the wrong questions, at best, your employee evaluations will waste time, and at worst, it could actively offend your employees and be interpreted as a personal attack; you don’t want either of these two things happening to you. If you are someone who struggles to ask good performance evaluation questions, don’t worry about it. We’ll guide you on how to write the best performance review questions to make your employee evaluation sessions effective. 

Why do you need to ask better performance evaluation questions?

Asking better questions benefits both you and your employees. When you ask insightful questions that balance your employee’s positive and negative aspects, they become more motivated. If you fail to ask constructive and meaningful questions, your employees could experience demotivation and deteriorating workplace relationships. 

When you ask the right questions, you frame the entire evaluation session in a productive manner. People react positively to constructive feedback because it encourages them to focus on improvement. Good questions bring out the best in your employees.

Asking specific questions allows you to delve deeply into your employee’s problems and understand how they develop. So, develop an effective and intelligent line of questioning to understand your employees’ challenges.

Naturally, the right way to work on your employee evaluation question skills is to think about what type of questions you need to ask.

How to Structure Performance Review Questions?

A good employee evaluation should be structured logically. You need to ask questions in a logical and rational flow that involves asking relevant questions one after another. For example, you could ask your employee about their performance regarding a specific task, and then follow up by asking whether there was any better way to do it, and then you could ask how that employee could improve their performance in that task. 

Also read: What Is A Performance Management System

In this article, we will discuss some tips on how to structure the review questions and also share some sample evaluation questions for employees to get the most out of them.

Tips To Structure Performance Review Questions

Use the following tips on structuring employee evaluation questions for the next review cycle.

1. Gauge Overall Performance 

The best way to start an employee appraisal session is to gauge your employee’s overall performance. Doing so will provide you with a useful overall perspective of your employee. It will help you to delve into individual issues and performance aspects. Your goal at this step is to develop the most accurate overall perspective of the employee’s performance. 

You can achieve this overall picture by asking relevant objective questions such as “What motivates you to do your job?”, or “Do you feel satisfied with your overall performance in your job?”. These questions help deepen your understanding of where your employees think they stand. Remember that your employees’ answers are just their perspective, so try to balance their perceptions with objective employee performance data. 

One thing you don’t want to do is to ask vague or intimidating questions like “How would you rate your performance out of 10?”. These questions only add to your employee’s anxiety, and it would frame the session in a hostile way. This part of the session should conclude with you developing an accurate overall idea of your employee’s profile.

2. Employee Strengths

Research by Gallup highlights that employees who received feedback on their strengths had 14.9% lower turnover rates than those who received no feedback.

The second phase should be to focus on your employee’s strengths. The benefits of approaching things positively is that it uplifts your employee’s morale. Another benefit of starting positively is that it will make addressing their problems later on easier.

In this stage, ask your employee performance evaluation questions like “What personal strengths do you think help you the most with your job?”, or “What do you feel makes you a good employee?”. When you phrase questions positively, your employees will also see them in a better light. You will come across as a caring and concerned manager. These questions also offer your employees the opportunity to share their opinions or concerns with you.

One of your goals is to better understand the mindset of your employees in terms of their strengths. What you want is to really pinpoint exactly those things that your employees believe they do best and evaluate how accurate their assessments of their own skills are. This part of the session should conclude with you being able to list perceived strengths and abilities of your employees. Remember to also balance the information your employee gives you with objective employee performance data for a more objective overall analysis.

3. Identifying Areas of Improvement

Once you’ve figured out what your employees feel they do best, it’s time to focus on what they do worst. Every employee, no matter how skilled or experienced, will always have areas that need improvement. Sometimes, your employees will recognize it, but other times, you’ll have to guide them. 

Start this segment by asking your employees about their opinion on their weakest areas, but don’t phrase the questions in a hostile manner. Ask something like “What do you want to focus on improving the most?”. Avoid asking anything like “What’s your biggest problem?”. Phrasing your question in a positive way makes it easiest to discuss your employee’s problems, which is a naturally controversial topic. 

It’s important to handle this session with the utmost care because employees can very easily interpret questions about their problems as being hostile. No one enjoys receiving value judgments about themselves, so it’s important to provide that information carefully. You do not want your employees to feel insecure. 

When done properly, your employees will walk away from the improvement section with a renewed sense of purpose and increased determination.

Also read: 10 Benefits of 360 Degree Feedback

4. Help Them Understand  The Current Role

Once you and your employee have understood your employee’s problems and strengths, it’s time to focus on your employee’s current role. For this section, your goal is to develop a concrete perception of your employee’s tasks and clarify anything they don’t misunderstand.

The relevant employee evaluation questions you need to ask are “ What is your number one goal in your current position?”, and “What tasks do you enjoy completing the most?”. These questions will clarify your employees’ understanding of their position. During this part of the session, you should be especially diligent to note down any specific misconceptions that your employees have. 

You should then focus on correcting those misconceptions. Employees need to understand what their purpose is in the organization. By offering this clarification, not only will your employees do their jobs better, it’ll also improve morale by hinting about future advancements. This section will have been successful if it concludes with both you and your employee having a shared definition of their role in the company.   

5. Providing Future Outlook

After giving your employee’s a better understanding of their position today, it’s time to raise their expectations by giving them a glimpse of tomorrow. In this section of the performance review, it’s time to demystify your employee’s future in your company, what they can and can’t achieve, as well what skills they need to do it. 

Ask performance evaluation questions like “What position do you want to achieve in the future?”, and “What are your most important goals for the next quarter?”. These questions will allow you to gauge your employee’s level of future planning and assist them in working towards those goals. Your priority when asking these questions is to fully understand what your employees want in the future and to guide them on how they can get it. 

After your employees answer your questions, you need to steer the conversation in terms of what they could realistically achieve in a given timeframe, and how. You need to inform them of all the skills, experiences, and achievements they need to fulfill their ambitions. Doing so will motivate your employees because they’ll have a better perspective on what to do. The goal of this session is to give an optimistic picture to your employees about their future. 

6. Manager-Employee Relationship

Now that you know what your employees think about themselves, what their goals are, and you’ve given them guidance on how to achieve those goals, it’s time to focus on their relationship with you. An employee could be the most ambitious and talented individual in the world, but if they view their direct superior, you, as a roadblock to their ambitions, your workplace relationship will deteriorate. The goal of this portion of the session is to investigate your employee’s opinion of you and give them hope their concerns will be addressed. 

You need to ask performance appraisal questions like “What can I do to make work better for you?” and “How do you feel about working under my leadership?”. These questions will provide your employees with the freedom of expression to convey their concerns to you in a calm and rational manner. 

The most important part of this process is to not force your employees to reveal information they don’t want to. Instead, your employees should feel that this is a friendly invitation to offer constructive criticism to correct any management problems they face. You need to reassure your employee that their concerns will be addressed. You’ll know you’re successful if your employee walks away from this section feeling their problems are about to be fixed.

Questions to ask in Performance Reviews (Sample)

Performance Review Questions: Overall Performance 

  1. What all accomplishments are you proud of in this year?
  2. State some of the factors that motivated you to achieve your goals.
  3. What all goals were to able to achieve?
  4. What goals did you fall short of?
  5. What all factors kept you going to achieve your goals?
  6. What work setup do you think is the most productive for you?

Performance Review Questions: Employee Strengths

  1. What personal and professional skills do you think are important for you to achieve your goals?
  2. What job competencies do you possess?
  3. What kind of job role defines you?
  4. What are some specific tasks or projects where you feel you excel?
  5. What do you believe are your top three strengths as an employee?
  6. Can you give an example of how you have used your creativity or problem-solving skills to benefit the organization?

Performance Review Questions: Improvement Areas 

  1. What according to you are your areas of improvement?
  2. Are there any deliverables in which you could have done better?
  3. What are your focus areas for the next quarter?
  4. How can the management support you in doing better in your job?

erformance Review Questions: Current Role 

  1. Are there any parts of your current job role that you do not like?
  2. What responsibilities do you like in your current role?
  3. How does your role add value to the organization?

Performance Review Questions: Future Outlook

  1. What does your ideal future profile look like?
  2. What personal skills do you plan to build for the next 3 to 4 quarters?
  3. Do you think you have the right resources to build your desired future profile?
  4. What role would you like to take in the next 2 to 3 years?
  5. What are your long-term career goals and how do you see your current role fitting into those goals?
  6. How do you see your skills or job responsibilities evolving in the next year?
  7. How do you envision your role and responsibilities changing in the next year, and what do you see as potential challenges or opportunities?

Performance Review Questions: Manager-Employee Relationship

  1. Is there any instance where did not get enough support from the manner?
  2. Do you require more personalized feedback on the performance?
  3. Are there any suggestions you would like to put forward to make our relationship better?
  4. Do you think you get enough recognition for your work?
  5. Would like to receive feedback, in-person or virtual?
Also read: Five Ways To Build Better Teams

Conclusion

The performance review session concludes after the previous set of employee evaluation questions. You’ll know that the performance review session was a success if, after completion, your employees have a better understanding of their position, their strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, limitations, and problems. The session should provide your employees with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation, invigorating them to work better the next quarter. As long as your questions are direct, objective, clear, and insightful, meaning you ask the best performance review questions, your session will be a great success. 

Performance Reviews

5 Mobile Learning Ideas to Improve Employee Performance

Mobile learning has revolutionized employee training. It brought in more streamlined and valuable lessons.

Employers found it difficult to provide training to employees. Sure, a fraction of the problem may be on the employees — they may be hard to handle — but a big part of the problem might be ineffective training methods. 

If you provide limited resources and zero exposure to reskilling or upskilling opportunities, your employees may be struggling. Consequently, you could see a dramatic decrease in engagement, memory retention rates, productivity levels, and more.

Want to improve things?

mobile learning ideas

Explore mobile learning and mobile learning ideas. In this article, we’ll cover the best ways to create a mobile-based learning environment that will improve employee performance.

Use a Mobile Learning Platform

A mobile learning platform is any tool that gives learners access to educational resources from mobile devices, offering incomparable convenience. Through mobile learning, employees can access your training portal whenever and wherever.

Like any LMS or Learning Management System, a mobile learning platform also enhances learning. 

Also Read: How an LMS makes HR Tasks Simpler and Easier?

Here are tips on making the most of using a mobile learning platform:

  • Make it effortless to get started – Design an easy-to-use learning portal. If your employees feel mentally challenged when they use it for the first time, they’re less likely to attend the training sessions.
  • Choose a platform with LMS features – Use platforms like Engagedly to invest in employee development. The tool’s LMS features allow you to track learning and import reporting and analytics. And because it’s mobile-enabled, you can use it to conveniently access your training goals and OKRs or Objectives and Key Results.
  • Create section breaks – Design your training system in a digestible format. And if possible, include media that will aid learning. For example, feature visual information or infographics every five chapters.

Provide Easily Accessible and Engaging Learning Modules

Distribute training materials your employees can pick up from the get-go — it’s one of the most successful learning and development strategies. Not only does it allow them to apply lessons in real life, but it also accelerates their professional growth and development.

Also, leverage this fact: engaging modules are synonymous with microlearning (learning in small units and short-term learning activities). Almost everyone can learn fast if engaged with easy-to-understand modules. 

Here are the best practices for creating modules:

  • Use images and video training apps – Appeal to your employees visually. And address the fact that attention spans are getting shorter as time goes on. Your employees will have higher chances of understanding lessons if you feature entertainment and immersive experiences.
  • Ask questions to employees – Talk to them individually to determine their learning goals. Ask them for suggestions, too. Then, use their answers as the basis for creating a learning system and ensure that this system resonates with their needs and wants.
  • Apply spaced repetition – Create quizzes and deliver them at regular intervals. Then, incorporate the lessons from one chapter into the following chapters. The idea is to help them retain core knowledge and boost long-term memory skills.

Gamify Learning

Gamification is when you apply point scoring, competitions, and other typical elements of a gaming environment to learning. Gamifying the workplace allows you to create a fun working environment where everybody thrives and pushes each other to the limit.

