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Here’s a joke for you – If you ask an employer or HR personnel about their favourite season, most of them would say that it’s – appraisal season! While the above joke is in good humour, it does touch upon an integral aspect of workplace culture. Appraisals are a time to showcase how growth opportunities have been seized, as well as to receive corresponding rewards and recommendations. For the employers as well as the HR departments, however, this ‘annual’ cycle of appraisals becomes a pitting match between individual employees. Additionally, they are too constricted to recognise or remember all the positive and negative events that may have happened over the year. It also becomes quite cumbersome for employees to walk the fine line between having a productive workplace culture and an overly stressed, rigid one. Employers across Singaporean workplaces have begun to take note of this phenomenon in the recent few years. This widespread realisation has led to many active efforts put behind creating robust rewards and recognition strategies for a flexible workplace. The aim is to help business strategies while acknowledging the high points of the employee lifecycle and integrating the same with workplace wellbeing . A study conducted in 2017, titled ‘Aon Hewitt’s Hot Topics in Retirement and Financial Wellbeing’, reiterates the previous points by highlighting the following When employees can understand the total value of the rewards that they receive from their employer, a proposed salary increase alone from a prospective employer will appear less significant. Factors to consider when formulating a constructive rewards and recognition policy: Employee-Employer bond When an employee sees that their employer is taking the initiative to reward their efforts, a bond of commitment takes root. It indirectly shows the employee that their employer is keenly involved in their wellbeing and aims to promote their interests. A rewarding system which checks these boxes will boost employee morale and drive up productivity. Departure from force-ranking employees HR departments and employers in recent times have begun to observe that true potential for business growth is when employees work as teams, rather than working as individuals. Often employers may put down KPIs that govern only individual performances or involve themselves in force-ranking employees. This essentially means that employees are assessed through a comparison to each other rather than against a fixed pre-defined system. When this happens, the focus completely shifts from business growth to unhealthy competition among employees. All in all, the strategy put in place for rewards and recognition at the workplace should not become counterproductive. Alignment of rewards with measurable business goals It is the professional duty of employers to translate their vision into measurable goals. It will help put down a framework of brass tacks that would enable the employers and employees to achieve these goals in a stipulated period. Furthermore, goals can be distributed among the various tiers of the organisation, and metrics can be set up, the fulfilment of which, will further be rewarded. It might help employers get a realistic perspective of their employees’ capabilities and get an idea about rewarding them. This also ensures that individual goals are aligned with organisational goals, and vice versa. Policy dissemination When an employer decides to revamp their rewards and recognition policy, the thing of utmost importance is to ensure that all their employees are on the same page. It helps employees to distinguish between - what they are rewarded for, and what they should be rewarded for. Thus, every innovation to the rewards system must be openly communicated to all the members of the organisations, to foster change. Transparency, uniformity and inclusion must be the driving forces behind these policy changes. When an employer pays close attention to the above factors, they can reflect on the ongoing business goals and employee growth in one go. From the smallest of incentives to an extensively conducted appraisal session, a robust reward system proves instrumental in furthering overall productivity as well as business development.

Having a strong and healthy culture works wonders for any organisation. Employees emulate the organisation's values, they know how to respond to situations and for all this, they know they will be rewarded. But how does a culture get shaped? It all starts with the founding members and their impact on the organisation’s norms and way of doing things. And then come the values they plan on living by. But as industry trends and the external environment change, so do the expectations and behaviours at the workplace. For example, an organisation that comes under the banking and finance sector may have had a bureaucratic structure that needs to follow ever-changing rules and regulations. This may never change given the nature of work, but it doesn’t mean that employees remain as burdened as they were years ago. And that’s why we get to see companies like Citi engaging their employees with programmes like #BeMore that focusses on talent, learning, and diversity to ensure they thrive at work. But what’s most interesting about this programme is the fact that it is CEO sponsored and not HR-branded. This goes to show that for any culture building initiative to thrive, it is important to get the buy-in of leadership. What Shapes Organisational Culture For an organisation, culture is what moulds behaviours, and eventually earns a solid reputation in the market. This cannot be built in a day, or even months, but in fact requires continuous meticulous planning, execution and sustenance strategies as well. This includes many different factors like a hiring process to find aligned candidates, onboarding programmes that make the employees feel welcome, reward and recognition programs that help motivate employees and performance management programmes which are aimed at outlining employee expectation and receiving feedback from them as well. While employees appreciate such programmes at the workplace, they are mentally even more at ease and motivated to do better because of the benefits and perks that come with the job - over and above their salaries. Flexibility in terms of work hours; health and wellness support that comes with gym memberships, therapy sessions, health insurance; financial benefits like pension plans, paid maternity, paternity or parental leave or periodic bonuses; and other lifestyle perks like food & beverage coupons, club activities, vacation time etc. - all this contributes towards boosting the organisational culture. Monitoring Culture for Healthier Sustenance Analysing the impact of these perks and privileges on employee behaviour and work is necessary in order to sustain the organisational culture everyone worked hard to build. At the same time it is crucial for any workforce behaviour to be monitored precisely to spot issues or challenges so they can be nipped in the bud. For this AI powered tools are the most effective for any HR team as they get things done seamlessly by checking up on employee happiness and overall wellness at work. But, all this comes at a cost. To Invest or To Definitely Invest - There is No Question Not investing in resources that help build and sustain organisational culture could cost the company more than foreseen. Without budgets allocated for expenditure towards culture building, not only does it become difficult to take care of the emotional and physical well-being of employees, but the financial well-being of the company itself can suffer. For example, onboarding people who aren’t right for the company in terms of values, or losing competent talent that cannot bear a toxic work culture - Can be detrimental due to attrition and turnover associated losses. Enabling the HR team with training, tools and cultural sensitivity themselves, could help deal with habitual absenteeism, low productivity, all by identifying culturally fit employees, conducting regular workforce check ups, and hosting engagement activities. While it is the HR team’s job to foster a healthy culture and drive organisational values, leadership buy-in is crucial as well. After all, decisions related to investments are often dependent on the leadership team, and so it is important that they understand the importance of a healthy corporate culture. There’s no doubt that it all requires finances, and by spending wisely on culture building tools and methods, the organization can certainly earn more with the support of a diverse workforce that is highly productive. But over and above financial support, the best formula for driving growth is the leadership team’s mental and emotional investment that can ensure encouragement, inclusivity and appreciation.

