What is Employee Appreciation Day?

Employee Appreciation Day was first celebrated in 1995 by Dr. Bob Nelson in order to celebrate the publication of his book “1001 Ways to Reward Employees”. Nelson was the founding member of Recognition Professionals International, a platform for HR professionals, to promote the role of human resources as a profession and provide network and certifications in workplace recognition.

Every year, the first Friday of March is considered as Employee Appreciation Day. This day is gaining popularity around the world as companies and managers are taking advantage of this opportunity to showcase their commitment for employee well being. It is becoming part of many company cultures. Various companies conduct programs to appreciate and recognize employees for their hard work.

How to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day?

If you are planning to celebrate this year, look at the various ways in which you can make the day memorable.

1.Cater Office Lunch

Office lunches are always a great choice to bring everyone together. Sharing meals creates a sense of community and camaraderie among workers. This will help you increase collaboration and teamwork all the while celebrating their hard work.

Also read: 9 Tips for Effective Remote Employee Onboarding

2. Send Them a Gift Card

Amazing thing about gift cards is that they can be redeemed by your employees on their own terms. It gives the team flexibility to spend a certain amount of money on things they like. Most of the time when companies arrange gifts, few of the employees always do not feel happy or thrilled at what they received. Because everyone has their own expectations and likings. Another benefit of giving gift cards is that it is easy to arrange and distribute them. If you compare it with gift hampers, they are slightly time consuming to arrange everything and distribute them. So many companies go for gift cards as their go to choice for rewarding employees.

3. Send Shoutout on Employee Recognition Platform like EngageLoop

Employee Recognition platforms help team members and companies to recognise their teams important milestones and successes. It enables inter team communication and messaging easier. Special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, etc can be celebrated easily using such platforms.

Most of the platforms will have the feature to celebrate events like Employee Appreciation Days. It will help you give awards, rewards, cash awards, etc directly to team members or allocate it to an entire team. This will boost team morale, boost engagement and help build company cultures that fosters team spirit.

4. Conduct an Enjoyable Team Building Event

Bonding outside of the workplace has its own vibe to it. Team members are more jovial and happy. Taking your team members on a team building event is the ideal way to show appreciation and use the opportunity to build better relationships within the company. A successful event will boost employee motivation and engagement.

5. Host DIY Award Ceremony

Here is a related video:

If you have the time and resources, then planning an award ceremony on the Employee Appreciation Day is a great way to celebrate your team’s hard work and commitment. This type of event presents awards to individuals and team, based on their performance and activities. There are several type of awards one can give during this event. Below are some creative awards to cover all your employees:

1. Star Performer: For someone that always performs well.
2. The Excel Wizard: For that person who always fixes a spreadsheet.
3. The Social Butterfly: For someone who always knows the latest gossip and trends.
4. The Multitasker: Who juggles multiple projects at once without breaking a sweat.
5. The Secret Snacker: For that person who always has a hidden stash of snacks in their desk drawer.
6. The Happy Hour Hero: For that person who knows the best happy hour spots in town.
7. The Office Comedian: For the person who always keeps everyone laughing.
8. The Early Bird: That team member who is always on time.
9. The Walking Dictionary: Award for that person who knows the meaning of every word in the dictionary.
10. The Fashionista: For that person whose looks are always on point. 

These are only some of the awards that you can incorporate in your award ceremony. If you have any awards that you think our readers will like, make sure you add it in the comments section.

How to Celebrate Virtually?

With the ongoing pandemic, many companies are still working remotely. However, there are still ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day virtually. Some ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day virtually are:

1. Virtual Lunch: Arrange for a virtual lunch where everyone can join in and enjoy their meal together.
2. Virtual Happy Hour: Host a virtual happy hour where employees can relax and unwind after a long day of work.
3. Virtual Games: Host a virtual game night where employees can play games and have fun together.
4. Virtual Recognition: Use video conferencing to recognize outstanding employees and their achievements.

Here is a video explainer:

How to Appreciate Employees at Work?

Employee appreciation is not limited to Employee Appreciation Day. It is important to appreciate your employees throughout the year to keep them motivated and engaged. Let employees know that they are part of a great company culture which will increase employee job satisfaction. Some ways to appreciate employees at work are:

1. Recognize Achievements: Recognize your employees’ achievements and let them know that their hard work is appreciated.
2. Provide Growth Opportunities: Provide your employees with growth opportunities such as training and development programs, career advancement opportunities, or even job rotation.
3. Show Flexibility: Show flexibility in terms of work schedules or work arrangements, such as allowing employees to work from home or offering flexible work hours.
4. Provide Competitive Benefits: Offer competitive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Also read: 7 Factors to Consider Before Selecting a Gifting Company

Conclusion

To conclude, celebrating Employee Appreciation Day is a great way to show your team how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication. You can boost employee morale, strengthen team spirit, and create a positive work environment by acknowledging their contributions and expressing gratitude. Companies can make this day special by curating a special event, giving employees rewards or awards, showing appreciation by giving benefits, or any other type of ways we discussed in this article. Make the most of this day and let your employees know that you appreciate them!

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The post Employee Appreciation Day 2023: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on BluElement.

Building a strong organizational culture plays a significant role in accelerating growth, but only if the best talent of the company is engaged and motivated. Human Resource teams in every organization are working towards implementing innovative methods to engage employees and retain their best talent. The cost of talent acquisition, onboarding, and training a new hire is much higher compared to the amount spent on retaining the employees, making it an efficient and practical choice for any organization.

However, it is challenging to retain talent given the high demand for skilled personnel in the job market today. Here are some actionable ways that organizations can adopt to improve Employee Retention:

Enhance Employee Benefits

A competitive package is beneficial when attracting new talent, but other than monetary and non-monetary benefits have proven to increase employee satisfaction and can help retain employees. When choosing a benefits program, do keep in mind  – A customized benefits package works better than a standard benefits program. This can include experiential rewards, upskilling options and more.

