Let’s discuss the team members who are responsible for managing schedules, coordinating logistics, and delivering the essential services that are fundamental to your company’s success. While their roles are not always directly associated with generating profits or interacting with clients face-to-face, their contributions are irreplaceable. Without them, the company would grind to a halt in 2.2 seconds — even faster if someone needs a document that is buried in SharePoint. Administrative Professionals Week is coming up, and it’s the perfect opportunity to highlight your support team’s dedication and indispensability.
The individuals on your administrative and support team are standout examples of reliability. Working behind the scenes to troubleshoot and solve problems, they act as the silent force that sustains the vitality of the company's mission and vision. Their attention to detail ensures that no issue goes unnoticed while maintaining the stability and efficiency of daily operations. Armed with an intimate understanding of the company's intricate systems and processes, they offer timely and adept support across all departments. Moreover, their commitment to the continued mastery of their responsibilities creates a place of excellence and innovation that permeates through the company's core.
When administrative and support staff feel valued and acknowledged for their contributions, they tend to experience higher levels of job satisfaction. Recognizing the pivotal roles they play not only cultivates a sense of belonging but also nurtures a deeper commitment to the company's objectives. By laying the groundwork, you can significantly boost employee morale, thereby enhancing the likelihood of achieving strategic goals. Leveraging insights from personality assessments, such as The Omnia Behavioral Assessment, can further refine and customize your approach.
Engaging support staff in an interactive exercise not only injects excitement into the workplace but also ignites teamwork and camaraderie within the group. A sense of community and synergy among colleagues happens when collaboration is high.
Getting the entire company to participate in the recognition event establishes a culture of appreciation and acknowledgment. The benefit of this initiative lies in reinforcing positive behaviors and strengthening team cohesion. Recognize specific skills or traits that make admin and support staff exceptional.
Inviting your admin team to have lunch with you is a pathway to open communication and strengthens relationships across different levels of the company. This fosters a welcoming atmosphere for them to share their ideas and concerns which builds transparency and trust.
Facilitating healthy activities among the support team can decrease job fatigue. By doing this, you are demonstrating your focus on employees’ happiness and well-being.
Having employees share their expertise advances continuous learning within the team. This can enhance job performance, efficiency, and adaptability as employees learn from each other's experiences and best practices.
Administrative Professionals Week serves as a reminder of the important role played by administrative and support staff in driving the success of the business. Beyond just a designated week of recognition, it underscores the ongoing need to applaud and appreciate their tireless efforts throughout the year. Embracing tools, like the Omnia Group’s assessments and reports, enables a deeper understanding of team dynamics and individual strengths, further enhancing your ability to empower your team.
By having a culture of appreciation, you can nurture an environment where your support team feels seen, valued, respected, and motivated. Let us take this time not only to express sincere gratitude to our admin and support teams but also to reaffirm our commitment to their continued growth and success. Happy Administrative Professionals Week!
You hire each employee to fulfill a specific role within your organization. And, with rare exceptions, most of your team members want to meet or exceed your expectations. But they also want more. Your employees yearn to feel a deep passion for their work and to be inspired by your company’s mission. They long to make a positive impact on the world around them.
As their leader, you should desire these things for your team. By unleashing their passion, you’ll help your staff feel empowered, fulfilled, and happy. Passion starts with employee engagement.
According to Gallup, “…engaged employees produce better business outcomes than other employees -- across industry, company size, and nationality, and in good economic times and bad.” The numbers bear this out; the behaviors of highly engaged business units result in a 23% difference in profitability. If that’s not incentive enough to focus on engagement, Gallup also reported, “Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.”
When your employees have this deep connection to their jobs, your company will reap numerous benefits. Engagement will go up. Turnover will go down. And your team will become an innovative, problem-solving force that fosters productive relationships and pursues continuous learning -- all in the name of moving your enterprise forward.
So how do you encourage, tap into, and nurture your employees’ passions? You:
Your organization has to facilitate passion through engagement. And your company culture must reflect that desire to support the differing needs of each team member.
