Dealing With Change

As people, we struggle with change. Even if you embrace it, deep down there’s a psychological drive to avoid change where possible. That’s the primitive part of your brain – the one that thinks you’re a caveman and wants to stop you from eating new berries in case they kill you.

That’s not really an issue in the modern world, but our brain has held onto those processes for thousands of years. Which means that when we go through a period of change, we go through a process to get past that primitive programming. Think about the last time you changed jobs, moved house, or even switched service provider. What were some of the thoughts and emotions you went through? You probably started by denying that there was a problem, putting off dealing with the issue until you absolutely had to. Then you might have been sad and regretted your decision, or even angry at the situation, or the solution to it. But after a while you start to accept it, and move forward with this new normal.

All of that is completely normal for anyone going through a change, and then a transition in their life. And what bigger transition is there than starting a new job? That’s where the Kubler-Ross Model comes in. Also known as the Transition Curve, it’s a model to help us understand the psychological journey undertaken at a time of change.

But why is all of this relevant? Well, it’s because when an employee starts a new job, it is a period of great change for both the employee and the employer.  It might not be a business restructure or a drastic change for the business, but for a new employee it is a life-changing time, and they are going to go through this cycle with their new role.

What Is The Kubler-Ross Model?

In 1960, a woman called Elisabeth Kubler-Ross developed a theory to explain the grieving process. You might be familiar with it as ‘the stages of grief.’ Kubler-Ross’s 5 stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – have been adapted in many different ways over the years, and this general model has since been widely used as a method that can help us understand reactions to change.

In fact, in the 1980s the Change Curve (as it had become known) was a firm fixture in change management circles, despite being seldom implemented. The curve, and its associated emotions, can be used to predict how performance is likely to be affected by the announcement and subsequent implementation of a significant change. Every iteration is consistent in following the same core emotions, which are often grouped into 3 distinct transitional stages.

Stage 1 – Shock And Denial

The first reaction to change is often shock. This initial shock, while frequently short-lived, can result in a temporary slowdown and loss of productivity. Performance tends to dip, and individuals who are normally clear and decisive may seek more guidance and reassurance. This shock is often due to:

• Lack of information
• Fear of the unknown
• Fear of looking stupid or doing something wrong

As a response to shock, it’s common for individuals to then experience denial. Here, the focus tends to remain firmly in the past and how things used to be. There is likely to be a sentiment of ‘everything was ok before’. This is also felt in response to reality not meeting expectations and/or a response to circumstances that fall short of what was expected. Other common feelings include:

• A desire to return to the comfort of the prior status quo
• Feeling threatened
• Fear of failure

Individuals who have not experienced significant change before may be particularly affected at this stage, and it’s common for those affected in this way to convince themselves that the change won’t happen, or that if it does, it won’t affect them. Performance often returns to the levels seen before the dip experienced during the initial shock. They then tend to carry on as they always have, and may deny having received communication about the changes, or make excuses to avoid taking part in forward planning.

Stage 2 – Anger And Depression

After the feelings of shock and denial have been processed, the next stage is anger, and this can be difficult for a business manager to deal with. Focussing the blame on someone or something allows a continuation of the denial by providing another focus for the fears and anxieties that the change is causing. Common feelings include:

• • • Suspicion
• Scepticism
• Frustration

The lowest point of the Change Curve comes when anger wears off, and the realisation that the change is genuine hits. This is when morale is at its lowest, when self-doubt is present and anxiety levels peak. Feelings during this stage can be hard to express. This period can also be associated with:

• Apathy
• Isolation
• Remoteness

At this point, performance is at its lowest. Individuals may continue to perform tasks in the same way as before, even if this is no longer what’s required. Some people will be reassured that they are experiencing the same feelings as others, and this is when providing managers, teams and individuals with information about the Change Curve is valuable, as it underlines that the emotions are shared. From here they can help develop a more stable platform to move into the final stage.

Stage 3 – Acceptance And Integration

This phase brings a more optimistic and enthusiastic attitude. Individuals accept that change is inevitable and begin to work with the changes rather than against them. Now come thoughts of:

• Exciting new opportunities
• Relief that the change has been survived
• Impatience for the change to be complete

The final steps involve integration. The focus is firmly on the future and there is a sense that real progress can be made. By the time everyone reaches this stage, the changed situation has firmly replaced the old and become the new status quo. This involves feelings of:

• Acceptance
• Hope
• Trust

During the early part of this stage, energy and productivity may remain low. However, the new attitude will be one of discovery. It brings questions about possibilities and opportunities.

This theory has been generally accepted as the standard for workplace transition theory. We believe that theory can be further explored where other changes happen outside of the job transition process, for example, a new job can also create new travel arrangements, bring new people and it may include new childcare arrangements or a house move. All in all, it’s a lot to handle at once, and so you as an employer need to understand what your employees are going through.

As a people leader, if you understand how you feel when going through change it will help you recognise how your staff are feeling. If you’re facing some issues with new employees, or your business is going through a period of change and would like some guidance, please get in touch with the team today to book your free, no-obligation consultation.

