Employers

How to Make The Holidays Less Stressful For Your Employees

December 15, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

The Elves aren’t the only ones putting in some overtime right now. We have officially entered the merriest and busiest time of year. Then trying to balance meeting the end-of-the-year KPIs, wrapping up projects, and spreading Christmas cheer, no wonder we’re all stressed out.

Company leaders can help reduce pressure on your employees while still meeting essential deadlines this holiday season.

Give & Encourage Extra Time Off

Over half (51%) of the employees surveyed by Harvard Business Review said they are uncomfortable asking their manager for time off during the holidays. The top reason is that their manager expects them to be available during their time off. The same group (45%) said their workplace doesn’t close outside of the federal holidays. So, your office is open, and your employees are uncomfortable asking for time off. Hello, Stress!

If it’s feasible for your organization to close for a few extra days around the holidays, consider closing! The return on the investment will be increased employee satisfaction and productivity leading into the new year.

Plan Ahead

Get organized and work with your managers and project managers to plan for the end of the year sprint before it arrives. Start asking early when employees are going on vacation or participating in events and plan deadlines around that. This balance will help everyone stay on track.

Give Recognition

It’s easy to get swept up in the chaos of closing out the year and celebrating the holidays. But rather than have everyone race to the finish line and disengage for the holidays, take this opportunity to be present for a moment. Slow down, gather your team, and notice their accomplishments and hustle.

This simple act can have tremendous value. According to one survey, 79 percent of employees quit their jobs because of a lack of appreciation. Sixty percent say they are more motivated by recognition than money.

Giving thanks to your employees and their hard work will make them feel valued, seen, and engaged. There’s no better way to close the year than with gratitude.

Holiday Bonus

Consider giving your employees a holiday bonus after you give some shout-outs to your team. This time of year can be expensive, especially if you are traveling to visit family.

Ask your employees what they need from you and your managers—and be empathetic, caring, and giving this season no matter the holiday celebrated.

Why You Should Job Hunt During the Holidays

December 2, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

As the holiday season quickly approaches (who keeps pushing the fast forward button on 2021?), it is perfectly reasonable you may want to take a break from your job search. It can be a hectic time of year juggling getting ready for the holidays and keeping your job search moving in the right direction. We don’t want to be a Scrooge over here, but our expert advice is to stick with it.

Here’s why. We’re still in the thick of the Great Resignation, which means great companies are looking for top talent. By getting your resume in front of recruiters now, could help give you an edge.

Keep reading to learn more about some of our fantastic opportunities that might be your dream role!

Staff iOS Engineer – Remote

Be a part of one of the fastest-growing startups in the Bay Area but you can operate from anywhere in the USA. After securing its latest funding round of $300mm, this organization is going to catapult its growth, with its mission-driven values and services.

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Senior iOS Engineer – Remote

The apps you will build will bring joy to those that are in need…this is a life-changing platform! Looking for an expert iOS engineer, well-versed in best practices and architecture for iOS. Who understands the mobile product and design life cycles, and collaborates closely with designers and product managers. If you love solving problems and creating great experiences for users, this job is for you. Bonus points if you understand the performance limitations of battery life, CPU, and memory availability to implement robust and efficient solutions.

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Engineering Manager Python – Portland, OR

Looking for an Engineering Manager to lead a product engineering team where you’ll lead a team of engineers working across the stack. You’ll be responsible for enabling the team to build and ship high-impact product features that deliver on our mission to transform home care.

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Principal Backend Engineer – Remote

We need engineering strength in Python and would love to speak to you about what we are doing. Looking for an expert in building backend services, designing data models, and connecting all the layers in between. You’ve built and operated production-grade applications in Python. You excel at engineering design and review, from building new systems to providing great code reviews

Apply here.

Workforce Planning for 2022

November 17, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

As the final quarter of 2021 comes into focus, many organizations are in the process of assessing workforce needs for 2022.

Planning is challenging considering what the past two years have brought us: health and safety concerns from Covid-19, economic uncertainty, and an incredibly tight labor market. Strategic workforce planning that is flexible and resilient has never been more important for HR and talent acquisition teams.

Here are some factors leaders should be considering in their 2022 planning.

Assume the new normal

The “Great Resignation” doesn’t seem to be slowing down. For the second straight month, Americans quit their jobs at a record pace in September in many cases, for more money elsewhere as companies bump up pay and incentives to fill job openings that are close to an all-time high.

The Labor Department said that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September or about 3% of the nation’s workforce.

Having a deep understanding of what workers value in a company and building a compelling brand that aligns with connection, progress, employee development, and provides appropriate incentive systems are most likely to retain and attract top talent.

If you need help in showcasing your company brand in your recruiting efforts, contact INNOVA People today.

Be flexible

If anything in the past 20-months has taught us, it’s to be flexible. Technology and hybrid work models are changing what employees and workers expect from firms and future jobs. The companies that lean into those values will reap the benefits.

Focus on worker’s well-being

Burnout is real and is widespread. Employee well-being was the area CEOs said their brands struggled with most amid the pandemic.

Here are some recent findings:

48% of employees report experiencing high to extreme stress over the past year—a 7% increase over the last two years.
96% of CEOs believe they are doing enough for employee mental health, but only 69% of employees feel the same.
80% of CEOs believe that poor employee mental health negatively impacts worker productivity.

Thus, it’s no surprise a focus on mental health and wellness — and being flexible to employees’ needs as it pertains to workers’ well-being — is now essential for all companies to thrive today.

