So much happening in the world of work this fortnight for Your FLOCK - the team engagement platform to unpack. Some around the great reception that my TedxTalk has had
In the talk I talk about the future of work and happiness and employee engagement and all sorts of things - with some many stats that the organisers asked me to compile them all. Which I have done and will leave at the end of this newsletter for your delectation.
As you will know, we at Your FLOCK, are fans of employee engagement and happiness at work. As this aligns with our mission to help a million people be happier at work. So it is interesting to read how much happier people are feeling about the four day work week.
THE FOUR DAY WEEK.
Nearly nine in 10 companies taking part in the UK trial of a four-day week. Said it was working so well they intended to continue the shorter working week after the pilot. The six-month experiment is taking place globally. Run by thinktank Autonomy, researchers and four-day week campaigners. In the UK more than 70 firms have signed up to trial a four-day week on no less pay, from marketing firms to a fish and chip shop. Almost half (49%) said productivity had improved, while 46% said output was around the same as usual.
As Joel Kaul, Founder of ONQOR Group & Pulse.io puts it…
“I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that is an astonishing result for the pilot scheme. Having implemented the four-day week ourselves, we’ve seen the benefit it brings to all aspects of work. Less burnout, more productivity, etc. etc. — you know the arguments.
This data has shown even before finishing the test run. The vast majority of businesses are experiencing the same.All signs are now pointing to a sea change in how work works. And , I couldn’t be more excited 🤷 ”
For me, as well, is the key finding that:
“95% say productivity has stayed the same or has improved”
And we shouldn’t be surprised as even during the pandemic. We were more productive. But this change to the 4 day work week needs company culture to change too. And the leadership to change. Which might not be for the faint of heart. As Paula Brockwell - employee experience coach comments:
“Having recently supported a client towards this ... leadership behaviour perspective is key.
You’ve got to be set up, and ready to
👂Listen
🤔 Trust
👑 Empower
🚉 And give your people the space to cut away the dead wood of tasks holding them back
⚡️Then…Once you get going, evaluate, learn and adapt quickly.”
It is this speed of communication and feedback that is the basis of new leadership. And why we built Your FLOCK the team engagement platform. We might not however have seen this change coming so quickly. But that “changes” for you. And those changes are likely to be happening more quickly - as Tom Cheeseright talks about in his great book.
(Tom and his book are also mentioned in my TedxTalk - which I hope you have made the time to see…. If not, please do it this weekend. It really is rather good.)
But one thing that might not have changed.
YOUR BOSS. AND THERE THINKING ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME.
We all know that we worked hard during the global pandemic. We know this as productivity went up, not down. Even though we have a LOT more stress and financial / social / health concerns. But now “post pandemic” with their office and middle managers panicking about their own survival. Now bosses have started to have productivity paranoia.
As new survey from Microsoft, which was pretty robust. As it involved more than 20,000 staff across 11 countries. Shows that bosses and employees have different opinions when it comes to productivity levels away from the office. Some 87% of staff argue they're just as productive, if not more so, when working from home. However, 80% of managers disagree.
And we can see why this is creating new problems. As people leave bad bosses not bad jobs. And the data shows an unprecedented number of people have switched jobs since the start of the pandemic. With Gen-Z workers almost twice as likely to have changed roles. These younger workers will make up about 30% of the entire workforce by 2030.
So the problem will get worse not better. This generational gap around employee engagement and experience. Is something also mentioned in my TedxTalk.
“As 1 in 5 UK workers feel that they don’t belong in their workplace. For those workers under the age of 34, this increases to 1 in 4”
So what are managers going to do? One is apparently to start to “Quiet Fire” people.
SO WHAT IS QUIET FIRING?
“Quiet quitting" is trending among Gen Z and millennial workers, but have you heard about “quiet firing? The latter is something I spoke about in the last newsletter. I am not a fan of the term at all and even less of what it means underneath the meanings for the company culture.
Quiet firing is when employers intentionally treat you badly. So that you will leave your job, reports Entrepreneur Magazine.
Examples include:
- going years without a raise or promotion,
- shifting responsibilities toward tasks that require less experience,
- and a deliberate withdrawal of development and leadership opportunities.
A recent HuffPost article lists several more signs you're about to get quiet fired. They include:
- your boss being unavailable for much-needed conversations,
- being placed on an unreasonable performance improvement plan,
- and your workload changing without your input.
We used to call this something else when I worked in larger businesses. And this bad managerial practice is precisely why myself and Michal built Your FLOCK.
As it's this kind of bad management is why people feel unhappy at work. Especially many young people. As:
“93% of Gen Z workers feel that feeling like they belong at work is important”
Which is why we must change the leadership of our businesses. And our team leaders for us to stand a chance together in this new world.
If we don’t feel we belong. Then what's the point of being in a company in the first place? If it’s just for the money. Then we lose happiness on the inside. And in the end, start to give up. And right now - with everything going on in the world.
We can’t be giving up.
Here's to you and yours. And a positive and non toxic and growing work place for you to become your best in ... And remember
"We don't have to. We get to."
Enjoy your weekends. Especially you Alex...
The references for this newsletter:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/four-day-working-week-wins-favour-with-86-of-trial-companies-rt8w67v0j (sorry but a paywall on this one.)
The References in my TedxTalk.
There are a lot - here you go :)
https://www.zippia.com/advice/why-people-hate-their-jobs/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/poll-job-employment-us-b1880056.html
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/358346/gallup-workplace-insights-learned-2021.aspx
https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-workers-quitting-quit-job-pandemic-covid-survey-monster-2021-7?r=US&IR=T
https://www.achievers.com/resources/white-papers/pulse-surveys-employee-engagement/
https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/recruitment/great-resignation-will-get-worse-2022-doesnt-2/
https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/other/young-workers-would-take-a-pay-cut-for-better-employee-experience
https://blog.smarp.com/employee-engagement-8-statistics-you-need-to-know
https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/employees-who-feel-heard-are-46x-more-likely-to-feel-empowered-to-do-their-best-work.html
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/corporate-values-employee-motivation-employee-activism/
https://www.achievers.com/resources/white-papers/pulse-surveys-employee-engagement/
https://www.randstad.co.uk/a-workplace-everyone-1-5-uk-workers-feel-they-dont-belong-work/
https://digitally.cognizant.com/belonging-in-covid-age-gen-z-is-ready-to-make-a-difference-codex6408
https://blog.perceptyx.com/covid-19-insights-what-employees-need-from-leaders
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours
https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-ceos-can-support-employee-mental-health-in-a-crisis
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mental-health-problems-work-speak-managers-boss-work-michael-page-a8351126.html
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge#gref
https://us.nttdata.com/en/blog/2022/february/dex-coe
https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/employee-engagement-statistics/
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/owl-labs-89-european-companies-230100164.html
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104762/coronavirus-home-office-and-work-life-balance-of-uk-marketers/
https://fortune.com/2021/06/16/workers-want-flexibility-and-are-willing-to-walk-if-they-dont-get-it-ceo-daily/
https://www.engagementmultiplier.com/resources/the-benefit-of-employee-engagement-improving-your-bottom-line/
https://libertymind.co.uk/9-company-culture-stats-that-will-make-culture-a-priority/
Find out more about what we do at Your FLOCK - the team engagement platform at www.YourFLOCK.co.uk and more about Dan on www.dansodergren.com