It’s a goal that many organisations have, how to make new employees more productive more quickly. You’ve spent a lot of time, money and energy on recruiting them in the first place. It’s not unreasonable that you now want a quick return on your investment is it? In theory, no, but in practice, probably, yes. There are a number of answers to how to make new employees more productive more quickly. The simple and most straightforward is to design a really thorough induction programme. Just because the new recruit has the skills you were looking for, doesn’t mean they will telepathically know what you want from them as an employee. They need to know “how things work round here”. You have to ensure that they get that information early on, and are monitored to assure them (and you) that they are picking it up correctly. The new recruit, hopefully, will be enthusiastic, keen to learn and keen to make an impression. Your induction programme needs to capitalise on this. How enthusiastic would you be if you spent your first week just following people around, listening to what goes on, reading brochures and watching company videos? Not as enthusiastic at the end […]
Employees are most worried about their financial position. The Money Advice Service identified that 28.7 million working adults in the UK weren’t satisfied with their finances. The Financial Conduct Authority reported that 25.6 million people were financially vulnerable. There’s a shocking stat out there. Faced with an unexpected £300 bill, 11.8 million adults will borrow money or can’t pay. Only 50% of employees, thinks that their employer cares about their financial well-being. That’s less than those who think that their employer cares about their mental (62%) and physical health (60%). When asked what their top three worries are, employees said Financial worries (30%) Health (25%) Retirement provision (24%) Employees are most worried about their financial position What do employers think their employees are most worried about? When asked what they thought their employees worried about the most, employers gave very different answers. Their top two worries were work life balance (44%) and workload (33%). There’s clearly a difference between what actually worries employees and what employers think their employees worry about. Work life balance worries only 22% or employees surveyed. Employees are most worried about their financial position. The effects of financial worries show themselves in many ways. Physical factors such as loss of sleep and […]
If you’re looking for 5 simple steps to improve employee engagement you’ve come to the right place. Some of the things might not be considered trendy nowadays, but they have always worked as engagement strategies. They rely on some simple foundations, communicate well, praise sincerely and do what you say you’ll do! Get out from behind your desk Talk to your employees, listen to them, their problems and suggestions. Be ready to roll up your sleeves to help out when things are pressured, do whatever needs to be done. Show some sincerity Look for the good in people. When you see something you like, tell that person right away. Tell your people what you appreciate, and why. It’ll bring the best out in them. Role model Make it a priority to demonstrate your company’s values. If you really want to affect your culture, work hard to show your remployees your values and priorities. It makes natural that they will follow your lead. Get over yourself. This doesn’t mean that you lack self-confidence or that you don’t stand up for yourself. It means that you recognise that you don’t know everything and that you’re ready to learn from others. Demonstrate a […]
Moving businesses from inadequate to outstanding is a new CIPD report claiming that UK employers are “sleepwalking into a low-value, low-skills economy”. The report attributes this to two main factors: an inadequate education system low employer spend on training As employers we can do little about the first, but we can do something about the second. We can affect how much we spend on training our workforce. Employer spending on training has been reducing year on year since 2005. The UK spends an average of just £ 202.30 per employee on training compared to an average spend of £457.42 per employee across the rest of Europe. The UK is now fourth from bottom place in an EU league table of job-related adult learning. The CIPD is making a valid point. The effectiveness of training isn’t determined by how much is spent on it. It states that UK employers may have found ways to minimise their training spend, without reducing the quality of the training. Using digital training or negotiating better deals with training providers is one way they are doing this. But the situation is very different in America, where the average spend on training per employee is £787.35. However, there is a potential disincentive for employers to […]
Managing employees with piercings can create uncertainty about what you are, or are not, allowed to do as an employer. Body piercing (other than ear lobes) is more prevalent in women than men and more common in younger age groups. 46% of women aged 16-24 have had a piercing (other than in their ear lobe). This suggests that most employers will have have to think about a dress code policy for piercings. Whilst it’s acceptable in law for employers with employees with piercings to ban piercings, there are some things to think about. Some employers may feel that visible, non-earlobe piercings are at odds with the image that they’re trying to project. Because if this they may ask employees with piercings to remove them whilst at work. It’s worth stopping and considering how many of your employees are actually having client contact if this is one of your reasons for objecting to piercings. In today’s informal society, there’s actually a great deal of evidence to show that the most successful dress code is, by and large, to encourage your customer-facing employees to dress more or less like your customers. This puts your customers as well as your employees at ease, and will […]