One week ago, you receive a notice of dismissal on the grounds of incompetency and drop in productivity. However, for more than three months now, you have been receiving very little support from your manager. Communications have not been addressed to you directly, information for execution of tasks has been withheld, and are also time and again being told that being a parent takes up more of your energy during working from home. However, your peers involve you in every discussion, your clients have no complaints, and you even bagged the star performer award last quarter. What then could have possibly gone wrong? Are you overthinking it? OR Could it have been intentional? This illustrative example showcases just one of the instances that can occur in a hostile work environment . But time and again, these questions have plagued the minds of those subjected to inappropriate and unjust decisions made at the workplace. What will people think? Has there been an instance when a colleague passed a lewd comment on your social media profile? Or in the current form of new normal, have you felt repulsed by the kind of foul language being used during video calls? One of the recently witnessed forms of harassment during remote working is Cyber-Bullying – Intimidating, humiliating, threatening, and even harassing a peer through the means of electronic devices such as cell phones and computers. Harassment beyond the workplace can also extend to a ‘Third-party’ such as the clients and vendors - Situations where you are ‘forced to keep quiet to protect the reputation of your organization.’ An age-old taboo A 2019 survey conducted by Ipsos (a market research firm) with 1,019 Singaporeans stated that 45% of respondents feel - Women who wear revealing clothes bring harassment upon themselves a sentiment that was dominant amongst 52% of Singaporeans above the age of 50 years. Sexual abuse and violence have been taboo topics in majority of the Asian societies and are often linked with immorality. Thus, giving rise to a culture of ‘Victim-blaming’ – A situation in which people justify the culprit’s behaviour and blame the victims self-conduct, instead. This leaves the survivors in a state of confusion, questioning their own role in what happened. And the trauma of reliving the entire scenario while ‘blaming self’ gives rise to severe mental health issues such as lowered self-esteem leading to social anxiety, and depression. Drawing the line Harassment is a form of discrimination and can be majorly classified on the grounds of ‘different treatment’ basis age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, skin colour, race, national origin, mental or physical disability, pregnancy or parenthood, and bias, amidst others. Employment discrimination could also mean asking for or excluding a specific candidate while recruiting, differences in pay gap despite being in the same job profile with the same work experience, denying the rightful compensations and benefits, or even unfair promotions and appraisals. There may have been a situation when a colleague or even your boss would have said something hurtful in the heat of the moment. But if something like this happens ‘consistently’ and it escalates into causing you severe harm, draw the line – Immediately! Know your rights as an employee, document the incident(s), and report it to the authorities! Speak Up – Because It’s NOT You! According to the Ministry Of Manpower, about 1,000 companies are suspected of indulging in discriminatory hiring practices and have been placed on a close watchlist under the Fair Consideration Framework that promotes fair hiring practices. In fact, on the basis of infringements, MOM has also suspended the work pass privileges of 90 employers. Discrimination is not a one-time action and sometimes, one may not even be able to tell the difference. But if something bothers you and makes you feel uneasy, it’s not you! It’s been a tough time for everyone. But if you are continuously being ridiculed or spoken to in a condescending manner, it’s time to speak up!