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The Warning Signs

One of the biggest issues faced by small businesses is being able to identify what their corporate culture is, and whether it’s contributing to the performance problems they are experiencing. After all, company culture isn’t always to blame for bad performance! So here are a few warning signs that you may be dealing with a negative company culture.

• Unmotivated employees: If you suddenly find yourself constantly dealing with unmotivated employees, you should be taking a good look at the corporate culture of your business. Employees who are present but not engaged in their work, or who don’t see the point or benefit of their tasks is one of the clearest warning signs of bad corporate culture.

• Workforce anxiety: Usually high-performing employees now delivering sub-par results, or asking a lot of questions and seeking reassurance can be a sign that something is amiss. Unclear vision, poor employee development programmes and miscommunication from management make this one of the factors in bad corporate culture, and results in unmotivated and uncertain employees.

• High employee turnover: If you’re constantly losing employees and needing to hire replacements, this is the biggest red flag for negative company culture. While some larger corporations see high turnover as part of their business model, a smaller business is always having to hire for the same position then alarm bells should be ringing.

• Being all things to all people: Having a few different types of tasks to do within your job role is perfectly normal. But having one person do the roles of several people can lead to a seriously bad feeling in your business. It causes burnout and frustration, and it shows you don’t recognise individual strengths, or know how to delegate.

• Failing to meet deadlines: Every good business has goals, and good managers will set goals, tasks and deadlines for their team to meet. If your projects are always coming in late, then you have a serious problem. Often the root of the issue is poor communication and collaboration, both of which can be resolved by management taking a more accurate role in the process, and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

The signs of a bad company culture aren’t always complaining employees or KPIs not being met. As a business owner and manager, it’s your job to keep an eye out for the signs that something is wrong and address it before it has time to seep into your company culture and become a normal thing.

What to do About Company Culture Problems

Learn how to motivate your employees: Engaged and motivated employees are the lifeblood of any business, and the building blocks for your company culture. But it’s management’s job to motivate them effectively and create a positive environment, which often means more than just opening the company wallet. Here are 4 ways you can motivate your employees that have nothing to do with money.

Set SMART goals: Setting goals is a crucial part of any form of improvement or change. Setting SMART goals is a great way to stay on track and make sure you’re actually making progress. You can find out more about SMART goals and how to set them here.

Conduct effective performance reviews: It’s important to understand what the role of performance reviews actually is in your business to ensure management are conducting them effectively. This will make them a more productive experience for the managers and the employees, as well as provide realistic goals and feedback. For tips on how to improve your performance reviews, click here.

Be proactive: One of the main reasons so many businesses find themselves in HR trouble is that they wait until problems happen before they act. In this case, the focus is on maintaining the status quo, rather than making any meaningful improvements. A proactive HR approach means you can prioritise employee development and foster a positive company culture. To read more about that, click here.

And if you need support at any point during the process, we are here to help.

At Karen HRM, we help business owners and managers just like you to understand your unique company culture, as well as how to fix any underlying problems and create a positive, thriving company for the future. If you aren’t sure if your employees are happy, we’d love to help. Contact one of our team today, and book in your free consultation to help improve your company culture.

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The answer is simple – it’s a combination of engaged employees and fantastic company culture. Out of everything you can do, those two things can truly define your business performance and commercial success – both good and bad.

But why is that? What does the culture of a company mean, and does it really make such a huge difference? As outsourced HR managers who help business owners with all of their HR needs, we wanted to share our thoughts on its importance.

What Is Company Culture?

Company Culture is essentially the way an organisation does things. But this isn’t about policies and procedures, or any of the technical know-how. It is more about the values, behaviours, attitudes, and approaches that make each workplace unique. It’s rooted in the organisational goals, strategies and structures, customers, and involvement in the greater community. So, while two companies could provide the same products or services, no two would ever have the same company culture.

It’s also how it feels to work in the business and can be the difference between a good job and a bad one for candidates in the recruitment process. Put simply, it’s the glue that pulls all employees in the organisation together in search of one common goal, and it can have a huge impact on employee retention and recruitment, as well as performance. Most businesses try to summarise their company culture in a few words. A few examples could be:

• Transparent
• Inclusive
• Collaborative
• Nurturing
• Progressive
• Connected

But of course, each company is different! What do you think your company culture could be summed up as? If you’re not sure, you can always contact us here to find out more on how we can help you improve your company culture.

How Does Company Culture Impact Performance?

Research has shown time and time again that employee engagement rates are very closely linked to the culture within a company. Beyond that, businesses with good company cultures tend to have more engaged and satisfied employees, which in turn means an improvement in overall performance.

This doesn’t just form overnight. It usually starts with the business founders, who impose their beliefs, values, and assumptions onto the fledgling business, and onto their employees. As the company grows, those cultural elements become shared, and form the continuing culture of the organisation. This is one of the reasons no two companies are the same, and why many candidates will cite ‘I just didn’t fit in’ when they leave a job – because the company’s culture and values don’t tally with their own.

