How does your organization focus on or identify those high-performing employees? Do you focus solely on them, and if so, does that mean there is an imbalance in the organization?

It might seem like a no-brainer to spend more time and effort on high-performing workers. Many companies will have programs specifically in place to help elevate these people to senior positions. For example, there are often programs to take managers to director level.

However, a common mistake that organizations make is putting their whole focus on their high-performing workers. This means that most of the workforce is left without the support they need to succeed in their roles.

That’s what Matthew Brown talks about in this episode of The Learning Xchange podcast. Matthew, Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, shares his thoughts on supporting lower-performing members of staff to help them become more engaged.

Listen to the podcast below or keep reading.

The problem with focusing only on high performers

Focusing only on high-performing employees, those who surpass expectations, comes with some problems attached. For one, you’re not getting the most out of a big majority of your workforce. These people are known as the “steady contributors.”

Steady contributors are people who get the job done but perhaps don’t wow the managers. They may not have your attention as much as the high performers, but they make up around 70-80% of your workforce. Ignoring them could mean you miss out on the opportunity to turn them into high performers.

On top of that, you may have around 10% of the workforce you consider low performers. It’s important to assess why people may not be performing as well as expected or hoped. Some may be disengaged from the job, unhappy, or have other personal issues going on. Any good leader will want to get to the bottom of why people are underperforming. The worst thing you can do is simply ignore them.

In a lot of cases, underperforming staff are simply lacking support. This leads people to mentally “check out” of a job. So, what can you do? Every person matters in an organization. Everyone needs development, focus, and support to help them perform the job to the best of their ability.

What we can do to help low-performing employees

There are a few things you can do to better support employees. The main thing that needs to improve is communication, which goes for almost every organization out there.

You could design a program for the whole organization that allows people to share their career goals and aspirations. However, implementing a program isn’t the only thing you should do. You also need to create a safe working environment where people feel comfortable to express their opinions.

Many employees do not feel safe or free to talk because they fear the consequences or the perception of others.

They may wonder, “what happens if I tell them how I really feel? Will I look weak? Will I get fired?”

Giving people a safe space to talk about their own aspirations and goals could help them feel much more engaged. By working closely with the steady contributors and low performers, you can start turning them into higher-performing and happier employees.

How do you identify high performers?

What makes someone high-performing? How do you identify them?

Take some time to sit down and think carefully. Is it a gut feeling, their job role, skillset, or managerial style? Are they simply more efficient or experienced than others? Try to pinpoint the specifics.

Often, when organizations identify high performers, it’s rarely done in a data-driven way. It is sometimes a gut feeling or because they get along so well with the managers.

The problem with not being specific is that it’s not scalable. In other words, it’s harder to apply a method or winning formula to other workers. Without a clear way to identify high performers, it’s hard to know what steps to take to bring everyone up to the same level.

Ask yourself, what makes them so good at their job? Is it a particular skillset? Great, training might be the way forward for the organization. Alternatively, it could be a combination of skills or experience that you can work on.

Homing in on the specifics will empower you to make better choices for your team overall. Once you understand how people perform differently, especially in the same role, you can implement real changes to benefit everyone. With more focus, understanding, and support, you can improve your team’s morale, productivity, and performance across the board.

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Feedback is integral to any group of people working together. It’s key to healthy working relationships, clear communication, and overall productivity. However, your company’s culture could be standing in the way of open and honest discussions at all levels in a business.

How you approach feedback can have a huge effect on your business. Get it wrong, and you could have an unhappy team on your hands. Get it right, and everyone can move forward and build solutions…instead of just resentment.

So, how can you start to build a culture of feedback within your company?

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown, Schoox’s VP of Learning and Brand Success, discusses the importance of feedback in a company setting. He also shares some best practices for giving feedback that genuinely helps others to improve.

Listen to this episode of The Learning Xchange below or keep reading…

Being mindful

There’s more to being a manager than just being firm. Sensitivity and mindfulness are sometimes overlooked qualities.

What do we mean when we say ‘mindful’? We don’t just mean being nice. We use the word mindful here because there are lots of elements to consider when giving feedback.  There’s body language, tone of voice, timing, the situation, and the person themselves.

Being mindful of all these elements will help you to give feedback in the best way for specific individuals and situations.

Moving away from defensiveness

Defensiveness is a fairly common response to feedback, no matter how gently you may give it. No one wants to hear that they are doing something wrong.

While you can’t guarantee the other person will react well, there are some ways you can ease it.

The first thing is to try to separate feedback from the other person. By this, we mean moving away from criticizing the person and instead commenting on the behavior. This approach, paired with mindfulness, should help to clear some of the defensiveness that can come up in feedback.

