Engagement & Motivation

In early spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended life as we knew it. Schools shut down, toilet paper disappeared, and thousands of employees suddenly found themselves working from the kitchen table. As many of these impromptu remote workers and their employers soon found out, however, not all work-from-home environments are created equal. Remote work sounds like a cushy gig, but it takes the right combination of factors to make virtual employment beneficial for both parties.

If you’re thinking about hybrid or fully remote work for your staff, take note of the qualities that make for a productive, morale-boosting virtual work environment.

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1. Flexibility is a cornerstone.

Not everyone wants to work from home all the time, and some don’t want to work from home at all. Rather than dealing in absolutes, giving your employees a choice empowers them to make the decision that suits their needs and preferences.

This may or may not be possible, depending on your industry. Teachers, for example, can’t easily switch back and forth between the classroom and the home office. But accountants, attorneys, and even therapists can perform at least some of their duties without physically coming to work.

Consider how flexible you can be in extending remote work options to your staff. When you can, let your employees choose if and when to take advantage of the opportunity to work virtually.

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Related Article: Hybrid workplaces are the future of work – here's why

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2. Expectations are clearly defined.

Employees are more likely to perform at their best when they know what’s expected of them, especially when the work environment changes or when they don’t have managers or supervisors nearby for direct guidance.

If you opt for a hybrid environment, where employees are sometimes in the office and sometimes at home, your staff needs to know what days they can work remotely, when they’ll be required to show up in person, and what protocols to follow when they choose to stay home.

Even for a fully remote setup, make your parameters crystal clear. Do employees still need to report at a certain time? If so, how will they let you know that they’re “clocked in” from home? How will you ensure that they’re taking legally required breaks but not taking advantage of minimal oversight?

Figure out what a successful hybrid or virtual work situation looks like from your company’s and stakeholders’ perspectives. Then, develop easy-to-follow guidelines for your employees. 

Make sure your expectations are fair, however. One of the great appeals of remote work is its freedom, so avoid micromanaging unnecessarily. Requiring staff to dress professionally for Zoom meetings is reasonable, but telling them not to wear pajamas while they send emails is a bit much.

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3. Employers help with the logistics.

Especially if your company has only recently shifted to remote work, your employees might not be totally prepared. Believe it or not, not everyone has a computer or WiFi at home, nor does everyone have a distraction-free workspace outside the office.

Get ahead of these issues by directly asking employees if their homes are prepared for remote work, and take inventory of how you’d be able to help them get there. Can your company afford to give out remote work stipends? Is there any tech you can invest in, like wireless headsets or laptops?

It’s important, too, to be aware that W2 employees can’t deduct any work-from-home expenses on their taxes. If they have to pay for equipment, furniture, software, or extra utilities in order to perform the job they do for you, you’re the only one who can reimburse them for those costs. Take care of your staff–particularly if working remotely is a requirement–and they’ll take care of you in the form of company loyalty and heightened productivity.

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4. Support is extended proactively.

Aside from stipends or reimbursements, remote employees need to know that the same resources they had in the office are still available from home. Don’t assume that no news is good news in a hybrid or remote work environment–your staff might be struggling but not be comfortable enough to tell you.

Periodically reach out to and check in with your employees. Let them know how they can access human resources, supervisors, upper leadership, and tech support. Ask how they’re doing and what would make the remote work experience better overall.

This is also a great way to keep tabs on if remote work is worth offering long term. If your employees adjust well and maintain or exceed their in-office performance, you will have successfully modernized your company’s work model.

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Related Article: Optimizing remote employee experience through feedback

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5. Patience is a company pillar.

The transition to remote work, even in the best of situations, will inevitably come with hiccups. It also comes with an understanding that the lines between your employees’ personal and professional lives blur somewhat. Their Internet may go down from time to time, or the occasional toddler may waddle past the camera during an important Zoom meeting. 

These things are bound to happen–even to you–so you may as well take them in stride. Your employees will appreciate your recognition of the fact that they are indeed human, and they’ll be grateful to see you acknowledge your own humanity, too.

This doesn’t mean that expectations for decorum and responsibility go to the wayside; it simply means that you intentionally cultivate a company culture that acknowledges the reality of a hybrid or virtual work environment. 

By resisting the urge to wield discipline where you can use humor or compassion instead, you’ll improve the remote work experience for both you and your staff. By viewing these moments as opportunities to build connections, you’ll strengthen rapport, learn more about your employees, and make an unforgettable (and inexpensive) investment in your #1 resource: human capital.

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Related Article: How to balance workplace culture and employee productivity

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Conclusion

Some companies have used a hybrid or fully virtual work model for the last two years, while others are just now making the switch. Either way, it’s become abundantly clear that remote work is here to stay. 

Implementing virtual work options is a learning process, though, for leadership and staff alike. Don’t be afraid to innovate and adjust as you go. As long as you remain patient and flexible, you’ll ensure a good experience and healthy environment for employees working remotely.

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Optimize the employee experience with recognition - request a demo with Qarrot today!

When you hear "personal and career development," you may feel a flash of dread. As a leader or manager, you know the importance of employee development. Time over time, statistics and studies show a lack of development is a leading cause of employee turnover.

