Opinion – Page 5
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OpinionProfessor Vlatka Hlupic: Organisational culture is key to getting the most out of technology
Dealing with the impact of technology on the workplace is, to a large extent, a matter of mindset. We can choose to adopt either one of the two scenarios: the first one is to get drawn into a fear-based and fixed mindset and worry that technology might take away our ...
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OpinionCharles Cotton: Combine extrinsic and intrinsic reward to create a tailored motivation strategy
There are a number of ways organisations can boost motivation. One is to use extrinsic rewards, such as pay. A simple example is that employees are motivated to sell more by being offered a financial incentive, such as commission.However, employees are only likely to change their behaviours if they value ...
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OpinionMatt Landeman: Inspiring staff with a clear set of values can support strategic growth
For any ambitious organisation with eyes on strategic growth, it is necessary that each employee is aware of, and buys into, the business values at the heart of the enterprise. This is especially pertinent in fast-paced and quickly evolving sectors such as media, where keeping employees up to speed with ...
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OpinionPeter Reilly: How can employers build empowerment into their reward policies?
Empowering staff is an understandable objective for organisations operating in today’s knowledge and service economy. Releasing employees’ discretionary effort can lead to higher productivity and better customer service, and one key way of getting greater employee engagement is through giving colleagues more autonomy. This means offering them access to more ...
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OpinionMelanie Lane: Festive reward messages should be inclusive
It is important that employers are sensitive to all employees’ religious and secular beliefs over the Christmas period. While it is likely that many staff will be celebrating Christmas to some extent, not all will, and some may want to keep sufficient annual leave for a religious celebration at a ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Work-life balance takes centre stage
How well does your organisation support employees’ work-life balance?This week, Glassdoor revealed the top 20 organisations providing employees with a good work-life balance, based on staff ratings submitted to the jobs and recruitment site. The list comprises employers from a wide variety of industry sectors, including Goodman Masson, Cisco Systems, ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: What will Brexit mean for effective global reward strategies?
Over the past few months, one topic has dominated numerous conversations: the result of the EU referendum. Whichever way you voted and whatever you think of the Brexit result, there can be no denying that the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) will have widespread ramifications.The true reach ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should bonuses be scrapped?
Are bonuses an effective tool to drive employee performance? Or are they too often perceived as an entitlement rather than a reward for performance?Earlier this week, Woodford Investment Management hit the headlines when it was revealed that founder Neil Woodford axed bonuses in favour of paying a flat basic salary ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Is your workplace ready for Rio?
This week finally sees the 2016 Olympics get underway in Rio, after what seems like months of increasingly critical headlines questioning the readiness of the host nation and its ability to successfully stage ‘the greatest show on Earth’.Whether such speculation will ultimately prove to be justified remains to be seen, ...
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OpinionAaron Hayward: Employment policies need to be reviewed in light of changing workforce demographics
By 2025, generation Y is expected to make up 75% of the workforce, according to the Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation's Gen Y study, published in April 2011. If managers and business owners want to grow and retain the younger workforce, they will need to take a look at, ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Awards success means a great deal
Earlier this week, I was absolutely thrilled when Employee Benefits was named Pension and Benefits Publication of the Year at the 2016 Willis Towers Watson Media Awards for the second consecutive year.Coupled with our lovely deputy editor Louise Fordham taking the prize for HR Technology Journalist of the Year, it ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Cast your votes?
By 7am on Friday 24 June, we should have the results of the EU referendum.Unsurprisingly, this was the main topic dominating conversation at EB Towers yesterday. Political decisions and preferences, of course, played a part in these conversations, but the question we heard more than any other during the course ...
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OpinionLovewell's Logic: Are paid pre-cations the way forward?
Reading the latest issue of Cosmopolitan last week, I came across a short article looking at one of the newest trends to hit more progressive workplaces across the pond.In the US, some employers are giving newly hired staff two weeks’ paid leave before they join the organisation.The idea behind these ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: All the fun of the fair
Today (Friday 3 June) is quite possibly one of my favourite days of the year. Well, excluding birthdays, Christmas and days spent on sandy white beaches!While we regularly highlight the achievements of employers in the pages of Employee Benefits magazine and on employeebenefits.co.uk, the Employee Benefits Awards and Summer Party ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Should enhanced leave be extended to all staff?
How far should employers go in supporting employees’ circumstances outside of the workplace?Earlier this week, employee engagement firm Reward Gateway revealed that it is introducing unlimited fully paid leave globally for parents who are primary carers during the first year after the birth or adoption of a child.Permitting staff such ...
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OpinionChris Rowley: Staff involvement with benefits will increase engagement
The subject of employee motivation programmes in the workplace, specifically whether it is important to garner staff opinion when putting programmes in place, remains important and topical. The questions it raises include: should employers involve staff in the design and roll-out of programmes? Would this have an effect on engagement ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Success deserves to be celebrated
One of the things I love most about my role – and there are many – is judging the Employee Benefits Awards each year. One of the reasons I became a journalist is that I’m intrinsically curious and the whole judging process presents a real insight into what employers are ...
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OpinionEmma Hart: Sport teaches motivation and teamwork
As children, we are encouraged to take part in physical activities, through which we learn motivation, determination and teamwork among a wide range of other positive skills. Parents are not always trying to create the next Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave, but rather trying to encourage us to learn from ...
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OpinionKatherine Bond: Rewards derive from good performance
The worlds of high-performance sport and business are both obsessed with results, and there is often great reward that comes with producing great results.For the Olympic athlete, the potential reward of an Olympic medal is a huge motivator and gives some interesting insights into human motivation and rewards.Potential Olympians choose ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Is menstrual leave a forward-thinking or outdated concept?
Earlier this week, Bristol-based organisation Coexist hit the headlines with the news that it has introduced ‘period leave’ for its employees.This will enable staff to stay home should they feel the need to without having to make excuses or take the time as sick leave.I have to say I’m in ...