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Characteristics of Strong Leadership During COVID-19

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HR Question:

As a result of COVID-19, many business leaders will be put to the test as their businesses have had to stop, reassess, pivot, and restart parts of or all of their operations in a flash. What are some characteristics of strong leadership during COVID-19?

HR Answer:

During a crisis, leadership characteristics and values are really put to the test. In the last two months, leaders have been thrust into a challenging and unprecedented landscape that is difficult to navigate – even for the best. And it won’t stop now. The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially chaotic due to the quick decision making and response times required to overcome unfamiliar obstacles while meeting the needs of employees, customers, partners/vendors, and more. These are unchartered waters. There is no playbook. We’re learning and innovating as we go. So, what does it take to be a successful captain?

There are many characteristics that can make a strong leader, but there are five in particular that can set managers and executives up for success. By activating the below strengths in your work and daily life, leaders can help their teams and their companies navigate these choppy waters.

Characteristics of Leadership During COVID-19

Agility and Adaptability: The willingness and ability to change quickly and easily. To be able to shift to new or different ways of thinking. If there is one skill set that we all have had to rely on the most during this time, it is this one. By remaining agile and flexible as new challenges come about, leaders have been and will be able to see creative, innovative, and potentially unexplored solutions to meet the opportunity head-on. Which leads to the next characteristic…

Creativity: The ability to invite and be open to the perspectives and viewpoints of others to solve a problem or bring a vision to fruition by asking questions.  Many of the problems or challenges that leaders are facing at this time are challenges because we, as a business society, have not had to face them before. Employees have not had to create DIY workspaces within 24 hours’ notice. IT departments have not had to ensure the cyber safety of an entire department or company while turning on a dime. And leaders have not had to quickly learn how to lead a remote team, manage productivity, and still ensure deliverables are completed while trying to balance a nose-diving economy. The need for creativity and the ability to see other viewpoints allows leaders to create a landscape that is manageable for both themselves and their employees.

Visionary: Seeing and planning a future state using the data at hand and forecasting possibilities. Sharing the vision with others and inspiring action toward it.

Bravery: Facing the challenge or difficulty head-on. Speaking up for what is right during opposition and is not afraid to admit when they don’t know the answer. To say that this pandemic has required a certain amount of bravery would be an understatement. Many leaders have found themselves needing to make difficult, potentially unpopular decisions to ensure the survival of their business and the safety of their team. Those decisions require a sense of bravery, as leaders often open themselves up for further criticism. Maintaining a brave face (even if you don’t always feel that way) can instill the necessary confidence in your team to keep moving.

Humor: Bring on the fun! The ability to bring laughter and light-heartedness to a situation is important. As anxiety and stress are heightened for most (if not all) employees at this time, the ability to appropriately infuse humor into a tense situation can be integral to keeping a team moving forward.

While these characteristics might be behaviors you bring to the table, it’s important to discern whether they are top strengths that you easily and consistently apply, or if you only use them once in a while. In times of stress, this answer becomes evident based upon your reactions. Were you, as a leader, able to remain creative and explore new solutions? Are you able to maintain bravery, even when many future events are uncertain?

Consider using this time for self-reflection awareness and determine development opportunities to further engage your top strengths. Ask yourself, “How will this crisis make me better?” and “How can I best help others during this time?” as a guide. Be a model of self-care and self-awareness for your team members, so the entire team can be resilient through the storm you’re navigating together. Additionally, invest in developing these strengths and values over time to optimize your effectiveness. This challenge, unique and unprecedented as it may be, can help you continue to mold and practice many of the characteristics that you will need to succeed.

And as with any self-awareness and development activity, it’s important to get feedback from the team on how you and the rest of the team are doing in applying these strengths. Designing and conducting a quick survey will help gather these insights. Additionally, Gallup created this quick audit to help leaders determine if their leadership approach through COVID-19 is meeting the needs of their team members.  An HR Professional or Leadership Coach can help with the execution of an assessment, survey, and development plan specifics to support your growth in leadership effectiveness through COVID-19. Ensure the captain(s) are taken care of during this time to effectively steer the ship into the “new land of opportunity.”

 

Executive/Leadership development will impact the bottom line for your business. It’s more important than ever to optimize your operations during the pandemic. Strategic HR can help with your leadership and HR strategy through COVID-19. For more information, please visit our HR Strategy and Training & Development pages, or simply contact us – we’d love to hear from you.

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How to Help Employees Manage Stress During COVID-19

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As the coronavirus continues to dominate much of our news and impact every facet of our day to day lives, it can be difficult for employees to manage their stress and anxiety amid COVID-19. Managers and HR professionals can play an important role in helping employees cope with the added stress and uncertainties of the pandemic. In this article, we’ll help you to understand the stress that employees may be experiencing and provide stress management strategies and tools that can help all of us to get through this challenging time.

The difference between “good” and “bad” stress

Before we dive into suggestions on how to manage stress, let’s first clarify the type of stress we want to alleviate. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) points out the difference between “good stress” and “bad stress.” Good stress, or eustress, has a positive effect because it can feel exciting or fun, or it can help to drive our motivation to get something done. On the other hand, AIS notes that “bad stress” is commonly defined as “physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension” that leads to a feeling of distress.

