Human Experience Excellence - October 2023 by Excellence Publications by HR.com

OCTOBER 2023 • Vol.10 • No.10 (ISSN 2564-1999)

UNLOCKING EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK WITH THREE KEY QUESTIONS

Themed Edition on

Employee Feedback

- Courtney Ramsey,

Keynote Speaker & Facilitator, Courtney Ramsey Speaks, LLC

Feedback That Matters: The Power Of ‘Feed (I’ve Got Your) Back’ Approach - Julie Winkle Giulioni, juliewinklegiulioni.com

Decoding Employee Feedback: 5 Experts Share Strategies For Success

Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success

HR.com

Ideal Outcomes, Inc.

- The Excellence Publications Team,

- Jason Richmond,

From Disengagement To Dedication: How Social Impact Initiatives Transform Employee Morale - David Sherwood, BibliU

INDEX

Human Experience Excellence - Engagement, Performance, Rewards & Recognition

Themed Edition on

Employee Feedback

OCTOBER 2023

Vol.10

No.10

(ISSN 2564-1999)

Unlocking Effective Feedback With Three Key Questions Best practices for leading in 2023 and beyond

- Courtney Ramsey,

On the Cover

Keynote Speaker & Facilitator, Courtney Ramsey Speaks, LLC

Articles Sponsored Content

14 Operational Communications: Elevate the Voice of Your Deskless Workers Capturing the Voice of the Employee (VOE) and activating benefits of deskless worker insights - Dr. Angelina Sun, Director of Workforce Management

Solutions, WorkForce Software

22 Every Employee Wants To Feel Valued At Work Start by improving the workplace culture - Lauren Neal, Founder and Chief Program Creator,

Valued at Work

29 Give Employees Data Or Give Them Nothing The power of data in workplace productivity - Casey McGuigan, Senior Product Manager, Infragistics

34 Want To Keep Your Best Employees? Pay Them On Time How on-demand pay reduces financial stress and boosts productivity - Tate Hackert, President and Co-Founder, ZayZoon

Top Picks

Feedback That Matters: The Power Of ‘Feed (I’ve Got Your) Back’ Approach Delivering feedback that resonates

- Julie Winkle Giulioni, juliewinklegiulioni.com

Decoding Employee Feedback: 5 Experts Share Strategies For Success - The Excellence Publications Team, HR.com

Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success How fostering a culture of feedback can positively transform your organization

- Jason Richmond, CEO and Chief Culture Officer, Ideal Outcomes, Inc.

From Disengagement To Dedication: How Social Impact Initiatives Transform Employee Morale Enhancing employee retention and company success

- David Sherwood, Co-Founder and

CEO, BibliU

INDEX

How are our Human Experience Products and Services helping to make you smarter? JANUARY 2021 � Vol.08 � No.01 SEP 2017 • Vol. 5 • No. 09

HOW TO EMBRACE THE SHIFTS THAT OCCUR AS WE RETURN TO A NEW NORMAL WORKPLACE

�hemed Edition on

Agile Reward & Recognition Strategies

Key workplace trends for 2021 - David Roberts, Chief E�ecutive �fficer, �lchemer

Exclusive Articles on the U.S. Capitol Riots and Employee Well-Being Pages 14 & 21

Digital Is All The Rage: Why Employee Rewards Must Include Digital Options In 2021 - Theresa McEndree, Blackhawk Network

Employee Experience Trends In 2021

- Steve Sonnenberg, CEO, Awardco

3 Tips To Increasing Your Reward And Recognition Strategies Post-Covid - Richelle Taylor,

How To Create A Meaningful Virtual Recognition Event - Mike Byam, Terryberry

One10

Human Experience Excellence - Monthly Interactive Learning Journal The future is all about going beyond the employee experience to focus on human experience. This monthly interactive learning experience showcases strategies and programs to improve employee performance and strengthen your team.

Human Experience Virtual Events Virtual Events in the Recognition and Engagement track will give you everything you need to recognize and reward employees creating an inspired workforce and organization that will drive innovation and boost productivity. Sessions feature the world’s top thought leaders in the recognition and engagement space covering topics from customer loyalty, safety, sales, company culture and motivation to what makes an effective and efficient results-based program. Each Virtual Event consists of up to 10 credit webcasts.

Human Experience Webcasts for Credit HR.com webcasts deliver the latest Recognition and Engagement industry news, research trends, best practices and case studies directly to your desktop. Webcasts are available live online with a downloadable podcast and a copy of the slides (PDF) available before and after each webcast. Earn all of the required recertification credits for aPHR, PHR, SPHR, GPHR, and SHRM Certifications. HR.com’s one-hour webcasts, in every HR specialty including HRIS and Payroll, are pre-approved for HRCI and SHRM credit (excluding Demo webcasts).

IHR Rewards and Recognition Community Join almost 25,600 HR.com members with a similar interest and focus on rewards and recognition. Share content and download research reports, blogs, and articles, network, and “follow” peers and have them “follow” you in a social network platform to communicate regularly and stay on top of the latest updates. This well established Rewards and Recognition Community is an invaluable resource for any HR professional or manager.

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EDITOR’S NOTE Editorial Purpose Our mission is to promote personal and professional development based on

Debbie Mcgrath

constructive values, sound ethics, and

Publisher, HR.com

timeless principles.

Excellence Publications Debbie McGrath

CEO, HR.com - Publisher

Sue Kelley

Director (Product, Marketing, and Research)

Babitha Balakrishnan and Deepa Damodaran

Excellence Publications Managers and Editors

Human Experience Excellence Team Babitha Balakrishnan and Koushik Bharadhwaj Editors

Arun Kumar R

Design and Layout (Digital Magazine)

Vibha Kini

Magazine (Online Version)

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Human Experience Excellence (ISSN 2564-1999) is published monthly by HR.com Limited, 56 Malone Road, Jacksons Point, Ontario L0E 1L0

Internet Address: www.hr.com Copyright © 2023 HR.com. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Quotations must be credited.

Babitha Balakrishnan

Editor, Human Experience Excellence

Feedback Is Not Just a Run-of-the-Mill Interaction in the Workplace

hy does feedback matter in today's diverse workplace? It's a question that carries immense weight in contemporary organizational dynamics.

so. It also offers insights into using culture interviews, engagement surveys, and employee satisfaction surveys as tools for gathering valuable information from employees.

Gone are the days when companies operated under a top-down, authoritarian model, where employees had little say in their working conditions, tasks, or the organization's direction. Modern organizations recognize the immense value of seeking input from their employees.

