The Indian communications solutions provider is now offering its women employees returning to work special childcare allowance of Rs 7,000 per month, in addition to 26 weeks of maternity leave.

This childcare allowance will be given to them till the child turns 18 months old. It will be given even in case of adoption.

“We have done this with a clear focus on becoming a more diverse & inclusive workplace. We hope this will encourage more women to continue pursuing their careers at Airtel as they move thorough important life stages in their lives,” says Amrita Padda, chief people officer, Bharti Airtel.

Post maternity leave, new mothers can take up to 24 weeks of flexible working and get back to active work at their own pace. This helps them spend quality time with the new born. That is not all. New mothers can also avail two additional paid leaves every quarter for childcare.

The enhanced parental policy also offers up to eight weeks of paternity leave for new fathers who are primary care givers.

Padda reiterates how Airtel is proud of “creating impactful innovations that make a mark. In our endeavor to strengthen our workplace and work practices further, we need to stay ahead of the curve and revisit our policies”.

The post Airtel’s women employees will get Rs 7,000 as childcare allowance appeared first on HR Katha.

Using technology in the workplace will continue to enable organisations to communicate efficiently with their employees. Technology can also help organisations grow quickly and efficiently. Engaged workers are more productive, customer-focused and loyal, and organisations with high employee engagement rates are more successful, according to many studies over the past two decades.

In 2015, a Gallup Study Poll found out that only about 30 per cent of employees admitted to being fully engaged. Half of the employees said that they did not feel engaged and 20 per cent of employees said they were deliberately disengaged. This is a significant workplace problem.

What does employee engagement mean?

Employee engagement is not just about company cars, big salaries, or high-class benefits. It is a measurement of how the workforce is emotionally involved in the organisation. Engaged employees do not merely want a salary, but they genuinely want the organisation to grow.

It is a huge challenge to improve employee engagement in today’s world. Employees feel engaged when they feel that they are a part of the company and appreciated by others. Today, most business owners have modern tools and applications at their fingertips to engage and encourage their team members.

What is the role of technology in employee engagement?

Some organisations hesitate to issue new devices, such as phones, laptops, smart devices and so on, to their employees. They believe that such things tend to hamper productivity as they take up the employees’ time with games, such as PUBG, Candy Crush, and many more. However, this is not true, because if employees make up their minds not to work, they will find a way to avoid work, even if they do not possess these tools.

Lack of employee appreciation is the main reason that the people in the US quit their jobs. A survey conducted by Aberdeen Group found that nearly 15 per cent of the companies have HR managers with appropriate tools for employee recognition.

Let us take a look at the six most relevant and useful ways to boost employee engagement by using technology at the workplace.

1. Collaboration

One of the most crucial strategies for communicating in the workplace is through collaboration. To bring people together successful communication is the easiest way to get people engaged in work, using technologies in the organisation.

For instance, the use of collaboration tools for project analysis, to manage tasks quickly, and to work together in general, will lead to creating a sense of communication and improving teamwork among the employees. The joint efforts enable departments to distinguish between priorities, goals and deadlines for project management. When everyone works together as a team, they feel more satisfied. Online chat platforms, such as Skype and Whatsapp can positively impact the feeling of satisfaction.

2. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) recognition

Smart organisations have begun peer-to-peer (P2P) recognition to improve their employee engagement. According to the Canadian Incentive and Rewards Trends Study, 2015, more than 43 per cent of all workers in most organisations are unhappy with their jobs, as they feel they have not been recognised for the work they have done or for what they can do. When these feelings continue for extended periods, the organisation will face problems with employees’ work performance and productivity getting worse by the day.

Moreover, with the addition of a few more recent P2P platforms, you can motivate the employees to support each other, eventually leading to a productive workplace. This method also works for those employees who have problems with the management or their managers. Although this may be difficult for older generations to understand, it is crucial to work with generations X, Y, and Z as well as millennials because they always seek recognition.

3. Gamification techniques

It is shocking how gamification has become so popular over the last few years. Gamification refers to the way a job process is turned into a game. This technology improves employee engagement and allows the workers to have fun at the workplace, and enhance their social networks while they are working. People want to compete naturally, and you will find workers laughing and competing with each other if there is a fun and observable way of doing it.

Gamification can help with employee training, especially with millennials or Gen Z, as these apps enable new generations to learn new skills and manage expectations. According to the results from a TalentLMS survey, nearly 80 per cent of students and corporate learners claim that if their working environment felt more like a game, they would be more productive.

4. Mobile learning

Mobile learning and online learning has changed the expectations of employees. This method will not end quickly with Gen Z on the forefront and ready to join the workforce. The new generation manages their hobbies, personal interests, balancing work and life, education and family.

Employees can take training trained anytime and from anywhere they want to. Mobile is the inevitable technology without which people cannot live, and we use this type of training to enhance flexibility in work and promote enthusiasm for learning.

People never want to bring their jobs home, but it is unavoidable. When people find their jobs more flexible, they can complete their mobile learning at home or anywhere. Tech in the workplace, particularly mobile technology, is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement.

5. Social-media engagement in the workplace

By using technology, social interaction may lead to developing relationships between employers and their employees. There is also a strong chance for the growth of the company’s brand and image if the employees are engaged on social media.

Employees will actively support their organisation by posting feedbacks and opinions about the organisation, its initiatives and promotions in the future. Such activities will also help organisations reach out to new clients. Through social-media engagement, employees can even help their employers find the latest information on competitive business products or services.

6. Technological freedom

Another great way to make workers feel enthusiastic about working at the organisation is to encourage them to implement new working methods and use them. Today’s workforce belongs to the generation of smartphones. Employees are clinging to various devices—smartphones, laptops, and tablets — whether at home or at work,

Therefore, sometimes, employees should be allowed to use their software and systems so that they get even more comfortable with what they do. The new generation of employees works more efficiently if they are permitted to use mobile devices instead of laptops or desktops. Nowadays, millennials are the largest group of employees in every organisation, and cannot do without their devices. Therefore, it is best to allow them to use them!

These are the six most popular ways of boosting employee engagement at the workplace, by using technology. What are the latest technologies that your organisation is using to increase employee engagement? Let us know in the comments section below.

This article is written by Rashmi Rekha Deka, a content marketer at Vantage Circle. She likes to keep herself informed about the happenings in the HR world and write about topics surrounding organisational growth. 

The post Role of technology in boosting employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

This rise in the numbers game for remote workers begs the question, ‘What about the employee benefits for remote workers?’ Since they are also a part of your workforce, surely they deserve it. However, things may get a bit tricky here because you will need a different approach in this matter.

This is because things are different for remote workers than your typical office workers. 

Remote employees do not always have access to an office workspace, proper tools and general office amenities. They do not enjoy the stability of working in a confined time zone of 9 to 5 either. Their work nature is rather spontaneous, which requires them to put in extra hours.

There are many more ways in which remote working is different from working from the office, and this necessitates rethinking of the employee-benefits package by the board.

To give you a headstart in this regard, here are the employee benefits you must consider.

Six  must-have employee benefits for remote workers

The concept of remote working has seen exponential growth in the past few years. It is more so the case with the current pandemic situation. Having to abide by the social distancing norms, remote working is virtually the only option available.

This rise in the numbers game for remote workers begs the question, ‘What about the employee benefits for remote workers?’ Since they are also a part of the workforce, surely they deserve it. However, things may get a bit tricky here because things for remote workers are different from what they are for those working from office, and therefore, a different approach will be required in this matter.

Remote employees do not always have access to an office workspace, proper tools, and general office amenities. They do not enjoy the stability of working in a confined time zone of 9 to 5. Their work nature is rather spontaneous, which requires them to put in extra hours.

There many more ways in which remote working differs from working at the office. These differences necessitate a rethinking of the employee benefits package.

Here are the employee benefits you must consider, and get a head-start in this regard: 

1. Insurance

Financial independence is often the first aim of employment. It is the reason why individuals prepare day and night for the job of their dreams, and the first step to financial independence is insurance. 

Everything in life is uncertain. While uncertainty is unavoidable, fortunately, some of it can be insured. As an employer, you must take care of this and offer the best health insurance benefits.

With the insurance market full of competitive quotes for corporate insurance, it is even easier to get a great deal. Furthermore, you can also patch your remote employees with your insurance broker to get all sorts of insurance plans at a discount.

2. Workstation 

Workstation support is one other aspect that most of remote workers need assistance with. This is because remote workers do not enjoy the liberty to work at well-maintained office workstations.

This has an adverse effect on both the productivity and health of the employees. Therefore, a proper work-from-home setup must be made available to them. As an employer, you can help provide some hardware and paid software to help them ease into their projects.

You can reimburse them for a few of the office work essential commodities, such as net connectivity and proper home office furniture.

3. Training and development

Learning never stops. It is an essential part of employee development that, as an employer, you must include in your benefits programmes. It means, providing ample opportunities for your employees to learn and develop their skillsets.

This will boost employee motivation levels at work and help employees excel further in their career. All this also means better job satisfaction with increased retention. For remote workers, this need for training can be readily fulfilled through countless online courses. 

There are plenty of certification courses from giants, such as Google and Hubspot, that can get you started just right. Other than these, you can also offer your remote employees a paid course pack to polish their skills.

4. Health and fitness

Employee health is a vital element that employers must take responsibility for, daily. Since an employee spends a considerable amount of the day working for you, she/he may not get time to take care of themselves.

This results in an inactive life leading to health problems, such as body posture, obesity and high blood pressure, which can be a menace to employee wellbeing. The health and well being of an employee can only be controlled through an active lifestyle. Therefore, you must encourage remote employees to remain physically active.

In this aspect, implementing a corporate wellness platform will work wonders. These are platforms that encourage a healthy lifestyle through challenges, daily tasks and rewards. 

5. Subscriptions

Remote working can get quite isolated sometimes, because while office workers can bond with one another, remote employees tend to work alone. While this can be a choice for few, complete social isolation can be mind-numbing at times.

Therefore, you must think of something to keep your employees happy and engaged at such times. It can be a subscription pack for online streaming services to keep them from getting bored.

6. Childcare options

Last on our list is the essential childcare and home-care services. While working away from the office, the tendency to get easily distracted by many things is more. Two of these are, having to take care of a child, and managing the home.

These are two tasks that an individual cannot rationally neglect, and therefore, any help in this regard will be welcomed by your remote workers. Relieving them from these will free up their mind to concentrate more on work and gets things done with more accuracy.

In this regard, you can provide childcare services, such as providing professional babysitting or day-care services. For home-care services, you can furnish your employees with laundry and cleaning services, home-delivered meals and so on.

Conclusion

Employee benefits play a significant role in attracting top talent. This is because, benefits packages are as crucial as hefty pay packages in the current job market. They help attract, hire and retain ace talent.

The post Six must-have employee benefits for remote workers appeared first on HR Katha.

However, after the past few months of forced lockdown things are now returning back to normal. Businesses are opening up and we can soon expect employees back in their respective workplaces. But now the workplace scenes will be quite different from before and employers need to rethink their approach on many aspects and one of them is how to keep the employees engaged in the post lockdown period.

This will be really crucial and hard to get on with immediately but you need to prepare yourselves to keep up with the new situation. Especially, since now you need to encourage your employees to maintain space between themselves and limit their physical interaction at work. Things like this are definitely going to affect your workers coming back to their workplace after a long gap.

So, here in this blog, I’ll try to explain to you the few ways through which you can keep up the employee engagement level after your employees return to work.

Let’s get started!

1. Provide Counseling Sessions

I have put this point at the top because this should be the first thing that you should bring to your workplace when employees start resuming their work.

The reason I told you about providing counseling sessions is that a lot of employees are surely going to have a hard time in getting back their old mojo. After working out of their homes for so long returning back to their old schedule will surely look very cumbersome. 

Employees might feel zoned out or they may lose their interest in work due to the change of situation. Moreover, the pandemic is still there and in such a situation your employees won’t perceive joining you back in the office as a good idea. Therefore, to make things a little easy for them and kill their paranoia you can host counseling sessions for your employees. Such sessions will clear their minds from fears and at the same time prepare them to cope up with the changes that they could be facing in the workplace.

2. Ensure High Standards of Safety

Another thing that your employees would be worried about almost every time they come to work is regarding their safety. They would never want to carry the virus and infect their loved ones back at home. Thoughts like these are going to severely impact their morale and hinder them from completely focusing on their jobs.

Therefore, to make them feel safe and engaged, you should make sure that the highest standards of safety and precaution are maintained in the workplace. 

Here are some of the things that you can to create a safer work environment once the lockdown is lifted: 

1. Creating a covid response team in the workplace with experts.
2. Providing protective gear like masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, face shields, etc to all the workers.
3. Arranging safe transportation mediums like providing company buses or so for those employees who rely on public transport for commuting.
4. Frequently disinfecting all the common areas to mitigate the risk of transmission.
5. Regular temperature checks and keeping a proper record of everyone entering the workplace.

Things like this will give your employees a sense of being in a safe environment where they don’t need to worry much and concentrate more on their work.

3. Emphasize on Employee Wellness

The pandemic has shown us why we need to be fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even many organizations have started to realize the importance of having a corporate wellness program in the workplace.

These programs are specifically designed to help employees get out of their sedentary lifestyle that is prevailing across several industries and set their foot towards a healthier way of life. This is achieved by combining various health challenges with meaningful rewards for the top performers. 

After your employees come back to work it’ll be very important to keep themselves active and moving that would boost their immune system. And for the same, organizations should now look for how they can support employee wellness. Also, when your employees are physically fit and mentally active they are able to give their best performance at work.

DOWNLOAD OUR MINI GUIDE ON POST-LOCKDOWN STRATEGIES FOR MANAGERS

4. Facilitate them With a Flexible Work Schedule

During the lockdown days, the employees were able to enjoy a sound work-life balance. Though I also agree that it was quite difficult for many to cope up while juggling between work and life, but then also it was all comfortable from within the safety of their home. 

Even if the lockdown has been lifted many employees surely won’t be able to catch the unlock wagon instantly. This could be because of their fear of getting infected, the unwillingness to leave their family or kids, or simply because they are enjoying the work from home. 

Hence, to help these employees return back to work I would highly recommend you to create a flexible working schedule for everyone in the organization. Such a schedule will allow your employees to settle in with the changes as per their convenience and also gradually scale up their engagement levels.

5. Distribute Task Rationally

Once your employees return to work don’t just push the entire workload that could be pending because of the lockdown. If you do anything like this it’ll be a huge setback to your whole employee engagement efforts. 

Instead, you should be rational when distributing pending tasks among the employees. For this review your working conditions and the footfall of employees so that you don’t stress them out with excess burden. Doing this will also ensure that they become mentally prepared to cope with the growing workload and make the best decisions to get the job done efficiently.

6. Give Timely Recognition

Recognition delayed is recognition denied!

If you have halted appreciating your employees citing not being near or using the ongoing pandemic as a reason then you are kind of putting salt on the recipe for a perfect disaster. The disaster here is nothing but ending up with a demotivated workforce. Even if the employees are present they would be least bothered about contributing to their organization’s goals. 

Recognizing your employees’ achievements is very important to keep them motivated and happy. When your employees receive appreciation in front of their peers they realize their worth and how essential they are. This further fuels their zeal to do more in order to achieve more. Therefore, you must make sure that you are acknowledging the good work of your employees frequently.

7. Keep up the employee morale with virtual team building activities

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the social connection that employees shared with each other in the workplace. The strength of this connection determined their unity and the ability to solve problems together as a team. Also, we can speculate that a large number of employees will still opt for working from home even if the lockdown is lifted resulting in lesser footfall in the office. In such a scenario, hosting virtual team building activities could really help employers. 

The online team building activities provide a scope for the employees to revive the team spirit with various tasks that require a high amount of teamwork even if they are not close to each other. 

Well, these were the 7 points that I think every organization must look into and incorporate to make sure that the employees are back in their old form. However, if you like to add some more points to this topic then do share it with us through your comments below.

The post 7 Employee Engagement Strategies to Adopt Post Lockdown Period appeared first on HR Katha.

Offering perks benefits have become a standard for most companies across the world. They play a big role in talent acquisition and employee retention in the corporate world.

In a survey conducted by the American Institute of CPA, it was found that 80% of employees would keep a job with benefits rather than offered more pay and no benefits.

Why is it so? Here are some reasons: 

A good paycheque is not the only metric for employees to stay engaged in their jobs today. Employees, especially millennials and Gen Z take a special interest in the overall package of benefits offered by the company. They have certain expectations from the company that they are associated with which employers can fulfill through meaningful perks and privileges. 

Employee benefits boost employer branding. The additional benefits offered by a company are a reflection of the company culture for anyone outside of the company. A company is often known and judged for the benefits they offer. 

A great perks and benefits package is a solid selling point during hiring and recruitment. Just like employees are competing against each other to get into a good company, companies too are competing with other companies to attract the best talents. In this war of talent, a company that offers a better package will always have an edge over others. 

Employee benefits and perks are a great way of recognizing employees. Every employee seeks recognition and appreciation in the workplace. One of the ways to cultivate a culture of appreciation in the workplace is by introducing new and useless benefits for employees. It presents a caring image of the company.

4 Types of Employee Benefits Every Employer Must Offer:

1. Benefits at Work: 

Benefits cover the indirect pay of the employees. Employees spend a major portion of their day in the workplace or working. There are certain benefits that have now become essential to keep people happy and motivated during working hours. 

Overtime pay, days off, food and beverages, clubs and committees, upskilling and reskilling classes make up an essential part of benefits at work.

2. Financial and Medical Security

This category of benefits is one of the most sought after employee benefits among employees of all age groups. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has been yet another factor in reemphasizing the importance of financial and health security. 

The stress over finances and rising health care costs have grown bigger over the past few years. Office workers are always on the lookout for ways to achieve financial security. In this case, when employers offer some relief in the form of financial wellness benefits it becomes an attractive proposition for employees. It adds to employee satisfaction and also boosts retention rates.

3. Shopping and Lifestyles Benefits:

One of the newer, cost-effective, and popular types of employee benefits is Shopping and Lifestyle benefits. Companies can tie-up with brands, companies, and e-commerce sites to offer discounts and special pricing on products that employees can purchase. 

One of the easiest ways to offer this benefit is by tying up with an external vendor like Vantage Circle. Vantage Circle Employee discount program VantagePerks offers exclusive deals, discounts, and cashback offer to employees of corporations that are associated with them. They have associations with hundreds of top brands like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, HP, Lenovo, etc on categories like dining, travel, electronics, real estate, and more.

4. Wellness Benefits:

The health of your people is largely dependent on the work environment and culture of your company. Employees dedicated a big chunk of their waking hours to the job that they are in. To take care of the health and wellbeing of employees and promote wellness is the responsibility of an employer. Owing to this, wellness Benefits are soon becoming must-haves in modern workplaces. 

“Looking for a comprehensive employee benefits solution? See for yourself how Vantage Circle employee benefits platform improves your employees’ financial well-being and save money at no cost to you or your employees.”

Employee health and wellness programs, Gym membership, Mental health awareness programs, mediation sessions, yoga classes are some of the common wellness benefits that are gaining popularity lately.

When it comes to employee benefits, there is no one silver bullet or “benefit” that can be used to satisfy all needs. Organizations need to incorporate a complete employee benefits package from free snacks to medical coverage. With the various review sites now at the forefront for all job seekers, nothing gets hidden and the organizations that can offer a complete employee experience wins the race for top talents. Is your organization the ultimate go-to for employee benefits? 

The post The undeniable link between employee benefits & engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

Fortunately, organisations are more than self-aware about the importance of employee engagement and ensuring employee happiness. According to SHRM, more than two-thirds (72 per cent) of organisations have increased their benefit offerings to retain employees. 

It is easy to understand why companies are increasingly investing in providing well-endowed employee benefits packages. Not only can these employee benefits enhance a worker’s mental and physical well being, but also their financial well being. Subsequently, using benefits as a strategic tool has helped companies increase staff retention by 28 per cent and company performance by over 58 per cent.

Here’s the catch. Not every employee benefit is created equal. With companies looking to engage and retain their workforce, they need to make sure that they are not overlooking the fundamental benefits that employees actually seek. Offer the right perk, and your business may jump-start its growth.

Let’s take a look at the five benefits most desired by employees worldwide:

1. Flexible working hours

Flexible work hours is a benefit that a majority of employees look for in any new organisation. According to Gallup, 37 per cent of employees categorically say that they are willing to leave their current job for another that offers greater flexibility.

Allowing employees control over their working hours can have numerous benefits. Flexible working benefits, such as telecommuting, work from home, and compressed work weeks, encourage work-life balance, resulting in higher productivity and more engaged employees. Being able to adjust hours can help employees to balance their personal life by contributing to better mental health and physical wellbeing. 

2. Healthcare benefits

The most coveted among the list of must-have benefits is health care benefits. Many employees look for medical benefits to support their health and wellbeing, as well as that of their family members. When the health of employees suffers, their quality and quantity of work suffers as well. 

Businesses looking to stay on top of their game in the talent market can do so by thoughtfully packaging medical, extra medical services (dental or vision) and health benefits into plans that suit the needs of current and future hires. While this may seem like a daunting task, many such service providers regularly guide employers to the options that will meet their financial needs and also address employees’ (and their dependents’) requirements.

3. Retirement savings plans

Other than healthcare benefits, it can be said that retirement and financial planning offerings are the most sought after benefits. 

Irrespective of the type of retirement savings plan offered—whether it was a benefit pension or contribution package— the majority of workers found it vital to their overall job satisfaction.

Saving for retirement is one of the significant personal financial challenges that workers face. Preparing employees to retire financially secure, will, in turn, contribute to a higher level of productivity, morale, and loyalty towards the organisation. 

When asked how these benefits would change in importance for retention strategies in the next three to five years, most HR professionals said retirement savings and planning benefits would remain or become even more critical, as reported by SHRM. 

