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Archive for the 'HR & People Development' Category

Questions to ask employees

Published by Corrina on 10 March, 2010 in Environment, HR & People Development, Management & Leadership and Strategy & Operations • 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Answer key questions on business strategy, innovation, efficiency, human resources and customer care.

Think business strategy, innovation, efficiency, human resources, customer care, and more. Asking good questions and acting on good answers can improve your business and its people. So let’s explore some key business areas where your employees could provide the answers. 

Human resources

In addition to telling you whether they feel satisfied and happy in their work, employees may be able to identify training and development needs which could make your business more successful. 

Key questions for employees: Do you feel happy, enthusiastic and satisfied in your work? How could we improve your job? What training or development could improve both your job and business performance? Do you have unused or underused skills that could help us improve? Do you receive recognition and feedback? What should managers start or stop doing? What could we do to improve communication?

Business strategy and innovation

Because of a closeness to customers, problems or challenges, employees might conjure up innovative ideas and solutions. Their detachment from decision-making could also inspire fresh strategic thinking.  

Key questions for employees: What do you like or dislike about this company? What would you like to see happen? How could we improve our company/product/services? What are your ideas? Can you identify specific problems and propose solutions? What would spur creativity and innovation in your team?

Business efficiency

In previous editions of business i we have found that, because of their closeness to the action, employees can drive efficiency improvements in areas from cost cutting to energy saving. 

Key questions for employees: Can you spot ways to cut business costs, or energy consumption, in your role or in the company as a whole? Are there any bottlenecks or issues that slow you or your team down? How could we reduce wasted time so that we can focus on more worthwhile tasks?

Customer feedback

Customer-facing employees possess invaluable frontline knowledge on how satisfied customers are when interacting with your business and using its products and services. 

Key questions for employees: What common issues or complaints do customers experience? Do you have any feedback or intelligence from customers which could help us improve? When listening to customers, can you spot any unmet or underserved needs? What makes people go elsewhere?

As important as the questions is the will to ask them and listen to the answers. It’s about appreciating the value of engaging with employees, deciding which questions are important, and creating ways to obtain the answers. You might question via formal means such as staff meetings, surveys or interviews. But it’s not all about formalities; sometimes those unplanned conversation-starters at the drinks machine are just as valuable. Ask questions, listen, and if you get good answers, act to make your business better. 

More information – Consulting your employees

More information – The art of good communication between employer and employees

Are you listening?

Published by Corrina on 18 February, 2010 in HR & People Development • 0 Comments

Good listening can make you more successful. Here are some tips to help you improve.

Good listening contributes to success, but the process can sometimes be challenging. It’s therefore useful to make a conscious effort to get better at listening.

Listening is crucial for obtaining the information we need to do our jobs, whether this means learning new skills, or listening to customers so that we can meet their needs, improve customer service, or increase sales. It stands to reason then that the better we listen, the more informed and successful we are.

But successful listening is about more than just obtaining information. It’s a process which can make us think, by challenging our own views and opinions. As Henry Ford once said: “If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” Such empathy also shows that we care about others and respect their views.

The problem: listening can be challenging due to both internal and external distractions. When we listen, the mind often tries to process what it hears, perhaps in order to relate the information to our own personal experiences, or to begin preparing an adequate response. Because of this process we can become distracted from the intended message. And externally, we are presented with countless distractions, from the coffee that’s getting cold to the email alert vibrating on the table.

A key part of the listening process is therefore to minimise distractions and maximise focus. This could mean taking simple steps such as switching off your phone or finding a quieter place to talk. It also helps to have enough time and energy to listen effectively; if someone asks for an ear when you’re preoccupied or busy, it could be beneficial to talk another time when you can give your undivided attention. Through whatever means, the goal is to minimise the chances of losing focus.

