Blog

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Dell Technologies

Sydney, Australia

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The company

Dell Technologies is committed to shaping future innovation and technology that drives human progress. With an impressive portfolio ranging from data security to IT infrastructure, Dell is the pioneering force paving the way to a Digital Future. 

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Misha Moore is the Inside Sales Marketing Manager at Dell Technologies Asia Pacific. With over 300 employees to manage and motivate, she was in the market for an all-in-one employee recognition and rewards solution. Misha’s team spans across multiple countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and India. Such a diverse workforce needed a recognition program that could reflect their team's needs with a selection of rewards available across those regions. 

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The challenge

Prior to Qarrot, their existing process posed issues when it came to distributing instant rewards, digital downloading, and ease of use. Employees reported a long window of time between redeeming and receiving rewards - unlike Qarrot where rewards are delivered instantly. It also lacked reporting capabilities, which was a key feature Misha wanted for her team's recognition workflow. Misha was looking for a program that would fit Dells’ specific requirements when it came to recognizing and rewarding their team. Our user-friendly approach to peer-to-peer recognition, incentive campaigns, and reporting capabilities stood out to Misha - which ultimately led her with the decision to choose Qarrot. 

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The solution

Since adopting Qarrot, Misha has seen a boost in employee engagement and productivity. Her team has expressed overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding their experience using the platform, while Misha has been impressed with account services and Qarrot’s' easy-to-use interface. Transparency of rewards and quick turnaround time with our digital catalog means that incentives have more traction than ever before, increasing both employee motivation and performance. Before Qarrot, Misha estimates that she spent around 75% of her work week managing employee payouts - and now it’s as little as 20%. We were able to replace Misha’s time-consuming administration tasks with streamlined automation. Now Misha has more time to focus on her core responsibilities and drive employee performance in a recognition rich environment.

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‍Replace administrative clutter with streamlined automation - book a demo with Qarrot today

As a manager or team lead, identifying opportunities for improvement, streamlining efficiency, and giving employees feedback are everyday tasks. On the opposite side of the coin, it is also your responsibility to recognize hard work, celebrate employee wins, and lead a motivated and engaged team.

Positive reinforcement is one of the easiest and most effective ways to boost employee morale and performance. Time and time again, we are told that employees flourish in a supportive environment. Recognition and care of your team will ensure they feel not only supported but thrive within your organization.

But what exactly is positive reinforcement, and why is it so crucial in the workplace? At its core, positive reinforcement involves acknowledging and rewarding desired behaviors to encourage their recurrence. It can manifest in various forms, such as bonuses, additional benefits, or the simplest yet powerful form—verbal praise.

The Impact of Positive Reinforcement

Research shows that employees are significantly more motivated and productive when they receive recognition for their efforts. In fact, a large portion of an employee's drive stems from feeling valued by their leaders. By taking the time, even just a few minutes, to acknowledge their hard work, you can inspire them to deliver their best, directly benefiting your organization.

Why It Matters

The absence of positive reinforcement can lead to dissatisfaction and high turnover rates. Studies have found that a staggering percentage of employees cite a lack of appreciation as a primary reason for leaving their jobs. Thus, fostering an environment where employees feel appreciated not only boosts morale but also enhances retention.

Ultimately, integrating positive reinforcement into your management strategy is a smart investment. It doesn't just uplift your team's spirits—it lays the foundation for a thriving, motivated workforce committed to achieving shared goals.

‍Related Article: 6 ways to reward your employees beyond their bank account 

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The Benefits of Positive Reinforcements in the Workplace

There are a variety of ways you can go about instilling discipline and a strong work ethic into your team, but very rarely will negative reinforcement foster desired outcomes or behaviours. 

In addition to keeping your team motivated and encouraged, there are a wide array of benefits from adopting positive reinforcement techniques : 

• Celebrating employees for their hard work will boost their self-esteem, meaning they will be more enthusiastic about their work and more likely to collaborate with others
• Employees who feel valued and appreciated exhibit greater retention and organizational loyalty 
• Positive reinforcement clearly defines and communicates desired behaviors while strengthening the relationship between performance and recognition 
• Employees whose performance is rewarded or recognized are more open to learning new techniques, skills, and taking on additional responsibility
• Recognizing those employees who manage their time effectively will increase productivity and efficiency 
  

The summation of all of these benefits-improved attitudes, communications, and employee performance -- results in a company culture that is untouchable.

