Joanne Kaldy

According to a new survey, workations are growing in popularity. Defined as a combination of work and vacation, taking time off for a trip or vacation while continuing to work online, workations are one way employees are using paid time off (PTO). Among the survey results:

• 67% of over 1,000 workers say they’ve gone on a workation at some point in recent months. This event was designed, they say, to “recharge their mental and emotional batteries.
• 94% of people who took a workation last year say they plan to embark on another one this year.
• 86% of workationers say this experience actually has improved their productivity, and 84% say they’re now more satisfied with their job.
• The length of the workation taken varied, according to survey respondents. Most to trips 1-2 weeks long (36%), while 32% say they went away for 3-4 weeks. Another 13% say they took off for over a month.

If you missed Employee Appreciation Day last week, don’t feel bad. You’re not alone. But it’s not too late to let your workers know they’re important:

• Put your praise in writing. A handwritten thank you not may seem cliché, but it can mean a lot. It takes a few minutes to do, but it’s impact can be lasting.
• Announce key achievements…at meeting, on video calls, on signage in the building, etc. Make this a regular “thing,” and be sure to spread the praise to include people at all levels.
• Recognize everyone. Instead of just giving a shout-out to a manager whose department did a great job, recognize everyone in the department. This promotes the benefits of collaboration and teamwork.
• Don’t forget monetary rewards. Extra pay not only shows your appreciation in a real way. A few extra dollars can mean a special family dinner, a new bike for a child’s birthday, a spa day, new tires for the car, or other things that team members really need or … [Read more...] about (3/7) How To Get Employee Appreciation Right

As if the pandemic hasn’t done enough to negatively impact your workers’ mental health, trouble and violence has exploded on the world stage. This can have a disastrous effect on your employees. Here is how you can support them:

1. Understand where their responses are coming from. People are likely to have different responses based on their personal experiences, backgrounds, and relationships. Don’t judge those who have a stronger response; instead, try to determine where their feelings are coming from and how you can help. Realize that help for those suffering isn't one-size-fits-all.
2. Be aware of how trauma responses manifest. Learn about the mental health symptoms that tend to arise in response to an international crisis. Watch for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Common signs include difficulty sleeping, changes in eating habits, flashbacks, and mood swings.
3. Connect employees to workplace-sponsored resources. Make … [Read more...] about (3/4) 5 Ways to Support Employees Affected by Global Crises

It’s a balancing act, but you need to put as much effort into retaining workers as you do attracting new ones. Take these four steps to help engage your existing employees and reduce preventable turnover:

• Survey workers. As you come up with ideas, seek employees’ feedback and additional suggestions. Remember that workers aren’t connected or communicating the way they used to, so you need to create new avenues for communication about important issues.
• Create a mentorship program. One reason employees often give for leaving a job is that they feel like they’re in a dead-end career. A mentorship program can help them see new opportunities and feel like their employer is investing in them and their future.
• Acknowledge milestones and achievements. A gift card and shout-out for a work anniversary, a completed course or degree, birth of a child, award, or other accomplishment lets employees know you are interested in their lives and appreciate them as … [Read more...] about (3/3) 4 Simple Steps to Improve Employee Retention

Turnover is at an all-time high. While you are focusing on attracting new workers, don’t forget to strategize ways to engage the employees you have. Consider these tips for boosting morale and staff satisfaction:

• Create terra firma. Particularly in the past two years, it feels like change is constant. While your teams may be agile and resilient, it is important to give them a sense of predictability, security, and normalcy. Share your organization's plans for the future with your employees. Make it clear that you hope they will stay and that you value their contributions.
• Seek feedback to determine how everyone is handling the changes and challenges. Touch base regularly to determine if people are feeling overwhelmed and, if so, what you can do to help. At the least, it will be useful to help them see a light at the end of the tunnel and an anticipated end date for their challenges.
• Enable autonomy. Get everyone aligned on collective goals but give … [Read more...] about (3/2) How to Motivate Your Team When People Keep Quitting

If you’re seeking benefits that can help attract and retain workers, look no further than debt assistance:

• 47% of employees surveyed say they haven’t been able to pay all their bills on time in the last 12 months.
• 41% say they have had to reduce spending on basic needs in the last 12 months because they couldn’t manage their debt obligations.
• 50% say that debt is a source of stress for them.

• Offering debt-related financial wellness benefits.
• Providing help with student loan debt.
• Offering the availability of personalized help.

Mardi Gras is tomorrow, and it’s not too late to plan a little celebration for your workers. Try some of these ideas:

• Start the day with a little King Cake. If you can’t get an actual King Cake, consider sprinkling yellow, purple, and green sugar on a coffee cake, and don’t forget the plastic baby!
• Encourage people to wear Mardi Gras colors – purple, yellow, and green.
• Hang a mask by your desk. Have workers decorate their masks (the ones they’ve been wearing for COVID), and give a prize for the most creative one.
• Pass out some beads. You can get these cheap at most party stores.
• Consider having gumbo, po-boy sandwiches, or other New Orleans style food for lunch.
• Play some jazz in the common rooms. Have someone come in and play jazz live.

Among the lessons learned from the pandemic is the need to be able to pivot quickly and get all hands on deck without chaos:

• Digital change is coming at a fast and furious pace. Everyone from marketing and accounting staff to frontline caregivers and clinicians must be adapt at some technology to be productive, efficient, and accurate.
• The pandemic has changed how people work. Companies have learned that remote and hybrid work is right for some positions and that flexible scheduling is necessary to attract and keep workers. At the same time, job seekers are increasingly demanding ways of working that meet their needs and enable a work-life balance.
• Employees want to learn and grow. The “same old same old” isn’t good enough for Gen Z and other workers. Even many boomers want to gain new skills and knowledge. Offering ongoing learning opportunities will make your organization more agile and your employees more engaged.

The pandemic may have shaken up the way we work, but many of these changes have proven to be both popular and productive. Experts suggest that employers do the following if they want to attract and keep good people in the post-COVID world:

• Design a workplace strategy employees will love.
• Communicate company culture to all employees and model it for everyone.
• Increase engagement and talent retention.
• Provide a sense of belonging for everyone in your organization at all levels.
• Understand how the workforce – remote, hybrid, and onsite – is doing.
• Manage the workplace from one place.

• Identify workplace challenges, including those related to the changing workforce, schedules, and makeup of your staff.
• Rethink who’s in charge. Realize that today’s workplace is a cross-department effort and that people are what makes the workplace.
• Ask the … [Read more...] about (2/23) 5 Tips from People Operations Experts on Managing the New Workplace