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Tag: human resources

How the ‘Coffee Badging’ Trend Is Brewing Trouble for Hybrid Work Models

“Coffee badging” is the latest work trend attracting attention. The practice describes workers who go into the office long enough to drink a coffee so they can technically comply with their employer’s requirement to spend a certain number of days in the office. However, once they finish socializing with coworkers, employees leave the office to work from home.

Workers may not have the same unanimous motivations for coffee badging, but there are common themes in the data. According to the 2023 Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes from the organization WFH Research, almost six in 10 employees said “no commute” was the top benefit of working from home. The second most popular benefit was saving on gas and lunch costs, closely followed by flexibility over when work takes place and less time spent getting ready for work.

Employees who coffee badge may be following hybrid work protocols on the technicality that they are making an office appearance. However, there are troubling consequences of this latest trend.

Employees who stay in the office for an entire day’s work may feel upset by seeing their coworkers take advantage of hybrid work policies and lose respect from their staff if they cannot adequately enforce them. Coffee badging can also reduce the time teams spend on collaboration and undermine attempts to build a cohesive work culture.

Coffee badging is another obstacle in efforts to convince workers of the value of the office. Employers need to make in-person work meaningful for their teams if they want to successfully combat coffee badging. Three successful tactics to do so are addressing commutes, creating opportunities to socialize or collaborate and practicing open communication.

READ: Best Hybrid Work Strategies — Success in the Post-Pandemic Corporate World

Minimizing transportation costs

Data shows commuting and gas costs are a major reason why professionals like to work remotely. In the case of coffee badging, employees may not be saving money on gas, but they may be avoiding a nasty commute. There are several strategies employers can use to make commutes more bearable for their teams. 

Flex hours can allow employees to come into the office before or after rush hour. While it is important their flex hours overlap with other team members, a few hours of overlap is often enough for productive collaboration and innovation. Leadership can introduce policies encouraging employees to call into meetings from the car, so they maximize the value of their time. 

Commuter benefits can also increase overall attendance at the office and convince coworkers to stay longer. Parking reimbursement, pre-tax funding benefits, public transportation coverage and gas gift cards can encourage employees to return to the office.

Finally, be creative about ways to bring fun to commuting. Cultural initiatives like employee audio book clubs or a company podcast can also give workers something to do during their commute. 

READ: Adapting to the New Norm — Post-Pandemic Work Culture and the Future of Remote Work

Create opportunities to socialize and collaborate

Despite the coffee badging trend, workers do see value in the office. The 2023 Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes also found 62% of workers said socializing with co-workers was the top benefit of working from the office, while 54% chose face-to-face collaboration. The challenge for leaders is to ensure employees understand the value of these in-person interactions.

One first step is encouraging employees to socialize at work. While it is important for employees to prioritize their job duties, their productivity and focus can benefit from short breaks throughout the day. Personal connections between team members can also help them work together more effectively. Consider setting up a coffee station in the breakroom to encourage conversation or hosting happy hours after work at a nearby restaurant.

It is equally important to create space for employees to collaborate. Promoting open discussion, incorporating team-building activities, setting goals and expectations, encouraging personal bonds and offering learning and development (L&D) opportunities can all increase collaboration. When more employees see the benefits of the office as a space to socialize and collaborate, they will naturally want to spend more time at work of their own accord.

Focusing on open communication

Transparent and open communication is the final crucial element of addressing coffee badging. For employees who participate in coffee badging, the trend might seem like a harmless way to balance their work and life. They may not realize leadership might see coffee badging as an attempt to break the rules or a sign they lack interest in being a part of company culture. Overworked employees may see coffee badging as a way to ward off burnout, rather than approaching their manager to address the root of the problem.

Instead of “calling out” individual employees for coffee badging, it is important as a first step to openly address the trend with staff.

Begin by acknowledging leadership has noticed employees are only coming into the office for a brief portion of the day. Express empathy for employees who coffee badge, but be firm that the practice is not in the spirit of the company’s hybrid policy. Finally, explain why it is critical for employees to adhere to this policy and outline any initiatives to make coming into the office easier, such as flex hours or commuter benefits.

A general announcement can help most employees recognize the need to stop coffee badging, especially if they feel like leadership understands and hears their concerns about returning to the office. However, follow-ups may be necessary to enforce hybrid policies. Once management has directly addressed coffee badging with the entire team, it is then appropriate to follow up with employees who do not change their behavior. 

Coffee badging may be a frustrating trend for leaders who want their employees to see the value of working together in the same space. However, coffee badging reflects the challenges employees face when coming into the office, such as long commutes and burnout. By lightening the burden on employees and highlighting the positives of the office, leaders can reduce coffee badging and improve their organizational culture.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Managing Director of Client Implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.  

Why is Colorado Providing Free English Training to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses?

Colorado has two open positions for every unemployed person — a challenge felt by local employers as they seek to fill critical roles. While the state is targeting millions of grant dollars to aid businesses in training workers, one state-supported program may provide employers with the key to unlocking a largely overlooked talent pool: Colorado’s 520,000 workers from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. 

To help bridge the gap between Colorado employers and aspiring “New American” workers, the state’s Office of New Americans launched a groundbreaking partnership that will allow small and medium-sized employers, from food services to hospitality and healthcare, to receive instantaneous access to free language training for their workers and prospective hires. 

READ: Colorado’s Labor Market Paradox — Plentiful Jobs, Mismatched Talent

At the core of the initiative is free access to EnGen, an AI-based platform that helps individuals gain English language and workforce skills. The platform can be deployed on-site at workplaces, or accessed on-demand via smartphone to connect working adults with industry-focused English instruction.