Workplace culture very much sets the tone for employee engagement and retention within your business. Once they have become part of the business, good company culture is what encourages those ‘best of class’ employees to stay with the business, decreasing turnover and improving profitability. Your company culture also has an impact on your ability to innovate as a business, how efficiently you work and how productive your employees are. It also creates a better customer experience, with happy and productive employees providing better service and building that sense of community that both customers and employees enjoy.

The interesting thing is that larger companies may end up with multiple cultures. A study into the organisational culture of the NHS done by Russell Mannion (Professor of Health Systems) found that the culture was far from uniform or coherent. Instead, working groups looked for and developed commonalities, with some only being prominent in some areas of the organisation. This meant that subtly different cultures could emerge with different occupational or professional groups within the same organisation. Moving away from the NHS, we often see this with businesses that have one head office and regional satellite offices. Each office tends to develop its own unique way of operating, which may be slightly different to other offices in the same group. This isn’t a bad thing! In fact, it actually allows each office to be productive and enhance performance in its own way.

Need Some HR Support?

That’s all we have time for in this post, but stay tuned for part 2, where we examine the warning signs of a bad company culture, and what you can do to improve it. And if you need any support to understand and manage your own company culture, we’re here to help.

At Karen HRM, we help business owners and managers just like you to understand your unique company culture, as well as how to fix any underlying problems and create a positive, thriving company for the future. If you aren’t sure if your employees are happy, we’d love to help. Contact one of our team today, and book in your free consultation to help improve your company culture.

The post What Is Company Culture, And Why Does It Matter? appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

As an employer, you have a lot of things to keep on top of. There are so many obligations to keep, and things to make your employees aware. That’s why your employee handbook is one of the most essential tools you have at your disposal. If it’s well put together, this little booklet can save you a lot of time answering the same questions over and over again and provide you with some protection should things start to go wrong. It’s your opportunity to put all your company policies, practices, procedures, and employee benefits in one place. This is the best way for you to effectively communicate what your employees should expect from you, and what you in turn should expect from them.

But if you’ve never done it, you might not know how to write an employee handbook. Or what to include in it. While it might be tempting to go to one of those free sites and download an employee handbook template, the reality is your handbook needs to be tailored to your business and your approach. So where do you start?

In this blog, we’re going to cover what to include in your employee handbook, and how to write one.

General Employment Information

This is the first section and it’s all about covering the basics. Remember that your employee handbook is generic- which means everyone will get one – so here you should include any of the policies that apply to all employees equally. Save specifics for the contracts. Make sure you lay out the basic policies around:

• Employment eligibility
• Job classifications
• Employee referrals
• Records
• Job postings
• Termination and resignation procedures
• Transfers
• Relocation
• Union information (if you have one)
• Grievance processes

If your policies are too long, you can write a detailed summary for the handbook with a link to where they can find the full policy.

Standards of Conduct

This is an incredibly important element to include, and it’s probably the one you will refer back to most often. It covers all aspects of how you expect employees to behave. At work, to their superiors, around colleagues, and even while wearing their uniform. Any situation in which your employees are representing your business. This should include:

• Dress codes
• Telephone and computer user rules
• Remote working standards
• Smoking policies (e.g. staff must cover all company logos whilst smoking)
• General behavioural expectations

Working Schedules

This one confuses some people because each employee will have their own individual working schedule. But within this employee handbook section, you’re merely highlighting policies around those schedules. For example, details on how overtime works at your company, including how it’s allocated and paid. Any options you offer for flexible or remote working (more important now than ever), and what the policies around it are. You should also lay out your policies regarding attendance, punctuality, and reporting absences – along with any consequences there may be for going against those policies.

Leave Policies

Leave and leaving policies for your employees should be carefully documented. There are some types of leave you are required to provide by law, and you are required to give details of these here. On top of that, there are other leave policies you might want to implement, for example, extended maternity or paternity leave. So, make sure you include your policies on:

• Statutory holiday
• Bereavement leave
• Emergency leave
• Sick leave
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Jury duty
• Military leave

Details should include timescales available, what pay is offered (if any), and any requirements that employees might need to meet for them. For example, to claim sick leave you might require a sick note from a doctor.

Termination Policies

Alongside temporary leave policies (above), you need to detail the process and policies around when employees wish to leave, or if you need to terminate them. Here you should let employees know how much notice they are required to give you if they want to leave the company, what format that notice should take and who it should be given to. It should also explain what the termination policies are for your company, and how much notice you need to give employees in each scenario. You may have touched on this in the general employment information section, but you can expand on it here.

Here’s a guide to help with ‘Dealing with Disciplinaries’.

