Traditional office hours, are they out-dated?

For Gen Z employees, their peak productivity typically is later at night, not the standard 9-5 employers are accustomed to. A study from Adobe found that over a quarter (26%) of Gen Z workers reported their peak productivity time between 6:00pm-3:00am, versus 18% of millennials, 13% of Gen X, and 6% of Boomers. Peak productivity times vary between generations. Boomers reported peak productivity in the early morning (3:00am-9:00am). 76% of Gen X employees say they are most productive from 9:00am-6:00pm. Gen Z employees were the least likely to report peak productivity during the traditional 9:00am-5:00pm. Over 60% of Millennial and Gen Z employees feel pressured to work traditional hours, even if they are not as effective, versus 52% of Gen X and only 42% of Boomers feel this pressure.

70% of Gen Z employees would consider leaving their current jobs for a job with more schedule autonomy. About 75% of younger generation employees say they would switch jobs for better work-life balance and 66% would switch for remote work. Gen X and Boomer employees’ responses were lower than Gen Z (50%), assuming salary and job descriptions do not change. However, Gen Z is not alone in the desire to control their work hours; 51% of all respondents (regardless of age) prefer to work when it is most convenient for them versus 16% who want to work on a prescribed schedule. 

Today’s employees not only want flexibility; they want to work efficiently. 70% of Gen Z, 52% of Gen X, and 37% of Boomer workers would switch jobs for access to tools that improve efficiency and productivity. Businesses can implement organizational adaptations to attract and retain top workers. Otherwise, burnout for strict work requirements are likely. Over 50% of Gen Z and Millennial employees intend to change jobs this year, compared to 25% of Gen X and Boomer employees. As not to loose quality employees across generations, here is a list of business practices to follow:

• Set guidelines and standards to minimize conflict (core work hours, work location)
• Establish asynchronous vs. synchronous work guidelines
• Survey employees for feedback 
• Find flexibility alternatives if work-hours are not pliable 
• Develop tools to reduce menial tasks that take away from high-value work time

We at HR Synergy lead trainings to understand generations in the workplace. Contact us today to schedule one!

1. Intellectual wellness
2. Relieves sleep problems
3. Inspires
4. Exhilarates
5. Improves physical health
6. Sounder affinity
7. Boosts spiritual well-being
8. Increases volunteering
9. Creates connectedness

May 23rd is National Lucky Penny Day! Why not celebrate in your office by dedicating the day to giving back?

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Now that you have your stellar employees, do you need help retaining them? Consider conducting regular employee pulse surveys of those involved in the day-to-day operations in order to gain insight into your personnel’s morale. You can use this feedback to obtain a valuable perspective and directly tackle issues. There is a direct correlation between higher satisfaction scores and higher levels of profit and productivity. In a SHRM survey, 90% of HR executives concur that consistent employee surveys positively affect the business.

SHRM identifies 4 questions to include in your engagement surveys to enhance retention and productivity.

If you want help formulating your employee pulse survey, contact us today!

Pay transparency is becoming a bigger workplace issue. In fact, some states and cities are putting into a law the requirement to include a salary range on job advertisements. With the increase in remote workers, your company could be impacted by these laws. Not including a salary range on job ads could also reduce the number of qualified applicants applying. A ResumeLab’s survey reports that 89% holding master’s degrees expect the listing of a salary range. The survey also shows that 4 out of 5 workers are unlikely to apply to a job if the range is not listed, 14% are unsure if they would, and only 6% are not impacted by the presence/absence of a salary range. 80% of those surveyed feel that companies should always clarify how pay is decided. Including a pay range in job postings reflects a company’s security and job satisfaction felt there.

Companies have seen a positive trend in quality applicants by including a salary range and felt pressure to do so by social pressures of Generation Z employees’ openness. According to Payscale research, those who include it have more than doubled in the last year from 22% to 45% that include pay ranges in job ads. There are positive and negative aspects to posting salary ranges. There is an administrative burden to disclose salaries as ⅓ are not ready for pay transparency. Also there is fear that the range feels inflexible and might price-out potential candidates. However, without the pay range disclosed, job candidates have less trust in those companies. Pay range transparency gives companies a competitive edge.

With the strong job market persisting, recruiting and retaining expertise remains a HR concern. Pay transparency is an indicator if a company values employees’ whole selves.

If you are unsure how to post strong job advertisements or need assistance hiring, HR Synergy is here to help you.

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With so many employees looking to switch jobs, you may be reading through a high volume of resumes lately. Do you know how to spot inconsistencies and mistruths? In a survey, ResumeLab discovered that 36% of applicants disclose lying on their resumes and 56% admit to “stretching the truth” to appear more experienced. While it shows diligence to verify resumes are completely accurate, who has the time? Here are 7 ways to quickly spot mistruths on resumes before fact-checking any of those you put in the “maybe” pile.

To reduce the chance of potential employees lying, use these 3 interview tips:

1. Conduct morning interviews. 20-50% of people are more likely to lie in the afternoon.
2. Arrange interviews face-to-face. This can be achieved in person or using video conferencing.
3. Administer in-interview testing to verify an applicant’s experience and skills.

Some suspicion is useful when reading resumes -just do not get paranoid as it can be a time and energy suck. In the end, go with your gut.

If you are unsure how to navigate resumes or need help hiring, HR Synergy is happy to help you.

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• Bring in an entertaining guest speaker today for inspiration
• Lunch on the company
• Games over lunch break (cards, Mintute-to-win-it, corn hole)
• Company Happy Hour on the company

• Send DIY pampering kit
• Send a curated care package
• Virtual games over lunch break (Kahoot!)
• Lunch on the company (via gift card)

• Send personalized “thank you” videos
• Give “Dundies” like from The Office (Pam received the “Whitest Sneakers” award)
• Photo scavenger hunt
• Peer appreciation notes
• Employee mentor program

Is your company considering downsizing? Various reasons might be influencing your need for workplace reduction from the impending nationwide recession, cutting organizational costs, mergers, natural disasters, industry-specific declines, company’s failure, outsourcing, or other reasons. Layoffs need to follow their own set of policies and practices as not to break federal and state statutes and to prevent class action or collective action lawsuits. Before starting the tedious process of mass layoffs, your company might want to consider alternatives such as widespread hour reduction, using a voluntary separation program (VSP), or eliminating wasteful practices. HR Synergy can help you decide the best choice for your company. Contact us today to learn more.

If widespread layoffs make the most sense for your company, you should devise a strategic approach so as not to demoralize employees, cover your legal basis, and keep your company in good public-standing. Selection criteria for layoffs needs to be carefully considered, especially when unions are involved. There are five main ways to choose employees for layoff: seniority-based, employee status-based, merit-based, skills-based, and multiple criteria ranking. 

Transparency about selection criteria is imperative during the layoff process. It is helpful to underscore that the layoff is not about employees, but instead about positions. Contact us for more information to determine the right selection criteria for your company’s layoffs. 

There are effective practices in and legal ways to implement layoffs.

Federal/state/international laws and municipal ordinances/regulations must be considered prior to conducting a layoff. We also encourage you to look into the federal EEOC and the state fair employment practice laws as to avoid discriminatory charges. HR Synergy is well-versed in these and other important topics to consider prior to carrying out workforce reductions. We would love to chat with you about these and other issues to consider before implementing layoffs. 

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