IN-OFFICE, HYBRID, OR AT-HOME WORK: HOW TO CHOOSE? - Gaz Willott, Customer Success Business Partner, Anaplan AUGUST 2022 • Vol.09 • No.08 (ISSN 2564-2006) 2013 25 31 A Wealth Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity - LakshmiRepliconRaj, Workplace Flexibility In Manufacturing: Challenges And Solution - ShannonexaqueoSmedstad, Offering Flexible Work Arrangements To ProductivityIncrease - RyanVIVAHRNaylor How Technology Can Solve Nursing Staffing Shortage - DavidIntelyCareCoppins,
In-Office, Hybrid, Or At-Home Work: How To Choose? Consider productivity measures in deciding your workplace strategy - Gaz Willott, Customer Success Business Partner, Anaplan 06 INDEX On the Cover Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence AUGUST 2022 Vol.09 No.08 Articles 10 The Mirage Of ‘Unlimited’ PTO Alternative methods to provide flexibility to employees - Rob Whalen, Co-founder & CEO, PTO Exchange 23 Digital Nomads Are The Future of Work Top 4 tips on how to manage remote employees - Mary Elizabeth Elkordy, Founder, Elkordy Global Strategies 29 How To Bring Flexibility To Your Workplace Beyond Work From Home It’s time to get creative - Jaclyn Chen, Co-founder and CEO, Benepass 33 Workforce Planning Is No Longer Regarded As Simply “An HR Task” Impactful workforce planning requires a collaborative effort across the organization, with HR playing a central role - Rupert Bader, Vice President, Human Capital Planning,(ISSNAnaplan2564-2006) 16 Exclusive Interview With Andrew Gold, SVP & CHRO, Pitney Bowes CHRO Corner
Top Picks 25132031 A Wealth Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity Time tracking software is a must-have in the digital age of project management in enterprises - Lakshmi Raj, Co-CEO, Replicon Workplace Flexibility In Manufacturing: Challenges And Solution How to create flexible work schedules within a manufacturing environment - Shannon Smedstad, Senior Employer Brand Strategist, exaqueo Offering Flexible Work Arrangements To Increase Productivity 5 most effective company initiatives to attract and retain talent Ryan Naylor, Founder and CEO, VIVAHR How Technology Can Solve Nursing Staffing Shortage AI-based scheduling technology delivers a tenable solution - David Coppins, CEO and Co-Founder, IntelyCare INDEX
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Anapalan’s Gaz Willott, in his article In-Office, Hybrid, Or At-Home Work: How To Choose?, discusses how workforce planning leaders can use productivity data to decide whether in-office, hybrid, or at-home work is best suited for their business. All employers want to make their compensation and benefits packages sound as attractive as possible to prospective employees. This is why it is no surprise that “unlimited PTO” has become a common offering – what could be more attractive to candidates than the idea of taking all the paid time off they want? However, is this “benefit” a mirage? “Yes,” says from PTO Exchange’s Rob Whalen. Check out Rob’s article The Mirage Of ‘Unlimited’ PTO to learn more. Employee time tracking has been an important metric for enterprises since the early days of physical punch clocks. However, with the switch to hybrid and remote workplaces after the pandemic disrupted business continuity, and as many orgaizations are eyeing more employee-friendly workplaces by switching to a 4-day work week or letting employees work from anywhere as digital nomads, manual time tracking cannot adequately address existing challenges.
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Replicon’s Lakshmi Raj goes in-depth into this subject, in her article A Wealth Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity, and will guide us on what to do to address this concern.
Having a choice of where to work from is today a hot topic, thanks to changing workplace standards around the globe. Once considered a perk, working from home or remotely is now a non-negotiable for some employees, leaving organizational leadership to decide what their ideal workplace strategy should be.
EDITOR’S NOTE
This is not all! This month’s issue of Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence brings you several other informative and educational articles that we hope will help you achieve excellence and efficiency in your workforce management efforts.
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Deepa Damodaran Editor, Management,WorkforceTime & Attendance, Excellence Debbie Mcgrath Publisher, HR.com
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1. Employee preference Satisfaction is crucial in winning and retaining the best talent and many have come to appreciate the flexibility of WFH and hybrid approaches. Finding out what work environment best suits employees and their role is key to determining the best options for the business, as it is likely to significantly impact organizational culture. In fact, 64% of American workers report that they would consider quitting a job if they were asked to resume full-time in-office work. However, preferences alone cannot be the only deciding factor when choosing your approach to allow remote/WFH, hybrid, or full in-office standards. by HR.com
In-Office, Hybrid,
2. Key productivity measures
AUGUST 2022 6 Submit Your Articles COVER ARTICLE
How can workforce planning leaders use productivity data to decide whether in-office, hybrid, or at-home work is best suited for their business?
Having a choice of where to work from is a hot topic, thanks to changing workplace standards around the globe
Once considered a perk, working from home or remotely is now a non-negotiable for some employees, leaving organizational leadership to decide what their ideal workplace strategy should be. In-office, work from home (WFH), and hybrid options have pros and cons to the individual and the business, but let us consider what is the workplace impact on productivity in particular. What Factors Matter?
By Gaz Willott, Anaplan
It is essential to use data to measure, understand and determine the right environment for your employees. There needs to be key performance indicators demonstrating an environment more conducive to productivity. For instance, a large organization with a call/contact center operations wanted to understand the productivity impacts of various work settings for their staff. one-size-fits all solution that can be applied across the entire business, so you should consider several factors:
Determining which policies will work best at your business is no easy feat and there is no Consider productivity measures in deciding your workplace strategy Or At-Home Work: How To Choose?
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented
● Were people more likely to take time off on in-office days? If people actively tried to find ways around coming into the office, it was a big hint that those individuals were not interested in even a hybrid approach and thus, the day’s productivity trended downward.
They identified several important factors impacting their business:
● Was there a decrease in sick time? Uncover whether people are more likely to log in for a portion of the day when they are at home sick. Sometimes employees began to feel better as the day progressed, and instead of losing a whole day of productivity, those individuals decided to turn on and log in. Thus, productivity was not affected for an entire day, unlike when an individual stayed home from the office entirely.
Use Productivity Data to Improve Decisions By connecting the dots, you can provide a clearer picture of productivity levels under various circumstances. By further being able to connect granular data, right down to individuals’ productivity, you can create a full picture of the efficacy of a site, an entire department, or even an entire organization. This complete visibility and transparency allow different stakeholders to analyze, assess, balance and prioritize which decisions are most beneficial to the company and to the individuals. If productivity wanes when individuals are in-office, is an office space necessary?
