Categories
Employee Experience

Top tips to improve employee experience outcomes for your team

The employee experience plays a huge role in talent attraction and retention. As a result, many organizations are now looking to improve employee experience outcomes for their teams.

Unfortunately, many aspects of the employee experience are often forgotten or neglected. Even worse, in some companies, it looks one way from the outside when it’s actually something totally different on the inside.

Luckily, there are things you can do to improve employee experience outcomes for your team. Let’s take a look at them:

Be consistent

We all hate it when a person is nice to someone’s face, then horrible behind their back.

If you have a culture that looks positive to the outside world, but doesn’t look after its employees on the inside, you’re doing the business equivalent of that.

Your employee experience—and how you present it—should be consistent. And transparent.

If you have a fast-paced environment, that’s fine. But don’t lie to people and say that it’s all about playing foosball and drinking beers.

Many candidates are now savvy to this and will avoid businesses that hype up all their benefits. In reality, they know they’re just using them to hide their negative culture and attitudes. So not only will you lose current employees, but it’ll also cause you to lose future ones, too.

Saying one thing while you do another will quickly sink any efforts to improve employee experience outcomes.

Have a strong culture

Know what you stand for and build your culture around that. 

Are you all about failing fast? Do you like to keep things agile? Are you inclusive—actually inclusive, not “inclusive” to check a box?

All these things will reflect your culture internally and externally.

Make employees feel listened to

Sometimes people know that they don’t have the solution, or that their opinion won’t change anything. Ultimately, they just want to feel heard. 

It’s really important to allow employees to air their grievances even if you disagree with them. 

Don’t interrupt. Wait patiently. Let them get it out of their system, particularly if they’re annoyed or angry. Allow there to be silences. 

The employee in question may end up realizing their perspective is wrong. Or, more than likely, they’ll just vent and will end up feeling much calmer for doing so.

They’ll also think more highly of you for allowing them to be honest about how your company’s situation makes them feel without ignoring or interrupting them. This can greatly improve employee experience outcomes across the organization.

Value your team’s opinions

Too many executives make huge decisions without considering how it’ll affect people further down the hierarchy. These are the people who are dealing with your customers and handling much of the day-to-day running of your business. It’s important to recognize that they may well know more than you. 

And even if they don’t, they’re going to have a different—equally valuable—perspective. 

The more opinions and perspectives you consider, the more likely you are to come up with new solutions to problems. These crowd-sourced solutions will also help more people and be much more inclusive.

Communicate clearly

Employees are much more likely to respect you if you’re clear with them. Tell them what you expect and when. Don’t tiptoe around it. Just be upfront. There’s nothing worse than lying or deceiving someone, especially in the workplace.

If you don’t know what’s happening yet, or things are up in the air, be honest about that, too.

Despite what many of us may think, it’s okay not to have all the answers. It doesn’t make you a bad leader or a bad person; it makes you human, which makes you more relatable.

Let go of the need for shiny objects

This one is harder if you’re remote anyway, but too many companies, for too long, used shiny objects like ping pong tables and expensive laptops to attract new hires like bees to a flower.

You don’t need the shiniest objects or the latest tech to get people in. You need a strong culture and decent pay.

If you can’t afford the best MacBook Pro for someone to do their job, look for a cheaper equivalent. There are plenty of alternatives that won’t upset your accountant but still have the power a developer or a designer needs.

Many employees won’t even need something that fancy, particularly if most of what they do is email and text-based. That will then free up more budget to spend on the departments that do need extra processing power.

Gadgets are fun, but they can’t compete with more authentic efforts to improve employee experience outcomes.

Have a strong onboarding process

An onboarding process can make or break your new hire’s opinion of your business. If it’s weak or nonexistent, they’re going to grow frustrated. Some may even leave.

In fact, 30% of employees leave during their first six months in a role. One of the main reasons they do so is a poor or non-existent onboarding process.

If your onboarding is clear and structured, taking into account their role and respecting their time, they’re much more likely to stick around and speak highly of you to their network. 

And you never know how many new hires that could lead to. Referrals are one of the best ways to find high-quality talent, after all.

Be careful how you treat people

Have you heard the saying that you can tell a lot about a person based on how they treat a server at a restaurant?

The same is true for how they treat the cleaning staff, the interns, and anyone else at the bottom of the business hierarchy.

If you treat people differently because they’re in a “less important” role, you have the foundations for a negative employee experience that’s going to drive people away.

It doesn’t matter what someone does, where they grew up, where they live now, or anything else. They’re providing their time and energy in exchange for money, and that’s a privilege that should be treated as such. Your business couldn’t run without them. That’s why you grew, outsourced, and delegated, right?

Treat everyone with compassion and kindness, and they’ll return the favor to you and everyone else within your business. Cultivating respect at every level of the business is an incredibly effective way to improve employee experience results.

Conclusion 

Building a world-class employee experience isn’t about having the shiniest, most expensive toys. It’s about how you make your employees feel.

Do they feel valued? Are they listened to? Are they made to feel less than because they’re on the cleaning staff, and not a manager?

It’s a combination of small things that will create your employee experience. Never underestimate something as simple as a “hello” on someone’s first day, or a “thank you” on their last.

Culture starts at the top. Employees mimic what their team leaders do, and team leaders copy what they see executives do. How you approach everything from a sensitive conversation to a fun one will reflect you as a person and influence the culture of your business.

The more positively you approach your employees and the experience you want to create, the greater the advantage you’ll have over your competition.

Another great way to improve employee experience outcomes is to get all of the events, groups, and programs you offer team members under one roof. With everything in one place, it’s easy for everyone to take advantage of the full array of your employee experience efforts.

Plus, you’ll get automated, real-time analytics so you can be strategic about your work to improve employee experience results. Sound interesting? Visit us at workrowd.com or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

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Categories
Hybrid/Remote

6 ways to build inclusion when onboarding remote employees

Surveys show that 30% of new hires leave their jobs within the first six months. Providing a great new hire experience has only become more difficult now that many companies are onboarding remote employees. 

When team members leave shortly after starting, it’s stressful. It costs you money, and it means you have to repeat the hiring process when you’ve only just finished it.