Leaders need to guide their staff through what is — and could remain — a disruptive and uncertain climate in 2022.

4 Tips from Marie Kondo to Spark Joy at the Office

October 28, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

Covid-19 has forever changed the way companies operate; as we slowly transition into a post-pandemic world, the future of work for many will be splitting time between returning to an office and a home workspace.

If you’re still struggling with creating an organized and inspired workspace, these tips from Marie Kondo may help!

The New York Times best-selling author and inventor of the KonMari method of organization offer some simple steps on creating an environment that not only helps you focus but inspires your best work.

Commit to Tidying Up

Studies prove how clutter overwhelms the brain and compromises the ability to take initiative – ultimately decreasing productivity.

First, identify all essential items needed to get your work done and designate a spot for them. Then, move all unrelated items off your workspace and add one thing that sparks joy when you look at it. This simple step will create a calm and uncluttered workspace and offer a creative and productive boost.

Just think about all the time you’ll save looking for things in an uncluttered workspace.

Imagine your Ideal Workspace

Regardless of the size of your office, it’s essential to ask yourself,

“How do you want to work?”

“What’s your ideal workday like in this space?”

Having that mental image as a goal is very important in creating a space that functions best for you and your needs.

Create Daily Rituals

Before opening that laptop and starting your workday, take a moment to center yourself. Kondo says this will help get you into a “work” mindset, especially working from home. Kondo adds. “I strike a tuning fork and diffuse essential oils to signal to my body that I’m switching gears.”

You can also create a routine to signal an end to your workday. Try turning off notifications, turning on some music, and putting your laptop away, so you’re not tempted to answer one more email.

Schedule Downtime

We tend to take more breaks when we’re working from an office compared to working from home. Who else finds themselves barely leaving their chair on a WFH day?

To avoid burnout, schedule your downtime. “Block out windows in your calendar each week to turn off notifications, take a walk, or simply let your mind wander. Your creativity will be replenished, and your brain will be sharper for it.”

And remember if there are parts of your workspace that don’t spark joy, you’re better off without it.

Workers Quit at Record Rate – August Jobs Report

October 21, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

After some steady improvements, August proved to be a disappointing month for the economy. According to the latest data released by the Labor Department, workers’ left their jobs at record levels. In addition, job creation for August was significantly less than experts forecasted.

The quits rate — the measurement of workers who leave jobs voluntarily — reached a record high of 2.9% in August, with 4.3 million people departing their positions.

The number of job availabilities fell 5.9% in August compared to July — a month with a record level of openings — but remained up to 61.8% compared to August 2020.

Employment rose by 235,000; the Labor Department reported was well below what economists had expected and made August one of the weakest months for hiring since the recovery began more than a year ago.

The slower growth may reflect ongoing concerns about the Delta variant.

“Delta is reducing consumer demand and threatening the reopening,” said Glassdoor Senior Economist Daniel Zhao. “Ultimately, it’s just a harsh reminder that the pandemic has control of our destiny,” he told CNN Business.

Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector, which added an average of 350,000 jobs a month for the last six months, was level in August, as restaurants, bars, and other foodservice establishments shed 42,000 jobs, offsetting some gains made by arts, entertainment, and recreation facilities. Retail lost 29,000 jobs.

Job growth in August was driven by 74,000 positions added in professional and business services, 40,000 in private education, and 37,000 in manufacturing.

Data Among the Top Rising C-suite Roles

October 7, 2021 by INNOVA People Leave a Comment

What C-suite roles are the most in-demand? The latest LinkedIn research analysis over 12 months (from September 2020 through August 2021) shows that while the traditional “big 3” chief executive officer, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer, several other C-suite titles have surged over the past year.

The most significant gains were seen in chief diversity & inclusion officers and saw the most intense hiring push in a 111% surge, which is even faster than the previous year. Other top titles are a chief underwriting officer and chief people officer, which grew by +71% and +61% in those 12 months.

Rounding out the top-10 — chief data officer (+29%) has gained popularity in the past decade. NewVantage Partners’ Big Data Executive Survey found that 57% of senior Fortune 1000 business and technology decision-makers said their organization had appointed a chief data officer.

In general, this trend reflects a recognition that data is an important business asset worthy of management by a senior executive. It’s also an acknowledgment that data and technology — the latter usually managed by a CIO or Chief Technology Officer — are not the same and need different management approaches.

Thus, the CDO’s role has drastically evolved. The CDO is not only responsible for maintaining regulatory compliance and potentially increasing efficiencies – the CDO could be the essential member of the leadership team other than the CEO.

Harnessing the power of data in digital transformation will be imperative for most organizations going forward. AI, ML, and data analytics are no longer buzz words only for tech and finance, and every successful organization will pivot towards viewing data as an asset.

The CDO role has become notoriously hard to stay in. The average tenure of CDOs is just two to two-and-a-half years.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. One successful CDO imparted two pieces of advice: 1) Start with a clear connection to business strategy with tangible examples of how data analytics can drive business outcomes (top line, bottom line, cash, stewardship), and 2) lead with 1-2 forward-thinking business partners to demonstrate what is possible. Those partners become the change agents across the organization.

Creating a consistent pipeline of candidates for practically any C-suite title that’s rising in demand becomes a challenge, especially for start-ups. Internal talent development can’t keep pace. Companies trying to find the right new leader in a hurry are wise to work with an experienced recruiter who has access to a nationwide talent pool like the team at Innova People.