Blog - Page 4 of 21

How Can You Build a Better Workplace?

Courtney Shipshock April 30, 2021

There are so many ways to build a better workplace. We’ll discuss a couple here, including ways to improve recruitment and training, but a deeper discussion could be held on each of these points. Building a better workplace doesn’t happen overnight and we’re constantly growing and moving forward as we learn what it takes to inspire employees to love where they work—first through the way that they are recruited, trained, and onboarded.

Recruitment

When discussing a better workplace, it makes sense to start with an employee’s experience on day one, or better yet, on their negative 10th day, before they’ve actually begun. The recruitment process can be the first taste an employee gets of a company’s culture. Plus, who we hire can make a major impact on our culture as well. It’s important to examine both of these factors when looking to build a better and stronger place to work.

Culture Add, Not Culture Fit

A lot of companies talk about “culture fit” when they are hiring new staff. While the intention is there, perhaps a better approach is to look for “culture add.” Culture fit can often create a homogenous culture that doesn’t foster diversity and growth. Looking for people who can actually add to your current culture, not just fit in, will enhance your diversity efforts and bring in new perspectives that help your business grow.

Training and Development

After you’ve established a solid team of talented people, it’s important that you implement the training and development they need to succeed. Building a better workplace isn’t a finite process. A better workplace continuously pushes its employees to do better and be better, giving them the tools they need to be successful.

Focus on Corporate Goals

When it comes to training our workforce, we should begin by aligning their work with our company mission. While we may put these words in fancy fonts on our webpage, only 40% of the workforce reported knowing their company’s goals, strategies, and tactics. When employees understand how their work is impacting the big picture, they’ll feel better coming into work every day. This is how we build a better workforce – we cast vision and help our employees understand their role in reaching these goals.

Interested in learning more about what it takes to build a better workplace? Check out our free e-book to continue exploring how you can implement these tips in your workplace!

Answering All Your Employee Recognition Questions

Courtney Shipshock April 1, 2021

Regular employee recognition can inspire increased employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention. But if you’re not an employee recognition pro, you may not realize some of the important details about why, when, and how you should be regularly, formally, and informally recognizing your employees!

Why Should You Recognize?

As we mentioned above, the impacts of employee recognition cannot be overstated. Furthermore, the impacts hit nearly every aspect of your organization. From improved employee satisfaction to increased retention and reduced turnover to boosting your culture, recognition positively affects an entire organization. Plus, this is the case for any type of recognition. Employee recognition in the form of positive feedback, public acknowledgment of great work on a project or task, or a monetary reward are all great ways to say “thank you” to your high-performing employees.

When Should You Recognize?

Remember, employees should be recognized at least once every two weeks for various things, such as great performance, a job well done on a certain project or initiative, collaborating with a teammate, or hopping in to lend an extra hand. However, it’s vital that the recognition takes place soon after the event for which they’re being recognized. Employee recognition that quickly follows a great performance can help draw a connection for employees between their job well done and the positive feedback, thus increasing the possibility that they continue to perform at the same high level.

How Should You Recognize?

For many HR professionals, the ‘how’ can often be the most difficult part of recognizing employees. Understandably, it’s tough to single-handedly develop, implement, and maintain an employee recognition program. That’s why PerkSpot is managing that process for you. With PerkSpot’s Rewards and Recognition Program, you get an easy system for regularly recognizing employees. Plus, you’ll have the option to include a monetary reward as well. We’ve even developed a calendar that provides tips, suggestions, and weekly reminders for recognizing your employees!

Recognize your employees in a uniform manner with our Q2 Recognition calendar. Want to learn more about partnering with PerkSpot to start offering your employees the recognition they deserve, in a way that matches your organization’s culture and budget? Request a demo here!

7 Affordable Ways to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

Courtney Shipshock February 25, 2021

Get ready, HR professionals, because Employee Appreciation Day is March 5! While you should be recognizing and appreciating your employees throughout the entire year, this day is the perfect time to go the extra mile and show your employees that you care. Check out some of our favorite ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day with options that won’t break your recognition budget.

