People Strategy Archives | Page 12 of 18

A trial of the 4-day working week commenced last year in the UK, and 90% of participating businesses have opted to stick with it.

This has naturally created interest around the prospect of a 4-day working week and what this might look like, with one statistic standing out: a recent poll led by Hays discovered that almost two-thirds of workers would prefer to shift from a 5-day week to an office-based 4-day week – and a third of employers would be more likely to make the switch if all four days were spent in the workplace.

So, could this be the ‘Great Resolution’ that employers have been searching for?

It is no secret that since emerging from the pandemic, many employers have been resistant to embedding hybrid and remote working models into their business practices. But after many attempts to rope employees back into the office, the dust seems to finally be settling, with hybrid work looking like it’s here to stay. And yet now, with the possibility of a 4-day week being adopted, is this going to be used as an opportunity for employers to strike a deal with their workers?

Well, some evidence suggests it still may not be enough. For one thing, over a third of workers have said they would resign if they were told to return to the office full-time. And the reason for this can be found in IWG’s ground-breaking study, which discovered that hybrid workers are the healthiest workers – they are exercising more, sleeping better, and eating more healthily than ever. It’s not surprising, therefore, that employees are reluctant to return to in-office full time.

But it seems, at the root of this tussle, that there is a bigger issue. Employers are seemingly suffering from what has been dubbed ‘productivity paranoia’, in which they are convinced that their employees are not being as productive working from home as they would be onsite.

A study by Microsoft confirmed this, with 87% of hybrid employees claiming they were more productive, whereas only 12% of leaders said they had full confidence that their teams were actually being productive.

However, by consistently demonstrating this lack of trust in their people, leaders risk having a negative impact on productivity and engagement. According to a study in Harvard Business Review, people at high-trust companies report 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 76% more engagement and 40% less burnout.

Trust is the foundation of any relationship – especially those formed in the workplace. It is clear that most employees have the means of being just as productive from home as they do in the office, so their willingness to have a 4-day work week solely in-office may be driven by a desire to rekindle a trusting relationship with their boss than a concern for their ability to do the job.

The bottom line, however, is that as the prospect of a 4-day working week – remote, hybrid, or in the office – inches closer to reality, it is important for employers to consider how they can optimize this to attract, retain and motivate the talent their organization needs.

If you would like support with managing hybrid working policies, as well as solidifying trust into your organization’s culture, please get in touch with us here.

After recently examining the reality of unlimited paid time off (PTO), it got me thinking about the concept of ‘time off work’ as a whole. Having true time off work would (or should) mean that for the time that an employee has opted to take off, their responsibilities should be covered by another member of staff. However, the reality is, when people take PTO, they find themselves either cramming to do the work they are going to miss before they go, or rushing to catch up when they return.

A new study from Pew Research Centre confirms this, as it found that 48% of US workers have vacation days that go unused, and 49% cited that this was because they were worried they might fall behind on work. Another survey discovered that 40% of men and 46% of women said that just thinking about the ‘mountain of work’ they would return to after a holiday was a major reason why they hadn’t used vacation days.

What we are seeing is that paid vacation is translating to ‘the days someone spends away from the office’, when it should be ‘the time someone spends away’. PTO is meant to be getting paid for a day where you would be working – but if employees are doing the work they would have missed before and after their time off, it defeats the purpose. This isn’t time away, it’s just a shifted schedule.

Having true time away from work is vital for the wellbeing of employees and for ensuring that the quality of their output remains strong for the organization. Research shows that nearly three quarters of people who take time off work report better emotional and physical health, happier relationships, and improved productivity.

So how can employers create a culture of true time away from work which allows people to remove themselves and return with ease?