The importance of communication

Giving feedback is a way to communicate and raise an issue. It’s not necessarily going to be when the issue gets resolved. It’s simply to get everyone on the same page.

Rather than say your piece and try to jump forward into solving the issue, let the other person process what you said. At first, there may be some defensiveness or embarrassment if you brought up a mistake. That’s fine, needing some cool-down time is normal. Give them some space to process it and then regroup later on.

By doing this, you help to ensure that the person receiving the feedback fully understands the message. If they don’t understand the message behind the feedback, you may end up having to repeat yourself in what could potentially become a much more awkward conversation in the future.

Best practices for giving feedback

If you want to get better at giving feedback, here are some tips that you can apply to the majority of feedback scenarios:

1. Focus on behavior

Rather than focusing on the person, focus instead on the behavior. Make it more about how the behavior must change, rather than suggesting that the person is at fault. Giving feedback is not about placing blame, it’s about communicating and moving forward towards a solution.

2. Remember to listen

Feedback is a two-way street. As the saying goes, you have two ears and one mouth, which means you should be listening twice as much as speaking. The same applies to feedback. Whether you are giving or receiving feedback, it’s important to listen and make the process a back-and-forth dialogue.

3. Be present

This applies both ways, but particularly when receiving feedback. Many people tend to listen to the feedback at first and then become defensive. They then spend the rest of the conversation waiting for their turn to speak to defend themselves.

It can be a difficult habit to break. However, try to practice being present and in the moment when feedback comes up and again, listen more than you speak. Take some time to listen and absorb what the other person is saying.

4. Be mindful

Rather than focusing solely on the message you need to get across, look at how you’re giving that message. Being mindful of how the feedback comes across will mean the conversation is much more constructive and positive.

Be mindful about things like body language and tone of voice. Think about the other person’s situation. Are they swamped at work? Are they struggling with something else right now? It’s probably best to hold off if this is the case because they will be distracted. Make sure you always take some time before you give feedback to assess the situation.

5. Check that the feedback is actually helpful

Feedback should be about creating positive change. It’s not about ranting, getting complaints off your chest or putting other people in line. While this might seem obvious, always consider what your intentions are before you approach the other person.

What some managers forget is that feedback isn’t just for them. It also needs to be useful for the other person as well. What will they take from this interaction? How can they improve?

Giving feedback can feel awkward at first, and receiving it is rarely fun unless it’s full of praise. However, feedback is an important part of any team of people. How you approach it can have a huge effect on productivity and morale.

Are you unintentionally avoiding feedback in the workplace? Do you encourage an open dialogue between managers and other team members? Take some time to assess your team’s approach to feedback going forward.

Thank you for reading this podcast summary. For more tips from The Learning Xchange, you can find all the episodes so far on your favorite podcast app or website. Please subscribe to show us your support!

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The disruptive events of 2020 forced organizations to rethink many areas of their business. New approaches to training, employee engagement, performance reviews, and other practices were developed as a response to the pandemic. In many cases, these developments required organizations to pay increased attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within their workplace.

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown, the VP of Learning and Brand Success at Schoox, discusses recent developments in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He looks at how DEI initiatives are constantly evolving and how the pandemic continues to affect equality challenges within organizations.

How the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation has developed

Diversity and inclusion have been part of many organizations’ efforts for a long time. But it wasn’t until recently that the focus widened to include ‘equity.’

The table stakes for organizations to enter into diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations have historically been very limited. Often, the topic is linked strictly to racial and gender inequality, fairness, and sometimes stretching to helping the workforce understand different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. 

In 2021, the conversation is evolving. Organizations are expanding their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to include more than just hiring people from diverse backgrounds. Now, organizations are committing to establishing and maintaining a fully diverse, equal, and inclusive company culture. 

New opportunities for diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment

Last year, many businesses shifted to remote working. Many had resisted previous moves to remote working due to productivity and other concerns. However, as it’s been demonstrated, when the shift is managed appropriately, with boundaries, expectations, and employee support put in place, the benefits far outweigh any negatives.

With no physical workspace, this opens up a greater range of recruitment opportunities. Organizations are no longer limited to hiring new talent within a set radius. Instead, they can look further afield for new employees, whether that’s outside of their city, state, or even country.

This increases the diversity and inclusion opportunities for your organization. It means that you can easily bring people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and cultures into your business that you couldn’t previously.

However, it’s very important to consider people’s remote working challenges.

Why remote working is a diversity, equity, and inclusion issue

Office spaces are designed to be a productive workspace. Traditional homes often don’t afford people that luxury. Millions of people could be working from their dining room tables, or even from their beds. They might not have a suitable office chair to sit in for a full workday. They might have distractions such as family members, children, or pets.

