Can a 6 hour working day work in the UK ?

Recently, Sweden came up in the  news because ‘Sweden introduces six hour working day‘  to increase productivity and make people happier. Being a women and also a  mum , myself, I think it must be a dream come true especially for women workforce in Sweden to work for 6 hours in a day. Isn’t that amazing?

But what made Sweden take such a decision?

Cutting back on working hours helps :

• improve efficiency of the staff
• to better work life balance for employees
• to boost overall productivity of the organisation
• to better the well-being because of less stress
• staff to be more creative
• people have enough energy to pursue their personal lives

Is it really possible to do more in less time?

According to Linus Feldt, CEO of Filimundus, an app developer based in the capital Stockholm had something to say.  In his words, ‘The eight-hour work day is not as effective as one would think. To stay focused on a specific work task for eight hours is a huge challenge.  In order to cope, we mix in things and pauses to make the work day more endurable.  At the same time, we are having it hard to manage our private life outside of work.’

I asked a few of my friends here in the UK – what if the number of working hours are reduced to 6 hours per day from the typical 8 ?

Unfortunately, most of them said that such a paradigm shift in traditional working hours would never be welcomed by business owners here in the UK.  But,  with due respect to their opinion, I don’t agree with them. I would definitely take it further by asking a few of the employers  in the UK to understand the reason.

I strongly believe that it’s very much possible that  people will do more work in a shorter amount of time and then have more time in hand  to focus on their families and home lives.

In fact, big giants like Gothenburg’s Toyota introduced 6 hours working day about 13 years ago . Toyota confirms that the change has resulted in much more motivated staff , decrease in staff turnover at the same time an increase in productivity.

I think until the rest of the globe catches up with Sweden for shorter working day, we in the UK should think, plan and act to move there. Jokes apart, it’s worth thinking about why and how the economy, culture of Sweden support and flourish well with less working hours as compared to the rest of Europe and the UK. However, when I sit and think about the working culture in the US, I am filled with great relief.

Do you agree with me ?

I’m sure there must be splitting opinions on this subject but can I suggest that we do further brainstorming and analysis to understand if such a change could bring real time benefits  for the UK market in terms of productivity, happier employees and better work-life balance.

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT- A GROWING THREAT

‘Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.’ – Forbes Magazine 

Last year, the Global Perspectives survey released by the research firm ORC International, placed the UK 18^thout of 20 countries with regards to the employee engagement.  In brief, the survey highlights that:

• Employee engagement still remains a deficit for the UK 
• A sharp decline in all the three major trends in employee engagement index as compared to  2013
• The UK ranks third lowest globally in employee engagement 
• A decline in all the key employee engagement drivers that influence the employee experience for the workforce 
• Relationship between managers and staff are generally not seen positive

If you have few minutes to spare, I would highly recommend reading the complete survey to get the detailed information, right here.

I truly believe that it’s time to change the mindset of the management leaders to meet the high expectations of the demanding workforce.  It involves commitment and  a team effort between HR, top management and line managers to customise engagement strategies to meet the high business demands.

Before, I get into the details regarding the strategies to improve engagement across  organisations, let’s first understand:

Why do companies in the UK fail to engage  the workforce?                    

I’m definitely not an expert in this field  but based on my insight and research, let me give you a brief overview:

• Organisations can’t meet the high expectations of the Gen Y workers as they enter the corporate sector
• The new attitudes of Gen Y lead to a cultural shift so, organisations find it difficult to engage them
•  Lack of  understanding of the diversity of the  workforce and individual needs
• Implementation of  engagement activities that appeal all the employees
• Millennials are not ready to compromise for their purpose. They don’t feel aligned with the vision of the organisation.
• Today, employees want much more than a career. They want to make a difference in the society 
• Millennials either want more creative work or they want to work for startups 

This might  paint a very alarming picture for the UK with regard to raising the level of engagement, but this issue needs to be addressed at different levels to find the appropriate solution.

I’ll definitely elaborate these thoughts further in the series of employee engagement.  In the meanwhile, if you want to get inspired  and network with forward thinking organisation in the engagement field, there is a fantastic conference happening in London on 10^th September 2015, focusing on ‘The employee engagement’. Fancy booking a seat at the event?

 

 

 

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Role of HR to overcome sleep deprivation

My last post, Sleep deprivation, made it clear somehow that our good health and quality of our life are directly linked to sleep and these aspects are affected  by insufficient sleep.

