Day Off

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  • The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

    The organization suffers when an employee does not trust their manager. The true, fear-based rule works, but the employee will only do the bare minimum of work required to keep their employment. Smart leaders understand that engaged employees bring innovation and passion to their work, which means more minds looking for new ways to solve problems or streamline procedures.

    All of this is critical for outperforming the competition, not to mention employee retention: Good employees will not stay at an unsatisfactory job until they believe they have no other options.

    Earning the Trust of Employees

    The Organization may create trust with their employees by being transparent and honest about changes that could affect them; successfully connecting by talking to them rather than at them; maintaining an honest policy and then following up, and being willing to pitch in to help. Taking them out to lunch might be a modest act of compassion that goes a long way.

    Give them your full name, not your title

    You may be compared to or branded as a “manager” depending on the industry and, most likely, the organization. Make it clear to your employees that you are a person first and a boss second. Take appropriate action. Concentrate on the person in front of you, get to know them, and look for opportunities to say “yes” to them more frequently.

    Find out what is most important to your employees

    In all of my years of coaching leaders, I’ve discovered that the most ignored method for developing trusting connections is the most basic. Ask! In order to create trust, find out what is most important to your staff, how they want to be recognized, how they wish to receive feedback, and how they talk. Recognizing and acting on their preferences will help to create trust.

    Effective Listening

    Managers build trust by asking effective questions and then actively listening to employees’ responses. A surface-level chat can be transformed into a meaningful dialogue by “drilling” down with questions. Keeping up with evidence that supports employees’ ideas and concerns enhances the manager’s ability to listen.

    Keep Surprises for Special Occasions

    Employees generally dislike unexpected reviews, news, or something serious from supervisors. Managers can establish trust with employees through regular communication, scheduled reports on work productivity, and being open about the organization’s health. When an employee believes they can rely on their management to tell them the truth, it can be motivational and aid in the development of trust.

    First, provide your own trust.

    “The greatest way of finding out if you can trust someone is to believe them, Try trusting your staff first if you really want them to trust you. Give them a task, even if it’s a simple one, and let them finish it on their own. Employees will run through walls for you if they believe you have their back.

    Be Respectful of One Another

    Respect is the simplest way to build trust. It’s a respectful acknowledgement of achievements and openness about shortcomings. It is the link between leaders and teams. Buying it doesn’t cost anything However, each side must make time for it. Daily respect habits such as “listen and care, make eye contact, and admit your flaws” will continue driving interaction and, ultimately performance.

    Demonstrate That You Aren’t Afraid Of Failure

    An unconfident leader sees every former employee as a threat. Any blunder or lapse in performance will reflect poorly on the leader, so every employee is viewed as a threat. This leads to selfish, bad behavior and creates an unsafe environment for the team. Trust can only develop in a fear-free environment. Every leader must work on their own fear issues in order to focus on team building rather than ego.

    Integrity in Leadership

    As a leader, you can prove your trustworthiness by keeping your word to your employees. Allow them to see your honesty. simply say what you’re going to do, and then do it. Demonstrate that you are leading in accordance with the organization’s values. Reward those who behave honestly. Give your trust and ask for theirs in return. Be trustworthy and honourable, and make it clear that you expect the same in return.

    Allow Them to Manage Some Tasks

    Allow them to be free by no longer micromanaging them. Give them the ability to manage their own activities. Allow them to lead the end-of-month performance review sessions, and ask them to evaluate and adjust their KPIs. This behavior organically develops leaders within your organization and fosters a sense of personal accountability, resulting in a trusting relationship.

    Request feedback

    Supervisors should be willing to listen to feedback from their team members. Staff members are very often reluctant to share honest advice, let alone with their manager, which creates a barrier. However, if supervisors are open to suggestions, they can gradually cultivate a feedback culture within their team, thereby increasing trust.

  • Cross-boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross-boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

    Cross-boarding and onboarding are the methods of recruiting a person to a job vacancy. Both of the methods have different advantages and disadvantages.

    Cross-boarding:

    Cross-boarding is the process of looking for existing employees in the organization. The employer chooses his talents after assessing who can be suitable for the vacant position. It can be a promotion or change of position. This process leverages the existing resources in the organization to perform the tasks that arise in the organization, rather than searching for new employees outside.

    Onboarding:

    Onboarding is the process of hiring new people on the job vacant. Employer chooses the new employees after several tests and interviews. Employers select the employees that pass through the examination for the job. Human resource management of the organization are responsible of this process. It allows the outside resources into the organization to perform the tasks that arise in it, rather than appointing the employees from within the organization.

    Crossboarding and Onboarding have their benefits. They also differ from each other. The difference between Crossboarding and Onboarding is as follows:

    Risk factor:

    The risk factor is differentiated on the basis that which method has the high risk involved or not. 

    Crossboarding: The risk is not so high in this method. The cross-boarded employee can be less proficient in his job as compared to the previous job. But the risk is still less than hiring an external candidate. Because he worked with the organization in the past.

    Onboarding: The risk is high in this method. The employer doesn’t know much about the new employee. The new employee can be proficient in his job or could be incompetent to the job. He doesn’t know much about the organization, so he will take time to adjust to the new environment.

    Talent and Ideas:

    Each employee has different talents and ideas for the benefit of the organization. This factor differentiates between these two factors as:

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding doesn’t allow new talent. Since the employer selects the employees from within the organization. The employer either promotes or shifts to another job the same talent. New ideas may take place, but will not be something that the organization did not have before.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding allows new talent. This process of selection allows for the appointment of employees from outside. When the new talent enters into the organization, they also come with new talent and ideas. These fresh ideas can be beneficial to the organization.

    Cost:

    The cost is involved in appointing new employees in the organization. It is differentiated on the basis that which method is more cost-effective.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding is less costly. Because the recruitment process is played within the organization, so, it costs less. Because there is no need to pay the salary of a new employee. The company pays the same employee in the organization for another job.

