by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Apr 8, 2024 | Performance Management
Motivating employees does not simply depend on magic or personal leadership charisma. More often, a few simple practices can boost morale and enhance your team’s daily satisfaction.
At both the office and in everyday life, two main types of motivation encourage people to perform. Intrinsic motivation means doing a task for its own sake, out of interest, curiosity, enjoyment or for psychological reward. Extrinsic drivers are more tangible incentives, such as money, status, promotions, perks or flexible work arrangements. Both types of gratification can work powerfully, ideally in tandem.
Consider some examples in a workplace setting.
Intrinsic motivation
- Work/life balance.
- Opportunities for continued learning and development.
- Deriving meaning and purpose from work that impacts the lives of customers and the community.
- Recognition from peers and management.
- Authority and responsibility to execute with self-sufficiency.
- Trust.
- Beating boredom through new challenges beyond one’s comfort zone.
Extrinsic motivation
- Salaries, stock options and bonuses.
- Clean, well-lit, comfortable workspaces.
- Safe environment, especially post-COVID-19.
- Vouchers, travel and extra vacation days.
- On-site services like gyms, child care and dry cleaning.
- Free food, including snacks, subsidized meals and parties.
Even where resources are limited, employers can establish a framework to show they care by providing a setting for their employees to flourish.
Managing graciously
A dollar in salary is still a dollar, but successful motivators know that it is not only the reward itself that matters. The presentation counts too. It may require extra effort and sensitivity, but you will achieve more impact by treating employees as individuals rather than by automatically lumping them together as teams or departments. In other words, try to engage with your direct reports one-on-one. You need to understand their personal concerns and elicit regular feedback, perhaps through surveys or face-to-face conversations. When you get that feedback, above all, don’t just file and forget it. Act on it as soon as possible to demonstrate that the questions are not an empty exercise, particularly if your employees have made an effort to respond.
When interacting with your team members, try to be authentic and transparent, even in straightforward situations like when sharing sales reports. There will inevitably be bad news at times, and unwelcome, unpopular tasks sometimes do arise. You will earn more respect by addressing them frankly without any sugarcoating. Clarity is key. It is helpful to start with small, measurable goals that provide a sense of accomplishment.
Employees are quick to perceive and judge unfairness, so be consistent in how you treat your staff and resist any urge to play favorites. The goal is to never demotivate. Once managerial trust and respect are eroded, they are nearly impossible to restore. If it is within your control, which will depend on individual company circumstances, there are benefits to promoting from within rather than seeking outside talent. Current employees will be keenly aware and follow the process.
A business, even a small one, is like an army. For motivation, soldiers look to their commanding officer. When you want to motivate your own troops, remember at all times to set an example. Whether you are showing the way with behaviors like punctuality or maintaining an appropriate appearance, co-workers will take note. When it comes to going the extra mile, like staying late or pitching in for a deadline, they will notice, and some are bound to remember.
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Mar 6, 2024 | HR Administration, Performance Management
Once the team is in place, it is generally up to the managers to continue to monitor members’ development. They seek to identify those individuals likely to contribute most to the company. Especially in a smaller startup, it is helpful to recognize exceptional competency while the operation is still in its early stages. With an eye on the future, management can lay the groundwork for optimal performance later.
Different characteristics drive success
Your star employees may exhibit diverse qualities and traits, depending on the company, the business or even the department. In some cases, doers who deliver results may be the key to the firm’s success; in other businesses or industries, creativity and innovation set the firm apart. The first challenge is to realize the components vital for a company’s success.
You first need to define talent in a business context. Many organizations benefit from a combination of skill sets. Maybe 80% of the workforce is made up of dependable, productive performers, with the other 20% providing that extra spark of brilliance. A company needs more than a collection of elite superstars. Therefore, HR focuses on the variety of roles and which people can match those needs. For example, a sales business requires employees with an ability to persuade and cultivate relationships, while hospitality employees need to solve operational problems quickly and attend to details rigorously.