I talked with Dr. Katie Brown, founder and Chief Education Officer of EnGen, to learn more about the platform and how employers can access this free upskilling opportunity.

Immigrants and refugees are ready to work, but language barriers often get in the way of their success. How are you partnering with employers to close that gap?

A wide range of employees around the country are offering upskilling with English as a way to not only grow their talent pipeline, but retain existing workers as well. 

Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, one of the nation’s fastest-growing restaurants, is offering courses such as English for Food Safety and English for Customer Service with great success. They’ve seen not only increased retention of incumbent workers but also a sharp increase in job applications since they began promoting their English upskilling program.

In our recent worker survey, 89% of learners tell us they will stay with their company because EnGen is offered as an employee benefit and 84% will refer a friend to work at their company for the same reason.

Amazon has also embedded EnGen with its Career Choice program. And, this summer, Atrium Health, the third largest nonprofit health system in the US, started offering our industry-aligned program to ensure employees have the language skills they need to advance in high-demand health care roles. 

To date, we know that 92% of EnGen learners have improved their average English proficiency scores, 95% report improved confidence in using English, and 93% say their job skills have improved.

READ: Guest Column — Helen Young Hayes Talks Talent Pipeline Disruption

You are an educator and expert in second language acquisition. Tell me about the pathway that resulted in founding EnGen.

Two decades ago, I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at a community college in Maryland. One student, Mamadou, was a dentist from Mauritania who arrived in the U.S. eager to rejoin his career in dentistry. Maryland, like many states with acute dentist shortages, needed his experience and skills. But the path was too long: Mamadou needed to complete six semesters of basic English before enrolling in the courses that would help him re-license as a dentist. 

The U.S. approach to teaching English simply isn’t optimized for the needs of working adults like Mamadou. The U.S. currently serves just 4% of adult English learners, a population that in turn represents 1 in 10 working-age adults. Traditional in-person classes can be hard to access given long wait lists, transportation challenges, work conflicts and childcare issues. 

I knew there was a better way to teach English, so I set out to build it: career-aligned, real-world instruction that could be accessed on-demand, and offered at scale to serve the 96% of adult English learners that we’re missing with traditional approaches.

How is EnGen supporting English Language Learners and New Americans across the state of Colorado?

Mamadou’s story took place in Maryland, but it could have easily been Colorado. In the US we treat English like a prerequisite to workforce training when in reality, English is a core workforce skill. The Colorado Office of New Americans set out to solve this challenge by covering the cost of providing EnGen to local employers through the Virtual Career-Aligned English as a Second Language (VCESL) program. 

EnGen runs on a smartphone, meeting learners where they are and in any context. Lessons can be completed in just 10 minutes, and content is highly personalized, aligned to learners’ real-world career goals in Colorado’s high-demand industries. 

If you’d like to learn more about the VCESL program and how to bring EnGen to your company, visit EnGen’s Colorado portal.

 

Alison Griffin CompressedAlison Griffin is a Senior Vice President with Whiteboard Advisors, a social impact agency that supports clients at the dynamic intersection of public policy, communications and research. Alison’s career in postsecondary education policy includes two terms as a policy advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. House of Education and the Workforce, as well as an early career role with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities where she guided state policy development. Alison joined Whiteboard Advisors after leading national engagement, government relations and external affairs for Strada Education Foundation.

Adapting to the New Norm: Post-Pandemic Work Culture and the Future of Remote Work

New data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City highlights the remaining gap in expectations between employees and employers on remote and hybrid work. In July 2022, employees reported they wanted to work from home about 42% of the time on average, twice as much as employers were offering at that point. Here lies the complications of the new post-pandemic work culture.

By November 2022, many employers had shifted their rules to accommodate employee preferences. The average employer in the study data allowed employees to work from home 28% of the week.

Despite compromise from employers, employees increased their preference for working from home to about 43% of the time, during this period. Employee expectations of working from home were still not aligned with their employers’ policies.

For many business leaders, this lingering gap can be a source of frustration. Management may struggle to understand why many employees do not see value in the return to the office three or more days a week.

While this frustration is completely understandable, leadership also needs to recognize the need for strategy and creativity in aligning workers’ preferences with business needs.

The solution is for leaders to refine the “why.” When employees understand the reasons and experience the value of in-office work, their preferences can shift in alignment with their employer’s needs. The requirements to make facetime feel meaningful include a robust organizational culture, strong mission and values, and ample professional development opportunities. The post-pandemic work culture doesn’t have to be at odds with your employees or bottom line.

READ: Best Hybrid Work Strategies — Success in the Post-Pandemic Corporate World

Resolidifying the post-pandemic work culture 

The coronavirus pandemic was transformational in many ways. Many organizations proved themselves capable of adapting at a breakneck pace to totally unforeseen circumstances. With the unforeseen pivot to remote work, staff spent weeks, months and, for some, years productively working remotely.

As challenging and lonely as the pandemic felt, many newly remote workers appreciated the ability to balance their lives more effectively. Some also went months, or even a full year, without visiting the office and experiencing the myriad of benefits from face-to-face socializing with coworkers.

While leaders may have hoped the benefits of facetime would be self-evident, that has not necessarily been the case for the majority of remote workers. In a 2023 survey from Pew Research Center, 54% of remote and hybrid workers said their work arrangement hurt how connected they feel to co-workers.