Here are a few examples:

• Pew Research found that 63% of respondents who left jobs in 2021 gave the lack of advancement opportunities as the reason for leaving.
• According to a 2022 McKinsey study, insufficient career advancement was the most common reason for quitting a job.
• According to a 2022 SHRM report, 61% of respondents cited lack of career development and advancement as a top three cause of turnover, while 21% said it was the number one reason.
  

Despite the glaring statistics, for many managers, it seems impossible to prioritize. You know it's your responsibility. And, of course, you want to help employees grow their skills and careers. But your to-do list is overflowing with a million other tasks that are arguably more urgent.

Ideally, your employees would take an active role in their professional development. They would come to you with questions, sharing with you their goals and professional aspirations.

The reality is employee development should be a two-way street. Managers shouldn't bear all the responsibility. You can empower your employees to advocate for their professional development and growth.

In this article, we'll cover actionable strategies on how to empower employees to take charge of their own professional development. As a result, your employees will be given the tools and road map to take charge of their own careers. As a manager, your role will be more of a helpful guide rather than the primary driving force. 

What is Employee Empowerment?

Would you rather have to micromanage your employees to get even the smallest of tasks completed? Or would you rather have them be self-motivated and independent? Of course, most managers would choose the second. Self-motivated employees mean less work for you as a leader.

Despite this, many leaders end up doing the opposite. The idea of giving employees more freedom can trigger a leader's biggest fears. In short, people taking advantage of company time and not delivering results. Many try to avoid this by doubling down on the opposite of autonomy. Control.

Like many things in human psychology, the answer lies in a counterintuitive approach. When leaders offer employees freedom and autonomy, they are motivated and perform better.

In an HBR article titled When Empowering Employees Works, and When It Doesn't, researchers explain what it means to empower employees. They state, "leaders who were perceived as more empowering were more likely to delegate authority to their employees, ask for their input, and encourage autonomous decision-making."

In essence, empowering employees is about providing a baseline level of guidance, support, and structure. But also give employees the opportunity to test their ideas and innovate within those set parameters.

In other words, it's not about letting employees run wild and free. But giving them a basic structure and letting them experiment within it. According to the researchers, this management style leads to employees who "are more likely to be powerful, confident individuals, who are committed to meaningful goals and demonstrate initiative and creativity to achieve them."

How does all this apply to employee development? Managers often act as the driving force of employee development. This places an undue burden on managers on top of all their other duties. 

In reality, employee development has a greater chance of thriving when employees are empowered to advance their development.

With a few strategies, managers can enable employees to take the lead in their own careers. Managers are still responsible for high-level direction, support, and approval. But employees will be in charge of steering their own ship.

How To Empower Employees To Take Charge of Their Development

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1. Understand employee needs from the start

Often, development talks begin before an employee starts their new job. If they didn’t occur in the interview, a great time to start is during the onboarding process. 

By setting the tone from the start, you can show your employees that their development matters to you, and you can guide them through building a learning path to help them succeed in their roles (and beyond). 

Here are a few questions to start these conversations:

• What are your long-term professional and career ambitions?
• What do you hope to achieve in this role?
• What skills do you hope to acquire or improve?
• Are you looking to grow your career quickly (i.e. take on management responsibilities) or deepen your knowledge as an individual contributor?

If you use skills assessments in your recruiting process, you can use those insights to identify skill gaps and areas for improvement.

Empowering employees to tackle self-development from the start of their time at your organization will show them they are in control of their future. This perspective shift can help them view their new role as a growth opportunity instead of feeling like they are a slave to your bottom line. The more in control of their future they feel, the more likely they will want to continue their journey at your company.

2. Embed it into your culture with a dedicated meeting

Work is busy. Our to-do lists are constantly growing with new and shifting priorities. By its very nature, “employee career development” is a forward-looking process. When you’re so busy thinking about the here and now, planning for the future can quickly fall by the wayside. 

This is why it's crucial to carve out dedicated time for development discussions. Be realistic. Don’t set these meetings at a frequency that seems unattainable. That will only lead to cancelled meetings, and nothing kills employee morale like cancelling a meeting they were looking forward to. Start small, test out how employees respond, and adjust accordingly from there. 

For example, you can start by booking a meeting every 6-month with each employee. By proactively bringing up this topic and dedicating time to it, you will demonstrate to employees that you are serious about their professional development. In turn, they will be more likely to be proactive on their side, come prepared for the meetings, and be an advocate for their own development.

3. Set clear goals and expectations

Getting a recurring meeting set up is a good start. But it’s not enough for employees to feel empowered to take charge of their professional development. They still have to consider important questions like:

• What long-term goals are you working towards?
• What type of projects are you enjoying or not enjoying?
• What skills do you want to improve?
  

Remember: Empowering employees isn’t about letting them run wild and free. Employees still need some high-level direction. This is especially true when they are more junior or at the start of their careers. In other words, clearly defining expectations and setting goals is crucial to ensuring employees start on the right foot.

For example, as part of your discussion for each meeting, you can establish one “career and professional development” objective to achieve.

This can take many forms, for example, working on a self-directed project, shadowing with another department, or taking an online course.

With open communication and asking the right questions, you can help employees develop a high-level objective to work towards. Establishing clear goals and objectives is the foundation of employee empowerment. The idea is to help employees with a general direction to work towards; how they get there is up to them.

