Motivation is the engine of companies. The organizations need their employees to contribute the maximum of themselves, but the majority does not manage to stimulate in an ideal way. A possible solution to these problems it might be gamification. This tool manages to improve the performance of the people by applying technologies of game, stimulates them to take part in a dynamic and proactive way.
How does it work? Gamification applies behavior-motivating techniques from traditional and social games to non-game environments. An effective gamification program actually looks more like a loyalty program to help achieve real business goals when it is expanded beyond points, badges and leaderboards.
The motivation, the engagement, the happiness and the good results might be 4 principal benefits of this technology; but the application has infinite positive consequences. Advantage of application of gamification in the area of human resources, due to two principal factors: on the one hand, the benefits that the tool can contribute in the organizations and, on the other hand, the involvement of personnel that is joining the companies, which it is principally of the generation millennial, which is characterized by the need of intrinsic motivators and by their passion towards the games.
With respect to mobile usage and apps, last year alone, consumers purchased roughly a billion smartphones. Why not take advantage of that? Imagine putting simple tasks like vacation requests or expense reports onto a personÔÇÖs mobile device to be quickly handled the same way people handle their personal calendars or online banking? As executives feel the mounting frustration with outdated processes, thereÔÇÖs growing pressure to change ÔÇô to develop tools that can make work processes faster, easier, and more engaging Towers Watson has projected that 36% of organizations will make structural, technology-based changes to HR in the next few years.
Organizations can use gamification to promote a positive corporate culture by rewarding employees for cross-departmental collaboration, providing process or product improvement suggestions, or even participating in company-wide volunteer programs.
You can use a gamified platform to track activities and opportunities, and showcase employee participation to their coworkers to provide intrinsic motivation.
These developments are also not just technical IT issues. They empower employees in areas that are now strictly the domain of HR. Implementing these apps will have direct consequences for the current ways of working in organization. Policies and processes will need to be reviewed and changed to be able to leverage these new and exciting innovations.
Artificial intelligence, big data, chatbots and game-based learning suggest that technology will play an increasingly prominent role in management and decision-making where human resources is concerned.
Every day more companies add to the gamificated world applying this tool in areas like the sales, the human resources, the product design and, even accounting. Now that it is revealed what is gamification and how useful it is, we are going to analyze the possibilities that this tool offers in the area of human resources through examples.
Recruitment and selection ÔÇô Multipoly: It is a simulator of recruitment and selection who created the multinational of accounting and consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers in which the candidates take part in a virtual world as if they were employed at the company for one year. Really, the game lasts 12 days and consists of the fact that every participant has a concrete mission and earns points depending on his achievements. Finally, the players who manage to overcome more tasks similar to those that they would have to perform in real life, are selected.
Training ÔÇô Deloitte created a program online to train to their own employees called Deloitte Leadership Academy, in which about 20.000 executives take part. The tool consists of including medals, boards of classification and missions in a simple and intuitive platform with formative contents that they must overcome to reach the aims.
Performance evaluation ÔÇô Apps through cloud-based employee performance and learning management system. The system also offers customized development plans and learning content to help develop and retain talent. The apps provides access to a wide variety of professional training and compliance courses and allows employees to add and publish content including videos, documents, and presentations. AppÔÇÖs dashboards, reports, and graphs allow users to review data and identify top performers, under performers, skill gaps, support compensation and succession planning efforts.
Career management ÔÇô Linkedin is a gamificated tool for the development of careers that helps to change behaviors and to update and share information in the network. The tool consists of the fact that every member of Linkedin has a profile of which there takes form the information that every user provides.
We at Employwise help you with such initiatives in becoming an evolved and vibrant work place by providing functional information.
There are two primary drivers of change in HR: technology and talent management.
The impact of technology on HRÔÇÖs work cannot be underestimated.