To convince the remaining 46% of the value of the office, leaders can tap into their employees’ desire for connection and build a culture that values relationships. Employee recognition programs, corporate social events and frequent, meaningful one-on-ones with managers can reinforce positive relationships at work.

When employees work in a culture that encourages connection, the time they spend at the office will feel more meaningful, personally and professionally.

READ: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Workplace — Struggles, Solutions and the Return to Office Culture

Strengthening mission and values

Mission and values are critical for employees to feel engaged and satisfied at work. However, there are signs that remote and hybrid workers are disconnected from mission and values.

According to a 2023 survey from Gallup, only 28% of remote workers and 35% of hybrid workers agreed that their company’s mission or purpose made them feel their job is important, plunging from 36% and 43%, respectively, who agreed in 2019.

This disconnect from mission and values could be another reason why the work-from-home expectations gap has yet to close.

Restoring employees’ sense of purpose in their job is a key step to closing the work-from-home expectations gap. The most important step is clearly articulating the purpose of the organization.

First, examine mission statements and core values to ensure they continue to align with day-to-day operations. Then, make your mission and values as visible as possible.

KPIs should tie into this mission so teams can connect their own daily activities with the organization’s purpose. Reference mission and values during corporate meetings, one-on-ones and employee reviews and consider displaying the corporate mission statement at the office.

Finally, leaders need to take accountability, both by modeling these values for their teams and by calling out actions that contradict them. When workers see their leaders walking the talk, they will feel a stronger sense of purpose in their work and greater interest in being surrounded by coworkers at the office.

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

Offering professional development

Senior leaders know facetime is critical for employees to build relationships and find the mentors they need to advance in their careers. However, workers themselves may not necessarily see the value.

In the 2023 Pew Research Center survey of remote and hybrid employees, barely one in three agreed that working from home hurt their opportunities to be mentored at work. Of course, mentorship opportunities should be accessible to all employees, no matter whether they work remotely or not.

However, the office should also be valued as an environment for mentorship and learning and development (L&D). Leaders can offer in-person “Lunch and Learns,” bringing employees together to learn new skills, or group mentorship events over happy hour. Even on a low budget, these events can use existing spaces at the office.

Not only can emphasizing professional development help close the work-from-home expectations gap, but it can also increase employee retention. A McKinsey study in 2022 found employers tend to underestimate how much employees value the potential for advancement, leading to higher attrition rates. By taking professional development seriously, employers can win over their workers in more ways than one.

Two years after the coronavirus pandemic began, the work-from-home expectations gap between employees and employers remains. The steps to closing the gap — a thriving organizational culture, a well-defined purpose and high internal mobility — are fundamental to an organization’s success.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Managing Director of Client Implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.   

Colorado’s Labor Market Paradox: Plentiful Jobs, Mismatched Talent

At a mere 2.8 percent as of June 2023, the unemployment rate in Colorado is notably lower than the national rate of 3.6 percent. 

While the state rate remains close to an all-time low, it masks a paradox in the current labor market that started three years ago. Jobs are plentiful, so is talent, but there’s a mismatch.  

Nothing new: The status quo for the last three years is no status quo. 

READ: Veteran Unemployment — Untapped Workplace Resources

“It’s just been a wild ride since COVID,” says Dana Harris of DMarie + Co., a Denver-based firm focused on the placement of human resources professionals. “2020 was a horrible year, and then 2021 came back with a vengeance, because all those positions that had been put on hold opened back up. I couldn’t keep up. I hired a couple people and I was doing splits with other recruiters. I was doing anything and everything I could to keep up with the demand.” 

In 2022, the breakneck pace started to slow for DMarie + Co. “Here we are in 2023 and now it’s definitely a company’s market again,” Harris says. “It’s not a candidate’s market. Things are definitely softening.” 

Her educated take: “We’re not going to go into a full-blown recession, but it’s going to be a soft market until the end of the year.” 

Some segments of the market are doing better than others. “Construction and health care, I feel, are the two industries that are still doing well. Besides that, tech has gotten slaughtered. A lot of startups are really struggling right now, and even if they’re not struggling, they’re still putting positions on hold because everybody is so uncertain. Nobody knows what is going on with this market right now, so I think it’s just going to be a bit of a guessing game until the end of the year.” 

READ: Top Company 2023 — Startups

Harris advises clients to ignore the headwinds. “I tell people right now, especially my construction clients, ‘If you want to hire, the best talent is out there and ready to make a move,’” she says. “Companies that are thriving right now and hiring, they’re going to get the best talent.” 

Denver-based High Country Search Group has placed more than 7,000 people since its 2002 founding, and about 600 people annually in recent years, says founder Monte Merz. 

After launching with a focus on finance and accounting professionals, the firm expanded into oil and gas, contract accounting, technology and private equity. The focus of the 30-recruiter firm is on Colorado, but many of the industries involve recruiting on a national or global level. 

“You like to think you’re an amazing recruiter, but you can’t control everything,” Merz says. “There are either too many people and not enough jobs or too many jobs and not enough people. There’s never that balance. It’s like the farmer: too much rain, not enough rain.” 

The 2023 forecast looks good on paper, he adds, but reality is stormier. “You can’t have a down economy with 3.5 percent unemployment. That’s never happened before, but here we are.” 

Within that, every industry has its own unique wrinkles. “Energy can be violently down or violently up,” Merz says. “That’s just an occupational hazard of being involved in the energy industry. Technology is the same way, not quite as violent, but right now, they’re having the toughest time economically.” 

