We spoke to Raj Jones, Head of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Sodexo, and John (name changed), Global Head of DEI in the retail sector. Thank you both for sharing your thinking so openly with us.

Inclusion: the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure
Included: contained as part of something
(Oxford Dictionary definitions)

But what does it really mean to be included?

“Inclusion is about being able to be your authentic self, not feeling you have to put on an act to fit in; people care enough to make you feel welcome and want to take the time to get to know you and what you value. It’s also knowing that you are listened to and taken seriously.” Raj

“Everyone can be heard in a team environment and their opinion is taken on board when decisions are made. Inclusion feels safe, and that your voice, contributions and actions don’t come with judgement or consequences. Inclusion is the freedom to have good days and bad ones.” John

Think it over for a moment… what would your definition of inclusion be?

Why is inclusion so important?

We need to feel included.

What’s magical about the human race is despite there being eight billion of us – there are no two people the same – we all have our unique code. We each have our own experiences that shape our ideas, impact how we feel, think, view the world. Yet, despite this difference, we seem hard wired with a need to fit in, to feel similar, to find ‘people like us’.

When you meet someone new, you ask questions about them. Where are you from? What do you do? You search for the familiar ground… a place you both love to travel to, a mutual friend, a team you both support. Something to help form the basis of a connection, because when we feel understood by others who ‘get us’ we tend to feel most at ease. Conversely, and referred to as implicit bias, we have a tendency to be suspicious of people we perceive as strangers or to be “not like us”. The origins of this may be rooted early in our ancestry, when we competed against each other for precious resources like food and water. Now, we look for the similarities in people as familiarity gives us feelings of comfort and safety. 

In addition, from an early age, perhaps at school, we’ve known what’s it’s felt like to be included in something or left out. We become increasingly aware of groups that come together for different reasons and we gradually form our own stories around why we may or not have been picked or chosen to join them. We all have these stories. It’s part of life and growing up – we learn we can’t be everything to everyone – some people we don’t gel with. Some won’t like us or choose us, nor we them. So, over time, in our wider lives, we refine our choices; we can find our tribe and feel like we belong. When it comes to work, though, things get more complex. People’s opportunities to choose may be more constrained, so if we are to feel included, employers must create cultures that foster a sense of belongingness.

What happens when we don’t feel included at work?

Maslow includes ‘belonging’ among our ‘deficiency needs’; if these ‘D-needs’ are not met, we may feel more anxious or tense. There may be an impact on our wellness and therefore on our performance when we don’t feel included, no matter what level we are at in the organisation.

“As I’ve got more senior in my career, I certainly struggled with feeling that I belonged in working environments where diverse ethnic representation drops off and so I don’t have those role models, people that look like me. Feeling like you have to make a conscious effort to fit in and not having the psychological safety to speak out – it’s exhausting. It can foster imposter syndrome. When we don’t feel included, it can massively impact on our physical and mental wellbeing.” Raj

And when we do?

“Then everyone understands that everyone has their individual journey to employment in the workplace. They listen to each other and don’t make assumptions based on gender, race, ability, sexuality or gender identity. They will get to know each other as individuals and understand each other’s skills, how to get the best out of each other, and how to manage the not-so-great days together. Hopefully, workplaces with good inclusion will see better results as people will feel heard.” John

How can we foster inclusion in the workplace?

The starting point for creating an inclusive environment* is being clear about who is welcome, how diverse you ideally would like that group to be, and how you will ensure that all those people will feel part of ‘your gang’.

How will you attract and select them?
Ensure the best possible fit; demonstrate your Values*, showcase your role-models, help people select themselves in or out. The messages and actions you show when recruiting will determine your ability to attract a diverse talent pool. Given two work opportunities that appear broadly equal in material ways, the deciding factor for the applicant may be how familiar or comfortable they feel with the people they meet during the recruitment process. Remember, people are attracted to people like them. If they don’t meet people like them or, at least, sense that your team ‘gets them’ and values them in their diversity, they most likely won’t want to join you.

Once on board, how will you keep them?
The reality of your organisational culture and employee experience must absolutely mirror the experience you create through the recruitment process. Nothing can be only for show. If you don’t follow through on ‘the promise’, your diverse talent pool will likely disperse… people won’t feel they belong and they won’t stick around.