Offer Flexibility in Work Schedule

With the advancement in technology and the new norm of WFH. Employees expect a lot more flexibility when it comes to working schedules. Here’s how you can make it enjoyable. Firstly, let your employees have a flexible work schedule with WFH or Hybrid work options. This way, the employees are more productive and satisfied with their work. It also helps avoid any conflict between work and personal responsibilities. Be aware of the ambiguity the flexibility in work schedule can cause, making it essential to define the policy and guidelines beforehand.

Recognize Hard Work and Achievements

It is crucial to recognize employees for the hard work and a job well done. It is an integral part of ensuring continuous employee engagement. Many studies show that employees have expressed their employers’ concerns about not recognizing their achievements. Have a clear Rewards and Recognition program which can easily be implemented through the use of available SAAS platforms in the market and ensure the program is customized and is focused towards the overall company goals.

This is one integral aspect EngageLoop, a Rewards & Recognition platform has incorporated, impacting the motivation of employees. Recognizing and appreciating employees’ hard work is proven to improve their performance at the workplace. When your best employees don’t receive recognition for their hard work, they are more likely to quit the organization.

Prioritize Employees’ Professional & Personal development

The best talent in your organization is excellent at what they do, but they always strive to get better, learn new things and take up new challenges. Try to build a system or environment where they can collaborate with current leaders in your organization to upgrade themselves personally and professionally.

This step of encouraging the professional and personal development of employees helps you strengthen the bond between the employees and the organization. Instead of hiring new employees, train and recognize the talent within the organization.

Communicate with your Employees

Create a channel where they can be vocal about their concerns and a safe space to receive or provide feedback, making it easier to recognize or offer constructive criticism in real-time.

It is often difficult for employees to communicate with the higher management, which creates a barrier and frustration among employees.  Communication channels like – one-on-one, 360-degree feedback, Employee Engagement Surveys create platforms where employees are heard and their suggestions and feedback are taken into consideration, therefore increasing retention.

 Promote within the Organisation

Turning a blind eye towards the best talent within the organization and hiring outside talent for a management-level promotion can be disheartening for the existing employees. An organization’s best employees are likely to remain in the organization if they are provided a path to growth in the organization.

It must be easier for them to transition into a higher level with an internal training program that will help them advance in their role. If employees think their growth is limited, they are more likely to quit within a short period of time and look for opportunities outside

Collaboration is the Key

Collaboration is critical to employee retention. When employees work as a team, they tend to be more productive and energetic. Building teams help make better social relationships and helps interact with leaders and co-workers. This way, everybody’s ideas are valued and put into action.

EngageLoop is one such innovative Employee Engagement Platform built to recognise and appreciate employees in an organisation. EngageLoop is a points-based Rewards and Recognition platform created to enhance Employee engagement. This platform allows organisations to send certificates, badges, send wishes and system awards and encourage peer to peer recognition with ease. In addition to that, The points given to employees  are redeemable on a curated online store where employees can choose from a wide range of experiential, virtual services and vouchers related to upskilling and Wellness, and more.

Are you taking the necessary steps to retain your talent? Try these out and let us know!

Reach out to us to know more about EngageLoop!

The post 7 Actionable Ways to Retain your Best Talent appeared first on BluElement.

Here are 6 mistakes to watch out for when planning your rewards and recognition program:

• Don’t focus only on Performance

Rewarding employees solely based on performance is a thing of the past. Employees need to be recognised based on values such as integrity, and teamwork as well. This is the most apt way to ensure the company values are regarded and the company goals are worked towards. You can plan employee rewards which align with the company culture, goals and values making the rewards more valuable and meaningful.

•  Avoid Uniform Rewards and Certificates

Do you make your employees feel special about their milestones or achievements? Does every employee get the same reward for different achievements? Where is the differentiating factor? A reward system with uniform rewards for all employees and achievements will cause employees to feel not recognized. It’s time to recognise your employees with customised  rewards and certificates  based on their achievements and not just generic rewards.

These certificates can have badges, unique names or any other customization a company can think of.

• Don’t make Money the hero of your program

Money may be important for employees but it does not act as a reward or a sign of recognition. It’s time to plan ahead and find a personalized way to recognize and reward your employees. This would play a significant role in helping them feel valued for their contributions towards the goals of the company. Money trivialises work and motivation. Research even shows that 65% of employees prefer non-monetary incentives instead of monetary rewards.

Instead of just adding bonuses to the paycheck of the employee, a company can choose to reward them with thoughtful gifts or even a motivating note to help the employees realize they are being rewarded for their contribution.

• Don’t forget to train your employees on how to use the platform

In this technology driven world, the rewards and recognition plan might revolve around app discounts, or where employees would be needed to log into online portals etc-. Before you roll out rewards like these, you must consider training your employees on how to use the particular platform, preventing it from becoming a bane.  A basic training on how to retrieve rewards online would prove best for the ones who are not into tech or the efforts you put into the rewards plan would go down the drain.

• Don’t forget the importance of Communication

Making sure to take feedback and suggestions from every employee in the company will definitely prove beneficial to the organization. If this is not done, there is a high probability that the rewards and recognition plan would suffer gravely if not accepted by employees.   Communication is key and effective communication will help plan the best rewards and recognition plan ensuring everybody’s needs and wants are covered.

• Don’t ignore the impact of Peer to Peer Recognition

It is important that the employees at every level are recognised. Many times the communication between the senior employees is quite less with the other employees. Peer recognition will help nominate team members for rewards, which is a great step towards team building and developing a culture of recognition.

A simple incorporation of appreciation can go a long way in aiding the organization and further motivating employees to work towards the goals of the company. Research shows that peer-to-peer recognition ensures retention of talent as well.

It is imperative to understand that your rewards and recognition plan should work for every employee. The best way to deliver this is to take assistance from an expert organization. An expert will be able to custom-design your rewards and recognition plan along with helping you understand common errors and the ways to avoid it.