Operations team then can consider right-sizing real estate needs for a smaller group of hybrid or onsite employees. Is a decline in productivity a symptom of an ailing culture? HR can work to improve or even completely transform the culture to better prioritize out-of-office employees to better connect them with those in-office. Granular productivity data can also help you identify under- or over-utilized resources. Workforce planning leaders can then make plans to balance resources and work more effectively across the business. At the very core, analyzing productivity and engagement data will better illuminate what environment will positively affect your margin and employee satisfaction. Finance can provide color commentary on the monetary and budgetary impacts of these productivity changes across work environments.
This article is adapted from here Gaz Willott is a Customer Success Business Partner at Anaplan. Gaz brings over 15 years of experience in the Insurance industry. Throughout that time, his focus has been on operational and workforce planning, always at the centre of organizational transformation, and has witnessed the power of bringing teams and departments together around a single, cohesive, and agile planning platform. Would you like to comment?
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● Were there disparities in productive time when individuals worked at home versus in the office? Hold time was an important indicator of productivity. Were customers more likely to wait on hold, while a person working from home looked up the answer rather than in-office, where it was easier to connect with a colleague that had the answer? Additionally, attributing their time spent on specific tasks created a clear window into how much of their time was productive versus not.
Conclusion Tracking relevant productivity indicators provides a world of data for various department to use and improve their operations. Now that the flexibility of work-from-home is desired by a larger portion of the workforce, organizations need all the data points and measurable ROI on each Usingstructure.theright technology, data can be compiled and shared securely and with complete transparency for all key stakeholders and decision-mak ers so they can make the right choices for their teams and departments, both on individual and organizational finance levels.
In-Office, Hybrid, Or At-Home Work: How To Choose?
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According to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll, substantial majorities of Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X workers consider the availability of unlimited PTO an important factor when evaluating whether to switch from their current jobs to something new. Boomers are less inclined to prioritize unlimited PTO, but 45 percent are looking for it when they assess possible employers.
Why Is ‘Unlimited’ PTO so Popular? Despite the fact that genuinely unlimited PTO is not a possibility for any company, this does not prevent job-seekers from making it a priority in their search.
Alternative methods to provide flexibility to employees
The Mirage Of ‘Unlimited’ PTO
The alternative to deceptive “benefits” like unlimited PTO is a set of clearly defined policies that let employees know exactly what they are allowed to do. These benefits could include convertible PTO (which allows employees to direct unused vacation time toward other priorities), increased compensation, a pre-specified number of days off, or some combination of all the above. This sort of transparency is not just good for employees; it is good for companies over the long term.
Candidates are not just actively searching for employers who offer unlimited PTO; half of those surveyed by Harris say they would even take a pay cut in exchange for the benefit. These results were reported alongside an even larger majority of workers who say they want flexible schedules and the ability to work remotely.
By Rob Whalen, PTO Exchange
All employers want to make their compensation and benefits packages sound as attractive as possible to prospective employees. This is why it is no surprise that “unlimited PTO” has become a common offering – what could be more attractive to candidates than the idea of taking all the paid time off they want? However, this “benefit” is a mirage – there is no such thing as unlimited PTO in practice, and employees should not let companies fool them into thinking otherwise.
The actual benefits of unlimited PTO flow in one direction: to employers. Employers are relieved of the responsibility to fully account for accrued time off and attract candidates with the allure of an unattainable benefit. While unlimited PTO has its benefits for employers, it can lead to significant cultural problems by creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and tension in the workplace, where employees do not know where they stand with management and relative to their colleagues.
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 10 Submit Your Articles
It is remarkable that candidates are willing to sacrifice pay for a “benefit” that many companies have used to deprive employees of what they have rightfully earned. But the lack of understanding about where unlimited PTO comes from and its real-world implications has led to this situation, which is why employees should be educated about the benefits they are actually receiving.
Alternatives to Unlimited PTO Companies have a responsibility to be upfront with employees about their compensation and benefits.
The Mirage Of ‘Unlimited’ PTO
Rob Whalen is Co-founder & CEO of PTO Exchange
It is likely that employees mistakenly view unlimited PTO as another way companies can offer greater flexibility. But this is just an illusion.
The Mirage of Unlimited PTO
There is a reason unlimited PTO sounds too good to be true—because it is. Considering the fact that 60 percent of workers say they struggle to use all their allotted PTO – while 75 percent report that they’ve even taken “unneeded” vacation time to avoid losing what they have earned – it is clear that unlimited PTO is superfluous at best. At worst, it is a misleading gimmick that actually leaves employees worse off than traditional PTO.
While it is understandable that candidates hear “unlimited PTO” and think “flexibility,” there are much better ways to provide the flexibility employees are demanding. For example, 90 percent of employees say a benefit like convertible PTO – which would allow them to repurpose their vacation time by putting the same resources toward their retirement accounts, emergency funds, student loan payments, etc. – would make them more likely to stay with their current employer.
Creative benefits like convertible PTO also have the added benefit of transparency; employees know exactly what they are getting, and your company culture will benefit from the alignment of expectations between managers, employees, and their Whencolleagues.companies make unlimited PTO part of their benefits package, it is more difficult to hold them accountable. Meanwhile, employees are in a constant state of uncertainty about the status of their vacation time; added anxiety about their managers and colleagues’ perceptions can create even more cultural problems and make it difficult for employees to use their PTO.
They should also offer benefits that employees will fully leverage. Every year, American workers fail to use hundreds of millions of vacation days, and in many cases, these days go to waste. There is no reason to offer a benefit if your employees are not taking advantage of it – unless it is simply a way to present the false impression that you support your workforce.
Flexibility has become a major focus for employers as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent Deloitte survey of professionals in the U.S. found that 94 percent of employees believe they “would benefit from work flexibility.”
Would you like to comment?
These are all reasons why candidates and employees should always be suspicious of unlimited PTO – the reality is often very different from what is advertised.
In California, when employees are terminated before they have taken all the PTO they have earned, the company must pay the remainder as wages (though companies are not required to offer paid vacation in the first place). The California Department of Industrial Relations states that while employers can “place a reasonable cap on vacation benefits … unless otherwise stipulated by a collective bargaining agreement, upon the termination of employment all earned and unused vacation must be paid to the employee at his or her final rate of pay.” This payout is why many companies choose to skirt this requirement by offering “unlimited” PTO – it obviates the need to track what employees are actually owed.