For instance, in 2015, nearly three out of five (59 per cent) HR professionals considered that retirement plan benefits would grow in significance for their recruiting purposes.

4. Wellness benefits

An SHRM survey found that because of workplace wellness programmes, 40 per cent of workers say they are encouraged to work harder and perform better, and 26 per cent miss fewer days of work by participating in such programmes. Additionally, 51% of workers believe that wellness programmes are very or somewhat successful in reducing healthcare costs.

Corporate wellness programmes are a win-win, especially when employers and employees look for budget-friendly options. Employers profit by retaining their top talent, engaging their staff, and driving holistic wellness of the workforce. In turn, employees benefit from improved physical health, reduced stress in the workplace, and the financial benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Most workers are interested in wellness programmes that improve their physical fitness, with 27 per cent saying they would like in-office fitness facilities, 23 per cent citing fitness centre discounts, and 19 per cent expressing interest in weight-management programmes.

5. Paid leaves

Leave benefits include paid and unpaid time off from the workplace for activities, such as vacation, or as sick leave, bereavement leave, and parental leave. Paid leave benefits allow employees to revive and deal with personal issues, but their associated costs are significant.

In an SHRM survey on job satisfaction, 92 per cent of employees reported that paid leave is essential to their overall job satisfaction. However, only 73 per cent are satisfied with the paid leave offered by their organisation.

In addition to the impact of paid leave on job satisfaction, employers should also consider other positive outcomes, such as higher productivity and morale. Paid leave programmes are crucial to an employee’s overall benefits package, but they are also very costly and difficult to administer.

Additionally, unscheduled leaves can have a substantial negative impact on productivity as well as business processes. That is why, a paid time off (PTO) plan has been gaining popularity among organisations. A paid time off (PTO) plan combines vacation time, sick leave, and personal leaves into one complete programme. These plans give employees more freedom and flexibility in managing their leaves. For employers, these plans allow for easier tracking and effectiveness in reducing absenteeism.

Looking for a comprehensive employee benefits solution? See for yourself how Vantage Circle employee benefits platform improves your employees’ financial well-being and save money at no cost to you or your employees.

The post 5 Employee Benefits Your Workforce Actually Wants appeared first on HR Katha.

The formal segment includes townhalls with Sunil Mirani, co-founder and CEO, Ugam; learning activities; sessions on mental and physical health; as well as pulse surveys conducted by the organisation. Townhalls are a weekly affair with the CEO, and topics of discussion include questions ranging from job security and business health, to upskilling among others. There are seven townhalls planned for the next week as well. Apart from the CEO, functional heads and managers also host their own townhalls with their concerned departments and employees.

Surveys are also a regular feature of the Company. There are pulse surveys conducted as an effort to measure the pulse of the organisation and the mindset of the employees, whether positive or negative. These help alert the management about any potential people issues that need to be acted on. Ugam conducted a survey before beginning the work-from-home arrangement as well, to prepare for it better.

“We have had four pulse surveys so far. The HRBP team has in the past two months connected with more than 800 individual employees and their families to gauge how they are feeling and sort out issues, if any arise,” says Vaishali Mehta, SVP, human capital management, Ugam.

Wondering how to engage employees who are working-from-home with creative activities? Check out this blog on 10 awesome virtual team-building activities for remote employees

In the area of mental and physical well-being, the Company invites external guest experts who counsel and guide employees on mental, physical and financial well-being through online sessions.

None of these activities are ‘one and done’. They are all running consistently and we plan to upgrade them to be more interactive and effective

Among the informal activities organised, the Company has the following in store:
Indoor recreation – This is a way to encourage employees to spend time on their hobbies and share them with the rest of the team.

Corridor conversations – Office banter and idle conversations are one of the most missed parts of working from a physical office space. To make up for it, the Company has created corridor conversations which, ‘make up for the fun in-person banter and coffee conversations and is also a great way to know one’s colleagues better.’ Here, employees answer quirky personal trivia questions, which are then shared with the rest of the team.

Fam-Jam – This is a way to get the family members to engage with the rest of the team, be it be through a normal conversation among employees and their families or through an art contest for the restless kids at home!

Virtual housie, virtual dumb charades and fitness challenges are also a regular part of the employees’ working-from-home routine.

“None of these activities are ‘one and done’. They are all running consistently and we plan to upgrade them to be more interactive and effective. These activities go a long way in building personal connect and employee morale,” asserts Mehta.

The post How Ugam keeps employees engaged with its unique formal and informal activities appeared first on HR Katha.

Since the majority of the global workforce is not used to working from home, this sudden change has led to many problems. They are adjusting their seats to meet their organisational needs amidst everything that is happening around the world. Until now, remote working was seen more as a perk or luxury that companies provided to meet the needs of the employees and vice versa. But now, it has taken centre stage in our work culture.

If you introspect, you will realise that nothing much has changed in terms of work (for those whom work from home is feasible). Employees doing their jobs from their homes have accepted the realities. But this sudden shift in work culture has brought some new challenges with it.

Let us discuss the five significant challenges of working from home, and how to overcome them.

1. Flow of communication

When you work from home, transparency is compromised. You no longer have the freedom to go and check with your co-workers, discuss a project over impromptu coffee breaks, or have in-person or group meetings. Communication is one of the most critical aspects of a work culture. It keeps every team member updated and helps maintain a healthy workflow.

For managers, it becomes difficult to keep everyone on the same page. It is pretty challenging to put everything together when communication is compromised.

How to overcome: To keep everyone on the same page, conducting regular team meetings is crucial. Video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, and chat tools, such as Slack can help bridge the communication gap between team members and build cognitive and emotional trust. Also, to maintain a workflow among team members, a project-management system, such as Asana or Trello is a great option.

Related: How To Overcome the Communication Barriers for Remote Employees

2. Distractions at work

Although it provides flexibility, work from home can bring with it a lot of distractions — the hustle and bustle of a household, a television playing in the background or kids sneaking around. Even constant notifications on your phone can distract you and affect your work from home productivity. It becomes difficult to work efficiently in a personal setting. Your household chores keep calling you, and you need to set a mental alarm to put everything in place.

How to overcome: First and foremost, keep your priorities intact. Put your workstation in a distraction-free space with little or no noise if possible. Create a to-do list to meet your personal and professional goals. Do not overlap them.

3. Lack of motivation

Working in isolation is challenging. The office work environment gives acknowledgment, which is rewarding and motivating. When you work from home, you have to function on your intrinsic motivation. The engagement level, thus, can degrade if employees’ needs are not taken care of. Lack of motivation not only affects work but also has a detrimental impact on mental health.

How to overcome: To boost employee motivation and keep them engaged, you may have to take a slightly different approach for your remote employees.

Keep the communication thread going with your team. Provide discounted or free online courses for them to develop their skills and expertise. Offer them tips for mental health or maybe have a group chat session every week, where everyone can put forward their concerns.

Related: Tips to Keep Employees Engaged and Motivated when they are Working-From-Home

4. Technology hiccups

You do not have your office administrator to fix your systems or internet connection when you are working from home. That becomes an added responsibility. Many public WiFi hotspots can also be spotty. It is painful when you do not have a fast and stable connection. Also, video conferencing tools are not always reliable and can often leave you frustrated in a meeting.

How to overcome: For your peace of mind and to avoid delays in your work, always have a back-up plan. Keep a spare laptop for emergencies. Don’t rely on a single communication tool. When your WiFi hotspot is unstable, you can always rely on your mobile data connection.

Related: 17 Must-Have Tools for Remote Workers

5. Work-life balance

Working from home removes the traditional method of functioning; you no longer make the commute for work or finish your daily task at a definite period. You become more aware of the needs and duties that you have at your home. Managing kids or doing household chores also adds to your priority list. To balance everything effectively can be a tricky job and a time-consuming one.

How to overcome: Keep your priorities straight. One of the crucial aspects here is time management. Divide your work, both personal and professional. Have specific timings to finish your tasks. Do not procrastinate and complete the most vital work during your most productive hours and track your progress.

Despite the above challenges, working from home can be very rewarding. It gives you enough flexibility and time to keep you going.

The post 5 big challenges of working from home and how to overcome them appeared first on HR Katha.

That is why, IndiGo has launched a series of activities — some tailored according to their profile— to keep its workforce engaged.

Raj Raghavan, senior VP and head-HR, IndiGo Airlines, shares, “One cannot really engage in any engagement drills, without quite understanding what the employees want. What motivates a pilot isn’t what motivates the Company’s financial analyst.”

“At a meta-level, it is very important to primarily measure the employee experience to be able to create employee engagement. Both are equally important, he adds.”

The Company has categorised its engagement activities into four broad areas – leadership connect, emotional well-being, physical well-being and contests.

All employees have been provided with a 24/7 mobile and e-mail access to these professionals, so that they can discuss any and every issue without the fear of being judged

Raghavan opines, “Engagement is not about some Rangoli competition. It is about finding out whether the initiatives are impactful for and on the business. Is my boss happy with my work? Am I performing up to my abilities? Are my skills being used to the best? This is how engagement is measured.”

Leadership connect

It’s common for employees to feel alienated or lonely during these times. Therefore, it’s equally important to make the employees feel that both the leadership and the co-workers stand by them during tough times.

“We have been releasing one-minute videos by our leaders on how they are dealing with the lockdown, maintaining their mental and physical health, and focussing on the positives that they see in the current situation,” says Kunal Kamboj, head of employee engagement at IndiGo.

Emotional well-being

The feeling of isolation and loneliness is a serious issue, and IndiGo has launched quite a few activities to deal with this.

iCare: Through this initiative, IndiGo provides online/telephonic support to its employees to deal with any questions on their mind or any apprehension they may have. This is professional counselling, and all interactions are kept strictly confidential.

Kamboj shares, “For this programme, we have a professional agency on board.”

However, this facility was not launched specifically during the lockdown, but has always existed. What has changed is that people are now using it more frequently during the lockdown.

“All employees have been provided with a 24/7 mobile and e-mail access to these professionals, so that they can discuss any and every issue without the fear of being judged. The information of any and every employee remains 100 per cent confidential,” asserts Kamboj.

The airline company is also organising webinars on similar topics, such as ‘How to build

Emotional Resilience’ or ‘Guiding children & teens during the lockdown,’ to overcome the pressures of lockdown.

Physical well-being

Besides the emotional well-being, the physical well-being of employees is equally important. For this, Indigo has launched certain activities as follows:

Live streaming sessions – IndiGo has tied up with service providers who facilitate virtual workout training sessions for their employees. These trainers conduct classes and live stream them to Indigo employees via Webex.

Pre-recorded workout sessions – Curated workout videos from top celebrity trainers and workout coaches are provided to employees. These series of 30-45 min. workout videos cover various formats, such as functional training, yoga, Zumba and Pilates.

Engagement is not about some Rangoli competition. It is about finding out whether the initiatives are impactful for and on the business.

Fun and engaging contests

#MissingThe6ELife – Through this interesting activity, Indigo invited its employees to share throwback photos of their workplace with a note on what they miss the most. These photos were published internally, as well as on the official social-media channels. The response was so overwhelming that the management received more than a 1000 pictures from across the network. Such activities have really helped the company bring cross-functional teams together into a similar space.

#6EPowerofPositivity — Social distancing/isolation has triggered everyone’s creativity. People are discovering or rediscovering their talents and hobbies. Indigo invited employees to send in samples of their best creative expression—poems/quotes/paintings/doodles, and so on— based on how they perceive the current situation positively, along with a note on what their creation means.

#MakeThatVideo – This group activity involved submitting videos based on the theme ‘The Sky Will Be Blue Again’. The selected videos were posted on social media. The Company received more than a hundred powerful and fun videos from across its network.

Kamboj shares that the idea of organising these contests actually came from one of the millennial employees, who is very keen to click pictures and post nostalgic videos. “This gave birth to the idea of making a video of how people are utilising their time at home constructively. By running a contest, we were able to ensure maximum participation and the chosen videos will be embedded on the Company website,” concludes Kamboj.

The post Relieving the lockdown monotony of IndiGo employees appeared first on HR Katha.

Founded in 2001, mjunction is an e-commerce venture in the business of supply chains and logistics. Promoted 50:50 by SAIL and Tata Steel, it has been raising the morale of its employees, referred to as junctionites, and spreading the message of hope and optimism in these troubled times.

An internal band of professionals within the Company has put together a music video, with each band member recording from their respective homes, to create the final product.

Staying true to the message, the chosen theme song is ‘Aashayein’ from the film Iqbal, which literally means ‘hopes’. The mjBand, as the motley group call themselves, has endeavoured to deliver a message of ‘conquering against all odds’. The members of this musical venture include Avik Paul, Indranil Banerjee, Piya Nandi, Abhishek Kar, Tania Chatterjee, Rikee Gupta, Shourya Sinha and Aritra Saha.

Vinaya Varma, managing director and CEO, mjunction, himself makes a brief appearance in the video. The video has been curated by mjBand, especially for every junctionite, who is fighting this battle against all odds and still holding the mj flag high, keeping the interests of our customers at the centre. Let us together turn to music in these troubled times to lift our spirits,” says Varma.

Work from home has been tough on everyone, from the CEO to the frontline staff, and a little music can help everyone escape the depressing reality of these times.

Truly, a little fun is probably what we need to bring the smile back on our faces!

The post A little music to face the tough times for junctionites appeared first on HR Katha.

This attempt at rejuvenation of employees is actually the need of the hour, as the work from home situation has isolated the workers, not only physically but mentally as well.

Therefore, all companies have mandated the task of keeping their employees engaged in fun activities, so that their productivity at work doesn’t get hampered due to monotony.

Human resource teams are taking multiple initiatives to boost employees’ morale and engagement in such depressive times too!

We got them to sit in on zoom calls for a chit-chat session, which involved no work talk. It has proved to be the best activity for them

 

Here are a few interesting activities, which the companies have devised for their employees in order to keep them energised and motivated:

1. #FlauntYourDesk

Since a physical office is not being shared any more, it’s easy to feel disconnected or out of sync with co-workers. There is also a lack of a professional working regime, which requires sitting upright at one’s work desk. The workstations at offices are designated spaces that provide utmost convenience to the employees to perform their daily tasks. All the necessary objects of work are available close by and within reach.

Gajendra Jangid , co-founder and CMO, Cars24, claims, “Considering that remote working requires connectivity in heavy weightage, we started getting our staff to indulge in activities such as posting a picture with their super workstations at home. The activity was named #FlauntYourDesk.”

“The idea emerged from a simple thought to enforce a sense of discipline amongst the workforce. This could only be brought about by making them sit in an attentive position.

The response was such that more than a disciplinary act, it became a creative task. Almost the entire workforce participated in this activity with full zeal,” claims Jangid.

Keep your employees engaged in this uncertain times. Get free access to Vantage Circle’s employee reward, recognition & feedback tool till June 30, 2020. Learn More

2. 21 Days Fitness Challenge

“Each week we come out with a new set of enthralling games to keep the employee base engaged and I myself get on a call with my HR team to decide the set of activities for each week,” says Sandeep Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Droom.

“Of all the activities we brought to the table for our employees, the ‘DROOM 21 days

Fitness Challenge’ was the most popular. It involved employees getting into shape according to their body weight. While some needed to shed weight, others needed to gain.

“With no physical exercise being indulged in to get to the office, we devised this activity to keep the employees active and fit,” says Aggarwal.

Considering that remote working requires connectivity in heavy weightage, we started getting our staff to indulge in activities such as posting a picture with their super workstations at home

This challenge not only helped the employees follow a disciplined routine, but most admitted to feeling less lethargic and more productive at work,” shares Aggarwal

3. Cooking to binge with colleagues

Employees in physical offices often get to enjoy food together, ordered from their favourite restaurants or eateries nearby. They get to try out new cafes or other food hot spots down the street, but working from home has put an end to such pleasures. “Well, remote sharing of your favourite cuisines isn’t a bad idea either,” claims Samriti Malhotra, associate vice president–global HRD, Denave.

“We tried to inculcate an interest in cooking within our employees for their group snacking regimes. Why should only one spouse feed the other? Considering that there isn’t much physical activity happening due to space constraints, we made it a point to convince the employees to take out time from their robotic schedules to cook something great. We got them to sit in on zoom calls for a chit-chat session, which involved no work talk,” said Malhotra.

Of all the activities we brought to the table for our employees, the ‘DROOM 21 days Fitness Challenge’ was the most popular. It involved employees getting into shape according to their body weight

“Believe me, it has proved to be the best activity for them. They are actually able to vent out their frustrations in a joking manner, share funny stories, discusses the experience of working from home, and so on,” claims Malhotra.

4. Kids greeting colleagues

Employees at Flipkart who have children are being encouraged to allow their young kids to greet colleagues during video meetings, to bring about a “sense of togetherness”. The Walmart-owned firm has also created an online community, where people are posting pictures of their #WorkFromHomeLife, which is helping them stay connected to each other.

Employees are also being encouraged to take a ‘digital chai break’ and are being guided to schedule their work day.

Final Talks

While the concept of remote working is not new, the majority of the workforce being forced to work from home is certainly an unexpected phenomenon. Remote working still remains a less comforting choice for many. LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends showcases ‘work flexibility’ as one of LinkedIn’s most trending words. It has become increasingly common over the last decade. Many companies have been managing remote teams for years, and thus, seem to have figured out various unique ways to overcome the challenges associated with this approach. They have shown that it is possible to successfully build strong and inclusive remote-working cultures.

The post Instilling a ‘sense of togetherness’ amongst remote workers appeared first on HR Katha.

Organisations worldwide, including Genpact, are committed to the health and safety of their employees, clients, and the communities in which they operate. Therefore, they have been closely monitoring the coronavirus situation.

The professional services firm has taken some proactive steps to help keep its people, clients, vendors and the communities safe.

Piyush Mehta, CHRO, Genpact, shares,” On our voyage to build a safe and sound environment for our remote employees, we are hosting webinars— including parenting webinars— for employees. We have also initiated an internal website, where safety advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) related to COVID-19 is shared with the employees.”

The Company has provided the employees with volunteering opportunities that give them a chance to help others and share their experiences. This also includes providing remedial classes and tutorials to underprivileged children over a wide range of video-conferencing tools.

This is an unprecedented time in the history of business. We are taking actions to preserve all possible jobs, and there could be pockets at the intersection of certain skills, geographies, and industries that could be at risk

Genpact is nowhere lagging when it comes to addressing the emotional needs of the employees. “We have set up a ‘Wellness Help Desk’ with trained psychologists for the employees to be able to deal with the stress and anxiety brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak,” Mehta adds.

“We have a 24/7 helpline for our employees in India, to provide emotional support and well-being. Through this helpline, there are 12 doctors available to Genpact India employees with similar support in the US with EAP hotline,” shares Mehta.

Keep your employees engaged in this uncertain times. Get free access to Vantage Circle’s employee reward, recognition & feedback tool till June 30, 2020. Learn More

Apart from ensuring safety for its employees, Genpact has also raised the bar when it comes to keeping its workforce engaged at all times, which is important to maintain the productivity levels.

Now that remote working has become the new normal, employees are finding it difficult to stay focused and maintain productivity, especially while they work from home.

With this objective in mind, Genpact has launched a new internal-engagement programme for its 90k + workforce globally, to highlight positive sentiment, generate a sense of pride and community for the work they do, and celebrate the culture, while also helping the employees work from home successfully.

As one of the leading professional services firms, Genpact has created a movement wherein employees share stories and moments that matter, showing little acts of kindness, and turning the  spotlight on them as an #EverydayHero, which is then featured on social-media handles, or in an internal newsletter.

On our voyage to build a safe and sound environment for our remote employees, we are hosting webinars— including parenting webinars— for employees

For companies such as Genpact, it has never been more important to have nimbleness and agility within the business. Mehta says, “Disruption actually has made the services we provide to our clients even more critical.”

Genpact is working closely with clients  from various sectors to fulfill their critical needs during these troubled times.

“Through rapid response teams, we are helping our clients and enterprises set up work-from- home capabilities within days for their global workforces. We are helping healthcare companies use predictive analytics to determine which locations need the deployment of life-saving devices at the right time,” states Mehta.  Similarly, for banks, the Company is providing continuous monitoring on the transactions, to address increased fraud risk across their portfolios.

As this is an alarming financial burden, jobs and employment are going to become a tricky and grim topic in the times to come. “This is an unprecedented time in the history of business. We are taking actions to preserve all possible jobs, and there could be pockets at the intersection of certain skills, geographies, and industries that could be at risk,” Mehta elucidates.

To the extent possible, the Company is leveraging its workforce mobilisation programme, TalentMatch, to solve the demand and supply challenges related to talent and staffing. This programme will match the existing and future opportunities in the Company with the skills and aspirations of its employees.

The post How Genpact is engaging its workforce amidst lockdown appeared first on HR Katha.

According to Deloitte’s 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report, 41 per cent of executives report that prepping for engagement with gig workers is important.

Not just the research reports, even HR practitioners are of the opinion that it is necessary to engage gig workers. “An employer desirous of incremental productivity, will have to engage. Anybody who is engaged will always give a higher return, be it a student, permanent or gig worker,” says Lakshmanan MT, CHRO, L&T Technology Services.

workers seek employers who enable them to perform better at work

At the outset, Lakshmanan mentions that compensation or benefits are not the only form of engagement that organisations can provide. Workers need to feel connected to the higher purpose of the organisation. This can be ensured by helping them understand the culture and values of the organisation so that the work becomes meaningful for them.

In Indian workplaces, workers want to know what the company is incurring on them and whether they are being paid fairly for their time and effort. However, the benefits or salary paid to the employees can be modular or customised according to the workers’ needs. So, if a worker costs Rs. 10,000 then Rs. 8000 can be paid in cash and the rest in benefits, such as medical or PF.

