** HR Diversity Management
6 Steps to Effective Time Management
Together Abroad25-03-2019 9:26 PM
1. Prioritise
The best starting point in time management is to create a list of jobs and goals. Rapidly scribbling everything down and then numbering them by priority is my usual method. It can be tempting to scratch off the small items first, but this could be leaving the worst till last. There can be multiple factors in prioritisation, be that the deadline, duration, or seniority of the member of staff that delegated the task. Consider these and regularly refer back to the list.
2. Be realistic
You are only human. Do not set goals that cannot be achieved within the allotted time frame – it will only amplify your stress levels when...
Proven Methods in Diversity Management
van Orsouw03-04-2018 10:12 AM
In business, diversity management is finding the best practice to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace that, in turn, can benefit from a wide range of experiences and talents. Benefitting from diversity is especially important for corporations that wish to succeed in a global market. As Malcolm Forbes said: “diversity is the art of thinking independently together.”
Diversity is not merely about being inclusive of different races and genders within a business, but about making the most of a team with different cultural backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and business methods. Successful diversity management should embrace the individuality of a business team, rather than merely tolerate it. One trap that some businesses tend to fall into is to focus too much on the HR initiative of diversity, instead of making a genuine effort to embrace diversity within a company’s working culture. Rohini Anand, chief diversity officer of Sodexo, a French food and facilities management company, claims that diversity is all about talent and responding to customer needs in a more holistic way.
Creating an environment that makes way for unique ideas also paves the way for better innovation. This is something that many technology companies...
Do Bonuses Improve Employee Performance
Together Abroad02-10-2017 12:05 PM
Methods that can successfully motivate employees to increase productivity and the quality of work are not always easy to come by. One method used by organisations is bonuses, which are awarded to highly achieving employees in the hopes that they will continue to produce well, or even improve further. Within the last few years, more organisations have begun relying on incentive pay to increase employee performance. What is more, some organisations implement full performance management systems. These systems help to determine just how big a bonus should be for high achieving employees, and they are usually used for continuous bonus compensation, rather than just one-off rewards. Other organisations implement year-end bonuses or profit-sharing bonuses as an incentive. No matter the bonus, the type, its size or what form it takes; bonuses can both positively and negatively affect employees and their performance.
What Bonuses Really Do to Employee Performance
The general misconception about bonuses is that they will always effectively increase employee motivation, thus enabling high performance. A study conducted by Willis Towers Watson found that only 50% of the studied senior managers considered bonuses to be an effective incentive for improving employee performance. It seems that the main problem is...
How Diversity Can Affect Talent Development
Together Abroad29-05-2017 12:38 PM
There are numerous ways that diversity can help a business grow; a lot of research has found that a diverse workforce is key for company innovation and is accommodated through varied voices of opinions from different lines of experience. This is arguably one of, if not, the greatest strengths of a diverse workforce, and it reveals how diverse talents in a workforce can be sharpened through greater synergy between workers, where each worker’s perspective and ideas carries a greater weight in a more heterogeneous team, and they can learn from each other....
Is a Diverse Team More Successful?
Together Abroad03-04-2017 1:05 PM
According to the generally accepted findings on diversity, there are two types diversity:
- Surface level diversity, e.g. race, sex and age.
- Deep level diversity, e.g. personality traits, educational and functional background, values, general mental ability, emotional intelligence etc.
Research findings from Harrison (2013) explain that the influence of the perceived surface level diversity on a team’s performance diminishes within time, while the impact of the deep level diversity on a team’s performance grows. This is especiallytrue with high-performing, collaborative research teams,which consist of diverse members who are committed to common outcomes. But the interpersonal skills of team members (e.g. social sensitivity, emotional engagement) and team functioning (e.g. communication patterns) are also very important factors for the end performance of a diverse team (Cheruvelil et al., 2014).
Diversity can be effective in promoting team creativity, but the effectiveness...