It is the latter that we want to help employees alleviate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This type of stress can lead to physical and mental health problems which can impact all aspects of one’s life – both personal and professional.

Stressors during COVID-19

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone not coping with some amount of stress directly related to the pandemic. Just a few of these stressors that employees could be dealing with include:

  • Uncertainty about the stability of their job and personal finances
  • Trying to adapt to new work arrangements through working remotely
  • Worry and fear about the safety of their work environment for those who are required to work on-site
  • Having to care for or homeschool children while balancing work demands
  • Adjusting to “shelter in place” routines that eliminate former options for fun and stress relief including entertainment, sports, travel, and simply gathering with friends or family.

All of these stressors are taking a toll on people, and it carries over into the workplace. Add to this list the growing health concerns for employees and their loved ones, and the worry they or someone they know will contract the virus and become ill. It’s more important than ever that people are able to acknowledge their feelings and reach out to one another to help alleviate concerns and provide support where possible.

How managers & HR professionals can help

Managers and human resources professionals can play an important role in both reducing the stress that employees feel and helping them to manage their stress levels during this time. A great place to start is with effective and frequent communication. Being transparent about what you do and don’t know, in addition to actions your company is taking to respond to the pandemic can help to lessen the scope of uncertainly and concern that your employees feel. For example, you could:

  • Express care and concern for their safety first and foremost, and encourage an open-door policy so that employees feel comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns.
  • Proactively communicate with employees and inform them of what you are doing to maintain a safe workplace.
  • Consider setting a regular schedule to send updates to staff on important issues such as impacts to the business, strategies and solutions being considered, workload, safety measures being taken, leave options, and other pertinent information.
  • Lean in! Touch base with your employees more than you might usually do whether they are physically at your workplace or working remotely. Make a point to speak to each person on your team a few times each week to see how they are doing and whether there is anything you can do to assist them.
  • If your company offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or corporate wellness program, be sure to promote those resources as much as possible.
  • If your workplace is reducing hours or laying off staff, provide employees with information up-front on applying for unemployment benefits, discount services, or other programs being offered in your area.

While none of these activities is a “magic solution” to alleviating stress – your employees will see you taking action and your genuine concern will show through. They will appreciate you being a proactive resource, particularly during a time that is difficult for all of us.

How to approach someone who may be struggling

Managers are sometimes hesitant to approach an employee they feel may be struggling with depression or anxiety for fear of singling them out or infringing on their privacy.  But if an employee is expressing feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety which is negatively impacting their performance or they’re behaving in a way that shows a decline in their health or mental well-being, it’s important that it be addressed. Working closely with an HR professional can ensure your inquiries don’t violate employee rights.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of an employee’s disability. In addition, HIPAA prevents employers from directly obtaining health information on employees from a healthcare provider, unless the employee gives direct authorization. For more guidance, see our recent article on how to protect employee privacy during COVID-19.

Here’s a formula you can apply when addressing an employee showing signs of stress or anxiety:

  • Be Specific – Describe the incident or behavior which is problematic using objective, work-related terminology.  Avoid assumptions or making accusations.  Rather than saying, “You seem awfully tired lately and unfocused,” be more specific with something like, “You’ve been late three times this week and missed two important deadlines.”
  • Describe the Impact – Let the employee know how their actions or behavior is having a negative impact on the work, team, client, etc.
  • Problem-Solve Together – Ask for their input in addressing the situation and how to correct it. Use the opportunity to problem-solve with them and explore solutions.  If through the course of the discussion they disclose they are suffering from a medical condition or feeling the need for professional help, engage your human resources department so they can manage the issue and explore options with the employee.
  • Clarify Expectations – Remind the employee of your expectations, both in performance and conduct, and allow them the opportunity to improve.  If a pattern develops and you continue to see a decline, it may be necessary to take stronger actions.

Resources to manage stress during COVID-19

Sometimes when stress feels all-consuming, it can be hard to figure out how to move forward. Managers and HR professionals can also support employees by providing resources to help them manage and cope with stress. Recognizing that different methods work for different people, we will share several stress reduction options that you can share with employees – all of which can be woven into our professional and/or personal lives.

Three Methods for Coping with Stress

Our Coping and Stress e-book outlines three methods of coping with stress and provides several specific ways to apply them. These three methods for coping with stress are:

  1. Eliminate stressors or change your response to them. Identify the stressors, and then try to reduce or eliminate them.  If that is not possible, try to change how you respond to them. Particularly in times when the source of your stress feels out of your control, it can be empowering to leverage what you always have – your ability to control your response.
  1. Use the coping resources available to you – both personal and relationship coping resources. If you can’t control the accumulation of stressors in your life, use your coping resources to help manage the stress. Your personal coping resources include your attitude, values, spiritual beliefs, nutrition, exercise, and sleep/rest.
  1. Develop new coping resources. Identify and create additional coping resources, which will give you greater means to more effectively prevent and cope with stress. During this unprecedented time, it’s possible that you may experience much higher levels of stress than you typically do. It can help to be open to new ways of dealing with stress these days as you’re likely carrying a much heavier load.