Having diverse work environments means that there can be a variety of challenges to employees’ productivity that you may not be acutely aware of. Over time, these issues can demotivate people and put increased stress on their ability to work effectively.

Organizations should take the time to think about how they can create more equality for employees across the board. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. However, by working with HR, learning, managerial, supervisory, and other teams across the business, you can start to help each person succeed.

The ongoing pandemic challenges for diversity, equity, and inclusion

As vaccine rollout begins, organizations need to plan what their business will look like in the future. If your organization is hoping to move back into a physical workspace, will there be a requirement for every employee to be vaccinated? How will your organization address those who chose not to get vaccinated?

Starting an open, ongoing conversation about vaccines and the plan for your organization is the best way to ensure that all employees can comfortably share their thoughts with you. We’ve previously explored how a communicative culture can help organizations come together. Creating a conversation around DEI challenges is no different.

Why the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation needs to continue

There is already a need to do so much more around racial inequality and injustice–events in 2020 proved this.

Organizations should be willing to dedicate time and empower teams with the tools and capabilities to provide support. All of this begins with an open dialogue. When organizations listen to people with different perspectives, they can see areas that need to change and begin putting new initiatives in place.

Bringing new perspectives to your organization can wholly benefit them across multiple levels. Not only in terms of employee engagement and success, but it’s been proven that more diverse teams are more successful teams.

Many studies show that diverse teams outperform those which lack diversity. Different thoughts, cultures, and approaches to work often result in greater output and spark creativity in new ways.

The future of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Going forward, HR leaders are increasingly going to focus on ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are in place. These will become more inclusive, incorporating gender and racial equality, flexible working arrangements, physical, mental, and financial health initiatives, and more.

We can also expect to see a greater focus on mental health and wellness. This is already playing a big part in many companies and will become more developed and widespread.

One trend that organizations should be prepared for is ‘cancel culture.’ This can have a huge impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, so it’s important to be aware of how it can be addressed if and when it arises within your organization.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization

How does your organization define diversity, equity, and inclusion? Organizations that prioritize thinking critically about and questioning their DEI approach will drive change within their industries so it’s important on many levels to make it a priority.

We recommend using third-party, off-the-shelf content to introduce DEI practices and begin the conversation within your organization. There are many companies that have spent time crafting tools and resources to define DEI, set minimum expectations, and present best practices.

There’s no need for your company to delay introducing this conversation. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and create a diversity, equity, and inclusion program from scratch. You can use existing materials to educate and inform before you translate it into what that means for your company.

We encourage all organizations to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority in 2021 and advance the conversation so that everyone is afforded equal opportunities to succeed.

Thank you for reading about The Learning Xchange, the podcast from Schoox. The Learning Xchange is our weekly feature that focuses on the ever-changing landscape of online learning and talent management. It’s available to access here, on our website, as blogs or on your favorite podcast channel.

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The learning and development community has adapted quickly and efficiently in the face of the pandemic. The shift to remote learning remains one of the most impactful changes that this industry has ever seen. But what side effects have the community experienced as a result of this?

In this episode of The Learning Xchange, Matthew Brown, the VP of Learning and Brand Success at Schoox, talks about the importance of community in overcoming the challenges of the virtual workplace. He discusses why you should prioritize communication, practice empathetic management, and why community is key to overcoming virtual workplace challenges.

Hit play to listen to this episode of the podcast below:

Or, find out more by reading on.

How to overcome remote working issues

The move to remote working is one of the greatest changes that the learning and development community has ever experienced.

People accepted the necessary, sudden change with varying degrees of excitement in the beginning. However, what might have been a dream come true for some was a nightmare for others.

The issue with remote working is that it creates pressures that don’t exist in a physical workplace.

One of the first problems you might need to tackle is finding an adequate space to insulate and work without interruptions. You might have children, family members, pets, or other distractions that could impact your ability to work effectively. There might be technical challenges, or you might not have access to the equipment that helps you meet the job’s demands.

Many businesses have taken steps to ensure that their employees can build a home office that sets them up for success. But creating a suitable home working environment is more than having the correct equipment.

If you’re an experienced remote worker, you’ll have created an environment where you can stay productive and consistently contribute to your company’s progress. However, if you’re new to remote working, you should learn how to communicate virtually with your managers and your team. This includes letting them know when you need support.

It’s this social aspect that is a core component of a successful workplace. Unfortunately, it’s greatly affected by the shift to a virtual workplace environment.

Why managers need to approach leadership with empathy

In an office space or physical work environment, you can read the room and your team’s body language to see how they feel. In a virtual workspace, this becomes much more difficult to do.

It’s easy to become disconnected from the support that other people might need to succeed in the digital world. It’s challenging to understand how your team feels, what their challenges might be, and if they need more help.

