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  • Is this Your Situation: Maintaining Your New Employees' Enthusiasm

    The typical process for hiring new employees goes something like this. Your human resources (HR) department works hard to find the perfect candidates and convey the benefits, bonuses, positive culture, and career growth of working for your company. Your HR representative offers the best candidate a position and the candidate accepts and signs the offer letter. Demonstrate They Are Valued Demonstrating to new employees how important and valuable they are can go a long way. Employment is a two-way relationship, especially for highly sought-after individuals. Although many companies officially use probationary periods with new employees, new employees also decide whether they like working for their new employer. After all, from the employee's job search, his or her resume is most likely still on social media and in recruiters' hands. So how can you keep them engaged with your company and job? Make Them Feel Welcomed Consider some of these affordable suggestions: Send or give the new employee a welcome card that communicates how happy you are to have them as part of the team. Before the new employee's first day of work, set up their workstation, computer log-ins, and permissions. It can be frustrating to be unable to contribute because equipment isn’t ready. The longer it takes to set up, the more you communicate that your new employee is simply not a priority. In addition to having a company list with titles and phone numbers, provide a list of the appropriate contacts for common questions, such as the following: Expense reports, general accounting questions Ordering supplies Technical expertise Administrative questions Local businesses and directions Ask the new employee to speak with several of their new coworkers. You may even want to create a mentorship program to encourage seasoned employees to partner with new employees to teach them about the company culture as well as the job itself. Companies spend a lot of time and money recruiting employees, paying referral fees, and hosting company functions. Being proactive about the small things that make the best first impression can make a significant difference in the success of each employee and each project. Do you have more questions about onboarding new staff members? Contact FIC Human Resource Partners about our Nuance Workforce Solutions and Nuance Culture Consulting lines today and learn how we can help. Signup for the newsletter

  • SMART Goals Achieve Brilliant Results

    Effective goals can motivate your employees, improve performance and increase productivity by helping your employees focus on the right tasks. The best goals follow the SMART format, meaning they’re: Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely ​​Specific Focus your goal on a specific accomplishment or behavior you want, and your employee will be more motivated and likely to achieve it. For example, “Take more initiative,” is a goal that’s vague, and open to interpretation. A more specific goal might be: “Notify a team leader, and make outbound calls to customers for the remainder of the day when all other responsibilities are complete.” For each goal, be clear about: Who’s involved. What needs to be accomplished. Where the activities take place. When the activity or behavior should take place. Why the goal is important. The tools or processes required to achieve the goal. Measurable Without a measure, there’s no way to determine whether an employee accomplished the goal. Measurable goals include quantifiable outcomes. Consider these three goals: Reconcile each account on the general ledger by the second business day of each month. Earn an average of at least three customer service monthly ratings from satisfaction surveys. Close 12 sales per month. Attainable Goals shouldn't be easy, but there should be reasonable expectations allowing employees to achieve them. Managers or supervisors have to make sure employees have the right resources to make goals attainable . If a goal becomes unattainable because priorities change, revise the goal to reflect those changes, or pick a new goal. Relevant Every employee should understand their role in your organization’s mission, vision and business strategy. Ideally, each goal on an employee’s performance plan will relate to a goal on a department’s strategic plan, or the company’s overall plan. Mix short-term and long-term goals so they’re relevant and achievable for all employees. Timely Have starting and ending points with milestones along the way to gauge progress. Setting timely limits helps employees focus their efforts toward achieving goals. FIC Human Resource Partners ' Nuance Culture Consulting and Nuance Workforce Solutions can help ensure that your organization is implementing SMART goals that improve the productivity and experience of your employees. Signup for the newsletter

  • Why You Really Want High Employee Engagement

    The concept of employee engagement is complex because it manifests itself through employee attitudes and behaviors. You can’t manufacture engagement, but you can foster it with clear and strong leadership, engaging managers, trust, mutual respect and integrity. Suppose you have two employees, Chris and Sam. Chris believes he’s paid a fair wage. He’s generally satisfied with his role and his supervisor. He does a good job at the tasks he’s assigned. Sam, on the other hand, is more than satisfied. She’s enthusiastic. She’s proud of where she works and she believes in the company’s mission, values and goals. She feels empowered to act in ways that help the company achieve success, and she’s willing to put forth extra effort to make that happen. All of this contributes to her own happiness at work, which is a strong component of her happiness in life. Employee engagement is a step beyond employee satisfaction. Engaged employees have a positive attitude, exhibit the right behaviors and achieve better outcomes than other employees. Engagement can be measured, and research clearly shows that companies with engaged employees outperform other companies. If you believe that your employees ultimately determine the success of your organization, employee engagement is something you want. At the core of employee engagement is trust, fairness and sincere mutual respect between employees and an organization. However, you can’t undertake an initiative to artificially manufacture employee engagement. Instead, you must create a workplace that truly embraces the ideals that lead to engagement. Insincere efforts or those that consist of many words but no actions are usually met with skepticism and cynicism from employees. Employee engagement requires strong and clear leadership so that employees have a keen sense and understanding of the company’s values, goals and objectives and what defines success. Engaged employees understand how their contributions directly influence the success of the organization. Having engaged employees requires having engaged managers who truly appreciate the contributions employees make and treat them with respect. Because leaders and mangers honestly believe that the company’s success is determined by its people, employees feel a responsibility to act in a way that helps create this success. They also believe that their opinions and ideas can bring about positive change because company leaders listen to them, value their points of view and act on their suggestions. Employee engagement relies on integrity. Employees feel empowered to act in a strong, positive way with the right attitudes because of the trust the organization places in them. They in turn trust that the company will do the right thing and follow through on its commitments to provide rewards, recognition and growth opportunities. In the end, employees and the organization achieve their goals for success, which creates an improved sense of personal well-being. FIC Human Resource Partners ' Nuance Culture Consulting and Nuance Culture Surveys can help your organization measure and improve employee engagement. Signup for the newsletter