On the flip side, the Brandon Hall Group found that a strong onboarding process can increase employee retention by 82%. Neither of these stats are numbers that should be ignored.

Many employees leave for one of two reasons: the company mis-sold itself, or their onboarding was terrible.

These two things can even be linked. A poor onboarding process can be a sign that a company that claimed to be forward-thinking and employee-first, really couldn’t care less about those things.

Onboarding remote employees can add an extra layer of complexity. This is especially true for older, larger, or more established companies. It requires a cultural shift, seeing technology as a friend, not the enemy.

That shift isn’t easy, but it’s crucial to attracting—and retaining—the best talent in your industry. As more and more people want to work remotely, you have to adapt to stay competitive.

Once you’ve got an effective onboarding process set up, employees will be happy to rave about you. They’ll spread the word that you’re a great employer that supports them to thrive, regardless of where they work from.

How do you get to that point, though? Especially when you’re doing it digitally?

Here are some best practices for onboarding remote employees in a way that ensures they feel included:

Make it engaging

You know what’s boring? Sitting on Zoom calls all day, listening to someone talk at you about their role, your role, or the business.

Nobody wants to hear you talk at them for their first week—or longer—at the company.

Sure, there are things they’ll need to know. But how can you deliver them in any easy-to-digest, engaging, and scalable way?

One option is to record a short video. This means you won’t need to repeat yourself over and over on multiple calls. It also means employees can listen in their own time, at their own pace, whether that’s 0.5x or 2x speed.

Then, once they’ve tuned in, you can schedule a call with them so that they can ask you any questions. 

That way, they know you’re open to questions, but you’re not just showing a slideshow that they have to pay attention to when they’ve already sat through six other calls that day. Using different formats when onboarding remote employees can help you meet the needs of diverse groups of new hires.

Encourage them to ask questions

Some companies really dislike it when employees ask questions. That, or they judge them for it.

This creates a fear of judgement, can trigger those who come from troubled backgrounds, and is not conducive to a productive and healthy working environment.

When employees feel able to ask questions—any questions, even seemingly stupid ones—they’ll grow and settle into their roles much faster. They’ll also feel more comfortable suggesting out-of-the-box ideas that are different from how you usually do things because they know their coworkers won’t judge them.

And when it comes to asking questions, they won’t feel the need to waste an hour researching something alone. They’ll be able to get a faster answer without worrying about looking stupid in front of their colleagues.

Have regular check-ins

Regular check-ins show employees they’re valued, even with your busy schedule. The higher up you are, the more important it is to at least check in and engage with new recruits. This could be via group chat, a social media post, an email, or even a quick video. 

Otherwise, you start to feel like a mythical god that nobody can touch. 

When you really let new hires talk to you and ask questions, and you ask them how they’re doing, too, it shows them that you really do care about them and their progression within the company. You’re doing your best to help them settle in.

It’s also important for their line manager to check in with them regularly. This should be one of the first people they go to when they have any questions. The earlier that open relationship is established, the better. Open and frequent communication is crucial when onboarding remote employees.

Create a schedule

When employees receive an itinerary of what to expect during their first days/weeks, it makes the business look organized. It also shows that they respect employees’ time. 

This schedule should be designed in a logical order, factoring in time for breaks and further reading. It should also allow for processing time in between each topic, and starting to help with the team’s workload.

Having a schedule like this ensures that if someone needs background or foundational knowledge before they learn about another area, they have it in advance and they’re not missing key details to help with their understanding. 

Don’t bombard them 

There’s bound to be a lot for them to learn, but be careful not to scare them off by throwing everything their way at once. 

Everyone learns at a different pace. You may need to adapt some things for different learning styles, or answer more questions from some employees than others.

Be patient with them, and show them some compassion. That was you once, too.

Make them feel like a part of the team 

There are lots of ways you can make someone feel like a bigger part of the team. Could you organize a call with them before they join, to welcome them to the team and get to know them? Could you send them a goody bag of branded merchandise?

When they join, could you post on LinkedIn, tagging your new team member? Have a quick call when they first start, before they do anything else, saying hello, answering any immediate questions, and officially welcoming them?

All these small things will add up to make them feel included. As is true throughout the employee experience, building belonging is important when onboarding remote employees.

Conclusion 

While onboarding remote employees can be more challenging than doing so in person, that doesn’t make it impossible. 

It’s all about supporting them in the same way you already support existing remote employees. 

Remaining accessible, and valuing their time and energy, will show them that you’re not an employer that reluctantly allows employees to work from home. You both encourage and support it, finding the best ways to make their working lives easier from their home offices.

You understand the best practices for remote work and that’s the direction the business will continue to grow in.

An important part of onboarding remote employees is making sure they get looped quickly into company culture via your groups, programs, and events. Rather than having them dig through endless chat channels or try to get added to mailing lists they don’t know exist, connect them from day one via Workrowd.

Our one-stop shop ensures that every team member can easily get involved and personalize their experience no matter where or when they work. Drop us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

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Categories
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

Flexible work schedules can help you drive diversity

When companies have a diverse workforce, they enjoy 2.3 times higher cash flow. Despite this, 41% of managers feel they’re “too busy” to come up with diversity and inclusion initiatives. Luckily, offering flexible work schedules is one way overtaxed managers can cater to a diverse team’s needs.

Many members of underrepresented communities, whether they’re differently abled, a person of color, or from another minority group, aren’t represented in the workplace because they’re unable to work traditional hours.

Businesses that do allow for flexible work schedules will attract a more diverse pool of candidates, have happier, more productive employees, and take advantage of that 2.3 times higher cash flow.

What about the employees themselves, though? What are the benefits of flexible work schedules for them?

They don’t sacrifice time with family

74% of homemakers would return to work if they had access to flexible work schedules. 76% would if they could work from home.

Many parents want to return to work but are unable to when they have young children. The more flexible you allow their work schedule to be, the more you can tap into this talent pool. 

If you have clients overseas, this can be beneficial because you’ll have representatives who can accommodate different time zones. That way, you can give support or continue the sales process outside of your standard working hours.

They can make the best use of their skills

One of the biggest benefits of working with underrepresented talent is the additional skills they bring to the table. Have you ever considered that the parent of four children could be a great negotiator? Or a patient manager?

