SIOP 2011 in Chicago was a huge success! Anna Erickson, Brad Buchanan, Bob Blackwood and I represented Questar. The 4,500 people in attendance set a record. It was my first time at SIOP so I can’t compare to previous years, but it was VERY crowded all week. We came to SIOP with a new idea to get people engaged with us as they passed through the exhibition hall. It not only worked, but exceeded our expectations! (more…)
Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership
We are excited to be exhibiting at SIOP conference once again this year. If you are heading there as well, be sure to stop by our booth (215) for your chance to win a new iPad 2 or Kindle. The SIOP conference is a three-day conference that includes the country’s top industrial-organizational psychologists for discussion on current issues and emerging trends in the workplace.
To learn more about the SIOP conference please visit http://www.siop.org/conferences/
Filed under: Customer Experience, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Uncategorized
I had been thinking about switching internet providers for a few months. A few weeks ago, I saw a promising ad for a free modem and a free month of service followed by a low monthly fee. Sounded pretty good to me, but I wanted to see it in person. I went to one of the company’s kiosks at a local mall, tested the connection on one of the laptops, looked at the coverage maps, and asked a few questions. Next came the sales pitch. (more…)
Unless you have your own private plane we all have to deal with the airport experience if we want to travel. And typically you don’t hear people talking about the wonderful time they had. Instead, you hear horror stories about delayed planes, TSA pat downs, canceled and over-booked flights, terrible food, and long security lines. Although these things are common and sometimes out of an individual airline’s control, it doesn’t change the fact that people want to be treated well. On a recent business trip I witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of airline travel. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership
No doubt many of your employees are asking themselves this question as the new year approaches. According research by Manpower as reported in an article on CNN.com, up to 84% of all employees will be looking for a new job as they ring in the new year.
Many employers are making New Year’s resolutions of their own – hoping to avert this impending mass exodus of employees. If you’re doing the same, there are some things you can do to help retain your employees in 2011. Based on research that Questar has done on drivers of employee loyalty, here are some steps you can (more…)
Filed under: Employee Communication, Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Uncategorized, Work Life Balance
Will you be buying your employees a gift this holiday season? Do you wonder what they really want?
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a few of the things that employees are most thankful for. But not all is rosy in the world of employee opinions. While employees are thankful for many aspects of their work, there are some (more…)
Filed under: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Research, Uncategorized
As Thanksgiving approaches, Americans pause this week to reflect on their blessings. So what are you thankful for? For most people, the intangibles probably come to mind first – the many things that money can’t buy like family, friends, and experiences. Basic needs that are met may also make the list – shelter, clothing, food. And in an economy where more than 9% are unemployed, this Thanksgiving holiday many are thankful that they have a job.
If you ask people why they work, they will probably mention money as the primary reason. But if you ask people what they like best about their jobs, money usually doesn’t top the list. Work brings so much more to people’s lives. Over the past 25 years, Questar has asked millions of employees what they like (more…)
Filed under: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Uncategorized, Work Life Balance
Imagine for a minute the following advertisement I saw in my inbox yesterday. There is a man floating down the Colorado River sporting a t-shirt, plaid shorts, and a fisherman’s hat. The water is calm and he looks to be getting ready to snap a shot of the Grand Canyon from a turn in the river. And what does the caption say? “Freedom is life outside the cubicle.” Ok, it’s piqued my interest and I decide to scan the text. “Get work/life balance… Life is freer outside the office …remote access to your computer…” Got it – it’s a remote access software program. But just as I’m hovering over the delete button another line catches my eye and I read on: “Update a file while you’re enjoying a long lunch… be in two places at once… Print a file on your work computer to a local printer – say, at the beach resort you’re enjoying for the week.”
Printing a file from a beach resort would be the last thing on my mind. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for technology that helps me be more productive. I may not be addicted, but I regularly use my company’s VPN and check email from my smart phone. The duality of the messaging got me thinking. Are freedom and connectedness (more…)
Filed under: Customer Experience, Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership
That may be one of the most cliché phrases in the English language. Every time I feel forced to say it I cringe and think “here we go again”. In addition, how does it feel to be the powerless employee that has to admit that they do not have the training or authority to help the customer? A recent experience of mine got me thinking more about how this ties into what Questar does to help employees and customers with this type of situation.
Going paperless when managing household bills is a good thing, right? Online statements are convenient and online bill pay has become easier. Not to mention we all want to do our part to help the environment. Why wouldn’t a person want to “do the right thing” while at the same time making their life easier to manage? I found out a few days ago there is a little more to think about when you choose to discard the “old way’ of doing things for a “better”, more progressive approach. (more…)
This month, Questar celebrates 25 years in business. So when I ventured to write this blog—my first blog—I intended to write a list of 25 things I learned in the survey research business over 25 years. But who, I thought, would really want to read a list of 25 things? Not me. And how was I going to come up with 25 things that anyone would want to actually read? The answer to that was: I wasn’t going to. So I scrapped the idea.
And then it hit me the other day.
Tuesday.
The day of our company-wide celebration event—a boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka.
The biggest thing that has changed in 25 years is accessibility. I should write about that.
Now, what do I mean by accessibility? Just follow me for a minute here. That Tuesday was a gloomy day and it seemed it might rain at any moment. So an hour before we needed to leave I checked the weather radar online and sent a reassuring email to all the employees—weather is looking good so come and have some fun. Right before I left, I made sure I had my Blackberry. Then I used the GPS in my car to direct me to the correct location. The last thing I did before I got on the boat (more…)