It is also important to distinguish between today’s performance and tomorrow’s potential. Every employee does not come fully fledged, and a company must clarify the connection between current and prospective performance in its field. A truly effective manager will observe behaviors and project to envisage how an employee might develop.
The ultimate goals are broader than immediate promotions. The whole organization benefits when it can retain its long-term A team by steadily progressing the team into more senior roles. Incorporating available talent into the long-term plan can galvanize engagement and leadership across the ranks.
Pinpoint potential
After you have decided how you will measure potential, you will need to monitor progress among those identified as high-potential individuals. Many companies simply rely on the instincts of management and look to ad hoc observations for predicting the paths their most dynamic workers are destined to follow.
There are also some tools available to help quantify a range of elusive personality traits. The High Potential Trait Indicator, created in 2006 by Adrian Furnham and Ian McRae, predicates its model on theoretically optimal characteristics for a given job. The model scores appropriate levels for:
- Conscientiousness.
- Flexibility.
- Curiosity.
- Openness to risk.
- Ambiguity.
- Acceptance.
- Competitiveness.
On the cultural side, there may be fewer official tests, but managers should also watch for signs of common values among their workforce. Members who share the organization’s mission and values will be more receptive to camaraderie and more likely to remain loyal. A strong employee value proposition acts as a recruiting magnet too. If you provide promotion opportunities for a variety of positions, you may pick up clues as to who in the group is keen to keep moving ahead within the ranks.
Star material
How does an innately talented team member behave, and what features distinguish them from their colleagues? You will probably recognize the signs of a self-starter who:
- Is comfortable taking initiative and does not need micromanagement.
- Is team oriented.
- Is cooperative and collaborative with others.
- Has a strong work ethic.
- Is trusted by peers.
- Has high personal standards for performance.
- Has a proactive drive toward continuous improvement.
- Demonstrates expertise, competency and craftsmanship.
- Thinks creatively, bringing fresh perspectives to challenges.
- Exudes positive energy.
- Is adaptable and flexible — they can accept being wrong and value feedback.
- Thrives under pressure.
- Has superior decision-making ability, sorting through complexity and ambiguity, making patterns and drawing connections.
- Asks insightful questions.
There is another key quality that sometimes trumps all these capabilities: In the end, you want someone on your team who stays cool and collected under fire. Emotional intelligence is the gift of self-awareness — the sensitivity to read situations and react appropriately.
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Aug 3, 2023 | Career Planning, Learning & Development, Performance Management
How do we know when an employee is ready for a leadership role?
It’s good you’re thinking about this. Promotions into leadership too often come with little discussion about how the leadership role will be different from the current role or whether the employee has the interest or skill set to be an effective leader.
Fortunately, there are indicators that someone is likely ready for a leadership role. These include (among other traits) their ability to communicate effectively, inspire and motivate others, resolve conflicts while minimizing drama, adapt to change, and take accountability for the work of their team.
If there’s an employee you’d like to promote, but they haven’t expressed an interest in a leadership role, schedule a meeting with them to talk about the idea. Share why you feel they are ready for the role and what it means to be a leader within your organization. Ask about their career goals and how they would like to advance within the organization. Let the employee know how you can support them with these goals, whether or not they move into a leadership track.
If the employee is interested in leadership, provide them a clear picture of the responsibilities and the training and guidance they’ll receive as they move into the new role. Most employees who are new to leadership will need extra support as they transition into a position of greater responsibility.
This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.
Content courtesy of the HR Support Center – https://affiliatedpayroll.myhrsupportcenter.com
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Jul 14, 2023 | HR Administration, Performance Management
What are the basic steps of a harassment investigation?