Members of underrepresented communities often have untapped or beneficial skills, such as greater empathy and compassion. This can help you create a more open, supportive workplace. In addition, it will help employees to fulfill their potential at every stage of their careers.

Businesses with a more diverse workforce are also better at problem solving. A diverse workforce can help you come up with better solutions that stand out against your competition.

They have time to grow their skills

It’s harder to train a mindset than it is to train skills. So, if you hire someone who’s open to learning and eager to do so, offering flexible work schedules can allow them to grow their skills on their own time. This could make them more likely to stick around. It’s a simple way to show you support them and want them on your team long-term.

They can work on a schedule that fits their brains

Some people are not their most productive selves when they work from 9am until 5pm. Some of us are far more productive when we start earlier or later. Forcing ourselves to work a typical 9-5 schedule can lead to stress, lower productivity, sleeplessness, and even burnout.

When we can work around our bodies’ natural rhythms, and we get the right amount of sleep, it makes us calmer and more productive. That way we’re not fighting against what our minds and bodies are begging us to do.

They can work from anywhere

Sometimes the best person for a role doesn’t live as close to your office, or their manager, as you’d like.

Limiting the talent pool to people in a particular location means there are a lot of candidates you may be missing out on that your competitors can hire instead. 

Sure, big cities often have a higher concentration of, say, software developers, but COVID made a lot of people change their priorities and crave a slower way of life. They still have the skills and mindset needed to do their job. It just means that they’re not spending hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on a commute.

Instead, they have that money to spend on themselves, their family, and to go towards the cost of living. 

This is also beneficial for employees who have family and/or friends who live far from them. It means they can go see their loved ones and work in another country for a month, even if your company doesn’t have an office there. They won’t use up as much of their vacation time, and they’ll also get to enjoy a change of scenery.

Their community grows 

In the same way that school and college force us to mix with people we may not otherwise spend time around, our jobs can do the same. Offering flexible work schedules can mean that people who wouldn’t normally get to work together, do.

This can help to open people’s eyes to other people’s struggles and life situations. 

It can also build empathy and compassion, trigger new interests, help them make new friends, and provide further benefits for their mental and physical health. 

Sometimes all we need is someone to listen to our problems. Having colleagues who understand and actively listen can go a long way toward mitigating workplace stress.

It gives their life a purpose

When we feel like our lives have a purpose, we’re happier and we live longer. It can also help to prevent depression.

Many people would like to get this from their job but are unfortunately unable to. However, it’s one of the biggest reasons people now work where they do. 

A purpose is more important to some people now than how much they earn. 

Nobody should have to sacrifice the pay they deserve for a meaningful career, though. They should be paid what they’re worth and encouraged to pursue what’s important to them. Offering flexible work schedules can make all of this possible.

Conclusion 

These are just some of the benefits of flexible work schedules when it comes to supporting a diverse workforce.

It’s not just for underrepresented talent, though—many of us could benefit from flexible work schedules. Whether it’s on a bad day when we need to sleep a little longer, when we have a medical appointment, or even when we have clients who want to meet later but we still feel like we have to be at our desks from 9 until 5.

Flexible work schedules are the way forward. They’re the best way to attract all types of talent. Failing to be flexible can mean you miss out on some of the best candidates, slowing business growth.

On the other hand, when you hire candidates that your competitors may be missing, it can give your business a boost in everything from knowledge to mindset to skills. All these things add up to give you the upper hand as an employer and a business.

If you’re exploring flexible work schedules but want to make sure all of your team members stay connected, Workrowd can help. With a one-stop shop for all your employee groups, programs, and events, it’s easy to keep everyone looped into your company culture from day one. Drop us a line at hello@workrowd.com to learn how we can support you in driving engagement and retention.

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Categories
Employee Engagement

5 employee engagement drivers most companies overlook

When employees are engaged, they’re more likely to stay. They’ll help you attract better-quality candidates when you hire, and you’ll make more money. So just invest in your biggest employee engagement drivers and you’ll be set, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to identify your most effective employee engagement drivers. Simple things that keep employees engaged are often overlooked. And the more of them you overlook, the more significantly they’ll affect your business.

Your company culture, mission, and industry will impact which employee engagement drivers actually move the needle. 

For example, meaningful work for a home health aide can be very different from that for a salesperson in SaaS. That being said, there are some core principles that matter regardless of industry or role. 

So, what are some employee engagement drivers that companies often overlook? Let’s explore:

Meaningful work

While a paycheck is great, many now want more from their work than just being able to pay the bills. 

Think about why you do what you do. Is it just to earn money, or do you want to make a difference by solving genuine problems?

Not every employee wants the responsibility of managing people or running their own business. That doesn’t mean they don’t still want to make a difference. 

Most of their time is spent at work, so work is where they’re most likely to be able to drive change.

Many of us feel like we spend our working days just going through the motions, though. It can leave us with little energy to do something meaningful when we get home.

How can you change that? Some of it ties into…

Company culture

When your company culture is communicated clearly, you’re more likely to attract—and retain—employees whose values align with yours. 

This then means that they’re more aligned with your mission. They’ll feel like what they’re doing is meaningful because they want to solve the same problem(s) that you do.

However, too frequently how a company culture comes across to the outside world versus what it’s like for employees who spend their time there are two very different things.

If the culture you say you have differs from what you actually have, it will affect your employer brand. 

The more former employees and job candidates who talk about this disconnect on sites like Glassdoor, the more it will leave you to firefight two problems: your tattered brand and your poor culture.

It’s easy to become disconnected from what’s really happening as a business grows. 

Asking employees for their genuine opinions and experiences, and embracing the good and the bad, will help you to see what direction your company is really headed in and what the culture is like.

You can then use this information to look at what’s working and what needs to change.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in business—a healthy company culture takes work. This is especially important for those in positions of power. Leading by example is one of the most important ways to develop the type of culture you want to create.

Career goals

Most people want to achieve something in their careers, even if they can’t articulate what that is. Helping employees to figure out—and achieve—their career goals can be a key employee engagement driver. 

Their enthusiasm for their role will be contagious, having a ripple effect on their peers.

It may even attract more like-minded candidates when it’s time for you to hire.