 

Stress-Reducing Breathing Technique

We all were born with the appropriate breathing technique but quickly lose it due to day to day stress. Watch a baby – they breathe long deep breaths in through the nose and out the nose. Studies show that slowing down your breathing calms the nervous system, which in turn lowers blood pressure and heart rate, reduces stress hormone levels and increases energy levels. Therefore, the deep breathing we did when we were born is a highly effective tool against asthma, poor digestion, weight gain, sleeplessness, high blood pressure, heart disease, AND STRESS.

We suggest you try this as a way to calm your mind:

  • Sit in a chair with both feet on the floor with your shoulders back and your chin up.
  • Place your hands on your diaphragm so that you can feel the movement of your breathing.
  • Breathe in deeply through your nose filling your abdomen and chest with air from bottom to top like you are filling a balloon.
  • Exhale all the air out of your nose from top to bottom.
  • Repeat 20 times, even just 5 – 10 will help.

This is just one breathing technique of many. If this one doesn’t work for you, research other techniques until you find one that is comfortable and refreshing for you.

 

Low Impact Exercise

The main way to reduce physical stress is to release endorphins into the bloodstream which is done through exercise. Getting a 20-30 minute workout three to four days a week is critical to keep endorphins flowing and the heart pumping. The key is finding something you like to do. Many turn to Yoga and Pilates for a blend of stress relief and strength development. To optimize the effectiveness of exercise, it can be beneficial to start with deep breathing exercises (like the one provided above) first.

Some low impact exercises we like are:

Yoga Tree Pose (Benefits: focus, concentration, balance, strength, and stretching)

  • Stand straight with your hands at your sides balancing your weight evenly on both feet.
  • Begin to shift the weight over to the right foot, lifting the left foot off the floor.
  • Bend the left knee bringing the sole of the left foot high onto the inner right thigh.
  • Keep both hips squared towards the front.
  • Place your hands on your hips for balance. To advance, raise your hands up in front of you over your head.
  • Focus on something that doesn’t move to help you keep balance.
  • Hold for 30 – 60 seconds.
  • Repeat standing on the left foot.
  • For more challenge, try closing your eyes.

Yoga Plank (Benefits: endurance, core strengthening)

  • Lie on your stomach supporting yourself on your forearms
  • Lift your body parallel to the floor keeping your head/neck in line with your spine looking straight down at the floor
  • Hold this position for 30 – 60 seconds
  • For more challenge, lift yourself up on your arms so your shoulders are directly over your wrists.

Pilates Hundred (Benefits: strengthens the core)

  • Lie flat on the floor on your back.
  • Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise both your legs to a 90-degree angle and then lower back toward the floor to a challenging level without lifting your back off the floor.
  • Keeping your back flat on the floor, raise your head and shoulders off the floor.
  • Keeping arms extended, lift and lower them about two inches from the floor, breathing in on the lift and out on the lower.
  • Do this for 5 up-and-down beats. Repeat 10 times until you have done a “hundred.”

These are just a few of our favorites that can be done almost anywhere but are especially a great way to start your day or to take mental breaks throughout the day. Here are a few resources if you’d like to build your own routine:

 

At the end of the day, the health and well-being of your employees is critical to the future of your business. According to the American Institute of Stress, stress-related healthcare and missed work cost employers $300 billion. It’s easy to see that employers will benefit from supporting their employees’ good physical and mental health. We hope that the suggestions and resources provided here will help you to strengthen your organization and reduce employee stress.

 

Could you use help in meeting your employees’ needs and optimizing their work satisfaction and productivity? Contact us to see how we can help you with your employee relations.

How to Offer Training & Development for Remote Workers

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HR Question:

At a time when we have so much of our workforce working remotely, we want to ensure that we’re keeping them engaged and moving our business forward. We want to offer training and development options, but we have a limited budget and we’re not sure where to start. Can you help?

HR Answer:

With the recent dramatic rise in remote workers, many organizations are grappling with how to engage and continue to develop their workforce. There are several good options- even with a small budget. To get started, you will need to determine what training and development are needed. Conducting a training needs analysis can identify gaps.  According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), a training needs analysis, “involves collecting information to determine if a training need exists and, if so, what kind of training is required to meet this need.” Through your analysis, you should seek to understand why the need exists. Sometimes, the problem may not lie in a lack of training provided, but it could shine a light on ineffectiveness in your training. Or, you might learn that a worker has indeed received training, but they haven’t put the training into practice. In that case, you may want to consider tying training completion and new skill implementation to compensation and/or performance management.

As you identify development needs, be sure that they align with organizational goals. This typically involves reviewing each employee to assess any gaps in skills and knowledge. It’s important to consider organizational goals as well as employee goals and any potential succession plans when conducting this review.