How can we make our feedback truly impactful and motivating for employees? Author and Speaker Julie Winkle Giulioni's article, Feedback That Matters: The Power Of 'Feed (I've Got Your) Back' Approach, provides the essential insights to address this vital question.

Employee feedback isn't just a formality or a box to tick; it's the lifeblood of a healthy and prosperous organization. It nurtures a culture of communication, growth, and adaptability, positioning the company for long-term success. When employees are encouraged to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas, they become active participants in shaping their work environment and contributing to the company's goals. In brief, organizations that prioritize and act upon employee feedback will undoubtedly thrive.

We've also compiled valuable perspectives from industry experts on effective strategies for gathering employee feedback in the article titled, Decoding Employee Feedback: Insights from 5 Experts on Success Strategies.

Read the October edition of Human Experience Excellence for a wealth of informative articles and invaluable insights from industry experts on employee feedback, workplace productivity, culture, and more. Effective leaders are adept at recognizing good performance and guiding when things go awry. To enhance your feedback skills, start by asking three fundamental questions, suggests Keynote Speaker & Facilitator Courtney Ramsey in her article, Unlocking Effective Feedback With Three Key Questions. These questions address how employees prefer to receive recognition, feedback for improvement, and their career goals. Jason Richmond's (Ideal Outcomes, Inc.) article, Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success, emphasizes the importance of feedback in corporate settings and discusses the benefits of providing feedback to employees and the consequences of not doing

In a workplace where a thriving feedback culture is embraced, organizations stand to gain immensely. They unlock the full potential of their workforce, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. By actively seeking and acting upon employee feedback, they create environments where innovation flourishes, employee engagement soars, and productivity reaches new heights. In essence, a feedback-rich culture is the cornerstone of a healthy, prosperous, and forward-thinking organization, where every individual is not just heard but valued, and where collective growth and innovation are the ultimate outcomes. We trust that the articles in this edition have provided valuable insights and inspiration for your quest to improve the human experience within your organization. As always, we eagerly await your valuable feedback and suggestions. Happy Reading!

Write to the Editor at ePubEditors@hr.com

Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed in the Excellence ePublications are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HR.com and its employees. Under no circumstances shall HR.com or its partners or affiliates be responsible or liable for any indirect or incidental damages arising out of these opinions and content.

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In a world of unparalleled challenges (global pandemic, racial injustice, political rivalry, digital 4.0, emotional malaise), uncertainty reigns. Finding opportunity in this context requires harnessing uncertainty and harnessing starts with reliable, valid, timely, and useful information. The Excellence publications are a superb source of such information. The authors provide insights with impact that will guide thought and action.

Dave Ulrich Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Partner, The RBL Group

Excellence publications are my ‘go-to’ resource for contemporary and actionable information to improve leadership, engagement, results, and retention. Each edition offers rich and diverse perspectives for improving the employee experience and the workplace in general.

Julie Winkle Giulioni Author, Virtual /Live Keynote Presenter, Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers

I regularly read and contribute to Leadership Excellence and Talent Management Excellence. I use many of the articles I read to augment my own presentations and I often share the articles with my clients. They are always quick, right on target for the latest issues in my field, and appreciated by my clients. If you want to stay up to date on the latest HR trends, choose a few of the different issues from the Excellence series of publications.

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COVER ARTICLE

Unlocking Effective Feedback With Three Key Questions Best practices for leading in 2023 and beyond By Courtney Ramsey, Courtney Ramsey Speaks, LLC

et’s face it. Being a people leader is HARD!

When you were an individual contributor, things were so much easier. Remember when all you had to worry about was yourself? Remember when getting the job done just meant staying at work a little longer and an extra cup of coffee? When a high performer is promoted into a leadership role, it can be quite a shock. It often takes a second for them to realize they can’t continue to crank out results on their own like before. The job evolved to getting results through others, and that requires new skills. Few of us know how to delegate, coach, provide feedback, or manage performance naturally. It can be one of the hardest jobs out there, and unfortunately, few have the skills we need prior to getting promoted.

Human Experience Excellence presented by HR.com

If you’re struggling with this, you’re not alone. The good news is that leadership can be learned, and I recommend starting with the skill of giving feedback. Feedback is a necessary part of getting results through others. The best leaders are comfortable reinforcing a job well done and redirecting when something is off course. Plus, the majority of today’s workforce wants to receive feedback and get a daily check-in from their leader. When they don’t, it leads to the perception that they’re not appreciated and that their leader doesn’t care about growth and development. (Two things that are critical to employee engagement and retention!) Getting better at providing feedback begins with asking three basic questions of every employee on your team. (You can

October 2023

also use these with your boss or your peers.) Let’s take a look!

1. What’s the best way for me to show appreciation and give feedback for a job well done? Numerous studies show that today’s workforce wants recognition and meaningful feedback - and they want it often. There’s no one “best way” to do it. It depends on the receiver. When it comes to recognition, some want you to thank them and list out all they’re doing right in front of everyone on the team, but others would rather you do this one-on-one. If you’re giving a gift or the like, some might prefer a plaque to display, while others prefer an extra half-day off.

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Unlocking Effective Feedback With Three Key Questions

Ask this question to find out what they prefer, and then be sure to use that information when you show appreciation, give recognition, or tell your team what they’re doing right—which should be daily. (Yep! You read that right!)

2. When I need to give you feedback for improvement, what’s the best way to do it? “Feedback” is one of those words that affects people in different ways. Just hearing the word can cause anxiety for some. For others, it can be a welcomed conversation. This question helps you identify their preferences and communicate constructive feedback effectively. Giving constructive feedback generally consists of naming the

Human Experience Excellence presented by HR.com

behavior that needs improvement, providing the impact or importance of that behavior, and a two-way conversation around why it’s happening and what can be done better in the future. Throughout the discussion, remember to be as specific as you can. Avoid statements like, “You need to develop a stronger work ethic” or “You’re too aggressive.” What does a “stronger work ethic” or “too aggressive” look like? I bet our definitions would differ if we compared them! Instead, get specific on what you observed and what you want to see in the future. If you aren’t clearly stating your expectations, they can’t meet them!

October 2023

Knowing each person’s preferences also helps you deliver constructive feedback quickly. Too many leaders avoid giving feedback out of fear. They’re not sure how to approach the person and are scared they’ll get upset. They hope things will get better and the employee will “figure it out,” but that rarely happens. When you see something, say something! Have the conversation as soon as you can

3. Where do you want to go in your career? How can I help you get there? Have you ever had a leader who believed in you and your ability to move up? Remember how good that felt? By asking this question, you get the information you need to be that leader for your team.

