Most employee benefits elicit little reaction from the HR community. They stay in the news for a while, people usually have mild reactions and then they are either replicated across or ignored. Not this. If this was crafted as a PR move, then it is the greatest ever in the history of PR moves.
Goal setting is a slippery task. No matter how much effort you put into it, it always seems to be lacking an elusive magical element. Just when you feel like you’ve got it right, the year takes an unexpected tumble and you find yourself back at the drawing board.
We have a long way to go before we crack the code to solving for mental health. Unlike most ailments, there isn’t a single virus, bacteria or fungi to fight but a myriad of reasons not all of which can be guarded against. It is a bigger battle in some cultures than others and to believe that a one size fits all approach will work is naïve.
For all those who claim that remote work is the future of work, is a great equalizer and saves organizations a lot of real estate costs, I beg you to consider my pains. I know I am not the only one. I know Google has extended its WFH until July 2021. When the pandemic lifts, vaccines are democratized and the world is safe again, if you keep me from working from an old-school office environment, I can guarantee I will likely kill myself. (Ok, I am kidding. I’ll live). P.S: For all those pro remote workers. It’s been four months now. When does it get easier?
HR needs to take a leaf out of technology’s book. We shoot down innumerable technology interventions worrying that they aren’t perfect. We struggle to pull together the budget for the perfect tech solution. We worry about scale even before we know if our idea will gain traction with users.
A few weeks ago I wrote about my disagreement with referring to the business teams we support as our customers. This isn’t a widely accepted thought and today I will take my argument a step further by attributing the poor design of our HR interventions to this reference. Sounds contrary to popular belief, doesn’t it? We have been conditioned to believe that viewing our business as ‘customers’ will lead to better service. But it doesn’t.
I love data democracy, the power of being able to analyze data independently without being dependent on another individual. Products like these empower every individual in the organization to derive meaningful insights at team, business and organizational level. It doesn’t overwhelm nor fall short. Heartcount gracefully does all the hard work and allows you to jump straight to the meaningful insights.
Ever since the world entered a lockdown, one thing has been clear – the mental well-being of employees has been put to test like never before. Layoffs, furloughs and the uncertainty of the future have helped accelerate mental breakdowns. For those fortunate, it may seem like a sin to complain but while productivity has shown … Continue reading Five steps for mental well-being during the lockdown
Ever since I started working from home, I find myself hitting disengagement at an increased pace. I know I am not the only one. It is no wonder that new terms like dopamine fasting and rest ethics are making their way into everyday vocabulary at an increased pace. However, before we start looking for solutions, it is important to analyze the problem a little more closely. What does the cycle of engagement look like and why is it spinning out of control?
One would imagine that in forward thinking organizations, innovation would flow in a straight line. Instead, the journey begins to resemble a circus show with one jumping over constant hoops and hurdles until the idea dies a slow painful death. The journey includes encountering people who hate the idea, those who love the idea but … Continue reading The Experimentation Budget
