Zigsaw Blog

Category: employer

  • Company name hidden? Understand why companies prefer to hide the company name while hiring

    In the life cycle of HR, recruitment is the most exciting and dynamic function. Apart from finding the right man for the right place, it is even more interesting to meet a variety of people with different thought processes and mindsets. Being an integral part of the job in the scope of Human Resource Management, recruitment is driven by the different needs of the company as multiple companies mean multiple standards, variations in protocols, and a variety of needs. In context to the same, there are ample sources for recruitment that company uses, but the most trending and effective nowadays are only two i.e.

    How do companies hire?

    • E-recruiting- E-recruitment or online recruitment, is the recruitment method using technology or Web-based resources and social media for the purpose of finding, attracting, assessing, interviewing, and hiring new employees.
    • Placement consultancies A Placement Consultancy is a bridge between the companies that offer jobs in various areas and the job-seekers. They help companies irrespective to the size to find the best match in order to reduce and streamline the manpower hunting for the companies 

    But when we talk about these two sources of recruitment or generally browse through the web portals, it is found that name of the company is not revealed and it majorly happens when companies itself do not prefer to reveal their names while advertising jobs, but the question arise here why do companies prefer not to reveal company names while advertising jobs?

    5 Most Genuine Reasons why companies prefer not to reveal their names while advertising jobs

    There may be ample or inner reasons for it, based upon the company’s standard and policies. Many times even job consultancies do not also disclose the name as candidates generally tend to directly approach the company but below listed are the most genuine reasons due to which it happens and companies prefer not to reveal their names while advertising jobs.

    1. Competitive/Rival Companies: It is generally considered that more hiring means more expansion and more expansion means growth and hefty revenue, which provides a hint to the competitive or rival companies about the action plan and rivalries are expected to create hinder or snatch the prospective opportunities, so unless the success is achieved and projects do not lands on the plate, in order to avoid the uncertainties or mishaps of the competitive market, the name of the company remains undercover.
    2. Do not want disclosure in internal premises regarding the hiring of the replacement: Apart from the above recruiting, the next and crucial reason is when management has taken the decision to replace anyone and the individual assessee can already feel or know the same. Therefore, directly disclosing the name of the company on web or social portal gives them a sort of confirmation. Hence rather finding the scope of improvement, the individual employee is expected to make the situation worse. This can take place by leaking confidential data by existing employees, hampering work culture, disturbing others, and not doing anything. So in order to avoid such adversity, the company prefers to keep the name disclosed.
    3. To gain timely and suitable resources: Another reason is that recruitment has nowadays become an ongoing process and for the sake of one position numerous applicants come across. Out of it plenty of CV’s are either found under-qualified or overqualified or maybe irrelevant based upon the need of job and time but those pools of CV’s are most likely to be used at future points but candidates do not wish to apply directly again from in the same company from where he/she has been rejected before. So to gain the right kind of person at the right time, companies prefer to keep the name hidden.
    4. To maintain the brand value by safeguarding the work culture: This reason comes in the light when a company hires again and again for the same profile. Hiring for the same profile generally indicates the high attrition rate of the company and unhealthy work culture which showcase a poor brand name in the market. Though companies try to improve on their areas of a loophole but no one wants to reveal the same on the public podium due to which company wishes to hide the name while recruiting.
    5. Don’t want to entertain irrational calls and candidates: Another reason is also that, if the jobs are advertised openly, hence finding contact number or address becomes the easy part for the job seeker and many such candidates directly make vague calls or reach at company premises for direct interaction which is quite annoying and time consuming whereas candidates through job portals and recruitment consultancy are creamed and filtered ones. So to avoid such cumbersome circumstances, the company finds it preferable to keep the identity veiled.

    So, register yourself with us as we at Zigsaw make the best match at the most suitable companies in accordance with the individual candidature. 

     

  • What is Job Enrichment? – Purpose, Techniques, Advantages and Disadvantages

    Job enrichment is a subset of job design and a by-stander with job enlargement. It is a vertical restructuring of a job role. It is a tool used to motivate the employees by enabling them to learn new skills and acquiring new experiences. It serves as an antidote to employee monotony that occurs due to the repetitive nature of jobs. It attempts to increase employees’ autonomy over its job and also allow him/her the room for feedback and participation. The idea of job enrichment largely emerged from Frederick Hertbergz ‘Two Factor Theory’. It is a process of motivation where newer sets of dimensions are added to pre-existing jobs.

    Different Ways of Job Enrichment

    The primary essence of job enrichment is to increase the job satisfaction of the employees. This is done by vertical enlargement of the job profile known as job enrichment. This means increasing the control of the employee over his job. Upon having heightened control, the employee feels more responsible, more accountable and freer to take risks on his activities. All of these factors attribute to better job satisfaction which in turn lead to better productivity. Here are some of the ways by which job enrichment can be carried out:

    Job Rotation

    One of the most effective ways of job enrichment is by rotating the employees in various jobs. This will allow the employees to learn new skill-sets and acquire new experiences. Job rotation can be an extremely useful tool in providing motivation to the employees.

    Complex Tasks

    The employees can be assigned with more complex set of tasks. This will give them a sense of entitlement towards their job since they will be handling the job from the start to the end. They will find more meaning in their professional duty and that would give them the motivation that is required.

    Formation of Autonomous Teams

    Job enrichment can be both on an individual and group level. Formation of such teams would help the enrichment on a group level. In such groups, the employees should be given the freedom to decide upon the operations, evaluations, etc. In some cases, they may also e give the freedom to choose their own team members. This will provide heightened motivation for their work.

    Increasing Participation

    Increasing the participation of the employees in the higher-level management processes can work as an effective motivator. A company with a very strict hierarchy is likely to make the employees that their voices are unheard. Hence letting the employees have a say in strategic management can, in turn, lead to job enrichment.

    Transparent feedback

    In most cases, we see that the quality team of an organisation tracks employee performance and points out the mistakes. However, if the feedback process is more employee-directed meaning that the employees have more control over tracking their own performance, then it would lead to effective job enrichment.

    Steps in Job Enrichment

    The followings are a rough sketch of the steps might be implemented for job enrichment:

    Survey

    The first and foremost step is conducting an extensive survey in the organisation. It should be first understood the areas of improvement. The areas where the employees are dissatisfied should be found out. Implementation of enrichment without a proper survey would only lead to developmental work in areas that do not require it leading to ineffective job enrichment.

