Agile working methods started life in the world of software development but quickly migrated to other sectors. Companies looking to gain a competitive edge through innovation began adopting the agile project management practices of Silicon Valley. So out went top-down, long-term planning. In came small, cross-functional teams working through short cycles or “sprints” to meet fast-changing customer needs.
HR HR metrics QWL employee engagement productivity continuous listening analytics agile
The idea that the quality of employees’ working lives has an impact on a company’s bottom line might once have sounded ridiculous. Now that it’s gone mainstream, organisations are collecting more and more data - not only about work life quality, but related issues, including employee wellbeing, engagement and satisfaction.
Work-related stress is at sky-high levels as employees struggle with constant technological change, unsupportive managers and heavy workloads. An “always on” culture that’s blurred the line between work and leisure time also drives stress levels up – and in some cases leads to burnout. That’s a tragedy for the individuals concerned and a problem for their employers who must cover the heavy costs of sickness absence or of hiring replacements.
Employee Performance human capital Employee Burnout productivity
You often hear how a company’s organisational culture is key to happy employees, a growing business and success. But what is organisational culture really about? Is it something as simple as hanging inspirational quotes on the wall, offering fresh fruit and sprinkling comfortable chairs, lounges and cushions around the office?
company culture Employee Performance human capital productivity
Are HR professionals just administrators or can they also play a strategic role? It’s a question that has been hotly debated for many years, but many businesses thought they had found the answer when they adopted the so-called Ulrich model. This handed transactional work to staff in shared services centres, freeing up other members of the HR team to focus on higher value work as experts in recruitment, reward and other specialist areas or as business partners. At least that was was the theory.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of employee engagement surveys? Fun, useful and a chance to reflect? Or time-consuming, irrelevant and with no apparent use?
Employee absence eats into company profits. The problem isn’t just the direct costs of paying workers while they are off sick. When you add all the indirect costs, including lost production and paying for staff cover, absenteeism can consume as much as 15% of an organisation’s payroll, according to one study.
We all know that happy and engaged employees are good for business. They’re more productive and less likely to take time off work or leave than those who are disengaged.
It’s the end of a long day and you’re eyes start to glaze over. You try to stay focused but your thoughts are being replaced by inertia and lack of motivation. Sound familiar? Getting distracted or being over-worked and tired is a commonplace sentiment that can lead to a severe dip in productivity. It not only affects your workflow, but can also affect the well being of the entire team as well.
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