Linklaters: Attracting the Lawyer of the Future with a New Global Employer Brand
PeopleScout helped the firm create a global employer brand to attract and retain the best and more diverse legal talent across 30 global offices.
8%Boost in Glassdoor Scores
27Jumped 27 Places in Best Global Employer Brand Awards
Increase in Applications from Female Lawyers
Situation
The world Linklaters was facing was one of rapid, multifaceted and unprecedented transformation. New technologies, sectors and innovations were disrupting the world and dismantling old assumptions about business success and the role of the law.
The profile they had recruited in the past would no longer bring them the candidates necessary to secure and expand on their position as a heavyweight global law firm. Linklaters needed a whole new type of lawyer—a nimble business advisor using their legal expertise and global mindedness to help clients navigate a time of huge complexity.
The problem was that every law firm in the world was chasing this new breed of lawyer.
Linklaters approached PeopleScout to help them define, promote and manage a compelling new global employer brand, allowing the business to cut through the noise as an employer of choice in a ferociously competitive market.
Solution
Knowing, Not Guessing
We met with hundreds of professionals in 20 Linklaters offices across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific including recruitment, HR, hiring managers, associates, graduates and interns to gather insights.
After 17 focus groups in 13 international offices, we had a sense of the key themes which gave us a foundation from which to build the employer value proposition (EVP) and the framework of the employer brand which would inspire our global advertising campaign.
Linklaters is global firm with almost unmatched strength across practices and geographies.
Linklaters lawyers don’t just embrace the change, they direct it.
They are at the epicenter of work that will shape law, commerce, industry, the environment and society for decades to come.
The quality of training on offer and the caliber of colleagues to learn from means those who join will never stop learning.
A New EVP – Great Change is Here
We created an employer value proposition (EVP) that was a combination of a big picture philosophy and a Linklaters-specific selling point: GREAT CHANGE IS HERE.
In a time of unprecedented change, this EVP makes progress healthy and exciting. It serves as a foundation for an employer brand that reflects Linklaters as a modern, international, hugely diverse cohort offering employees the opportunity to have an influential voice that redefines the legal sector and sets them up for an ever-evolving career.
Global Relevance
As an international brand with diverse target audiences, we built flexibility into the brand so it would resonate widely across geographies and cultures.
We created four underlying message pillars that we could dial up or down as required to create the right combination of messages with the right geographies.
Human Experts – Collaborate with smart, down-to-earth people on complex issues.
One Team – Multi-jurisdictional work calls for a truly aligned and collaborative environment.
Innovation – Whether you’re solving client problems or setting legal precedent, Linklaters celebrates creative thinking and innovative approaches.
Career Platform – Through prominent projects, high-profile clients, training, support, early exposure, external secondments, Linklaters is investing in their employees’ careers.
Linklaters received a full employer brand toolkit explaining the EVP, the messaging behind the brand, visual design and advertising principles and the tone of voice to be used internationally. We rolled this out to recruiters across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific so that local activity could be fully supported.
Results
The project was a significant success and was shortlisted for Best Global Employer Brand in 2018. Following the launch, the firm’s reputation as a graduate employer improved significantly over several years, rising 27 places from their 2016 position to 19th place in 2021. Glassdoor scores for Linklaters have risen by 8% in the last two years and, importantly, applications from female lawyers—which was a key objective—have increased since the EVP launch.
At a Glance
COMPANY: Linklaters
INDUSTRY: Legal Services
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
LOCATIONS: 30+ offices across 21 countries in Europe, North America and Asia
ABOUT LINKLATERS: Linklaters in a global law firm specializing in corporate practice areas including mergers and acquisitions, finance, litigation, antitrust and tax.
Maersk, a global shipping company, came to PeopleScout for a talent advisory solution that would deliver on a diverse and digital-forward new global employer brand.
Situation
Think Maersk and you think container ships. Steel giants criss-crossing the oceans. You probably think dependable and trustworthy, but slow moving. What you don’t think of is digital trailblazer. But, when they came to us, that was precisely their goal.
Already leaders in global shipping, the Maersk group was about to undertake a huge transformation to take them to the next level of their business strategy. Their vision was to become a global integrator of container logistics and digitalization of the business was at the core of this big move. Maersk no longer wanted to be seen as a shipping company; they wanted to be seen as a leader in technology.
The issue was that they didn’t have the world-class capabilities in the business to fuel this tech revolution.
The brief: create an employer brand that:
Made transportation and logistics attractive to global talent in a way it hadn’t been before – competing with the likes of Microsoft and Amazon.
Attract diverse candidates (especially STEM and digital) with the innovative mindset to bring radical change.
Change perceptions of the Maersk Group away from solid, slow and paternalistic to dynamic and pioneering.
Solution
RESEARCH
The insight phase was intensive.
Understanding the organization, the many and varied brands, the core business areas, its people and the nuances across the globe was highly complex. It was also the key to creating an employer value proposition (EVP) that would turn heads among non-traditional candidates.
We ran a very diverse, in-depth and international series of focus groups and one-on-one interviews across the group and externally.
This allowed us to:
Understand the views and vision of senior leaders within the business.
Gain deep insights into the lived experience of professionals at various managerial, technical and operation levels.
Map the competitor talent market to identify specific territories that Maersk could own with regards to its proposition and messaging.
Develop a set of core messaging pillars that we validated with senior stakeholders across the globe before developing our EVP and recruitment communications campaigns.
THE CORE MESSAGE
Our EVP message aimed to inspire, motivate and challenge employees and candidates to be part of a career-defi ning, once-in-a-generation transformation. The result is an invitation and a two-way commitment striking the kind of pioneering, adventurous and fast-moving note that you simply wouldn’t expect from a business like Maersk. It also gave us a platform to tell stories that capture hearts as well as minds.
EVP message: Let’s go into the amazing
INTERNATIONAL RESONANCE
Because our audiences were very diverse and located all over the world, we created a series of five messaging pillars. Drawn from the key insights gained at the research stage, these pillars allowed our brand messaging to be flexed in order to speak to the motivations of individuals and talent groups all across the globe.
THE PILLARS
Pioneering Candidate offer: Seize every new opportunity, pursue every experience and never be afraid to be the first.
Belonging Candidate offer: Be open, be curious and bring your whole self to work.
Societal impact Candidate offer: This isn’t just about the part you play in our business, it’s about the change you can make in our world.
Unfolding potential Candidate offer: Jump in wholeheartedly and we’ll support and invest in you to be your very best.
Global citizens Candidate offer: Broaden your horizons and make the world your workplace.