Collaborate from the beginning – try not to have employees that are lone rangers on projects. A great way to think of this is by looking at theatre; every cast member will always have an understudy who knows how to do their role if need be. This same logic should be applied in the workplace, as it allows for developmental and mentoring opportunities for more junior staff members and relieves stress for the person taking time off.
Set communication boundaries – when someone is taking time off, boundaries need to be in place so that the employee taking time away doesn’t have to always be checking their phone for any work emergencies. This can be done from an IT perspective, by setting it up so that all work-related communications are blocked for that time off, and instead are being redirected to the person who is overseeing the employee’s work in their time away.
Briefing upon return – when an employee does come back to work, they should be coming back to a short, succinct brief from the person who has overseen their responsibilities to update them on the progress of their projects. This avoids the fear of returning to a mountain of work to do, and means that the employee has had the opportunity to truly disconnect, destress and enjoy their time away.
For smaller companies, it may be more difficult to have staff who can take over someone’s responsibilities. And so, it is very important in this instance to ensure that as an employer, you are recognising and rewarding your staff for taking the time to pre-prepare their work before their vacation. And while larger companies may have more people, this doesn’t cover up the fact that large companies can tend to have a more competitive culture, and so staff can sometimes be territorial over their work and not want someone to have the opportunity to take credit for it.

It is not all down to employers, however. Employees should try to plan their time off as much in advance as possible so that this transition can be as smooth for the company as it is for them.

If you would like to discuss PTO policies and workplace culture strategies, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Brittany@orgshakers.com

If you haven’t come across the term ‘quiet promotion’, it references the practice of employees assuming the responsibilities of a former colleague without formal recognition or compensation.

Sadly, this is not as uncommon as people might think. One recent study found that 67% of workers had taken on the responsibilities of a more senior colleague after that colleague left the company, while 78% had taken on additional workload without any additional compensation.

Quiet promotions can pose unintended consequences for the employee assuming these additional responsibilities, the leadership team, and the organization as a whole:

The Employee:

It is likely the employee will not have the bandwidth to assume greater responsibilities, and if the employee receives little-to-no communication around this need, it is unlikely that they will be able to remain productive in an environment of increased responsibility.
There could be training concerns over the employee – have they received the proper training to execute the new work/responsibilities?
Giving someone new responsibilities without effective coaching will lead to engagement concerns. Even if an employee understands how to facilitate the additional responsibilities, without overall vision and the opportunity to demonstrate new skills that could lead to future potential with the organization, the employee’s commitment to and trust in the organization are likely to falter.
All of this can lead to the employee potentially looking for other positions, which will result in a turnover cost that would be greater than the additional compensation saved through a quiet promotion. Turnover can cost up to 75% of a salary, and for more executive roles this number can rise to over 200% – which ultimately leads to a larger economic loss.

The Leadership Team:

Choosing to quietly promote can fracture the relationships that management have with their employees. There is a surreptitious element to a quiet promotion, and this can cause employees to question the trust they have in their leaders, leading to a range of miscommunication issues later down the line.
If leaders are choosing to quietly promote, they are likely missing the opportunity to analyze the role of the employee who departed the company. There is unrecognized opportunity to study the role of that person and assess whether there were any obsolete or inefficient processes in their responsibilities. This can be used as a starting point to decide whether the organization needs someone to replace this role or whether the actual usefulness of it can be fulfilled and absorbed by others. This then needs to be communicated with the prospective employee(s) taking on these new responsibilities, with considerations for future compensation and advancement, tied to successful performance of the new skills and responsibilities.

The Organization:

Mismanaging a separating employee’s transition can have ripple effects on the productivity of a department, as outlined above. Additionally, these effects are not likely sequestered at the department-level; there are impacts and potential output concerns for the organization as a whole.
Pay philosophy and performance motivation become weakened if employees are quietly being given more work to do without formal measurements of success, which is linked to the organization’s total rewards. Even if the employee is taking on a larger workload for a short amount of time while the company seeks a replacement, then ensure that gratitude is expressed to this employee through recognition programs, a one-off bonus, or additional benefits.