Anti-Discrimination Policies

One of your legal obligations as an employer is to comply with anti-discrimination regulations. Here, explain what your obligations are, what they mean, and what you’re doing to meet them. You should also be explaining what you expect from your employees, and how they should behave while employed by your company. This is also the place you should explain what the consequences are of breaking these rules, and how employees can report something they see. It’s also a good place to talk about specific anti-discrimination policies, including:

• Sexual harassment
• Affirmative action
• Diversity and inclusion

And any other policies you may wish to include.

Benefits

If your business provides any company-wide benefits, this is also a great place to include them. For example, if you provide insurance, private medical care, pensions, commission-based bonuses, gym memberships or anything else, include details on what it is and how to access it here.

This can be particularly useful for companies who offer a ‘pick and choose’ style of benefits, which can be confusing to use, and this gives employees a reference point. If you have specific benefits that are only for certain employees, those should not be included here, but in their individual contracts.

How Can We Help?

Does all of that sound a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry – we understand that! At Karen HRM we specialise in helping employers understand their obligations and making it easy to get them right. We provide expert advice and support in creating employee resources, including employee handbooks, that protect your company, your reputation, and your employees.

If you have any questions or want to see some employee handbook examples, just get in touch with the team today.

GET IN TOUCH

The post What To Include in Your Employee Handbook For 2024 appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

Cost Savings

You might be thinking ‘hold on, isn’t outsourcing my HR going to cost me money, not save it?’. And while it makes perfect sense to think that, you’d be wrong. In fact, this is one of the most significant areas HR support can contribute to a small business. Businesses will quickly find that they become much more efficient by using HR properly (for example, developing and implementing a strategy to support your business goals and ensure they are met, developing your people or implementing meaningful performance reviews). Effective HR support can also help you put well-constructed management processes and control in place, to manage things like sickness absences, training, development, recruitment and more. By having clear policies (and following them), these costs can be reduced, having a significant impact on your bottom line.

Training And Development

We all understand that the development of skills is important for any company’s success and future growth. But without a proper plan and execution strategy, it can often fall by the wayside. HR support can help you identify what training is needed or wanted throughout the business, and then provide training plans, support and incentives to ensure it happens. They can even deliver training workshops, or bring in external trainers where appropriate. By working with management, HR can provide cost and time-effective training and development opportunities for your business. Reduce employee turnover, improve current employee skills and heighten employee morale – what’s not to like?

Managing Performance

HR can help manage employer and business performance in so many different ways. Business performance can be improved by ensuring an integrated performance management system is in place, which can also be utilised as an employee appraisal system. This can help all employees work towards a common goal of improving overall business performance through the fulfilment of their own personal objectives. It can also help you manage poor performance through a capability process, which means that any employees who aren’t fulfilling their objectives can be supported in the best ways and that no money is wasted on underperforming employees. HR can work with management to ensure a top-down approach for all processes is correctly implemented.

Employment Law Guidance

Employment law is constantly changing in big and little ways, always adjusting to keep up with new development, new situations and new technologies. As an employer, you are expected to keep up with these laws and make changes where necessary. But doing so is almost a full-time job, and you have other priorities in your business. HR support gives you the freedom you need to focus on your business, with the peace of mind that your business is fully compliant and up to date with employment law. We will update you on the things that are relevant to you, and help you make any changes needed. More than that, if you ever have any questions, or a situation arises that you aren’t sure how to handle, your HR experts are there to guide you through it.

Fair Dispute Management

If you are struggling with disputes, grievances or any other people-based issue in your business, HR support can be an invaluable asset. It can sometimes be difficult for a manager to ensure everyone in the situation is being treated fairly and getting the best out of the situation, especially if you know everyone involved and struggle to be impartial! By having HR support behind you, managers can ensure all processes and policies are being adhered to and turn a potentially difficult situation into a positive one.

Of course, it’s not just these 5 areas HR support can help you with. In reality, if your business employs people, you need an HR function to keep you on the straight and narrow, as well as provide the guidance and support you need to be successful. At Karen HRM, we provide a variety of HR support that can be tailored to your individual business needs. Whether you need some one-off consultancy or fully outsourced support, we can help. For more information, just get in touch with us today.

The post 5 Reasons Your Small Business Needs HR Support appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

Understand What You Need

So you’ve decided you need a new employee. Great! But what do you need them to do? Many business owners will get to the point of realising they need another pair of hands in the business, and launch straight into hiring someone. The result is often that they are looking for a clone of themselves, someone who can do a bit of everything. But in reality, this almost never works. Instead, you need to sit down and work out which areas of your business you need most support with, and focus your recruitment on that area. So if you know your marketing is suffering because you’re so busy delivering, you should hire a marketing manager. If you’re struggling to deliver all the work that comes in, you need someone with the skills to deliver your product or service. Understanding what you need is the foundation for a robust recruitment process.

DIY Or Use An Expert?

This is a big question, and one a lot of business owners are a bit scared of. Do I try to recruit this role in-house, or do I hire an agency to do it for me? Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to this – it’s all down to how confident you are in your recruitment skills, and how much time you have to dedicate to it. Remember, you need to reach out and attract a pool of candidates to consider and interview, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process. But many business owners prefer this personal, hands-on approach. On the other hand, an external recruitment agency often has a pool of candidates they can draw from right away, as well as spreading the word further than you could, to new networks. If you’ve never recruited before, this is a good way to go to ensure you get the best results.