Investigating a claim of harassment can be intimidating, but we have a great resource available on the platform called Identifying and Preventing Workplace Harassment. For this response, we’ve provided a condensed overview of the steps for an investigation:
- Select an interviewer. This person should be an impartial manager, company officer, or HR representative. Ideally, they have completed training on conducting a harassment investigation. They should approach the investigation process without a presumption of guilt or innocence and with a commitment to being fair and thorough. The investigation should be conducted as expeditiously as possible after receiving the claim.
- Conduct interviews and gather evidence. Speak with the employee who made the complaint (if known), the accused employee, and any witnesses named. The questions asked during the interviews should not lead an interviewee toward a particular response and should not be accusatory in nature. The questions should be unbiased, open ended, and prepared in advance; don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions. Also think about any documents, emails, photographs, videos, etc., that might exist and assist you in coming to a fair conclusion in your investigation.
- Make a decision and take action. Once the interviews are complete and all evidence is gathered, decide what to do and document the conclusions and actions taken. If the company determines that the accused employee violated the harassment or other workplace policy, appropriate disciplinary measures should be taken. What qualifies as appropriate will depend on the severity of behavior. A summary of the findings should be placed in the accused employee’s file. The accused employee should be reminded that any retaliation against their accuser is unacceptable.
Inform the employee who made the complaint. Alert the complaining employee—and others with a true need to know—about the conclusions reached in your investigation. While you don’t need to share the specific disciplinary action taken (if any), the complaining employee should be assured that you took appropriate steps to address the current situation and prevent future harassment. Remind this employee that retaliation will not be tolerated and that they should let you know if they feel they’re experiencing any backlash because of their complaint.
Content courtesy of the HR Support Center – https://affiliatedpayroll.myhrsupportcenter.com
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | Jun 27, 2023 | HR Administration, Performance Management, Uncategorized
Though we’re all different, we can all thrive in the same workplace.
That’s the motivating belief behind efforts to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). When done well, these efforts redesign the workplace from an environment that holds certain people back to one that empowers everyone to succeed. Together, they create an environment where people know it’s safe for them to show up as themselves—where they’re welcomed, wanted, rewarded, and celebrated.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of employees want to work for an employer who values these principles. In general, people want to belong; they don’t want to feel isolated and alone, be treated unfairly, or find themselves excluded. Also of no surprise: DEIB efforts have been shown to drive business performance and innovation, balanced organizational management, improved decision making, and increased competitive advantage.
While the terms diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are similar, each word has a specific meaning and importance in the workplace. Let’s go over each one.
Diversity
Diversity is the measure of representation in a place—particularly the representation of groups that have historically faced discrimination in the workplace. For example, a leadership team that includes women, transgender, Black, and disabled employees would be more diverse than a leadership team comprised mostly of able-bodied white cisgender men. While the latter is much more common, diversity efforts are meant to change that.
Increasing diversity can be a challenge. For one, basing hiring decisions on membership in underrepresented groups generally runs afoul of antidiscrimination laws. For another, the degree to which an employer can significantly increase diversity may depend greatly on the overall diversity of their applicant pool. A tech company able to hire remote employees nationally or internationally will likely have a more diverse workforce than a restaurant in a small town with a homogenous population, regardless of the effort put in to increasing diversity.
A diverse team signals to job applicants, employees, and customers that your organization exists for them. Measuring and monitoring diversity is important because decreased diversity may indicate that your organization is not as welcoming as you want or need it to be. For example, if an organization committed to diversity noticed a trend of people of color quitting at a higher rate than white employees, it would investigate to make sure no harassment, intimidation, or bias is occurring and put a stop to it if it is.
Equity
As organizations become more diverse, their focus may shift to addressing issues with equity such as inequitable access to training, promotions, or other opportunities. Equity means giving each employee what they need to be successful. It’s more than providing all employees with access to the same resources and opportunities. Equity acknowledges that people have different needs, pressures, obstacles, and pathways to success. The accommodation that enables one person to do their job well may not be helpful for another. The practice that seems to work well for most people may be a hindrance to a few. Equity aims to correct these imbalances.