  • Financial Wellness Programs Boost Employee Happiness

    Since the pandemic, many Americans have been struggling to get their financial houses in order. What is a  Financial Wellness Program? A financial wellness program is an employee benefit program offered by some employers to help employees improve their financial health, knowledge, and behaviors. Some key things to know about financial wellness programs: They aim to provide employees with education, tools, and resources related to budgeting, debt management, saving, investing, and more personal finance topics. The goal is to help employees make informed financial decisions and take actions to improve their financial situations. As part of the program employeers may offer workshops, seminars, one-on-one financial counseling, access to financial planning software, educational materials, and other services. Some bring in financial experts to advise employees. They can cover topics like how to manage student loan or credit card debt, save for retirement, understand investment options, and balance monthly budgets. The aim is to equip employees with knowledge and skills. Some companies offer these programs as a free benefit to employees. Others give employees access to financial advisors and resources at a discounted rate. The goal is to reduce employees' financial stress and help them gain more financial security. This can make them more productive at work and improve recruitment and retention. What are the benefits to the employee? There are several key benefits for employees who participate in financial wellness programs offered by their employer: Reduced financial stress. Gaining financial knowledge and implementing better money management behaviors can help relieve money-related anxiety and stress. This allows employees to focus better at work. Better financial security. Employees can build savings, pay down debt, and work towards long term goals by putting the financial education into action. Having financial security helps ensure a bright future. Tailored guidance. The financial information is personalized to each individual's unique situation when provided one-on-one by a counselor or advisor. This makes it more practical. Convenience. Having access to resources right at work makes it easier to fit into an employee's schedule. The employer essentially brings the advisor directly to staff. Free or discounted services. These programs are usually offered free or at very low cost to the employee, making expert guidance affordable. This saves employees money. Retirement readiness. Employees gain knowledge to help project retirement needs, save sufficiently in 401ks, and develop strategies. This ensures better preparation. How do companies benefit from offering a Financial Wellness Program? Companies can benefit in several significant ways by investing in financial wellness programs for their employees: Boosted productivity - If employees are less worried about financial issues, are saving for goals, and have less money stress, they are likely to be more focused and productive on the job. Less time spent stressed means better work outcomes. Increased retention - Providing these valuable benefits shows employees they are valued. Employees who feel their company cares about their welfare tend to stay longer term. Reduced turnover saves companies substantial replacement and training costs. Attraction and recruitment edge - Prospective hires, especially younger generations, see financial wellness help as a major perk. It gives companies a competitive recruiting advantage in attracting top talent. Reduced absenteeism - Financial stresses can take employees away from work more often. By educating staff on money management, companies see less absenteeism saving payroll expense and disruption. Healthier company culture - Having open financial dialogues fosters inclusivity and communication between leadership and employees. This also positively impacts productivity. How to kick off the program? Decide on an on-site or virtual event if your employees are geographically dispersed. And what's in it for you? You'll save money that would have gone to wage garnishments or 401(k) loans, health care costs and costs associated with delayed retirement. There will also be less absenteeism, and you will boost employee retention and morale. You'll be improving employee engagement — the emotional impact of financial burdens can be overwhelming. Money is a significant source of stress. Personal finance issues can affect mental and physical health, sleep, self-esteem and relationships. Employees appreciate unbiased financial coaching from experienced CFPs who'll help with earned wage access, student loan assistance and responsible spending, with their overall financial health in mind. By becoming better investors, your team's happiness quotient would rise. People often are afraid to go to an adviser because they feel unequipped to ask intelligent questions. You can help by giving them information that makes them feel smarter and ready to: Take control of their finances by creating an effective budget and taking advantage of high-reward opportunities such as paying the minimum on all debts, taking full advantage of employer matching opportunities and paying down high-interest debt such as credit cards. Prepare for the unexpected by setting aside emergency savings to cover modest, unexpected expenses; creating a contingency fund in case of job loss; and evaluating insurance and legal document needs. Make progress toward goals by using more tax-advantaged accounts for retirement, health and education, as well as reviewing taxable accounts and setting doable preretirement-age goals such as buying homes and cars and taking vacations. Financial wellness benefits can help employees understand where they are and where they want to be — to retire with confidence, take fewer 401(k) loans, reduce workplace accidents and overall workers' compensation claims, and have less financial stress, leading to a drop in stress-related illnesses and symptoms, which should drive down your health care costs. Your team wants to feel in control of its present and future finances and less distracted by these concerns at work. And as word gets around, you may find yourself as the employer of choice because of these financial assistance benefits. If you'd like to learn what kinds of financial worries your employees are facing and the kind of help they are interested in FIC Human Resource Parntners can partner with you to survey your workforce and identify the elements your Financial Wellness Program should Incorportate.