Keep your employees engaged in this uncertain times. Get free access to Vantage Circle’s employee reward, recognition & feedback tool till June 30, 2020. Learn More

“The worker will want to look at a cafeteria approach. Whether he wants food coupons or medical benefits is up to the worker to decide,” explains Lakshmanan.

A customised approach towards providing benefits makes sense as there are different groups of workers who can be classified as gig workers. For instance, in management and consultancy companies, there are experts or specialists hired for specific and complex tasks at the highest level. These workers may not be looking for any special benefits apart from their generous compensation. However, a gig worker at a lower level, let’s say, middle management, may look for other benefits that permanent employees in his team are already receiving.

Better facilities for better productivity

Ravi Mishra, SVP-HR, Epoxy Business, Aditya Birla Group, says,”workers seek employers who enable them to perform better at work.”

For instance, in the manufacturing sector, every large organisation employs housekeeping staff who are in charge of cleanliness for the entire building or a plant. If these workers are provided with automated machines, which can reduce their effort while enabling them to perform their task better in a shorter span of time, they will be more likely to return to work for that employer.

Moreover, the added cost of buying extra equipment can be met in the near future. Instead of paying a regular employee, organisations will be paying a gig worker fixed wages for a fixed amount of time without incurring added overhead costs, which would otherwise be incurred with regular employees.

Learning

This is one avenue, which is applicable for all types of workers whether contractual or permanent. Apart from direct benefit in terms of compensation, providing workers with added benefits, such as learning will add to their sense of pride in working for the organisation.

An employer desirous of incremental productivity, will have to engage. Anybody who is engaged will always give a higher return, be it a student, permanent or gig worker,

In today’s day and age, organisations are looking towards new avenues where they can deploy automation, to a large or small degree. Mishra, taking the example of workers in the plants, mentions that such gig employees can be trained in new machinery or systems before starting work. Organisations can add a clause asking the employee to work for a fixed period of time in exchange for the training received. The worker will not mind doing so, as the training will lead to an increase in his market value.

Speaking specifically for the manufacturing industry, Mishra says that industry may see a shift in hiring more gig workers rather than keeping the contract labourers of today. With unions and strict labour laws, companies cannot remove these workers even if there is no work happening. Moreover, with increase in wages, the costs are increasing as well.

“Especially with COVID, companies will face the issue of profitability where they will look to reduce manpower costs. Here, organisations will look at hiring gig workers for a limited time and limited cost, thereby reducing the expenses for the company by a large margin,” elaborates Mishra.

The post Revisiting engagement when gig workers outnumber the regulars appeared first on HR Katha.

A couple of years ago, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans had undertaken a study to find out why employees do not really understand their benefits. The main factor was found to be lack of communication.

An alarming 80 per cent of the employers surveyed had revealed that their staff members do not even read the material about the benefits offered to them. Only a measly 19 per cent admitted to their employees possessing a thorough understanding of their benefits. About half the workforce hasn’t the faintest idea of their employee benefits.

Why is that so? For many reasons:

1. It is not on the employees’ priority list

Employees are focussed on their jobs while at work, and at home they are busy trying to fulfil the basic needs of their family members. They give little thought to the insurance policies and benefits offered to them by their employers, until they find themselves in a situation where such a cover is required. It is very rarely that employees use such insurance or benefits, other than maternity leave. Retirement is something that the youngsters do not even wish to think about in the present.

There is an urgent need to educate the employees about benefits that may not seem important or necessary to them immediately, but will be of great significance in the future.

2. Employees are more interested in the paid leaves

Paid leaves attract employees the most. This is because employees, especially the younger lot, are most interested in vacations, travel and ‘me time’. Everyone uses these leaves at least once a year. Thus, other benefits always get pushed to the back bench.

3. Benefits and plans sound quite complex

It is up to the organisation to ensure that the details of the policies/benefits are explained to the employees in a simple manner. Technical stuff may not register in the minds of the employees. But if the jargon is broken down into simple and comprehensible language, the staff will understand and appreciate the same. This exercise should be an integral part of the employee experience.

Not long ago, the India Benefit Trends survey undertaken by Towers Watson, revealed that Indian organisations are feeling the pressure to review their benefits strategy. Inflation and the hike in employee benefits costs in the country are the main challenges they are facing.

While one in every three Indian organisations invests over 20 per cent of the total payroll on benefits, the interesting fact is that 43 per cent feel their employees do not value the same.

So how can organisations offer benefits that can engage employees and improve their health and well-being?

To begin with, it is important, as an employer, to understand what the employees actually need:

1. Do your homework: Gather information about the employees—their backgrounds, the community they belong to and live in, their priorities, financial and physical health as well as their interests and passions. Only if the employers know their employees inside out can they provide them the appropriate support for their health and general wellbeing. The support can be in the form of flexibility, training, facilitation of their passions, and counselling, whenever required.

2. Cater to the different needs of the workforce: Employees do not have similar needs, because they themselves are different, in terms of traits, needs, characteristics, as well as their physical and mental health. Therefore, they seek different employee experiences. To satisfy them, they can be allowed to choose the benefits they need. Offering them flexible benefits will not only make them satisfied, but also make them more productive in the long run. With so much of data available on people from various sources, including the social media, it should not be difficult to design benefits programmes best suited to them.

4. Communicate with the employees: Whatever the benefits are, they need to be shared with the employees and driven home. Technology should be leveraged to make sure that the employees are aware of what is available to them, so that they can avail them at the time of need. On an average, people spend at least three hours on their smartphones. May be employers should make maximum use of this tool to reach out to the employees, to update them with the benefits available to them, from time to time. The communication should happen frequently and all year round. Even employees who have availed of these benefits can be encouraged to share their experience with their colleagues and educate them. Word of mouth works well, even in this day and age!

At a time when employers are setting aside budgets for employee benefits, it is important for employees to make an effort to understand their benefits, and equally essential for employers to educate them in this area, so that their efforts are not wasted.

The post Employee Benefits: Are they valued and appreciated? appeared first on HR Katha.

However, it is often seen that managers, team leaders and senior executives often get so caught up in their work and schedules that they tend to ignore the small achievements of their teams and team members, leave alone appreciate or celebrate them.

For instance, in the publishing industry, content has to be acquired, edited and proofread before it can go to print. There are many people involved in each phase. Each team, be it acquisition or editorial has its own challenges. If quality content is not acquired on time, there would be nothing to edit. So, the acquisition editor’s efforts to obtain the matter on time, need to be lauded by her/his team. Similarly, if the junior editors and senior editors do not put in that extra effort to edit and submit the documents on time, the typesetting team cannot format and lay out the content on time, and give it for final proofreading. Therefore, it is up to the managers of the respective teams to celebrate these small achievements of their team members as significant milestones.

Sometimes, it is one individual’s extraordinary work that helps the team move faster and closer towards the common goal, and sometimes it is the entire team that has worked as one to deliver as per promise. Whatever the case may be, it is important to appreciate even the smallest details/effort because it can go a long way in motivating the employees and keeping them engaged.

Studies in the past have revealed that most employees feel that it is appreciation they receive for their work than the salary increments and promotions that keep them engaged.

By celebrating the small milestones at the workplace, managers are able to show their employees how much they value them and how important they are to the team. This makes the recognised/appreciated employees realise how meaningful their contribution is to the organisational goal and success. Their team mates, on the other hand, get motivated to work harder in order to enjoy the same appreciation. The goal of the organisation can be driven home during the celebration to ensure that all the employees work together as one unified force.

How the employees are rewarded and how their milestones are celebrated is entirely up to the managers, the employees’ preferences and the company, in general.

If the workforce is small, it is not difficult to recognise and appreciate individual achievements or even celebrate them frequently. Small startups celebrate the smallest of achievements with a team lunch, or a cake cutting, or a movie. However, if the workforce is large, some effort will be required by the team leads to recognise and appreciate the achievement of small/individual milestones.

In bigger teams, therefore, it is important to set expectations and define clear goals at the very beginning itself. Once the goals are clear in everyone’s mind, it will be easier to get together and celebrate achievements as a team, and also inspire others in the process.

It may not seem very significant at first, but responding with a simple ‘thanks’ to the simplest of services, by each one in the organisation, builds a culture of appreciation. From the watchman, and cleaner to the senior-most person in the office, saying ‘thank you’ for the smallest and easiest of tasks, is a culture that has to be developed over time. It has to become a habit, only then will the culture of appreciation become a part of the organisation’s weave. And the best part is, expression of gratitude makes both parties—the giver and receiver of gratitude— feel good.

According to researchers at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute, a feeling of gratitude makes those areas of the brain more active, that are responsible for decision-making, acting fairly, rewarding, making value judgements, and so on. It makes sure that the individual’s thought processes are morally correct and economically sensible.

Celebration of small milestones should involve only relevant teams/team members. In other words, it should be a small, close-knit and more personal event than a huge gathering. For instance, it can be in the form of a small crowning ceremony of the achiever, with her/his team mates in attendance.

Small milestones can be rewarded with treats, such as a health club membership, or planting of a tree in the individual’s name, or even a day at the spa. T-shirts or jackets announcing the ‘star’ or ‘achiever’ can also be a big hit, especially with youngsters.

Team members can be involved in choosing the person who has to be rewarded for achieving a workplace milestone. After all, it is the team members who are best qualified to say who worked the hardest, and thus deserves to be nominated. This is quite a fair practice since it involves group decision-making, transparency, and also encourages bonding.

The post Achievement of even the smallest of milestones should be celebrated appeared first on HR Katha.

Looks like women are quitting their jobs at a faster rate than men. Whatever happened to women being more stable workers than men?

Are women employees growing increasingly unhappy?  Why are companies finding it difficult to retain women staff despite investing so much time and money on them?

Recent surveys seem to indicate that the number of unsatisfied women professionals is growing in leaps and bounds. In order to keep them engaged, it is important to find out what is important to them and what is not.

1. Burden: Despite women earning enough to hire help, they still seem to be taking on more responsibilities at home, especially when it comes to children. In trying to straddle their professional commitments and fulfilling their duties as mothers and wives, they are overburdened. After all, it is the mother who usually tends to a sick child, helps with homework, and provides the mental support required during exams. When the stress gets too much, they begin to contemplate quitting or opting for jobs that are less stressful.
2. Overcautious colleagues: Following the #MeToo movement, recruiters and organisations are being overcautious when it comes to hiring women. Also, in trying to be ‘careful’ while interacting with women, the men in the office end up being cold and distant. This makes it difficult for the existing women to feel comfortable and new entrants to break the ice and make friends.
3. Fear of retaliation: Although offices have become more women-friendly and safe than ever before, women continue to fear retaliation. There have been too many reports of victims of sexual harassment having to put up with retaliation by the management for speaking up. Too many women professionals have been transferred to tougher projects or locations without any explanation post complaining of sexual harassment. As per a study by the Network for Executive Women in the US, an alarming 75 per cent of women who speak up about harassment at the workplace are penalised in some way or the other, which forces them to quit. If this can happen in the West, which is considered relatively more progressive and liberal, the state of women professionals in India is bound to be worse.
4. Pay disparity: While organisations are increasingly trying to bridge the wage gap, across the world, most women continue to be paid less than men. While hiring married women, it is usually assumed that they will be taking long maternity leaves or may even quit when they decide to raise a family. Also, since salaries are often fixed on the basis of the past salary, women tend to lose since they are anyway paid less than men. Therefore, chances of them continuing to receive smaller remunerations compared to men is more.
5. Dependent decision-making: While women are keen to experiment and explore, they are still unable to take major career decisions without consulting their spouses or families. When it comes to transfers, travelling or relocation, this factor goes against them. Men seem to have it much easier. They make the decisions, and the family just adjusts. In Indian families, men are still considered the main bread winners.

While Indian corporates are increasingly focussing on diversity and inclusion, and employing more women than they used to, they need to do a lot more to prevent their women from quitting. Organisations have been going all out to encourage women to take on leadership roles, to assign them meaningful and challenging tasks, and offering maternity benefits. Yet, many end up giving up. And once they quit, rarely do they get back. So what can organisations do?

Flexibility and work-from-home options seem to be the most attractive incentives right now. More than monetary benefits and increments, women, especially mothers, appreciate flexibility at work.  Some may wish to be there to take their children to dance or piano classes. Others may want just an hour with their child at the park every day. The wishes may be small, but they require a lot in terms of time. Flexibile working hours help them pursue their professional calling, enjoy economic independence and at the same time, fulfil their commitments towards their families. Above all, it frees them of the guilt of having to neglect their wifely and motherly duties in their pursuit of professional success.

The post How to keep women professionals engaged appeared first on HR Katha.

Cognitive diversity, though less visible than gender or ethnic diversity, helps create a more collaborative, united, and inclusive workplace brimming with new ideas, creativity and innovations. It gives rise to a fertile workplace where diverse and creative thought processes thrive. This also means that it creates a workforce that has a good mix of men and women, people from different nationalities, ethnicities and races, as well as individuals belonging to different backgrounds and age groups, who have varying talents and think differently.

Why is cognitive diversity so important?
It is true that people feel comfortable with those who think like them or are similar to them. But the fact remains that in a corporate setup, hiring more people that are similar leaves the organisation with a workforce full of members who are almost identical. This leads to lack of innovation, which can ring the death knell for the organisation in the long run.
On the other hand, a cognitively diverse workforce provides the organisation with multiple benefits and advantages:
• The organisation has a workforce that comprises people who think differently.
• People with varying skills, thoughts, mindsets and abilities will help create products that fulfil the needs of a wider and varied consumer base.
• There would be better communication within and across teams and functions.
• There will be a general curiosity and willingness in each person to try and understand the other
• The business will be able to respond better to the changing, dynamic and fluid environment if the workforce has members with unique ideas and perspectives, multiple talents, adaptability, creativity and flexibility.
• The presence of people with unique thoughts and viewpoints on the board of the organisations leads to innovations and also strengthens the ability to deal with complex, volatile and uncertain business scenarios or situations.

How can cognitive diversity be achieved?

By changing the recruitment strategy: An organisation can begin by hiring candidates who are curious, eager to learn and experiment and not afraid of questioning the norms. Hiring candidates who have the potential to experiment with new approaches and open to introducing new systems for the good of the organisation should be sought out.

By changing the culture: Organisations should try not to hire candidates who are perfect culture fits. Instead, they should hire people who are misfits to a certain degree— people who will think out of the box, who can help the existing culture to evolve, and will question conventions. Companies should realise that continuing to do what they have been doing all the while is only an indication of stagnation. If they want to do better and much more, they will have to encourage diversity of thought and ensure that the culture keeps evolving.

By encouraging innovativeness/creativity: Organisations need to encourage their teams, across functions, to think of new ways to do their existing work; ways that will ensure more efficiency and make matters simple. In other words, the organisations should see to it that there are innovators in every team, in every department. For this, they will have to push the employees to move out of their comfort zones and take risks.

By encouraging inclusivity: Companies should realise that encouraging inclusivity and flexibility benefits all employees. This will also mean that the company will have to be more accommodating and may even have to tweak existing recruitment practices. For instance, special/customised interviews will have to be held for those with special conditions, such as Down Syndrome or even those suffering from social anxiety. By employing people from the transgender community and offering opportunities to those with disabilities, the organisation can grow a workforce full of grateful and loyal members who will be willing to give their best to the organisation every single day. This naturally ensures a more productive and engaged workforce.

By improving the image of your organisation: Millennials prefer to work in inclusive organisations. They are attracted to diverse workplaces that reach out to a wider set of people. An organisation with the image of being truly inclusive tends to attract the best talent. Talented employees make a more engaged workforce, which means higher productivity and profits.

By allowing employees to be themselves: Once the organisation understands and accepts that it requires cognitive diversity to successfully deal with new, uncertain, and complex business situations, it will have to focus on encouraging its employees to think aloud and reveal their opinions. It should create a safe environment for its employees to express themselves freely. The team leaders should be responsible for enabling their team members to be themselves.

By encouraging cross-functional interaction: In order to allow different viewpoints to emerge, it is important to ensure that teams build healthy and interactive relationships with each other. There should be cross-functional and cross-departmental interactions to unlock the creativity of the personnel who tend to get into a rut while working for a specific department for a long time. By interacting with people of other teams and departments, employees are able to realise what the strengths and weaknesses of other processes are and the challenges that are faced by other functions. This is a learning exercise that helps teams improve their own processes and systems.

If an organisation encourages cognitive diversity, it will also be able to establish a culture of learning and a high degree of performance. In other words, a cognitively diverse workforce will also be a highly engaged one.

The post A cognitively diverse workforce is also a highly engaged one appeared first on HR Katha.

Conducting a meeting successfully requires some skill. And how does one know whether one is good at running meetings? Just look around and observe your team members. Do they all attend the meetings? Do they look forward to the meetings? If the answer is ‘No’, it is time to do the following:

1. Find out what makes the team members tick. Ask them what their idea of a fun or perfect meeting is. You may be surprised by the varied responses. Some team members may want specific snacks to be served during the meeting, or some may want the meeting to be held at a different venue, other than the office. Some may even suggest doing away with physical meetings altogether, opting instead for e-mail interactions alone. If not all, some of the feedback or suggestions can be considered for implementation.

2. Relax, and ensure that everyone else is also at ease inside the meeting room. The best way to do this is by sharing a joke or some interesting anecdote, maybe about your own self. It makes everyone laugh and become comfortable. Once all the participants are comfortable, it becomes easy for people to talk, express and share their opinions.

3. Begin the meeting by asking each one to draw something. Choose a theme and ask everyone to draw what comes to mind. Set a time limit and then ask the participants to hold up their creations for everyone to see. The results can be interesting, funny and even bizarre. It is a fun way to relax and feel at ease, which in turn makes it easy for everyone to communicate interact and engage.

4. Begin by setting a time limit for the meeting, and convey the fact that you intend to wind up the meeting on time. Let those attending know exactly when the meeting will end. Ask if there are people who need to leave before the meeting concludes, to fulfil some other commitment or keep an appointment. If there are, allow them to do so. This will ensure that while they are present in the meeting, they will be all ears, instead of constantly worrying about the other ‘commitment’.

5. Choose a person to note down all the important points being discussed. Let that person know that the minutes of the meeting should be documented and circulated to everyone post the meeting. This is essential, especially when there are actions to be taken, and specific people are assigned duties and responsibilities.

6. Avoid monologues. Let the team members speak, exchange and share ideas. Share the achievements—individual as well as team—so that there is reason for everyone to feel proud, wanted and valuable. Appreciate good work. This will only motivate the team members.

7. Ask each team member to share something good about the person sitting next to them. This makes the meetings interactive and interesting.

8. Try to assign a task or work to each person before, during and after the meeting. Before the meeting, some team members can be told to prepare points on certain topics or issues that need to be discussed. This will give an opportunity to those team members to pore over the issue, weigh all perspectives and lead the discussion on that topic in the meeting. This will also ensure that more or less everyone present in the meeting is prepared and looking forward to attending the meeting.

During the meeting, certain people can be made responsible for taking certain actions or implementing something, as per the results of the discussion.

A couple of people can be assigned the job of following up on the actions suggested, after the meeting, and creating a report.

9. Do not always hold the meeting in the conference room or the place fixed for meetings in the office. Once in a while, have the meeting on the terrace or in the garden or even at a coffee shop at a time when it is less crowded.

10. Ensure that too much is not packed into a single meeting. If there are too many topics to cover, you will have to time yourself, and ensure that you adhere to the time set for each topic or person.

11. If the discussion appears to be leading away from the primary purpose of the meeting, remind everyone of the reason for the meeting and get back to the main subject. A team leader should know how to interrupt someone politely and bring the meeting back on track.

It can be a challenge to ensure that team members feel they are heard, and at the same time, interrupt them if they seem to be diverging from the main subject. Meetings are an opportunity for team members to express their opinions and also feel heard and valued. So, interrupting someone who has the tendency to get carried away can be tricky. It has to be done cautiously without hurting the feelings of that person. Sometimes, even a quick glance at the watch can do the trick.

Remember to give everyone an opportunity to speak. When everyone gets to speak, without any interruption or fear of being assessed, criticised or ridiculed, the speakers tend to speak intelligently.

Meetings are meant to bring team members together and closer. They should therefore be interactive and engaging. After all, engaged employees are the backbone of all organisations.

The post How meetings can be made interactive and engaging appeared first on HR Katha.

The other day, a headline in a daily caught my attention, ‘To escape Delhi’s toxic air, executives seek to relocate’. The article quoted the head of a recruitment agency who had received a deluge of requests from his clients, for job placements that would take them away from Delhi. Why? Because they were done breathing the city’s polluted air.

We know that fine particulate matter in the atmosphere enters the lungs and goes into the bloodstream causing health issues, especially affecting the lungs. However, what we do not pay attention to is the fact that spending long hours in a polluted environment can affect the mood of the employees too. Back in 2016, a study had revealed that in Shanghai, air pollution was resulting in loss in productivity, which was costing the service sector billions of dollars, annually.

Pollution is definitely a bane, and employers are sitting up and taking notice because it is affecting productivity and engagement. In cities, such as Delhi, employees are increasingly developing respiratory complications and complaining of headaches, fatigue, allergies, and even digestive issues. These conditions worsen during winter, when there is fog and minimal flow of fresh air. Absenteeism goes up and productivity falls.

In all airconditioned offices of today, it is common to experience stuffiness once in a while. And the easiest solution is to open the windows to let in fresh air. But things have reached a stage where opening windows only lets in noise pollution and bad air into the already stuffy office.

Indoor air is often twice more polluted than outdoor air, because not only does it contain the pollution from outside, but also the pollution from within the building, in the form of cleaning products, building materials, dust mites, and sometimes even cooking fumes in residential buildings.

Research has shown that daily fluctuations in the pollution levels, do not actually make any immediate impact on the daily productivity levels. However, if polluted conditions prolong for a period of time, those working in such environments will begin to be less productive. They will definitely become sluggish and experience breathlessness and headaches. Some may even develop more serious issues, such as asthma, lung diseases or even heart disorders.