Engagedly has extraordinary gamification features. It features a system logo, custom badges, intuitive scoring, and a gift card catalog. These are real-time features, too.

Here are the best practices of gamification:

  • Set up a leaderboard system – Present a visual representation of competition and allow social comparison. It lets employees monitor their progress concerning other players. It also encourages them to unleash their competitive spirits and strive to do better.
  • Award badges to high-performing employees – Give credit where credit is due and congratulate employees every time they perform well. Receiving badges motivates them to continue with their laudable performance. It also inspires their fellows to do great work.
  • Use storytelling – Give employees a reason to interact with your content. Start by creating relevant and engaging context, then flesh out storylines, ideas, and conversations. If you want to entice them some more, embed relatable stories into the context.

Launch a Mentorship Program

In a mentorship program, you pair senior employees with junior employees. In this arrangement, juniors can ask questions and get advice from their more seasoned peers. They can gather information about their tasks and responsibilities, and maybe hear some words of wisdom.

A mentorship program complements mobile learning. Instead of leaving employees to take in learning from their mobile devices, they get in-person advice from the people with experience — the seniors who already know how to do what’s being taught in the educational videos and other things that an LMS cannot teach.

Here are ways to launch an effective mentorship program:

  • Attract participants – Introduce the mentorship program and emphasize its benefits. Then, encourage employees to join of their own volition. Instead of making the mentorship program mandatory, make it available to those who want to join. 
  • Guide mentors and mentees – Create a straightforward plan to direct the mentors and mentees toward your training system’s goals. This will prevent them from losing focus and motivation, improving the odds that they will thrive.
  • Choose tools with a mentoring platform feature – Engagedly’s The Enable Development Pillar offers a mentoring platform feature. It includes employee surveys, recognition and rewards, and effortless remote work collaboration. As a result, employee communication and collaboration are more effective.

Also Read: 5 Inspiring Examples of Coaching And Mentoring in the Workplace

Encourage Peer-to-Peer Learning

Peer-to-peer (P2P) learning is a common strategy for teaching at-risk students and in the business world, P2P learning happens when one employee teaches another employee. Its benefits include improved interpersonal and communication skills, enhanced openness, and versatility.

In a way, you can say it’s like a mentorship program. But, P2P learning differs because it offers a less intimidating atmosphere. It’s where employees can learn together as equals, in a less formal setting. And it could be a better way to understand the topics discussed in mobile learning.

Here are the ways to encourage P2P learning:

  • Sharpen tutoring skills – Tell employees about non-directive and directive tutoring. Inform them of the best teaching strategies in specific circumstances. For example, they need to discern when is the right time to fill in knowledge gaps from the right time to correct another employee.
  • Encourage peer feedback – Make it a two-way system. Employees can learn better if they know how to give feedback and take feedback.
  • Teach RPT – Stick to RPT or Reciprocal Peer Tutoring rules and pair mixed-ability employees. For instance, let junior students team up with senior employees. Then, let them take turns being the tutor and tutee. 

Conclusion

Make a regular habit out of training your employees. Conduct a training program at least every year. Then, you can apply the ideas mentioned above as you incorporate the latest training strategies.

Especially if you want them to stay with you for the long haul, give them the confidence of knowing they can count on your support.

If they know they can depend on you to help them, you can count on them to perform their best.

mobile learning ideas

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is mobile learning?

Ans. Mobile learning or M-learning is a method of learning using personal mobile devices such as mobiles and laptops. This method has been gaining much popularity in recent times as students can access learning materials anywhere and at any time on any mobile device.

Q2. What are some examples of mobile learning apps?

Ans. Some examples of mobile learning apps are:

  1. Udemy
  2. Quizlet
  3. Duolingo
  4. SoloLearn
  5. TED-ed

Q3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning?

Ans. Some of the advantages of mobile learning include:

  1. Cost-effective
  2. Higher efficiency
  3. Engaging
  4. Easily accessible
  5. Improves employee retention

Some of the disadvantages of this learning method include:

  1. Lack of mobile technology or internet connection
  2. Distraction from work due to the use of mobile devices

This article is written by Christopher Jan Benitez.

mobile learning platforms

Christopher Jan Benitez is a freelance writer for hire who specializes in the digital marketing field. His work has been published on SEO and affiliate marketing-specific niches like Monitor Backlinks, Niche Pursuits, Nichehacks, Web Hosting Secret Revealed, and others.

How Inclusive Leadership Boosts Employee Engagement And Performance

Undoubtedly, a business’s success depends upon employee engagement and performance. The latest employee engagement stats reveal that 18% of “very engaged” employees remain with their current employers for extended periods. 

But the question is, how can you engage employees? Importantly, how can you engage employees from afar in remote or hybrid workplaces? 

Well, the answer is inclusive leadership. It is a collaborative and problem-solving leadership style that focuses on individual employees’ needs. 

Wondering how inclusive leadership can boost employee engagement and performance? Then, walk through this guide to learn about inclusive leadership and how to use it to engage your employees. 

What is Inclusive Leadership?

inclusive leadership

Inclusive leadership is a progressive leadership style in which leaders coordinate and communicate with their team members to make decisions and solve business problems. Inclusive leaders use their entire team’s knowledge and experience to make decisions for their business. These leaders are confident and competent, but they are not egoistic.

When leaders include their team in the decision-making process, it helps to improve engagement and retention rates in the organization. Employees will feel like their opinions matter to their leaders. This will motivate them to provide better suggestions and ideas to gain their leaders’ respect. 

Also Read: Demonstrating Effective Leadership In the Workplace

An inclusive leader is someone who has the following traits:

  • Humble and Modest. Inclusive leaders are modest human beings. No matter how skilled or knowledgeable they are, they never abuse or show off their achievements. On the contrary, they are always interested in other people’s opinions and take suggestions from everyone on the team.
  • Good Communicators. These leaders are masters of receiving and giving feedback. They provide real-time feedback to their team members and use dual communication channels to always stay in touch with their team.
  • Adaptive and Innovative. Inclusive leaders use innovative and technical solutions to improve employee engagement and performance. For example, they use 360-degree feedback tools to conduct employee engagement surveys to create a positive company culture.
  • Result-driven. Inclusive leaders are focused on company goals. They don’t hesitate to take risks or go beyond their limits to achieve desired results. They are dedicated and focused on bringing maximum value to their organization.

6 Ways Inclusive Leadership Helps to Boost Employee Engagement & Performance

Inclusive leadership is not an option for modern business organizations. However, it is an essential employee engagement tool to bring efficiency and high performance to your team. According to a Deloitte report:

  • 17% of teams with inclusive leadership are high performing 
  • 20% stated they make more effective decisions 
  • 29% reported collaborative behavior 
  • 10% seen reduction in absenteeism due to inclusiveness 

Excited to execute an inclusive leadership style in your company? If so, follow these steps to implement inclusive leadership that helps to boost employee engagement and performance:

1. Innovative work approach 

Inclusive leaders thrive on innovation. They don’t hesitate to use new technologies or creative methods to interact with their team members.

These leaders are always looking for an opportunity to build an honest and trustworthy relationship with their team members. 

Therefore, inclusive leaders use different approaches to create a transparent employee engagement environment, like: 

  • Reward and recognition. Leaders create an environment where employees can thrive. They set up a reward and recognition policy to acknowledge the hard work of their team members. This helps to motivate team members to work even harder to achieve company goals.
  • Learning and development. Inclusive leaders work to improve their employees’ skills and performance. They provide learning and development opportunities for their team. In fact, they give employees time to learn new skills and attend workshops. 
  • Use automation. Innovative leaders are ready to automate their operations. They use advanced technology to track employees’ performance and efficiency to provide them with real-time statistics and feedback.

2. Brings diversity to the leadership 

Employees who feel more connected with senior leadership will show more productivity and efficiency. Therefore, to set up inclusive leadership, you should bring diversity to your leadership style.

You need to appoint a relatable leader. Employees will likely feel more positive about a leader with whom they share something. It could be gender, caste, or disability. Employees who relate to leaders will accept them faster and follow their instructions better.

Therefore, the best strategy to appoint an inclusive leader is within your team. You should practice a democratic election and elect a leader from your team members.

The best thing about this practice is that a leader is already familiar with team members and their character. This way, leaders can better develop relationships with them and understand their viewpoints.

3. Focus on individual employee’s needs

Every employee is different. The aspirations and needs of individual employees are unique. As per recent statistics: 

  • 70% of Americans prefer company culture and employee benefits more than salaries.
  • College degree holders looking for a positive company culture to apply for a new job.

Therefore, inclusive leaders have to understand individual employees’ requirements to build a progressive work environment. They can use employee engagement surveys to understand the needs of individual employees.

In addition, when leaders interact with employees, it builds relationships and trust among them. Employees can better convey their issues when they have the opportunity to interact face-to-face with leaders.

4. Build trust among team members 

Apart from earning team members’ trust, inclusive leaders must improve coordination and trust among all team members. If your team is not aligned, it is impossible to include them all in the decision-making process.

Therefore, inclusive leaders have to practice trust-building activities in the organization. You should use virtual trust-building exercises to establish a collaborative work environment even if your team works remotely. 

Here are some ideas to build trust among your team members:

  • Offer networking opportunities for team members to share their capabilities. 
  • Celebrate and highlight employees’ success.
  • Accept when you are wrong.
  • Listen to every team member.
  • Host informal events like games day, weekend get-togethers, team vacations, etc. 

5. Open communication 

Communication is the backbone of an inclusive leadership style. Leaders need a dual communication structure where they can receive real-time feedback from team members and reciprocate it to them.

Here, employers have to work on building an open communication channel through different mediums. They should provide different forms, surveys, and centralized communication software to their team members. Or they can also use an employee handbook as it is an effective means of communication and delivering values. This way, leaders can reach out to their team members faster or vice versa.

6.  Rise above the competition

Inclusive leaders should eliminate the competition prevailing within their teams. They should create a collaborative and coordinated environment where team members don’t feel jealous when their subordinates succeed. In fact, they help their team members work efficiently.

Inclusive leaders can work on all the negative feelings and team conflicts seriously. They must resolve team issues quickly so that a positive and evolving environment can be established in the workplace.

How to Build Inclusive Leadership in Your Workplace?

Now that you know inclusive leadership is helpful in boosting employee engagement and performance, the next step is to understand how to build inclusive leadership in your workplace. It is not hard to set up an inclusive leadership style. Just follow these steps to do so:

  • Streamline hiring process 

It is always better to start from the beginning. Thus, you should streamline your hiring process and only hire employees with the qualities of inclusive leaders. This way, when choosing a leader, you can easily find great candidates in your team. 

  • Create an employees development plan 

Apart from hiring competent employees to become inclusive leaders, you can create an employee development plan to nurture inclusive leaders. If you have potential leaders in your team, work on improving their skills and leadership traits to prepare them to take on leadership roles in the future. 

  • Have a proper plan

Every organization must have a well-structured plan for inclusive leaders. You can create a document that includes the responsibilities and duties of an inclusive leader. This way, employees can know what to expect from their leaders. Similarly, leaders can prepare themselves to follow all responsibilities. 

  • Effective communication structure 

Automation is the best way to set up an effective communication structure in your workplace. You can get centralized software that allows you to streamline the communication flow between team members and leaders. 

  • Identify your unconscious bias

Human judgment is often clouded by personal interest, religious factors, or favoritism. Therefore, leaders must work on themselves and identify when their unconscious biases influence their leadership. Then, they can consult their senior management when their personal interests come before their honest leadership practice.

  • Use 360-degree feedback surveys

A 360 manager review is a valuable way to gather employee feedback on how your leaders are doing. Constructive feedback will help your leaders with both their personal and professional development. Allowing employees to give their leaders feedback through 360-degree feedback surveys is a great way to improve the overall leadership in the organization.