  • Parental Support: Tips for Pregnant Employees

    Pregnancy is a normal part of life for many employees. As an employer, it is important to create an inclusive environment that supports all employees, including those who are pregnant or taking parental leave. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act forbids discrimination based on pregnancy regarding any aspect of employment. Despite being illegal, pregnancy discrimination still occurs. With a large percentage of the workforce being women of childbearing age, companies need thoughtful policies. Discrimination can negatively impact careers and wellbeing. Here are three steps you can take: Offer flexible work options Offering flexible work options is key to supporting pregnant employees. Where possible, allow expecting mothers to work from home or offer adjustable schedules that enable attending prenatal appointments and handling personal needs. This could mean shifting start and end times, permitting extended lunch breaks, allowing part-time hours, or implementing reduced and partial schedules. Additionally, ensure office ergonomics accommodate pregnancy by providing adjustable desks and chairs, foot rests, and laptop risers for proper positioning. Avoid requiring late-pregnancy business travel or allow opting out while making accommodations like frequent breaks on other trips. Extend flexibility equally to partners as well so they can provide care and transport to appointments. The goal is crafting a customized flexibility plan tailored to each expecting parent's situation, enabling them to balance work and personal needs through open conversations about the supports that would be most beneficial. With a little creativity there are many options so pregnant employees can continue thriving professionally without putting their health at risk during this important time of transition. Clearly communicate company parental leave policies and individualize support Clearly communicating about parental leave policies and individualizing support is vital. Start by detailing official leave entitlements and pay provisions during time off to provide transparency. However, avoid a one-size-fits-all policy mentality. Set up ongoing check-ins with specific employees leading up to, during, and after leave to understand accommodations that would be most helpful in their distinct situation. These could include modified workloads, gradual return-to-work schedules, and more. Encourage open dialogue and take requests seriously, without judgement or assumptions. Recognize each employee’s circumstances, needs, and challenges are unique when having and caring for new children. Make space for addressing anxieties they may feel about workload coverage. Customized accommodations may differ greatly between nursing mothers, non-birthing parents, those with medical complications, single parents, and more. The goal is to foster a level of trust where employees make requests feeling psychologically safe, while also providing education on leave rights. Catered support empowers worker retention and advancement while allowing employees to prioritize family during the critical early parenting journey. Cultivate an inclusive culture Cultivating an inclusive workplace culture is key to supporting pregnant employees and new parents. Promote psychological safety so expecting and nursing parents feel at ease making requests without fear of retaliation. Implement sensitivity training across teams, ensuring respectful dialogue and behavior. Cover appropriate language, facilities, and policies towards pregnant and parenting employees. Furthermore, discuss workload coverage strategies for when colleagues take leave. Make clear arrangements to prevent pressure from falling on the employee taking time off. Finally, evaluate if company wellness initiatives meet the needs of those expanding their families, like providing private nursing spaces, milk storage options, and parenting support resources. The goal is normalizing pregnancy and parental leave as commonplace through cultural attitudes and related practices. With the right environment, expecting and new parents will feel confident in being transparent about needs, while colleagues will proactively offer assistance. The outcome is jointly taking responsibility for both individual team member support as well as broader efforts to nurture diversity and inclusion. Our Nuance Culture Consulting team can help you develop policies and processes that support your pregnant employees.

  • Avoiding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

    Before we begin, it’s important to define unconscious biases. According to the University of California San Francisco’s website, “unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness.” Just as important is the fact that “everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one's tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.” Now, the main problem with unconscious biases is that they have the potential to cloud people’s judgment-making abilities and result in poor decision-making outcomes. How unconscious bias impacts the workplace One study in particular found that employees may respond in the following ways if they perceive themselves as being the victim of negative unconscious biases at work: Withhold new ideas and solutions from their employer. Refrain from referring others to available positions with the company. Look for another job and quit as soon as possible. For many reasons, these are not preferrable outcomes for many reasons, namely because they can result in numerous retention issues, which are not only time-consuming but also expensive on part of employers. Therefore, it is imperative that employers understand the concept of unconscious biases and the disadvantageous side effects that stem from them. To help you better understand unconscious biases, we have included eight different types of bias down below. Keep in mind that these biases are categorized as unconscious but that doesn’t mean they cannot occur consciously as well, so awareness and responsibility of your own biases is key. 1. Gender bias When people are treated differently based on a certain detail that sets them apart, bias is at play. In the case of gender bias, treating men and women differently in the ways that they are recruited, compensated, promoted and disciplined at work is indicative of gender bias.  2. Racial bias According to Healthline, “racial bias happens when attitudes and judgments toward people because of their race affect personal thoughts, decisions, and behaviors.” In other words, racial bias results in discriminatory behaviors towards people based on their skin color and background in ways that are beyond unfair and inappropriate.  3. Age bias This is a form of bias that refers to the act of making assumptions about someone solely based on their age. As an example, the internal belief that younger employees cannot be entrusted with the responsibility of leadership roles, or that older employees do not have the capacity to understand or value technology in the workplace, are two forms of age bias. 4. Confirmation bias In the Awareness Helps Counteract Implicit Biases article, SHRM explains that confirmation bias is when “ the tendency to seek out and interpret new information as confirmation of your existing beliefs .” For instance, if an employee agrees with a fellow coworker about their coworker’s opinion on a work-related project because the employee wants to be friendly despite secretly disagreeing with the other person, the confirmation bias stems from agreement for the sake of friendship, not authentic agreeance.   5. Affinity bias When an employee favors a fellow employee simply due to the fact that they share similarities with one another, affinity bias is at play. For instance, if a hiring manager selects a certain job applicant over another because they have similar hobbies and interests, then the hiring manager is operating from a place of affinity bias. 6. Appearance bias When someone judges another person and then acts on those judgements based on physical traits, such as weight, height, skin color, hairstyle or subjective level of attractiveness, the person forming the judgments is engaging in appearance bias. A work-related example of appearance bias would be hiring someone strictly because they are deemed to be physically beautiful or attractive, meaning they are offered a position based on how they look rather than their job competencies. 7. Horns effect bias When someone perceives a negative trait in another person and then uses that one trait to form other negative assumptions about that individual, horns effect bias is at play. For instance, say an employee calls in to let their employer know that they are running late one morning. From there, if their boss then goes on to view them as being an unreliable employee, even though they have a reasonable excuse. 8. Halo effect bias The halo effect bias is the polar opposite of the horns effect bias, meaning the halo effect causes people to let one good detail about a person cause them to assume multiple other positive things about that person regardless of whether those assumptions are accurate or not. The problem with this type of bias is that those other “good” assumptions may be wrong, leading people to think more highly of individuals than they otherwise would. Keep in mind that there are many other forms of biases that can arise in the workplace, both consciously and unconsciously. These eight examples are just a handful of the many possibilities, and it’s important to be mindful of how bias may arise in the workplace to avoid treating people unfairly at work. Our Nuance Culture Academy offers several workshops on bias. Contact us today to scheudle training for your team.