“As a business, be clear that inclusion is just as important as health and safety or hitting financial targets. It should be in business plans as a strategic priority and embedded in all people processes – attraction, selection, on-boarding, development, progression, talent management, off-boarding. Fostering inclusion allows organisations to fully reap the benefits of a diverse workforce. Diversity in itself is not enough; organisations may have achieved diverse representation but if the behaviours are poor people won’t feel they belong, can’t thrive, and therefore will not achieve their full potential and will likely leave.” Raj

Everyone is responsible

“Don’t put the burden on the under-represented groups to educate you; take charge of your own learning – e.g. join an employee network, do some volunteer work, read, follow thought leaders on social media etc. Listen – “We Don’t See Things As They Are, We See Them As We Are” – people’s lived experiences will vary vastly; take time to have these conversations and broaden your horizons.” Raj

“Use your Employee Opinion Surveys to hear from your people about inclusion and build change together. Remember, inclusion is everyone’s responsibility, and we all play a part in forming the environment we want to be a part of.” John

“We all have privileges, some more than others. Think about how we can use these to help, e.g. through mentoring and sponsorship, or by calling out inappropriate behaviour.” Raj

We can help ourselves, too

“What has made a difference is building a network of close confidantes that champion me and the work I do. Knowing you have a ‘trusted few’ makes a huge difference.” Raj

Consistent action becomes your culture

“Create a constant drumbeat of activity where people at all levels are talking about inclusion. It allows for richer conversations, and we all learn and grow, creating a more caring, fairer and equitable society. We do business in a good and purposeful way impacting the whole eco-system.” Raj

Role-model the behaviours that support inclusion. Make sure your policies and processes reflect them. Highlight them in your performance management and your KPIs. Talk about them. Celebrate them. Embed them. Eventually what you do will become who you are – an inclusive environment – everyone in your organisation, collectively, moving as one to the same rhythm.

Whatever your DEI challenge, talk to us. Experts in Employee Experience, we can help.

*Included in our report Generation Z What They Want from Work (2022) are six questions to help you shape your Gen Z strategy. ‘How do you create a truly inclusive environment?’ is the fifth of these. The full report is free to download here. Or read our blog posts ‘How do you stand for something as an organisation?’ which tackled the first of the six questions, and  ‘How do you drive a culture based on Values?’ which considered the third.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

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Our latest Gen Z intel is here.

At talentsmoothie, we’re celebrating! It’s our 15th birthday this month.

So, it feels like the perfect time to share our brand new, ‘hot off the press’ generational insights. We’ve just published our latest research report containing what you need to know to attract and retain Gen Z talent. We think you’ll want to read it:

Generation Z What They Want from Work (2022)

• Gen Z is the generation shaping the workplaces of the future and is already close to accounting for a fifth of our global workforce.
• Gen Z’s preferences have been influenced by the pandemic and are changing.
• Gen Z’s adoption of new ways of working rubs off on and influences the attitudes of older generations; their views affect us all.

We sought the opinions of nearly 500 Gen Zs, via a combination of Survey and Interview, pre- and post-pandemic. Our report reveals Gen Z’s changing preferences, and concludes (on page 15) with six important questions that businesses MUST be able to answer if they want to attract, motivate and inspire Gen Z now and into the future.

The report is free to download, just click the button below to receive it:

Talentsmoothie was founded with a commitment to understanding different people’s perspectives – what’s important to people in the workplace – to help our clients know how they might need to flex and accommodate changing needs in their Employee Value Propositions. Since our first report Gen Y What They Want from Work (2008), we’ve continued to research and report insights with a generational and inclusive lens.

We LOVE what we do – and we are so grateful for all our wonderful clients, colleagues and everyone interested in our research and its findings. You give us our purpose and motivation to keep doing more.

We’re delighted to be sharing this research with you! Happy 15th birthday to us 😊

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

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In this article we’ll draw on some of the early findings of our talentsmoothie 2020-2021 Generation Z: What They Want from Work research, the full report is coming soon.

Hybrid working is not a panacea

If hybrid working is to be central to the post-pandemic future of work, then the complex question is what combination of where, how and when people work will your organisation adopt? Like many, you may still be grappling with deciding on what the perfect future-of-work scenario will be.

Despite some bold decisions and big statements by organisations, we know that any hybrid-working decision is not as simple as deciding how many days in the office and how many days at home. To get to the right solution for yourself or for your organisation, there are many factors to consider – let’s explore.

“The Great Resignation”

We’re facing a fundamental change in how we work that will have a widespread impact on our society, perhaps as significant as the industrial revolution. The pandemic has pushed us to discover what really matters, to dramatic effect. People have retired early – 3.3 million in the US (Bloomberg¹). A third of all mothers have scaled back or left their jobs (Los Angeles Times²). Almost a quarter of workers are seeking to change roles (Guardian³). “The Great Resignation” is here and cannot be ignored. With 1.17 million job vacancies in the UK, almost 400,000 higher than before the pandemic (ONS⁴), it’s essential that businesses give the future of work, and the part that hybrid working will play in it, the depth of thinking it requires. Asking and listening to what employees want is more important now than ever.

