How Upskilling Your Team Benefits Your Organization?

Smart organizations can alleviate some of their basic financial pains by investing in tenured employees to retain them in the organization. Stellar employees, the ones with great morale and high productivity, can be hard to come by and organizations understand the benefits of finding ways to retain these individuals. To create a better workforce companies are exploring the question – How upskilling your team benefits your organization?

There are numerous successful companies that invest in the process known as upskilling to help retain current employees and brush up their skills for the greater benefit of the organisation.

What is Upskilling?

Upskilling is the process of teaching current employees new skills. This enables the employees to move into bigger and better jobs in the organization.

Investing in upskilling employees pays off in the long run, as the company saves money on hiring new associates and boosts the morale of tenured employees at the same time.

How Does Upskilling Benefit Your Organisation?

It may seem like a good idea to train your people and help them move up the corporate ladder, but it’s more than a noble concept.

There are specific benefits you will reap from upskilling the workforce:

Employee Retention

Employees who are challenged to develop and grow are often the happiest ones at an organization. If your company works to retain tenured employees, it will prove that you are making a solid investment in the people, which is sure to boost morale and productivity. Employees who are challenged to grow outside of their roles tend to get excited about what might be around the corner for them.

You may also like to read : Reasons to Invest in Employee Management System

Customer Satisfaction

If you have happy employees, you are far more likely to have happy customers. Content employees are typically more invested in the company, they promote the corporate brand within the organization and to your customers. Typically, happy customers tend to be loyal customers as well.

Save on the process of rehiring

It is expensive to lose and replace tenured associates. You are losing the investment you made in the current individual, not just because of any talent development you paid for, but also because when that individual leaves, they take all their knowledge and experience with them.

Now you have to pay not only to advertise the new role, for the recruitment process, the time it takes to interview candidates, any hiring bonuses that new individuals may require and also the time it will take the new individual to ramp up into the new position. Simply losing one employee can be a hit on the bottom line.

Upskilling Strategies

In order to create robust upskilling in your organization, you will need to devise a strategic plan. Having a strategy will help you to get buy-in from leadership within the organization and also from the employees themselves.

Personal Development Plans

Encourage associates to build a Personal Development Plan that includes competencies that they want to improve upon and skills they want to gain. Empowering your employees to come up with their own plan is key to the success of the upskilling training program. Employees can identify new skills and competencies that resonate with them as opposed to being told what they need to learn.

Allocate Time During the Workday

Once your employees create their individual development plan, allow time during the workday for employees to upskill. Perhaps you have an employee who wants to take a communications course. Allow them to leave early to attend class or provide time and a quiet space to take the class online.

Job-Specific Upskilling/Credentialing Programs

Offer your employees job-specific training to enhance their current skills. For example, you may have specialty software used by only a small sector of your organization. Consider offering upskilling training on the software to employees in the company who may be interested in learning more about it. You may also consider offering credentialing programs, meaning training that results in a professional certificate.

For example, you may have instructional designers on your team who would benefit by enrolling in an intensive E-Learning Certificate program.

You may be looking at the expense of upskilling training and decide it isn’t worth the investment. But it doesn’t have to cause a tremendous financial setback. You can upskill employees on a shoestring budget if you get creative. There are many ways to reskill corporate learners using a classroom setting, online learning content, or using your current employees to assist in creating upskilling training.

How to Implement Upskilling Training?

Classroom Training

Trainers can conduct upskilling classes in a classroom setting, allowing employees to learn new skills or enhance current ones. For example, companies may detect downward trends in production and leverage the training department to upskill employees in a group setting, thus correcting bad habits and enhancing production.

Trainers can present new ideas, allow participants to brainstorm and share ideas, utilize training software and bring trainees up to speed quickly.

Virtual Classroom Training

Companies with a global workforce may not have the luxury of classroom training if employees are dispersed in various locations. If your company has numerous locations, consider investing in a Learning and Talent Development platform to function as a virtual classroom solution.

Investing in virtual classroom programs allows you to upskill employees regardless of their location. Employees simply log in to the platform at the designated time and the facilitator can cover an abundance of upskilling training topics.