Also Read: 360 Degree Feedback: Best Practice Guidelines

Conclusion 

Inclusive leadership is what modern hybrid workplaces require. It is essential to build a transparent work environment, engage employees, and motivate them to work harder.

Inclusive leadership is based on clear communication and a plan of action. Therefore, if you want to implement an inclusive leadership style in your organization, work on developing inclusive traits among your employees. 

free e10 Survey

 

Benefits of A Goal Setting Software

In the workplace, goals are crucial for success. Goals keep you on the course during rough times and help you stay focused on issues that matter. Goals provide employers the benefits of helping employees stay on course, aligning employee goals with organizational goals, etc. The very process of goal-setting can be further enhanced by using goal-setting software for your business needs.

Continue reading “Benefits of A Goal Setting Software”

How to Change Your Organizational Culture

Cultural change is probably one of the major challenges that the leadership team faces. You may want to build an organizational culture that is collaborative, innovative, or aggressive. Most companies try to change their work culture directly through speeches, training, or direct intervention in meetings. None of these approaches might work. 

The Motley Fool is a perfect example. According to Gartner research, volunteering can increase by more than 20% when employees get health insurance benefits. When it comes to employee benefits, The Motley Fool found that diversity is key to promoting healthy lifestyles.  

 Samantha “Sam” Whiteside, the company’s Chief Wellness Fool, says, “Employee wellbeing programs cover all wellness needs and go beyond physical wellbeing and traditional programs.” Employees must be treated as people with different needs which need to be met. Organizations should understand that meeting those needs adds value to the organization and strengthens it.

Why Should Work Culture Be a Priority?

The overall brand image, values​​, and vision and mission need to match the needs of candidates and potential customers. Organizational culture makes an impact on candidates deciding to join a new company or on clients deciding to do business with a brand. 

 

This constant alignment is important to any profitable business, but culture is much more than that. 

Also Read: How employee engagement software can work wonders for your workplace culture!

Five Reasons Why a Good Organizational Culture Is Crucial in Today’s World of Business

Increased employee engagement 

Every worker bee dreams of a positive work environment where there opinion is valued and hard work appreciated and acknowledged. A culture driven by clear goals is what motivates and inspires employees to take ownership and be proactive. It also ends up in high levels of workforce engagement, which boosts productivity. A robust connection between an organization and its employees creates a positive atmosphere, flooded with innovation and productivity.

Also Read: Impact of employee engagement on productivity

Decreased attrition

People who feel valued and acknowledged are less likely to leave. It is thus imperative that companies foster a successful organizational culture, supporting their core values. Happy employees mean lower attrition along with higher productivity. Companies can save both time and money spent in recruiting new people.

Improved productivity

It goes without saying that if employees feel engaged and appreciated, their performance will get a massive boost. Organizational culture influences people and brings creative, innovative minds together. People with diverse backgrounds and skills can work together harmoniously. All because of a positive work culture!

Transformational Power

Not all companies have the power to turn ordinary employees into absolute brand ambassadors. But those with strong organizational cultures do. Companies that recognize and reward their employees’ hard work are more likely to open the gateway to a positive cultural transformation.

Effective onboarding

There are a variety of job portals where people can check out employee reviews of a lot of companies. These reviews are a deciding factor for a candidate before applying for a job in the said company. Herein, organizational culture plays a huge role. Good reviews on work culture provide a massive boost to the brand image. Companies which have effective onboarding processes help new employees access the right resources and better adapt to their roles. This imbibes satisfaction and loyalty in employees.

5 Steps to Change Organizational Culture

Steps to change organizational culture

Identify desired outcomes

Workplace culture is the reflection of the values ​​and behavior of employees. A clear vision communicates to your employees what you want them to do and how to behave. An organization’s core values should be crystal clear.

Here’s an example of the idea of identifying a desired outcome. IKEA keeps its vision simple-a better lifestyle. Management explains this vision to employees as well as customers. At its core, the company sees the connection between IKEA and its customers as a partnership.

IKEA uses terms like ‘us’ and ‘together’ to address customers and help employees determine the impact of the company’s vision on business success. 

Implement your mission statement in your work and show your employees. Set weekly goals to demonstrate core values that help employees achieve their vision and provide incentives.

Plan a culture change rollout

Employees must identify with and relate to the change. Before rolling out the cultural framework, communicate with your employees, interact with them with more transparency, and create a culture of open feedback. This will create a deeper understanding of the desired culture. 

Southwest Airlines could be a high-profile example of organizational culture done right. Their core value is that employees, not customers, come first. The airline explains, happy employees will result in greater customer satisfaction—and greater company earnings. Around 10 years ago, the organization’s senior team aligned on six core cultural values. These values, which are displayed on the company’s culture page, provide guidance to employees on how to work the Southwest way.

Incorporate cultural values ​​into hiring initiatives

One sure way to make culture change a reality is to embed it in the way you hire, promote, and reward employees. For the recruitment and onboarding process, your culture will be reflected in the way you evaluate candidates as well as the recruiting experience you provide. 

Also Read: Create the best employee onboarding experience!

Shopgate, an e-commerce app, has employees working in different parts of the world. So, they try to have a common and unilateral culture that binds them all. They prioritize transparent communication and collaboration even while evaluating candidates for recruitment. They try to onboard people who share the same passion for their products and culture that the company has. 

Be patient

It is crucial for organizations to realize that changing culture is a mammoth task which takes an indefinite amount of time. After testing, piloting, evaluating, and adjusting, we arrive at the final cultural framework. 

Your employees own and shape your company culture. As a leader, you can only provide a roadmap that your employees can follow to provide a better work experience.

Starbucks is a great example of a brand that understands perfectly the value that its employees bring to the company. 

Each barista is trained to work in perfection and create a welcoming environment for customers. The same positive energy is reflected in their corporate culture. They support their employees by offering research grants to participate in online or university programs. Another benefit of working at Starbucks is that the Bean Stock Program allows employees to own stock in the company after a certain period of time. A manager refers to the members of their team as “partners”, rather than “employees”. This initiative promotes employee engagement and makes partners feel highly motivated and inspired.

Define the message, inside and out

While planning an internal rollout of the new culture and goals, partner with your HR team. There is likely no need for an expansive public rollout; most of these changes should be focused internally.

Blackbaud, a cloud-based software provider for the philanthropic industry, has built its corporate culture around a shared passion to give back. The company follows suit by organizing team-wide projects, providing time off for volunteers and corporate matching for charitable contributions. This program awards grants to local nonprofits in Austin, Texas. The company also hosts social events on topics they love, like the Pinewood Derbys, Harry Potter, and the weekly Star Wars movie marathon.

Steps to Ensure a Successful Cultural Transformation

  • First, understand the challenges and how your employees perceive the company’s cultural issues. 

CEOs and executives may have an entirely different view of the cultural challenges facing their companies. To get an idea of those issues, you can:

  • Ask your employees 
  • Have surveys
  • Lead focus groups
  • Hold meetings with the team leaders
  • Meet industry leaders

 

  • Next, the management needs to see and study what the company does. Gather the leadership team at the table and ask the following questions: 
  • What actions should our company embody to drive the cultural change we want? 
  • What types of new behavior are common? 
  • What actions should be taken to eliminate any negative behavior?

 

  • Then, create a strategy. You need to focus on the strengths of your existing culture and build a new, robust culture on the old one. Next on the agenda comes goals. Begin with setting limited and achievable sets of goals. Each goal should be clear, actionable, and measurable. These goals should be oriented around:
  • Leadership
  • Structure
  • Employee development
  • Performance
  • Management and communication
Also Read: Set goals and make them happen!
  • Finally, track the progress to assess whether the transformation has been successful.  Measure each part of your transformation to see where it has been successful and where it has not. Your company should focus on areas like:
  • Overall behavior
  • Business performance
  • Key milestones
  • Team’s feelings regarding the cultural change

Final Thoughts 

An improperly managed structure is plagued with issues. A transformation within the environment often requires a flip within the organization.

Change is always met with some resistance, and different cultures can have different reactions. Tread carefully, well-equipped with a proper strategy before you try to bring in a change in the organizational culture.

Do you want to know how Engagedly can help you change your organizational culture and boost up employee performance? Book a live demo with us.

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A Complete Overview of Talent Management in a Changing Global Workplace

Businesses are struggling to keep up with their talent management practices. In the current global business environment, it is getting tougher to hire and retain top talent. With the recession weakening revenue streams and the great resignation causing employers to lose their top talent to their competitors, businesses are at a tipping point. 

Continue reading “A Complete Overview of Talent Management in a Changing Global Workplace”

Engagedly Inc. makes it to Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies Second Time in a Row

St. Louis, MO, Aug 22, 2022: Engagedly, a leading provider of SaaS solution for People Strategy, has been named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, second time in a row.

The annual Inc. 5000 list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the US economy’s most dynamic segment — independent businesses. Companies such as Dell, Pandora, GoPro, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as top 500 exclusive honorees on the Inc. 5000.

“We are thrilled to make it to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for the second time in a row,” says Sri Chellappa, President and Co-Founder of Engagedly.  ” We will continue to focus on providing value to our clients and help them align people processes and business strategy, to help people and organizations thrive in the future of work”.

Engagedly helps organizations create effective, engaged workforces by progressive performance management, employee development and improving employee engagement for the hybrid workforce. Engagedly’s cloud platform is built to engage, motivate, develop, and drive performance. They offer an easy-to-use, integrated, and comprehensive set of features to ensure employee performance and development is effective and easy, enabling teams to stay engaged and productive.

About Engagedly

Engagedly is a fast-paced growth provider and an award-winning talent management solution provider. Built upon best practices and decades of research, Engagedly’s People + Strategy platform is evolving performance management, development and engagement to drive successful organizational outcomes across the globe. 

To know more about Engagedly, visit https://engagedly.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 process

Methodology

Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine’s September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Inc. 

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for todays’ innovative company builders. The total monthly audience reach for the brand has been growing significantly, from 2,000,000 in 2010 to more than 18,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com. In 1982, the Inc. 500 was started to highlight the fastest growing companies in the US. In 2007 the list was expanded to Inc. 5000 to help everyone get a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape.

Rewards and Recognition Module

How Innovative Offices Improve Employee Collaboration

The level of creativity and innovation among employees is often proportional to the size of your workspace. Your workspace affects engagement, innovation, and productivity. Employees need to build connections in the workspace, a factor that can drive or dash their motivation to work. When employees collaborate in a workspace, employers get a good return on their financial investment. This hints that employers should invest in providing a good workspace that supports collaboration. Employees who engage each other within their workspace tend to achieve better results than others who have a disconnect in their work environment. As an entrepreneur, you can build innovative offices to improve employee collaboration using the steps discussed below.

1. Build openness and transparency within your team

You need to lead with your vision when you want your team to be committed to collaboration in your organization. Do not give out confidential information, but giving a vision will help your teammates develop loyalty and productivity. Talk to them about the challenges and possible issues, and share your team incentives to brainstorm possible solutions. If your staff is familiar with the company’s strategic objectives, then your team can work together to achieve a yearly profit. One option is running innovation challenges and asking your team for their best ideas to solve the company’s issues in the game plan. 

2. Enjoy collaboration across different departments

Judgment-free workplace culture will encourage ideas, discussions, and solutions. Fear of rejection or judgment will discourage participation among your team members and deprive the organization of unique solutions in the minds of your talented team members. Be informed. Commit to having management not use intimidation as a tool in running their departments. It will clog the idea funnel. Avoid too many guides so that you do not stifle innovation and creativity. Be about creative freedom; this gets your team laughing, having fun, and creating solutions. This makes every day different and fun.

Also Read: Create a Positive Workplace Culture For Your Employees

3. Rent a convenient office space

Offices in Los Angeles provide the proper infrastructure to guarantee that your teammates get the best places to collaborate and improve team bonding. Organizing monthly outings for your departments and staff will also help staff members become better team players and improve productivity. Office spaces in Los Angeles are marked by affordability for outright purchase or rent and are designed to be suitable for business. Some come with game rooms, free snacks, and weekly happy hours. The fantastic architecture will do wonders for morale. What better way to build up collaboration between team members!