The three most important technology catalysts for change include
Technology not only frees HR from administration; it also provides the vehicle to leverage information about the workforce. Equipped with hard data, HR can know more, do more and be better business advisors.
Further, talent management will become a critical priority for the nationÔÇÖs businessesÔÇöand the strategic purpose of HRÔÇÖs future role within organizations. Broadly defined, talent management is a companyÔÇÖs ability to attract, retain and motivate employees.
The need for effective talent management has enormous implications for HR professionals.
What is the most compelling work in HR today?
HR professionals who have the business acumen to contribute to business strategy at the highest organizational levels are leading the shift in the HR profession from administrators to strategic advisors. Those HR professionals who understand the language of business, who speak in financial terms and who express the value of their work in relation to its impact on the bottom line make HR a compelling component in strategy discussions. A CEO quickly connects with the head of HR who can present an investment and return, rather than an expense view of the function.
How many HR leaders could answer, with precision and content, the following questions about their company:
After answering these questions, HR professionals should then frame their work as business partners as follows:
As shown below, HR professionals need to understand these interdependencies, including corporate governance, and their role in each aspect of the business.
Within the next decade, what are the primary workplace issues and challenges facing the HR profession?
The primary workplace challenge in the next decade is talent management. It will be about strategic staffing and finding those ÔÇ£highly valuedÔÇØ employees. Once you have the talent, how do you manage and retain them? How do you motivate the types of ownership behavior most likely to drive high performance? And as always, how do you manage poor performers out of an organization?
Workplace challenges in the next decade:
Changes in the workforce ÔÇöThere is clear evidence that the demand for skilled workers exceeds the supply of qualified people. TodayÔÇÖs workers are smarter, more demanding and less loyal than their preceding generation. In this environment, employees can and will challenge their employersÔÇöwith significant leverage.
Increased litigation ÔÇôThe aging population will present new legal issues for HR. Legal experts predict that litigation around ÔÇ£wrongful terminationÔÇØ of older workers, while balancing succession planning of younger workers, will begin to outstrip all other legal issues associated with employees.
Pipeline of new workers ÔÇôThe aging population presents pipeline issues at the other end of the spectrum. Where will the skilled workers come from to replace Baby Boomers?
Worklife balance ÔÇô Even in companies recognized as leaders in promoting worklife balance, there is an increasing skepticism whether balance exists for employees. The same technological innovations designed to increase efficiency also enable work to pervade all aspects of an employeeÔÇÖs life.
Summing up one can say, The vision for the future is based on the real need to measure the link between investing in people and the bottom line. We need to find ways of proving and quantifying this link.
At Employwise we have a vibrant and ever growing community of professionals who love to share ideas and keep growing better through various articles and interventions and be future ready.
Ask any HR professional about his worst nightmare and the answer would be ÔÇ£layoffsÔÇØ.
Laying off indeed is one of the most excruciating experiences of a business and its entrepreneurs as well as human resources people.
Newer technologies such as cloud computing, are moving away from a people-led model, which means companies need fewer employees. Organisations have embraced automation tools to perform the mundane, repeatable tasks that were performed by an army of engineers earlier.
Organizational structures are getting disrupted.
ÔÇ£What required 50 programmers, analysts or accountants 5 years ago can be done by a handful of smart thinkers and much smarter systemsÔÇØ.
Poor growth and pressure on profitability have prompted most companies to save on costs. In the year ended March 2017, for the first time since 2009-10, IT companies grew slower than industry body NasscomÔÇÖs 8.6% growth forecast, even as the profitability of all the companies declined.
TrumpÔÇÖs protectionist policies mean more Indian IT companies are asking Indian H-1B Visa holders to return home.
All sectorÔÇÖs are witnessing uncertainties. Estimated the layoffs in 2017 are expected to be twice the number of people who were served notice in the previous fiscal year.
Options available when planning necessary workforce reductions :
-> Seniority-Based Selection - With the seniority-based selection, the ÔÇ£last hired/first firedÔÇØ concept is used.