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Unlocking Effective Feedback With Three Key Questions

Have “career conversations” at least twice a year with your team. Ask questions about what they want to accomplish in their career, what they like to do, what they don’t enjoy doing, and how you can help them achieve their goals. Be their champion and inform them of opportunities within the company. Another bonus of this question? You can use the information you gather to create employee development opportunities. Think about what they need to learn, and consider what you can delegate or assign to help them learn new skills, get exposure to the right people, etc.

and an understanding of the people you lead. The best leaders ask the right questions to build relationships with their team to get the best out of their employees. Some companies know that leadership development programs are critical to helping new managers learn these skills as they begin leading teams. Others hope for the best and assume new leaders will figure it out when the time comes. (Spoiler alert. Most fail!)

Becoming a great leader in today’s world is not an easy task. It takes time, patience,

If you’re figuring out this “leadership thing” on your own, know that you’re not alone, and there’s hope. Start with the basics. Prioritize building relationships and giving feedback to your team,

Human Experience Excellence presented by HR.com

October 2023

peers, and leaders. The rest will fall into place… I promise!

Courtney Ramsey works with businesses of all sizes that believe great leaders are key to employee retention, engagement, and productivity. Through keynotes, breakouts, and workshops, both in person and virtually, she develops leaders who inspire their teams to drive business results.

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TOP PICK

Feedback That Matters: The Power Of ‘Feed (I’ve Got Your) Back’ Approach Delivering feedback that resonates By Julie Winkle Giulioni, juliewinklegiulioni.com

ndy (a leader I met recently) was very disappointed. One of his employees had missed another deadline, making him and his whole team look very bad with a high-profile client. Andy had learned that feedback was most valuable when shared in a timely manner, and he knew that he needed to start documenting performance. So he stopped what he was doing to have a conversation with the employee. Andy: You missed another deadline today. Just like you did on August 11, 18, 25 and 27. Employee: I know. I’m really sorry. Andy: (exasperated sigh) When you blow these deadlines, you make us all look bad. What were you thinking? By all external indicators, Andy followed the right set of steps. He jumped on the issue, sharing feedback as soon after the incident as possible. He shared specifics, in fact, many. He outlined the impact of the employee’s behavior. And within fewer than 60 seconds, he asked a question to engage the employee. Andy followed all of his feedback training tips. Yet it clearly didn’t hit the mark because the following day, the employee allowed another deadline to slip.

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October 2023

Despite what we may have been taught, the verbal formula you follow matters far less than the intentions we bring to a feedback conversation. The motivation of the feedback-giver trumps the techniques. The spirit of the message overrides its syntax. What comes from the heart overshadows what comes out of one’s mouth.

What kind of feedback do you give? Is it: Feed (I’ll cover my) back? Too frequently leaders offer feedback to serve their own interests, not the interests of others. They need to be able to say they had a conversation with the employee. Or they need to create documentation so they can advance the corrective action process. At its heart, this sort of feedback is about covering the leader, not about genuinely helping the employee. Despite the words that are spoken, employees feel it. Feed (I’ll get you) back? Feedback can also be an emotional response to a set of circumstances. After all, leaders are only human. They experience disappointment, embarrassment, and stress when those on their teams fail to perform as expected. Feedback shared within this emotional context can be judgmental, blaming, and critical. Despite the words that are spoken, employees feel it.

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Feedback That Matters: The Power Of ‘Feed (I’ve Got Your) Back’ Approach

Feed (I’ve got your) back? At its heart, genuinely helpful feedback springs from a spirit of service, partnership, and support. It’s based on the belief that others are fundamentally able to learn, grow, and perform. It’s also based on the assumption that people want to do their best for each other and the organization. When leaders approach feedback with this mindset, the conversation (and the outcomes) are very different. The feedback becomes helpful information, empowering insights, and a motivating exchange. It communicates: ● You’re valued. ● I care about your success. ● I’m watching out for you. And despite the words that are spoken, employees feel it. Feed (I’ve got your) back is a small but powerful shift that can enhance relationships and results.

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October 2023

We’ve all heard the expression: ‘Choose your words wisely’... but today, try choosing your feedback intentions with equal care.

Julie Winkle Giulioni is a champion for workplace growth and development and helps leaders optimize talent and potential within their organizations. Named one of Inc. Magazine’s top 100 leadership speakers, she’s the co-author of the international bestseller Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go and author of the Nautilus and Axiom business book award-winner, Promotions Are So Yesterday. Julie is a regular contributor to numerous business publications.

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Operational Communications: Elevate the Voice of Your Deskless Workers Capturing the Voice of the Employee (VOE) and activating benefits of deskless worker insights By Dr. Angelina Sun, WorkForce Software

ven in our hyper-connected world, the voice of deskless workers, who constitute 80% of the global workforce, goes unheard because they lack the tools for communication and feedback their employers should provide. Understanding the needs of these frontline employees is paramount to fostering a more connected, engaged, and productive work environment. Their perspectives, unique challenges, and insights often remain in the shadows, untapped and underrepresented. This article delves into the world of deskless workers and the essential role their voices play in shaping success for businesses.

Voice of the Employee (VOE): Why It Must Be Heard VOE refers to the collection of feedback, opinions, concerns, needs, and preferences of employees in an organization. It can and should be heard in far more places than just employee surveys. VOE includes all communication channels such as 1-to-1 conversations, team collaboration, feedback giving, sentiment gathering, surveys, interviews, and focus

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October 2023

groups—any place employees receive information and share their sentiments toward their workplace. Every worker, regardless of their location or workstyle, wants to be heard and valued. They want to find meaning and purpose in their work. This is a universal human need.

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Operational Communications: Elevate the Voice of Your Deskless Workers

For deskless workers, VOE often has a unique operational focus, as these employees are closest to production, business operations, or even customers. Their feedback is crucial to help identify bottlenecks or potential improvements to the work being performed. The unfortunate reality is that deskless voices are often muted due to their inequitable access to technology and communication channels. Our 2023 Global Employee Experience Study reveals that 80% of employees would choose to work for an employer who regularly asked for feedback over one who did not. Our results indicate that employers are recognizing the importance of feedback as 63% of employees are consistently offered opportunities to submit feedback through established channels. Still, 23% of employees reported that they provided feedback either once a year or never. Capturing and acting on VOE of deskless workers offers tangible business value. It brings improved employee engagement, better decision making, and enhanced company culture. And for organizations with a large population of deskless workers, it delivers value through the creation of safer working environments, optimized workflows and processes, increased productivity and operation efficiency, reduced employee turnover, and enhanced customer experience.

