Workplace culture is rooted in the company's mission and core values and shaped by unwritten rules and beliefs that guide how things are done within an organization. These unwritten rules can influence employee behavior, interactions, and decision-making. By understanding and respecting these cultural norms, employees can better navigate their workplace and contribute to a positive and productive work environment.
A toxic company culture can lead to high turnover rates, low employee morale, and a negative reputation for the organization. The number one reason people quit their job was toxic company culture, according to a 2022 FlexJobs survey. HR plays a crucial role in fostering a creative and positive work culture, as it can significantly impact individual and organizational success.
“Culture is everything—the greatest competitive advantage organizations have to retain, attract and develop talent,” according to Jason Barger, author of Breathing Oxygen: How Positive Leadership Gives Life to Winning Cultures.
Following are some ways HR can contribute to creating a positive workplace culture.
Defining and Promoting Company Values
It is essential for organizations to have a set of core values that everyone understands and follows. There is a high correlation between employees who say they are “happy and valued at work” and those who say their organization has a clearly articulated and lived culture. By promoting company values, HR helps establish a shared understanding of what's expected regarding behaviors and attitudes, leading to a more cohesive and productive workplace.
Developing Policies and Procedures
HR should develop and implement policies and procedures that align with the company's values. These guidelines need to address important issues such as anti-discrimination, harassment prevention, and ethical conduct. By clearly communicating these policies, HR ensures that employees understand the expectations and consequences of their actions.
Training and Education
HR can conduct training programs to educate employees about workplace culture, inclusivity, and diversity. These sessions help employees understand values and fosters a respectful and inclusive work environment.
Training programs that help nurture a positive company culture include:
- New hire onboarding and induction
- Compliance training
- Anti-bias and diversity training
- Soft-skills training
Encouraging Open Communication
HR can facilitate open lines of communication within the organization. By promoting regular feedback, HR enables employees to voice their concerns, provide suggestions, and contribute to a positive work environment. Open communication also involves addressing conflicts and grievances promptly and appropriately.
Leading by Example
HR leaders should be role models for the desired workplace culture. When management exemplifies the values and behaviors they expect from others, it sets a strong precedent for employees to follow.
HR can contribute to a functional and inclusive work environment by actively managing workplace culture. Their efforts not only benefit the employees but also support the overall success and reputation of the organization.
Celebrating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
HR can promote diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, fostering an environment that values and respects differences. Promote mutual understanding and limit the presence of unconscious bias within a workforce by:
- Implementing diversity hiring practices
- Organizing employee resource groups
- Supporting diversity-focused events
- Having anti-discriminatory policies
Monitoring and Addressing Issues
As an HR professional, it's important to regularly evaluate the work environment and take steps to address any concerns. This includes conducting employee surveys to gather feedback and analyzing the results to identify and action areas for improvement. By addressing issues appropriately, HR can help promote a healthy workplace culture and ensure employees feel valued and supported.
Let Cura HR Help Foster a Healthy Culture Within Your Organization
Creating a company culture that encourages deeper employee connections and fosters a sense of community can have lasting and widespread impacts on your organization. This is especially important in today’s remote and hybrid business world.
Are you ready to learn more about how outsourced HR can help support a better employee culture in your organization? Get in touch with Cura HR today.
Human Resources (HR) is one of the most commonly outsourced business services. Not all companies have the capacity or desire to handle employee management entirely in-house, so they can choose to outsource some or all of their HR needs. Outsourcing is a strategic decision for companies to improve efficiency, focus on core business operations, and improve productivity. Here are five compelling reasons why companies outsource their HR needs:
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Expertise and Specialization
- Increased Efficiency
- Scalability and Flexibility
- Compliance and Legal Considerations
Cost-Effectiveness
Employing an in-house HR department can be expensive because of the multitude of specialized tasks involved, including managing items such as compensation, benefits and employee relations. All of which require specific expertise and experience. Outsourcing HR allows companies to access professional services at a fraction of the cost, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that may not require a full-time HR team.
Employing an experienced HR team is prohibitively expensive for many businesses. By outsourcing, companies can pay for HR services as needed, reducing fixed costs.
Expertise and Specialization
HR outsourcing firms have a dedicated team of professionals with expertise in various HR functions. Companies can benefit from access to this specialized knowledge, keeping them updated on industry best practices and ensuring compliance with evolving labor laws and regulations. Companies can access a broader range of expertise using a third party for HR needs without hiring and training multiple HR team members.