4. Get appropriate leadership

Proper leadership is the crux of building a team of employees collaborating for growth. Having an open-door policy and maintaining communication between management is fluid and is a game-changer. Teach your team to practice synergy and let everyone know that collaboration is a priority. To do this, you have to show, not tell. Work directly with them. Create a system in which everyone has to complete their tasks for any project due for completion. As much as they follow a chain of command, ensure that your office is also open for anyone who wants to discuss. Work on consistent visibility between directors, managers, and employees. This will skyrocket creativity and productivity in your organization. The best leaders use every resource available to help achieve their organization’s goals.

5. Use the right technology, engender positivity, and be free with benefits

To have an interconnected workplace, you must procure the right technology. This helps the employees do their jobs. This is a good investment in teamwork and innovation. Give appropriate results when teams are creating excellent results. If your team hits a goal, reward them with something valuable to them. Reward individuals to encourage continuous collaboration and get feedback from your team. Use constructive criticism; this will help your team improve. Encourage peer-to-peer conversations so that you are not bogged down responding to everyone. This also encourages more collaboration.

Conclusion

It is not surprising that the new generation of workers loves collaborative spaces. Collaborative spaces create a creative culture – an essential tool many companies miss. Productivity is a bar that can be raised when you make intentional efforts to increase employee collaboration. The steps in this article will help you restructure your office and create a healthy environment for your workers to collaborate. 

 

Want to know how Engagedly can help you improve employee collaboration? Book a live demo with us.

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This article is written by Daisy Benson.

how to improve employee collaboration

Daisy is an industrial and organizational psychologist who researches to identify solutions to problems that improve the well-being and performance of organizations and their employees. Daisy is also a freelance writer and often writes articles for credible blogs.

Engagedly Announces The Top 100 Global HR Influencers of 2022

Engagedly Announces the HR Influencers List for 2022

St. Louis, MO, August 03, 2022 – Engagedly is excited to announce its sixth annual list of “Top 100 HR Influencers of 2022”. Some of the key people on the list are Josh Bersin from Bersin Academy, Jennifer Kirkwood at IBM, Verna Myers at Netflix, Melonie Parker at Google, Lou Adler of The Adler Group, Ellyn Shook of Accenture, Angela Duckworth, Adam Grant, Jeanne Meister of LinkedIn, Leena Nair of Chanel, Marcus Buckingham among many others who have led the thought leadership in people practice in these volatile times.

This annual event aims to recognize Human Resources and People Services disruptors from across all domains of HR who are making tremendous strides in innovation, growth and technology.

The nominees were selected through extensive research and open nominations announced on their website, social media, and press releases. The nominations were then scored on the basis of recency, frequency, innovation, follower count of Twitter and LinkedIn, and finally the amount of speaking engagements and publications. Engagedly’s research team narrowed the list down to a 100 from nearly 500 nominations gathered from different sources and from our own research.

Engagedly’s President and Co-Founder, Sri Chellappa, explains the intention behind this recognition in his own words, ” The last two years have been challenging for people leaders and all those who are into people practice. It would have been impossible for organizations to transition from a physical office to remote work and then to hybrid work. This year’s honorees are leaders and visionaries who have made a significant difference with their innovative work and ideas in these challenging times. It gives me immense pleasure to announce the 6th annual list of Top 100 HR Influencers by Engagedly.“

Engagedly emphasizes that this list is not in any specific rank or order. Individuals have been categorized based on the type of work they have most notably been involved with, like HR Tech, Analytics and Strategy, Leadership and Development, Talent Acquisition, Organizational Development, Total Rewards, and Diversity and Inclusion. These categories are in no way intended to minimize the entirety of these influencers’ accomplishments. HR is an industry that is growing in all directions, and it is difficult to perfectly formulate a process that will recognize all HR professionals that are doing incredible work.

Check their complete list of top 100 HR Influencers here.

Also check the winners of 2021.

About Engagedly

Engagedly is a fast-paced growth provider and an award-winning talent management solution provider. Built upon best practices and decades of research, Engagedly’s People + Strategy platform is evolving performance management, development and engagement to drive successful organizational outcomes across the globe. 

To know more about Engagedly, visit https://engagedly.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

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Why Your Business Needs This Foolproof “Talent Retention Strategy”

Talent is always acknowledged. Companies are always on the lookout for talent. Once they hire talented individuals, a business needs a foolproof talent retention strategy to avoid attrition. The year 2021 has been marked as the year of the Great Resignation when thousands of employees willingly resigned from their jobs. The resignations were so rampant that they gave birth to a whole new economic crisis. The crisis started when the American administration declined to provide remote work benefits to employees in response to the lethal COVID-19 pandemic, which fueled rampant resignations from employees.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 4.5 million employees resigned in November 2021. New job openings also fell below 11.4 million.

Why Did This Happen?

Job dissatisfaction or zero pay raise amidst an increased cost of living did not seem to matter much when compared to safety concerns due to COVID. Many people preferred remote working opportunities rather than going outside to work. Receiving a resignation letter from an employee is a considerable cause for concern for an HR, especially, if the resignations are coming from top talent. Companies started to think about how they can retain top talent, reduce attrition, and establish an engaged workforce in the organization. 

Here is where talent retention strategies come into play. What exactly is a Talent Retention Strategy and how can it benefit your business? Without further ado, let us find out.

Why Do You Need a Talent Retention Strategy?

A talent retention strategy is the collective efforts of HR leaders to hold on to the top talent in the organization either by creating a more lenient work culture for the employees or by opening diverse feedback channels. 

With the ongoing COVID pandemic already having crippled the world economy, losing top employees can be a costly affair for companies.

Apart from the high cost of replacing a worker, employee attrition decreases the overall productivity of a company and also lowers the morale of the existing employees.

According to the Houston Chronicle, a high employee turnover negatively impacts the existing employees and customers of the company.  The departure creates an additional workload for existing employees; with such a heavy  workload, it is not possible for them to perform well. 

Therefore, companies should do all they can to retain their talent, and here’s how.

A Foolproof Employee Retention Strategy 

1. Find out why your employees want to leave

Companies experiencing increased employee attrition should first try to gauge why their employees want to leave. It is not always the work environment or insufficient pay raise that urges employees to switch jobs.

Most of the departing employees cite the following reasons for switching jobs:

  •         Huge workload affecting the work-life balance
  •         Boredom
  •         Stagnated career growth
  •         Lack of recognition
  •         Autocratic and opinionated management 
  •         Lack of health insurance
  •         Desire to switch jobs

2. Recognize retention from the beginning

HR managers should complete the screening process strategically when hiring new candidates. Any mistake can cost you losing top hires. The entire interview process should be transparent. Any kind of ambiguity will cost you in the long run. Therefore, identifying the right candidate who will stay with the company through thick and thin is the key to retaining the best talent. 

Screening the candidates based on their previous commitments speaks volumes about their tenacity and willingness to stay at the company when things get tough.

3. Provide effective orientation and mentorship programs

The hiring process remains incomplete until the new hires are given a proper orientation aligned with the objectives of the company. The orientation program should teach the new employees ways to thrive in the company culture. Assigning a mentor to new employees ensures steering them toward accomplishing the company’s objectives. 

New employees may have a lot of inhibitions when they start working in a new environment. The mentors have the responsibility to make them feel comfortable. Once the new hires gain confidence, they can offer fresh ideas that will work positively for the company.

4. Deal with transition effectively

For the past two years, many employees have been working  from home, which has irrevocably altered their working habits. Even if most offices have announced to resume work from the office, it will take time to deal with the transition. After the pandemic, most employees still prefer to work remotely. If companies fail to provide that option, these workers may resign. Therefore, companies should consider providing flexible working hours to employees to give them time to adapt to the new changes.

5. Reduce dependency 

The dependency of the company on their best performers may prove to be detrimental when the best employees leave the organization. To curb such dependencies, companies should try to promote teamwork so that the entire responsibility does not lie on a handful of employees. 

Delegation of responsibilities also reduces the workload thus helping employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.

6. Boost employer-employee connection

Fostering healthy workplace communication ensures active participation from employees. Proactively connecting with team members and making them feel that their decisions are valued can work wonders. Giving the employees a voice in the company’s decision-making helps in retaining employee engagement in the organization. According to the white papers released in a company’s survey, about 90% of the employees unanimously agreed that they would not switch jobs too often if their voices are heard by the management and their feedback worked upon. HR leaders should try to promote constructive and timely communication.

7. Provide competitive compensation

Providing competitive compensation and perks is an extremely important part of any talent retention strategy. If a company is running on a tough budget and is in no position to announce a pay raise immediately, it should consider other ways to compensate employees. Offering a yearly bonus or some perks like health care benefits and retirement plans might keep employees motivated. Companies that offered expansive wellness offerings during the COVID 19 pandemic faced less employee attrition.

Also read: Employee Health and Wellbeing

>8. Invest in your employee’s career growth

People tend to leave if they feel there’s no vertical or horizontal growth in their current organization. Organizations can retain top talent by investing in their professional development, like upskilling. Upskilling is extremely important, especially as the losses incurred by a company due to ineffective training of employees can add up to millions of dollars. 

Moreover, providing avenues for professional education uplifts talent attraction and retention. Setting a clear career path for employees makes them more creative and engaged at work.

9. Inculcate good leadership

If you want to retain good employees, make sure you have good managers in your organization. Your managers should have excellent leadership qualities which will play a vital role in engaging and retaining employees at your organization.  

Training your managers would help them handle employees better. A manager should also be well-conversant in dealing with employees having diverse personality traits; merely instructing them about their work is not enough. 

Managers should also be able to help with conflict and stress management. Instead of passing challenges to their subordinates, managers should know how to tackle them. 

10. Avoid employee burnout

Employee burnout is a serious issue that causes organizations to lose many great workers. Lack of energy, feelings of isolation and alienation, and negative emotions are serious symptoms of burnout. However, with a strategic approach, companies can easily avoid employee burnout. 

Employers should look for people struggling with burnout emotions and empathize with them. They can talk to each team member to find out if there’s too much workload. Think about ways to reduce that if possible, have an outing or a team lunch together if the team had worked too hard to meet a deadline. These gestures can go a long way to help dealing with burnout. 

11. Acknowledge employee contributions

Acknowledging and appreciating an employee’s contributions toward accomplishing the objectives of the company helps in promoting employee retention. Employers should not miss any opportunity to celebrate the company’s achievements together with the employees even if their contributions are not that significant. 

Also read: Employee recognition program

How to Implement a Talent Retention Strategy?

With the skyrocketing cost of replacing employees, it is crucial to have a comprehensive talent retention strategy in place. But is it possible to implement the correct strategy overnight?

Probably not. That’s because each company has its own policies. Changing them to make place for others takes time. Employers should try the employee retention initiatives that are best tuned with their organizational objectives. 

Key Takeaways

Despite all your efforts, some employees may eventually leave your company. But with a time-tested Talent Retention Strategy in place, you can at least make sure they are leaving for the right reasons. 

Employees who willingly switch jobs despite being supported and valued in the current organization can be expected to praise your company, which will have a positive impact on the company’s reputation and future recruitment efforts.

Companies securing high employee retention rates are always at a competitive advantage over others in terms of accomplishing business goals or recruiting new hires. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to develop well-executed employee retention methods to enhance the company’s potential to hold on to top talent.  

Talent Management Software

Worried about how to retain your top talent? Need help to build your brand image? Fret not. Engagedly can help you do both.

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Tips for Choosing the Right HR Software for Small Business

If you are running a start-up or small business, you know that hiring, training, and retaining employees can be tough. Without technology to automate repetitive human resource tasks, it’s quite impossible to manage people and responsibilities on time. Things can be even more difficult if your HR team is not performing to its maximum potential. That is where HR software for a small business works wonders!

How can HR software be of help in such a scenario? HR software solutions are tools that simplify various HR tasks, from recruiting and payroll to performance management and tracking attendance. 