Once you have identified training needs, then you will focus on how to meet those needs. This can be accomplished in many ways, but here are suggestions for a few places to start:

  • Lunch and Learns – Is there someone on the team with the knowledge you need that can conduct a training session for the team? This can prove to have value in a number of ways. The employees needing training will gain knowledge and feel valued that your company cares enough about them and their professional development to provide the training. The employee who conducts the training gains valuable experience presenting effectively and also feels recognized for having that knowledge. Best of all, this can be conducted remotely on a web conference system like Zoom or GoToMeeting.
  • Mentoring and Shadowing – This option again leverages the existing knowledge of your current employees. It is important to set expectations for both the mentor and the mentee to obtain buy-in and establish lines of communication. For the individual being mentored or who is shadowing, this option provides very specific job and company-related training they may not get through an outside source. This is also a chance for the mentor to be seen as a leader and to further develop their coaching and communication skills. Encouraging the mentor/mentee to connect weekly using web conference tools will help build the relationship and the benefits.
  • Professional Organizations – Industry or occupation related professional organizations can be a great resource for information, resources, and training. Many organizations offer live training sessions or webinars that are often included in a membership, in addition to online resources and newsletters/publications. Many organizations are offering a mix of live webinars and online programs.
  • E-Learning – E-learning can be another cost-effective training option. E-learning can be a great tool because the employee can often complete it at their own convenience. Most virtual platforms offer cell phone applications that allow the employee to complete training from all locations.
  • On-the-job Training – Look for organic opportunities within the organization to use a project as a learning opportunity for employees. Again, you can leverage email, text, phone calls, and web conference tools.
  • Cross Training – Cross training has numerous benefits for the organization. Individuals seeking professional development are gaining knowledge. Those who serve as trainers are recognized for their knowledge on the team. Also, employees feel valued that the company is willing to invest in them.  On an organizational level, having employees cross-trained provides value and flexibility based on workload and needs.

For additional low-cost training and development options, check out this Forbes article. Keep in mind as you research and explore training options, it is always essential to consider the return on investment. While it may seem that there are minimal out of pocket expenses, there is still the investment of your employees’ time.

In today’s workforce, the opportunity to learn is essential to maintaining and retaining an engaged workforce. With a little creativity and a close look at the knowledge base available, any size company can provide effective and remote professional development.

 

Whether you are looking for e-learning opportunities or live training provided in-person and/or virtually, Strategic HR can help!  We offer e-learning and online training helping you to create a safe and respectful workplace. In addition, we provide customized training to support and develop supervisors/managers, organizational culture, and emerging issues in the workplace – each designed to meet your desired goals and outcomes. If you would like more information, please contact us for customized training.

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Work-Life Balance Has Become Work-Life Integration

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Let’s begin with the understanding that some people are going to hate this idea. Work-life integration? Work seeping into all areas of your life at all hours of the day sounds awful, right? Isn’t it already happening? It is likely that most of you thought about an upcoming deadline, had a great idea on that report you needed to finish, or thought about how to approach a coworker about an issue while binge-watching Netflix, right?

Work-life integration is happening whether you like it or not, and it has become a very important work style that allows us to successfully manage our workloads and our home. The key is embracing it correctly and managing it well, resulting in increased engagement and productivity for all involved.

What is Work-Life Integration?

So what is work-life integration? In the past, we commonly referred to work-life balance and stressed to employees the need to separate the two and maintain a balanced life. The idea ties closely to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” work reference where the buzzer rings at 5 p.m. and we go home. No work. No email checking. No after-hours phone calls. This was your time for friends and family. You work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and check out for the evening.

Work-life integration on the other hand allows for an integration of work into your “life” activities and vice versa. For example, you could work from home from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m. at which time you stop and run the kids to school. You arrive at the office around 9 a.m. and work till Noon when you hit the gym for your spin class. Come back to the office around 2 p.m. and eat lunch at your desk. Pick up the kids from school at 4 p.m., run an errand, and cook dinner. Hop back on your laptop at 9 p.m. to finish up your work and check missed email. That is integration at its peak. According to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, work-life integration is “an approach that creates more synergies between all areas that define ‘life’: work, home/family, community, personal well-being, and health.”

Today, the boundaries between work and home are incredibly blurry. It’s impossible to think that work doesn’t happen outside of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and that “life” doesn’t happen during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To that end, integrating and blending the two worlds seems the most logical solution. But is it really doable? Not only is it doable, it is essential. In 2018, the Harvard Business Review conducted a study on workplace flexibility. In that study, 96% of employees said they need flexibility, yet only 47% reported having access to the types of flexibility they need — a gap of 53%.

