Positive Work-Life Balance in Your Business Organization

Strategy Plan One

April 4, 2012 

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is the process of establishing an equilibrium between work and every other aspect of life.  In a satisfying environment, one strives to seek that balance between the activities that are classified as doing work and those activities we deem essential to running the family and household, those recreational and down-time activities we need to recharge and enjoy life.

A great work-life balance must start with you first, if you want to be a successful balanced entrepreneur.  You will also need to ensure your staff are happy and healthy in a productive environment by way of a strong, implemented work-life balance in your organization.

Work-Life Balance – In your Business

To maximize your business’ performance, you and your team need to stay healthy and happy.  Work-life balance is one of those key things an employer can do outside of compensation, to provide more benefits to staff.  Without work-life balance features, employees will need to take off significant amounts of time for family responsibilities and other.  You as a business owner know that in some cases, staff may call in sick when family duties are calling them.  This has a significant impact on operations and performance of the organization. Business finances take a hit if leaves are compensated for, or if you have to insert replacement staff.

Work-Life Balance – Flexible Scheduling

If your business environment is one of flexibility to allow for flexible scheduling, encourage and promote flexible work arrangements.  This works well in industries where core functions are not considered essential services.

Industries such as medical care or education, flexible arrangement may be difficult but not impossible.  Having flexible scheduling allows staff members to take care of family responsibilities without impacting the business or the career path.

Work-life Balance features you could offer to employees:

• Combining or revising classifications of leave (i.e.: vacation leave or medical leave)
• Paid leave for educational or capacity building activities
• Work at home arrangements
• Work on the road schedules
• Daycare programs at work
• Concentrated scheduling
• Allow for health, wellness and fitness programs and time for it at work
• Bring kids to work environment if you have teams of working parents in your business
• In stressful and pressured work environments ensure you build in corporate activities to give everyone that stress break, such as non-work activities

Work-Life Balance Statistics

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) completed a study (Sept 2010) of the work-life balance dynamic in US businesses.  Here are some of the statistics:

• 89% of respondents stated work-life balance was an issue; 54% stated it was serious
• 57% of those surveyed claimed that employers are not effectively addressing work-life balance and not doing enough
• 38% said work-life balance has worsened in these tough economic times

However, with businesses that incorporate great work-life balance features, employees cite they are more happy and productive and the performance of those organizations show marked improvements.

Some of the Many Work-Life Balance Benefits for Employers and Employees:

1. Physically and mentally healthier and happier employees
2. Less absenteeism
3. Job satisfaction level for employees increases
4. Sick leave and medical claims decrease
5. Improved corporate culture
6. Improved performance of staff and units
7. Talent management improvements in employee retention
8. Can be included in the promotion of “best places to work”
9. Improved enjoyment of life
10. Improved and stronger family and business relationships 

Encourage leaders within your organization to come forward and develop teams and meetings to address work-life balance issues at your business.  As an effective leader and entrepreneur, encourage team members to provide feedback on how to make the work environment better.  Listen and learn when employees speak on employee satisfaction in the workplace.  Survey employees frequently and engage in conversation with them about work-life balance.

Work-life balance at work is a very effective way to improve your organization across individuals and business units.  Allow your professional teams to help others be successful with results-based, work-life best practices.

Strategy Plan One

http://strategyplanone.com

Business information, resources and tips for the entrepreneur

© 2012 Strategy Plan One

Talent Management – How to Build a Solid Human Resource Base

Strategy Plan One

March 18, 2012 

Talent Management – Human Resource Practices

In current human resource practices, Talent Management involves modern methods to recruit, retain and develop valued staff for your organization.

In a competitive global economy it has become increasingly more important to place emphasis on people as the greatest resource.

Human Resource Practices – Identification and Organizational Scan

One of the first steps to building strong human resources is to have unit managers and executives review the organization’s human resources needs and to scan the existing human resource environment.  As part of the core business planning duties, human resource needs should be identified as the elemental base.   The human resources plan would be developed from the operation plan and would identify the budgetary resources required to fuel staffing costs.

As part of the planning stage, executives and human resource specialists scan internal staff to determine if employees are fulfilling the needs, and to identify employees that strive in the environment and have the potential to develop within the organization.  Developing individuals within your organization helps build morale, lowers the human resource costs of acquiring on the outside, and helps retain corporate, business and operational knowledge.

Human Resource Practices – Recruitment

Internal talent identification and scans may reveal some deficiencies and the planning process may identify new needs (i.e.: expansion needs).  There will always be a solid base of employees that are not retiring or leaving the organization anytime soon.  Recruitment will become a necessity when your internal resources can’t meet your operational needs.  However, through strong talent management or internal staff, turn-over rates and external recruitment would be kept to a minimum.

Human Resource Practices – Retention

As one of your most important human resources strategy, you should place employee retention as one of your top priorities.  Existing veteran employees in operations and management help your business run smoothly and help make your business successful.  As an entrepreneur you need to ensure you identify the people you need to retain.  Those are the valuable employees that carry the operational efficiencies, best practices, and knowledge of the organization.  Those employees are the ones that train and mentor new staff, and in an open environment, easily share and promote best practices.

Human Resource Practices – Development and Capacity Building

Now that you have identified and focused on retaining valued staff, your employee development human resources strategy needs to kick in.  With differing operational and management levels in your organization, it will make logical sense to develop and promote your retained staff.

Capacity Building in your organization is key to building up operational, management and financial management skill sets of individuals.  Through your environmental, human resources scans you have identified individuals who could be developed and would bring additional benefits to your organization in promoted positions.  Developing key existing staff is cost effective for the organization and builds morale with your employees, as they consider this to be a key factor in job satisfaction and an important reason to stay with the organization.

Identification of valued staff, and retaining and developing those key players will help your organization be successful.  Remember that successful professionals in your organization as the most significant, most important resource.  Also remember that you, in your early career days, were most likely given the chance to gain and develop skills that came into play as a successful entrepreneur.

Strategy Plan One

http://strategyplanone.com

Business information, resources and tips for the entrepreneur

© 2012 Strategy Plan One