Hone Your Interview Skills

There are all sorts of horror stories out there about bad interviews, awful interview questions and interviewers who just don’t know what they’re doing. This is not only bad for your company image, but it could also impact your ability to hire the right talent. So if you’ve never interviewed anyone before (or even if you have), spend some time preparing your interview process. Plan out exactly how the interview will be structured, what areas you want to cover and any specific questions you want to ask. Then, practice it. Do mock interviews with friends, family members, even the bathroom mirror. Saying your questions out loud will give you an idea of how long the interview will run and the feel of the questions, as well as highlighting if you’ve asked something ridiculous (which is easier than you think). All of this means you’re prepared to interview candidates, and will get all the information you need.

Don’t Forget About Onboarding

The recruitment process doesn’t end at the offer. This is a common mistake a lot of business owners make – they secure a new hire, they start as planned, and then they leave them to it. But if you want to keep the talent you’ve worked so hard to hire, you need to invest in good onboarding and induction. This means providing everything they need on day 1, from pencils to their set-up computer, pairing the new hire up with a mentor, establishing expectations and supporting them through their first 100 days with your company. If you put some time and effort into your onboarding process, your hires are 80% more likely to stay with you for up to 3 years.

At Karen HRM, we offer business owners support and advice during all stages of the recruitment process, and we can manage this for them from beginning to end. We can help you understand what you need from a new hire, the best way to find them, and the best way to keep them afterwards. If you’d like to know more about building a robust recruitment process, just get in touch with us today.

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Managing + Preventing Burnout

Employee burnout in the workplace is on the rise in general, but we see it most often in the tech industry. The constant advancement of technology means that there is a culture of ‘this needs to be done instantly’ embedded within businesses as a way to keep up. But this comes at a cost – increased work hours, poor leadership, unclear direction, work overload and toxic work culture are all knock-on effects of the tech race. Put together in any combination, and you have a recipe for fast burnout.

There are a variety of ways to tackle the issue of employee burnout. Since the tech industry isn’t going to change overnight, companies need to prioritise the mental well-being of their employees on a long-term basis. Research has shown that tech firms that invested in understanding individual contributions and providing tailored well-being support saw a sharp increase in employee engagement, as well as a 48% reduction in burnout.

Recruiting Top Talent

The tech world is built on innovation, which means every tech firm out there is fighting for the most highly qualified candidates. 6% of tech firms listed hiring talent as one of their major challenges, especially when there is no internal HR function and hiring is just one of many balls these firms are trying to keep in the air. So how does a specialist in tech HR help you level up? your recruitment game and attract top talent? First, they can help you design a recruitment and retention program that will actually work! Strategy is a big part of successful recruitment, and an HR company with its ear to the ground will know what it is that top candidates want from employers. This means more than free food, high salaries and gym sessions. Perks like this are becoming the norm, so you’ll need to do better. Purpose, meaning, and development opportunities are all great places to start.

On top of that, a tech HR specialist can manage the actual recruitment process for techies. Once a strategy is in place, The HR consultant can source candidates, screen them ready for interview and help you prep for interviews too. Not to mention supporting you with employee onboarding!

Managing Communication

As HR experts with a lot of experience in tech, we know that one of the biggest HR issues tech firms face is actually communication. The types of personalities drawn to working in tech trend towards the introverted and passionate, which means that maintaining effective communication between teams and leadership can be challenging. Whether that’s making sure everyone is pulling in the same direction, managing interpersonal conflict or ensuring everyone is using the same methods to communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings. As people who have worked in tech for years, HR tech experts understand How techies talk and can translate that for management to keep the communication gates open.

Maintaining Skills With Generational Divides

Upskilling is one of those topics that shouldn’t create too much controversy all by itself, but within tech firms, it can become a sticking point. To clarify, in 2022 almost 54% of all employees needed new training in digital skills -even in the tech space. So, the issue isn’t the need to maintain cutting-edge digital skills, but the approach to achieving them.

Millennial leaders (who now make up nearly 35% of the workforce and around 7%-10% of leadership roles) believe that reskilling existing employees in new technologies is equally as important as recruiting new ones.

Older leaders, however, tend to believe that reskilling isn’t needed and that recruiting new and already skilled employees is a more effective approach. These differences in opinion can cause a lot of conflict within leadership tiers, as well as generate pushback from employees, who will have their own views and preferences. Which can make moving the company forward a challenge at best.

HR experts can help tech firms develop a strategy that keeps them at the forefront of talent, technology and skills. By blending reskilling and recruiting and developing soft skills, many tech firms have found themselves better able to keep up with cutting-edge technologies.

At Karen HRM we provide tailored and effective HR support to all sorts of businesses, but we do have a soft spot for tech companies. With years of experience working in various roles in the tech space, founder Karen is perfectly placed to help small tech firms scale and succeed. If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today and book your free consultation.

