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.

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:

1. Pride in working for the company
2. Recognition for good work
3. Trust in senior management
4. Confidence in senior leadership
5. 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:

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

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

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 4^th could be ‘We’re four months from the 4^th of July’ party where employees can bring in their favorite 4^th 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

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

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. 

Finding people both willing and excited about doing work involving “flipping burgers” can be difficult.  If you currently have such employees, consider yourself lucky: do what you can to keep these individuals. For other individuals in dirty work, it is likely that wages are the best driver in determining their willingness to stay. Unfortunately for employees, many dirty occupations do not pay well. National pay data shows that the average wage for a fast food worker is between $7.12 and $8.93 per hour.

Therefore, while some may not be able to obtain higher paying jobs and will stay for the sheer need to make a living, it might make sense to practice a few exercises that researchers say help these employees feel better about what they do.  Some of these strategies may even instill pride, making employees not just okay with doing the work, but excited:

Reframe:  If a job is seen as dirty, it can be reframed by simply remembering the purpose for which it exists.  A fast food employee is working to provide quick, low-cost food to the consumer.  Not everyone can afford the time to go shopping or sit in a more upscale restaurant.  Some might even argue that some value menu items are cheaper than buying groceries- which means fast food can help feed the poor.  Reminding employees of the organization’s mission can help the employee feel better about their work—and it is important that this idea trickles down through the organization’s culture.

Recalibrate: Similar to reframing, this technique focuses on placing more value on the aspects of the job that are in fact good for society.   A typical day might involve taking orders, refilling the ice cream machine, changing the grease traps, or scooping fries.  These tasks seem to be fairly menial, but thinking about the purpose for why they exist, and placing value on the ones that are most noble can help the employee feel better about the work.  For example, while taking orders, an employee might be able to recommend a product that will be a greater value to the customer. If a customer orders a cheeseburger, small fries, and a strawberry shake, the employee may be able to suggest a value meal that will save the customer some money.  The employee can then think about their job in terms of saving people money.

Refocus:  This technique is similar to recalibration, but involves actually overlooking the stigmatized aspects of the job.  Sometimes fast food is stigmatized as unhealthy.  A way to refocus this aspect of the work would be to focus on the fact that the food is affordable, and that there are healthy options on the menu.  In fact, a tasty treat like a hamburger is not of harm to people once and a while, so the fast food worker is not promoting anything unhealthy.

While I am not promising that any of these techniques are going to significantly reduce turnover rates in the fast food industry, I would say that they can be nothing but helpful to the worker.  It doesn’t cost a dime to use a little positive reinforcement on the meaning of one’s work, but if it does work, that’s a lot of time and money saved for very little effort!

Amanda Harms, M.A. | Associate Consultant

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:

1. 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.
2. Technology.  Provide employees with the software and hardware they need to work remotely and/or access information when a coworker is out of the office.
3. Hiring for Success.  In a flexible work environment, employees must be self-directed and motivated to perform.  Look for new hires who have experience collaborating with remote team members.
4. Trust and Control.  Managers need to strike a successful balance between employee autonomy and accountability.  It’s about trusting employees to perform, without abandoning them.
5. Performance Tools.  Managers should monitor results through defined expectations, measurements, and key performance indicators.  They need a performance tracking solution (e.g. flash reports, project management software, weekly conference calls) that meets their need for information, without veering into micromanagement.
6. Management Process.  Flex works best when managers adapt to changing conditions and figure out what works best for each person and each job at any given time.  Managers can help create connections and provide tools that enable all employees to collaborate and excel.
7. Teambuilding.  Create opportunities for coworkers to connect with remote team members.  Build teambuilding time into meetings, hold virtual coffee breaks, and/or use an enterprise social media platform like Yammer.
8. Communication.  Deliberate communication is critical.  Leverage both technology and interpersonal best practices to share information, build a sense of inclusion for flexible workers, and minimize misunderstandings.
9. Celebration.  Celebrate individual, team, and company successes with the whole team, despite variations in work hours or office locations.  Think about your current celebrations and rewards and look for ways to include remote team members.
10. Culture.  Flexible workers should have equal opportunity to receive challenging assignments and move up through the organization.  Respect flexible workers for their contributions and avoid judgments or criticism regarding a person’s decision to work flexibly.  This is a good reminder for managers and coworkers alike.

Whether an employee feels supported at work or not really comes down to manager attitudes.  If an employee’s direct supervisor isn’t supportive of flex, then it isn’t available—regardless of company policy.

Steps one, two and three above are about building the organizational framework for flex.  Steps four through nine are about helping managers execute that framework.  Culture, item #10, is the positive result when all other elements are working in concert.

Whether flexibility in your organization means flexing hours, location, or the nature of employment, the whole organization needs to rally around the idea that “this is the way we work here.”  

Submitted by Teresa Hopke.  Hopke is senior vice president of client relations for Life Meets Work, a consulting firm that helps organizations improve performance through flexible work.  She can be contacted at 612-210-3803 or thopke@lifemeetswork.com.  

The group picture shows the tent volunteers which includes my Questar colleagues.  In the front row kneeling there is Mary Putnam a Production Specialist (first from left). Next to her is Jessica Stransky an Assistant Team Manager (middle).  In the back row standing there is Darin Weber a Program Manager (first from left), Cathy Dalton a Client Services Team Manager (fourth from left), me (first from right), Babette Thompson a Production Specialist (second from right), and my wife Teresa Mars (third from right).  Mark Haynes (IT) is not pictured, but also volunteered that evening.  The rest of the individuals in the picture are other non-Questar volunteers who were so nice to meet and work with in the tent.

The second picture shows Teresa taking a waist measurement from one of the new enrollees while I record the information.  Babette and Mary are in the background waiting for their next enrollee.

All in all it was a great experience.  I am hoping to have the opportunity to volunteer again next year.

Steven Mars | Vice President

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.

There are several of us from Questar that are volunteering in the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) enrollment tent at the Shakopee event.  We thought it would be a good way to contribute and also get a chance to see first-hand how these events are run.  I am really excited to be a part it for the first time!  I will also be reflecting a lot about a hometown friend who is dying of breast cancer and praying for her and her family.  Being a part of this has not only inspired me to volunteer my time, but it has also inspired me to enroll in the study myself.

Many of us have been touched by cancer in some way so if you are interested in learning more about the study or possibly even enrolling in the study take a look at the two web links below:

www.cancer.org/cps3

www.relayforlife.org

Steven Mars | Vice President