Shaping a culture that fosters passion begins with leadership -- old-school, rigid micromanaging and narrow-focused supervision is out. Collaborative, flexible, trusting, and visionary leadership is in.
Your employees need to know that it’s okay to fail if a calculated risk doesn’t pay off. They also need to know that you’re not after perfection -- you’re after results. And, while today’s performance is important, tomorrow’s growth and evolution are even more so.
This organizational stance has to be championed from the top down. As a leader, you need to model the behavior you want to see in your employees. Let your own passion show before you can expect your team to reveal theirs.
To be genuinely invested in and truly passionate about their work, your employees need to see that what they do matters. To help them recognize this, show them how their effort impacts their department, organization, and community. When each employee can trace their output to a larger outcome, they’ll take ownership of it and strive to improve.
Here are a few ways you can show your employees their real impact:
According to Omnia’s 2024 Talent Trends report, “The value of a company aligning with the ambitions of employees is clear. 77% of job applicants research company culture before applying for a job. 92% say that the company culture impacts their decision to stay longer.”
When you invest in an employee’s development, you tell them that you care about them and their career. With an enhanced skill set, they’ll feel more confident navigating uncertain times. They’ll also feel more loyal to your organization.
This development can also uncover and nurture your employees’ passions. As they learn by creating and doing, they’ll realize their potential and find new ways to help your organization achieve its goals. It’s a real win-win.
For best results, provide each employee with various developmental experiences tailored to their emerging skills and interests. Let them interact with other passionate team members across the organization to spread enthusiasm and innovation. And most importantly, give them ample space to experiment and implement what they learn.
It’s exciting to watch your team’s passion develop and deepen, benefiting each member and the business as a whole. What if you could get a sneak peek into your employees’ strengths, tendencies, and work preferences? That insight would help you position them for success both now and in the future and determine optimal developmental opportunities.
Good news! You absolutely can get that insight anytime you want it. A behavioral assessment provides all of those details and more, helping you lead, motivate, and communicate effectively with your team. You can learn more about Omnia’s behavioral assessments here.
Remember, effective communication leads to more productive employees and a more profitable workplace.
According to Dan Schawbel, managing partner at Workplace Intelligence (as reported by The Workforce Institute at UKG), “Feeling heard drives a sense of purpose and belonging. By implementing employee feedback, people leaders can create an organizational culture of psychological safety and trust that thrives when its people thrive.”
Behavioral insights can provide leadership with ideas on how to communicate with each team member efficiently and thoughtfully, to ensure that they each feel heard.
Omnia offers a variety of reports using behavioral assessment data. For example, the Team Dynamics Report provides an in-depth custom analysis of an existing or potential team. On the other hand, our Professional Development Report is an automated self-awareness report written directly to existing employees.
Passionate employees can achieve great feats for your organization. But, they must be empowered to create, innovate, and take risks. When they are, you’ll retain valuable human capital, and your company will take giant leaps forward -- both necessities in today’s ever-competitive business world.
This article is a repost from August 2020 with updated information and statistics.
Only one-third of your employees are engaged, according to Gallup’s employee engagement indicator. Employee engagement has remained a critical trend, and as we begin 2024, organizations are realizing they must prioritize employee experience.
Our partner PuzzleHR aims to revolutionize the employee experience. Offering a comprehensive suite of custom HR solutions, from Managed HR to Talent Acquisition and everything in between, they redefine how businesses approach engagement. We’ve invited PuzzleHR’s Simone Timol as a guest author for this week’s blog to share their holistic approach to helping organizations improve their employee experience.
With 56% of HR professionals reporting that their organization lacks a succession plan and 39% of employers set to focus on internal mobility in 2024, your organization must stay ahead by keeping processes streamlined and employees upskilled.
Without a solid succession plan, organizations risk operational disruptions and declining engagement. Planning adequately for these challenges can make or break employee engagement. Succession plans help ensure leadership continuity, reduce uncertainty among employees, and enhance morale through clear career paths.