I believe, the  main role of HR professionals is to care about their people so, it’s important for HR and top management  to create and promote a healthy working environment and keep people happy.

 In this post, I ‘ll focus on different ways of promoting  the sleep awareness programme for improving the creativity, performance, healthy lifestyles  and  profits of your organisation.

• Standing workspaces:  Most of the desk-bound jobs leads to daytime fatigue, daytime sleepiness and health problems. One way to overcome these problems is to provide standing workstations because it forces the spine to be in a neutral position and remain alert.

• Regular breaks: Encourage people in your organisation to take regular breaks especially those who spend six to seven hours continuously on the computer.  My husband also spends most of the time working on computers and I always encourage him to take small breaks and go for  walks in between or do some stretching.

• Nap time room: Studies have revealed that napping improves alertness, creativity and reduces stress. Many organisations like Google  provide nap rooms for employees to take a nap for 20-30 minutes to recharge themselves.

• Encourage people to leave on time: HR and top management should enforce a culture of leaving on time from office to avoid stress, fatigue and have a work-life balance with a good night sleep.

• Encourage employees to take time off for vacation:  My Dad always says that work can always wait and I completely agree with it. HR must encourage people to take time off for the vacation at least twice a year to recharge themselves, overcome stress and ultimately, leading to better sleep habits.

I understand that ‘sleep deprivation‘ may not be a critical issue for any organisation but enough research is available to support that healthy and happy employees have a  great impact on creativity, performance and overall productivity. 

What according you are other ways to overcome sleep deprivation?

I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Senior leaders- Sleep Deprived!

‘My clinical experience is that sleep deprivation is definitely on the rise,’ says Dr Michael Sinclair, consultant clinical psychologist at the City Psychology Group in London.

24/7 access to technology and work schedules are some of the societal factors that lead to sleep deprivation.  I have always heard from my Sr. managers that:

Who has time for sleep?

It’s probably a thought that goes through our minds, too.

I’m definitely not an expert on the topic, but based on my research and insight, let’s understand how this cult of insufficient sleep affect our bodies:

• It reduces brain power and productivity 
• Diminishes concentration and impairs memory
• Lowers Creativity 
• Increases stress and anxiety
• Leads to health problems like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases 
• Hinders leadership performance 

Before, I get into the details of these above facts,  let me share with you a true story of Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post, who reveals how an accident forced her to understand the critical importance of sleep for a successful career.

In brief, she said:

• Creativity, ingenuity, confidence, leadership, decision-making- are hampered because of insufficient sleep
• Sleep deprivation has negative impacts on our mood, our ability to focus, and our ability to perform better
• People who sleep less  are seven times more likely to feel helpless and five times more likely to feel alone
• Short naps can help revive us, even if we are not having seven or eight hours sleep
• Sleep is linked to one of the most destructive forces, stress

If you have a few minutes to spare, I would thoroughly recommend that you read the complete article to get a thorough understanding, right here.

This might  paint a very alarming picture for the organisations  with regard to low productivity and overall disengagement. But, these issues definitely need to be addressed to find the appropriate solution, which I would take up in my next post.

 

 

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It’s all about People!

I wasn’t  clear in my head that what a dream workplace means to me till I asked some of my friends and relatives to have some clarity.

Honestly speaking, I was expecting the answers like:

having a company car, plush office, free lunches, flexible hours, top technology facility, free dental care but to my surprise the answers were none of them.

Of course, they are attractive perks, but they all believe that – a dream workplace- is all about working with – great and talented people.

I quite agree with them because if I look back, I have always liked a few of my previous organisations because of its people who have always encouraged me to add value to their business. I couldn’t have cared less about those fancy perks, but it’s  the people that made all the difference and that is why I still consider them as my dream companies.

So, the question arises here

Are you hiring such great people?

If yes, who is responsible for hiring right talent in your company?

Hiring is a collaborative effort so, I believe, HR alone can’t make it happen.

I will, of course, develop these thoughts further in an on-going series of Recruitment, but your suggestions and ideas are welcome and will play a vital role in making this series more interactive and ultimately, useful to the community.

 

 

 

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Engaging Millennials – a growing necessity

I  like to bond with Millennials.  I’m fascinated by their attitude of considering themselves as leaders at every stage of their life.

There are several names for this generation but the more commonly used are:

Millennials, Gen Y, Echo boomers and Digital generation. 