4. Provide access to resources for development

A great way to empower employees to pursue their development is to set aside a budget for learning and development.  

For example:

• Online courses
• Webinars, training programs, workshops, etc.
• Magazines, publications, books, etc.
• Conferences, events, etc.
  

Of course, some materials and resources aren't free. But many others these days are free or highly affordable. You can consider carving out a monthly "learning budget" where employees are reimbursed for any learning materials and resources above. Even a small budget can go a long way for online courses and learning materials. 

As a way of motivating employees to take part in additional learning and development, you can create a channel in your local work chat where employees share any additional learning programs that they are undertaking, whether it be attending a webinar or completing an online course. 

You can even make it a group challenge to get the ball rolling. For example, find an online course that appeals to your entire team and make it a quarterly challenge to complete the course. You can even incentivize and reward those who follow through with their final goal.

Using a tool like Qarrot, you can set up an incentive campaign and reward team members who hit their personal development goals once (or multiple times) with award points and badges.

Providing access to these learning opportunities and materials will help establish a culture of learning and development among your team. Employees will feel their career development is being prioritized, empowering them to take action.

5. Help them identify their strengths (and weaknesses!)

As a manager, you know that no two employees are created alike. Some employees are amazing self-starters and need very little prompting. Others, however, seem impossible to convince to go beyond the minimum.

In the book Radical Candor, Kim Scott, author and management expert, proposes a model to help managers evaluate their employees' performance and guide them into roles which will allow them to perform at their best.

In other words, Scott truly believes that everyone can be an A-player employee. If they perform at average or mediocre levels, what she calls “B player employees,” it reflects a bad job fit. A manager's job is to steer employees out of this limbo. A new position may even be necessary.

The first step to empower employees is to help them identify their strengths, highlight what they are good at, and where their potential lies. But the other side of the coin is important, too; challenging employees by letting them know where their work is falling short or where their weaknesses lie. 

Of course, it’s difficult to have these conversations. But challenging people shows that you care enough to point out when things aren't going well. And Scott believes the “discomfort is better than being labelled permanently “B Players.” Ultimately, it will benefit both parties (and even the entire organization) when employees' strengths are developed and utilized.

6. Help facilitate connections

As a manager or leader, you may have exposure or access to other leaders or departments that your employees may not have contact with. These connections can be a powerful way to promote their development and learning. 

For example, during an employee's tenure, they might realize they want to develop skills they aren't using in their current role. They may also express an interest in learning more about another department or team.

This curiosity doesn't mean you must transfer a valuable employee to another team. You can, however, arrange an introduction and offer shadowing or mentorship opportunities. The goal is to empower employees to explore different areas of interest. 

Ultimately, what’s better for the organization's bottom line? Having an employee unhappy and struggling in their current role. Or have the employee be more productive and feel empowered in a role that’s a better fit for their skills and talents.

In the end, allowing your team to explore other options and grow their skills will give them a sense of purpose in their work. More importantly, they will feel the company and leaders truly care about their long-term growth and happiness, which is the best strategy for employee empowerment.

7. Recognize & reward development efforts

Employee recognition is underutilized as an employee motivation and empowerment tool. It costs zero dollars to give recognition. By letting employees know what you value with positive reinforcement, you can boost their motivation.

In the context of professional development, giving employees recognition for completing an online course, meeting training requirements, or taking on a stretch assignment can be a powerful way to motivate employees to continue down this path. 

Moreover, it can set the bar for the rest of the team. Using a recognition tool like Qarrot, you can easily post a recognition to a public social feed for everyone to see. When you give recognition for a specific achievement or embodying a certain value, it signals to the team what is important to you. As a result, this provides employees with the incentive to meet this standard as well.

Remember, the best type of recognition is specific and timely. Don’t wait too long until the goal is complete to offer recognition, and try to avoid vague or high-level “good jobs.” Shine a light on the precise accomplishment the employee completed and its impact on you and the team. 

This type of detailed recognition is most likely to fuel a growth mindset among your employees and team. As a result, your team will be more motivated to continue to embrace challenges, seek learning opportunities, and invest in their development.

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Final Thoughts

Being a manager involves more than guiding your employees through their daily tasks. It's about helping them become the best versions of themselves and giving them the tools to grow in the company.

But this duty doesn't have to fall on the shoulders of leaders. Employees should be responsible for being proactive about their development as well. First, leaders must provide some basic guidance and support—empowering employees with a roadmap to growth and success.

When employees are inspired to take control of their own development, it's not just good for them—it's good for the whole company. Setting clear goals and expectations, identifying employee strengths, and providing access to learning resources are critical steps toward empowerment.

As employees invest in their development, the positive effects spread throughout the organization. This leads to happier employees, better work, and a team capable of handling challenges. Ultimately, when organizations commit to helping employees shape their careers, it's a win-win.

Like a newsworthy political scandal, The Great Resignation is emerging as one of the most discussed labor trends of 2021. But what is it exactly? And how does it concern employers of different stripes?

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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record number of Americans quit their jobs in April 2021. However, this was just the beginning. In July over 4 million Americans left their jobs, setting yet another all-time high. And then both August and September set further records. 

