Latest Event Updates
5 Ways to Improve Employee Care During an Uncertain Time
Great organizations are aware that managing during uncertain times requires putting themselves in the shoes of their employees and delivering the expected leadership. People don’t want just good intentions from their leaders during a crisis, they desire leaders who are not only strong, confident and decisive but also transparent and vulnerable enough to express genuine compassion and concern. As such, it demands that leaders must revisit ways to strengthen their corporate culture, engage more authentically with employees and neutralize the impact of uncertainty on clients, vendors and partners. For businesses that are looking for some ideas, here are five strategies to improve your employee care during an uncertain time.
Make employee engagement top priority.
HR departments can always strive for ways in which the company could be a better place to work. Most HR professionals would agree that stronger employee engagement is a prominent initiative even during adverse situations. In fact, according to Pomello’s People Management in 2017 survey, employee engagement is the top priority for organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees. A few enterprises may find recruiting millennial employees as a goal, and offering creative benefits could be a helpful step. A study from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation indicated that more than half of millennials find a compelling benefits package influences their choice of employer, while almost two-thirds of millennials feel that benefits packages are a crucial reason why they stay with an employer. So, all in all, employee engagement through policies that click with the workforce is an intrinsic part of any organization.
Survey your workforce for unmet needs.
Poll your employees about the benefits available to them and survey if there are any needs they would like to get covered. Use that data and break it down based on various demographics to discover areas for improvement. You can also promote awareness of under-used ancillary benefits.
You can also consider developing affinity groups within your company to allow like-minded executives an outlet to discuss their unique challenges. After identifying underutilized benefits across your offerings, try a concerted outreach effort through both high- and low-tech strategies. The goal is to ensure that your employees are aware of the full range of benefits available and how to access them.
Create flexible work environment.
According to the AARP, 61% of those who provide care for a family member older than 50 are also balancing employment, and half of today’s workforce expects to provide care for ageing family members in the next five years. As many as 43% of people caring for their parents say that their professional career has suffered because of caregiving. In this context, even small reductions in work hours by organizations can have a long-term impact on retirement security, benefits, health insurance, and job security of an employee.
Not only that, according to Global Workplace Analytics, more than 80 percent of employees want flexible work accommodations. So, if organizations can create more flexible work options, the growing workforce can balance family obligations with work responsibilities in a creative and productive way.
As Bloomberg reports, “When workers have control over their own schedules, it results in lower levels of stress, psychological distress, burnout, and higher job satisfaction.”
Encourage employees to voice their concerns.
Consider building an “office hours” program that’s held weekly or monthly which gives employees a platform to voice the challenges they’re facing. This program can be useful even beyond conversations about benefits. It would create an environment of openness and flexibility and foster an air of transparency that employees would appreciate. For example, Zulily, an online clothing retailer, has developed an initiative that gives employees access to informal chats with all executives.
For employees who may be hesitant to participate in such a forum, ensure to have mechanisms available for providing anonymous feedback regarding sensitive issues without any fear of reprisal. Having knowledge what’s troubling your employees enables you to address issues which reduce its impact on your bottom line.
Assume the landscape will continue to change.
The strategies outlined above can help organizations change the way they think about benefits by underlining employees’ outside-the-office needs as a priority. So, when a business makes decisions based on the need for employees, they display genuine care about their employees which is reciprocated on the front line by an actively engaged workforce.
The first half of 2017 has also shown us, though, that nothing is for certain. Ensure that your business is well-positioned to care for your workforce by acting now will save you the trouble later of being compelled to respond to new legislation or demands. The savvy businesses that start these conversations today will be ahead of caregiving challenges tomorrow. So, take the time to lay out the top HR goals for the year, identify concrete steps to affect those goals, begin tracking metrics to measure progress toward those steps and goals, and meet quarterly to update leadership on what progress has been made and what may need to change moving forward.