  • Bullying in the Workplace

    Bullies at Work Bullying behavior remains rampant online and in the workplace. U.S. surveys show that about 48.6 million workers, or roughly 30% of the workforce, are bullied at their jobs. State and federal laws only guard against physical abuse or come into play if the victim represents a protected class (race, age, color, disability, etc.). Whether in your face or behind your back Bullying at work manifests in a multitude of ways. Most witnesses know it when they see it, and the targets certainly do. It comes in guises that range from verbal or physical intimidation to attacks on work product, such as sabotage or stealing credit. Sometimes it arises from retaliation.  The key characteristic of bullying is that it comes in the form of a repeated pattern rather than a one-off occurrence. Hostile language and name-calling are overt forms of intimidation, but some of the cruelest behavior is surreptitious: Co-workers might be excluded from team lunches or group events, or personal items or work materials might go inexplicably missing again and again. Managers who are bullies may take it out on their subordinates with harsh, excessive criticism or by enforcing overtime. Studies suggest management accounts for around 61% of bullying, versus 33% from fellow workers. A boss might withhold key work information, give unreasonable assignments, require seemingly pointless tasks, issue vague and contradictory instructions, or block a deserved promotion. Still, employees should not confuse every unwelcome order from above with bullying. Strict managers who set tough goals, give negative performance reviews, delegate or micromanage are not necessarily bullies. The worm sometimes does turn. Underlings can bully their managers by showing disrespect, fanning rumors or stubbornly refusing to complete tasks. They can undermine discipline by interrupting or rolling their eyes, snickering or staring at their bosses. Bullies generally exhibit identifiable traits. They are likely to lack empathy and may have few friends. Isolation leads to low self-esteem as well as an urge to exert power and control over vulnerable employees or co-workers. They themselves have often been bullied or undergone other trauma. Interventions may be ineffective What would you do if you witnessed a co-worker being humiliated or singled out? Would you take their side against insults, threats or demeaning comments? The sad reality is that, according to a 2022 study, bystanders in 88% of such incidents stood silently by. Managers may do their best to control bullying on their watch, but that is not easy to accomplish. When employers do try to take action, their efforts often may not bear fruit. Companies may be able to increase awareness of both the signs and dangers of bullying, but they are not normally successful at preventing it. Compounding the problem are the wide range of behaviors involved and the complex interpersonal nuances. A host of permutations can include anything from yelling out loud to practical jokes to usurping someone's office space. Some bullies might be mediocre performers who are taking credit for talented people's work. That behavior alone poses a challenge; it might involve a trail of sleuthing just to recognize it. Another reason interventions may fail is if they are reactive, implemented only after the harm has been done. Normally, the burden of proof falls on the victim, who may feel trapped and unable to cope. Taking action While bullying may be hard to recognize and prove, management must nevertheless take a stand. You do have some recourse. Encourage employees to document any incident, save any evidence and report it to supervisors and HR. Promote confidential communication and make it clear that bullies will be met with zero tolerance. Establish step-by-step procedures and employee training, such as: Conducting briefings on telltale signs of bullying. Emphasizing the reporting responsibilities of witnesses. Providing assertiveness/anger management training, although personality traits tend to be stable there is room for change. Using grievance mechanisms, task boards and shared documents to encourage teamwork and collaboration. Avoiding destructive internal competition. When employees respond to bullying surveys, you must carefully calibrate the answers. Employees may duck sensitive questions out of fear of attracting attention. Our Nuance Culture Consulting Team can help you implement anti-bullying policies.