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The common perception was that remote work - with its more flexible hours, non-existent commute times, and family meals - was leading workers to quit their jobs in favor of a lifestyle with greater passion and purpose. According to Forbes, surveys made headlines declaring that 40% of workers planned to quit their jobs - and soon. And when 4.3 million Americans left their jobs in August, this grim forecast seemed to be coming true.

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Despite these all-time records, the figures are much less scary (from an employer’s perspective) than at first glance. The number of workers quitting their jobs represents something closer to 3% of the total workforce. A far cry from the 40% announced earlier this year. That said, the U.S. has over 10 million open jobs. So while some perspective helps to calm nerves, the pressure is real for certain industries.

The Great Retirement?

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Moreover, the reasons why more people have been leaving their jobs seems less problematic (in some sense) than the theories being bandied about earlier this year.

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Fully two-thirds of the departures were not due to workers “quitting” per se. According to new research from Goldman Sachs, they were retiring. However, here the picture gets interesting. Of those workers retiring, about 1 million were “normal”. The balance - about 1.5 million workers - were taking an early retirement. 

Given the generally permanent nature of retirement, the majority of workers leaving the labor force likely won’t return. As Goldman notes, retiring "tends to be stickier" than other reasons someone might leave the labor force. Because of that, "we therefore expect that the participation shortfall from early retirees will unwind relatively slowly through fewer new retirements going forward."

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While some portion of older workers may return to the workforce once they feel conditions are safer for them to do so, most economists are expecting effects of the “Great Retirement” to be felt for a while, leaving a tight labor market across the U.S.

Strategies for Retaining Older Workers

While the recent trends may have brought early retirements into focus as a strain on the labor market, many companies already employ strategies to retain their older workers for longer.

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As noted by Forbes, the first step to retaining older workers is to count them. Until your company has a firm grasp of its workforce demographics, it’s difficult to assess the impact of future employee retirements. 

With an understanding of the age distribution of your workers, you can develop programs to keep them engaged and actively working.

For example, training programs that are ‘inclusive’ of older workers such as the Talent is Ageless initiative at CVS are a great way of developing older workers, while signalling their importance within your employee base.

Signalling this importance is also quite important as most Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs expressly overlook this segment of the workforce and, so, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many older workers are opting for an early retirement when work conditions aren’t ideal. 

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A further way of combating early retirements is to meet your older workers half-way, by letting them have more flexible work hours. This greater flexibility is ideal for both employee and employer alike as, in many cases, companies can retain the experience and knowledge of their older workers longer, while employees who would have otherwise had to abruptly adjust to retired life can follow more of a gradual transition.

Under this structure, it’s important to ensure your culture supports more flexible hours and doesn’t discriminate against those who take this option. A great example is the U-Work program offered by Unilever. The program effectively offers workers a contract and not a job, whereby they receive a minimum monthly retainer and health benefits. On top of this, workers earn additional amounts for the projects they participate in.

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Although The Great Resignation affects industries and companies differently, it is undoubtedly a wise strategy to assess the age distribution of your workforce. As those workers who are 50 and over are increasingly likely to take an early retirement. But as demonstrated above, it’s never too late to employ programs that engage, develop, and retain your workers regardless of how old they are.

“We are embedding health and well-being at the heart of our business strategy because our people are our greatest asset, and we recognize that a healthy, happy, and committed workforce is vital to our business success.”

- Alex Gourlay, MD, Boots UK

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Leaders around the globe have started to recognize the importance of employee well-being. They understand the array of benefits employee wellness brings with itself that can prove to be high-yielding for the company.

It has become increasingly important to focus on employee wellness when the world is in the middle of a pandemic and your employees are struggling with its consequences and the massive workplace shift as well.

This is where an employee wellness program can make a meaningful impact within your organization. Let’s take a closer look at what a wellness program is as well as how it can benefit your organization.

What is an Employee Wellness Program?

Wellness is a broad term with multiple dimensions (see image below). Employee Wellness Programs are initiatives offered by employers that target one or more of these dimensions for the benefit of their employees. Today wellness has become an integral part of employee engagement efforts at many organizations and has led to a significant improvement in employee engagement.

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What makes an Employee Wellness Program important‍

The answer lies in the fact that a happy employee is more likely to be an engaged employee. They not only give more towards the growth of the company, but they are also more likely to be loyal and to help their colleagues reach their target potential at the same time. Employee engagement, therefore, is critical to support the overall health and growth of the business.

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Here are some facts and figures -

• Employees who scored low on “life satisfaction” stayed home from work 1.25 more days per month than those with higher scores, adding up to about 15 additional days off per year

• A large majority (87%) of employers are committed to workplace wellness, and 73% offer a wellness program, according to a survey. In a survey of SFM policyholders, one-third of respondents offered a wellness program. This percentage went up to 77% for the largest employers

• In a survey, more than 60% of employers said workplace wellness programs reduced their organizations’ health care costs

• Studies show that well-designed wellness programs have a return on investment of $1.50 to $3 per dollar spent over a two- to a nine-year timeframe.