    Deciding on the Approach

    There can be a number of approaches to implement job enrichment. Hence, it is important to decide on the right approach. Choosing a drastic approach would not only be cost-ineffective but also poses the risk of operational failure. Hence, a complete paradigm shift in the workplace scenario is not a safe option. Instead an optimum task-force should be appointed to implement job enrichment on grounds of operational profitability as well as job satisfaction of the employees.

    Curating the Program

    After analysing the different approaches, a final program for implementation of job enrichment should be created.

    Communicating the Program

    After designation of the program, there should be clear communication. All the levels of management, as well as the employees, should be well communicated about the plan of action. In addition, the employees should be given enough participation and their feedback should also be taken into account.

    Advantages

    The followings listed are the advantages of job enrichment:

    • Job enrichment enables the employee ton to learn new skill-sets and enrich himself.
    • With learning new skills, he is prone to new jobs and hence can potentially acquire new experiences.
    • It is one of the best motivational drives for the employees of an organisation.
    • A workplace with motivated and skill-enriched employees can be regarded as a healthy working environment.
    • Since due to job enrichment, the employees are motivated to be participative, it improves their decision-making process of the employees.
    • By increasing the job role and participation of other middle and lower-level employees, job enrichment reduces centralisation of power.
    • Job enrichment inculcates a sense of accomplishment in both the employer and the employee.

    Disadvantages

    Even though job enrichment can be generally attributed to positive outcomes in an organisation, there are a few disadvantages that should be noted.

    • Employees are given way too much control under this approach. However, the credibility of the employees is not always tested. Whether the employee can make full use of the control in his hands or not is debatable.
    • A lot of employees work well and prove to be productive when they are under direction. Given the autonomy of actions, it may affect their productivity.
    • A degree of ego clashes and complexes may also emerge in the organisation since the superiors may feel that they are losing their hierarchical position.
    • Job enrichment comes with added responsibility upon the employees. This may, in some organisations be a tool of their exploitation due to overworking.

    Job enrichment is a two-sided sword. However, it obviously does more good than harm. If it is used by unscrupulous management, it may lead to exploitation of the employees. However, if it is systematically implemented, it would lead to a workforce of highly motivated and driven individuals who are satisfied with the work they do.

    It is for the organisation to decide the right approach of job enrichment in alignment with the other needs of the organisation. A well-enriched set of jobs will only lead to higher levels of productivity.

    Looking for highly talented employees for your company? Register here on our platform to find them.

  • Employee Burnout Causes and Cures

    We are living in an extremely fast-paced world, where no one seems to have the time to relax or take a breather. Everyone seems to have one or the other deadline hanging on their heads. It seems as if everyone is a part of this never-ending race, where one deadline leads to another and then another. In this kind of a demanding and challenging atmosphere, many employees feel the burden of it too much and seem to be physically, mentally and emotionally drained. This refers to as “employee burnout” and is a very common happening in today’s world thus re-emphasizing on the saying once again “All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!”.

    Not being able to concentrate on the work at hand, being detached from what is going on, uncertainty relating to the work are some of the common symptoms that an employee suffering from burnout experiences. The disruption of the entire work-life balance affects the person so badly, that it is visible in his/her behaviour, attitude towards life. The person becomes more and more irritable, negative and may be inclined to take some dire actions. The person can suffer from various physical issues, mental issues, professional and even personal consequences.

    Mental issues faced:

    • Anger
    • Anxiety
    • Depression – Most common in today’s time
    • Constant irritation
    • Need for medical help

    Physical issues faced:

    • Headaches
    • Stress
    • Stomach aches
    • Tiredness
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • High chances of developing high blood pressure
    • High chances of heat-related illness
    • High chances of death at an early age sue to excessive stress

    Professional Consequences:

    • Job dissatisfaction
    • Uncertainty regarding the work submitted
    • Staying away from large groups of colleagues/ friends
    • Inability to do a satisfactory job

    Personal Consequences:

    • Withdrawl from family
    • Becoming extremely irresponsible
    • Alcohol/drug abuse
    • Being careless with finances

    Employee Burnout Causes

    Employee burnout is becoming an extremely serious concern in the current-day workplace. There are many causes which leads to this kind of burnout, some of which are mentioned below:

    • JOB SCOPE CREEP: When the duties listed on paper vary significantly from the duties assigned, this kind of mismatch is referred to as job creep. This happens mostly after the employee has spent a significant amount of time in the organization and thus the need of the job changes as the time passes. But still, a deviation from what the employee was brought on board seems to take a toll on many employees.
    • LIMITED/ NO CHANCE OF CAREER PROGRESSION: Imagine, clocking in hours of work, day in and day out for nothing! It is irritating even listening to this right? There are many people who today are stuck in this endless loop and thus either try to figure out something else or at last, they have to bear the brunt of it.
    • POOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ORGANISATION: When the communication channel falters, then most of the decisions are taken by the higher-level management, without considering its impact on the overall organizational structure and thus the lower level employees suffer.
    • HIGH-STRESS ENVIRONMENT WITH LONG HOURS OF SLOGGING: Employers need to understand that quantity does not equate quality. Not every individual who keeps on slogging for 14 hours will work much more than a sane-minded, distressed individual clocking the regular 9-5 job. Each employee needs to work on their pace within a relaxed environment to deliver their best and give back most to the company.
    • POOR WORK CULTURE: Many times, the people in your vicinity, your colleagues, your manager, may not be the most positive force, but the constant ridicule, the constant dissatisfaction with the kind of work submitted, all these may lead to employee burnout.
    • IMPROPER WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Giving all the attention to your work and nothing to time for relaxing and calming your brain, will eventually lead to burnout. Each machine needs fuelling, or it is bound to go haywire, similarly with the body and the brain, if it continuously works without giving it a break for relaxing, they too will suffer damages.
    • FAVOURITISM IN THE COMPANY: Beating down the employee’s morale, by preferring someone over the other, leads to some serious issues. This creates an impression in the mind of the employees that whatever they do, they won’t ever be able to take the place of their boss’s favourite and this is enough to make their minds go in a spiral.
    • NO TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES: When there is no kind of communication between team members, obviously the team will fall apart. And everyone knows corporate life is a summation of various team projects, not “individual” ones! So, the team has to have a great camaraderie to perform nice, otherwise, it will lead to misunderstandings and eventually burnout of employees.
    • NO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION: Everyone deserves recognition for all the hard work one puts in. But nowadays, many companies just show their appreciation with some standard, same gifts for all the employees and thus, kill the motivation of the employees who genuinely worked hard.