Yesterday we were asked “What is the difference between an HR Consultant and an Employment Lawyer?” That got us to thinking. Cost is the obvious difference. An Employment Lawyer is possibly more expensive than an HR Consultant. We decided that the differences were probably more detailed than that if you’re an employer trying to make a decision. Obviously we are likely to be making generalised statements in this blog. We advise that whether engaging an HR Consultant or an Employment Lawyer you check out first their experience of dealing with your kind of issue. Why Choose an HR Consultant? An HR Consultant is likely to have spent many years “in the trenches”, dealing with employee challenges within organisations. They may even have been an operational manager and know what it’s like managing people on a day to day basis. They will likely have a proactive approach to managing your workforce. We would expect that they translate theory into practice for you, helping you to implement HR best practice, helping you to respond reactively to issues which arrive. You can expect that the HR Consultant will undertake continuous professional development. They’re unlikely to have a law degree but they should have a […]
If you have transgender staff employed in your business, you may to know what the legal situation is. A recent survey by Total jobs found that 43% of transgender people look for trans-friendly employers when they are job hunting. Employers who adopt HR policies in equality, diversity, gender transition issues, and transgender inclusive healthcare benefits are distinct. Lesbian, gay and bisexual employees may also take an organisation’s trans-friendliness as a good sign that they are welcome there. It is important that all employees know how to treat transgender staff employed in your business and the issues that may arise. Transgender Staff and Gender Reassignment Gender reassignment is a ‘protected characteristic’ under the Equality Act 2010. Treating an employee less favourably than others because of gender reassignment is unlawful and is an act of direct discrimination . It is also unlawful to discriminate indirectly by imposing a provision, criterion or practice that disadvantages transgender employees. These need to be justified objectively. The provisions also extend to businesses supplying goods and services to transgender members of the public. In a recent tribunal case, Bisson v Condor Ferries, a transgender passenger succeeded in claiming direct discrimination against a cross-channel ferry company. Condor Ferries had advised her to use the disabled toilet when she asked which facilities she should use. Toilet signs with the […]
This week, 3-9 September 2017, is Migraine Awareness Week. It made us reflect on a call from an employer we had recently helped with a female employee. She was absent from work because of a migraine for the third time in a month. His reaction of “it’s only a headache” made us reflect on migraines and the reality for some people. Claiming to have a migraine is one of the most popular excuses for “pulling a sickie” from work. A recent YouGov poll of 2,105 people found 15% of workers who admitted to making up illness to get a day off work used migraine as their excuse. The fact that people fake migraines puts real sufferers in a difficult position. Some employees say they fear they won’t be believed if they phone in sick with a migraine. Migraine Awareness Week statistics show that 1 in 7 people are affected by migraine. Migraine is the 6th highest cause worldwide of years lost due to disability. In the UK there are more people who suffer from migraine than with diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. Over 6 million people suffer with a resulting loss of over 25 million working days. An estimated cost to the economy of […]
Employees sometimes have the statutory right to be accompanied to meetings, but who can support employers in meetings with employees? We can! If you are new to managing people, some of the more conflicting meetings such as disciplinary and performance management can be a little daunting. This can be especially so if you know you have to have a difficult conversation with the employee concerned. New employers often wonder what they can and can’t say in these situations. They feel like they want professional support to help them get it right, to avoid making the situation worse by saying something that they shouldn’t say. The call to us asking “Who can support employers in meetings with employees?” is quite common. It’s not a failing to ask for professional help. We certainly won’t judge you for asking for help. It’s our job to help. It’s far easier to advise somebody before the event rather than trying to dig them out of a hole after things have gone wrong! New and Experienced Employers Need Support From Time to Time However, it isn’t just new employers who ask “Who can support employers in meetings with employees?” Employers with experience in dealing with difficult situations can still feel apprehensive in certain situations, and may want help […]
Employees who take time off with stress to avoid a disciplinary at work. In effect they make the process and situation more difficult for themselves. As well as for the employer. A disciplinary investigation can be a daunting process. The employee may feel angry that the company considers their behaviour amounts to misconduct. They may believe their future employment is at risk. As the employer, you may want to deal with the problem quickly and move on. However, for employees who take time off with stress to avoid a disciplinary at work, there maybe little incentive to engage with the process. Especially if the employee is suspended on full pay until a decision is reached. This can cause an employee to time waste by asking to postpone the disciplinary. Another tactic is to make last minute call-offs or submit unfit to work notes. An employer is entitled to insist a suspended employee attends a disciplinary meeting during normal working hours. But it is good practice to reschedule a hearing at least once. Especially if the employee provides a good reason for the postponement. This does not mean you are under an obligation to postpone disciplinary proceedings indefinitely. You can proceed with a hearing […]