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Source: (SFM Mutual Insurance Company (Aug 2018). 10 statistics that make the case for workplace wellness programs)‍‍

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Today’s scenario (Lockdown/Work from home) and the need for the Employee Wellness Program

Needless to say, the COVID19 pandemic has massively impacted lives across the globe. Although thanks to technology, it is now possible for many workers to be equally (if not more) productive from home and to continue to collaborate with their remote colleagues. Conversely, the pandemic and the lack of direct contact with coworkers, friends, and family has deeply affected the wellbeing of many workers. People are facing not just physical health issues but a myriad of other challenges affecting their mental health, relationships, financial situation, etc. 

Employers are increasingly aware of the impact of these challenges on their workers’ wellbeing. Many understand that they cannot expect employees to work at their best when they are simultaneously dealing with numerous personal issues. As a result, many employers are extending a helping hand to their employees in these tough times.

Let’s look at some of the ways employers are supporting their employees’ well-being.

Different Remote-friendly Employee Wellness Program Ideas and how they are effective -

1. Monthly wellness budget: 

As part of an incentives package, companies are offering a monthly amount - say $100 - to employees for eligible wellness benefits. This amount can be reimbursed to employees upon presenting their receipts for eligible services, which often include gym memberships, a spa day, or any other rejuvenating activities.

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2. Employee Assistance Programs: 

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) consists of many services, such as mental health counseling sessions, financial advice, relationship counseling, and legal advice. These services are related to some of the problems commonly encountered by workers in their everyday lives.

An employer-sponsored EAP can alone take care of most of the wellness dimensions. There are many organizations in the market that provide EAP services, and a company can choose to collaborate with the one it finds the most suitable.

3. It’s log-out time!: 

With working from home as the new normal, extended working hours have also become a commonly observed trend. 

According to a study by Gibbs, Mengel & Siemroth (July 2021) on 10,000 employees from Asia, employees are now working 30% longer hours from home. Thus, contributing to greater levels of stress and burnout.

It is therefore important for employers to understand the limitations of working from home and accordingly assign realistic daily goals to their employees. Send reminders to employees to catch a breath between tasks and use a time-tracking app such as Hubstaff, Toggl, or Harvest to track the number of hours your employees are working.

If you find someone working extra hours, reach out to them and try to understand the reason behind their doing so. This will help you understand if your employees are getting overburdened with work or if they are facing other issues that are causing them to stay at their computers longer. Target those problems and work with your staff to mitigate or resolve them. Help your employees create a balance between work and personal life. It will also improve the work-culture of your company.

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4. Let’s work for society: 

When you do good for others, it always brings a sense of serenity and happiness to your soul. Alas! With our busy schedules and deadlines, we often do not get enough time to engage in such activities.

Serving your community and doing good for the environment is also one of the dimensions of wellness. Many corporations are already all too aware of the responsibilities they have towards their communities and the environment.

And, so, engaging in projects and initiatives that help a local community or the environment, more broadly can be a great way to get employees involved in this type of wellness activity. Employees can be asked to volunteer a certain portion of their time on an ongoing basis or to participate in limited-time initiatives such as a neighbourhood clean-up. 

This project will not only be food for their soul but will also be a great opportunity for your employees to bond, experience a change of scenery, and then be recognized by their colleagues for their contributions to a good cause.

5. Want to join a club? 

Remember your college days, when you had different clubs catering to different interests of students? Why can’t that culture be taken forward in our corporate lives as well?

Employers can start a poll to gather employees’ willingness to join clubs of their choice, for example - a book club, music/dance club, cooking club, sports club, etc. 

Employees can join a club of their choice and meet fellow employees with similar interests. They can have short virtual meetings during breaks and they can have a dedicated portal where they can discuss things related to the club. For example, the book club can decide on a book of the month.

Bonds among employees are made when they are relaxed and able to discuss things that are not related to work. 

Starting such clubs will not only help in forming bonds among employees but will also encourage cross-departmental communication and camaraderie, thus tapping into their social wellness.

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How to make the employee wellness program successful?  

It is not that you need to implement all the above 5 ideas in your company, picking up any one of these and implementing it in your company is enough. Just ensure that it is well planned and effectively implemented. Further, ensure that all your employees are aware of this initiative by using appropriate means of communication. Also, let them know the importance of wellness and self-care and how this initiative can help in the same.

Final words

Concluding the above points we can say that whether we work from the office or work from home, we as an employee and companies as employers should try to adopt a ‘wellness-first’ approach to working. Remember, your employees are an important asset to your company. You take care of them and they will take care of their work, contributing to the long-term success of your company.

To learn how to integrate wellness in your employee recognition program- request a demo with Qarrot!

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The future of remote work has been a hot-button issue for managers ever since working from home became the new normal. The number of businesses operating remotely has skyrocketed in the last number of months—leaving leaders scrambling to figure out how this transition has impacted their employees. A large chunk of whom may have never worked virtually before. Transparent, honest, and open communication can be tricky on the best of days face to face —let alone remotely. 

You’ve heard the saying, “No news is good news”—and while that may be applicable in some situations, remote work is not one of them. Effective communication, whether between managers or colleagues, is of the utmost importance for successful remote work. Feedback is one of the best, and often overlooked, indicators of gauging employee well being. So how can managers streamline communication and use feedback to optimize remote employee experience? 