  • The Power of Employee Recognition: Fostering Engagement, Morale, and Retention

    In today's workforce, employees seek meaning, purpose, and appreciation through thoughtful recognition and rewards programs. Authentic acknowledgment of achievements can profoundly impact motivation, engagement, job satisfaction, and talent retention. Specific, personalized recognition reinforces competence and shows employees their efforts matter. Celebrating wins and milestones fuels engagement and pride in the organization. Both informal “thank yous” and formal rewards make people feel valued as individuals. Sincerity gives recognition meaning, so avoid letting it become expected. Tailor rewards to respect diverse recognition styles. Some prefer public celebrations while others appreciate private acknowledgement. Get creative beyond plaques and certificates by personalizing awards. Spotlight employees in newsletters, assign meaningful projects showcasing their expertise, and facilitate development opportunities. Recognizing accomplishments also builds confidence and self-esteem. Linking rewards to goals empowers employees to achieve their full potential. Highlight specific competencies and progress. Involve stakeholders in presenting awards to cement organizational pride. Assign mentees and speaking opportunities to showcase expertise. Confidence is contagious - seeing recognized colleagues inspires excellence. Making recognition habitual enhances job satisfaction and purpose. Regular check-ins uncover opportunities to celebrate loyalty, growth, and team impact. Tie rewards to how employees’ efforts drive shared mission and values. Appreciation transforms work from routine necessity to meaningful contribution. Recognition also strengthens relationships and connections between colleagues. Expressing genuine appreciation fosters mutual care and respect. Leaders should model recognizing team members often. Social recognition reinforces citizenship, inclusion, commitment and camaraderie. A thriving culture of recognition makes appreciation the norm. Employees become more comfortable thanking each other and celebrating shared wins. Morale soars when people feel consistently valued through thoughtful acknowledgment programs. Talk with our Nuance Culture Consulting team about improving your employee recognition program.

  • How Can Workplaces Foster a Compassionate Culture for Caregivers?

    I recently read an article in Newsweek, " Caregivers Are Invisible. They Shouldn't Be " by Emma Nadler. The article makes an important point – caregivers are often overlooked and under-supported in the workplace. One of the reasons that caregiving is overlooked is that the only caregivers that are commonly recognized by employers are mothers. This very limited view of caregiving is not only harmful to women in the workplace but to every caregiver. Caregiving responsibilities encompass more than childcare. It also includes caring for a family member with disabilities, chronic illness, or aging-related needs. The demands are immense - administering medications and medical equipment, providing emotional support, coordinating appointments, assisting with daily living activities like bathing and eating, and making difficult healthcare decisions. Many caregivers end up sacrificing their careers, relationships, mental health, and finances. At FIC Human Resource Partners, we recognized that caregiving responsibilities often conflicted with work responsibilities and as a result had a negative impact on employee performance, engagement, and retention. That’s why we have incorporated questions about caregiving status and related workplace experiences into our client-facing employee and culture surveys since 2021. The goal is twofold. First, we aim to foster a compassionate culture that acknowledges the dual roles many employees play. Second, we seek to understand the strains, needs, and concerns of caregivers so that we can help our clients support and retain the caregivers in their organization. Supporting caregivers is not only a moral obligation but also makes good business sense. With tens of millions of Americans taking on caregiving duties now or likely to in the future, we must make this issue more visible and respond compassionately. The personal, emotional, and financial toll is too great to ignore. How to Support Caregivers in Your Organization Include Caregiver status as part of your regular employee and culture surveys to understand caregiving prevalence and needs among your workforce. Ask questions that help understand the needs and challenges of caregivers. Including these questions in your surveys allows you to tailor support and track culture improvements. Provide flexible work arrangements like telecommuting, flexible schedules, or job sharing. This helps employees balance appointments and unpredictability. Offer paid family leave beyond FMLA that specifically includes care for ill or disabled family members. This can ease financial burdens and reduces stress. Create a caregivers resource or affinity group.  These groups can offer support, community, and help lead culture and policy improvements. Implement an employee wellbeing program that includes resources and services that can support caregivers. Wellbeing programs help reduce stress and reduce burnout which improves both employee performance and retention. Provide training for managers on the signs of caregiver distress and strategies to express empathy and prevent discrimination. Factor caregiving status into succession planning and advancement decisions to ensure careers do not stall due to temporary reductions in hours. Have guidelines for reasonable accommodations if caregiving duties intensify - e.g. leaves of absence, temporary telecommuting. Implementing these types of supportive policies and programs fosters an inclusive culture that values the wellbeing of all employees, including those with significant caregiving responsibilities outside of work. Find out how our surveys and consulting teams can help you understand and support the caregivers on your team.