The drastic and demanding changes within the learning industry can impact employee attitudes, behaviors, productivity. They also significantly increase the chances of burnout. Managers are usually encouraged to monitor these employees closely in a “normal” work environment. But how can you manage this situation virtually?

Digital environments require a new form of leadership. It’s more vital than ever to cultivate a safe, digital space where your team members feel comfortable conveying how they’re feeling.

This is a very difficult thing to achieve. It’s not easy for people to admit when they’re struggling, especially when many people are now concerned about losing their jobs. Many jobs and businesses face uncertainty, with furlough schemes, layoffs, and restructurings still prominent across the learning and development industry.

Employees may not want to admit they’re finding the challenges difficult, so it takes a flexible, personalized, and empathetic management approach to ensure that your employees are supported effectively.

Why training modalities should adapt to overcome virtual workplace challenges

You can support your employees by helping them build their skills. Skills such as collaboration, creativity, communication, flexibility, and dealing with stress, can help employees manage their workloads and other virtual workplace challenges.

These “soft skills” are crucial to your team’s success. Trainers and businesses are now taking into account how they can develop training courses to improve these skills.

However, training courses need to diversify more broadly in order to serve all learners effectively. Workforces are more diverse than ever with multi-generational and multi-dimensional teams, so training delivery mechanisms must adapt accordingly.

Could you deliver your training across new modalities? Or could you create new content that addresses the different needs that learners have? It’s important to consider the new challenges that everyone faces and adapt your training to overcome them.

Why community is key to overcoming virtual workplace challenges

Training can do more than deliver knowledge to people. Learning experiences and training activities can build communities. These relationships present collaboration opportunities that can further your learning and your business.

Tapping into this power of social and informal learning is a great way to continue your team’s development. But it’s a challenge to achieve this virtually.

Social learning happens naturally in a physical workspace, as people exchange thoughts and ideas in conversation. Businesses should proactively make space for this in the virtual workplace too. You could achieve this by implementing video conference team meetings, one-to-one calls, or setting up a virtual space for sharing ideas.

Collectively tackling virtual workplace challenges is much more effective than facing them individually. You can set your employees up for success by encouraging them to communicate and collaborate.

The learning and development community has always excelled at collaborating. Now, connecting to your community has never been more important.

At Schoox, we want to encourage you to connect with other professionals in the community. We encourage you to join a local or online learning and development community to support you and where you can share your ideas and experiences.

If you’re not sure where to start, begin by connecting with us on social media. We’re @Schoox on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If you liked the summary of this podcast episode, check out episode three, How the Learning and Development Community Is Successfully Navigating the Pandemic.

Thank you for reading about The Learning Xchange, the podcast from Schoox. The Learning Xchange is our weekly feature that focuses on the ever-changing landscape of online learning and talent management. It’s available to access here, on our website, as blogs or podcasts, or as video episodes on YouTube.

The post Why Community Is Key to Overcoming Virtual Workplace Challenges appeared first on Schoox - A Learning Management System.

Cyberattacks have spiked amid the coronavirus. Hackers are capitalizing on widespread fear and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak, a time when businesses are already increasing their exposure to risk due to mandated stay-at-home orders and little to no IT support. Employees are using their personal electronic devices and other unprotected systems more often while working from home and handling highly confidential data. Because of this, remote hacking has become much easier and the chance of being infected with a range of malware significantly increases.

Even the World Health Organization (WHO) itself is experiencing a more than twofold increase in cyberattacks as it tries to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The hackers are using a variety of communication channels for their scams including email, websites, phone calls, text messages, and even fax messages. 

Alexander Urbelis, a former hacker who became an information security lawyer, is the one who discovered the WHO breach. He is now warning the public about widespread remote work risks and he is not alone. Cybersecurity experts agree that the coronavirus crisis has unleashed a wave of cyberattacks across businesses worldwide. To protect your data during this critical time, I’ve included actionable tips below, geared toward remote employees and business leaders.

What Remote Employees Can Do

Identify and prevent phishing attacks

• Pay more attention to the emails you receive and make sure you are expecting them; if you aren’t sure, verify with the sender—through a separate email—that they sent the message
• Validate the sender’s email address; malicious attempts will often obfuscate the return address so that it appears legitimate but has small modifications
• Check for more obvious signs of fake or unofficial emails as well, which often include misspelled words, and incorrect punctuation and grammar
• Don’t click on any links or open any attachments in suspicious emails; instead, delete them or notify your IT or security team
• Don’t enter any personal or account information on pop-up screens or on sites that are not validated

Follow password best practices

• Use strong passwords or passphrases, or use a password manager such as KeePass or LastPass
• Don’t use the same password for work applications that you use for personal applications
• If available, utilize multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all sensitive accounts
• Review all sites you have accounts with and rotate your passwords with strong passwords or passphrases; malicious attack activity is heightened especially on “essential” stores like Costco, grocery chains, banks, etc. 