1. Volunteer Day

Surveys show that a workplace that encourages and even organizes ways for employees to volunteer can help improve employee morale and the overall workplace atmosphere. Yet, many employees find it’s difficult to volunteer simply because they can’t find the time. This Employee Appreciation Day, organize a day dedicated to volunteering. You can find hundreds of volunteer opportunities, both remote and safely in person, via Volunteer Match. From there, choose to volunteer as one organization or give employees the day to volunteer in their own individual ways.

2. Remote Game Day

Inject some fun into your Employee Appreciation Day celebrations! Organize a remote game day that allows employees to stay safe, yet still socialize and compete against their coworkers. Trivia, bingo, or online games like JackBox are all great ways to kick off a virtual game day with employees. Don’t forget some fun prizes too!

3. Personalized Gift Bags

Show your appreciation with a fun and personalized gift bag that shows your employees you care. If your budget allows it, you can outsource this option, but filling and delivering gift bags yourself is also a fun option that allows you to interact with your employees and say hi in person. At PerkSpot, we went for this option ourselves! Gift bags filled with toys for children or pets, plus branded items and tasty snacks were delivered safely by hand to PerkSpotters and proved to be quite the hit!

4. An Appreciation Video

At the core of it, Employee Appreciation Day is about saying thank you. Do so with a fun video compiled of your leadership team delivering some personalized thank yous to their team members and other employees. Us PerkSpotters tried this idea out to great success! We gathered via Zoom to watch the video together and employees chatted about the various fun, appreciative, and kind words for days to come.

5. Floating Day Off

Every employee appreciates a day to themselves. This year, surprise employees with the opportunity to take a day off at a time that works for them. This is both a way to show appreciation for employees. Plus, it gives helpful encouragement to practice self-care for employees struggling with their work/life balance.

6. Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Employee appreciation shouldn’t just come from leadership! Encourage employees of every level to provide recognition and appreciation for their fellow coworkers, managers, and team members. This kind of recognition is incredibly effective as well. Reports show peer-to-peer recognition is 36% more likely to have a positive impact on financial results than recognition that only comes from the top. Plus, studies show 44% of employees will offer peer recognition with an easy tool that allows them to do so. Psst—PerkSpot’s Reward & Recognition platform easily allows for peer recognition!

7. Personalized Recognition

Simply providing recognition via gift cards is a popular choice for employers who want to tie a monetary reward to their recognition. However, why not go the extra step to personalize your recognition? Make it feel customized for each employee by offering them monetary recognition that can be redeemed on a gift card of their choice! With PerkSpot’s Reward & Recognition program, employers can send a value of their choice that employees can redeem on more than 200 different gift cards, from travel to experiences and local favorites to nationwide brands. Plus, PerkSpot’s R&R Program includes options like sending non-monetary recognition and adding a personalized note to the employee’s reward, where the sender can explain what specific actions an employee is being rewarded for.

Employee Appreciation Day is a wonderful day to remind your employees that you recognize and value their hard work. This year, try one of these great and affordable options that will show your appreciation. Plus, if you’re interested in offering your employees even more this Employee Appreciation Day, fill out a form and learn how you can partner with PerkSpot to give your recognition efforts a boost!

Cost-Free Ways to Support Working Parents

Courtney Shipshock February 5, 2021

In 2019, it was reported that about 41 percent of workers between the ages of 20 and 54 have a child at home. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, that number becomes even more important. It also reflects the number of workers who are juggling work, child care, remote learning, and more. Whether they’re remote, contracted, or essential employees, offering support to the working parents in your organization is incredibly important. The degrees of support you can offer working parents will vary from company to company. It depends on several different factors, including how many parents you employ, what your budget is, and more. However, there are still several options you can provide working parents that fit your budget—keep reading to learn more!

Assess Gaps in Support

To figure out where your organization can start offering better support to working parents, you need to first understand what kind of support you are—and aren’t—offering now. Look for gaps in your company culture, ongoing business processes, and benefits that make it more difficult for working parents to find success in their roles. Additionally, it’s important to understand what type of support your employees are actually looking for. From there, you can more accurately address the needs of your working parent employees.

Offer Flexibility

As a human resources professional, you know the difficulty of searching for, securing, and managing benefits that meet your diverse workforce’s needs. But that shouldn’t get in the way of offering support to the working parents at your organization. Start at the beginning by offering significant flexibility in the aspects of employees’ day-to-day routines.