The post Biggest Mistakes In Rewards and Recognition Programs appeared first on BluElement.

Work from Home and Hybrid workspaces are the new normal in today’s world, and we have become quite acquainted with it. Even though we love working from home on most days, everything has its fair share of pros and cons. HR teams are often confused about how to keep the teams engaged and motivated during these trying times. Though they come with quite a few Virtual activities, there is a preset misconception that Virtual activities aren’t fun or beneficial as face-to-face activities.

Well, this blog is all about changing that misconception. First, let’s understand what Virtual activities are before jumping into the various aspects of it. 

What are Virtual Activities?

Virtual Activities are online activities to ensure continued collaboration, interaction and engagement between peers and teams. Virtual activities act as an icebreaker, ensuring that employees can interact with one another on a personal level instead of just on work-related topics despite the work from home situation. 

There are quite a few progressions made in the Virtual Activities Arena, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, and more. These ensure that Virtual Activities hosted, especially for employees, are beneficial, innovative and fun. By picking one of the many new additions to the Virtual Activities domain, the level of engagement from the employees can and would be higher. Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and others are computer-generated and are proven to be highly beneficial to employees in several domains including, easy understanding of complex subjects, extensive accessibility and more. 

How are Virtual Activities different from Face-to-Face activities?

Humans are creatures of habit who are used to engaging with peers in the face to face activities. It is challenging to adapt to something like Virtual activities now. Though face-to-face activities have their pros, so do Virtual activities. Virtual activities are something we are still learning and adapting to. 

Face to face activities facilitates bonding between employees who value face-to-face interaction. It is not a tedious task to comprehend the employees’ body language and notice social cues in face-to-face activities. It also helps employees feel personally invested in the event when compared to a virtual event. 

The points mentioned above are certainly not applicable with regards to Virtual activities. But there has to be a reason why the number of organizations that hosted Virtual Events doubled in 2020. (Wild Apricot, 2020)

Virtual activities have quite a few pros that need consideration before taking a call on which is better. 

What makes Virtual activities better than Face-to-Face activities?

Before deciding which is better, face-to-face or virtual activities, let us look at the pros of Virtual activities. 

• Easier for employees who are introverts

A workspace/company always has both introverts and extroverts. Though extroverts are more than happy with face-to-face activities, introverts may find it difficult to be social and handle their rising anxiety. Virtual activities aid introverts in communicating with peers in an environment they are comfortable in, making sure the activity is relaxing and fun for everyone. Nearly 70% of organizations reported that they had many more attendees for a Virtual event than a face-to-face one with a guest speaker. (Wild Apricot, 2020)

• Cost-effective

Face-to-face activities are often quite expensive, depending on the size of the company or the number of employees. Also, one of the major reasons most companies host events only once or twice a year is that virtual activities can be prevented. There is no budgetary requirement, and HR teams can host multiple events during the year. In 2020, nearly 84% of organizations reported spending comparatively less money than a face-to-face event. (Wild Apricot, 2020)

• Flexible

When it comes to face-to-face activities, choosing the destination, transportation, and more is always a tedious task that Virtual activities can prevent. Employees need not be concerned about travelling, and they can be a part of the activity from the comfort of their homes.

• Accessible to local and global attendees

If a company has offices in different countries or cities, multiple activities are organized for the employees of the particular city. Since Virtual activities are hosted on an online platform, employees can be active participants from any city and country.

• Combats Loneliness

With the current pandemic situation and work from home, social interactions have reduced a lot, taking a higher toll on our mental health. Depression and loneliness are the most common effects of the pandemic on almost all of us, and virtual activities can play a remarkable role in battling loneliness and depression.

• Increases Motivation

Virtual activities can be highly effective as a positive reinforcement for work life. With the work from home scenario, the line between work and personal life has blurred. Virtual activities can play a role in easing stress and motivating us to work despite the cons of working from home.

What to keep in mind while organizing a Virtual activity?

Now that we understand the positive aspects of Virtual activities, the question of ‘how to organize a good virtual event or activity’ rises. After ample research, we have put together a couple of points to keep in mind while organizing a virtual event.

• Goal-oriented

Make sure the event you are hosting has a goal in the end. Create ample hype about the event to ensure your employees are charged and eager. There are multiple platforms available to be a part of the event and the goal to be achieved. 

• Choose the right platform

Your disposal once you decide to host a virtual event. It is essential to research enough and understand which platform would be best suited for the event you have in mind. 

• Promote your event

Instead of forcing employees to participate in an event, promote the event to make the employees excited and eager to participate. This would prove more impactful than making it mandatory. 

• Engage your employees

Often, events include one person talking or performing a particular act, reducing the amount of engagement the employees feel. They might even drop out of the event. Instead, come up with activities that would involve participation from everyone. This way, they are engaged, and the aspect of fun is not lost. 

• Post-event follow up

Ask for employee feedback and suggestions post every event to understand whether the event’s goals were achieved. This would help you in hosting events better suited to your employees. Keeping the follow-up email/survey unanimous is highly advisable. 

Virtual activities and events are almost a necessity now. It is time to enhance our creativity and develop unique, innovative and fun ways to make sure the employees are motivated, engaged and driven to perform their best. With all this information available, you can decide if Virtual activities are a boon or bane. Make sure to consider the above-mentioned tips before planning your next Virtual activity or event!

The post How do we break the stigma of Virtual Activities? appeared first on BluElement.

While employees work to achieve their goals and go beyond their limit at times, there are a lot of times that it comes at a cost. Exhaustion, tiredness, and burnouts are very common in employees today affecting employee wellness, productivity, and happiness.

This can be combated with the introduction of sports and fitness in one’s life. In no way can it go away in one day or one week or be eradicated completely, sports and fitness only play a role in helping one reduce the stress levels and could improve one’s mental space which in turn could keep them in better stead when they are working.