In China, when the effect of pollution on the productivity of workers in call centres was studied, it was found that daily air pollution levels had a significant impact on worker productivity. The employees were at least five per cent more productive when the air pollution levels were low. Being knowledge workers, if these call centre employees could be so affected, the impact of pollution on blue-collar workers is unimaginable. Each one of us is vulnerable.

According to a work published in the Association for Psychological Science’s journal, Psychological Science, not just exposure to air pollution, but even imagining exposure to air pollution can cause people to behave unethically and push them to indulge in criminal activity! This is probably because pollution causes a spike in the level of anxiety.

Researchers in the US studied air pollution and crime data for over 9000 cities for a period of nine years. It was discovered that the cities with higher air pollution levels also had higher crime levels.

One immediate solution that organisations can look at is, air purifiers. These are a good investment today, especially in Delhi. Air purifiers with HEPA filters help suck irritants that cause various symptoms, and bring down the occurrence of respiratory diseases. They improve the indoor air quality to a significant extent, which helps improve productivity.

Many offices install dehumidifiers too, especially in the basements and damp areas to check the growth of mould. Companies, such as WPP and Pricewaterhouse Coopers have installed air filtering systems in their offices in China, to ensure that their valuable employees do not quit because of poor air quality.

The smog and resultant pollution pushed several companies in Delhi-NCR to allow their employees to work from home or follow flexible timings. Many organisations provide high-quality masks to their field employees to prevent them from breathing in dust and pollutants. They also gift plants to employees on birthdays, and organise plantation drives to ensure greenery around them. But these are all short-term measures.

No air filter can completely get rid of pollutants. Also, the truth remains that while it is possible to install air filters inside offices, the employees still have to get to work from their homes. And there is no escaping the pollution on the way. There is filthy air and deadly particulate matter everywhere, and it affects each and every employee.Only national-level policies can work now.

Not everyone can afford to relocate. It is not practical for people to hunt for new jobs in cities, in search of better air to breathe. The least organisations can do is make their employees aware of the seriousness of the situation and push them to do their bit.

In the long run, businesses will have to encourage their employees to take public transport. According to Census data, members of India’s formal workforce travel about 140 million kilometres by four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Even if about 10 to 20 per cent of them begin using public transport, air pollution levels will come down significantly.

This will only benefit the organisations themselves in the long run, because healthier employees means a more engaged and productive workforce.

The post Does air quality also affect employee engagement? appeared first on HR Katha.

Here’s how:

More talent: Women form a significant portion of the population. In India, about 66 per cent of the population between the ages of 15 and 64, comprises women. By not employing more women, companies are actually depriving themselves of the talent and abilities of more than half the population. That is losing out on a lot of untapped potential. Potential that could have been put to good use to increase the productivity of the organisation.

More appreciation: A Gallup research spread over 40 years also analysed the responses of 27 million employees. The study revealed that women managers perform better than their male counterparts in the area of employee engagement. More respondents replied in the affirmative when asked whether someone at the workplace encouraged them to develop; whether someone had talked to them about their progress in the last six months; and whether they had been praised or recognised for their good work in the past seven days. And not surprisingly, all these respondents reported to managers who were women!

More creativity: When there are men as well as women in a team, different perspectives emerge. Women and men undergo different kinds of experiences and therefore, their points of view are bound to be different. This can lead to better ideas, inspire more innovativeness and trigger creativity.

More team participation: Teams that have more women members have been observed to have higher ‘collective intelligence’. In other words, the team as a whole is more socially sensitive, more empathetic, communicates better and participates equally in all the tasks if there are more women in it.

More performance: Studies conducted back in 2015, at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Union College specifically suggested that the more women a team had, the better they performed. As part of the study, tests were performed to see how well team members were able to read and interpret the emotions of others in the team. Women scored higher than the men in these tests.

More emotional intelligence: Women are more emotionally intelligent than men. Not only do they understand emotions better but they also manage emotions much better than men. In fact, they are able to sense even the hidden emotions in e-mails and letters. They are able to sense emotions of team members even if they are not physically present in front of them (working remotely). When there is so much of empathy and appreciation going around, the working environment definitely becomes better and brighter. There are less conflicts, and more of positive communication and happiness.

More customer connect: Presence of more women in the workforce highlights the diversity in the organisation for the customers. And when research proves that women strongly influence purchasing decision, it makes sense to have more women in the workforce. Customers definitely connect better with a diverse workforce. And what is more—globally, women spend approx. 40 trillion US dollars.

More savings: More women in the workforce also means more savings. That is because, the retention levels are higher in a diverse workforce. When staff churn rates reduce, lesser money is spent on recruiting and training new employees.

More profits: A study by Catalyst—a research organisation that accelerates progress for women at work—analysed the financial performance of various companies using three measures, namely return on sales (ROS), return on invested capital (ROIC), and return on equity (ROE). It was discovered that companies with the most women on their boards performed better (with 16 per cent higher ROS) than those that had the least women on their boards. They also have 26 per cent higher ROIC. A McKinsey report revealed that the most gender-diverse organisations are 21 per cent more likely to experience above-average profitability.

In spite of all the talk about gender equality, women are still under-represented in leadership positions, as compared to men. Even though studies have shown that women leaders are equally or more effective than men in senior positions, they remain a rarity in the top ranks, globally. Despite it being known that women are better at taking initiatives, adapt better to change, are more resilient, exhibit more stability, are more productive, and strong believers of self-development, corporates, worldwide, are still struggling to make their workforces inclusive. Only about 4.9 per cent of the Fortune 500 companies have women in leadership roles. According to the India Labour Market Update by ILO, the participation of women in the labour force in India, was merely 18 per cent two years back—way lower than that of men (82 per cent).

It is time for organisations to wake up to the fact that by including more women in their workforces, they can actually double their talent and improve their financial performance. Even men working in organisations that have more women have reported higher levels of job satisfaction, better engagement and less burnout. For all those employers who seek lower employee turnover and higher retention, the answer lies in hiring more women. If employers want their workforce to be more dedicated, to remain loyal to the company, find more meaning in their jobs and experience less burnout, there is again just one simple solution. Hire more women. This will also build an image of an inclusive employer, which, in turn, will attract the best of talent and lead to better employee engagement in the long run.

The post How diversity is connected to engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to ensure that PWD are not ‘left behind’, especially in a country like India, where ramps at shopping malls to ensure easy accessibility for wheel chair-borne people have only become common recently. However hard we try, in India, those with disabilities enjoy lesser privileges than their counterparts in other countries. In fact, our country is the least disabled friendly, especially when it comes to employment.

For one, it lacks the right infrastructure. Its densely populated cities, heavy and mostly unmanageable traffic in the urban areas, rash drivers (who have little regard for the law or traffic rules), and badly maintained roads make it next to impossible for PWD to even dream of leading normal lives like their able counterparts. In the rural areas, lack of facilities coupled with illiteracy and superstitions can make life hell for the disabled.

However, it is time for India Inc. to sit up and take note of the fact that PWD can make a positive impact in the workplace. In fact, research reveals that PWD, if accepted well into the workforce, can prove to be more productive than their colleagues. They are also known to be more regular, punctual, diligent, loyal, sincere and with a very low level of absenteeism. So, while Indian companies are focussed on trying various ways to engage their employees, they should also realise that they should try and sensitise their workforce about PWDs and their skills and abilities that can prove to be an asset to the organisation.

In this day of technological change, PWD have been able to excel in various fields, such as physiotherapy, academics, banking, and even law. Even those with visual impairment have proven their skills at handling computers, and some have gone on to be good lawyers too. Many have been able to teach music, yoga, and also deliver lectures as professors.

Those suffering from deafness can do very well in factories where the noise may otherwise hinder the productivity of people with normal hearing. For instance, the hearing impaired can be good at cutting tiles, beating panels, and working at construction sites and factories.

“We have a diversity and equal opportunities policy, which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, nationality, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation”

So what keeps organisations from throwing their doors open to PWD? The reason is primarily lack of awareness. In addition, India is not sufficiently equipped to handle persons with disabilities. Their mobility remains a huge challenge, right from access to public transport to accessibility of the workplaces. Also, most are brought up by overprotective parents who not only smother them with their affection, but in doing so prevent them from becoming independent. Most parents of special children refuse to let go of them even when they turn adults. The mindset of the workforce in the corporate world only adds to their woes. Often, co-workers harbour a mental block that a team member who is physically challenged will slow down the entire team.

Most organisations today have policies in place for diversity and inclusion. Prashant Mishra, MD-India and South Asia, British Medical Journal (BMJ), says “We have a diversity and equal opportunities policy, which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, nationality, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation.”

There are many companies, especially startups that have recognised and accepted the special talents and skills that PWD possess. Organisations, such as Lemon Tree Hotels, have welcomed PWD into their workforce with open arms. Out of its staff of over 4000, at least a 1000 are either PWD or uneducated. Hiring them has only proved advantageous to the Hotel, because not only are these workers more loyal, they are more productive, sincere and grateful for the opportunity to boot. At its Gurgaon hotel, about 80 per cent of the staff comprises PWD. Their numbers will only rise, because the hotel gets repeat customers simply because clients admire its inclusive culture.

Simply having policies in place does not help in the upliftment and empowerment of PWD. The bitter truth is that not many PWD in our country have the confidence to even make the effort to try and gain an entry into the corporate world. It is time to change all that. Friends, family and well-wishers need to step in and give them the required push.

At Vindhya e-Infomedia, the data entry and call centre outsourcing service company in Bengaluru, the customer service team is led by a person who does not have arms. However, the Company realised that he is able to perform as well as anybody else, provided he is allowed to type with his toes and his keyboard is placed on the floor. Vindhya also employs visually impaired personnel to attend calls from customers. In fact, these employees have been able to progress in life and grow with the Company. Vindhya proudly claims that 60 per cent of its staff comprises people with some disability or the other. Realising the high level of efficiency exhibited by these PWD, even the customers who come in contact with them have started considering employing PWD. That is a good sign and if the trend becomes infectious, nothing can be better.

It is a win-win for the employee and the employer. The PWD gain confidence, are respected by family and friends, become economically independent, feel productive and find purpose and meaning in life. Their employers, on the other hand, have in them loyal, productive, regular, sincere and fully engaged employees who are full of gratitude for the opportunity given to them, and are eager to learn. Not surprisingly, the attrition rate is very low too.

While it is true that a small per cent of government jobs is reserved for PWDs, and the Government also reimburses the employers’ share of PF and ESI, this is not enough. Private organisations should also be more open to hiring PWD. More and more companies should make their workplaces disabled friendly by ensuring the presence of ramps, accessible toilets and spacious lifts that are convenient even for the visually impaired to use.

“While most organisations do have the intent to hire PWD, it is not always practical. However, As part of our CSR activities, we may consider lending support and assistance to PWD in any way possible” 

According to Satish J. Kurpad, DGM-HR, Velocis, “While most organisations do have the intent to hire PWD, it is not always practical. For instance, our leased office building has no lift or disabled-friendly facilities, and we have teams working out of the basement as well. A PWD that I had personally interviewed refused to take the job saying it would be difficult for him to manage without help, and he did not want to be dependent on others for mobility all the time. I completely understood his feelings. Also, as an IT solutions company, most of our work involves interaction with clients and people, understanding their needs and also being out in the field, which makes it difficult to employ PWD.”

But when organisations are unable to directly employ PWD, they can find other ways to do their bit for them. For instance, Kurpad personally feels, “As part of our CSR activities, we may consider lending support and assistance to PWD in any way possible, and helping them obtain any suitable employment, which will definitely be a step in the right direction”.

There are companies that are willing to accommodate PWD, but with certain limitations. For instance, V. Krishnan, co-founder and director, Justdial, strongly believes that PWD need to be considered equal and treated just as any other member of the workforce, in terms of the work assigned and what is expected of them. Only then will they feel equal and good about themselves. His organisation encourages and supports those with speech and hearing impairment, and is willing to employ them for jobs where oral communication is not required. The Company already has people with physical disabilities in the workforce, who are performing well. However, in Krishnan’s own words, “When it comes to hiring the visually impaired, we have yet to make a breakthrough. I am personally willing to give them an opportunity, but we have to first find the right technology to harness their skills before making the adjustments required at the workplace to facilitate their employment.”

“PWD need to be considered equal, and treated just as any other member of the workforce, in terms of the work assigned and what is expected of them. Only then will they feel equal and good about themselves”

We need more such forward looking and inclusive organisations in the country today. Making the workplace friendly for PWD is easily doable and does not require extraordinary efforts or expenditure. It is just a matter of pushing it up on the D&I agenda and giving it as much importance as employee engagement.

The post Persons with disabilities are more productive and engaged at work appeared first on HR Katha.

Simply reading such news day in and day out makes professionals anxious, worried and restless. During such fluid times, when the economy is going through a disturbing slump, it is the duty of the leaders and HR personnel in organisations to take the necessary steps to put employees’ layoff anxiety at ease.

Research shows that most professionals, at least 47 per cent, are not prepared to handle a layoff. Women are the most unprepared whereas the percentage of men who are not ready to handle a layoff is less (41 per cent).

Also, those who have their own property or house are less anxious than those who reside in rented accommodations. It is also natural for employees with kids who are yet under 18 to feel more anxious than those without children or with kids who are older.

Layoff anxiety, if managed well, can actually improve productivity, and check turnover.

So how exactly can employers address the fears of their employees and prepare them for the unexpected changes in the business environment?

Here are a few simple steps to manage layoff anxiety:

1. Check rumours: If the company does not intend to downsize any time soon, it is essential to let the employees know that. Otherwise, rumours will abound and there will be panic amongst the employees.

2. Share decisions with employees: It is natural for employees to be scared of what they do not know. Therefore, it is important to keep them in the loop whenever major decisions are taken—if there is a change in management or a drastic shift in business. Sharing of decisions with the workforce becomes even more important if the company has undergone a merger or acquisition.

3. Ensure that employees possess relevant skills at all times: It is important for organisations to ensure that their workers are in possession of the latest knowledge in their respective fields. Layoffs impact employees with outdated skills more than those that are reskilled or upskilled. Employees with current skills are likely to be more confident about landing a new job in case of a layoff, and will only be grateful to their employer for facilitating the updation of their skills.

4. Encourage employees to save: It is a good idea for organisations to coach their employees on managing their finances and saving for a rainy day. Employees who have no savings are most impacted when they lose their jobs. Let employees know the benefits of saving and making intelligent investments. Convey to them that it is good to save, if, God forbid, a layoff becomes inevitable at any point of time.

5. Prepare them in advance: The need to slash jobs can emerge all of a sudden. Therefore, the workforce has to be kept prepared. This can be done effectively if there is a layoff plan, which details the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of cutting down the workforce.

6. Help those laid off with new jobs: Workers who are laid off undergo a lot of stress thinking about the future and their families. The organisation should offer to help them find new jobs. This will ensure that the laid off employees do not harbour ill feelings towards the company. There have been too many cases of former employees suing their employers on various grounds, simply because their relationship had soured. A plan for outplacement can be drawn up when there is no layoff in the offing, just so that everyone is well prepared and accepts the plan in good spirit.

Layoffs affect the ones who lose their jobs as well as the ones who survive. While the ones rendered jobless are anxious about what the future holds for them, the ones who are left behind are overcome with guilt. No matter which side the employee belongs to, it makes sense to be prepared for such a situation. And it is the responsibility of the HR to ensure this preparedness. Today, employees are smart enough to understand that layoffs can be announced any moment. They will be happier at work, very much at ease and more engaged if they are confident that their employers have prepared them well to handle a layoff, if at all, it happens. They will be able to give their best knowing that their employer will not spring a surprise.

The post How should companies control layoff anxiety appeared first on HR Katha.

The success of leaders is measured by how well or to what extent they are able to bring out the best in those under them. But then, most leaders forget to do this because they end up using their employees simply to achieve specific goals or targets. They start controlling their employees, overlooking the fact that they also need space to breathe, innovate, create and express themselves.

It is all up to the leaders to inspire and motivate their employees to come to work and give their best every day. It is not enough to appreciate the employees for their achievements, however small. Leaders should also practise humility. They should have the courage to admit their mistakes and also learn from their juniors. Above all, they should give credit wherever it is due.

In a book titled Alive at Work, the author talks of servant leaders. They are leaders who realise that their job is to serve employees in their journey of exploring and growing in the company. These leaders are aware that they are required to play a significant part in providing support to those working under them, to nurture them, and help them grow and progress professionally and personally.

Popular leaders are the ones who humbly accept that they exist because of the support received from their employees/juniors. They openly admit that they need the expertise of their employees or their juniors. They ask their employees to provide ideas and make it clear that they are also learning from their juniors. By doing so, they develop a learning culture within the organisation.

Learning is a two-way process—a healthy give and take process. When leaders openly admit that they are continuously learning from their employees, the workforce also respects the fact that the leaders recognise their knowledge and skills and are willing to accept what they have to offer. They realise that leaders also have their strengths and weaknesses; that just like they admire their leaders for their abilities, their leaders also appreciate their skills and expertise. If they can simply fill the gaps in terms of the skills/knowledge, the team can be a very successful and productive whole.

What do humble leaders do?

• They ask their employees what kind of help they require to perform their jobs better. Instead of instructing them on what to do, they actually offer help.

• They let their employees know that they are the experts; that they can perform the actual work better than them.

• They invite ideas and suggestions from their employees and encourage them to innovate.

• They do not have any qualms in admitting that their juniors may be smarter than them in many ways.

• They lend a patient hearing to their employees. They possess effective listening skills.

• They are able to inspire team members to work in unity, collaborate harmoniously and cooperate to achieve a unified goal.

• They work for the betterment of the organisation and not for their own vested interests or personal progress.

• They allow their team members to voice their opinions and speak up, irrespective of their level in the organisation.

• They are open to and accept constructive feedback from all quarters. They will not react negatively to criticism.

It is essential for leaders to realise that being humble and admitting mistakes does not make them appear weak in any way. In fact, it requires great strength and courage to reveal weaknesses, especially when the concerned person is in a very authoritative position. It only shows how responsible the leaders are and how seriously they take accountability. Leaders who are humble and accountable, have followers who are loyal and full of awe. Such followers make the best employees—motivated, inspired, productive, full engaged and raring to go.

The post Do humble leaders play a part in employee engagement? appeared first on HR Katha.

So, what exactly is organisational culture? The way the staff of a company feels about their jobs is reflective of the company’s culture. If the culture of the organisation is strong, employees will also be better aware of what is expected of them and what the organisation’s goals are. It is the culture that forms the basis of the organisation’s commitments, manner of working and the ways adopted to accomplish work. The organisation’s culture gives a good idea of the behaviour of its employees, the values they believe in, their manner of interaction and the workplace practices.

If the culture is that of high performance, all the employees will be working towards accomplishing better results and pursuing clear organisational goals. Employees will have clearly-defined individual goals and responsibilities; the environment will be one based on trust; employees will be encouraged to learn and progress; managers will push their team members to reinvent themselves and grow; workers will be encouraged to move out of their comfort zones, to explore, take up new challenges and reinvent themselves. In high-performance cultures, the employees can be assured of a lot of support and positivity from their managers and the leadership, in general. Everyone around them will be proactive.

Such organisations exhibit a high level of positivity and competitive spirit. This generally keeps them ahead of their competitors.

Employees who work in such a positive, active and charged-up environment day in and day out are bound to start exhibiting the same positivity, eagerness for action and competitive spirit. They will feel comfortable and connected. This is very important for engagement.

Therefore, it will be quite right to first ensure the right culture in the organisation to engage the employees in the long run.

Organisations should first be clear about the culture they wish to follow and then make sure that everyone else is made aware of it. The clearly-defined culture should be communicated to one and all. This will also include the expectations in terms of employee behaviour and performance.

The clearly-defined culture can then be documented in the form of a manual, handbook or presentation, which employees can be made to go through during their onboarding process. This formal document can be revisited several times during meetings, formally or informally as well, so that it remains fresh in the minds of each member of the workforce.

Surveys: It is essential to measure organisational culture at frequent intervals. Only things that can be quantified can be measured and analysed. Surveys can help quantify culture. This helps the organisation understand whether the culture is suited to the company, and whether any improvement is required. It also gives employees a chance to express themselves and share their ideas. Surveys can be undertaken regularly to strengthen the culture.

Involvement: It is important for the employees to feel that they are playing a significant part in shaping the culture of the organisation. Therefore, the organisation should share its action plan with the workforce and be open to incorporating their feedback and ideas. This kind of involvement keeps the employees engaged.

Attraction and retention: It is time for organisations to sell themselves to attract talent and also to retain them. If the culture is strong, attractive, open, fosters growth and development, and makes the employees feel wanted and valued, the employees will remain loyal to the organisation.

Fulfilment: Organisations should try and find out about the needs of the employees at regular intervals and do whatever it takes to fulfil them. Employees should be offered all the support required to achieve their individual and organisational goals and to drive success. This can only happen in organisations that have a strong and open culture.

No wonder, organisations with an open culture, where employees are encouraged to innovate, be creative and perform, manage to stay ahead of competition.

There are many instances of organisational culture having driven success.

For instance, at Starbucks, employees are called partners, which reinforces their sense of belongingness. And all these ‘partners’ enjoy stock options, financial assistance for education, health insurance and even a crisis fund. Sometimes, even the part-time staff enjoy these options.

There are many organisations that have communication at the core of their culture. Therefore, they strive to have an open line of communication across all departments and levels, informal communication networks as well as open and collaborative spaces.

No matter what the culture, as long as it is strong and each member of the workforce is aware of the same, there is nothing that can stop the employees from being fully engaged.

The post Invest in culture to ensure employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

If there is employee voice throughout the organisation, views are not just reinforced but also challenged. The culture of the organisation becomes one where its employees are not considered the problem, but the sources of ideas and suggestions for solving the problems.

