academy@peopleshr.com
Level 1, 50 Yeo Street, Neutral Bay,
NSW 2089, Australia
Two Ways in which HR can support Men’s Mental Health at Work
Mental health affects us all. It’s easy to assume that the issue only arises in those who are diagnosable. But mental health issues can affect anyone and can be triggered by anything. For some men, a trigger may be work-related. A stressful meeting with a colleague, a difficult encounter with your superior or an unexpected change in your job role can leave you feeling stressed or depressed at work – as well as at home.
Even in traditional where mental health is not usually spoken of in the open, companies have been taking small steps to address it for their employees more proactively than ever before. What can companies do to ensure good mental wellbeing for their employees?
This blog post offers two ways on how HR can help.
Break the Stigma
Stigma is a barrier for men seeking help and being open about their mental health. Stigma can make them feel like they’re not normal. It can also prevent them from getting the help they need because they don’t want to be judged by others who might have preconceived notions about what it means to be “a man.” A stigma-free environment is important for both men and women.
HR can create awareness within the company by simply talking about it to break the stigma. The more it’s spoken of, the more it will be normalized. Organize learning sessions/ webinars by experts on topics such as stress management techniques. Encourage your male employees to schedule therapy sessions by making solutions like oDoc available on PeoplesHR Marketplace accessible to them. It is an app that lets them consult specialists in minutes online.
Encourage your employees to talk about mental health during meetings and to provide feedback to HR or team leaders on ways in which they can improve collective mental health. This can result in a more inclusive company culture in which your team members are more comfortable discussing their own mental health challenges and what has helped them overcome them.
Mental Health & Physical Exercise Go Hand in Hand
As well as being an important factor in physical health, exercise is a great way to help with mental health for anyone. It boosts energy levels and makes employees feel more relaxed and positive about themselves. There are lots of ways to do exercise that can benefit your mental wellbeing: walking or running outside; playing sports like football or basketball with friends; going for a swim at the local leisure center; taking up boxing classes – there are so many options out there!
It’s not always easy to find the motivation to exercise when you are not in the best of spirits but having the support of a workout buddy has been proven to provide an incentive to get involved. HR can partner up with health & fitness experts to provide employees with fitness programs that they can all participate in together. This sense of togetherness will not just make exercise a fun affair but it will contribute to a positive change in mental health.
At PeoplesHR Marketplace, we have extended solutions made available, one of which is Workout.lk which is Sri Lanka’s most comprehensive health and fitness platform that aims to inspire people in their healthy journey, especially geared towards empowering corporate staff engaged in sedentary occupations.
If you’ve read this blog this far, chances are that you care deeply about the well-being of your employees. This is a daunting task, especially when there are many employees who may be suffering in silence. But this journey starts with one person willing to talk about it. As we see more and more men like Prince Harry and Shawn Mendes encouraging society to talk about mental health issues without shame or fear, the day is not far away when we will be able to break this stigma. In the corporate world, of course, it’s important for HR to recognize this if we want to adapt to a modern and inclusive work culture. They will need to play an active role by bringing solutions or partners on board, increasing awareness and reducing stigma around these issues by making them part of our everyday conversations.
Ways in which HR can come out and make employees proud with pride month initiatives
It’s officially Pride Month and that means a lot of rainbow themes are being rolled out in marketing across the corporate world. Companies rush to re-colorise their logos to publicly show their support for LGBTQ+ employees. Although it may have seemed cool and welcoming in the beginning, people are not so receptive about the whole brands + pride affair anymore. Why? Because it really doesn’t do much to help advance equality for the population it claims to support. In fact, I’ve seen more content on social media and the internet mocking companies for rainbow washing this time of the year than anything about standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, even beating the timeless classic – “Diversity and Inclusion” by a not so narrow margin.
There is nothing wrong in doing so, be it then or now, even if it means changing your company logo or putting out carousel posts on “Five ways in which companies can uphold LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace”. But what matters is not the gesture but the actions that follow these gestures and go into supporting the LGBTQ+ community and institute any kind of meaningful change.