The firm’s contract accounting group has dropped in numbers, but not because of volatility. “If they’re good, they get hired right away,” Merz says. “I think the great Beyoncé once said, ‘If you like it, put a ring on it.’” 

While salary growth largely outpaced inflation in 2021 and 2022, that has cooled in 2023. For accounting and energy jobs, however, a lack of supply on the candidate side has added fuel to the fire. “People have just gotten so tired of the feast and famine,” Merz says of the diminished talent pools. “This is the demographics of not that many people in finance or accounting playing into it. 

“That’s why there’s more conflict this year. Last year, everybody just needed people. It was a perfect storm of coming back from COVID, the economy was rolling with money everywhere, and the demographics were kind of pulling people away. All of those things contributed to: ‘You want somebody. Well, you better pay for them.’” 

READ: How Colorado Can Make “The Great Reset” a Reality for a Disrupted Talent Pipeline

Merz says 2023 is “about 85 percent” of 2022 for High Country Search Group. “This is maybe more Goldilocks. Last year was a little overheated.” 

Porridge aside, many candidates are no longer flexible about where they’re willing to work. “That literally gives us heartburn,” Merz says. “We literally have to ask every person, ‘Are you fully remote, are you fully in-office, or are you a hybrid?’ because you have to match that up with the client.” 

His advice to hirers? “I would recommend being as flexible as possible, because that’s your competitive advantage. If you insist on people coming in, just realize you’ve eliminated a certain number of your potential candidates. That’s just how it is.” 

In the end, it comes down to three big questions, Merz adds. “What are you going to pay me? How am I going to be working? And what are we doing, what’s the company?” he says. “That’s what people are looking at. Ignore any one of those three at your own peril.” 

READ: Guest Column, CEO of Atlas Real Estate — Is Working Remote Worth the Missed Opportunity?

And, while Colorado is attractive to many candidates, the cost of living means that about 30 percent of your salary is “paradise tax,” Merz says. “If you want to make an economic decision, move to Omaha, Nebraska, where I’m from. It’s cheap cost of living and they pay pretty well. It’s a very good tradeoff.” 

He adds, “California people, when they’re dipping their toe in the water, usually don’t make the move, because it doesn’t make sense economically.” 

Dave Bacon started BWBacon Group, a Denver-based technology staffing firm, in 2001. He sees a lot of similarities between that year, in the wake of a tech bubble deflation, and 2023. 

“Things have slowed down a lot, especially in tech,” Bacon says. “In these last few months, I’ve never had so many people apply for jobs through our website. I have people crawling out of the woodwork reaching out to us on LinkedIn. 

“In my view, a lot of companies over-hired and overpaid over the last couple of years, and in the meantime, you have a more challenging environment with startups, where interest rates have gone up. It’s not exactly free money anymore.” 

It follows that BWBacon’s placement volume is “significantly down” in 2023, especially when it comes to software engineering jobs. But not everything is down: Cybersecurity and telehealth remain strong, and candidates with experience in artificial intelligence are in high demand across industries.  

“Our overall executive- and director-level positions are interestingly up and we’ve had a lot more confidential searches this year than normal, probably two times the amount,” Bacon says. “Top-level talent is still really hard to find. Most people that are of that caliber didn’t get let go. You’ve still got to go and find those people.” 

Many companies have cut their internal HR teams, opening a potential door for BWBacon. “We had a client the other day that said they had one open position and they received 750 applicants. How does a small business like that sift through 750 people? Should they just outsource that to us?” 

These kinds of ebbs and flows come with the territory. Harris jokes that she’s “been through this 80 times in 13 years now,” but notes that job-seekers have it the hardest. “What I’m seeing a lot of right now is just emotional exhaustion,” she says. “I’m empathizing with a lot of these candidates right now, because it’s tough. It’s been a tough three years.” 

 

Denver-based writer Eric Peterson is the author of Frommer’s Colorado, Frommer’s Montana & Wyoming, Frommer’s Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks and the Ramble series of guidebooks, featuring first-person travelogues covering everything from atomic landmarks in New Mexico to celebrity gone wrong in Hollywood. Peterson has also recently written about backpacking in Yosemite, cross-country skiing in Yellowstone and downhill skiing in Colorado for such publications as Denver’s Westword and The New York Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected]

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month — 7 Reasons to Embrace Neurodiversity in the Workplace

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is celebrated every October, serving as a time to recognize and promote the contributions of individuals with disabilities in the workforce.

At a time when DEI programs are popping up everywhere, still only 4% of DEI programs include disability. Additionally, 40% of neurodistinct individuals are unemployed — more than three times higher than other disabilities.

There is room to grow! And the only way should be up.  This month provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of inclusion and diversity in the workplace, where every individual, regardless of their abilities, can thrive and contribute to the success of their organizations. 

Here are seven reasons why every business should embrace NDEAM.

READ: Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace — 5 Benefits of Hiring Neurodiverse Talent

Fostering equal opportunities

Inclusion is the cornerstone of equality. It ensures that everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, has an equal opportunity to participate in the workforce.

When we celebrate NDEAM and prioritize inclusion, we send a powerful message that individuals with disabilities deserve the same opportunities and rights as anyone else. This not only promotes fairness but also enriches the workplace with diverse perspectives and experiences.

Leveraging a diverse workforce

Inclusion leads to diversity, and a diverse workforce is a strong workforce. When individuals with disabilities are included, their unique talents and skills come to the forefront.

