A strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiative is vital to the health of any company and its culture, long-term. But too often, businesses large and small launch their DEI efforts with much fanfare, only to have their organization’s focus fade when the initial excitement dies. Here are three investments you can make to sustain the momentum in DEI.
Treat DEI As Another Critical Part of Your Business
After the launch, sustain and support DEI the way you would any other business initiative by establishing benchmarks, key performance indicators, and measurements. Devise tools to motivate employees. For example, give ratings or scores to those who promote your DEI efforts. In short, keep it top-of-mind and part of your day-to-day operations. And keep everyone engaged and accountable.
Make It a System, Not Just an Initiative
To make DEI more than just another motivational speech or one-time event, take away the emotion. Insert sensible, smart metrics into the effort––metrics to guide and direct your workforce and management team. That way, all concerned will not only keep DEI top-of-mind, but they’ll also ensure it’s a system that works for your business and its stakeholders.
Make It Part of Your Identity
Lead from the C-suite. Foster a culture in which DEI is the foundation of your company. Encourage and inspire every member of your workforce to understand that this is the way you hire, select future talent, handle performance reviews, and make decisions. Demonstrate regularly how you appreciate and learn from people with different views. And don’t hesitate to reward and celebrate exemplary DEI behaviors.
About EG Workforce Solutions
We’ve been in this business for decades and have developed a deep network of professional connections. Whether they’re companies looking for talent, job seekers looking for work, or an up-and-coming store in need of some temporary help, we know the right people to bridge the gap between the hiring and the hired.
But what’s more, we get to know people. From employers hiring to candidates looking, we take the time to listen and learn. We hear your likes, talents, and needs. We gain an understanding, and with it, we’re able to facilitate lasting relationships between businesses and people.
It’s the season of thankfulness, and while we can all typically list things we’re grateful for, how many of those are related to the workplace? A study from the John Templeton Foundation found that work often lands on the bottom of gratitude lists. However, research shows practicing gratitude at work can help you build strong relationships with coworkers, improves your sense of belonging, decreases workplace toxicity, and increases employee engagement.
As we prepare for the Thanksgiving week ahead (and beyond, of course), here are three ways to cultivate workplace gratitude.
Recognize Others First
Lifting others is a great way to practice gratitude in the workplace. For example, when you and your team complete a project, a coworker helps you succeed, or your manager provides you with a development opportunity, be quick to recognize those individuals and express how grateful you are for them.
You can send them a handwritten “thank you” note, share what they did at a company or team meeting, or if your organization has recognition software like Bonusly, reward them there. Taking the time to recognize others first will help you practice gratitude, enhance team dynamics, and creates a culture of thankfulness.
Be Sincere
If you want to practice gratitude and grow from it, you’ll need to be genuine and sincere. Others will easily decipher if the appreciation you’re showing them is superficial and will fall flat.
For example, avoid praising a coworker with a backhanded compliment like “thanks for fixing that Excel sheet for me, but next time could you ask me first?” It’s also important not to only show gratitude to others when things are difficult or to get your coworkers to help with your workload. People will quickly catch on if your praise feels forced or only comes when you need something from them.
Practice Gratitude When Things Don’t Go to Plan
It’s easy to practice gratitude when things are going well or you’ve gotten kudos from your manager, but it’s vital to focus on gratefulness when things don’t go to plan. If you or your team encounters a challenge during a project, practicing gratitude can turn the obstacle into an opportunity.
Gather your team and debrief on the issue. What has gone well so far? What could be improved going forward? Reframing the challenge into a learning opportunity can bring the team together and give you a chance to recognize others for their contributions and successes so far in the project. Collaborating with your coworkers will also help solution on how to move forward – enhancing team dynamics and building strong ties leading to future success.
Expressing gratitude at work can go a long way in improving company culture, building team relationships, increasing employee engagement, and boosting your overall job satisfaction. To practice gratitude in the workplace, be sincere in your thanks, recognize others first, and remember to be grateful even when things don’t go to plan. Bring appreciation to the forefront in your workplace and encourage others to do the same – then see how it positively impacts overall morale in your organization.
