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Read MoreHave you ever wondered exactly what task the employee engagement team or person in your organization is actually tasked with? Is it all just fun and games, organizing the year-end Christmas or holiday party, showing up at your desk to congratulate you on your work anniversary, or organizing the cake for employee birthdays? Sure, these are probably some of the front-facing tasks that you see your human resources or corporate communications executive who is in charge of the employee relations and employee engagement initiatives engage in. However, there is a whole lot more that goes into this endeavor, and indeed, some serious reasoning and requirements lie behind the entire employee engagement team. Research has proven, as has real life experience and observation in organizations of all shapes and sizes across industries, that happier employees are more engaged employees and when they are happy and engaged at work, their output is more this means that they are more productive and work better and want to do more for and in the organization. So, apart from the feel-good factor of getting to eat some cake or blow off some steam by having that monthly pizza party or even that much looked-forward-to Friday potluck, there is indeed an organization level reasoning for keeping employee engagement going.
In order to achieve good levels of employee engagement, there can be no working in silos. Interaction between teams, within teams, and with senior and junior employees is essential to foster good communication across the organization, at all levels. Keeping this in mind, one way to improve employee engagement within the organization is by encouraging employees to talk to one another, share their work, and also share feedback and ideas with management. On the flip side, employees should be recognized for their contributions and efforts and made to feel like they are a valuable and contributing member of the team and organization at large. With strong communication in place, there will be engagement and employees will want to share as well as feel important. Sending out emails, putting up posters announcing events or lauding teams or individuals who have performed well, presenting them with small incentives and gift vouchers and certificates, and holding celebratory get-together are all simple and effective ways to improve employee engagement within the organization. Measuring employee engagement means frequent interaction with employees and learning whether they feel valued and engaged in order to learn and improve activities in the future.
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Read MoreNo man is an island, and this saying holds especially true for organizations which rely on their human capital to run and do business in the first place. Unhappy employees will adversely affect the company not just in terms of the environment but eventually, its bottom line too. Not only should there be an environment that fosters cooperation, harmony, mutual respect, and open communication within the organization and its team, but this must also be present across all levels of the organization, be it amongst members of a given team, those employees who are all at the same level, superiors and managers, the senior leadership, and more. At the end of the day, be it a private or public limited company, with five, or five hundred, or five thousand companies, employee relations is an aspect that can make or break an organization’s culture and climate. When employees are comfortable in their workplace, and this includes various aspects of the workplace (not just the physical or social but also the workplace environment, policies, facilities, and of course, colleagues), they will also be more motivated and willing to not only do their jobs but go the extra mile for their employers and their organization.
The physical, emotional, intellectual, and practical aspects of an employee’s relationship and needs within the organization are covered under the term employee relations. While the concept of employee relations originated from the Industrial revolution era, where there arose a need to manage conflict and expectations between management and workers, today the term encompasses a lot more than just conflict management and resolution, and indeed, has come to have much greater significance as well. Numerous case studies and researches have shown that there is a strong, indisputable link between employee satisfaction levels and productivity in any kind of organization, be it industrial or manufacturing, intellectual capital related, educational, retail, etc. And since every organization is dependent on its employees to fulfill its mission and goals, including that of being profitable and successful at the business, be it a product or service at hand, the happiness (with regard to the workplace) quotient of employees is important. And in order to be able to gauge whether employees are happy, whether they consider the organization a good place to work, as having fair practices, and fulfilling their needs and expectations as employees, there has to be a person or team in charge of employee relations.
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Read MoreAn integral part of an organization’s employee relations will start and end with employee engagement. Putting the policies and creating the right environment to foster employee engagement means happier and more satisfied employees. And when employees are happy, they work better and are more productive. Communication is perhaps the single most important aspect to improving employee engagement when employees feel like they are in the know, that management respects and trusts them enough to share information, and that there is no unilateral decision making, they feel more secure and thus have more buy in. This includes management communicating policy changes or implementation, any changes to facilities or the available perks and services, and making sure employees are aware of all company employee relations policies, upfront, and in writing. Email communication, as well as posting signs and posters in public and common areas of the office, like cafeterias, elevators, and meeting rooms, is one way to make sure all employees are reached and that the communication has been widely propagated.
Employee recognition is another vital aspect of employee engagement, and plays an important part in improving employee engagement. It is human nature for people to want to feel appreciated and valued for their contributions and efforts. In a workplace setting, this means creating a culture where employees share their projects and work with one another, and where colleagues and management laud and recognize individual contributions as well as team efforts. One must also go beyond the mindset of a job for a salary and foster learning and development in order to increase employee engagement. Having training sessions on subjects employees will be interested in, or have expressed as lacking, offering rewards and incentives for learning initiatives that employees can complete on the official intranet or via a third party learning system or online program, and creating opportunities for career growth and personal development are all good ways to increase employee engagement.
Having a rewards and recognition policy that recognizes and rewards employees for performance and when they have gone above and beyond, is another great way to increase employee satisfaction and thereby their engagement with the organization and their jobs. It can be as simple as giving out certificates of appreciation to a team or individual for a job well done, to a team outing or lunch, bonuses and gifts for special occasions or when milestones have been achieved, including company anniversary, employment anniversary, or the successful completion of a project.
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Read MoreIf you are looking for buying best mattresses in the market, a quality research of the available stock needs to be done. Before shortlisting some of these best mattresses for your home, you should know what you are looking. There is a range of high-quality mattresses on the market including those from Stearns Forster.