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Time tracking software is a must-have in the digital age of project management in enterprises
A
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com
Employee time tracking has been an important metric for enterprises since the early days of physical punch clocks. Organizations primarily used the manual version of time and attendance management systems to ensure employees adhere to stipulated work hours. Plus, project managers could calculate their team members’ remuneration based on their work hours. However, organizations worldwide were forced to make wholesale changes to their operating model and switch to hybrid and remote workplaces after the pandemic disrupted business continuity. Amid ongoing changes where enterprises tweak processes further, eyeing more employee-friendly workplaces by switching to a 4-day work week or letting employees work from anywhere as digital nomads, manual time tracking cannot adequately address existing challenges. Plus, an increasingly global and dispersed workforce mandates a relook at how companies track employees’ work time to make them future-ready and employee-friendly workplaces. Despite the clear need to revisit time tracking mechanisms to attune them to the post-Covid landscape, some companies continue to use manual entries for time and attendance data. It is a proven yet grossly outdated and inefficient process that
By Lakshmi Raj, Replicon forces employees to focus on mundane, band width-sapping activities instead of productive and engaging work, affecting employee engagement and morale. Automated Time and Attendance Processes Improve Employee Productivity Aside from augmenting processes, automatic time and attendance mechanisms directly impact employee engagement. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that over 47 million workers have left their workplaces voluntarily in America alone since the pandemic began. Burnout, reduced employee engagement resulting from the abrupt shift to remote and hybrid workplaces, and organizational aversion to using scalable technology and automation solutions are fueling the Great Resignation. This trend has forced enterprises to wage a fierce battle to acquire and retain talent. Research also suggests that most employees believe that AI-based tools and systems improve their overall performance, reduce workload, and help them strike a better work-life balance. All this translates into higher employee engagement, reduced attrition, and improved productivity.
AUGUST 2022 13 Submit Your Articles TOP PICK
Wealth Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity
presented by
Manual processes are error-prone and timeconsuming. Organizations using manual timesheets expect employees to gather information and key in their work time details. This process leaves room for mistakes and delays approvals as managers need to check and approve them individually. Thus, it is a highly inefficient exercise.
Attendance,
Remote and Hybrid Project Management Mandates Automating Time and Attendance Tracking Enterprises worldwide have eased workplace rules and regulations, opting for permanent remote work or hybrid setups. Thus, employees work long hours outside of their physical offices, relying on manual timesheets to key in their daily tasks.
Wealth
Fortunately, progressive enterprises can automate timesheets and schedule real-time alerts. Plus, they can use chatbots, helping employees complete and approve timesheets instantly to minimize friction and manage workforces more seamlessly. Therefore, automating time and attendance tracking is crucial for creating an efficient and future-ready workplace management ecosystem.
2. Hassle-free filling and instant approvals
Workforce Management, Time & Excellence HR.com
A Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity
AUGUST 2022 14 Submit Your Articles
Enterprises can address these challenges by improving the process to ensure hassle-free, anywhere, anytime access with automated and mobile-enabled timesheets that offer several advantages over their manual counterparts.
Thus, enterprises must consider the benefits of switching to automated time and attendance tracking systems as software assumes a central character and shapes every facet of daily workflows.
1. Instant and accurate visibility
Remote and hybrid operations have blurred instant and accurate visibility into employees’ attendance and work hours. Manual processes were never designed to accommodate the challenges in project management in the post-pandemic world. Thus, switching to automated tools is a natural progression as new-age time and attendance tracking systems feature GPS, geofencing, facial recognition and biometric identification capabilities. As a result, organizations can offer greater flexibility to their employees to work from anywhere while gaining complete and instant visibility into their work and attendance.
However, employees can lose sight of project goals and exceed budgets when using manual timesheets in the absence of in-person meetings, dispersed teams and real-time data.
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com Articles
Automating Time Tracking Makes Financial Sense Too!
A Wealth Of Data Comes At The Expense Of Productivity
Automated Time Tracking Enables Better Analytics and Time Management Employees now prefer to work staggered hours, sometimes not even the standard 40 hours a week, and desire flexibility. Thus, the organizational focus must shift from tracking a typical workday of eight hours to analyzing how its employees spend their workday with intelligent tracking. Simply put, analytics is much more than numbers and has profound implications for task management and budget Efficientoversight.projectmanagement depends on the prudent allocation of tasks. Automated tracking software gives managers a visual and customizable bird’s-eye view of how their team members prioritize tasks. Thus, managers can reallocate tasks, address challenges and create enabling processes in real-time by identifying time-intensive activities. Plus, they can design work schedules and verify billable and non-billable hours. So project managers can improve resource utilization and minimize cost overruns. Make the Switch, but! The market is replete with automated time-tracking software packages that promise convenience, ease of use and stellar features. First, however, enterprises must assess whether or not they can integrate the tool with their existing HR, ERP and payroll systems.
Workforce Management and Project Management Will Go Hand-in-hand Workforce management and time-tracking software are partners and enablers in creating a more robust project management framework, not just tools that organizations onboard to create more tech-driven teams. The project management landscape is changing more than ever, and mastering it needs new strategies and workflows.
Companies justifiably will not want to invest in a system that requires considerable changes to the current setup by incurring an additional expense. Thus, they must choose plug-and-play-enabled time-tracking tools and assess their interopera bility and integration capabilities before making a decision.
Managers must build actionable and deployable plans based on real-time insights by automating time and attendance-related workflows. Enterprises that enable their managers with these tools will have a headstart over those that let their managers figure out which KPIs are accurate or important. Enterprises that adopt this modern digital infrastructure will build better and more efficient remote and hybrid teams to enjoy long-term advantages over their slower-moving counterparts.
AUGUST 2022 15 Submit Your
Lakshmi Raj is Co-CEO of Replicon. She has extensive experience in web-based marketing and was instrumental in providing global visibility for Replicon’s product. Prior to starting Replicon, she worked as a software engineer for Verity (formerly known as FTP Canada). Lakshmi holds degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Would you like to comment?
Automating time tracking has several financial implications for enterprises beyond helping build more remote-ready and future-forward project management capabilities. Unfortunately, many organizations still track time weekly or even fortnightly! This system creates room for errors as managers do not have real-time visibility into busi ness-critical initiatives. As a result, they often make course corrections based on old and incorrect data. However, the damage is already done by then, resulting in unnecessary project delays and cost escalations. Managers need modern tools to gain real-time visibility into employee time and work data that can empower them to make decisions quickly to mitigate issues before they manifest into more significant bottlenecks.
AUGUST 2022 16 Submit Your Articles
What has your HR journey been like and what influenced you the most to have a positive impact on your career?
Andrew has been involved in work across the business that has been recognized by various groups and has been a champion of HR transformation, talent development, diversity, and employee health. In an exclusive interview with HR.com, Andrew shares his HR journey with readers, while talking about the challenges he faced over the years, the learnings he imbibed from those challenges, and what awaits HR in future, among others.