Organizations that fail to recognize employee accomplishments will leave team members feeling unappreciated - and unappreciated employees rarely stick around long, let alone challenge or truly apply themselves at work.

Toxic work cultures are known to plague employees with unwarranted stress and fatigue, ultimately leading to burnout and exhaustion. The verdict is in; healthy and supportive work cultures are the only way to go, and positive reinforcement can help you achieve just that! 

Corporate leadership training is a great tool for ensuring that leaders are equipped with the right skills to implement positive reinforcement techniques effectively, fostering a culture of appreciation.

‍Research highlights a compelling link between employee appreciation and job satisfaction. A substantial portion of the workforce, nearly four out of five employees, pinpoint a deficiency in appreciation as a major factor prompting their decision to leave their jobs. This illustrates that feeling valued plays a crucial role in job contentment. When employees perceive their efforts are acknowledged, they are more likely to remain engaged and loyal to their company.

Recognizing employee contributions not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity and reduces turnover rates. It underscores the importance of fostering a workplace culture where appreciation is a priority.

Related Article: 5 ways your workplace can motivate employees

Practicing Positive Reinforcement With Recognition

As explored in our blog post about recognition and retention, one of the leading reasons people leave an organization is because they do not feel appreciated or valued.

Acknowledging an employee’s or a colleague’s work and fostering a recognition-rich environment is a simple way to practice positive reinforcement. Routinely celebrating work milestones and team goals encourages positive interactions—cultivating a culture where employees feel supported and valued. Positive reinforcement can take many forms, ensuring a motivated and engaged workforce. Here are some effective strategies:

• Monetary Compensation: Offering bonuses or raises can directly reward employees for their achievements.
• Flexible and Extended Workplace Benefits: Consider options like additional vacation days, remote work opportunities, or wellness programs.
• Verbal Positive Reinforcement: Simple, sincere words of appreciation can go a long way in making employees feel valued.

The avenues you can take when it comes to practicing positive reinforcement with your team are endless. As long as it is direct and sincere, your organization will reap the benefits of a motivated and supported team. By integrating a mix of these strategies, you can create an environment where positive reinforcement is a natural and integral part of your workplace culture.

Sincerity is the cornerstone of effective reinforcement. When praise lacks authenticity, it loses its impact and can even demotivate. Superficial compliments, handed out too freely, become meaningless noise that your team will quickly tune out.

Instead, focus on being genuine. Avoid the trap of dishing out praise just for the sake of doing so. Meaningful feedback is about timing and authenticity.

Finding the perfect balance between how and when to recognize team members will encourage them to challenge themselves while remaining confident in their abilities. Praise your employees for heading in the right direction, and your organization will follow suit. 

Related article: Types of Employee Recognition (With Examples of Each)

How Specific Examples Amplify Positive Reinforcement

Using specific examples in positive reinforcement in the workplace significantly boosts its effectiveness. General comments like "good job" are indeed motivating, but they lack depth. By offering detailed praise, you convey genuine appreciation and acknowledgment of your employee's unique efforts. This specificity not only affirms their skills but also highlights particular actions or traits you'd like to see repeated.

When you pinpoint exactly what was done well, you provide clarity. For instance, instead of merely saying "great presentation," consider highlighting how their thorough research and engaging delivery captured the audience's attention. This level of detail not only reinforces the behavior but also acts as a guide for future tasks.

Moreover, specific feedback demonstrates your investment in an employee’s growth. By reflecting thoughtfully on their contributions, you create a more personal connection. This fosters an environment where employees feel valued and understood, ultimately increasing morale and productivity.

In summary, detailed positive reinforcement clarifies expectations, promotes personal growth, and strengthens workplace relationships through sincerity and precision.

Related Article: 6 Tips for Giving Better Employee Recognition at Work

How to Effectively Use Verbal Positive Reinforcement in the Workplace

Positive reinforcement in the workplace doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require sincerity and timing. Here's how you can effectively give verbal positive feedback:

Be Sincere and Prompt

It's crucial to ensure your praise is both genuine and timely. Rather than delivering constant praise, which can seem superficial, focus on being heartfelt. Avoid meaningless compliments, as they can backfire and diminish your credibility. Instead, offer sincere praise when it truly counts.