You can survey your employees to understand how they are feeling about hybrid working, but you need to make sure your survey will give you all the data you need, so you can make the right decisions for your people and for your business. Here are three aspects we think you should consider:

1. Where?

For desk workers – those that don’t have to be at a place of work to perform their jobs – what is the optimum split between office and home? This question isn’t new. We’ve been asking it of employees in our research and in surveys, to help our clients develop Employee Value Propositions, for 20 years.

Pre-pandemic versus now, surveying all employees might show a change in the average consensus, such as a shift in preference to wanting to spend more time working from home. This is what our clients are experiencing. But, if you go further and break that down across different employee segments, you will likely see differences in what people want. One size does not fit all.

For example, our Gen Z research notices this shift, but Gen Zs have a preference to spend more time in the office than at home. While it’s less marked now than pre-pandemic, their preference is still for more time in the office. The 50:50 split of home and office is now preferred by 44% compared with 29% pre-pandemic (early 2020). In addition, Gen Zs still have a very low preference to be 100% at home: 1%, compared with 21% preferring to be 100% in the office. Their main reasons stated for being in the office make total sense. Gen Zs need to learn, build networks, understand cultural norms and expectations; they learn by watching and listening, and also, logistically, some just don’t have a home environment conducive to long periods of home working.

It’s not surprising that organisations choosing to mandate a 100% return to the office are facing a backlash from their employees – people want more flexibility and know they can get it elsewhere. But, mandating any set percentages of time in the office and home, in a blanket way for everyone, might not be the way to go either.

2. How?

Too much of the current conversation about the future of work focuses on ‘where’ we work. In the midst of pandemic-related change, we have a unique opportunity to rethink ‘how’ we create great work experiences, wherever we carry out our roles. How will we create the connection we need, between the organisation and its people, to achieve a productive, motivated and, essentially, happy workforce? Don’t focus on your hybrid-working policy in isolation, rethink your whole Employee Value Proposition.

Some things are no longer nice to haves. They are essential. Ask your employees, and the different segments of your employees, how they feel about these:

• Trust. Important for employees for decades, trust needs to be taken to a new level. We want to be trusted to get the job done, but now we also want to be trusted to get the job done using the process that suits us best… including where, when and how we choose to work. This might be easier to accommodate for people who have been in the organisation for a while, and more difficult for new joiners and particularly those starting out in their careers, who haven’t built relationships and networks yet. In our team development work with clients over the last year, we’ve seen instances of high performance being hindered by the lack of trust caused by the inability of people to build relationships through remote working. Where needed, find ways to support the development of relationships, so that trust can develop – build in face-to-face experiences.
  
• Listening. It’s even more important to demonstrate you are doing this when teams are dispersed. Many organisations have increased the opportunities for people to feedback how they are feeling via surveys and are encouraging managers to build in more one-to-one time. Listening is a top need of Gen Z who rated “having their ideas listened to” as their fourth most essential quality of a manager.
  
• Wellbeing. The pandemic, as well as societal change, has catapulted people’s wellbeing to the forefront of every organisation’s HR strategy. No longer just “health and safety”, we expect the focus to be on our whole health and wellbeing – physical, mental and  financial. We’ve seen companies do some great work, like training mental-health first aiders and offering wellbeing classes, but the biggest difference will be made by living the mindset of ‘putting people first’ and ensuring managers are equipped and supported to deal with employee-wellbeing scenarios.
  
• Collaboration. Never easy to perfect even when we were mostly working in the office, we need to work even harder to get collaboration right in a more remote world. How we choose to communicate and connect will determine our success. Technology will support us and, as we gather more data about how our organisations are working in terms of networks and connections, we will organically find new and innovative ways. 84% of Gen Zs said it is “Important” or “ Very important” that the organisation they work for is future focused and innovative, and driving a collaborative, knowledge-sharing organisation is critical to this.
  
• Connection on a more personal level. In our pandemic-enforced video calls, it’s become acceptable for the kids, the dog or the cat to make a guest appearance. This kind of human connection has been a positive of the pandemic which people don’t want to lose.
  