    Employee Burnout Cures

    Well, this is a recurring issue in today’s time, but something needs to be done in to reduce it, to help in the retainment of top-performing employees so that they do not leave the organization to go search for something better. There are various ways that do serve as the cure for the employee burnout problem.

    There are somethings that the employee can do themselves, to cure burnout. They are:

    • BE MORE SOCIAL WITH COLLEAGUES: Engaging with people in groups, reducing the time spent alone, will help in the long run as it stops the brain from overthinking about the current ongoing issues. Being more interactive will also help build the bonding between the team and will also aid in the projects.
    • STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE: Negative people have the power to drain out any kind of positivity left in you, so it is advisable to stay away from them, till you nurse yourself back to perfection.
    • RESTORE THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE: Find some time for yourself apart from the work, give more time to pamper yourself, spend time with family will help phase out from burnout.
    • FIND VALUE IN YOUR WORK: Always try to find something good in your work, your mundane life, find positivity, which might be a great booster.
    • CORRECT YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE: A body with adequate hours of sleep works properly and thus help reduce various illness. Thus, fixing up your sleep schedule must be of great help.
    • EXERCISE/ MEDITATE REGULARLY: Who does not know about the powers of meditation and exercise? Regular physical activities have the power to improve the mood significantly!

    Somethings that the employer can do to help cure the burnout of their employees are:

    • PRAISE AND PROVIDE RECOGNITION: Every employee craves for the appreciation of the work done by him/her. Praising and providing necessary feedback helps boost the morale of the employees and keep their motivation intact!.
    • ALWAYS BE APPROACHABLE: A boss who is always there for his/her employees, whether for professional problems or personal issues, is valued dearly. Empathy is the greatest emotion that one can show and thus it also bridges the gap and thus solve the problem of lack of communication.
    • NO BIASEDNESS: Treating all your employees equally, showing no favouritism is the only ethical way, how any of the corporates should work.
    • ENCOURAGE STRESS RELIEVERS: Sometimes workloads can be huge, but there is always a stress-free way of getting work done. Encourage these kinds of practices in the workplace.
    • REDUCE OVERTIME: Encourage the employees to enjoy their “me-time” and not get bogged down by the continuous work-load, will help prevent as well as treat employee burnout.
    • CLEAR JOB REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS: Making it clear from the beginning what all re expected from the employee will help clear the air of misunderstanding between the employee and the employer and thus will lead to a much calmer work-environment.

    Thus, employee burnout is a serious issue in today’s world but with some above-mentioned ways, it can be cured. Just letting things go and focusing on your mental health, is of top priority here and it will surely work wonders.

  • 10 Best Employee Engagement Activities

    Empty mind is a devil house so the primary task of any reporting manager is to allocate sufficient amounts of tasks to its subordinate to keep them engaged but keeping engaged is not sufficient. Because you can’t eat the same kind of food daily similarly, you can’t do the same kind of task daily. To get rid of the boredom weather in life, food or work something engaging is must.  So this must engage activities in the field of work is referred as Employee Engagement Activities.

    To define Employee engagement it is the extent to which employees feel hooked into their jobs and stays committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work. Employee engagement involves activities, games, and events which drive towards better employee performance.

    Importance or Objectives of Employee Engagement Activities

    The objective Employee Engagement Activities is to ensure that employees feel committed towards organisation’s goals and remain motivated to contribute for organisational success, also at the same time enhancing their own sense of wellbeing. Below are some of the major importance of Employee Engagement Activities:

    1. Better employee health & safety: In a happy work culture where employees are always engaged and associated with happening activities inclusive of their daily activities, they are more at the state of mental peace and satisfaction which ensures better employee health and become very less prone to any mishaps or health hazards.

    2. Happier employees: When employees are allowed to share their valuable inputs towards betterment of the company, feels themselves more connected and realizes security of a job, such an environment produces happy employees.

    3. Greater employee satisfaction: As mentioned in the above two points, employees with better health and happy state of mind always turn in greater satisfaction.

    4. Better home life (Work-Life Balance): Employee engagement not only involves events or fun activities, it is based for the overall betterment of employees. In the concept of overall betterment the foremost thing is happy home life or personal life in order to manage better work-life balance. A maintained work-life balance takes place when the work-timings and pressure is duly managed or reduced.

    5. Lower absenteeism: Happy people, happy culture, happy home life . In addition to these three the first output which comes is lower absenteeism as it always stimulates the individual to rush for the office.

    6. Higher retention (Low rate of attrition): Based on the factors like better employee health & safety, happy environment, greater employee satisfaction and better home life leads for sure towards lower attrition and higher retention due to healthy work ambiance.

    7. Better & quality customer service: The ultimate motto of employee engagement is to attain the company’s end goal which is producing high quality goods or services in order to achieve the client’s or customer’s satisfaction.

    8. Greater productivity & profitability: Happy environment produces happy employees and happy employees produce greater productivity which generates higher sales and profitability and key for these depends upon well managed employee engagement strategies.

    9. Greater employee loyalty: Loyalty comes with satisfaction and satisfaction comes from motivation. When a company assures a well managed employee engagement strategy it leads towards higher employee loyalty.

    10. Higher stock price: Greater sales and profitability leads towards a better brand name which creates a long going future and wealth. Based on the wealth or fund capacity the share or stock prices of the company increases for sure.

    Effective Employee Engagement Strategies

    1. Listening to Employees: Listening is always considered to be good practice in every field of life especially in corporate as listening to employees with their grievances or problems always give a personal touch and keep them connected with the core value of the company.

    2. Practice sharing good ideas between teams: Competition is good till it is healthy but it is obvious that it becomes bitter in the concept called ‘work politics’ so in order to remove this work politics and maintain a healthy competition, sharing good ideas amongst each other or within two teams is always considered a good practice to be followed.

    3. Value employee opinion: Employees are human resources but moreover they are human assets of the organization which leads the company towards the achievement of their end goal. Hence its very important that such assets must be valued and nourished by properly entertaining their opinion as they have different mindsets run in different directions ends with, providing a bunch of opinion which mostly found useful in terms of organizational growth.

    4. Invest in the wellbeing of employees: As mentioned above the human assets must be given the chance for nourishment. Hence, it is very necessary apart from only focusing towards organizational growth, well- being and development of the individual employees should also be taken care of.

    5. Recognise good work: Apart from the pre-mentioned strategies, what actually motivates is the recognition and praising. To reach the goal every employee strives hard. Sometimes they achieve, sometimes they can’t but when they receive the achievement, recognition and tinge of praise-worthy words, works as a power booster and significant motivator for future tasks.