Such employees are the ones who feel a sense of belongingness and are satisfied in the knowledge that the organisation values their opinions. They feel heard and are proud to be part of an organisation that invites their suggestions and feedback.
However, employee voice only exists in organisations that have introduced systems and mechanisms to facilitate regular conversations with the staff. They offer channels for each employee to raise issues and express themselves.

Why is employee voice significant?

Through employee voice it is possible for organisations to find out if all is well and whether there is some issue that needs immediate attention. Only if issues or oversights are caught on time can remedial action be taken before there is irreparable harm.
How can employee voice be ensured?

• Members of the workforce should be empowered to redesign their own work and tasks to increase efficiency. They should be able to adopt ways to simplify the processes so that there is overall improvement in productivity and customer service. They should be able to obtain satisfaction and a memorable work experience and also manage to pass on a similar experience to their customers.

• Employees should be able to contribute to the re-engineering of business processes with their own innovations and ideas, and play a significant role in driving business growth and cut costs.

• Engagement surveys can be conducted online to find out employees’ experiences with the organisation and things they wish to change about the organisation.

• Regular meetings can be arranged with the senior leadership of the organisation, where employees can openly interact and get their questions answered or doubts clarified. This can serve as a platform for exchange of views, ideas and opinions. This can also be an opportunity to apprise employees of all the latest developments in the organisation.

• Employees can be asked to post their suggestions or ideas on a common online platform, where everyone can see and comment on them. If some of these ideas are able to garner significant support, they can be implemented. This can also happen through a message board.

• Leaders should take time out to meet and listen to the issues of all levels of employees and work out a solution together.

• Support groups of employees can be formed in which managers and their team members can together discuss activities to improve engagement and team work. Such support can exist outside the organisation too.

• A day can be devoted to sharing of experiences by employees with fellow employees. At times, by recounting their own experiences employees discover hidden aspects about themselves. This also contributes to inclusiveness and diversity, with employees of all ages, castes, faiths and sexual orientation coming together to exchange their experiences, knowledge and stories. Some of these stories can be very inspirational.

A working environment where employees’ voices are heard ensures a happier and more contented workforce. With the evolution of internal mechanisms meant to ensure that employees are heard, formal voice architecture is being implemented by most modern offices —employee forums, suggestion schemes, or new feedback technologies. However, there are not many HR professionals who take employee voice seriously. It is yet to make it to the top of their list of priorities.

The success of businesses rests on innovations, exploration of new markets, efficiency, and enhanced customer service. For all these, employee voice is an active contributor. As mentioned earlier, if employees are heard, it will be possible for the business to take the right action at the right time before things go out of control. Employees are the ones who interact directly with the customers and experience things first hand on the shop floor. Therefore, feedback from them should be valued, not just about the business per se, but about their own experiences working with the organisation. Employee voice should be heard. It keeps the employees engaged and happy, and brings success to the business.

The post Is employee voice essential for employee engagement? appeared first on HR Katha.

Studies have shown that employees who have been well mentored or have a mentor to look up to and shadow at the workplace are highly engaged. Coaching and mentoring in the corporate world is meant to be a continuous process and modern companies are ensuring that it remains so.

While it is possible for organisations to formally put in place a mentorship programme for employees, there are also certain employees who proactively search for mentors who can train them. So why is it that mentors are in such demand?

It is because people in the past have succeeded primarily due to the strong relationships they have had with their mentors. Mentees feel at ease when they know that no matter what the problem is, they can always rush to their mentors for impartial advice and the appropriate guidance. They can be sure of receiving encouragement from their mentors, which helps them grow into self-confident individuals.

How are mentees benefitted?

Mentors help mentees in the following ways:

• Provide advice and guidance to help them move forward in their professional journey

• Make them realise their potential and utilise it to the maximum

• Provide them the power to chase their goals.

• Drive them to face challenges head on and overcome hurdles on their way to greater accomplishments.

• Push them to perform well and achieve greater heights.

• Develop their skills and encourage them to learn new things.

• Introduce them to people in positions of power and relevant to their career.

• Help them do well in their personal lives too, that is, beyond work.

• Ensure that their career progresses in the right direction.

• Keep them motivated at all times.

• Appreciate their work and abilities.

• Allow the mentees to shadow them at work.

• Build a strong and lasting relationship with them.

What makes a mentor-mentee relationship successful?

While trying to gain maximum benefit out of a mentor-mentee relationship, it is important to understand that mentoring is time consuming and may require sacrifices on the part of the mentor as well as the mentee. Both will need to be considerate of each other’s schedules, priorities and commitments. Also, whatever is discussed between the two of them should remain right there, that is, confidential.

It is important for the mentees to understand that their mentors are taking time out for them from their busy schedules. Therefore, the mentees should always be clear, to the point and very specific when they approach their mentors with a query or seek their advice. They should be grateful to their mentors for their guidance, advice, and tips.

Mentees need to follow their mentors’ suggestions and advice, convert them into concrete actions and also get back to them with a feedback.

What is in it for the mentors?

While nurturing juniors or mentoring individuals, the mentors gets the opportunity to introspect and give serious thought to their own habits and practices. And even improve on them if required.

Guiding and advising another person provides a lot of mental satisfaction to the mentors. It gives them a purpose in life and adds more meaning to their role in the workplace. The fact that their knowledge and experience is being readily received by another person and being put to good use for the betterment of that individual is a very satisfying thought for them. Also, their efforts at mentoring make their peers respect them more. And somewhere, the mentoring process also helps mentors understand the working of the organisation better.

A mentor may have more than one mentee, and similarly, a mentee can have more than one mentor. The frequency and regularity with which they meet has significance in their relationship. The two should trust each other completely and respect each other’s opinions. Also, both need to be great listeners, only then can they do justice to their respective roles. It is important for the mentees to let their mentors know how and in which way their mentorship has benefitted them. They should know how they have made a difference in somebody’s life or career by sharing their knowledge or holding their hand. Mentor-mentee relationships end up being rather strong and memorable. These are partnerships that last a lifetime.

The post Good mentors can ensure employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

It is true that when employees shut down their computers or pack their laptops and wind up for the day, they wish to rush home and be with their families. They want to relax and enjoy some ‘me’ time, and of course work is the last thing on their minds. Today, corporates try to encourage their workforce to detach from work to find that ‘me’ time, to indulge in hobbies, to pursue other passions and also focus on their own health and well-being. But what managers rarely realise is that if they don’t help the employees reattach themselves to their work, productivity and employee engagement will suffer.

A recent research published in the Journal of Management, explains that workers need to plan their day’s work and be aware of the goals they need to chase. These need not be long-term goals, but short-term ones that will take them to the bigger goals. They need to know which tasks to prioritise and how to begin working. They have to be mentally prepared to reconnect with their work the moment they sit at their workstations. Unless and until they reconnect, they will not be able to contribute anything positive or feel satisfied with what they have accomplished at the end of the day. There has to be more to a work day than just being present in the office. Merely punching in is not enough. There has to be that ‘punch’ in the day too, which can keep the employees engaged the entire day and also motivate them to return again the next day.

Not all employees are able to reattach or reconnect to their work with the same zeal and level of enthusiasm every day. Their efficiency at handling tasks will also vary each day. An employee who goes over the pending work mentally while waiting at a long red light on his commute to work, may be partly prepared with a priority list of tasks. Another worker who manages to wake up early and dress up on time may spend ten minutes out on the balcony thinking of all the tasks that she/he needs to accomplish that day, and be mentally prepared with which one to attack first even while stepping out of his house.

By giving some thought to the day that lies ahead, these employees are able to get into the ‘action’ mode mentally, even before they step into the office. They already decide what they will handle first on reaching their workstation or whom they need to speak with to get something done on a particular day. This helps them save time, which is otherwise wasted in trying to go over the goals for the day and then picking on the order in which they need to be handled. This also makes them feel purposeful, energetic and positive.

This feeling of positivity will definitely rub off on all the people they interact with during the day. Such employees tend to be naturally organised at work, and manage to accomplish more in a normal work day. Their own efficiency and success at being able to achieve their daily targets motivates them and encourages them to progress faster towards the bigger organisational goals. Their commitment and success will definitely inspire others in the organisation. Their level of job satisfaction is also high, which naturally results in enhanced employee engagement.

In the long run, such efficiency, positivity and productivity does well for the individual as well as the organization as a whole.

Clearly, employee engagement depends as much on detachment as on reattachment. May be it is time for India Inc. to start giving serious thought to employees’ reattachment to work. Managers will have to help their team members get mentally organised and prepared to connect with their work for the day when they reach office every morning, and especially after a long weekend. This will help the employees get through the day in a satisfactory manner. A warm-up meeting that lasts about 10 to 15 minutes can be an excellent way to plan the routine for the day. Drawing up a priority list together with the team can ensure that tasks are accomplished one at a time, steadily, taking the employees closer to their individual and team goals.

The post Managers should help employees reattach to work to keep them engaged appeared first on HR Katha.

Gone are the days when people were happy doing routine 9 to 5 jobs. They were contented with the steady pace of work. ‘Monotony’ was unheard of. Employees were satisfied doing the same routine work and getting salary increments or promotions whenever their turn came. They did not care for special rewards or recognition as long as they got their salary on time at the end of the month and they were able to fulfil the basic needs of their family.

Today, employees wish to be noticed, appreciated for their talents and demand opportunities to learn, explore and climb up the corporate ladder. They seek challenging projects through which they can prove their mettle. They want their names attached to activities and challenges, and wish to be in the public eye. Popularity is what they seek. Seeing their names mentioned in press releases makes them feel good about themselves. They get a high if their achievements are showcased on the company website. While visibility is not very difficult to achieve for senior-level employees, those at the junior levels expect support from their managers to achieve the same.

Therefore, it is up to the team leaders and managers to step in and give their team members the visibility they yearn. And how do they do that?

As managers and team leaders, here’s what you can do to make sure your employees are visible:

• Be a good mentor. Only then will those working under you be able to grow, develop and be engaged. Employees look up to their managers for meaningful mentoring. Hand hold them in such a way that they remember you all your life and are grateful to you for your guidance.

• Ensure that your team’s efforts are noticed. Of course, as a good manager you will recognise and appreciate the hard work put in by the members of your team. But that alone will not suffice. Ensure that the rest of the organisation also notices their achievements. They deserve to be given credit in public. Also, make it a point to bring up the names of those individuals who really deserve to be named for their extra inputs or innovative ideas or invaluable contribution to a particular project or task.

• Let your superiors know of your team’s achievements. Tell the senior management about the progress made by your team, even the small ones, because every step forward takes the organisation closer to its goals, and each team’s contribution is valuable. Feel proud to tell the super bosses about instances when your team stayed back late to deliver a project on time; about appreciation received from the clients for the team’s good work; about efforts by the team to cut costs, save paper and so on. After all, if you don’t tell your seniors about what your team has achieved or done, and how they work, who else will?

• Offer them opportunities. Allow your employees to not just put their skills to use but also showcase their abilities and talents. Give them the chance to attend conferences, events and seminars and also meet the best in the industry. Introduce them to the key people in the organisation.

• Understand their strengths and goals. It is important to know what your team members are good at and what they wish to achieve in their professional careers. That way, you will know when and in which direction to channelise their energies and grab the right opportunities to make them visible. Being aware of your employees’ goals and strengths will give you a fair idea of when to ask them to be part of important meetings; when to be presented to senior managers; and when to be given a chance to speak at events. But once you have given them an opportunity, step back and let them take over and do their bit. Spoon feeding is not what is required. Let them do it all by themselves, so that they experience a feeling of achievement.

• Value their suggestions. Let your team members know that their suggestions and feedback are valued. Make them part of decision-making. If their ideas are accepted or approved by higher-ups, do not take credit for the same but make sure to mention the name of your team member who made the suggestion. This will encourage your team members to be proactive and take positive initiatives in the interest of the team as well as the organisation as a whole.

• Recommend them for promotions. If you see potential in certain team members, recommend their names for a more responsible role so that they grow and develop as individuals. Help them get promoted by putting in a good word, and push them up the corporate ladder. This will also increase your popularity as a team leader or manager.

It is up to the managers and team leaders to ensure that the work and efforts of those in their team are recognised or noticed. Your employees’ visibility will go a long way in motivating them and ensuring that they are fully engaged and stay that way for long.

The post How is visibility of employees essential for their engagement? appeared first on HR Katha.

Does everyone know what employee engagement really is?

When are employees said to be engaged? Some would say it is when the employees are happy, and others would say it is when they are satisfied with their jobs. Actually, there is much more to it. Engaged workers are not only satisfied with their jobs, but also extremely motivated to give their best to the organisation, to which they feel a sense of belongingness. They always talk positive about their workplace and their employers, and feel a sense of pride in being associated with their organisation.

To make this happen, each one in the organisation should be made aware of what employee engagement truly means. This can be done through educative group sessions or even personal interactions with each staff member.

Is everyone on the same page?

For any activity or project to succeed, all those involved in it should share similar views, the same optimism and an equal amount of enthusiasm. Just as one rotten apple spoils the entire barrel, even one person who harbours the slightest bit of pessimism or negativity can weaken the entire team, or the whole workforce in this case. It is important for the management as well as the employees to feel and be convinced that everything is being done towards a common good, and that, no individual is doing anything for his own vested interest.

Each member of the workforce as well as the management should believe that it is all a collective effort to achieve a common goal, and that they all stand to gain as one organisation. Each one’s effort, hard work and contribution matters.

To convince the employees, explain to them the advantages of employee engagement and why it is so significant to any business. The employees should understand that it is not just a casual trend, but something essential to the organisation in the long term.

Does everyone in the organisation have a say?

Is the management the only decision maker? Are the workers’ voices heard? Are the suggestions given by employees considered and valued? If the answer is ‘yes’ to all these questions, then there will be little chance of employees being happy, leave alone being fully engaged. In an organisation where the workers are only expected to follow the orders from above, and adhere to rigid rules and regulations, they will never be able to establish a connect or bond with the management. If the management is all powerful and has full control over the workforce, the employees will feel suffocated and constrained. In such workplaces, even if the employees have progressive suggestions and ideas, they will hesitate to express them since they know their opinions will not be valued. Such organisations have dissatisfied and disengaged employees.

Allow your employees to think aloud. If a suggestion is good, appreciate it and consider it. If, for some reason the suggestion cannot be applied, explain the reason for the same to the employees.

Are workers obliged to stay beyond office hours?

Are the employees putting in extra hours simply to show that they are being productive? If so, this trend will cause more harm than good. When employees stay back after office hours to complete work or achieve targets, because they feel that is what their managers expect them to do, they are not really putting their heart and soul into the work. If they are trying to appear to be hard working simply to get a promotion or raise, or find a place in the good books of their managers, it is a forced effort. Such show of productivity does not really achieve much. While no meaningful work is done, the employees themselves are unhappy because they are compromising on their personal time with friends and family, simply to secure their position in the company.

Make everyone understand that merely clocking extra hours does not lead to high productivity. Let them know that the management is sensible enough to measure and notice genuine hard work and productivity; that simply sitting back after office hours does not make someone an excellent worker, nor does it take the organisation closer to its goals. Tell them how important it is to balance work and personal life.

If organisations are truly serious about achieving total employee engagement, the meaning and purpose of the same should be communicated clearly to one and all. The path to employee engagement may be full of hurdles, but none is too big to overcome.

The post Employee engagement: Is the road smooth? appeared first on HR Katha.

If you ask the millennials, they will tell you that they prefer working for organisations that offer them opportunities to develop professionally, to update their skills, and to take courses that are relevant to the changing work environment—they seek career progression. In fact, studies have shown that if there is no opportunity for professional development, millennials would rather quit that job and opt for another organisation that allows them to learn new things, grow in their careers and develop as individuals.

Interestingly, for the millennials, professional development tops the list of priorities. It means more to them than cash rewards. Not only do they wish to see their careers growing in leaps and bounds, they also wish to enjoy a fine work–life balance. They are not the ones who will stop pursuing a passion for the sake of their jobs. They are the ones who will go swimming, hiking, playing music and also excel as executives. They want it all— fame, respect, entertainment, relaxation, money and a sense of achievement.

So how can such a generation’s professional development be ensured?

(i) Offer educational and training opportunities

Millennials are eager to educate themselves. They never switch off their learning mode. Any formal training that will increase their competency and help them excel at work will be welcomed by them. Employers can begin by passing on all information and details pertaining to best practices.

Encourage them to read some online articles on a regular basis, to stay updated. Give them access to books, seminars, and e-learning programmes, especially massive open online courses or MOOCs as they are popularly referred to.

A wide range of courses are available that will benefit businesses and employees alike. By encouraging the employees to enrol for programmes that are relevant to their current roles and also helpful in their career going forward, the employers gain in the form of updated employees, while the employees learn new skills and stay relevant.

To improve the overall efficiency of the organisation, cross-departmental/cross-functional training is a must. While this does not really lead to people considering career shifts, it definitely lets each employee know how significant their own as well as others’ work or job is in the overall running of the business.

The training does not always have to be technical. In fact, these days, soft skills are considered more vital than anything else. Employers are realising how important emotional intelligence is at work. In fact, the best leaders are those who are self- aware, motivated, disciplined, empathetic and possess high levels of social skills. These are all nothing but soft skills.

Other skills that can be useful to the employees, not just in the professional environment but also beyond that, are communication skills, exhibiting the right body language, ability to interpret other people’s facial expressions and body language and practising non-violent communication. Training in ways to improve communication will help the team on the whole and keep them together.

Provide your employees with resources that will empower them to enhance their professional skills. Invest in webinars, software tools, and subscriptions. Invite guest lecturers/ industry experts to interact with and speak to the team.

Encourage the employees to undertake research in their areas of expertise. Give them more responsibilities to handle and learn. Help them build a professional network.

(ii) Mentor them

Allow your employees to connect with their seniors professionally as well as personally. This allows the juniors to learn from the seniors and gain inspiration. Create an effective mentorship programme, which helps employees with similar responsibilities and jobs to connect and learn from each other. Such programmes help establish enduring professional relationships and allow the employees to value networking. These mentorship programmes can last for a few months or even a year. These are especially helpful today when managers lack the time to share or pass on their knowledge and skills to those below them. A formal programme will make them take time out to mentor and coach others.

If organisations do not want to make the mentoring process formal, they can simply ask their leaders and managers to indulge in regular conversations with the employees—discussions that will help the employees introspect and go over their own achievements and realise their potential.

(iii) Help them develop holistically

Start by ensuring that your employees enjoy emotional balance. Ask them questions about their work, whether they are satisfied, whether they are able to handle the responsibilities given to them, and so on. Listen to your employees, lend them support and help them out of a difficult emotional situation, if any.

Teach your employees about personal finance and relationships. Make them realise how important it is to save and secure their future. Teach them about wellness and how they can achieve the same at work and at home. Encourage them to pursue their hobbies and learn new things. Provide them gym memberships and urge them to exercise regularly. Offer them training in yoga and pranayama and drive home the significance of physical fitness.

Professional development of employees is all about offering them the tools required to perform their jobs efficiently and training them such that they are equipped to surge ahead in their careers. By facilitating their professional development, organisations are only letting the employees know how much they care about them. The employees pay back with their loyalty, productivity, and complete engagement that helps the organisation grow.

The post How professional development can ensure employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

“Suddenly I am unable to figure out why I am doing what I am doing. And that too for most of my waking hours!”

He was right. Many of us just work, and work, and work some more, giving it everything we have, without really understanding the purpose.

If my friend was feeling so disengaged, probably it was because he saw no purpose at work. Yet, surprisingly, he had managed to stick on for a long time, with this question still plaguing him! But the newer generations will be different. They will explore, experiment and switch to seek answers.

Employees’ expectations have changed over time, and organisations are struggling to fulfil them. There is no dearth of gyan on how to keep employees happy, and yet, employers seem to be eternally thinking of ways to retain their top talent. So what is it that employees actually want?

The answer is ‘purpose’. While attractive pay packages, flexibility and other benefits help employees decide whether to join a company or not, it is time organisations realised that employees these days look beyond all of this. The millennials, in particular, need to feel that their presence in the organisation is meaningful. They desire to work with a purpose.

A sense of purpose is indispensable to success. Only if employees tackle their work, driven by a purpose will they be engaged and productive. Job satisfaction can only be ensured if they work with a purpose.

And how can this sense of purpose be ensured? Here are a few suggestions:

Tell them how they contribute

Help your employees understand how their work impacts the organisation and its business. They have to feel convinced that their work and efforts matter. When they understand how much of an impact they have on the overall business, they will see a sense of meaning and purpose in what they do. This will motivate them and help them engage.

Help them grow

Millennials believe in continuous learning, upskilling and upgradation. Let your employees know that they really matter, by offering them opportunities to learn, develop and grow. Invest in training, upskilling and educating each one of your employees. Encourage them to learn, create and innovate, and be ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

Connect with them

The leaders in the organisation should truly connect with the members of the workforce, and literally have their fingers on their pulse. They should invite the employees to give feedback and also take the feedback seriously. Communication should be clear and regular. Employees should feel they are part of the decision making and that their opinions are valued. Leaders should try to ensure that whatever decision has been taken, is also communicated to the workforce. This ensures accountability.

Appreciation should be given for any good work done, however small or minute. All the deserving employees must be recognised.

Encourage them to work in teams

Drive home the fact that there is strength, productivity and success in teams. Working in teams offers opportunity to engage, facilitates exchange of knowledge and skills, presents new perspectives, and helps handle cross-disciplinary issues.

Employees who miss a sense of purpose at work, will look at things differently when they get to interact with others in the team. Collaborative work influences thought processes and opens minds. Team work allows a lot of mentoring to take place. The mentor and the mentee, both stand to learn and gain from knowledge sharing.