Bath & Body Works is making a $150,000 donation this year to the It Gets Better Project, supporting their mission to uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth across the globe. This doesn’t mean that actions always have to be something that involves money and donations. But you will have to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak, on supporting these communities and do something that goes more than words to both consumers and employees and meeting their expectations for providing an inclusive culture where everyone’s wellbeing is prioritised.
The Era of Actions
There are so many ways to celebrate Pride Month at work but the most important way is to make sure that your workplace is a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
- As the first step you can start by including a diversity and inclusion rider on job descriptions, making it clear that your workplace is a safe space for people of all backgrounds.
- Although we may be living in 2022, there are still gaps evidently present and visibly seen when it comes to knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community among people which highlights the importance of offering education on LGBTQ+ issues in the workplace. This can also be accompanied by a diversity and inclusion training session for employees.
- Companies can hire external consultants to evaluate diversity in the workplace, and to make suggestions for making your workplace more inclusive.
- You can also go one step further by hiring a full-time diversity and inclusion officer, if you are a bigger company.
- That’s not all – companies can ensure access to gender-neutral restrooms at all offices and/or stores.
Celebrating Pride month around the office
In addition to the real talk above, HR can also initiate Pride Month celebrations around the office by,
- Inviting an LGBTQ+ speaker for a talk or interactive session.
- Screening a documentary about LGBTQ+ rights or history at work.
- Choosing a book about LGBTQ+ history for the office book club this month.
- Or even doing something simple like displaying your pronouns in your email signature and on social media profiles, and encouraging others to do the same.
Still So Far to Go
It’s definitely not easy for companies to be bold about their initiatives to stand with the LGBTQ+ community because the world is, put simply, in different places on LGBTQ+ issues. But bringing employees together around these issues and engaging them on what they want to see can reveal some important insights and make them feel as though their voices are heard which is fundamental when it comes to the job of good HR.
Be a top talent like Maverick: 6 lessons from Top Gun!
Spoilers ahead. Not a big action movie fan, but watched the movie because it was my husband’s all-time favourite movie. I was moved, awed and inspired by Maverick, his resilience and clarity of character. Not every day you come across a Maverick in an organisation, but when they come and go: there are so many lessons we can learn from them. Here are few lessons for HR on how to build Mavericks for future organisations.
1. Job roles change, own it and excel in it
Maverick was sent back to Top Gun, not to be a pilot but to train the best young set of pilots towards a deadly mission. Maverick whose passion is to fly, absorbs to his new role without changing who he is but bringing in a lot of clarity and purpose towards the mission. He changes the way he trains, watches them to understand their characters and completely twists the teaching style.
2. Learn the art of training Gen-Z, swing away from traditional styles
The set of pilots are savvy, intelligent and brilliant. They know their worth; they know their game. But they are not ready for the mission – Maverick knows this. He gets them to train in non-conventional ways which includes a dog fight on air. He shows by example with skills how he still can beat them and even lets them choose their punishment for failure.
3. Become a change leader to your team, help anticipate change
Change managers are common, change leaders are hard to build. Maverick leads change and gets the team to anticipate change throughout the mission. When Cyclone challenges Maverick and changes the game plan, Maverick shows that it is do-able and is the only way to survive.
4. Capabilities will differentiate you and keep you ahead of the game
Maverick pulled out the manual for fighter jet and threw it. Everyone in the class knew it by heart, so did the enemy. The enemy didn’t know the capabilities that the pilots have, that was their competitive advantage. Competitors know the industry, the business and they know how to recruit your talent. What they don’t know is what your talent is capable of.
5. Sometimes your contemporary can give you the best advice, take it
Seeing Ice reuniting with Maverick was nostalgic, Ice knew how capable Maverick was and he knew only Maverick can pull it off. But he also knew Maverick’s weakness – his past with Goose, and his present with Rooster. He advices Maverick to let things go, sometimes your contemporary or colleague can give you the best advice because they know you best.