Setting out clear paths for employees to grow can be one way to support them. While the stereotypical path of career growth ends up with someone becoming a manager, not everyone wants this. 

Offering other paths, such as for them to become a go-to expert on a particular product or industry, enables them to increase their experience, income, and responsibility, without managing people.

You could also allow them to change teams or departments, or even work in a different location. These changes can help keep things fun and engaging for them. New skills and ideas can come from anywhere.

The more options you can offer employees to help them grow, the more likely they’ll be to stick around. And the more attractive you’ll be as an employer to candidates.

Belonging

A sense of belonging can boost our physical and mental health, improving everything from depression to heart disease. It can also be a big employee engagement driver because we care about who we work with and what we’re doing.

While this may not seem that important, Deloitte found that fostering a sense of belonging in the workplace can lead to:

  • 50% lower turnover risk
  • 167% increase in employer net promoter score
  • 2x more employee raises
  • 10x more promotions
  • 75% decrease in sick days

Just one of those stats is impressive. When you see them together like that, it makes you wonder why more businesses haven’t worked harder on this.

To give employees a true sense of belonging, they need to feel comfortable being themselves, like they have meaningful relationships with coworkers, and like their skills make a difference to the business.

One of the ways you can do this (other than developing your company culture) is through…

Recognition

There’s nothing worse than a manager who takes credit for their employees’ ideas. We’ve all met someone like this at some point though, right?

When managers do this, it’s deeply unfair to their employees. This lack of appreciation makes employees wonder why they bothered in the first place. Which means they’ll be less inclined to share any future great ideas they may have.

People management isn’t just about telling someone what to do. It’s also about celebrating their successes and great ideas.

When someone does well, of course it reflects positively on their managers and the company. 

But it’s going to mean a lot less to that employee without someone to recognize when a great thing happened because of the employee’s work.

Never underestimate the power of a simple ‘thank you,’ especially when it comes to employee engagement drivers.

Conclusion 

Employee engagement affects every aspect of a business, from retention to productivity to sick days. 

The more you support your employees to feel comfortable in the workplace being themselves, connected with their colleagues, and like they’re making a meaningful contribution to the business, the bigger the difference you’ll see.

If you’re looking to tap into the power of these employee engagement drivers, take a look at Workrowd’s suite of tools. Our one-stop platform offers an array of features to help you market, manage, and measure employee engagement drivers across groups, programs, and events. Send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

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Categories
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

Belonging at work is key to employee and business success

The concept of belonging at work has been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. Most of us have felt like an outsider at some point, whether that’s at work, school, or even among family. 

Initially, we may not realize how much this impacts our wellbeing. Over time though, feeling like we don’t belong can negatively impact our mental and physical health. It can even make us age faster!

So, is it really any surprise that belonging at work is crucial to employee wellbeing?

When employees feel that they belong in their workplace, it can significantly benefit the business, too.

Let’s explore why belonging at work is crucial to employee wellbeing, and how it can help your business.

Belonging improves mental and physical wellbeing

Belonging is so important that in her recent book, Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life, Professor Rose Anne Kenny has a whole chapter on friendship, and another on intimacy.

Friendships and community can impact everything from heart disease to how we die. The significance of a sense of belonging really can’t be overstated.

You don’t have to live alone, or be totally cut off from civilization, to feel lonely.

If you don’t feel supported by the people around you, you can feel lonely in a room full of people.

On the other hand, if you feel like your team supports you, you’ll be better able to handle whatever life may throw your way.

The old saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” is actually kind of true.

It isn’t always solving a problem that makes you feel better. Sometimes it’s just letting it out and not bottling it up. Not everything in life can be solved, but knowing you’re not facing it alone can help you keep going.

Employees feel understood and supported

When you don’t get along with your colleagues, it can feel like nobody really gets your ideas or what you bring to the business. 

And if nobody gets you, how can you properly explain what you’re trying to achieve? Or what direction you’re going in? Sometimes you don’t know what that direction is, but someone who knows you can help you figure it out. They can weigh up your skills and consider what you’ve done in the past to help you work through it.

If you can’t articulate what you’re thinking, someone on your team who knows you can help clarify. This can only happen if you’re working with someone who truly gets you and what you do, though. It’s important that you really do have a sense of belonging at work and feel comfortable enough to be yourself.

Empathy becomes a positive, not a negative

When you’re an empathetic person, your boss being in a bad mood can affect the rest of your day. 

Even if it’s likely a personal issue, their bad mood can make you wonder if you’ve done something wrong. This can mean you spend your energy feeling drained, or looking for ways to help them. It can affect your ability to work and your relationships with those around you.

In a situation like this, empathy is a negative, because it’s negatively impacting someone’s ability to work.

However, when someone feels a sense of belonging at work, empathy can be a positive. 

They can use it to better communicate with their colleagues. For instance, they’ll feel comfortable asking their boss if they’re okay without worrying they’ll be shouted at for checking in.

Encouraging empathy can also mean those who feel it more strongly can become some of your best communicators. They can then support team members with whatever they’re going through.

They could even become some of your best salespeople and marketers. Empathy can help them tap into what your customers really want and need in that moment, even if the customer can’t properly articulate it themselves.

Employees who feel they belong are more productive

In most cases, if you feel like nobody cares about you, you’re not going to try as hard. This applies in the workplace just as much as in any other relationship.

If you feel a sense of belonging at work, you’re going to want to do your best to lift up those around you. That could manifest as helping them, or as working harder so that you boost their output, too.

When employees feel belonging at work, they’re also going to put in more effort because they care about the business’s future. That just doesn’t happen in your average job.

So many people have a job just to pay the bills, but studies have shown that Millennials don’t want that kind of life. It’s about so much more than a paycheck – they want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world. And the way they pay the bills can be a big contributor to that.

Conclusion 

Making employees feel a sense of belonging at work has nothing to do with hiring people who all think the same. 

Instead, it’s about encouraging employees to be their true selves and embracing them for doing that.

With so many businesses claiming to be diverse and supportive but in reality, being the opposite, it’s important that you show—internally and externally—that you really do mean it. 

What are you doing to help your differently abled employees? 

How can you best support neurodivergent employees? 

How can you make LGBTQ+ employees feel accepted enough to come out at work?