Operational Communications: Why Are They Critical to Deskless Worker Success? Effective communication between managers and their team members is foundational to building an engaged workforce. This directly influences the value employees feel from their employer. Deskless workers are often most impacted by immediate, operational aspects of their work and how their managers respond. Deskless workers often prioritize practical, operational aspects of their work. When communication is unclear or delayed, it can lead to inefficiencies in task execution, as workers may not have access to vital information when they need it. Our Employee Experience Study shows that 45% of employees report that the technology

used for communication hampers their ability to maintain a positive work-life balance. Further, 34% of employee communications still occur over unsecured, non-integrated channels such as SMS text messages, company intranets, messaging apps, email, and social media. Offering a cohesive and streamlined communication app or an approved combination of integrated applications can enhance employee engagement and facilitate better work/life integration. Companies with effective operational communications can improve labor optimization, create employee experiences that help retain employees, and adapt faster to business changes than companies without it. Operational communications leverage real-time workforce data and automation, making it easier to have effective, contextual communications, collect employee sentiments as work happens, share information, and address issues in the moment when it matters most. Integrated platforms can deliver training to mobile devices in the flow of work to optimize employee performance. Implementing real-time feedback loops are examples of how operational communications can create value, which can be illustrated by the following: Alerted by the workforce management (WFM) system, a manager sees that a shift worker, Mary, worked beyond the average unplanned overtime rate in the past week. Through a one-to-one conversation within the system, Mary explained that the new shut-down process took 15 minutes longer than planned. Based on Mary’s feedback, the manager can then look to simplify the shut-down process, start this process earlier, or assign extra personnel to assist, thus controlling overtime costs and caring for employee wellbeing. Mary’s communication served to improve an operational process and solve a possible overwork issue that could contribute to unnecessary labour costs or employee burnout, if neglected over a long time. In this example, in-the-moment VOE has helped improve productivity and employee experience through a proactive investigation initiated by unusual time data.

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October 2023

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Operational Communications: Elevate the Voice of Your Deskless Workers

Listening to VOE: Pitfalls For most employees, smartphones are an essential tool for managing their day-to-day lives. Organizations would be well-served to employ these powerful supercomputers to connect with workers on the frontline. However, despite the growing number of digital natives in the workforce, organizations are underutilizing mobile technologies to engage their employees. For example, our research reveals that while 46% of employees say they would prefer to receive training and information via mobile phones, only 22% receive this training option from their organizations. Purpose-built communication solutions that are mobile first, consumer-grade, and operationally focused are most suitable for deskless workers. However, our study shows that only 41% of employees have access to a company-approved, integrated communication mobile solution. Non-integrated communication platforms present potential security

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October 2023

and compliance risks when transmitting sensitive data, avoiding violations to any regulatory or union rules governing communications, and can expose the company to outside threats. Deskless workers tend to prioritize tasks that are directly related to their personal situations, daily work tasks, making adoption the major hurdle in VOE initiatives. These workers must invest extra effort outside the scope of their usual routines to actively participate. Still, one of the most common pitfalls is the use of top-down corporate communications which do not provide the interactive, two-way communications needed by deskless workers. This type of communication does not give employees a voice, nor can it facilitate active engagement from these individuals. Recognizing how these missteps can impede VOE initiatives can enable organizations to leverage technology and tools more effectively.

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Operational Communications: Elevate the Voice of Your Deskless Workers

Elevating VOE: Best Practices Successfully amplifying employee voices can provide insightful data to transform workplace dynamics. Here are four best practices for organizations to consider when looking for strategies to harness insights from the VOE of all workers, especially of their deskless workers: ● The needs of deskless workers should be taken as seriously as their desked counterparts. The old approaches to employee communications which were designed for highly transactional, top-down communications, no longer work. Employees want more—scheduling control, information on demand, learning opportunities, and connections to their managers and each other. ● Look for workforce management solutions integrated with employee experience capabilities. According to Gartner, by 2025, 80% of large enterprises with hourly paid workers will have invested in workforce management solutions to support employee experience and/ or digital workplace initiatives. ● Communication capabilities must go beyond simple chat systems to integrated workflowdriven communications that leverage data, advanced analytics, and automation in real

time and in the flow of work, which enable employees, co-workers, and their managers to adapt and communicate quickly through mobile devices. ● Effective communication solutions should support the flexible work capabilities that deskless workers increasingly expect. In terms of peer-to-peer communications, the solution should provide employees more independence and flexibility to manage their work schedules, for example, enabling them to autonomously swap shifts with eligible co-workers, and accept shift offers that suit their personal needs, fostering a sense of control, community and collaboration. In conclusion, operational communications play a vital role in capturing the VOE of deskless workers if businesses are to thrive in our rapidly changing world. Consider our essential Employee Experience Activation Guide to help build your case for change and meet the challenges of integrating deskless worker perspectives into your employee communications strategy. By elevating the voice of your deskless workers, you will not only foster a more connected, engaged, and productive workforce, but also position your organization for long-term success.

Dr. Angelina Sun is the Director of Workforce Management Solutions at WorkForce Software. A seasoned technology leader, Angelina’s richly diverse experience spans education, consulting, computing, eCommerce, and enterprise software. Inspired by the transformative power of technology, Angelina passionately advocates for intelligent and innovative solutions for the modern workforce. With her doctoral research devoted to women empowerment, work values, and employee wellbeing, Angelina aspires to foster a fair, equitable, and engaging work environment, a commitment she continues to uphold in her present role at WorkForce Software.

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Unlock the Value of an Engaged Workforce The third year of our Global Employee Experience Study examines the biggest opportunities for organizations to take action and deliver more satisfying employee experiences. Discover how market leaders can build greater engagement and create a thriving workplace where employee engagement and better business outcomes go hand in hand. Get Your Roadmap for an Engaged Workforce

TOP PICK

Decoding Employee Feedback: 5 Experts Share Strategies For Success By The Excellence Publications Team, HR.com

s companies navigate the complexities of a globalized world, the importance of employee feedback takes center stage. It serves as a guiding force, fostering open communication and empowerment. This environment allows employees to voice concerns, share ideas, and actively contribute to their organization’s success. Furthermore, it forges a strong connection between employees and their organizations, nurturing a sense of ownership and commitment. Employing best practices for feedback collection includes offering diverse channels for input, ensuring anonymity for sensitive matters, and ensuring that feedback leads to concrete actions.

In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role by automating and streamlining the feedback collection and analysis process. AI offers a powerful and objective perspective on employee sentiments, enabling real-time data collection and the identification of trends and potential issues. This makes AI an invaluable tool for organizations deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To learn more about how organizations provide employee feedback today, we asked industry leaders for their insights.