Work closely with working parents to come up with a schedule that works for them. In addition, try to place less emphasis on the regular “9-5” working day. If your organization relies on strict hours or scheduled time tables, give employees the opportunity to edit their scheduling preferences based on their child-care needs. Above all, remember that an attitude of compassion and empathy is absolutely vital—working parents are juggling two full-time jobs as they care for their children and fulfill their professional obligations. They’ll appreciate your efforts to meet them where they are by providing flexible support.

Promote Vacation Usage

The pandemic seriously impacted the way employees took their vacation days in 2020. In fact, according to a recent survey, 92 percent of Americans said they canceled, postponed, or didn’t book a vacation due to the pandemic. As a result, many employees’ vacation days were left unused. We know that historically, taking breaks from work, whether it was for a mental health day, a vacation, or a stay-cation, was momentously helpful for an employees’ work-life balance and wellness.

While travel isn’t as much of an option these days, it’s still important to encourage and promote the usage of vacation time in your organization. Why? We know it provides a much-needed break. But in addition, it can give working parents the opportunity to spend time with their families and mentally recharge with some of their favorite self-care activities. How can you do this? Send out regular reminders for employees about how many vacation days they have remaining. Teach managers how to notice the signs of an employee, especially a working parent, who looks and feels stressed or burnt out. Take the lead yourself by using your own vacation time. Then, share with coworkers how you were able to relax and recharge during your break!

Encourage Family-Friendly Culture Events and Support Systems

For many working parents, it can feel uncomfortable to bring up their children during working hours. Combat this discomfort by creating an environment that allows working parents to feel comfortable and even encouraged to share about their life outside of work. Is your organization one that often holds company events (including remote ones, given the pandemic)? Brainstorm options that are family-friendly and fun for all ages to participate in. Take PerkSpot, for example. Our holiday celebrations included a magician who performed over Zoom, and parents were encouraged to invite their children to join. If your company relies on virtual communication tools, consider creating a channel or forum where working parents can discuss ideas for remote learning, funny stories, and ways to keep children engaged during working hours.

Offer Financial Aid on Child Care and Children’s Products

Even before the pandemic, a significant portion of working parents’ income went to child-care costs. In fact, the average American couple spends 25.6 percent of their net income on child care alone. These days, financial stress is at an all-time high. It’s important to consider what your organization can do via additional benefits that would provide support for working parents. Discover the cost-free PerkSpot solution—offer your employees exclusive discounts on more than 30,000 products and services. This includes child care from the nation’s top providers, children’s toys, food, clothes, and other important baby gear.

Both working parents and your organization as a whole will benefit from providing the type of aid we’ve listed above. Offering child-care support alone can decrease job turnover by more than 60 percent! Plus, it can inspire improved job satisfaction and loyalty, not to mention a more productive workforce. Give the working parents at your organization the help they need, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. If you’re interested in offering exclusive discounts to working parents and your entire workforce, get in touch!

HR Trends We’re Seeing in 2021

Courtney Shipshock January 15, 2021

As expected, HR trends began popping up in late 2019 and early 2020. Yet, none of them could’ve accurately predicted the shift that would occur in our nation and around the world as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Changes to company processes, culture, and HR were almost immediate, forcing employees and leadership to adapt right along with them. This year, we’re using lessons learned in the last year to predict what HR trends will look like in 2021.

Home as the New Office

Among other things, 2020 was the year of proving a remote workforce, or other adapted versions of it, was possible. In 2021, expect this HR trend to not only continue, but flourish. Despite its challenges, remote working has provided more flexibility and ways to save time and money for employees. Plus, it makes the employer more attractive to potential job candidates. Though we can’t predict when things will return to “normal,” whatever that new normal may be, surveys from Gartner and PwC show that remote working and collaboration is here to stay, with over 80% of leaders reporting they’ll permit remote work to continue past the pandemic and 78% of CEOs surveyed saying the same for remote collaboration among employees.

Stronger Emphasis on the Value of HR

The coronavirus changed virtually everything about how employees worked—and lived. As a result, eyes turned to Human Resources departments for guidance on new benefits, work procedures, and more. Now that we have a handle on the situation, we expect HR leaders to step up more this year. Permanent changes to benefits, communication methods, and recruitment will all likely take place in the new year. We will look to HR to lead the charge on those changes.