About EG Workforce Solutions
We’ve been in this business for decades and have developed a deep network of professional connections. Whether they’re companies looking for talent, job seekers looking for work, or an up-and-coming store in need of some temporary help, we know the right people to bridge the gap between the hiring and the hired.
But what’s more, we get to know people. From employers hiring to candidates looking, we take the time to listen and learn. We hear your likes, talents, and needs. We gain an understanding, and with it, we’re able to facilitate lasting relationships between businesses and people.
Stay interviews are conversations between employers and employees about how jobs might be improved. Exit interviews are usually conducted when employees have decided to leave a company, but stay interviews occur when organizations realize that employees are considering leaving. The purpose of stay interviews is for leaders to learn what their employees like and don’t like about their organization, how it could be improved, and why they might want to leave. To help companies keep their top talent from jumping ship, here are five tips for conducting an effective stay interview.
Understand the “Why”
If an employee seems to be looking for a way out, try to identify what’s causing the frustration and remedy it. For example, if an employee wants more challenging work or more money, address the root cause of their desire to move on. This can be especially important if you’re in a position of power and can change things. If you don’t address these reasons, chances are good that another employer will find a way to fulfill whatever your employee is looking for and make the company a great place to work.
When an employee might be thinking about leaving the company or shows signs of dissatisfaction—taking more time off than usual, being reluctant to commit to long-term projects, or avoiding work social events—try to get an answer as soon as possible. This allows you to resolve issues upfront and have an open discussion with the employee by bringing in HR and management. Work with the employee who is looking to leave to find a solution that will help them stay—it might be as simple as offering them more challenging work or adjusting their schedule so they can have more time outside of work.
Be Personal
Stay interviews should focus on getting to know the employee as a whole person, not just their work. The conversation is an opportunity to show that you are invested in supporting your employees’ professional and personal growth. By taking this approach, you’re looking for ways to help them perform better as employees and individuals.
To start a conversation off on the right foot:
1. Ask open-ended questions about their personal and professional goals, values, or what they look for in a leader or colleague.
2. Start with general questions about careers or values.
3. Branch out into other topics—such as education and hobbies—if the conversation goes well.
By asking questions beyond their job performance, you’re setting yourself up for success by learning more about them as a whole person. This will help you understand how they can grow professionally, but it will also give you valuable insight into what’s important to them—and how you can support that growth both at work and outside of it. You’ll be able to see where they want to take their career and what steps they need to take on the road to achieving those goals. You’ll be able to see how you can help them perform better as an employee and as a person.
Be Consistent and Transparent
Stay interviews are all about being consistent and transparent. Managers can schedule monthly or quarterly meetings with employees to hear their perspectives and ideas. In these meetings, employees can open up about how they feel about the company and how it can be improved. This is an excellent opportunity for workers to express their thoughts on improving the work environment or company culture: it gives employees a voice in their company. It helps managers understand their teams’ needs and make adjustments as needed.
Letting employees know that their opinions have been considered and acted upon when appropriate is a great way to empower them to take the initiative and make things happen independently. For example, suppose an employee gives you feedback about how they’d like more opportunities to contribute creatively at work. Let them know that other departments are working on projects where they could apply those skills. This will make employees feel valued within the company and likely increase their loyalty towards staying there.
Have Regular Check-ins
Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly 1:1 meetings with your employees is an essential piece for keeping open lines of communication with employees and making feedback a regular part of work life. These are informal conversations with employees that you schedule regularly—at least once a month—to gather feedback about your organization and its work environment. They also allow you to understand your employees’ challenges and will enable you to respond accordingly.
Regular check-ins are a great way for getting feedback on your company’s culture from your employees. You can ask questions about the organization’s mission and values, how people feel about their jobs, and what they think could be improved. You can use the answers to improve your company’s culture, keep employees motivated and engaged, and create an atmosphere where people feel empowered to do their best work.
