Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Recognition, Employee Retention
According to recent research from Gallup, 70% of US workers say that their jobs are ideal. As you might expect, this percentage is higher for those with more education, those making more money, and for professionals (as opposed to service workers). The likelihood of having an ideal job also increases with age.
Gallup does not provide a historical comparison in the article posted on their website. But I have to believe this has increased – if not in the past few years, certainly when taking a longer term perspective. And on the eve of SIOP’s 25th anniversary, I like to believe that the contributions of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists have played a key part in this improvement in person-job fit.
- Accessibility of career decision tools and processes increase the chances that individuals have carefully chosen the their career path based on values, interests and abilities.
- Effective employee selection processes that include job analysis, valid testing and structured interviews increase the likelihood an employee will have the skills needed to be successful. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Recognition, Employee Retention, Uncategorized
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Conference is taking place this weekend in Washington D.C. (if you are interested in attending there is still time to register). The conference will be a great place to network, learn and celebrate healthy, high-performing organizations.
Some of the key note speakers include:
- Nico Pronk, PhD, FACSM – Vice-President and Health Science Officer, JourneyWell, HealthPartners, an expert on worksite health promotion and multi-component interventions
- Benjamin Schneider, PhD – Senior Research Fellow, VALTERA, an expert on employee engagement
- Cali Williams Yost – CEO and Founder of Work+Life Fit, Inc. and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You, an expert in work flexibility and work-life issues
- Rich Cober, PhD – Senior Director of Talent Management Analytics & Solutions, Marriott International, an expert on employee assessment and selection, performance management and hiring effectiveness
- Fran Melmed – Owner, context communication consulting llc, an HR communication consultant and blogger at free-range communication and Fistful of Talent.
- Roy Saunderson, MA, CRP – President, Recognition Management Institute, an authority on employee recognition
- Judy Martin – Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist, speaker and founder of WorkLifeNation.com
- Howard Ross – Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Cook Ross, Inc., an internationally recognized speaker on diversity, leadership and organizational change
- Tonya Vyhlidal, M.Ed., CHPD – Director of Wellness, Safety, and Life Enhancement, Lincoln Industries, an experienced health and wellness professional with a track record of success
- David C. Munz, PhD – Professor of Psychology, Saint Louis University, a recognized expert on organizationally-based stress management training
- Michelle James, MBA – Health Communication Manager, Intel Corporation, an experienced communications professional with expertise in wellness program development and health promotion
- Matthew J. Grawitch, PhD – Chair of the Organizational Studies Program in the School for Professional Studies at Saint Louis University, an expert on healthy workplace practices
For more information please visit: http://www.phwa.org/conference
As we look for signs of better things to come, will we see a super hero streaking across the sky? Making a connection between business recovery and a fictional crime fighter might seem improbable, unlikely or even silly.
In fact, we often find ourselves “looking up” for guidance…especially to the most highly respected companies that seem to outperform all others, year-after-year. Yes, we want to know who’s on top but we REALLY want to know why. We want to know what companies that are succeeding in today’s new economy have done in the recent past to maintain their top position. We also want to know what they are planning to do in the near future.
Questar took a look at what their clients did over the last several years. We found that those clients that fit into the category of top companies (market leaders, or runner up position in their industry), had not abandoned their leadership and talent development efforts in favor of short-term pressures. While spending in 2009 was down 20% across the board, at no point did the discussion of organizational development ever fall off the table. What we saw was that top companies remained steadfast in their focus of developing talent, in part to retain them but mostly because it was simply a part of their organizational DNA. (more…)
Today Anna Erickson’s article “Be Careful What You Wish For” was featured in the Good Company Blog. If you have a few minutes you should check it out http://www.phwa.org/resources/goodcompany/blog/2010/02/be-careful-what-you-wish-for.php
A good friend of mine is cleaning out her office this week. You guessed it; yet another victim of recession induced cost cutting measures. But no – (thankfully) she hasn’t lost her job. Just her space.
Late last year her employer evaluated every job in the company to identify who truly needed and who did not need a desk in company-owned buildings. By reallocating unnecessary workspace, the company will save millions by leasing out the newly available office space. As a knowledge worker and manager, it was determined that my friend no longer needed a company-supplied office. So although she lives just 2½ miles from the corporate headquarters, she will be working from home on a full-time basis. ..(more)
More than 38 million viewers watched CBS’s Undercover Boss following the Super Bowl last Sunday. It was one big splash first episode. I must admit that I was one of those viewers. And I loved it.