-> Employee Status-Based Selection - Employers who have part-time or contingent workers on their payrolls may want to lay off those workers first to ensure greater job security for remaining core workers.
-> Merit-Based Selection - Weeding out poorly performing employees, it should be scrutinized carefully.
-> Skills-Based Selection - To retain those workers who have the most sought-after skills.
-> Multiple Criteria Ranking - Based on multiple criteria such as seniority, skill, and performance considerations.
EmployeeÔÇÖs education, experience, promotability and attitude
EmployeeÔÇÖs skills, abilities, knowledge, and versatility
EmployeeÔÇÖs quantity and quality of work, attendance history and tenure
The question, why lay off employees at all? Few reasons:
1. Cost Cutting - The global economic meltdown has significantly affected business operations. The last decade alone has seen a great number of companies that have filed for bankruptcy. As revenue cannot be increased, the only viable option is to reduce cost.
2. Change in Policies - US President, Donald Trump, has made serious changes in the international trade and business policies of America. These policies focus on job creation within the US.
3. Other Miscellaneous Factors - Reduction in business opportunities leading to termination of projects, companies relocating to more cost-effective locations, Technological prowess is also contributing to the threat of mass retrenchment, Advanced research and development in Robotics making humans redundant.
It is undoubtedly unnerving to realize you have been terminated at a momentÔÇÖs notice, few tips to bear this crisis are:
1. Develop Alternative Skills - When the ÔÇÿdotcomÔÇÖ era began, many people had to upgrade their skill sets to retain their existing jobs. The current business scenario demands a restructuring of the job and upgrade your skill sets.
2. Look out for different opportunities - Keep an eye out for other opportunities and acquire diverse professional skills.
3. Use your creativity - Many creative professionals have started small startup ventures of their own.
4. Relax and take stock - Sounding trivial, this could be the best time to kick back and relax. Catch up on missed family time and personal space and rethink your career avenues.
Nonetheless, Layoff undoubtedly is the most agonising things to go through for both employees and employers. This is the reason it becomes important for HR people to be organised and agile
This is where EmployWise comes into play! HereÔÇÖs how our services can help your business sail smoothly through any contingency.
Smooth Exits - Easier to abide by all the exit formalities and requirements, by providing a centralized data hub. Calculating final settlement or rolling out NDAs (non-disclosure) forms and other exit documentations.
Exit Paperwork - Helps your HR stay organized and retain all records and meet all the employment obligations.
Understand that layoffs are not only excruciating for the ones who are being axed, but also for the ones who stay making it a nightmare for the companyÔÇÖs HR department to wade through.
A company does not achieve overnight success; it takes a lot of hard-work and patience from each department to take it to its zenith. For a business to keep moving forward it is imperative that all its divisions work together. Irrespective of organization size (small, medium or a conglomerate), there is always this one department that bears the maximum amount of pressure: the Human Resources department. Being one of the most crucial assets of a business, it is of utmost importance to manage and utilize the available resources in the best possible manner. This is the reason organizations have resorted to the Human Resources Management Software or HR software for the smooth functioning of each aspect of the HR department.
Those days are gone when HR software was simply an online repository of employees' data, it now provides a plethora of services and benefits. The automated HR systems are packed with a bunch of features to administer various complex business processes such as Recruiting, Benefits administration, and Performance monitoring. This centralized system is put in place for business leaders to get insights about the company resources and frame strategic decisions to improve performance and efficiency of the organization.
Undoubtedly, an automated HR system offers a wide variety of business advantages if you go for the one that perfectly corresponds to your business needs. Below mentioned cornerstones, which are common in most of the HR software today, enable the businesses to solve various management problems in an efficient manner:
1. Employee Management
Employee database or employee management module is the core of any HR software. It reduces or eliminates the need for hard-copy documents and keeps all the employee related data or information in an organized way. Also, the entire employee database is stored either in a local or centralized server from where it can be easily accessed via the Internet.