With good HR software, businesses have better access to data that will give them insights to make well-informed decisions in the company. HR solutions can also create a better working environment for their valued employees, which has a significant impact on company culture. 

Identify Your Business Needs

When deciding which HR software to choose, managers often reflect on the company’s needs first. Doing so can help them understand the current working environment and issues that they’re facing. To choose the most appropriate HR solution, businesses have to review their present-day management systems. 

How many employees can the current software handle? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using it? What are some of the best HR software for small businesses in 2022?

List the top providers, features, and everything you want to change in your current system. Whether you need a better tax assistance solution or an automated payroll system, the key here is to simply get a clear overview of why you need the HR software. 

Also read: Signs that your business needs a performance management system

Compare Different HR Software Solutions

HR software solutions are growing in numbers and they’re taking the business world by storm. According to a recent report, the global HR software market size is currently at $15.59 billion and is projected to reach $33.57 by 2028. 

With HR software becoming more and more popular, it won’t be surprising if it soon becomes a must-have tool in modern offices. This is good because it means businesses are actively thinking of ways to improve the employee experience. Many CEOs and leaders now understand the importance of maintaining a great work culture. 

That being said, there are many types of HR solutions available today. Here’s a quick overview of each and how they differ from each other.

Three Basic Types of HR Software

HR software unifies all employee data, from attendance to performance, to create appropriate solutions for your business. Today, modern HR software falls into three main categories: benefits and payroll, onboarding, and hiring. We can consider the following few examples as different HR solutions: 

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS): HR solutions that work primarily to manage and process employee data and company policies 

Payroll Systems: HR software that automates complex payroll processes and can track timesheet data and pay employees on autopilot 

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): Programs that not only help businesses find, track, and manage candidates but also allow you to post on different job sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor 

Also Read: Benefits of talent management software for your business

Choose a Scalable and Adaptable HR Software 

If you want a new HR software, you’ll want something better than your previous software. It’s not enough to get an HR software that’s effective, you should strive to choose a software that is scalable and adaptable. 

Scalability is defined as the software’s ability to handle increasing amounts of data and tasks. In other words, a scalable software is growth-ready. Adaptability is another important feature to look for in an HR software. 

Adaptable HR software solves myriad problems with specialized tools. It can provide companies and employees more flexibility in terms of workload and scheduling. 

Rather than changing software and causing disruption in operations each time you need to undergo extensive operational changes, consider an adaptable HR software with full-fledged solutions already installed. 

With adaptable HR software, you can create multiple work policies, reduce the rigidity of work rules, and provide a suitable environment for your employees no matter what phase you are in your business. 

Consider an Easy-to-Use Software

HR software is built to be intuitive and easy to use. As the primary goal is to improve workflow and business operations, it makes sense that an HR software should be designed with user-friendliness in mind. 

However, not all HR software are equal. Some are more intelligent and functional, while others—not so much. How will you know if the software is user-friendly and good for your team?

Here are some important points to look for:

  • The software doesn’t need any specialized knowledge or training to run. 
  • It can be operated from any device or platform. 
  • Using the software saves time and improves everyone’s productivity. 
  • It doesn’t add stress and frustration to your current work. 
  • There’s no need for additional modifications or installations. 
  • It can work seamlessly with other applications.  

Take Inputs from Your Team

Your team’s insights are a goldmine of information when it comes to what they need in HR. Managers should derive feedback from their team before even thinking of changing any software at work. If you want to have a successful purchase, involve the people who will primarily use the tool in the decision-making process. 

Usually, managers conduct a brainstorming session months before implementing the software. The manager asks everyone about their daily challenges at work as well as current problems in workload.

After the meeting, companies should have a research and testing team who will choose the top-three software. Both these teams will then work together to find the right software to use in a given timeline. The more time you spend researching the best option, the better chances you have of succeeding. 

Make Your Decision 

The HR management software you choose will have a huge impact on your business. This means that a wrong choice can affect not just the workflow but also the growth of the business. Surely, you don’t want a stagnated company where each of your employees is aching to leave. 

Before you make your final decision and hit the purchase button, it helps a lot if you can create a checklist of the features you need along with your budget for the software. 

Improve Your Workplace with the Right HR Software 

No matter how much you love your business, just passion and hard work aren’t enough. You need to strengthen the foundation of your empire. You need to invest in your company culture. And for company culture to exist, you have to focus on your employee’s satisfaction. 

Choosing the right HR software is the key to improving employee experience. The software you choose will not just free your employees from time-consuming and resource-draining responsibilities, it will also enhance your business operations and increase positivity in your workplace culture. 

Want to find out how Engagedly can help you streamline and smoothen the HR process for your business? Book a live demo with us.

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Performance Management Tricks for Successful Partner Management

The success of your business partners has a great impact on the success of your own business. And contrary to what you may think, their performance is well within your control. Learn what performance management can do and then apply the knowledge to your own business through these tricks for successful partner management.

The importance of successful performance management

There’s a reason performance management has become an integral part of business. It involves setting goals, gathering data and analyzing that data to improve future performance. And with that kind of effort, the potential for success is much greater than it is otherwise.

In fact, businesses with successful performance management systems routinely outperform their competitors. According to Betterworks, companies that have implemented changes in the way they provide performance feedback have a 24 percent higher success rate than those that stick to traditional models.

But of course, not every performance management system is either cost-effective or viable. A study conducted by Gartner shows us exactly how easy it can be to make the wrong moves. For example, the average time managers spend on work related to performance management is 210 hours a year. 

So how do you develop a performance management system that will help you make the most out of your partnerships?

There are a few tricks you can employ to make sure your performance management system is the one that will bring you the best possible results. 

Also read: What is performance management system?

Choosing potential partners

Performance management can start even before you partner with another business. After all, one of the major elements of success, in any field of work, is being able to plan ahead. So instead of focusing on your existing partners, why not increase your chances of success by making sure you only choose the partners that are a great fit for your business? 

How do you do that? You gather all the necessary information on the prospective partner and you ask yourself a few questions regarding your potential partnership. A business that would be a great fit for you will:

  • Share your business’ target audience
  • Be okay with your terms and processes
  • Boast a stable business model
  • Be technically equipped to deliver results
  • Share your business’ values

Maybe it’s not necessary for the potential partner to check all the boxes, but it’s a great thing to strive for. And the more boxes they check, the more successful your collaboration will be and the less work you’ll have managing their performance.

Offering incentives & training programs

When you think about performance management, the first thing that comes to mind are yearly reviews. The employee or the partner has already done the work and now it’s time for you to evaluate it. But you don’t need to limit yourself to a purely reactionary way of doing things when there are plenty of actions you can take as well. 

Of course, here we’re talking about incentive programs. These make for an excellent way to steer your partners into the right direction even before they’ve done anything. Instead of waiting a year to tell them they should be achieving better results, incentivize them to excel right from the start. 

But a quality incentive program will do you no good if your partners aren’t trained to meet your requirements. Luckily, there are partner training programs that allow you to onboard and train all your partners in a way that’s highly efficient and even lowers your operational costs. Using this type of software is yet another way to be proactive about your performance management.

Constantly checking the progress

To make the most out of your performance management system, you need to come to terms with the fact that conducting yearly reviews simply doesn’t work. It’s an outdated system that many Forbes 500 companies have stopped using. 

What should you do instead? When developing your performance management system, you should aim for implementing continuous performance evaluation. The exact process will, of course, depend on your business. But to give a few examples, this could mean anything from evaluating performance whenever necessary or possible, to measure it at the end of every individual project or campaign. 

Why does this make for a better approach? It’s in line with the latest advances in the way project management, in general, is done. We’re talking about the so-called agile methodology, which has proven itself a lot more efficient than traditional project management. It’s been argued that this is simply because this methodology is aimed at breaking processes up into shorter phases and getting feedback as soon as they’re complete. As a result, there are fewer deviations from the end goal.

Also read: Performance Review Phrases And Wordings 2022

Setting expectations

Of course, checking the progress your partners are making can only result in true success if you keep them in the loop. So if you want your performance management system to work, you need to be able to explain it to your partners, and informing them about it should be part of your process. 

To be able to explain your evaluation process, it needs to be structured. You need to know what events trigger evaluation, how the process is done and which members of your team are responsible for it. But what’s more important than anything, you need to be able to explain to your partners exactly what they need to do to pass the process with flying colors. 

This is where the concept of SMART goals can prove extremely helpful. SMART goals is an acronym that stands for goals that are:

  • Specific 
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Timely 

And if the expectations you set for your partners check all the above boxes, there will be no uncertainties as to what they need to do to achieve a successful collaboration with you.

Consistent feedback and rewards

If you want your partners to perform as you need them to, it’s important to keep them engaged. One aspect of this is providing regular and consistent feedback. The other aspect is to reward them whenever they do something right. After all, a partner that doesn’t feel like they’re out of the loop and one that feels appreciated will almost surely become a valuable asset to your company.

Conclusion 

There’s a lot of good that a quality performance management can do for your business. From choosing your partners wisely to keeping them constantly engaged, a smart, structured, and transparent system brings you closer to making the most out of your partnerships.

Want to know how Engagedly can help enhance your organization’s performance management? Fix a quick demo with our experts.

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About the Author:

Lianna Arakelyan - Guest blogger

Lianna Arakelyan is a content writer at Kademi.co, with a knack for B2B programs, such as channel incentive programs, partner training and onboarding programs and not only. She is extreme in her work, with a deep goal of always being updated on online and offline marketing and technology news of the world.

Engagedly Developing Culture in the Remote Workforce

COVID-19 and the subsequent restrictions have forced a lot of companies to take their entire workforce almost entirely online – focussing much more on work from home than coming to the office and spending their day in a cubicle. In the absence of a personal touch and most business being conducted through Zoom, it becomes slightly difficult to build a developed business culture for a remote workforce, but not impossible. In this article, we discuss several performance management tools that can help you do so. 

Performance Management – Why Do We Need It? 

For teams that did not work from home or remotely in the past, the sudden shift to a WFH culture can be quite overwhelming. Different people react differently to such changes: while some employees might actually thrive in this environment and become more productive because of the lack of distractions (you’re not bumping into someone every 15 minutes at the water cooler), others might find themselves burnt out. 

Working from home also brings with it a lack of personal connection – for those whose jobs revolve around interacting with people, productivity might take a hit. Additionally, people often feel the need to overcompensate for how long they’re working – they’re so desperate to be seen as someone who’s not slacking off that it often leads to them overworking and suffering from fatigue. 

Also read: How to promote employee wellbeing at workplace?

Employee Engagement – Things That Work

Organizations have taken to adopting a variety of mechanisms to ensure that even in the virtual world, their workforce can still enjoy a high level of engagement. One such idea is the Swedish custom of Fika – daily meetings where people take 15-20 minutes out of their day to sit with the rest of the team and drink coffee while talking about anything outside of work. It could be Netflix shows that they might have seen to their vacation plans – it allows them to destress for a while before getting back to work.

Another idea is the use of virtual pubs across different time zones – this can be a wonderful place for employees to hangout and interact with different team members. Additionally, it can allow for the humanization of management in the eyes of the employees, leading to more close-knit and collaborative teams within the organization. 

Working across Time Zones – Find the Rhythm 

Most organizations work across a variety of different time zones, and in such cases, finding the right organizational rhythm can be quite challenging – especially when working from home. Different cultures can have their personal lives structured differently – maybe a single parent can’t take meetings during lunch because they have to feed their family, or maybe their sleep cycle has changed. 

In such cases, communication becomes the key – and it can ensure that no one is overworking. By letting others in the team know what time slots employees are and aren’t available in, they can ensure that meetings can be set according to their convenience. This responsibility also falls on the shoulders of the managers, who have to ensure that meetings are being held in a way that does not interfere with the personal work rhythms of the employees. 