Finding a sense of purpose helps employees engage and experience a sense of belonging. And this ‘purpose’ should be able to help the employees approach their work keeping in mind their own strengths and capabilities. It should be measurable, only then will it result in better performance in the long term. Employees who work with a purpose also feel proud of the growth of their company, derive more job satisfaction and remain loyal to the company.

Converse with them

While it is not always possible for managers and leaders to simply grant employees a purpose at work, with the help of HR, they can help the employees find a purpose. They can do so by asking them questions that will help them reflect on their own strengths and interests. Leaders should help their team members recognise their core strengths instead of focussing on their aspirations in terms of career. The moment employees realise what their primary strengths are, they will use it to achieve good results, and as a result, grow in the company. With growth, they will realise what their purpose and mission in the organisation is or should be.

May be it is time for leaders to go on a casual walk with their employees, and ask them about their experiences. What actually interests them in the company; the challenges they are facing; their achievements and their expectations. Such conversations help identify the strengths of an employee, and from there it is easy to explain to them how their talent and strength have contributed to the success and growth of the organisation. That will answer the ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions that disturb employees and prevent them from being engaged at work.

The post Can a sense of purpose improve employee engagement? appeared first on HR Katha.

While it is true that organisations invest a lot on their new recruits, it is important for them to keep in mind that a significant number of new entrants quit within six months of joining. If better opportunities come their way, they will not think twice before grabbing them in those six months. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the employees truly start feeling a sense of belonging from the very first day. Only then can they remain engaged, stay loyal and give their best.

Employee experience impacts everything in your business—productivity, retention, your workplace culture, and the level of engagement of the workforce. And employee experience begins from the day the employee steps inside the workplace. Also, employee experience is a term that covers everything that employees experience at their place of work— their interactions with their superiors, the tools and technology they use, their workstations, and the teams they work in among other things.

So how can employers ensure that the new hires fall for their workplace and employers on their first day at work?

1. Engage them early on: It is up to the employers to ensure that the new entrants are well informed about the organisation’s culture, achievements, growth journey, values, and so on. Videos and infographics can be used to provide them this information well before their date of joining. Employers should focus on creating a good career website and be in constant touch with the candidates right up to their day of joining. This will let them know that the organisation is preparing for their arrival and also ensure that they show up on the first day, and not ghost, as many candidates do.

2. Make the new hires feel welcome: If new hires feel that their co-workers are somewhat familiar with them and realise that they were aware of their arrival, it is easier to break the ice. For instance, any new entrant being shown to her department would feel very welcome if the faces she sees smile back at her and greet her by addressing her by her first name. This can only happen if the organisation has sent out a mail to everyone or at least the respective departments informing of the joining of a new person, and introducing that person. One or two of her team members can be assigned the task of showing her around, and introducing her to everyone — something similar to the ‘buddy’ system that schools often follow for new students who join in the middle of the term. And yes, help her join a car pool in the office. That is one of the best ways to make friends.

3. Keep their workstation ready: On the very first day, the new entrants should be able to settle down at their workstations. While modern offices are doing away with the system of fixed workstations altogether, some offices cannot do without them. In such workplaces, employees should be given the keys to their drawers or lockers, assigned their laptops or desktops (in perfect working condition and hooked to the network) on the very first day. Their workstations should be absolutely clean so that the employees feel good about the workplace and about starting their stint.

4. Involve them in the work: It is very common for new entrants to spend their first few days feeling bored because the employers go out of their way to ensure that they are not burdened with work. They also try to ensure that the employees get enough time to ‘take in’ the environment and settle in. But actually, most youngsters are raring to go. It would be a good idea to give them small tasks to do on the first day itself—work that can be easily done by them. This builds their confidence, gives them a chance to interact with the other team members and also understand the job.

5. Encourage them to talk: Ask the new entrants what they feel about the office, the team and the work. Take their feedback so that they feel that their opinions are valued. This goes a long way in instilling a feeling of belongingness.

6. Set their goals: On the first day itself, the employees should be made aware of their goals, both long- and short-term. They should know what is expected of them. They should be clear about their job roles and be able to set job-specific goals. Help them set attainable, job-specific and measurable goals without imposing. Encourage them to suggest goals on their own.

Employers should ensure that new entrants feel at home on their first day. Of course, introductions, welcome gifts, an ice-breaker lunch, and so on are all things that are followed as a standard. No matter what you do, remember not to leave them to get settled on their own. This doesn’t work. Make them feel wanted, appreciate their skills while introducing them to their team members and take time off your schedule, no matter how busy or tight, to spend some time with them. They need to feel valued. Their first day at work should be their most comfortable, pleasant and memorable, so that they go home eager to return the next day, and again and again, for a long long time!

The post How can employees be engaged from their very 1st day at work? appeared first on HR Katha.

It is in the interest of employers to recognise such talent and facilitate their creativity. It is not difficult to get the best out of such people. All they require is a little motivation and some or all of the following actions to keep them engaged.

Give them the right tasks to perform: Identify their strengths and assign them the work that is most suited to their abilities. Doing the same work day in and day out makes them bored. They loath performing mechanical tasks. Give them new projects to work on.

Make them part of the right team: Let your creative employees work in a team comprising people with various talents — who can network well, can efficiently implement what has been planned, manage a project as per schedule and visualisation, are committed and sincere, and have an eye for detail. When people with different strengths, abilities, interests and thought processes are thrown together, there emerges the right environment for innovations.

Recognise innovation: Creative people need to be constantly acknowledged and appreciated for their creativity. The best way to appreciate them is to recognise their ideas and facilitate their fructification into something concrete. In fact, if you as an employer decide to reward those who come up with new and creative ideas, you may find even the otherwise dormant brains waking up to surprise themselves and others.

Ignore their deviations from the normal: Creative brains do not think like everybody else. They think differently, and that is precisely why they are creative. Such people are not easy to please. Their behaviour may come across as eccentric and different from what is normal and accepted. Tolerating their quirks to some extent gives them the space for creativity.

Innovation cannot happen amidst the usual, can it? However, they should not be allowed to think that they can get away with anything. After all, any workspace requires some level of discipline and decorum.

Push them beyond their comfort zone: Creative people enjoy challenges, and the best way to keep them engaged is to give them more of them. They should not feel they are too qualified or good for the job they are assigned. So, give them challenging projects to handle, which will push them beyond their comfort level. This also makes it simple to appraise their performance, and prevents them from looking out for more challenging opportunities.

Creative people enjoy pressure: While chasing deadlines may not be a creative person’s cup of tea, some amount of pressure definitely does good. Sometimes, the adrenaline rush while chasing a deadline is not just helpful for the creative person but for the team as a whole. Therefore, state the deadlines, expectations and available resources very clearly at the beginning so that creativity can make its own way accordingly.

With more and more people quitting regular jobs to follow their entrepreneurial calling, the creative talent in organisations is constantly at risk. Therefore, it is time for organisations to not just recognise their creative workers but also do what is required to retain them. Ensure they remain motivated, are constantly challenged and not given the time to sit idle, feel bored and consider quitting!!

The post How to keep the creative workforce engaged appeared first on HR Katha.

Being nice was never expected of leaders, because this quality is known to actually hinder leadership.

Leaders have been known to be the reason behind employees remaining loyal or quitting the company. While toxic leaders can make life hell for employees, compassionate leaders can put the smile back on the faces of the employees.

Clearly, kind and compassionate leaders have a significant role in keeping employees engaged and contented. Let us look at some of the positive effects that leaders with compassion have on the organisation and employee engagement.

Earning employees’ trust

Kind leaders, that is, leaders who speak kindly and use kind words and actions, easily gain the trust of their employees. The unkind or cold ones, on the other hand, will seem unapproachable to their employees. In the presence of such uptight leaders, employees will always try to be cautious, and with time, they will end up not trusting anyone in the organisation and may even begin to doubt their own abilities.

Focussing on comfort

Compassionate leaders focus more on the employees’ comfort. They will also be more open to altering the systems and hierarchies to make work easier for everyone, giving flexibility to the managers and their teams. And flexibility in any organisation is known to ensure better employee engagement.

Instilling a sense of belongingness

Leaders with compassion manage to instil in the employees a feeling of belongingness. And when employees feel they are an integral part of the organisation, they will be fully engaged, and not just superficially. Compassionate leaders have the ability to share with the employees the success of the organisation and recognise the employees’ contribution. By assigning them projects that contribute significantly and visibly to the organisational success, such leaders ensure total employee engagement.

Creating an open culture

Compassionate leadership promotes an open culture in the organisation. A culture where employees are given the freedom to think and express themselves. A workplace where everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s views valued. Also, compassionate leaders are more likely be open-minded and to ensure that employees from diverse cultures and even nationalities are included in the workforce.

Exhibiting qualities of transparency, accountability and honesty

Good leaders tend to exhibit honesty and transparency in their actions and words and do not run away from responsibility. They admit to mistakes, if any, and even apologise for the same. These are qualities that employees notice, appreciate and most importantly, emulate. Employees look up to their compassionate leaders and try to become like them. If these leaders possess good qualities, they automatically inspire the workforce to also imbibe the same.

With the buzz around employee engagement increasing with each passing day, may be organisations should focus on compassionate leadership to ensure that their workforce is fully engaged.

The post Compassionate leadership and employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

“What is with all the cycling and bicycles,” I wondered. “Why this sudden fetish for pedalling to work and at work?”

For one, people have suddenly realised that they are spending too much time sitting. India Inc. too has finally woken up to the fact that employees need to move and exercise to stay fit. This explains the five-minute dancing in the middle of a work day, yoga sessions, as well as tennis, badminton and cricket matches. Many offices have bicycle clubs, wherein the members meet every weekend and go cycling in the outskirts of the city early in the morning.

Indiana University Bloomington actually celebrates 17 May as ‘Bike to Work Day’. In a campus, where six per cent of the faculty cycle to the grounds, the Day is used to promote biking to work. It is a chance for those who have never tried pedalling to work, to give it a try (and chances are that they will make it a habit). On 9 May, Bike to Work Day was celebrated in the Bay Area too. In fact, this was the 25th year of celebration and participants were being offered mileage plan miles by Alaska Airlines, along with other gifts and rewards from the innumerable sponsors.

The next time a manager wants to discuss an important matter with a junior, a ride along the bicycle track will be the best way to do it. It is fun, helps the mind to focus, is a super way to work out, and saves a lot in fuel costs.

And taking cycling to the next level, is the city of Montreal, where bicycle desks are being introduced in libraries, so that people can pedal while they read! These bicycle desks are basically just silent stationary bikes with an attached desk. While it is a great way to exercise both the body and the mind simultaneously, is it really feasible in a country like India?

India’s take

It is true that cycling clubs are very common in our country, but will the ‘bicycle desks’ catch on in India Inc.? Are they really practical? And what are we encouraging here? Spending more time indoors?

Imagine trying to work on your laptop, creating a presentation or tallying sales figures, while your legs are busy pedalling. It may feel awkward unless everyone else around you is doing the same thing. And what kind of attire will be ideal for such a workstation? Obviously something you can sweat in. That would mean the entire staff turning up for work in workout clothes — tracks and tees!

Why not encourage your staff to just go for a brisk walk once or twice a day? The whole team can do it together. Some time away from the workstation, amidst greenery can be very soothing.

Also, these bicycle desks do not come cheap. If there are a 100 employees in an office, there will have to be at least 50 of these bicycle desks so that at least half the workforce can be exercising their bodies and minds together, while the other half sits at their desks. Creators of the Deskcise Pro, which is connected to an app, claim that this form of exercising and this model of bicycle desk helps correct people’s postures. It keeps them from slouching and dozing off after lunch. The app allows users to keep track of the calories they burn as well as their heart rate.

While it is doable, a complete makeover of the office space will be required. To have normal workstations, that is, desks with drawers and pinboards in front of them as well as bicycle desks for each employee will require double the usual space. If the conventional desks are completely done away with, employees will have to be given lockers to keep their belongings and store their documents and files.

A middle path will be to have such bicycle desks in meeting rooms so that employees can pedal while participating in an active meeting. Again, employees, especially women, will have to remember to dress appropriately on the meeting day so that they can mount a bicycle!

Did you know that India has almost a dozen bicycle mayors? These are cycling catalysts who try to promote cycling amongst the population.

But then, why go in for all this in the first place? Introduction of bicycle desks will mean that employees will still drive to work. Even though they will be working out for a little while inside the office, they will still burn fuel and add to environment/air and noise pollution in trying to get to work.

Going the conventional way

Why not encourage your staff to just go for a brisk walk once or twice a day? The whole team can do it together. Some time away from the workstation, amidst greenery can be very soothing.

And if you have to join the cycling bandwagon, do it the conventional way. Provide bicycles for your employees to ride in their free time. Encourage them to cycle to work. Those whose offices are too far from their homes, can be encouraged to take the metro to the station nearest the office and then switch to the bicycle. A wonderful idea, actually. For a person who will be spending hours at a desk, this bit of imposed exercise daily, in the morning and in the evening will work wonders for the body.

It does not cause pollution, nor does it leave any carbon footprint. It is the most economical way to ensure health and fitness. What’s more, it does not add to the traffic either.

India’s bicycle mayors

Did you know that India has almost a dozen bicycle mayors? These are cycling catalysts who try to promote cycling amongst the population. These mayors are appointed by the Bicycle Mayor and Leaders Program initiated by BYCS, an Amsterdam-based social enterprise whose main objective is to promote cycling in each city through bicycle mayors. They intend to ensure that 50 per cent of all the city trips are made by bicycles within the next decade. Prakash P Gopinath, Nikita Lalwani, Bhairavi Joshi, Arshel Akhter and Sathya Sankaran are the bicycle mayors who are doing their bit to promote cycling in Tiruvananthapuram, Vadodara, Valsad, Guwahati and Bengaluru respectively.

They help set up cycling clubs in schools and colleges and also approach the civic bodies to lay out cycling tracks on the city roads for the safety of cyclists.

Isn’t it time for India Inc. to do their bit too? A study by the Energy & Resource Institute (TERI), backed by the All India Cycle Manufacturers’ Association reveals that if half of the trips undertaken on two-wheelers and four-wheelers are substituted with bicycle trips, for even a distance of less than eight kilometres, it will result in fuel savings worth Rs 27 billion. That is not all, substituting two- and four-wheelers with bicycles for short distances can help reduce air pollution and so save Rs 241 billion, and also provide health benefits worth Rs 1,435 billion. Not to mention the obnoxious amounts of money spent by corporates on renting parking spaces that will be saved.

Even a small city like Jamshedpur has taken a step in the right direction by introducing bicycles for visitors at Jubilee Park.

Indian organisations are already going out of the way to ensure the health and well-being of their employees and keep them engaged. Why not go a step further to ensure that the roads and parks around the office area have the right infrastructure and are made bicycle friendly?

The next time a manager wants to discuss an important matter with a junior, a ride along the bicycle track will be the best way to do it. It is fun, helps the mind to focus, is a super way to work out, and saves a lot in fuel costs.

So start working on it right away. Identify the open space nearest the office that can be turned into a cycling zone. Adopt the area and turn it into a workout-cum-meeting-cum-fun zone. Cycling can well become the best form of health insurance and employee engagement.

The post Pedal your way to health appeared first on HR Katha.

Ergonomics along with workspaces designed with ample thought go a long way in ensuring the well-being of the employees, and hence, high productivity.
Corporate houses across the globe are relying on technological innovation to enhance employee and client experience.

It is observed that organisations that follow and sustain proper ergonomic processes not only report fewer injuries and illnesses than the others, they also experience less employee turnover, better productivity, and a healthier workforce.

So what is ergonomics?

It is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them.

It is a science that studies the ways in which work environments and spaces can be improved to minimise risk to the physical and mental health of the workers. With the rapid changes and advancement in technology, the need to ensure that all the tools and devices employees use and access at work are suited to their bodily needs and functions, has grown manifold.

Research has revealed that lower back pain is the most common work-related problem that affects a person’s wellness. That is why, we see the increasing use of ergonomic office chairs. These are designed to ensure comfortable seating for the users, based on their body size, muscles, strength, nature of work, and so on. Now, if we extend this thoughtfulness to all other aspects of the workplace, we will end up making the environment comfortable and ergonomically sound.

The main aim of ergonomics is to ensure optimum human performance. If followed and implemented properly, ergonomics can definitely improve employee well-being and also business performance.

So how do we go about making the workplace ergonomically sound?

Look at every aspect of the work and workspace keeping in mind ergonomic principles:

(i) Observe the postures of the employees: You will know an awkward posture from a neutral one at first sight. In a neutral posture, an employee’s body is aligned and well balanced, whether she/he is standing, sitting, talking, drinking or eating. The joints are aligned and there is no stress on any particular part of the body, muscle or joint. An awkward posture will obviously be just the opposite, stressing the body and injuring the muscles and skeletal system, often resulting in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) over a period of time.

(ii) Provide ample space: Ensure that the employees have ample space on their tables to rest their elbows while working on their laptops or desktops. Workstations should have sufficient space for employees to stand up and stretch from time to time. The height of the chair should be adjustable so that the monitor is at eye level and the employee is comfortable and does not experience any strain on the arms, neck or back. In the longer run, conditions like spondilytis and back pain can be avoided.

(iii) Encourage your employees to stretch: Stretching can be made part of the office routine. Encourage your employees to take a break every couple of hours to stretch, especially their shoulders and backs. They can be told to do squats and also stretch out their fingers, legs and wrists.

(iv) Avoid continuous contact: Stress can also result from repeated and continuous contact with a rough surface, or sharp object. People who use the mouse very often tend to develop dark patches on the skin, where the wrist rubs against the table surface. In factories and automobile plants and all, workers are often required to press certain devices, tools and handles with their palms or feet repeatedly throughout the day. This can put immense pressure on the knees, elbows, fingers and joints in the long run and cause permanent damage or scars. Again, the solution would be to rotate the job.

(v) Reduce repetitive motions: There are many jobs that involve daily repetitive motions. Such repetitive tasks become dangerous when other risk factors come into the picture, such as extreme force, excess weight, or awkward posture. Any job involving a cycle time of 30 seconds or less can be labelled extremely repetitive. This is where job rotation needs to be considered.

(vi) Provide adequate light: Very bright rooms and very dimly lit rooms are both bad for the eyes. Too much glare can cause the eyes to get tired and even result in headaches. Similarly, dimly lit rooms put pressure on the eyes of the workers. Ensure that the lighting is adjustable, and so is the glare from the screen (in case of computers). Monitors should be placed away from windows or bright backgrounds.

These are just a few basic ergonomic principles that can help to ensure your employees’ comfort and long-term well-being. And the truth is, most modern offices already practise these principles.

Designing engaging workspaces has become a priority for modern businesses. At the same time, workplace-related conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, MSDs, tendonitis, slip disc, spondilytis, and so on have also become rather common amongst today’s employees. What is surprising is that even youngsters are not spared.

With the changing times, ergonomics has also advanced beyond the fundamental designing of chairs, desks and lighting and all. With better understanding of the work culture and lifestyle of the younger workforce, corporates across the world are trying to provide completely immersive workspaces for their employees. That explains the growing trend of yoga rooms, meditation halls, and interactive relaxation zones, indoor plants, and so on.

Employers understand that stress or pain that affects the back, hands, neck, legs, knees or eyes, can turn out to be lifetime issues for employees and affect their morale and engagement levels. Companies are now aware that an employees’ experience begins right from the reception area, that is, the moment they enter the office.

Experiential ergonomics takes into consideration all the aspects that combine to offer employees an ideal environment to thrive and prosper. An ecosystem that offers sufficient space for individual ideas to develop and bloom. No wonder, today, ergonomics focusses on many things including the look and feel of the workspace— colour of the furniture, texture of the walls, lighting, the general ambience, greenery for indoor air quality, and so on. The modern workplace is designed to appeal to the senses of the millennial workforce— right from the visual and the acoustic, to the sense of taste and smell. Who would not want to start the day with the aroma of coffee, for instance? Many offices have coffee counters not far from the entrance so that the aroma wafts towards those who enter. There are vertical gardens to enhance the aesthetics and also ensure air quality, and automated blinds that open and close according to the level of sunlight!

Clearly, flexible and innovative design is the way forward. These will result in customisation of the comfort elements in such a way that the workspace becomes fit for the employees.

Remember, the employees themselves are the best sources of the ideal ergonomics recommendations. After all, they are the end users, and that makes them the right people to suggest job and space modifications that will make life easier and healthier for them. And what better way to engage them?

The post Good ergonomics can ensure employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

In the corporate world, the act of listening, especially on the part of the employers should be a blend of all the actions suggested in the above definitions.

A good listener is one who takes in what he hears as input, acts on it and then also gets back with output, feedback and followup information. That is the ideal and complete cycle.

So, when employees have a problem to talk about, listen to them, accept the information they provide, take necessary action, get back to them and inform them of what has been done and also tell them what came of the action taken. Results and outcome should be communicated immediately and clearly.

Simply listening to what employees have to say and sitting on that information is a waste of time. And employees today are quick to sense when listening sessions are meaningless and pointless.

A recent survey by Peakon that covered more than 32 million employees across 125 countries, reveals that it is not difficult to sense why or when an employee decides to quit. Apparently, it is not always about salary, work pressure and team dynamics. In fact, the report asserts that warning signs start appearing exactly nine months before the employee quits, if only the employers would care to ‘listen’.

The report, titled ‘The 9-month warning: Identifying quitters before it’s too late’ is based on a widespread corporate survey. It emphasises that by listening to their employees, all employers can ensure that their workforces stay engaged and also remain highly productive.

As an employer, the other points that you need to keep in mind are:

(i) Employees will give their best to whatever they themselves have helped to create. Therefore, employers should see to it that employees are actively involved in all solution processes.

(ii) Employees seldom crack under pressure if the work is challenging and meaningful. Stress that comes with new, challenging and interesting projects does not drive employees to quit. In fact, employees become more engaged and there is a significant rise in productivity because they feel they have really accomplished something concrete. So go ahead and challenge your team. Listen to new ideas.