Microlearning

Another effective way of upskilling employees is to create web-based micro-learning units, short web-based training modules that cover a topic in 5-10 minutes.

For example, an organization may notice a decrease in customer satisfaction surveys. The training team could be leveraged to create a soft skills micro-learning program that covers how to positively interact with customers. Employees could enhance their skills during short workday breaks by taking the micro-learning units that interest them.

Mentors / Subject Matter Experts

Utilize some of your best employees in a mentorship or SME program. Offer your top producers an opportunity to develop their own leadership skills by mentoring others or acting as SMEs in training. Experts are extremely useful in all kinds of training programs, as they can answer questions and explain difficult processes from a practical perspective.

You can also utilize SMEs to assist with building E-Learning content for full micro-learning programs. Your training team will have a peace of mind, knowing that their content is up-to-date and accurate, if they collaborate with SMEs during the development process.

Conclusion

Upskilling has an abundance of advantages, from improving employee motivation to saving the company money. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Begin by assessing gaps in your current employees’ knowledge.

So to finally answer the question – How upskilling your team benefits your organization?

It empowers your employees to develop their own career development path and ultimately offer their skills and expertise to help the company achieve its goals. Take the time to invest in upskilling employees so that they stay with you and help your organization to grow and thrive.

What is Employee Absenteeism?

Employee Absenteeism – Introduction

Employee Absenteeism is an issue that directly affects the productivity of the company. If this problem is not addressed and regulated at the right time, it tends to cause adverse effects on the working mechanism of an enterprise.

In this article, we will discuss what Employee Absenteeism is, and how we can tackle it to stop its inimical repercussions.

What Is Employee Absenteeism?

Employee absenteeism refers to the continual lack of attendance of an employee or a set of employees. This lack is not supported with a valid reason and results in lowering the efficiency of the workforce.

While Employee Absenteeism refers to the frequent absence of employees, this absenteeism does not include instances like accidents, illness, or situations that can not be controlled.

How to Deal with Employee Absenteeism?

Employee Absenteeism is a serious issue that requires proper attention, time, and planning. Once you start overlooking the issue, it might become a habit and would ultimately affect the overall productivity of the enterprise.

You may also like to read : What is an Attendance Management System?

It is therefore important to constantly work on the problem and improve the percentage of employee presence in the workspace.

Given below are some of the ways in which Employee Absenteeism can be reduced :

Establish an Employee Attendance Policy

It is necessary to formulate a comprehensive Employee Attendance Policy. This policy must include information regarding sick leaves, late attendance, emergency leaves, and consequences of frequent absenteeism.

It should include all information with regards to the confusion and grievances that an employee can face concerning their absence and attendance.

With an official policy, the manager can inculcate standard decorum in the workspace which further promotes discipline and commitment towards the company.

While formulating the policy, the manager should keep all aspects, situations, laws, and company guidelines in mind. The policy can be updated from time to time, depending upon the changes and upgrades in the workplace.

Work on the execution of your policy.

Once you have formulated a policy, it is equally important to implement it thoughtfully. It is important to ensure that the employees have gone through the policy and are aware of it.

Companies can organize briefing sessions for employees and allocate some time to let them comprehend it and inquire about the same. The rules must be equal for all and everyone in the office including the manager must adhere to them.

In the case of advanced Attendance Management Software like Juntrax that offers employee self-service, the admin must give a demo session to their employees. They must be given a walk-through and at the same time, they must be encouraged to ask questions without hesitation.

In case of prolonged absenteeism, the manager must conduct a follow-up session with the employee and explain the consequences that can prevail from continual absenteeism.

Track Employee Absence

Employee absence is a significant factor that is considered while assessing the overall performance of an employee. It affects their productivity and expresses their commitment towards their job and the company. It, therefore, becomes vital for managers to keep note of employee absenteeism.

Unlike the tedious manual method of tracking, calculating, and documenting employee attendance, there is software like Juntrax that acts as a convenient and smart alternative.