Regular touch-bases 

If you start to feel anxious or nervous when you hear the words “performance review”, know you are not alone. When managers only allocate individual meetings with employees once a year, or even quarterly, it can create a lot of stress. Going several months or longer, without discussing feedback on work or progress? Talk about intimidating. Instead, schedule regular check-ins with your employees. These do not have to be formal meetings. Rather, casual conversations to see if employees need any additional help or support. Not only is this a great addition for employee engagement, but anticipated discussions also empower employees to bring forward any concerns which may seem out of place in a traditional performance review. Managers want input and feedback from everyone. However, if an effort isn’t being made to include remote employees in that conversation, it’s easy for virtual team members to feel overlooked. 

Related Article: Spice up your employee engagement with gamification 

Empower with collaboration tools

Odds are your team was already using collaboration tools to some extent, but this year has kicked everyone’s reliance on such platforms into overdrive. Introducing tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Hangouts is an easy way to keep everyone informed and on the same page. Encouraging employees to stay connected despite distance boosts employee engagement, experience, and overall well being. Collaborative tools encourage all colleagues, not just employees and supervisors, to communicate with each other. In fact, 39% of remote employees cited difficulties in collaborating with team members during quarantine. The reality is that even after stay-at-home orders have ceased, many teams will continue to work virtually. Adopting tools that help streamline collaboration will help keep your team agile and connected. 

Recognize and reward employees 

While office gatherings and parties may be on hold for now, that doesn’t mean employee recognition needs to go out the window. Celebrating important milestones and achievements is a great way to keep employee morale up during these strange times, while simultaneously boosting motivation and productivity. Regularly socializing and recognizing team members fosters a culture of trust, transparency, and inclusion—which can be hard to achieve when team members are dispersed geographically. In addition to bringing remote employees together, virtual recognition programs enable managers to witness employee engagement in real-time. Employee recognition, or lack thereof, is a good indicator of how interested an employee is with their colleagues and the organization as a whole. By introducing peer recognition, leaders can collect insightful feedback to help spot wins or opportunities for improvement that may otherwise go unnoticed. Peer recognition is a great solution for strengthening internal communications while also keeping the pulse on employee engagement. In addition to strengthening workplace culture and motivation, recognizing and rewarding employees is an easy way to boost employee experience remotely.

Related Article: Overcoming remote employee burnout 

What it means for (digital) employee experience 

Employee experience was the top trending employee topic of 2020 and it isn’t hard to understand why. After the year we’ve had, and the likelihood of remote work staying around, many are now referring to a “digital” employee experience instead. In fact, 98% of employees would like to continue working from home in some capacity following the pandemic. While we wait for life to return to some form of normalcy, leaders need to use their employee feedback strategically so the employee experience can remain flexible. Strive to build employee experience strategies that consider remote team members so your organization can support virtual teams while staying ahead of the curve. 

Employee feedback is the most powerful resource when it comes to understanding employee engagement and employee experience. While things may not necessarily be "business as usual", including your employees in the conversation is paramount. By simply listening to team members and giving them opportunities to articulate themselves, anyone can craft a killer remote employee experience. 
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Amplify your employee experience with recognition - request a demo with Qarrot today!

Even the best and brightest of employees can hit a slump now and then when it comes to being motivated. Employee motivation has always been a key concern for managers, this year especially. And it’s not simply keeping employees motivated enough to hit their goals. Effective leaders will approach employee motivation with a long term vision in mind, rather than a flash in the pan that falls to the wayside once a goal has been met. This ensures that employees continuously work towards new achievements and develop their skills while feeling supported. 

Infamous culprits that hinder motivation include things like stress, fatigue, and burnout. A lesser known, however equally as impactful factor on employee motivation, is recognition. Can you believe that 40% of Americans say they would put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often? While this isn’t exactly great news, just imagine how much more a team could achieve when adding recognition to the mix! 

We know that employees respond well to recognition and that these processes are even more effective when done in a group setting, also known as social recognition. Research suggests that employees are no longer driven by monetary incentives, and that assuming as such can hinder their performance. Instead, employees should have the option to choose the rewards associated with their recognition. After all, as different as your employee's goals are, so are the incentives that motivate them. So how can you recognize and support employees in a way that motivates them individually while delivering results? 

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Related Article: Create engaging incentive campaigns with Qarrot 

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Driving employee success with Qarrot incentive campaigns 

Motivate objectives with awards 

Our incentive campaigns are totally customizable to nurture and reflect the employee goals that are unique to your company - anything from lead generation to employee wellness. By participating in a campaign, your employees can earn additional forms of recognition for reaching goals, like badges and points which they can redeem for their choice of reward in the Qarrot catalog. By giving employees the agency to choose their own rewards, managers can make their recognition process feel a lot more personal while simultaneously motivating employee and business success. 

Engaging gamification features 

As explored in our previous blog post, gamification is the newest trend for boosting employee engagement and performance. Our minds, quite literally, are wired to respond positively to processes with game-like features. So adding them to your recognition process is a no-brainer. Throughout Qarrot incentive campaigns, participants can avail of gamification features like the leaderboard or trophy case to keep track of their progress towards any campaign’s objective. Campaign participants can also see when others earn awards for reaching campaign goals and celebrate each other’s achievements. Gamification means that employees can enjoy their progress towards accomplishing their goal, rather than simply counting down the days until a goal has been met.