The global workforce has entered a period of change not just in terms of HR tools and techniques but also in terms of our perspective on people analytics. With the world of work evolving at a dizzying rate, it’s time for organizations to view people analytics not merely as a means to gain employee insights, but rather as a tool that can help employers understand their own areas of improvement. It’s a perspective shift that companies across the world need to gradually adopt, simply because the tables have turned. Employers today need to give employees a legitimate reason to stay put. From inclusive policies and practices to growth opportunities and benchmark-setting compensation packages, today’s working professional is aware, savvy and constantly looking for better spaces to learn, grow and contribute. Essentially, this means that it’s no more the employee convincing the employer about the value they add as an individual. The equation has changed, and understandably so. With more employment options opening up, the gig economy becoming a mainstay, and remote working enabling people to seek out new jobs across geographies, why should competent talent remain in a space that is not rewarding and fulfilling? Against this backdrop, attrition analysis becomes more important than ever before. A measure of how many people are exiting your company within a stipulated amount of time, the term attrition rate can, in the worst circumstance, be an HR professional’s nightmare. And that’s exactly why an in-depth analysis of the reasons behind employee churn, is ever-important for organizations to grow into ecosystems that not only attract good talent but also retain it. Admitting: If it’s not you, maybe it’s us. The fact is, attrition rates can’t be extrapolated to all circumstances or generalized in order to make a sweeping observation – Especially when it comes to unfortunate scenarios like mass lay-offs or individual terminations. However, when it comes to employees who choose to leave and seek out better opportunities, companies can benefit from introspecting instead of reacting. What does this mean? If someone from your company has decided to part ways and move to another job, it’s up to you as an employer to understand why. This is of course a more nuanced question than it appears to be. Some employees might choose a slightly different career path, some might opt for much larger entities that can provide them with a larger pay-check not because they are more generous but simply because they have the resources to do so. These are the kinds of circumstances which are largely out of your control. You can offer a small salary increment, negotiate a bit, tinker around with the job role, but ultimately if your company’s resources don’t suffice, or your employee’s interests lie elsewhere, your paths are bound to diverge. The preliminary bit of introspection complete, it’s time to dig a little deeper and see if you need to acknowledge the fact that, quite simply, in some way or the other, you are not meeting industry benchmarks. Asking: So, what now? Is your data telling you that there are other reasons for people leaving the company? Say, in a given year, your attrition rate is high and a majority of your workforce has left for competitor companies or other organizations at a similar scale to yours. The reasons could be wide-ranging, from a less-than-desirable work culture to a glass ceiling, toxic managers, no learning opportunities or even the most fundamental – low pay as per industry standards. While step one might be to quickly recruit replacements when someone leaves just to ensure uninterrupted work, the real first step should be to acknowledge the organizational issues that literally drive people away. The next step should be to begin addressing these problems, no matter how deeply ingrained they are. Whether you introduce manager sensitization sessions so that mid-level managers are better equipped to start the cascade of change in their own teams, or decide to onboard a consultant that sets in motion company-wide change management practices – The transformation must start somewhere. For, you will always find quick replacements, but in the long run what you need is people who last. And with millennials and Gen Z occupying a large percentage of the global workforce, even those who stay, stay for an average of 3-5 years. This further amplifies the need for better retention measures. Wondering: Could this have worked out differently? Throughout the pandemic, a top priority for businesses has been to steer their clientele and consumers through choppy waters, whether in the form of seamless and constantly improved services or in the form of customer-led product development and uninterrupted supply. What many forget is that first it’s important to ensure that you empower your employees to navigate the turbulence, making the need for qualitative attrition insights even more important. This means prioritising the people who still work with you. What can one do to augment the retrospective practice of attrition analysis? The answer is feedback – Asking your people for regular, extensive feedback via a range of mediums. From detailed scenario-based employee surveys to more frequent but quicker yes/no questions; from one-on-one discussions with direct reports to a digital show-of-hands through a quick mentimeter quiz – there’s no end to the methods with which HR teams and people leaders can get organizational questions addressed. From the simplest queries about what learning programmes individual employees need, to the deeper concerns on bullying, harassment and discrimination, it’s important to get first-hand insights from your people at every juncture. The ultimate takeaway? Don’t forget the people who make your organization what it is. Not even the ones who left, because there lies a lesson in every mistake you’ve made as an employer, and the best use of people analytics is to learn from it. This article was first published in Consultancy Asia, 2021

If you take a deep dive into almost any Employee Assistance Program (EAP), you’ll find that it covers a wide range of wellness initiatives. Dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that many of these address personal concerns. From eldercare and marital counselling to legal advice and physical wellness – EAPs are a diverse set of wellness solutions for employees. However, the prevailing definition of an EAP begs the question: What about wellbeing at the workplace? Isn’t it important to stop and consider the fact that a job or the surrounding work environment can be the stressor? Isn’t it possible that an employee is displaying a lack of motivation or experiencing symptoms of anxiety not because of personal issues but due to professional issues? These questions also emphasise the fact that mental wellbeing interventions cannot be reactionary but need to be holistic and sustained. Leaders today cannot wait for employees to reach burnout and then step in to help. It’s increasingly necessary to understand signs of burnout and identify important workplace stressors. Globally, workplaces are slowly waking up to the fact that a decline in mental health is as much owed to prolonged and repeated professional stress as it is to personal circumstances. Perhaps even more so. Well before the pandemic, a Gallup study from 2018 found that on an average, two-thirds of full-time employees tend to experience burnout at work. While COVID-19 shines a harsh light on the state of mental health across the globe, the reality of it was coming to the fore much before. It’s no surprise then that an HBR article encapsulating the top jobs of the future, singled out “Director of Wellbeing” as a potential necessity for companies within the next five years. The fact is that wellbeing at work can no longer be considered as a perk or an extra “nice-to-have”. What’s encouraging to note is that there are indeed systemic endeavours being put in place. A step in the right direction, for instance, is Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower launching the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Wellbeing at Workplaces in late 2020. By implementing an expert panel specifically dedicated to solving the concern of mental health at work, Singapore has rightly placed the onus on the system and on employers. While systemic interventions are the most desirable, especially if we want to effect widespread change that includes the blue-collar and white-collar workforce as well as the unorganised sector, it is also advisable to start at home, in our own organisations, with our own teams. 