Secure your browsing

• Keep your browser up to date, and consider using a secure browser which protects your privacy and prevents tracking
• Be aware of the URLs you are visiting to ensure they are secure; secure URLs will begin with “https”
• Utilize anti-virus software and ensure it is up to date

Follow remote work best practices

• Work with your employer on how to securely connect to your work applications or the corporate network, and follow best practices to keep confidential information safe while you work from home
• If possible, use your work computer only for work applications and your personal computer for personal needs to minimize exposure to risk

What Business Leaders Can Do

Work closely with your security teams

• Learn what kind of threats are more likely to occur given the increase in remote employees
• Create a plan to protect your most sensitive data and applications that are critical to your business

Provide clear remote work policies

• Communicate clear, easy-to-understand guidance that employees can take to protect their work environment at home 
• Let employees know they should report any suspicious activity to your security team

Ensure all work-related devices have the right security capabilities, including:

• Secure connections to cloud and on-premise applications through corporate VPN or other secure connection methods
• Adequate endpoint protection, including the enablement of antivirus and encryption for all laptops and mobile devices
• Use of multi-factor authentication for all sensitive corporate systems

Regular cybersecurity hygiene should always be practiced, but the coronavirus outbreak calls for more robust measures. As your business works hard to stay productive during these difficult times, you need to ensure that your network and your data is as secure as possible. You don’t want to manage the challenges of a new remote team along with the consequences of a cyberattack.

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In 2015, 23% of employees reported doing some of their work remotely, up from 19% in 2003, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. A New York Times report also noted that telecommuting is fast on the rise.

A forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum called flexible work, including virtual teams “one of the biggest drivers of transformation” in the workplace, while a Gallup poll found that 37% of respondents have already worked virtually.

According to a Gallup survey, the number of workers who work one day or less from home had decreased from 34% to 25% between 2012 and 2016. In the same time period, the number of people working remotely four or five days a week rose from 24% to 31%. According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, 43% of Americans said they spent at least some time working remotely last year, up from 39% in 2012.

With remote work on the rise in the U.S. and globally due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, it is becoming critically important to understand the “rules of engagement” during this time. 

Here are five ways we see companies and their teams successfully engage a remote workforce that you can adopt during the coronavirus outbreak.

1. Emphasize Efficient Communication

Many employers may not have clear and consistent policies on working from home, often leaving it up to the discretion of managers as to which employees can do so. As a result of the coronavirus, many companies will likely move away from subjective discretion and toward companywide, impartial policies on which jobs can be done remotely and under what circumstances.

Perhaps the most important thing to do as a manager of remote workers is to ensure that there are effective, efficient and agreed upon methods of communication. Don’t be shy about over-communicating with a remote workforce.

The lack of physical presence can affect that natural collaboration that comes from being in proximity to your employees. We may not realize how much small “chatter” happens in a workplace environment that helps to fill in the blanks on projects or keep coworkers updated on the status of things. It is important to find a way to replace communications like water-cooler talk, drive-bys at desks, going out to lunch, etc. 

• Understand when employees will be working and how that can support or detract from communication, collaboration, and engagement on projects or initiatives.
• Determine what modes of communication work best and set some ground rules on how teams interact with and use the tools to keep things moving.
• Don’t be afraid to communicate, over-communicate, and then communicate again.

2. Acknowledge, Praise, and Reward Good Work

You may already know that intrinsic motivation can be more valuable than external, monetarily driven perks. But are you putting it into practice regularly? Receiving acknowledgment and praise from a superior can go a long way and keep employees motivated well past the moment they receive a raise. Of course, that goes for in-office and remote employees, alike. But, for those working from home, it can be even more important to make sure their work ethic, effort, and accomplishments aren’t getting lost on deaf ears.

Make sure to give everybody updates about the team’s highlights and the contributions of the remote workers.

3. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Part of working in an office is getting to see a project’s mechanism at work, or at least connect some of the moving parts. Your colleagues can give you feedback, tips from their own experience, and reminders about what needs to be done. With remote work being more of a “must have” given the coronavirus outbreak, your employees miss all that, so you must look for ways to compensate for the gap.

Remind your team about the general goals and expectations and make sure everyone gets them. Implement milestones and updates about the progress and be there when they need help.

4. Give Them a Flexible Schedule

One of the most appealing things about working from home is schedule flexibility—this is especially true during the coronavirus outbreak since entire families are all under the same roof at one time. If you take that away from your employees, then you may interrupt the mechanisms that make them more productive. If their job does not require being at the desk in a particular interval, give them the choice and means to organize their time between their personal chores and the work.