When it comes down to it, quiet promotions are unlikely to create cost savings for an organization. While initially it may seem like a smart move to save some money, especially in economically trying times, ultimately the costs associated with the loss of productivity, engagement, and potential increased turnover do not compare to the cost of effectively leading an organization through transition and providing rewarding career opportunities for committed and loyal employees.

If you would like to discuss strategies for supporting your business with its turnover rate, or how to manage an employee separation in a cost-effective manner, please do get in touch with me at victoria.sprenger@orgshakers.com

Positive workplace ‘banter’ is a good thing.

Having a cohesive workforce and a strong workplace culture is something that all employers strive for. And friendly relationships in the workplace increase productivity, as employees are more committed, communicate better, and encourage each other. Banter can play a pivotal role in cementing these relationships.

There is, however, a fine line between ‘playful’ banter and what might be considered bullying and harassment.

Recent research found that a third (32%) of UK workers have experienced bullying masked as ‘banter’, while it is estimated that about 30% of the American workforce (which equates to roughly 48.6 million workers) feel bullied at work. And the number of employment tribunal claims citing allegations of bullying increased by 44% in 2022, which was a record high.

To mitigate the risk of this happening, regularly updated management training is essential.

The current workforce has the largest ever mix of generations working together, which means that lot of workplace banter risks being ‘lost in translation’ due to the fact that the boundaries of acceptability and what is tolerated have shifted so much across the decades. Consequently, what one person may intend as a joke, another may perceive quite differently.

Having managers who have been trained to understand what is acceptable means that they can diffuse these situations and act accordingly if someone feels that banter is going too far. But this training needs to be regularly updated as boundaries of acceptability are constantly shifting.

It is also vital that managers appreciate that cyberbullying is becoming much more common at work– especially with the rise of remote and hybrid working models.

Passive aggressive emails, pestering messages, and group chat banter can all result in employees feeling they are being put down, so it is just as important to establish positive online working policies in an evolving working world.

Finding the balance of banter at work can be difficult – but it is important to embed a culture of acceptance and inclusivity to avoid playful exchanges tipping over into bullying and harassment.

To discuss creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture in more detail, please get in touch with us.

We are all aware that each generation has been attributed macro characteristics – the Greatest Generation are ‘responsible and hard-working’, Baby Boomers are ‘selfish’, Gen X are ‘cynical’, Millennials are ‘entitled and lazy’, and Gen Z are ‘civic-minded snowflakes’.

When these stereotypical beliefs spill over into the world of work, however, they can lead to biases in the hiring process, problems with the culture of a company, and can be considered offensive. After all, if employers (or, frankly, anyone) were to ascribe similar characteristics to gender, race, sexuality and/or class, this would be completely unacceptable. Rather, employers need to focus on seizing the opportunities for innovation that generational cohesion can bring – a Generational Dividend.

Firstly, if a company finds that it doesn’t have a diversified workforce from a generational perspective, it should consider ways in which it could attract different types of people so to create the opportunity for innovation and diversified perspectives. One way of doing this is by tailoring benefit packages towards the needs of different generations in order to make your job look more attractive to a specific group.

This then leads onto how to optimize a generationally-diverse workforce – and this is where SurePeople come in. Specializing in people science, they offer their WorkforceX software, which uses AI-powered technology to leverage data to provide leaders and their teams with actionable workforce insights in order to drive continuous alignment, development, and high-performance.

Their interface gathers psychometric data on every employee in an organization and uses this to create an individualised ‘Prism Portrait’ which groups staff into four main categories: ‘powerful’, ‘versatile’, ‘adaptable’, and ‘precise’. It then breaks this down into detail surrounding personality type and how an individual works best, as well as allowing leaders to compare two profiles to provide them with the most efficient ways of working with specific individuals.

This is a fantastic tool when putting together a team entirely based on their individual strengths – it ensures that staff are diverse and offers a guide of how to optimize the productivity of the team so to gain the strongest and most innovative output.