Be Specific

Vague compliments like "good job" can fall flat. Instead, provide specific examples. Detail what the employee did well and how it contributed to the team's success. This specificity not only demonstrates genuine appreciation but also clarifies which behaviors should continue.

Separate Praise from Criticism

Deliver positive reinforcement independently, without immediately following it with criticism. Mixing the two can make your praise seem insincere. Handle positive feedback and constructive criticism separately, ensuring each one is valued and understood within its context.

By focusing on these strategies, you can create a positive work environment where employees feel appreciated and motivated. Remember, the key is in the delivery—genuine, specific, and appropriately timed praise makes all the difference.

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Learn how you can reward employees on your own terms - book a demo with Qarrot!

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Sometimes - no matter how many hours of sleep we squeeze in or cups of coffee we guzzle - going to work seems like an impossible, insurmountable task. We push through the morning fatigue to slug our way through daily tasks and meetings, absolutely exhausted by 5pm, only to realize our day wasn't that productive. We’ll shrug this off as “one of those days”, and look forward to starting fresh the next morning.

But what if that feeling isn’t a one-off - what if you, or members of your team, are constantly feeling like a candle burning at both ends? Employee burnout is a real thing and it can happen to anyone. 

Many of us will be quick to point the blame on ourselves, second-guessing our ability to handle the stressors at work on top of the unexpected curve balls life can sometimes throw. More often than not, however, the culprit behind employee burnout is how leaders are running their organization rather than the capability of an individual. 

Employee burnout has been around long before our current COVID-19 reality, but tossing a global pandemic into the mix certainly doesn’t help. In addition to the stress and uncertainty brought on by these unforeseen circumstances, organizations have been forced to rethink their approach to employee health and wellbeing. Don’t be fooled - employees can still experience burnout while working remotely from the comforts of home. 

Related Article: The Cost of Poor Employee Engagement 

Based on research conducted by Gallup, there are 5 main factors that contribute to employee burnout; 

1. Unfair treatment at work 
2. Unmanageable workload 
3. Lack in clarity of role 
4. Lack of communications and support for manager 
5. Unreasonable pressure 

Signs & signals of potential burnout

The best tactic when it comes to combating burnout is being knowledgeable on warning signs and acting proactively. While it may be trickier to detect these while working remotely, the earlier you can spot these signs the better. 

• Withdrawal from social activities, group calls, or messaging 
• Lower productivity and efficiency than usual, trouble managing time  
• Easily distracted and unable to focus on specific tasks 
• Frequently using paid time off and sick leave 
• Easily frustrated or overwhelmed 

It is crucial that leaders recognize how detrimental employee burnout can be to an organization as a whole. People are a company's biggest asset, and when that employee morale or drive is lost it won’t take long before it’s reflected in the success of your business. But beyond dollars and cents, routinely burning out employees is not great for the reputation of a company. More burnout means more turnover, which not only costs money and time but can also suggest a toxic culture.   

Related Article: How to Reward Wellness at Work 

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Strategies to overcome burnout 

1) Make self-care part of the routine

This pandemic has been the kick in pants a lot of companies needed to make their people a priority. Practicing human empathy is a large part of supporting your team - pandemic or not. Encourage your remote employees to take breaks throughout the day to destress and regroup whether that means an extra coffee break, meditation, or afternoon walk. Even more, collectively brainstorm strategies for practicing self-care so everyone is on the same page and can identify potential stress signals if/when they occur. 

2) Implement various channels for feedback & communication

Although there is no substitute for face to face interaction, we will be conducting business virtually for the foreseeable future - so embrace it. Ensure your team has a variety of different methods to stay in touch, and don’t neglect to have regular one-on-one check-in with team members - they are more important now than ever. This is also a great opportunity to adopt collaborative tools and applications if your organization has yet to do so. Encouraging transparent and consistently open communication is always a great investment. 

3) Put people first 

The unfortunate reality of employee burnout is that it usually isn’t recognized until someone already has one foot out the door (that is if they haven’t completely left). Question how your team approaches work, their accessibility of resources, and work relationship dynamics. Are your employees feeling supported? Are you investing in your team like you would any other asset of your organization? Prioritizing the wellbeing of your remote employees will only improve productivity and engagement, and in turn, your bottom line. 

