Employee Engagement Programs

An ‘engaged’ employee is involved in and is fully passionate about his work and thus will work toward achieving a common goal. Employee Engagement can be understood as “a measurable degree of an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to his/her job, colleagues and organization which deeply influences his/her willingness to learn and perform at work”.

Disengaged employees tend to only follow the routines and sometimes, get involved in actions that could disrupt the normal functioning of organization. When employees are engaged at work they feel they are doing something valuable for their organization and that their efforts will make a difference. This creates the need for management to stress on engagement programs which will encourage this feeling of belonging. Employees who feel engaged in their tasks do a better job, are less likely to make mistakes, and bring more energy, dedication and drive into their performance.

There are a number of things you can do to make your employees feel engaged with the organization they work for. Regular face-to-face communication with your staff members can prove to be a useful employee engagement activity you can choose to put up weekly or monthly posts to keeping your employees updated with what is happening around them. You can also introduce activities like recognizing and awarding employees who outdo themselves. Not only do you reward and acknowledge the hard work of some of your staff members; you also encourage others to do as much. Activities like celebrating different festivals and developing benefits aligned to employees needs can help in developing greater employee engagement.

Off site activities are another way to make employees feel engaged in the company and connected to their coworkers. Employee engagement programs may include regular social activities and outings, sports teams or races and activities that pit the company against other businesses. When employees have the opportunity to bond as part of a company sponsored outing, the feeling of family and connection will grow even stronger.

Companies need to bring on board Employee Engagement programs to enhance the quality of the work environment for better productivity and morale. This could also result in improved organizational performance. Word usually gets around fast about good places to work, and if employee engagement programs are boosting the reputation of your business, you may end up with a lot more resumes at the time of recruitment. Employee engagement programs can help make your business a place that everyone wants to work and no one wants to leave.

                                                                                 Priyanka Raikar

Resurge Management Consultants Pvt Ltd

Training For Results

As April draws nearer and the current financial year comes to a close, HR departments of all professionally managed companies embark on a rigorous yearly exercise that will determine many a career. A gamut of activities that range from refreshing job descriptions to reviewing Key Result Areas will be part of the recruitment process and the annual reviews and performance appraisals will decide a large part of the allocation of budgets for the year.

While all these activities are being planned, the main focus of the exercise will be on Talent Management and Leadership Development. The mature HR professional strives for continuous excellence and this is best ensured by a schedule of regular and focused training. Planned training activities aid personal and professional development of the employee, thus becoming both a motivational tool as well as a revenue generator that will improve the company’s bottom line.

And yet, no training can be effective unless it is based on an understanding of the needs of the trainee. It is important to note that the training needs assessment and the actual  design, implementation and evaluation of the same is a continual process for every organization.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

To be effective and efficient, all training programs start with a needs assessment. Much before actual training, the training manager must determine the 4 W’s and 1 H, ie, Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of training. To do this, the training manager analyzes the Organizational goals and objectives; Jobs and related tasks that need to be learned; Competencies and skills that are need to perform the job and Individuals to be trained.

The needs assessment will then determine the gap between what is currently in place and what is needed – right now and in the future. Gaps can include discrepancies/differences between what the organization expects to happen and what actually happens; the current and desired job performance and the existing and desired competencies and skills.

A needs assessment can also be used to assist with competencies and performance of work teams, Problem solving or productivity issues and the need to prepare for and respond to future changes in the organization or job duties. Sometimes the needs assessment will also result in an understanding that training is not the solution and some performance gaps can be reduced or eliminated through other management solutions.

Once the needs assessment is completed and training objectives clearly identified, the design phase of the training and development process is initiated and the training is ready for implementation. The final phase in the training and development program is evaluation of the program to determine whether the training objectives were met. The evaluation process includes determining participant reaction to the training program, how much participants learned and how well the participants transfer the training back on the job. The information gathered from the training evaluation is then included in the next cycle of training needs assessment.

Meenakshi Sharma

Director

Business Etiquette

The Success or failure of your Business does not depend solely on your hard work and commitment. Many potentially worthwhile and profitable alliances have been lost because of an unintentional breach of manners. It is often Business Etiquette that can make or break your day. Business Etiquette refers to a set of do’s and don’ts when you are in a professional setting.

Some Business Etiquette tips which can really help you earn the respect of fellow Professionals:

Attire & Appearance
Business Etiquette is not just about acceptable behavior but also what you wear. Always dress appropriately and make sure your clothes are not wrinkled. Other than that you can wear suits or business casual clothes according to what the occasion demands. Some formal events may require you to follow dress codes and so try not to deviate from those requirements.

Punctuality
Make sure that you arrive at all appointments on time. Arriving a minute early is okay but being a minute late is not. Punctuality makes your associates understand your commitment to what you are doing. If you are hosting a meeting, make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early and check on the arrangements.