KEEPING IT ROBUST
Inspiring EVPs need strong foundations to stay inspiring. This is how the architecture of the Maersk employer brand all fits together.
MAKING IT REAL
This is how we took each of the pillars and turned it into a candidate-facing advertisement.
The Outcome
It’s still early days, but in the latest employer brand benchmarking, Maersk was delighted to see the impact the work was already having. A key measure is its ranking in The Most Attractive Employers List produced by Universum.
Maersk has seen its ranking improve. Our goal is to continue this momentum in each of the key markets and among each of the key talent segments.
At a Glance
COMPANY: Maersk
INDUSTRY: Transportation & Logistics
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
LOCATIONS: Global with priority markets in India, the UK and Denmark
ABOUT MAERSK: With locations in every port in the world, Maersk is one of the largest container shipping line and vessel operators in the world.
Diageo: Bringing Iconic Characters to Life with a New Global Employer Brand
You might have heard of Captain Morgan, but have you heard of the parent brand Diageo? PeopleScout helped Diageo, one of the world’s largest alcoholic beverage manufacturers, with a new global employer brand that helped them both celebrate and transcend their iconic brands to attract world class talent across cultures, companies and languages.
26One Employer Brand Nuanced to Resonate Across 26 Countries
5Five In-Market Brand Launch Events Plus One Global Webinar
300,000+Over 300k Impression on Social Media During Week of Brand Launch
Situation
Diageo has a portfolio of some of the world’s most renowned drinks brands including Guinness, Baileys and Captain Morgan. Even though its drink brands are long established, the Diageo brand itself is less recognizable, particularly in the employment space.
Our challenge was to develop an employer brand that cut through this lack of awareness and inspired people in a wide variety of commercial disciplines all across the world to see themselves at Diageo. The new brand needed to reflect their employer value proposition (EVP) to drive Diageo’s reputation as an employer of choice for world class talent globally and complement the existing corporate brand positioning.
Solution
Our mission was to create and launch a new and compelling employer brand for an employer that was being outshined by its own iconic products.
Delving into the Challenges
We dove into insights gathered from a variety of internal stakeholders—from experienced Diageo colleague to recent hires—across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, India and other parts of APAC. These employees were from several departments like e-commerce, supply chain, marketing, finance, HR, IT and customer management.
We realized that the wide variety of geographies that Diageo covers creates complex challenges for the business, from the differing strengths in consumer brands between markets to talent attraction techniques and cultural nuances relating to alcohol. So, we knew that the new employer brand had to be flexible enough to resonate in different countries and feature local employees as champions to bring it to life.
From an external perspective, a survey revealed that 58% of our target audience had not heard of Diageo. Yet, 78% said they would be interested in working there after we connected the Diageo name to their famous brands. So, we needed to find a way to link the Diageo name to their recognizable products.
A Unique EVP – Character is Everything
We anchored the new employer brand in the history of the organization: character. People of extraordinary character—like Arthur Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Charles Tanqueray—had built the business from the ground up centuries before. And their spirit lives on, driving every aspect of Diageo in the 21st Century.
The EVP we introduced—Character is Everything—was grounded in the history of their individual products as well as influenced by the characters we met at Diageo. We wanted the brand to be a celebration of their personalities, joy and enthusiasm for Diageo’s famous brands.
We took Diageo through a comprehensive journey, developing pillars, narratives and collateral that fit into their overall corporate brand.
Tailoring the Employer Brand for Global Talent
We created six brand pillars, ensuring the message was compelling and authentic for audiences divided by geography or job area and then tested the proposition globally to gain buy-in business-wide.
In our narratives and designs, we made Diageo employees the brand heroes, telling local and global stories, and showcasing their characters to bring the Diageo story to life on every channel. The brand imagery was genuine and full of depth—from the smiling faces of real employees to the bold headlines.
We fine-tuned and then launched different iterations of the brand for different geographies. For example, in various African countries, recruiters told us that candidates responded well to messages around supporting the community. We also translated our communications into a range of languages.
The brand was designed to provide enough content and materials for immature markets to roll out independently, while still leaving enough scope and space for innovation in advanced markets.
Setting Diageo Up for Success
Our Talent Advisory team supported the brand launch across the globe, promoting and publicizing the new brand. We helped the Talent Engagement Teams to understand the proposition, what tools are available to them and how to use the brand effectively to hire great talent. We also supported internal launch events in which we engaged employees in activities to explain what it means to work for Diageo and the kinds of traits and behaviors they should look for in new hires.
Results
The new EVP and employer brand creative was well received across Diageo.
Launch Events
We hosted five in-market events plus a webinar which had over 500 webinar registrants, over 200 live participants and 30 on-demand views of the recording. These events inspired huge amounts of user-generated content on LinkedIn from employees.
Social Media
Diageo executed a series of posts across their social media channels under a unique branded hashtag, #characteriseverything, generating a huge amount of activity and traffic during the first week.
329,472 overall impressions
6,257 clicks plus 2,936 click-throughs to the Diageo career site
2,986 likes
179 shares
72 comments
3.19% overall engagement rate (well above industry average)
Global Reach
Activations of the brand have now reached 26 markets. So far, we’ve worked on:
A film to support recruitment in Budapest
Brand activation project for hiring in Korea
Communications for Diageo’s global ATS platform
A revamped toolkit for employee reward
Recruitment event collateral for Venezuela
A recruitment marketing campaign for early careers within the supply chain division
An internal communication project for the Diageo’s migration to Workday
We’ve gained evidence across a number of campaigns that the new employer brand is altering perceptions and boosting awareness of Diageo. There has been a great response internally too. Not only were we over-subscribed for brand champion volunteers, focus group feedback is showing an upswing in pride around the Character is Everything message.
At a Glance
COMPANY: Diageo
INDUSTRY: Consumer Goods
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS: Talent Advisory
LOCATIONS: The refreshed Diageo employer brand was flexed to resonate in 26 different countries including Budapest, Korea and Venezuela.
ABOUT DIAGEO: Diageo is one of the world’s largest producers of spirits and beers including iconic brands like Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. With over 27,00 employees, their 200+ brands are sold in 180 countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright spotlight on company values and culture, separating employers who truly live up to their promises from those who rarely take action where it matters. And, employees are paying attention – as well as growing more critical of organizations that they’re considering working for.
Meanwhile, according to the latest Engagement and Retention Report from Achievers Workforce Institute, 52% of currently employed respondents said they would hunt for a job in 2021 – up from 35% in 2020. But, why are more than half of employees looking for a new job this year? The short answer: They’re disengaged. Whether from lack of recognition; poor diversity and inclusion practices; remote work burnout; or a feeling of disconnectedness, 71% more employees are disengaged in 2021 than 2020.