Related Article: Benefits of positive reinforcement in the workplace 

Easy campaign administration 

You might be thinking, “Gamification? Points and badges? Incentive campaigns? That must be an administrative nightmare!”. On the contrary, there is no reason to lose sleep over employee recognition. Qarrot takes any administrative burden off your shoulders when it comes to the recognition process, including our objective-driven campaigns. Participants can enter their own campaign results and redeem their collected points for rewards instantly through the Qarrot catalog. This makes it easy to target and motivate specific teams or individuals within your company while requiring minimal involvement from management.

Discover how to motivate your teams while simultaneously reaching business objectives with Qarrot incentive campaigns - book a demo with Qarrot today! 

As the world has shifted to a primarily remote workforce, employee engagement and motivation has never been such a top priority. By focusing on creating the optimal employee experience, organizations position their employees to bring their A-game more often. Engaged employees are more productive, achieve better performance, and provide better customer service - and who doesn’t want that? 

Gamification has become an increasingly popular approach to employee engagement and performance. According to a 2019 TalentLMS survey, 89% of employees whose companies use gamification techniques report feeling more productive at work. An additional 86% of employees feel happy. So we know that gamification translates into more engaged, productive, and happy employees - but what does gamification really mean? And what does it look like in practice? 

Related Article: Can gamification motivate your employees?

As the term suggests, gamification is simply the introduction of game mechanics and techniques to motivate the target behaviors. What separates gamification from other engagement strategies is that it works on a psychological level - tapping into our natural drive for feedback, instant gratification, and a sense of social belonging. This is also known as accessing our brains “motivation engine”. When we are rewarded or recognized, a rush of dopamine is released leaving us with a sense of accomplishment. Quite literally, your employees are already wired to be responsive to gamification. 

The technique can be exemplified through a variety of elements such as scoring, badges, awards, or points. While it isn’t exactly playing Nintendo at work, the idea remains the same - add some friendly competition, and things get more exciting. So exciting, in fact, that 83% of employees whose training involves gamification aspects feel motivated.

Gamifying a work environment is beneficial to employees and managers alike. Gamification improves feedback, transparency, and communication - all important contributing aspects to employee performance. It can also be used as a fun spin on traditionally mundane business activities like recruitment or employee onboarding. While gamification strategies and use may differ among organizations, it’s clearly a more effective and innovative approach compared to traditional methods. 

Related Article: Customize your rewards and recognition program with Qarrot 

Qarrot’s approach to gamification 

As part of our rewards and recognition program, Qarrot enables peer-to-peer recognition using a variety of game-based elements. By incorporating these gamification features into your engagement strategy, employees can motivate each other while working towards both individual and team goals.   

Leaderboard

The leaderboard is an easy and convenient feature that enables users to view the rankings of colleagues based on the number of points and badges earned. Employees can access the leaderboard from the home section and choose from a variety of filters in which to view rankings. 

Points

Points are a ‘rewards currency’ that managers, employees, or both can include when sending recognitions and can be redeemed for a variety of rewards in the Qarrot catalog. Employees are issued a monthly point budget which they can use to recognize and celebrate coworkers. Users can view their points budgets and transaction history through their Qarrot profile. 

Badges

Badges are the metaphorical swag employees are awarded as part of a recognition when they exhibit desirable behaviors, hit milestones, or reach objectives. They can be customized to reflect your company's unique core values and culture. Team members can view each others' badges by clicking on their colleagues' avatar. 

Incentive Campaigns

Whether you’re looking to increase deals closed or promote employee development, Qarrot incentive campaigns are a great way to motivate employees to achieve results. Your team members can partake in some friendly competition while simultaneously reinforcing company values, accomplishing goals, and strengthening teamwork skills.

Discover how your team can benefit from gamification - request a demo with Qarrot! 

The idea of planning, implementing, and monitoring an employee recognition process may seem daunting at first, however, that doesn’t have to be the case. It’s the combination of knowing what makes your employees tick and aligning employees' engagement with your organization's values and goals. 

Here at Qarrot, we believe that incentive campaigns are a staple when it comes to driving results from a rewards and recognition program. Whether they’re crafted to motivate employees to achieve goals or complete tasks, incentive campaigns can tailor any recognition process to fit your team's unique needs. Qarrot makes motivating improved performance with campaigns easy - from our fun gamification features to effortless campaign administration. Our campaigns feature customizable badges and awards, further reinforcing your company's core values and culture.  

Related Article : Customize your rewards and recognition program with Qarrot 

Manual vs. Automatic Campaigns 

When creating incentive campaigns within Qarrot, users have the choice between two types of campaigns - automatic or manual. It will ultimately depend on how you would like awards to be paid out to the participants of your incentive campaign. 

If you select 'Automatic', the campaign will let participating employees enter their results data. If an employee's results meet the award rules you set up, then the corresponding badges and points will be given to them. 

If you choose “Automatic’, then you need to decide what awards (points and/or badges) will be given to participating employees for accomplishing the campaign goals, KPIs, or targets. Awards can be given in three ways :

• Ongoing earn : Employees can earn awards throughout the campaign
• Threshold bonus : Employees can earn awards when a specific threshold is achieved within the campaign timeframe 
• Winner takes all : Like a contest, this format rewards one top performer at the end of the campaign 

Alternatively, if you select 'Manual', then you will have to create the award(s) and decide who deserves to be given the award(s) during, or at the end of, the campaign. You can give employees awards any time by closing the campaign and selecting winners.