  • Age Isn't Just a Number: Ageism in the Workplace

    We have all blurted out statements we would like to take back. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2007 that "young people are just smarter." Since he himself was only 23 at the time, perhaps maturity has led him to respect the value of experience. Company managers in-house certainly do. In survey after survey, both employers and employees note salient attributes that both older and younger generations bring to their jobs. Each age group does appear to offer distinct advantages. Ageism How old is old? The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects workers over 40, so that is a good number to use as a starting place. The law prohibits age-related discrimination in companies with at least 20 employees. It is worth noting that sometimes both the discriminator and their target are both over 40. Managers should watch out for issues in the areas of: Hiring. Firing. Wages. Training. Benefits. Promotions. For example, in your firm, do the most interesting educational and learning opportunities seem to be allocated to younger workers? Are over-40s being passed over for challenging assignments? Are they being excluded or left out of certain meetings or company activities? Perhaps most egregiously, is the more senior brigade being forgotten when it comes time for raises and promotions? Even making distinctions in time off or vacation schedules can lead to grievances and bitterness if the middle-aged cohort senses that they are getting a shorter shrift because they have no young children at home. Is older wiser? Aside from taking care not to break the law, managers have multiple reasons to actively seek out older staff. Research and organizational studies indicate a general consensus as to the perceived benefits of employing more seasoned workers. These include: Better relationship soft skills, such as for handling conflicts or navigating corporate politics. Fewer requests for days off and less turnover than those with young families to support. More sincere work ethic. Serving as mentors for training the firm's next generation. Appearing as an integral aspect of the brand and as a symbol of someone who has expertise and can provide personal service. Ability to draw in business, considering older consumers have the most discretionary income to spend on many products. More confidence to lead internal teams and projects. Being self-starters and independent performers who need less management supervision. Ability to provide a list of contacts for promoting the business' network. Possessing old-school qualities such as patience and punctuality. Young blood Youth is not necessarily wasted on the young. Most employers, in addition to Zuckerberg, prize the technological skills of the so-called digital natives, born into an age of smartphones, devices, social media and computer literacy. At the same time, younger workers tend to be more optimistic, having not yet become jaded or burned out from the setbacks of career building. They are less risk averse, which can help promote workplace creativity and innovative paths to improvement. A modern workplace relies on collaborative team building. Younger team members are more receptive to group cohesion and less likely to cling to their turf, protecting their hard-earned privileges. Especially as they represent a more diverse collection of backgrounds and education, they are more open to wider relationships and outside influences. That attitude includes cognitive diversity, such as differences in information processing and outlooks. Last but not least, they may be willing to accept lower salaries than their more experienced counterparts as they work their own ways up the ladder. These sets of characteristics, which appear to segregate youth and experience, can in fact find a happy medium. The promising revelation is that older and younger workers actively enjoy working together and learning from one another. In 2019, AARP conducted a poll among 1,000 adults. The results showed that 70% of respondents appreciated what they learned from older and younger colleagues in a multigenerational environment, feeling as though they were on a two-way street. To learn more about ageism in the workplace, contact our Nuance Culture Academy .

  • Learn The Rules About Disability Discrimination

    The Americans with Disabilities Act defends the rights of people with disabilities in the context of employment. Title I of the ADA pertains to employers with at least 15 employees. Companies that qualify are prohibited from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. What does the law define as a disability? According to legislation, someone with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental condition that affects daily life activities. For example, disabilities can impact somebody's ability to walk, talk, see, hear or learn in ways that people without disabilities can. A disability may also impact the operational capacity of certain bodily functions, whether that be on a cognitive, musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory or endocrine level. People who are considered to have a disability often have a history of having one. Also, people who face adversities because of a physical or mental impairment for the foreseeable future are regarded as individuals with disabilities. However, it is important to note that a disability does not need to be permanent or incurable to be deemed a limiting condition. It's more about how the disability affects the person while it is present rather than the length of time for which it is present. Avoiding discriminating against people with disabilities does not mean you must hire someone with a disability regardless of whether they are qualified for the position. Just like everyone else, people with disabilities must have the capacity to meet the requirements of the job for which they are applying. That said, upon hiring someone with disabilities, you must ensure that reasonable accommodations are made on the individual's behalf. For instance, if you hire someone who uses a wheelchair, it is imperative that you make the workplace wheelchair-accessible with the help of ramps and wide hallways. Similarly, if you employ people who are blind, ensuring that written aspects of the job are accessible to them is key. Now, under the ADA, employers are not permitted to ask intrusive disability-related questions. For example, questioning a candidate about the severity of their disability is inappropriate. Similarly, requesting someone to sit for certain medical exams as a conditional detail of being hired is unacceptable. For greater clarification, it’s important to reflect on the words of Carol Miaskoff. As legal counsel for the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she has noted that any questions pertaining to a candidate's health or psychiatric history prior to being offered a job are strictly prohibited.  Furthermore, questions that relate to prior use of illegal drugs may violate the same anti-discrimination laws because questions of this nature may reveal that the candidate has an addiction. Since addiction is regarded as a disability, these types of inquiries are banned in the interview process as well. Rather than posing questions like those, Miaskoff encourages employers to ask if a candidate is currently abusing drugs or taking anything illegal on a regular basis. Employers can also require candidates to pass a drug test prior to being hired, at which point the candidate can either consent to the test or refuse. That said, it is essential that employers practice their due diligence when hiring people. The same goes for contracts put into place with freelancers or contractors. No matter what, industry-standard pre-employment screenings require all third parties to be in compliance with both state-level regulations and federal laws, the ADA included. Now, employment lawyers have stated that questions regarding a candidate's medical or psychiatric history are illegal, even if said questions are part of an official security screening process. Also, even if the person applying for the job signs a consent form, such questions are still illegal. There is no workaround when it comes to the ADA.  Instead of focusing on people's differences and excluding them as a result, employers should emphasize the importance of celebrating and honoring people for who they are. Prior to the ADA, all types of disabilities carried acute stigmas. In fact, believe it or not, companies could blatantly discriminate against people without fearing repercussions of any kind. Times have certainly changed, and thankfully, it is for the better. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 22% of people with disabilities who are of age for employment have jobs. However, a whopping 70% of people without disabilities are employed. As you can see, so many people with disabilities do not work compared to those without disabilities despite the ADA being in effect for years now. The law is designed to simplify matters and make sure people with disabilities are protected in the world of employment. However, applying the law and putting it into effect can take time. That's why employers are encouraged to work with job applicants and employees alike. By doing so, employers can figure out how to reasonably and affordably accommodate those with disabilities. Ultimately, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces the employment-related aspects of the ADA law. As an employer, if you are curious about whether a particular candidate can perform the essential duties of the position, keep this one rule in mind: always ask applicants about their abilities, not about their disabilities. Contact our Nuance Culture Consultants to ensure you are ADA compliant.