    Onboarding: Onboarding is less cost-effective. The recruitment process includes tests and interviewing costs of the hiring of a new employee. After that, the salary of the new employee also gets added into the cost. It takes more time and cost as compared to the cross-boarding process.

    Employee retention: 

    Employee retention refers to the ability to retain the employees in the organization. The methods differ in a way that has increased employee retention in the organization.

    Crossboarding: Crossboarding boosts employee retention by keeping the employees within the organization, by just switching the employee from one job to another. It also encourages the other employees who see their fellow employee’s internal transfer in the organization. They may not leave the organization thinking that they may also get a similar opportunity in the future.

    Onboarding:  Onboarding is not that effective for employee retention. When the employer hires new employees in his organization, the retention rate is increased but there is a possibility of those employees leaving the job. But if the employer implements the Onboarding process effectively, the new employees will retain their jobs. As a result, this will increase the employee retention rate of the organization.

    Experience:

    The employee who has worked in the same organization in the past has experience with the same organization, whereas, the employee who is new in the organization may have experienced from the other organization. This differentiates as:

    Crossboarding: In this process, when you hire an employee from the same organization. That employee has a connection with the managers, staff, and the organization in the past job. It benefits the employee to easily get the job because he has relative experience of the work.

    Onboarding: In this process, the employee is new to the organization and doesn’t know about the organization. But he may have work experience from another organization. Which may or may not be beneficial for the organization. The employee has to make connections with the other employees of the team. The employee may require training for the job and can take time to adjust to the new environment.

  • How to mentor new employees

    How to mentor new employees

    How to mentor new employees? A question usually asked by team leaders and CEOs. The answer is: Employee mentoring is when an employee is paired with either a peer or leader to work together on building their skills and work towards their career goals. A mentor provides support to their mentee, giving them the resources, guidance, and encouragement they need to succeed at work. Here are some tips to help you mentor effectively.

    8 Tips to effectively mentor the new employees

    1. Set up Expectations and Ground Rules:  When you first meet your mentee, make them feel comfortable by explaining your role and the goals of the mentoring process. Answer any questions they have about the mentorship program. Point out what you expect from them (for example, that they should come prepared with problems to resolve or issues to discuss; that they should show up on time; and that they should treat this as a professional and respectful relationship). Explain what you’re prepared to do for them: provide advice, support, and opportunities.
    1. Know your employees:  It’s important to get to know your mentee. This will help you build a strong relationship and discover more about who they are as a person. You’ll know how they interact with others and so on. Mentoring is more than just asking questions. To truly impress your mentee, you should really get to know them. Use the most career-oriented questions to start: What is their work style? What is their dream job? If they could change something at work, what would it be? And so on. But don’t forget to ask the questions that make them unique. For instance, what do they do during their free time? What is their favorite food? Their favorite movie? Etc.
    1. Schedule time to contact:   How often will you and your mentee meet in person? Can you be available to consult by phone or email/text at any time during the day or evening, or do you prefer doing so only at certain times?  Be clear about your time boundaries. Be available enough to give your mentee the attention and guidance they need, but not so much that they become a nuisance.
    1. Listen, Ask, and Advice:  You may be so full of wisdom, but you shouldn’t just give it all out to your mentee. They are not empty vessels! It is unfair to them if you drone on and on, taking pleasure in your own brilliance. First, let them talk. Hear what they have to say before offering your advice. Ask them about their point of view. They can give insights and perspectives that you haven’t considered yet.
    1. Be Supportive for their Decisions:  In the mentoring relationship, the mentor generally has more experience than the mentee. It would be easy just to impart your wisdom to them. Except it would deprive them of the opportunity to think through challenges and come up with solutions. It wouldn’t allow them to learn from their mistakes. And you might not know every answer. So be supportive to them in taking their own decisions.
    1. Be accountable:  If you tell your employee that you will look into an issue or provide a resource to them, you should do so. However, if they fail to meet their pledge to you, accept it without fuss. Trust and accountability are foundations of successful mentoring relationships, so assign work and attach consequences if the task is not completed. But allow them to express disappointment if you fail to deliver on your undertaking.
    1. Celebrate their Achievements:  No matter how much you do for your mentees, there is never enough that can be done. Mentors must take time to celebrate their mentees’ achievements and successes. This will build their confidence and motivation. A psychological need for recognition is satisfied by acknowledgment of success. When you ask your mentee what his or her achievements are, you can create a list of things to celebrate.
    1. Help your employees grow:  Mentors have a responsibility to their employees to help them get closer to their goals. Mentors can do this in a number of ways, but the most effective is by recommending a conference or introducing them to someone with experience in the field they wish to pursue. If you want your employee to grow, you must know what areas they hope to improve in.

    Asking for feedback from participants can help you structure the employee mentoring in a way that will continue to benefit those who are a part of it, both as a mentor and the employee, is How to mentor new employees.

  • The 5 Stages of Team Development

    The 5 Stages of Team Development

    The 5 Stages of Team Development, each one represents a step along the team-building ladder. It shows how the team members progress from being strangers to each other into a high-performing team that works towards a common goal.

    Bruce Tuckman was an American Psychological Researcher who published a theory known as ‘Tuckman’s Stages of Group development’ in 1965. In this theory, he explained how healthy teams bind over time. Tuckman’s model identifies the five stages through which the team development progress: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

    Tuckman’s stages are centered around his research on team development. Developing high-performance teams involves learning how to work together efficiently and effectively. Research has demonstrated that teams go through distinct stages during development. Bruce Tuckman identified a five-stage process for achieving high-performance teams. Here are each of those stages, the challenges that arise, and how leaders can guide their team onto the next phase of team development and how taking a day off will contribute to that:

    1. Forming Stage

    Forming is the first stage of the 5 Stages of Team Development . It requires different people with different expertise. At this stage, the team members don’t know much about each other. The forming stage is the period of orientation when everyone is getting to know each other and becoming familiar. Forming stage is where the team discuss things like: team goals, individual goals, ground rules and strategy. The team should share its skills, backgrounds and interests.