According to the researchers, Millennials are those born between 1980 – 2000.  Although, the definition varies, but they make up a large proportion of the UK’s  workforce.

A recent article in the HR Zone, revealed:

 This prediction help organisations to implement specialised ways to engage and retain Millennials.

There are several ways to engage Gen Y – but let me share a few – based on my insight and research.

•  Varied experience:  Expose the Gen Y to a variety of roles which improves their competencies. Organisations should engage them as early as possible with project work or internship programme.
• Networking: Allowing them to network because this generation likes to bond with each other. Create an environment of meeting the Senior leaders from other industries because they are inspired by them and are curious to know that what is happening in the outside world.
• Flexibility:  Millennials enjoy to work with flexibility and they appreciate getting their work done from anywhere and at any time. They like to have better work-life balance.  Organisations need to make full use of technology because these Millennials are tech-savvy.
• Create Millennials leaders:  Gen Y  perceives themselves as leaders because they are grown up in a global perspective. So, organisations need to train and develop Millennials as future leaders to fulfil their aspirations.

We need to understand that engaging and retaining these Millennials can be very challenging and it will definitely change the corporate culture, globally.

A recent Deloitte’s fourth annual Millennial survey further confirms that:

•  Academia and  organisations must collaborate to bring talent into the workplace
•  People and the purpose should be the main priority of every business, not only products and profits
• Organisations should utilise their skills completely

If you have few minutes to spare, I suggest reading the complete report by Deloitte to get a detailed information, right here.

To conclude, I think, engaging Millennials is no more optional, it’s a must for every organisation to engage them effectively because they will change the face of leadership in future

What according to you are the other ways to engage Gen Y?

Your suggestions and ideas are welcome and will play a vital role in making this series more interactive and ultimately, useful to the community.

 

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5 key steps to a successful mentorship programme

”Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”- John C. Crosby

I recently read an article by Sir Richard Branson, regarding the importance of mentorship, that prompted me to write about it today because as you know, I love everything related to people. Just being with people, is what makes me tick.

In early 2000, while I was working for a manufacturing company,  I attended their mentorship programme.That was the first time, I appreciated the process of mentorship. Since then, I always have had a mentor in my life.

To ensure the mentorship programme is well implemented, it’s important to define the key stages of the process. The 5 key steps to mentoring success -based on my insight are:

• Purpose  of the programme: A group of line managers, HR team and top management team come together to decide the purpose and the mission of the  programme. HR facilitates the meeting to get everyone on the same platform because every process needs a supervision.

• Identify the group of potential mentors: Individual meeting with each nominated mentor helps to know the commitment level and the interest of the mentor.Though, the success of any such programme depends on both the mentor and the mentee relationship.

• Responsibilities of both the mentors and mentees: HR must facilitate the programme by defining the role and responsibilities of both the mentor and the mentees. This can be done by organising a joint meeting with both the parties to understand the objectives and the outcome of the process.

• Time frame for mentoring process: Define the cycle time of the mentorship process. It may vary from 6 -12 months, depending on the organisational requirement. In my previous organisation, it used to  officially run for 6 months.

• Evaluation of the programme: Timely review leads in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the process. A periodic evaluation helps in understanding the challenges and advantages  of the process.

After every successful completion of the programme,  celebrate it together over a lunch and provide an opportunity for the participants to share their success stories in an informal environment. Research shows that people with mentors report higher salaries, more frequent promotions, higher job satisfaction, stronger commitment to their organisation  and are less likely to want to leave their jobs than those without mentors.

 I do understand that it’s not very critical for an organisation, but I do believe as well – more than the technological skills- every company need its  people who are constantly learning and growing. This can best happen with a successful implementation of a mentorship programme.

Does your company follow a mentorship programme? I would love to hear about it. Do share your experiences.   Image: via

Do working mums feel guilty about returning to work?

To me, returning back to work after my maternity leave, was a nightmare! Every day I used to feel guilty about not spending my precious time with my son. But I’m sure, I’m not an exception!

According to the telegraph,’Eight out of 10 mothers returning to work after having a baby say they are plagued with guilt about leaving their child in the care of others.’

 A  Research was done on behalf of women and family show. They surveyed around 1,000 UK professionals and found that women are twice as likely as men to worry about leaving their children behind while they to go work.