Factors to Consider When Implementing Work-Life Integration

There are obviously many factors to consider in engaging in this type of culture and implementing such a program but here are some of the most important factors to consider:

  • The job. The most important factor is if the job can allow for such a privilege. Work-life integration is not an option for some positions with limited flexibility. Nursing and those on machine assembly lines for example may not be viable candidates for this type of work style.  Don’t just assume, however, that it won’t work. Be creative… even traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs may be able to be adapted.
  • Company culture. If your company has never supported this type of integrated work style this may be a challenge. The best approach in combating this is showing the positive impact and letting the company know this kind of flexibility is worth the trouble.  Flexibility in work is viewed as one of the top employee perks you can offer. Metlife’s Employee Benefit Trend Survey boasts that 31% of employees interested in “gig work” are interested because of the flexible schedule it offers. Offering an environment that mimics that type of schedule may meet a need for your staff. The results? Increases in productivity, retention, and the happiness factor!
  • Managing the expectations. In many instances, management sees these types of programs as a potential for huge areas of abuse. We have all seen situations where this has occurred and the employee who takes advantage of flexible schedules. They are never available, delayed in returning calls and emails, and are more away than at work. For success, management must MANAGE this! Supervisors must keep an eye on performance and actively manage an individual’s work to make this successful. It may take some time to earn the trust but if the manager is keenly aware of the requirements of the job, active performance management will keep this in check. Don’t be afraid to discipline or tighten an employee’s schedule if the program isn’t working. Be clear that it is not a refusal to allow a flexible schedule, but rather their inability to complete work tasks that is the source of the change and try to correct the course. The benefit is a privilege, remind folks of that.

Successful work-life integration allows us to focus on more of a balance and smoothly transition from one to the other. Conference calls in the car during half-time of the game are doable. A vacation away while conferencing in for a client call can be done. No one enjoys the thought of returning from vacation with 300+ emails waiting for us. Integration will allow us to blend these essential parts of our lives and enjoy work and our home life without isolation. Embrace these ideas of integration to meet your company and personal needs.

The Importance of Boundaries

As with all great ideas, there are always words of caution. With work-life integration, it will be essential to maintain boundaries. Boundaries with integration? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Sort of. Always keep in mind that it can be very easy to allow work to creep into everything. It’s important to prioritize and look realistically at expectations and maintain boundaries. Turn the notifications off on your phone during certain hours. Allow the integration, but also allow the downtime. Work already bleeds into your home life in one way or another. Technology has allowed that. Our own desire for instant gratification and responses feed that. Allow it and take advantage of it by allowing yourself some ‘me’ time as well and truly turning off once in a while. Your body and mind will thank you.

Thank you to Patti Dunham, Director, HR Solutions and Lisa Degaro, HR Consultant, both with Strategic HR, for sharing their insights on work-life integration. If you have any questions or would like to share your comments, contact us at info@strategicHRinc.com.

In order to be competitive in both attracting and retaining top talent, organizations have to understand and be responsive to the needs of employees. Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can help you to survey your employees’ needs and put programs and policies in place that promote healthy, productive work environments. To learn more, visit our Employee Relations page.  

 

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Benefits of Using Employee Engagement Surveys

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Question:

What is an employee engagement survey and why would our company need one?

Answer:

Employee engagement surveys are a great tool to have to help businesses get their employees involved and actively engaged in operations. Basically, it’s a survey that gives employees the opportunity to share their opinions on the business-related issues of their company to help improve business functionality. Surveys are often administered anonymously and cover topics such as operations, benefits, culture and satisfaction to name a few of the more common ones.

  1. The first step in conducting an employee survey is be sure the company is committed to taking action based on the input of the employees and to define what that action will be. Action may include telling employees their recommendations cannot be implemented because of certain factors (i.e. cost, time, resources). Responses will need to be sincere and honest and might include ways for employees to overcome any obstacles presented.
  2. The next step is to plan and construct the survey. There are many online tools and resources to help you create and administer an employee survey. Decide if you will want to have recipients answer questions anonymously. You’ll likely get a larger number of responses and higher quality input by allowing respondents to provide anonymous responses. Using a third party administrator or a highly trusted staff member can be critical to “selling” the anonymity of the survey. If promising secrecy, but sure the survey is conducted with the utmost of confidentiality and explain that in detail to participants.
  3. Finally determine a plan of action for your line of questioning. What are some trouble-spots in your company that you would like to explore and learn more about? Are you having high turnover? An increase in safety problems? Is productivity down or customer complaints up? Or are you trying to get a read on the pulse of your company and it’s culture? Pick the areas you can tackle and target questions that will help you get the information you need to move forward. Don’t tackle too much in one survey or you will lose employee interest and patience. Your questions can be canned or customized to your situation, long or short, choice-based or open-ended. If this is your first survey, we find even the basic questions can be helpful
    • What do you like most about our organization?
    • Why do you come to work every day here rather than for another company?
    • What would you like to see improved at our organization?
    • Would you recommend our organization to a friend as a good place to work? Why or why not?

Once the survey document is complete it’s time to administer the questionnaire. Some great online solutions include SurveyMethods and SurveyMonkey. Both offer various service levels of membership from free to paid access depending on the features you need for your survey. Both allow you to trial these tools to determine what level you need and to see the reporting features provided.