Personalized Benefits

As many companies implemented new ways of working, employees were all experiencing severely different situations. Some dealt with lay offs or furloughs; others juggled working and providing childcare or remote learning support for children; others still experienced difficulties in managing their physical and mental wellness. As a result, we expect the trend of personalization to be applied to benefits that meet employees wherever they are. This concept of personalized benefits provides individual aid that helps each employee, no matter their situation. As an employee discount provider, we found the benefit that we provide uniquely offers this aid. With PerkSpot, employees save on remote work tools, childcare, mental and physical wellness products, plus discounts on everyday items that were crucial for those dealing with difficult financial situations.

Integrating Purpose Into Business

As many companies shifted to remote working, leaders grew concerned about productivity and engagement levels dipping. This concern grew from the lack of presence of coworkers and a strict work environment. In 2021, one way to combat these concerns is to emphasize and integrate purpose back into your business. A PwC survey found that 79% of leaders believe purpose is central to business success. As HR leaders, it’s up to you to emphasize the importance of purpose to managers and employees alike, reminding them that their work is crucial and matters to those it impacts, whomever they may be. Speak with leaders to ensure closer ties between company strategy and company values. Regularly communicate these ties to managers and employees.

Upskilling for Employees

Upskilling is a new concept that has the potential to take center stage in 2021. Plus, it can cover a number of different areas. In fact, a recent survey from TalentLMS found that 42% of companies increased their efforts to upskill employees after the coronavirus outbreak, and 42% of employees pursued training opportunities on their own. As companies expand to incorporate new technologies, rely on employees to roll with the non-stop punches, and ask the workforce to more independently focus on individual projects and responsibilities, upskilling can significantly help with these changes. We predict that 2021 will be a year that emphasizes the importance of upskilling employees within the workforce to expand skillsets, provide new opportunities, and fill higher roles within the organization.

2020 was full of changes to the way we work, communicate, interact, and engage, and many of those changes came swiftly and without any warning. As we enter the new year, we hope we’ll have a much better idea of the changes coming and can more accurately begin shifting our HR strategies and plans to account for them.

What is the Value of Employee Recognition?

Courtney Shipshock November 12, 2020

As an HR professional, you’ve probably heard time and time again about the importance of employee recognition in your workplace. But recognition—and its impacts—can be difficult to measure. In turn, it makes it difficult for you to prove value and positive effect to important stakeholders in your organization. Check out 4 ways employee recognition can positively impact your company and your employees below!

Recognition Impacts Productivity

At its most basic level, the purpose of recognition is to acknowledge a job well done by an employee. And without it, productivity is likely to fall. In fact, a recent survey found that engagement, productivity, and performance are 14% higher than in those companies without recognition. A company that implements employee recognition of any form is more likely to see not only a more productive workforce but a workforce that can quickly and intelligibly recognize good work that aligns with a company’s mission and values. Furthermore, public employee recognition can take this one step further by showcasing what kind of work receives recognition. This helps spread higher output and productivity throughout teams and the organization as a whole.

Recognition Impacts Retention and Turnover

How often do you recognize your employees right now? If it’s not on a regular basis, there’s a chance you could be negatively impacting both retention and turnover in the process. In fact, employees said in a Gallup survey that they didn’t feel adequately recognized at their jobs, making them twice as likely as their regularly recognized counterparts to consider quitting their current jobs. Implement a regular system of employee recognition. In turn, you can retain your hard-working, well-trained employees, and avoid the task of replacing them.

Recognition Impacts Culture

Have you ever heard the phrase “culture of recognition”? While many companies may claim to have this type of culture, their methods and cadences of employee recognition may beg to differ. To truly achieve a culture of recognition, a more formalized and regulated method of employee recognition must be implemented within your organization. Something as simple as a regular “Thank you for your hard work on this task” can do wonders for employees and the way they feel about their jobs, but recognition must come in other forms as well to help employees feel that their company is truly invested in themselves and develop a true culture of recognition. Of course, programs like these can seem overwhelming or too difficult to manage alongside other important tasks. That’s why PerkSpot offers an employee recognition program and platform that effectively manages itself, filling your organization’s gap in recognition and providing a fast, easy, and effective solution for employee recognition.