Remote work can also mean workers are not always “on-the-clock” at the same time.

Being at home is not necessarily easier regarding time management or working conditions. There are many distractions and temptations, so you do need to set certain limits. But, if an individual seems to prefer early morning for their work, give them that! And give them the freedom to switch to evening shift when needed.

5. Organize Virtual Get-Togethers and Activities

Even though employees who are staying home due to COVID-19 issued mandates may enjoy working from home in the beginning, isolation will almost certainly set in at some point. It is healthy to get the team to meet occasionally, using tools like Skype, Zoom, Slack or Microsoft Teams will boost morale and help to make the team bond better. A great resource for a remote workforce, team bonding, peer learning, and new hires is Donut.com. It’s an app that facilitates virtual team coffee meetups, remote team lunches, cross-departmental introductions, job shadowing, onboarding buddies, and so much more to help you improve engagement and boost team morale during this time.

The bottom line is that when managing remote workers, you should keep in mind that there are specific ups and downs about being physically out of office. While they can get more efficient and productive than the office workers, they can also lose steam easily and need encouragement and inspiration from time to time.

• Schedule regular weekly check-ins.
• Schedule regular team meetings. Keep a finger on the pulse of the team. There may be times when weekly meetings are necessary and other times of the year, it may be more productive for everyone to reduce it to monthly.

This is new territory for all involved, and it can be extremely helpful for employees to have guidance from their employers as to what is expected during these times. 

As the world endures the highs and lows of the coronavirus outbreak, and companies are faced with the challenge of having to manage a remote workforce seemingly overnight, a spotlight shines on the need for software that is cloud-based and made accessible to a distributed workforce. At Schoox, we are very fortunate to have a solution that supports a global workforce, making it easy for companies large and small to communicate, collaborate, and provide learning to staff during this difficult time.

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As a result, more and more people are looking to switch from an office job to working remotely. With the pendulum swinging in favor of the talent pool’s needs, companies are complying, offering plenty of opportunities for workers to find their fix of remote working – from a few days a week to full-time from anywhere.

The Benefits of a Remote Workforce

The benefits of working remotely are adding up for both workers and for their companies. Remote work can cut costs on certain overhead expenses like office space or parking – which in many large cities can be a substantial line item. Remote workers typically don’t lose time commuting or being distracted by office noises, drive-by’s, or endless meetings. It also gives various industries and departments access to a larger pool of talent. Moreover, numerous reports show that working from home is not only convenient but also less stressful for employees, leading to an improved work-life balance and a more sustainable level of productivity.

Challenges of Managing Remote Workers

Even with all of the benefits mentioned above – there are challenges to managing remote workers. And, if you’re already following this trend as a manager or you currently oversee remote employees then you have likely experienced some pros and cons that are unique compared to employees who work in the office.

The most obvious disadvantage is that your employees are physically disconnected from the office atmosphere, from organized events, personal meetings, and other work-related activities. That can manifest as a lack of motivation and a reduction in productivity or efficiency. It can even cause employees to drift off from the organization’s goals, plans, and vision – regardless of their passion.

For a manager, it can be difficult to coordinate time zones or schedules – especially if employees work off of a loose schedule. So, it’s up to managers to apply special tactics to introduce regular opportunities to engage with the company, the values, goals, initiatives, and projects to keep motivation, job satisfaction, performance, and productivity high.

Here are a few ways you can boost morale among your remote workers

• Emphasize Efficient Communication

• Acknowledge, Praise, and Reward Good Work

• Set Clear Goals and Expectations

• Give them a Flexible Schedule

• Organize Get-Togethers & Community Service Activities

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HR professionals are the primary manager of the company’s most valuable resource; it’s employees. In today’s world, an HR professional can’t act as a mere bystander, watching safely from the sidelines. It might be difficult to tell at first the difference between an ‘okay’ HR manager and a successful one, but look closely, and you will start to notice the differences.

HR professionals aren’t the paper-pushers of yesteryear. Studies indicate that the most successful HR managers of the 21st century are moving beyond traditional job responsibilities. Today, they need to act as strategic consultants, set policy, and design company strategy. Below, we’ll cover the top 3 habits of highly successful HR managers.

1. Successful HR managers are excellent listeners and people developers

When employees are engaged, they feel connected to the company’s goals. Employees that are connected and plugged in will go above and beyond their job duties. These engaged employees are less likely to complain and more likely to offer constructive, helpful feedback. They want the company to succeed, and their hard work and commitment to their workplace goals to enable them to produce high profits for their employees.

