4Cs Blog: Happy Employees = Happy Customers
Create the Best Atmosphere at WorkShould Work Feel Like Family?At Insightlink we often see comments about what employees like about their companies in response to open-ended questions in our surveys. Some examples about what people like most include “a close-knit family”, “that family-like atmosphere”, and “feels like a family”. From an employee’s perspective many say they enjoy companies that offer a family-like atmosphere but is that actually good or bad for the organization?
Managers As A Source Of Comfort In A Chaotic WorldThe Value of LeadershipMost organizations in the U.S. are organized on a hierarchical basis with an "upward" reporting structure. Our work analyzing many different organizations using our 4Cs employee survey demonstrates that how employees feel about the leadership of their immediate manager and how they rate the direction from senior management can both have a strong influence on how engaged and committed they are to their work. Some of our clients have tried to implement a "flatter" reporting structure -- doing away with formal levels of management -- but they seemed to have mixed success. There is a tendency for even "flat" organizations to retain some form of status rankings, whether formally or informally. Read full postWhen Job Enhancement Matters MostHow to Handle Too Many Employees for Too Few PromotionsThe organizational landscape for many companies and organizations has changed dramatically over the last decade. Some would say the old corporate ladder has toppled completely, as a result of downsizing and outsourcing. Despite these changes, many companies continue to hire people and establish their expectation that their performance will be tied to growth and promotions. This equation for success isn’t happening, however, as a bulge of talent in many companies leaves fewer opportunities for advancement. In fact, our research shows that only 36% of employees in the U.S. are satisfied with their opportunities for advancement and may be looking for career advancement elsewhere. Read full postA Quick Guide to Effective Communications AuditsHow Can You Improve Your Communications Effectiveness?One of the steadiest results we see in our annual survey of employee attitudes is that many organizations do not rate very well on the topic of communications. This year, for example, just four in ten of all U.S. employees are extremely or very satisfied with the effectiveness of communications within their workplace. One of the recommendations we often make to clients who see weak ratings on communications is to conduct a thorough “communications audit” as the first step toward making improvements. But what does that actually mean? Read full postAre Underpaid Employees a Cybersecurity Risk?Interesting article from Bloomberg Businessweek.
What's your take on this? Is your business at risk from disgruntled employees? Read the full article on Bloomberg Read full postA Winning Recipe: Lessons From Restaurants on Engaging Your TeamLack of employee engagement is a real problem facing businesses in all industries. Gabriel Stulman shows how innovative leadership techniques from the restaurant industry can help other companies succeed. Read full postWhat Matters Most to EmployeesThe Fifth ‘C’ of Employee Engagement is CongratulateYou will never get the best effort from employees simply by paying them more. Employees who only want more money will never be satisfied with what they are paid and their expectations will rise with each increase. What employees really need and want is to be congratulated, recognized or appreciated in a meaningful way for doing a good job. Recognition is so important that over 75% of people who quit their jobs say it is because they were not appreciated. And our research shows that only 36% of U.S. employees are currently satisfied with the level of recognition they receive at work. Read full post Number Of Voluntary Quits: A Sign Of A Strengthening Job Market?An important measure of the health of the U.S. job market can be found in the monthly "Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey" (JOLTS) results from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since hitting a low point in September of 2009, when just 1.6 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs, the average number of quits for the last five months has been more like 2.5 million. This number has increased steadily over the past three years, rising from 1.9 million per month in 2011 to 2.1 million in 2012 and up to 2.3 million last year. Read full postThe Link Between Corporate Culture and PerformanceWho Are We? What Do We Do? What Do We Stand For?What is “corporate culture” and why it is important? Is it a predictor of corporate success? In the simplest sense, “culture” refers to a system of values and norms that are shared by a group of people and gives its members a framework for thinking, planning and behaving. In this context, “values” represent the shared assumptions of what “ought” to be or, in other words, what the group believes to be right and desirable, while “norms” are the guidelines that define the expected behavior of group members in various circumstances. Read full postOvercoming Work Stress is Only a Step AwayWhen we become stressed or feel overwhelmed dealing with our jobs, it is not uncommon to search for ways to feel better. Many people turn to food, alcohol and drugs as a way to boost their spirits short term but these addictions don’t help us combat stress and, long term, they will destroy us, not help us cope. Our survey results show that it is likely that at least one-quarter of employees in the U.S. is experiencing a high level of dysfunction due to stress and overwork. What we also learned is that: In addition, less than one-half of U.S. employees agree that "Senior management encourages employees to have fun at work”. So we searched our great land to find out how this issue is being addressed in companies across the U.S., which led us to a recent article by Argus Leader, and the story of one group of employees that have found the perfect answer. Read full post |
AboutInsightlink Communications are experts in employee survey design, data collection and analysis. Since 2001 we've helped companies of all sizes measure and improve their employee satisfaction and engagement.4Cs Blog Home Recent PostsConnectivity and Collaboration: Building a Strong Business with Remote Staff What is an Employee Survey? Are They Important in 2024? Celebrating 23 Years of Partnership: Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year in 2024! From Burnout to Bliss: Employee Wellness Through Transformation The New Machine Era: Navigating the Future of Workflows and Processes CategoriesAdvancement (3) Commitment (10) Communication (15) Compensation (15) Culture (132) Employee Surveys (85) Engagement (99) HR Practices (82) HR Technology (29) Management (41) Miscellaneous (43) Mission/Vision/Values (3) Motivation (40) Performance Reviews (2) Recognition (19) Training (16) Work/Life Balance (35) Favorite LinksEngaged Employees Blog HR ToolKit Guide to Employee Surveys Good info on how to write surveys Insightlink 360 Makes 360 assessment surveys easy. HR & Skills Development Canada Canadian Labour Market Information Statistics Canada Labour Market Activites SHRM Society for Human Resources Management HRPA Human Resources Professionals Association Harvard Business Review Essential Information for Leaders |