• A great ethical record. Increasingly important to all of us, this is THE number-one most important factor for Gen Zs when choosing an employer. This covers diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), sustainability and the environment, and the moral compass and standing of the organisation in society. 84% of Gen Z respondents said it’s “Important” or “Very important” that the organisation “stands for/cares about the same things” as they do.  Being able to align their values with the organisation’s is essential.

3. When?

Working hours are less talked about than place during the latest new-world-of-work debates, but the topic should not be forgotten when considering hybrid working. We think it’s important. Portugal does too! (Guardian⁵)  What does “out of hours” mean to your organisation and how do you treat your desk and desk-less workers, with respect to the hours they either must make themselves available (to the organisation and its clients) or choose to work? Could you create more options for everyone, rather than only for people who have desk-based roles? By introducing greater flexibility around working hours, you might also attract and help more women and older workers back to the workplace – especially important in the face of “The Great Resignation”.

Ask your employees what they think. Two thirds of our Gen Zs would opt for something other than the traditional “9 to 5”:

Employer flexibility on hours demonstrates real trust and empowerment, but, of course, it also has to suit the customers/clients and not hinder the ability of the individual and their teams to get things done in the most productive way.

Hybrid working is not a panacea. Keep your eye on the bigger picture. In the rush to develop a new hybrid-working strategy, don’t create process and a standard approach. Connect with your employees by listening to what they want, then build on this connection by demonstrating you have understood their needs, through flexibility of approach rather than a ‘one size fits all’ strategy.

How talentsmoothie can help

Talentsmoothie can help you define your new-world-of-work experience.

Our insight comes from 20 years of primary research and experience of developing Employee Value Propositions with our global and local clients. We understand the needs of your workforce segments including all the generations. We know how to put people at ease, so we can ask the right questions to get the answers you need. We help you get to the nub of how your business can connect with your people, faster.

Get your workplace connection right. Talk to us today.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

References (links will open in a new tab/window):

1. Bloomberg, October 2021 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-22/covid-early-retirees-top-3-million-in-u-s-fed-research-show
2. Los Angeles Times, August 2021 https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-18/pandemic-pushes-moms-to-scale-back-or-quit-their-careers
3. Guardian, November 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/nov/01/the-great-resignation-almost-one-in-four-workers-planning-job-change
4. ONS, November 2021 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/november2021
5. Guardian, November 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/15/portugal-boss-texts-work-us-employment

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We are delighted to announce that we have been recognised as a ‘Best of British Business’ 2021 by Business Reporter.

Justine James, our Founding Director, was interviewed by Alastair Greener on the topic ‘Future-proof your business – put people first’ to highlight why Business Reporter chose to celebrate our expertise in organisational development, HR, and employee experience and engagement with this award.

Visit Business Reporter’s talentsmoothie page to watch the interview and read the accompanying article by Justine. Or scroll down for the highlights of Alastair and Justine’s conversation.

Conversation between Justine and Alastair for Business Reporter, in association with the Independent:

Future-proof your business – put people first

Employees have a contract and a salary; they may have bonuses, perks, and pension contributions. As long as these are given, why should any boardroom think about extras?

It’s about motivation. You want your people to go the extra mile. Just think about the Covid vaccine which took ten months not ten years – how did they achieve that? It was motivated people with a shared purpose and a common goal. They achieved something we never thought possible. Wouldn’t any organisation want that kind of productivity?

Yes, but the vaccine development could be seen as a one-off, extraordinary event. Why should every organisation think more holistically about the employee experience?

What people want from the workplace is changing – money isn’t everything. People are putting ethics, innovation and values that align with their own, over money. This is good news for many organisations who can’t afford to pay top salaries. Find out what motivates your employees and provide it. It’s how you’ll attract and retain the talent you need.

Can all companies, regardless of their trade and status, follow this ‘people first’ model?

Yes 100%. – they can… and more importantly they should  – putting people first is good for business. Let’s talk about coffee. It doesn’t matter whether you are a global brand or a local independent – you want the best Baristas serving your customers, so they keep coming back. How do you keep the best Baristas? Understand what’s important to them… and offer it. If you don’t, you’ll lose them –  most likely along with some of your customers!

If you asked 100 CEOs if they have put purpose and inspiration at the top of their agenda, how many of them would raise a hand?

Great question! I’d say about 10% are future-focused and ready for the next five years. That means 90% are missing out on an opportunity. We know the employee agenda is changing. The customer agenda is changing. The business agenda has to change. The opportunity is to act now and get ahead of the curve.

For those who don’t seize the opportunity, what are the most common reasons?

Two main reasons, pressure on the numbers, and time. We need to shift our perspective and change our business behaviours.