We know that fitness and sports help immensely in keeping oneself fit and healthy, however, it also plays a huge role in maintaining mental health and wellness. The importance of one’s mental health and wellness has never been as high as it is now. In fact, even more so in the current world where work from home has taken precedence.

For people working from home, human interaction has reduced, and physical activity has come down drastically. Everything that an employee needs is on a table or a chair or any specific place where he/she is working. Be it meetings, water or even food, everything could well be happening in one place which is in stark contrast to their office work culture. In fact, even recreational activities are completed on that table or chair or any specific place where the employee is working quite often.

Hence, with the mind and body occupied in one place more often than not, sports and fitness could come in as a happy distraction. A morning walk of say around 30 mins and a little bit of exercise could well keep one fresh for the entire day. It increases productivity and employee wellness quite a bit and avoids the slump that employees usually feel after meals. It ensures that the energy levels are high throughout the day as well.

In fact, research shows that exercise and fitness help in reducing stress, decreases fatigue to a certain extent and even improves employee wellness and performance in their respective work. Furthermore, the study also points out that fitness could condense the absentees in work. Not only in your work life, but fitness also improves your sleep cycle and personal head space.

Sports can act as a welcome distraction. The connection between physical activity and sports and employee wellness and productivity is very established since the start of civilization. Research has proved that sports and outdoor recreation have a massive effect on the overall employee life cycle. Be it in terms of morale, productivity, employee wellness or even the atmosphere around, the employee scores higher when he/she plays or participates in sports and physical recreational activities.

These may be clichés, but it is well known that teamwork is important and sports and other recreational activities help aid in employee wellness, employee engagement and productivity quite a bit. The competitive edge that is developed is another factor that amplifies the need to include sports and fitness in one’s life.

There is often the reason of “not having enough time” or “being too busy”. Yes, that is true, but it is crucial for the employee to give their body and their mind frequent breaks. They may be taking leaves but that is not the constant. Leaves and off days are exhaustive while giving your body and mind a part of your day is not.

Hence, having fitness, sports, and physical recreational activities as a part of an employee’s work life is vital. Let’s try giving an hour or two for about three or four days a week. Take part in a sporting or a physical recreational activity twice a week and go for a walk or exercise three or four days a week. That will ensure that you constantly have something on your plate.

Moreover, the importance and critical nature of this is even more in the prevailing pandemic situation. Work from home is here to stay and no physical activity could only see the employee’s work life cycle turn into a monotonous one. It could have its own mental and physical wellness issues as well.

Therefore, we believe sports, fitness and physical recreation is a vital cog in a working professional’s day to day life! Pick a sport or activity and give your body and mind a chance to break free from the stress. Treat yourself to something new and engage yourself one day at a time!

Author

Sahil D Jain

Freelance Sports Writer

The post Sports- A Boon to Physical and Mental Health appeared first on BluElement.

Did the lockdown impact employee productivity and performance?

As the lockdown began, employees had more time on hand to manage not only their work
but also attend to the household chores. There was a perceived sense of comfort in working
from their home. However, in the initial lockdown, the employees had clear work mandates,
plans and outstanding issues to resolve and work from their previous interactions with
colleagues, customers, and bosses.
With more time on hand, the employees used the time to best fulfill the already assigned
jobs in the offices. The immediate effect of lockdown hence was a sharp rise in productivity.
However, as the lockdown extended severe challenges began to be seen. According to Mr.
Vinod John, MD and Co-Founder of BluElement Technologies, “This lockdown has been a
mixed bag when it comes to productivity. While the onus is on the employees to be more
focused and result oriented, the organizations should also do more to engage and motivate
their employees for better productivity. Some of the employees have been more productive
because they aren’t forced to invest time on commute and other distractions, few others
have taken it for granted and aren’t at their best when it comes to being productive”.

Major Challenges Faced: Productivity, collaboration, and Wellbeing?

A few of the eminent challenges found from the comparative study of primary and
secondary data, were clearly the lack of infrastructure at home to perform work seamlessly,
lack of collaboration spaces leading to fewer ideas, common purposes etc. Somehow, the
workforce could not compartmentalize their work time and personal time.
Calls started getting drawn into their lunch time and late evenings. Knowingly or
unknowingly, both the organization and the workforce started letting work spill over into
one’s personal space and time. This was the perfect recipe for the employees to begin to
feel overworked and eventually burnt out. This clearly indicates the lack of healthy
boundaries. Both employees and organizations need to keep this in mind and plan
effectively.

According to Mrs. Sonal Lobo HR manager of BluElement Technologies, “Some employers
think that allowing the employees to work from home is a privilege that’s being offered,
majority of the employers appreciate that health and employee wellbeing is paramount and
work from home, in this situation is the way to go, as it is not just a new norm but rather a
need of the hour”.

How are organizations engaging their employees in these tough times?

Several issues on employee wellness, engagement, motivation, and productivity can
however be addressed by special initiatives, better work ethics, fixed work hours for a good
work life balance. It is important for the employers to provide resources such as
connectivity and required infrastructure to the employees to increase motivation and
productivity.
Anurag Kapoor, Co-founder of DataFact.io and BluElement Technologies contributed his
valuable insights and said that “It is important that the HRs and supervisors connect with
the employees on a personal touch, and this would help build a sense of mutual empathy.
Inturn, this would increase productivity and motivation.”
Building trust by connecting on a personal level is important during these tough times. To
increase collaboration levels, many organizations have opted for vendors to enhance and
invest in employee engagement. Many events like virtual dinners, mental wellbeing
sessions, food and other lifestyle incentives, employee wellness programs are being held to
increase employee engagement and other social skills which may have deteriorated during
WFH. EngageLoop is one such initiative that organizations would highly benefit from in the
effort of keeping their employees healthy, entertained, and engaged. It offers a unique and
innovative Rewards and Recognition platform with 1000+ experiential rewards, virtual
activities, team engagement programs, and a lot more to choose from.
It is time organizations be mindful of how they are willing to engage and reward their
workforce. In order, to best perform in the work from home scenario, empathy and
reinvention of employee engagement are the key ingredients in accepting this new norm
and ensuring that employee wellness and productivity go hand in hand. Create an
environment for your employees where they are eager to attend that virtual meet with the
team. Yes, Home is the New Office, so engage your employees, make them feel home and
render outstanding performances at work!

