In this edition of ESI’s HR News Roundup, we talk about aging workers and inter-generational issues, handling conflict, onboarding practices, engaging remote workers and more. Plus, a few items from the lighter side.
What Do Younger Workers Think of the Aging Workforce?
Jen Colletta, Human Resource Executive
American employees are staying in the workforce longer these days—and not everyone is happy about it.
That’s according to a new poll from the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of more than 1,400 adult workers. The study revealed that younger employees are far more likely than older workers to have a negative view of the aging American workforce—a finding that could spell trouble for today’s multigenerational workplaces.
Related:
- The “silver tsunami” is the workforce the world needs right now
- Generation Z Says They Work the Hardest, But Only When They Want To
Hitting Workplace Conflict Head-on
Shubha Apte, Lead Change
Improving the quality of communication with your coworkers, team members, stakeholders, and customers helps to avoid any misunderstandings that would later result in a conflict situation. Conflict need not always be unhealthy and destructive. It can also be productive.
Five Questions For Onboarding
Jim Clifton, Jim Harter. EHS Today
The goal of onboarding should be to introduce foundational elements that employees can build on throughout their career — those that influence their performance over decades, not quarters.
First impressions matter. They set the tone for the employee’s career, and it’s never easier to influence employee behavior than when they are a blank slate and eager to learn and change.
Why Do So Many Teleworkers Feel Lonely and Disengaged?
Andrew R. McIlvaine, Human Resource Executive
Dan Schawbel works from his Manhattan studio apartment every day during the work week, throughout the year. Not long ago, he realized he was feeling miserable.
“People only talk about the upside of working from home; no one talks about the dark side of it,” says Schawbel, research director of Future Workplace.
The “dark side” includes less, if any, human contact, feelings of isolation and loneliness and disengagement from the organization.
“When people feel like that, they’re less productive, happy and fulfilled,” he says.
Alone on an Island: Supporting Remote Workers in the New Economy
Jung Ryu, HR Daily Advisor
For many employees, remote work offers appealing benefits: more freedom, a flexible schedule, and a personalized work space. For others, it creates challenges. For instance, how do companies offer absence and disability support for employees who work outside the office?
With nearly 4 million American employees working remotely, this complicated issue is only growing for HR professionals nationwide, with more employees choosing to work from home.
Fortunately, there are absence and disability options companies can implement to support their remote workforce in this changing economy. Developing a broader disability management approach makes it possible to address remote workers and other nontraditional employees without making them feel isolated on their own “island.”
The Trends That Will Affect How Leaders Manage Their Time
Rashan Dixon, SmartBrief
According to Harvard research published last summer, CEOs worldwide spend just 4% of their work time on operational planning. Compare that to 25% spent on business unit reviews, 25% on interpersonal relationships, and 16% on the organization’s culture.
The result of that imbalance, unfortunately, is more imbalance: By spending so little of their time planning today, leaders inadvertently make it tougher to manage their time tomorrow.
The only way to break the cycle? Know the prevailing trends, and start planning for them.
Here’s How IBM Predicts 95% of Its Turnover Using Data
Samantha McLaren, LinkedIn
Predicting when someone is going to leave can be tough, but IBM seems to have it down to a fine art. The tech giant claims that its “predictive attrition program,” developed through its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Watson, can predict whether an employee is likely to leave within the next six months at a 95% accuracy rate.
Armed with this knowledge, managers can take strategic actions to encourage that employee to stay. By focusing specifically on high performers with in-demand skills, IBM says it has saved $300 million in retention costs.
3 reasons why 1.25+ million members rely on ESI as their EAP
- ESI Employee Assistance Group offers more solutions for employee problems than any other EAP.
- Only ESI provides Peak Performance Employee Development benefits – including 18 coaching programs and over 300 trainings and resources to improve personal and professional performance.
- Employees utilize the ESI EAP over three times more than traditional EAPs and more than 98% are satisfied with the results
If you don’t have an EAP, click to learn more. If you’re a Member of ESI EAP, login to take advantage of the great training resources.
More HR News: Quick takes
- How to Get the Most Out of a Day Off
- 15 Useful Activities That Are Worth Your Time
- How to Create a Workplace that Promotes Mental Health
- Employers Are Making New Dog Ownership a Little Less Ruff by Offering “Pawternity” :Leave
- My Boss Emailed Our Staff a Racist Meme
- 5 Injury Prevention Tools Desk Workers Can Use Right Now
- What’s Most Likely to Kill You? Check Out Your Odds for National Safety Month
- Why Laziness Is Not Why You Procrastinate (Your Emotions Are)
- How to Properly Manage Underperforming Employees?
- 5 Critical Risks in Employee Benefits
- How Nice Leaders Create Team Drama
- Factors in Classifying Contractors vs. Employees
- Why People Hide Their Disabilities at Work
- WHO Redefines Burnout as a ‘Syndrome’ Linked to Chronic Stress at Work
- Focus on Safety — Cool Tips for a Safe Summer [Driving] Trip
HR News from the lighter side…
Training works. Researchers at Scotland’s University of St Andrews have trained a seal to “sing” the first notes of the Star Wars theme song and “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star”. See the video proof.
Inspirational: Use your skills to make the world a better place as this great barber does!
And in the “workplace of the future” category, meet some of your future co-workers