In fact, lack of career growth is the number one factor holding employees back from feeling engaged at work – making it a key area of opportunity for employers looking to remain competitive. Plus, as organizations are in the midst of the Great Rehire, talent acquisition teams face the challenge of filling a number of unexpected open roles – and high turnover exacerbates the issue. As such, maintaining a strong retention strategy is essential to avoid overloading these already lean teams.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the benefits of learning and development programs; explain how to create an effective strategy to promote career growth; and share examples of ways that organizations are investing in their people.
Benefits of a Learning & Development Program
Launching an effective learning and development program typically requires investing in resources. However, when done right, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Specifically, not only does a strong learning and development program help employees in their career growth, but it can also improve the performance of an organization as a whole. More precisely, some of the key benefits of implementing a learning and development program are:
Closing Skills Gaps A training and development program is a great way to address skills gaps within an organization – especially if your company had to scale down during the pandemic. But, by performing a skills audit, you’ll have a better idea of which gaps exist in your organization – which can then help you determine the areas that make the most sense for reskilling your workforce. Then, as a result of improved efficiency and more highly skilled employees, you’ll also increase your ability to fill open roles from within.
Increasing Retention & Employee Satisfaction Not only will employee performance improve, but retention and satisfaction will increase, as well. That’s because employees feel genuinely cared for and valued when an employer shows a willingness to invest in employee growth and development. And, with an improved set of skills and knowledge, employees will be more likely to stick around at a company that believes in them and wants to see them succeed. This employer loyalty will then increase retention and decrease turnover rates.
Staying Competitive & Innovative Consistent investment in your employees’ growth and development will also help keep their thinking fresh and future-focused, thereby resulting in an overall culture of innovation at your organization. Plus, top talent will also be more inclined to join an organization with the perk of a strong learning and development program, as well as the opportunity to grow in a new role.
Improving Employer Brand Organizations with effective development programs can also leverage them as a selling point to attract prospective candidates. Additionally, current employees will be more likely to leave positive reviews on employer review sites and spread the word within their networks that your organization truly cares about employee career growth.
Saving Money As skills gaps close and retention is improved, your organization will also save money on sourcing and recruiting external candidates. Plus, a culture of innovation and employee satisfaction will keep your employer brand strong, as well, which has a significant effect on candidate attraction spend.
How to Create an Effective Learning & Development Program
Before you jump in to implementing a robust learning and development program, it’s important to start by planning. Below is an overview of the key items to consider:
Establish Goals The first step in planning for a learning and development program is to establish the goals of the program. This step is crucial because you’ll refer back to these goals as you make decisions along the way. In particular, ask yourself:
What are the overall business goals that our organization is trying to achieve?
How will the learning and development program align with our overall organizational goals?
What are the necessary steps needed to achieve these goals?
Identify Competencies Competencies are a particular set of abilities, skills, and knowledge that affect an organization’s success and set it apart from competitors. Some examples of business competencies include:
Business acumen
Strategic agility
Market knowledge
Communication
Decision-making
Change leadership
Driving results
Collaboration and influence
After determining the key competencies your organization wants to foster in alignment with your goals, you’ll be able to better curate learning tracks to help instill these competencies into your employees.
Determine Strategy There are a variety of types of learning and development programs, so choose the one that makes the most sense for your organization. Your selection will depend on whether you want to teach the same skills to a large group of people at once, help employees improve on-the-job performance, or open training to everyone on their own schedule. Common types include:
Classroom/workshop style
Instructor-led training (ILT)
In-house/outsourced learning sessions
Interactive
On-the-job
Skills-based
Online
Incorporate Mentorship
A formal mentoring and coaching component can also complement your learning and development program. Specifically, pairing compatible employees with one another encourages teams to build relationships and learn from each other. To that end, it’s important to match mentees with mentors whose areas of expertise match the former’s desired area of growth to ensure that the relationship is mutually beneficial. As a result, less-experienced employees can be challenged and learn, while more seasoned employees can grow from the experience as a leader and mentor.
Encourage Engagement In order to ensure the longevity of your learning and development program, it’s essential to foster strong engagement. In particular, encourage managers to suggest training for employees and create a recognition system for employees who participate in trainings. Employees can also share completion certificates and comments about different trainings internally on platforms like Slack and Yammer. This strong sense of engagement will then encourage others to participate and, ultimately, lead to long-term success with your program.
Measure Results Finally, despite the fact that it’s often overlooked, it’s extremely important to establish a way to measure the effectiveness of the learning and development program once it has gained some traction. First, determine whether those initial goals are being worked toward and met. If they’re not, identify gaps where you may need to adjust strategy by considering the following questions:
Is employee productivity improving?
Are managers noticing improved employee engagement and satisfaction?
Are there any reductions in turnover time?
Are employees feeling more successful?
Has your employer brand presence improved externally?
Are you able to quantify results based on your overall goals?
Real Examples of How to Invest in Your People
The thought of creating a learning and development program from scratch may seem daunting, but it can be helpful to know that many organizations have found success through unique approaches to investing in their people. Here are some of the organizations leading the way in this important commitment to developing people:
Yelp Yelp’s transparent, supportive culture pushes its people to excel. The user-review company invests in: career development opportunities for its employees; constant constructive feedback; goal-focused, one-on-one sit-downs; team meetings; and thank you shout-outs for a job well done. All of these strategies reinforce each employee’s achievements, ambitions and unique strengths.
Dun & Bradstreet Dun & Bradstreet – a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics – supports top-down learning, in which team members are welcome to jump on their managers’ calls. This enables them to learn about taking on more responsibility and also encourages them to pursue their own learning – whether by attending conferences or taking courses online.
WEX Inc. At WEX, every day is an opportunity for employees to ask if there is a better way – and to act on promising ideas. Through mentorship, conferences and tuition reimbursement, there’s always room to keep climbing the ladder at this financial technology company.
Amazon Amazon committed $700 million to retrain 100,000 workers by 2025, thereby allowing employees of the online retailer and technology giant to move into more highly skilled jobs within the company or find new careers outside of Amazon. In addition, Amazon’s Machine Learning University initiative helps workers who already have a background in technology and coding to gain skills in machine learning.
Verizon Communications Inc. After closing most of its retail stores during the pandemic, Verizon retrained 20,000 employees to handle new jobs, which ranged from sales to customer service. This year, the American multinational telecommunications conglomerate plans to teach 100,000 employees new skills to prepare them for the demands of 5G, the next-generation wireless standard. Additionally, Verizon is partnering with Generation USA to help train 500,000 workers throughout the next decade for jobs of the future in communities across the country.