6. Succession planning, wingman is a choice not a necessity.
Everyone needs a second in command, someone to replace the leader, someone who can take on the responsibilities of a leader. Choosing the next best needs to come unbiasedly and whole heartedly. Training the next best is a big responsibility while he keeps the ship afloat, he gets to see how you make decisions and gets to shadow a leader throughout, which is one of the best ways to learn.
Building top talent takes time and effort, but PeoplesHR will make it easier by taking over all your manual HR work so you have time to strategize and focus on your best asset, your people. Interested in what we have on offer? Drop us a message today.
Hack Your Day with the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro is a time management technique that can help people to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. I tried this technique out recently and it helped me be more productive and get my work done faster. So, let’s get right into it!
Set a goal for the day
- Set a goal for the day. Without a long-term goal, you will not be able to take action towards accomplishing it.
- What is a good goal? A good goal should be positive, achievable, and meaningful in your life. For example: “I want to write a blog today” or “I want to read 30 pages of my book today” or even something as simple as “I need some motivation right now!” The trick is that it needs to motivate yourself enough so that you can stick with it until completion!
Set a time limit to get things done
- Set a timer for a specific amount of time.
Set a realistic goal for the time period, and focus on getting things done quickly; don’t worry about being perfect or making every detail look good. The idea is to get started and see what happens—if it’s not working, adjust your strategy later.
Use the Pomodoro timer to help you focus on the task at hand. It will prevent you from wasting too much time scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, which can be extremely distracting when trying to finish something important on any given day!
Take regular breaks
There’s a reason why you’re taking breaks during the Pomodoro method. They’re not just for fun—they’re very important. And here’s why:
- Breaks help you stay focused on the task at hand because they give your mind a moment to rest and recharge its batteries.
- Breaks also help increase productivity because they allow you to explore other areas of interest that may not be directly related to the task at hand but can still be helpful in solving problems or generating ideas.
So, what should you do when I take a break? When it comes time for your break, there are several things that will help make it more productive than if you didn’t take one. For example:
- Use this time as an opportunity to get some fresh air or go for a walk outside (if weather permits)This will give your brain something different from what it’s been doing all day so far and provide some much-needed physical activity (which is good for everyone). If possible, try taking advantage of any free coffee shops or restaurants near where you work so that their ambiance can inspire new ideas!
Reward yourself when you accomplish something
As a human being, you should be rewarding yourself for accomplishing goals. We all love those little rewards after we reach a milestone. It’s what keeps us going and gives us the motivation to keep going.
The Pomodoro technique encourages you to reward yourself when you finish your tasks by doing something that’s important to you—but not necessarily urgent or necessary for example: taking a walk, making some tea. This way, instead of rewarding yourself with food or you can reward yourself with something that makes sense and is good for your mental health like reading or watching a movie.
Use a timer to keep track of your time.
A good Pomodoro timer should be simple and easy to use, and most importantly, it should not interfere with the actual task of working on your project. Also, you can alternatively use a Pomodoro app or even your phone timer.
Before starting each Pomodoro session, you should set the timer for 25 minutes—the length of one Pomodoro session. When this period is up, take a break for five minutes before starting another session. Sounds simple yeah? Setting the timer is easy but getting into the routine and committing to it is hard.
You can be more productive every day with regular, healthy habits.
Start the day with a goal and a time limit. Then break it down into smaller tasks and set a timer for each one. When you’re done with something, take a short break! After that, reward yourself for being so productive and keep going until your time runs out — then do something fun!
Well, if you can’t tell by now, the Pomodoro Technique is a great way to boost your productivity and keep yourself focused for longer periods of time. By breaking up your work sessions into 25-minute sprints with five-minute breaks in between, you’re giving yourself the best opportunity to stay focused on your tasks. This technique works especially well if you have a tendency to get distracted while focusing on one thing, because it allows you to take mini breaks when you start feeling antsy or tired. And if it doesn’t work out for you right away? Don’t worry! It takes some practice and some willpower before anyone becomes a Pomodoro pro.