Support factor
The support a mattress provides to a person is one of the key indexes which makes it rank among the best mattresses in the market. For instance, mattress from Stearns Forster is one such product that is best for providing support to the spine.Comfort
The padding in the mattresses is another factor which contributes to it becoming among the best mattresses. Stearns Foster has done key research on this aspect, and like other mattress brands in the market, it comes with a range of variants with some having thick padding while others are available in a thin padding backdrop.It is accepted that higher the number of coils a mattress has and thicker is the padding; more are the chances of it being ranked among the best mattresses. Like other brands in the market, Stearns Foster has also taken care of this aspect and offers mattresses with maximum comfort.
Quality of the material
The quality of the material in the mattress is one other factor which makes it stand among best mattress in the market. The best mattresses including those developed by Stearns Forster are known to be made from best fleece wool, which works to redistribute the body weight as a person sleeps. This has a distinct advantage in the form that it helps in providing relief to the pressure points in the body. A person will thus get a peaceful sleep and will awake the next day to a healthy start.So, if you are looking to buy best mattresses, then you should keep these factors in mind. These features of a mattress make it one of the best picks.
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Read MoreKeeping a tab of the phone bill is as overwhelming as it is exhausting. For people who are constantly facing a money crunch, having to deal with confusing bill statements, controlling phone usage and having a hard time paying up before the due date is stressful, to say the least.
Understanding the need to connect
Everyone needs to be connected in this day and age. If you are struggling with phone bills and feel cornered because no service provider is giving you cost-friendly options, stop worrying. The Lifeline Program started by the Federal government understands the hardships of those who cannot be in touch with their loved ones as much as they would want to because of economic difficulties.
Lifeline benefits for low-income groups
The Lifeline program has helped people from low-income groups to get access to affordable and efficient communication tools since 1984. Getting the Assurance Wireless new phone will open up cheaper avenues of communication. You will no longer have to limit yourself while talking to your loved ones.
Virgin Mobile brings to its consumers Assurance Wireless that is a partnering with the Federal Lifeline program to give free mobile connectivity to people from low-income groups. With the help of Assurance Wireless, one member in each household is eligible to get one Assurance Wireless new phone with basic calling facilities.
Hassle-free billing
Assurance Wireless is meant to assist people in low-income groups to stay connected. Billing for the Assurance Wireless new phone is as good as free, yes! What’s more, the system is transparent. The phone uses prepaid facility so you are completely in charge of how much you want to talk on the phone. No more confusing bills, taxes, late fees and suspicions of being overcharged. Welcome a new life of affordable communication with Assurance Wireless.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the Lifeline Program and get an Assurance Wireless new phone, you must be enrolled in one of the many public sponsored assistance schemes. The rule and regulations regarding registration as an Assurance Wireless new phone user vary widely from state to state.
Qualifying for public assistance programs like Medicaid, Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit Program – and others – can get help if you get an Assurance Wireless new phone. Since state-specific requirements differ, read the guidelines and eligibility criteria of your state carefully.
Special offers in California
California has some of the best offers for Assurance Wireless new phone users. So, if you live there, it is a great idea to check out the Lifeline Program details from any Virgin Mobile store or from the Assurance Wireless website to get a new connection.
Easy switch to other phones
To be able to use internet on the phone, additional fees apply. However, even if you choose to get an Assurance Wireless new phone with smartphone features, you will get good deals at Virgin Mobile as a participant of the Lifeline Program. Some popular models that are compatible with Assurance Wireless have been used by users who wanted to upgrade from the basic phone that is provided as part of the Lifeline Program for free.
New Assurance Wireless customers receive a free Android smartphone, 1GB free data monthly, unlimited free texts per month, at least 350 free voice minutes monthly, a free voicemail account, call waiting and caller identification, amongst other benefits. Once you have been accepted into the Lifeline Program, you can even retain your old phone number on the Assurance Wireless new phone.
More compatible models
In case you want more features than those are there in the phone you receive, there are some other smartphones compatible with Assurance Wireless service. For example, the Virgin Mobile UMX has 3G support and Bluetooth connectivity. A good option is the LG Aspire LN280 model. The phone memory is extendable by 32 GB. Other good Assurance Wireless compatible phones are ZTE Quest N817, Kyocera JAX, and Samsung Montage SPH-M390 Paylo.
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Read MoreYou have just made the down payment on your dream home and are excited to move in soon. This automatically implies that you are looking at some major home improvement projects, although if you’re short of monetary resources, don’t fret. You can decorate your home, on a modest budget by landing the most lucrative furniture deals!
Furniture deals – an answer to all your woes
Sales are no more a seasonal affair, but more like a treasure hunt contest, where you need to narrow down the best places to find some fantastic deals. Today furniture is a necessity, which is why you will explore outstanding furniture deals throughout the year. Whether it desks or wardrobes, you can find great quality home or office furniture at affordable prices! Here is a list of types of sales you need to keep a lookout on to ensure to find the best of deals, which allow you to spend the least for it. Here’s how you can find some of the best furniture deals.- Garage sales: Used furniture is never a bad idea as long as the condition of the product is satisfying. What one person may not need could be the one piece of furniture you really wanted.
- Big brand outlet sales: Brands like Ashley Furniture Outlet, Big Lots Furniture, Bob’s furniture, etc. have some amazing sales throughout the year. You just have to be careful enough not to miss them.
- Online Sales: Several manufacturers may also be running online sales, which can significantly discount items than in outlets. Do have a check online to see if you find the same furniture set for way lesser.
Furniture deals are the best way to decorate your house on a budget, as these sales can be found all over the year and can help save big bucks for you. Also with immense competition between brands, it may also assist you with negotiating prices and additional services. So don’t be afraid to ask, you never know what kind of fabulous deals you may end up getting.
