Wigisource, a wholesaler of widgets, decided to roll out a new flexible working program. They decided the program would include many facets, including the ability to work from home at least once a month and core hours being the biggest components. Wigisource hoped the program would increase engagement and, in turn, lead to improved widget sales.
About six months after implementation, Chris Friend, a human resources representative, announced the engagement scores had increased from the previous year. Next, Sally Saleson, head of sales, announced sales increased during the quarter following the flex rollout.
The CEO, Pat Sample, was pleased. He was happy to find that the program worked and encouraged all employees to take part in the program.
When rolling out an initiative – whether it be flexible work, casual Fridays, or free coffee – many organizations like to look for subsequent improvements in company performance metrics and then declare their initiative a success.
But truly understanding the effectiveness of any program requires careful measurement. While Wigisource did provide hard data showing that positive outcomes occurred after the program, they were not as diligent as they could have been. A critical eye should have many questions:
- How could they be sure everyone took advantage of the program?
- If they did take advantage, how often did they use it?
-Did they take advantage of both working from home and the flexible schedule?
-Does it really affect these outcomes that quickly?
-How do we know it was flexible work that impacted engagement and not something else?
Conduct a Survey
While there are many ways to collect this information (observation, focus groups, looking at outcomes alone), the easiest is to conduct a survey. A survey is a fairly inexpensive and a fairly fast way to find out this information.
If you are evaluating the success of a flexible work program, here are a couple of staple questions to include. (All items can assume an agreement scale: strongly agree to strongly disagree.)
-I participated in the flexible working program offered at COMPANY this year.
-I worked from home at least one day every month.
-I adjusted my work schedule to better fit my needs.
Correlate to Engagement
As you evaluate the results, look for a connection between positive answers on these questions and positive answers on engagement questions. In addition, see if there is a connection between these questions and your productivity measures.
In the Wigisource example, the productivity measure was increased sales. The expectation would be that better salespeople have higher scores on the flexible working questions.
You may also wish to ask some other questions directly related to flex work that also relate to potential desired outcomes. Sample questions include:
-I would continue to work at Wigisource without the flexible working program.
-I feel the flex work program has helped me balance personal and work responsibilities.
Evaluate for Cause and Effect
While including these items certainly provides better information than looking at outcomes alone, it is possible to go a step further, using advanced statistical analysis.
While we know that flexible work had an impact on engagement and productivity, how important was it compared to other aspects in the workplace? What else might have been going on at Wigisource? Were people feeling more recognized by their bosses for hard work? Were they having a lot of fun with their co-workers? Did they find that their work was more challenging?
This is where the importance of the engagement survey itself comes in. A well-balanced engagement survey should include more than just general questions about engagement. It should ask about the work environment, the manager, the company image, the work itself, as well as any programs rolled out such as flex programs. These are all things that can impact engagement.
In an ideal world, a company would take great lengths to make all of those things better for employees. However, understanding what impacts engagement most will yield the best engagement results. This is done through a process called Key Driver Analysis. A Key Driver Analysis will examine all of the different questions on a survey expected to impact engagement, and provide insight as to which ones are the most important.
Should the items pertaining to use of the flexible work program come out near the top, you can finally rest easy knowing that your program has made significant impact. If it hasn’t, you may wish to revisit your flexibility consultant to determine how you might add more value to the program.
How has your company measured the impact of flexibility? What types of questions would you ask?
Amanda Harms | Associate Consultant
Questar’s research partner, LifemeetsWork, is a consulting firm that helps organizations improve performance through flexible work. If you are interested in adopting flexibility initiatives in your organization, contact Teresa Hopke, Senior Vice President of Client Relations, at thopke@lifemeetswork.com.
Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership, Leadership Development
No matter the size of your company, company leaders should be continually striving to build up a positive company culture that is consistent with the company’s mission and values. However, as businesses everywhere are growing from national organizations into global entities, building up a consistent company culture becomes much more difficult. With expanding companies, it is natural to acquire remote employees and open up new locations overseas, and the last thing you want is for those satellite employees to feel out of sync with the company’s vision and future goals. In addition, you also don’t want your overseas employees to feel like outcasts.
When it comes to company culture I think author of Fit In! The Unofficial Guide to Corporate Culture, Mark Williams, says it best, “not everything that happens in a business is based on visible, objective, and formal rules”. Something I’m sure we’ve all experienced are those unwritten rules that lie between the lines of your company handbook. They cover those little things from where you sit in a meeting to how you should address your manager. It’s these things that help define the environment of a company. Gaining a good understand of a company’s polices and “unwritten rules” can be tough enough on its own but add another location and these challenges become amplified. But all hope is not lost, there are ways to make your employees feel more aligned with your company’s vision. After all, it’s a strong company culture that will keep turnover rates low, productivity high, and employee morale up whether it be in your corporate headquarters or half way around the world.