Recognition During COVID-19 and the Holiday Season

Now more than ever, your company must consider how it’s recognizing employees. Between a global pandemic and the stress of the holiday season, employees likely feel more burned out, unproductive, and frazzled by things like finances and work/life balance than ever before. Remember, employee recognition doesn’t always have to be given to the highest earners or performers. Recognition can also exist to simply acknowledge employees who are working hard. This provides them with a boost in confidence and a way to feel more engaged in their roles and responsibilities. This holiday season, recognize your employees when they need it most.

You cannot overstate the importance of employee recognition. Regularly recognizing employees for their hard work and dedication to their organization is absolutely essential. Plus, it has far-sweeping benefits throughout your entire organization and bottom line. If you’re interested in partnering with PerkSpot to implement an effective and easily managed recognition system, reach out today!

How HR Has Adapted Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Courtney Shipshock October 15, 2020

Like nearly everything in 2020, human resources has seen a dramatic transformation in its role and responsibilities since the pandemic began. As companies make necessary and important changes, HR plays an important role. Read on to learn more about how human resources changed for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic.

Adjusted Talent Acquisition

In the past, one of HR’s main responsibilities as an entire department was talent acquisition. Unsurprisingly, this has not changed much throughout the pandemic, though you may have seen an interruption or increase in hiring based on your company’s services. No matter how your company’s hiring process transformed, one thing can be certain: on top of the hard skills sought out for different positions, new soft skills became increasingly essential.

Qualities like adaptability, communication, and independence are more necessary than ever as companies encounter unexpected challenges that require employees to quickly pivot. These qualities are things candidates should have always possessed, but now, they may be considered just as important as possessing the technical skills a job requires—and that won’t end with the pandemic. Going forward, update your job postings to include and emphasize the necessity of these soft skills. This can actually create a broader pool of candidates who strongly demonstrate these qualities and can be trained or developed to acquire more technical skills.

Increased Flexibility

There is no doubt you’ve had firsthand experience in adapting to meet the pandemic’s challenges. Not shockingly, this increased flexibility will carry on long after the pandemic has ended. Furthermore, it should be applied to various aspects of human resources. More flexibility in terms of scheduling should be granted to employees dealing with childcare or other dependents. Those working remotely will need colleagues to understand situations arise that can decrease productivity.

What’s more, as HR professionals, you yourself will have to continue to practice the same kind of flexibility you did throughout the last eight months. As new rules and regulations were put in place by CDC and local governments, your own processes probably changed as well. Expect this to continue as additional or evolved guidelines are introduced and a vaccine is eventually developed, once again changing all of our interactions. As the HR field transforms, one thing that stays the same is how your role’s flexibility can support fellow employees navigate the new challenges they’re facing.

Updated Guidelines

As an HR professional, you’re likely well-versed in legislation that impacts your company. Expect this increase ten-fold and change your company’s own guidelines, therefore requiring significant updates on your end. For example, a partially or completely remote workforce could spell out different legal problems than those for a workforce that is entirely in-person, like overtime regulations, workplace safety guidelines (no matter where the “workplace” is), and more.

Proactively inspect your workplace handbook to uncover areas that should be built out to offer additional regulations for employees. But also remember that during these times, regular updates to your company handbook and guidelines may be necessary to stay on top of changing legislation.

Updated Benefits

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for employees. Issues like decreased mental health and employee burnout are on the rise. Plus, employees have new challenges like caring for loved ones or a lack of financial security. Employees will look to you to offer some kind of improved benefit that satisfies these needs, while still fitting a smaller-than-normal budget. (Reminder—PerkSpot is a cost-free discount provider!)

At PerkSpot, we believe an employer-sponsored discount program can be the answer to these issues. As an all-in-one employee discount provider, we’ve worked hard to partner with brands that offer products and services like online therapy, financial assistance, childcare, senior care, and more. If you currently offer your employees a perk like this, be sure to communicate it to your employees as often as possible, ensuring they’re aware of and using their benefit, which is especially valuable at a time like this. If you’re hoping to improve your benefits offering like this, look no further. PerkSpot is a solution that satisfies the needs of a diverse workforce and fits into your budget. Interested in partnering with PerkSpot? Click here to request a demo and learn more!

What Perks Do Your Employees Want Right Now?