    Team needs: Team mission and vision, establish objectives and tasks, identify roles and responsibilities of team members.

    Leadership needs:  Provide project guide and instructions, provide structure and task direction, allow for get-acquainted time, active involvement.

    2. Storming Stage: 

    This stage is the most crucial stage of team development. It’s inevitable, there’s going to be conflict. The clash arises between the team members when they all have their own individual personalities and work styles. At this stage, they come to know about the flaws of the team members. So they become frustrated with each other and may argue. The performance may decrease at this stage because the energy is spent on unproductive activities. It is the most difficult and critical stage to pass through. In order to get bottlenecked in the storming stage, the team has to work together and play to each otters strength to overcome obstacles and stay on pace.

    Team needs:  Effective listening, conflict resolution, inter and intra personal relationships, clarify and understanding team’s purpose.

    Leadership needs:  Acknowledge conflict and suggest consensus amongst team members, offer support and praise, the concept of shared leadership emerges.

    3. Norming Stage:

    The norming stage occurs when the team members become more comfortable working together. Team performance increases at this stage as the team members start focusing on team goals and being cooperative with each other. The team starts to notice and appreciate each other’s strengths and the team starts to settle into a groove. Everyone is talking together, helping to solve problems, and remembering to use nonverbal cues such as eye contact and facial expressions. The whole focus and energy of the team members is on the tasks. They have freedom to express and contribute in the activities.

    Team needs:  Offer ideas and suggestions, utilize all resources to support team effort, develop a decision-making process, problem-solving is shared.

    Leadership needs:  Give feedback and support team decisions, promote team interactions, ask for a contribution from all team members.

    4. Performing Stage: 

    High performance is the name of the game. At this stage, the team is more organized, mature, and well functioning. The consensus and cooperation are well established at the performing stage. The team is now comfortable working together, has strong relationships built, and streamlined their processes. The team reaches peak productivity and quickly runs towards the end goal. True interdependence is the norm of this stage of team development. The team needs to be flexible as the team members adapt to meet the needs of the other team members.

    Team needs:  Maintain team flexibility, measure knowledge performance, move in the collaborative direction, provide information and results.

    Leadership needs:  Observing, acquiring, and fulfilling team needs, offering positive reinforcement and support, collaborative efforts amongst team members.

    5. Adjourning Stage: 

    This is the final stage of team development from the 5 Stages of Team Development. This stage occurs when the team has completed the project and the team members now have to move on to other endeavors. While employees generally feel accomplished at the end of a mission, they may also feel disappointed that the experience is over- especially if they made close relationships with the team members. When they wrap up the project as whole and complete the final tasks and documentation. They are also debriefed and discuss what went well and what could be improved on the projects in the future.

    Team needs:  Evaluate the efforts of the team, tie up loose ends and tasks, recognize and reward team efforts.

     Leadership needs:  Help the team develop options for termination, reflection and carry forth collaborative learning to next opportunity.

  • Employees’ Mental Health: How To Support Your Team Wellness

    Employees’ Mental Health: How To Support Your Team Wellness

    Employees’ mental health is a vital issue when building a productive workforce in your office or forming a team from scratch to achieve your targets as a team. In this article, we will try to understand the importance of employee mental health and how to create wellness by highlighting the mental health of your co-workers and yourself.

    If you are someone who runs a company, you must focus on the mental health of your employees. This is because, at the end of the day, they are the ones that have enabled the success of your firm, which cannot be possible without proper positivity in the work environment. Hence, understanding the pressure level on your employees’ mental health is a pressing matter.

    Mental Health Importance

    Every workspace has tons of workload and pressure every day. With strict deadlines and never-ending revisions to client calls, it can sometimes get on the nerves of those who are working non-stop. Even if the output is rewarding, achieving the targets can rather hassle some. And such pressure often leads to many mental health issues, such as depression, frustration, and even anxiety.

    These issues may start small and become significant over time if ignored or not paid enough attention while it is not too late. Hence, to prevent such incidents from happening, it is of greater importance that we start focusing on our mental health and those with whom we work from the beginning.

    How mental health can be affected in a work environment?

    For various reasons, mental health in the work environment can impact. Thus, we have demonstrated some possible reasons to create a dent in your affirmative mental health.

    • Stress issues related to work

    One of the topmost fundamental points that can hamper your mental health or your employees is a high level of work stress. This may include very short deadlines and less flexibility from the people working with you or under you. Experts suggest that providing a good amount of flexibility will put less stress on your employees and enable them to be more creative.

    • Traumatic events

    At times, certain traumatic events may occur in the workplace, leaving a mark on your employees’ mental health. An example would be the death of an employee who was on the same team as you are leading and could impact your current employees who were familiar with that person.

    • Social disadvantage

    Furthermore, it is said that the work environment often has social disadvantages based on gender, race, and intellect, which can have a significant impact on your employees’ mental health. This may include harsh comments or indirect comments used by other employees or other behavioral issues and may become a serious issue over time.

    • Monotony

    In addition to that, another very key sign of a work environment issue can be monotony. Working for one particular job hour after hour can be boring and tiring at times. This may lead to a rather longing feeling for the employees, which may develop into a possible form of depression in the long run. Therefore, it is suggested that other incentives, such as financial or non-financial methods, be used, which can help the employees have a sense of motivation towards working and an increase in mental health wellness as they have more to look forward to.

    What to do to have positive mental health at work

    • Therapy

    Group therapy is quite an effective method for improving mental health at work. This could include having a session with a therapist where employees can sit individually or in a group and discuss how they can support each other. Similarly, they can have their own therapist in the workplace to allow them to talk openly regarding how they feel towards other employees or the office in general. Therapists can help the employees individually through advice and have personal reports that are totally confidential to them to help keep track of the improvement.