Levi Strauss & Co. This year, Levi’s launched its Machine Learning Bootcamp, an immersive training in coding, machine learning and agile ways of working that are uniquely designed for employees of the American clothing company. Participants will master an in-demand skillset and focus on learning full-time for two months – all paid for and encouraged by leadership.
Walmart Walmart partners with Guild Education to offer employees a way to earn a high school or college degree for $1 per day. Employees of the American multinational retail corporation also get personalized coaching support from day one all the way through graduation.
PeopleScout At PeopleScout, we invest in our people through two programs. First, our Global Mentorship Program supports and enriches the professional development of PeopleScout employees. Similarly, our engagement with LinkedIn Learning also allows employees to explore professional interests and develop skills both professionally and personally. And, finally, our global ideation platform encourages employees to submit their innovative ideas for improving our business – giving them direct opportunities to work with leadership to develop ideas into tangible solutions.
Developing the Next Generation of Talent
As a talent leader, you understand the importance of a total talent mix, which means leveraging both internal and external recruitment strategies. And, with higher turnover forecasted as we move out of the pandemic, there’s no better time than now to start investing in your existing workforce. Plus, by constantly reskilling and upskilling your current team through a strong learning and development program, you’ll not only attract top talent externally, but you’ll also have loyal and dedicated employees who believe in your business and are prepared for the future of work – whatever challenges it may bring.
One of the earliest and most important steps in the internal mobility process is identifying which employees within your organization should be targeted for internal roles based on skills, experience and willingness to explore new career paths. But, how can you be sure you know the full extent of the skills available within your organization?
An internal mobility skills audit enables you to understand where employee skills lie, as well as direct your employees’ training and development plans and your overall recruitment strategy.
What is an internal mobility skills audit?
An internal mobility skills audit is the process of assessing your employees’ skills and then identifying potential internal candidates for open positions based on knowledge, experience, skill sets and flexibility. By assessing the knowledge and skills that already exist within your workforce, you can help develop the careers of existing employees while simultaneously improving your retention rates and filling open roles faster.
Who is responsible for the internal mobility audit?
When it comes to an individual employee who is a candidate for an internal role, team leaders or managers should be responsible for conducting the audit of that employees’ skills. However, larger team analysis for multiple roles is usually done by team leaders, HR or external talent advisors.
Data Collection & Analysis
The goal of data collection and analysis in an internal mobility skills audit is three-fold: 1) to analyze which roles are open now; 2) to rate how important each role is; and 3) to inquire about the skills required to perform the role properly. Data collection and analysis activities can include:
Developing job profiles and identifying critical skills needed for each job role:
Review current job descriptions as a reference for the skills that are needed.
Consider the effect of upcoming organizational changes or future work trends (such as remote work) on the role.
Develop a list of competencies that most clearly and accurately describe what is necessary to do the work.
Conducting an inventory of your employees’ current skills:
Position descriptions
Job class specifications
Performance evaluations and employee assessments
Interviews/focus group meetings with supervisors, managers and employees
Self-assessment surveys
As you might expect, it can quickly become difficult to manually keep track of each employee’s competencies and skill levels. Fortunately, talent technology can help you with the data collection process. For example, PeopleScout’s Affinix Internal Mobilitycan help you access an internal talent pool all in one place so you can quickly source, leverage, promote and reassign talent from within your organization.
Assessing Internal Candidates
Once internal candidates for open positions have been identified, it’s time for your teams to dive deeper and examine a candidate’s knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). While the three terms may seem interchangeable, they are actually distinctly different dimensions of a potential internal candidates’ qualifications:
Knowledge focuses on the candidate’s understanding of key theoretical concepts important to the role.
Skills are the capabilities or hands-on experience needed for the application of theoretical knowledge important for the role.
Abilities are the innate traits or talents that a person brings to the role if selected as a successor.
KSAs are the core competencies used when assessing talent and can create a better picture of a potential candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. These are useful in creating your organization’s internal promotion and talent development programs, and it’s essential to develop a KSA profile of each internal candidate to determine whether their attributes align well with a specific role.
To begin, your internal mobility team can start building KSA profiles by asking these questions:
Where does your organization see the role evolving in the next three to five years? What skillsets will be required to evolve with the role?
What unique or specialized competencies are necessary to succeed in the role?
What qualities should the internal candidate possesses in order to thrive in the role and meet your organization’s business objectives?
Then, when identifying individual employees as potential internal candidates, consider assessing the following traits:
Flexibility and willingness to change roles or work environments
Interest in professional development, taking on new projects outside of their duties and learning new skills
Good communicators who work well with multiple teams and departments
When completed, the results of a skills audit should be aggregated into a report to obtain a clear view of existing skills and knowledge within your organization. The information you collect during the audit can then be used to support more than just your internal mobility program. It can also be applied to organizational restructuring and internal promotion, as well as help conduct effective succession planning.
Building a Tech-Enabled Internal Mobility Platform for a Government Agency
This government agency in Australia partnered with PeopleScout to develop and launch a technology platform that facilitates internal mobility for government workers.
Employees manage their profiles showcasing employee demographics, education, work history, skills and competencies
AI technology matches candidates to open opportunities across the government and provides alerts to candidates on open job opportunities
Employee engagement increased, while the use of expensive contingent labor resources went down
Situation
As a result of COVID-19, the client was operating with a lean workforce and limited resources. They required a solution that allowed them to leverage the skills and competencies of their existing workforce so they could save the time, cost and resources it takes to access the external candidate market.
They partnered with PeopleScout to develop and launch a platform which facilitates internal mobility for workers who are potentially impacted by the economic downturn due to COVID-19 or looking to move within their department or other government agencies. This allowed the client to engage their workforce through enhanced workforce mobility, skills development and career opportunities within the department and across the government.
Solution
PeopleScout created an internal mobility platform using our proprietary talent technology, Affinix™, to give the client insight into the scope and experience of their internal talent. By utilizing candidate profiles, hiring managers are not only able to see employee demographics, education and work history, but also specific skills and competencies.
When an employee creates their profile, they have the opportunity to rate their own competencies and leaders within the organization can rate and leave comments about their performance as well. This gives recruiters a strong sense of what other positions may be a good fit for internal employees, based on hard and soft skills—such as strong cross-functional collaboration abilities.
PeopleScout’s Affinix Internal Mobility platform gives the client a holistic view of candidates, and when a requisition is posted within the platform, Affinix automatically looks for employees who may be a good fit and proactively recommends candidates based on their profile.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, organizations everywhere were forced to fundamentally rethink their talent acquisition strategies. Whether that came in the form of hiring freezes, a dramatically reduced number of new hires, laid off workers or furloughed employees, an internal mobility program can be a cost-effective way to help organizations bounce back in the upcoming recovery phase.
