Author: dayoff

  • The one-to-one meetings importance for your team

    The one-to-one meetings importance for your team

    The one-to-one meetings are usually between the manager and the employee. It is a regular check-in between two people in an organization. Sometimes, these meetings are between colleagues, mentors, and coaches.

    The employees get feedback and guidance they need to pursue their goals. They come to know where they stand with the help of feedback given by the manager to them. These meetings also bring up space and time to discuss the things that you wouldn’t have discussed because of the busy schedule.

    With the help of these meetings, the manager resolves the issues on hand, improves employee retention, and guides the employees in their development. It strengthens the bond between managers and employees.

    Importance of one-to-one meetings

    The one-to-one meetings are the main element of the successful feedback model. The importance of these meetings are defined as:

    Boosts productivity:

    The one-to-one meetings keep the employee engaged and boost productivity. The employees regularly get feedback on the work done, which helps them to prioritize tasks and activities correctly. It improves the performance of the employee by giving them check-in on daily basis. The brief one-to-one meetings cut the time spent on holding ad hoc conversations, communicating by email, tracking down crucial information. It provides a high-level overview of current issues and the progress of the organization.

    Builds strong relationships:

    With the help of one-to-one meetings, the managers and employees get a chance to keep in touch with each other on the daily basis. They get to know the employees personally. The strengths and weaknesses of the employees come into the knowledge of the manager. These communications help to make the employees feel that their insights and concerns are appreciated and taken into consideration.

    Builds trust:

    The employees start trusting their leaders when they are in touch with them on the one-to-one meetings. Frequent and consistent meaningful interactions develop loyalty amongst the employees. Building trust doesn’t happen overnight, it requires spending more time with the employees by meeting them regularly. The meetings help the employees to get to know each other better and last longer and more trustful relationships. It also develops loyalty between the manager and the employees.

    Resolves issues:

    Every organization faces issues in the workplace. Employees also face issues in their daily routine. These issues could be personal issues of the employees or team issues. The manager has to make interactions with the employees to identify the issues and resolve them. These meetings make it easier for the manager to figure out the areas of improvement and issues to solve. The employees should discuss the issues with their manager to avoid delay of work and improve the efficiency of work done.

    Improves performance:

    The performance reviews are important to improve the performance of the employees. These reviews update them timely about the improvements needed in the performance. Bi-annual or annual performance appraisals are often too late or too little. Weekly or bi-weekly performance appraisals via one-to-one meetings allows the managers to ensure team goals will be met. It makes the employees feel more connected to their goals and empowered to perform well.

    Meaningful feedbacks:

    The one-to-one meetings deliver meaningful personalized feedback to the employees. This feedback helps them to know where they stand and how they can improve their work. It shows the employees what the managers or the top management are expecting out of them and how they can fulfill those expectations. Employees should receive and give feedback to the managers from time to time.

    Drives development:

    Employees with perfectly developed skills work as an asset to the company. Employees can have their own skills, but they have to keep learning and developing their skills to reach their goals. One-to-one meetings help the manager to know the areas where an employee requires to develop. These meetings provide the perfect time to discuss the personal and professional growth of employees.

    Career growth:

    Employees are always concerned about their career growth. They want to determine how they can do better, advance faster, and what career opportunities they can expect from the organization. One-to-one meetings help to emphasize these questions of the employees. The manager guides the employees in their career growth by answering these questions. The career growth of employees adds value to organizational growth.

    Aligns organizational goals and objectives:

    One-to-one meetings help to align the organizational goals and objectives to the employees. Employee goals are linked to business priorities. The approach to employee, team, and business is unique to the organization. These meetings help the manager to keep these goals and objectives into the knowledge of the employees. Employees can now easily link up their goals and the organizational goals.

    Drives smarter business decisions:

    When the manager and employees take a decision after consulting each other’s point of view, it comes out to be the smarter decision. The business decisions should consider the employee as well as the manager. They both play as a team to make the organization achieve its goals. By communicating meaningful information, decision-making becomes more powerful.   

  • Ireland Employee benefits

    Ireland Employee benefits

    In Ireland, mandatory employer-sponsored employee benefits are limited to a personal retirement savings account, but there are a number of state-funded benefits that cover medical, pension, employers’ compensation, and a variety of leaves, including maternity leave. Life insurance (death-in-service programmes), income protection, medical insurance, dental insurance, and a variety of pension schemes are all common additional employee benefits in Ireland. Subsidized food, extra paid time off, commuter benefits, gym memberships, and bike-to-work programmes are just a few of the perks.

    Employee benefits in Ireland

    PRSA Facility

    Currently, all businesses in Ireland are required to provide any excluded employees with access to a Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) Facility. Employees who are not given membership in an occupational pension system within six months after beginning service or employment are considered excluded. The employer is not required to contribute to the PRSA at this time, but they must assist in the establishment of a PRSA for any employees who choose to contribute to their own retirement plan and receive tax relief at source through their payroll.

    Group Life Assurance / Death-in-Service Schemes

     Supplementary employee benefits in Ireland Many companies would always provide benefit because it is among the most cost-effective, the premiums have no tax implications for the employee, and it is of significant value as a protective measure should an employee pass away, leaving their financial dependents in debt or with a significant loss of household income. The amount will vary by industry, but 4 times base wage is considered an acceptable level of benefit. These trusts are set up so that the benefit can be paid out swiftly and without going through probate.

