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It’s been a milestone month at Workvivo as we were finally able to get the entire team together to celebrate the company’s 5th birthday. We spent two days in Cork, often referred to as the Irish Riviera (solely by Cork people), celebrating, reflecting, and planning for the future.

The highlight was simply getting to meet people in real life. I’m an advocate for remote working, but one cannot underestimate the value of getting great people in a room. I learned so much more about my colleagues and we’re now riding a wave of motivation heading into H2.

If you’re considering a company-wide retreat or offsite, just go for it. Your people will thank you.

No time to waste, let’s jump in. ??

This Week’s Top 3 Thumbstoppers ??

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1. Why Hiring is Only Going to Get Harder

TL/DR:The great resignation is far from over, even if it's not making headlines anymore.

Our first read comes from Workvivo resident columnist, Jared Lindzon AKA The Lindzonator, an employee experience specialist sent back in time to change the future of work. Okay, so that last part may not be true, but Jared’s columns are always box office. ??

This week is no different as he sends us a warning from the future that hiring good people is only going to get harder. Jared points to a survey from Greenhouse that found that two-thirds of hiring managers and C-suite execs say engaging talent is more difficult now than it was before the pandemic, and candidates are demanding more employee benefits.

“The insecurity of the early pandemic period caused many to hang onto jobs they may have otherwise left, and we are now seeing two years' worth of job transitions taking place over the course of a few months.”

This stacks up with a Goldman Sachs study that found 90% of small businesses are finding it difficult to recruit candidates for open positions. As Jared so eloquently puts it, “The Great Resignation was largely considered a passing trend during a brief, albeit bumpy recovery period, but like inflation and supply chain clogs, the economic challenges of late 2021 have proven to have more staying power.”

“Employers that are making an effort to listen to the needs of their staff and accommodate the flexibility and remote work lifestyles they demand are going to fare much better in the months ahead.”

The value of a positive culture is something that compounds each time somebody interacts with, or joins, your organisation. If you can create a culture where people feel truly part of something, it’s the most powerful recruitment tool of all.

If you’re serious about building a great culture, just reach out and *Insert Arnie Terminator Voice* I’LL BE BACK….with some great resources to help terminate whatever’s negatively affecting the employee experience in your organization.??

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2. Remote Working Shouldn’t Be An Excuse To Sign In Sick

TL/DR: If you’re sick, don’t go to work just because you’re working remotely. You’re not doing yourself or your company any favours.

We’re all aware of the damning effects absenteeism can have on a company, but did you know presenteeism (an employee being present at work whilst unwell) can be just as detrimental?

This next thumbstopper comes from ReadyTal on Medium and discusses the rise in sickness presenteeism in the remote working world. Since the advent of working from home, absenteeism rates have dropped dramatically and more people are clocking in when sick.

But, are you honestly surprised? We’ve all been guilty of it.

COVID with no symptoms? Ah sure I might as well log on, there’s nothing else to do.

A pounding headache? I’ll just have a quick nap and make up the hours this evening.

The expert advice? JUST. TAKE. A. DAY. OFF. ??

As the piece says, “employees signing in sick may have noble intentions, but they are doing more damage than they realize.” Presenteeism is not just damaging to your own wellbeing, it’s also affecting the company long term as it can lead to employee burnout and staff turnover.

Here’s a stat that might make you sick – presenteeism costs 10x more than absenteeism.

As an employer or people manager, you have a responsibility to encourage a strong work-life balance and for your team to prioritise their wellbeing.

?? Assure them that taking a day off will not negatively impact their career

??? Encourage them to use their vacation days

 ? Ensure employees are taking regular breaks during the day

 ?? Give kudos and recognition to people for the work they’ve delivered, not the hours they’ve worked

Burnout is a huge issue, don’t let it affect your people. You can read the piece in full here.

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3. Dear Manager, You’re Holding Too Many Meetings

TL/DR: New research shows that 70% of meetings keep employees from doing productive work.

Meeting fatigue. We’ve all been there and it’s not a great feeling. When the move to remote work arrived almost overnight, it was unsurprising that the knee-jerk reaction was to schedule video calls. No meetings in your diary? You’re obviously not working. Two years later, one would like to think that we’ve left that naivety in the rear view mirror.

Sadly, it appears not. A recent study from the Harvard Business Review found that 70% of all meetings keep employees from working. While the quantity of meetings during the pandemic on average rose by over 13%, it would appear the quality of meetings is the real issue.

HBR found that ineffective meetings are killing productivity and newly promoted managers may be the biggest contributors to the problem, with “new managers holding 28% more meetings than their seasoned counterparts”.

To further compound the problem, the research shows that “92% of employees consider meetings costly and unproductive”. This points to a major disconnect between managers and teams. 

To investigate further, HBR surveyed 76 companies that reduced the number of meetings during the last fourteen months. The result? Employee productivity rose by 71% when meetings were reduced by 40%.

For me, this was the strongest point of all:

“When meetings declined by 80%, we found that the perception that employees had that they were being micromanaged lessened by 74%. People felt valued, trusted, and more engaged (44%), subsequently working harder for their company.”

Feeling valued, trusted, having a sense of belonging, and feeling like you’re making a difference – these are the keys that unlock the secret to employee retention and recruitment. 

You can read the full piece here. It might make you think twice about sending that calendar invite.

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Quote of the Week

“This is the world now. Logged on, plugged in, all the time.’’

Kyle Reese in Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

Never has a quote from a movie over thirty years ago been so apt.??

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The Statline

?? 77% of employees have experienced burnout at their current job. (Deloitte)

?? Employee productivity was 71% higher when meetings reduced by 40%. (HBR)

?? 75% expect hiring to become more challenging during 2022 (Greenhouse)

?? Absent workers cost employers around $150 billion per year. (ThriveGlobal)

?? Those who came to work and were not fully productive cost ten times more at $1,500 billion per year in the US. (ThriveGlobal)

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I’ll Be Back! ??

You asked, we answered. Thanks to the positive feedback we've been receiving, we’ll be increasing vivowire to a weekly newsletter very soon. We read every response so please continue sending in your questions and comments.

That’s all from this week’s edition of vivowire.

Hasta la vista, vivowire out!

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