We work closely with SurePeople and can help bring their results to life – helping to integrate their people data into the fabric of a company so that they have the best possible combination of people working together to gain the best results. Using a psychometric program such as this strips away any preconceived notions surrounding generational stereotypes – or any stereotypes – and instead allows employers to focus on the individual’s needs and abilities.

Optimizing your people and their differences will allow you to unlock all of their potential. If you would like to discuss working with us and SurePeople in how we can help you do this, please get in touch with us here.

I have no doubt that most of us have come across the recent artificial intelligence (AI) phenomenon that is ChatGPT.

With software company OpenAI recently announcing the program’s next iteration (titled ChatGPT-4), there has been a lot of speculation around whether employers – and people in general – should be ‘freaked out’ by the expanding capabilities and eerie similarities to being human that this AI has.

However, is this simply just another tool that will help employees to work smarter rather than harder?

All throughout history, whenever a new piece of technology has been introduced that can do something that humans do but more efficiently and instantaneously, there has been hesitation and resistance.

When the calculator was initially introduced on a mass scale, it raised a lot of cause for concern from schooling systems as they feared that students wouldn’t learn how to do maths without the assistance of a machine. But as the calculator became integrated in everyday learning, it actually proved to expand the horizons of mathematics that was able to be taught at school level – it allowed students to attempt much more complex equations. And, by having one exam paper that remained ‘non-calculator’, this ensured that children were still being taught a suitable level of mental arithmetic to apply to everyday life.

The same thing happened years later with the introduction of Google and other search engines. All of a sudden information was at our fingertips, which sparked controversy around something that was labelled the ‘Google Effect’ (or digital amnesia), which theorised that because answers to all questions were now readily available, people stopped bothering to store any information in their brains.

Nowadays, across all sectors of work, the calculator and Google play vital parts for many jobs, and the idea of being without them would seem unbelievable. All they did was ensure that those doing their jobs were able to do so in a more efficient and time effective manner, all while saving them a lot of mental effort.

These were the first steps towards the age of working smart, and now AI-based technologies seem to be the next. Working smart has never been a bad thing – in fact, it usually boasts better and faster results for organizations. Employees are using tools and resources to achieve the best potential outcomes within an allotted time without having to overexert themselves and risk burning out.

And so, adopting this perspective, a program like ChatGPT may initially seem questionable considering its capabilities, but it should be viewed with the intention of making employees better and more equipped rather than replacing them altogether. AI is not perfect, and neither are people, but combining the two offers the best probability of producing near-perfect results. For example, AI is being used in the medical sector to help improve the accuracy of diagnoses. One recent study found that the new AI was more accurate when diagnosing cases than actual doctors, but noticed that doctors were better and faster at identifying common problems due to the volume and consistency at which they encountered them. This is why AI is used in conjunction with workers, as it is an extra tool that helps them work smarter.

Employers may potentially resist this implementation of AI and view it as ‘doing all the work’, but the reality is that there’s no point having an employee put in hours and hours to do a task that could be done in half the time with the assistance of AI and that produces stronger output. From a business perspective, using these new resources to their advantage will have profitable benefits, as well as social ones for staff.

What it boils down to is the age-old grapple of input vs. output mindsets. It is now an outdated view for an employer to believe that hard work is measured through the time someone puts in, as what should take precedent is the quality of output that is coming out. The world of work continues to change and evolve every day, and new technology is always going to be a part of this change, so it may be time for employers to stop worrying about how to get work back to the way it was, and instead start adapting to what it continues to become.

It is not uncommon to feel stressed at work, and so how employers manage this can be vital to ensuring that their teams are being supported so they can produce their strongest output. CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that four-fifths (79%) of companies reported some stress-related absences over the last year (and this figure rises to 90% for larger organizations).

So, what can leaders be doing to ward off these stresses?