Kate Winget, Chief Revenue Officer, Morgan Stanley at Work Like any relationship, the connection between employer and employees is a two-way street. To listen better, work with your benefits providers to collect, collate, and interpret engagement and enrollment data. That will tell you a lot about what is working and what isn’t. Reach out regularly to employee DE&I groups and create surveys to give employees an opportunity to share their experiences and critiques. Be proactive about welcoming employee feedback: A wide array of communication methods like SMS text, AI chats, and virtual town halls can offer employees various ways to engage and provide feedback on their own terms to help foster an ongoing dialogue.

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October 2023

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Decoding Employee Feedback: 5 Experts Share Strategies For Success

Cyndi Wenninghoff, Director of Employee Success, Quantum Workplace

Real-time Feedback: Annual performance reviews provide outdated feedback to employees. The ideal state is when good behavior is reinforced right away and mistakes can be fixed quickly. Real-time feedback is immediate and relevant, which means it’s actionable. Managers will need to be trained and the organization might go through a cultural shift, but the effects of real-time feedback can be felt immediately. AI & Analytics: Large-scale feedback, like exit surveys, 360 feedback, or even feedback from events, can be overwhelming and time-consuming to analyze. But with the AI revolution, we can use it to analyze open-ended responses to feedback. AI can analyze text and recognize patterns, saving HR leaders time. Time we can use to create action plans and act on that feedback. When we can show employees that we are willing to take action to make their experience better, they see their feedback is valued and are more willing to provide open, honest feedback in the future.

Naomi Dishington, Director, Workhuman Consulting Sharing real-time feedback is essential in any high-performing workplace, but motivating employees to give or ask for feedback can be challenging. As leaders look to encourage the practice of feedback, they first need to a) model the behavior and b) ensure the culture is conducive to it. For example, if the environment feels judgmental or risk-averse, employees won’t have the psychological safety needed to share their perspectives. However, if leaders invest in building a culture of belonging, where all contributions are heard, employees will be more likely to share valuable insights that help the company evolve and thrive.

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Decoding Employee Feedback: 5 Experts Share Strategies For Success

Brian Anders, Director of Human Resources, WorkSmart Systems Effective feedback is a potent tool that should be embraced in all organizations, irrespective of its size. It’s not just about criticism; it’s about constructive guidance for continuous employee growth. Trust is key in this process; without it, feedback can feel harsh and defensive. Feedback should ultimately have a positive connotation, serving to help employees achieve their goals and foster commitment to the organization. To make feedback less intimidating, leaders should promote open communication, choose relaxed settings for discussions, and encourage a positive growth mindset. Keeping the momentum going is essential, involving continuous dialogue, leadership example, and the embrace of setbacks for growth. Prioritize your people and shared goals in this ongoing feedback journey.

Logan Mallory, VP of Marketing, Motivosity Motivosity’s groundbreaking approach reimagines employee engagement and feedback by introducing AI-enhanced performance reviews. This upgrade promotes constructive one-on-one interactions between managers and employees. It encourages both parties to prepare adequately and facilitates the sharing of meeting notes, fostering alignment and clarity in their goals. The use of AI for personalized coaching suggestions represents an important step in developing effective managers and creating an exceptional employee experience. These one-on-one conversations thrive on transparency and honest feedback, enhancing employee performance and overall job satisfaction. They underscore the importance of intentional communication, with a direct link between employee satisfaction and performance. Motivosity’s innovative approach encompasses these best practices, revolutionizing how organizations gather and encourage employee feedback, leading to improved workplace dynamics and enhanced employee engagement.

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Every Employee Wants To Feel Valued At Work Start by improving the workplace culture By Lauren Neal, Valued at Work

n 2021, ‘The Great Resignation’ became a term synonymous with the high number of employees leaving their jobs around the world, particularly those from under-recognized groups. Common reasons for resigning include: ● Hostile work environments; ● Lack of opportunities for career advancement; and ● Generally non-inclusive workplace cultures.

But as a leader, what can be done? To improve these workplaces, there needs to be conscious and consistent efforts driven by visionary organizational leaders focusing on workplace behaviors, the inclusion of the right skills, and the empowerment of future leaders. The best leaders understand and value their workforce and create truly empowered and diverse teams to deliver top business outcomes and innovations.

Acknowledging Your Organization’s Behaviors Leaders in organizations often look to those reporting to them for advice on any issues – whether that be about the delivery of work or about people. Delivery of work is a tangible issue where most can find solutions to address any problems, but it is much more difficult when it concerns people. A starting point is to gather data from those involved and to understand their experiences.

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● Listen to those impacted by disrespectful behaviors by creating or joining an employee resource group. In safe spaces such as these, employees are encouraged to share their real-life experiences without fear of retaliation or fear of their experiences being shared outside of the group. ● Beware of inauthenticity, especially in leadership. Focus on identifying and showcasing authentic role models at all levels based on their performance, behaviors, and internal or external recognitions. Those individuals will feel seen and can help build relationships throughout the organization. ● Measure psychological safety regularly to understand the team’s level of comfort with each other and areas that need to be improved. Emotional intelligence is vital for leaders, and showing vulnerability and authentic humility helps to connect with their teams by building trust and transparency.

Including the Right Technical Skills and Recognizing Performance Recognizing existing talent within an organization is essential for employees to feel valued – there is nothing more frustrating than feeling passed over! It is particularly troubling when highly competent and confident individuals are stuck in unchallenging roles.

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Every Employee Wants To Feel Valued At Work

Key areas where a leader can look to understand the situation: ● How much office housework does this person do? This can include sharing their screen during meetings (even when not the presenter), booking the meeting rooms, organizing away days, etc. If these types of activities keep falling to the same person and are not part of their job description, there is a problem that must be solved. Employees should be regularly asked if the work they are doing is meaningful and will help them develop their careers. ● Is constructive feedback being provided? Without timely, actionable feedback, it is difficult for anyone to know how they are doing or how to move forward. Employees should be asked about the last time they received feedback and rate the quality and impact it had on their development actions. This will help to identify if improvement in providing feedback is needed. ● Is bias getting in the way? Bias hinders inclusion and can stifle employees, e.g., where a man and a woman behave the same way but one is referred to as “the boss” and the other as

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“bossy”. These biases can have a significant impact on how a person is treated in the team and should be discussed openly to create a culture of transparency.