You may also like to read : 5 Ways To Overcome Challenges Of Remote Work

Juntrax provides an employee portal with an option for employees to ‘clock in’ and ‘clock out’ on their workdays. The software automatically calculates the work duration of every employee and maintains a record of it.

Managers must keep track of these records and inform their employees that their attendance will impact their prospects for promotions, increments, and incentives.

Get to the root of the issue

In case of recurring absenteeism or detection of an unhealthy absence pattern, the manager must point it out and discuss it with their employees. Form a proper document and communicate your concerns. Inquire about their problem and maintain a comfortable environment where they can express their concerns and talk to you about their problems.

For parents or caretakers of the family, it might be a challenge to maintain their work and personal life. In such cases, you can assist them with an alternative schedule or different work hours. Understanding on your part and the will to help your employees can create a positive work environment and encourage the employee to show more dedication and commitment towards their work.

Happy employees are the key to a successful workspace and this can be gained through transparent communication and healthy relationships.

Address and encourage good performance

Addressing good performance can be one of the most effective ways of encouraging employees. While you invest your time in detecting employees with high absenteeism rate, it is equally important to compliment and recognize the ones with regular attendance.

Companies can also allocate budgets for employee incentives and conduct monthly or annual meetings to compliment employees with a low absenteeism rate.

Conclusion

Employee Absenteeism is an issue that can not be resolved overnight. It requires proper planning and implementation of policies, protocols, and work culture. Companies need to build transparent communication regarding attendance patterns, absences, and outcomes.

It is essential to address good attendance and discuss the reasons for the lack of regularity. With high-quality assistance in Attendance Management from software like Juntrax, companies can build a healthy and prosperous workforce.

What is Performance Appraisal?

Introduction to Performance Appraisal

A performance appraisal is a way to track the work and performance of an employee to align their ability with good results and prosperity for the company.

Every enterprise is greatly dependent on its employees for its success and credibility in the market. It is therefore essential to ensure that all their work is running smoothly and they are dedicated to a goal-oriented work discourse.

What is a Performance Appraisal?

As the name suggests, a performance appraisal is a regular assessment of an employee’s work performance and their dedication towards the company which is reflected through their work. Performance appraisals can be conducted as per the decision of the admins of the company. Usually, they are conducted at a regulated time interval annually, semi-annually or quarterly.

A performance appraisal is also termed as an annual review, performance review or evaluation. It’s basic is to evaluate the employee’s skill set, their accomplishments in the company and their growth chart.

It allows the admin to evaluate their employees and make reasonable decisions on the rate of pay increase, bonuses, promotions, demotions, deductions and terminations. It allows the employee to have a transparent understanding of their work and role status both in terms of their pay and position in the company.

You may also like : What is Sabbatical Leave?

Types of Performance Appraisal

There are many different types of performance appraisals. However, implementing and practising these are entirely based on the discretion of the company and its protocols.

Here are some of the different types of performance appraisals –

Top-down performance appraisal

The supervisors evaluate the work and performance of their employees independently. But the employee being evaluated exercises no input in the process.

Self-assessment performance appraisal

The individual being evaluated is allowed to assess and rate their own performance and conduct with respect to their job.

Peer assessment performance appraisal

The employee is evaluated by their team and rated according to their feedback.

360-degree feedback assessment performance appraisal

This is a very comprehensive inspection and includes reviews from the employee, their team and their manager. Some companies also include client feedback in their assessment program.

Negotiated performance appraisal

This is a modern approach to performance appraisals that aims at moderating the hostile examinations by allowing the subject to demonstrate their stance first. It tends to be effective while resolving ideal differences between associates and managers.

You may also like : What is CTC in Salary?

Shortcomings of Performance Appraisal

Dissatisfaction with the appraisal process

There can be a prominent difference between the performance of an individual and the work structure of the entire organisation. This difference can be a core factor of the employees’ contribution not being reflected in the overall performance of the company. If the evaluation process does not take this difference into account, it can be unjust for the employee and lead to unfair appraisals. Employee dissatisfaction with the appraisal process is a significant shortcoming of performance appraisals.