Employee Champions & Why you need one
It may be unheard of as a role, but those in HR do carry out tasks similar to that of an employee champion, despite the fact that it is not recognized as a separate role. The role of modern-day HR is very broad, whether it is as a change agent or a strategic business partner; having someone in HR as an employee champion is a thing in modern workplaces where employer branding is very important.
Let's now understand who an Employee Champion is and their role.
Employee champions can be assigned by HR to assess employee morale/motivation and level of satisfaction in the workplace. This person or team is in charge of it and drives these factors through relevant activities and by collecting information to further improve productivity and satisfaction levels. This makes the workplace more appealing to employees. The happier the employees are, the stronger the company’s culture and employer brand will be.
For example, if a department is falling behind in terms of productivity, the employee champion makes a point of approaching and speaking with the employees in that department. When the champion has identified the problem, he or she should report back to the management or the relevant team leader so that appropriate steps can be taken.
Can anyone in the workplace be an Employee Champion?
The beauty of this HR role is that sometimes it necessarily does not have to be someone from HR. Sometimes the team leader may take on this role unofficially. We call them natural employee champions. They do it unknowingly & don’t need to be assigned. They naturally work towards boosting team morale. An employee champion role example is a high-performing employee in a small team or department where they act as an informal leader who guides everyone or inspire the others to be productive as well. Anyone can take on this role.
You may now wonder why the company needs a separate individual for this role when we have team leaders who act as the employee champions. The simple answer is that not all team leaders will be this way. Not all leaders can take on the role of employee champions. In addition to that, there can be instances where the team members in a department may be reluctant to talk openly about factors influencing their work motivation. Having an unbiased person whose only focus is to be there for the employees helps during such circumstances.
Benefits of having an Employee Champion
If a business is overly committed to delivering and making its products or services top-notch or expanding, it risks losing sight of its employees. This may happen during a stressful business quarter as well. Employees are more likely to experience anxiety and feel burnt out during this time. If no one steps in at the right time to check on them, they might gradually lose confidence in the company. A team leader or someone may not always be able to dedicate time amidst situations as such to the team members. Having an employee champion can solve this problem by focusing on the internal issues faced by employees and giving them tips on how to stay sane during stressful times.
The editor-in-chief of EmexMag describes employee champions as catalysts. When policy shifts or any major changes are bought about in the workplace in an attempt to increase efficiency and productivity, they are often met with a grudging acceptance. It takes a while for most people to accept or absorb any change that takes place. An employee champion can help the other employees transition to or adopt the new policy faster.
Every workplace is different and the way they are structured will be distinct as well. It is unlikely that all leaders in the organisation will be able to take on the role of an employee champion and be able to effect the change necessary to improve organizational capabilities and possibly even analyse the potential of a workforce. Therefore, it is a good option to have an employee champion from HR who will be able to provide undivided attention to the employees.
Everything You Need to Know About WFA
With what the world has gone through in the past few years, work from home became the norm for a significant period. However, now people and businesses are moving into what is known as work from anywhere. Given how dynamic the world is now, it is not surprising to see more and more workplaces introducing HR policies allowing their employees to work from any part of the world.
This blog will take you through the WFA concept along with the advantages and disadvantages associated with it for HR.
What Is Work From Anywhere (WFA)?
The working from anywhere concept, more popularly known as the WFA, is an option provided by employers to allow employees to work from quite literally anywhere they like. All you need is a laptop and a solid internet connection to stay productive. You can imagine WFA to be the next-gen version of WFH.
The difference is that those who work from home now may be required to attend the office once in a while for a meeting, etc., whereas working from anywhere has no such obligations. With the pandemic, employees have become accustomed to working from home and are now ready to switch to working from anywhere.
Is Working From Anywhere Feasible?
There are many companies out there that allow their employees to work from anywhere to increase productivity and reduce overhead costs. But this may not be the right case for all. There are different factors that affect the way the work of these companies are done. For instance, one of the many factors would be the size of the company. A smaller company may not be able to handle the logistics like that of a larger company. Therefore, before implementing WFA, HR will have to consider these factors that affect their company and the issues that might arise as a result and make plans on how to tackle them.