Empowering Your Future Leaders Leadership continues to evolve, and in today’s world, many no longer tolerate authoritarian leadership styles. To get the most out of employees and to help them reach their potential, it is critical for today’s leaders to develop the next generation of leaders to not only feel recognized and valued but also to ensure the business remains as competitive as possible. The next generation needs their current leaders to be ethical, inclusive, and trusting to provide the best environment for them to grow. ● Ethical leadership: Leaders who do the right thing regardless of any short-term negative consequence will gather more respect than those found to take unethical actions. Showcasing role models who have spoken up without any negative impacts on their careers or reputations will help to encourage employees to do the right thing without fear of retaliation.

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Every Employee Wants To Feel Valued At Work

● Diversity means nothing without inclusion: Organizations perform better with diverse teams, but diversity requires inclusion. Ensure efforts to make diverse teams are not seen as ‘box-ticking’ as this has a negative impact on those from under-recognized backgrounds as well as others who may feel overlooked. Instead, drive a culture of inclusion, for example, requesting input from each person during a meeting and encouraging the team to really listen and consider each input. ● Trust and advocacy for career progression: Great work needs to be recognized by leaders regularly advocating for others to ensure they are not forgotten, particularly when they are from an under-recognized group. This advocacy helps set employees up for success when transitioning into a new role and team when a leader publicly recognizes their skills and capabilities for the new role. Too often, employees in under-recognized groups feel invisible, frustrated, and undervalued in the workplace, but organizational leaders have the ability and

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opportunity to change this. Great leaders will make the time to get to know employees at different levels of the organization and learn about their experiences, needs, and expectations at work. While there will still be workplace attrition, the goal is to keep it within acceptable levels and be consistent across both recognized and under-recognized groups. By driving inclusive workplace cultures that benefit everyone, leaders can create psychologically safe environments where everyone can feel valued.

Lauren Neal is the Founder and Chief Program Creator at Valued at Work and is a chartered engineer and the author of the new book Valued at Work: Shining a Light on Bias to Engage, Enable, and Retain Women in STEM. She is the founder of an inclusion consultancy challenging outdated thinking to improve retention, spark innovation, and boost profits.

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Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success How fostering a culture of feedback can positively transform your organization By Jason Richmond, Ideal Outcomes, Inc.

veryone likes to be heard. Everyone likes to have a voice and feel that their input is appreciated and acted upon. But what are the specific benefits of corporate leaders providing feedback to employees and the downside of not doing so? And what steps can you take to show that you are truly listening and not just paying lip service? Let’s start with some statistics that highlight key points and put the need for feedback into perspective. Research by job seekers platform Zippia has shown: ● 98% of employees disengage from their work when they receive little or no feedback. ● 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were being recognized through feedback. ● 65% of employees want more feedback. ● Companies that invest in regular employee feedback have almost 15% lower turnover rates than those organizations that don’t.

As a culture change strategist, my focus is on getting employee feedback in the interest of developing a

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healthy and thriving corporate culture. The following tips come from my book Culture Spark: 5 Steps to Ignite and Sustain Organizational Growth.

Culture Interviews The process of digging into the corporate culture is called culture interviewing. Some organizations call these skip interviews or employee focus groups, but the process is the same. A director, vice president, or other senior leader holds a conversational session with her direct report’s reports or any group of rank-and-file employees. Group size typically ranges from about eight to fifteen. You want enough people to generate engaged conversation but not so many that some of the more reticent employees feel uncomfortable speaking up. The purpose of these interviews is to learn more about the culture of the work groups and the organization as a whole. As you listen, be sure to observe body language, facial expression, and tone of voice. Here are two different approaches to asking questions.

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Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success

Start, Stop, Continue ● What are some things we can start doing to make this a better place to work? ● What are some things we should stop doing? ● What are some things we should continue doing?

Employee Surveys

Culture Interview

Organizations that want to grow their business and optimize their results inevitably realize they need to look inward to understand what’s going on with their people. After all, business success starts and ends with people. Surveys are a practical and measurable way to gather valuable information from a large number of people in a short period of time. Such surveys also create valuable baseline data to ascertain progress as you move forward.

● What would you tell a friend about our organization if they were about to start working here? ● What is the one thing you would most like to change about this organization? ● Who is a hero around here? Why? ● What is your favorite characteristic about our company?

Three of the most widely used surveys are engagement, culture, and employee satisfaction surveys. Although related, they are not interchangeable. You want to be clear on the major differences between them. You may want to use one or all, with culture and engagement surveys being the most useful for this purpose.

● What is one thing you would change here if you could? ● What kinds of people would be most successful here? ● What kinds of people would likely not be successful here?

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Regardless of the approach you take or the questions you ask, always make participants feel their contribution matters and let them know what you did with their input. Hold a follow-up session two to three months later to share with them which ideas were adopted, which were not and why, and which are being worked on.

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Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success

Let’s look at the respective merits of each.

Culture Surveys Culture surveys provide you with indispensable information about the collective experience of your employees. The late Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines, once said, “Culture is what people do when no one is looking.” So you need to look by asking. A simple way to think about culture surveys is that they provide the “we” perspective—this is how we do things around here. Although statements on culture surveys may be responded to using a rating scale (for example, a scale of 1-5), true/false answers are more often used. Whether you use true/false answers or a rating scale, these are examples of typical statements made: ● In our organization, we consider team results to be more important than individual results. ● In our organization, employees are encouraged to speak frankly to leaders, even when they disagree with the leader’s opinion. ● In our organization, it is very important to closely follow policies and procedures.

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Culture surveys are particularly useful when you are trying to change your vision or strategic direction. They help you understand if employees are committed to and aligned with your organizational values. They are also useful to see differences across acquired companies or to determine employee perception after a merger. A culture survey enables organizations to understand the behaviors currently expected of people, discern the impact of the culture on its members, and establish a direction for cultural change efforts.

Engagement Surveys Engagement surveys take an “I” perspective. Engagement measures an individual employee’s emotional and intellectual connection and commitment to the company. They target employees’ feelings about their day-to-day work experience, their managers, and leadership. Engaged employees use greater discretionary effort in all they do. They are more productive, motivated, innovative, and creative, and they take more ownership of results.

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Corporate Culture And Employee Feedback: A Powerful Partnership For Success

Engagement surveys typically measure and rank employee feelings using a scale, such as Five=Always, Four=Usually, 3= Sometimes, 2=Rarely, and 1=Never. Below are sample statements suitable for an engagement survey. ● I would recommend our company to friends and colleagues as a great place to work. ● My manager cares about me as a person. ● I have the opportunity to do what I’m best at every day.