Leadership Alignment – during periods of economic uncertainty, it’s particularly important that management are aligned on the top priorities for their organization. We already know that the ongoing cost of living crisis is causing stress for employees– an ACAS survey found that three out of five (63%) employees felt stressed because of the rising cost of living – so it’s key that people have confidence in the long-term financial stability of the companies they work for. Having a strong leadership team who are all on the same page sets a great precedent for the overall tone of the business.
Senior Executive Support – it’s not always easy for senior leaders to find that perfect balance between demonstrating optimism for the future of the business and being authentic and transparent with employees. But being calm and clear can prevent staff stressing over assumptions and ‘what ifs’. This reliability and consistency of behavior in higher-ups builds trust with teams, and so it’s important that the messages don’t appear to swing between good and bad news on different days – acknowledging the challenges and connecting them to the company strategy is key. Executive coaching can be a great way of supporting senior leaders as they process their own thoughts and feelings and explore options and solutions.

‘Re-recruiting’ Employees – amid mass layoffs, it is very normal for those employees who keep their job to suffer from ‘survivors guilt’. Remaining employees may also have to flex to focus on objectives that aren’t part of their preferred or original area of work, and this can lead to lower levels of motivation. A great way to mitigate this is to have an employee engagement strategy in place. Through regular check-ins, managers can both keep teams and individuals aligned to the bigger purpose and values of the organization as well as help people see how they are adding value, and recognize achievements, in the immediate term. Running some ‘building resilience’ workshops alongside this can also help with the management of stress during an uncertain time.
Encouraging Paid Time Off – PTO is a great way for employees to decompress, and if employers are encouraging this, it removes any potential awkwardness or guilt around asking. Especially in a hybrid and remote working world, where the boundaries of home and work can sometimes become blurry, it is necessary to reinforce the importance of taking personal time.
Employee Assistance Programs – Having EAPs or mental wellness programs are also useful when dealing with an employee whose stress may require more targeted help from a specialist.

Adopting these practices in your organization can be extremely beneficial to help proactively deal with stress in the workplace. With the working world continuing to evolve and grow in response to the pandemic and to economic fluctuations, ensuring that you have strong protocols in place to help employees manage stress is vital for the health and wellbeing of your people and your company. If you would like to get in touch about creating and implementing organizational strategies to combat stress, get in touch with me at anya@orgshakers.com

An employer’s paid time off (PTO) policy is critical when it comes to attracting new talent – a recent study found that PTO was the second most compelling benefit a company could offer.

This can inevitably lead to the consideration of unlimited PTO. It is already a particularly popular policy amongst US tech, media, and finance companies (a recent survey of 200 of these businesses found that 20% of them were already offering some form of unlimited PTO). As well as this, from a more generalised perspective, workplace discussions of unlimited PTO have risen by 75% since 2019, highlighting its increasing popularity.

But is it the best policy for your organization?

The problem with unlimited PTO is that it can easily sound better than it actually is. The prospect of having no set vacation days is an attractive one – it implies that the company values employee wellbeing – but this may be more in theory than in practice. A lot of the time, employers will probably find staff actually taking less time off then they usually would if they had been allotted a set amount of vacation days. This is primarily because employees don’t know how much is too much, despite the policy indicating that there is no such thing. No one will want to look like the person who takes a lot of time off, as this may reflect badly on their work ethic, and so staff can end up working more.

However, this doesn’t mean that unlimited PTO cannot be successful – but it has to be delivered in a certain way in order for employees to actually feel comfortable and entitled to take it.

For one thing, leaders who lead by example are going to set the cultural tone for their workforce. If employees see their line-managers, team leaders and executive staff enjoying the benefits of unlimited PTO openly, they are going to feel much more relaxed in indulging in this perk.

Secondly, if a business is going to adopt an unlimited PTO policy, a great thing to do would be to also enforce a minimum amount of vacation days every employee must take. This demonstrates how taking time off for oneself is a value that the company holds, and means that everyone is getting time off and not overworking themselves.