    Group Income Protection

    Although less prevalent than Group Life Assurance, owing to greater premium costs, this benefit is particularly valuable in terms of providing a replacement income for employees who are long-term sick or incapacitated and unable to continue working. Insurers and carriers will cover up to 75% of your wages (inclusive of the state disability benefit). Employees serve a deferred term before receiving claims payments; this is typically 26 weeks, but it can be extended to a year or cut to 13 weeks, lowering or raising premium costs. Regular employer and employee pension contributions, as well as the cost of Group Life Assurance premiums for the absent employee, can all be protected.

    Occupational Pensions / Company Pensions / Executive Pensions

     For employers who do contribute to a pension for their employees, there are a variety of frameworks, the choice of which can be influenced by a variety of factors such as the firm’s own framework, the number of employees and projected headcount growth, remuneration and selection processes, parent company practises in other jurisdictions, and indy company practises. For firms who do offer a pension with an employer contribution, the average level is 6%, with a regular employee contribution of 5% across all industries. It is also feasible for employees to make additional voluntary contributions.

    Benefits for employees

    Subsidized Food / Social Committees and Events

    This can range from vending machines to juice and smoothie bars, baristas and coffee docks, onsite restaurants / canteen facilities, and alcoholic drinks at weekends or special events. Sponsored occasions , as well as charity events, are extremely popular.

    Additional Paid-Leave

     The possibility to barter other perks for additional paid-leave days and other flexible work arrangements is still popular.

    Commuter Benefits That Save You Money

    The company pre-pays for a monthly or annual bus, tram, or train ticket, and the employee reimburses the cost from their pre-tax wage, saving up to 52% over the regular fare. The plan can be run in-house via payroll or outsourced to a third-party benefits provider.

    Subsidized Gym Membership / Fitness Supports / Sports Committees

    Large firms may have onsite gym facilities; if not, they may collaborate with a local gym or offer subsidized fitness points, through third-party benefit providers. Weekly yoga/palates courses may be offered, as well as the formation of regular cycling, jogging, walking events (step challenges), tag rugby, soccer, and GAA (Hurling, Football) teams on site.

    The Workplace Cycling Program

    The company pre-purchases bicycles and related safety equipment up to the value of €1,000, and the employee reimburses the cost from their pre-tax earnings, saving up to 52% of the typical cost. The system can be run in-house using payroll or outsourced to a third-party vendor. Has proven to be a big hit.

    The State Pension

    Applicants must be 66 years old (67 years old from 2021 and 68 years old from 2028), have started paying social insurance before the age of 56, and have made the required number of social insurance contributions over their working lives, among other requirements.

    Maternity Benefit

    Maternity benefit is a payout made to working and self-employed women who meet specified PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance) contribution requirements on their personal insurance records. Moms’ benefits are usually paid for a period of 26 weeks or a specific number of days off. Employers are not compelled to provide additional benefits, though many do.

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

    The organization mangers: Tips to be trusted by your team

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

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

    Earning the Trust of Employees

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

    Give them your full name, not your title

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

    Find out what is most important to your employees

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

    Effective Listening

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

    Keep Surprises for Special Occasions

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

    First, provide your own trust.

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

    Be Respectful of One Another

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

    Demonstrate That You Aren’t Afraid Of Failure

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

    Integrity in Leadership

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

    Allow Them to Manage Some Tasks

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

    Request feedback

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

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

    Cross-boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

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

    Cross-boarding:

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

    Onboarding:

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

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

    Risk factor:

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

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

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

    Talent and Ideas:

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

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

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

    Cost:

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

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

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

    Employee retention: 

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

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

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

    Experience:

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

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

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

  • How to mentor new employees

    How to mentor new employees

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

    8 Tips to effectively mentor the new employees

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

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

  • The 5 Stages of Team Development

    The 5 Stages of Team Development

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

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

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

    1. Forming Stage

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

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

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

    2. Storming Stage: 

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

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

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

    3. Norming Stage:

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

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

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

    4. Performing Stage: 

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

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

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

    5. Adjourning Stage: 

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

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

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

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

    Employees’ Mental Health: How To Support Your Team Wellness

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

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

    Mental Health Importance

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

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

    How mental health can be affected in a work environment?

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

    • Stress issues related to work

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

    • Traumatic events

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

    • Social disadvantage

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

    • Monotony

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

    What to do to have positive mental health at work

    • Therapy

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

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

    • Exercise and take breaks

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

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

    To Conclude

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

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

    Fun company culture: How will it benefit your business?

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

    10 ways the fun company culture benefits the business

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

    1- Helps in engaging the employees

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

    2- Attracts new talent

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

    3- Builds relationships

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

    4- Long term employees

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

    5- Workplace involvement

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

    6- Transparency

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

    7- Clear mission and values

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

    8- Celebrate small achievements

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

    9- Leaders are visible and accessible

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

    10- Comfortable workspaces

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

  • Employee benefits in Europe

    Employee benefits in Europe

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

    Observed holidays

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

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

    Working Hours

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

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

    Employee benefits in Europe

    Paid annual leave

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

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

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

    Responding to the different values and requirements of the workforce

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

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

    Flexible benefits have a global scope

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

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

  • Employee promotion: When to do it?

    Employee promotion: When to do it?

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

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

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

    Signs when an employee needs a promotion

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

    Ready for new challenges

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

    Have well built “People Skills”

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

    Come out with Solutions Instead of Complaints

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

    “Go-getter”

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

    A team worker

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

    The budget allows for promotion

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

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

    Contribution to the Organization

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

    The employee asks for a Promotion

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

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