Increased Efficiency
HR outsourcing streamlines processes and reduces administrative burdens, allowing the internal team to focus on strategic initiatives and core business functions.
Outsourced HR providers are often equipped with advanced technology and tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve overall HR efficiency leading to faster response times for HR-related tasks. HR tasks can be time-consuming and distract from strategic objectives, so outsourcing allows the company's internal resources to concentrate on what they do best.
Scalability and Flexibility
As businesses grow or face seasonal fluctuations, HR needs may vary. Outsourced HR services offer the advantage of scalability, where companies can easily adjust the level of support they require based on their changing needs. This flexibility helps organizations remain agile and responsive to market demands. Outsourcing HR services allows companies to scale their HR functions up or down according to their business needs without internal disruptions.
Compliance and Legal Considerations
HR regulations and labor laws are complex and constantly changing. Outsourced HR providers stay current with these ever-changing regulations, help companies ensure employment law compliance, and reduce the risk of legal risk and exposure.
Employer privacy laws are subject to federal, state, and municipal enforcement. Additionally, cybersecurity precautions must be taken to stop malicious actions that lead to data breaches of private information. Outsourced HR firms are equipped to handle sensitive employee data with secure systems and protocols, reducing the risk of data breaches or mishandling of confidential information.
How to Outsource HR
It's important for companies to assess their specific needs and goals when deciding to outsource HR. Outsourcing can benefit many organizations when the choice aligns with the company's culture, business model, and long-term strategy. HR outsourcing can improve the employee experience as employees can receive efficient and accurate HR expertise.
Our seasoned human resource experts are adept at identifying and deploying the best solutions. We’d love to learn about your organization and how we can leverage HR practices to take your business to the next level.
Employees are the essential worker bees of an organization; no one else can make the golden honey! To keep your team happily buzzing along, skillful management throughout each stage of the employee lifecycle is essential.
The employee lifecycle is used to identify and express the various and most important stages that an employee goes through as they engage with their company. As the name implies, the cycle is not a one-time event but a continuous process of achieving goals. The cycle aims to produce satisfied and productive employees who contribute positively to the organization.
The employee lifecycle is more than just hiring and retaining employees; it consists of the following six stages:
- Attraction
- Recruitment
- Onboarding
- Development
- Retention
- Offboarding
"With a comprehensive understanding of the employee lifecycle, organizations can create meaningful policies and procedures that support the growth and development of their most valuable asset—their people."
Linda Shaffer, Chief People Operations Officer at Checkr
Attraction
Before recruiting talent, review the benefits and programs you can offer that will attract the talent your company requires. A comprehensive total rewards package strengthens your employer brand, which sets your company apart and appeals to the values of potential candidates.
Reputation and employer branding are vital to attracting the best talent in today's work environment. According to Glassdoor statistical reference guide, a strong employer brand can reduce the cost per hire by as much as 50%. A positive employer brand is the type of business identity employees embrace.
Recruitment
Recruitment is the process and experience of how a person transitions from candidate to employee. To start the recruitment process, conduct a job analysis to determine duties and responsibilities to include in the job description. Next, write an effective job posting including detailed job functions, a clear list of requirements containing experience level and education, and the particulars of your total rewards package.
When selecting a candidate, evaluate each person fairly by setting clear and objective selection criteria. Additionally, be transparent with candidates about compensation, benefits, and how long the recruitment process may take.
Onboarding
The cycle's next phase, employee onboarding, helps integrate your newest team members into the company. An effective onboarding process can take months, laying the foundation for the employer-employee relationship.
Key components of the onboarding process are:
- Preboarding: Connecting new hires with the organization
- Orientation: Introduction, paperwork, and mandatory training
- Foundation building and induction: Communicating the company's culture, mission, employee value proposition and brand as well as ensuring employees are aware of how to operate successfully within the organization.
Development
Development opportunities keep employees engaged and motivated, increasing retention rates. To attain the most significant benefit from developmental training, you should assess both team-specific and organizational needs. Then determine which of the lacking skills will help your employees improve productivity and develop professionally. According to a McKinsey report, a lack of career development and advancement is one of the top reasons people quit their jobs post-pandemic.