Lastly, this policy also requires effective performance coaching to be in place. If a manager notices someone falling behind on their work who is also taking a noticeable amount of PTO, this can lead to missed deadlines and output issues. Leaders having the ability to coach individual performance means shifting from an ‘hours someone is putting in’ mindset to an ‘output someone is producing’ mindset. This way, employees will understand that their vacation time is unlimited, but has to be worked around project deadlines to ensure output remains consistent. This offers staff autonomy and flexibility over their time without a loss in productivity.

It is also very important for employers to be clear about how an unlimited PTO policy goes hand-in-hand with their absence policies – establish the difference between things such as maternity and other leave of absence programs otherwise extended leave may just be taken in paid vacation.

Something to note is that in an increasingly remote and hybrid working world, unlimited PTO may not necessarily be something that’s needed. Instead, companies could look at endorsing flexible working patterns – have a set amount of days whereby an employee can fully check-out from work and be off the grid, but then outside of that, companies should work with their staff to be flexible to their individual needs. This way, PTO can be made to work for everyone, and avoids those feelings of guilt about taking too much time off.

If you would like to discuss how to optimize your PTO policies and overall benefit packages, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Brittany@orgshakers.com

Today marks the beginning of Ramadan – a month-long period of fasting, prayer, and reflection observed by millions of Muslims around the world. This will see many Muslim people adjusting their schedules to accommodate to the demands of their religious practices.

There are just shy of four million Muslims in the UK, and so it is very likely that as an employer, you may have employees who will be observing Ramadan. This means that between the hours of sunrise and sunset, those partaking must go without any food and drink (including water). In the UK this year, that can be for as long as 17 hours, and up to 16 hours in the US.

So, what can employers be doing to support their Muslim employees during this time?

Accommodate flexible working hours – This is probably the most important thing an employer can do during Ramadan. Long periods of time without any sustenance can result in low-energy levels, and so allowing these employees to start and finish work earlier or later than usual can help ensure they can successfully distribute their energy and remain productive (for example, the United Arab Emirates recently announced a reduction of two working hours per day for all employees in the private sector during the holy month). Even offering more remote working hours (if applicable) can be beneficial, as it is easier to be comfortable and retains energy that would be used travelling to and from the office.
Show support and understanding – making adaptions to the workplace and workday are a great signifier of inclusivity, but many Muslim employees would also greatly appreciate team members who recognize the significance of Ramadan to them. Showing support in little ways goes a long way, and will make those employees feel included on a cultural level too.
Be mindful of scheduling – It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that, during this period, employees who have been fasting all day become very tired and hungry as the day goes on. In order to be mindful of this, managers and colleagues can aim to schedule any meetings and events in the earlier hours of the workday, and avoid afternoon/evening exchanges where Muslim employees will likely have less energy.
Provide a private space for prayer – Prayer is a fundamental part of Ramadan, and those observing are required to pray five times a day. Therefore, it is important for organizations to provide a private space for their Muslim employees to pray, such as a conference room or any other quiet area that is not being used.

Employers who are able to successfully demonstrate support to their Muslim employees during this time will be providing an inclusive workplace and promoting the likelihood of retention of these staff members. A recent study found that 56% of Muslims who saw their place of work as supportive during Ramadan were likely to remain working there for the next 5 years.

If you would like to discuss this topic further, or are looking for further guidance on how to make your workplace inclusive to Ramadan and other religious practices, get in touch with me at sayid@orgshakers.com

From time to time, I’m sure all of us have been guilty of procrastinating. And if it is something that isn’t happening very often, then it doesn’t really do much harm.

However, in a world where remote working is continuously on the rise, being able to procrastinate is easier than ever. Resume-Now conducted a study which found that 42% of fully remote workers agreed that they got easily distracted when they were supposed to be working.

This is without the fact that, globally, an estimated 20% of adults are considered chronic procrastinators (this is defined as intentionally postponing a course of action despite knowing that this delay will have negative consequences).

This can be a cause for concern for employers, especially those with hybrid and remote working models. So how can they best respond to this and avoid a loss of productivity?

