Kim's Blog

With the state of our economy, we hear a lot in the news everyday regarding unemployment.  While the high unemployment rate is certainly a concern, an even bigger issue is that of underemployment.  A recent Gallup poll indicates that approximately 19.7 percent of people in the workforce consider themselves underemployed. 

 

Underemployment is a situation in which a person is employed, but not in their desired capacity. A person could feel underemployed for a variety of reasons including position, pay, hours and experience.   Underemployment is impacting organizations today and has the potential to have a more significant impact when the economy turns around and the number of employment opportunities increase.   

 

Here’s what companies with underemployed employees need to know:

 

Don’t Lose Sight of Longer Term Goals – it’s easy to think about the short term gains of getting more experienced workers for less money, but always keep the bigger picture in mind or it can bite you later, when the economy does turnaround.

 

Set Clear Expectations – make sure that during the hiring process and once the employee joins the organization, there is clarity around what is expected of them. Ensure that communication is taking place regularly to avoid frustration and confusion. 

 

Focus on Retention – for those employees who you view as high performers or high potentials make sure they know how you feel. Find ways to keep all of your employees motivated and make them feel valued. 

 

Leverage Strengths – underemployment presents opportunities for businesses to add diversity to their teams. You can hire older workers who bring experience and expertise as well as younger workers who have great ideas and know technology. Find ways to leverage the strengths and diversity of each generation in your workplace for really positive results. 

 

Recognize Individual Concerns and Needs – get to know your employees and their needs. For those who are underemployed, they may be experiencing more stress. Offer support and flexibility as appropriate. 

 

Its snow days like these that make me feel very fortunate to be a business owner that has the flexibility to work from home when nature calls. In today’s business world, flexibility is so important not only on snow days but in general. As the workforce continues to age and multiple generations are working together, the demands for flexible work arrangements are increasing.

Flexible work options became popular back in the late 80’s and early 90’s as Gen X began entering the workforce. This generation puts a huge emphasis on work/life balance and challenged many organizations to embrace flexibility. Today, it’s not only Gen X that desires flexibility but the other generations as well as they face the challenges of dual careers, elderly care and desires to reduce work hours as they transition into the next phase of life. In a study conducted by Georgetown University Law Center, Workplace Flexibility 2010, nearly 80% of workers said that they would like to have more flexible work options and would use them if there were no negative consequences at work.

Realistically, there are some businesses and positions that cannot accommodate flexible work arrangements. However, with some creative thinking on the part of the employer and employee it’s often not as difficult as anticipated. Here are just a few reasons that organizations should consider implementing or increasing the use of Flexible Work Arrangements:

• Attracting Talent: most recruits today will ask about flexible work arrangements and many won’t join a company that does not offer them.
• Increased Job Satisfaction: studies have shown that when an employee has flexibility they are more satisfied. Increased satisfaction leads to increased engagement. Increased engagement leads to more productive employees.
• Reduction in Absenteeism: flexible work arrangements often reduce the need for employees to use other forms of paid or unpaid time off to attend to personal business.
• Talent Retention: employees who have the option to utilize flexible work arrangements are more likely to stay with a company and often feel more loyalty towards the company.
• Reduced Stress: flexible work arrangements give employees the opportunity to define how and when their work gets done which helps to reduce the stress and pressure often associated with defined work hours.

The success of flexible work arrangements is a shared responsibility between the employer and the employee. Communication is critical and both parties must be willing to commit to regular discussions on how the arrangement is working and make adjustments when necessary.

The workforce of the 21st century is extremely diverse. Gone are the days of treating everyone the same. Employees have different needs, expectations and preferences and a one-size-fits-all approach just does not work. Companies that embrace these concepts have the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by employing a more aligned, engaged and productive workforce. Now, what company doesn’t want that?

For many employees, the performance review is a conversation they dread. The main reason for this is that the employees’ expectations for the meeting are not met by their manager. As employees it is important to make sure that you take an active role in your performance. Following are some tips to help during the discussion with your manager.

Tips for Employees

Be well prepared and be ready to provide input – Review past performance review documents; compile key accomplishments you have made during the past year as well as what you have done to develop yourself. If your manager does not request you to provide him or her with input prior to your performance review discussion, then take the imitative and send it to them directly.

Practice active listening – During the meeting, maintain good eye contact and positive (and non-defensive) body language. Listen to what your manager has to say and really be engaged in the conversation. Summarize where needed to ensure that you understand.

Ask questions for clarity – Don’t be afraid to ask your manager for examples or to provide more specifics. Remember, this is your meeting. You want to make sure you know and understand the key messages that are being conveyed to you.

Share responsibility and take ownership – Be ready and willing to ask for and receive support from your manager. Tell them what you need to be successful in your current position and to develop yourself for future ones. Also, explain to them what you will do yourself.

Agree upon next steps – This is a great way to wrap up the meeting. Review the next steps and ask to schedule a follow-up meeting. I suggest 2-3 weeks later so that you have each had time to reflect on the conversation and are prepared to discuss implementation of the action plans.

Each year about this time employees participate in a Performance Review with their manager. The review is intended to provide the employee with feedback regarding their prior year’s performance against objectives. For many employees, the performance review is a conversation they dread. The main reason for this is that the employees’ expectations for the meeting are not met by their manager. Surprisingly, a large majority of managers are not well skilled nor are they comfortable with giving feedback and having effective performance discussions. This can have a significant impact on employee engagement and morale. 

Tips for Managers

Be well prepared -  Managers should review notes from previous performance reviews and discussions, stakeholder feedback and employee self-assessments. Be prepared to provide specific examples regarding the employee's work activities. 