Retention
Happy and fulfilled employees are more likely to remain loyal to an organization. Jacob Morgan, a leading authority on leadership, says there is an equation for creating a work environment where people want to show up:
culture + technology + physical space = employee experience
Companies that focus on improving all three of these areas in a way that supports the whole team will create a positive employee experience.
Attracting and retaining top talent creates a stable and productive workforce, saving time and money otherwise spent on recruiting new talent. Keeping the lines of communication open between managers and employees builds trust and strong relationships. Retention is an ongoing stage of the employee lifecycle that requires continuously giving your team reasons to stay.
Offboarding
A well-organized offboarding strategy is crucial in safeguarding your company's reputation and avoiding intellectual property theft, data breaches, and legal risks.
The following steps are integral to the offboarding process:
- Conduct an exit interview
- Ensure appropriate documentation
- Communicate with the team
- Maintain positive interactions
Employee separation is inevitable; people retire, start their own companies, and are lured away by rival organizations. When executed thoughtfully, employee separation can produce honest feedback the organization can use to create an improved employee experience.
Outsourced HR to Manage the Employee Lifecycle
Cultivating the skills and knowledge of your workforce enhances performance at both the employee and business level. Cura helps our partners identify and implement opportunities to level up your team's talent. We work with the most widely used and reputable people assessment tools, offer extensive employee training, and facilitate effective team-building and development programs.
We'd love to learn about your business and how we can leverage best-in-class HR practices to help you manage your entire employee lifecycle.
Paid Time off for the Win
If there were an action companies could take to improve their employees’ mental health, lower their stress, and increase their productivity, all companies would take that action at the drop of a hat…right? Not necessarily. Offering paid time off greatly improves both productivity at work and job satisfaction, and yet the United States is the only advanced economy that does not have federally mandated paid vacation, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The “Great Resignation” of 2020 and 2021 highlighted the importance of a better work/life balance for employees. According to a QuickBooks survey, three-quarters of American workers say it’s highly important for employers to provide paid vacation time. Offering and encouraging your team to use paid time off (PTO) will positively affect worker productivity and reduce turnover.
Always review state and federal labor laws to ensure your PTO and vacation programs comply with regulations.
In this blog, we’ll dive into helpful questions and answers so you can implement the right PTO program for your company.
Is PTO Required By Law?
In the U.S., neither federal nor state law requires paid time off. However, most companies do offer benefits, including paid vacation time, to attract and retain top talent. According to Zippia, 76% of private industry workers receive paid vacation time.
Does My Company Need a Paid Time Off Program?
If your company offers paid time off, but you’ve not yet documented and rolled out the program, it’s important to do so. A clearly written program eliminates confusion and creates a trusting work environment.
Examples of what to include:
- Eligibility
- PTO schedule
- Benefit amount
- Carryover and max accrual information
- Leave requests
- Payment upon employment separation
How Is Paid Time Off Typically Earned?
Your company should establish how time off is earned. One common way is through accrual, meaning a set amount of time is earned each pay period. Another method is to provide a grant on a specific date. Additionally, allowing more time to be earned based on tenure will reward loyalty. This LinkedIn article provides a general sense of how much PTO is normally offered by companies, and how it is earned, based on specific industries.
Is “Use-It-Or-Lose-It” Allowed in My State?
PTO can be influenced by state laws. Most states allow employers to rescind unused time. If you want to encourage employees to take time off — and avoid substantial payouts when employees leave — consider a use-it-or-lose-it program. It is, however, important to note that California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska consider PTO a form of earned wages and therefore prohibit a use-it-or-lose-it policy from being implemented.
No matter what you determine is best for your company, it’s important to explain what happens with unused time so employees can take it before it expires.
Can I Tell My Team Members When to Take Paid Time Off?
Establish when employees can take time off if having multiple people out of the office at the same time would create a problem for your company. Seniority, rotating holidays, or a first-come-first-serve approach can help manage time off. Furthermore, creating a practice of advanced scheduling will allow managers and employees to prepare for the absence.
Does My Company Need to Payout Accrued Time Upon Termination?
The short answer is, it depends on where your company resides. Several states require payment of accrued time when an employee is terminated. Most states leave it up to the company to establish what happens to the accrued time, making a clear program especially vital.
Help! Who Will Help Create a Paid Time Off Program for My Organization?