    10 Best Employee Engagement Activities

    1. Workplace Parties

    Company parties like annual, summer and winter parties to celebrate a year of business. Additional festivities like Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinners, and other celebratory parties make people feel companies prioritize them.

    2. Learning Lunches

    Learning lunches or potlucks are the perfect way to bring a team together and help them learn. Encourage different departments to share what they’re working on and tackle a new topic as a team. Hosting such lunches once per month fosters learning, and helps with transparency.

    3. Employee Games, Tournaments, and Competitions

    Employees love getting involved in games, tournaments, and competitions. Hosting a sports tournament, or challenges office-wide can do wonders for the employees at the organization.

    4. Special Days

    Special days such as birthday, anniversary, work anniversary change the pace and give employees something to look forward to. Cutting cakes, gifts or treating them special on these days boosts morale alot.

    5. Training

    Training always brings out a special in you. A speaker for a truly interesting and invigorating training session, engage the employees and teach them something new.

    6. Recognition Programs

    Recognition programs are a great way to get employees to interact with one another. Programs like “Employee of the Month” or “Employee of the year” always become the common platform of recognition in which everyone cherishes each other, congratulates and fosters team spirit.

    7. Team-building Activities

    Team-building activities, especially those outside of the office, are something that employees love. Go-kart racing, and bowling etc. are such options. These sorts of activities will facilitate bonding outside of the workspace, and give employees better understanding.

    8. Fundraisers and Charity Days

    Fundraisers and charity days are also a nice way to bring employees together on the common page Often these causes affect your employees, so giving them the opportunity to organize such events for causes they are passionate about is an effective way to enhance their organizational skills.

    9. Employee Work from Home Policy

    This policy is the most effective one which gives employees the liberty of how to work, where to work and when to work. The objective is to fulfill the deadline in the most convenient manner without any obligation of professional wear, timings, daily commute. The concept of home office has always proven the best manner of employee engagement.

    10. The First-day welcome Card/Gift to New Hires

    It is one of the great employee engagement activities to introduce to a new hire. It makes new employees engaged on their first day itself, Thus, this trick at the workplace to welcome new buddies with presents like a welcome card, gift, or email to the new hires makes them feel equally important as it is to introduce them to the team in a friendly manner.

    Looking ahead to join such great companies. Feel free to register with us and explore opportunities with many awesome companies.

  • Work from Home Challenges and Solutions

    There are various job models available in the market today. One of those job models is called ‘telecommuting’ or ‘telework’. Within this arrangement, employees don’t have to travel to a central institution of work like an office. They can work from wherever they have taken up residence. Work from home is a form of telecommuting and in recent days, is becoming a very popular work arrangement!

    The coronavirus pandemic has shut down many offices globally and employees have been forced indoors in their houses. Since organizations cannot shut down or stop functioning, the work from the home model has been adopted. Official workspaces have been created online and conferences are undertaken through video calls, thanks to today’s technology. All you need is a fresh mind and a good internet connection!

    Given today’s scenario, working from home is the safest option. While frontline professions such as healthcare, security, and essential services don’t get work from the home pass, almost every other industry has converted to the digital mode. Many companies across the globe are even considering changing the permanent work arrangement to work from home, considering the ease of functioning and the employee’s comfort by working from his residence!

    Like everything in this world, work from home has its pros as well as cons. While it is extremely easy and comfortable, it comes attached to its own set of risks. But it is a great profession arrangement to earn some money at the comfort of your house! So here’s a detailed study into the ‘work from home’ model, its challenges, and solutions.

    Work from Home Challenges and Solutions

    Despite having the freedom to not dress up and get ready for office, to work at our own pace and timeline, studies have shown that employee productivity and satisfaction has hit an all-time low due to this work model. As explicitly mentioned above, working from home comes with its challenges and some of them have been listed below.

    1. Managing Projects

    Any big corporation or company has multiple ongoing projects at the same time, and big projects require many people to run it.

    One of the biggest challenges of remote working is project management. There are too many working parts of the project scattered across different places. To track the work of every project member becomes a gargantuan task for the management.

    Managers are responsible to make every employee meet the deadline be it work from the office or work from home. Without having a physical presence, communication is more difficult, and keeping track of individual tasks is problematic, especially for complex projects and large teams.

    Solution:

    Multiple online tools could act as a manager for a remote project. These tools are inbuilt with functions that set specific goals for the employees and keep a track of the progress made by every individual on the team.

    Some of these online tools are:

    1. monday.com
    2. Asana
    3. Trello

    Each of these online tools has paved a way for complete transparency and efficiency in managing a project remotely!

    2. Team Collaborations

    A project often requires multiple minds working on it simultaneously. This involves brainstorming and ideations on a common piece of document. In physical presence, it is easy to share documents, presentations, and memos without any holdbacks. But it becomes multiple times difficult to do the same through online modes.

    Remote working highly limits a group of people interacting on the same piece of document for different places. There are a lot of technical difficulties and a lack of coordination faced by the team members.

    Solution:

    The basic go-to tool for online collaborations will always be google drive. Google drive provides all the basic requirements and creates an online hub where multiple people can edit or work on a document at the same time. Other features include a chatbox on the document page, where a document can be ideated by sharing views and opinions without any hassle. You can view the document being formed in real-time and make changes on the go!

    Other tools like Slack, InVision, and Spark can also be used based on company requirements.

    3. Productivity and Task Progress

    Working at home has shown a stark decrease in employee productivity according to recent statistics. Home is the one place where you can be at absolute ease and sometimes become too comfortable! It also leads to problems like procrastination or deprioritizing which can in turn lead to a huge pile-up of work.

    When different team members are scattered across different places, tracking their work activities becomes difficult. One snag in the process and the entire team suffers for it.

    Solution:

    The only way to solve this problem is to track the employees’ work in real-time. Online management tool such as Toggl or Status Hero shows the entire team as well as the manager about an employee’s work status. This pushes the worker to complete the given task on time and also enables the team to adjust their work as per their teammates. This leads to harmony and coordination within the team. Individuals can set up personal goals that enable them to finish the work within a set time frame.

    4. Internet Connectivity and Time Zones

    Multinational Corporations work across the globe from different countries. Employees could be working on the same project from two opposite ends of the world. This is where the problem of timezones will be factored in. A difference in time zones leads to miscommunication about deadlines and a mistiming in general. It could be a good night’s sleep for one employee while the other might be in peak working condition.

    Another major factor for remote working is a good internet network.  The majority of any company’s work has been converted to an online database that cannot be accessed without a good internet connection. Slow speed internet or a lack of network coverage in the area might make it extremely difficult for an employee to work with the team.