All these little things build into a sense of belonging that will lead to happier employees who stay longer, are better at their jobs, and are more productive in their roles.

If you’re looking to cultivate real belonging at work, send us a note at hello@workrowd.com. We’d love to learn about your team and any challenges you’re currently facing, and explore ways our platform can help. With a full suite of tools to market, manage, and measure your employee initiatives, it’s easy to keep everyone connected and engaged. Drop by our site to learn more.

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Categories
Learning & Development

Social media guidelines for employees are a must – here’s why

Instead of setting out some basic social media guidelines for employees, many businesses’ policies consist of “don’t post on social media, the end.”

Unfortunately, this type of policy demonstrates several things:

  • A lack of understanding about how social media works
  • Potential mistrust of employees
  • Naivety about how employees use social media

The fact is, most employees are going to be on social media during their working hours at some point.

Whether that’s reading an influencer’s post on LinkedIn, scrolling through TikTok while they wait for their laptop to update, or chatting with their bestie on Facebook.

You can no longer stop—or deny—the reach of social media.

Pretending that employees don’t talk about work on it is also pretty naïve.

Social media is a ubiquitous part of our lives. Even if you’re not a fan of it, at least some of your employees will be. So why not use that to your advantage?

Let’s explore how developing social media guidelines for employees, and encouraging them to post, can help with talent acquisition and retention.

It reflects an open culture

Many businesses say that they have an open and transparent culture to the outside world. In reality though, it’s the opposite.

When companies allow employees to post about work on social media, it shows the company trusts them. 

You can’t vet everything employees post, which means you have to focus on two things: education and trust.

An interactive quiz, complete with examples, is a really good way to train employees on the types of posts that get engagement, and how to reflect company values on social media.

The average person trusts employees much more than brand accounts or even your company experts. If they’re on social media praising you, it will attract potential candidates who want to be part of that, too. Putting some simple social media guidelines for employees in place can help bring in more star players.

Employees get to learn new skills

Training employees in new skills—such as using social media to build their brand, network with peers, and research their industry—can help disconnected employees reconnect with their role.

It also shows them that you’re invested in their future career by upskilling them.

Employees can build their personal brands

Employees building their personal brands helps business. A post on an employees’ LinkedIn profile has 500% more reach than the same post on a branded account.

So, while you may feel uncomfortable allowing employees to post on social media, failing to give them that option means that you’re missing out on some massive reach. Is your fear really worth slowing your business growth?

There’s really no downside to encouraging employees to build their personal brands. They’ll feel supported in their roles, meaning they’ll want to stay to continue to grow those skills and their careers.

And if they ever decide to leave, they’ll have stories about how you helped them build their career. This will then attract more candidates to future roles. Creating social media guidelines for employees empowers them to grow their brands in a positive direction.

It helps to change people’s ways of thinking

Establishing an employee advocacy or social selling program requires an open culture. It also requires behavior change. You must do this first, before the policy is introduced, or you’ll end up with setbacks.

Changing people’s ways of thinking to become more open, honest, and active on social media for work takes time. But it’s this type of culture that will help you attract—and retain—the best employees.

People want to work for more than just money nowadays. They want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world. Setting social media guidelines for employees that encourage them to share their experiences and opinions shows the outside world that you’re a values-driven business.

It builds employee loyalty

When you show employees that you really do care about their career progression, they’re more likely to feel loyal and want to stay.

You can show off real diversity, equity, and inclusion

As I mentioned earlier, people will trust your employees more than anyone else. Which means when they talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, outsiders are more likely to believe them.

When brands talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion too often, it feels like lip service or a box-ticking exercise.

But when people see employees posting about how their employer has supported them through health issues, sponsored their career growth, or encouraged them to try something new, it shows that you really do care.

If you post a testimonial through a brand account, it may seem trite. But when an employee posts it on their personal profile, people are much more likely to believe what they see.

Candidates know what to expect

When people see your employees posting about work on social media, they get a feel for whether it’s the type of company they’d like to work for. This can then mean that when a new role opens, they’re coming in with a higher degree of awareness. This will reduce your time to hire and the likelihood that they’ll leave in the short-term.

Conclusion 

When employees become your advocates on social media, outsiders can see what a great place your company is to work. This can build a pipeline of warm leads who are eager to come on board when a job opens up.

Investing in skills that can help employees grow their network, research techniques, and brand, also helps you to retain employees. They’ll feel excited to learn new skills that can help them in their roles and along their future career paths.

First, though, you need to start with an open culture. Employees need to know you trust them enough to post things in their own voice. That requires some change management.

It’s worth it, though. The more you allow employees to post on social media, the more your culture will shine through, and the more potential candidates you’ll have to choose from. Setting some social media guidelines for employees can mean the difference between attracting and repelling top talent.

If you’re looking to build a positive and open culture based on trust, a platform like Workrowd can help. With tools to launch events, groups, and programs employees love, you can foster real relationships and create great experiences. If you’re ready to future-proof your culture and drive recruitment and retention, drop by our site or send us an email at hello@workrowd.com. We’d love to learn more about your goals and explore opportunities to help you achieve them.

7 ways to boost employee loyalty for remote and hybrid workers
6 creative ways to offer upskilling opportunities for your team
12 training topics for managers to level up your organization
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Learning & Development

5 ways to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace

Creativity and innovation in the workplace are key to the success of any business. They’re also key to employee happiness and motivation. After all, who doesn’t love feeling creative?

The more employees feel like they can be creative, the more likely they are to keep being creative. Ideas only grow when they’re allowed to. 

The more an organization encourages groupthink, the less employees will bother suggesting new things. Over time, their creative muscles will deteriorate and they’ll find it much harder to be creative in any context.

To prevent that from happening, here are some tips to encourage creativity and innovation in the workplace.

Consider every idea

When you have an idea but don’t speak it or write it down, it acts like a plug, preventing other ideas from coming through. 

Dismissing it mentally isn’t always enough because your brain will still be thinking about it (consciously or subconsciously) and trying to find a way to make it work. 

It may not be a ground-breaking idea, but it may lead to something that is. You don’t know unless you try.

Encouraging employees to adopt this mindset is a great way to foster creativity and innovation in the workplace.

