Virtual Team building

            Virtual team-building exercises are a great way to improve communication, build trust, increase creativity, reduce conflict, and help your team members to understand one another better. They're also a useful way for people to get used to remote meetings and videoconferencing software.

 

Importance of Virtual team building

            The physical distance of remote work can quickly turn into emotional distance which, in turn, leads to isolation. And when your employees feel isolated, they won’t be comfortable working alongside their fellow team members

This is why it’s important to create a comfortable team environment that remote workers can rely on.

 

            Virtual team-building efforts consist of several carefully designed strategies, games, and activities that are meant to bring more human interaction to virtual work. It’ll help your team connect with each other – making them feel like they’re actually part of a community

Benefits of Virtual team building

ü  Boosts Employees' Morale.

ü  Promotes Workforce Collaboration.

ü  Supports Innovation Management.

ü  Increases Productivity.

ü  Encourage Versatility.

ü  Reinforce Positive Work Culture.

ü  Build Diverse Relationships.

 

Important virtual team building concepts

                ·         Slack – Team Communication Tool

                ·         Asana – Project Management Tool

                ·         GoCo – HR, Benefits, and Payroll Tool

                ·         Zoom – Video Conferencing Tool

                ·         Milanote – Creative Project Organization Tool

     

References

                ·         Blog articles (2020). 13 Employee Engagement Ideas for Remote Workers. Go co. https://www.goco.io/blog/employee-engagement-ideas-for-remote-workers/

                ·         Luna, S (2021). The 10 Best Online Games for Remote Teams in 2021. Cozymeal. https://www.cozymeal.com/virtual-team-building-activities/online-games-for-remote-teams

                ·         Management (2020). What Is Virtual Team Building. Time doctor. https://biz30.timedoctor.com/virtual-team-building/

 

Mental health for employees

Work-related risk factors for health

            There are many risk factors for mental health that may be present in the working environment. Most risks relate to interactions between type of work, the organizational and managerial environment, the skills and competencies of employees, and the support available for employees to carry out their work. For example, a person may have the skills to complete tasks, but they may have too few resources to do what is required, or there may be unsupportive managerial or organizational practices.

Risks to mental health include:

 

                ·   inadequate health and safety policies

                ·         poor communication and management practices

                ·         limited participation in decision-making or low control over one’s area of work

                ·         low levels of support for employees

                ·         inflexible working hours

                ·         unclear tasks or organizational objectives.

                Risks may also be related to job content, such as unsuitable tasks for the person’s competencies or a high and unrelenting workload. Some jobs may carry a higher personal risk than others (e.g. first responders and humanitarian workers), which can have an impact on mental health and be a cause of symptoms of mental disorders, or lead to harmful use of alcohol or psychoactive drugs. Risk may be increased in situations where there is a lack of team cohesion or social support.

 

                Bullying and psychological harassment (also known as “mobbing”) are commonly reported causes of work-related stress by workers and present risks to the health of workers. They are associated with both psychological and physical problems. These health consequences can have costs for employers in terms of reduced productivity and increased staff turnover. They can also have a negative impact on family and social interactions.

 

Creating a healthy workplace

                An important element of achieving a healthy workplace is the development of governmental legislation, strategies and polices as highlighted by the European Union Compass work in this area . A healthy workplace can be described as one where workers and managers actively contribute to the working environment by promoting and protecting the health, safety and well-being of all employees

 

The steps organizations can take to create a healthy workplace

         

            ·      Awareness of the workplace environment and how it can be adapted to promote better mental health for different employees.

            ·         Learning from the motivations of organizational leaders and employees who have taken action.

            ·         Not reinventing wheels by being aware of what other companies who have taken action have done.

            ·         Understanding the opportunities and needs of individual employees, in helping to develop better policies for workplace mental health.

            ·         Awareness of sources of support and where people can find help.

 

References

            ·         World health Organization (2021). Mental health in the workplace. Mental Health and Substance Use. https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/mental-health-in-the-workplace

            ·         Greenwood, K (2021). It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work. Harvard Business review. https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work

            ·         Rajgopal, T (2010). Mental well-being at the workplace. US National Library of Medicine

·         National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062016/

Professional Development for Employees

        Professional development refers to all training, certification and education that a worker needs to succeed in his or her career.  

 

Benefits of Professional development for employees

• Increase Retention.
• Build confidence and credibility.
• Make succession planning easier.
• Re-energize your staff.
• Improved efficiency.

 

The professional development opportunities employees required

1. Management and leadership training

                One of the best ways to encourage manager development is by offering online courses. In addition to reviewing relevant case studies, students engage in interactive assignments and receive support from dedicated instructors. Webinars also offer an effective learning opportunity that allows employees to engage from their desks. For an in-person option, try hosting internal workshops that are run by high-level managers who share insight and offer practical tips.

2. Professional certifications

               Like management training, professional certifications can include course work but require more preparation and typically involve passing standardized exams.

                Certifications are great middle-ground options that don’t take the same level of commitment as degrees, which makes them appealing to employees moving into new roles or taking on additional responsibilities. According to the PayScale report, the industries most interested in professional certifications were:

• Human resources
• Accounting and finance
• Healthcare
• Social services
• Legal

3. Technical skills training

                While certain industries have more opportunities for technical skills training than others, Pay Scale reports that workers in a variety of occupations are interested in advancing their proficiency in areas such as programming languages, search engine optimization, and 3D molding.

4. Teamwork and interpersonal skills training

                It may seem like investing in technical skills is the most sensible thing to do, but don’t overlook soft skills. Competencies like emotional intelligence, communication and collaboration are just as important. These are the types of skills that keep your departments thriving.

5. Employer-subsidized degrees

                Lastly, some employees are looking for tuition assistance as they work toward their degrees. This route can be more expensive than other offerings; however, the return on investment (ROI) may increase accordingly

 

References

                ·         American Hospitality Academy (2020). What is professional development? Online world campus. https://www.ahaworldcampus.com/b/what-is-professional-development

                ·         University of Massachusetts Global (2020). A closer look at the professional development opportunities employees really want. Training & development. https://www.umassglobal.edu/news-and-events/blog/in-demand-professional-development-opportunities

                ·         Towns, A (2021). The 10 Areas of Professional Development. Gen twenty. https://gentwenty.com/areas-of-professional-development/

 
Performance management and appraisals

 

Performance management is a systematic analysis and measurement of worker performance (including communication of that assessment to the individual) that we use to improve performance over time. Performance appraisal, on the other hand, is the ongoing process of evaluating employee performance.

 

Performance Management vs Performance Appraisal

                Performance management is the process of identifying, measuring, managing, and developing the performance of the human resources in an organization. Basically we are trying to figure out how well employees perform and then to ultimately improve that performance level.

 

                Performance appraisal, on the other hand, is the ongoing process of evaluating employee performance. Performance appraisals are reviews of employee performance over time3 , so appraisal is just one piece of performance management.

 

Performance appraisal process

                The performance appraisal process is a formal interaction between an employee and his manager that takes the form of a structured interview to examine and discuss strengths and weakness. This is undertaken to improve current skills and knowledge and offer further opportunities for improvement, development, and growth

 

Why Do We Conduct Performance Appraisals?

                It can provide us with a series of valuable results. However, done incorrectly, the process of evaluating employee performance can actually lead to lower levels of job satisfaction and productivity.

 

Modern performance methods

1. Management by Objectives (MBO)

Management by objectives (MBO) is the appraisal method where managers and employees together identify, plan, organize, and communicate objectives to focus on during a specific appraisal period. After setting clear goals, managers and subordinates periodically discuss the progress made to control and debate on the feasibility of achieving those set objectives.

 

2. 360-Degree Feedback

360-degree feedback is a multidimensional performance appraisal method that evaluates an employee using feedback collected from the employee’s circle of influence namely managers, peers, customers, and direct reports. This method will not only eliminate bias in performance reviews but also offer a clear understanding of an individual’s competence

 

3. Assessment Centre Method

The assessment centre method enables employees to get a clear picture of how others observe them and the impact it has on their performance. The main advantage of this method is that it will not only assess the existing performance of an individual but also predict future job performance.

 

4. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)

Behaviorally anchored rating scales (BARS) bring out both the qualitative and quantitative benefits in a performance appraisal process. BARS compares employee performance with specific behavioral examples that are anchored to numerical ratings.
Each performance level on a BAR scale is anchored by multiple BARS statements which describe common behaviors that an employee routinely exhibits.