Naturally, businesses are numbers driven. Staff meetings usually start with how we are doing against our forecast.  It’s demoralising if we’re not doing well… Wouldn’t it be refreshing to switch it up and start with an inspirational people story? Instead of focusing on the numbers, focus on the people who deliver the numbers, it’s way more motivating. One of our clients upped their employee engagement levels from 72% to 86% by focusing on what was important to people. We always think we don’t have time for change – but engaged and motivated people deliver better results, and that saves time.

Let’s imagine I am a CEO of a small manufacturing company. You have won me over. I want my organisation to put people first. What are the first steps?

We’d begin with a conversation to understand the risks to your business from a people perspective, whether skill-related, behavioural or something else. We want to discover what’s great that you want to keep, but also those things which you might want to change, to enable you to continue to develop and grow in the right way. Then we can work out a ‘deal’ (known as an Employee Value Proposition or EVP) that works brilliantly for your people and for the business.

You talk about the solution as if it were universal. But today a company may be multi-generational, so how does it work in that sense?

It’s important to carry out thorough research to understand what each segment of your workforce wants –  to understand the differences, and the similarities.  A segment could be a generation – but it could also be about geography and culture, skill set, diversity, or length of service. You may discover things you don’t expect.

Take flexible working, for example. You might be surprised to know that the youngest generation wants to spend more time in the office not less. Our research reveals the differences and similarities – essential to know before you decide on your strategy. You want to get it right… for everyone.

What does talentsmoothie bring to the table?

We help organisations create motivated workforces. The insights from our primary research, along with our 20 years of experience, brings fresh perspective to the clients we work with. The bottom line is… we know what to ask and we know how to ask it. We hone in fast, and we get to the nub of what will make the most difference.

What do you think the future workplace will look like in five years, what are the key changes we should be looking out for?

As a business leader myself, I’m looking to my business and thinking I want to build a business that works holistically for people, so I’m able to attract and retain great talent. I’m focusing on five things:

1. flexibility – where and when people want to work
   
2. people’s wellbeing – their whole health and wellbeing – physical, mental, financial
   
3. inclusion – people need to feel accepted but also that they really belong
   
4. technology – not only how it enables us to work and can support us wherever we work, but also, what is the optimal combination of people and machines?
   
5. business consciousness – being clear on the organisation’s purpose and what the business stands for, and communicating it well

Putting all these things first isn’t just the right thing to do from a people perspective, it makes great business sense.

Future-proof your business – put people first!

Talk to us today. We’re ready to support you.

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When you hear the word ‘feedback’, what is your first thought?

Perhaps, ‘Oh no, I’m going to be told what I’ve done wrong or need to do better.’

Or, ‘Great, I want to know how I’m doing and what I can improve!’

Or maybe, something in between.

Talentsmoothie tip

Our generational research, over the years, has discovered something interesting. The older generations Xers and Boomers are more likely to initially feel more negative towards the mention of feedback, whilst Ys and Zs will be more positive.

We think this is the reason that Ys and Zs who have Xer and Boomer managers, sometimes feel they don’t get enough feedback. It’s not that Boomers and Xers can’t give feedback well, it’s just that they don’t value it in the same way, and so, don’t prioritise it.

So, we have another question for you.

Are you making the most of great feedback to support, encourage and motivate your people during the C-19 Pandemic?

At talentsmoothie, we help businesses create work environments that enable all generations to thrive equally. We’re experts in helping organisations create motivational work experiences for their people, especially during times of change and transformation.

We LOVE giving and receiving feedback ourselves. It’s motivating!

So, we’re delighted to share some words received recently from our wonderful client, Save the Children, about working with us: 

“Justine has worked with Save the Children over several years, and over that time has built a really rounded understanding of who we are and the culture we’re trying to build. She has a thoughtful and kind approach, providing great counsel and interesting food for thought in every conversation, and is generous with both her time and expertise. We were especially grateful to Justine for her proactive offer of support during the COVID-19 Pandemic, where talentsmoothie’s ‘Check-in Survey’ and analysis enabled us to build a really rich understanding of how colleagues were coping in some really challenging times.”

Melissa Stewart – Save the Children, Strategic Engagement Lead
Vici Fendall – Save the Children, Senior Internal Communications and Engagement Manager

We’d love to help you in a similar way. We have some special C-19 offerings, including the ‘Check-In Survey’ mentioned in the testimonial, for you to explore.

Or download our printable PDF flyer containing the details.

Talk to us. We’re ready to support you.

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What about this?