    Having group sessions with all the members can be difficult as many of them may not want to open up in front of other employees. Still, once in motion, this method is very effective for teams in general. They can work out their weaknesses and share the workload and pressure, which helps everyone.

    • Exercise and take breaks

    In addition, mental health exercises and physical health exercises can be one way to promote employee mental health wellness. This may involve having yoga rooms, gym areas, or even a mediation zone in the office for the employees to take a break or day off once in a while and help themselves individually to refresh their minds and bodies from too much pressure.

    On the other hand, taking regular breaks is very important so that the employees aren’t mentally strained due to the workload. Break intervals can be short, such as fifteen minutes, but must be every two hours maximum, as anything above that may just put a lot of pressure.

    To Conclude

    While mental health issues are very serious issues in and of themselves, they can be significantly important in the work environment. Hence, understanding the core reason for its importance and implementing workplace policies that si in the mental health of your employees instead of degrading them should be the first priority. As mentioned above, we tried to list out possible solutions that can help improve the wellness of your employees. Still, it may vary from person to person.

  • Fun company culture: How will it benefit your business?

    Fun company culture: How will it benefit your business?

    An enjoyable workplace often has a relaxed, supportive work environment. Such workplaces often arrange formal and informal activities to improve employee morale. These events help improve morale by reminding employees of their value to managers, coworkers, and the organization. The company culture plays a vital role in a successful business. Across all income levels, the top predictor of workplace satisfaction is not the pay, a company’s culture, the quality of its senior leadership, and the career opportunities it offers will greatly determine whether you will be happy working there. A fun company culture attracts new talent and retains that talent. When people feel connected to an organization, they are more likely to stick for the long term. It helps in lower turnover, fewer new hires to deal with, and better relationships among the team members.

    10 ways the fun company culture benefits the business

    The fun company culture helps in the following ways to benefit the business:

    1- Helps in engaging the employees

    Engaged employees are always ready to take initiative and more productive. Fun company culture attracts the employees to the organization. It boosts their interest in showing up at work every day and putting in their best efforts. Also, it keeps them enthusiastic about the tasks and be appreciative of all that you do to ensure that the workplace environment is enjoyable. Additionally, it helps contribute new ideas and innovation to the workplace when you add enjoyment to the workplace.

    2- Attracts new talent

    Fun company culture attracts new talent. An enjoyable workplace always attracts new talent and helps retain the talent in the organization. When employees love their company, they naturally become company ambassadors and help to spread the word, which ultimately impacts the company’s recruitment strategy and leads to new talent acquisition.

    3- Builds relationships

    Fun activities help in building relationships amongst the employees. The employees get to know their colleagues with the help of such activities. They are not just colleagues, but friends now. The employees get to know each other despite just work, they know each other as people. Good relationships keep them connected and united toward the company’s goals.

    4- Long term employees

    Engaged employees are connected to the organization for the long run. They stick to their jobs because they are impressed with the workplace, connected to their colleagues, or they’re happy with the day off policy, and they like to get to their job every day. Long-term employees reduce turnover, have fewer new hires to deal with, and make the organization an important part of their life.

    5- Workplace involvement

    Companies with great cultures encourage involvement and offer positive, fun ways for employees to get involved in their personal and professional development inside and outside of their regular working hours. It’s possible to measure the culture of an organization by how involved each employee is. For instance, if the company sponsors a charity event or fundraiser on a Saturday morning and everyone shows up willingly. it’s a sure sign that everyone in the company cares about what the organization does.

    6- Transparency

    Transparency is one of the key elements in the company culture to benefit the business. When leaders don’t communicate with employees, it fosters a culture of insecurity and uncertainty. Positive workplace cultures support a philosophy of transparency so that every employee feels they know where they stand, where the business is heading, and how they are contributing to it.

    7- Clear mission and values

    Great company culture is something that takes time and effort to develop. The leadership and employees at all levels must first be able to articulate and communicate it throughout the organization, then embody it in their personal behavior. Positive culture has values that employees know by heart. They follow the values of the business and put their best step forward to accomplish the mission of the business. 

    8- Celebrate small achievements

    Every achievement should be celebrated in the workplace. It keeps the spirit of the employees high and positive. The employees get motivated when they get rewarded for every small achievement they make. As a result, they are more focused on accomplishing the goals of the business.  

    9- Leaders are visible and accessible

    When the fun activities take place, every team member, leader and management take part in these activities. So they all get a chance to get along with each other. Through these activities, the leaders make themselves available to everyone. By focusing employees’ goals on your company’s mission and creating a sense of “we’re all in this together,” you can increase employee motivation.

    10- Comfortable workspaces

    The fun company culture helps to create comfortable and easy to adjustable workspaces for the employees. The more interesting the workspace is, the more employees are focused on their jobs. Truly motivated and focused employees are the biggest asset to the company. This helps the employees to reach their career goals and ultimately, the business gets benefited. 

  • Employee benefits in Europe

    Employee benefits in Europe

    When looking for a new job, there are many factors to consider, not the least of which are the benefits available to you as a valued employee. So, how does the United Kingdom compare to other European countries? Let’s see the employee benefits in Europe.

    Observed holidays

    Who doesn’t fantasize about a four-day workweek and an impending bank holiday? In March, April, May, and August, Brits gain more days off as summer approaches. The United Kingdom has six bank holidays and two public holidays per year, which it shares with the Netherlands and Hungary. You may think that’s impressive, but a look at European counterparts may have you sobbing into your bank holiday picnic.

    The Finns get an enviable 15 days off every year, whereas Spain has 14 days off per year and France and Sweden both have 11 public holidays. Employees in Colombia and India have the most public holidays in the world, with an astonishing 18 days. Thailand, Japan, and South Korea will have an additional 16 days off. Consider how much free time you could be spending somewhere if you didn’t have to work. It could be time to start looking for work in another country.