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Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by
Andrew Gold is the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Pitney Bowes.
Exclusive Interview With Andrew Gold, SVP & CHRO, Pitney Bowes
Where do HR leaders draw inspiration from? What are their worst nightmares? How did they stand the test of the changing times? In this segment, we will trace your journey to the top. This is your story - a story that is made of extraordinary accomplishments, methods that helped you overcome adversity, innovative programs that you led, and fundamental changes that you brought in. It's your chance to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Andrew: I started my career as an attorney practicing employment law at a law firm in New York City for a few years and then began working at Pitney Bowes, where I worked on the in-house HR legal team.
Throughout the last 28 years at Pitney Bowes, I have held roles in nearly every area of HR, ranging from benefits to total rewards to HR technologies, and talent management. Having the opportunity to gain experience in all these areas made a positive impact on my career as with each role came new learnings and more job growth. In turn, since joining Pitney Bowes, I have been able to make positive impacts on people, both within the company and the outside community. the Next Generation of HR Leaders from the interview: HR.com
CHRO CORNER Excerpts
After several years, I transitioned to the HR team, which gave me a different perspective on my work, especially around how it impacted employees and our clients.
. There is always someone who can help. If you are unsure how to do something, find the person who does.
Andrew: Inspiration can come from anywhere.
Can you share the top three learnings from the challenges you
Andrew: Flexible working arrangements are not going anywhere, and as teams become increasingly hybrid, the focus will shift from making these arrangements happen to creating moments that matter and building strong connections. For example, at Pitney Bowes, a core part of our culture today is to foster a sense of belonging for on-site, hybrid, and remote employees alike. We have gotten a great deal of practice with this, too, as we have embodied this working style since long before the pandemic. Additionally, the pandemic to some degree allowed us to share each other’s lives – for example, with kids and pets in our team meetings –creating more empathy among employees.
Name: Andrew Gold Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Company: Pitney Bowes of did you spending with my by Brian Elliott, Helen Kupp, and Sheela Subramanian of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKeen Neil Gaiman
Andrew:faced?
join the current company? April 1994 Total experience in HR: 11 years in HR legal, 21 years in HR Hobbies: Reading, watching football and baseball, and
family What book are you reading currently? ● How the Future Works
time
1
2. Obtain sufficient financial acumen to understand the business(es) you support. Know how the business makes money – what drives revenue, profit, cash flow, and how HR can impact these outcomes. This understanding will allow you to be a better partner, who is involved in strategic decision-making.
● The Ocean at the End of the Lane by
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 17 Submit Your Articles
● Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times
employees: 11,000 When
Often, I am inspired by the people I work with, who are creative and passionate about finding ways to support our employees. Other times, it is something I learn from an external HR colleague or through an HR-related article, book, or podcast that lights a spark. It may come from family, friends, or current events.
Andrew: When I moved from HR legal to HR, I quickly realized that I did not have a full understanding of what HR did on a day-to-day basis. I was lucky to have a very knowledgeable team in my first HR role to help teach me. As I moved from role to role, finding the people with the right knowledge became one of the first actions I took. As CHRO, I am learning to be comfortable now knowing all that is going on and relying on my team to keep me advised and seek guidance as they need it. My focus is more on building relationships with my peers to help them address their business challenges, ensuring we are executing well on our strategies to attract and retain a diverse workforce in a competitive market, and helping create and maintain a strong culture that delivers on our value of doing the right thing the right way.
Designation:
3. Say “yes” to opportunities. Volunteer to do a stretch project that provides you with new skills. Lateral moves and special projects can help you build your career, expose you to new people and prepare you for promotions in the future. Where do you draw inspiration from? What do you have to say to those who are still struggling to find a place in the boardroom?
Total number
What were your challenges during the early days of your career? What are those today?
How do you see workplace culture evolving over the years?
CHRO Corner Q QQQ
Ultimately, our focus is on attracting and retaining high-performing employees by finding arrangements that work for them and the company. What fundamental change(s) (in terms of culture) have you brought into your company?
CHRO Corner QQ
note, HR leaders will need to track the latest technologies and understand how they can be used to support business strategies and provide predictive data for decision making.
What are some major changes you see affecting HR within the next few Andrewyears?:
Recent considerations include how investment in automation will shape employees’ roles and the use of artificial intelligence to improve an inclusive hiring process.
Finally, one of my focuses is ensuring access to medical care and mental health, and this is inspired by events in my personal life. It doesn’t matter where inspiration comes from; rather, it is what you do with it and how you make it a tangible action or benefit. That is the ultimate goal. Where do you draw the line when it comes to work-life balance?
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While employee wellness has been a major focus for HR leaders prior to the pandemic, we are seeing increased mental health challenges recently for both our employees and their families. HR leaders will need to help remove stigmas around talking about mental health issues and help ensure timely, affordable care for employees and their Onfamilies.another
Q Would you like to comment?
Andrew: Employees’ lives are as important as their work, and as HR leaders, I believe we have an important role in helping employees integrate work within the rest of their lives. As I mentioned, at Pitney Bowes we have embraced flexible working arrangements since before the pandemic, and now that this has become the “new normal” for many, the scale is bigger and we all have a shared understanding that colleagues may be facing different challenges or responsibilities at home, for example, parents or caregivers.
Andrew: I am a big believer in accountability; if something is not working, fix the underlying problem, not just an individual’s issue. For example, if we learn of issues, such as those in payroll or workday, I will want to know how many people were impacted, what caused the problem, and what is needed to fix it. Fixing an employee’s paycheck is expected, but not sufficient.
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According to the EY 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey, “nine in ten employees want flexibility in where and when they work.” In May 2021, I wrote a LinkedIn article called “What Employers Need to Do to Bring Working Mothers Back to Work.” One suggestion was to create flexible work opportunities that fit into real life, “Whether it’s reduced hours, four-day workweeks, or virtual work, attracting and retaining women will take more than simply offering the traditional nine to five work week.”
he American labor market is going through a major realignment between workers and businesses,” writes Steve Grove, in his August 2021 Minnesota Star Tribune article, “Minn. must be proactive to stem worker shortage.”
Workplace Flexibility In ChallengesManufacturing:AndSolution
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By Shannon Smedstad, exaqueo How to create flexible work schedules within a manufacturing environment
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“This is a shift in the manufacturing mindset. By getting creative, we’re hoping to attract people who might not otherwise be able to work a 40-hour per week shift,” says Laurie Groteboer, director of talent acquisition at Red Wing Shoes. “By partnering with our manufacturing leaders, we believe these part-time shifts will appeal to more workers, such as working mothers and fathers who want work hours that align with the school day, college students looking for weekend work, or retirees who are looking to stay busy.”