The survey results should help you make improvements and focus on strengths in your organization. You’ll find the feedback from employees will help with developing communications, recruiting techniques, benefits, and more. Employees who operate in the day-to-day of the business tend to have practical suggestions that may not be “huge” or “costly” to implement but can make a big impact. Overall outcomes can include increased safety, productivity, quality, profitability, lower turnover, and higher levels of customer satisfaction. Not to mention that by simply asking employees for their opinions it can heighten their engagement and give them a sense of satisfaction and worth. You’ll see even more value as you repeat the employee survey year after year to assess the improvements.

 

Has your organization become stagnant? Are you experiencing unusual turnover or employee discontent? Often the simple answer is to simply ASK your employees “what’s going on?” Strategic HR has worked with many organizations, of all sizes and in various industries, to help diagnosis engagement problems and determine the appropriate course of action. Whether it’s an employee survey, focus group, or face-to-face interviews, Strategic HR is your neutral third party solution for finding answers to your questions. Contact us today to find out how we can help you with your particular situation.

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Do I Have To Pay Employees for the Company Holiday Party?

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Employees socializing and eating at a company party.

HR Question:

Our organization is hosting our annual holiday party, and we’re trying to answer a question – do we have to pay our employees to attend?

HR Answer:

It’s that time of year again – the holiday season is here! And with this season come parties and events designed to celebrate this festive time of year, show appreciation for employees and their contributions, and build team camaraderie by gathering together. Plus, in a labor market where employee retention is a primary concern, holiday parties can be a way to provide levity to a stressful time, show an organization’s thanks and commitment, and engage employees (and potentially, their families). But just because it’s a work-sponsored event, does that mean employers have to compensate their employees for time spent at the party?

Do I Have to Pay Employees for the Holiday Party?

In general, employers are not required to pay employees if the company holiday party is considered voluntary and takes place outside of regular working hours. Holiday parties scheduled during the regular workday should be compensated. If the employer requires all employees to attend an event outside of regular working hours, then it may be considered work time and employees should be compensated for attendance. Be sure to follow applicable FLSA requirements as well as any internal policies that you have established.

How Should I Pay Employees for the Company Holiday Party?

If an employee is exempt, their salary covers all work obligations. Non-exempt employees, however, need to be paid for attending in the following situations:

  • If attendance is mandatory, non-exempt employees should be paid for the extra time and travel to and from the party (if it’s not held at the regular work location).
  • If the holiday party includes work-related activities, such as a meeting and/or team-building exercises, non-exempt employees should be compensated.
  • If a non-exempt employee is working at the event including set-up, clean-up, serving, and/or representing the company (i.e., wearing a mascot costume), they should be paid, even if they are working voluntarily. Want to keep internal costs down and avoid placing additional stress on your team? Don’t ask or permit non-exempt employees to work the holiday party.

It’s important to note some employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements may have provisions that require employers to pay employees for attending certain events, including holiday parties. Be sure to keep those agreements in mind when scheduling or factoring in potential costs for a holiday party.

What Else Should I Consider?

As always, whenever there’s alcohol involved, it’s important to keep some of the legal considerations in mind. For example, do you have a plan for handling alcohol? Will there be drink tickets or a cash bar? Do you plan to enforce a drink limit to help avoid DUIs and other potential risks? These and several others are good questions to ask to determine ways to limit the organization’s liability for this event.

In the end, it’s important for employers to communicate clearly about whether attendance is voluntary, and whether employees will be compensated for their time. The goal of a holiday party is to celebrate, relieve some stress, and enjoy spending time with your team – not to force people to gather if it’s not how they want to spend their time.

Thank you to Becky Foster, Senior HR Business Strategist, and Samantha Kelly, Senior Sales and Marketing Strategist, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

Do you find yourself without answers to tough Benefits and Compensation questions? Whether you need an analysis of your current benefit offerings, a review of your salary structure, or outsourced payroll/benefits administration, Strategic HR Business Advisors can do the job. Please visit our Benefits & Compensation page for more information or Contact Us.

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Mandatory Retirement: Is It Legal?

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Gauging Employee Engagement

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Question:

What is an Employee Engagement Survey and why would I need one?

Answer:

An employee engagement survey measures things like how passionate employees are about their work, how proud they are to tell people where they work, if they believe in the mission of the organization, and if they feel their work is valued and their talents are utilized. It has been shown that engaged employees (those that are absorbed by and enthusiastic about their work – they love their jobs) are more productive and creative on the job. Unfortunately, only about 30% of employees are actually engaged – with another 50% disengaged, meaning they are basically just along for the ride.

But an even more startling statistic shares that approximately 20% of employees are “actively disengaged” – these are employees that often dislike their job and/or employer and may even undermine performance. While disengaged employees just get through their day, adding little to the organization and flying under the radar, actively disengaged employees ‘act out’ their disengagement and lack of job satisfaction with destructive results, decreasing productivity for themselves and others around them. They become a cancer in the organization (aka the bad apple ruining the bunch). A Gallup study estimates that actively disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy half a trillion dollars a year.

So whether you’re trying to improve engagement, or eliminate disengagement, it’s important to know where your organization stands, because you can’t solve a problem you don’t know about and ignoring disengagement is costly.