Employment laws in the U.S. can be a challenge to follow. Writing and implementing a straightforward PTO program requires ongoing knowledge of your state’s ever-changing statutes. Cura HR ensures company policies and programs align with your organization’s business model and are compliant with state and federal laws. Our seasoned team of human resource experts are adept at identifying and deploying the best solutions. We’d love to learn about your organization and how we can leverage HR best practices to take your business to the next level.
Professional Upskilling
Supporting employee growth is a direct investment in your company. Providing opportunities for your team members to expand their skills through training and development programs, also known as upskilling, is an attractive benefit that boosts employee growth, job satisfaction, and retention rates and attracts potential new hires. According to a Gallup study, 65% of workers believe employer-provided upskilling is very important when evaluating a potential new job.
To achieve significant benefits from new training programs, assess both your team's and organization's needs. Then determine if there are skills that will help your employees improve productivity and develop professionally.
- New hire onboarding and induction
- Compliance training
- Technical skills development
- Anti-bias and diversity training
- Product and services education
- Manager and leadership coaching
- Soft-skills training
Let's dive into the benefits of professional training and development.
Improve Employee Retention Rates
The days of a lifetime career have dwindled, making it imperative to find new ways to retain and attract talent. According to LinkedIn, 94% of employees say they would stay at their workplace longer if their company invested in their career development.
Satisfied employees tend to remain loyal to an organization if they contain a positive work culture. Fair compensation, benefits, opportunities for growth and development, and a safe work environment create a culture people want to be a part of.
"Employers are getting a hard wake-up call around how competitive their offerings are—pay, benefits, flexibility," says Britt Andreatta, CEO of workplace consultancy 7th Mind Inc.
Motivate & Engage Employees
A supportive work environment is one way to boost employee morale, which is a benefit of training and development. When a company invests in the development of its employees, team members believe they are valued, which develops self-confidence, engagement, and motivation.
Approximately one-third of the U.S. workforce feels engaged, according to Gallup. Implementing incentive programs to help boost engagement can lead to fewer absences, higher productivity, and less burnout.
Keep Your Company Competitive
Employees are a valuable asset to a company, and investing in their training and development increases their capabilities and productivity. Additionally, the opportunity to learn and develop new skills is a top factor when candidates consider a new job. Therefore, training and development is a win-win for each team member and the entire organization.
According to Forbes, 46% of companies have specific training for new graduates just entering the workforce. With nearly half of your competitors offering training benefits, your business must strengthen incentives to attract new talent.
Improve Productivity
Productivity increases when employees receive the training needed to be successful in their roles. Fewer errors results in less time correcting mistakes and the ability to perform jobs more efficiently and effectively.
Training and development nurture an organization's culture of innovation. If encouraged to think creatively, employees are more likely to produce innovative solutions to boost productivity and efficiency.
Investing in employee training and development can lead to a more competitive company that employs an engaged and productive team.
Cura HR’s Employee Training & Development Services
Cura HR is a team of well-rounded human resources experts with decades of combined experience across all industries. We strive to bring you comprehensive HR solutions tailored to your business needs.
Reach out today to learn more about what we can do to help your organization implement training and development programs.
Create an Inclusive Environment
In celebration of Pride Month, take some time to ensure your team understands the importance of using correct personal gender pronouns. Everyone, not just transgender or nonbinary individuals, wants to be referred to by the correct pronouns. Understanding that there is a wide range of gender identities and expressions can foster a more inclusive work environment.
Leaders and managers who encounter various gender identities in their workplace can create opportunities for team development and improved communication by respecting their employees’ preferred pronouns.
What Are Personal Gender Pronouns?
Personal gender pronouns (or PGPs) are the pronouns that people ask others to use in reference to themselves, according to Harvard Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. The most common gender pronouns are she/her/hers, he/him/his, and the gender-neutral pronouns, they/them/theirs. Other gender-neutral pronouns include ey/em/eirs and ze/zir/zirs. Here is a link to a more complete, although not exhaustive, list of the more commonly used gender pronouns.
If you are unfamiliar with a person’s pronouns, don’t hesitate to ask them. There’s no harm in demonstrating regard for someone’s identity.
Be Respectful
Using the correct pronouns of your colleagues shows them respect, which helps cultivate an inclusive environment. Not only do inclusive environments reduce stress in the workplace, but they also maximize collaboration and increase employee satisfaction.
If you mistakenly misgender your teammate, simply apologize and correct your error. If someone habitually misgenders a co-worker, it can be viewed as discriminatory. Discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and sexual identity, is illegal.