Collaborative Tools and Performance Management 

Because of the shift towards remote working, organizations have also seen an increase in their demand for tools that can allow them to manage everything more effectively. For example, most companies use Slack for their internal messaging needs, often relying on platforms like Zoom or WebEx for meeting needs. A particularly interesting step that organizations sometimes take is having a “camera-in” policy in their meetings. Under this, unless an employee has a specific reason for not wanting their camera on, they are encouraged to turn their camera on in meetings, which allows for greater personalization. 

Besides this, other tools can also be used. For example, organizations can use tools like Trello, Asana, or some other Monday alternative for their project management., and GSuite products like GDocs and Sheets for sharing documents across the firm. 

Also read: Performance Management Tools And Techniques To Drive Employee Engagement

The Future of WFH – Balancing Tech With Employee Engagement

It is hard to say when organizations will confidently choose to go back to working from office, and how employees would react to that. A school of thought is that the WFH culture would become much more prominent, leading to a healthy balance of technology and human interactions. 

What some firms have already done is allow employees to work from home almost the entire week, and have one day where they have to come into the office. However, this day is then reserved for tasks that are best done in person, such as white boarding or brainstorming. Such organizations then see the future of the office as being more of a social environment than a place where people sit and work in isolation. 

Employee Recognition in the WFH Culture 

Employee recognition is a major part of how organizations ensure that their workforce is motivated and feels valued – and it can significantly impact employee morale. In the WFH era, employee recognition also becomes more challenging, since you cannot really have conferences where you recognize impressive achievements made by employees. 

Therefore, a better solution has to be found. One thing that has been done recently is to make it more of a personal event for the employees than a professional one – for example, hiring an Animal Farm to take the office around a farm (virtually) and show them all the different animals, and then using this opportunity to applaud and recognize employees in front of their families and friends instead of simply their peers. 

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How To Use Talent Analytics To Inform Your Business Strategy

Although talent analytics has existed for several years and top management realizes its potential, only a few firms have completely adopted the approach. According to a study by Deloitte, only 4% of businesses have predictive talent analytics capabilities, 14% have some type of talent analytics program in place, and 60% of businesses intend to develop a talent analytics strategy.

To implement a talent analytics strategy, what is required for an organization is a complete understanding of talent analytics and the means through which the data can be put to productive use. 

To help you get started, we will explain what Talent Analytics is, what sorth2 of data you should gather, and the advantages of using talent analytics data.

Also Read: Why companies should invest in People Analytics

What Exactly is Meant by Talent Analytics?

Talent analytics provide insight into both the prospective applicant pool and your existing employees. With a talent analytics platform, you can form credentialed strategies concerning the recruitment process; identify prospective candidates whose skills can boost your company’s productivity, and conduct assessments of existing team members to ascertain their skill gaps.

Historically, talent analytics has been around for quite some time and goes by a few different names, including:

  • Human resource analytics
  • Workforce analytics
  • Human capital analytics 
  • People analytics

Why is Talent Analytics Important?  

By using talent analytics data analysis, you will get insights into employee-related issues like performance assessment, hiring, teamwork, and leadership. 

Based on the data obtained, you can build a plan for identifying top performers at your company; get an understanding of employees’ work satisfaction levels, and develop employee retention strategies. These insights can help to understand the capabilities of current and prospective employees, as well as their shortcomings and how to improve them.

What Type of Data do You Require for Talent Analytics?

For analytics to be useful and assist recruiters in making smarter recruiting choices, talent acquisition teams must know what kind of talent data they should gather. Below are the four types of data you need for talent analytics:

  • Data from job portals

Tracking data from job websites will provide you with more insight into the performance of your advertisements. You will get a deeper understanding of how many people are applying for a job; which positions attract the most applications, and what types of devices do candidates use to apply for jobs?

  • Data from social media

Social media is an excellent tool to engage with younger prospects, but you must monitor data to see whether your recruiting plan is successful. For instance: Which social media outlets have the most impact? Which social networking platform produces the most qualified candidates? How many candidates are generated by each channel? What is your cost per acquisition?

  • Data related to CRM (Candidate Relationship Management)

CRM data may assist you to monitor different forms of data associated with candidate applications, such as application abandonment rate and the number of prospects in your pipeline and talent pools. It would also offer information on how long candidates spend on each step of the application process; the time to hire; hiring cost; the referral rate, etc.

  • Recruitment analytics data

Recruitment analytics will assist you to gather data that offers you knowledge of:

  • Hiring insights: Why prospects drop off, and which aspects of the process need adjustments.
  • Operational insights: Determine the efficiency of your recruiting process and pinpoint any bottlenecks.
  • Personality insights: What sorts of applicants apply for your available positions, and how do they stand when compared to your top performers?
  • Candidate experience insights: Are candidates with higher experience willing to apply for the job?

Examining the advantages of talent acquisition analytics

Utilizing data analytics in your talent acquisition approach has a multitude of significant advantages. Here are the four most important advantages of talent acquisition analytics:

1. Target job seekers

Predictive HR analytics may aid recruiters in swiftly identifying, locating, and connecting with qualified prospects. 

Once you have targeted the exact talents and traits you are looking for in a candidate, you can utilize data to determine where would you get in touch with such applicants (certain social media sites may assist you with this). You can then publish your job advertising according to the requirements. You may even tailor the wording of the ad or job description to match the personality of the applicants you’re seeking.

2. Eliminate prejudice

Data does not care about an applicant’s age, gender, or color; but, on the other hand, humans may make some biased decisions, based on these characteristics. 

Based on the existing knowledge associated with social events, attitudes, cultures, stereotypes, and emotional responses, our brains may develop unconscious biases. Using facts and statistics as a basis for your judgment can prevent prejudice in recruiting.

3. Predict applicant success

Organizations may utilize analytics to forecast the future performance of job applicants. 

Using talent analytics, businesses may determine the characteristics of a competent employee and create a candidate profile to match it. Thus, while making hiring decisions, they might seek comparable qualities, education, and experience.

4. Customize employee benefits

Talent analytics helps you to make smart decisions based on a candidate’s personality and preferences. 

The overall aim would be to turn employees productive and efficient. For instance, you may encourage outstanding prospects to join your team by aligning perks to their specific beliefs, personality, and habits. 

Another instance would be that a job applicant with an introverted personality who may prefer a calm place to work may welcome the possibility to work from home once a week. Not only will this appeal to the prospect, but it will also help optimize their potential as an employee and boost employee happiness.

Also Read: Why You Need to Align Talent With Your Business

Conclusion

While managing the recruiting process, talent analytics goes beyond ordinary data by providing information on various sources, such as hires, onboarding, retention, cost, and even candidate relationship management (CRM). 

For a speedy, effective, and fair recruiting process, you must give equal significance to the types of data you should gather. Different types of data from a wide variety of sources are crucial to a recruiting team because it allows them to begin crafting a recruitment plan that delves further into when, where, and how they should invest their efforts in filling vacancies with the finest available individuals.

Employee Career Development

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How to Set the Right Employee Development Goals

According to the Dominican University of California, it’s mentioned that 42% of personnel achieve all their goals once they plan by writing down all their plans and goals to achieve. If you are a business owner, setting goals for your employees is essential. You want them to be happy, motivated, and productive – and you need to set development goals for them. Developing your employees is a vital aspect of business growth. It ensures that they stay up-to-date with the latest changes and developments. However, setting the right employee development goals can be difficult.

How to Set Employee Development Goals

It is important to set up employee goals that are both realistic and motivating. Don’t offer them goals that are unachievable or that are easily attainable. This can solely make them upset or put an excessive amount of pressure on them. Instead, set goals that can be measured and achieved with the resources you have, and make sure they are clear to everyone involved in employee development. Make a plan for development with milestones and due dates so that everyone knows where they are and what they need to do. Encourage your employees by giving them rewards for their progress along the way.

Also Read: How Performance Management Software Helps in Employee Development

1. Set goals that are both achievable and motivating

According to Gail Matthews’ goals research, those who set achievable plans for their daily tasks achieve 40% more as compared to those who don’t set any goals. So, creating achievable goals for employees can be a challenge, but it is essential for your team’s productivity. When creating plans, make sure that they are specific, measurable, relevant to the job, and time-bound. Try not to set too many ambitious targets at once if one falls short of expectation. Begin by setting smaller objectives to help employees improve their skill set or develop new ones. Every accomplishment feels like progress instead of just one step towards the ‌goal.

How to set up smart goals

When you set SMART goals for employees, you want them to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Specific: Your goals need to be clear enough so that employees understand what they need to accomplish to meet the stated objectives.

Measurable: Goals should be quantifiable so that both you and the employee can track progress over time. Measurable goals will help ensure both parties are aware of where each party stands and whether or not there is room for improvement.

Achievable: Goals must be challenging yet achievable to not discourage workers from trying their best. For instance, an employee might become verbal or physically abusive towards themselves or others due to a goal being too difficult (or impossible). In such cases, it may no longer qualify as an achievable goal at that point.

Relevant: All business goals must be relevant to the organization’s mission statement to stand any chance of success. If a goal is unrelated or irrelevant (for example, giving raises based on performance rather than job satisfaction), it’s likely to fail to fulfill its purpose, either within the organization.

2. Set measurable goals

Employers need to set measurable goals for their employees to maintain a personal and professional work-life balance. This helps employees feel appreciated and motivated while also ensuring that they meet the company’s expectations.
Setting clear objectives can be tricky, but using the SMART method of goal setting can help make the process easier. Setting smart goals can be a difficult task, but with the right tips, it can be a breeze.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

    1. Define your goal
Before you can set any smart goals, you first need to know what you’re trying to achieve. Make sure your goal is specific and measurable, so you can track your progress.

    2. Break your goal down into smaller chunks
Once you know what you want, it’s time to break it down into more manageable pieces. Creating smaller goals will help you stay motivated and focused, and it’ll make achieving your overall goal easier.

    3. Set a deadline
Having a date by which you want to achieve your goal will help keep you on track. Not only will this give you something to aim for, but it’ll also spur you on when the going gets tough.

    4. Reward yourself
Besides setting tough deadlines and breaking down daunting goals into bite-sized chunks, rewarding yourself for reaching milestones can also be a motivating factor in achieving success with smart goals. Sacrificing time for hobbies or spending time with loved ones can all contribute to achievement of these tasks!

    5. Keep a journal
Keeping a journal can be helpful in both tracking your progress and staying motivated. It allows you to reflect on your successes and challenges, as well as keep track of any advice or tips you may have learned along the way.

3. Create a developmental roadmap with milestones and deadlines

A developmental roadmap can be an excellent tool for ensuring that employees are on track and meet goals set forth by the company. It should include milestones and deadlines for when employees should reach specific objectives and pointers about what to do if they fall behind schedule or miss their targets. By establishing clear expectations from the beginning, you will help your team stay focused and motivated while also avoiding any unnecessary drama or conflict later on. A developmental roadmap can also serve as a valuable point for future reference.

4. Encourage your employees by rewarding their achievements along the way

Encouraging your employees is an essential part of cultivating a positive work environment. When you reward them for their achievements, they are valued and appreciated. These rewards will encourage them to continue working hard.
There are numerous ways to recognize your employees. Some popular methods include giving bonuses, granting promotions or raises, providing flexible work hours or telecommuting options, and creating a fun and engaging workplace culture.

Work can be closely done with employees who fall short

The management of underperformers can be challenging, but it’s possible to ensure their productivity and success. Here’s what you can do:

The first step is to try to figure out why employees act the way they do. Once you know what they want, it’s easier to talk to them about the problem.

Most of the time, an employee’s bad attitude or lack of motivation is caused by things outside of their job, like family problems, rather than problems at work. In these cases, counseling or other help is needed to get past these internal problems.

Once the root causes have been fixed and the employee is back on track, it’s important to work closely with them so that both sides can benefit from the relationship.

Make regular assessments – It is important to check on how employees are doing regularly to make sure they reach their goals. You can measure productivity in many ways, such as through reviews, checklists, interviews, or surveys. It’s also helpful to get feedback often so that the quality of the work can be improved. If you have a problem, you need to fix it right away. This will help keep problems from getting worse and make the workplace a better place to be.