Unethical and false practices

Mistrust in the case of appraisal assessment and grant can cause problems between the associates and managers. It can also cause situations where the employees tailor their behaviour and outlook only to please their employer. There are some labour experts who also believe that the use of performance appraisals has dropped the quality of merit- and performance-based compensation.

It can also lead to the adoption of unfair goals that further demoralise the workers, exploit them and force them to engage in immoral pursuits.

Admin Bias

Performance appraisals can also cause irrational evaluations where the employees are judged on the basis of their likability and relationships with the manager instead of their talent. This might result in the manager giving good evaluation and appraisal to an under performing staff instead of a deserving one. Irresponsible and unprofessional managers can introduce many biases in the appraisal process and add to unreasonable factors of evaluation.

Subjective approach

Performance appraisals that work adequately in one industry or job structure may not be useful in another. This subjectivity often goes unaddressed while considering appraisals.

You can also read : What is Compliance Management?

Benefits of Performance Appraisal for an Organization

Employee inspections can make a huge difference in the performance of an organization. They provide insight into how employees are participating and contributing to the organizations.

Some of the benefits of performance appraisal in an organisation are –

It Identifies points where the management can enhance their work situations and boost productivity and work quality of their company.
It helps them address behavioural issues of the employees before they become a major issue and affect the productivity of their department.
It encourages employees to contribute to the company by acknowledging their skills and utilising them effectively.
It supports employees by encouraging aptitude, skill and career growth.
It improves strategic decision-making in circumstances that require dismissals, progression planning, or filling open roles.

Benefits of Performance Appraisal for an Employee

Performance appraisals are directed to deliver encouraging results for the employees and address their contributions to the company. The understandings developed from evaluating and examining an employee’s performance can help the organization in:

Recognising and appreciating the accomplishments and assistance provided by the employee.
Comprehending the circumstances, factors and chances for granting promotion and compensations.
Identifying and supporting the necessity for extra training and skill development to promote career development
Determining particular sectors where employee skills can be enriched.
Motivating employees and assisting them in getting involved and interested in career development.
Opening up conversations about the long-term objectives and opportunities of employees.

The Performance Appraisal process:

The examination process is usually facilitated by Human Resources, who assist managers and supervisors in inducting individual appraisals within their departments.

Here are some of the factors that must be looked upon while planning an appraisal process :

An assessment method should be established.
Required competencies and job exin expectations to be drafted for each employee.
Individual appraisals on employee performance need to be conducted.
A one on one interview must be scheduled between the manager and employee to discuss the review.
Future goals of an employee should be consulted with the admin.

Conclusion

Performance appraisals are instrumental in the creation of additional training and development sessions both for the managers and the employees. They allow them to reflect on the shortcomings of their work and further act on them to improve.

Juntrax Solutions will soon release a Performance Management module that will give a user-friendly and simplified outlook for managing employee performance and utilising their full potential. It will provide a holistic career plan to align employee talent with company goals.

Performance Appraisal enables the organization to intricately assess the productivity and dedication of an employee. It also creates a regulatory and disciplined environment for the employees to function efficiently and fulfil all their responsibility.

Reasons to Invest in Employee Management System

Businesses are growing at a rapid rate in every industry known to us. With the growing numbers of ventures, there is a growth in competition and the verve to step forward and make a mark. Employee Management System is one medium which will help you increase your pace in the race for success. In this article, we will discuss the reasons why you must invest in an Employee Management System.

What is Employee Management?

Employees are the most important asset for every corporation, thus it becomes really important to manage them in an efficient manner. The entire procedure of looking after the numerous facets related to office employees, all the way from sustaining their documents to maintaining a track of their day-to-day work and governing their performance is recognized as Employee Management.

Conventionally, the process of Employee management was supervised by a whole HR team especially appointed for the purpose, but with the latest software advances in the market, supplementary means like on-premises software, digital HR setups, and Employee Management Software has gained prevalence.

What is an Employee Management System?

EMS stands for Employee Management System.