7 lessons for creating effective micro-learning programs
Lessons based on a 2017 Learning Technology Research Project
Winston Churchill once said “Personally, I am always ready to learn; although I don’t always like being taught”. This sums it up nicely. In a business world that moves at high speed and requires fast reactions, the learning options should adjust to reflect exactly this.
The recent Learning Technology Research (LTR) Project states that micro-learning or small bite-sized chunks of learning that are easy to access and quick to digest are an important way of harnessing the power of these new technologies.
How is effective micro-learning programs created? Here are tips to achieve this goal.
Know your goal – know what you want to achieve
This is a basic tenet and applies to any kind of a learning program. Find out what you want to achieve by imparting this learning, understand the specific knowledge area and most importantly, your audience.
Make use of bites
The whole point of micro-learning is to break the content down into small, digestible bites that are quick and easy to access. Each learning bite can have a definitive objective. It could be some sort of supporting information that you wish to communicate or a behaviour that you want to affect or change.
Let the bites be linked to each other
If your overall topic has been broken down into small micro-learning modules, ensure that they are presented in a sensible sequence and as a part of an integrated curriculum program. When combined, they should cover the whole topic with no gaps.
Individual access should be easy and free-flowing
Micro-learning provides immediate and just-in-time support and training to people in their hour of need. Learners should be able to find and reference information easily, whenever they want to. Tagging and searching are key components here.
Use various content types
The combination of text, pictures, images and videos work very well in micro-learning. Simple interactions and animations would also enhance the content. A variety of these different content types would take your material to the top of any coveted content list.
Keep it short
Keep the content short and make sure that it never loses focus. Two to three minutes would keep your audience engaged and interested. Going beyond this time period would be a really big challenge.
Quizzes and Assessments
These techniques are not only good to assess learning understanding, but they are also good in driving home a point and in prompting repetition. Make these interesting, interactive and fun so that learners are engaged and will find them useful. Not only are learners’ knowledge evaluated, but they also survey worries, attitude, confidence etc.
Some examples of awesome micro learning
North Western University created a course called 5-in-5, which teaches 5 principles in 5 minutes. Learners can engage with the information, dive deeper into the specifics with video examples and additional resources.
The Oreo Company inspired bakers with illustrated videos that are less than 25 seconds each, by making the recipes look delicious and easy and shows them how simple it is to make something great.
Domino’s prepared an interactive micro course to help employees learn how to make pizzas more quickly and accurately. The learners liked the small modules because it meant less time away from work and the memorable and engaging course.
Micro-learning should be translated effectively into the digital space, ensuring that knowledge is communicated, received and retained.
How to become the employer of choice and make every employable employee want to work for you
Treat Human Resource as a product and become the brand of choice.
The best way to measure your company’s standing in the talent market would be to find out how many times your employees are called for other opportunities. This means that your employees are treated very highly in the market and you as an employer have created a brand value for them.
A number of factors are involved in building a brand and becoming an employer of choice. Here are some insightful thoughts to be considered:
Hiring, Interview and On boarding Experience
It is important to set up high standards and benchmarks while recruiting. The easier it is for people to get in, the easier it is for them to leave. During the interview period, candidates should be treated well and with respect. Even though they do not meet your expectations and you do not wish to recruit them, they should be turned off respectfully and in a timely manner. Communication should be very clear and there should definitely be a closure to the recruiting process.
When employees join the organization, they should feel welcome and wanted.
According to Linkedin, Google is one of the companies that people want to work for. They use a collaborative hiring style that gives candidates the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, cognitive ability, leadership qualities and how well they could fit into the organization.
Job Security
When employers are financially sound, employees are free from the concern and worry about losing their jobs. They will be able to concentrate on their career and goals.
A strong value system
The company should have a strong value system and should be known for its ethical business practices. It should be in the news for all the right reasons because employees take pride in being associated with a good brand. Hewlett-Packard is an example of a firm that has a very strong value system like An Open Door Policy and Respect for Individuals.