The Challenge
Opening multiple offices can be a logical step when facing company growth and it can also be a tremendous opportunity. One loss however in separating employees is the loss of personal interaction. A lot of company culture is built up through those conversations by the water cooler, friendly chit-chat in the hallways, or in office humor through games played among co-workers. These are all little pieces that make up what type of culture is present within your company.
These personal interactions also help set a strong foundation of good relationships and trust on which to collaborate to find solutions to work-related problems. So with multiple locations, finding ways for your employees to stay in touch can be one of your biggest challenges.
The Solution
Companies that have unified cultures, no matter how many office locations they may have, have one common trait; they are effective communicators. They value their employees’ opinions and therefore work hard to keep lines of communication constantly open. They also put effort into recognizing individual accomplishments. While the traditional company barbeque or office party may not work for those multi-location companies, there are many other methods to integrate other lines of communication and togetherness. A company blog for instance is a great way to reach your customers, but it’s also a great way to keep all of your employees in the loop about what is going on in different locations. Company reports, newsletters, or daily emails are other great ways to inform all company employees about featured company customers, a funny company story, or shine some light on what your company truly values.
At Questar, we can speak first hand on this topic having remote employees in our UK office. We work hard to make sure all of our employee feel like they’re part of a clear company mission and goal. We have found the greatest way to combat any downfalls of geographic distance is communication, communication, communication. We hold monthly, weekly, and even daily, depending on department, meetings through Skype with our satellite co-workers. This ensures that no matter what project is being worked on, everyone is aware of what has happened, what is currently being worked on, and what needs to still be accomplished in the future. Through this practice, a Questar client can call any one of our employees within that project team to get their questions answered. These meetings also help foster friendly camaraderie amongst groups. Although many of us have never met our UK colleagues in person, they are included in long-running jokes and have become close friends to employees in the US office.
Another connection between offices we make here at Questar is our company quarterly newsletter. Within this form of communication, we always showcase activities and progress made by teams in both locations. When we have companywide meetings in our US office our UK co-workers are present through our online meeting center so they are able to see and hear in real time what is being covered by our company executives.
These are just a few examples of the ways Questar is working to bridge the gap so global business doesn’t feel quite so global. We would love to hear what your company does to enhance its company culture either within one office or one hundred.
Stephanie Peterson | Strategic Communications and Marketing Coordinator
It’s that time of year again! Retail businesses are busy competing over offering the best deals that will get customers in their stores while maintaining decent profit margins. This year, stores opened earlier than ever on Black Friday, some beginning to offer deals starting late Thanksgiving night. However, this did not come without pushback from the employees that would have to accommodate the earlier traffic. At a major retailer in the U.S., over 88,000 employees signed a petition to have the store open later, voicing their dislike of having to miss time with their families (NPR News, November 16, 2011).
Stories like this bring up a good question; what keeps retail employees engaged in their work? Based on Questar’s database of retail employee data collected between 2009 and 2011, the following aspects of work are most indicative of an engaged retail employee:
- Pride in working for the company
- Recognition for good work
- Trust in senior management
- Confidence in senior leadership
- Believe in what the company does
In short, this Top 5 list includes both aspects of a strong company image and strong senior leadership, which need to be cultivated over time. In order to build on these key drivers of engagement, senior leadership should work to enhancing their visibility to employees, as well as their openness in communication.