Author
Ayushi Balaji

The post Is Home The New Office? appeared first on BluElement.

Research reveals that people with hobbies rarely suffer from stress, depression and low mood. It helps one feel
lighter and relaxed. Your hobby can be creative, academic, athletic or something personal, if it excites you
without any second thought you ought to pursue it.

• Benefits of developing a Hobby
• Good for Health
• Break from the mundane routine
• Better lifestyle
• Opportunity to socialize
• Keeps you engaged
• Self-Growth
• A chance to rekindle and rediscover your Interests and Strengths

• Some of the most popular options include:
• Music
• Dance
• Fitness
• Sports
• Art & Craft

Music
There are three aspects in Music, one is plainly listening to music, another one is learning to play
music and then comes singing along the tune of the music. All these hobbies carry a truckload of
benefits.
Listening to music, helps improve cognitive performance, manage stress, better memory and a lot
more. On the other hand, learning to play a musical instrument or learning vocals can help one
release the negative stress and emotions, which will holistically help in overall betterment. Also, if
you are one who loves to sing in your kitchen, washrooms, cars or living room and feel you have what it takes
to be a versatile singer, then why look back? Enrol and start your melodious journey today.

Dance
Dancing promotes physical and mental health by helping, improve posture and flexibility, it lifts your mood and
eases anxiety. It’s also a fun activity that sharpens the mind, increases aerobic power and strength, builds social
bonds, and can reduce pain and stiffness. There are various forms of dance and one can indulge in. Dance is not
restricted by age and one can yield the benefits of dance at any point. Dance therapy is all on the rise and very
effective way of fostering wellbeing

Fitness

Having a fitness routine is very important. Gone are the days when one had to run on the treadmill or a
stationary bike for hours, today we have different form of exercises starting from the peppy Zumba to the
relaxing Yoga.

One does not have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of
exercise can make a real difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a
powerful tool to deal with mental health problems, improve your energy and outlook, and get more out of life.

Learning a sport

Learning a sport, not only makes you healthier and fitter physically, but it also carries along with it a lot of
benefits for your mental health. Practising a sport will help you improve concentration; it makes you passionate
and helps in reducing unwanted stress and tensions. It engages a person’s complete being.

Art and Craft

Activities like painting, sculpting, drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower
your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm. Creating art provides a distraction, giving your
brain a break from your usual thoughts.
Hobbies are experiential. Hence – more rewarding
The ones we discussed in this post earlier are just a few, there can be various other hobbies one can develop. If
you desire to, the sky is the limit. And when you talk about hobbies making moments for life, there is an array
of more that follow like – theatre, writing, gardening, creative talking, reading and the list goes on.
Let’s sensitize oneself, our human capital and the society by large, and take measures to keep our lives balanced
and aligned. Developing a hobby is the first practical and easy step towards this. Do put your best foot forward
and visit www.engageloop.in for some wonderful options to ignite your passions and to develop a lifelong and
rewarding hobby for you and your organization. EngageLoop enables you to reward these hobbies /

experiences to your employees and teams. And also helps your employees redeem their reward points to avail
whatever interests them the most. Keeping the current scenario in mind you can take benefit of the best
services online at the comfort of your Home.
What makes the services of EngageLoop Unique?

• Certified Trainers
• Online Live Sessions at the comfort of your Home
• Celebrity trainers like PAIPA, Gunjan Dhagat, Lourd Vijay and more
• Structured Modules
• Certifications based on the course signed up for
• Workshops and opportunities to perform
  Hence, what are you waiting for? Time to create moments that will rekindle the enthusiasm in yourself and
  your workforce Now!

Author
Sonal Lobo
HR Manager
BluElement Technologies

The post A Hobby A Day Keeps The Stress At Bay appeared first on BluElement.

Self-isolations and Work from Home scenarios are in a way causing anxiety in employees and resulting in poor work-life balance. Employees are totally cut – off from
in-person human interaction and are spending most of their time just in-front of the laptops, both during working and non-working hours. Is that acceptable for the
employees’ wellbeing? Do employees know how important it is to draw healthy boundaries and concentrate on reviving and re-energising oneself?

Impact of the Current Scenario on Employees:
●  Increase in anxiety: The anxious behaviour in employees is being triggered due to uncertainty, many employees are also losing their jobs which is leading to a
high level of insecurity amongst them.
●  Loss of Work Life Balance: It is very essential to dedicate your working hours diligently to work, and at the same time take out quality time for yourself, friends
and family. Considering the current scenario, this can be done online, a Zoom Call with friends / family living away can bring in a sense of joy and connectivity
●  No In-person Human Interaction: Human Interaction is a very core aspect that keeps employees in teams connected and also enables employers to have a pulse of their workforce. This is definitely something that is currently falling out of the
radar.
●  Minimalistic Team Engagement activities: Team engagement has been reduced to only Birthday and Work Anniversary online celebrations. And the most a team interacts can be at a weekly / monthly meeting
●  Increased work pressure: As the times are dynamic and every sector is getting impacted due to the current scenario, except for organizations that have a
definite process and workflow. There are high chances of delegation of responsibility getting hampered and increasing the stress of employees and in-turn impacting their performance levels.