5. Align employee development and career goal

Increasingly, employees are working towards career-aligned individual development goals (INDGs). INDG planning provides an organization and employees with clarity about what the future holds and where members see themselves within that context with better alignment between employee objectives and company strategy. INDG implementation also ensures that individuals are continuously learning and developing to keep up with industry changes, ensuring they remain effective on the job.

OKRs and Employee Engagement

Setting goals will increase employee engagement and support people to focus on the most important things. It is one of the most difficult conditions to turn dreams into action. As you are all aware, OKRs are not flawless, as HR specialists have already demonstrated.

The machine of a unified employer uses OKRs. They are the most important objectives for businesses to increase employee engagement. Their main goal is to motivate employees to achieve their objectives. New goals should be set by using a top-down approach that also works with maintaining performances and indicators of defining their goals once, which is only one of the many things they intended to do.
OKRs will support their goal-setting efforts, which may hold them to a high standard of accountability, by:

  • Conducting interviews with each employee to identify areas for improvement in the achievement of their goals and areas they are working on.
  • Focusing on lowering the new highest turnover rate from 20% to 5% to address the issue of employee engagement.
Also Read: The Essential Guide To OKRs

Setting development objectives for employees requires considering their total accomplishments, work responsibilities, company values, and organizational culture. Moreover, setting development milestones is a useful strategy for monitoring a person’s progress and ensuring they are on course to realize their full potential.

 

Want to know how to use Engagedly for performance management and employee development in the COVID era? Book a live demo with us.

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Common Employee Complaints About the Workplace and How to Handle It

Being an HR professional, your ‌foremost duty is to maintain a healthy atmosphere at the workplace and look after your employees’ well-being to work in an appropriate atmosphere. But HR also has to deal with workplace complaints or employee complaints. Many people are guilty of ignoring problems and hoping they go away. But is ignorance the best solution? Ignoring workplace complaints often further damages a business and demotivates your team. As an employer, it’s essential that you resolve any issues quickly and with efficiency. 

Supervisors must take steps to protect themselves, the employee complaining, and those affected if it’s about another person. The working atmosphere impacts badly with an unhappy employee, and business productivity also hampers a lot. 

An employer or HR professional must maintain a certain professional rapport in their working environments. This opens the door for other employees in an organization to express their problems freely, which leads to a transparent and happy working atmosphere.

In this article, we will discuss some of the common employee complaints and how to handle them.

Types of Employee Complaints and How to Handle Them 

We can broadly categorize the employee complaints into three parts, as mentioned below:

1. Workplace Conflicts

Employee complaints can quickly turn a great company into a mountain of troubles, but you can jump-start your way to a more relaxed workplace by addressing all the gripes as and when they happen. These problems occur due to misunderstandings; business leaders often forget that employees have the same rights, and need to be provided with a relaxed and stress-free atmosphere.

How to handle workplace complaints

Employee complaints can quickly besiege a successful business. When this happens, it’s important to prioritize all issues along with the HR team immediately so as not to let any problems fester and grow into something too big that could damage the integrity of your company over time. A manager or business leader must hear what your team has to say, as regularly connecting with team members makes your employees feel comfortable and happy.

2. Pay Disparities and Low Pay

Wage or pay discrimination occurs when employees are paid less than their peers because of protected qualities. Gender, color, age, and religion are examples. These factors, however, cannot be the reasons why a business chooses to pay people less. For instance, salary discrimination would occur if a woman is paid less than a man for the same job and in the same job role.

Also Read: What is pay transparency? Pros and Cons

How to handle pay disparities properly

If a new employee complains about unfair pay, you’ll need to respond immediately to set the record straight. Often, this will not include a pay raise; however, if the information comes from specific outside sources, it becomes pretty clear that you need to address this immediately and inform the employee that there has been an error in the records. 

An employer needs to make sure to treat employees fairly, from paychecks to vacations. Ensure your employees know that they can come to you with questions and ensure their ‘fair’ treatment.

If an employee feels their wage is unfair, it’s vital for you as a business owner or immediate supervisor to respond in the most effective way possible. Your response could vary depending on how old the employee is in the system, prior experience, the roles and responsibilities, and the specialized skill and experience in that job role.

The explanation and employee satisfaction should reflect in such a way that the employee feels valued in the organization. Most importantly, they should see good career growth for themself.

3. Insufficient Vacation or Leave Structure

Complaints regarding insufficient vacation and high workload often come from the employees who have to constantly engage in their work due to an increase in workload and unavailability of a support workforce. 

Some employees within the same organization often have to take an increased workload. On the other hand, some employees have less work and get frequent vacations. These differences lead to employee dissatisfaction and workplace complaints. However, using workload management tools can help in spotting such issues early.

How to handle it properly

If your team members complain about their workload, first find out why. You may be able to do something about that or at least, provide them with sound advice and guidance on how they can deal with it daily. If you let the conversation stay focused on their workload, then you’ll never actually get around to finding out what’s causing the problem in the first place. 

The objective is to engage the individual, listen to their problem, try to find a solution that does not directly address their concern, and see what occurs. Tell them about the importance of the job role and if any changes can be done, proceed with it.

Where employees can complain?

In case of any workplace complaints, the employee needs to address the issue with the respective HR. Alternatively, they can handle the grievance or be subject to the separate grievance redressal portal of the organization.

Here are some grievance procedures that you can use: 

Informal discussion with the management

When an employee logs in a complaint, the immediate supervisor should schedule a meeting with the employee. Sometimes a casual discussion resolves problems instantly. And with a free conversation, both employee and management can reach a similar platform where a manager can explain and address employee grievances, and employees feel satisfied with the effective resolution.

For example, if an employee believes they deserve a promotion but haven’t earned one in several years, a manager can explain what things are required to get the desired result. Managers must acknowledge the grievance and actively listen to employee concerns.

Formal written complaint

Consider creating an employee complaint form. Ensure employees have access to the documents quickly and they also get to the right person assigned to investigate grievances filed by others. If your company already has such a procedure in place, make sure your employees know about it to access it if needed quickly. 

Handling Employee Complaints Effectively

Workplace complaints occur very frequently in every organization and every situation has its unique solution, which needs to be actioned immediately. One must handle every issue with attention and precision, and your primary goal should be to resolve complaints informally. 

Every company has a concrete grievance policy according to the law. Employees should stay informed of the point of contact if they have a problem, and the process and time restrictions for each action. 

Also Read: An HR’s Guide to Dealing with Employee Complaints

Here are some practical steps to handle employee complaints more effectively and smoothly:

Investigate and analyze the complaints properly

Not all problems require a hearing. Generally, it would be best to consider whether the complaint is valid. Check for issues and gather any relevant information. It may not always be necessary, but if the grievance involves other employees, they will need to be informed and given a chance to explain themselves and put forward their bits of evidence.

The HR department should always handle serious complaints. If not, the immediate manager has to look into the problem by themself. Upon receiving the complaint, it has to be addressed accordingly and there may be several approaches depending on the complaint, but they should be consistent each time they originate.

To investigate the complaints effectively, you can follow the following steps:

  • If there were any witnesses to the incident, speak with them all. Talk with all available witnesses and try to extract the exact information which generates the incident which triggered the employee complaint.
  • Examine all the evidence. While there could be overwhelming evidence to support one side or the other of a situation, there may still be some evidence that disproves everything seemingly proven. Don’t just take a person’s word for it – ask all those involved precisely what happened and look into every detail of information you receive so as not to spread rumors.
  • Gather all necessary documentation. Try to collect every document, file, computer information, or any other evidence related to the complaint.
  • Speak with the initial complainant once more. Revisit with the person who has made the initial complaint and cross-check with him/her for any information missed out on earlier. Also, clarify case of any discrepancies.
  • Consult with the senior management. After examining all the possible scenarios, you need to check for the company’s grievance redressal policy or seek pieces of advice from your senior management about what actions need to be taken to handle the complaint.

Responding to Complaints Timely and Properly

When dealing with employee complaints, they need to be responded to timely and effectively. Handle any problem on time and accurately by following a few important procedures.

  1. Take the right action in response to the complaint. You need to take any action immediately, wasting no time, be it writing to the higher hierarchy or implementing any policy changes. It’s crucial to take quick action.
  2. Inform the individual of measures taken to address the complaint. It’s necessary to keep the plaintiff informed of all actions and proceedings. In case of any other issue, give details about the resolution procedure.
  3. If the criticism was unjustified, inform the person who filed the complaint. If the complaint does not qualify according to the work rules, inform the employee about the correct procedure and company policy, and always maintain a compassionate view to not feel bad. Take this for future learnings.
  4. Continue normally and move forward. After resolving the complaint, move on and focus less on the complaint.
  5. Take a note of the complaint for your future reference. If you notice a pattern of the same complaint or the same person making another complaint, take a note for your future reference. 

Managers’ best practices for an employee complaint

Here are some best practices, which can be a handful for every manager in handling workplace complaints and trying to convince their down-line to maintain the company work rules.

1. Provide an employee handbook to all the employees

When you hire a new employee, please give them the company handbook to read before joining the team and taking on their role. Also, ensure that they sign a declaration, stating that they have received and read through it within a particular time frame after starting employment with your company.

It’s important to remember that an employee can use the employee handbook as a reference point while maintaining company guidelines and company work rules. Keep these guidelines at the ready in case of disputes and have them updated every year.

2. Hold regular meetings with the employees throughout the year

One of the most effective ways to prevent employees from filing grievances is by building positive and welcoming relationships with them. This will lessen the chances of them getting frustrated and having to file grievances.

If you meet your employees at least once a week, bi-monthly, or even once every quarter, there’s a greater possibility that you’ll be able to deal with any grievances before it escalates into serious issues.

3. Conduct frequent workplace training for managers and employees

Consistent workplace training to teach employees how to communicate more favorably with one another or even establish deeper relationships would help the entire organization. It may also be beneficial to arrange training directly related to your employee’s job responsibilities, but this also allows them to remain confident in their abilities and may foster progress in their jobs.

Conclusion

A grievance procedure may be necessary because it allows employees to express their workplace complaints to a manager or upper hierarchy. This allows all employees to have an opportunity to bring about workplace harmony by being themselves in a safe, happy, and collaborative workplace.

The proper operation of a grievance management system requires adequate records, experience, and equal treatment of all parties. However, some special conditions may exist, in which the processes require a more advanced modified approach, as mentioned earlier. A company’s HR has the right to make changes when needed according to the situation.

Maintaining a transparent relationship among the employees, their co-workers, and management reduces the need for grievance management. Furthermore, it develops mutual understanding, avoids workplace conflicts, and creates a clear road map toward the employee and organizational development.

 

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Social Performance Management Is The New Norm

There’s a new kind of performance management on the block: “social performance management.”

Successful performance management requires effective goal-setting, team collaboration, recognition, engagement, and frequent feedback. Traditional performance management systems miss out on these drivers, which can lead to low morale among employees, and thereby poor organizational performance.

Most companies have realized that their performance management (PM) systems don’t really work anymore. And they are increasingly looking at new ways of measuring an employee’s performance. One of those ways is social performance management.

The challenges of the recent shift to a hybrid work setup have aggravated the need to adopt a modern and more collaborative social performance management system (SPM). Such a system can fulfill the needs of advanced performance tracking as well as the social commerce needs of employees.

Seeing the numerous benefits, many organizations are now switching from traditional annual performance review systems to continuous and social performance management tools.

In this article, we will explore the intricacies of a social performance management system and some of its important features.

What is Social Performance Management?

Social performance management or SPM is a spin on traditional social media. On traditional social media, you are able to convey information quickly and also receive a response quickly. You can talk to literally anybody, create interest groups and also state opinions.

Social Performance Management

A system which is geared towards or created with SPM in mind allows employees to do the same thing. The only thing that changes is the context in which they do it. In SPM systems, employees can share opinions, thoughts, ideas with everyone in an organization. There’s no hierarchy that separates employees and managers and leaders. They can request for feedback and also receive feedback, in real-time. Managers or employees do not need to wait till the year ends before asking for or giving feedback.

