Double down on employee strengths — and everybody wins

By Jared Bilski • October 11, 2012

Adapted from What’s New in Benefits & Compensation

If you’ve hired well, then you probably have a lot of employees who are eager to expand their on-the-job skills. Good employees always want to learn more and do more. It’s the quality that made them good in the first place.

So, if your suggestion box is jammed with requests from people wanting more training opportunities, don’t keep them waiting. Cross-training is the ideal way to double your staffing strength without ever having to hire anyone.

The key is to do the training without compromising other pressing needs.

Select a core group

Step one is to identify those people who want to be cross-trained.

Use email, newsletter or other communication channels to let it be known that cross-training opportunities are being developed. Once you get a reliable list of people wanting training, sit them down to make sure they have your best interests in mind, as well as their own.

The win-win is to find out which skills people are most interested in and how those skills can be used to support the organization.

It also helps to identify what people are most passion about, and who are best positioned to take advantage of the training.

Just remember, some people might want to jump ship once they’ve mastered a new skill. Teach a busboy to be a waiter, and you’ll soon need a new busboy.

Build an efficient system

Finding the most efficient way to train people is key to success. The obvious route is to have people work alongside those who already have the skills the employees in the cross-training program are trying to attain.

But that creates another challenge: Who will do the jobs of the employees being cross-trained?

There’s no simple solution, so be sure to spread out the training so it doesn’t put undue stress on any one department. A good rule of thumb in the beginning is that an employee can engage in cross-training only when someone can be found to sub on the regular duties.

Sit back and enjoy the results

Employees who learn new skills and put them to good use are invaluable, two for the price of one. Cross-trained employees are essential because they can fill in for others with little or no notice.

And that’s a real benefit for the bottom line.

Filed Under: What's New in Benefits and Compensation Tagged With: , ,

Two steps to a motivated – and productive – workforce

By Christian Schappel • August 6, 2012

Adapted from What’s New in Benefits & Compensation.

Good managers are always looking  for new and creative ways to keep employee morale and productivity high.

The key to motivating without money is getting people to feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment from the project or job they’re currently involved in.When the budget is tight, that’s no easy task.

Here are two proven ways to do it – courtesy of  the Harvard Business Review:

1. Get managers more involved

Many firms rely on surveys to get the pulse of employees – and keep track of their engagement levels.

HR and benefits is usually charged with analyzing the survey results and then distributing the results, usually to upper managers.

What works better is distributing the employee survey results right to front-line managers who can directly influence staff and help them make key changes.

Plus, front-line manages will  take ownership in terms of helping employees achieve the changes they listed in the survey.

2. Offer shorter, more frequent surveys

Some firms offer giant annual surveys that take workers a considerable amount of time to complete and ask about almost everything under the sun.

The problem with this is many employees rush through the survey just to get it done.

What works better: Sending out shorter surveys (one to two questions on a specific subject) more frequently.

Filed Under: What's New in Benefits and Compensation

Employees happy with health benefits despite costs

By Christian Schappel • August 2, 2012

Adapted from What’s New in Benefits & Compensation.

If employees feel they’re getting good value for their healthcare benefits, they’ll be OK with taking on a bit more of the costs.

That’s one of the key takeaways from a recent Perceptions of Health Benefits in a Recovering Economy study, by the National Business Group on Health (NBGH).

The study found that 63% of employees were very satisfied with their current healthcare coverage, even though the vast majority of them saw increased premiums and out-of-pocket costs over the past three years.

Some of the other highlights:

  • Approximately 33% of employees were more satisfied with their health coverage than they were three years ago; 12% were less satisfied; and 53% said satisfaction was the same, and
  • 87% of workers said health benefits were very important when it came to making a decision about a new job or staying with their employer.

The study also found that the majority of workers (71%) didn’t think employers should charge people more for health care if they didn’t reach health goals.

 

Filed Under: What's New in Benefits and Compensation