Different abilities mean different ways of approaching problems, fostering innovation and creativity. By creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered, organizations tap into a broader pool of talents and experiences.

Breaking down stigmas

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is crucial in breaking down stigmas associated with disabilities. Inclusive workplaces actively challenge stereotypes and misconceptions, showing that individuals with disabilities can be just as competent and capable as anyone else. When we educate employees and the public about the abilities of people with disabilities, we work towards a more compassionate and understanding society.

READ: The Great Resignation’s Untapped Talent — The Autism Community

Enhancing employee engagement

Inclusive workplaces tend to have higher levels of employee engagement. When individuals feel that they are valued and respected, they are more likely to be motivated and committed to their work. Inclusive practices lead to a positive workplace culture, where employees collaborate and support each other, ultimately improving morale and productivity.

Meeting legal and ethical obligations

Inclusion is not just a moral imperative; it’s often a legal one as well.

Many countries have enacted laws and regulations that require equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the workplace. By prioritizing inclusion, organizations not only comply with these legal requirements but also adhere to ethical principles that emphasize fairness and human dignity.

Boosting the economy

Inclusion contributes to economic growth. When individuals with disabilities are included in the workforce, they become self-sufficient, reducing reliance on social services and government support.

This, in turn, increases their economic independence and purchasing power, benefitting local economies. Moreover, inclusive businesses have a competitive edge, attracting a diverse customer base that appreciates their commitment to social responsibility.

Leading by example

Celebrating NDEAM and embracing inclusion sends a powerful message to the broader community. By leading by example, businesses inspire others to follow suit, fostering a ripple effect of change. Inclusion extends beyond the workplace and influences societal perceptions and practices, encouraging a more inclusive world for all.

As we commemorate NDEAM, let us remember that true progress is achieved when we recognize and value the abilities and potential of every individual, regardless of their physical or cognitive differences.

 

Danny Combs headshotDanny Combs is a leading voice in creating equitable futures for neurodistinct individuals in business. Mr. Combs is the founder of TACT (Teaching the Autism Community Trades), the state of Colorado’s leading transition to employment and training organization, and the co-founder of the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce, the first neurodiverse chamber in the country. Danny has brought together almost 100 businesses to build better opportunities, pay, and career advancement for neurodistintic individuals. His organizations have raised over $5 million in funding to create scholarships to serve all socioeconomic classes.

Best Hybrid Work Strategies: Success in the Post-Pandemic Corporate World

Three years after millions of Americans worked remotely for the first time, remote and hybrid work is a staple of the corporate world. Many businesses, including major corporations, offer hybrid schedules for their employees. According to 2023 data from McKinsey, 80 million Americans would rather participate in flexible work schedules if given the opportunity.

Nonetheless, some employers remain skeptical of the benefits of hybrid work, believing it harms productivity. Businesses that once embraced 100 % remote work are now reversing their policies and requiring employees to come into the office up to three days a week. Not only can abrupt policy changes lead some workers to quit, but they can also cause controversy if they roll back benefits employees have come to rely upon.

Businesses questioning remote work may first wish to reevaluate their policies. With a thoughtful and well-developed remote work policy, based on communication, remote and hybrid work models can flourish. Leaders who want to refine their policies should gather data, test pilot programs and communicate openly.

READ: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Workplace — Struggles, Solutions and the Return to Office Culture

Evaluate the impact on the bottom line

Business leaders first and foremost must understand the impact of remote work on the bottom line. Three years since the coronavirus pandemic led to unprecedented levels of remote work, many employees are accustomed to a hybrid or remote schedule. Rolling back remote work options can lead to backlash and implementation challenges. For that reason, if leaders want to make changes to their approach, they need to justify the costs, both financially and culturally. One way to do so is by using KPIs to develop their strategy. 

Every business should develop its own useful KPIs to measure the impact of remote work on their financial bottom line, but when assessing remote work, it is equally important to use KPIs to track the impact on organizational culture. Quarterly anonymous employee surveys can assess job satisfaction and sense of belonging, both of which support an engaging work culture and may be impacted by remote work. In addition, businesses can examine methods of tracking worker engagement to understand if remote work is hurting or helping. In a best-case scenario, businesses will have access to historical data from similar surveys so leaders can make a direct comparison with the pre-remote work era.

After gathering these KPIs, leaders should analyze trends in the data to understand how remote work affects their business. From there, they decide if their current strategy benefits the business and can develop a new strategy or explore additional data if needed. For example, should employees report dissatisfaction at work or poor work-life balance, then a more detailed, anonymous survey with long-form answers can help unpack why and how remote or hybrid work may play a role.

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

Test programs

After gathering data, leaders can synthesize these trends to shift remote work strategies and can implement pilot programs to test policy changes. A pilot program approach is not right for every organization but can offer practical insights hard data cannot. Nor do these pilot programs need to impact the entire organization. While in some cases, the entire business could take part in these pilot programs, departments or teams are also helpful testing grounds.

Through a pilot program, leaders can better understand the impact on the organization. For instance, moving from a mandatory rotating three days in the office, to a preset two days in the office. These changes may seem simple in theory, but in practice, every hybrid or remote model offers pros and cons, which may not become clear until the new model is already in place. This testing phase, based on hard data, is critical to understanding the impact on employees and on the business.

READ: Battling the “Data Wheel of Death” in Business Development

Communicate openly

Fundamentally, whatever work-from-home policy businesses choose to implement, they need to be transparent with employees. Workers may feel surprised or upset if they feel a policy change reduces their flexibility, so it is important to engage them in a conversation about why these changes are necessary.