Benefits of Work From Anywhere
Increased Productivity and Saving of Time
Having a WFA workforce helps increase productivity in the workplace. Employees are no longer wasting time commuting back and forth to work, chatting at the coffee table, or being distracted by others. This time saved can be invested back into increasing overall productivity levels.
Absences and employee turnover have been reduced.
Employees who work from anywhere are often more efficient, have fewer absence from work, and have a lower turnover rate than employees who work in traditional business settings.
Lower Facility Costs
A WFA arrangement can save you money by reducing costs on electricity usage for air conditioning or heating during the winter months when your employees might not want to come into the office due to weather conditions like snowfall or ice storms!
Employee Retention
If WFA works well within an organization’s culture they may find their employee retention rates rise as talented workers will be drawn to opportunities where they can feel empowered rather than restricted in pursuing their personal goals.
Instantly Diversified Workforce
Hiring from anywhere in the world will allow you to instantly diversify your talent pool. With an ever-expanding contingent, it becomes easier for companies trying to create cultures of diversity and inclusion by hiring people who represent different backgrounds instead of being confined within smaller geographical regions where there may only be one or two potential candidates available at any given time.
Disadvantages of Work From Anywhere
Employee Management
The primary downside of WFA is that managing remote employees on a large scale may be challenging. You may find it difficult to keep everyone responsible and on line with their job as they won’t necessarily be in close proximity. Without the typical clock in and clock out mechanism in place, ensuring that work begins on time and concludes on time is not totally viable.
Productivity Management
The organization’s productivity expectations are controlled on a local scale, which is the second drawback. Employees who work from home may feel less compelled to complete tasks or meet deadlines. If there is no framework to how work is done, this may quickly become an issue. The first downside is that when you don’t have the capacity to meet remote workers on a regular basis, managing them becomes a challenge. This could result in a waste of time and resources for your business, as well as missed opportunities.
The working from anywhere model is here to stay and it is up to companies to decide if they want to adopt it. Clearly the benefits listed above are more than the drawbacks explained. The companies that create their technological infrastructure to support this way of working will be well positioned to fully realize the model’s huge potential as explained above. With the right strategy, organizational procedures, technologies, and most importantly leadership transitioning to working from anywhere can become a reality.
HR’s Role in Making the Workplace a Bully-Free Zone
Bullying. A term you might have come across often when you were in school. If you did not, then probably you were the bully. It’s wrong to assume that bullies are limited to your school that you left long ago. No, you’ll also find bullies at your workplace. It is quite unfortunate to see that some people have not been able to grow up.
The most obvious effect will be that it will lower the spirits of the employees. Maybe you were looking forward to working for a certain company, but now you won’t be able to enjoy your experience because of that one person in your office.
Bullying that takes place in the workplace is more serious than you’d actually imagine. This could be a toxic boss giving you an earful and singling out the blame on you for a mistake or a bunch of office clowns repeatedly targeting the same person for their pathetic pranks.
Here are some common examples of workplace bullying that takes place
- Make a sneering gesture at someone
- Ignore someone or their viewpoints
- Blaming someone repeatedly
- Isolating someone on a social level and treat them indifferent
- Making someone a target for their unnecessary jokes.
- Disseminating incorrect information about someone, basically spreading rumours
- Yelling at someone
- Telling someone they need to quit
- Embarrassing someone in front of their peers
How this Impacts Employee
The most obvious effect will be that it will lower the spirits of the employees. Maybe you were looking forward to working for a certain company, but now you won’t be able to enjoy your experience because of that one person in your office.
An unpleasant environment as such will affect employees mentally and, in most cases, also their work. According to research, people who are bullied experience stress, low self-esteem, poor physical and emotional health, and impaired cognitive functioning.
Some employees do not raise their voice in fear or for other reasons and are left unheard. This way some really good employees may leave the company with an overall negative perspective.