5-Step Solution for Employee Wellbeing:
● Regular Emotional Check-In of Employees: Organizations are like one big family working towards a single goal. A regular check-in on the mental and emotional state of employees helps in creating a healthy human capital.
● Live Fitness Sessions: Sessions like Yoga, Pranayama, Dance therapy, Zumba etc. which can be fun and a great stress buster both at the same time.
● COVID Support Sessions: Experts can moderate sessions where employees are educated on the preventive measures for the pandemic, interactions etc.

● One-on-One Counselling: Many employees may be isolated alone, there are chances of them feeling low, depressed, anxious, unworthy. It is essential to
identify if someone in your peers is going through this phase and help them talk to a counsellor or mental health expert.
● Surprise your employees: Surprises can be highly gratifying. Make it a point to do something that makes a special day / occasion of your colleague more memorable.

Though under constraints you can still try and get something delivered to their place or organise an online event just to meet-up or acknowledge the efforts being put-in by your team. Your one word of appreciation can change the approach of your employees towards good.

EngageLoop – Reinvents employee engagement by providing you an array of unique services that help you positively impact the lives of your employees.
EngageLoop is a platform with over 1000+ experiential rewards to choose from for instant gratification and beating the stress. Employees can sign-up with EngageLoop
and get access to certified Wellness Partners and Certified Practitioners. 

Services that can be availed:
● Counselling and Therapy – By verified and certified mental health practitioners. Both one-on-one and group therapy sessions are provided.
● Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Programs – Assessments, Analysis, Counselling, Final Report.
● Support Groups – Live Interactive sessions that solve issues on a real-time basis
● Live and Interactive Fitness Sessions: Yoga, Dance Therapy, Guided Meditation, Pranayama
● Free Access to Mental Health Programs for the Month of May – Considering the current scenario, and with emotional and mental wellbeing a major concern, this can be availed at zero price for the month of May. Wellbeing is priceless, avail it and make the most of it Now.

Spread the awareness of Mental health, it is ‘Okay to Not be Okay’. Speak up, check on your peers regularly and help others to cope-up with situations. In the busy routine of our daily lives, many don’t actively think about mental health. Proactively addressing our mental health positively impacts lives. It’s worth the effort, Time to make one!

The post Staying Sane During the Pandemic appeared first on BluElement.

The term of Spiritual Intelligence is mostly credited to Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall based on their book, “SQ: Connecting with Our Spiritual Intelligence.”

Spirituality comes from within and by large it benefits one’s own self. A person who is spiritually conscious is well-aligned with his thoughts and desires and as well as of others. It comes with surety validated by the heart instead of the mind alone and it creates inner meaning and motivation about work, extending inner peace in one’s own self with a natural desire to help others grow, learn, and develop.

Spiritual Quotient helps a person to determine his or her motivations, vision and the overall mission in life.  Above all, it gives them a concrete dream, based on which they can design their future action plan to attain these goals

Spiritual intelligence shows how one makes use of their spiritual quotient to live a fulfilling and productive life.

Understanding the difference between IQ, EQ and SQ

1. Intelligence Quotient- According to Robert Feldman IQ is  ‘the capacity to understand the world, think rationally, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges’. It is simply the measure of a person’s intelligence in comparison to that of others.
2. Emotional Quotient – It is the ability to manage one’s emotions rationally and in a positive way.  In short it is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions. In practical terms, this means being aware that emotions can drive our behaviour and impact people (positively and negatively) and learning how to manage those emotions.
3. Spiritual Quotient- This concept goes beyond your cognitive and emotional skills. It is living in humility; bearing in mind that you are small part of the vast universe. An understanding of SQ motivates people to balance their work commitments, time with family and inner growth.

Why should Individuals be Spiritually Intelligent in their workplace?

Spiritual Quotient makes an individual more responsible and aware of the problems in the society, surroundings, workplace, country and the larger universe too. It makes one humble and to a great extent reduces selfish intentions. With this intelligence one is thwarted from getting swayed by power, status and money, instead it helps build a holistic approach towards the organization where an employee benefits in more ways than one.

Spiritually intelligent employees reduce the burden on the management to intervene and discipline. A spiritually intelligent employee benefits not only by managing his emotions but also by managing work in the most stable approach ensuring self- motivation.

If organizations can help employees tap in their spiritual quotient, then it helps in building a long lasting and a proactive employee employer relationship and in turn enhances the overall employee wellness in the organization.

How important is to be a Spiritually Intelligent Manager?

Management is an integral part of both current and future organizations. The Managers’ intelligence is a pivotal competency that contributes to the organizational success. Spiritual quotient (SQ) is a type of intelligence that enables managers to make strategic decisions in the current complicated business world. The concept of the spiritual quotient of managers presents a new aspect contributing to organizational and employee benefits, inspiring the two to work seamlessly and achieve success and dignity.

A spiritually intelligent manager derives performance by understanding, supporting and helping the employee tap their inner strengths. They motivate and inspire employees to be the best version of themselves, keeping them ever aligned to the goals of the organization while focussing on employee wellness. It is important now more than ever, in the current scenario of changing paradigms in expectations and competition, as there is undue pressure among the employees in a workplace.

A Manager with the perfect amount of SQ will be able to guide the employees, though all the ups and downs will help sail through the most difficult of times, as we are currently in. They bring the best out of people, leading to a better workplace, in turn reducing micromanagement and creating an environment where humanistic values are uplifted and given importance.

The fact cannot be denied that a manager must have the right blend of emotional and spiritual intelligence to garner to the changing needs and also adhere to the norms of the organization by aligning the employees’ personal mission and vision to that of the organization.

Why should spiritual Intelligence be encouraged?

Today’s workplace is a battle zone with constant fights for market share, visibility, revenues, profitability and talent. As in any war, in the office too, it is the people who invariably get impacted. Pressure to perform amidst workplace and environment challenges affects employee wellness, morale and engagement. Furthermore, this can potentially lead to Stress, dissatisfaction, and ill-health. The question remains as to how we can help reduce the drastic effects caused by the mentioned.

