Distraction is an epidemic in nearly every modern workplace. Between the rising popularity of open floor plans for offices, the constant rollout of new smartphone apps, and the increasingly collaborative nature of many jobs, it can be challenging most days for employees to find even a few minutes to work independently in a distraction-free environment.
For some people, the end of August means back-to-school shopping and parent-teacher conferences. But even for people without school-aged kids, the beginning of a new school year usually means fewer coworkers out on vacation and the return of full workplace productivity. As the pace of work starts to pick up again for the fall in many offices, there’s plenty of news HR managers need to know. Here are a few stories to get you up-to-speed:
If you’ve been in HR for any amount of time, you’re aware of the myriad problems associated with employee absenteeism, especially now that companies are offering more flexible time-off policies. When too many people take too many days off, company productivity can take a serious hit, and HR managers often bear the brunt of having difficult conversations about how much time off an employee is allowed to take before being subject to disciplinary action.
As most HR managers can attest, employee turnover is pricey. In addition to the cost of lost productivity, finding the best candidates to fill vacant roles can be time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive. Once you’ve found the right person, getting them onboarded, trained, and up to full productivity takes even more time.
Even in the best of times, keeping your recruiting operation running smoothly can be a challenge. You know that maintaining a pipeline of passive job seekers is a best practice, but with all the other duties crowding your schedule, you may not have the time.
It’s even more stressful in competitive hiring markets, when the task of filling crucial roles in a timely fashion may become a time-consuming and frustrating exercise. External recruiters can help fill in the gaps, but relying on them too heavily will get expensive fast.
Building a strong employee referral program is a great way to minimize this struggle. By incentivizing your existing employees to tap into their professional networks, you can gain access to a pool of qualified candidates. This reduces the cost and workload of recruiting, and increases the likelihood of hiring people who will be a positive addition to the company’s culture.
If your workplace doesn’t currently have an employee referral program, here are some pointers to help you get started:
