1 Stop HR

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Top 10 List for Employee Engagement!

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Ever Wonder?

Ever wonder why it is that your employees don’t seem happy at their job?

Are you tired of walking into the office and feeling like people just don’t want to be there?

What’s the Problem?

Most likely you have a problem with your employees really feeling engaged in the work that they are doing and maybe they really don’t feel like they are a part of the company direction.  So what do you do?  Fire them right?  No no no….first we want to ensure that we have done our job as a manager to make them feel part of the team and feel that they are part of the success of the company.  So where do you start?

Start Here for your Tips on Improving Employee Engagement!

  1. Build your team through icebreakers, team building, things that bring them together, things that make them work together and get excited about.
  2. Don’t shut yourself in your office with the door closed.  Make an effort to walk around and say good morning, ask about their weekend, engage in some small talk.  Get to know your team.
  3. Get your team members involved in projects that mean something, that give them opportunities to grow, ask for their feedback, their thoughts, their suggestions.  Make them feel like they have a voice.
  4. Listen to their concerns, listen to their ideas, listen to their comments.  If you don’t hear anything, ask them how they are doing.  Ask them for feedback.  Look to respond to what it is that you hear.
  5. Your employees will count on you to address concerns and not let them fester.  This is how you gain credibility with your team.  Act on the problem areas and deal with them effectively.
  6. Look for the wins and celebrate them.  Whether you send them a note, go out for a team lunch, congratulate them in person, whatever it is…look to celebrate accomplishments.
  7. Recognize significant contributions.  Recognize tenure.  Recognize effort, attitude, and the work that they do.
  8. Talk to your employees about their goals.  What knowledge would they love to learn more about?  What are their aspirations?  Are there things you can do to help them grow in their role?
  9. What can you do to coach, train, mentor your team members?  Can you provide a workshop, send them to any, bring in a speaker?  Give them knowledge, and help prepare them for growth.
  10. Lead by example.  Respect your people.  Provide and give them the opportunity to thrive in an environment where they are respected and appreciated.

To Do:

Take employee engagement seriously.  It is serious, an engaged employee will produce more work, be happier while doing it and will inspire others.  This will directly impact morale and overall happiness of your people.  Make steps today to make a difference in both your people and your company by engaging you team.

 

Looking for help?  Contact us today:  226-750-3160

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To Hire a Relative or not to Hire a Relative….What do YOU do?

people-1The Dilemma:

So you own a company, or have the authority to hire people at the company you work at.  Your friend or relative is looking for work.  Do you hire them?  You want to help them right?  They should be a good worker as you know them…right?  Hmmm

The decision to hire someone you know could have a lasting impact not only on your relationship with that person, but also the staff and company.  I would caution you to think long and hard before extending that offer of employment.

What to Think About:

Many people don’t think about the things that could go wrong in this type of situation, they want to help, they think that the friend/relative will work hard and that is really where the thinking stops.  Here are some things that I would suggest you think long and hard about before moving forward:

  1. What will I do if this person is not pulling their weight or there are performance problems?
  2. What happens if I receive a complaint about this person?
  3. What happens if this person asks for accommodations that are not normally provided by the company to other employees?
  4. What happens if this person is looking for a raise that falls outside of the normal pay range for the position?
  5. What happens if I no longer have work for this person?

The Answer:

The answer to all of these questions is:  “I will treat them as any other employee under my management”.  This absolutely must be your answer and must be the way you manage this situation.  Here is the problem….this is not as easy as it sounds.  There are feelings, there is a relationship at stake, and there are others in your family or circle of friends that also may weigh in on the situation.

Some people also don’t think about the impact on the other employees or the company.  Employees, once they know there is a prior relationship with the new hire, may have differing reactions.  They may be uncomfortable forming a good working relationship with this person.  They may not feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns with lack of performance or activities that are normally frowned upon.  They may feel that there is or will be preferential treatment.  Mistrust may breed amongst the staff and eventually impact staff and company performance.

You may think that this article is slanted very much to one side…that hiring relatives or friends is always a bad idea.  There are indeed examples where this has worked well, however there are far too many more where it hasn’t.

Deep Thoughts:

If you find yourself in this situation or in this dilemma, I strongly urge you to thoroughly think through your decision and have a deep and detailed discussion with the individual if you plan to move forward.  Take your time and don’t come to any quick decisions.

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What are you thankful for as an Employee?

Do you reflect?

Having just celebrated a fantastic Thanksgiving celebration this weekend here in Canada, for me, it is often a good reminder to reflect on what is important in life and what I have to be thankful for.  I hope you did some reflecting as well as this is something that we don’t often do.  Instead, we have a tendency to get caught up in all the drama that is part of our every day life – and why not right – it is hard not to sometimes!!