Be Mindful of the Timing
Be mindful of the timing and location of the stay interview. A mutually comfortable location, away from distractions and with plenty of privacy. This can help build an atmosphere where people are less likely to feel guarded and more comfortable giving honest answers about how they are doing, yielding more honest and genuine responses.
Stay interviews are a way for companies to be proactive about what their employees want and a way for them to figure out ways to improve retention. Stay interviews offer employees an opportunity to voice concerns and provide feedback on how things could be improved. The best way to have successful stay interviews is to be personable and consistent. You should also find out why your employees feel the way they do about certain aspects of their position and then organize pulse interviews. You also need to be aware of your work environment, as it might help you conduct stay interviews.
About EG Workforce Solutions
We’ve been in this business for decades and have developed a deep network of professional connections. Whether they’re companies looking for talent, job seekers looking for work, or an up-and-coming store in need of some temporary help, we know the right people to bridge the gap between the hiring and the hired.
But what’s more, we get to know people. From employers hiring to candidates looking, we take the time to listen and learn. We hear your likes, talents, and needs. We gain an understanding, and with it, we’re able to facilitate lasting relationships between businesses and people.
When productivity takes a dive, it can be tempting to fantasize about hiring a whole new team to bring the fire back to your office. However, research shows that, in many cases, it is actually much less expensive to retrain current employees rather than replace them with new hires. Below we explore the associated of both strategies and explain why retraining is typically the better way to go.
Here are quick tips on why retaining your employees is a smart investment.
The Direct Cost of Training a New Hire
Studies show that the direct cost of replacing an employee can reach as high as 50% to 60% of their annual salary. These costs include the following:
Costs of letting a current employee go.
• HR staff time for exit interviews, payroll administration, etc.
• Manager’s time for retention attempts and exit interviews.
• Accrued time off.
• Temporary coverage costs, including contingent employees, overtime for remaining employees, etc.
Costs of onboarding a new hire.
• New hire’s compensation.
• Hiring inducements, including signing bonuses, relocation
reimbursement, and perks.
• Hiring manager’s time.
• Orientation program time and materials.
• HR staff induction costs, including payroll, benefits enrollment, etc.
Adding in the Associated Costs of a New Hire
However, direct costs are only one part of the eventual bill. When you add in the associated costs of employee replacement, the total often balloons to 90% to 200% of their annual salary.
Business Impact Costs:
• Delays in production
• Lost clients that would have been acquired if the employee stayed
• Stiffer competition as the employee moves to a rival company or forms their own business
• Others leave to join lost employees at their new organization
• Disruptions to teamwork
Training Costs:
• Formal training, including instruction time and materials
• On-the-job training, including supervisor and employee time
• Mentoring the new employee
• Socialization, including other employees’ time and travel costs
• Productivity loss as the new hire masters their job
Rehiring is No Small Expense
Research estimates that turnover costs average:
• 12% of pre-tax income for the average company
• 40% of pre-tax income for companies in the 75th percentile of employee turnover
How to Keep Training Costs Down
Conversely, retaining existing employees only costs you business training expenses. Because you will be paying these expenses, either way, it is often far less expensive to take this route. The following are some suggestions to keep these training expenses low.
Utilize free training resources – Free educational resources such as MIT OpenCourseWare can provide excellent training materials for your employees.
Use online learning management systems – Eliminate travel expenses and instructor salaries by conducting your training online via learning management software.
Use inside trainers – If you have internal employees who are experts in a particular subject, allow them to train employees in that skill set.
About EG Workforce Solutions
We’ve been in this business for decades and have developed a deep network of professional connections. Whether they’re companies looking for talent, job seekers looking for work, or an up-and-coming store in need of some temporary help, we know the right people to bridge the gap between the hiring and the hired.
But what’s more, we get to know people. From employers hiring to candidates looking, we take the time to listen and learn. We hear your likes, talents, and needs. We gain an understanding, and with it, we’re able to facilitate lasting relationships between businesses and people.