HR Industry Brief

Nearly 90% of C-suite execs say that thought leadership influences their opinions of an organization, but only 17% believe the content they consume is “very good” or “good.” It is important to know how these two concepts are different but also how they interrelate:

• Content marketing solves problems and clarifies solutions, while thought leadership sparks conversations (that potentially lead to solutions).
• Thought leadership content focuses on quality, not quantity (e.g., one good blog versus 5-10 posts or sound bites).
• Content marketing focuses on selling, while thought leadership doesn’t push products or services. Thought leadership rarely even mentions your company’s offerings. Instead, it boosts the brand’s interest, intrigue, and authority.
• Thought leadership requires research to identify topics and upcoming trends.
• Content marketing solves current problems, while thought leadership focuses on tomorrow’s issues.
… [Read more...] about (8/30) Content Marketing Vs. Thought Leadership: Seven Things You Need To Know

If you have workers who are contract/temporary personnel, gig workers, or come in on an as-needed basis workers, this could have a negative impact on them:

• Insecure income earners have a 50% increase in poor overall health and psychological distress compared to salary earners.
• Non-salaried workers tend to have increased health risks.
• Black and Hispanic workers with insecure incomes were more likely to report poor health than their white counterparts.
• Higher hourly pay rates reduced the negative impact on workers’ health, but they didn’t remove these problems entirely.

In one recent survey, 71% of employees reported that their onboarding experience didn’t help them feel connected with their colleagues or give them a clear idea of what roles everyone plays. A “buddy system” for new hires can help increase both engagement and retention:

• Buddies shouldn’t be confused with mentors or coaches. Instead, they offer peer support – answering questions, providing advice about processes and culture, and introducing new hires to key internal contacts and systems.
• With virtual onboarding processes, a buddy can conduct regular chats, answer questions, and introduce the new hire to the organization in a real way. At the same time, games and fun activities can connect newbies with veteran employees in a positive way.
• Managers and team leaders can select buddies and implement the system. However, HR should create the system and keep it on track by guiding managers on how to integrate and use it.
• Buddies should be … [Read more...] about (8/26) Buddy System for New Hires Strengthens Onboarding Experience, Research Shows

Employers will be happy to hear that their employees generally are pleased with the training they’re getting, but they say they want more:

• 55% say they will need more training to enhance their performance in their current roles.
• 32% say they want training to have a social element, including peer learning or learning groups. While they want more training, it want it less frequently.
• Workers want training that is more relevant to their roles.

Once you have a solid, healthy culture in place, you can be proud of this accomplishment; but you can’t rest on your laurels. Your culture needs ongoing attention:

• Conduct routine cultural audits. Does it still reflect our mission? Does it adequately support your employees and customers? Are you doing everything possible to support a healthy culture? Have changes/improvements you’ve made to your culture been sustaining? If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’ to any of these questions, you need to find out why and make any necessary changes or tweaks.
• Know what your company culture looks like in practice and how your workers embrace it and use it to be productive and engaged.
• Run an alignment audit. This means making sure the following processes are aligned with your culture: policies, recruiting, onboarding, training/development, compensation, performance management, and customer journey.

Okay, you’re got a good team and some great employees. How are you going to keep them? Consider these steps:

1. Cultivate a welcoming, engaging culture. You’ve heard a lot about the impact of culture, but survey after survey show that workers prioritize an environment where they feel secure, appreciated, and respected. They want to feel comfortable suggesting new ideas, collaborate and find purpose, and be innovative.
2. Establish an effective onboarding program. Onboarding is more than just sharing information about the company. It should be interactive and engaging and include some hands-on activities. Make sure people can hit the ground running with the equipment, devices, and tools they need.
3. Invest in employee development. In one survey, 83% of employees say they left a job because they felt stagnant. Make sure your team members see a real potential to advance and gain new skills.
4. Communicate corporate and employee goals in a way that … [Read more...] about (8/23) 5 Ways To Retain High-Performing Employees

Employers are increasing their focus on skill assessment to identify the best candidates for jobs, according to a new survey:

• Over half (56%) of employers say they use pre-hire skill assessment to determine applicants’ abilities, and 1 in 4 say they plan to expand these efforts in the coming years.
• Over three-quarters (79%) say skill assessment scores are “just as or more important than traditional criteria.”
• 36% of reported that job candidates who score well on skill assessment but don’t meet experience requirements likely would still be seriously considered for a job.

Caregiver discrimination is a violation of federal employment discrimination laws. Here are some ‘don’ts’ you need to know about:

• Refusing to hire or promote a female with the assumption that she would focus more on her family than work is a violation of the law.
• Denying an employee’s request for unpaid leave to care for a parent with long COVID is unlawful, as this condition is considered a disability under the law.
• It would be unlawful to require an older worker to accept a reduced schedule because you’re worried (or you assume) that they lack the stamina to work fulltime because of their age.

Most organizations have certain rituals, whether that means monthly staff meetings, annual retreats, quarterly team-building activities, or weekly check-ins. At a time when staffing is short and people are taking on more work, it may seem to some that these rituals are wasted time. However, they actual play a positive role:

• They provide psychological safety. They give workers a safe space to talk about issues or concerns that are troubling them, share fresh ideas and innovation ideas they have, and bond over shared experiences and feelings.
• They provide a sense of purpose. Rituals give leadership an opportunity to make sure the company’s values are clear and actionable and that everyone understands their role in the organization and its mission.
• They increase engagement. Rituals done right can be therapeutic for workers and give them a sense of belonging in the organization.

Your employees who are working moms continue to face mental health and other challenges even as the pandemic eases. According to a new survey:

• 37% of working mothers expressed concerns about their own mental health.
• 40% are worried about family finances.
• 73% said they often put on a brave front so that their families don’t see their stress.
• Only 23% of respondents said they’re getting the care and support they need from a behavioral health professional. They indicated that they face barriers such as lack of time, fears of being negatively judged, and uncertainty about where to start.

• Connect employees with resources and benefits.
• Create a maintain a workplace culture that values mental health.
• Make accommodations such as scheduling flexibility or remote or hybrid work opportunities.