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But when it comes to actually getting a procedure in place, it can all get a bit confusing, which is why we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to disciplinaries for you to follow.

Informal Action

If it’s the first time an issue has occurred, often no formal disciplinary action needs to be taken. If the issue is minor, a manager pulling the employee aside and having a quiet word in their ear can be enough to resolve things. Even informal conversations like this should still be followed up with an email that’s kept in the employee’s personnel file so that there is a record of the incident. It’s not a written or even a formal warning – just an acknowledgement of the issue and letting the employee know that their conduct needs improving.

If the issue doesn’t improve even after that informal chat, then it’s time to move forward to a more formal disciplinary procedure.

The Disciplinary Procedure Step By Step

In the UK there is an organisation called Acas, which is short for the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. They are a part of the Department for Business and Trade, and they exist to help make the working world better for everyone. This includes providing strict guidance on how a disciplinary of any size or shape should be done, which consists of 6, well-defined, steps.

Step 1: Understanding The Options

Disciplinaries are a formal process for dealing with misconduct or capability of employees. But before you start down this route, it’s important to see if the problem can be resolved in a more informal way. As we mentioned above, having a private talk with the employee in question, and listening to their point of view can be a good way to start this. It’s important that this conversation ends with an agreement on improvements to be made, and if needed, a training and development plan to improve performance. If the issue is more about the employee’s ability to do their job, then this should be handled under a capability plan including support, training, and encouragement.

There are generally 3 reasons a disciplinary would come about:

Misconduct: The inappropriate action or behaviour of an employee, or the breaking of workplace rules. This includes things like:

• Bullying
• Harassment
• Refusing to do work (insubordination)
• Excessive absence
• Being absent without permission

Each workplace will have its own examples, but these are the most common.

Misconduct Outside the Workplace: In some cases, an employee could face disciplinary action for their conduct even if the conduct was done outside of the workplace. For example, we have handled cases of employees smoking marijuana on a break in an alley, while they were working on a nearby site. A local resident then called the company to complain, identifying who they worked for by their uniforms. In this case, even though the employees were smoking off company property and off the clock, their conduct still reflected poorly on the company, and so a disciplinary was conducted.

In these cases, whether or not you hold a disciplinary investigation depends on how seriously you as the employer see the misconduct, and whether it could have a negative impact on the business.

Gross Misconduct: More serious cases of misconduct that can have a major impact on the company and its employees, or are classed as crimes. Some examples of this would be:

• Fraud
• Physical violence
• Serious lack of care for their duties to others
• Serious insubordination (for example refusing to take reasonable orders from a supervisor)

Again, your business will have its own examples of what is considered gross misconduct.

Step 2: Following A Fair Procedure

If you have tried to resolve the issue informally with no success, then it is time to start the formal disciplinary process. You need to inform the employee that you are doing this right away, in writing. Your notice needs to include:

• Details about the issue, including sufficient information about the alleged misconduct or poor performance.
• Possible consequences, for example, a written warning.

You need to provide this to the employee so that they have enough time to prepare for a disciplinary hearing, where they will meet with you to discuss the evidence and a decision will be made.

You as an employer must follow a fair process all the way through, keeping the Acas guidelines in mind.  Keep up communication to ensure there are no misunderstandings, a drop in morale or legal action further down the line. If the employee decides to raise a grievance during the disciplinary procedure (which happens more often than you would think), then you should pause the disciplinary to deal with the grievance unless to two are related. And if the employee wants to resign (otherwise known as the ‘jump before you’re pushed’ mentality), then you should try to talk through any concerns with the employee and encourage them to complete the disciplinary procedure first.

Step 3: Carrying Out An Investigation

Now you must carry out an investigation and collect as much information as you can about the employee’s alleged misconduct or poor performance. This can include reports, CCTV footage, interviews with employees or clients, emails, or any other evidence that is relevant to the concern at hand. The more thorough you are at this stage, the less likely the outcome will be challenged.

It’s important to note that sometimes the investigation may leave you with nothing or provide evidence that there is no need for further action. In this case, the disciplinary process can be concluded.

Step 4: The Disciplinary Hearing

If the evidence you gather shows that the employee has a case to answer, then it’s time to bring the employee in for a disciplinary hearing. This is when the employer hears all of the evidence and the employee’s side and makes a final decision.

To make sure the employee has enough time to prepare for the hearing, you should inform them in writing of:

• The alleged misconduct or performance issue
• Any evidence from the investigation
• Any other information you plan to talk about
• The date and time of the hearing
• Information on the employee’s right to be accompanied to the hearing
• The possible outcomes

Employees are, by law, allowed to bring someone with them to their disciplinary hearing. Specifically, this could be:

• A work colleague,
• A workplace trade union representative who is trained in acting as a companion
• An official employed by a trade union

If the employee wants to bring someone outside of those groups to the hearing (for example a partner, legal representative), it is at the employer’s discretion.