A  study further revealed:

• 81% of mothers feel guilty about returning to work after having a child as compared to 39% of fathers
• One in five working mothers has the lack of confidence  about their professional skills after their maternity leave.
• One in seven mothers  fears  that  their career would stall if they request for flexible working patterns.
• The quarter of the working mothers regrets  of going back to work after having kids

My previous employer supported working mums by providing flexi timings or allowing them to work on the project basis(contract). You will agree with me that such policies help the organisations to engage the talented women workforce and gain the trust of their employees.

But, unfortunately, it’s not true with all the organisations. During my research, I came across few such case studies which I would like to share with you:

A mother who gave up her full-time career in HR after having her first child because her employer made it  unworkable for her to work part-time after a year of maternity leave. – HR magazine

When I had my first child, I made the mistake of informally arranging with my boss to come back to work part-time, but later that offer was rescinded. I was told I couldn’t go back at all due to “cutbacks”, and eventually that I could return on the exact terms of my previous employment (five long days) or nothing at all.- The telegraph

This, of course, paints a very alarming picture for the UK talent market.

On the other hand, working mums, juggle between office and  home life. They try and  ensure that they do their best to maintain their work-life balance, but the fact is, they still feel guilty about not spending their precious time with their children.

However, it’s interesting to know that the number of stay-at-home mothers has fallen to its lowest in two decades in the UK.

Although, it’s a good news for the UK talent market that more and more women are returning to work, but  the question arises:

Are these working mums happy in what they are doing?

It’s, of course, a debatable topic and as always, I don’t have all the answers so, I would love to hear from you!

 

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Poor work-life balance- a growing concern

The latest news in the HR magazine revealed, ‘A quarter of UK workers (25%) are unhappy with their work-life balance.’

In today’s  competitive and fast-paced business environment, employees are forced to either work long hours or work after office hours which leads to a poor work-life balance.

However, it’s interesting to note that British workers have a better work-life balance than the rest of the world.

According to HR magazine, the Investec banking, surveyed around 2,000 UK professionals and found that around 38% of professionals working in London are workaholics.

The study also revealed:

• 29% of the professionals believe that their work-life balance has got worse since 2010.
• 33% still have a hope that their work-life balance will get better over the next five years.
• Working in a global marketplace and meeting the demands of customers in different time zones, forces employees to work beyond 9 to 5.
• The advancement in technology is making it harder than ever to ‘switch off’ outside the office hours.

So, as per my insight and the above survey, it means that the – growing demands of the customer– working in a global working environment- technology advancement– work related stress–  addiction of checking the work e-mails after office and also to a great extent –the job insecurity are some of the reasons for a  poor work-life balance.

I have also observed that sometimes people work long hours not because that they have to complete a critical project or have to meet customer requirements but simply because don’t have anything else to do beyond their work.

I feel it’s the responsibility of each and every one of us, to make such people aware that there is a life beyond work, which is very relaxing and interesting too!

Do you agree with me?

I can’t be right always so, I would love to know your thoughts and suggestions to overcome this situation and have a better future work-life balance.

 

Challenges around the flexible working rights

According to BBC news, ‘About 96% of firms already offer some form of flexibility – from British Gas to Marks and Spencer.’

So, as most of us agree that the flexible working arrangement has many apparent advantages, but they can backfire sometimes with several challenges.

Let me give you a brief overview of the challenges around the flexible working schedules – based on my insight and research.

• It’s difficult to build relationships with your colleagues because you don’t meet them very often and relationships help us evolve and grow as a person.
• Employees feel less loyal which affects the overall growth of the organisation.
• It has the main consequence on the health because job insecurity leads to depression sometimes which affects the health of the person.
•  Un-availability during the core working timings of the organisation.
• Lack of communication, because of missing the team meetings sometimes due to part-time working or working from home.
• It can affect the quality and performance of the organisation.

Lasy year, the BBC news, explained the negative consequences of the flexible working rights  to the organisations because of the following main reasons:

• increase in the risk of discrimination claims leading to risk of costly tribunal cases
• it’s estimated the change could bring up to 150 extra tribunal cases every year, each costing employers an average of £5,900
• making it harder for those in need of flexible working

Though, flexible working rights have been extended to all but we need to be clear that it’s only the right to ask and not the right to have. You all will agree with me  that one size does not fit all so, such work schedules depend on the –culture of the organisation– nature of the business/job – and also to some extent- the size of the organisation.

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