    Solution:

    A good internet connection with a high-speed data flow router can be installed in the house for uninterrupted internet access. There is no other solution to that.

    For dealing with timezones, companies can deploy online tools such as Calendar, in which employees can mark up slots of their free time and the work can be allocated in those slots.

    5. Cyber Security

    This is a problem faced by tech companies primarily. An online transfer of data can be highly dangerous as third parties have the access to hack such data. Also, downloading secure company information on a personal device can also make it accessible to unwanted entities. Data destruction by viruses is another con of remote working.

    Solutions:

    Request for a company-issued device at your residence if your management allows it. This will keep secure data off of the local servers. Companies mandate an encrypted line of communication for security. If your work has to be done on a personal computer, then install quality antiviruses and a private network for complete security.

    Conclusion

    Work from home is an extremely easy-going mode of working. It is comfortable and flexible, unlike rigid office regulations. However, a residential setting has a lot of distractions and can drop productivity to very low levels.

    It’s like two sides of the same coin, one good, and the other bad! But we live in a techno-pro world where every problem has a solution!

    So stay home, stay safe, and give your best!

  • Types of Leaves in a Company

    A body is not a machine and thus it may rest from time to time to maintain the level of efficiency. Every employee of every company has the right to take some days off from their busy, hectic schedule and to just cool off. Leaves are extremely important to help maintain the work-life balance of an individual that helps them boost their productivity. All the companies whether governmental or non-governmental gives different types of leaves for all their employees and it’s the decision of the employees to use them either for sports, recreation, travelling or whatever helps them keep going!

    Also Read: How to Write Leave Application for Office with Samples

    Types of Leaves in a Company

    Every employee has the right to various kinds of leave during his/her employment period.  Leaves can be classified into 2 broad categories:

    • PAID LEAVES: The kind of leaves where the employee still receives the salary even if he/she takes a day off. There are certain amount of days already assigned as paid leave for the entire term of employment. So, these are the kind of leaves with pay. Generally taken during the time of accidents on duty, funeral, jury duty etc.
    • UNPAID LEAVES: These are the leaves without pay. An urgent request of leave from the employee will result in an unpaid leave for the reasons not maintained under paid leaves. Like a medical check-up, urgent checking up on a relative and many more.

    All the leaves can further be divided into 3 types:

    • MANDATORY LEAVES: These are just like the holidays everyone used to get in schools and colleges without having the pay deducted. Holidays for certain religious festivals, off on weekends (which varies depending on the number of working days of an organization) and holidays on days of national importance.
    • LEAVES: There are various kinds of leaves assigned by the companies, a curated list of which is given below:
      • MEDICAL LEAVE/ SICK LEAVE: The only kind of leave, that does not require prior intimation. A sick leave is generally taken when the employee is suffering form some kind of illness and leaves are required to get better. The range of sick leaves varies from 12-15 days available for the employee to use, which can be extended further in case of serious illness and if not redeemed can be carried forward to the next year. After two days of sick leave, a report from a trusted medical practitioner must be produced.
      • CASUAL LEAVE: Running in the range of 5-15 days, casual leaves can be used by prior informing the employer. This is generally taken by the employees when they want to give their personal life an upper hand compared to the professional life like in case of attending marriages, taking vacations. These kinds of leaves cannot be taken forward and holidays are not counted while counting casual leaves if they occur in the period between casual leaves.
      • MATERNITY LEAVES: These kinds of leaves are only for the women employees who plan on having a baby during their period of engagement. Expecting/ New mothers can take up to 3 months of paid leave to take care of the new-born baby, which can be extended up to 26 weeks with half pay and till 16 months of unpaid leaves. Maternity leaves can also be taken at the time of abortion or miscarriage, but then the duration of the leaves is curtailed.
      • PATERNITY LEAVES: Fathers of new born child or men who have adopted a child, are entitled to take 10 days to 2 weeks of paternity leave. Though not mandated by law, so it may or may not be provided by all the companies, but it depends on the HR of the companies. Paternity leaves can generally be taken within 1 month of the birth of the baby, to help take care of the child as well as the recovering wife.
      • PRIVILEGE LEAVE/ EARNED LEAVE: As the name suggests, these kinds of leaves are earned as a part of working for the organization, for a fixed period of time. These leaves are paid leaves and can be used after prior information. These leaves can be encashed or can be carried forward for a time period of 3 years. This type of leave, cannot be claimed for more than 3 times a year.
      • STUDY LEAVES/ SABBATICAL LEAVES: A leave which is of much longer duration than most of the other leaves. These leaves, mostly unpaid, are generally provided to the employees to upskill their knowledge base, like if the employee wants to study further, so that the person can be of more value to the company after he/she rejoins. Sabbatical leaves are generally granted after the employee has loyally worked for the organization for a stretch of more than 3 years and the leave stretches for a period of 6 months to the entire duration of the course.
      • QUARANTINE LEAVES: A rare kind of leave, mostly given when the employee is suffering from an infectious disease than can also be very harmful for other people of the organization.
      • BEREAVEMENT LEAVES: May not be a mandatory leave, but a sudden death of some loved one, leaves a hole in the heart than can’t be filled. Compassionate enough HRs may provide hassle free policies to use this leave for a period of 3-7 days, so that the employee can deal with the pain of sudden loss.
      • HALF PAY LEAVES: Not all organizations provide these kinds of leaves, generally government organizations do, where the employees can take leaves up to 20 days and will get half day salary for each day of leave taken. The employees are entitled to have these leaves only after they have worked for the company for a stipulated period of time.
      • UNPAID LEAVES: When all the leaves in the leave basket of the employee gets over, and the employee needs to take a leave, then those leaves will entail a pay cut.
    • NON LEAVES: 3 kinds of non leaves are there that are offered by the company. They are:
      • COMPENSATORY LEAVES: This can be considered as bonus for the employees, who put in extra hours of hard-work. Also, employees who work on an off day, are eligible for this leave. The employees are generally automatically informed if they have a compensatory leave remaining.
      • WORK FROM HOME: In this, the employee still has to work, but the employee can choose to do so from the comforts of his/ her own house, which also helps the employee to maintain the work-life balance and thus work with much less pressure.
      • FIELD WORK: For research purposes, many companies allow the employees to go out in the field and thus analyse according to their requirements. This is not considered a leave but a working day as the employee is working, but just not in the four walls of the office.