1. Interventions – What you can DO for your people From leadership sensitisation and regular one-on-one sessions, to resilience workshops and mental health counselling, there’s a lot that organisations can and should do. These are policy-level and process-level endeavours where expert advice is necessary. This is what makes the “Director of Wellbeing” designation such an important evolution for HR. Whether it is to get leadership buy-in on investing in mental wellness, organising workshops with qualified experts, or keeping a finger on the emotional pulse of the organisation, there’s no doubt that this level of preparation requires a dedicated resource. A full-time wellbeing expert can also determine when an external consultant needs to be called in to address issues that cannot be addressed from within. From unreasonable work hours and rude managers to an unrelenting glass ceiling, unhappiness at work is caused by a multitude of factors, some of which make for an uncomfortable conversation – All the more reason to have that conversation! 2. Empowerment – How you can BE for your people To put it simply, managers need to be empowered to make decisions that are in the best interest of their teams. Team leads and mid-level managers require high levels of autonomy to be able to do this without fearing for their job. Real impact comes from practising what you preach. Every employee’s 100% is different on different days. Optimal productivity and efficiency every single day is utterly impossible, and people-leaders need to become comfortable with this reality. For senior leadership, it’s crucial to set this example of being okay with failure. This can trickle down to the junior-most employees, empowering them to feel secure about their jobs even on a bad day. With hybrid and remote working becoming the new norm, we need to tell our people that it’s okay if they’re not visible and heard on every Zoom call, across every email chain, and in every idea forum. It’s time to move from hiring only high-performing leaders to hiring more empathetic leaders. Prioritise empathy, respect empathy, invest in empathy. As the world grapples with environmental chaos, medical crises and emotional turmoil, let’s be an active part of the improving employee wellbeing. Let the evolution of ideas lead to the evolution of us as thinking, feeling humans. This article was first published in HR Asia Issue 60, 2021

When it comes to retaining employees, organisations need to focus on benchmarked industrial practices to keep their best talent and control attrition rates. That being said, attrition need not always have a negative connotation - it’s an indicator that your organisation is changing. Often, attrition can help you bring in better talent and build a diverse workforce. But throughout this process, your focus needs to be on attracting and building the right base for your company, while also putting in the effort to retain the workforce that makes your company what it is. So, why is retention so important? Let’s take a look at how constant churn and loss of talent can be a dampener to employee and organisational growth. Collaboration can witness a dip A team that has worked together for a long time is likely to function like a well-oiled machine, having built a degree of understanding and synergy. They are likely to collaborate better and possess stronger team dynamics, with each person being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of others, and making adequate adjustments to complete projects more efficiently. While fresh perspectives and talent are always welcome, losing an essential cog can disturb healthy team dynamics and result in reduced productivity as the team transitions to cover the gap left by the employee who quits. Onboarding time and costs Employees who have been with the company for a long time have a better understanding of how the organisation functions, as well as the talent and skills required to navigate their job role. It’s no secret that the cost of onboarding new employees both in terms of resources and time can take a major chunk out of profitability. Whether it is the cost of job ads and job portals, time lost in the screening & interview processes, or the transition period of onboarding and the resources spent on upskilling and training new entrants - The cost of a high turnover rate can impact the bottom line. This makes it significantly more viable for organisations to invest in retaining the current workforce and building a happy work environment that bolsters individual and team productivity. Negative impact on employees Adjusting to constant churn can take a toll even on the most resilient of employees. Feelings of dissatisfaction and disengagement can spread within an organisation, and teams often see the organisation as responsible for the loss of good talent. Especially if people are leaving due to reasons like a toxic work environment, authoritarian leadership, a lack of transparency and below average pay, it’s only a matter of time before more and more of your best people find brighter opportunities. This in turn can be demoralising and demotivating to others, even prompt your more “stable employees” to seek other avenues. So, clearly, attrition is an important factor when it comes to team performance. Here’s how you can reduce attrition rates in your organisation: Engagement exercises: By helping your employees get to know each other better, encouraging health and wellness, and focusing on collaboration in addition to L&D programs for skill-building, you can create an engaging work culture & a positive work environment that quite simply makes people want to stay. Effective listening exercises: Conducting pulse surveys to grasp employee sentiments and experiences, and paying close attention to expectations & feedback from employees during interviews, exit polls and periodic surveys can help you understand what you’re doing right and what you’re not. Step 2 is to assess feasibility and ensure implementation. Often, asking for feedback and failing to follow through is worse than not asking for feedback at all. Upskilling and career mapping: Providing learning and development opportunities for your employees will keep them engaged, productive and continuously learning. With more focus being placed on growing professionally, it will also help to chart out their journey with your organisation through career mapping/planning efforts. This not only ensures progress in the technical sense, it also adds a sense of purpose to the employee experience - a factor that is a major driving force for commitment and ownership at work. Building benefits and policies: Putting in place an appropriate Rewards & Recognition program, promoting wellness, work-life balance, and encouraging stronger teams are all important factors in reducing attrition rates within your organization. Robust policies and processes, as well as thoughtful perks and benefits complete this picture. All of this together builds a culture that helps your employee-base grow not only as professionals but also as people. This isn't a process that can be completed in a day. It involves assembling strong, well-informed and competent teams across HR, Talent Development, L&D and D&I, amongst others to come together and lay the foundation for an organisation where people thrive. Impediments to work-life balance & synthesis, negative mentoring styles, and a toxic work culture can cost your organisation your most talented employees. Keeping a check on the pulse of your company and taking steps to building an engaging and holistic workplace will, in the long-term, help you keep your employees happy, your attrition rates low, and your employer brand aspirational. High levels of retention also serve to grow your company from within. Whether it is to identify your next top leaders, or to plan new business endeavours, the people who stay with you the longest can often lay the base for exciting new expansion plans and ambitious organisational growth initiatives.