Typically, employee engagement is measured through an employee engagement survey distributed throughout the organization. The content of employee engagement surveys is different from a regular employee survey because engagement measures much more than just happiness or satisfaction. Engagement survey questions generally ask employees to rate their agreement with statements such as:

  • I would recommend this company to a friend
  • My talents are well utilized
  • I believe in the mission of the organization
  • My work is recognized and valued
  • I have a sense of my career path

Additionally, reporting for employee engagement is sophisticated primarily because managers need to identify engagement issues or successes to pinpoint where they are in the organization. Managers can then drill down into the data, so they can quickly see pockets of high or low engagement. This allows them to discover whether something is pervasive or localized to a specific group and will aid them in fixing problems and creating a stronger and more engaged workforce.

Now that the economy is improving and dissatisfied employees are more apt to change jobs, it may be a good time to measure your employee engagement. An actively disengaged employee can wreak havoc on your high performance employees – negatively impacting their satisfaction and in some cases causing your best employees to leave. Strategic HR has years of experience writing surveys for satisfaction, engagement and performance needs. Visit our Communications page to learn how we can assist you with various communication-based projects.

 

Barriers To Effective Training and Development

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HR Question:

We’re starting to take a look at our training programs for next year. What are the barriers to effective training and development? What can we do to make the training more effective for our team?

HR Answer:

There are a number of factors that may cause a training session to be a triumph or a “try again next time.” Rather than becoming overwhelmed by all of the variables that create successful training, we’ll break it down simply to identify the barriers to avoid during the planning stage, the delivery, and the follow-up of a training session.

Plan Ahead and Consider Your Audience

One barrier to effective training is the lack of good planning. It’s incredibly important to consider the needs of your audience throughout the entire planning process by doing the following:

Conduct a needs assessment

It is critical to match the training to the needs of your organization. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for determining training needs, a needs assessment can be of great value on all levels to aid in doing so. Check out Strategic HR’s guide to “How to Conduct a Training Needs Analysis.”

Consider learning styles

Everyone learns differently. Some prefer learning visually through graphs, illustrations, videos, or watching an example, while others learn best auditorily by listening to instructions or listening to an audiobook; reading notes or writing down instructions; or kinesthetically by walking through the steps on their own. A combination of lecture, discussion, and activity can enhance the learning experience for everyone, and it is more likely to lead to better information retention.

Choose your topic wisely

Is your topic relevant to the participants, timely, and is new information being provided? All of these are important. If there’s a firm-wide update or new software, everyone should attend the training. But if there’s a niche update that will only impact one department, consider making that optional. Keeping the needs of your audience front of mind will help you build a topic that can be tailored to meet those needs.

Select the right learning group size

Depending on the topic, the group size may impact how effective training is. If you are discussing a topic with complex detail that participants will need to know and understand, breaking into smaller groups will give them more opportunities to ask questions and gain the insight they need.

Keep Things Moving – Make it a Dynamic Session

Other barriers to effective training can include choosing the wrong timing for training (too soon or too late), not providing the right building blocks to anchor the new knowledge, proving snooze-worthy training, or not choosing the appropriate length of time to adequately cover the topic. Here are some tips to address these barriers:

Timing is everything

If there is a deadline to implement a new process or policy, make sure the relevant employees are trained well in advance of that deadline to allow time to address any questions or concerns. If you require every employee to attend a seminar on benefits when only 25% are eligible, it may not be the best use of time and resources. On the other hand, offering the presentation three months before open enrollment would also be problematic because it is too far in advance.

Start with the right building blocks

Are you striving to make sure that your topic is digestible and will be retained? Think incrementally and layer the sequence of your program so that one topic or concept builds on what was learned in the previous topic. Ask yourself how you went about learning more complex concepts – what did you need to know first or what mental bridges needed to be built before you could completely understand something? That process will help you to develop the best flow for your training.

Use humor to make it fun

We’ve all sat through dry or straightforward training programs that fail to keep our interest. To keep your audience engaged and entertained, look for opportunities to add an appropriate joke, a funny story or comment, or a cartoon or video (when those materials can be used with the appropriate permissions, of course). When used effectively, it can reduce participant anxiety, boost their participation, and motivate them to focus. Remember that to be effective, comedy must complement the course material and not distract from it. And it should not be distasteful or offensive or it may interfere with the participants’ learning.

Choose your length of presentation carefully

The length of a presentation dictates how in-depth you may be able to explore a topic. Determine what you are trying to accomplish with the training – just a broad overview, or a deep dive? Conversely, if you know you only have 30 minutes, don’t pick a larger topic than you can cover effectively in that amount of time. No matter how long the presentation, try to provide coverage while an employee or employees are attending training. This will help ease the stress of being away from the job and help them to stay focused.

Don’t Forget the Follow-Up!

After you’ve taken the time and care to design and deliver valuable training, don’t let your good planning fizzle out before you reach the end zone. A common barrier to effective training occurs when you skip these valuable follow-up steps:

Give them a chance to practice

If there is an opportunity to take the lessons outside of the training room – whether that’s through behavior-based training, mentoring, job-shadowing, or taking on new responsibilities for a short period of time – it’s important to remember the variety of learning styles your audience may have and give them an opportunity to practice the lesson. Also, remember that application of newly gained skills is the key to retention of that knowledge.