    These are almost all the kinds of leaves that all the offices in India provides. Having a proper knowledge regarding the various kind of leaves can come handy and is good to have a knowledge about. Leaves are the rights of the employees and thus must be enjoyed to the fullest after days of hard work.

    Image Source: https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/opinion-and-best-practice/why-personal-leave-is-a-hot-topic/180201

  • Skills Matrix or Competency Matrix – Meaning, Levels, Benefits, Examples

    Employee Skills Matrix

    A Skills Matrix is rightly known as a Competency Matrix as well. It is a visual instrument that allows an HR professional to observe, analyse and map out the various skills and competencies of the employee in an organisation. This matrix is essentially used to find out the required and available skill-set of the employees. For curating a team for any specific project, a skills matrix comes in very handy. For an HR professional with a data-driven mindset, this proves to be an important tool.

    In a properly framed skill matrix, namely, three aspects are shown. These are the required set of skills in the employees, the existing set of skills in the employee, and the skill set that is missing in the employees. Ideally, it is used for a small or medium-sized group or team. However, it can be potentially expanded.

    Whenever utilized accurately, the Skills Matrix offers a solid review of the information and aptitudes accessible inside a group. It can let you know whether you have the right stuff important to complete explicit errands. In the event that the group is inadequate in certain important aptitudes, we call this an abilities hole. This makes it a basic instrument for any human asset supervisor putting together their choices with respect to the information.

    In the left side of the matrix, the required skills in the employees are listed. In the top row, the names of the employees are mentioned. In the intersection of these rows and columns, the proficiencies and skills of the employee are mentioned by level.

    Skills Matrix Levels

    As mentioned, proficiency and interest are two important parameters of the Skill matrix. “Proficiency” means an employee’s existing credibility in a field. “Interest” shows his/her drive to learn more and develop. High proficiency is no wonder a positive parameter but it is only useful when it comes with a high level of interest. Following described are a few levels in the Skill Matrix:

    Proficiency level 0

    An employee with a zero level has no skill in an area and cannot be put to activity. The focus is on the introduction of basic concepts to the employees.

    Proficiency level 1

    An employee with a proficiency level of 1 only possesses the basic concepts of a skill. The focus for this employee would be on the development of those basic skills.

    Proficiency level 2

    At this level, the employee, not only has basic concepts of skill but also has some practical knowledge about the same in the professional field. At this point, the focus is on acquiring new experiences and extensive training.

    Proficiency level 3

    Level 3 employees are experts of middle-order. They have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience. Hence they can carry out the activities on their own with average competence. Occasionally, intervention from professionals might be needed. There is however room for development and new experiences.

    Proficiency level 4

    Employees marked at this level are experts in their field. They do not need help from other professionals. In fact, they are the ones who help other employees with queries and developmental needs. They generally focus on strategic management and problem-solving in their respective domains.

    Proficiency level 5

    Employees at this level are highly skilled. They work in strategic management. They are experts in problem-solving, coaching and helping other employees.

    Interest

    Interest has a binary level. It is either 0 or 1. 0 signifies that an employee has no drive or motivation for development and learning. 1 signifies that an employee is highly driven to develop his skills and increase his core competencies.

    Skills Matrix Benefits

    A skill or competency matrix has varied uses. Also, it does not just benefit the team that it is applied to. It also benefits the organisation, the individual employee, the final stakeholders/clients etc. Below described are the benefits of a skill matrix:

    Team

    The matrix is most beneficial to the team it is being applied to. With the help of the matrix, all the members of the team are on the same page. It effectively showcases the missing skills which can be attended to by hiring new employees or extensive training of the current spots. It shows the team its strengths and weaknesses and how they can impact the productivity of the team.

    Organisation

    On a broader perspective, the Skills Matrix analysis benefits the organisation. It gets a clear picture of the Human resource it possesses. It also helps the organisation to allocate its resources for the required training and development process.

    Individuals

    The skills matrix provides a two-fold benefit to the employees in the team. TO begin with, it makes the employee aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses. The awareness makes it a starting point for a learning process. Also, the requirements shown in the matrix makes the individual employee clear as to what the team/organisation expects or demands of him as output.

    Stakeholders/Clients

    The increased productivity and efficiency of the team means better output in terms of service. In that sense, it ultimately benefits the stakeholders of the organisation, be it internal or external.

    Steps to Create Skills Matrix

    The framework of a competency matrix is specific and requires some systematic steps to its creation. The steps are described as following:

    Assessment of required skill-set

    A Skills Matrix is generally created by an HR professional to assess and increase the productivity of a team. It is also done to prevent intra-team mishaps like conflicts. Hence, the first step would be to list down or assess the required skills necessary for a particular project. These skills would be the foundation upon which current employees would be assessed, new employees would be hired and training and developmental programs would be undertaken.

    Assessment of the employees’ current skill-set

    The second step in the creation of the matrix is very important and comprehensive. It includes the assessment of the current skill-set of the employees. This can be done by taking direct information from the employee or by asking his colleagues, supervisors, examining reports, etc. Since only asking the employee might not provide an accurate result due to bias, the 180 degree or 360-degree feedback method is used. Upon assessing the skill and experience of the employees, they can be divided into the levels of proficiency as decided by the organisation.

    Assessing the interest of the current employees

    Based on the skills of the employees, they will be assigned tasks. High proficiency would not ensure high output. The employee must also be interested to implement and develop his skills in his activity in the organisation. Hence assessment of the employees’ interest is very important upon which they will be divided into a 2-point interest scale in the matrix.

    Incorporation of the insights

    Once all the data has been gathered, they should be incorporated into the template of the matrix and analysis has to be made of the same.

    Responding to the result

    The last step is the evaluation of the matrix. Here the HR should analyse the data related to each employee. The employees should also be given a chance to make suggestive inputs. If there is any error, they should be rectified immediately. The fact that each employee is assigned to the right job should also be evaluated.

    A skill or competency matrix has emerged to be an important tool in a data-driven workplace scenario. In a situation where analytics are taking over rough data, a skills matrix has proved to be a boon to the HR scenario. It has not only benefitted the employer but also the employees as well as the final clients. The multiple benefiting nature and technical approach of this analysis is what had made it so relevant and important in recent times.

  • 13 Best Corporate Gift Ideas for Employees

    Gifts in any form are always valued. Be it from a loved one, a friend, a family member or any known acquaintance. Gifts are generally given to show appreciation to the person being gifted to. Appreciating someone’s presence always helps in fostering positive long-term relations with people. So, in today’s time, more than ever, employees need to be made aware regularly, by their superiors about the important role they play in company’s functioning and to prove that they are extremely valuable to the company. So, what better way than to appreciate their efforts than through gifts?