“When employees recognise and appreciate each other, their connection transcends the immediate culture to create a shared bond. The power of this bond is stronger than you might think; indeed, it’s the power that holds together great organizational cultures.” – Erik Mosley and Derek Irvine, co-authors of The Power of Thanks: How Social Recognition Empowers Employees and Creates a Best Place to Work It is said that no man is an island. If we were to apply the same logic to a workplace ecosystem, we could say – no employee can ever work in a silo. This statement holds because just like we yearn for companionship as humans; we also yearn for a happy workplace as professionals. Among the cornerstones of such a workplace are recognition and appreciation. According to Gallup, employees feel about 82% more motivated to work when recognised for their contribution. Many misconstrue the concept of ‘appreciation’ to be something loud and public alone. Contradictorily, it is a departure from being ‘functional robots’, whose ultimate focus is to mechanically go through daily motions of the day. Appreciating your employees, peers and colleagues is imperative if you wish to foster deep-rooted bonds that add to workplace productivity. Here are 5, subtle, yet impactful ways of showcasing appreciation. Fill up the jar of appreciation This is inspired by the theory of bucket fillers and bucket dippers, as explained by Don Clifton and Tom Rath in their book – How full is your bucket? Here they speak about two types of employees. One, who fill up the bucket/jar of appreciation by doing small acts of kindness, showcasing empathy, listening actively, expressing gratitude and so on. The second ones are bucket dippers or jar breakers, who prefer being negative, are prone to ignoring their peers, being passively disrespectful, etc. The next time you choose to interact with your colleagues, remember to be an appreciation jar-filler rather than a breaker. Be an extrovert when communicating gratitude Often, when it comes to appreciating colleagues, many feel like they are standing against a brick wall of discomfort. This hesitancy can become a major hindrance when it comes to acknowledging your peer’s efforts, which may lead to discontent on their part. Feelings of appreciation, when shared have been recorded to have a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of employees. You can begin as small as acknowledging emails with a simple ‘thank you’. You’d be amazed how far along it might take you. Start ‘appreciation circles’ Many workplaces have already established gratitude huddles, wherein every week team-members meet and appreciate each other for work, well-done. Why not implement that exact strategy daily? When you begin your day by gathering your peers together and highlight one positive work quality of each one of them, your day is bound to start on a positive note. This practice does not necessarily have to be company-wide; it can be limited to a small team too as long as it is inclusive. Participate in nomination drives Peer-to-peer appreciation is one of the most potent ways to ensure that all employees feel respected and valued. Conduct small, informal nomination drives with a range of categories such as – ‘Upholder of workplace values’, ‘True Rockstar’, ‘Most Valued Team Player’, ‘Treasure chest of insights’, ‘Mountain of Help’, ‘Perfectly Punctual’, etc. Such nomination drives allow for more participation and ultimately lead to more appreciation. Sometimes, the vote could be unanimous, while other times there could be multiple winners in categories. It is a healthy practice and can be implemented during team outings to add to the merriment. Gift a meal A gift as small as a fountain pen would be appreciated by a colleague who was a contributor to a project’s success. Another appreciative step is gifting a meal. Food has always been an excellent way to nurture strong bonds, and sharing that experience with a colleague is rewarding. When you gift a meal, it is equally important to detail out the reasons for the same. It makes the gift more personalised and encourages the colleague to continue to outperform in the future. If you are a manager, then team lunches are a great idea to showcase your gratitude towards your team. Practising the above five small, yet powerful ways will work towards strengthening your professional relationships and creating a happy workplace.