What’s more, many people will be less inclined to switch jobs in the coming months and might opt to stay with their current employer where they feel their job is secure. It will be increasingly difficult to pull top talent away from their current employers—especially if those employers kept employees on and supported them during a challenging time.
That said, starting your talent search from within can help you fill gaps quickly and effectively, while also boosting retention rates and saving scarce resources. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at what an internal mobility program is, the benefits of internal mobility and tips for building an effective internal mobility program in your organization.
What is an Internal Mobility Program?
Internal mobility refers to the movement—both vertically and laterally—of employees within an organization. An internal mobility program takes this idea a step further by implementing a specific process for moving internal talent between roles. And since the onset of the pandemic, while many organizations have been unable to hire external talent at pre-pandemic rates, internal mobility has become a necessity for filling critical skills gaps left in organizations.
Benefits of an Internal Mobility Program
Save Time and Money
One of the biggest benefits of an internal recruitment strategy is the ability to operate more efficiently—especially during a time where many organizations are operating with leaner teams after scaling down in response to challenges presented by COVID-19.
Many organizations today are faced with high applicant volumes and a time-consuming selection process for their talent acquisition teams. Moreover, the time and money spent on recruiting externally, like posting job ads, running recruitment marketing campaigns, sourcing and communicating with candidates can take a toll on already limited resources.
In addition to savings on recruitment costs, external candidates often have higher salary expectations than internal employees—especially if they are hesitant about leaving their current employer. On average, the starting salary of an external hire is 18-20% more than that of internal candidates.
Leverage Furloughed Employees
When organizations enter the recovery phase and begin to ramp up hiring, an internal recruitment process can allow you to easily search within your furloughed employees first—targeting the people who know your business and are ready to get back to work.
By pulling from your pool of furloughed employees, you’ll have a wealth of internal candidates who already possess organizational knowledge and expertise, leading to faster rates of productivity and less time spent on initial trainings. You’ll also have access to this talent almost immediately, allowing you to bounce back quickly and reduce time spent searching for external candidates who fit your needs.
Retain Top Talent
By developing internal talent and providing opportunities for mobility within your organization, employee engagement and morale will increase, leading to higher retention rates and reduced employee turnover that often comes with hiring externally.
According to data from LinkedIn, companies that excel at internal mobility can retain employees nearly twice as long as companies that struggle with it. In addition, employee willingness to go above and beyond at work is 27% higher and employee intent to stay is 33% higher at organizations with a more vibrant internal labor market, according to a report by Gartner.
Foster Diversity and Inclusion
An internal mobility program can be a great way to proactively develop the diverse talent already existing within your organization. By giving internal employees the opportunity to move up, reskill and take pathways for growth within your organization, you’ll be fostering a more diverse workforce at all levels, including leadership.
Plus, according to McKinsey’s Delivering Through Diversity report, companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and companies in the top-quartile for ethnic/cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have industry-leading profitability.
Utilizing internal talent and providing opportunities for growth will improve diversity and inclusion at your organization overall and will consequently aid in your succession planning process as well.
How to Create an Effective Internal Mobility Program
Build an Internal Mobility Platform
Organizations should invest in a dedicated internal mobility platform that matches employees with open opportunities within the business. Recruiters can make job postings within the platform, so internal employees can see open opportunities and apply directly in the system.
Employees can also create a profile within the platform outlining their demographics, skills, capabilities, experience and more which enables recruiters to more effectively find and place internal employees in new roles.
Internal Mobility Platform in Practice
As a result of COVID-19, this government agency in Australia was operating with a lean workforce and limited resources. They required a solution that allowed them to leverage the skills and competencies of their existing workforce so they could save the time, cost and resources it takes to access the external candidate market. They partnered with PeopleScout to develop and launch a platform which facilitates internal mobility for workers who are potentially impacted by the economic downturn due to COVID-19 or looking to move within their department or other government agencies. This allowed the client to engage their workforce through enhanced workforce mobility, skills development and career opportunities within the department and across government.
Employees are able to self-manage profiles showcasing employee demographics, education and work history, and specific skills and competencies
Employees who may have been affected by COVID-19 are given priority access and visibility to all job opportunities across the agency before they are advertised externally
Employees can self-rate on key competencies
AI technology matches candidates to open opportunities across government and provides alerts to candidates on open job opportunities
Increased engagement of existing staff, while reducing the use of expensive contingent labor hire resources
Recruiters have a strong sense of what other positions may be a good fit for internal employees, based on hard and soft skills
Communicate Transparently
When officially launching your internal mobility program, it’s important to openly communicate the strategy with employees. Inform employees of the new program and provide clear communications on how the process will work. If you have a specific platform for internal mobility, this can include communicating how to access the platform, create a profile, view job openings and what to expect after applying for a role.
Failure to explain your internal recruitment strategy clearly can result in employee confusion and a negative sentiment in the future if they misunderstand why they weren’t selected for a specific role or promotion.
Focus on People at All Levels
A common mistake organizations make when implementing an internal mobility process is focusing only on the highest performing employees within the business. While these high performers are likely good candidates for lateral and vertical moves within the organization, they aren’t the only people who you should open the program to.
Instead, you should focus on people at all levels who are high potentials. These are the employees who you can see having great potential in various roles, and eventually in management and leadership roles. By broadening your internal search to include employees at all levels, you’ll also be increasing the mobility of your diverse talent.
Educate Management
Many managers might fear losing an exceptional employee from their department to another area within the business, so it’s important to educate management on the benefits of internal mobility for the organization as a whole.
When managers understand the reasons for internal mobility, they will be more likely to encourage their employees to participate in the program and have discussions on what their employees’ goals are for growth within the organization. This will foster a culture of support and employees will feel comfortable talking with their manager about opportunities for mobility.
Encourage Endorsements and Referrals
A key component of a successful internal mobility program is an endorsement and referral system. Managers should be able to rate employees based on the skills and competencies they’ve included on their profile. This can include comments on performance and examples of times employees demonstrated excellent work.
In addition, managers who see an opening and know someone who might be a great fit, can refer that employee to the recruiter and provide their endorsement. This gives recruiters additional insight into which employees may be the best fit for open roles based on feedback from leaders who have worked directly with the internal candidate.