Evaluate every time!

This is a critical piece that should be built into the conclusion of all training. It’s important to assess how effective your training is from your employees’ perspectives. You can use this evaluation to assess their satisfaction with the training delivery, content, timeliness, and any other aspect of the experience on which you would like to gain feedback. You can also use the evaluation to briefly test their knowledge of your critical message to determine if they are indeed walking away with the information you had intended.

For more tips, check out the Top 10 Time Tips for Trainers.

For any organization, training is an investment in time, money, and resources. It can also be a tool for retention and rewards as well. Make sure you plan carefully for the audience’s needs to get the most bang for your buck!

Thank you to Terry Wilson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Training & Development Practice Manager, and Samantha Kelly, Sr. Sales & Marketing Strategist, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.

 

The new year can be a prime opportunity to tackle the training that your team needs (i.e., workplace harassment, diversity, coaching, and skills-specific). Strategic HR can help you in developing customized training to achieve your desired results, and we can lead both in-person and virtual training for you. For more information, visit Training & Development, or simply contact us – we’d love to hear from you.

 

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Employee Engagement…From Beginning to End

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By Patti Dunham, MA, MBA, SPHR and Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR

Employee engagement; we’ve heard the term before and as HR professionals we know and we preach that “happy” employees are “productive” employees. But do we really understand engagement? Have we really tried to truly get employees engaged? Do we recognize, and act on the knowledge, that engagement starts well before the employee gets their first paycheck? Are we doing all that we can in every encounter we have with employees to make engagement a reality?

It goes without saying that human capital is the most important asset of every company. We have seen in a number of studies that employee engagement improves the bottom line in almost every instance and it is well worth all organizational efforts to actively engage employees. Helping employees understand the company’s direction and strategic goals, and the significance of their role in meeting those goals is essential. For employees to be committed to an organization and give 150%, they have to feel they have a stake in the company’s success. 

Engagement occurs when adequately skilled employees are trained and provided with the appropriate information and tools to make level-appropriate decisions and can lead the organization in the direction of meeting its financial and strategic goals. Sound difficult to take on? It really isn’t. As with all huge projects we must undertake, it is important to break it down into more manageable pieces and success will follow. 

Many programs have been created and implemented to introduce the concept of engagement to our employees, but what most of us have failed to do is to start that engagement well before the hire. Integrating employee engagement in the recruitment process is the best way to begin engagement in our organizations and is essential for long term success. Without the “right” hire for the “right” position, many of our other efforts are lost. Getting it right in the beginning is essential. So how do we accomplish this?

 

Creating and communicating an employment brand to employees.

A well integrated recruitment and selection process will help attract the strongest candidates. Employers who are able to quickly respond to candidates, provide them with feedback and find a way to sort through searchable information for those candidates who are not a match for the current position (but may be a match in a few months) are most successful. The ability to contact candidates quickly, and for them to contact you quickly, will allow you engage top talent and start off on the right foot.

 

Engaging On-boarding.

In a 2007 Watson Wyatt survey, employers who considered themselves as having a highly engaged workplace took an average of 35 weeks to bring a new hire up to speed. This compares with 15 weeks for companies that considered themselves to have lower levels of engagement. Is your organization spending time on the right activities when bringing employees on board? In addition to the typical on-boarding items, consider addressing the following.

  • Explain to the employee WHY they were hired – truly WHY. What is their role and how does it fit in the organization? What do successes and failures look like in the role?
  • Share with the new employee what it was about them that made them “the one”. Why did you choose this candidate? Help them understand what you valued in the individual so they can see what skills they have that can be most useful for the company.
  • Provide the employee with a realistic job preview. No sugar-coating, please. New recruits must know the job as it is so they can consider their own skills, personality, and abilities to take on tasks necessary for success.
  • Express your commitment to learning and development for the employee and the organization. Employees who feel employers are interested in helping them meet their personal goals are more loyal and engaged.

Engaging social networking.

Internal social networks can help your employees feel more connected. Many people use Facebook and Twitter to keep up with friends and colleagues outside of work. An internal network that allows the same type of interaction internally will allow employees to share knowledge, experiences, and interests online – a much more appealing way for some generations to interact, yet still allows employees to be involved and a part of the organization.

Employee engagement is essential and impacts your employees from well before employment all the way to resignation and/or retirement. There is a strong correlation between effective recruitment, on-boarding/integration, and the financial performance and success of a company. When addressed thoroughly, essential talent will be drawn to your company and quickly engaged. And once you reap the rewards you will easily see that engaged employees are well worth the effort.

 

Patti Dunham, MA, MBA, SPHR and Debbie Hatke, MA, SPHR are Senior Human Resources Management Consultants with Strategic Human Resources, Inc. (www.strategicHRinc.com). If you have questions or comments about this article, you can contact Debbie at Debbie@strategicHRinc.com and Patti at Patti@strategicHRinc.com.