    Working Hours

    Workplace culture and trends are evolving – slowly. While many firms insist on employees reporting to work by 9 a.m., others are starting to see the benefits of flexible working hours. Flexible working hours not only benefit workers’ mental health and well-being but can also boost goodwill and engagement among current employees.

    Did you know that after working for a company for more than 26 weeks, you have the right to request flexible working hours? This is a little-known fact that many companies fail to mention when advertising a job, so it’s always worth double-checking a company’s policy when you’re approached with a job offer. The average full-time working week in the United Kingdom is 33 hours.

    Employee benefits in Europe

    Paid annual leave

    Richard Branson, the billionaire, declared in 2014 that Virgin would no longer have an annual leave policy, allowing employees at the company’s headquarters to take as much vacation time as they wanted. People couldn’t believe what they were hearing and wondered if it was just another publicity gimmick by the media magnate. But how many of you instantly began looking for Virgin job openings while daydreaming about far-flung destinations? Either he was employing reverse psychology – give them the option of taking more time off and they won’t out of guilt – or he was on to something.

    The majority of full-time workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave as part of their employment contract, second only to France, which provides 30 days a year. Workers in Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Ireland have only 20 days off each year, but with more public and bank holidays, they get more days off total than Brits. It may sound incredible, but the United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not provide paid annual leave to its workers, earning it an image as a country with a poor work-life balance.

    Netflix, LinkedIn, and Eventbrite are among the companies that have jumped on the holiday bandwagon. Employees can take as long off as they like. Airbnb takes a step further by providing staff with a £1,500 travel stipend so they can get out and explore the world – it might be time to look for a new career.

    Responding to the different values and requirements of the workforce

    “Employers are becoming more cognizant of the importance of responding to a diverse workforce.” Workers’ benefit needs can be influenced by a variety of factors like age, culture, and family. Employers can obtain greater value from their benefits and ensure their employees are engaged with the perks they receive by taking some time to understand and focus on the varied demographics of a firm, according to Ms. Honess.

    Employers across Europe are adapting their benefits to meet the diverse requirements and values of their workers, according to the poll. While the most prevalent employer-provided benefits differ by country, insurances, pension savings plans, staff training, automobiles, and food vouchers are among the most frequent.

    Flexible benefits have a global scope

    While just a small percentage of multinational respondents indicate they have a global employee choice plan in place, nearly a third of those don’t say they’re seriously exploring it. The percentage of multinational respondents who say their company isn’t ready for a worldwide strategy has dropped from 35% to 20%.

    “When dealing with variances in customs, tax rules, and other legislative variables, harmonizing and standardizing flexible benefits abroad can be a difficulty,” Ms. Honess explains. “However, once in place, a global approach can help with employee engagement and benefits alignment, and in an era when the global workforce is so fluid, an international flexible benefits scheme can reinforce multinationals in the global competition for talent.”

  • Employee promotion: When to do it?

    Employee promotion: When to do it?

    Employee promotion is a recognition given to the employee in the form of advancement of his job from one position to another position, that has a higher salary range, higher-level job title, and more higher-level job responsibilities in an organization.

    It can be tricky for the manager to decide when to promote an employee. Some factors and methods are taken into consideration while promoting an employee. These factors work as a guide and help to decide whether to promote the employee or not.

    The manager has to give opportunities for promotion to the employees. Because after a particular period and experience of the work, the employee seeks promotion. But, if the organization fails to give opportunities at the right time, then the employees begin to look outside the company for the advancement they seek.

    Signs when an employee needs a promotion

    An employee should be promoted when he shows the following signs:

    Ready for new challenges

    If the employee is looking for a promotion, he should be prepared for the new challenges. Because a new role comes up with new challenges on the way. When the employees seek new and challenging projects and get successful in accomplishing them. It shows that it’s a sign that the employee is ready for the promotion. Giving them a chance to develop skills will help them stay motivated, engaged, and productive.

    Have well built “People Skills”

    Technical skills and systems can be taught easily, but people skills and communication skills are difficult to teach. For creating a healthy environment for the workplace, people skills are a must to have. Anyone fantastic at people skills such as resolving the issues, handling the workload, giving feedback, engaging people, communicating with difficult people, and values the organization would be the best fit for the higher position and requires less training.

    Come out with Solutions Instead of Complaints

    The ones who can figure out the problems, and come up with a solution to them, are standout employees and they work as an asset to the organization. Everyone at the workplace complains so they may also have complaints but they try to get over it and come out with the solutions to it. It shows that they are ready for increased responsibility.

    “Go-getter”

    High performers drive their career development on their own. They are the go-getters. They have a clear vision in their mind that how they want to progress with the company. They are always open to discussing their future goals and plans with the manager. When these employees approach their managers, with a proposal for a new role, showing their skill set for the job and how they will add value to the organization, this is a sign that the employee needs promotion.

    A team worker

    Performing well with the team shows the qualities of a good team worker. In an organization, you are always around people, so the qualities of working in a team are a must to have. While considering for promotion, an employee should have these skills. Not all promotions are for leadership roles, but they can have a requirement of management qualities. Thus the right team spirit should be considered while promoting.

    The budget allows for promotion

    The promotion comes up with higher-level pay. So, the budget should also allow doing the same. Sometimes, the promotions are not about the pay raise, but that rarely happens. When the employee gets a promotion, his responsibilities are increased and he also looks for the increased salary rate. High pay keeps them satisfied and motivated to do their best at the workplace.

    If the company is facing a situation of financial instability, then it’s not the right time for giving promotions to the employees. Always read the situation before doing such changes.

    Contribution to the Organization

    If an employee has consistently demonstrated their impact on the organization, they have proven their worth and should get rewarded with growth opportunities. Every employee in an organization contributed to it but some stand out by putting in some extra effort and helping the organization grow. When an employee brings profits, saves money, and makes improvements or other benefits, fostering such achievers can bring excellent returns to the organization.