People dismissed many big technological advances, from computer mice to smartphones and tablets, as too “out there” or something nobody would use. And look at them now! 

Sometimes those “out there” ideas are just what you need to take things to the next level. If you dismiss them before an idea has had a chance to mature or even be vocalized, you’ll never know.

Break up the routine

When you do the same thing day in and day out, you start to run on autopilot. It’s therefore important that you find ways to break up employees’ routines and make things more interesting for them. This jolts the brain into action and can help with everything from mood to productivity to engagement. It’s also a great way to encourage creativity and innovation in the workplace

Ways you could do this include: changing where the team catch-up meeting is held (even if that’s on Zoom instead of Teams, the different software still makes the brain work harder initially); combining office-based and remote working; or even encouraging remote employees to work from a café once per week. Whatever will give them a change of scenery, and therefore a change of headspace.

Go for a walking meeting

Walking meetings are great for creativity and innovation in the workplace because exercise helps our brains solve problems.

I’ve had some of my best ideas during workouts when I wasn’t even trying to solve the problem in question. It ticked away in the back of my mind anyway, and the solution appeared without me stressing myself out over it.

We’re all so connected now that there’s no reason walking meetings can’t be done over the phone or even over video. You could try on the treadmill if you really wanted to, just maybe not in the gym where you’ll disturb your fellow exercisers.

Get moving

If you wanted to, you could take things a step further. Don’t just encourage walking meetings, encourage exercise. The fun kind, not the high school-flashbacks kind.

There’s a type of exercise out there for everyone, whether that’s chair yoga, boxing, rock climbing, or something else. Giving employees access to a variety of exercises, and explaining the physical and mental health benefits, will make it more inclusive and encourage employees to try different things.

For instance, did you know that one aerobic exercise session can boost our focus for several hours after?

You could even start meetings with a simple stretch to help with tense back and shoulder muscles that often come from sitting at a desk all day. It can be surprising how amazing that feels.

Leave comfort zones behind

Comfort zones, if we stay in them too long, become prisons. They make life boring, diminish our confidence, and make it harder to innovate.

Confidence only grows when we challenge ourselves to do something new or different. That’s also where true creativity and innovation lie.

Maybe it’s time for someone who’s camera shy to try a live stream, or for a quiet employee to lead a meeting. 

If that’s too much of a leap, start with training programs that can teach employees the skills they need to tackle these challenges head on, and continue to grow those skills when they go out and perform them in the real world.

Give employees thinking time

Some people don’t think well on the spot. If you put a new idea in front of an employee and ask them “What do you think?” their mind may well be filled with tumbleweeds. 

I’ve been there and it’s neither fun nor comfortable, and you come out not feeling very good about yourself.

Then, an hour later, you have a great idea. But decisions have already been made and everyone has moved on.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

Sending out agendas and big ideas you want feedback on prior to a meeting can give employees time to weigh up the features of the idea and ruminate on them. 

It doesn’t have to be days or weeks in advance. Sometimes a few hours are enough. 

But putting employees on the spot and asking for feedback isn’t always helpful, especially in a large group setting. 

If this regularly happens for employees who need thinking time, it will make them more self-conscious and even less likely to speak up.

Conclusion 

To build creativity and innovation in the workplace, you need novelty. Our brains love it. I don’t mean novelty as in a pen with an octopus on the top, or a cute stuffed animal. I’m talking about new and different things.

Breaking up our day-to-day lives—whether that’s taking a different route when you go for a walk, or trying a new food—makes our brains work harder. 

The more often we challenge our brains, the stronger and more capable they get.

We can then come up with better ideas, think more clearly, and find solutions faster.

If you’re interested in driving more creativity and innovation in the workplace, Workrowd can help. By providing employees a dedicated digital gathering space and supporting efforts like hackathons, intrapreneurship groups, and more, our platform makes it easy to ensure you never lose your competitive edge. Visit our site to learn more or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com.

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6 creative ways to offer upskilling opportunities for your team
12 training topics for managers to level up your organization
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Company Culture

6 reasons why company culture is important, especially now

The return to office debate has prompted a lot of discussion about why company culture is important. There can sometimes be a misconception that company culture is about attracting employees who all think in the same way.

However, if you hire people who think like every other employee, it becomes really hard to innovate.

Instead, company culture is about consistency, company mission, and building something that’s future-proof. Something that helps you to stand out from your competition and supports your employees.

If you fail to do those things, you end up with less revenue and higher turnover.

Let’s take a look at the key reasons why company culture is important, now more than ever.

It shows who you are and what you stand for

Customers are more likely to buy from companies whose missions align with their personal beliefs. 

Since we make decisions based on emotions, this can be the deciding factor whether you’re B2B or B2C. We’re all human, after all.

When your morals and mission are clear, your audience knows exactly who they’re dealing with and what to expect. 

For example, let’s say you have strong environmental policies. If someone arrives on your site also prioritizing the environment, they’re going to want to work with you. They’ll want to support your mission—even if your products or services are more expensive than your competition.

It attracts the right candidates

The right company culture will naturally (and organically) be at the front and center of what you do. Which means that it will come through in your hiring efforts, too.

Everything from the hiring process to how you write a job description shouts about your company culture. 

Terms like “fast-paced” are often now seen as euphemisms for “expect to get burned out” and “we disrespect boundaries”. How you phrase your job descriptions matters.

On top of that, underrepresented talent can find gendered or otherwise aggressive language off-putting. This means it’s really important to consider how you describe the role.

You also want to think about whether you’re writing about the candidate you’re looking for, versus what you could do for the candidate you’re hiring. 

What opportunities can you offer them? How can they grow their career with you? 

It shouldn’t be about listing off endless requirements that nobody can meet. This is especially true with the talent market being so competitive right now. 

Instead, you should focus on why you’re such a great place to work. This technique will help you stand out in the job market and attract candidates who can thrive in your organization. Ensuring your recruitment efforts are successful is a key reason why company culture is important.

It helps you deal with problems

A company with a strong culture is better able to deal with problems. That’s because, whatever arises, you know what your core values are. 

So, if you’re faced with a differently abled employee who’s struggling, and you’ve never come across that disability before, you can refer back to those values and it will help you come up with the best ways to assist them.