The second point on the list (recognition for good work) raises the question about initiatives retailers take to recognize their employees when they perform well. Questar asked retail employees just that, as well as what they would like their company to do to recognize their work and found the following were most often mentioned:
| What company does | What employees would like |
| 1. Bonuses/raises | 1. Verbal recognition |
| 2. Small gifts/certificates/awards | 2. Bonuses/raises |
| 3. Verbal recognition | 3. Small gifts/certificates/awards |
| 4. Public recognition | 4. Public recognition |
| 5. ‘Pat on the back’ | 5. ‘Pat on the back’ |
Examples of what company does:
- Gives out treats such as cake, hot dogs, and ice cream
- Send out certificates and they recognize us in emails to the entire company
- Pat us on the back, flex time
- I earn a good paycheck for my efforts
- Thank me for doing a good job
- Fill out a piece of paper saying good job
Examples of what they would like:
- A simple thank-you for my hard work is all I’m looking for
- Receiving positive feedback
- A pat on the back is okay
- Steady raise increases when I do a good job
- Just have my manager tell me I’m doing a good job
- Increased money and responsibility
- A gift card for the store would be nice
Although content on this list is similar, what is noticeable is that verbal recognition, such as a simple “thank you,” was most often mentioned when we questioned the employees on what they would like for recognition. However, when asked what the company does, it seems that this type of recognition falls lower on the list, and companies tend to stick to indirect forms of recognition. For example several comments indicated that companies encourage employees to put words of praise for another employee on paper, something that is surely admirable compared to nothing at all. However, the qualitative analysis of comments in this sample indicates that employees would prefer more face-to-face recognition, i.e., hearing it straight from the boss or even a member of management. So, next time you see employees doing great work do not be afraid to tell them directly! Chances are they will really appreciate the effort.
Amanda Harms |Associate Consultant
Filed under: Uncategorized
Questar attended the Nottingham Trent University Placement Fair this past week. I represented our company along with current placement students Sophie Spalding and Adam Billingham. It was a great first time experience and we had the chance to meet many first and second year students that are already trying to secure a placement for their gap year in 2012.
Nottingham Trent University believes strongly in students undertaking a work placement during their time of study and I understand and support their way of thinking. Entering the workforce with a year of practical experience is invaluable. While working, students can apply the theories they are learning in the classroom and then take back what they learned to make their final year at the university their best year yet. As a company supporting this program there are also some great benefits to us. We have the chance to assess individuals that could potentially help us in the future. It allows a lot of flexibility in our staffing. The students are extremely motivated and committed to learning while on the job. There are also public relations benefits and opportunities as well.
In addition to meeting students looking for placements I also met students that had completed their placements and were now in the final year at NTU. Many of these students were stewards at the Fair helping out the attending companies and placement seekers. Comparing the personalities and confidence levels of pre-placement students to post-placement students was fascinating. The students coming up to the booth were mostly shy, unsure, and seemed a bit intimidated. The student stewards were confident and composed.
I also enjoyed watching how Sophie and Adam grew a bit as the day went on. Early on I did a lot of the talking, but later they really stepped up and started to take the lead with many of the conversations. They did a great job explaining their role with Questar and promoting the company. It was nice to hear them talk positively about their placement with us. They seemed really proud to tell other students that they had “real jobs” and were working with one of the largest Questar clients.
Overall Questar’s appearance at Nottingham Trent University’s Placement Fair was a great success. I look forward to furthering my contact with some of the students we felt best matched the needs of our company. In addition, look for Questar to be back on the NTU campus again next year!
Steven Mars | Vice President
The other day I was talking to an old co-worker of mine and she was telling me how so many people were leaving her particular company recently. They each had their individual reasons, but she couldn’t quite figure out why so many people were quitting. We joked around about some explanations like; the candy dish was always out of mints, or Larry in the corner cubicle smelled. Although we looked at the humorous side of the situation, high turnover rates can be detrimental to companies.
Good managers know that happy employees are loyal, hardworking, and effective employees. They stay faithful to the company and help drive its success. In browsing through some articles I found five different ways companies can improve employee engagement.
1. Give Employees More Control
“Happiness is affected by [employees'] sense of control over their lives,” says Gretchen Rubin, author of the book The Happiness Project.
Employers should look for ways to give employees more control over their schedules, work environment, and work habits. For instance, employers could offer flexibility for their work schedules such as flextime or telecommuting. These days our demanding schedules continue long after we clock out from the workday, and many employees appreciate a boss who is considerate to a work-life balance. Because every person’s obligations outside of work are different, customized schedules are a great way to improve worker satisfaction.
Employers should also encourage employees to customize their workstations. This could include things like pictures and other items that make them feel more comfortable in their workspace. This not only gives employees some control over their work environments, but it can ease individual hardships like back pain or eyestrain. In addition, studies show that certain colors or décor can improve happiness. Employees will therefore be able to create a place they enjoy working in rather than being stuck in a bland office cubicle.
2. Encourage Social Connections
Socialization is a key component of happiness. “Interacting with others gives people a boost in mood – surprisingly, this is true even for introverts,” writes Rubin.
Employers should find ways to encourage social relationships and design an office arrangement that raises communication. Arrange workstations so employees can see each other and talk. Employers can also encourage office celebrations for holidays and birthdays. These celebrations do not need to be expensive. It can be as simple as asking everyone to bring in a covered dish. Even when there is no reason to celebrate, encourage employees to eat lunch together. Provide a comfortable eating area.