Utilize Technology to Support Internal Mobility
Technology can enhance your internal mobility program and save your talent acquisition team time in a variety of ways through the use of artificial intelligence, automation and more. A few examples of how PeopleScout’s Affinix supports internal mobility include:
Requisition flexibility for posting internally, externally or both
Simplified separation between internal and external candidates for an open role
Sourcing that automatically matches candidates to open roles based on their unique skills, competencies and experiences
Automated, targeted internal mobility campaigns
AI-enabled job recommendations personalized to internal employees
Proactive system recommendation of candidates who may be a good fit for open roles based on their profile
Discover the power of PeopleScout’s Affinix Internal Mobility Solution
As the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to subside and organizations resume hiring, they will be looking to new and innovative ways to recruit and structure their talent acquisition programs for the new world of work. Prioritizing diversity and inclusion and flexible work opportunities will remain top of mind as organizations look to the future, but simply attracting talent won’t be enough. Organizations will need to employ a multifaceted approach to talent acquisition and retention to keep top talent with key skills. Adding an internal mobility strategy to the total talent mix will be a necessary focus for organizations looking to build a lasting and resilient workforce for years to come.
While mental health in the workplace has become a hot topic in recent years, there’s no doubt some stigma still exists around discussing mental health in a professional setting. That said, with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, increased remote and flexible work arrangements, and a global blurring of lines between what constitutes home and work life, addressing mental health in the workplace has shifted from a question of “if” to “how.”
According to a report by Oracle, 76% of workers believe their company should be doing more to support the mental health of their workforce. However, while many organizations want to help employees constructively address mental health in the workplace, they often don’t know where to start.
In this article, we share tips for creating a healthy work culture, highlight warning signs to look for in employees who may be dealing with underlying mental health conditions and outline some helpful coping mechanisms. In addition, we provide resources that can be shared with employees to aid them as they continue to deal with mental stressors.
Set Guidelines to Enable Healthy Work Culture
With the rapid increase in flexible work arrangements, home and work life have seemingly blended into one, and it can be easy to forget the line where the workday ends and personal life begins. With so many employees working from home, organizations have seen an increase in worker burnout, leading to lower productivity and reduced overall satisfaction with work. So, how can leaders prevent burnout and keep employee morale high?
Practice self-care: By taking much-needed time to manage stress, leaders will be setting a strong example for employees, leading to improved working conditions overall. Encourage your team to take plenty of breaks, eat regularly, meditate or pursue other activities they enjoy.
Consider tone: A kind tone in an email or message can go a long way during a time of uncertainty and doubt. Without it, employees may feel discouraged to reach out when they need help.
Communicate often: Meet with your employees regularly to check-in not only on work, but on how they are doing in general. Simply asking an employee if there’s anything they need can be extremely impactful in showing you care, especially for employees who are more hesitant to ask for help.
Remain flexible: Remember that employees are dealing with a variety of stressors outside the bounds of work. If certain deadlines are flexible, that can be a huge relief on an employee who may be working through external factors that are taking a toll on their mental health.
Prioritize work-life balance: Set up a designated work area away from the place you spend your downtime, set boundaries and a time you log off work for the day. Being a model for healthy work-life balance and encouraging employees to do the same is an important way to combat burnout.
Encourage Team Support
An important part of a healthy work culture is a team that supports one another. In a time where many employees are feeling overwhelmed about the same daily stressors, working together as a team to destress can prove helpful. As a leader, you can encourage teams to participate in group exercises to reduce stress. Forbes offers some suggested activities for remote teams, including group wellness programs, goal setting sessions and “Mindful Mondays.”
Additionally, to help people feel connected when physically distanced by virtual or remote work, leaders can organize team-building activities and opportunities for virtual socialization, such as:
Even with a sound work culture in place, some employees will still struggle with underlying mental health conditions. So, how can employees, coworkers and leaders recognize the warning signs? When should employees ask for help? When should leaders offer support? Consider these assessments to take an account of current mental health states—for yourself and your colleagues.
Mental Health Assessment
If you notice some of the following warning signs in an employee or coworker, you may want to reach out and start a conversation on their mental health.
Work Habits: Have you noticed a sudden change in an employee’s work habits? Poor productivity, minimal motivation and trouble concentrating can often be the result of a mental health concern.
Overall Demeanor: If you notice a dramatic change in an employee’s personality, such as sudden irritability, nervousness, restlessness or other unusual behavior, this could be a sign they are struggling with their mental health.
Increased Absenteeism: Is an employee frequently missing meetings, calling in sick or starting work late when they typically always start on time? Excessive fatigue, physical aches and overall lethargy could be associated with depression and anxiety.
Sudden Outbursts: Employees who seem unable to control their emotions, leading to mood swings, outbursts and disruptive behavior, may be experiencing mental health concerns.
Social Withdrawal:If an employee seems unwilling to communicate with others, avoids social interaction with other team members and purposely imposes self-isolation, this could indicate an underlying mental health concern.
Sleep or appetite changes: Dramatic sleep and appetite changes or decline in personal care
Mood changes: Rapid or dramatic shifts in emotions or depressed feelings
Withdrawal: Recent social withdrawal and loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
Drop in functioning: An unusual drop in functioning, at school, work or social activities, such as quitting sports, failing in school or difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems thinking: Problems with concentration, memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain
Increased sensitivity: Heightened sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of over-stimulating situations
Apathy: Loss of initiative or desire to participate in any activity
Feeling disconnected: A vague feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality
Illogical thinking: Unusual or exaggerated beliefs about personal powers to understand meanings or influence events; illogical or “magical” thinking typical of childhood in an adult
Nervousness: Fear or suspiciousness of others or a strong nervous feeling
After noticing an employee may be experiencing some warning signs of a mental health issue, or after an employee approaches you for help regarding their mental health, you’ll want to approach the subject with care. Most importantly, show empathy when having conversations around mental health in the workplace. Your employee is likely feeling overwhelmed and maybe a little anxious talking in a professional setting about such a personal topic. It’s important that your employee feels comfortable sharing what they’re feeling and that you reassure them you are willing to listen and help with no fear of judgement or risk of a negative impact on their professional reputation.