In the hearing itself, the employer should:

• Explain the issue
• Go through the evidence
• Make sure someone takes notes

The employee should be given the chance to:

• Set out their case
• Answer any allegations
• Ask questions
• Show evidence
• Call relevant witnesses (with good notice)
• Respond to any information given by the witness
• Choose if their companion can speak for them at the hearing

Any companion should be allowed to:

• Set out the employee’s case
• Respond for the employee to any comments or points made
• Talk with the employee during the hearing
• Take notes
• Sum up the employee’s case at the end of the hearing

At the end of the disciplinary hearing, the employer should tell the employee what happens next, give a timeframe, and ensure there is a formal written record of the hearing.

Step 5: Deciding On The Outcome

Once the hearing is over, the employer needs to decide on what action should be taken, if any. This should be decided based on:

• The findings from the investigation meetings
• What is fair and reasonable
• What the workplace has done in any similar cases previously

Every workplace will have a different outcome for a disciplinary, and it’s a good idea to have your framework written out within your disciplinary policy or guidelines. A few of the more common outcomes for disciplinary procedures include:

• No action is needed
• Informal warnings
• Written warnings (employees are typically only given 2 warnings before dismissal)
• Demotion
• Support framework (with goals and timelines for improvement)
• Dismissal

Step 6: After The Disciplinary Procedure

It’s not surprising that sometimes employees don’t agree with the outcome of their disciplinary. This is why employers are required to offer the right of appeal. This is so that an employee can appeal the outcome if they feel the outcome was too severe, if they feel that any stage of the process was unfair or wrong, and if there is any additional evidence that hasn’t been considered. They are not allowed to appeal just because they don’t agree with the outcome.

The outcome of the disciplinary must remain confidential. But if it’s appropriate then the employer can speak privately with any staff who knew the disciplinary was taking place to put their minds at ease. This can help avoid any of the negative effects of disciplinaries, like gossip, bad feeling, and low morale in the workplace.

Records of the disciplinary should be kept for as long as necessary to help with similar cases and provide evidence if an appeal is made. If you are asked for a reference for the employee at any point in the future, you cannot mention the disciplinary or the outcome.

That’s a lot of information and a lot to do!

At Karen HRM we provide business owners will a full-service HR solution that covers every aspect of employment, from recruitment to disciplinaries, grievances and terminations. We can support you in providing a comprehensive disciplinary process tailored to your business, along with support and guidance if you should ever need to implement it. We’ll be with you every step of the way, so you don’t have to worry about remembering all of the above! If you’d like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.

The post Dealing With Disciplinaries – A Guide appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

If that wasn’t enough, the Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the attitude and priorities of the workforce in a significant way. So while monetary compensation and incentives are important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Which leaves business owners asking one thing – how do you motivate a modern employee?

The Roots of Motivation

A few years ago a brilliant book by Daniel Pink came out, called Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Inside, he talked about the studies he had done and the things they revealed about motivation in general, but specifically at work. He found that there are generally 3 things people are motivated by, and spoiler alert – none of them are money! Instead, they were:

Autonomy: People want to have control over their work.

Mastery: People want to get better at what they do and progress.

Purpose: People want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Notice that money, salary and bonuses didn’t make the cut. In fact, he suggests that money has no positive effect on increased performance at all, and leaves us with this powerful statement:

“The best use of money as a motivator is to pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table.”

So, if it’s not about money, how can managers motivate their employees to improve performance?

Professional Development

One of the biggest things you will hear both employees and HR professionals talk about here is career progression. Your employees are a critical part of your business, and if you want them to stay with you long term then you need to provide them with chances to grow and develop. After all, no one wants to stay in a dead-end job forever! Invest in the development of your team at every level, continuing education and progression when you can. This provides motivation for employees and means you have a pool of highly skilled and loyal workers.

There are a lot of different ways you can do this. You could design professional development plans for each role you hire for, or you could create a general pool of resources, including a budget per person per year for personal development. That budget could cover attending training and events, online courses and any other relevant development opportunities for your field. We like the second one best, as it gives employees control and autonomy over how they want to grow their skills and progress in their career.

Recognition And Praise

Everyone loves being recognised for the hard work they put in. Not only does it give employees that warm, fuzzy feeling, but it provides a level of encouragement and positive reinforcement. People respond well to positive praise, and the more specific you can get, the better. Interestingly, how often the praise and rewards are offered is more important than its size, so you may find regular, smaller acts of recognition provide more motivation than annual, big ones. Something as simple as taking an employee out to lunch because they hit their sales target, creating an ‘employee of the month’ system of publicly thanking people can all be great motivators. Recognition can take on many forms, and it’s essentially down to your management style and skills to decide how best to do this for your team.