Lead By Example
Build an environment of inclusivity to help all of your employees feel seen and respected. Including your pronouns in your email signature and when you introduce yourself conveys a sense of alliance. Keep in mind that revealing one's pronouns may cause anxiety for some LGBTQ+ people, so don't force your employees to do so. You can also incorporate neutral language when addressing your team.
For example, instead of "Thanks, guys," you can say "Thanks, everyone."
Ignoring employees who wilfully use incorrect pronouns can lead to workplace anxiety and exclusion. Respectful behavior, including proper pronoun usage, should be a part of employee policies, with workplace culture reflecting those policies.
Do’s & Don’ts
- Do say your pronouns when introducing yourself.
- Don’t ignore mistakenly using an incorrect pronoun.
- Do incorporate neutral language when addressing the team.
- Don’t assume a person’s pronouns based on the way they look.
- Do respect your team members’ privacy and journey.
Cura HR strives to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe diversity comes in many different forms—from who we are and what we believe to our personal passions and skill sets. We celebrate what makes us unique and are mindful of creating space for every voice in the room. At Cura HR, the pursuit of diversity and inclusiveness is a journey rather than a destination.
If you would like to discuss your HR needs, get in touch with us today, we’d love to learn about your business.
Know How to Offer Constructive Feedback
A great manager knows how to coach their team and provide effective employee feedback on a regular basis. Constructive feedback offers employees solutions and strategies in the areas they need to improve. In fact, a whopping 68% of employees who receive accurate and consistent feedback feel fulfilled in their jobs, according to Zippia.
When given properly, feedback can encourage employees to grow and become more engaged in their role, which leads to greater job satisfaction and better communication between parties. At the end of the day, a productive organization is one filled with people who feel passionate about their jobs and supported by their managers.
Knowing how to offer constructive feedback is a learned skill that will benefit your entire organization. In this blog, we’ll give you tips on making your employee feedback more effective.
Give Feedback Early and Often
Infrequent feedback sessions may increase employees' stress when asked to have one-on-one discussions. In addition, waiting for performance reviews can leave employees to repeat mistakes. Over time, small mistakes can lead to significant problems. Instead, informal, weekly feedback can quickly course-correct and drive employee performance. A more casual work culture can be propagated by including feedback in the everyday work routine.
Does the Delivery Method of Feedback Matter?
Since “The Great Remote-Work Migration of 2020,” different modalities of relaying employee feedback have become necessary. According to a Western Michigan University study, the delivery method does not significantly increase or decrease performance when objective feedback is given. There is, however, a significant effect on performance when comparing people who receive objective feedback to those who receive no feedback.
Although employee performance may be unaffected by the modality of feedback delivery, it can be challenging to convey tone or emotion in text messages and emails. For this reason, consider providing constructive feedback in person, via phone, or via video conversation. On the other hand, positive feedback via email, phone calls, video chat, and in-person are appropriate.
Listen and Be Empathetic
The intention of feedback is to help each team member reach their full potential, which will create a culture of continuous development. This is done by managers who listen, ask questions, are empathetic, and encourage dialogue.
Providing feedback with an accusatory tone can make employees feel as though you aren’t on their side and may shut down a conversation. Managers who offer empathy and an openness to hearing what their team member says about the given situation is far more effective. Listening to others may even help you learn about items to change and areas for improvement.
The Benefits of Properly Executed Feedback
Employees are hungry for feedback from their leaders, managers, and even their peers. They want to gain insights that advance their professional abilities and potential. Properly executed feedback corrects problems, improves productivity, and strengthens relationships between employees and their managers. Leaders should offer direct, solution-based feedback that celebrates their employees’ strengths.
At Cura HR we know that treating employee engagement as a continual effort rather than a one-time event is essential to an engaged workforce. We help businesses cultivate productive employee experiences across stages in the employee lifecycle.
We’d love to hear about your business so we can understand how to identify and implement the opportunities that will level up your team’s talent!
Hiring HR talent with deep experience in all functional areas of HR can be costly and is often unnecessary. Many businesses outsource various HR functions, including compensation, to ensure compliance with state and federal labor laws, minimize liability, and provide knowledgeable and reliable discipline-expertise.
Did you know that according to Gallup, workplace friendships are linked to increased job satisfaction, better job performance, and higher employee retention?