Discover how you can strengthen workplace culture with Qarrot - book a demo today!  

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, you will be hard pressed to find a company that has not somewhat, if not completely, transitioned to a virtual workplace. With so many of us opting to work from home following public health advisories, video chatting and instant messaging have never been so popular. Although learning to work remotely can come with a bit of a learning curve, it doesn’t mean you have to feel disconnected from the rest of your colleagues! 

1. Encourage visibility amongst your team

Every workplace has its own morning coffee or lunch break ritual, and just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t mean you have to go without it. It’s a good idea to mirror those same office interactions while your team is working remotely. This is also a great opportunity to opt for video chatting - just because we’re working remotely doesn’t necessarily mean we have to lose face to face interaction. Designating specific times to catch up with your colleagues, whether they be work-related or just casual chit chat, is important to maintain a human element while communicating virtually.

Related Article: Remote Workforces: The New Employee Engagement Challenges 

2. Celebrate wins and recognize successes 

Social distancing doesn’t have to get in the way of celebrating your team's accomplishments and hard work! There are other ways you can acknowledge your colleagues while working from the comfort and safety of home -  like hosting a virtual happy hour or delivering a surprise care package. This would also be a great opportunity to introduce an employee rewards and recognition program, enabling you to strengthen workplace culture even while operating remotely. Encouraging positive interactions between colleagues will improve employee performance while reinforcing company values. 

Related Article: 5 Reasons You Can’t Afford to Not to Have a Recognition Program 

3. Get collaborative 

An estimated 75% of employers consider teamwork and collaboration very important in the workplace. Even though your team may be spread out over miles, rather than just offices, there are lots of tools that your team can use to collaborate effectively while working remotely. Here are a few of our favourite tools when it comes to organizing, managing, and tracking collaborative projects :

• Trello Board
• Google Docs 
• Slack
• Asana 
• Quip
  

4. Share with your colleagues

While some members of your team may be seasoned professionals at working remotely, this is a new normal for most of us. Sharing pictures or videos of life while working from home is a great way to keep your virtual team feeling connected. From sharing home office decor ideas or a recipe that everyone can try for a team lunch. Why not include your pet on the next video call? Even though everyone is working in their own space, it’s still important that team members feel connected and have a sense of belonging.

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5. Don’t forget about yourself‍

At the end of the day, working remotely and solely relying on technology to communicate with your colleagues can get the best of anyone. While it may be easy to lose track of time and dive into tasks, set boundaries between work and the rest of your day. Establish set times in which you will be available for your colleagues and when you will be logged off. Ensuring you make time to focus on your interests and hobbies outside of work is important. Allowing yourself to unplug and recharge means that you can bring your best to the team every day. 

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Interested in virtually recognizing and rewarding your team?  Schedule a Demo with Qarrot!

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According to recent numbers from Statics Canada, an estimated 4.7 million Canadians have transitioned to working remotely since mid-March. Following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Canadians are now commuting no further than their living room or kitchen. While some of us have settled into the routine of working from home, this sudden shift to a remotely based workplace presents a slew of new challenges for employers. The reality is that COVID-19 will continue to impact how we work moving forward, even after the pandemic, and the ways in which companies conduct business will have to reflect that. ‍

Flexible Working Environment ‍

Chats around the water cooler and conference room meetings may be a thing of the past. Ottawa based tech company, Shopify, has already preemptively closed their offices until 2021. CEO Tobi Lukte described Shopify as a “digital by default” company on Twitter, meaning that some 5,000 employees can continue to work remotely even once COVID-19 restrictions are eventually lifted.

While some employees have adapted well to working remotely, others are looking forward to returning to the office when life is back to some form of normalcy. However, even if your workplace does open following the pandemic it will likely look very different - particularly when it comes to enforcing social distancing measures. Many employers will shift to a more flexible working arrangement - giving employees the option to divide their time between home and in office. This compromise ensures that employers can follow cleanliness and social distancing practices and employees can still feel connected to their colleagues and pre-pandemic routine.

Related Article: Do Your Remote Employees Feel Looked After? 