    The employee asks for a Promotion

    When the employee asks the manager for a promotion, it shows that he wants to enhance his career. Also, all other signs indicate that he is deserving of the promotion, so it is the right time for promotion. An employee who comes up with an excellent case for how their advancement will benefit the organization has the potential to get the opportunity. Reward their dedication with the opportunity for development to them.

    If the organization fails to give growth opportunities to the employees, they start looking for opportunities outside the organization. It can take away the good employees of the organization. It is important to give promotions to the employees on time, to make them stick to their jobs and stay in the organization for the long run.

  • Employee benefits in Canada

    Employee benefits in Canada

    Although employment laws in Canada’s provinces varied, statutory benefits are generally uniform across the country. Although Quebec may be an anomaly in some areas, employers employing Canadian workers can often develop a common benefits package that is compliant across the country. In Canada guide takes a close look at the labor rules and regulations that apply to Canadian employees. Let’s take a closer look at the Employee benefits in Canada.

    Pensions, statutory and parental breaks, PTO, employment insurance, and eye exams are all examples of employee benefits in Canada. Retirement, healthcare, voluntary and flexible benefits, healthcare spending accounts, gyms, and workplace canteens are all examples of supplemental employee benefits. Virtual care, mental health training, and digital health and fitness platforms are among the many benefits offered to employees.

    In Canada, who is eligible for benefits?

    Certain perks are guaranteed to all full-time employees in Canada. While Canada allows businesses to fire employees without cause during probationary periods, workers in Canada have greater rights and safeguards than those in the United States.

    Importantly, the concept of at-will employment is not practiced in Canada. Businesses can use probationary periods to “test” an employee’s fit, but beyond probationary periods, employers must have at least one valid basis to terminate an employment relationship.

    Employee benefits in Canada, both statutory and common paid time off are available:

    Employees in Canada are entitled to varying amounts of paid time off, depending on their province or territory of residence.

    Employees with at least one year of service in Canada are entitled to at least two weeks of paid vacation every year under federal law. The minimum wage climbs to three weeks after five years of employment. The minimum reaches its peak point of four weeks after ten years. The percentage of salary granted to employees during their time off is sometimes regulated by provinces in Canada. Employees who have worked for at least three years in a row are entitled to three weeks of vacation at a rate of 6% of their yearly salary under Quebec legislation.

    Overtime pay and the minimum wage

    The minimum wage in Canada varies from region to region. Saskatchewan will have the lowest minimum wage in 2020, at CAD $11.45. The current minimum wage in Canada can be found here.

    The cost of overtime varies by area. Employers in some parts of Canada must pay overtime rates for hours worked after eight hours per day or 40 hours per week. Others raise the weekly restriction to 48 hours. While most provinces require overtime pay to be 150 percent of regular pay, some raise overtime rates to 200 percent depending on the number of hours worked. In Canada, employers should be aware that exempt salaried staff may still be entitled to overtime pay.

    Flexible working hours

    After six months of continuous employment with a company, workers in Canada are guaranteed the right to seek new working hours. Employers have extensive freedom to decline these requests, but employees can press the matter if flexible work hours would help them achieve a better work-life balance and would not harm their job duties.

    Personal leave

    After three months of working in the same position, employees in Canada are entitled to personal leave in addition to paid time off. Employers are required to pay for this leave for the first three days. Employers are not allowed to penalize employees who use all of their paid time off.

    Leave because of domestic violence

    Only a few countries provide additional protections to victims of domestic and family abuse. Employees who take leave due to family violence in Canada are entitled to ten days of protected leave, of which five must be paid by their employers. Family violence leave is not available to employees who have been accused of committing domestic abuse.

    Leave of absence for medical reasons

    Employees in Canada are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid vacation for medical reasons such as illness, injury, organ donation, tissue donation, or attendance at medical appointments, including hospital stays. Employers may seek proof from a healthcare provider proving the conditions that prevented the employee from working for three days or more.

    Leave for COVID-19

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada offers two types of unpaid protected leave. The first is a two-week vacation that protects employees who have been exposed to the virus and need to quarantine, as well as workers who get the illness but only have moderate symptoms.

    Employees who must provide care for a kid, elderly relative, or other family members who require more care but cannot obtain it due to circumstances preventing them from retaining access to their customary care providers can take up to 26 weeks of protected leave.

    On September 21, 2021, both types of leave were planned to expire.

  • 7 Incredibly Useful Software Tools for Small Businesses

    7 Incredibly Useful Software Tools for Small Businesses

    Recently small businesses have been blooming all around the globe, managing finances, HR management, and employees’ requests can become a difficult task. Small businesses search for ways to make their business management become simpler and easier so here are 7 incredibly useful software tools for small businesses.

    1-Accounting software: Xero

    Overview:

    Accounting is a time and effort-consuming task, Xero is an online accounting software. Xero accounting is a cloud-based software. Xero is mainly developed for small businesses. Xero allows you to track and pay bills and get an overview about finances in general and cash flow. It makes tracking expenses easier and gives you a detailed view of your expenses spending. You can connect your bank account to Xero and set up your transactions securely and bank feeds. Accepting payments can be an effort and time-consuming job, so Xero makes it possible to claim payments rapidly by connecting to E-wallets and connecting them to Xero. Xero also helps in tracking your projects. Multicurrency payment option, Xero has multicurrency payment acceptance which makes it more flexible for any international dealing.

    Payment plan:

    Xero has 3 payment plans depending on what you will need in your small business, it also offers a 30-day free trial.  

    Customer support:

    Xero has 24/7 online customer support.

    2-Small business communication: Slack

    Overview:

    Making decisions and communication in the workplace, slack makes it easier to communicate with your own team and teams at other businesses. Voice calls, video calls, and also messaging are available to communicate with your teams or other teams from other businesses. You can connect slack to multiple programs like google drive and Office 365 and many more to make video conferencing easier. High security and complete control of your data is also available in slack.