Another tip – which might be obvious but can be forgotten – is to not talk too much. When listening, you may feel the urge to provide a response, and indeed this may ultimately be expected, but it’s easy to talk too early or too often. And as mentioned, thinking about a response can distract you from what’s being said. Body language and facial expressions can give you the cues you need to know when to respond. And while you may choose to interrupt if you don’t understand and need clarification, in general try to avoid interrupting or talking over the person you’re listening to.

The temptation to interrupt might be greater when there are differences of opinion. But arguably this is a time when listening means the most. Listen, try to understand and empathise with the other person’s point of view, and then offer your response. You might then express your disagreement, but the fact that you first welcomed the other person’s point of view demonstrates that you respect their opinion, even if you disagree with it. It’s also possible that through listening you may realise you were in fact wrong. Such realisations could be valuable to your personal relationships, your decision-making, and your business.

More than anything, good listening comes from a genuine desire to hear what others have to say. If you can nurture this desire you’ll naturally find your own ways to minimise distractions, maximise attention, and obtain more value from the information and opinions that those around you have to offer.

Better listening can lead to greater knowledge, improved decisions, stronger personal relationships, and increased sales. So remember these tips the next time you are about to listen to a colleague or customer: free yourself from distractions; focus on what’s being said; don’t talk too much; and try too see things from the other person’s angle as well as from your own.

More info – Know your customers’ needs guide

Training: 3 Questions

Published by Business Link on 28 January, 2010 in HR & People Development • 0 Comments

Three quick questions to get you thinking about your business’s training needs.

1. Review business aims

Before deciding on training requirements it’s crucial to appreciate the strategic aims and needs of the business. Doing so ensures training delivers relevant business benefits.

If your business plan identifies a weakness in customer service, you may work to train customer-facing employees. If ‘online’ has become a strategic goal for the future, you may need to train your web, IT and marketing people, and potentially your management team, who might require training in order to navigate the ever-changing online world.

Ask yourself: Where is your business going, and what additional skills are needed to get there?

2. Review employee needs

Your employees might identify specific training needs which could help to both develop themselves as individuals and push your business forward. In such cases it’s valuable to listen and act.

Reviews may form part of regular performance monitoring and personal development planning. Talk to employees about what skills development they feel would make them better at their jobs, and why. This helps to connect personal development and strategic business need, so that you can make plans for training that create benefits for both the employee and the business.

Ask employees: What additional skills could help to push themselves and your business forward?

3. Review training options

Think about training options within the context of the skills gaps to be filled and the people to be trained.

  • Workshops – Training groups of employees together, led by an expert trainer/facilitator.
  • Seminars – Employees attend in-house or external seminars organised by training specialists.
  • Job shadowing – One employee observing or working with another whilst they do their job.
  • e-Learning - Learning online using written, audio or video content and interactive tools or tests.
  • Distance learning – Educational training courses suited to training at home or work.
  • Study leave – Allowing employees leave to undertake training fully or partly funded by business.
  • Out-of-hours – Evening or weekend classes undertaken by employee, funded by business.
  • Coaching and mentoring - Close relationship between trainer and trainee to get the best from both.

Ask: What training method can best deliver the skills your business needs, and best suit your people?

For more comprehensive guidance on training read Fit the training to your needs.

More information – Improve business performance through training

More information – Skills and training for better business performance

What, why, how: Apprenticeships

Published by Business Link on 19 November, 2009 in HR & People Development, News & Opportunities and Strategy & Operations • 0 Comments

Apprenticeships deliver a cost effective and business-relevant way to boost productivity and performance. And they are available to both new and existing employees.

What

“On-the-job training leading to nationally recognised qualifications, developed by industry”.

This definition, from the National Apprenticeships Service, illustrates the win-win nature of apprenticeships: employers benefit from tailored training relevant to their needs, and employees gain nationally recognised qualifications.

Apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds are fully funded by the government; partial funding is available for 19-24 year olds; for over 25s funding is restricted to specific places.

Both new and existing employees can take part, there are over 190 types of apprenticeships, and apprenticeships can take place in the workplace or be provided by educational institutions or specialist providers.