It’s good for mental health

Our workplace can play a huge role in our mental health. It can give it a boost during a challenging time, or it can cause it to nosedive.

A positive culture means that your employees will support each other when they need it. This will be true whether they have something going on at work or in their personal lives. 

As a result, employees will develop more meaningful relationships, helping with loneliness and mental health.

One of the main reasons employees stay with a job nowadays is the relationships that they foster. That’s why, while workplace relationships are often underestimated, they really do matter. These friendships play a big role in why company culture is important.

It makes employees more productive 

When employees understand the company culture, it helps them know what managers expect of them. They’re also more likely to believe in the culture and want to work hard to help the business succeed.

Happier employees are also more productive employees. The more they understand about the business and feel like their employer supports them, the more they’re going to get done, and the more they’ll do to help your business achieve its goals.

It encourages employees to stay

As we’ve already mentioned, workplace relationships are a key reason people stay in jobs. That’s not the only reason why company culture is important, though.

Consistency matters, too. If you have a manager who, one day is a ray of sunshine, and the next is super grumpy, it’s going to put employees on edge and make their working day less enjoyable. They may absorb their manager’s negative mood. It may impact other aspects of their day, and even their long-term mental wellbeing if it happens regularly.

Employees will then become disconnected and be more likely to leave.

The same is true for colleagues who bring their bad moods to work. If they don’t feel they can be open about how they’re feeling, it creates tension that just isn’t there if you can openly say to someone, “Sorry, I’m having family problems right now. Thank you for being patient with me today.”

A consistent culture can still exist alongside a varied, stimulating working day, too. It’s about managers not taking out their personal problems on their employees. They can instead be open about it when they’re having a bad day.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing bad news. In fact, just talking about it and not bottling it up can play an important role in processing it and treating/avoiding chronic physical and mental health problems.

Conclusion 

In an increasingly competitive job market, it’s essential to know why company culture is important now more than ever. It’s what will differentiate you from your competition and attract employees who will take your business to the next level.

An inconsistent culture makes employees confused and uncomfortable, meaning they’re less likely to want to stay.

If you’re ready to level up on all the reasons why company culture is important, check out Workrowd. We make it easy for you to put your culture front and center for every team member from day one, no matter where or when they work.

With a central hub for all your employee initiatives and communications, plus automated analytics, you can build and maintain an award-winning culture without the stress. Send us an email at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

7 ways to boost employee loyalty for remote and hybrid workers
6 creative ways to offer upskilling opportunities for your team
12 training topics for managers to level up your organization
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

5 workplace accommodations to help every employee thrive

As an employer, it’s part of your job to give employees all the tools they need to thrive. Without these tools, it can lead to lower employee happiness, a toxic company culture, reduced productivity, and less revenue. That doesn’t have to be the case, though. Simple workplace accommodations can make a huge difference to how well someone can perform their role. 

Let’s take a look at some workplace accommodations you could make to help your employees thrive.

Buy better equipment

The right equipment can dramatically change how well someone does their job. 

The wrong type of laptop, a screen that’s too large or too small, a non-ergonomic mouse and keyboard, a desk at the wrong height, a chair with little to no support…all these things may sound small and inconsequential, but they can lead to physical pain, eye strain, and frustration.

My RSI—which has been dormant for about five years—recently returned because I stopped using my ergonomic mouse for a few days and didn’t use my trackpad properly. I’m now having to wear a thumb support as I type this. None of that would’ve happened if I’d just kept using my proper desk setup.

Obviously, that’s my own fault. But you decide what equipment your employees use. You can choose to buy the cheapest available, or you can pick equipment that will help employees’ current injuries and prevent future ones.

Offer more flexible hours

The traditional working hours of nine to five don’t actually have any scientific basis. They started back in the 1800s, then Henry Ford brought in the 40-hour workweek that we know so well.

However, some jobs don’t really need someone to work five days a week, or to be present during the usual hours of nine to five.

Some employees are more productive later in the day, or earlier in the day. Do you really want to miss out on employees’ most productive hours because of a rigid policy you’re doing just because that’s what everyone else does?

Parents often prefer more flexible hours as it makes it easier for them to take their children to school and pick them up at the end of the day. Whether they’re in the office or not, flexible hours gives them more time with their children. It also opens you up to a wider talent pool with less competition. It’s one of the simple workplace accommodations that can drive both recruitment and retention.

Experiment with four-day weeks

Some businesses are now trialing four-day work weeks while still paying employees for five days. It’s been suggested this can improve employee mental wellbeing and productivity.

I’ve spoken to people who work for companies with four-day weeks and have found that the fears some businesses have about it are often unfounded. In fact, many employees become more productive. It also improves employee experience and wellness.

I’m sure we’ve all seen it—people who don’t efficiently use their time at work because they don’t have enough work to fill their hours. So that employee ends up aimlessly scrolling on social media, distracting their colleagues, organizing unnecessary meetings, or even working on personal projects to fill their time. 

This lack of work—which could be remedied by shorter hours—can lead to boredom and stress.

Shorter time constraints mean employees can be more motivated to get things done. 

More time at home to spend with loved ones, work on hobbies, and just relax, also means they get to recharge. This can help employees feel more able to handle whatever their job throws at them.

Try a new software

There are lots of organizational programs out there designed to help us tackle our to-do lists.

Sometimes a program doesn’t fit with how we think, or we struggle with the interface. If an employee struggles with how you’re organizing things in an app like Trello, Asana, or TickTick, consider trying something else or changing how you use it. This will help them to better organize their own to-do list and get more done.

The same applies to social media scheduling apps, employee advocacy tools, and any other software you use. Just because it’s the tool that’s always been used, it doesn’t mean it’s still the best one for the job. Making workplace accommodations can be as simple as better orienting systems to the way your team works.

Adapt your training sessions

A training session that involves someone reading from a slide is going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Hint: it’s unlikely to be because of the content.

There’s no way you can offer a training session that works for everyone. It can help though to offer sessions in a variety of ways including written, video, and audio. This will ensure that you can reach as many employees as possible.

Making training more interactive with quizzes or activities will also help employees to understand the material. It will help them get the most out of a session, too. 