Unfortunately, recent surveys indicate that only about 30% of all U.S. employees fit this description. But getting workers engaged and committed to a shared vision is crucial for morale and the company’s success. The most successful HR managers know this, and they work hard to engage workers, listen to their concerns and goals, and develop them as valued professionals. The most distinctive way an HR professional can listen to employees is to observe the workplace in action quietly, so they can understand precisely what workers need.

Successful HR managers know that investing in the company’s most valuable resource, it’s people, is what will increase the businesses success.

2. Successful HR managers possess unparalleled business acumen that is industry specific.

Industry-specific business acumen is a skill HR managers must have if they want to be successful at their job. An HR manager needs to know how their company works at a granular level:

• How does the company make money?
• What are the profit margins?
• How do they attract customers?
• What innovations are happening in the industry?
• How do these innovations affect profits and workplace culture?

Business innovation should form the basis of most HR planning, and the most successful managers are always learning and growing along with advances in industry-specific innovation. Successful HR managers find solutions that consistently drive results for the company. When something isn’t performing, serious HR managers will dig deep. They’ll look for system errors and fix them quickly.

Also, HR managers back up their solutions and ideas with concrete data. They understand that CEO’s require numbers to back up claims. More and more, CEOs are relying on HR professionals to utilize data-driven business analytics to make the correct decisions for workplace policy and future business plans.

Successful HR managers are never content to rest on their laurels and let the company run on autopilot. They don’t just observe but diagnose and solve. They are continually learning and engaging, looking for new ways to increase customer, CEO, and employee satisfaction while keeping labor costs low. They ask questions, find the answers, and get the results the company needs.

3. Successful HR managers can get along despite disagreements, and they celebrate employee accomplishments.

Disagreements in the workplace are a part of life. The difference between a successful HR manager and one who isn’t so good at their job is what they do when disagreements arise. Successful HR managers don’t let a conflict build into resentment. They will continue to promote an open, positive environment where questions and concerns are always deemed valid and considered. What sets a successful manager apart here is that they don’t foster a win/lose environment.

When employee contributions hit the spotlight, successful HR managers turn the light brighter. They gladly identify and celebrate the accomplishments of the employees, and make it a point to reward them for it. When employees can see that positive contributions are noticed and praised, morale is increased across the company. Employees become more engaged and motivated to perform and contribute to the company’s growth.

In today’s fast, data-driven world, HR professionals can’t just sit back and observe. They need to act and actively manage the people that make organizations great. For HR professionals looking to make their mark in the business world, they need to incorporate these top 3 habits to become highly successful in their field.

Bottom line? HR managers must observe, act, and lead employees with conviction and determination. For more tips on how to cultivate successful workplace habits, check out the Schoox corporate training blog. We’re constantly researching the newest, most effective ways for you to increase your productivity and workplace success.

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With an employee suggestion program.

An employee suggestion program gives your workers an outlet for expressing their ideas, concerns, and tips for making the workplace a better environment for engagement and productivity. But not all suggestion programs are created equal. If your suggestion program isn’t streamlined, or offers ways for employees to proffer their suggestions with tact, you can invite hostility into the workplace. And hostility and resentment are productivity and growth destroyers. So how can you avoid these potential pitfalls? To create a successful employee suggestion program, consider the following tips at implementation.

First determine if an informal process is already at play, and is it working?

If your employees are already fielding suggestions and brainstorming ideas in your normally scheduled meetings, then you already have an informal suggestion program at play. If this is working for you already, consider scheduling in meetings that strictly revolve around brainstorming and suggestions. If you introduce a more formal structure, you might kill the creativity. Use your discretion here. If your employees are already comfortable offering their recommendations, all you need to do is deal with the suggestions directly in a separate meeting.

Is something blocking the flow of ideas? Then introduce a formal structure for suggestions.

Sometimes, your workers won’t freely exchange their ideas. That doesn’t mean they don’t have any. But something is blocking the exchange. Find out what is, and when you do, develop a formal program designed to break down those barriers. Are your employees afraid of offending someone with their suggestions? Do they worry about retaliation? Then give them the opportunity to offer their ideas without fear of adverse consequences anonymously.

Get the leaders to support a suggestions program vocally.

If your team sees that the leadership is enthusiastic about a suggestion program, they’ll be more likely to participate. Try to get your leaders to throw their support behind the idea of a formal program. Have them share articles, videos, or presentations that show how a suggestion program will benefit everyone.

Research before developing your plan.

Before you begin to implement a formal program, make sure you do your research. Look at how other companies have achieved a successful employee suggestions program. See how you can tailor it to your specific organization. There may be structural issues at play that you’ll need to consider beforehand.

Develop formal guidelines for the employees.