That begins with making it clear to workers that their feelings about remote work matter and reflecting the sentiment by asking them regularly about their happiness with current policies. Then, should businesses decide to pilot a new program or change policies, workers should be informed well ahead of time, so they are not caught off guard.

Leaders also need to communicate the reasons why policies are being changed. Workers will feel most invested in changes to remote work when they feel the business has carefully considered the impact on them as individuals.

The bottom line

While remote and hybrid work strategies may not be right for every business, they can offer benefits such as increased work-life balance and employee retention. Leaders who feel the need to change current work-from-home policies should collect data, consider implementing a pilot program and communicate with employees frequently along the way, so they can identify the most effective policy for their business.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a managing director of client implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.  

Building a Better Future: 4 Strategies for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Workplace

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy is only as effective as the employees who are responsible for executing it. This means that you need to build a workplace culture that values lean quality and social responsibility equally. 

As a business leader, you can build a better future by embracing motivational strategies that help employees embody your corporate social responsibility program. Even small changes, like recycling within the office, can make a big difference to your workplace culture.

READ: Unlocking the Power of DEI — Building Better Programs for Business and People

Implementing the ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is designed to ensure that all workers have equal access to the tools they need to be successful. As a business leader, you can take proactive steps to make your workplace more accessible like: 

  • Instal ramps and handrails 
  • Buy visual fire alarms
  • Implement automatic doors 
  • Ensure signage is accessible to all 

Go above and beyond your ADA responsibilities by giving staff access to accessibility tech like screen readers, magnifying tools, closed caption or sign language translation and large print materials. This will show that you’re serious about inclusivity and will build a better corporate culture in your workplace.

As a business leader, you’re also responsible for ensuring that consumers and clients can navigate your workspace. Current ADA guidance asks all businesses to make “reasonable accommodations” to help companies better serve folks with disabilities. Start simple by removing physical barriers to exit and entry. Over time, you may need to make more thorough adjustments, like sign language interpreters. If you’re unsure of how to proceed, consider speaking to your clients to find out what they want from your business. 

READ: 6 Simple Ways to Encourage Employee Wellness — Key Strategies and Benefits

Carbon neutrality

As a business leader, you can help combat climate change by building a carbon-neutral company. This may take time, as businesses use a lot of energy, but the motivational boost will be well worth the effort. Start with simple steps like: 

  • Reduce emissions by hosting virtual conferences instead of physical ones
  • Rethink your supply chain and opt for low-impact vendors
  • Instal solar panels and switch to renewable energy sources
  • Offset any carbon that can’t be mitigated via reduction schemes

These changes may incur some short-term costs. However, climate-conscious staff want to work for businesses that take their commitment to climate change seriously. This means you’ll recoup your expenditures due to lower turnover and increased day-to-day productivity.  

READ: Becoming a Zero-Emissions State — How Alternative Fuels Are Transforming Transportation in Colorado

Ethical leadership

An ethical leadership model foregrounds the importance of your business’s values and champions the dignity of others. To become an ethical leader, you’ll need to audit your current policy and procedures to ensure that all of your corporate social responsibility values are aligned. 

Promote ethical leadership in your company by opening lines of communication. This will help you pick up on missteps and help you better understand the challenges that your staff face. Beware of bias when becoming an ethical leader — it’s easy to believe you’re doing a great job when, in fact, folks are scared to tell you the truth. 

Identify biases by offering anonymous reviews. Once you’ve gathered some data, use the reviews to make policy-level changes to your firm. 

Employee empowerment

Your employees are the backbone of your business. Without highly engaged, motivated staff, your company will fail. As a modern employer, you should do everything in your power to ensure that your people feel empowered at work and proud to say they work for your business. 

Start by overhauling your benefits and policies to include everyone. For example, if you’re about to run a new recruitment drive, review your job advertisements to assess the materials’ inclusivity. You need to recruit a diverse cast of employees if you want staff to feel empowered at work, but may accidentally alienate some applicants with gendered or restrictive language. 

Find unique ways to reward employees who champion your values at work. Put aside a budget for these boons, and give your star employees a chance to decide how they’d like to be rewarded. This ensures that your staff feels valued and can make full use of your empowerment program. 

READ: Navigating the New Era of Employee Engagement — Everything You Need to Know

The bottom line 

Corporate social responsibility is key to the long-term success of lean workplaces. By embracing CSR, you can build a better future for your business and your employees. Embrace simple changes at first — like using more inclusive language — and build on these by reviewing your CSR performance every quarter. 

 

Indiana Lee Bio PictureIndiana Lee is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing, and lifestyle, you can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Mastering Work-Life Balance: Practical Steps for Entrepreneurs to Thrive

Work-life balance has become somewhat of a meme at this point. You hear it in conversations and read it in articles across the web, usually from gurus who purport that they hold the secret key to success in all parts of life.

However, it’s best to approach this topic with a realistic perspective. If you are a business owner who spends most of their time between projects, deadlines and team meetings, striking the right balance between personal and professional lives can be challenging.

Let’s discover how you can achieve this, in just a few steps.

READ: Avoiding Founder Burnout — A Guide on Fighting Hustle Culture for Entrepreneurs

Work-life balance quiz

We might break “Life” down into three key areas. For each of the following, a simple yes or no answer will help you to understand which area you should focus on to get to that level of work-life balance that you crave.

Personal activities and leisure

Some business owners find that relaxing on the sofa, reading a book or going out on the town helps them unwind. Hobbies and leisure activities can look different to everyone, so think about what makes you happy and relaxed.