PuzzleHR’s professionals are prepared to guide you through the many complexities of human resources, including performance management. Performance management strategies that discuss professional development promote a productive work environment.
Payroll—an essential yet stressful task. Efficient payroll processing creates a foundation of trust between an organization and its employees, but because payroll errors have become routine, many employees lack trust in their companies. Ernst & Young found that, on average, 1/5 of company payrolls contain errors, costing $291 per error and 29 weeks per year to correct.
Consistent, accurate paychecks show employees your organization’s appreciation of their work and your commitment to fair compensation, while errors breed mistrust and dissatisfaction, leading to turnover and disengagement.
PuzzleHR treats payroll as a vital component of the employee experience, taking the stress off your shoulders. Managed Payroll solutions ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, allowing you and your employees to focus on your core responsibilities. Without the stress of payroll errors, employees can build a sense of confidence in their employer.
Benefits are one of the most important parts of the employee experience. Many workers choose their jobs based on benefits, with 49% of surveyed employees leaving jobs due to a lack of work-life balance and 42% leaving to seek better benefits. Navigating employee benefits can be daunting, with employees feeling confused about offerings and open enrollment becoming stressful with its looming deadlines. PuzzleHR's Managed Benefits solution simplifies benefits with a team of experts to guide you through the entire process.
A comprehensive and well-managed benefits program serves as a powerful tool for fostering employee engagement. Programs that support work-life balance increase productivity, well-being, and retention.
Benefits programs show employees their organization cares about their wellness, increasing job satisfaction and loyalty. Benefits experts can guide you in selecting the right provider and managing the plan effectively, ensuring your employees get the most out of their benefits.
Finding the right talent can drive an organization's success, but many organizations lack the personnel or budget to fund a fully equipped talent acquisition team. This leaves employees who are tasked with hiring overwhelmed, as 23% of talent professionals experienced burnout and other mental health concerns in 2023. Implementing effective talent acquisition strategies ensures that your organization always secures the best talent, boosting employee engagement from the onset.
A strong talent acquisition program fills current vacancies, adjusts for future needs through strategic planning, and selects candidates based on their skills and alignment with the organization. This empowers you to make better hiring decisions, guaranteeing that each role finds its ideal fit. By building effective teams, you foster a collaborative and productive work environment, which significantly boosts engagement. PuzzleHR’s Talent Acquisition team does the hard work for you — sourcing, interviewing, and hiring candidates that meet your needs.
As technology advances and new skills become important, continuous learning proves vital. Using a comprehensive learning management system and customizing learning programs ensures you meet your team where they are to cultivate a culture of learning.
Providing employees with learning and development opportunities equips them with necessary skills and demonstrates an investment in their growth and success. TalentLMS found that 76% of employees report being more likely to stay with a company offering continuous learning opportunities, indicating an increase in engagement and retention among learning-focused organizations.
Effective learning and development programs work with your participants, utilizing a variety of educational methods and research-based approaches to adult learning to build skills and engage employees in their career progression. Also, enhanced Learning Management Systems make it easy to stay up to date with compliance trainings. Engage a team of experts to work closely with your organization to design the ideal learning program for you.
Employees are excited to share their thoughts, feelings, and opinions with their organizations. 83% of employees would participate in an employee listening program, according to IBM, who also found that such programs are associated with higher organizational performance and reputation.
Leveraging employee surveys allows businesses to tap into the pulse of their workforce, gaining valuable insights into their sentiments, needs, and expectations. Surveys provide a platform for employees to voice their needs and allow for open communication. Analyzing survey results and implementing changes based on employee feedback ensures employees feel valued and demonstrates a commitment to the employee experience.
PuzzleHR’s Index Survey anonymously gathers input from clients’ staff, identifying areas of excellence and improvement in the categories of Talent Management, Total Rewards, Culture and Engagement, Performance Management, and Learning and Development. The data fuels personalized strategies and vital organizational enhancements implemented by the clients’ dedicated HR experts to increase engagement, retention, and satisfaction.
