Here are the reasons your employees are quitting.
Alongside’s first Round-up for fall includes some relevant study findings and useful tips for improving your HR practices. September’s Round-up has content on how to address terminations and employee turnover. I also added some proposed Canadian legislation to watch.
Bad news: Now standing at working is killing you, too
Did you recently invest in a stand-up desk? You may want to rethink your big purchase. A new Canadian study seems to have found that people who stand for the majority of their workday are twice as likely to develop heart disease! Read more in this article by GQ (above) or get the full study here.
Raising immigration levels would benefit Canada, study finds
As Canadians, we’ve all heard about the aging population and low birth rate issues our society is soon to face. Immigration has been heralded as one of the only realistic solutions. This article breaks down a Conference Board of Canada’s report on the reasons why. In Immigrants, however, need to face fewer challenges entering the workforce. Food for thought: How can we help, as employers and HR professionals?
Miss our August HR Round-up? Get it here!
Why do employees really quit their jobs? Research says it comes down to these top 8 reasons
When employees leave, it can really hurt. The cost to replace, impact on productivity and employee morale, and many other factors come with turnover. Marcel Schwantes, Founder of Leadership From the Core, gives some useful stats and outlines eight reasons why employees leave organizations. Anything surprise you? One stat I found interesting: 47% of Americans would quit for their ideal job, even if it meant a pay cut!
Did you think it was getting better for women? Think again. According to a recent LeanIn.Org and McKinsey report, women continue to be underrepresented. This holds true for all levels of the corporate pipeline. Get the whole report here.
Exhausted employees cost American companies millions of dollars annually
According to the National Safety Council, 43% of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep, and 76% feel tired at work. This is a US-based study, but I’m sure results in Canada wouldn’t be that different. Food for thought: When your employees aren’t able to get enough sleep, how does this affect your workplace? What are the impacts on safety? Morale? Product quality or services? Is there anything your organization can do to help?
Proposed law would give paid leave to domestic and sexual violence survivors
The Ontario government is considering a proposed bill that would allow for paid leave for abuse survivors. This bill would provide additional weeks of unpaid leave as well (in addition to paid absence leave). Manitoba was the first province in the country to pass legislation allowing paid leave for domestic abuse survivors. Read more about the impact of domestic violence on the workplace here.
Firing somebody terrified me- but the advice I got made a huge difference
It’s never fun to fire someone. In fact, it can create a lot of stress for the person responsible for delivering the news. Julia Grace, Head of Infrastructure Engineering at Slack, shares lessons she’s learned about terminations in this piece on Medium. Key takeaway? Always treat people with dignity and respect.
How to teach employees skills they don’t know they lack
Unconscious incompetence is probably affecting your workplace. Managers may not be aware of this phenomenon, especially since it is more likely to be found in more experienced staff. Want an example? Someone that lacks leadership skills is promoted to a management role. In this Harvard Business Review article, Ulrik Juul Christensen explains unconscious incompetence and gives some great insights on what you can do.
Interview bias in more than skin deep
We all have bias, and it’s important to recognize and minimize it when you hire. In this Inc article, Lou Adler, gives 12 suggestions for overcoming interviewer bias. One interesting tip? Taking a walk together before starting the interview. This little excursion may reduce bias and also nervousness the candidate may be feeling.
Want more? All the advice you need to manage your unconscious bias
That’s it for September! Let me know what you found most interesting in the comments below. To never miss a monthly HR Round-up, be sure to subscribe to Alongside’s blog.
