Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
Workplace culture matters. It’s not all about the money anymore. That’s not to say competitive pay should be ignored when putting together a benefits package. Salary matters, too, it’s just not the only factor, nor is it the top consideration these days. Company culture—the sum of the company’s values, traditions, and beliefs coupled with the interactions, behaviors, and attitudes that drive the business—is a game changer for many would-be employees who understand the bigger employment picture. Employees who believe there’s more to a job than the zeros on the paycheck. Positive psychology expert and author Shawn Achor, says that “when…
Employee Handbook Series Part 2 – The HOW
It’s really a no-brainer. An effective employee handbook benefits both sides of the employment equation. In fact, it may well be the most important document your company creates. And the number one reason for that is this: every area of any importance has to be hammered out before it can make the pages of the handbook. Policies have to be set; procedures worked through, decisions made. A meeting of the minds has to occur to figure out the tough stuff, rather than endlessly push to the back burner the issues that, though critical to the company’s success, are sometimes just plain difficult to iron out. Once the policies and procedures are in place, it’s…
Employee Handbook Series – Part I – The WHAT
If you think that by now something has certainly replaced the trusty employee handbook, think again. Even in today’s high-tech world, the need for this comprehensive document has not diminished. If anything, the techie-ness of our society has created a greater need for this compilation of information. By definition, the employee handbook is an assembling of the policies, procedures, working conditions, and behavioral expectations for any particular workplace. Its contents guide both employer and employee expectations and as well as actions. Simply put it lays out how the employer wants employees to be treated and how workers are expected to behave. “It’s an introduction to who we are,” says Julia Grafton, an HR generalist at Boston-based architecture firm Shepley Bulfinch. Effective employee…
Managing Multiple Generations – Part II
Encouraging Unity While some may argue for letting each generation “do their own thing” the way they want to, undisturbed by the ways and thought processes of their older or younger co-workers, this path of least resistance will also be the path of least accomplishment. A culture that both embraces generational difference and mingles the generations themselves will yield much greater success. Why box in your potential when celebrating and embracing what each generation brings to the equation will provide a much greater yield. These strategies will help you get the most from the age diversity within your workforce. *…
Managing Multiple Generations – Part I
One of the most challenging issues facing leadership today is the quandary of how to manage a workforce that could potentially span in age from 18 to 80. With five generations soon to be working side-by-side, the significance of effectively managing a multi-generational workforce takes on new meaning. Grappling with generational differences is quickly rising to the forefront of management’s most pressing concerns. The challenges are complex and many. For starters, according to Seb O’Connell, executive vice president and managing director for Europe at Cielo, “There is potential for negative stereotyping. Older workers may perceive Millennials as entitled, tech-obsessed or…
Kudos to the Well-Organized Office
The benefits of a well-organized office are many: higher levels of productivity, a feeling of competence and control, and fewer distractions to name but a few. Order creates a sense of professionalism and generates an atmosphere where team spirit thrives. Each of these components contributes to the customer’s perception that this company can be trusted. Attention to organization suggests an attention to important details that contribute to customer satisfaction, further building trust. This trustworthiness breeds loyalty which translates into higher profits. Orderliness and profits—sounds like a winning combination, doesn’t it? And if it weren’t for all the clutter, you’d be…