Depending on the severity of the situation, you may recommend your employee see a mental health professional to talk further about their condition. However, as a starting point, you can suggest healthy coping techniques for some common mental health concerns:
Stress
Stress is a normal biological reaction to a potentially dangerous situation. When you encounter sudden stress, your brain floods your body with chemicals and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Typically, after the response occurs, your body should relax. However, too much constant stress can have negative effects on your long-term health. (Healthline)
Coping with Stress:
Emphasize work-life balance
Exercise regularly
Eat well
Make time for hobbies
Connect with a support system
Meditate or practice yoga
Get enough sleep
Spend time with a pet/loved one
Anxiety
Anxiety refers to anticipation of a future concern and is associated with muscle tension and avoidance behavior. Anxiety disorders can cause people to try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms. Job performance and personal relationships can be affected. (American Psychiatric Association)
Coping with Anxiety:
Practice focused deep breathing
Aromatherapy
Take a walk
Meditate or practice yoga
Write down thoughts
Identify triggers
Depression
Depression negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home. (American Psychiatric Association)
Coping with Depression:
Stay connected with others
Prioritize face-time (even virtually)
Care for a pet
Do things you enjoy (or used to)
Try to get enough sleep
Exercise
Don’t skip meals
Take a walk in the sunlight
Challenge negative thoughts
Read a good book/watch a funny movie
Grief
Grief is the natural reaction to loss. Grief is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of an important relationship, job loss, loss through theft or the loss of independence through disability. (Mayo Clinic)
The tips and techniques outlined in this article are not comprehensive, but they offer a starting point for organizations who may not know how to approach the topic of mental health in the workplace—especially during such a challenging time. In addition to the strategies, assessments and coping techniques outlined above, we encourage you to share additional mental health resources with your employees, such as:
As more people across the U.S. began to recognize the systemic racism that many Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) were already facing, the injustices became a catalyst that sparked conversations around the world. Meanwhile, many organizations have heard the call to action and want to do their part in showing support to their BIPOC employees. So, how can organizations help drive effective change around race in the workplace? Simple: Encourage employees to partake in open, honest and respectful dialogue with their colleagues.
Well, maybe not so simple. While now is not the time to be silent, it’s also not the time to have unchecked and uninformed discourse on such a sensitive topic. So, to ensure everyone involved feels respected, heard and understood, organizations should create safe spaces where employees can listen, learn and have important dialogues with their coworkers, leaders and team members.
Engaging employees in conversations regarding race in the workplace can be challenging; while some people might feel hesitant to speak on a topic they may not know much about, others might be reluctant to share the injustices they’ve experienced firsthand. That’s why we put together these tips for how to effectively reflect on racism through open dialogue; we encourage you to share them with employees across your organization.
Before You Talk
Take Ownership
The first step in fixing the problem is acknowledging that there is one – and that you might be contributing to it. Recognize the implicit biases that contribute to racism and consider how you can unlearn them. As you learn, grow and begin your work toward becoming a better ally, leverage resources that can help guide you along the way.
Educate Yourself
Understand that educating yourself is no one’s responsibility but your own. Likewise, before opening the dialogue with your BIPOC colleagues, it’s important to have some background knowledge on the issue. For instance, avoid putting your BIPOC colleagues in a position in which they feel as though they are the “teachers” on racial disparities; instead, be proactive in your own learning about diversity, inclusion and social injustices. Coming to the conversation with a basic understanding of the detrimental effect of the racial inequalities that BIPOC face will benefit you, your BIPOC peers and the effectiveness of the discussion as a whole.
If discussing race in the workplace is new for your organization, it may be helpful to host conversations in a moderated environment. Bringing in speakers with a background in racial justice work or designating a moderator to lead the discussion will alleviate any pressure your employees may feel about jumping straight to a one-on-one conversation. During a moderated dialogue, encourage your employees to:
Acknowledge Vulnerability
Conversations around race in the workplace are difficult. To acknowledge the difficulty and vulnerability required for a discussion on such a sensitive topic, it can be helpful to validate what one another is feeling – whether it’s grief, anger, confusion, discomfort or otherwise. At the same time, each person should acknowledge that while they are experts on their own individual experiences, no one has all the answers, and that’s okay. The purpose of these conversations is to continuously learn and grow.
Step Up by Stepping Back
With Black professionals holding just 3.3% of all executive or senior leadership roles in 2018, it’s not surprising that non-BIPOC professionals have dominated conversations in the workplace. Therefore, it’s important to take care not to overpower the discussion. Instead, be purposeful in allowing the voices of your BIPOC colleagues to shine. Then, you can learn about their experiences and build a better understanding of their perspectives.
Engage Thoughtfully
As you work to understand one another’s viewpoints, don’t be afraid to ask genuine questions. By asking questions respectfully and with an open mind, you’ll allow your BIPOC peers to answer without fear of being judged. In particular, word your curiosities with compassion so that the other party doesn’t feel defensive or uncomfortable when sharing their experiences. Creating a safe space like this will form a strong sense of trust and respect that will go both ways.
Beyond the Conversation
Continue to Check in
Make a habit of checking in with your colleagues regularly to continue the important conversations around race. As a manager, remember to ask about the professional goals of your employees and how you can help them work toward accomplishing them. Similarly, as a peer, help amplify your colleagues’ successes – as well as the injustices they’ve faced – and always keep in mind how you can provide BIPOC peers with opportunities, resources and support.
In addition, check in with yourself. Know that there’s always more to learn and more that can be done. While this guide serves as a starting point for the important conversations that need to be had across organizations, it is by no means exhaustive. Therefore, continue to look for ways to educate yourself, learn from others and be part of the change toward equality for all.
Starting the conversation around race in the workplace can be challenging and it’s important to practice cultural sensitivity as you begin discussions. It’s also essential to remember that, even in designated group or one-on-one conversations about race, not everyone will feel comfortable answering certain questions. So, make sure you give your peers a chance to come to you willing to talk – and don’t be offended if they’re hesitant. Here are some open-ended questions that respectfully inquire about cultural differences to help get you started:
What’s your favorite part about your racial or ethnic identity?
Would you mind explaining a little more about why you feel that way? I’ve never thought about it that way before.
How often do you think about your racial or ethnic identity?
Have you ever felt you were treated unfairly because of your racial or ethnic identity? How so?
How has your racial or ethnic identity affected your personal life? What about your professional life?
Can you recall a positive experience around your racial or ethnic identity? A negative one?
Do you find value in forming relationships with people of different racial or ethnic identities? What can you learn from one another?
Have you ever felt left out of groups with people of different racial or ethnic identities than your own? How did this affect you? What could someone have done to make you feel included?
What aspect of your racial or ethnic identity makes you most proud?
Improved employee satisfaction and overall productivity have proven that the new models of flexible work organizations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic won’t be going anywhere any time soon. In fact, 83% of U.S. companies surveyed by Mercer are considering implementing flexible working at a greater scale than they were prior to the pandemic. In order to improve employee engagement, just as leaders had to adapt to managing remote teams at the onset of the pandemic, they will again need to readjust their approach as they lead teams across a variety of locations, schedules and unique work arrangements.
At PeopleScout, implementing flexible work to support our people is something we know well. One example of this is Emily Gordon, a single mother to a pediatric cancer survivor and PeopleScout’s vice president of global implementation.