Company Culture Reimagined ‍

There is an undeniable link between a strong company culture and employee success. Friday beer carts and ping pong tournaments were routinely credited for their ability to bring coworkers together. Our new reality, however, will force us to foster that same familial culture without being in the same space. Although it may feel impossible to achieve or maintain a strong company culture with the majority of your team working remotely, many companies have already found new ways to bring co workers together. For example, virtual happy hours, surprise deliveries when celebrating accomplishments, or outdoor activities (as long as social distancing rules can be applied). It isn’t impossible to cultivate or foster a strong company culture in light of COVID-19, it just takes some thinking outside of the box.

Related Article: How to Keep Your Startup Culture Thriving‍

Communications and Automation Tools ‍

If working from home has taught us anything, is that there are indeed many meetings that could have been easily conveyed in an email. This new era of remote working means that employers will have to substitute regular in-person meetings with virtual chats or messaging. Telecommunications has, and will continue to be, our new normal - whether that means video chats with our managers or prospecting clients over the phone. It will also be interesting to see if there is an increase in the adoption of automation tools during these uncertain times. Automation tools could be particularly beneficial during these uncertain times as companies try to navigate the uncharted waters of life after COVID-19. From sustainability to cost effectiveness or information management, replacing an existing workflow for an automation tool could mean one less thing a company has to worry about. 

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Based on what we have seen since March, everything points to a workforce that is open to adapting their processes so employees can work effectively from home. That being said, it will likely take some trial and error before any best practices or methods can be nailed down. While this pandemic has brought much uncertainty, one thing is for sure - the future of work will look very different. ‍

Looking for tools to engage your employees from home?  Request a Demo with Qarrot

A startup culture is often defined as one that respects the individual, values creative problem-solving, open communication, and a flat hierarchy. It focuses on its team members and promotes adaptability at every level. Having a clear vision, shared values, and a commitment to success are all likely key ingredients to early success in a startup.

But how will you maintain your startup culture as the company grows?

What is Startup Culture?

Firstly, what makes startup culture so unique? It’s about a clear identity, growth strategy and relationships, all based on the company’s core values. There are typically 4 key components that make up any successful startup culture:

1. Value of the individual

In the fast pace of a startup, it’s easy to get lost in the next milestone, or the larger goal. It’s important to highlight that each worker is a key piece of a larger puzzle, and that their contributions are valued. A timely, genuine "thank you" from a leader goes a long way toward engagement.

Startups can have high turnover rates, as their pace and structure is not for everyone. It’s important to acknowledge the value of the individuals who continuously add not only to the success of the company, but to the culture itself.

2. Flat Structure

In a flat structure, decision-making occurs at the staff level; it doesn't happen in closed meetings, reserved for a handful of execs. Employees in a flat organizational structure are given significant independence with little to no supervision.

A flat structure is often more empowering for employees. It also encourages an atmosphere of openness and transparency that speeds up decision-making and company progress faster than a rigid hierarchy.

3. Openness

From open communication to an open-door policy to an open floor plan, openness is a key element of startup culture. Stemming from a flat structure, open communication allows people in various positions to share their ideas without closed-door meetings. An open floor plan can facilitate this by promoting more interactions between coworkers.

Related article: How to Incentivize Creativity, Innovation and Out-of-the-box Thinking

4. Business agility

New startups must adapt quickly to market pressures to survive. Trends, customer behavior, and competitors can change quickly. Business agility is the ability of an organization to:

• Adapt quickly to market changes - internally and externally;
• Respond rapidly to customer demands;
• Adapt and lead change in a productive and cost-effective way without compromising quality.

This agility is also required of the team at all levels, requiring that both individual and team goals are clear and in focus. Flexibility is key, from deadlines to projects, to employees and the culture itself.

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How do you keep your startup culture alive?

As a company grows from that initial team of a handful of driven minds in a 200 sq. ft. office, to a well-oiled, multi-department machine, it’s important to keep the components of your startup culture thriving. The types of personalities that are drawn to startups are often enticed by the culture, so maintaining will help keep employees engaged, and help with retention.

1. Remain transparent

Ineffective communication is a consistent source of frustration for workers in most industries. This can be especially true in startups, where the speed with which things grow and change can allow little time for lengthy emails or meetings. The type of communication that worked when you could simply tell a coworker an update across a small office will not work for a startup that now boasts 50+ employees.