Shannon Smedstad is a Senior Employer Brand Strategist at exaqueo with more than 20 years of talent acquisition, employee communications, and employer brand experience. At exaqueo, she’s led the employer brand engagements for Kempinski Hotels, Red Wing Shoe Company, etc. Would you like to comment?
Workplace Flexibility In Manufacturing: Challenges And Solution
“Shoe manufacturing requires people to be physically here, building our products. However, with the pandemic ensuing, and the changes in what people want from work and life, we know we need to forge a new Headquarteredpath.” in Red Wing, Minn., Red Wing Shoe Company employs 2,200 people around the world with a majority of employees working in a manufacturing setting. Recently, they introduced a new program, “Hyflex”. This highly flexible work relationship allows individuals to choose part-time hours in any four-hour block increments during the week, based on their (the employees) schedules. An example of this may be working 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 4 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.
This hyflex program is currently in its pilot phase, but the company is already seeing promising results. “Our goal is to have up to five percent of our manufacturing roles fit into this hyflex model,” adds Heimer. “I’m sure there will be lessons learned along the way, but I’m hopeful this flexibility will become part of the legacy we’re building here at Red Wing Shoe Company.”
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Offering flexibility and something more than “traditional” is key.
“How to create truly flexible work schedules within a manufacturing environment has always been a big question for our industry,” shares Carrie Heimer, chief human resources officer at Red Wing Shoe Company.
Attendance,
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Align your brand with this year’s State of the Industry hot HR topics and showcase your expertise Sponsor any of this year’s state of the industry research topics and come away with your very own affordable and branded research report and infographic, establish yourself as an industry thought leader by presenting at a one-day Virtual Event, and bolster sales through the generation of qualified leads. See list of hot industry research topics below and give us a call to get started. A State of the Industry Research & Virtual Event Sponsorship Opportunity Contact us today to get started at sales@hr.com | 1.877.472.6648 | hr.com/industryresearch The Future of EngagementEmployee Nov 2-3, 2022 Learn more at: engagementhr.com/ The State of HR Skills and Education Oct 19, 2022 Learn more at: HRSkillsResearchhr.com/ The Future of TechnologiesRecruitment Dec 7-8, 2022 Learn more TechnologiesResearchhr.com/Recruitmentat: The State of Today’s HR Tech Stack Sep 7, 2022 Learn more at: techstackresearchhr.com/ The State of Internal Mobility, Succession, and Career Development Nov 15, 2022 Learn more at: hr.com/ InternalMobilityResearch
Digital Nomads Are The Future of Work
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By Mary Elizabeth Elkordy, Elkordy Global Strategies Top 4 tips on how to manage remote employees
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Over two years ago, the Covid-19 pandemic launched many of us into a remote office set-up that proved to be beneficial for many companies and their employees. One study showed that between 2019 and 2021, remote workers increased by Digital112%. nomads, people using technology to work remotely from anywhere in the world, tend to enjoy a better work-life balance and experience increased productivity. Managing a remote team correctly, however, is crucial to reap these advantages and avoid burnout. HR.com
“Workcationing” is made possible by all of the great technology made available for remote workers to collaborate as a team online. Being flexible is crucial to maintaining a work-life balance. Create personalized work schedules that adhere to professional and personal commitments. You can set your work day around events, travel, and opportunities without asking for time off. Flexible remote work hours is a key driver of productivity and job satisfaction. Offering flexible hours, healthcare benefits, encouraging time off, and reimbursing expenses tell an employee the job doesn’t come at the expense of their well-being.
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1. Communication is key With fewer in-person interactions, it is critical not to let important messages get lost. Messaging apps help teams stay connected and enhance apps for businesses. They help managers stay in contact with employees and help them work together, preventing minor mis understandings from becoming larger problems. workflow, reduce errors, and save time.
3. Team-Building is important in every workplace, but is imperative for a successful remote business. Motivation can decline with extended periods of isolation. Set aside specific times for the team to express appreciation, voice opinions or concerns, or even host social events during lunch breaks to help teammates feel connected. These bonding experiences can grow strictly work-based relationships into friendships and will strengthen the workforce and increase productivity. Team-building generates enthusiasm, excitement, and improves team efficiency.
Digital Nomads Are The Future of Work Would you like to comment?
Virtual andclearlysimplifyareOtherteamyourConsistentonandemployeesplatformscommunicationscreateawayfortostayorganizedcoordinatedwitheachothervariousprojectsandtasks.communicationwithemployeesisimperativetoproductivityandmotivation.platforms,suchasAsana,effectivetoolsthatcantaskmanagement.Asanapresentsteamgoalsdeadlines,helpingsimplify
4. Empathy is one of, if not the most, critical traits for management to have. Remote work means the chances for social interaction in an office environment do not occur organically. These informal interactions are ways to develop connections and demonstrate empathy in the workplace, and for remote teams, that process needs to be more deliberate. When managers show empathy, team members feel heard and understood. They are more likely to share their struggles, which allows managers to help them resolve issues and address
Teams,Platforms,crucialcommunication,workplacewhichiswhenworkingremotely.suchasSlackandaregreatmessaging
2. Work-life Balance is essential to managing a digital nomad lifestyle. Stress is not conducive to productivity, so it is essential to encourage your employees to have fun. One great perk of this lifestyle is the freedom to take breaks to enjoy experiences without feeling you are stuck in an office environment. It is important to make time for breaks. Having the flexibility to stop and reset during your day can help to prevent burnout. You can even go on a vacation and work while at your destination without losing a day’s work.
Digitalconcerns.nomadism will continue to expand and grow quickly. Many employees are embracing a location-independent, technol ogy-empowered lifestyle. It is worth taking advantage of the freedom that comes from being able to work from anywhere. This lifestyle can be executed successfully when the right steps are taken toward caring for a remote work team.
Mary Elizabeth Elkordy is the Founder of
The way companies recruit, hire, and retain employees has changed. The post-pandemic era brought many challenges for both employers and employees. The good thing? Offering Flexible Work Arrangements To Increase Productivity By Ryan Naylor, VIVAHR New and Different Need Not Be Worse Companies can use this new situation and discover many ways to attract and retain talented people. Even though the Great Resignation is ongoing, don’t let it discourage you! 5 most effective company initiatives to attract and retain talent Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 25 Submit Your Articles TOP PICK
alike. So if you are
.
.