Ways in which HR can curb bullying
By establishing a clear code of behaviour
To be able to avoid workplace bullying, HR must set clear expectations on how employees need to behave with one another. This is one simple way. If a strong set of values are set for the company, these values will permeate through and influence how employees treat one another. Senior employees should also set example by strongly holding these values and by maintaining good, healthy and professional relations with their coworkers
By addressing the root of the problem
And if the above code is broken, HR must take care of it seriously and reach to the depth of it. It is important to understand why the bully is behaving as such in order to prevent bullying from taking place and to also help the bully face his/her own demons. It is explained by psychologists that the behavior of a bully is a reaction to their own levels of low self-esteem. They attack other people to feel better and outset their own struggles with life. Sometimes, talking to this people to open up about their vulnerabilities can help change their toxic behavior.
By acting fast
The most effective way to avoid bullying in the workplace is to address it when you see even a hint of it. Employees need to be encouraged to report if they see someone behaving inappropriately or any other first-hand signs of bullying. This should be enough evidence for them to address the situation immediately. If HR can stop this during its initial stage, they can resolve the issue from going out of control and save any potential victims.
Up Your Start-Up with HR
Up Your Start-Up with HR
With the global pandemic, some people had a lot of free time, many were laid off or ran into financial difficulties over the past two years. This was a time when people were inspired to start what they had always wanted to do. Some started for passion while some purely out of financial necessity.
Either way, the pandemic generated a boom in start-ups. However not all of these survived. According to an infographic shared by Entrepreneur.com on start-up failures, half of them failed by the fifth year. This is a very significant proportion while considering the amount of money, time and energy people have invested into them.
Addressing the HR Stereotype
There is a wrong perception of HR amongst some start-ups. Some small tech companies do not believe in recruiters unless they can code. They see HR as a barrier to running their “fun” and “flexible” work environment. One of the many reasons as to why these start-ups fail is because of poor or no human resources management in place.
Here’s how HR will help your start-up?
Creating a great company culture
The presence of a human resources team will enable the cultivation of amazing start-up culture. Another common stereotype is that if a start-up has bean bags and pool tables, they have a “fun “work environment which is not the case at all. These are just physical elements that add to culture, HR is the one who brings in the real essence.
The first person a new recruit would interact with straightaway on his/her first day would be someone from HR not the ping-pong table. They are the ones who take the employee’s experience into consideration, communicate with them and keep in touch with them throughout. This is what builds culture in an organisation. As entrepreneurs you can choose to have any type of culture but ultimately it is fostered by HR and maintained by all within the company.
Managing administrative tasks
There is a lot of administrative work involved in businesses including start-ups. There is a lot of paperwork e.g., employee records, timesheets, legal documents. In a nutshell, you will be handling a lot of files and documents and these will need to be organised and updated regularly. Someone would definitely have to maintain this area and that definitely would not be the start-up’s CEO or software developer or marketing executive. Who do we call for help? THE HR. If there is anyone who can have the willpower to go over this multitude of paper it is HR and this process can be made easier, economical and more effective with the help of HRM software like Peoples HR Cloud. It would help you get rid of using all that paper for documentation and help your start-up become environmentally friendly as well.
Recruiting and retaining the top talent
Recruitment is a prolonged process and start-ups do not have huge hiring requirements but what is important is that they get the perfect person for the job from the start. The HR function would help you here as well. They have the expertise to find the best talent who is suitable to be fit for the position. Processes like screening, contacting candidates, setting interviews and all these related activities are looked at by them. As entrepreneurs you can rely on them and save a lot of precious time and money.
Once your start-up grows, you will have a set of experienced individuals working for you who know the ins and outs of your start-up. The next challenge you most likely will deal with is to retain these experienced employees who are like valuable assets to your business. Unlike big companies’ start-ups simply cannot afford to have frequent employee turnover and allocate more time on training new recruits and getting them accustomed. After a certain period, employees are motivated by meaningful aspects like future growth opportunities. Having a good HR team would help set necessary systems in place for employee growth, performance management, training and development etc. Employees will feel empowered and looked after which will encourage them to stay in the organisation thereby helping the organisation retain talent.