Ask yourself: Do you spend enough time doing the leisure activities you personally enjoy?

Fitness and health

Sport and physical activity are great ways to detach your mind from work while providing your body with the much-needed movement and fresh air it needs. 

This can be particularly true if you are making the transition from an employee to a business owner. Spending a little time on your health will help you maintain this drive for the long term.

READ: From Employee to Entrepreneur — Top Tips for Making a Successful Switch 

Ask yourself: Do you allocate as much time to your health as you would like?

Friendships and relationships

Lastly, we have the people in our lives — friends, family and partners. Spending time with them and making memories is another essential aspect of achieving a good work-life balance.

Ask yourself: Do you spend enough time with the important people in your life?

How to work towards a healthy work-life balance

If you answered “no” to one or more of the quiz questions, you should start taking steps towards a better work-life balance. Here’s how:

Utilize technology

You may think of technology as exclusively work-related, especially if you are currently in the process of looking for a cheap domain buy for your business or something similar. Tech tools, though, can also come in handy when it comes to achieving a healthy work-life balance.

READ: Revolutionizing Employee Satisfaction — Unveiling the Role of Technology in Modern Workplaces

For example, if you manage an Airbnb business, you no doubt understand the constant demand for managing bookings, guest communications and property upkeep. Embracing technology in this context can be a game-changer. By utilizing platforms and software tailored to Airbnb hosts, you can streamline operations, automate routine tasks and gain precious hours that you can devote to your personal life.

  • Research time-management applications to ensure you schedule enough “me time” in the day. Limiting meeting duration and being strict with finishing times can help work towards this goal.
  • Use digital to-do lists to stay focused on the most important business tasks to complete first. Once finished, you can spend your free time in a more relaxed state. Not having to worry about unfulfilled important jobs can really help de-stress.
  • Setting a timer is another great way in which technology can help keep you focus for short bursts of time, encouraging you to take a few minutes to detach and unwind on a frequent basis.

Practice mindfulness

How many times do you really pay attention to your surroundings, every day? As a busy entrepreneur, the chances are that you switch from one task to another quickly and without fully appreciating the small details.

By regularly practicing mindfulness, you can train yourself to become more grounded and present, both in your personal and professional life. This, in turn, helps you get to the following point on our list — understanding where your new priorities lie.

Reassess and refine your priorities 

Once you get your personal life better organized and start incorporating mindfulness into your daily life, the next step is to establish a new set of priorities. 

Let’s imagine that you regularly spend at least 10 hours a day in your office and only see your children on the weekend. This may lead you to realize that a better work-life balance would mean spending more time with your family. 

So, you make it your new priority to work less at least one day during the week in order to enjoy a slower and more relaxed evening with your kids. 

Time to find your balance

Between investigating AI competitors, training a successful team and managing a growing business, being an entrepreneur can be hard. Finding the right level of work-life balance can become even harder.

However, it can be done. When you have your priorities in place, it’s vital to stay consistent and know exactly what actions will lead to a work-life balance that works for you. 

 

Grace Lau 1Grace Lau is the Director of Growth Content at Dialpad, an AI-powered cloud communication platform for better and easier team collaboration. She has over 10 years of experience in content writing and strategy. Currently, she is responsible for leading branded and editorial content strategies, partnering with SEO and Ops teams to build and nurture content. Here is her LinkedIn.

Fake Flex: The Underlying Risks of Misleading Job Postings and Recruiting

Flexible work arrangements remain very important to job candidates, so it is no surprise many job posts emphasize remote or hybrid work arrangements. Almost a third of hybrid employees, and almost two thirds of remote employees, expressed they would be extremely likely to look for another job if their employer decided not to offer remote work opportunities, as measured by Gallup in May 2023.

READ: Managing a Remote Work Team with Communication and Ease

However, not every role advertising flexible work arrangements lives up to that promise. In a continually competitive labor market, some organizations are selling themselves to candidates for their flex schedules, only for new hires to discover the job is not as flexible as advertised.

Flexible schedules and remote work options give employees greater autonomy over when and where they work. Many organizations have reasonable guidelines about when and how often employees need to work in the office. That being said, some rules are more restrictive than others, and not all recruiters are upfront about these rules in job interviews.

Even if recruiters do not see themselves as deceptive for withholding specifics on flexible work policies, candidates may feel differently. It is critical to be honest in job descriptions and throughout the recruitment process in order to find the best fit. Employers should be transparent, focus on culture and consider their policies carefully.

READ: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Workplace — Struggles, Solutions and the Return to Office Culture

Be transparent

Candidates want flexible work opportunities, but most understand there may be limits on how flexible they can be. A McKinsey survey in June 2022 found 58 percent of Americans work remotely at least one day a week and 35 percent can work remotely five days a week. With policies that vary widely, savvy job candidates know their next employer may allow more, or fewer, remote workdays than their current employer.

Employers may have concerns that being too explicit about their remote or hybrid work policy could drive away candidates if they offer less flexibility than competitors. However, that ultimately wastes time and resources because candidates who highly value flexibility are unlikely to accept an offer and could even feel misled by recruiters.

The best choice is to clearly state attendance policies in a job description, reiterate them during the interview and allow candidates to ask questions. While excessive detail is not needed, job posts can simply state the number of days employees are required to be in office. Exceptions or addendums to the policy can be shared during a phone or face-to-face interview. If there is a waiting period for remote work benefits, candidates should be informed before they sign their offer so they can make appropriate arrangements for travel, childcare or other personal obligations.