(iii) Employees do not quit because of the remuneration. They quit because they are unable to discuss their remuneration with their managers. For them to realise that they are being paid fair remuneration, they should first feel like they have the liberty to discuss the matter with their managers. Only when there is an open channel of communication before them and an opportunity to connect, can they open up and benefit from being enlightened by higher authorities. The survey reveals that employees value the ability to be able to talk with their seniors more than the salary they receive.

It all boils down to listening skills. To engage and retain employees, all employers need to do is listen to them in the true sense of the word. They have to also let it be known that they are ever ready to listen.

Clearly, employees do not leave because they are stressed or are unable to handle the workload or are dissatisfied with their salaries. They leave because they feel nobody ‘listens’ to them. They are not always full of complaints, mind you. They are brimming with new ideas too, if only their seniors would care to lend their ears.

The post ‘Listen’ to ensure employee engagement appeared first on HR Katha.

Internal marketing is one great way to get a head start on connecting with this generation. HR managers and leaders have to assume the role of internal brand managers. Let us look at five ways in which HR can handle internal marketing.

Streamlined onboarding

Branding starts when the employee first joins the company or maybe even before that! One way is to make sure that the process of onboarding is smooth and quick. Employees usually spend a significant amount of time and effort in getting benefits-related administrative work in order. An application form asking for all relevant documents can be sent to the employees before joining the organisation.

“HR needs to understand that this generation is quite comfortable with technology, and the main challenge before HR will be to put human into technology and technology into human. The integration of technology and human experience must be made seamless.”

It is important to meet or exceed the employees’ expectations of the organisation in the first month. The younger generation will appreciate a quick and hassle-free enrolment process. Companies may benefit from investing in HR-enrolment technologies, which can streamline the process. Complicated enrolment processes can challenge the employees’ beliefs about the company. Like they say, the first impression is the last impression.

Saba Adil, former chief people and operating officer, Aegon Religare, feels that the important thing will be to take and incorporate feedback from this generation.

“There might come a change along the lines of personalisation of communications between HR and employees and flexibility of work,’’ she says.

Optimisation of benefits

The benefits and care packages can be optimised for the employees. The kind of benefits Gen Z will want from the company will differ from an older employees’ expectations. The employees should truly value the company benefits. This is where internal communication is important.

The messages to employees should be creative, intuitive and engaging. Moreover, the messages should carry the look and feel of the company’s public image.

It is better if the employees are contacted on their preferred choice of communication, be it e-mail, messaging, face-to-face meetings or online video guides. Flexible working hours, tuition sponsorship, and work-from-home options are some of the things that will be more valued by the younger generation rather than post-retirement benefits, which an older employee will want. If the employee has a good impression of the company, the opinion will be shared among others, and that will mean more branding for the company.

Connectedness with the corporate culture

Company culture is the third factor to keep in mind and this applies especially to today’s generation. They want to feel connected to the organisation and its culture. Therefore, the company values have to be clearly communicated to them. Everyone should be made aware of the expectations from the employees and the core commitments of the organisation. And these should be uniform across the organisation, so that whenever employees receive any communication about policy changes and company news, they can identify with the company’s values and message.

“There might come a change along the lines of personalisation of communications between HR and employees and flexibility of work.”

As soon as this generation hits the workforce around 2022, the world is going to see a paradigm shift, reflects Praveer Piyardarshi, former CPO, Jindal Stainless.

“The HR managers and leaders of that time will need to be prepared for this generation. This generation will not just tolerate any business. They are well researched and aware of their rights and responsibilities. Transparency on the part of the HR will be vital in dealing with Gen Z,” opines Priyadarshi.

Technological advancement

The fourth factor is technology, which is vital. Considering the rate of technological advancement that is currently underway, companies have to keep up. HR can invest laptops, tablets, office phones and other equipment, such as printers and coffee machines. Young worker wish to see a company keeping up with the times. Cutting-edge tech will create an impression of a company that invests in its resources as well.

“HR needs to understand that this generation is quite comfortable with technology, and the main challenge before HR will be to put human into technology and technology into human. The integration of technology and human experience must be made seamless,” advises Gajendra Chandel, former CHRO, Tata Motors.

“The HR managers and leaders of that time will need to be prepared for this generation. This generation will not just tolerate any business. They are well researched and aware of their rights and responsibilities. Transparency on the part of the HR will be vital in dealing with Gen Z”

HR tech can also be used to keep updates and tabs on employees. Personal events of the employees, such as promotions or birthdays can be addressed via the company’s message along with a personal touch.

Alignment of image and values

Today’s generation cares about the public image of the company and will look out for the social and environmental causes it supports. They want to associate with a company which stands for a cause, even if they are doing it for the money. The values shown to the public should also be reflected in the corporate culture. For instance, if the company supports sustainability, HR can make sure the office uses paper cups or goes completely digital. Again, if the organisation stands with the #MeToo movement, the behaviour and values of the employees should reflect that. The public image of the company and its internal work culture cannot be different. Gen Z is concerned about authenticity and transparency. An alignment of the company’s image and company values will ensure better scores for the company in every which way.

The post Five ways to build internal branding for Gen Z appeared first on HR Katha.

The lowest scorer was China, whose employee engagement reflected a fall of 13 per cent, bringing it to a low of six per cent.

While the survey shows that multinational companies report better employee-engagement rates in India, than in their home countries, most Indian employees still appear to be far from being fully engaged.

According to the survey, employees who are part of a team are more likely to be fully engaged than those who work on their own. This is probably because employees working in teams are aware of the significance of clarity of goals and objectives, and know how important it is to communicate openly. They also believe in powerful leadership, outlining the responsibilities and making everyone’s role clear. In India, there are maximum number of employees working in teams.

However, despite scoring better than other countries in terms of employee engagement, most Indian workers remain far from fully engaged.

Only 22 per cent of the workers surveyed seemed to be fully engaged. That means, over three fourths of Indian employees are merely present at work and not giving their best.

This isn’t really surprising because:

• Increasing stress is adversely affecting employee morale
• Workplace stress is resulting in a fall in productivity
• Only a fourth of Indian business leaders give priority to employee engagement
• There is a lack of effective training to ensure employee engagement

The situation was no different back in 2014, when Dale Carnegie Training conducted a study in collaboration with NHRDN, which showed similar findings — that Indian employees were more engaged than their global counterparts. At that time too, India had more number of fully engaged employees in its workforce (46 per cent) as compared to the global average (34 per cent). In the US, only about 30 per cent of the workforce was reported to be fully engaged in 2014.

Five years back, it was concluded that the factors that influenced employee engagement levels were the following:

• The kind of rapport or connection the employees had with their immediate supervisors
• The level of trust and faith the employees had in the senior leaders of the organisation
• The feeling of belongingness and pride at being part of the organisation
• The education level of the employees

According to the 2014 study, in India, employees’ average level of education was much higher than their counterparts in the US. No wonder India scored better.

The Dale Carnegie Training survey had reported that a significant number of employees (61 per cent of those surveyed) were ready to put in extra hours of work without additional remuneration. Employee engagement levels were the highest in the healthcare sector, and lowest in government and education sectors. Larger organisations, with over a lakh employees had more number of actively engaged employees, whereas companies with about 100 to 500 staff members had less actively engaged staff.

The majority of those who had completed 15 or more years of service in the same company, were highly engaged, which is but natural, otherwise they wouldn’t have stayed on for so long. Again, a majority (71 per cent) of those whose yearly income was more than a crore, were highly engaged.

Of those who earned between 1.5 and 3 lakhs, about 15 per cent were highly disengaged. But 30 per cent of the engaged employees were willing to stay on with their present employers even if they were given half the increment offered by a competing organisation. More than half (58 per cent) were proud to be part of their present workplace.

Despite these encouraging figures, even back in 2014, 54 per cent of the workforce in our country was not really happy its jobs.

Clearly, things have not changed much over the years. We may have more swanky and automated offices, but some facts still remain the same.

In India, about 50 per cent of the workforce is working for family-owned businesses. These businesses follow a patriarchal structure, where merit often plays little role.

In the private and government organisations, the hierarchy is rather rigid. Compliance to practices is expected and innovation hardly gets a chance. Therefore, employees brimming with creativity and innovative ideas feel stifled and end up disengaged. Productivity falls and absenteeism increases, ultimately leading to a dip in profits and customer satisfaction.
Apparently, billions of dollars are lost every year across the globe, merely because employees are not fully engaged.

While organisations are waking up to the importance of employee engagement, there is still a long way to go before India tops the list of countries with a 100 per cent ‘fully engaged’ workforce.

Organisations need to simply ensure that work is allocated with some thought to the suitability; employees are chasing realistic deadlines; enough flexibility is allowed to the employees to enjoy work-life balance; the mental and physical well-being of the employee is given priority; and the workforce enjoys an environment and culture of positivity.

In a country where there is no dearth of talent, these are just some of the factors that organisations can consider to ensure employee engagement, and manage to attract and retain the best talent.

The post Employee engagement: How much has changed in India, in the past five years? appeared first on HR Katha.

In India, the practice of sleeping for a little while during the day has been in existence for centuries. Even the Greek traveller Megasthenes, who visited India over two millennia ago, made a note in his writings of how Indians enjoyed a nap after lunch.

In China, lunch is given a lot of importance and so is the nap that follows. With rice and noodles being their staple food, drowsiness is inevitable for the Chinese post a heavy meal. Similar is the case with Indians, most of whom eat rice for lunch.

No wonder my father-in-law who used to work at the Chinese Embassy, in the publishing department, is used to taking a nap after lunch every day. At work, they would all just clear their tables and sleep on them for about half an hour every day, post lunch. It was a sort of official nap time. And my father-in-law swears that it really helped them get back to work with renewed energy. He became so used to it that even after retirement, he cannot survive without his siesta, so much so that even if there are guests in the house, he excuses himself for ten minutes to rest. And that is all it takes to freshen him up.

In fact, the Chinese consider the siesta a sort of fundamental right because it is provided for by the law! If the Chinese are able to enjoy a break of two or two and a half hours every day, at school and also in offices, daily, why can’t Indians also follow the same practice?

Does that mean a siesta is good enough to be made mandatory at the workplace?

Researchers have found that even losing 16 minutes of sleep can greatly impact the productivity and performance of an employee the following day. If sleep is that important, why not allow employees to catch up on their sleep during the day, at the workplace? Right after lunch would be the ideal time.

People who are not sleep deprived are able to focus better on the tasks at hand, deliver error-free work and display better cognitive functions and faster reaction time.

Spain too has a culture of taking short naps after lunch. In Spain, all shops and establishments usually remain shut for two hours in the afternoon, post lunch. This gives employees time to go home, eat and rest during the day when the heat is at its peak.

In fact, all warm countries follow this practice, including Greece, Slovenia, Taiwan,Philippines and Serbia. In Japan, workers who sleep at work are not admonished. Rather, it is considered to be an indication of their dedication.

Cat naps are said to boost memory too. So why not incorporate it into the daily office routine?

Not everyone agrees that short naps at work are healthy. There are some who feel that the siesta induces laziness and deviates from professionalism. Some sleep experts say that daytime sleep can make it more difficult for employees to sleep at night.

But the benefits far outweight the drawbacks. While Ben & Jerrys, the ice cream manufacturing company has introduced nap rooms for its employees, Google has installed napping pods for its staff at its California headquarters, to take cat naps. These hi-tech pods not only play soothing music but also wake up employees when it is time to return to work.

While it will be a great idea for India Inc. to actually give an official nod to nap time at the workplace, care has to be taken to ensure that these naps remain really short. It is true that even ten minutes away from work and gadgets will do wonders for an exhausted body and brain, but a 20-minute break would be just ideal!

The post Cat naps can increase productivity! appeared first on HR Katha.

Employees often experience something commonly referred to as the ‘Monday morning blues’. All professionals may have experienced it at some point, right at the start of a work week.

Employees may suffer from the blues, mainly because their workplace has stopped pleasing them. It is a known fact that when work ceases to be interesting and the workplace stops being attractive, employees tend to feel tired faster, start slipping into depression, and lose hope. They may hate going to work because they are not appreciated or satisfied. Therefore, they end up dragging themselves to work simply because they cannot give it up and not because they enjoy it.

On the other hand, if employees are performing work that they are passionate about, they will look forward to going to work on a Monday morning. For them, the beginning of a work week offers another chance to do what they love. Now that we know who experiences Monday blues and who does not, it is easy to identify ways to beat these dreaded blues.

1. Switch off from work completely on Friday: Try not to carry work home over the weekend. In fact, it will be ideal if you refrain from even checking your official mails on Saturday and Sunday. Reserve the weekend only for your personal life, family, friends and hobbies. The break will refresh you for Monday.

2. Don’t keep work pending: When you leave the office on Friday, ensure that you clear all backlog or at least most of it. This will ensure that you get to see a somewhat clear desk on Monday and less work piled up for you to tackle. The sight of work piled up and waiting for you on a Monday morning can spoil your mood for the entire week and stress you out unnecessarily. Ensure that you complete all the complicated tasks on Friday itself.

3. Sleep early and wake up early: Retire early on Sunday night so that you get a good eight hours or more of sleep. This will ensure that you wake up fresh and well rested on Monday morning with a feeling of being ‘ready to take on the world’. Wake up half an hour early if you can, and you will see that you have ample time to sip your morning cuppa in peace. More importantly, you will not be rushing to get dressed and beat the traffic. You will arrive at work stress free.

4. Be grateful: When you leave the bed in the morning, thank God for being alive to greet a lovely day. Accept that there is a power above all that makes things happen. It is that same power that is responsible for your ability to enjoy the day. Thank the lift operator who holds the door open for you, the watchman at the gate, the auto driver who drops you, or even the peon or runner who runs errands inside the office. Just a ‘Thank you’ accompanied with a smile is enough to make their day. The smiles you get in return will infuse you with so much positive energy and feeling of goodness that there will be no room for the ‘blues’.

5. Listen to good music: Once the alarm goes off, switch on some good music. May be something soothing. It is a good habit to listen to the gayatri mantra in the morning. Let the chants penetrate every corner of the house and your mind. Then, after you have bathed and freshened up, put on some energetic music. Play your favourite songs and you will see how your mood is instantly uplifted.

6. Turn out smartly: Take time to dress up for work. Wear something smart; something that you love; something that gives you confidence. Your attire makes a lot of impact, not just on others but on your own self. Dressing up well gives you much needed energy and positivity, and of course loads of compliments. Armed with all that positivity, you will be ready to infect others with the same. What could be better for the working environment than people full of positive energy?

7. Focus on the interesting: By repeatedly thinking about the things that interest you and get you excited, you will ensure that your body remains energised and your mind remains enthusiastic throughout the week, and not just on Monday. For instance, you may have a concert to attend later in the week or may be participating in a friendly tennis match or performing in a play. If you realise you have nothing interesting to look forward to, then it is probably time for you to go over your lifestyle.

8. Tackle the tedious work first: If you do have a list of things to do, list them out in order of level of complexity. Then, tackle the tedious and complicated tasks first and get them over and done with. That will leave just the smaller and simpler tasks to be taken care of for the rest of the day. This will not only give you a feeling of relief but also lighten your heart.

9. Keep Mondays free of meetings: Important meetings should always be scheduled for a Tuesday. The first day of the work week should be for settling in and getting into the rhythm. So, don’t rush into it. Take your time. Let the body and mind gradually get into the groove.

10. Remember to have fun at work: Ensure that Monday is a fun day. Look for a reason to celebrate, cut a cake or order fancy food. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a birthday or anniversary. Celebrate somebody’s new dress, or new car, or just the fact of being together at the start of the week. Make Monday a day of feasting. This will give everyone a reason to look forward to it.

11. Find out what is wrong: Once in a while it is not unusual to experience Monday morning blues. But if you experience it every Monday, something is definitely wrong. It is proof that you have stopped enjoying your work. It is time to find a solution — switch roles or just switch jobs altogether.

The post Make Monday a ‘Fun’ day appeared first on HR Katha.

Considering the issue of road safety and the number of road accidents that takes place in India every year, it is certainly not a rosy picture at all. Road safety has been a major issue in India for a very long time now. Around 1.47 lakh people died in road accidents in 2017, which is even more than the population of Shillong and many other small cities in India. The number appears to be even higher than the number of soldiers we lost in our wars. As per the data from the Ministry of Roads and Safety, the number of fatalities and injuries is twice the number of people that die in accidents every year. Over the years, we have hardly seen any positive reduction in the number of accidents and lives lost. The Government may choose to shy away from helping the situation, but Eli Lilly and Company India has refused to do so.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare organisation has a robust road-safety programme in place for its field employees, called the ‘Mobile direction programme’. This emphasises on promoting road- safety practices and training amongst its sales team and other field employees. The programme has been in existence for a very long time, but in the past two to three years, the organisation has been placing extra emphasis on the safety of its employees.

In India, almost 70 per cent of the workforce at Eli Lilly consists of field employees who rarely sit at a desk. Under this programme, all the newly-recruited employees who join the sales team or other field work duties, have to go through a day’s driving training and test, with half of the day spent on theory classes as well. Unless they attend the programme and clear the test, they cannot go out on the field and work.

All the immediate managers and supervisors are required to check on the safety of their field staff twice a year and create a feedback report, which they have to then upload on the Company’s internal app along with a questionnaire. They also have to provide a feedback on how the field employee is driving. The Company also organises visits by road safety experts from outside for its field staff, to enhance further awareness amongst the employees.

The Lilly mobile app allows staff to report or seek support in case of an accident.

“Being a healthcare company, our biggest priority is to make sure that our employees are safe. None should ever get hurt while working for Lilly. We strive to live by our value of respect for people, and it starts with making sure that every employee is safe”

Providing financial support to its employees is also an integral part of the programme. The organisation provides reimbursements to its employees on buying safety gear, such as helmets, gloves, jackets, knee guards and elbow guards. It also extends financial support for vehicle maintenance and changing of tyres.

The Company prohibits pillion riding, as this increases the risk of two people getting hurt at the same time. Managers are encouraged to hire a cab for field visits and claim reimbursement for the same. “Being a healthcare company, our biggest priority is to make sure that our employees are safe. None should ever get hurt while working for Lilly. We strive to live by our value of respect for people, and it starts with making sure that every employee is safe, “says Anant Garg, director HR India, Eli Lilly and Company.

He further adds, “When there are road safety issues within the organisation, it also impacts the brand and the business. As a result of this ongoing effort, our injuries and incidents have remained very low, and specifically this year it’s been zero.”

According to Garg, on an average, the number of collisions and accidents has also seen a reduction of 20 per cent in three years, thanks to this programme.

For Eli Lilly it is just not about the safety of employees on the roads, but also ensuring a healthy and a fit culture in the organisation.

As we have witnessed in Delhi, since the last four years, the level of pollution in the capital has taken a big leap. To provide a healthy work environment for its employees, the organisation has installed an industrial air purifier, which is integrated to the air conditioners in the offices. This keeps the PM level below 50 inside the office. Eli Lilly also provides discounts to its employees to purchase air purifiers for their homes. That is not all. It organises Zumba and Yoga classes for the benefit of its employees.

Eli Lilly is truly setting a benchmark for other organisations, with its extraordinary efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of its employees.

The post Eli Lilly plays guardian angel to its employees appeared first on HR Katha.

Employers need to realise that while one person’s vote may probably not change the course of an election, a few hundreds or thousands can definitely do so.

Thankfully, it is not just the Indian government that is trying to get the citizens of the nation to exercise their right to vote. India Inc. is also doing its bit to drive home the importance of voting.

While Google came up with an ideal election-themed doodle to mark the beginning of polls, for the first time ever, Samsung has allowed its employees time to go back to their constituencies to cast their vote. What is even better is that it will not be counting this time off as leave! Now how many employees can resist that?

Flipkart is organising voter-registration camps for not just its employees but also their families. These camps are aimed to help not only first-time voters but also those voters who are trying to register in a different area or constituency due to relocation or transfers, and so on.

Swiggy ‘s unique campaign with a catchy line— #votekarophirswiggykaro —offers its delivery staff reward points in the form of ‘Swiggy Smiles’ to cast their votes. As part of the campaign, Swiggy offers a menu card listing the ‘nation’s needs’, which covers items, such as making housing affordable for all, ending red tapism, increasing job opportunities, waiving loans, cleansing the country of criminals, and cracking down on black money. On clicking an item or option, the message that pops up says: “Sorry, we are not there yet. Unfortunately, there are some things you can’t get delivered home. So this general election, step out and vote.”
Many eating outlets in Bangalore are offering 20 per cent discounts to those who have cast their vote.

Radisson Blu Atria’s innovative campaign in Bengaluru required young voters to upload their selfies showing off their inked fingers to avail an attractive discount on food and soft beverages. It offered rebates to patrons who uploaded their selfies with inked fingers on their Facebook page. On similar lines, The Reservoire in Koramangala offered a complimentary dessert to voters.

The Tamil Nadu Hotels Association (TNHA) offered a special rebate to those who showed their inked finger during a certain time period on a specific date, at their eateries. Considering the Group includes some very popular names, such as Hot Chips and Saravana Bhavan in its repertoire of 1200 eateries, this was definitely a great strategy to get people to vote.

Many organisations have been texting their employees urging them to cast their votes. Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra, Infosys, Deloitte, Accenture, Domino’s, Dunkin Donuts, H&M and Titan, have given their staff a day off to exercise their right to vote.
Facebook’s tool called ‘Candidate Connect’ provides people with information about candidates. It offers yet another tool called ‘Share you Voted’, which not only provides polling information but allows voters to announce and celebrate their vote.

Twitter is not far behind with its #PowerOf18 programme that encourages first-time voters. It conducted a survey to study the attitudes of the youngsters of the country, in the 18 to 30 age bracket, and their role in shaping the political and social environment of the country. The survey revealed that almost 94 per cent of the respondents were positive about casting their vote.