Work environment
It is imperative to build a work environment that encourages merit, trust and empowerment. Employees should be given a strategic framework of the company’s mission, vision and goals and should then be allowed to decide how they will progress towards their goals. Companies should be fair to its employees and should create a conducive environment that supports the career aspirations of its people. Employees should also feel fundamentally respected by their colleagues and bosses.
P&G Near East earned the Best Employer 2016 Award for providing unmatched career opportunities for its employees to develop with guidance from leaders who care, amongst other factors.
Top Management
Everything starts at the top. The right kind of management and leaders; those who are achievers and inspirational need to lead the company, to be able to attract top talent. Quality attracts quality. It is critical for the right kind of leaders to be able to build the right team under him or her. Inspirational, Motivational and Game Changers – Think Indra Nooyi, Satya Nadella and Jeff Bezos; you get the picture.
These are not the only characteristics for an employer of choice. There are many more that can be added to the list. But, if you are able to implement a significant number of these factors in your company, then you will be on your way to becoming an employer of choice and attracting and retaining top talent.
How to manage HR during mergers and acquisitions
Examining HR’s role during different parts of the Merger and Acquisition Process
“Multiple mergers can be challenging because people come from different backgrounds”.
Arundhati Bhattacharya, former Chairman, State Bank of India
Businesses use tools such as Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) to achieve certain organizational objectives. As two organizations attempt to integrate into one during M&As, there is a profound impact on the employees of both organizations. A 70 – 90% rate of failure is attributed to M&As in not achieving their financial and strategic objectives due to different management styles, poor motivation, loss of key talent, incompatible cultures, a lack of communication, diminishing trust and an uncertainty of long-term goals.
An example of a good merger
In the year 1999, Exxon and Mobil signed a deal for 81 Billion Dollars to merge and form a new company called ExxonMobil. It became the largest company in the world and got so big that the FTC restructured many of their gas stations, in order to avoid outright monopolization.
An example of a bad merger
Sears, the department store legend struggled against competition like Target, Wal-Mart and Saks Fifth Avenue. Hedge Fund Investor Lampert who controlled Kmart acquired Sears and the new company became Sears Holdings. In the beginning, this new company held a lot of promise. However, the merged companies continued their downward spiral with no strong niche or brand, making their strategies unsustainable.
Hence, it is very important for HR Professionals to recognize potential problems, identify solutions and persuade management to adopt them. Some of their roles in this process are
- Creation of policies to help the new organization
- Retention of key employees because the best and brightest employees are easy targets for recruiters to lure them to other organizations
- Employee selection and downsizing
M&As come with mixed feelings like excitement, fear, uncertainty, enthusiasm and resistance. These reactions can take place at every level of the organization. How these are dealt with before, during and after the transaction determines the success of the process. HR is presented with a number of challenges that are presented below.
- Maintaining a balanced and an internal status quo – either to facilitate or thwart M&As, as advised by the management
- Providing guidance to the management from a “people’s” perspective as to whether goals will be better fulfilled during an M&A or by just making some internal changes
- Understanding all aspects of the two separate organizations and the combined organization that will be affected
What is the role of HR before M&As?
During a due diligence activity, HR can gather information about talent and culture, employee benefits plans and liabilities, compensation programs, legal exposure and more and decreases unhappy and expensive surprises once the M&A is done.
What is the role of HR after M&As?
HR Professionals can add value to the M&A process from a strategic point of view and move away from the traditional and outdated view of being merely an administrative function. They can effectively manage the integration through employee relations, communications, change management and legal requirements.
HR needs to be straightforward with employees during the entire M&A process about what is happening and what is likely to happen. This includes being able to say “we don’t know” about certain things and “we have not yet decided” about certain others. Being honest includes sharing information about when and by what process a decision is expected to be reached.
Instagram Update: Turn it ON!