Naomi was sitting at her work desk at home, with her cup of coffee, going over the presentation that she would be taking the client through in the next 30 minutes. Two teammates and her manager had joined her over a video call, to make sure everything was on track. Suddenly, she heard a loud thud downstairs and almost immediately, heard her brother call out loudly. “Give me 2 minutes, guys,” Naomi said. “Sure,” said her manager, having faintly heard Naomi’s brother. Naomi turned off the video and rushed downstairs only to find her mother lying on the floor, unable to move, bleeding from her forehead. Her brother was trying to help her but she was writhing in pain. She rushed back up, turned on the video and said, “Guys, I have to rush to the hospital. There’s an emergency!” “Absolutely, Naomi. Please go ahead,” her manager said. “Thank you so much!” Naomi said. “Don’t worry, Naomi. We’ll handle the presentation. Don’t forget your masks,” her manager said. That was it. No questions asked. No justifications required. Later that evening Naomi informed her manager that her mother was better but would have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days for a complete check-up. “It’s a relief that she’s better now. Please take a few days off and don’t worry about work,” her manager said. “How was the presentation?” Naomi asked. “The client loved your presentation. You did well, Naomi. No more work talk. You rest now,” her manager said. Employees will always remember kindness, empathy, compassion and respect. Yes, you might be offering perks, plush cafeterias, TT and foosball tables, quirky and decorated office spaces, but what one actually remembers is how you treated them. Were you there for your employees when they needed your support? Did you trust them? Did you respect them for their contribution? When you put your people first, they automatically take care of the customers and in turn, the company. Rather than working just for the paycheque at the end of the month, they actually work for the overall growth and development of the organisation. What then is the most important step towards building a people first workplace? It’s setting the company culture right. Do you think Naomi was able to take care of the crisis at home because her team was feeling particularly kind that day? No. It was the result of a well-rounded company culture that put its people first. When you support your employees and promote an egalitarian culture, you allow people equal opportunities to learn, grow and perform to the best of their abilities. And when your employees do well, the organisation does well too. What can you do to make sure that employee well-being remains in focus? Let’s see. Onboarding Process Start from the start. Establishing and introducing your employees to a people first culture should begin from day 1. New employees will form an understanding about the organisation and its culture from the way in which they are inducted into the company and welcomed into their teams. Their first impressions will form their opinions and set their expectations. So, ensure that your team members have a good first day and put them at ease. See what they need, help them out, and make them feel welcome and comfortable. A Free-Flowing Process of Communication In today’s purpose-driven workplace, employees are motivated by their passion and that makes work satisfaction critical. Get to know your employees – both professionally and personally. Try to understand what motivates them and what they expect from their team, manager and organisation. Once you have the understanding, you will be able to use the insights and tie it back to company culture. As an organisation, you must understand that the key to collaboration and a transparent work environment is open communication. Therefore, you must facilitate sessions, reviews and discussions, wherein teams can share their views, opinions, challenges and feedback clearly. Give your people a voice, consider their opinions and suggestions, and act upon them to put their overall well-being first. Motivate Employees In times such as now, when a pandemic is wreaking havoc, employees are worried about the health and safety of their family members and themselves, financial liabilities should any contingency arise, and job security as well. Organisations need people managers and a people first work culture now more than ever before. Recognise the troubles your employees might be going through on a daily basis, support them, help them find solutions and most importantly, stay connected. You can organise virtual team building activities, celebrate employee birthdays or just dedicate one hour every week when you all discuss everything apart from work. As managers, be compassionate and empathetic, and help your people out. Put Employee Well-Being First Do your employees feel anxious or overwhelmed? Are they stressed out? Is work pressure weighing them down? You can never overcommunicate when it comes to staying aware about the overall well-being of your employees. Relook at employee wellness and rewards and recognition policies at regular intervals. Provide your people with all the resources they need — ways in which they can get rid of stress, advice about meditation sessions, providing assistance programs, and helping them reach out to professional counsellors. Putting people first is an integral part of company culture and has to be built in, over time. While existing employees need to be reminded of company culture, values and policies from time to time, new employees must be inducted into it from the day they join the organisation. We all want our managers to be like that of Naomi. Only when Naomi feels like a part of the organisation will she be able to pass on the same, when she becomes a manager. It is a continuous process – one that requires trust, empathy, kindness, consideration and patience.

Hiring employees who exhibit the drive, understanding and skill required to grow your business is key. It determines the direction your business takes and the quality of the product that comes out of it.  The role of hiring such talent falls with Human Resources. Your HR manager must have a keen understanding of your business and the kind of employees it needs, apart from understanding the technicalities as well. These are requisite to ensuring that you're hiring employees who would be a valuable addition to your team.  However, to achieve this, business owners must identify the right candidate to fill a Human Resources position, which in turn, raises an interesting question: While the HR does the hiring, how do you hire for HR? What checklist should you follow when hiring an HR professional . And more importantly, when is the right time to do so?  When Should You Hire an HR Professional?  A lot of organizations tend to delay onboarding a professional to look after their HR policies and procedures. Startups, in particular, primarily focus on achieving their business and sales objectives while putting off hiring someone to manage their employees.  Such a trend, however, can prove to be severely counterproductive, especially when organizations are constantly hiring new talent. With an increasing number of employees, the need to manage cultural and legal issues also rises.  The odds are that newer organizations might not have the resources to hire a full-time HR professional, and that is understandable. This situation calls for an HR consultant who can come in when needed but bring with them valuable insights and techniques to hire the right talent.  How Do You Hire the Ideal Human Resources Professional ? Outline a Specific Job Description While it's essential that you screen candidates to hire the right one, it's equally important that you attract the right kind in the first place. The best way to do this is to specifically outline the job description of the position you're looking to fill.  List every single role they will be required to take up, while also telling them about the workplace culture. Briefing candidates on the kind of work environment they'd have to manage will ensure that they know what they're signing up for.  Prepare Specific Questions for the Interview An interview is the best way to gauge whether or not a particular individual is the right fit. As such, your questions must be tailored to see how an interviewee would respond to a given situation, more so, with respect to your organization.  Ask questions that bring out their responses to situations like terminating an existing employee, or responding to an escalation, or handling a delicate or sensitive encounter at work. This will help you pick the ideal candidate for managing Human Resources at your organization.  Ensure That There's No Room for Bias Where there are people, turns out there is bound to be a degree of bias. The Open University found that at least 30% of senior managers hire people that are just like them.  Although this is often the result of inherent or even unconscious bias, you need to spot these tendencies during the interview. Any issues surrounding discrimination in the future can be deeply damaging to the company's image. Being Tech-Savvy Matters Lastly, ask your candidates what tools they would use for hiring employees for your organization. The ideal candidate should be able to adequately justify the use of one system over another. And needless to say, they must know their way around the relevant technological tools.  With a carefully crafted hiring process and HR training, you can ensure that your organization's affairs will be well taken care of.