● I have the tools I need to do my job. Engagement surveys are helpful to develop strategies to enhance performance, reduce turnover, and improve the workplace. Employees who are highly engaged are more likely to provide better customer service and be more focused on achieving company objectives. For decades, Gallup has reported that there is a strong relationship between employee engagement and customer satisfaction. ISS, a provider of global facility services, surveyed over 2,500 clients and, after analyzing over 500,000 responses, found a very high correlation between employee engagement and customer satisfaction. You can purchase off-the-shelf surveys, work with a vendor to semi-customize your surveys, or custom-design surveys yourself. Each approach has a few pros and cons, but, in general, I recommend that clients use experienced vendors who will customize some of the questions. In addition, experienced vendors will have data you can use to compare your company’s results to those of companies that are similar to yours in size and industry. And writing survey questions that are reliable and validated is not easy. A good vendor will simplify and automate the survey and reporting process for you, provide analysis of the results, provide recommendations and solutions, and help ensure

October 2023

Culture and engagement are linked, and they certainly impact each other. No matter which surveys you choose—and it is often valuable to do both—don’t forget to share the results with your employees, involve them in improvement strategies, and hold managers accountable for improvement.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

● I have confidence that senior leadership is taking our organization in the right direction.

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confidentiality to better ensure honest answers from your employees.

Employee satisfaction surveys, also called employee opinion surveys, are valuable for general feedback to management and human resources. They cover topics such as job satisfaction, perception of pay and benefits, key causes of turnover, perception of policies, opportunities for advancement, and, at times, even perception of human resources itself. Sometimes they’re confused with engagement surveys, but their focus is much more on the specifics of pay, benefits, and other issues typically managed by human resources. They might round out your accumulated knowledge of your work environment, but they’re not particularly targeted to acquire meaningful insight into your culture. I mention them mainly to clarify any potential confusion among common survey types. As with culture interviews, it’s vital to share all survey results with employees in a timely manner. And let me repeat - be sure to involve all levels of employees in planning what to do with the information you have gathered. Diagnosing your culture is an important step. It is the foundation for developing strategies and plans to improve your culture.

Jason Richmond is the CEO and Chief Culture Officer of Ideal Outcomes, Inc.

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Give Employees Data Or Give Them Nothing The power of data in workplace productivity

By Casey McGuigan, Infragistics

n today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, decision-making has shifted from relying on gut instincts and the loudest voice in the room to data-driven approaches. A new Slingshot 2023 Digital Work Trends Report found that data is critical to employee productivity, especially for Gen Z workers. The report shines a light on how data–or anything that individuals, teams, and organizations use to

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track performance, process, people, platforms, and profitability–is now not only accessible to employees but a critical and necessary part of their productivity. The report also offers an in-depth look into some of the other factors currently impacting how employees do their jobs and the quality of their work, including their relationship with leaders.

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The survey found that 72% of workers primarily use data to improve performance, and more than half of workers (54%) use data to prioritize goals. One hundred percent (100%) of Gen Z workers say they use data at work at least a few times a week, with 61% saying they use it every day. Data is bigger than just data–it’s the quantification of work: how are employees performing, is the business profitable, and are customers happy? As more companies democratize data across their organizations, employees are more likely to quantify their work and incorporate data into every part of their job. We’ll see this continue to scale from the individual and team level to the organizational level. While many businesses have been prioritizing autonomy and workplace flexibility to improve worker productivity, 65% of workers say that a lack of data is what most negatively impacts their ability to do their jobs. ● Gen Z is the data generation. As digital natives, Gen Z workers (ages 18-26) are integrating data into their jobs more than any other generation. One hundred percent (100%) of Gen Z workers say they use data at work at least a few times a week, with 61% saying they use it every day. And while nearly three-fourths (74%) of Gen Z workers are using data to improve performance, only 61% of Boomer workers (ages 59+) say the same.

● Companies need to democratize data across their organizations or risk business decisions being made by employees’ gut instincts. While more than half of workers (56%) gather and use data to make business decisions, 12% of workers say they make decisions by asking the most senior person in the business or department, and 6% of workers admit to using their gut instinct. It’s likely that these workers are defaulting to these decision-making tactics because the data they need to inform specific decisions is not easily accessible within their organization or available to them at all. ● Employees are using data for more than improving productivity and performance. About 72% of workers primarily use data to improve performance, but more than half of workers (54%) use data to prioritize goals, and 46% say they use it to create strategic plans and understand customer behaviors and needs. Over the last two decades, we’ve seen a shift in how decisions in the workplace are made, going from gut instincts and seniority-led decisions to those based on data that’s now more widely accessible. This is especially true of newer generations that are particularly tuned into the value of being able to quantify their work and re-route their focus if something isn’t working. Worker productivity is more dependent on data than ever, and we need to make sure employees, especially Gen Z, have access to the data they need to enhance their productivity and make data-driven decisions.

Casey McGuigan is the Senior Product Manager at Infragistics for the Reveal embedded analytics product and the Slingshot digital workplace platform. She is instrumental in Infragistics product development, market analysis, and product go-to-market strategy. She joined Infragistics in 2013.

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From Disengagement To Dedication: How Social Impact Initiatives Transform Employee Morale Enhancing employee retention and company success By David Sherwood, BibliU

has dwindled, quiet quitting remains an active trend, with at least 50% of the U.S. workforce continuing to do the bare minimum at work. If corporate America wants to hold onto its employees, especially the younger cohorts, it must step up its game. According to Gallup’s “State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report,” 60% of people feel emotionally detached at work, while only 33% are engaged. Younger employees – those under the age of 35 – are feeling particularly lost at sea.

he employee experience has taken center stage in recent years, especially amid workplace trends like “the great resignation” and “quiet quitting” filling headlines. And while employees resigning in droves

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Shrinking employee morale can have dangerous repercussions for your company. Disengaged employees who feel burnt out from their responsibilities and lack a connection to the organization’s mission or purpose are at the center of the decision to quit quietly. When not engaged in their current role, what are employees engaged with? Looking for another job.

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From Disengagement To Dedication: How Social Impact Initiatives Transform Employee Morale

While you can’t change the nature of the work required for a particular role – data entry is data entry – implementing a social impact initiative can rally employees and facilitate positivity toward their roles and the company.