Courtney Shipshock September 11, 2020

What we believed to be a short stint of remote working before returning to the office stretched out over several months and may be extended into Q4 and beyond. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies made small adjustments to their benefits to help support their employees. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that bigger, more permanent changes will have to be made to account for the changes we’ve seen taking place in the offices and organizations across the country.

As the budgeting season draws nearer, it’s important that you’re taking a look at how you’re allocating funds towards employee benefits and how you can continue to do so, taking into account their changing wants and needs. Check out some of the voluntary benefits that are likely to become the most sought after perks for employees.

Childcare

For the parents in your office, a perk related to childcare might be the best thing you could offer. But even prior to the pandemic, childcare was not a commonly provided benefit for employees in need. In 2018, only two percent of employers offered some sort of assistance for the cost of childcare. Now, as employees scramble to remain productive while dealing with their children’s’ care and for some, children’s at-home learning, some kind of support is desperately needed. Consider your budget to determine what type of support you can offer. At the very least, a more flexible schedule for employees can allow them to juggle work and childcare. But if you have the room in your budget, options like partially or fully offsite subsidized childcare, onsite childcare, or back-up care providers are all fantastic ways to support your employees and their families during this difficult time.

Physical and Mental Health and Wellness

We have all dealt with the difficult impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways. For many, the pandemic and its resulting quarantine have been incredibly hard to handle, putting a strain on the mental and physical health and wellness of thousands—including your employees. In recent years, wellness benefits were a popular offering for employees. Now more than ever, it’s important to show you value your employees and empathize with their hardships. How can you do this, given the restraints of a tight budget? Look into various options for providing some kind of wellness benefit. Options like at-home fitness subscriptions, mental health apps, and licensed tele-therapists are all growing in popularity for employers who want to support their employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.

Technological Support

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 7 million people were already working remotely. While reports covering the full number of employees who have moved to part- or full-time remote working due to the coronavirus haven’t been conducted yet, we can only assume that number is significant. If you’re one of the thousands of companies who have moved to some type of work-from-home situation, it’s important to consider how you’re supporting your employees experiencing this sudden change—not only intangible but also tangible support.

This means things that can increase productivity and make a work-from-home set up more feasible. For example, what kind of technology are your employees outfitted with at home? Do they have a quiet space that encourages them to focus? Is their internet connection strong enough to support the amount of work they’re doing each day? If you’re unsure, one of the best ways to find these details out is through a quick, online survey that your employees can fill out, explaining their needs and how their current working environment helps or hinders them. If you don’t have the capability to outright purchase and lend office supplies and technology to employees, consider offering them a small stipend or discounts for what they need.

Recognition

No matter the budget you’re working with, recognizing your employees is a must. At its core, recognition helps reward those who perform above and beyond what is expected of them. It helps promote your company’s values and creates a culture of appreciation throughout your workplace. But beyond that, recognition doesn’t just exist to reward the highest performing employees. It also works as a tool for communication and compassion. Not to mention, end-of-year bonuses won’t provide the immediate financial support employees need right now, while real-time recognition can. It can produce stronger confidence and higher productivity in an employee’s work, and tying your recognition to a monetary reward is a great way to help those employees dealing with financial stress and instability.

How Can You Offer All These Perks With Your Budget in Mind?

So, you understand the perks your employees want. But you may be asking yourself, how can I possibly manage to fit all of this, plus other unmentioned perks like much-needed financial assistance or fun, healthy snacks like they used to get in the office, into a budget that’s already been tightened thanks to COVID-19? PerkSpot might be the solution you’re looking for.

As an employee discount and recognition program, PerkSpot is a cost-free and effective way to help your employees save money right now, when it really matters most. We offer thousands of discounts in more than 25 categories, allowing employees to save on small purchases, like groceries, meal-delivery, and home entertainment, as well as big-ticket buys, like automobiles, home services, and more. Best of all, as a cost-free program, PerkSpot works with any type of budget. When you sit down to adjust your benefits and determine what portion of your budget should be directed towards new and existing perks and benefits, be sure to keep PerkSpot in mind.

3 Reasons Company Culture Is So Important Amidst COVID-19

Courtney Shipshock August 7, 2020

Company culture has transformed from a popular HR buzzword to an important element that companies give serious consideration to. As COVID-19 continues to impact how companies manage their employees and their business, culture is more important than ever. Check out a few reasons why keeping up with your company culture is so important right now!