  • Welcome Workers Who Have Disabilities

    Despite diversity initiatives, at least one important cohort still trails in corporate practices — those suffering from visible or invisible disabilities, who may tend to be sidelined in the scramble to adjust equity. Workers who have disabilities need more than an equal chance to succeed. They also need to learn, develop, advance their careers, thrive and receive fair compensation. In turn, many give back, contributing valuable talent and perspectives. Millions of workers Disabilities affect one-quarter of the U.S. population, comprising 61million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Afflictions may be cognitive, physical or emotional; some are readily apparent and others are latent, such as traumatic or psychological suffering. Some of these conditions are chronic, while others are episodic. The list of wide-ranging dysfunctions includes: Speech and language impairments. Learning disabilities. Medical and physical conditions. Mobility issues. Chronic pain. Blindness and deafness. Attention deficit disorder. Brain injuries. Bipolar disorder. Depression. Anxiety. Compounding their challenges, workers who have disabilities face unemployment rates at about double those of the rest of the population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an unemployment rate of 3.8% (general population) versus 7.9% (those who have disabilities) in September. But the gig economy has provided more flexibility. The pandemic and the rise of remote work have also opened some opportunities: Data from LinkedIn reveals that in August, 53.9% of remote job applications came from members who identified as disabled versus 45.6% from those who did not. The business case for proactive disability policies Firms that support workers who have disabilities are more than Good Samaritans. Employers benefit on many levels. They send an important message, both externally and internally. Inside the company, a compassionate attitude toward all employees generally boosts morale. Outside, generally speaking, it demonstrates a genuine commitment to social values. In addition, an employer can expand its pool of qualified talent. Post-COVID-19, companies have been urgently seeking strong candidates. With so many potential applicants who have disabilities already employed at lower rates, the discrepancy represents a large source of untapped talent. But be careful. If those who have disabilities encounter barriers during interviews and with the completion of applications, they may rapidly become discouraged and look elsewhere. Managers and workers seem to be perceiving different workplace realities. In an Accenture study of 5,870 employees who have disabilities, only 20% said their companies were committed to helping them succeed. On the other hand, out of 1,750 executives, a substantial 67% believed their companies already had appropriate environments and technology to foster the progress of people who have disabilities. The ultimate hope is that the gains from inclusivity ripple beyond those who have disabilities, just as making sidewalks more accessible has a widely benevolent impact on a community, including seniors, bikers and stroller-pushing moms and dads. Walking the walk Managers can implement programs to accommodate workers who have disabilities and alleviate stigmas. Note that the concept of accommodation applies to individuals and particular cases. It is distinct from accessibility, which affects everyone.   Here are some examples of accommodations you may want to bring into your workplace: Increase disability hiring, especially among leadership, to create role models. Provide technical tools, special equipment, interpreters and resources. Establish employee-led resource groups and compensate members for their time and effort. Call out microaggressions, such as derogatory jokes. Advocate for ramps and elevators. Adjust work hours and office layouts. Look to obtain outside agency funding or tax credits. Don't make assumptions, such as about an employee's inability to travel — you might be surprised! Watch out for inadvertent exclusions, such as holding an event in an inaccessible venue. Should you encourage people to disclose hidden disabilities? Gradually, employees are becoming more open about their limitations. In 2020, just 2.6% of 43,561 PwC partners and employees were willing to self-identify regarding their disabilities, but by 2021, the amount had risen to 4%. Still, many may be reluctant, fearing reprisals or slower career progress. Disabilities are a private matter, and no one should ever feel pressured to disclose or discuss them. Above all, they should never be put on the spot in a group setting. Respecting disabilities is not merely about checking boxes or meeting quotas. It has everything to do with going the extra mile to make all team members feel comfortable and welcome. Learn how you can welcome employees with disabilities by contacting Nuance Culture Consulting.

  • The Power of Routines: Structuring Work for Wellbeing and Performance

    In the face of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and pace of work, establishing healthy routines is essential for maintaining employee wellbeing, engagement, excellence, and sustainable high performance. Well planned routines can provide necessary structure while promoting self-care, work-life balance, and space for renewal. Routines allow employees to effectively manage time and energy by offering consistent frameworks and predictability. Knowing what to expect removes uncertainty and decision fatigue. With established schedules, employees can set priorities and accomplish goals efficiently. Essential tasks get dedicated time rather than getting lost amid distractions. Structured workflows prevent distraction and loss of focus. With routines in place, employees work efficiently and achieve greater productivity. Routines also help employees create clear boundaries between work and personal life, preventing one domain from totally consuming the other. Adhering to set work hours and personal time enables balance and prevents burnout. Employees avoid overworking when routines are designed to reinforce work-life segmentation. Well planned routines allow employees to be fully present in each sphere. Furthermore, routines can facilitate self-care by providing scheduled breaks, wellbeing practices, and early wrap-ups. Routines designed to permit recharging enhance employee engagement and performance. Building in time for relaxation, movement, and mindfulness makes self-care an integral part of workflows rather than a luxury. Well-structured routines legitimize balancing demands with renewal. Preventing fatigue through routines designed to facilitate self-care sustains peak performance over the long term. Incorporating reflection into work routines also provides needed perspective. Regular check-ins foster clarity and connection to purpose. Periodic self-examination enriches engagement, creativity, and innovation. Finally, optimized routines eliminate unnecessary work by streamlining cumbersome processes and redundant tasks. Removing frustrating bottlenecks enables focus on high-value efforts. Simplified workflows prevent employees from getting bogged down while providing a sense of control. Continual optimization demonstrates commitment to respecting employees’ time and energy. Connect with our Nuance Culture Consulting team to evaluate your workplace routines and workflows.