Employer reflection

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How about taking things a little further?

  1. Have you thought about what you have to be thankful for as an employee?
  2. What is it that your employer has provided to the employees that really makes a difference to you?
  3. What keeps you there?
  4. What keeps you from moving to another company?
  5. What does your employer do that others don’t do or don’t do well?
  6. How are the benefits?
  7. What is the workplace culture like?
  8. Is there an education fund?  Is there an open door policy?
  9. Are people promoted from within?
  10. Do you feel valued at work?
  11. Are you paid well for what you do?
  12. Do the managers care?
  13. Can you talk to your boss and does he/she actually listen?
  14. Are there workplace activities?
  15. What else?

Life

Sometimes life gets in the way…something happens at work and all of the sudden we forget the important things.  We forget everything an employer HAS done for us, or what the employer has worked hard to create in the office and we start to look at other options.  Maybe we see a similar job posting with a higher salary offering.  But is it all about salary?  Will the other employer truly provide you with everything that makes you happy at your current job?

Take a moment

Take a moment to write out a top 10 list – think about all those things that make a difference – TO YOU – in your workplace…the list may surprise you and as an added bonus, it may help you in the long run!

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Add the “WOW” factor to your Resume!

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I was working with a resume client recently and she expressed her frustration with her current resume and that she just wasn’t getting calls.  We re-vamped it for her, but the original one wasn’t in bad shape…it just needed some tweaking.  I reminded her that there is a lot of competition for positions.  That if humans (not software programs) are actually reviewing her resume, that she has about 3-5 seconds to capture the reader’s attention.   Yes – that is all folks.  So, knowing this, it is all about what you can do to set yourself apart and pull the reader in to want to know more about you.

I strongly believe in a very detailed, to the point yet comprehensive profile statement that is geared to the type of job you are applying to as being that first glimpse (beyond name and contact info) that the reader sees.   This is part of the “Wow” factor!  This should be a small paragraph of maybe four or five lines max.  Look at it as a high level reference statement about you.  What is it that sets up apart from other candidates?  Why are you the right fit for the role?  If you have all the skills required for the job, ensure these are noted in this statement, then hit them hard with some of your impressive high level accomplishments next in about 5 bullet points!  Add statistics to your major accomplishments – percentages of increased sales, number of hours saved through a new process etc.  Numbers talk and substantiate your statements!

Remember, key words from the job ad are so important to your resume.  You want to ensure that these key words are added to your resume if they are not already – this will help you get screened “in”

There are all kinds of tricks, these are key.

Want to be in the “yes” pile?  SHOW you are a match for the role!  Spend the time to invest in this SO important document!

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How to be an Effective Employee!

How many articles do we see on how to be an effective manager or  on how important leadership is?  Well it IS important…however, it is also important to be a great employee!  So how about some tips that you can think about and incorporate into your every day work life to ensure that you are at the top of your game!

Listen

Listening is so important, especially when it comes to receiving performance feedback, instructions on projects, direction, etc.  And to be able to actively listen is even more important – this means, confirming what was said by reiterating it to ensure you “get it”.

Be professional

It is fun to joke around, but keep it professional.  Remember that you are in a professional work spacegood employee – even if your work space is designed to be fun – remember that there is a fine line between being fun and maintaining professionalism.  Likewise when you disagree with something – take a breath and think before you respond – think before you act or react.

Look for opportunities to learn

Want to grow in your position?  This isn’t all your manager’s responsibility, you have to take responsibility here too.  Take part in training workshops; look for opportunities to work on a new project where you can gain more skills and knowledge.  Have an education policy at work?   Use it.

Be part of the solution

It is so easy to get caught up in the drama within the office.  It is easy to look at what the company doesn’t have.  I challenge you to look at what the company does have and not to buy into the drama.  Look to help solve problems, encourage teamwork, volunteer to help with problem areas.

Be timely

Sure, be timely to work, but also in your deadlines.  Time is money, money pays for your salary.  Be conscious of when projects are due and do what it takes to meet the deadlines and exceed expectations.

Share your expertise

An expert in something?  Why not share it?  Offer to hold a lunch and learn and share your knowledge on Excel or Word or….  This not only increases your value within the office, but it spreads the knowledge, increases efficiency and improves other employee skill sets too!

Be an asset to the company you work for and you will secure your future employment.

Learn More About US

1 STOP HR was founded by Christie Ferguson, CHRP CHRL Christie is a certified Human Resources Professional & Leader with many years of hands on HR expertise.

Contact US

Tel: 226-750-3160
Email: info@1stophrconsulting.com

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