Why Social Impact Initiatives Are Important Accountability and transparency have become important values to modern employees working for a company. They want to know if their employers will stand for something. In Bentley University/Gallup’s Force for Good study, 71% of respondents from ages 18-29 would leave their employer for one that created a more positive social impact. Social impact initiatives seek to spark change within a community and improve the lives of others through corporate time and resources. By deploying these initiatives, organizations can demonstrate to employees their commitment to making a difference — not just making a profit. As a result, they can positively affect employees by boosting morale, improving engagement, and increasing productivity, which ultimately helps the organization. Here are three benefits of implementing a social impact initiative: 1. Attract and Retain Employees Gone are the days when companies could ignore social issues and not take a stance on anything. Now, employees expect it and are not afraid to pass over opportunities that don’t align with their morals. According to Deloitte’s Global 2022 Gen Z & Millennial Survey, two in five respondents rejected a job and/or assignment based on their ethics. Because social impact initiatives can determine employee retention and recruitment, organizations must define causes that are relevant to the company and attractive to current and future workers. For instance, SABMiller, the world’s second-largest brewer, invests in methods to reduce water usage while promoting sustainable water management in

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its communities. SABMiller’s social impact initiative is meaningful to what it does and its employees, who are passionate about water conservation and sustainability. By defining a cause or causes essential to support, organizations can attract and retain employees for whom those causes hit close to home. One note of caution: make sure the causes you support are not randomly pulled out of a hat but are authentically related to your company. An excellent example is Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company that supports several environmental conservation groups and causes. 2. Build Rapport and Nurture Team Bonding Among Employees A social impact initiative can also catalyze building rapport among employees. Today’s employees want to make a difference in the world. A social impact initiative can empower them to drive change while working together to achieve that goal. After organizations have chosen a cause to support, they can unite employees to that cause through a shared space. Companies can establish a Slack channel that enables coworkers to discuss social impact initiatives, giving them the autonomy to share their thoughts, make suggestions, and be heard. They can also encourage employees to attend or volunteer at events supporting that cause to foster team bonding further. Working together in a common cause that contributes to society nurtures team bonding while creating a culture of positivity throughout the company, which will drive better company performance and employee engagement. 3. Endear Executive Management to Employees Employees often feel an unspoken barrier between themselves and executive management. A social impact initiative can help overcome that barrier and enable employees to see the executive team as passionate about problems outside of recognition or financial gain.

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From Disengagement To Dedication: How Social Impact Initiatives Transform Employee Morale

For example, education equity has always been a passion of mine after growing up in a rural Australian community where education wasn’t readily available. I provided social impact initiatives related to this passion by co-founding Teach Learn Grow, a non-profit organization that envisages an Australia where every child has equal opportunities in education, regardless of their location, background, or circumstances. Through this initiative, I garnered employee support, showing them my desire to create equitable education for kids and letting them know my background better.

By sharing their underlying fondness for solving a problem unrelated to recognition or financial success, the executive team can demonstrate the purity of motivation and reveal their authentic self. This permits your company’s employees to do the same. Embracing social impact initiatives can help attract and retain employees, build rapport among employees, and bridge the gap between employees and executives. And last but certainly not least, it positively contributes to our shared world.

David Sherwood is the Co-Founder and CEO of BibliU. He is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Teach Learn Grow Inc., and serves as a Board Advisor at Purlos, and is a Founding Member of the Edtech Founders Club.

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Want To Keep Your Best Employees? Pay Them On Time How on-demand pay reduces financial stress and boosts productivity By Tate Hackert, ZayZoon

mployees made ends meet through the pandemic only to see inflation greet them on the other side. Meanwhile, employers spent the last several years scrambling to make payroll and adjusting to managing a remote workforce, only to find employees looking for work elsewhere during the Great Resignation. As workers stretch their paychecks thin, employers need to explore ways to better support them — or risk losing them to a competitor. Fortunately, improved pay options have emerged that provide essential assistance to employees while enabling them to avoid desperate measures like payday loans to make ends meet.

Why Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle Is Critical Both employees and employers could reasonably feel like they’ve

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gotten an unfair shake over the past few years — but it’s workers who are feeling the pinch most acutely. In a recent survey, almost half of workers (a staggering 46.6%) said they have $0 saved in case of a financial emergency

October 2023

— and only 2.8% have saved more than $1,000. Why does that matter? Employees who live paycheck to paycheck are less engaged, and wellness research shows the stress can add up to nearly a day of productive lost work per week.

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Want To Keep Your Best Employees? Pay Them On Time

The cycle of debt becomes a distraction for employees — and can quickly become a source of turnover for employers. Gig work is becoming more and more attractive to hard-working, entrepreneur-minded employees, and more flexible ways of getting paid are emerging in the market that make it tempting for them to bring their talents elsewhere.

starts with employee paychecks. Flexible, on-demand pay — also called earned wage access (EWA) — has become more accessible than ever. As the technology that powers it catches on, it’s poised to become a powerful recruitment and retention tool. In fact, EWA is so important to employees that 89% say they would work longer for a company that provides it.

If employers want to keep up with the competition, keep their employees happy, and truly support their financial well-being, they have to get serious about offering better incentives — and it

Understanding the business benefit of supporting employees’ financial health is table stakes for employers, especially given the challenges companies face in recruiting and retaining talent.

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Why On-Demand Pay Is a Powerful Benefit for Employers and Employees Many organizations say they are invested in the financial well-being of their employees. But their efforts to actually support them are often little more than “checking the box” with underwhelming educational resources and programs. However, EWA has the potential to transform the way employers directly support their employees’ well-being while also being a smart business decision.

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Want To Keep Your Best Employees? Pay Them On Time

details that go beyond the basics and help them better understand how they get paid. This can help hourly and gig workers achieve a real-time view of the hours their employer is tracking, the amount of their next paycheck, and how much of their pay is currently available for access on any given day. This transparency offers a great way for employers to build trust with employees.

1. Less financial stress equals higher productivity. An overwhelming 90% of workers surveyed in 2020 indicated that on-demand pay reduced financial stress, and 56% said the ability to get paid faster motivated them to pick up more shifts. What’s more, research shows that engaged employees make companies more profitable and competitive. When companies provide easier access to earned wages, they help their employees reduce financial stress, which can free them up to focus on their work and be more productive. 2. Easier hiring, less turnover. A revolving door of employees can prove costly — training and onboarding take

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up significant time and resources for human resources, and too many new and under-trained employees can hurt efficiency and productivity. EWA changes that. Research shows hiring pipelines fill twice as quickly when on-demand pay is offered, and 79% of workers say they would be tempted to switch employers to access EWA. Ultimately, businesses that offer this benefit experience a 29% reduction in turnover. 3. Better wage transparency and access. Most commercially available EWA platforms allow employees to access on-demand pay through a portal. But the most robust platforms go a step further — giving employees a view into wages and pay

October 2023

Business owners need to recognize the shift toward employee-first practice, especially if they want to remain competitive and keep their best employees. By implementing on-demand pay solutions, you not only demonstrate a genuine commitment to your employees’ well-being but also cultivate an environment of transparency and productivity.

Tate Hackert is the President and Co-Founder of ZayZoon.

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