In late 2016, when Emily had her final interview before joining PeopleScout, she was sitting in a hospital hallway while her daughter was finishing her fight with pediatric cancer – or so she thought. Emily’s daughter was nine years old when she battled cancer the first time and almost 11 when it returned. As a result, Emily’s goal was to find a company in which she could both work remotely and continue to support her daughter and family. But, prior to COVID-19, there were limited options for people who needed to be adaptable and still work full-time to support loved ones. Thankfully, PeopleScout’s work flexibility options gave Emily that opportunity.
Emily’s team was willing to work with her on video, which enabled her to be in the hospital with her daughter for more than 100 days in a year, while also exceeding work goals and supporting one of PeopleScout’s largest RPO clients. In turn, Emily has been comfortable hiring people who also need flexibility, such as in part-time or split-shift roles. As Emily’s story illustrates, the need for flexible work options exists outside of COVID-19. These unique situations existed before the pandemic and will continue when it eventually passes; it’s up to organizations to have flexible strategies in place to support their workers.
Even with the variety of benefits of workplace flexibility, the management of it is not without its challenges. Chief among them is how to improve employee engagement, especially during COVID-19. When employees cannot safely interact in close quarters, making sure they remain motivated and attentive is not always easy. In this article, we outline tips for how to effectively manage teams and improve employee engagement through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.
“My team was already leveraging technology and reporting to support communication, and when COVID-19 hit, we amplified that across the whole portfolio. We meet twice a week for up to an hour to just talk, listen, give updates and support one another. All it takes is a willingness to over-communicate. Flexibility does not mean less work or performance. In my experience, it means people work harder to achieve goals because they are grateful for the support and understanding that work is not one-size-fits-all.”
Emily Gordon, VP of Global Implementation
Focus on Communication
Communication was important before and throughout the pandemic, so it’s no surprise that a strong communication strategy is at the top of the list for best practices in the new work reality. Regardless of whether you’re leading in-person teams remotely, leading a remote team while you remain in the office, or a combination of both, frequent communication is paramount.
Specifically, managers should schedule regular check-ins with the team as a whole to quickly solve challenges, share knowledge, and communicate openly about what’s working and what might need improvement. Likewise, one-on-one meetings are also important so managers and employees can share feedback and stay on the same page even if they’re working in different locations. Keep in mind that, because many of these flexible work arrangements are still new, it might take some time to find the right meeting cadence that works for both parties. For instance, while it might start out as a weekly check-in, you may find that one employee prefers ad-hoc calls while another prefers a set schedule to keep them on track. Try to remain as flexible as possible when it comes to these check-ins; they’re crucial for helping employees feel connected and cared for.
Quick Tip: Remember to trust your people and approach communications with a sense of empathy and a people-first focus.
Improve Employee Engagement Through Collaboration
Because employees may be scattered across different locations, working different hours or job-sharing, it can be easy to feel a little disconnected from each other – especially for workers who are not regularly going into the office. Fortunately, leaders can help solve this challenge by leveraging the following tools and strategies that foster collaboration and connectedness across teams.
Create a Team Brief
Your flexible work model may see some people working special hours to care for kids or loved ones, while others are using a hybrid model to work both in the office and remotely on alternating days. To ensure everyone is on the same page, it can be helpful to create a short team brief that outlines key expectations, covers how and when you’ll communicate, and transparently shares each employee’s schedule.
Quick Tip: Utilize tools like Teams and Slack (or your preferred communication platform) to set messages for when you’re away and when you’ll be back online.
Encourage Video Meetings to Improve Employee Engagement
While some employees are working in-person because their job duties require them to or they don’t have the means to work effectively at home every day, others may be fully remote for safety and family obligations. However, if you’re not careful, these employees can easily feel left out because they’re missing out on the face-to-face interactions and impromptu conversations that naturally occur when people work together in the same office.
Quick Tip: Ensure employees have the tools necessary for high-quality video calls, including proper audio and video equipment.
Fortunately, according to OwlLabs, 93% of people agree that video conferencing is effective at improving the connectedness of remote employees. Therefore, encourage calls to be taken on video so virtual workers have the opportunity to view and share non-verbal reactions, as well as their verbal insight. At the same time, pre-determine which meetings will be on video so employees have a chance to prepare. And, to combat video fatigue, be flexible in allowing people to remain off video if it is not conducive for them on a given day.
Quick Tip: Create a digital space where meeting attendees can post thoughts and notes once they’ve reflected on the call. This can give remote employees the chance to contribute to the “meeting after the meeting” that often occurs in person.
To enhance participation in video calls, show people how to ask questions in the chat, virtually raise their hand, and/or use breakout rooms so everyone has a chance to work and connect with one another.
Utilize Shared Dashboards
With people working various hours and in different places, staying aligned on goals and the work that is being done can be a challenge. However, by leveraging available technology, you can create team dashboards that share which projects are currently in progress and who is working on what. This can then give the whole team insight into the work that everyone is contributing, as well as the progress being made toward goals –regardless of when and where they’re working. Digital project management dashboards are also a great way to assign tasks, track targets and share ideas.
Quick Tip: To boost connectedness, create sub-channels within your communication platforms to group individuals with similar professional skills and personal interests.
Build Community to Improve Employee Engagement
It’s important that neither the in-person nor the remote teams become isolated from the other. As a manager, it’s your job to ensure you’re not mistakenly focusing more on one team over the other. To that end, a great way to build team culture and community is to spend some time each month on a virtual happy hour, coffee break or other team-building activity perfect for hybrid teams. Then, when the pandemic is no longer looming over us, it will also be important to make time to see people in-person when possible. For example, if you are traveling to the same location as an office or remote employee, set aside some time to meet them for a cup of coffee or lunch. Or, if you normally have a virtual check-in at the time you’re visiting, conduct your meeting face-to-face.
Quick Tip: To create equity between your remote and in-person teams, try to find unique ways to extend perks to virtual team members, as well. For example, when providing lunch for a meeting at the office, offer your remote workers a gift card for their lunch at home.
Create opportunities for hybrid teams to connect with each other on a personal level. For example, if it’s “bring your kid to work day” in the office, allow remote employees to bring their child to video sessions. This is an easy way to stimulate real connections between colleagues.
Flexible work models are quickly becoming the norm and are already proving to be an integral part of the way we work during the pandemic. The modes of work established in these instrumental months will pave the way for a future of flexible work beyond the current global health crisis. In that future, leaders will need to prioritize communication, collaboration and connectedness to create sustainable team engagement, productivity and culture.