You already know that employees are at the heart of your company. The ability to meet goals and overcome challenges largely depends on their efforts. That's why their feedback needs to be implemented for better engagement. Sadly, a recent study published on HRD Asia indicated that the average employee engagement score in Singapore is 47%, well below the global average of 53%. What's more, almost two-thirds of workers in Singapore believed that it was very important for employers to listen to their feedback. Businesses with a program for getting feedback from employees had an engagement score of 55%. For those who did not, the figure was just 33%. A feedback mechanism in the workplace is a necessary first step. However, this has to be followed by implementation. That's when the loop is closed! Employees feel valued and appreciated, and the work culture thrives. Surely a target worth aiming for. Methods of Receiving Feedback There was a time when face-to-face interaction was the main way of getting feedback from employees. You had to schedule a meeting, sit back, and listen to everyone's issues. (And heave a sigh of relief when it was over.) That is still important for a healthy feedback culture in companies. However, with the rise of technology, there are many more handy and helpful techniques. These are helpful when there is remote working, working from home, and multi-location teams. We're sure that sounds familiar in today's times. Fortunately, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices can combine with artificial intelligence and machine learning for feedback. Chatbots, for example, can engage across multiple platforms to get feedback from employees. This could be a website, a messaging app, or another business communication tool. More traditional methods of employee feedback include dedicated feedback portals, feedback boxes, and scheduled personal sessions. The ideal situation is to create a secure and safe culture of employee feedback for the company, with multiple channels of communication. But how do you effectively implement this employee feedback? How to Successfully Implement Feedback According to some surveys, there are 14.9% lower turnover rates in companies that are regular in implementing employee feedback. And 69% of employees say that they would work harder if their efforts were better recognised.  Here are four steps that reflect best practices for responding to employee engagement survey results. 1. Collect and Analyse Once there is feedback from various sources, it's best to classify this under actionable heads. For example, there could be suggestions to do with overall goals, or remuneration, or office facilities. This employee feedback survey will let you know at a glance what can and cannot be done, and whether there are broader trends. 2. Share Results It's also important to schedule meetings with employees to share the collated feedback. This will assure them that their voices have been heard and are being acted upon. Remember to smile. 3. Assess Importance and Urgency Not all staff feedback can be implemented, of course. Sometimes, the larger interests and needs of the overall organisation have to be prioritized. However, there could be times when specific feedback is valuable in terms of improving company culture. Or there could be small steps, such as getting a better brand of tea to wake everyone up. It's up to you to identify high-yield opportunities and act upon them. 4. Celebrate Change Once an action has been taken, it will pay dividends to announce this and to celebrate it. If employees feel that it is because of them that positive changes have occurred, it will go a long way in increasing satisfaction and engagement. Besides, office parties are always a good idea. The Final Take In this way, step by step, you will be able to create a culture in which your employees feel valued. By implementing employee feedback for the company, you recognize their efforts and create a healthy and goal-directed work environment.

Employee feedback is crucial to any company. One of the key roles of a leader is to deliver effective feedback. But just a pat on the back or a few good words doesn’t work. There is a proper way of providing feedback consistently that will improve employee performance. The leader must not only know when to be direct, but also know when to be positive, and when to challenge them for best results. If delivered poorly, it can cause problems that can harm employee engagement and productivity Here are a few ways that one can offer employee feedback – it’s quick, and will help the organisation get the outcome they foresee: Pay attention to frequency and tone Employee feedback should be regular, task-focused, crystal clear, and to the point. By giving regular feedback, employees feel supported, reassured and guided. Giving general comments confuses them as to what aspect of their work is being questioned and if they need to improve something about the way they perform. So, be to-the-point. Regularity helps team members accept feedback and view it in a positive light. Over time, feedback becomes part of the normal workflow as it is given when people succeed and even when they fail. Make it one-on-one Giving constructive criticism should never be done publicly – ever. Managers need to learn the importance of the setting in which they give employee feedback. By speaking privately, they allow the employee to express their concerns more freely, focus on the issue they need to work on, and not worry about what their co-workers think about them. Praising employees, sometimes, also need to be delivered in a private meeting as some don’t want to be the center of attention. Although, exceptions can be made, like showing appreciation in front of the entire office to a new employee showing tremendous growth within a few months of joining. Don’t wait for a quarterly review Quarterly reviews are usually about managers giving overall feedback on an employee’s performance. In this scenario, day-to-day issues get neglected, and keep on piling up. And if left unsaid, the problems will only recur and may multiply by a domino effect. So, by the time the quarterly performance review comes around, the HR rep will be faced with having to address a host of issues that could have been avoided if mentioned earlier. Another flaw in the quarterly process is that many a time, problems tend to be forgotten by the time the review comes around. By holding daily or weekly reviews, managers can keep a track and analyse the employee’s work easily, and this way, the feedback will be up to date. Describe behavior rather than evaluate it Giving feedback as a manager/leader is an art. If done wrongly or poorly, it can lead to the employee getting defensive, which