Amul is printing a message on crores of milk packets daily, for a period of ten days, to encourage people to cast their vote.

It is time for organisations to realise that by encouraging their employees to vote, they will be doing the following:

• Showing the employees that they care
• Engaging the staff politically
• Encouraging dialogue and communication within the workforce
• Developing their employees into well-rounded citizens
• Making it clear that they are socially responsible

The post Indian companies should feel duty-bound to ensure their employees get inked appeared first on HR Katha.

Here are some ways in which organisations can ensure their employees stay on with them and feel cared for.

Use a personal touch: Everyone likes to be appreciated or thanked. But making your appreciation or gratitude known via a mail does not have the same magic as a hand-written personal note of appreciation or thanks. Acknowledge employees for their performance personally, and preferably in the presence of the entire team.

Provide customised training: Each employee or individual is different. Therefore, the pace at which each individual learns or understands is also different. That is why, each new employee should be trained or inducted in the manner that she/he is comfortable with. This not only puts the new joinees at east but also instills in them a feeling of being protected and looked after from day one.

An organisation that cares for its employees is the most successful in retaining top talent. With Vantage Circle’s complete employee engagement suite, retain and engage your employees with the best perks; give recognition where its due and ensure the wellbeing of your employees.

Involve the employees in social work: People are always keen to do their bit for the society. However, given the hectic lifestyles of today, they find little time to indulge in charity work. Therefore, working for an organisation that has an active CSR wing gives the employees a chance to contribute towards social causes and charity.

Unearth the hidden issues: Find out how happy your employees are, but do it without them feeling guilty or threatened. Anonymous surveys are the best way to achieve this. Introduce ways for your employees to share their complaints and grievances anonymously. This instills a sense of belonging in the employees.

Provide special benefits: Believe it or not, but pet insurance seems to be a big draw for the new generation of employees. Similarly, day care facilities and reimbursement of tuition fees are some other benefits that attract job seekers, especially women.

Wellness programs: Today more than ever companies are offering employees wellness programs to improve quality of life and reduce stress-levels. A plethora of initiatives such as employing a wellness coach for employees, organising periodic yoga classes, having a gymnasium at the premises are there to choose from. The wellness culture becomes a part of an employee’s life at work and outside work too.

A comprehensive approach is essential towards creating a framework for employee engagement. A positive and psychologically safe culture, an opportunity to grow and develop one’s skills and an environment conducive to growth goes a long way in retaining and engaging employees.

The post Retaining and engaging employees is not that difficult a task appeared first on HR Katha.

When the beginning of its internship programme almost coincided with April Fool’s Day, Swiggy decided to play a small prank on the new batch of interns, referred to as ‘Swiggsterns’, during their on-boarding process.

The Swiggy team made up a fictitious and non-existing company of its own, called ‘Orange Dabba’— a food-delivery startup that supposedly delivered home-made food to people. The interns were given the impression that they would be working with Órange Dabba’and not Swiggy! The new brand was made out to be so genuine and legitimate that the interns were actually in a quandary. They were perplexed as to who their actual employer was, although they had enrolled with Swiggy.

Most of the interns half-heartedly participated in the induction process, nodding mechanically, throughout the presentation. It was clear that mentally they were preoccupied, probably thinking about how they had been tricked into believing they were working for Swiggy when they had actually been hired for Orange Dabba. Confusion prevailed till one girl gathered the courage to ask where exactly their appointment letters will come from after the intership programme.

To her query, the presenter confidently answered, ‘From Orange Dabba itself.’

The disappointment on the faces of the interns was quite evident then. Fortunately, the induction team revealed that it was all a prank, and everybody was able to breathe light and regain composure. Though it caused confusion and disturbance in the minds of the interns for some time, everyone could look back and laugh over it.

This was a memorable and fun way for Swiggy to induct its interns, who will be an integral part of its workforce in the future.

Though it was just a prank, it managed to loosen up the interns, establish a great rapport with the newcomers and create a bond that is sure to last. What better way to engage the employees?

Swiggy is known to be a company that values its employees and has also been featured in LinkedIn’s top companies to work in India.

In the past, Swiggy had launched a campaign called ‘Call me by my name’, wherein its customers had been requested to call / address their delivery partners by their name and not ‘Swiggy’.

It is not difficult to win over the workforce and engage employees. Swiggy has shown the way. Time for others in India Inc. to follow suit. After all, it is never too early to establish a bond with the employees. In fact, starting with the interns will ensure a loyal workforce in the long term.

The post Swiggy pulled a great prank on its employees appeared first on HR Katha.

The enthusiasm was rather infectious. As the sessions became more intensive and competitive, the colleagues began to travel a distance of up to 15 kilometres every weekend to meet at a sports club to train in a proper court. Each of them was willing to wake up early even on a Saturday and drive down to the court to smash it out, sometimes with their children and spouses in tow. My friend herself had become so passionate about these matches and so keen to improve her performance that she was more than willing to play with us in the evenings too, just to build her stamina. Just a simple half an hour session that began in the parking lot of an office had managed to benefit not just the immediate families of the employees but so many others miles away.

There are numerous offices out there that emphasise a lot on sports. And it is a good thing too, with employee health and wellness increasingly becoming the focus for most organisations across the globe.

Build better teams by initiating a culture of appreciation and feedback with Vantage Circle’s Rewards and Recognition program. The module has unique features like on-spot recognition, peer-to-peer recognition, instant rewards and more!

Gone are the days when organisations held team-building exercises to develop a spirit of team work amongst the employees. In fact, not long ago, a research by Citrix, a global software company had revealed that employees actually dislike such team-building activities as they often come across as rather patronising and even outdated.

On the other hand, people never really tire of sports, in any form. If anything, a sport only infuses energy and enthusiasm into those playing it. It is also an indirect way of ensuring that the employees indulge in some physical exercise and remain engaged.

As employers, you must find out what your employees are passionate about, especially in the field of sports. If your team members love to play cricket, football or badminton, try and integrate these sports into the workplace. Form teams and organise matches—inter-team or inter-departmental.

Sports events or matches, present an excellent opportunity to the employees to bond outside of work. Even people who do not get along well inside the office team up and forget their individual differences on the field or the court.

Such matches help to level the playing field. Even very senior executives may be playing alongside the juniors, runners or peons.

The Apollo Hospitals Group, for instance, has had such sporting initiatives for its employees for more than a decade now. It organises sporting events at six major centres across India. Badminton, cricket, table tennis and football matches as well as other athletic events are organised wherein over 200 employees participate annually, at each centre. The Group has experienced high levels of productivity since the launch of the programme. It is the best way to help the hospital employees—doctors, nurses, attendants and allied staff—who work in a high-pressure environment day in and day out— release stress. It builds their stamina and helps them tackle pressure.

The employees who are unable to interact with each other casually during work, are able to communicate freely on the field, during a match or sports event. This helps them bond well and leads to seamless communication, which results in higher productivity in the long run.

Most corporates in the country are realising the significance of informal interaction amongst employees beyond work. They are also aware of the importance of their employees’ mental and physical well-being. And the best way to address both is to hold regular sports events.

In addition to sports tournaments, organisations such as RMSI have made activities, such as music band, photography club, painting, theatre, film-making, guitar classes, and zumba lessons a part of their culture. At Hindustan Lever, the employees spend quality time at the library and also get to attend yoga classes. Bharti Airtel offers fitness and spa facilities among other benefits, whereas Kotak Mahindra organises family days every year, and also movie screenings to help the workforce relax.

A relaxed and healthy employee usually goes home to a relaxed and healthy family. This means, at least three happy and healthy individuals. If each of your mentally and physically fit employees ensures the mental and physical health of her/his family, imagine what your whole workforce can achieve?

The post A domino effect that all employers should trigger off! appeared first on HR Katha.

The workload and job stress make us prone to a lot of health-related problems, such as heart disease and mental illness. When you are working in a corporate environment, with less physical activities, it becomes very important for us to take care of our body. There are many studies to prove that a healthy employee is a lot more productive at work too. It is very simple— when a person is physically fit and healthy, that positivity transcends and reflects in his work.

Understanding the importance of employee wellness and health, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a very cool initiative called ‘Global wellness challenge’ wherein the Company turns its office campus into a mini Olympics stadium. Several physical activities are organised for the employees, which are also competitive in nature with teams and individuals competing with each other to win.

The Company has tied with an external vendor to build a health and wellness platform to measure the progress of the employees. The number of activities an employee participates in or wins is reflected in the form of steps or points. The interesting part of the whole exercise is that the initiative comes under the Company’s rewards programme and all these activities are incentivised. On achieving a specified number of steps or targets, HPE gives special incentives to the employees. Though the percentage of incentives is not high, it provides enough encouragement to the people to participate with enthusiasm.

The annual event, which is based on a theme, revolved around the theme of ‘Iconic buildings’ this year.

The number of steps taken by the employees will take them forward through iconic buildings. This time, it started with the Opera House in Sydney and will go through the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan, the Patronas Twin Towers, the Taj Mahal and the Bank of Georgia building.

“The Global Wellness Challenge is a marque programme of HPE. We believe in creating a fit and healthy culture,” says Srinath Krishna, country manager, total rewards, India, HPE, who is heading the whole programme in India.

There are a lot of interesting and well-organised activities within the office campuses. One is a walkathon where employees can participate to walk in the campus for 5–10 kilometres. Another is a 60-second challenge where a person has to complete a task in 60 seconds. The tasks are related to physical activities, such as virtual cycling, where employees of different regions of the country can compete with each other.

The most interesting one is the foot pool challenge wherein two teams have to play football inside a pool. Other activities include a mini golf, staircase challenge and desktop Zumba.

Vantage Fit is a customisable employee health and wellness app with features for activity tracking, calorie intake, daily workout routine and many more, designed especially for corporate employees. The application also comes with a 12-week health program where each week it focuses on a different health aspect, encouraging a healthy lifestyle in the workplace.

Global wellness Challenge is a global campaign that has been running for a few years now. But for India, the company also has a localised campaign customised for employees in the country. So the Indian employees get to participate in both the campaigns.

The whole campaign culminates in a ‘Run’ wherein the family members, such as spouse and kids of the employees, can also participate. Participation in the ‘Run’ depends on the number of steps achieved by the employees, to make sure they have enough stamina.

All employees, even the senior leadership, can participate in the Global Wellness Challenge. The Company has about 18,000 employees in India, and on an average, around 30 – 40 per cent employees participate. This year, the GWC 2019 started on 9 March and HPE is aiming to increase the participation percentage to 60–80 per cent. GWC 2019 is a two-month long programme, which will end on 12 April, 2019.

The post Global Wellness Challenge: Hewlett Packard Enterprise’ mini Olympics appeared first on HR Katha.

While writing a diary was a hobby that most people indulged in not so long ago in the past, there are very few today who have the time to pick up their pen to scribble a note in their diary or journal.

In this hectic and chaotic world, writing a journal can actually be very cathartic and therapeutic, especially for employees who have very challenging work schedules.

In fact, it will be a great idea for employees to keep a journal in which they can write regularly about their feelings, their colleagues, the activities at work, what they like, what they learn, what they approve of and even what they dislike. The exercise will help them in more ways than one, and to an extent help improve employee engagement.

Mental health: The diary or journal can play the role of a therapist. Just as a therapist lends a patient ear, quietly listening to all that a person has to say, the diary allows the owner to write anything and everything that comes to his mind. It allows the owner to pour his heart out, which can be a very healing experience. The whole exercise, if indulged in regularly, can keep the mind relaxed and light. For people who find it difficult to mingle and make friends, especially at work, keeping a journal can go a long way in helping them express their feelings and rid them of the feeling of loneliness. It may even help keep depression at bay for some.

Reminder: A journal can be the best place for employees to put down their goals. Every time they pick up their diary or journal, they will be reminded of the goals they hope to achieve in life, and how far or close to them they are. Encourage your employees to also put down their team’s and the company’s short-term and long-term goals in the diary. It is the best way to not only keep track of how much has been achieved and remains to be achieved, but also to not let the goals out of sight.

Creativity: While putting thoughts down on paper, the writer expresses clearly, sincerely and with honesty. Regular writing can stimulate the brain and awaken the creativity that may be lying dormant within an individual. If team leaders ask employees to maintain short-term diaries, only for specific projects, at the workplace, and request them to exchange these diaries amongst team members and also with the leader, it could be a very enlightening exercise. Of course, such an activity cannot be forced. The employees should volunteer to share their project-based diaries. Such exchanges can lead to very powerful insights.

Introspection: Journal writing forces the writer to go through all the events of the day— the situations faced, the reactions shown, the action taken, mistakes committed, and so on. This analysis of one’s own actions can help a person identify personal weaknesses, strengths and shortcomings. Being aware of one’s own self is the first step to achieving success in life. Again, a weekly activity can be organised within teams, where the members can be asked to share one quality that they learnt about themselves on going through their diaries and on self-introspection.

Report card: An individual’s diary or journal is not very different from a report card. In fact, it is even better than a normal report card and has a long-term impact on a person’s personality and career trajectory. It documents the personal and professional achievements of individuals, which one can go over frequently and at any time. It gives a good boost to one’s self-esteem. Encourage the employees to make a table at the back of the diary, and list the achievements and failures alongside the date. This table can be a ready reference for them as well as their team leaders/reporting managers, if required, and may even be handy during appraisals.

Expressions: Not all thoughts can be openly discussed. Not everyone is comfortable discussing their emotions with others. So the diary or journal offers the best means to express one’s deepest thoughts, secrets and emotions. Writing regularly makes the writer become intimate with one’s own self. Such intimacy is healthy for the mind and helps the writer or journal keeper develop healthy and intimate relations with others too.

Memories: The moments recorded in a diary bring back memories every time it is read. These memories go a long way in preserving relationships and keeping one rooted. Also, going through a diary at leisure can be a good pastime. It is almost like reading a novel, authored by the reader.

Simply put, employers who care for the mental well-being of their employees should encourage them to maintain journals or diaries. Even though it may seem like a huge task at first, once they begin, they are sure to develop a fondness for this ‘friend’ that listens, absorbs, manages to rid them of their anxiety, helps them identify their negative and positive traits, and offers them guidance without uttering a single word. Those who are in the habit of writing regularly admit that it is their way of meditating, and swear by its calming effect.

Go on! Encourage your teams to maintain personal journals and fill them with their experiences. Help them vent, release, de-stress, introspect, organise their thoughts and find their island of calm within the pages of a diary!

The post Dear Diary… appeared first on HR Katha.

Not only are we very much out there in the world, we exercise our vote with confidence, take on leadership roles, efficiently straddle work and home and even manage to excel on both fronts. While we are rubbing shoulders with men— something granny would never have dreamt or approved of— are we better off than men yet? Not really. Gender bias seems to be a long way away from eradication, especially in the professional sphere.

A recent LinkedIn study reveals that recruiters prefer to open and view the profiles of men more frequently than women, on LinkedIn! The ‘Gender Insights Report: How Women Find Jobs Differently’, reveals that while going through candidates on LinkedIn, recruiters are 13 per cent less likely to open a woman’s profile that is thrown up in a search. Even if they do click on one, they are 3 per cent less likely to send an InMail after going through it.
However, if we ignore this initial bias, there is yet another interesting revelation. Once they apply for a job, women stand a better chance of getting hired! Now that is a paradox worth investigating.

Why are organisations still reluctant to hire more women?

The reasons could be varied. The most recent one is the #MeToo movement. Some organisations are even willing to hire less qualified men rather than qualified women because of the recent spate of #MeToo revelations that have cost certain companies dearly. In fact, if the woman applicant is attractive, her chances of being hired for the job become all the more slim.

Another major reason is that maternity leave does take a toll on the organisations. With the leave being extended to 26 weeks— more than double of what it used to be— many organisations refrain from hiring young women. Not only do they lose out on a trained resource, they end up spending valuable time and money in trying to get someone else to fill in while the experienced one is away fulfilling the demands of motherhood.

But then the advantages of hiring women far outweigh the disadvantages. Isn’t that why the Gender Insights Report clearly states that women applicants are more likely to get hired for the job they apply for than men? Women are 16 per cent more likely than men to get hired once they apply for a position. When it comes to senior roles, the Report says that women are 18 per cent more likely to get hired for the position than men.

But why is it so? The answer lies in the fact that women are cautious applicants. They do not send in their resumes to every other organisation or apply for every other position. They find out all they can about companies before attempting to take up a job there. 41 per cent women read up about the company on LinkedIn before applying. That isn’t all— they do not always apply for the jobs they view either. In fact, women are 16 per cent less likely to apply for a job they view. Also, women apply to 20 per cent fewer jobs than men. Clearly, they are selective. And most importantly, they do not apply until they are fully convinced that they are 100 per cent suited to and qualified for the job.

On the other hand, men will apply even if they meet 60 per cent of the selection criteria.
So obviously, when a recruiter is interacting with a woman candidate, she is definitely a better fit for the job than a man vying for the same role or post.

On this Women’s Day, all HR leaders who believe in diversity should take a step towards implementing practices that would help reduce the selection bias. The best way to do this is by doing away with the primary identifiers of gender, including photographs and candidates’ names from the applications.
HR should also ensure that candidates are assessed on the basis of a test, which is based on skills alone. Their previous experience, previous employers, the names of their schools or colleges, and their previous designations should neither matter nor be taken into account.

These are measures that can be easily implemented and will go a long way in helping women rub shoulders with the men in the true sense of the word. So, chuck the flowers, chocolates and gifts. Do something more concrete and long term. Contribute significantly towards the theme for International Women’s Day 2019 — #BalanceForBetter. Join the global push for professional and social equality!

The post An interesting paradox to mark Women’s Day appeared first on HR Katha.

Those in leadership roles cannot even dream of taking the day off in between important projects and amidst the tension of deadlines. Not because they fear the project may collapse in their absence, but because this pain is not a one-off occurrence. It will come every month and sap them of their energy and render them weak and lifeless. It is something that women employees have to accept and simply be grateful that it isn’t a daily occurrence. That is how they have been taught to deal with it.

But isn’t it time that the corporate world became more sensitive to women during those days?

With the trailblazing film Padman, Akshay Kumar managed to make a majority of the Indian population accept menstruation as a normal bodily function, and not as a disease or something that rendered women impure. The same people who found it awkward to sit through an ad for sanitary napkins now talk openly about it with a straight face. And what is more, a Netflix documentary film on menstruation, Period. End of sentence won an Oscar this year. When the world has sat up and taken note of the low-cost sanitary pad making machines being used by a remote Indian village, why isn’t India Inc. making life easier for its women professionals?

While the topic of menstruation is no longer the taboo that it was a few decades back, it remains to be mostly held against women, even by the educated corporate world. Why else is ‘menstrual leave’ still not a standard practice in the Indian corporate world?

Two years back, in an attempt to be more inclusive, the Supreme Court of India installed sanitary napkin vending machines on its premises. It set a great example. But how many organisations followed suit?

While there are fancy toilets for women in most swanky offices of today, a sanitary napkin vending machine is not such a common sight. Aren’t these as indispensable as the hand driers in the loos? A woman who does not have to worry about ‘accidents’ or bother to step out of office for an emergency purchase of a pack of pads will be more at ease and definitely more productive and focussed at work.

‘Menstrual leave’ is yet to be implemented in India, while women in some countries, such as Japan and Korea have enjoyed days off during their period for years now. Japanese women have enjoyed paid leave for menstruation since 1947, while Korean women have had the privilege since 2001.

Why is it so difficult to pass a legislation to this effect in India? Ninong Ering, an Indian politician who represents Arunachal East in the Lok Sabha, once moved The Menstruation Benefit Bill, 2017. This Private Member’s Bill proposed that women professionals, whether in the public or private sector, should be allowed to avail two days of paid menstrual leave every month. The Bill also proposed that all workplaces should have adequate facilities for women to rest while they are on their period. While Ering was lauded for his thoughtful proposal, the Bill has not made any headway since it was mooted a year back.

But then the corporate world in India does not have to wait for any legislation to be passed in this regard, does it? If organisations out there really care about inclusiveness and empowerment of their women staff, it is high time they accepted that women are biologically different.

Surprisingly, not many of us are aware that the Bihar Government has been offering two days of menstrual leave to women staff ever since 1992!

Mumbai-based digital media company, Culture Machine did not wait for any Bill or legislation. It just went ahead and announced the ‘first day of period’ (FoP) leave policy for its women staff. Needless to say, its women employees reacted with much exultation and their reactions were recorded in a video that made headlines. Yet another Mumbai-based brand reputation management company, GoZoop has had a menstrual leave policy in place for some time now. And the best part is that it never made a big deal about it, which is how it should be. Taking a paid day off on the first day of period should be as normal as taking a day off for Holi or Diwali, except that this leave is monthly and not annual. If inclusiveness is an integral part of a company’s policy and the well-being of the workforce is top priority, why should a day off for rest by a woman on her period be treated as anything out of the ordinary? Nike put in place a policy to this effect over a decade ago.

A ‘period policy’ for working women should definitely be made a standard practice in the country, and a pad vending machine should be accepted as a normal fixture in the ladies’ loos.

The fact that the suggestion for the Menstruation Benefit Bill was tabled by a man from the North East of India speaks volumes. Not surprisingly, the northeastern states always do better in terms of sex ratio, women’s health and women’s education.

When we as a country are progressive enough to want more of our women to join the workforce, why cannot we ensure that they get the rest and relaxation they deserve during their difficult times? Yes, rather difficult, because research suggests that a significant number of women suffer cramps, fever, nausea and extreme discomfort during menstruation. Quite a few feel depressed and out of focus too. So, imagine the toll it would take on them when they try to get work done at the workplace despite their physical state?

And is it really necessary for women employees to prove themselves at the cost of such pain and suffering?

The post Women are biologically different from men. Period! appeared first on HR Katha.