Being on top of transparent and effective communication is essential, to keep that element of openness at your startup’s core.

Utilize internal messaging systems like Slack, which allow for channels to be created for topics, teams, projects, etc. Be sure these channels are monitored for relevancy, however. An abundance of unnecessary information is just as frustrating and confusing as a lack of information altogether.

Being transparent in all communications, be it in a messaging system, by email, or in meetings, will allow your team to feel they are trusted, and that their input in valued. They may have a solution to a problem that has not been presented yet. If they feel they have the space to share their ideas, productivity will increase.

2. Acknowledge contributions

Even though startup culture is about working as a team towards a common goal, it’s equally important to acknowledge the contributions made by individuals within the organization. In fact, recognizing a team member's contributions helps to strengthen their emotional bond to both the company and its culture.

This type of recognition can come in many forms, from tangible rewards, like gift cards or paid lunches, to additional paid vacation days, work-from-home privileges, among others.

Be sure that whatever form of recognition you chose, your employee feels that their contributions are being genuinely valued by the organization. They should not be working for a reward. Rather, they should feel an added sense of accomplishment when receiving one.

Related article: Employee Recognition – It’s Not Just About The Money

3. Listen to new ideas

Many employees hesitate to share ideas with higher-ups, so hold workshops or meetings that encourage the flow of new ideas. Having designated time or space for facilitating idea-sharing shows your team that you value their input. If your startup does truly embrace a flat hierarchy, these types of exchanges will only further promote that. These meetings can be weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on what works best for your day-to-day.

If in-person meetings are not possible as frequently as you’d like, be sure there is a designated virtual ‘space’ for your team to share their ideas. If you have an internal messaging application, create a group or channel designated to that purpose.

4. Be constantly evolving

As is core to the business of a startup, constant change and agility are necessary for the culture as well. Your business’s core values should remain unchanged, but the way they are applied in the everyday lives of your workers must evolve. Many companies fall into the “culture fit” trap – employees who do not fit their current way of working, those to question processes and procedures, who speak up often in meetings, are not a culture fit for the company.

When a company is small, it’s easy to focus on hiring those who fit the mold, as the dynamics of the team are very close and limited. However, for your company and its culture to get better, you need to add diverse ideas, experiences, values, and personalities to the mix.

By overly focusing on candidates who are a good “culture fit”, you are likely to miss out on a lot of incredible minds. You also risk creating a monoculture – one that doesn’t evolve over time and risks leaving those who don’t fit feeling alienated. While the team needs to keep up with the growth of your business’s success, your company’s culture needs to keep up with the growth of your team.

Related article: Motivating Different Personality Types

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Easy engagement that grows with you

With the pace of your business ever accelerating, employee recognition in a startup environment can easily fall through the cracks. Qarrot makes employee recognition easy, fun, and effective for small to mid-sized organizations by providing a complete solution.

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Book your demo today to see more about how we can help you be leaders in employee engagement!

It’s a given fact that employers have a duty of care to all employees, including Lone Workers. It's the responsibility of employers to ensure that the mental and physical well-being of all of their employees are cared for, especially since there is a growing number of employees silently suffering from mental and physical illnesses. According to the World Health Organization, over 264 million people suffer from depression and anxiety, which can gravely affect their productivity and performance. Both depression and anxiety have a great economic impact, amounting to US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity.

Fortunately, there are many simple ways employers can look after their employees. Pain Free Working explains that surveys have found that simple things work best to help them increase their productivity. Office workers enjoy having the ability to personalize their workspaces and work in places with natural light and better air quality. While it is easy to check on in-house employees and apply policies that will safeguard their mental and physical well-being, it becomes a challenge for employers when it comes to lone workers because they can’t exactly provide these things.

That being said, employers must look for ways to make lone workers feel included, and there are multiple ways to do this. For starters, employers can have meaningful conversations with the employees about the risks of working alone and, together, come up with plans to mitigate said risks.

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Here are some more tips that employers can follow to make remote employees feel included and cared for:

Have steady communication

One simple yet easily overlooked tip is steady and open communication. With how advanced technology is today, it's very easy to maintain informal conversations and, in turn, a better connection with your lone workers. Forbes highlighted how using collaborative software like Slack or even a closed Facebook Group can help employees get to know each other, inspire one another, and also spark each other's creativity.