Socialization doesn’t have to be limited to traditional office hours. Encourage out of office gatherings like volunteer programs. This gives employees a chance to develop relationships outside of the office while promoting the company in a positive way. Community service is a great way to build a positive reputation, and it is a happiness booster for all the employees that participate.
3. Promote Good Health
Poor health is not only damaging to employees’ bodies, it can also have a negative impact on your business. “Up to 90% of all doctor visits in the United States are for stress-related illnesses,” according to Dr. Mehet Oz of the Dr. Oz Show. Chronic stress has a wide variety of negative side effects including weight gain, lower immune system, increased risk of disease, and fatigue. Employers should encourage employees to reduce stress levels and improve their overall health.
Employers need to first educate employees on these and other health topics. They can provide reading materials or offer seminars. It’s hard for people to make positive health changes if they don’t know what to change or how to change it.
Once employees know more about health topics such as stress, exercising, and healthy eating, start a health related competition within your company. This offers employees motivation and a support system. (This will simultaneously foster more socialization, killing two birds with one stone!) If the entire office is involved, employees will be more likely to accomplish their goals.
To help employees make positive lifestyle changes, have a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator and microwave to prepare healthy meals. Research shows that preparing food is a much healthier option than eating out. Also, encourage breaks throughout the day. Even small amounts of exercise, like walking, throughout the day are beneficial. If possible, offering a discount on gym memberships is a great way to help motivate your employees to make healthy lifestyle changes.
4. Create an Atmosphere of Growth
Jobs are more than a source of income for most people. Jobs are a venue for employees to grow and learn. In a survey based on the works of Susan Herrington, North Tennessee Private Industry Council about employee motivation, employees ranked job characteristics that motivated them. Surprisingly, high wages and promotions were not even in the top three. Instead, the number one desire for employees was “Full Appreciation of Work Being Done.”
Employers can create an atmosphere of growth by providing training, acknowledging benchmarks, and celebrating accomplishments. Employers should also encourage employees to learn new skills by going to conferences and workshops. Employees will become bored and lose motivation if they are never given an opportunity to expand their skills and responsibilities.
5. Break Up Routines
Surprises add a little spark to life, including the workplace. Even a small treat can boost people’s happiness as well as give us a kick from an unexpected gift. These don’t need to be huge by any means but employers should look for small ways to surprise employees. Occasionally bringing in a special treat such as coffee or baked goods are small gestures that show employees that you appreciate the time they’re putting in.
Another idea is to host an office party for a quirky holiday. Employers could even allow employees to make up their own holiday for your company. For example, March 4th could be ‘We’re four months from the 4th of July’ party where employees can bring in their favorite 4th of July dish. Remember, you can celebrate anything. Again, this does not need to be expensive. The keys are breaking up the routine of the workweek, promoting socialization, and demonstrating your appreciation.
I’m not suggesting your company do all of the things I mentioned in this post, but try implementing one or two at your own office and watch as the engagement of your employee increases, as well as your profit line.
Stephanie Peterson | Strategic Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Filed under: Customer Experience
A recent visit to a popular fast food restaurant had me thinking about the topic of feedback and if sometimes you should just let negative experiences go. I would bet if you ask any restaurant manager this question the response would be a resounding “we want to hear everything”. I don’t know though, because some days I think I would be giving feedback on service or product issues several times over.
After ordering lunch at the drive-thru I pulled up to the window to receive the order. The polite employee at the window asked if I would pull into one of the parking spots to wait because they were running a bit behind. There was already one other car sitting waiting and soon after I parked I noticed the car behind me was asked to do the same thing. I have to admit, once this type of thing happens I usually start thinking negatively.
“This is going to take forever.”
“They definitely are going to mess up the order now.”
“They will forget about me.”
After a few minutes, a high-school aged boy came out with a bag of food. He handed it to the man in the first car that was asked to wait. With a thank you and a smile the man drove off. The worker sprinted back inside to track down the next order – impressive! He was in full uniform and seemed to take it upon himself to run instead of walk.
Another minute went by and the boy came out again. This time he was holding two bags of food and my order should be next. He ran out of the building just like last time. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel happy that my order was about to arrive. He didn’t sprint towards my car though, heading straight for the car that had ordered after me instead.
“There it is!”
“They forgot about me.”
“I knew it.”