1. Recruitment, Hiring, and Onboarding

During the early stages of the coronavirus, things like recruitment and hiring came to a halt for many companies as they worked to navigate the rough waters of the pandemic. However, it’s become increasingly apparent that we can no longer put important processes like hiring on hold. Instead, we must focus on transforming them, just as many companies have done with other facets of their work.

Company culture has always been an important part of recruitment and hiring. It’s a wonderful way for candidates to better understand the inner workings of the company they’re applying and interviewing at. This is why it should be at the forefront of all HR professionals’ minds while determining a new hiring process.

For example, how do you utilize social media to convey company culture? This is especially important given candidates often can’t meet with you or experience your workplace in person. Consider the interview process, especially for the companies and employees deemed essential. How do you show candidates what steps you’re taking to ensure employee health and safety? Upon hiring, do you have a carefully thought-out and prepared plan to onboard an employee who may have to work remotely for the foreseeable future? All of these are questions that will reflect your company culture. Therefore, you should be considering each one as you develop a new hiring plan amidst the coronavirus.

2. Communication

For many companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, communication has become vital. As a company with essential employees, communicating new health guidelines or changes in hours should be done in a timely manner. As a company whose employees have remained remote, online communication has become one of the only ways to transmit important messages and information.

No matter what your business is, you likely know the importance of communication. But what many don’t realize is how communication and company culture are connected. Remember, company culture isn’t just about weekly happy hours or interesting amenities at your workplace. It’s also about how you value your employees’ health and wellbeing, and how you transparently demonstrate that to them. To keep your company culture strong during the pandemic, reinforce your support of employees by keeping communication constant and educational, and offering a space for them to respond if needed. Work to quickly develop new guidelines based on the information you’re receiving. Then, communicate them to your employees in a way that is digestible and concise. Use different communication channels to send out messages with varying degrees of importance. This way, employees can quickly understand the gravity of a given situation.

For example, PerkSpot leverages a few different communication channels. We rely on Slack to communicate more casual notices, like a fun company-wide initiative or virtual event. We depend on email to send out important messages, like new in-office guidelines or rules for quarantining. Plus, we hold a regular cadence of company-wide meetings, creating a forum in which employees can get updates on other departments and ask questions about future plans or team developments. This effective and transparent system of communicating helps employees better fulfill their roles and responsibilities, thus creating a culture of connected and engaged employees!

3. Productivity and Engagement

Speaking of engagement, there’s no doubt of the connection between company culture and a productive and engaged workforce. A study by Queens School of Business and the Gallup Organization found disengaged workers showed 37% more absenteeism, 49% more accidents, and 60% more errors. Plus, that disengagement translated to 18% lower productivity!

A positive company culture, on the other hand, typically produces more engaged employees. This is because it promotes general employee wellness, support, and respect. If leaders or management put too much of an emphasis on working long hours or being overly productive, without mentioning the value of daily breaks or acknowledging employees’ hard work, a stressful and negative culture can quickly emerge. So, how can you promote a culture of employee wellness and support? Encourage employees to take breaks away from their work, especially if they’re remote. Offer resources that foster both physical and mental wellbeing and motivate leaders in your company to set an example by doing so as well. Recognize your employees going above and beyond to produce great results, which promotes a more engaged workforce and a culture of workplace appreciation.

For example, as an employee discount provider, PerkSpot employees receive all of the benefits that we offer our clients! That means PerkSpotters have access to discounted mental health apps, home workout products, and more. Plus, we add and highlight new discounts that are relevant to the wellbeing of employees regularly so employees are aware of them. These perks are a great way for leadership to demonstrate how they prioritize the health of their employees which, in turn, leads to a more productive and engaged workforce!

For many years, company culture has been a way for companies to highlight their values to current and potential employees. But amidst an unprecedented pandemic, company culture also offers the opportunity to help promote stronger engagement and more informative communication. Plus, it’s the perfect way to attract potential employees when so many other resources aren’t available. As we all work to navigate COVID-19 and its impacts, be sure you continue to prioritize and adapt your company culture!