Related Article : Dell Technologies cuts admin tasks by more than half with Qarrot 

Whether you’re new to creating objective-driven campaigns or just looking for some fresh ideas, we’ve got you covered. From customer support to employee development, you can create customized campaigns for just about anything - here’s some inspiration to help you get started!  

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has received a 5-star review in the last 30 days.

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for receiving a 5-star review.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when participants have accumulated ten 5-star reviews.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most 5-star reviews wins. 

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Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has completed one training/development course in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for completing one training/development course.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has completed one training/development course.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most training/development courses completed wins.

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has attended a company yoga class. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for attending a company yoga class. 

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has attended a company yoga class. 

Winner Takes All : The employee/team that attends the most company yoga classes wins. 

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has closed a new deal in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for each new deal closed. 

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant closes a new deal.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most new deals closed wins. 

Example Manual Campaign : At the end of the campaign, you manually award every employee who has completed all tasks on time in the last 30 days. 

Example Automatic Campaign; 

Ongoing : Every employee can earn an award for completing all tasks on time.

Threshold : The whole team is rewarded when every participant has completed all tasks on time.

Winner Takes All : The employee/team with the most tasks completed on time wins. 

These campaign examples, and their corresponding rules for award distribution, depend on campaign format (individual vs. team), units tracked, and how results are recorded (employees vs. manager). To learn more about incentive campaigns and how your team can benefit from some friendly competition, visit the Qarrot help centre.  

Discover how you can align employee engagement with your organizations core values - book a demo with Qarrot today!

Sometimes - no matter how many hours of sleep we squeeze in or cups of coffee we guzzle - going to work seems like an impossible, insurmountable task. We push through the morning fatigue to slug our way through daily tasks and meetings, absolutely exhausted by 5pm, only to realize our day wasn't that productive. We’ll shrug this off as “one of those days”, and look forward to starting fresh the next morning.

But what if that feeling isn’t a one-off - what if you, or members of your team, are constantly feeling like a candle burning at both ends? Employee burnout is a real thing and it can happen to anyone. 

Many of us will be quick to point the blame on ourselves, second-guessing our ability to handle the stressors at work on top of the unexpected curve balls life can sometimes throw. More often than not, however, the culprit behind employee burnout is how leaders are running their organization rather than the capability of an individual. 

Employee burnout has been around long before our current COVID-19 reality, but tossing a global pandemic into the mix certainly doesn’t help. In addition to the stress and uncertainty brought on by these unforeseen circumstances, organizations have been forced to rethink their approach to employee health and wellbeing. Don’t be fooled - employees can still experience burnout while working remotely from the comforts of home. 

Related Article: The Cost of Poor Employee Engagement 

Based on research conducted by Gallup, there are 5 main factors that contribute to employee burnout; 

1. Unfair treatment at work 
2. Unmanageable workload 
3. Lack in clarity of role 
4. Lack of communications and support for manager 
5. Unreasonable pressure 

Signs & signals of potential burnout

The best tactic when it comes to combating burnout is being knowledgeable on warning signs and acting proactively. While it may be trickier to detect these while working remotely, the earlier you can spot these signs the better. 

• Withdrawal from social activities, group calls, or messaging 
• Lower productivity and efficiency than usual, trouble managing time  
• Easily distracted and unable to focus on specific tasks 
• Frequently using paid time off and sick leave 
• Easily frustrated or overwhelmed 

It is crucial that leaders recognize how detrimental employee burnout can be to an organization as a whole. People are a company's biggest asset, and when that employee morale or drive is lost it won’t take long before it’s reflected in the success of your business. But beyond dollars and cents, routinely burning out employees is not great for the reputation of a company. More burnout means more turnover, which not only costs money and time but can also suggest a toxic culture.   

Related Article: How to Reward Wellness at Work 

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Strategies to overcome burnout 

1) Make self-care part of the routine

This pandemic has been the kick in pants a lot of companies needed to make their people a priority. Practicing human empathy is a large part of supporting your team - pandemic or not. Encourage your remote employees to take breaks throughout the day to destress and regroup whether that means an extra coffee break, meditation, or afternoon walk. Even more, collectively brainstorm strategies for practicing self-care so everyone is on the same page and can identify potential stress signals if/when they occur. 

2) Implement various channels for feedback & communication

Although there is no substitute for face to face interaction, we will be conducting business virtually for the foreseeable future - so embrace it. Ensure your team has a variety of different methods to stay in touch, and don’t neglect to have regular one-on-one check-in with team members - they are more important now than ever. This is also a great opportunity to adopt collaborative tools and applications if your organization has yet to do so. Encouraging transparent and consistently open communication is always a great investment. 

3) Put people first 

The unfortunate reality of employee burnout is that it usually isn’t recognized until someone already has one foot out the door (that is if they haven’t completely left). Question how your team approaches work, their accessibility of resources, and work relationship dynamics. Are your employees feeling supported? Are you investing in your team like you would any other asset of your organization? Prioritizing the wellbeing of your remote employees will only improve productivity and engagement, and in turn, your bottom line. 

Discover how you can strengthen workplace culture with Qarrot - book a demo today!