Welcome to our second What about this? podcast about the Employee Experience in 2020: The Employee Experience through Covid – what’s worked, what’s next? In this episode Justine and Cathy are joined by special guest Ashley Hever, Talent Acquisition Director at Enterprise Holdings, to discuss what has contributed to a positive employee experience over the last five months, and emerging ideas about what’s required next for a bright future.

Listen to the podcast here, enjoy!

Developed for HR, Employer Brand, Talent and Resourcing professionals, and business leaders, the What about this? podcasts are a collaboration between Justine James, Managing Director at talentsmoothie, and Cathy Hyde, Client Partner at White Label, a recruitment marketing, digital media marketing and employer brand agency. If you’ve got a question you’d like us to cover in a future episode, get in touch and let us know.

Other ways talentsmoothie can help

We don’t have all the answers, but, by contributing what we know, we hope we can help you make good decisions for your organisation and your people over the months ahead.

Our focus is on helping organisations understand what’s important to their employees and how that might have changed. We’re reviewing Employee Value Propositions to make sure they will create the culture required for success in the ‘next normal’.  We’re also supporting individuals with coaching and, in some cases, outplacement support, and we’ve reduced our prices in order to help as many people as we can. Please talk to us about how we could help you.

Or, download our printable PDF flyer containing details of some of our C-19 offerings.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

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What about this?

Welcome to our What about this? podcast series about the Employee Experience in 2020. We’re excited for this new venture and to share it with you! Our aim is to provide you with current, easily digestible and useful content that you can listen to wherever you are. We’ll be discussing relevant ideas to help you manage during these uncertain times.

Episode 1 tackles a topic on our clients’ minds as we all emerge from lockdown, Office v homeworking – what’s the optimal mix? You might also like to read our related research-based blog post, Planning the next ‘normal’, where will we work post C-19?

Listen to the podcast here, enjoy!

Developed for HR, Employer Brand, Talent and Resourcing professionals, and business leaders, the What about this? podcasts are a collaboration between Justine James, Managing Director at talentsmoothie, and Cathy Hyde, Client Partner at White Label, a recruitment marketing, digital media marketing and employer brand agency. If you’ve got a question you’d like us to cover in a future episode, get in touch and let us know.

Other ways talentsmoothie can help

We don’t have all the answers, but, by contributing what we know, we hope we can help you make good decisions for your organisation and your people over the months ahead.

Our focus is on helping organisations understand what’s important to their employees and how that might have changed. We’re reviewing Employee Value Propositions to make sure they will create the culture required for success in the ‘next normal’.  We’re also supporting individuals with coaching and, in some cases, outplacement support, and we’ve reduced our prices in order to help as many people as we can. Please talk to us about how we could help you.

Or, download our printable PDF flyer containing details of some of our C-19 offerings.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

The post <i>What about this?</i> Podcast series, Episode 1: Office v homeworking – the optimal mix? appeared first on talentsmoothie.com.

Home versus office working

In the UK we’ve just experienced a dramatic switch to home working – from 12% working from home before the Pandemic, to over 40% now. There are plenty of commentators telling us that everything has changed and that working from home, where it is possible, is the next ‘normal’. You might have seen this recent article in The Guardian, The office is obsolete. And that’s a good thing.

But will this really be true? Talentsmoothie research suggests otherwise.

It is, of course, unlikely that companies will return to exactly what they did before C-19. There is an opportunity to learn from the massive work-from-home experiment that so many of us have been living. Every organisation should reflect on their experience and what has been learned, both positive and negative. It’s most likely that what comes next will be some kind of hybrid with the way we worked pre-Covid.

Any organisations previously nervous to allow working from home – because of technology security concerns, productivity concerns, or just not being comfortable with the concept – have had the opportunity to see that it can have real benefits. Myths have been quashed, and leaders may be more open to it as a more frequent way of working as a result.

So, what do employees want?

First, we need to understand how working from home was for everyone and what the best solution moving forward could be. Here are some of our learnings from employees we’ve surveyed, HR Directors we’ve spoken to and our own generational research.

The case for more home working

1. Productivity: Working from home doesn’t appear to negatively impact productivity – people felt that they could be really focused and productive, and that they were trusted to get their work done. Yes, the situation right now, where people are juggling work with other caring responsibilities, is not particularly easy, but under more normal circumstances the majority of people, we spoke to, felt working from home did not hamper their ability to get the job done and, in many cases, improved it.