Keep it private and positive - host the discussion in a quiet, private and comfortable environment.  Keep a positive tone throughout the conversation using good eye contact and body language. 

Make it a two-way conversation - focus on making the conversation interactive and ask for the employee's feedback. Manager's should not do all of the talking.

Focus on strengths and identify areas of growth and opportunity - research has shown that employees are more likely to improve in their areas of strengths. Focus 80% of the discussion on strengths and 20% on growth areas. Pick one or two areas that the employee can develop. Then, seek agreement from the employee.

Offer support and agree upon next steps - the employee needs your support and guidance. Ask them how you can help them be successful. Plan a follow up meeting for 2-3 weeks later and discuss implementation and execution in the upcoming year.

Check back next week for Employee Tips.

In today’s world, reliance on technology is a fact of doing business.  However, the value of face to face communication within your organization and with your clients should not go unrecognized.  Recently, K HR Solutions conducted a generational survey.  56% of survey participants indicated that they prefer face to face communication with their boss and over 50% prefer face to face communication with their colleagues.  The next highest was only 35% preferring e-mail.  Whereas technology has increased the number of people that we can communicate with, it has also increased the amount of techno-chatter that we experience on a daily basis.  

Here are 5 reasons why it’s important to utilize face to face communication:

Guidance:  All of us are looking for guidance to aid us in finding various types of information.  Seeking and offering guidance based upon real experience lends to your credibility and trustworthiness no matter what the topic.

Honesty:   No one likes to be taken advantage of.  Filtering through the vast amount of information to try to find truly valuable and honest pieces can be a daunting task for any subject matter.  Face to face communication provides us with the opportunity to gauge the honesty of information through facial expression, body language and tone of voice.  These can be scripted or unavailable through other methods of communication.

Mentoring:   There’s no question that mentoring aids in the retention of employees.  It also provides a great opportunity to communicate face to face and get to know others on a more personal level.  Our survey indicated that 56% of respondents felt mentors in the workplace were very important or extremely important.  Gen X thought even higher of mentors with 65% saying it was of high importance to them.  However, this desire for mentors did not translate to the workplace in practice.  64% of all respondents stated that they currently did not have a mentor.  

Recognition:  When our survey asked participants “what type of recognition/reward means the most to you?”  57% preferred verbal acknowledgement from their boss as opposed to 27% preferring cash and 13% seeking time off.  We attribute this desire for verbal recognition to employees need for candid, honest feedback for a job well done.  This offers reassurance that the employee is on the right track and lends to a sense of stability.  

Value:   All consumers want value from their investments.  Whether it is an employee seeking a sense of value for good work or a customer seeking validation that the services paid for are indeed worth the cost, face to face communication can solidify or enhance the value proposition of any transaction.  

Technology is a wonderful and necessary communication tool but it is only of many and too often it is used in place of an opportunity to talk face to face.   Keep in mind the importance and value of face to face communication and try to use it more often.  It’s a great way to build and maintain relationships.  

Today’s workplace is made up of employees from four generations.   Each generation has their own expectations and preferences from their work environment.   For many reasons including technology, modifications to organizational structures and working arrangements, communication at work has changed significantly.   The challenge is that not everyone wants to be communicated with and to in the same way.  Therefore, it is critical to understand the communication preferences of each generation and take them into consideration when conducting business.

Traditionalists were born before 1946, age 64 and over.   Many of the communication preferences that traditionalists were raised with still exist today.  They prefer a more formal style of communication.  While traditionalists do utilize technology for work purposes, they still prefer communication to take place face-to-face, over the phone or through conventional mail systems.

• When setting up meetings contact them directly via phone or through their administrative assistant
• After a meeting, leave a hard copy of information and ask how they would prefer that you follow-up
• Send them hand written notes
• Keep presentations more formal, with limited amount of flash
• Avoid the use of acronyms, slang and foul language

Baby Boomers were born between the years of 1946 to 1964, ages 45-63.  The television came along during this generation and the way information was received took on a new meaning.  This generation has certainly embraced the use of technology for communication purposes but when surveyed, they still prefer face-to-face.  Baby Boomers are very relationship and team oriented.  It’s important to take time to establish rapport and show a personal interest in them.

• Make presentations more of a conversation and less of a speech
• If you are selling a product or service, link it to the business mission and impact on people
• Allow plenty of time for questions and collaboration
• Solicit their opinion, ask for their input/ input from stakeholders
• Use phone or email to set up meetings, follow-up

Gen Xers were born during the years of 1965 to 1981 and are currently age 28-44.  The advancement of the personal computer in the early 80’s ushered in the technology boom.  Independent and self motivated Gen Xers have a more informal approach to communication and tend to rely heavily on the use of email.  They also have a more direct style and like to get down to business quickly.  

Communication Suggestions:

• Be direct and straightforward
• Show respect for their time, avoid too much small talk
• When presenting, start with the bottom line.  Tell them up front what you need or expect from them.
• Do your homework and be well prepared
• Ask for their preference on moving forward.

Gen Y was born during the years of 1982 to 2000 and is currently age 9-27.  The internet was born with them and information is now available 24/7.  The primary mode of communication for Gen Y is instant and through the use of technology.  They have cell phones, text messaging, instant messaging and blogs.  They have taken the concept of networking to a whole new level with social websites.

• Take a positive, collaborative approach
• Ask for their ideas and input
• Avoid treating them as a child or inexperienced
• Utilize technology as much as possible

Building your awareness and understanding of these generational preferences will allow for more effective communication between colleagues and clients.