    Payment plan:

    Slack has 3 payment plans to choose from and also has a free trial with limited features

    3-Best online payment software: PayPal

    Overview:

    E-wallets have become greatly used in our time; PayPal can make payday easier by securely transferring the payrolls of employees to their PayPal accounts. PayPal is easy to use, and millions of customers use it around the world. PayPal can also help in accepting payments.

    Payment plan:

    PayPal doesn’t have a free trial, and it also takes a certain fee for transferring money

    Customer support

    PayPal offers technical support in the forms of emails; texts and they have a forum.

    4-Best marketing software: MailChimp

    Overview:

    Making an entrance to the market from the start can be challenging at first, MailChimp is the best marketing option for small businesses. MailChimp has proven its effectiveness,12 million businesses rely on MailChimp to do their marketing. MailChimp sends the right messages on the right channels like social media ads, emails, and Landing pages. MailChimp also offers to build a website for your small business to prosper your E-commerce.

    Payment plan:

    MailChimp offers a free version for small businesses with less than 2000 subscribers, this plan allows you to form landing pages and build a website.

    Customer support:

    Email support is available for the free version and the paid version, while voice support and chat support are available for the paid version.

    5-Best project management software: Trello

    Overview:

    Project organizing is hard and requires a lot of effort to do, Trello is a project management software that organizes your projects in an organized and easy way to understand. Trello helps you track due dates, completed projects, and to-do projects. You can also attach photos, files, and documents to your projects. Trello is available for IOS and Android.

    Payment plan:

    Trello offers a free version with limited features and has many flexible payment plans depending on your needs in your small business

    Customer support:

    For customer support, Trello has a help site and a community for the most answered questions and for fellow users to help each other. Trello also has customer support to answer questions.

    6-Best PTO tracking software: Day Off

    Overview:

    Tracking your employees’ leaves, absences, and paid time off is exhausting, so a PTO tracking software will be very helpful. Day off is a PTO tracking software that has a very easy-to-use interface with step-by-step help in creating your team and adding your employees. It also presents a mobile app that makes it easier for you and your employees. One of the best features of Day Off is that it presents push notifications to notify you of any leave requests and notify your employees if their requests are accepted or not. It gives you and your employees a calendar to monitor the workflow, vacations, and time off.

    Payment plan:

    Day Off has a free version with the basic features to try out the software, for the full version 1 USD is paid per employee per month which is a great price for what the software offers.

    7-Best documenting software: Microsoft 365

    Overview:

    Microsoft 365 is a software that everybody is familiar with, it helps in many things, making reports, presentations, and documents in general. Despite having a pc version for when at home or at the office Microsoft 365 has a mobile version and an online version, this helps you when you are on the go to see some reports or presentations and many other features. Microsoft 365 provides you with Excel, Word, Publisher, Access, and PowerPoint.

    Payment plan:

    Microsoft 365 offers 4 payment plans for business; this makes it flexible for the needs of your small business. It offers a free month trail for any plan of your choice which is helpful to determine which plan suits you. Microsoft 365 also has a family plan which offers up to 6 licenses, this plan can be very economical if your small business doesn’t contain more than 6 people including yourself

    Customer support:

    Microsoft 365 has a FAQ section to help answer your questions if they have been asked before. Microsoft 365 has billing support, and you can also contact customer support. 

  • Employee orientation program: How to create a successful one

    Employee orientation program: How to create a successful one

    Being alienated in the workplace is the most common fear that newly hired employees face. Not fitting in, and lack of engagement are all hindrances that face the newly hired employees at first. It is the responsibility of the employer to help the newly hired overcome these hindrances. So here is how to plan a successful employee orientation program.

    Why create an employee orientation program?

    1.     Reduces employee turnover

    Newly hired employees commonly feel left out in the workplace and can’t fit in easily. When newly hired employees don’t feel they fit in, it makes them think of leaving the workplace. So, an employee orientation program comes into action to reduce the issue of not fitting in. You have to be cautious about this reason because this reason is the most common reason for employee turnover.

    2.     Saves time and increases efficiency

    Your HR management should organize an orientation that sums up all the main topics of your company. Giving the newly hired a brief about the current employees, how to run the work, and teaching them the policies of your company. This will save effort and rapidly increase the productivity of your company.

    Creating an employees orientation program main reason, is to make the newly hired employees comfortable around your company and be excited about working. Here is a complete guide on how to create a successful new employee orientation program.

    1.     Planning your program

    Putting a detailed plan for your orientation program can be very helpful. You have to appoint certain employees at your company to be responsible for the newly hired at the orientation to answer their questions. Design a timetable with all the activities that will be made during the orientations, and the time of each activity, by doing this it will make the implementation of the orientation program easier.

    2.     Take your current employees’ opinions

    Let your current employees help you with some of their ideas and opinions, your current employees were newly hired before and attended an orientation program once, so their opinions will be of grave importance and help you in organizing a successful new employee orientation program.

    3.     Reduce their tension

    The first day at a new job is the hardest for a newly hired employee, so it is your responsibility to help your newly hired employees get over it. The most important thing in a successful employee orientation program is to give your new employees a warm greeting. You have to introduce the newly hired to your current employees and let your employees greet them as well. Before the orientation program, you can send them a greeting email and tell them that you are delighted to work with them and that you are waiting to know them better during the orientation program. This will decrease their tension significantly.

    4.      Tell them about the company and its policies.

    During the orientation program, you can give a speech to the newly hired employees about the company’s history, targets, and main objectives. Your speech can be an inspiration to the newly hired and excite them to work at your company. Go over your company’s policies as well because they are of grave importance. Tell the newly hired about the holidays, working hours arrival times, and give them answers to all the frequently asked question

    5.     Give them a tour

    Giving your newly hired employees a tour around the workplace and introducing them to their supervisors will bring them up to speed and break the barrier of shyness to deal with their supervisors for the first time. Tell the newly hired about their new jobs and how to execute them.