READ: Overcoming Hiring Challenges — 4 Strategies for Companies to Attract Legal Talent in Colorado

Focus on culture

Candidates can possess the skills and experience necessary for a role but may struggle without a good culture fit. When businesses are not transparent with candidates about the nature of their flexible work policies, they undermine the trust needed to build a strong culture. Businesses also misrepresent their culture, which is shaped in part by how and when employees work.

It is true that being open about flexible work policies may lead some candidates to self-select out of an applicant pool, out of the desire for more flexibility. However, the converse is also true that some candidates will prefer to spend more time with colleagues in the office and may not apply to a job that seems too focused on remote work.

If businesses do not clearly state their policies during recruitment, they risk driving away candidates who might have thrived with more face-to-face workdays. Recruiters should communicate not only flexible work policies, but also how these policies shape organizational culture, to find candidates with a strong culture fit.

READ: How to Craft an Ideal Employee Experience Strategy — 6 Easy Steps

Evaluate flexible work policies

Businesses are unlikely to withhold information about their flexible work policies for no reason. In many cases, recruiters may feel as though their employer’s policies make it more difficult to attract high quality candidates, especially if highly flexible work policies are an industry standard. However, misrepresenting flexible work rules is not an answer. Rather, employers may need to reevaluate their standards.

Every business has differing needs, some of which may require more in-office time than others. For instance, teams which collaborate frequently may benefit from face-to-face brainstorming more than teams working more independently. However, if research reveals competing organizations do offer greater flexibility, organizations need to ensure they can explain why.

The most important part of reevaluating a flexible work policy is understanding why the policies are in place and communicating those reasons with new hires and existing employees. Candidates are much more likely to accept limitations on flexible work when they feel their potential employer has a sound explanation.

Misleading job candidates is never acceptable. By being upfront, prioritizing culture and assessing their existing policies, organizations can manage expectations around flexible work arrangements and find the top talent for their needs.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Managing Director of Client Implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.

Maximize Learning and Development Programs in the Workforce: Summertime Strategies for Business Success

During the summer, many companies function with skeleton teams as many employees take PTO. With team members in and out of the office, there is not much need for a large employee training initiative. However, the silver lining of more people out of the office is the opportunity for leadership to evaluate and refine learning and development programs for the fall. HR can also pursue creative strategies during the summer so learning and development continue throughout the year.

READ: Managing Summer PTO — 4 Easy Tips

These strategies not only support employees, but they also keep businesses competitive. According to the LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report, skill sets for jobs have shifted by about 25% in the past eight years, with the number expected to reach 50% by 2027. It is no surprise almost nine in 10 learning and development professionals told LinkedIn that proactively building employees’ skills will assist in navigating the future of work. Leaders can be proactive in their business by introducing remote learning options and a learning partner program, pursuing leader development and planning ahead during the summer months.

Offer remote options

During the summer, employees may take advantage of flexible scheduling arrangements to work remotely. As a result, in-person learning and development programs may attract lower attendance and see diminished impact. To ensure employees still have access to learning and development opportunities, businesses can offer remote options.

A variety of free and paid resources for learning exists online, but whatever learning platform businesses choose to use, the most important step is to educate employees about their options. Communicate with employees throughout the summer and encourage them to set goals for learning and development with their managers. The summertime slowdown can give employees opportunities to gain needed skills, which can help them hit the ground running once business picks up in the fall.

READ: How To Balance Supporting Your Remote Workers and In-office Employees

Consider a learning partner program

Businesses have long recognized the benefits of “buddy system” programs at work to help new employees learn from a more experienced colleague. The “buddy system” approach has similar benefits from a learning and development perspective, allowing employees to learn from and motivate one another during the summer months.

Learning partner programs can be highly flexible with summer schedules. Because the focus is on exchanging information between only two employees, partners can find times which work for them. Each learning partner is free to focus on a subject relevant to their own job duties but gains the benefits of their partner’s knowledge. 

Focus on leader development

The summer is often the slowest time of the year, allowing managers and leaders the opportunity to focus on their own development. Businesses should not let the opportunity go to waste. In a reflection of the need for leader development across the board, approximately 90% of respondents to the Deloitte 2023 Global Human Capital Trends agreed leadership capabilities are important to their organization’s success, but only 23% thought their leaders capable of managing their organization in unpredictable times. 

That makes summer an essential time to focus on leader development. Whether internal or external, leadership development programs will leverage slower months for maximum gain. While managers need a chance to rest, too, learning itself can help leaders to revitalize, relax and resharpen their skills ahead of busy season.

READ: Mastering Leadership — Top Tips for New Business Owners to Empower and Guide Their Teams for Success

Prepare for the fall

As much opportunity exists to elevate learning and development during the summer slowdown, leaders should recognize the biggest gains are fall through spring, when employees are more present. Summer is optimal for planning and for redeveloping training materials, especially if businesses expect new hires or interns to join their team in the fall.

Leaders can use the summer to review training programs, survey employees on their effectiveness and think holistically about skills gaps in their workforce. When critical employees are out for summer PTO, managers may also become aware of areas where their teams need additional training. They can then perfect training materials to close these skills gaps in the fall.

Learning and development is an essential element of business success. Remote learning options, learning partner programs, leader development and preparation for the fall are the most effective summer strategies for learning success. By using the summer strategically, leaders can ensure their employees have the skills they need to succeed.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Managing Director of Client Implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.