I am a huge believer in helping senior leaders better understand what happens on the front line – especially by getting them out on the front line. We often hear from survey participants that company leadership doesn’t understand what goes on in the field. Expectations are unrealistic, employees don’t have the tools they need to do their jobs, rules are put in place that simply don’t make sense to the people who have to live by them. So I suspect many of the millions of viewers have themselves wished to see their executives try to do their job.
In the first episode, Waste Management’s COO Larry O’Donnell went undercover to ride in a garbage truck, sort recyclables, pick up trash, and empty toilets. He learned first hand how decisions in the C-suite impact employees on the front lines. And he implemented several changes based on what he saw. (more…)
Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” issue arrived in my mail box this week. I love Fortune’s lists. The Fortune 500. The World’s Most Admired Companies. Fastest Growing Companies. But the “Best Companies to Work For” is definitely a favorite.
As always, the companies on this list do some really incredible things to demonstrate their commitment to employees. In exchange, these companies hope to gain commitment from their current employees and build better applicant pools from which to select future employees. Top of the list this year is SAS. As a researcher, I/O psychologist, and all American data nerd, this is great news. SAS will always have a special place in my heart.
Reading about the employee programs that these companies have in place can be both inspiring and intimidating. It’s clear that many of the perks offered by the top employers represent a substantial financial investment. Take SAS for example and its 66,000-square-foot fitness center and natatorium, onsite and subsidized child care and health care facilities, beauty salon, massages, dry cleaning, car detailing, UPS depot, tax preparation, and even a cafeteria that offers take out on your way home from work.
Yet you don’t need to spend a fortune to engage your workforce. I have seen many organizations offer outstanding work benefits on a shoestring. Here are a few ideas: (more…)
We have all experienced some form of incivility at work one time or another. Someone completely ignored your email. You overheard someone taking credit for your work. You went to get a cup of coffee only to find an empty pot. A coworker criticized you personally in front of the whole group.
As innocuous as they may seem, research has shown us that these toxic behaviors can leave employees hurting mentally – and even physically – and can leave organizations hurting in their pocket books. They have been linked to depression, anxiety, and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease. They have also been linked to absenteeism, higher turnover, decreased job satisfaction, and lower productivity. Questar’s own research has shown that employees who don’t feel respected by their managers are 5 times less likely to be satisfied with their jobs!
In the interest of creating healthier workplaces, Massachusetts is introducing a law that would allow targets to take legal action against bullies. Sounds like a great idea, right? I am a huge proponent of healthy workplaces and completely buy into the importance of stopping workplace incivility and bullying. But I am skeptical that such a bill could work. (more…)
The Conference Board’s press release about Americans’ job satisfaction certainly has caused a buzz. Their annual survey of US households found that only 45% of all Americans are satisfied with their jobs. This, according to the Conference Board, is an all time low.
I can’t say I blame people for being unhappy. 2009 was a really hard year for a whole lot of people. Unemployment rates were at twenty year highs. And while some research showed that those with jobs were happier than they had been – maybe just happy to have a job at all – there is no doubt that those who kept their jobs paid a price. Layoff survivors were expected to pick up the slack while many employers cut wages and benefits. And those nest eggs employees thought they had built up lost much of their value.
I am positive that many companies will see a talent exodus as the economy picks up. Those hard working but exhausted employees may see their opportunity to jump ship in 2010.
And yet – I was surprised by the Conference Board’s findings. (more…)
Have you ever heard the saying “our employees are our greatest asset?”
Of course you have. The saying is so ubiquitous, you’d have to be pretty sheltered to have never heard this. In fact, it’s hard to find a corporate website that doesn’t include something declaring the importance of people to their business. “Employees are our greatest asset” is frequently followed by clarifying statements, such as
- “Our ability to deliver on our strategy is dependent upon our employees — they are our single greatest asset.”
- “Our business success depends on the quality of our employees.”
- “Our employees are our greatest asset and key to our continuing success.”
So … do you believe it? (more…)
Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention
Like many parents, my Saturday mornings are devoted to kids’ activities. This time of year, it’s basketball. If you’ve ever seen 6 year olds playing basketball, you’d probably agree that it’s not quite like watching the pros. No sophisticated plays. Just a bunch of kids eager for their turn to dribble the ball and shoot a basket. As they scramble for a turn, the young players often seem to be competing with their own teammates. As the ball comes down the court, all the kids clamber for attention. Arms up, the yelling begins. “Throw it to me!” “I’m open, I’m open.” “Throw it to me!” “Pass it! Pass it!” This past week I had to laugh as one teammate stood inches from the boy with the ball, waving his arms and yelling in his face “Ian! Ian! Ian!” (more…)