Subscribe to industry publications

What industry publications could you subscribe to that would help your employees? 

Industry publications are at the forefront of your industry for a reason. Giving employees access to those resources—free and paid—will help them to be aware of what’s happening and what’s coming up. This will give them the upper hand over competitors.

They also won’t need to use their own money to research the latest industry updates. This will save them crucial dollars as the cost of living continues to rise.

Conclusion 

Workplace accommodations can include anything from a new chair to better training. 

To find out what your employees need, ask them. Encourage them to come to you if something isn’t working for them.

If they feel dissatisfied because of small adaptations you can make, but feel like they can’t request those changes, it’s going to affect their productivity.

If you don’t tell them that they can approach you with these issues, it’s unlikely that they’ll bother. They’ll probably just leave instead, increasing your employee churn rate because of a basic problem.

On the other hand, if you encourage them to come to you, and make the workplace accommodations quickly, they’re more likely to feel supported and want to stay.

If you’re looking for a better way to connect with employees and keep the lines of communication open, check out Workrowd. Our one-stop platform makes it easy to give team members a voice, and distribute important communications on how to access various workplace accommodations. Send an email to hello@workrowd.com to learn more.

7 ways to boost employee loyalty for remote and hybrid workers
6 creative ways to offer upskilling opportunities for your team
12 training topics for managers to level up your organization
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Hybrid/Remote

6 tips for building & scaling an amazing remote work culture

I was listening to a podcast recently, and the host mentioned how hard it is to scale company culture remotely. That’s why a lot of businesses want employees back in the office; they don’t believe it’s possible to successfully build a remote work culture. 

And I get it. Because it is hard to scale culture remotely and get people to truly believe what you’re saying.

However, it is possible. Otherwise, people wouldn’t rally around, and in, online communities, whether that’s the indie publishing community, dog nutrition communities, self-improvement, or something else. 

Each of these communities has their own unique culture and atmosphere based on the beliefs and attitudes of the people who run them.

And if those communities can scale their cultures, there’s hope for your business, too. 

Here are some tips to help you build and scale a remote work culture.

Make it clear what you stand for

The earlier you can define what you stand for, the easier it is for you to find and attract people who buy into your mission, beliefs, and goals. The more clearly you can communicate this, the more likely people will be to want to be a part of it, and the easier it will be to scale.

Sometimes what you stand for is a natural part of your business. Perhaps you want to disrupt a particular industry, or offer a new form of help for a group of people. Other times, you have a product or service, but the rest is kind of murky.

It can help to sit down and think about the patterns in your life and your business. What drew you to this industry and organization? Why are you compelled to solve the problems that you do? Starting there, and really getting to the root of it, can push you to find what you’re looking for. This will give you a strong basis for building your remote work culture.

Write things down

Having documents explaining how situations should be handled will make your life easier long term. 

Say, for example, an employee gets pregnant. If you don’t have a policy on maternity leave, you now have to scramble to create one. 

But if you already have one, everyone knows what to expect, maybe even before they’re hired. 

This will help you attract candidates who are a better fit and prevent panic when a new situation arises. 

While you may think “XYZ will never happen here” you can never be too careful. If a business lasts long enough, you’ll encounter most things at some point.

Set an example

You’re a leader. It’s your job to set an example not just to the outside world, but to your employees, too. 

If you want employees to communicate with each other, it starts with you communicating with them. 

They’ll copy your communication style, which means that if you come across as aloof and disconnected, they’ll feel like they can’t be themselves at work and must approach it with some level of emotional detachment.

On the other hand, if you’re warm and empathetic, employees will mimic that, showing their colleagues, and hopefully themselves, more compassion in the workplace. This will lead to a far more welcoming culture for new employees and mean any employees experiencing hardship will find some of the vital support they need from their colleagues. You set the tone for your company’s remote work culture.

Hold catch-up calls

Regularly catching up with employees is a good way to show you’re not just a faceless owner, CEO, or manager. You really do care about them and what’s going on in their lives. More importantly, you want to know what they think about the company. 

This can help you spot problems early on, and establish an open, communicative remote work culture.

Keep your feet on the ground

There’s nothing worse than someone running a business when their head is floating in the clouds. It’s hard to see and breathe up there, which means you won’t be as productive and you won’t know what’s actually happening on the ground. 

You’ll become detached from your employees. Worse, you’ll have no idea if your remote work culture is actually shaping up to be what you want it to be. (If you’re that far away from things, it probably won’t be.)

Meet up in person (if/when you can)

Many remote businesses have periodic meet ups where everyone from the company can get together. Or, for larger, global, businesses, for those within a certain area or country to get together.

While this isn’t vital for remote workers, it can be a way to reinvigorate disconnected employees, generate new ideas, form new partnerships, and find new ways to move the company forward.

If this isn’t possible, try to find a way to connect remotely instead. 

Maybe you have a couple of hours once a month where employees can quiz you, or where you talk about the future of the business. 

Then, employees can split off into break-out rooms to discuss their thoughts and come up with ideas. These smaller group discussions can be a great way for employees to meet new people and brainstorm new ideas.

Virtual escape rooms, quiz nights, and book clubs are other examples of ways for employees to connect remotely.

Conclusion 

Just because it can be difficult to build and scale a remote work culture, that doesn’t make it impossible. 

For it to work, you need to use some of the very same skills that all successful leaders have: creativity, consistency, and determination. 

It takes time to establish a remote work culture, but it can stick to a company for a very long time. 

Change management is hard. So, the earlier you work on the type of remote work culture you want, the greater the difference you’ll see.

One additional element that can be crucial to scaling your remote work culture is to have the right tools in place. You’ll need to build transparency around employee groups, programs, events, and other happenings across the company. Make sure that everyone is in the loop and can connect with each other, no matter where or when they work.

Workrowd makes this easy with a central location for all employees to see what’s coming up, alongside automated data tracking and analytics. This way, you always know how your efforts are impacting your remote work culture.

Don’t invest time and money into employee initiatives that your team members never hear about. Drop by workrowd.com to learn more or email us at hello@workrowd.com today.

7 ways to boost employee loyalty for remote and hybrid workers
6 creative ways to offer upskilling opportunities for your team
12 training topics for managers to level up your organization