And here is the best part of an SPM system. Its users can be anywhere and still communicate with one and other successfully. Employees in different corners of the world can interact with each other as if they were facing each across a desk.

Organizations are slowly but surely adopting SPM systems because they have realized that the very concept of PM is outdated. Some of the organizations which have adopted SPM systems are HubSpot, Mozilla, Hootsuite, etc.

Engagedly – Performance Management Redefined

Engagedly’s main goal is to drive employee engagement. And you cannot drive employee engagement if your PM system gives neither employees nor managers any say in the process. Here’s how Engagedly’s SPM system can help with feedback, peer recognition, and communication.

Feedback – Continuous and Two-Way

Feedback in Social Performance Management

In order for feedback to be effective, it needs to be a continuous process. Traditional PM systems have a convoluted feedback process that is of usually no help. They can be frustrating, delayed and insufficient. Not the kind of process that improves employee engagement. Moreover, it does not provide any channel of communication to discuss important issues.

Engagedly’s feedback process is easy. With a few button clicks, you can either give or ask for feedback. It is immediate and therefore, more helpful than feedback which arrives long after the task has been completed. Any team member can ask for feedback from their colleagues and manager. The feature helps in getting quick feedback on the performance and other aspects of work.

Also Read: Dealing With Negative Feedback In The Workplace

Communication Without Barriers

Communication among all the employees of an organization is vital. Not just among peers. Leaders cannot be closed off from employees, and employees should not have to think of leaders as mysterious, inscrutable figures.

Good communication can drive engagement and increase productivity. Engagedly’s communication feature is simple and easy to use. Similar to Facebook, you can post a status which team members can comment upon and like. Another striking use of this feature is that you can ask your fellow colleagues for help, share ideas, or even share knowledge!

The feature can also be used to impart knowledge to the whole organizaton or share an organization-wide post regarding important updates or changes. This way, you can always keep communicating with your workforce.

Peer Recognition

One of the most important aspects of employee engagement is recognizing employees who have done good work and commending them for it. Our peer recognition feature makes recognizing an employee or a colleague a breeze. You can share a public social post and tag your team members or colleagues there and thank them for their support, or give a shout out for their exemplary support or skills. The feature also helps other teams to recognize the skills by liking and commenting on the post.

Looking forward to redefine your performance management system? Talk to our experts for a free demo.

Request A Demo

10 HR Events (Virtual And In-Person) Not To Be Missed This Year

COVID-19 has created a tough and complicated environment for Human Resource Management (HRM) professionals. After Covid-19, HRM was placed in an uncertain position where they needed to devise inventive methods to simplify their organization’s operations and assist their people in coping with this unusual crisis. This is where attending HR events would prove helpful for the HR department of a company.

HR events provide a platform for inventive HR leaders, HR professionals, business experts, and workforce analytics to collaborate and develop a great business strategy to address the many complicated difficulties that affect companies at all levels. HRM can meet experts and other HR professionals, and discuss how to deal with a large-scale shift in the way people work in hybrid or remote working environments. 

Benefits of Attending HR Events 

Some benefits that HR leaders and business leaders would reap by attending HR events are :

  • Opportunities and learning: HR conferences provide opportunities for professional development and understanding of the top HR trends of the year. The participants will also receive an insight into recruiting practices, and emerging HR strategies and technologies.
  • Challenges: Participants will have a better understanding of how to deal with the challenges of working in a multicultural environment. 
  • A chance to meet field experts: These events allow professionals to meet field experts. In addition, thought leaders and experts will share their experiences and advice to the trainees and Human Resources professionals; especially, regarding essential aspects of HRM such as talent acquisition and employee engagement.
  • Develop a professional network: HR events enable professionals to interact with peers and develop a professional network. 
  • Build your CV: Many HR conferences award certificates to participants on completion of the conference. These new skills and accreditations can boost your CV.
Also Read: 6 Trends That Will Shape HR Strategies In 2022

10 HR Events Not To Be Missed This Year

Some of the major HR events you cannot afford to miss are discussed below. They would provide you with an opportunity to meet with high-profile business experts and HR leaders. Importantly, they would render an in-depth understanding of the latest HR technologies to streamline HR-based processes.

      1. The State of Employee Well-being 2022

Date: 1 June to 2 June

Price: Free

Why should you attend: 

This event will focus on employees’ well-being and how employers can keep employees motivated and engaged post-COVID. Experts will talk about the effects of the pandemic and how these can be overcome, especially in terms of workplace security and the mental health of employees. Essential areas pertaining to HRM such as the development of high-potential employees and the culture of transparency will also be covered.

You can register for the event here.

hr events 2022     

      2. SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2022

Date: 12 June to 15 June

Price: The price for a pass to an in-person conference is $1,950 for members and $2,450 for non-members. The price for a virtual pass is $1,295 for members and $1,550 for non-members.

Why should you attend:   

This is one of the world’s largest HR conferences, with more than 200 sessions; 500+ exhibiting companies, and thousands of successful, smart, and ambitious HR professionals to network with. This is a four-day conference with peer-to-peer connections, customized learning, corporate and HR leader lectures, productivity HR courses, and hands-on learning workshops. You will also be exposed to ideas related to crucial HR topics, such as strategic HR practices, leadership, inclusion and diversity, workplace culture, and recruitment and retention. 

SHRM Annual Conference event registration can be done here.

      3. Gartner Data & Analytics Summit

Date: 25 July to 26 July 

Price: AU$ 2,975 + GST for early-bird tickets, AU$ 3,475 + GST for standard tickets, and AU$2,850 + GST for the public sector

Why should you attend:    

At this event, leading reporting and analytics subject matter experts and corporate leaders will share their insights about the biggest challenges that data analytics leaders confront as they build robust, innovative, and agile organizations of the future. You will have the opportunity to interact with thought leaders and learn to simplify business processes with advanced data analytics capabilities in a dynamic and complex world. From the perspective of data analytics, this HR conference focuses primarily on corporate strategy, the most recent innovations, and entrepreneurship.

Event registration can be done here.

      4. HR Connect 2022

Schedule: Preconference- 12 October

Main Conference: 13 to 14 October

Price: $1,199

Why should you attend:  

At the HR Connect 2022 event, you’ll learn how to adapt and tackle the most pressing HR challenges, explore compliance, recruiting, corporate culture, and learn how to update your personnel management methods to engage and retain remote and hybrid employees. At this engaging live conference, you will also learn: 

  • Keeping up with evolving employment regulations.
  • The key to maintaining diverse employees of various skill levels and developing professional skills for optimal company performance.
  • Accepting setbacks, and learning and improving from failures.
  • The biggest cause of employee burnout and effective stress management techniques.
  • How to effectively help employees, who are also the providers for their families.
  • Ways to improve the productivity and creativity of your employees.

HR Connect 2022 event registration can be done here.

      5. The State of Human Experience in the Workplace 2022

Date: 17 August

Price: Free

Why should you attend:       

At this event, you’ll discover how to establish metrics such as KPIs for the contemporary employee experience. The event will also focus on presentations on a range of challenges pertaining to human interactions, particularly the experiences that employees and other stakeholders have in today’s workplace and how these impact employee performance, retention, and engagement. You’ll also learn how to improve your recruiting process and what HR strategies you can use, such as employee engagement, compensation and benefits, and business culture.

The State of Human Experience in the Workplace event registration can be done here.

      6. Creating a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference

Date: 21 September

Price: $195

Why should you attend:   

During this virtual conference, you will learn about the latest best practices for building a common language and understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and how to develop a clear DEI strategy in which your entire workforce can participate. You may earn credits from HRCI, SHRM, and HCI by attending this session.

You can register for the event here.

      7. Western Cities HR Conference

Date: 5 October to 7 October 

Price: $103.95 – $2,625 (varying from tickets to tickets and accommodation prices)

Why should you attend: 

This conference specifically targets human resource professionals working in the public sector from all around Western Canada so that they can explore the unique challenges that HR faces in this industry. You may attend both keynotes and active breakout sessions to acquire insight and inspiration for your career. Erik van Vulpen, founder of Analytics in HR, will also give a virtual presentation on this occasion.

You can register for the Western Cities HR Conference here.

      8. Supporting Workplace Wellness & Wellbeing

Date: 19 October

Price: 

A 1-day virtual conference pass costs $195;

Engage Your People Virtual Series costs $495; and 

2022 All Access Virtual Conference Pass costs $1,895

Why should you attend:   

As a result of virtual and flexible work arrangements, organizations must go beyond surface-level health initiatives. Attend this session to discover how to effectively help your employees in times of unrest, stress, financial, and other difficulties. You will also discover the most up-to-date information on how to develop a working culture that places the emotional and physical wellness of workers at the forefront.

At this event, you would also learn how to provide adaptable resources for mental and physical health concerns, develop a culture in which employees are encouraged at times of personal difficulty, and maintain a proactive stance in the face of workforce difficulties that might affect your company. Other benefits include:

  • You’ll have the opportunity to network virtually with your colleagues and speakers.
  • Accessibility to a digital resource center for thirty days after the conference, including recordings of keynote speeches and slides from presentations.
  • Acquire 4 HRCI General credits, 4 SHRM Professional Development Credits, 4 HCI credits, and 3 ATD recertification credits.

Register for the event here.

      9. IFEBP 68th Annual Employee Benefits Conference

Date: 23 October to 26 October 

Price: Early bird tickets are $1,695 and regular tickets are $1,995 (exclusively for members of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans).

Why should you attend:    

At this event, you can connect with over 5,000 HR professionals and have access to the views of 150 industry leaders on employee pay. Also, you will get practical knowledge about tried-and-true methods that you may adopt in your organization. You will get to learn the latest developments in the industry so that when it comes to investing, you are fully conversant with the pros and cons of it. The main focus of the HR conference will be on administration, fiduciary responsibility, health and welfare, a comprehensive overview of employee benefits and challenges, investments, and pensions, ​public plans, apprenticeship, training, and education, fund professionals—accountants, and fund advisors—attorneys.

      10. Agile Leadership Development Conference

Date: 16 November 

Price: $195 for a one-day virtual conference

Why should you attend:  

At this event, you can learn how to deal with the shortage of skilled professionals while minimizing the risks to your company. Understand how to create successful leadership development programs by attending this virtual HR conference hosted by the Human Capital Institute. You will also get to learn to identify the relevant metrics, develop a culture of openness, and make sure that your leadership development activities are consistent with your succession objectives.

Registration for the Agile Leadership Development Conference can be done here.

Also Read: How Can HR Contribute to Improving Employee Experience

Final Thoughts

Participating in these virtual or in-person HR conferences might be the smartest move you could make this year, as the emphasis of these conferences will fall on the problems encountered by HR professionals in the context of the new normal and other persistent workforce concerns. 

In addition, you will get first-hand experience of the most recent HR technology, such as Engagedly, which acts as a platform for connecting with employees and understanding the many challenges they face. This type of technology can also expedite the resolution of their difficulties, boost productivity, and ensure employee retention.

 

Do you want to know how Engagedly can be the right performance management software for remote workplaces? Book a live demo with us.

Request A Demo

How To Shift To A Web Based Performance Appraisal System?

Moving from traditional paper-based performance reviews to web based performance appraisal system can feel like a stressful experience. It is mainly because you are moving away from something that you know about to something that is new to you.

Continue reading “How To Shift To A Web Based Performance Appraisal System?”

How To Manage Employees Who Are Shy?

A team comprises of different types of people. And it is their cumulative effort that drives high performance. Some employees are more shy than others, and it makes them uncomfortable sharing their views openly. Even then, their contributions are equally important and they must be taken into consideration while making decisions. Shy employees have their own set of talents and skills, and it depends largely upon the efforts of a manager to help them grow.

Continue reading “How To Manage Employees Who Are Shy?”