Legal Compliance
The work load within a new start-up can be a lot and entrepreneurs tend to be fully invested. At a point as such no entrepreneur would want to be troubled by representative of a government body and use their time into solving legal matters. They would most likely not have the experience to handle such situations as well. Compliance requirements may change from time to time. This is where HR comes and saves the day. They are the go-to folks for legal issues like state and labour laws.HR would educate you in these areas, ensure that work is carried out lawfully and that the company does not have to face any issues.
Start-ups do not need to have a huge HR department. A couple of dedicated HR professionals along with some good HR Tech would make this so much convenient. Using customisable DIY HR software like Peoples HR Turbo would be a good choice for start-ups.
Some start-ups still may choose not to have a HR function in house and may just outsource this completely and that’s still fine as long as you have HR somewhere. Solutions like HRO are suitable and an economic option for businesses who wish to outsource and meet their HR needs. The only downside being the lack of personnel within the organisation who would know the ins and outs of the function and the resulting lack of control. Therefore, do not give into stereotypes and get onboard the right mix of an HR Team along with the right HR Tech to run your businesses smoothly.
A 5 step Guide to Ensure a Smooth Onboarding Experience for Remote Employees
A research done by Glassdoor found that companies with a detailed onboarding process
improve employee retention by 82% and increase employee productivity levels by over 70%.
Today in the post covid world, companies are hiring and onboarding almost all of their new
employees remotely. Among them are also the Generation Z, the new cohort to join any
organization, a generation that is born with a device in their hands and a screen in front of their
faces. They are comfortable with integrating both virtual and offline experiences and have high
onboarding expectations. This means that HR departments are faced with the challenge of
having to deliver an exceptional onboarding experience now more than ever.
Hence here is a quick 5 step guide that will help HR departments ace their onboarding game in
the virtual world.
1. Great pre-onboarding for a great start
Great pre-onboarding ensures that new employees have a strong start, a smooth first day and
are less likely to be anxious about what’s going on and what to expect in the new workplace.
Unfortunately, this is something that most organisations fail to nail. Companies often ghost their
new hires once they have been offered with the job until their first day at work.
Here are a few pre-onboarding steps that can set the stage for the newbies which companies
put behind and execute either on the first day or the first week instead.
- Send employees a personalized welcome kit with the company branding along with an employee handbook highlighting company values, code of conduct, policies etc.
- Ensure that the new employees receive their laptop with the required software and tools installed beforehand to avoid any hassle later on.
- Provide employees with all necessary credentials to access their email and other relevant portals.
2. First impression matters!
First days can go a long way in creating a lasting impression in the minds of new employees. Especially when they are having a remote first day at work, the HR needs to step up and deliver an energetic, engaging and seamless experience since there won’t be any physical meet or
greets.
Below are a few things companies can do to ensure that their new employees are comfortable and happy at the end of their first day at work.
- Sending a personalized welcome email with a positive tone while requesting the new employee to share a self-introduction to introduce them to the entire organisation.
- Providing a very clear and detailed employee orientation for remote employees to understand the organization’s culture, employee benefits etc.
- Providing a virtual office tour in the form of videos, pictures or slideshows so that the new employees feel included.
- Assigning a buddy for initial handholding and to keep the new employee’s anxiety levels on check.
- Providing new hires with a detailed plan of action and task list for the first few weeks with a resource sheet that includes training videos, product presentations, links to refer etc.
3. It is okay to take baby steps
The first few weeks should be dedicated to familiarize the employee to the new job and to
complete all initial product training. During this time the employee can start with small projects
and non-crucial tasks while shadowing co-workers which will help him/her pick up things at a
steady rate.
Also scheduling regular check in calls between the manager and the new employee will help
ease out the initial discomfort and help fasten the onboarding process.
4. Crystal clear communication
While employees learn and adapt to the organisation in the first few weeks, it is imperative that
managers set clear expectations for them. This could be done after having a discussion with the
employee on what the organisation expects from them and understanding what they expect in
return. It is recommended that organisations set a remote work policy that sets clear
expectations from remote employees from the beginning itself.
Further, discussing appraisals and growth opportunities that employees have within the
organisation will increase employee retention and nudge employees in the right direction while
helping them stay focused.