2. Automated Payroll Management
With an electronic payroll system in place, HR departments can save the businesses from the hefty costs associated with outsourcing payroll division. This comprehensive feature enables companies to link the payroll data with employee information, which can further be utilized while making changes in payment or keeping track of employee working hours.
3. Attendance Management
This is yet another vital aspect of HR software that solves employee management issues on various levels. It is a sheer wastage of time and energy to manually track attendance of the employees, a slight error in the database can lead to information management ambiguity. Also, this will affect other modules including leave, payroll, and administration. However, every HR software today comes packed with a comprehensive attendance management module that helps the businesses to track accurate attendance of its employees without fail.
4. Employee Self-Service Portals
Self-service portals are a great way to bridge the communication gaps between the employees and their managers or HRBPs. It provides employees with an access and control to their information; they can edit the personal details, request time-offs, view scheduled information and communicate with fellow peers or HR professionals. As these portals are mobile-friendly, it offers great convenience to employees.
5. Recruiting & Onboarding Management
Both recruiting and onboarding are valuable parts of the HR department but these can be time-consuming too. With an innovative HR system in the organization, it gets easy to manage job postings on company websites or social media, filter the applicants by relevant skills and qualifications and also, transfer all the information of employee into the database once hiring is done.
6. Improve Performance Management Effectiveness
The automated HR systems allow the managers to get an employee's performance feedback from multiple sources thereby giving him/her an overall review. This information helps the managers in rating, giving feedbacks or advice to employees in addition to suggesting training sessions for improving their professional efficiency.
7. Benefits Administration
Investing in modern HR software that offers benefits administration can save cost and time of organizations. This element of HRMS allows the employee to understand enrollment and details of policies. Also, it reduces the chances of non-compliance violations that not just saves the penalty amount but maintains an organization's reputation.
The more organisations focus on the learning and development (L&D) of their employees, the more they stand to benefit in the long run.
As per the laws of human life, people enter the workforce once they complete their education. As a result, it is only natural for them to think that their education is over but they are mistaken; their real education, in fact, is just starting. Theoretical knowledge just helps to get one started. Real-life ground experience is what true learning is. Organisations, in addition to being productive places of work, are the real-life B-Schools.
The more organisations focus on the learning and development (L&D) of their employees, the more they stand to benefit in the long run. It's an investment that would pay off when the workers know they craft better than anyone and contribute their honed talents to better the bottom lines. Plus, if you're worried about your employee retention, rest assured once you put an effective learning roadmap in place the retention rate is going to improve drastically. Employees know that they add immense value to the output of their organisation; it is only fair that the workplace contributes towards their learning and development.
In light of this, L&D as a whole has grown over the last two or three years. While this is a good head start, organisations still have a long way to go in terms of L&D. Currently, the major challenge facing L&D service providers comes in the form of business metrics. Organisations need to see return on investments and hence they are constantly asking to show impact of L&D programs and how it changes the business outcomes.
An effective HR information system will contribute to overall cost reductions through better resource allocation and as such the decision to implement an HRIS is fairly simple, straightforward and smart. What's not so simple is making sense of the numerous problems that organizations have with information systems of this sort. What follow are the Top 5 mistakes that companies encounter with Human Resource Information Systems implementation replete with tested tips to help you avoid some of those same pitfalls.
You are annoying your boss and colleagues any time you take your phone out during meetings, says new research from USC's Marshall School of Business, and if you work with women and people over forty they're even more perturbed by it than everyone else.
ÔÇ£The Last AnalogsÔÇØ also appeals because it sounds like the title of a sci-fi book, and science-fiction writers may be the closest thing the western world has to prophetsÔÇöparticularly when it comes to cloud computing.
Here are just five examples of how sci-fi writers have predicted the future.
An HR System You Can Build-As-You-Go