    Corporate gifting, though going on for years, has gained popularity in recent years. More and more companies are putting their best foot forward to maintain the best company employee relations in the hope of making the employees feel valued and thus keeping the best of the lot retained. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, these small acts of appreciation must be on the top of the employer’s list, to help boost the employee’s dedication and motivate his/her team in these tough times.

    Never do These

    Some of the things to be kept in mind before deciding on what to gift your employees are:

    • Do not be promotional: Avoid gifting your employees something that screams of promotion of your company. This generally does not go well with the employees and can work opposite to the way you intended for your gifts to work.
    • Be appropriate: Gifting a personalized memento is great for you to motivate your employee, but there is a fine line between gifting something personalized and being too personal. So, be careful!
    • Do not compromise on quality: Not gifting something is way better than gifting something of cheap quality to your favourite employee. It creates an impression of being a meagre boss, which you don’t want to be called!
    • Do not be biased: A big NO for any employer when running a business is to show favouritism. Not only is this practice unethical but it will portray you in a bad light and will instil this notion in the minds of your employees that whatever they do, they are never going to match to the level of your “favourite person” and they start to slack off.

    Best Corporate Gift Ideas for Employees

    Below are some of the various corporate gifting ideas, for your employees to make them feel special:

    Personalized Gifts

    Any gift item with a personalized message for the employee, will tug at their heartstrings and will make you one special boss. This kind of gift gives the impression that the employee is valuable enough for you to take some time out from your busy schedule and appreciate them to make them feel special.

    Electronics

    Fitness bands, watches, portable speakers, earphones, power banks, wireless charging pads and many more are very popular as gift ideas for the new-age employees. These kinds of gifts are appreciated and in trend nowadays.

    Gift Cards

    One of the most widely used gifting options, gift coupons from various e-commerce websites like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal works best when you are not sure what to gift and at the same time want your employee to have something that they like!

    Personal Care Products:

    Who does not love various products that help take great care of their bodies? Gifting something in this domain is also a good idea. A gift hamper of personal care products like wipes, sanitizers, shaving accessories, lip balms, essential oils and many more serves as a great gifting option.

    Desk Accessories

    Something that serves as a constant reminder to your employee that they are valued, what better than a gift that they keep on their desk and see it regularly? Journals, photo frames, a huge amount of stationaries, notebooks, folders, desk clocks and many more come under these criteria.

    Flowers, Chocolates and Cakes

    Who can break the age-old charm of a chocolate box and a bouquet to go with it? Though old, but it still works it’s magic even today. Gifting this on a special occasion of your employee’s birthday or his/her special day will help bring a smile on their faces.

    Books

    Gifting knowledge to anyone is one of the best gifts anyone can gift. Books have their charm, but not everyone is an avid reader. So, make sure to do some background research before gifting a great set of books to your employee!

    Small Plants

    Who does not like some greenery? A potted plant, a small bonsai, bamboo, oak, some small indoor plant serves as a great gifting option. A little bit green on the desk, indoor garden, someplace at home is bound to get the mood refreshed and serves as a great motivator.

    Planned Trips/Paid Holidays

    Sending off your employee to a great holiday is probably one of the best ways to express your gratitude for their outstanding performance. Even giving days off to help them enjoy some peaceful moments with their near and dear ones is a great way to make them feel valued.

    Spa Bookings

    Who does not like to relax after a hard-working day? Booking a spa appointment for your employee will communicate your message very clearly and your employee will remember it for many days to come.

    A Wine Basket

    A basket filled with imported wine to help celebrate their contribution to the company is a classy way to show your employees of their importance in the organization, which is highly appreciated by them.

    Drink Wares

    Drink wares serve as one of the most popular gifting items for the employees. There is a huge range of options from which you can choose, like the stainless steel one, to flask bottles, to strainer bottles with some cute quotes written on them or personalized, which serve as a great gifting option.

    Accessories

    Sunglasses, office bags, watches, pen drives, bottles, perfumes, keychains, cardholders are some of the accessories that can be gifted to your employees.

    These are some of the gift items that would be loved by your employees if you gift them. Everyone loves to be appreciated for all the hard work that they put in. This is the time to show a bit more love to all those working, make them feel special, motivate them, tell them that they are valued. Spreading happiness will eventually reflect in their work too, and a happy employee will take a company to great heights. So, keep on appreciating employees so that they continue with their good work.

  • 50 Best Motivational Quotes for Employees and Workplace

    “ … There’s a spark in you, you just gotta ignite the light..”

    -Singer Katy Perry in her song ‘Firework’

    Motivation. It is a very powerful word. It has the power to change the tide of wars! It is implied that with a strong push in the right direction, any organization can achieve targets that it has set its eyes upon.

    In the corporate world, employees are the building blocks of a company. One block crumbles and it triggers a reaction that affects the whole organization. This is where employee motivation gets factored in.

    There are several reasons why employee motivation is vital. The primary aspect is meeting the goals set up by the management. It increases employee productivity and efficiency. With the correct motivation and incentive, an employee will be pushed to produce quality work to the best of his abilities.

    The right motivation involves the usage of just the right words. The right words can do wonders in igniting the fire of perseverance in a person. Here are some of the most influential employee motivational quotes that any employer can deploy as his motivational arsenal.

    Best Motivational Quotes for Employees and Workplace

    1. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.” —Henry Ford

    2. “Becoming is better than being.” —Carol Dweck, Mindset

    3. “I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.” —Herman Melville, Moby Dick

    4. “The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” —Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop

    5. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” —Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

    6. “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.” —Rafiki, The Lion King

    7. “If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six sharpening my axe.” —Abraham Lincoln

    8. “It’s life. You don’t figure it out. You just climb up on the beast and ride.” ―Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

    9. “There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.” —Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

    10. “Unless someone like you care a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” —Dr. Suess, the Lorax

    11. “A proud heart can survive general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone”. —Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

    12. “You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind.” —Irish Proverb

    13. “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.” —Simon Sinek

    14. “Genius is born—not paid.” —Oscar Wilde

    15. “The power of imagination makes us infinite.” —John Muir

    16. “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” —Seneca

    17. “Don’t persuade, defend or interrupt. Be curious, be conversational, be real. And listen.” — Elizabeth Lesser

    18. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” —Truman Capote

    19. “An innovator is one who does not know it cannot be done.” —R.A. Mashelkar

    20. “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” —Stephen Covey

    21. “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Einstein

    22. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates

    1. “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” – Abraham Maslow

    2. “It takes courage to step off of the familiar to embrace the new and unknown future. But when you do, the possibilities are endless.” – Successories