5. Ongoing support for a smooth transition
Since remote onboarding is an ongoing process, companies should look for ways to provide
their new employees with ongoing training. HR departments should do regular check-ins at 30-
60-90 day intervals to understand if employees have settled in with their new roles and if not to
identify and provide the kind of support that they require.
HR departments should also collect constructive feedback from employees on their onboarding
program and strategies to bridge any gaps identified in the future.
While remote work has its perks, it also comes with challenges like feelings of isolation
especially when one is new to the organization. Therefore, it is important that organisations plan
their remote onboarding strategy with the right tools and training that stretches beyond the first
week in order to ensure that employees are happy and start feeling like they are part of the
organisation sooner than later.
Tricks of the Trade in an Era of Passive Candidate Hunting.
Attracting and Recruiting candidates have moved way beyond the traditional methods of paper advertisements and job hunts. We are in the digital era where no longer does an individual try to fit into a job, but where as you provide a job to fit the individual. Talent attraction and acquisition has become far more complicated than what it was 10 years ago, and the pandemic has not made it any easier. The new normal of working from home (WFH) has left employers confused on the why’s and how’s of talent acquisition in the New Normal and we are here to provide the answers.
We are in the age of Passive Candidate Hunting, where employers recruit people who are not even aware that they are searching for a job and are totally comfortable in their current job position. Attracting the candidate is one thing, but attracting the right candidate is a different ball game on its own. This is where psychometric and competency assessments come in to play to understand the right profile for the right job.
Employers need to adjust to new trends to keep up with the modern generation with a strategy that is dynamic and flexible with the use of technology.
Many Managers believe that the interview is the most important part of the selection process, is that true?
Did you know?
Attraction is considered to be one of the most important parts in the whole recruitment process.
Before you start looking out for someone to fit your role, it is important to understand the attributes of what you are looking for. Role benchmarking is an important part of the selection process and there are 2 things to get started with.
- Put up a position description.
- Put together a role benchmark.
The role benchmark acts as a map to identify what type of person you want. The path to the person you want. The perfect job fit!
Many organisations lose out on great candidates that would be the perfect job fit, simply because they do not give enough time into the attraction process.
Initially, the organization needs to develop the role benchmark using a job analysis survey, and once you have that information you need to write your job advert to reflect the attributes that you are looking for in the individual.
The Traditional Job Advert Vs. The Millennial Job Advert
Traditional job ad :
- Paragraph about how good the company is.
- Job description
- How to apply
Millennial job ad:
- Need to know what is in the job for them.
- More about the heart and behaviour, less about the pay.
A job ad should reach out to them whether or not they were looking out for it, but give the feeling that it is the perfect job that would suit them with what they need.
Attracting the Millennial and GenZ mindset
Why is it that Baby Boomers and GenX managers have trouble managing and retaining Millennials and GenZ?
Baby Boomers & GenX | Millennials & GenZ |
Sees the light at the end of the tunnel | Sees the light at the beginning of the tunnel |
Values delayed gratification | Looks for instant gratification |
Let’s be honest, the new wave of employment is the Millennials and GenZ. Their understanding of work and even the expectations from an employer is different to Baby Boomers and GenX. But different does not necessarily mean bad! No one is to be blamed, as this is a result of the times and the environment of upbringing. Things are much more fast-paced with instant results, transparency and high competition.
Therefore, it’s best to go with the time or else you are going to be left behind. With information available instantly at your fingertips, Millennials and GenZ need to be convinced that the organization matches their mindset and beliefs. And for this social media can turn into your best friend. You need to convince and make sure your organization has an open-mind culture, an open door policy, an environment where they can develop their passion. It’s no longer about a stable 9-5 job, Millennials and GenZ need self satisfaction and confirmation that what they do makes a difference.
Wander where to get user-friendly, convenient and effective job-fit assessment tools that are customisable to suit your organization? We at PeoplesHR have partnered with Peoplogica, pioneers in psychometric and Job-Fit assessment tools.
Get in touch with us and we are happy to help you in your Talent Acquisition Strategy.