So employers should promote a healthy work-life balance for their employees. A healthy work-life balance is good for employee morale. When employees don’t juggle between personal life and work, they’re more likely to be happy and engaged in their work.
In today’s competitive job market, workers are increasingly looking for employers who offer sense – flexible work can improve work-life balance, increase productivity, and boost morale
productivity.
Second,work.employee
For many, that means spending more time at home with families, focusing on hobbies, and simply having more spare time to do something else than working.
3. Promote a healthy work-life balance
The pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate what’s important in our lives.
In March 2022, the number of quits reached 4.5 million
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 26 Submit Your Articles
.
Ultimately, employee growth and development can help to attract and retain top talent
to
There are many reasons why employee growth is so essential, especially in the post-pandemic era.
already offering them, now is the time to start! The following are some of the most common flexible work arrangement types: ● Working from home ● Flexible hours ● Part-time work ● Job sharing ● Compressed work weeks
Promoting a healthy work-life balance can help employees stay sane and avoid burning out.
Offering flexible work arrangements is a win-win for employers employees not
Encourage employee growth and development
First, it can help to boost morale and motivation levels Employees who constantly learn and grow are likely to be engaged and enthusiastic about their growth and development can improve productivity levels More skilled and knowledgeable employees can work more efficiently and Thiseffectively.canleadto increased productivity and improved bottom-line results for businesses.
Offering Flexible Work Arrangements To Increase Productivity Check the following tips and embrace the change with arms wide open, and you might be surprised with positive results!
Also, this balance can help reduce stress levels
and
As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are looking for ways to improve employee One of the most effective ways to do this is by investing in employee growth and development
A happy and engaged workforce is more productive and likely to stick around for the long term.
In today’s competitive job market, you need to offer more than just pay.
2.
Finally, the balance is good for business. When employees are happy and productive, businesses thrive
Andflexibility.itmakes
People want to be a part of workplaces that encourage their well-being, both mental and physical.
1. work arrangements are not only a nice perk offer employees, but they are also an essential tool for attracting and retaining top talent.
Employees who feel constantly being pulled in different directions are more likely to experience stress and burnout.
Offer flexible work arrangements Flexible
Ryan Naylor, Founder and CEO of the hiring software platform, VIVAHR , is a driven entrepreneur, innovator, and leader in the world of human resources. Previously the owner of the successful job board, LocalWork. com, Ryan has spent the last ten years learning the ins and outs of what makes a great company culture. Would you like to comment?
In addition to attracting the best talent, offering paid time off has several other benefits. For example, it can help improve employee productivity and enthusiasm. Plus, it can reduce turnover rates and save on training costs Overall, offering paid time off is a smart move for employers. Not only does it help you attract top talent, but it also has many other benefits that can improve your business.
It is no secret that happy employees make for a more productive workplace. When people feel valued and appreciated by their employer, they’re more likely to go the extra mile to do their job well.
A positive corporate culture is essential for attracting top talent.
Candidates are looking for more than just a paycheck - they want to work somewhere that aligns with their values and where they’ll be happy.
Employers should offer paid time off to attract the most talented workers.
Here are a few ideas:
● Encourage open communication: Employees should feel comfortable approaching their managers with questions, concerns, or ideas.
Nurturing a healthy work-life balance can help ensure that your business is prosperous in the long run.
Taking steps to invest in your employees and create a healthy workplace can bring many benefits coming with a happy and engaged workforce!
Offering Flexible Work Arrangements To Increase Productivity Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com AUGUST 2022 27 Submit Your Articles
4. Offer paid time off
This is because the most talented workers are often also the most in-demand. As a result, they have many options when looking for a job.
Investing in company culture can help employers achieve all of these things. Creating a positive environment boosts morale, improves retention, and attracts the best and brightest employees
It is not enough to offer ping pong tables and a game room. Company culture is more than that.
So what are some ways to foster a positive organizational culture?
5. Foster positive company culture
● Foster a collaborative environment: Encourage collaboration and teamwork to get the best out of your
Creatingemployees.apositivecompany culture is essential for any business that wants to thrive.
If an employer does not offer paid time off, that’s a disadvantage when competing for these workers.
● Show appreciation: A little recognition can go a long way. Whether it’s a formal program or simply saying “thank you,” make sure your employees know their hard work is appreciated.
● Invest in employee development: Help your employees reach their full potential by investing in their development. Offer opportunities for training and professional growth.
ePublicationEditorialCalendar2022 CheckoutthenewandupcomingthemedHRtopicsin Attendance,WorkforceManagement,Time&Excellence. Check ePublications Editorial Calendar Here Would you like to submit an article? | Write to us at ePubEditors@hr.com Submission Guidelines 1 Employee Leave Policies 2023 Dec 2022 2 Employee ChallengesSchedulingandTrends 2023 Nov 2022 3 Labor Laws 2022-23 Oct 2022 4 Workforce TechnologiesManagement Sep 2022 5 Attendance SpreadsheetTracking:vs.Software Aug 2022 6 Absence Management July 2022
It’s time to get creative It’s almost impossible to talk about work today without the topic of remote work entering the conversation. According to one study, 97% of employees would like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers, and 86% want either fully remote or remote-first work environments. Some companies have even had to tweak or scrap their return-to-office plans for fear of losing talent. But remote work is not always possible in certain industries such as healthcare, construction, or education. Leaders at these organizations may feel incredibly stressed when they hear about the importance of retaining top talent through remote work and flexible benefits. However, flexibility does not solely equate to remote work. There are other options you can explore to make your employees feel just as cared for as the entirely remote startup down the street.
For example, a recent survey by Global Workplace Analytics found that at AT&T, remote workers worked an average of five more hours than those in the office. Best Buy, British Telecom, and Dow Chemical reported that remote workers are 35-40% more Outsideproductive.ofincreased productivity, remote work offers employers a broader talent pool to hire from. There are also cost savings for the employer such as reduced real estate, utilities, and supplies. Employees often report feeling empowered by working remotely. It allows them the time to handle personal obligations, invest in professional development, and even cut down on extraneous costs and commuting time. Remote work isn’t an option in every industry, and some employees have even reported that they don’t enjoy remote work. Many individuals enjoy the social environment of the office, and others feel that remote work causes them to always be “on” even when the workday has ended. Organizations need to carefully examine their workforces to determine if remote work is really what people want, or if there are other unique paths.
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How To FlexibilityBringTo Your Workplace Beyond Work From Home
Why Flexibility Is Important In some industries, increased flexibility (including remote work) is possible but has not been implemented due to a dated culture. One of the few benefits of COVID-19 was the ushering of change in this arena. If your organization has the potential for remote work, it might be time to look at the very positive data around its benefits.