 

5. Psychological Appraisals

Psychological appraisals come in handy to determine the hidden potential of employees. This method focuses on analyzing an employee’s future performance rather than their past work. These appraisals are used to analyze seven major components of an employee’s performance such as interpersonal skills, cognitive abilities, intellectual traits, leadership skills, personality traits, emotional quotient, and other related skills.

 

References

                ·         Performance management (2020). 6 Practical Performance Appraisal Methods. Process. https://kissflow.com/hr/performance-management/employee-performance-appraisal-method/

                ·         Bhasin, H (2021). Performance Appraisal Process. Marketing91. https://www.marketing91.com/performance-appraisal-process/

                ·         Hayes, A (2021). Performance Appraisal. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-a-performance-appraisal-4586834

 

Better onboarding

 

Onboarding is a human resources industry term referring to the process of introducing a newly hired employee into an organization. Also known as organizational socialization, onboarding is an important part of helping employees understand their new position and job requirements

            Effective onboarding involves getting-to-know-you activities and training from coworkers. These efforts give new employees an opportunity to develop relationships that help them feel more embraced and connected. They feel more integrated into their company culture.

 

5 C’s of Effective Onboarding

The “5 C’s” of onboarding refer to compliance, clarification, culture, connection, and check back.

   v  Compliance: How you address compliance sets the tone for how an employee understands their job and their employer’s priorities

   v  Clarification: Clarification means communicating expectations around job performance

   v  Culture: Make sure each new hire receives and reads through the employee handbook

   v  Connection: An email, letter, or welcome video can go a long way toward making new hires feel connected to their workplace.

   v  Check Back: make sure to regularly check in with each new hire by setting up check-in meetings 30, 60, and 90 days out.

 

The ways to improve onboarding of the company

Create a Collaborative Partnership

    Help ease new employees into their position easily by pairing them with a seasoned employee to act as a single point of contact. This partnership gives the new employee an instant and reliable friend who can introduce them to the team, provide hands-on training to learn their job more quickly and integrate them into the culture.

 

Welcome With Excitement

    Help the new hire confirm their decision of accepting their role by giving them a warm welcome when they arrive on their first day. Everyone should be involved in the welcoming of the new employee. When new hires feel welcomed by their colleagues, their level of engagement increases. First impressions are crucial to show them how excited the company is to have them as part of the team.

 

Schedule One-On-One Time

    Most of the new employees stated that one-on-one time with their direct manager is crucial to having a good onboarding experience. This is the managers chance to make a first impression by dedicating time to their new team member.

 

Implement Frequent Check-ins and Feedback Sessions

     The goal with check-ins and feedback aren’t to focus solely on the employee but also strengthening the relationship between them and their team.

Automate the Process

     Automating the paperwork and normal onboarding practices increases productivity for everyone involved. Human resources can focus on building more engaging and efficient processes to support their employees and less time following up and chasing them.

 

References

            ·         10 Simple Ways To Improve Onboarding (2018). Forbs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/heidilynnekurter/2018/12/03/10-simple-ways-to-improve-onboarding-for-increased-retention/?sh=1338d6994b35

            ·         Holmgren, H (2021). 5 Steps to Improve Your Onboarding Process. Kisi - Cloud Access Control System blog. https://www.getkisi.com/blog/5-steps-to-improve-your-onboarding-process

            ·         Boarding (2020). 10 Benefits of an Effective Onboarding Plan. New Hire Onboarding. https://www.clickboarding.com/10-benefits-effective-onboarding-plan/

 

Equal employment opportunities

 

Equal employment opportunity is a government policy that requires that employers do not discriminate against employees and job applicants based upon certain characteristics, such as age, race, color, creed, sex, religion, and disability.

 

Advantages of providing Equal employment opportunities

            ·         Promotes Diversity. People of various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, etc., make up an organization's workforce.

            ·         Right Developmental Opportunities.

            ·         Good Organizational Reputation.

            ·         Elevated Employee Engagement.

            ·         Provides a Vast Pool of Talents.

 

How to provide Equality in the Workplace?

1. Start From Hiring:

            The best way to foster a balanced workforce is through good hiring practices. You must take a more holistic approach to recruitment and remove any prejudices that might exist. Ensure you take full advantage of the vast talent pool that exists simply because you embrace diversity and inclusion.

