Perks are returning at some employers
Employers are beginning to restore some employee perks and benefits, such as free coffee and tuition reimbursement, in an effort to hang on to key workers as the economy improves.
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5 ways to tell if you have an attitude problem
Often, a company's problems can be traced to the chief executive's attitude, writes Mike Myatt. Egotism, arrogance, pessimism or just being unlikable are all common traits of struggling CEOs, Myatt writes, and can easily poison a corporate culture and ruin workers' morale. "Show me a CEO with a bad attitude and I'll show you a poor leader," he writes.
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Don’t let your morale-boosting efforts become a joke
Some companies' attempts to improve morale have the opposite effect, writes David Spark. Among his cringe-worthy examples: a clown sent to the office who fashioned balloon animals for stunned workers, and a CEO who forced employees to chant the company mantra together at a retreat.
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Companies must cultivate a trusting relationship with their top workers if they want to hang on to them, write Sarita Bhakuni and Michelle Johnston. One way to do that is by taking an active interest in helping them manage their stress, Bhakuni and Johnston write.
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Human Resource Executive Online - Bridging the Credibility Gap
BBVA Compass uses a quarterly employee survey to track how well it's engaging workers with its communication efforts, says William Trout, director of internal communications for the bank. For example, the company monitors progress toward its engagement goals by looking at whether employees recall messages.
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Teamwork? That’s so last century.
Managers who hope to get the best out of their workers by fostering teamwork could be in for a shock: Many young workers now consider traditional teams to be dull, pointless and unnecessarily rigid. The social-network generation expects collaborations and alliances to emerge organically from the huge number of colleagues and peers with whom they share their ideas and interests, writes Karsten Jonsen. "Our challenge will be to ... find the right balance between established teams inside an organization and fluid open collaborative teams spanning across organizations, disciplines and boundaries," Jonsen writes.
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Leaders can help re-establish trust among workers by encouraging them to express how they feel about a breach and by modeling forgiveness, write Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina, co-authors of "Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace." "Employees may not forget what happened, but they can choose to look forward rather than stay stuck in the past. Help people in letting go and moving on with a sense of shared responsibility," they write.
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How to rebuild trust in your workplace | SmartBlog on Workforce
Hang onto your key workers by letting them know how much you value them, being honest with them about their career prospects and fostering a spirit of fun, Callie Collins de Roldan writes. "Retaining your top talent comes down to providing people what they need, both materially and professionally," she writes.
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Three Ways to Retain Workers Now :: Refresh Leadership | Fresh Ideas for Today's Business Leaders
Leaders can take steps to re-establish trust among workers by encouraging them to express how they feel about a breach and modeling forgiveness, write Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina, co-authors of "Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace." "Employees may not forget what happened, but they can choose to look forward rather than stay stuck in the past. Help people in letting go and moving on with a sense of shared responsibility," they write.
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How to rebuild trust in your workplace | SmartBlog on Workforce
Human resources professionals should respond quickly to any employee report that another worker is scaring them -- without worrying about potential lawsuits or violating the Americans with Disability Act, Suzanne Lucas writes. Employers should educate managers about the warning signs of a true threat and create a policy that clearly states what action will be taken against workers whose behavior crosses the line, Lucas advises.
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It's no secret that, as a business owner, your venture is your baby. It's needy, it's frightening, and you're completely devoted to it. If only you could make your employees feel the same way. Well, at least the devotion part.
The first step to getting employees pumped about the company's direction is to examine what employee engagement is. Peter Stark, a management consultant and the author of Engaged! How Leaders Build Organizations Where Employees Love to Come to Work, defines it as a state in which, "employees are connected both at the head and the heart and they are willing to give what I call discretionary effort, meaning willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done." A lack of employee engagement can manifest in the form of poor customer service, low morale, and missed business opportunities.
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5 ways to ensure continuous innovation
Most companies aren't wired for ongoing innovation, and that needs to change, writes Holly G. Green. To make that happen, bosses much articulate clear goals, create a culture of communication, and support and reward bright ideas. "For companies looking to get ahead, innovation is no longer a 'nice to have.' It needs to become a way of life!" Green writes.
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Embrace the dark side to become a better boss
The best leaders have a dark, ugly streak -- but they know how to harness their anger and channel it to serve their companies' needs, writes Dave Logan. Find targets for your anger, be thoughtful about how you use your rage and make sure you surround yourself with people capable of reining you in when necessary. "Anger is a useful place to visit, but you don't want to live there," Logan notes.
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While the employee with a lone-wolf mindset might be good at getting the sale, grooming such a worker for a leadership role can be a mistake, says Cindy Pasky, CEO of Strategic Staffing Solutions. "An answer I don't want to hear is, 'A good leader is someone who leaves me alone and lets me do my job,' " Pasky says.
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Gov’t discloses benefits costs in private sector
Employee benefits make up nearly 30% of compensation packages in the private sector, with insurance benefits comprising 8% of that total, according to 2010 research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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How to get employees to embrace financial education
Employees who are skeptical about their company providing financial-education programs may be more easily won over if it's presented as part of a rewards program or wellness effort, Wayne Hanson writes. "[T]he link between financial problems and physical/emotional conditions -- stress, depression, chronic pain, high blood pressure -- is well-known," Hanson writes.
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