I watched the boy talk to the family in the car–he kept looking through the bags. Then there was a shake of the head, and I knew exactly what was happening now. He brought my order to that car which caused confusion. The family rejected the order and the worker turned around. But he didn’t come over to my car. He ran back inside with both bags of food!
Another minute went by and there he was again….with one bag of food. He delivered it swiftly to the other car and that family happily left with their delicious noontime meal. I tried to get the employee’s attention as he ran by, but he didn’t hear me.
After another couple minutes, my savior finally appeared with two bags of hot, terribly bad for you, but scrumptious food. Halfway across the lot one of the bags split open–”This isn’t happening!”–and the burgers and fixings spilled out onto the parking lot. The ambitious hard working kid quickly grabbed as much as he could off the ground in a bear hug and continued on to my car. He said, “Did you order three bags of fries?” I said, “Yes, among other things”. He handed me the bag that was intact and said that the other items would have to be remade. He was “very sorry.” Off he went. Another full sprint into the building.
Several minutes went by as they remade my order and soon he was back again. When he got to my car he apologized another time and told me a couple apple pies were added. He thanked me for waiting. All was well again. The situation was handled well. I drove home…finally.
When we tore into the bags to eat our lunch we quickly realized that one of the sandwiches was incorrect. I stared down at the receipt that had a phone number and website, and a message that said “How are we doing”? “Not well,” I said to myself. Should I call and complain? Should I let the manager know how I was feeling about our experience? I probably should have called…
But I didn’t. And now I have only regrets.
How are they going to improve if they don’t get feedback? Even though I may be tired of giving feedback, each separate incident has something at stake for the company involved. Plus, I could have also given compliments to the ambitious, fast-moving worker that operated with a smile on his face. He deserved a few kind words. Even with a seemingly engaged employee doing the best job that he/she can, stuff happens. At Questar we promote giving feedback on companies, managers, and employees. Feedback is a key to people and businesses improving themselves. When you struggle with the question of should you or shouldn’t you give that feedback…I encourage you to answer “yes, I should!”
Steve Mars | Vice President
Filed under: Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Uncategorized
The fast food industry has one of the highest employee turnover rates compared to any other industry. When I worked in a fast food restaurant back in high school, I saw new faces at least once a week, but only to see some of them quit after a mere week. To be fair, I only put in five months myself. New employees equal a lot of time spent training and patience for mistakes. Because fast food is meant to be “fast,” it’s hard to be satisfied dealing with employee turnover situations that only slow business down.
Perhaps we should turn to the research for a little guidance?
Employees in the fast food business work in a broader industry called “dirty work.” The concept of “dirty work” was first introduced by a social psychologist in the late 1950’s, referring to work that is either disapproved or stigmatized by members of society who do not work in such jobs. I’m not saying that people disapprove of fast food. However, few people aspire to become a worker at such restaurants. According to the research, we tend to wonder how they can do it. (more…)
Work-life conflict is a major source of employee stress. That stress limits employee performance and leads to unnecessary turnover. One way organizations limit that conflict is by creating flexible work environments that recognize and adapt to the realities of modern family life.
But creating a successful, flexible work environment is not without challenges. Organizations that do it well set up the appropriate framework and provide ongoing support to make flex an integral part of company culture, not a standalone program. Here’s how:
- Structure. Make a conscious decision on how flexibility will be deployed in the organization. Structure may include formal policies OR a purposeful decision to address requests on a case-by-case basis. (more…)
Filed under: Work Life Balance
The Relay for Life event in Shakopee was a tremendous success! The weather cooperated. It was warm and humid, but there wasn’t any rain to put a damper on the evening. At the Cancer Prevention Study-3 enrollment tent we reached the maximum number of new enrollees (264) for this event which was very exciting! As you might expect there were many touching moments as people shared their stories – the luminary portion was extremely moving. If you have never participated in Relay for Life I would encourage you to do so at least once. (more…)
Filed under: Research
At Questar we are very proud to be associated with the American Cancer Society and its Cancer Prevention Studies. We have worked with the ACS for 13 years designing the surveys, collecting data from these surveys and then providing it back to the researchers in Atlanta. The work they do is astounding and to think that Questar even has a small fraction of responsibility in it is an honor.
I have been thinking about this study a lot lately because of a Relay for Life event that is taking place in Shakopee, Minnesota on Friday, July 8. Relay for Life events are done all around the country to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost to the disease, and to fight back to try to put an end to the disease. These Relay for Life events take place in over 5,000 communities with over 3.5 million people participating. (more…)