7 Steps for Returning to Your Office After COVID-19

Courtney Shipshock June 25, 2020

After months of getting accustomed to remote working, many companies are now beginning to consider how they will return to the office, while still keeping their workforce safe and healthy. We outlined 7 basic steps to take that can help you develop a plan for a post-COVID-19 workplace.

1. Create a Team

Getting started on a plan of attack? To understand the needs of your employees, you should enlist the help of those who know them best! Start a team that includes leadership, as well as employees from your human resources, technology, legal, and operations departments. Include employees from other departments as well. They can offer fresh insight into the general concerns and needs of employees planning to return to the office. This team will be instrumental in developing the guidelines and policies you put in place for your office’s return—but more on that in step 3!

2. Ensure a Safe and Clean Office to Return To

As we all know, hygiene is a top priority as we consider how to return to the office. Make sure there are no concerns about your office’s initial cleanliness. Bring in a professional team of cleaners who know the best way to rid your office of the germs left there and armed with the right tools to do so. If you have cleaners regularly come to your workplace, it might be prudent to increase the cadence of their cleaning, as well as which areas they’re focusing on. For example, regularly disinfect individual employees’ desks, as well as common areas employees congregate in for lunch, breaks, or meetings. To learn more about properly cleaning and disinfecting your workplace, check out these recommendations by the CDC.

3. Develop and Enforce Strict Hygiene Standards

So, your office is sparkling clean, and you’ve got a team brainstorming methods for helping employees return to the office. It’’s time to start thinking about what rules you want to create and enforce. This may vary from workplace to workplace. However, guidelines like washing hands properly, using hand sanitizer, taking employees’ temperatures daily and logging them, creating a flow for moving throughout the office, and adding distance between employees’ workstations are great places to start. Communicate with managers that they should practice these guidelines well, to act as an example for others. Be sure to communicate the rules your team creates often and in multiple places. A slack channel, intranet forum, or the like dedicated to returning to the office, signage on the walls of common areas and employee restrooms, and a company-wide email that compiles all of the new practices are the perfect way to kick off communications.

4. Update Your Handbook and Other Documented Policies

After your team finalizes and implements the rules adhering to your office’s new hygiene standards, be sure you document it properly by updating your handbook, as well as any other documentation where important policies are kept. This way, both HR and employees have a point of reference for the new guidelines. This makes it easier to uphold and follow them. When updating these, consider a response plan for employees who suspect they have or have come into contact with someone who has had COVID-19, as well as the possibility of changing your sick leave and your remote working policy, either temporarily or permanently, to account for those employees. Once you update, communicate it with employees and encourage them to read through the new policies carefully!

5. Seek Out Ways to Keep Up Employee Morale and Company Culture

Amidst all of your planning and preparations for returning to your office, it’s important you keep in mind employee morale and your company’s culture, two things that are vital to a satisfied workforce. You may not be able to carry on with your normal team outings or weekly happy hours. However, there are still ways to incorporate employee morale and culture into your return! For example, offer a service (or a discount for one!) that provides employees who struggled during quarantine mental health support. Encourage employees to stay social with their coworkers, albeit from a small distance. Continue to host virtual hangouts or happy hours if you were doing so during quarantine. Additionally, offering recognition for employees’ hard work is a known way to improve morale, and monetary recognition can be especially helpful for those employees who were financially impacted by the pandemic.

6. Continue Monitoring and Approving

You know what they say: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” This holds true for your plans to return to the office as well! Understand that you’ll never be fully finished in refining the guidelines you put into place for your employees as they transition once again, this time from remote working to being back in their workplace. Create a forum or another type of space for employees to offer feedback. They can report on how they feel the return has gone so far and ideas for improvement and enhancement. Your employees are the ones most impacted by the rules you and your team have created, so it’s crucial that you listen to their responses and work to incorporate them into your new workplace practices.

7. Be Flexible!

This last step is less of a step and more of an attitude that you should always display throughout the course of the return to your workplace. Flexibility will be key in these next few months as you work with employees who may not feel comfortable returning to work this early, who may have conditions that prevent them from doing so, or ones who are excited to return but have responsibilities like childcare or older family members to address. Offer options like flexible hours or help with childcare, transportation, and other hindrances that keep employees from returning to work.

Returning to the workplace will be no easy task! However, by following these simple steps, you’ll ensure you’ve created a safe and healthy workplace to return to for employees.