Remember to include and recognize them

Your remote employers may not be with you in the office every day, but they are gravely affected by every project you take on and every decision you make. When under a tight schedule, it is all the more important to ask for their participation and opinion. The same principle also applies to every company celebration. Additionally, while it is easy to give recognition to an onsite employee, say during breaks, you have to take the time to find an opportunity to recognize remote employees in front of their peers to keep their morale and spirits up.

Have longer one-on-ones

Since moments that build rapport are scarce for remote workers, as an employer, you can make up for this by having longer one-on-ones. Business2Community suggests arranging weekly team calls to help your workers feel that they're still part of a team despite working alone. For even better results, set up a schedule where you spend at least a full hour of your time talking to each remote worker every week and make sure that you ask remote-specific questions. It also pays to ask questions about their career paths and listen to their goals and aspirations. Offer advice and, if possible, work together to find ways through which your company can help them achieve their long-term and short-term goals.

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Conclusion

It's no secret that employees work harder when they know the company appreciates them, and making your remote workers feel looked after could mean the difference between developing a long-term professional relationship with them and just being another "for-the-meantime" job. It may be hard to find ways to recognize their achievements at first, but luckily you can use specialized platforms to make this process easier.

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Book a demo with Qarrot today and see how it can help you connect with your team through positive praise!

Employee engagement is the key to employee alignment. As your company grows, your vision, mission, and values for your company can become diluted. This can sometimes lead to organizational misalignment. A few signs of a misaligned company are:

• Difficulty scaling
• Decision-making is a long and complicated process
• Silos exist with little to no communication between them

The “not my department” mentality kills morale. That misaligned culture will not allow your company to scale and it will slow down the production and productivity of everyone involved.

‍So how can we encourage employee alignment, especially in times of growth?

Align vision, mission, and values

To align vision, mission, and values you first have to identify what might be hindering your company’s efforts to get employees behind its vision and creating misalignment. Sometimes it’s a simple policy that needs to be updated, but often misalignment is the result of something much bigger. Identifying the problem first will help you move towards solving it.

One of the most important factors aiding this process is proper and clear communication. Ineffective communication can lead to assumptions. Assumptions about what your company values may not align with the message or culture, you are trying to achieve.

For example, Company A has proudly introduced a new mission statement built around a culture of innovation. The CEO boasts about the creativity of employees, the new option for employees to allocate up to 20% of their time working on new ideas, and a rewards initiative to encourage employee involvement. However, prior to developing its new mission statement, Company A suffered from a highly siloed culture and poor cross-departmental communication. A lack of collaboration and communication between departments can stifle any innovation initiative, no matter how much boasting the CEO does. This culture misalignment not only sends mixed messages to employees, but it completely undermines upper management’s aspirations for Company A to become more innovative. The likely result of such a situation is more unengaged employees and very little true innovation.

First by identifying the problem, in this case, a highly siloed culture, upper management can develop a strategy to better align the company’s culture with its new mission. That strategy may include training for managers, smaller cross-departmental initiatives to initiate collaboration and communication, and encouraging employees to celebrate those behaviors.

Assess and measure

 “What gets measured gets improved.” - Peter Drucker

Misalignment between departments of a growing company isn’t a simple fix. Reporting on progress is important to assess if the re-alignment strategy is being effective. It’s hard to motivate multiple departments to report on progress if they don’t buy into the overall project vision first.

Once you can clearly and concisely communicate the benefit of better alignment, you need to develop certain KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, that will become critical indicators of progress toward your intended results. Every organization should know how to measure how well the efforts of their employees are impacting company objectives. KPIs provide a focus for operational improvement and create an analytical basis for decision-making.

Create goals that align departments

When you think about breaking down silos and encouraging better communication, change won’t happen overnight. A clear view of the outcome you want to achieve and a plan for moving forward are a great place to start. But cultural change is the result of adopted behaviors and actions and often requires active communication, support, and reinforcement. A gamification and rewards system can encourage the adoption of the behaviors and actions you want to encourage.

With Qarrot, you can create award campaigns for employees to participate in. Say, for example, the misalignment exists between department managers and Payroll. Payroll says employees are not filling out their time-sheets on time and this is putting stress of the payroll department incurring additional costs. Employee managers say they are putting pressure on employees to fill out timesheets, but they have no real way to measure success until Payroll contacts them again.