An Employee Management System is a software setup that assists an enterprise in managing various tasks like generating payroll, tracking employee attendance, managing leave applications, and other such roles related to office employees and their management.

What are the Benefits of Employee Management System?

Cost-effective

Employee Management covers numerous aspects. From generating payroll to looking after leave records and attendance, there are several tasks that come under Employee Management.

With Employee Management Software, all these tasks are performed at a single platform with professional conduct. Instead of hiring an entire team of employees devoted to managing these tasks, your company can save a lot by simply investing in Employee Management Software.

Time-Saving

Employee Management Software tends to perform numerous actions simultaneously and can be used by multiple users at the same time. This integrated platform allows different tasks to run simultaneously which in turn saves a lot of time and effort.

Accuracy

The Employee Management Software automates all calculations, from payroll generation to calculating the attendance percentage of every employee. Manual calculations can be doubtful, especially while looking after a large number of employees. The Employee Management System removes the chances of errors and guarantees a hundred per cent accuracy

Security

Unlike hard copy data, soft copy documents have a better scope of accessibility and safety. With the Employee Management System, all important data is stored in a cloud-based interface which can only be accessed by entering authorized security credentials. Employee Management System comes with many tools and features to save data from cyber theft and form a back-up for emergencies.

Flexibility

There are many software systems in the market, which are compatible with a few selected system interfaces. But software like Juntrax by Juntrax Solutions come with a flexible design that can be accessed over all kinds of systems and devices.

Remote access

Unlike other resources and software which can only be accessed on office systems, the Employee Management Software can be accessed outside office locations. It allows remote access and thus makes it easier to access essential data, update information, edit details, and keep track of the overall functioning of the team.

Problems encountered in the absence of an EMS

Tracking work status

To ensure that the best of every employees’ potential is utilized for the growth of the company, the manager needs to keep a track of their work status. Maintaining track of every employees’ work status can be a tiring job when conducted manually. This becomes even more difficult when the data needs to be accessed outside the office settings.

Communication

There are multiple aspects which require prompt communication regularly. These include employee dilemmas, project synopsis, customer details and logistic regulations. It becomes extremely problematic for the admin to retain an adequate record of the details and inquiries conveyed to them. With the current pandemic situation, this issue has evolved to another advanced level.

Maintaining Data Records

Every company has stringent strategies for filing employee data. From the on-boarding details of a newly hired employee to the time until they are a part of the company.

Conserving data records of every employee can be a sensitive task. Information like their leave records, data updates, payroll records, expense invoices, reimbursements, and many more documents need proper care and conservation. The slightest error in any of this can lead to a situation of confusion and errors.

Features of an EMS

The paperless on-boarding process for employees

Maintaining hard copy files for storing employee records is an important yet monotonous job, especially when performed manually. But with an Employee Management Software, this job can be done within a few seconds. This software brings an endurable, convenient, and paperless alternative for organizing the entire employee on-boarding system.

Easy Hiring

Juntrax Employee Management Software comes with the feature of a checklist enabled hiring process. The software comes with a checklist enabled hiring process that assists the employer in maintaining a well-structured database for all necessary documentation in the form of check-boxes. The employer can customize, create, edit, and remove the check-boxes as per their comfort and requirement.

Employee Self-service

The Employee Management System provides a simplified interface for the employees to enter all their data on their own. This not only saves time but also authorizes self-service for the employees. The employees can easily access the employee portal from any convenient place, at any desired time and update their info, add details, upload files, and perform other such tasks without any assistance.

Combined Document Management

Employee Management Software allows the admin to authorize other team members and managers to develop documents, edit them, and view them. Depending upon the requirement of the team, the admin can yield document access to the manager, the heads, or the team members.

Conclusion

An Employee management system aims at providing a professional, transparent and user-friendly space to the company. It boosts the management of the enterprise and provides unmatched results without any additional costs or requirements.

Juntrax by Juntrax Solutions is a leading example of premium Employee Management Software. It comes with a huge range of tools and features which will empower your business and help you in utilizing the potential of your workforce at their best.