    6.     Don’t overload them with information

    During the orientation, you will tell the newly hired about their jobs and how they are done, but don’t overload their brains with information. The newly hired need to break the tension at first so during the orientation they aren’t ready for much information, so you have to look out for how much information you give them. Answer any questions being asked and give them time between the activities you planned to eat a snack or drink, this will help the grasp much more information.

    7.     Give your newly hired a tour in your virtual workplace

    Digitalization has done a great role in making our life easier, now companies use numerous software to make their jobs easier. You have to introduce the software that your company uses to the newly hired such as PTO tracker software, Employee self-service software, and many more. Create accounts for the newly hired to make them feel included and teach them how to use each software.

    8.     One on One time

    Providing one on one time between the newly hired and their managers is very important. This will save you a lot of time and effort. Scheduling one on time between the newly hired and their managers will break the tension between the two parties. That will also help the newly hired get the hang of their new jobs faster.

    9.     Take their feedback

    At the end of the orientation take the comments of the newly hired. Their comments will be of great help in the next orientation programs.

    After orientation

    Don’t let the onboarding of your newly hired employees end after the orientation and their first day. The newly hired may take a few months to reach their full potential. You should keep an eye on the newly hired and offer them a hand every while to make them produce the best work they can offer. Ask the newly hired regularly about how they are doing in their new jobs and if they are comfortable or not in the workplace. Try as possible to provide the newly hired with an environment that helps them be creative and feel free to express their opinions. You should ask the newly hired employees after the orientation if they have any unanswered questions and repeat the questions a couple of times in case anyone is shy to ask.

  • How to Create an Employee Handbook: The Ultimate Guide

    How to Create an Employee Handbook: The Ultimate Guide

    After you are done with the tedious recruiting process, now it is time to welcome them. An employee handbook is like a welcome guide for new employees. It is not only a tool for their orientation but can also be a guide for future references.

    Your handbook not only creates the tone for the company’s culture, goal, atmosphere, and ground rules, but it also demonstrates your purpose to communicate effectively. Your handbook should be coherent. Moreover, some components of the handbook, such as rewards, remuneration, benefits, and a safe workplace, are critical for employee retention.

    First Things First!

    The opening to any employee handbook can be a description of your business or a welcoming message. Still, it should not be an attempt to put the staff in their places. One of the first things to include in an employee handbook is the company overview. It is like showing a visiting card when you first meet someone. The handbook should contain detailed information about the company, its history, initial plans, and its operations in this section. You need to be clear about the company goals to strive to achieve them.

    Mention the mission and vision you have for your company. If you resonate with your employees about the company, it will help build a trusting relationship. Your employees can connect with the workplace better once they understand the work itself.

    Code of Conduct

    Even though there are some universal ethics to maintain when it comes to workplaces, it is important to have a written code of conduct. Your code of conduct should contain everything a new employee can have questions about. Code of conduct includes pointers on the kind of dresses employees should wear, which behaviors will not be tolerated, which devices and gadgets are allowed, lunch breaks, guidelines for using a substance, and so on.

    A code of conduct is a set of guidelines for the workplace. It would ease your freshly recruited employees’ nerves to have a clear set of guidelines on hand.

    Benefits and Compensation

    This is a popular portion, and we can guarantee that it is among the first pieces that the employee will read thoroughly. They want to understand not just when and how they will be reimbursed but also the performance assessment process. Also, they want to grasp the benefits and corporate incentives for which they are qualified.

    PTO (Paid Time Off), insurance coverage, health insurance, annual bonuses, retirement plans, performance bonuses, etc., should at least be mentioned in the employee handbook. You do not have to go into details for all of these in the handbook, but make sure to include the basics. Your employee should know the benefits and perks they will enjoy once they get on board with your company.

    Legal Clause

    Employers must include legal policies in their employee handbooks. Employees should know that your company works in accordance with the law and that any kind of breaking of those laws will not be tolerated. Also, make sure to include the anti-discrimination clause as well.

    NDA and Conflict Resolution

    A company has people coming from different backgrounds. When there are differences in opinions and viewpoints, one should expect conflicts to arise. Instead of dreading such disputes, figure out effective ways to resolve them.

    Whenever there is a conflict within the company, the chain of command comes to light. Employees want to know when to involve the supervisor and seek out anyone from top management. Establish conflict resolution policies for your employees to follow. Most of the disagreements would be resolved among the employees themselves. Only a handful of cases require top management to be involved. Also, make sure to include the consequences for disrespecting any conflict-resolution policies. Your employees should know the risks they would be taking.

    Your employees must sign an NDA beforehand. So even if there are conflicts, your company is at no risk of internal information being leaked.

    Workplace Safety

    People want a sense of security in their household and place of work. Explain the measures you take to create a safe tangible and intangible work environment to minimize confusion and a potential lawsuit. Whether you mention regulations and protocols for operating machinery or the procedure for reporting sexual harassment or dealing with bullying charges, your employees should feel confident that they work in a safe setting. That feeling of safety can boost an employee’s morale.

    Why You Need an Employee Handbook

    Many companies decide to create an employee handbook because they believe it might effectively reduce disputes among employees. The precise moment varies depending on the company. Still, suppose you believe your small business has grown so that disagreements are likely to arise. In that case, it’s generally a good idea to create a handbook. That’s one of the many reasons to get an employee handbook no matter which sector your company operates in.

    The most important reason for every organization to have an employee handbook is establishing benefit programs and personnel standards. It helps eliminate confusion and offers your team a plan to follow if there is ever a dispute or rebuttal that requires top management to intervene. It also provides balanced job prospects.

    Also, a detailed employee handbook protects your organization legally if anybody ever disputes whether you’ve effectively explained the company policies or not.

    Final Thoughts

    After completing the primary elements of your handbook, include a brief summary of the book’s objective, a key contact for any inquiries, a warning that regulations might change, and an acknowledgment signature line. Make it a point to express how pleased you are to have the employees on board.

    The employee handbook is not a legal document. A guidebook should properly define your policies without getting carried away with information. It doesn’t have to be too lengthy or too complex.