    3. “In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins…not through strength but by perseverance.” – Successories

    4. “Take the initiative and lead the way. You can make the difference.” – Successories

    5. “A leader’s job is to look into the future, and to see the organization not as it is…but as it can become.” – Successories

    6. “The secret of getting ahead, is getting started.” – Mark Twain

    7. “When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” – Henry J. Kaiser

    8. “Well done, is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin

    9. “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.” – Zig Ziglar

    10. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” – Richard Branson”

    11. “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

    12. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

    13. “Approach every challenge with a level head, unwavering focus and a determination to light the way for others to succeed.” – Successories

    14. “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” – Winston Churchill

    15. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” – Successories

    16. “It is attitude, not circumstance, that makes success possible in even the most unlikely conditions.” – Successories

    17. “The road to success is sometimes long and arduous. It takes unwavering commitment and a will to succeed in order to complete the journey.” – Successories

    18. “Success is not by chance, it takes someone willing to climb a mountain full of obstacles and challenges. It may seem insurmountable from a distance, but if you imagine with all your mind and believe with all your heart, you will reach the top.” – Successories

    19. “Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often and loved much, who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it, who has never lacked appreciation for the earth’s beauty, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.” – Successories

    20. “Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

    21. “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed…every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle…when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – Proverb

    22. “Change is life giving. It helps us grow into someone greater than we already are.” – Successories

    23. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” – Stephen King

    24. “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

    25. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martink Luther King Jr.

    26. “The day is what you make it! So why not make it a great one?” – Steve Schulte

    27. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz

    28. “Believe you can and you are halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

    As an employer, you are put in a position with the power to make or break your employees. You have the power to shape their lives as an individual. With the right motivation, employees can achieve new heights of corporate excellence!

  • Difference between Employer and Employee

    In entrepreneurship and commerce, the terms employer and employee are used quite often. Both the terms involve ‘services’ and ‘payment,’ which are very important to the business.

    Understanding Employers

    Employers like an organization or company that offer service and product to an employee or any person that hire service from an employer, and for which an employee needs to pay. There’re many kinds of employers like individual, small and large business, professional service agency, government entity, non-profit organization and retailer or wholesaler. Both an employer and an employee should agree to exchange their service or product, as per the organization policy. This includes more legally outlines, wages, salary, and other important rules.

    Understanding Employee

    Employee, on the other hand, is a person that works part-time or full-time as per the requirements and gets compensation for their services. Any employee who is hired for the specific service and in return the employer needs to pay certain profit to an employee, but in freelancing, an employee pays for a specific service that he has worked. This can be in weeks to months.

    Looking at the Common Features

    Mutual Dependence

    An employer and an employee depend on one another to attain a set target and thus mutually get something from one another.

    It is one important factor that enables sustainability. The employers are dependent on an employee for performing certain specific tasks and help them to achieve the business goals and make sure their business or organization runs smoothly.

    An employee depends on an employer to pay them the agreed wages or salary and thus make them to support themselves & possibly their families financially. If any one of them feels that they aren’t getting much on their end, this relationship will likely get terminated if the negotiations fail. An employer may choose to fire an employee if they’re dissatisfied or the employee will just quit or resign their position.

    Bonding

    There is a relationship between an employer and an employee that should be developed with time. The development needs an input of both the parties. An employer will play their part to establish & develop the strong relationship with the employees just by showing their interest away from work, and asking employees about their personal life and learning more about what their interests.

    Employees will contribute by staying a bit more open to the employers and discussing about their lives besides work comfortably. Both the relationships are very important for the success of a business as the strong relationship makes their workers satisfied and improves productivity.

    Restrictions

    For the sustainable relationship, there has to be well established lines that must not at all be crossed and beyond this a relationship stops getting beneficial to the business anymore, at times even toxic. The limits and restrictions exist in each company setup though the kind of relationship that is considered healthy might vary from one company to another.

    Generally, any romantic relationships between an employer and an employee are not very healthy in most of the companies. An employee must be careful in not developing any relationship with their employer that is closer than relationship between an employer and other employees as it might raise favoritism concerns & other unfairness troubles in a workplace. An employer and employee have to share this responsibility of ensuring that the relationship doesn’t cross any restrictions of professionalism & company standards.

    Difference between Employer and Employee

    Goal

    The employer and employee have got different goals for an existence of the relationship. An employer has to improve their business productivity and earning by hiring the employee and assign them a project to reach the specific target.

    Alternatively, an employee wants the job for which he’s provided with the proper services needed by the organization for a fixed salary.

    Cash Flow

    It is a known fact that an income of one individual expense for another” and it is called the cash flow system. And in business field, one-sided salary and expenses deducted from an employer income makes for an employee income.

    Roles & Responsibilities

    Role of an employer is to offer complete protection to a working employee as well as help in all way possible. In which an employer will fulfill their purpose. An employer gives lots of facilities to an employee like health care, salary, safety and wages.

    Alternatively, responsibility of an employee will be that he’s obliged to complete their work assigned by an employer. Employee has to serve an employer with complete loyalty and dedication during the time.

    Authority

    An employee has little authority according to an employer. The employer will control their employee activity that an employee does, and allocate rules by an employer. Based on these policies, the employers will report on employees.

    But, the employee doesn’t have more authority. And they will be able to control only the low-level employee, which will be terminated if any employee breaks the rules or business policy.

    Point of Difference

    		 Employer

    Employee
    Goal Maximize the efficiency and productivity. To financially support their families.
    Cash flow Gives out cash (or salary) as the deduction and gets proceeds from business. Gets the salary as addition and, contributes to producing more income for an employer.
    Roles & responsibilities Ensure employees health, safety, and welfare are rightly taken care and offer conducive working atmosphere. Serve your employer faithfully, follow rules, honor your contract of employment & uphold diligence and loyalty in your service.
    Level of authority Has got authority over the employees. Has got authority just over employees at lower levels.

    It is now simple to tell besides these two often used terms after checking out some differences and goals of each parties, cash flow, roles and responsibilities and authority levels.

    Which one is better?

    Whenever you hire any employee you need to pay Social Security, unemployment, and Medicare taxes. Also, you might incur certain costs for benefits like health insurance or retirement plan. You aren’t generally responsible for those costs whenever you engage in services of the independent contractor. But, an independent contractor has less control and higher rate. You need to weight the benefits and drawbacks of each classification in order to decide what is good for your company’s requirements.