2. Inclusion: For some, the use of technology (audio or video) for meetings was a real positive. Where they might not have felt confident to speak up in a face-to-face meeting, an online meeting felt more inclusive and empowering and easier to contribute to. It’s actually harder to talk over people online, making it easier for introverts to take part. Building on this, observational research at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, Ontario suggests introverts do their best work without threat of interruption, and so remote working can aid their productivity as well as their wellbeing. (Extroverts on the other hand are more likely to suffer, as one of their assets is their ability to communicate with people face-to-face.)

3. Connection: Having video on and thus seeing people in their own homes has really connected people. They’ve seen another side of their colleagues, which has brought them together, and that’s been a positive. It seems to have a levelling affect. We feel we are connecting with another human being, rather that someone in a position or a role. 

4. Networks: Online working has encouraged people to reach out to more people within and outside of their organisation and to make new connections. This is totally natural for the younger generations but perhaps less so for the Xers and Boomers. It encourages and supports a shift, from the traditional hierarchical structures we see in many organisations today towards a more networked structure, which we know is a  preference of Gen Ys (born between 1980 and 1994) and Gen Zs (born 1995 onwards). Understanding your company’s natural network and how things get done will further support a change in how organisations structure themselves; it will help to inform the right balance between office space and homeworking in the future.

5. Wellbeing: From a wellbeing perspective, some employees find it easier to switch off when they work from home and they set themselves better rules; when in the office it’s easier to work late. There’s also the saved time on the commute – although there are some who find the commute a great opportunity to decompress before arriving home! Reduced travel might also contribute to the ‘wellbeing’ of the environment, of course.

These five points give some compelling reasons to reduce time in the office and continue to trust employees to work from home.

However, it seems that ‘the office’ is definitely not dead.

The case for maintaining at least some office space

There are some good reasons to maintain office space going forward, even if you decide to reduce the amount you have. Employees told us:

• How important incidental conversations with colleagues are for their sanity, either for idea generation or just to have a chat about things beyond a work focus. These are harder to replicate online.  All our research tells us that face-to-face is still the preferred method of communication for all generations, and that includes Gen Z.
• Working in the office helps with setting boundaries between work and home, which, for some, can be hard to achieve when working from home.
• The routine and discipline of going to the office can be important too for mental health.
• Others were just struggling with the space they have at home – it isn’t conducive to working productively, for them, either because they literally don’t have enough room, or they don’t have the right equipment to create a comfortable working environment. 

As well as this, our Generational research over the last twelve years has shown that the preference for where people work is a mix between home and the office, with a slight preference for more time in the office than at home.

In our recent Gen Z survey, (the results of which we are yet to publish) on the topic of preferred mix of work location, 40% of respondents said their preference would be to work 30% from home and 70% in the office. Only 4% said they would like to work 100% at home, and 14% said they’d like to be 100% in the office. 

This follows a similar pattern to that from our Gen Y research in 2008 where the most popular response (37%) was for 30% home and 70% office. Our Baby Boomer research (seven years ago) showed the same preference for 30% home 70% office work mix. It’s possible the Covid experience could have pushed this preference more towards home working but it’s clear a blended mix is important. The exact mix will differ from one individual to the next.

How to transition as smoothly as possible

Whatever the right blend turns out to be for your business, we leave you with our talentsmoothie tips to help you make a successful transition to the next work normal: 

• Don’t rush to go straight back to what you did before – look at what your business and employees need, and decide on the best combination of home/office-working. From our research, we’d suggest this should be somewhere around 30% home, 70% office, or even 50/50. Most people aren’t ready to switch to 100% home working yet.
• Keep employee motivation high during this transition period. Now is your opportunity to remove any culture of presenteeism. Embrace the technology and trust and empower people to get the job done. Being trusted at work always features highly during any employee research we conduct, and it continues to be important for the new generation entering the work place now. In our most recent survey, Gen Zs said that the most essential pre-requisite for a good manager was ‘being trusted to do the job’; they put it above things like ‘supporting my wellbeing’ and ‘being supported to develop my career’, although these were also important.   
• Continue to encourage and coach managers to manage the outcome and not the process, as this fosters the culture of trust, empowerment and accountability that we know works for so many people.
• Move from a one size fits all, to adopt a more individualistic approach where possible, showing an understanding of personal circumstance and requirements. Talent will have the opportunity to work flexibly somewhere – if you don’t offer it, other organisations will.
• Get the mix right, so that you can maximise face-to-face premium time (particularly important for extroverts) as well as give the opportunity to work from home (great for introverts) where there are less distractions. But, make sure working from home does not mean back-to-back Zoom calls – to offer space that allows teams to be as productive as possible is the way forward.   
• Consider using technology to understand your natural networks i.e. who is networking with whom to get things done. This information will help inform how the organisation should be structured, to optimise ways of working that will deliver business success and create the best Employee Experience.