We combat these problems by nurturing awareness arising from the spiritual self, promoting flexibility, resilience, hope, and power of endurance to break ingrained patterns of behaviour that sap our energy. Even though external gratification and motivators act as hindrances to a large extent, the inner change of thought process can assure that there is stability ensuring overall employee wellness, propelling them to perform and contribute despite the changing times and expectations.

How does one develop Spiritual intelligence?

Zohar and Marshall recommend 7 practical steps towards developing a better SQ:

1. Become aware of where one is right now. This can be personally, emotionally, or professionally.
2. Develop a goal as to what one wants to see themselves becoming.
3. Start exploring your deepest wants and motivations
4. Discover and dissolve obstacles
5. Examine different paths to reach your goal
6. Commit to a fixed path
7. Remind yourself that even though the fixed path may fail, there are other paths one can discover

How do you know if you are on the right path to SQ?

To begin any process, an in-depth assessment is necessary. One needs to ask themselves where they stand, where they want to go and the gap between the two. The answers to this question will eventually determine the path one will ultimately take.

India Inc has taken significant efforts towards implementing SQ in the workplace. The Future Group – owners of brands like Big Bazaar and Pantaloons – has an in-house chief belief officer. Individual consultants are set up at the organization as Chief Spiritual Officers. Their role is to understand the zeitgeist of the organization and make sure that everyone – specially the C-Suite – is being driven towards the same goals.

Key Outcomes of having Employers and Employees with a High SQ:

• Employers with a high Spiritual Quotient, encourage and motivate employees better
• Employee Engagement becomes a crucial parameter in organizations where SQ is high
• Employees work for satisfaction and to the best of their ability and not just for salaries
• Routines are not mundane they are instead nurturing and fulfilling
• Employer – Employee and Employee – Organizational Goals alignment is better
• Performance levels are higher and traditional methods to measure performance are replaced by Goal- Driven outcomes
• Work-Life Balance improves drastically
• Issues like stress, emotional disturbances, mental pressure etc. are eliminated from the core
• Holistic Well-being is assured and visible

Make life better holistically. Engage Employees with a 360-Degree wellbeing approach:

The novel coronavirus that is causing major interruptions in our lives plays a major role in disrupting employee wellness and happiness. This disruption, coupled with the threat of contracting this potentially deadly virus causes people to experience anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. We are called to redefine our true self and thought processes. This pandemic is one of the biggest hurdles the entire world has had to face which has given rise to employee grievance all over the world. The changing work patterns have      put pressure on organizations to pay attention to employee wellness like never before.

It is now a known  fact of an increase in employee disturbances and depression because of the Covid crises and even though organizations are taking all the efforts to keep the employees motivated remotely, a void that is not being filled to the brim is evident.

An Employee benefits from Spiritual Quotient by enabling themselves to be motivated and stay strong despite the changing times. A strong spiritually minded person will not only be able to stay grounded and work but also incorporate stability and will power in their lives.

If organizations today develop mechanisms to instil in their workforce the spiritual intelligence, then it is certain that the employees will not only be strengthened to beat the current pandemic but also meet any adversity in the days to come.

Happy Employees make a Happy Organization.
Please visit engageloop.in and help us help you grow in every aspect of what is mentioned here and beyond. Stay Spiritual. Stay Real. Stay Safe.

References

AA, S., n.d. Spiritual Quotient: The key to a life of purpose | Soulveda. [online] Soulveda. Available at: <https://www.soulveda.com/wellbeing/spiritual-quotient-the-key-to-a-life-of-purpose/>

De Mello, O., 2013. People Matters – Interstitial Site — People Matters. [online] Peoplematters.in. Available at: <https://www.peoplematters.in/blog/sports-books-movies/the-god-spot-in-the-workplace-spiritual-intelligence-3831>

Hossein, D., Zeyna, R. and Hamideh, R., 2017. Relationship Between Spiritual Quotient and Transformational Leadership of Managers with Organizational Commitment of Staffs: A Case Study in the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Review of Public Administration and Management, 05(02).

Maniampra, M., 2020. Tapping Spiritual Intelligence in Distressed Times Like Covid-19. [online] Dvkjournals.in. Available at: <http://dvkjournals.in/index.php/vs/article/view/3236/2958> [Accessed 16 April 2021].

Mishra, P., n.d. Importance of Spiritual Awareness for Organizational Excellence. [online] http://www.madhavuniversity.edu.in/. Available at: <https://madhavuniversity.edu.in/importance-of-spiritual-awarness.html>

Mtambalike, J., 2017. Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Spiritual Quotient (SQ).. [online] Medium. Available at: <https://afruturist.medium.com/intelligence-quotient-iq-emotional-quotient-eq-and-spiritual-quotient-sq-c4907f38dd95>

Relojo-Howell, D., 2016. What Is Spiritual Quotient?. [online] Psychreg. Available at: <https://www.psychreg.org/spiritual-quotient/>

The post Are you Spiritually Intelligent in Your Workplace? appeared first on BluElement.

In today’s era, work culture is fast evolving. Most of our employees are self-motivated and well sorted when it comes to deciding their personal and professional goals. By saying so, an organization or entity cannot forget the importance of rewards and recognition. A yearly bonus or a monthly gift card does not suffice anymore. Organizations, especially the CHRO’s must constantly look for ways and means to improve the rewards program, which ensures overall employee wellness as well as motivates them to take their passion at work to the next level.

Employee Reward Systems refer to programs set up by a company to recognise and reward individual performance and motivate employees on an individual and/or group levels. They are usually over and above the salary package but may be monetary in nature or otherwise have a cost to the company. While previously it was considered to be forte of the large companies, today even small companies have started using this effective tool to attract and retain talent. 