The Handshake
A good handshake will grant you instant rapport when meeting someone new. We often wonder when is the right time to shake hands. You shake hands when you introduce yourself and then again when your meeting is over or when you’re leaving the premises. Greet everyone with a firm handshake coupled with a warm smile and direct eye contact.

Introducing People
When introducing people to each other, you should know that individuals who are lower down the organizational hierarchy should be introduced to those above them.

Dining
When you are at a business party, never have more than two drinks. Getting tipsy can be really harmful for your image. You should also observe basic table manners such as keeping glass ware to the right and bread plates to the left. If you are the host, be sure to raise the first toast of the evening. Never, ever talk with your mouth full. Instead, take small bites so you can quickly swallow if somebody asks you a question.

The important thing to remember is that if you strive to make the people around you feel comfortable and valued, you have succeeded whether you’re perfectly in conformity with these or any rules you’ve read.

Vanessa Dias

Resurge Management Consultant Pvt. Ltd.

HR & Compliance

Organizations get so busy with their daily operations, trying to increase revenues and dealing with competition that they often don’t focus on other issues. Compliance is one critical area which also has legal and financial consequences.

Compliance refers to the actions required on the part of the organization within the framework of law and regulation in managing its human resource – right from recruiting its employees to the close of the employment relationship – it includes paying wages, managing performance, providing adequate working conditions or dealing with discrimination or sexual harassment. It means doing the specific actions required on the part of the organization, not doing prohibited actions, maintaining registers and records and filing required forms and returns. Employee legislation includes the Factories Act, Goa Shops & Establishments Act, Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, Employees State Insurance Act, Payment of Bonus Act, Payment of Gratuity Act, Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition Act), Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, Industrial Disputes Act and the Workmen’s Compensation Act.

Compliance management requires an organization to adopt a specialist approach, review its actions for legal risk, meet the detailed requirements of compliance and manage its data effectively.

How can an HR executive effectively manage an organisation’s HR compliance? An effective way is to develop strong systems to manage employee data and use detailed compliance checklists to ensure that the compliance action is carried out within the specified time frames, as required by law. Larger organizations use information systems to manage compliance, while some small units choose to outsource the compliance function.

The changing laws in the present context require the HR executive to be updated on the changes in legislation. The HR executive needs to develop ways to keep himself abreast of the changes in the law for proper compliance. Reading the notified changes and participating in study circles, discussion groups, workshops and seminars helps the HR executive become aware of the changes in legal requirements and to update his processes and actions accordingly. Effective compliance with the laws fosters an atmosphere of trust and can help the organization develop effective employee policies.

An HR Audit helps an organization to take stock of the effectiveness of its human resource policies and compliance. An HR Audit is the review of the company’s HR policies, practices and compliance management. This review enables the organization to revise and work on those areas which are not adequate or effective.

The challenge for HR is to develop strong compliance systems and competencies within the organization so that the risks of non-compliance are reduced.

Sarita D’Souza

sdsouza@marianinstitute.in

Understanding Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management – What is it all about? About people? Managing people? It seems to be a difficult term to understand but most of us have heard about it. The organizational function that deals with issues related to the most important asset of any organisation,’ its people’, it includes functions such as hiring, compensation, performance management, organization development, safety, benefits, employee engagement, communication, administration, and training. HRM is concerned with the policies, practices and systems that influence employees’ workplace behavior, attitudes and performance. Continue reading »

Retaining Employees

It is well said that the backbone of the organization is its manpower. But to what extent are organizations able to retain their employees still remains a question. There are no multiple chances in running an organization; a blunder can cost thousands and sometimes lakhs to correct. In order to ensure a continued quality and focus, retaining a positive and motivated staff is critical. Continue reading »

Hiring the Right Fit

Vanessa Dias – Resurge Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

We have heard the phrase “The Right Person for the Right Job” or “Job Fit”. What does it mean and how can one accomplish it? Job fit refers to the “the degree to which a person’s cognitive abilities, interests and personality dynamics fit those required by the job”. Job Fit is where the passions and talents of the individual match those required by the work and where the values of the individuals are in tune with the values of the organisation. You do what you do best and what you like doing, with people who share your core values. Continue reading »

Discipline at the Workplace

What is required for an organization to run smoothly? Employee discipline as we call it,  refers to the enabling actions of an organization to develop an acceptable code of behavior and the action taken in case of a violation of the organization’s rules, policies or standards. In order to develop a productive and safe working environment, Human Resource professionals need to develop policies and practices that affirm the nature of behavior expected at the workplace. This could include disciplinary action with penalties repeated or more serious failure to conform to the expected conduct of the organization. Continue reading »