Inclusion
Inclusion is the work done to make everyone feel like a valued member of the team—appreciated and supported. Inclusion ensures that everyone feels safe being themselves, empowered to do their best, and rewarded fairly for their efforts.
Leaders at inclusive workplaces will often invest in employee resource groups (ERGs), encourage employee participation, set aside time for sharing and celebrations, listen to what these groups have to say about DEIB challenges in the organization, and make changes when helpful. A sign that an organization has an inclusive culture is that it regularly makes decisions based on feedback and input from employees.
Inclusive managers actively support and advocate for their people. As Minda Harts, CEO of The Memo LLC, notes, Black women generally receive far less professional investment from managers than their white counterparts. That’s true of other groups as well—employees with disabilities, for example. When people don’t feel appreciated, valued, and supported, they tend to leave, and that in turn can make organizations less equitable and diverse—not to mention that turnover can be very costly.
Belonging
Belonging is the outcome of the work organizations put into diversity, equity, and inclusion. Belonging is the connection employees feel to their organization because of that work. It’s what motivates them to invest in their organization’s success and the success of their coworkers.
Employees who know they belong feel like they have a place, that they are wanted, that the community wouldn’t be the same without them. They’re more inclined to stay and work for positive change, as opposed to quitting, hoping for a more supportive environment.
by Afilliated HR & Payroll | May 4, 2023 | Learning & Development, Performance Management
According to Leadership Excellence Now, “Micromanagement is a business management style where the boss or manager controls every aspect, no matter how small, of the work done by his or her employees.”
Micromanagement can make employees feel as though their boss does not trust them to do the job they were hired for. Feeling demoralized, these employees may end up leaving the company for a healthier work environment.
Employees want a collaborative workplace culture. Per a 2019 report by Kimble, 74% of surveyed U.S. workers say they prefer collaboration, and only 21% say they prefer the boss to make most of the decisions. Further, 72% of workers say they want to take on more responsibility. They do not want their boss hovering over them or ordering them around. Instead, they want their boss to motivate and inspire them.
Obviously, you need to monitor your employees’ performance. But you must also ensure that you’re not micromanaging in the process.
Tips to Avoid Micromanaging
Learn to delegate responsibilities instead of thinking you have to do everything yourself. Research by Gallup found that companies with CEOs who delegate effectively had greater overall business growth than those with CEOs who are not strong delegators.
Hire the right people, and trust that they can do the job. You hired them because you believed in their capabilities. Unless they prove otherwise, there’s no reason to doubt them.
Clearly communicate your expectations for the job to the employees. Let them know the required outcomes, and give them adequate resources to achieve those results. Make sure they know how to obtain help if they need it along the way. Then provide them with enough freedom to do the job on their own. Resist the urge to incessantly loom over their shoulders, whether physically or electronically.
Establish project milestones, and check in with the employees as those milestones approach.
Ask the employees to show you portions of their work at intervals (such as a few pages out of a whole document) instead of requiring exhaustive updates at every turn.
Offer constructive feedback, and do not get caught up in trivial details. If the work is truly not up to par, let the employees know what they need to do to fix it.
Determine which projects and employees need to be managed more closely than others. For example, high-level projects typically demand more managerial input than low-level tasks do, and employees with less experience may require more oversight.
HR coaching can help some micromanagers
According to a Society for Human Resource Management article, some micromanagers are simply built that way and may be resistant to change. Others, however, can improve through coaching by Human Resources staff.
HR coaching may be ideal for:
- Managers who don’t realize that they are micromanaging and just want to help their employees succeed.
- Managers who micromanage because they were mentored by micromanagers or have worked only for micromanagers.
- Managers who are afraid their employees will fail and consequently micromanage in an effort to achieve the desired results.
Leaders should know the damaging effects of micromanagement and steer clear of this management style.