will, in turn, make them less open to feedback in the future. Instead of evaluating, describing the work in a fact-based way should be prioritised. For example, rather than saying, “Your strategy doesn’t seem well thought out,” the manager should say, “As I read your strategy, I noticed it didn’t contain certain elements.” Focus on behavior rather than the person One of the most difficult task as a manager is to deliver effective feedback and making the employee realize that there is a scope of improvement. Simply put, change is hard; creating such a dialogue that it leaves the employee feeling like they can actually apply the advice to get a better result. By focusing on their behavior rather than who they are as a person, the manager has to clearly design the feedback in such a way that it simply conveys one thing - they don’t have to change their personalities to be more effective. Create aha! moments The role of a manager is often like that of a coach - trying to help improve the performance of employees and climb the ladder of success. As a coach, one must challenge themselves to create at least one aha! moment every time a feedback is shared. In simple terms, the goal of the manager is to ensure that the employee always leaves a feedback conversation having learned some valuable lesson they didn’t have when the discussion began. Whether it is about themselves or their work, the employee should have a new idea or strategy in the end. This way, HR can get to know whether the efforts have paid off or do they need to up their game with the next person. By following these steps, one can understand the art of giving effective employee feedback. With an honest, positive, specific, customized approach to feedback, managers can have a motivated and focused workforce.

Conflict is a part of the everyday work environment. Having a varied group of people, who have different personalities, all working in the same organisation, possibly under stress, can cause a certain amount of disruption for a leader, a team or the entire organisation. A conflict can arise within an organisation due to many reasons including : Poor communication Incomplete, incorrect or ambiguous data Numerous levels of reporting that end up distorting information and delaying processes Weak or autocratic management style Cultural, social or personal differences Inappropriate use of authority Unfair perceptions, in terms of recognition and reward Managing conflict is tricky. It’s about seeing opportunities that others don’t see. Until recently, workplace conflict was considered undesirable at many organisations. Now, conflict is viewed as both functional and dysfunctional. If the conflict resolution is seen as an opportunity, it can be not just a healthy enabler of growth for the organisation, but also a professional growth for all of the people involved. To help sustain workplace momentum and create employee engagement, here are seven ways to manage conflict resolution at work Embrace conflict Being an HR manager, there are several ways you might respond to conflict in the workplace. When conflict arises, you could avoid it, and let the participants figure it out among themselves. This is not always the worst approach as the employees should eventually learn how to collaborate and resolve the conflict. However, if the reason for avoiding conflict is personal, like feeling uncomfortable or not wanting to reprimand someone, you need to, as HR, find ways to deal with uncomfortable situations as soon as possible. Not doing so could result in unhealthy confrontation that will have an even worse impact on employee morale and on work itself. Establish guidelines Before conducting a formal meeting between the concerned employees, get both parties to agree to a few guidelines. You can do so by firstly, asking them to express themselves calmly and as unemotionally as possible. Secondly, have them agree to attempt to understand each other’s perspective. And lastly, inform them that if they violate the set guidelines, the meeting will be abruptly stopped. Hear both sides Give both parties a chance to share their side of the story in detail. Sometimes, getting everything on the table can reveal an easy solution that wasn't obvious earlier. As an HR professional or as their manager, you should consider giving them adequate space to voice their issues. Often, employees feel better just knowing they are being heard. Choose a neutral location One of the first steps to diffuse any conflict is to change the environment. An office is intrinsically a place of power, and can be considered least conducive to the conflict-management process. Suggest the meeting take place in a coffee house, or anywhere outside the office. Meeting in an open, impartial space will ensure that the concerned employees feel a sense of comfort, privacy, and freedom. Respect and appreciate their differences Once both participants have got things off their chest, try to look at the situation objectively and analyze how different opinions, approaches complement one another. Rather than imposing your influence, hierarchy or rank, respect the unique differences in people. By learning to see things from differing points of view, it will be easier to understand how to avoid conflict in the future. If conflict between employees and departments is something that occurs frequently, then consider implementing a diversity program to help mitigate future conflicts. You can also bring in a consultant to help you create a program that will work best for your company. Get both parties to buy into the solution Find a solution that keeps the goals of your organisation in mind while satisfying both parties in conflict. When the employees are given an opportunity to participate in the problem-solving process, it gives them a sense of ownership in the solution. And, this drastically increases your chances of long-lasting success. Think opportunistically, not punitively While some conflicts are going to require consequences, most are just sparked by passionate people coming at a situation from different vantage points. The truth is that when conflicts arise, so does the opportunity to teach or learn. Being a manager, view these conflicts as a means to address the previously hidden problems within the team dynamics. Conflict resolution isn't easy. Not all disagreements can be resolved. The winning tactic is to approach each situation in the right way. That can be done by giving both sides a chance to speak without fear of ridicule, by finding common ground and by including both employees in the process of developing a solution. With these strong and effective conflict management tactics, you'll have a much higher success rate in not just resolving, but also dissolving conflicts.