In 2015, Instagram received reports that its interaction rate was dwindling each quarter. In response to the report, this March, developers at Instagram decided to launch a new search bar. Since then the application has been under a constant deluge of criticism and bickering coming from all around the world, including a few rants by celebs!
Source: http://d1udmfvw0p7cd2.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/b-instagram-a-20150829.jpg
Data Security! Do you care?
India has become the powerhouse of IT outsourcing in recent years. However, issues related to security are hampering the growth of the sector at a greater pace. Data security is the most contentious issue that has resulted in loss of several lucrative contracts for Indian BPOs.
5 piping hot digital marketing stats from the week that was..
The digital world is always abuzz with popular scoop and scintillating numbers – last week was no different. While Hollywood trailers of most anticipated movies continued to gain mammoth views on Youtube, stories of digital marketing and branding maintained their unwavering dominance. Here are the 5 piping hot digital marketing stats that ruled the roost in the digital arena.
Leonardo’s Revenant storming Youtube
Alejandro González Iñárritu who took home an Oscar for his complex drama Birdman is back with the finest gem in Hollywood, Leonardo diCaprio. The trailer of the Revenant has already garnered 16 million views post three days of its release by 20th Century Fox. Starring as a 19th century American fur trapper, Leonardo has done it again it terms of masking the character which attributes to such extra ordinary response from fans.
Facebook leads referral traffic
As per Adobe’s new research, Facebook has raised to dominance in the arena of social commerce clicks. As per records, Facebook referrals gather 91 cents for every user navigated to any e commerce seller. While Pinterest witnessed a sharp decline in its referral rates, Twitter has surprisingly climbed up the charts with its competitive rates.
Going natural, the Nestle way
When it comes to coffee, brand Nestle has always come up with the most interesting ways to appeal to its customers. But when it came up with an innovative yet racy way to body paint its baristas in Irving farm Coffee roasters in New York, it was bound to get attention. The YouTube video of this ad was released on July 15 and has acquired 3 million views already. The ad truly epitomizes Natural Bliss.
The face off between desktop and smart phone
When it comes to getting customer attention in the realm of digital marketing, there always have been contentions regarding their efficacy. However, a recent study found out that the retention rates of ads were better on smart phones or gadgets rather than laptop or desktop. The glaring difference goes on to prove that smart phones are surely going to make desktops an outcast.
Demons of extra marital affairs
All those naughty ones looking to get lucky outside marriage now another reason to be scared. Recently hackers got their hands on about 40 million of user data from AshleyMadison.com which may pose a threat for the subscribers of this website. Watch your back pervs.. Hackers are out to get you!
6 Paid-SEO tools you must invest in 2015
Like most marketers, you must have spent hours scouring the web looking for the smartest SEO programs to get your search marketing objectives accomplished. The sad truth is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ tool to carry out all your SEO operations at an optimal level, but the good part is that there are enough apps that bring in an electric combination of services that can meet your precise requirements.
How to benchmark your Digital Marketing efforts
How do you ascertain whether your digital marketing tactics are successful in delivering the performance that you expect? Understandably, in this era of rat race where marketing holds the key to unblocking your brand’s growth, you need to decipher whether your investment reaps you the desired results or not. Michelle Peluso, Citi’s Chief Marketing and Digital Officer: “We increasingly believe – given the customers we serve, who tend to be worldly, urban and digitally savvy – that the ability to have branches as an anchor point but use digital to create a wider nexus is a very powerful thing.” Read the rest of this entry »
An Approach to Journalism – Interrogative or Informative
Every time journalism tries to project its power through interrogation and not on information, it is a sign of a narcissist regime. As it is, journalism has overrun its course of systematic reporting. The contemporary approach of global commentary seems to be influential rather than informative. They have become the pool of myopic opinions on issues that would not have been of any significance if not broadcasted over the screens or flashed in the newspapers. For centuries, journalism was all about getting the right info…
Akaarah 