By Jaclyn Chen, Benepass
Flexible scheduling allows employees to work outside of the traditional 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. This could mean that an employee works four longer days per week and has a three-day weekend or maybe starts their day early and leaves early to have time with their children after school. It can also mean having a choice in work shifts, unlimited time off, or opportunities for sabbaticals.
What Flexibility Means (Hint: It’s Not Just Remote Work)
Flexible Scheduling
A survey by PWC found that financial challenges contribute the most stress to employees’ daily lives. A small additional financial contribution by the employer may reduce this stress, leading to a happier and more productive workforce. Employees have used their LSAs to help repay student debt, adopt a pet, make monthly charitable donations, take personal or professional development courses, cover the cost of extracurricular activities for children, offset childcare costs, and more.
It’s Time to Get Creative
Job Sharing
Job sharing is an underutilized option that allows great flexibility. As the name suggests, job sharing is when two individuals share the same role.
The bottom line is that to win and retain talent today, all employers must get creative with the way they take care of their employees. There’s been a giant shift in the way we think about and approach what were long thought to be work norms. Instead of pretending they don’t exist, companies need to embrace those attitudes and search for out-of-the-box ways to bring flexibility to their workplace.
How To Bring Flexibility To Your Workplace Beyond Work From Home
Would you like to comment? Jaclyn Chen is the Co-founder and CEO of Benepass, a leading next-gen eration mobile and web-based benefits administrator dedicated to making benefits flexible and delightful for companies and their employees Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com
A Benefits Boost Organizations may have certain limits on how much flexibility they can offer due to the nature of their business, the security of highly confidential data, or the safety of workers. Even when there are limits to schedule flexibility, you can still create a positive culture by offering flexible and easy-to-use benefit programs. For example, Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are essentially non-salaried allowances that employees can use according to their personal preferences. Unlike Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), LSAs are fully funded by the employer and considered taxable income when spent. You can design programs to fit the unique needs of your workforce, which can include stipends for services that streamline home life after a long workday (like grocery delivery), lunch allowances for in-office workers, and mental health resources.
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Organizations have implemented this strategy with employees who are caring for a young child or elderly relative. The employees can either split the role equally or take certain responsibilities. This option allows two highly qualified employees to manage a role. Salary may be slightly lower as the role is split, but employees often report that they are open to it as other costs (like childcare, commuting, etc.) are heavily reduced.
By David Coppins, IntelyCare
The lack of flexibility in scheduling for nurses drives people out of healthcare. Survey after survey shows that flexibility is the No. 1 reason nurses leave the bedside. Issues around pay, workload and feeling safe are also cited as top reasons, but lack of scheduling flexibility always holds the No.1 spot. Healthcare facilities can meet their nurses’ outcry for flexibility by building a float pool and managing it with the right A! scheduling software.
The scheduling technology that most healthcare facilities use is antiquated. It was designed to accommodate the old school method of scheduling, your basic eight- or 12-hour shifts, 36- or 40 hours a week.
Creating a Float Pool Before the pandemic, about 15% to 20% of the nursing workforce required or preferred flexibility in their schedule. So, healthcare facilities that were looking for full-time nursing staff recruited from 80% to 85% of the total workforce. The nurses who sought flexibility typically worked for either staffing agencies or manually created per diem pools at hospitals where they could choose their However,shifts.since the pandemic, the group of people that require more scheduling flexibility has grown to about 40% of the total nursing workforce, which means that healthcare facilities looking for full-time help are recruiting from only 60% of the workforce.
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Let us say that you are looking to schedule 100 clinicians. To make this work, you will probably need a pool of 120 because we can not assume everyone in the group will want to work at any given time.
How Technology Can Solve Nursing Staffing Shortage
Flexibility is severely limited because this technology does not allow administrators to switch people in and out of shifts easily, hampering nurses’ ability to choose how much and when they want to work.
AI-based scheduling technology delivers a tenable solution
Advanced technology currently exists that enables facilities to give nurses the flexibility they crave, allowing them to design a schedule that works for them while giving administrators access to an expansive pool – a float pool – of available nurses to ensure all shifts are filled. It allows the healthcare facility to deploy flexible scheduling efficiently and recruit from 100% of the workforce. You can now fill a schedule based on the preferences and needs of the broader workforce.
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The most recent iteration of this technology helps facilities recruit their staff instead of using a third-party platform, affording the healthcare facility the most flexibility in assigning shifts.
It’s difficult for healthcare administrators to conceptualize how technology can offer this level of flexibility and then help them fill their schedules.
The AI-based tech lets the administrator accommodate the person who wants to work one shift per week or five shifts starting at different times. The technology available includes targeted push notifications that can alert your nursing pool when there is an open slot. You may also have nurses unwilling to commit to working ahead of time but eager to drop everything and take a shift at a high pay rate. This rapid deployment force needs a text saying, “Hey, we need somebody in the next 45 minutes, and we will pay this amount.”
How do you get to a pool of 120? By offering true scheduling flexibility, you’re now attractive to a much bigger audience, and a more substantial workforce is now available to you.
Some of the old scheduling software they’re used to is not working. They will have to seek out some of the latest technological advances. And some good options are out there. They’re still new, and some capabilities are still in development. But AI-based scheduling technology will bring them into this future of the work world and help them solve their nursing staffing challenges.
The push notifications and texts are part of a group of options that create the ability for facilities to secure full coverage.
What Does Flexibility Mean?
Would you like to comment? David Coppins is CEO and Co-Founder of IntelyCare.
How Technology Can Solve Nursing Staffing Shortage
Flexibility means different things to different people. For example, your workforce consists of individuals with various reasons for requiring a flexible schedule – a single parent will have different needs than someone starting a side business or who has a partner with an unpredictable schedule. Or perhaps the nurse wants to look out for their mental health, keeping weekends open for time with family and friends. This ability to recruit from 100% of the workforce and let the nurse dictate the terms they would like to work is only possible if you can schedule efficiently. AI-based technology is required to help facilitate a dynamic schedule. It’s also imperative that your workforce can access an app that allows them to choose their shifts based on the open schedule and their skillset. Since not all nurses are created equal in their skillset, you want to ensure that you match the skills with the acuity of the patients of a particular week.
Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com
It also allows healthcare facilities to successfully and rapidly reduce their dependence on agency staff by 70%. Instead of looking to fill shifts with agency staff, you can tap into trained people who know your policies and procedures. You can have confidence in their quality.