 

2. Focus on Training and Mentorship Programs:

            Training and mentorship programs need to be re-evaluated to accommodate a diverse workforce. You must make sure that people from different backgrounds don’t feel lost and confused during the process. Maintain a global tone throughout the training curriculum and conduct one-on-one meetings with mentors to guide employees in every step.

 

3. Bridge the Pay Gap:

            No discussion on equality can be complete without discussing the prevalent pay gap, especially between men and women. It is sad is that we are still far behind in bridging the gap of gender equality. At the current rate, it’ll take many years to close the economic gender gap.

Identify and resolve the unconscious bias that exists. A new transparency approach needs to be introduced, which challenges a company to investigate the pay gap.

 

4. Communication is The Key:

            The management cannot become a champion of equality without implementing robust communication practices. Take proactive measures to improve communication within the organization. Create a safe space where employees are unafraid to share their stories and experiences. Encourage brave, authentic conversations and inclusive meetings. Take time to acknowledge and reward individuals for their unique and interesting traits.

 

5. Make Work-life Balance a Top Priority

            To indeed encourage equality, you must also make certain adjustments for them. When you focus more on the output rather than a fixed style of working, it offers room to grow and thrive for your diverse workforce.

 For, eg., pregnancy leaves, in-house child-care facilities, religion-specific holidays are some of the great ways to show acceptance of all people.

 

 

References

            ·         U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1991). The Civil Rights Act of 1991. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/cra-1991.cfm.

            ·         Managing Equal Employment Opportunity (2020). Better work lace better world. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingequalemploymentopportunity.aspx

            ·         Baumgartner, R (2021). Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity. Forbs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/08/10/11-ways-businesses-can-ensure-equal-employment-opportunity/

 

Employees rights and benefits

 

Employee' rights encompass a large array of human rights from the right to decent work and freedom of association to equal opportunity and protection against discrimination. Specific rights related to the workplace include health and safety in the workplace and the right to privacy at work, amongst many others.

 

Employee’s rights

1. Compensation equality

It is that employees that perform the same job and are required to have the same abilities and training to perform it must perceive equal compensation. This applies not only to the base salary but also to bonuses, overtime pay, equity and any other form of compensation you may be granted by your employer.

 

2. Freedom to join a Union

This right is based on Article 11 of The Human Rights Act, and it protects the freedom that employees have to join an association that can represent their interests and get them more beneficial working conditions through collective bargaining.

 

3. Safe workplace

            All employers must guarantee safe working conditions that will not cause employees to be injured, sick or killed.

 

4. Harassment free workplace

            A safe working environment also means that employees are protected against harassment. All companies are required to put policies in place that will protect employees against any form of harassment

 

5. Non-discrimination

Discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, religion, sex, political opinion, national or social origin, and other grounds must be strictly forbidden. Moreover, employers cannot discriminate against a qualified individual who has a disability. When employers make decisions regarding compensation, hiring, firing or promoting an individual, they cannot discriminate against them based on any of the attributes mentioned above.

 

·         Employee Benefits

                ·         Insurance Plans

                ·         Disability Insurance

                ·         Tuition Reimbursement

                ·         Corporate Discounts

                ·         Paid Vacation

                ·         Retirement Plans

                ·         Paid Sick Leaves

                ·         Performance Bonus

 

 Do employees have the right to benefits?

            All categories of employees in Sri Lanka are entitled to superannuation benefits under the Employees Provident Fund Act No 15 of 1958 (EPF Act) and, where applicable, the Payment of Gratuity Act No 12 of 1983 (Gratuity Act). The following laws also apply equally to all categories of employees:

                ·         Industrial Disputes Act No 43 of 1950 and amendments to that Act.

                ·         Workmen's Compensation Ordinance No 19 of 1934 and amendments to that Ordinance.

                ·         Trade Union Ordinance No 14 of 1935 and amendments to that Ordinance.

                ·         National Minimum Wages of Workers Act No 3 of 2016.

                ·         Budgetary Relief Allowance Act No 4 of 2016.

                ·         Inland Revenue Act No 24 of 2017.

References

                ·         De Saram, F (2019). Employment and employee benefits in Sri Lanka. Practical Law. https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-015-7246?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true

                ·         Workers’ rights (2020). National action plans on human rights. https://globalnaps.org/issue/workers-rights/

                ·         Employee Benefits And Compensation Ideas (2021). Vantage circle. https://blog.vantagecircle.com/employee-benefits-compensation-ideas/