Employee behavioral assessments are becoming a pivotal tool for organizations to enhance their overall employee experience. PuzzleHR and Omnia have teamed together to incorporate the Omnia Behavioral Assessment into PuzzleHR’s proprietary Index Survey for engagement to help you put the entire picture together to solve the HR puzzle and improve employee experience.
“We’ve seen the Omnia assessment platform be transformative for our internal team dynamics and that of our clients as well,” says Chris Timol, President/COO of PuzzleHR. “Omnia has been a game-changer in understanding and leveraging unique talents, fostering a culture of continuous development that benefits our clients as much as it does us.” These assessments not only reveal the inherent strengths of a team but also highlight areas where growth and development are needed, enabling organizations to create tailored programs to enhance employee experience and drive business results.
PuzzleHR believes in the transformational power of the HR department. That’s why they provide the resources that turn HR departments into profit centers. Our Omnia Team is proud to partner with PuzzleHR. They work with clients from various industries to create custom solutions for any HR puzzle, and their experts bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives while addressing your employees’ skills and needs to enhance their overall experience, boosting engagement for your organization’s success.
To learn more, visit PuzzleHR’s website or get started with our a complimentary behavioral assessment.
In a few short days we’ll embark on the adventure of a new year, looking ahead to new aspirations and new possibilities. But before we close the book on 2023, it’s important to reflect on the year gone by—wins, losses, unexpected detours, and hard-earned achievements.
Some of the many benefits of taking the time to look back over the year include:
It’s exciting and gratifying to look back and see how your hard work has paid off this past year—and how the goals you attain not only benefit your company but also your employees, your customers, and your community. We here at Omnia have also been hard at work this past year; let’s look back at some of the highlights!
We hit the ground running in 2023. In January, Omnia released its new 3-part, mobile-friendly behavioral assessment. Our new assessment can now be taken on all devices and is quicker and easier to complete, enhancing the candidate experience—all without sacrificing accuracy, as evidenced by our latest external validation study. Also, recognizing the ever-changing nature of language, Omnia modernized some of the words on the assessment’s adjective checklist, which caused the internal reliability of the assessment to increase!
In February, Omnia released its 2nd Annual Talent Trends Survey Report. This report compiles human capital and talent strategy data given directly from respondents who work in various roles, at companies of different sizes, and in a number of industries. This easy-to-read, informative report offers organizations insights on the diverse factors that have affected hiring and employee retention as well as information-backed recommendations on growing employee motivation and improving productivity.
(And it’s not too late to share your insights for our 2024 Talent Trends Survey. But act now! The survey closes December 31, 2023.)
Omnia kicked off the summer season by launching enhanced Target Selection and Development reports. The reports were given a makeover that offers visual consistency among the reports as well as improved navigation and comprehension. In addition, Omnia updated the interview questions for the Target Selection report to reflect the contemporary work environment. These questions can help employers engage in even more informative, relevant dialogue with job candidates and aid in their employee selection process.
Omnia is committed to giving back to the community, and we were honored to have opportunities to do so throughout the year. We participated in quarterly service initiatives including partnering with Habitat for Humanity on a Home Preservation project, sending supplies to the Hillsborough County Pet Resources Foundation, Inc., donating to a food drive for Hope For Her, and giving toys to Toys for Tots.
We welcomed some new faces to the Omnia family in 2023. Kris Spell came on board as the Director of Sales, bringing over two decades of experience, specializing in sales and talent acquisition. Additionally, Mikki Clayton joined Omnia and uses her experience in business development and account management as our new Business Development Consultant. Kris and Mikki have already proven how valuable they are to our company, and we are excited to see the successes they achieve in 2024!
Recently, we announced upgrades to Omnia’s cognitive and grammar assessments. Now, like our behavioral assessment, our grammar and cognitive assessments are mobile friendly and easier to navigate. The touch-friendly interface and responsive design offer a more user-friendly, flexible experience for participants taking all of our assessments!