To encourage employees to fill out timesheets using a rewards and recognition system like Qarrot, the Payroll manager can set up an ongoing campaign to award points every time they record their action of filling out a timesheet. This offers the employee an incentive to fill out their timesheet, as well as a way for department managers to see who is, and who isn’t, participating in the process.

As your company grows, company alignment is critical. Aligning department efforts, and aligning employees to your mission, vision, and values of the company are as important as developing KPIs to communicate the success of your alignment efforts to the people who need to know.

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Ready to see how Qarrot can help boost your employee alignment efforts during times of organizational growth?

Book a demo or download our free Guide to Launching Your First Employee Recognition Program.

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As an employer, you have a duty of care to your employees. But what exactly does this mean?

‍It’s basically ensuring that the mental and physical health & wellbeing of your employees are being protected. And with one in five people experiencing mental health issues or illnesses a year, it’s no surprise that employee wellbeing has been the focus of attention for many employers.

This duty of care also applies to your lone workers. According to employment law, you’re required to carefully consider and address any areas thought of as a ‘risk’ to their health, safety, and wellbeing.

Although this duty is a legal obligation, you shouldn’t think of it that way. As well as meeting the legal requirements, it can also bring with it major benefits to your business and workers. When the wellbeing of your staff is looked after, they’re happier, motivated and more productive. And for your business, happier employees mean better engagement, increased retention and improved brand reputation.

‍In this piece, we’ll explain who lone workers are and highlight your legal obligation to them.

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Who do we consider "lone workers"?

It’s anyone that works in isolation and with limited supervision. With changes to the traditional way of working (9-5) and the increased availability of the internet, employers must be able to adapt in order to attract the best talent. One of such changes in the introduction of lone working.

Depending on the organization, a lone worker could be anything from a community nurse making home visits to an electric company employee carrying out maintenance on meters.

Other examples or lone/remote workers include:

• Estate agents
• Salespeople
• Site workers
• Postal staff
• Self-employed
• Utilities employees (meter readers, maintenance staff)
• Construction workers (surveyors, site workers, inspectors)
• Mobile workers (drivers, care/social workers, probation officers, service engineers, etc.)
• People working outside of the normal working hours (security guards, cleaners, etc.)

Your responsibilities for lone workers

The first duty you have to your employees is to access the risks of working alone and take reasonable steps to avoid or control them.

The process involves:

• Talking with your employees about the potential risks of working alone. You’ll then create a plan to control any identified issues. It’s worth noting, by law you’re required to consult all staff members on health and safety matters that concern them.
• Implementing procedures to ensure that risks are removed and control measures are in place.
• Training, instructing and supervising the employee on lone working procedures.
• Reviewing risk assessments regularly or after major changes to work practices.

While there are many benefits of lone working, it also comes with some risks to you and your employees.

In order to reduce risks, consider the following measures:

• Training employees on the risks involved with certain work activities and lone working as a whole.
• An appropriate supervision process.
• Adequate emergency and evacuation procedures.
• An effective communication routine between supervisor and lone worker.

Remember, the health and safety process you have in place for your off-site employees will be different from the one in place for your staff based in the office. But it’s also worth noting, you shouldn’t put your lone workers at more risk than you would your office workers.

Training for lone workers

You could consider training as it’s important for these types of workers. This is especially the case for those with little to no supervision. You should also consider training that teaches them to cope with unexpected circumstances and manage issues effectively.

Because your lone workers don’t have immediate access to their supervisors or other more experienced co-workers, providing them with extra training can come in handy to understand the risks involved in their work.

It’s also a good idea to put a lone working policy in place. The policy sets out what can and can’t be done while working alone. You should ensure your employees fully understand and follow the policy and procedures.

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Conclusion

Your duty of care as an employer is an ongoing issue and not just a one-off event.

Remember to review your lone worker policy often and update to account for any changes to employee duties, legislation and business trends.

Finally, remember to carry out regular reviews of risk assessments. This is especially important after any significant changes to the employee’s work environment.

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Interested in learning how an employee recognition and rewards program can keep your lone employees engaged?

Book a Demo with Qarrot today!