You’ll want to give your employees structure and guidelines when you develop the suggestion program. If you don’t, you run the risk of them venting their frustrations in an unproductive, and critical way that can harm morale. Think about putting questions like the following in place so can keep your employees focused:

• How do you think this suggestion will benefit the company?
• When did you first think of this idea?
• What issues do you think your suggestion will solve?

Offer a rewards program.

This doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. Handwritten thank you cards or small gift cards from major retailers can be especially beneficial for creating incentives for your employees to share their ideas. When you create the rewards program, be sure to make it for viable suggestions.

Review the suggestions across the organization.

Set up a team to go over all of the suggestions at regular intervals. It’s vital that your employees at all levels of the organization are a part of this team so that all ideas are evaluated equally.

Market

Promote your suggestions program across the organization. You’ll want to make sure that you offer in concrete terms why and how the program is beneficial for all employees across the spectrum. Make it easy for your employees to access the program, and give clear instructions for how to participate. Be sure to include the rewards program and other incentives to get people to join. Mention it in department meetings, or have a trusted worker create an engaging video to share around the office.

Keep yourself accountable.

It’s crucial that you review and respond to the suggestions promptly. You must be proactive. If not, your employees will take notice, and your lack of follow-through will hurt morale.

Your employees are some of the greatest investments you’ll make in your company. They are a wealth of information and can help you succeed if you keep them engaged and feeling valued. Remember when formulating an employee suggestion program that accountability, incentives, and common-sense guidelines tailored to your organization’s needs will make the program a success.

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You’ll have a Word document open in one window, several tabs active in the browser for the topic you’re researching, plus a PowerPoint slide presentation in progress off to the side. But wait, what’s this? A Facebook notification appears on the screen. You’re psyched that someone LOLed at your latest post. That sure is a powerful hit of dopamine to rival the espresso you polished off only a few hours ago. You refresh the browser and wait until a new comment appears on the post. Refresh, lol, repeat. You glance at the clock. Two hours have passed, and now you’re behind on that PowerPoint presentation! What to do?

While social media has crept into every aspect of our private lives, it’s also elbowed its way into the workplace. Progressive companies hold the view that social media is an incredibly powerful and effective way to foster a connection between employees and clients. But some companies view social media as the enemy of progress. The previous scenario indeed isn’t far-fetched. It’s far too easy to get caught up in a newsfeed and lose track of time. Some companies have even gone so far as to block all social media sites so employees can stay focused on the job.  But is a carte blanche ban on social media at work always a good thing? Moderation is critical, and in fact, social media use at work can help an employee’s productivity. Keep in mind the following tips and studies when determining how much social media use is too much at the office.

Check the company policy

If you want to keep your boss happy with your social media use, check the company policy before logging into your profiles. Half of all companies have a formal policy in place for social media use while employees are on the clock. Be sure to educate yourself on how your workplace views social media. Check with your co-workers, or ask your boss for the specific guidelines.

If there’s no policy in place, you can get a feel for your workplace’s general attitude toward social media use by merely taking a look around. Do your coworkers use it? Have you seen your boss tweeting before her lunch break? Then it’s probably all right to use social media in moderation at work.

Know yourself

Even if using social media while clocked-in is all right with your company, you may still want to shy away from checking your feeds. Why? Well, if you’re prone to losing track of time, mindlessly scrolling through your feed for hours, don’t even tempt yourself with it. And people who are prone to mindless scrolling display more depressive symptoms and anxiety than average. If you have trouble moderating your social media use, or using it makes you feel anxious and insecure, it’s best to stay clear so you can stay productive while at the office.

Moderation is key

Several recent studies and surveys from UC Irvine and the University of Melbourne indicate that there are right ways and wrong ways to use social media when you’re at work. In essence, moderation is key. Overall, the studies from UC Irvine and the University of Melbourne support the notion that social media use is beneficial for employee productivity.

Employees who scrolled through their feed for only a couple of minutes while at work were able to clear their heads, and return to their job with better focus and drive.

The Pew Research Center delved deeper into workplace social media use. Here’s what they found:

• 34% of employees used social media to stay connected with loved ones
• 27% used it for professional reasons only
• 20% used it to help them solve work-related tasks
• 17% used social media to build rapport with their coworkers
• 12% used social media to pose work-related questions to coworkers and people outside of their jobs

Overall, people are using social media to increase their workplace productivity. The key to using social media in the workplace is to use it for specific, work-related tasks or as a quick mental palate cleanser. The research also indicates that companies should adopt useful guidelines outlining social media use in the workplace.

It’s not helpful for employee productivity to outright ban social media from the office. Social media, when harnessed correctly, can help worker productivity and satisfaction. At Schoox, we believe keeping employees engaged and happy will grow your business. Leveraging the power of social media with common-sense guidelines will lead to better employee engagement at the office.

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