The new wages code makes it compulsory for organisations to make sure that 50 percent of employees’ CTC is basic pay, while the remaining 50 per cent comprises other employee allowances, including house rent, overtime, etc. If the company pays any additional exemptions or allowances that exceed 50 per cent of the CTC, the same will be treated as remuneration to be added to the wages. This means that Non-Monetary allowances like employee rewards will become critical for all organisations. 

Why Rewards and Recognition?

This has always been a long-lasting debate, as to whether the rewards and recognition system is necessary. A few years ago, organizations emphasized on providing employees with good salaries and other benefits and very little efforts were taken to provide them with non-monetary or monetary rewards. A reward would mean a showpiece or customized water bottle once in a year. Though this was acceptable back then, today the millennials are looking for an experience rather than just a showpiece or a household article as a reward, simply because they can afford it whenever and however, they want. 

According to a research conducted by the O.C Tanner Institute, it was seen that in Indian organizations employees showed more productivity and involvement where the rewards and recognition system was stronger and well executed when compared to those organizations where the rewards and recognition program was unplanned and not sorted.

Employees are definitely paid for the job, but salary is definitely not a substitute for good appreciation in the long run. The O.C Tanner research institute has found the impact of recognition in 4 major areas: 

1. Increases Engagement- Employees who are well recognized and rewarded stay connected to the company and also exhibit their expertise and strive for the overall betterment of the organization.
2. Impacts Innovation- The research also concluded that, the employees who receive good recognition are more innovative and dynamic at the workplace as against those employees who work in organizations which do not have a good rewards and recognition program.
3. Improves relationships- Good rewards and recognition programs help to improve the relationship between the manager and subordinates. There is better trust and a confidence that the good work is recognized and rightly appraised.
4. Retaining and attracting talent- A good reward system ensures the overall wellness of employees, thereby retaining the resource and also attracting good candidates to the organization.

Innovation in Rewards and Recognition

Organizations are definitely stressing on rewards and recognition systems, but most of them still follow the concept of “One Size fits all” or “Monetary reward is the best reward”. It’s the time now to shift paradigms and focus on a personalized gifting concept rather than one gift for all ideas.

Maybe we can illustrate this more with an example. Say for example there is employee A and employee B, who are employed in an organization of repute. Due to their excellence of work, they have been rewarded 10,000 points and asked to redeem it in an online store, which comprises gadgets and kitchen appliances. Employee A is happy since he wanted to buy a Bluetooth headset, which he knew was available in the online store. But for employee B, this reward points were a pain, since he had all the gadgets and was in no way interested to buy any appliances. Without a go, he spends the points to buy some appliances and ends up giving it to his family. Unfortunately, the reward points did not give him the required satisfaction.

Today employees are looking not just for external gratification but for the internal motivation. That’s where we would wish to talk about our Rewards and Recognition platform “EngageLoop”. EngageLoop is a unique Rewards and Recognition platform. By subscribing to EngageLoop, you get access to a specially curated store for Reward Points redemption with various fulfilling and enriching experiences. This enables employers to keep their diverse workforce engaged and in sync with the goals of the organization.

EngagePlus is an extensively curated point-based platform for recognition, rewards redemption and experiences that the employee and the employer have access to. This platform benefits each one by presenting an extensive range of unique options to choose from. The employer, peer, manager and reportee can award badges, certificates, or experiences to anyone in the company as part of internal employee recognition enabling a meaningful rewards redemption and incentive program. Employees can engage in fun, learning or service using points allotted and redeem them for a life changing experience that will enhance their satisfaction at work and personality through this 360-Degree Rewards and Recognition Platform.

EngageLoop involves an e-commerce platform through which employees can directly redeem their points for rewards of their choice without having to go through the trouble of getting normal redemption platforms.

Let’s quote the same example from above, again, if employee A and B are given 10,000 points then through the EngageLoop platform, employee A can still avail his Bluetooth headset with our exciting gift voucher whereas employee B can avail a guitar class and reignite his old passions.

Why offer services to employees rather than products as rewards?

“Because our environment has changed, so definitely should the way in which we reward and recognize our employees diversify too. We will need to go beyond company swag and shout outs during in person meetings and find ways to help improve their personal lives where they need it the most. This could be offering flexible scheduling or providing employees with free tutoring for students or yoga classes to help eliminate and reduce stress.”
–Jessica Miller-Merrell, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Chief Innovation Officer at Workology.

The current covid crisis has forced the global workforce to work within the 4 boundaries of their respective homes. There is very little time for socialising or hanging out with friends and thereby leaving a void and emptiness. At this juncture the organizations are struggling to motivate their employees with just reward points. The concept of offering services for the workforce to redeem their reward points, can become a means of encouraging the hidden talents within each individual and giving them a platform to ignite their hidden desires, thereby ensuring their overall wellness. EngageLoop offers a wide range of services, all under one platform. One can find different hobby classes, painting, music, fitness, mental wellness, all available online under the same roof. 

Teams today can’t function if the people are not taken care of. The HR leaders must plan the reward catalogues in a way that it not only satisfies monetarily but also has a positive impact on employee wellness. The more flexible the reward catalogue, the more attractive and appealing it is to the employees. Recognizing an employee is a sign of respect, and is a very important part of keeping a team engaged. And using a specially-designed unique employee engagement platform like EngageLoop can be an effective way for teams to feel valued, perform better, stay engaged, and more. 

Reward Employees. Engage Teams. Build High Performance Human Capital

Author,
Sonal Lobo | HR Manager

BluElement Technologies

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Referenceshttps://www.peoplematters.in/blog/benefits-and-rewards/rewards-and-recognition-20-what-does-it-comprise-21271https://www.peoplematters.in/article/recognition-services/how-recognition-matters-india-how-make-it-effective-13287https://medium.com/@theglobalsourcing123/rewards-and-recognition-in-india-1909123a2968https://www.octanner.com/in/insights/articles/2020/5/14/how_to_make_employee.htmlhttps://www.humanresourcestoday.com/2020/employee-recognition/trends/

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