By Rupert Bader, Anaplan
Impactful workforce planning requires a collaborative effort across the organization, with HR playing a central role Alasting lesson from the pandemic is that we can no longer let even a vigorous economy lull us into complacency about all that we produce and consume, or the intricate supply chains that enable us to do both. Everything seems more vulnerable, but once discovered, vulnerabilities can also reveal new opportunities.
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planningConsequently,workforce.workforceisnolongerregarded as simply “an HR task” but rather a collaborative effort across the organization, with HR playing a central role. A workforce planning initiative is an opportunity for HR to guide their peers in other business functions to go beyond the idea that workforce planning is primarily headcount planning, wherein only financial impacts are evaluated. It enables HR to involve leaders across the organization in strategic areas of people strategy, including workforce agility, workforce optimization, workforce visibility, organizational shape, skill management and diversity, equity & inclusion. Successfully bringing together numerous stakeholders in workforce planning results from HR conscientiously managing both processes and Traditionally,relationships.every department, including HR, manages their own transactional systems, their own data collection, analysis, and reporting activities. But workforce planning requires several departments cooperating and making those connections can create friction that slows the planning process down and decreases organizational agility. Three of the most common friction points HR encounters are with Finance, IT, and line-ofbusiness managers.
Workforce Planning Is No Longer Regarded As Simply “An HR Task”
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Specifically, the pandemic exposed how dependent business organizations are on other organizations within their ecosystems, and how well business functions within the same organization are connected and how much they depend on one another. The need to rapidly adapt and respond in a uniquely volatile environment has forced managers to think beyond the narrow definition of their own business functions. They must now take a broader perspective about how they interact with other business functions to adopt new processes, make accurate forecasts, course-correct, and ultimately contribute to overall organizational agility. Every business function depends acutely on its
HR and Finance: Two Distinct Notions of What It Means to Add Value
Workforce Planning Is No Longer Regarded As Simply “An HR Task” Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence presented by HR.com
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Much of the friction between HR and Finance stems from historically dissimilar perspectives about how workers should be reckoned. For Finance, workers are primarily views as costs to be contained, while for HR, they are people to be nurtured, provided with opportunities and developed as future innovators and creators of customer delight. Because Finance is responsible for the organization’s money, it can have far more leverage regarding major workforce decisions and puts HR in the challenging position of having to quantify the value of the workforce in financial terms. Finance and HR are now finding themselves having to address the same questions: How well do we really understand our customers and their behaviors? How much are we willing to bet on it? How do we create customer value and how does that translate into business value? Is our workforce in the best position to bring about both? Additionally, Finance is increasingly preoccupied with boosting margins, driving growth, and managing risk holistically. The perils of not being able to deliver goods and services on time and of sufficient quality due to workforce deficiencies is no abstraction, especially in sectors hit hard by the pandemic. HR and Finance must also contend with a workforce increasingly being asked to do more with less, requiring additional training and support.
From a perspective,time-managementit’saheftyload for HR and IT teams to pull together data, usually of questionable quality and completeness, from disparate systems, cleanse and structure it into a usable format, and then distribute it all to managers in a way that maintains employee privacy and complies with data protection regulation.
The partnership that HR and IT have worked so hard to develop is delicate and easy to strain. No matter how many clever hacks anyone can call upon, the process is not easily repeatable, and mistakes in data require complete cycles to correct. The whole purpose of agile planning gets defeated by the lack of agility to stand up plans based on current and accurate data presented using the functional and geographic hierarchies that leaders are accustomed to seeing.
In an environment where HR and Finance collaborate in planning and budgeting for improved onboarding, engagement, and training, HR can provide Finance with greater insight into the total costs of recruitment and worker replacement and the range of performanceorganizationaloutcomeslikely to affect critical financial metrics. These can help better inform organizational change initiatives and assure that they are driven by a shared understanding of all cost dimensions. To achieve this nirvana of improved visibility to the financial impact of people decisions, Finance can do a lot to support HR’s evolution into a function that is known for excellence in planning & analytics. HR and IT: Data Frenemies HR technology implementations, configurations, and integrations are infamous for being patchworks of enterprise, point solutions, and spreadsheets.
By supporting an agile workforce planning process through effective integrations, single-sign-on and excellent systems governance, IT can play a key role in delivering an integrated workforce planning experience in partnership with HR. HR and Managers:Line-of-Business“TellMeWhat
Line-of-business managers know their department’s operations inside out, and it’s often presumed that their line of sight extends just as keenly to their portion of the workforce. This can cause them to be dealt into the planning process well after the initial stage, given partially refined data and a list of tasks, but little context or guidance. Nevertheless, they persevere. Understanding workforce data well enough to discuss it confidently in meetings with peers poses a high cognitive load on managers. They can spend excessive time trying to make sense of the data, verifying sources, and making judgment calls on which data is valid or relevant. Ultimately, they have to construct the whole picture for themselves, tell their own story, and drive for the best decisions based on that story and the data available.
Over the past several years, it has become easier for people data to be made available to managers directly without risking privacy or data breaches. However, just in the same way that the general ledger or the customer relationship management system data requires context and education for managers to effectively use it, so does data about attrition, time-to-fill, employee engagement or gender representation (to just pick 4 examples). Line-of-business managers are key players in effectively implementing the workforce plan, and they can also be valuable partners in building the workforce plan when they and HR work together to build simple, trusted, business-focused goals that can be achieved in partnership.
partnerships between planning leaders (Finance), data and system provisioners (IT), and key end-users (line-of-business managers). Whether acting in its own capacity or as a broker between business functions, HR has a huge opportunity to connect the goals of leaders across many teams, organizations, and divisions, and ultimately improve the agility of workforce planning and the entire organization.
Rupert Bader is the Vice President, Human Capital Planning at Anaplan, where he leads Anaplan’s workforce planning approach and solutions internally, as well as partnering with the Workforce Planning solutions team to connect Anaplan’s capabilities with customer, partner and prospect use cases. Building on his leadership roles in workforce planning and analytics at Expedia, Microsoft, Avaya and other global organizations, Rupert is driven by his mission to help all organizations create inclusive, productive and dynamic workforces through exceptional Connected Planning.
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Nonetheless, IT and HR have much in common. Both functions are passionate about the opportunity for their work to improve the experience of employees at work. Both functions are on the receiving end of innumerable requests, suggestions and demands from leaders, managers and employees – only a fraction of which can be prioritized, funded and executed.
A Central Player No other business function touches more of the enterprise than HR and no one is an island in workforce planning. HR is in a unique position to drive faster decisions that are good for employees and exceptional for business agility by forming effective data-driven
And, as was never more clearly demonstrated than during the pandemic, both functions are critical to the success, resilience and agility of every organization.
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