Firstly, understanding why people procrastinate is a great way of figuring out how to approach it. Neuroscientists have found that our brains battle between the limbic system (which controls our primal instincts) and the prefrontal cortex (which controls planning for the future). When strong emotions like anxiety or fear become overwhelming, our limbic systems can take charge, leading us to impulsively seek gratification in any immediate form, despite the consequences of doing so, i.e., falling behind on work or not meeting a deadline. Tim Urban simplified this idea in his popular TED talk, which described how we all have a ‘rational thinker’ that steers our thoughts, but procrastinators will also have an ‘instant gratification monkey’ which only wants to do fun things and doesn’t consider the drawbacks.

A lot of the time, chronic procrastination stems from feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety. If a manager notices an employee being less productive and missing deadlines consistently, this may be a sign that they are struggling and using procrastination as a short-term solution. One way to help solve this is through the introduction of microbreaks.

A microbreak is essentially a five-minute break which allows an employee to rest their brain between tasks and take a moment for themselves. In a way, this would be employers actively encouraging procrastination, but in a more controlled and mental-health focused manner. If employees are being told to take microbreaks, they won’t find themselves feeling guilty because they wouldn’t consider it procrastinating. This shift in perception can make all the difference, and this is without the fact that microbreaks have been proven to improve engagement and productivity levels.

Another way employers can help staff ignore that pesky monkey is promoting the idea of segmenting their workdays. Cassie Holmes, an expert in time and happiness and author of Happier Hour, discusses the concept of employees dividing their day between ‘happy work’ (which is the work that fuels their passion and they enjoy doing) and ‘work-y work’ (the more repetitive, admin-like tasks). Managers can encourage those who tend to procrastinate to schedule specific time to do the parts of their job they love and the parts they may enjoy a little bit less. This way, the employee is less likely to feel guilty about ‘putting off’ the work-y work, because they know they already have specific time dedicated to doing it.

There isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all approach to responding to employee procrastination, and so it is important to consider various solutions. If you would like to discuss detailed strategies about boosting productivity and engagement and warding of procrastination monkeys, please get in touch with us.

Work can be an intimidating and frustrating experience for neurodivergent individuals, as they can struggle to fit in with coworkers and adhere to organizational culture expectations. Conversely, employers and colleagues can feel challenged when working with neurodivergent team members. Through awareness and a few workplace changes, the benefits connected to a neurodiverse workforce can be optimized.

As the world of work continues to evolve, neurodiversity is getting more attention. This begs the question – how will your organization adjust to employees’ growing demand for recognition and workplace modifications?

The best way to find an answer to this is by first understanding what neurodiversity is and looks like.

According to Harvard Medical School, “Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits.” Statistically speaking, 15-20% of the world’s population is neurodivergent. Dyslexia, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represent, in order, the three most common types of neurodivergence.

So, how can an organization foster neurodiversity at work?

The key concept surrounding neurodiversity is to improve inclusivity for all people. This requires recognition of each individual’s skills, abilities, and strengths, as well as support for their differences. Many organizations, supervisors, and teams may already be adjusting their routines and practices. Raising awareness and intentionally modifying etiquette can ensure employers and employees don’t miss out on the significant opportunities a neurodiverse workforce provides. Here are some examples of how to promote a neurodiverse work environment:

For Sound Sensitivity: provide quiet spaces or white noise areas, give advance notice of auditory disruptions such as loud noises or consistent sound (tapping, hammering) whenever possible, and allow noise-cancelling headphones to be worn in the workplace.

For Motion Sensitivity: conduct standing or walking meetings, allow fidget toys or other movement tools, provide stretch/yoga spaces for brief movement breaks, and invite alternative seating options (exercise balls, floor cushions, etc.).

For Touch Sensitivity: allow physical space differences (patting on back, no touching, handshakes or fist pumps only, 3-6 feet between people, etc.) and alternative surfaces and equipment (smooth or textured work surface, fabric/wood/metal/plastic seating, feel of writing utensil, etc.).