It's not an exaggeration to say that every person at Omnia played an important role in bringing these accomplishments to life. The power of a team is never more apparent than when reflecting back on the year and appreciating the hard work everyone contributed and the goals they achieved.
Let Omnia be a part of your team to fulfill your 2024 hiring, retention, and employee engagement goals! Reach out to us today to find out how we can help. And speaking of 2024 goals, join us for our webinar 2024 Vision: Master Goal Setting and Achieve Your Best Year Ever on January 16, 2024 at 12:30pm ET.
From everyone at Omnia, we wish you a bright, successful new year!
Who doesn’t like a party? Parties are fun! There’s music, food, laughter, and great conversation. It’s a chance to connect with friends and cut loose a little.
Your office holiday party, which typically occurs during work hours, is double the fun. Instead of being paid to work, employees are being paid to not work. How cool is that? Still, there are a few things your employees would appreciate more than a holiday party. Read on for the top 5.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 81 percent of professionals in private industry receive some paid vacation. Yet, a study by Pew Research shows that 46% of workers take less time off than they are offered.
When asked why, nearly half cite concerns about falling behind in their work, and 43% “…say they’d feel badly about their co-workers taking on additional work.”
Technology is another culprit. Smartphones ensure that we’re plugged in virtually 24/7. We regularly send, receive, and respond to email messages off the clock. We manage to stay in touch but at the cost of precious downtime.
The bottom line? Your employees would like real time away from work without having to think about who needs what at the office or whether you’ll be displeased at the inconvenience of their absence. So, if you’re one of those managers with a reputation for piling it on and then looking sideways at your employees when they announce plans to be elsewhere, consider the costs, please. This tactic may work in the short term, but in the long term it’ll lead to burnout, workplace stress, resentment, reduced productivity, and lower work quality.
Another Bureau of Labor Statistics study reports that 41% of private sector employees had access to nonproductive bonuses, including holiday and end-of-year bonuses.
Since money is often tight for families around the holidays, a cash bonus is a welcome way of alleviating stress for your employees and allowing them to enjoy the season more.
As a sign of employer gratitude, nothing says “thanks” quite like cash, and employees always take notice when a company puts its money where its mouth is.
Good managers are so hard to come by, and they’re so very needed. If you’ve been hanging on to leaders who micromanage, create bottlenecks, or even abuse their staff, you’re doing your company a great disservice. Either coach these managers to greater performance or let them go. An annual holiday party can’t make up for the indignity of daily bad management.
Trust is an essential quality for any healthy relationship and that includes work relationships. Your employees will do their best work when they believe they have your confidence. Every employee needs room to take some risks and make some mistakes, so don’t hesitate to give your staff space to do things their way. It’s like they say: The best managers hire good people and then get out of their way.
Talented employees don’t need their hands held, but most welcome a little attention every now and again.
In general, employees like to know they’re doing what you want to the standard you want and that their work is making a positive impact on the company. That’s why managers who provide regular performance feedback and are otherwise available to give guidance and support without micromanaging are considered golden by their staff.
Holiday parties are a positive expression of a company’s appreciation of staff, and most employees enjoy these celebrations very much.
That said, nothing makes an employee smile quite like cash, and more importantly, a party (no matter how fabulous) can’t compensate for a difficult manager, a lack of trust, or a lack of regular and constructive feedback.
If you’re feeling a little stuck about how to give your team the gift of engagement or elevate your management this holiday season, Omnia’s customer success team is here to help! Reach out to us to try an Employee Development or Leadership Style report or to ask about a Custom Report targeted to your specific challenges.
This article was written for readers of our partner publication CUInsight. It received such a positive reaction, we decided to share it with our weekly blog audience. We hope you find it helpful as well.
Have you heard about mouse jigglers? I discovered them during a recent lunch with a colleague dedicated to enhancing employee engagement for businesses. While discussing my upcoming speech on supporting hybrid teams, she urged me to mention "the jiggler." Curious, I inquired further. She enthusiastically explained how mouse jigglers simulate mouse movement to prevent screensavers and sleep mode, a device in high demand due to employers monitoring online statuses. This traffic light system tracks employee availability, signaling green for available, yellow for away, white for offline, and red for busy. It's intended to indirectly gauge productivity, but it's causing a trust divide between employers and employees.