Managing Diversity and Growth
Together Abroad06-02-2017 10:22 PM
Despite different approaches and methods in diversity research, the more generally accepted findings are that diversity can be seen as surface level diversity (e.g. race, sex and age), and as deep level diversity (personality traits, educational and functional background, values, general mental ability, emotional intelligence etc). Important findings by Harisson in the context of teams, is that the influence of the perceived surface level diversities on the team’s performance diminishes within time, as the team develops and the members spend more time together. On the other hand, the impact of the deep level diversity on the team’s performance grows. This finding should be taken in consideration when the managers are forming a team; the team members should be similar in some (or more) deep level components rather that surface level characteristics. Depending of the task, educational and functional diversity can facilitate team’s performance. On every level in the organization, if the work force has a similar background, the creative process that drives innovation and problem solving is similar. A new perspective that...
Approaches to Managing Diversity in the Workplace
Together Abroad11-01-2017 9:30 PM
Check Your Policies
Diversity sounds like a subject for HR, but it is not. It should be a part of the company culture, not just an HR strategy. That being stated, HR is a good place to start. All your personnel policies regarding recruitment, raises and promotions should be based on employee’s performance. Their position within the company, age, sex, nationality or ethnic background should not play a role in your HR policies. Once you have put strong policies...
Differences Between Traditional and Corporate Businesses
Together Abroad05-12-2016 1:17 PM
Work Culture
In a family business, the culture is determined by the values, influences, ethics, experiences and education of the family members who own and manage the business. There is a more informal approach; and in general, a patriarchal work culture is often prominent.
A corporation, on the other hand, adoptsa more formal cultural approach; and the organisational structure is usually de-centralised. The decision making power lies in the hands of a board of directors and the work culture in a corporation lacks the personal touch that is evident in a family business culture.
Values and Capabilities
In a family business,the owner subjectively sees the values and capabilities of the employees, and on that basis the employees are rewarded or “punished”. As such, the family members might be preferred for a promotion or a job position in the business over an ordinary employee. Nepotism can play...
How to Recognise Toxic Corporate Culture
Together Abroad31-10-2016 11:23 AM
Communication Issues
One sign indicating a toxic company culture is communication. This can apply to communication within teams as well as across the organization. Having poor communication or lack of any communication at all, is detrimental to getting anything done. If teams cannot communicate with each other, whether because of personal issues with each other or laziness, it becomes impossible to effectively get the job done. If there are major changes happening within the company that are affecting the employees, and they are the last to know about this, it may cause distrust.
Poor Leadership
Poor leadership can be another issue causing a toxic company culture. Employees look to leadership to define the rules and then play by them. If leaders are setting a poor example, what should be expected of employees? Just as important as the way the leaders and managers carry about their...
What Is the Glass Cliff?
Together Abroad03-10-2016 10:46 PM
The term “glass cliff” refers to an idea that women are more likely to receive top-tier or CEO positions at organizations during times of crisis or (financial) turmoil. It was developed roughly a decade ago, as a result of research carried out by professors Michelle K. Ryan and Alexander Haslam of the University of Exeter. It is a trend that apparently occurs in both business and politics.
A 2015 study published in The Leadership Quarterly studied the appointment of CEOs to Fortune 500 companies. The study found that women are statistically much more likely to be appointed during times of crisis, and much less likely to be appointed during times of financial success. This often leads to said women being held responsible for the issues faced by an organization, even if these issues developed prior to her promotion or appointment. A Forbes Article, titled ‘The 'Glass Cliff' Phenomenon That Senior Female Leaders Face Today And How To Avoid It’ makes the same point.
A lot of discussion surrounds this subject. It can be debated whether this is a forum of using women as a scapegoat, thus a form of misogyny; or whether it...
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Mr. C. Joubert
Lead Workplace Strategy Consultant
Mr. C. Joubert
Lead Workplace Strategy Consultant