When an organization encourages a few basic “rules of the road”, it can dramatically increase employee engagement, innovation, creativity, and productivity. For example, DO place focus on communicating clearly and concisely – avoid implied messages or meaning. Be ready to break tasks down into small steps to ensure understanding and work with individuals to identify their preferred learning style; some may learn best with written instructions while others thrive through auditory direction. And, whenever possible, announce any changes to plans in advance to give people a chance to adjust to this change.

However, DON’T make assumptions. Before interpreting someone’s behavior, ask them about their preferences, needs, and goals. Inform people of workplace etiquette before accusing someone of rudeness or rule breaking, and provide the opportunity for individuals to ask clarifying questions that foster understanding.

Mentra has also put together a list of their ‘Top Ten Accommodations’ for neurodiverse employees that can be very helpful:

Noise Cancelling Headphones
Written, concise instructions
Uninterrupted work time
Interviewer experienced with neurodiversity
Flexible schedule
Email/Calendar organization
Extra time
Job coaching or mentoring
Allowance of fidgeting devices
Closed captioning and recorded meetings

Neurodivergent individuals may be overlooked in traditional recruiting practices and that is a definite loss in talent for organizations. Work environments that acknowledge and support neurodiversity can outperform their competitors through innovation, engagement, dedication, and output. But without the right tools, training (a recent study found that only 23% of HR professionals have had specific neurodiversity training in the last year), and workplace practices, many employers can find themselves struggling to gain access to this vast pool of talent. So, if you would like to discuss the best way to hire, onboard and include neurodivergent employees, get in touch with me at amanda@orgshakers.com

Equal Pay Day comes around every year to shed light on the fact that pay disparities are still very much present – women working full-time in the US are still only paid 83% of what men earn for the same job.

But for employers to successfully address pay disparity, they first must understand the differences between pay equality and pay equity, and how to utilize them successfully.

Pay equality is the practice that all employees are paid the same amount for doing the same job, regardless of their gender, race, or other protected characteristics. This essentially means that if two employees have the same job role, same responsibilities, and same qualifications, then they should both receive the same pay.

Pay equity, more broadly, is the practice of ensuring that employees are paid fairly for the actual work they do, taking into account factors such as job responsibilities, required skills and experience, and market demand. This means that two people who have the same job title may not be paid the same wage, if one of them has more responsibilities and/or experience than the other and market demand is different based on the location of their work.

When organizations are looking to solve pay disparities, they need to bear in mind that pay alone should not be the sole focus for assessing fairness. Typically, pay disparity issues will be a symptom of wider systemic problems – there may be practices or cultural issues which inadvertently cause (or worsen) these inconsistencies.

That is why the best way of approaching this issue is by using both pay equity and pay equality mindsets. Ensuring that your pay is equitable is vital when attracting and retaining talent, as it means that people are considered based on their value and talent rather than their gender, race or anything else.

But for equitable pay to even truly be achievable, you must first look at the wider context of pay equality on an organizational level. If your processes are not established in a way which allows for employees to be considered on an equal basis from the outset, then you cannot attempt to pay people equitably.

Therefore, to achieve pay equity and pay equality, a company must establish a pay philosophy, which acts as a clear strategy for how the business approaches compensation.

In addition to this, implementing transparent and objective pay practices, regularly reviewing and adjusting pay structures, and eliminating any biases in hiring processes and the company culture, will allow for an employer to successfully be able to pay employees equally and equitably. And this is undoubtedly a smart business move – McKinsey discovered that the least diverse organizations were found to be 27% more likely to underperform on profitability, whereas those companies that were most diverse outperformed their peers by 36%.

However, a company will fail to attract a diverse talent pool if it cannot demonstrate equality and equity in their wages. So, if you need guidance in creating or solidifying your pay philosophy, get in contact with me at alisa.cardenas@orgshakers.com