The rise of mouse jigglers reflects employees' attempts to evade monitoring. These devices keep screens active, maintaining an "available" status even when the user is occupied with other tasks. This conversation with my colleague led us to a more significant concern: the implications of such monitoring on employee engagement.
In the dynamic landscape of credit unions, where community impact and member trust are paramount, your team members represent the true wealth of your business. They drive member service excellence and embody your credit union's mission. To unlock their full potential and cultivate an engaged workforce, leaders must embrace strategies focused on building trust and caring about each individual. It's not about monitoring availability; it's about prioritizing employee engagement.
Why is employee engagement more critical than ever? According to Haiilo,
However, the reality is concerning. Gallup's latest study reveals that only 23% of workers are actively engaged, with 18% actively disengaged. Over 50% fall into the "conditionally engaged" category, indicating that merely 23% of your staff are thriving and genuinely committed to your credit union's mission. The remaining 18% are not just disengaged but potentially disruptive to their peers' productivity, especially those in the 59% who are on the fence.
So, what can you do to ensure your team doesn't fall into this disengagement trap? It all boils down to one essential ingredient: CARE. Leaders must show they care by engaging with each team member individually, tailoring their approach, and maintaining consistency in communication, team norms, and continuous touch points.
In the hustle and bustle of the financial world, it's easy to overlook the human element. However, your credit union's mission and values come to life through your team members. Each individual brings a unique blend of skills, experiences, and motivations. As a leader, it's crucial to genuinely CARE about their well-being, growth, and job satisfaction.
When employees see that you CARE about their personal and professional growth, they are more likely to stay committed to your credit union's mission.
Recognize that each employee is a unique individual with distinct motivators, communication styles, and work preferences.
Begin by understanding what motivates each team member. Some may be driven by recognition and rewards, while others may find purpose in personal growth and the credit union's mission. Tailor your coaching and recognition strategies to align with their specific motivators. For those motivated by recognition, provide regular feedback and acknowledge their contributions publicly. For those seeking personal growth, offer opportunities for skill development and advancement within the credit union.
Next, pay attention to their communication style. Some employees prefer relational communication, emphasizing relationships and feelings, while others lean toward fact-based communication, focusing on data and logic. Adapt your coaching conversations accordingly. Use emotional intelligence and active listening when coaching relationally-oriented employees. For those who prefer a fact-based approach, provide clear, data-driven information and logical reasoning.
Effective leadership is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It's about adapting and TAILORing your strategies to meet the unique needs of your team members. Consider each individual’s preferred pace of work. Some thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, while others excel with a slower, more methodical pace. Offer new challenges and variety to those who thrive in a fast-paced setting. For employees who prefer a slower pace, provide stability, and assign routine or long-range tasks that benefit from patience and tenacity.
Balance the need for structure and autonomy. While some employees thrive with clear guidelines and structured processes, others are at their best when given autonomy and creative freedom. Customize your coaching and management style to provide the right level of guidance. Set clear expectations for those who need structure, and allow flexibility and opportunities for innovation for those who prefer autonomy.
Consistency is key to maintaining open lines of communication with your team and building trust and stability within the organization.
In the dynamic world of credit unions, leadership isn't just about managing finances; it's about inspiring and nurturing a team passionate about serving members and communities. Leading with CARE—Caring for every person on your team, Engaging individually, Tailoring your approach, and striving for Consistency—is the foundation of effective leadership and employee engagement.
By incorporating these principles into your leadership philosophy, you'll create a dynamic, engaged workforce that drives your credit union's success. As you nurture engagement within your team, your credit union will continue to thrive, serving members and communities with excellence for generations to come, and perhaps, we'll see a decline in mouse jiggler sales
Originally published on CUInsight.com.
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