Why

Over 130,000 businesses in the UK have already used apprenticeships as a cost effective way to boost their skills and improve productivity and competitiveness.

A 2009 survey from the Learning and Skills Council found that the majority of respondents felt that apprenticeships were more cost effective compared to employing skilled workers.

The same survey also found that apprenticeships tend to improve business productivity and competitiveness. Because apprenticeships are so closely tailored to the needs of business, they are effective at plugging the right skills gaps, and thus often lead to tangible improvements in business productivity and performance.

In general, training usually fosters a more flexible and competent workforce which is more satisfied and motivated. Employees appreciate training and are satisfied when they see their new skills contributing to business success. And those taking part in apprenticeships seem to be particularly motivated; statistics show that less people drop out of apprenticeships than from academic educational courses.

Apprenticeships represent a cost effective, dynamic and valuable way to improve the skills of existing employees and recruit and develop fresh new talent. And because they are closely tailored and relevant to business needs, companies get maximum value from the process too. So apprenticeships really are a win-win.

How

Support is available from Business Link. We can work together to define your requirements, source the right training providers to fit your needs, and advise on available funding. Call us on 0845 600 9966 or complete the faxback form below and one of our business advisers will contact you.

Download more information about apprenticeships

Organising your days

Published by Business Link on 20 October, 2009 in HR & People Development, Management & Leadership and News & Opportunities • 3 Comments

Can a daily routine help to increase your personal productivity, satisfaction and success? 

Winston Churchill woke early but worked from bed until late morning. He then rose for a brisk walk and a weak whisky and soda. By early evening he was ready for his siesta, a habit he claimed allowed him to fit one and a half days worth of work into every 24 hours. Charles Darwin, another early riser, worked for most of the morning in his study, but invariably considered 12 noon to be the end of his working day. 

For some individuals there seems to be a link between routine and success. So, can a ritualistic approach to managing time help to get the most from your days?

You may think not. Some people are immediately sceptical about the regimented nature of routine, preferring a more flexible approach. But routines can be rigid or flexible, and making even the smallest changes to your days can help to increase productivity, satisfaction and success.

“It’s quite a personal matter”, says writer Simone de Beauvoir. There are no rules; one person’s routine could be entirely incompatible with the next person. For this reason it’s important to undertake some honest self-analysis.

When are you most productive, attentive or creative: mornings, afternoons or evenings? When do you best work alone, and when do you prefer the company of others? Do you attend to detail best with a fresh morning head, or in the evening when there’s fewer distractions? Asking such questions enables you to match specific tasks with specific time slots that suit your behaviours best. For example, if you’re most productive but most antisocial in the mornings, make your routine simple: mornings – personal tasks; afternoons – meetings and team working.

If you begin your days wondering how you’re going to get everything done, you need to think strategically about managing your time. This means prioritising key tasks and putting aside unimportant ones. So why not begin your daily routine by spending five minutes creating a plan for the day ahead? Ask what you can realistically achieve, and importantly, what you must do to make today feel productive and successful. Once you know what important tasks must be done, you can match them with the most suitable times slots, as discussed above.

Having an appreciation of when it’s best to do something allows you to better order the things you need to do, day by day. Beyond this simple framework your routine can be as rigid or flexible as you like. Some people choose to work to hour-long chunks that end on the beep of an alarm and are followed by minute-long ‘review and refocus’ sessions. For the less regimented, simply find a balance between chaos and order.

You may also want to think about how routine can help to manage both work and life. Could you integrate personal tasks into your routine? For instance, if you tend to work late why not break up the days with a walk to do some personal errands; exercise can reduce stress and improve productivity, and getting the chores done is a nice bonus.

However detailed your daily routine becomes is your choice; indeed you may waver towards the more flexible approach. But don’t let such freedom distract you from the point that, often, certain times of the day are better suited to certain tasks. If you can crack this code you can get the right things done at the best times, and as a result become more productive, satisfied and successful – and less stressed.