  • Fostering Employee Readiness: The key to organizational success.

    Providing employees the skills, resources, and support to excel - readiness - is pivotal for fulfillment, growth, and organizational success. When people feel equipped for their responsibilities, they gain motivation and confidence to step into their full potential. Readiness unlocks discretionary effort, resilience, and achievement. Preparing staff with the right tools for their roles is both empowering and practical. Readiness enables people and organizations alike to actualize their highest capabilities. Readiness stems from having access to the right tools and resources as well as developing the expertise needed for optimal performance. Employees feel engaged when provided with opportunities to gain role-relevant skills. They feel invested in their work and the organization's success when leadership demonstrates a commitment to nurturing their growth. With new capabilities, employees gain competency and through improved performance gain capacity allowing them to rise to new responsibilities and challenges. Growth-focused cultures promoting continuous learning allow people to thrive. Employees also feel empowered when trusted with responsibilities they feel ready for. Ensuring that employees have adequate training and resources before assigning projects conveys confidence in staff. With readiness, employees are better prepared and produce better outcomes. Organizations that have ensured their teams are ready empower employees with the freedom to determine how to best apply their expertise. Empowered people feel motivated to drive success and make decisions that advance organizational goals. Additionally, innovation thrives when empowered employees have space to apply enhanced skills. New perspectives on advancing work emerge. When employees are confident in core competencies, they feel equipped to experiment with and push boundaries. Readiness unlocks ingenuity. Ready workforces also better able to adapt smoothly amid change. A continuous learning mindset allows for fluid reorganization and rebalancing when priorities shift as a result of having the resources to quickly develop employees in place already. What does your team need to be ready for the challenges they will face? Contact us to learn more.

  • Learning and Development Budgets

    Rapid technological advances, new ways of viewing talent and generational diversity are encouraging more learning, revamped training and a realization that old skills won't do for new jobs. Employees' Learning and Development Expectations Nowadays, people in the workforce are eager to benefit from learning opportunities at work. This is especially true amongst Gen Zers who are interested in sharpening their skills while being part of remote work teams. They expect flexible processes that support a hybrid workforce on a global scale, and with the way AI is introducing everyone to yet another paradigm shift, it's time to improve with the times. Employers can do this by providing employees with innovative ways of developing their skills. As an employer, you should also allocate funds for L&D initiatives that are aimed at the enhancement of your employees' skills. This will help each employee refine their abilities, address their weaknesses and bridge any existing skill gaps. The primary goal of L&D should be the establishment of a knowledgeable workforce that is capable of working independently without constant assistance or adjustments. By showcasing your dedication to your employees' learning abilities and overall career advancement, you'll instill an undeniable sense of value in your employees. This will, in turn, transform your employees into influential advocates for your business. You might be wondering how this happens, but essentially, employees are far more inclined to recommend your company to their network of friends and family members when they feel that they are treated well by the business. As a result, their positive feelings toward your business will cultivate a diverse talent pool for future hiring opportunities as well as a devoted audience. How much is the average L&D budget? On average, an L&D and training budget will vary because the value is based on your organization's goals. It should also take individual employee goals, performance indicators, fiscal revenue and expenditure projections into consideration. That said, in general, approximately 2% to 2.5% of the company's total budget should be put toward the cost of L&D when it comes to training employees. What to include in your L&D budget When setting up your L&D budget, make sure it encompasses the following factors: Digital skills training. Certifications and networking events. Workshops and mentoring opportunities. Multidisciplinary approaches. Certifications that are relevant to your industry. Conferences with experts in the field. Events with fellow colleagues. Language training for improved communication. Independent learning opportunities. Mentorship programs. Access to e-learning platforms. Consider the factors you want to include as part of your company's L&D situation, and from there, you can calculate a reasonable budget. There are a number of techniques that organizations like yours can implement when defining your L&D budget. For instance, you can estimate L&D expenditures for the upcoming year by determining the average salary of your employees based on the number of hours each full-time employee works. Another option is to refer to the average salary of employees in your industry for a more generalized perspective. Another approach is to develop a comprehensive cost breakdown that is based on your company's anticipated initiatives as well as past experiences. This method requires you to think about expenses like the cost of training materials, the ideas behind learning sessions, rental fees for venues, the prices associated with travel, accommodation costs for vendors, meal costs and all other expenses associated with accommodating participants. Tips for developing a detailed cost breakdown for learning and development budgets When it comes to online training, you must factor in fees for one-time purchases and subscriptions as well as related setup costs. Alternatively, you might want to purchase employee training software with a focus on L&D tools, and from there, you can incorporate those expenses into your calculations. While this is a more meticulous way of calculating costs, it results in a more precise estimation, making it easier to set your L&D budget. At the end of the day, employees understand the significance of noticing trends, adapting to new technologies and familiarizing themselves with changes in their industries. However, it's important that employers facilitate their employees' abilities to learn and develop at work. By emphasizing the importance of social interactions and setting up situations where employees are encouraged to participate, employers can improve the learning experiences of those who work for them. Similarly, incorporating external ideas and outside perspectives can spark creativity, which employees can then draw inspiration from as they develop their skills over time. Essentially, by investing in the learning and development of your employees, you can contribute to a happier workplace overall. Contact our Nuance Culture Academy team to fulfill your learning and development needs.

Acknowledge   ~   Learn   ~   Commit   ~   Humanize

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