Pleasant Working Environments

Psychology 101 – happy employees are much more motivated than unhappy ones. So take the time to create a working environment that people enjoy spending time in. Believe us, the effort will go a long way to keeping employees happy. As well as the basic requirements like space, light, air, heat and hygiene, try and add extras into your office to make it a nice place to be. Comfortable office furniture, attractive interior décor, lush indoor plants, good meeting facilities, a breakout room full of wind-down activities and even a well-equipped kitchen all contribute towards happier, more productive employees, who don’t just watch the clock so that they can get out the door. If you’re not sure what would make your employees happy, ask them to help with an office revamp!

Control

Go right back to basics, and remember that employees want autonomy over their work, and over their working patterns. This means no micromanaging, and instead giving your employees the chance to make decisions about what they do. This could be anything from choosing their own targets and career progressions to creating a flexible working schedule to help them achieve a better work-life balance. What topics are covered in meetings, how meetings take place, what projects they take on and even what snacks are kept in the office kitchen. All of this adds up to employees who feel that their opinions matter, and that they can voice their preferences and actually control their own work life. Just don’t go overboard with this one – your employees need you to make decisions too!

At the end of the day, it’s easy to assume that just giving people more money will motivate them in the way you want. But sadly, it’s not very effective, and often only leads to short-term change before going back to the status quo. But by investing in motivational methods that are more about encouraging and supporting the people who work for you (and not their wallets), you will see long-term positive results, and find that your business becomes a popular place to work because of it. If you would like some help and support in motivating your employees or putting any of these suggestions into practice, we’d love to help. Just get in touch with us today to book your free consultation.

The post 4 Ways To Motivate Your Employees (That Aren’t About Money) appeared first on Karen HRM Limited.

Whichever avenue you go down, it’s important that you find an HR solution that’s proactive, and not reactive. By definition, reactive HR is when you have an HR function, but they only really come into play when something goes wrong. This is sadly quite common in smaller businesses and often happens when the HR function is mixed with another function, like accounting or management. This arrangement might sound ideal for the budget-conscious business, but in reality, a reactive HR function can do more harm than good.

What Is Reactive HR?

Reactive HR essentially means your HR function doesn’t do much until issues arise. At which point they react, taking action on that issue until it is resolved, and then carry on maintaining the status quo. For example, a senior team member hands in their notice, so they will look for someone to replace them. They won’t necessarily have been evaluating the needs of the team on an ongoing basis, upskilling people so that they can move someone into the senior role right away so that they can easily fill the new vacancy with a junior role instead.

There are a lot of reasons businesses end up with a reactive approach to HR, from being relatively small and not knowing how their HR department should function when it’s so new, all the way through to higher management restricting what HR is allowed to do. Either way, having a completely reactive HR function is only slightly better than not having one at all, and the main reason is that passive HR can be damaging to your business and everyone in it.

How Is Proactive HR Different?

Proactive HR is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s taking a proactive approach to your company’s HR function. Active involvement in the employee lifecycle, maintaining employee relationships and overseeing the development and training of employees. Regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures, improving recruitment processes and working with employees to provide appropriate benefits. In short – active HR is all about being involved and solving problems before they happen – rather than just reacting when they do.

Why You Need Proactive HR

Proactive HR is generally the better route forward to any business. By being actively involved in the HR process at every stage your business can:

Find better candidates for vacancies: Being able to fill roles quickly with highly qualified and suitable candidates is the dream for many businesses, but it can feel a bit like looking for a golden unicorn. The only way to achieve it is to take a proactive approach to your recruiting process. That means succession planning and employee development so that you can promote from within. It means understanding where skills gaps are within teams so that you can fill them with the right people. And it means being proactive about developing and maintaining a full candidate pipeline that allows you to move quickly when you need to. This proactive approach means you can reduce the time to hire, keep you on track for your goals and free up HR to focus on wider strategy instead of scrambling to fill vacancies when they come up.

Prioritise employee development: By listening to what your employees want; you can provide it in much more effective ways. One of the biggest complaints of employees is that there aren’t enough routes to career development, which is often why great employees end up leaving. But by engaging with your team and listening to them, you can provide additional training and create opportunities that will be valuable to them. This boosts employee satisfaction, productivity and retention in one go.

Foster a positive company culture: Studies have shown that employees who work in companies with a positive company culture perform better across the board. Company culture is a powerful thing – it can impact sales, profits, recruiting efforts and employee morale – all in a positive or a negative way. Employees who feel listened to and supported by their HR department are likely to be happier, feel valued and motivated, feeding into a positive company culture.

If you don’t have the capacity to do all of this in house, then it might be time to consider outsourcing to an HR specialist. Bringing in an HR consultant at an early stage can help you design a proactive approach to HR and ensure you stay on top of everything you need to, without taking up more of your time than needed.

At Karen HRM, we work with businesses across the south to create HR policies that are proactive, not reactive. With our help, you will be fully prepared for any legal issues you could face, and you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your policies and procedures will always be up to date. You will also have your own personal HR advisor on call to help with employee issues, maintain relationships and support your business and your employees. If you’d like to know more about how we can support your business, just get in touch with the team today to book your free, no-obligation consultation.

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