How talentsmoothie can help

We’d like to share our knowledge and expertise during this period. Please check back for our blog posts and for our new podcast series What about this? going live mid June.  ( UPDATE 17th June 2020, our first podcast is now available, do take a look: What about this? Podcast series, Episode 1: Office v homeworking – the optimal mix? )

We don’t have all the answers, but, by contributing what we know, we hope we can help you make good decisions for your organisation and your people over the months ahead. Our focus is on helping organisations understand what’s important to their employees and how that might have changed. We’re reviewing Employee Value Propositions to make sure they will create the culture required for success in the ‘next normal’.  We’re also supporting individuals with coaching and, in some cases, outplacement support, and we’ve reduced our prices in order to help as many people as we can. Please talk to us about how we could help you.

Or, download our printable PDF flyer containing details of some of our C-19 offerings.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

The post Planning the next ‘normal’, where will we work post C-19? appeared first on talentsmoothie.com.

How are you?

A simple question, but one that today conjures more complex answers than ever. The current situation is impacting us all in such different and unexpected ways. As well as the distress caused by the disease itself, there are so many unplanned consequences that we will be exploring and trying to fully understand for months, and possibly years, to come.

There’s never been a more important time to do the right thing for your employees, but it’s also most certainly never been harder. How you act now will set the tone for your relationship with your people in the longer term.

The impact of the C-19 virus is complex. There are intrinsic and extrinsic consequences. We have identified a number of ways we can support you to help your employees across your business, at organisational, team and individual levels.

‘Check-in’ Survey
(offered in exchange for a charitable donation to Mind)

We have designed a ‘plug and play’ survey to help you understand:

• How your employees are coping in their new work paradigm, whether they continue to work or are furloughed
• How to support your employees as you come out of lockdown

The survey questions focus on intrinsic and extrinsic needs. They will help you clarify how your employees are coping, what is going well for them, and what support they would welcome – both now and as you transition out of lockdown. There are two survey options: one focuses on employees who continue to work, but mainly from home, and the other on those that have been furloughed.

How it works

We will provide a survey link for you to send to your employees from our survey platform. The survey can be sent to a particular team, business unit or all employees, it’s up to you. We will analyse the responses and provide you with a short report including our observations and recommendations.

If you prefer to use your own survey platform, we will provide you with the survey questions. We can still analyse the responses if you share the results with us.

We are motivated to support as many people as we can through this challenging time, which is why we are waiving our fees for this service, in lieu of a donation to the charity Mind. Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They are currently facing increased demand for their help and we’d like to contribute to their financial resources. We know budgets are tight, so we are asking you only for the contribution that you can manage, however big or small.

Survey recommendations webinar

There is the option for a follow-up Q&A with senior teams to discuss the survey results and our recommendations about how to continue to manage remote teams or transition out of lockdown – nominal fee of £75 per hour.

Coaching support

We have a cadre of excellent coaches at talentsmoothie. They are here to help you offer confidential coaching to your people now, at a time when they may need that additional layer of support. We are temporarily offering our coaches for a much-reduced fee; their services can be purchased by the hour as you need them.

Individual coaching

‘It’s good to talk’ – some employees, whether still working or currently furloughed, could be struggling. Some might welcome a confidential conversation with someone who is trained to listen without judgment. Our coaches can help them think through new possibilities, solve difficult issues and face the future with less fear. As always, the coaching content will be based on goals agreed with each individual. In our experience, topics may vary but are likely to include areas such as managing change, uncertainty, resilience, managing difficult people and/or situations, and health and wellbeing.

Coaching support for teams

Our coaches can support any of your teams that are struggling to manage the changing way they need to work together. We can help them support each other and maintain their focus on what they need to achieve.

We usually sell our coaching services in packages – but we want to help as many people as we can. We are temporarily offering our qualified coaches for £75 per hour of coaching, with no minimum purchase required.

Our coaches can support any of your teams that might be struggling to manage the changing way they need to work together to continue to support each other and maintain focus on what they need to achieve.

We hope we can help you, and in doing so also help the great charity Mind.

We’re ready, just contact us and we can get started together.

Or download our printable PDF flyer containing details of these offerings.

justinejames@talentsmoothie.com
www.talentsmoothie.com

The post How talentsmoothie can help you support your people during C-19 appeared first on talentsmoothie.com.