Category: Thought Leadership

The below content was originally published on the Insperity blog, a great source of information for business and HR best practices.

A generation ago, the typical employee career path was the classic “ladder,” with a series of clearly defined rungs for employees to climb. Now, according to a report by Gartner, with little physical time in the office, career paths aren’t as clearly defined because there is less visibility of the options for growth.

In addition, employees have spent the last few years rethinking the role of work in their lives – and there’s less drive to climb that classic ladder.

Your organization may benefit from defining career paths within your company, to keep your people engaged and to decide how to invest in your employees’ development. Without the old-fashioned ladder structure to guide you, career pathing requires a holistic approach and careful planning.

What makes a career plan different from employee development?

Before mapping career paths, it’s important to review the differences between employee development, succession planning and employee career pathing. These three practices are related but each has its own distinct goals.

1. Employee development, also called career development, identifies each individual’s role in the organization and the skills they need to keep fruitfully contributing. It also includes what their interests and goals are and how those align within the organization.
2. Succession planning identifies the right people to step into leadership roles when the time comes and ensures that they develop the skills they need for those roles beforehand.
3. Career pathing gives employees a map to the ways they can move within your organization, based on their interests, skills and personal career goals.

When is employee career pathing most useful?

Any organization can map career paths, but it’s especially useful for companies that need people with a specific or hard-to-find set of skills and experiences – this is even more heightened in a competitive job market, where the options for outside talent are especially limited. For example, if your business needs people who are in short supply, like data scientists, or people with a particular set of certifications, like social workers, career pathing can help you build an internal pipeline for those careers.

Career pathing can also be helpful for supporting internal promotion from entry-level and junior positions.

With clear career maps in place, your organization may also have a recruiting advantage. When you can show candidates their options for vertical and lateral moves within your company over time, as well as cross-training options, they’re better able to envision a long-term career there.

In addition to workforce planning purposes, employee career pathing is a very useful tool for engagement. If employees see that their organization values their personal career goals by sharing different ways they can grow in an organization, they will naturally feel more engaged and:

• Empowered to take ownership of their work
• Less likely to look for other employment options
• Encouraged to grow their leadership qualities
• More aligned and connected to broader company goals

What are the potential pitfalls?

One caution to keep in mind, especially if you’re focused on career pathing to build internal pipelines: Take steps to make sure you’re also building a diverse culture.

If your internal career pathways are full of people with the same or similar backgrounds, educational experiences and lifestyles, your company’s innovation and brand appeal can stall.

It’s also important to leave enough room in your career paths to avoid creating overly restrictive requirements for education, experience and skills. Career paths are about guiding, not gatekeeping.

Flexibility in your pathways allows managers to identify people who can move along the paths with the right training, coaching and support, even if they don’t tick every box.

How do you plan employee career paths?

1. Start with your organization chart, to get an idea of the general career paths available within your organization for different roles.

2. As you’re mapping paths, use your company’s compensation policy in conjunction to keep your pathways as consistent and fair as possible.

3. It’s a good idea to include your HR people in your career pathing exercises, to help you identify the training and support that each pathway may require.

4. Keep in mind that not all pathways will be vertical. There may be opportunities for someone to shift sideways in your organization.

What might that look like?

Consider a community health care system that needs to use data analytics to schedule staff efficiently and improve patient outcomes. Rather than draw only one career path, from junior IT staffer to analytics, the employer could also create a lateral path for nurses who want to get trained in informatics and analytics.

5. Finally, step back from your career paths to think about how employees’ progress along them will affect your whole organization.

For example, how does moving someone from IT into data science affect your company’s infrastructure? If one of your nurses moves into an analytics role, what needs to happen to maintain patient care?

How do you talk to employees about career paths?

You can use your performance review schedule to discuss career path options with your team. You can then tie those discussions into your succession planning.

Keep notes on each employee’s preferences and performance toward their career goals. By comparing their goals and current skills to the path they want to follow, you can identify the best next steps.

For someone who’s underperforming but wants to do more, getting a clear idea of their preferred career path will help you see which skills and trainings to prioritize.

For an employee who’s a high performer, special projects can help them build skills to move along their desired path. These projects can also help them stay engaged even if there’s not a new position for them to move into just yet.

What about employees who are happy where they are?

Special projects are also a good option for them, to keep them engaged without the pressure to move up or sideways. As a bonus, these projects can help them build skills they’ll need if they ever do decide they’d like to make a move.

How do you set expectations?

Discussing career pathing with employees and candidates can be exciting. It’s important, however, to use those discussions as an incentive and for planning purposes without overpromising a particular outcome.

The existence of a career path doesn’t mean that every employee along the path will follow it, or that they’ll follow it from end to end. It’s crucial to be clear with your people that simply meeting the criteria to move up or sideways doesn’t mean that move will happen automatically or right away.

For example, if a social worker attains a new certification that allows them to advance to a managerial role, but there are no open roles, the employee will have to wait.

Career path conversations don’t need to be formal or follow a rigid schedule. You can check in with your employees in casual chats between performance reviews to see:

• How everything’s going
• Whether their goals are changing
• Where they see themselves in a year or so

Then you can help them make the most of their journey along their career pathway.

Summing it all up

Employee career pathing is a useful tool not only for workforce planning, but also for employee engagement and retention. As you are implementing employee career paths, make sure you identify the areas of training and support that will be needed. In addition, ensure that any plans you do put in place include diversity.

Need help structuring your team for success? Download our template: Your organizational design blueprint.

The below content was originally published on the Insperity blog, a great source of information for business and HR best practices.

Internship programs are a win-win for businesses and educational institutions. For companies, they bring fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and the chance to develop a talent pipeline. For students, internships offer hands-on experience, professional connections and a glimpse into their potential career paths.

However, starting an internship program isn’t just about hiring a few students for the summer. It requires thoughtful planning, compliance with legal regulations and a clear understanding of how to provide a meaningful experience for interns while meeting organizational goals. 

In this guide on how to start an internship program, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from legal considerations to mentorship strategies and beyond. 

Introduction to internship programs 

Internship programs help to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world. They give students the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world scenarios while enabling businesses to cultivate future employees. But what’s the real value for both parties?

Understanding the value and benefits 

• For organizations: Internships provide a cost-effective way to identify and gain access to emerging talent, who are also potential long-term employees. They also bring in new ideas and fresh perspectives. Plus, companies can enhance their brand reputation by offering high-quality internship opportunities. 
• For interns: Interns gain practical experience, mentorship and networking opportunities that help them launch their careers. Paid internships can make these opportunities accessible to a wider pool of candidates. 

In short, these programs are mutually beneficial. While interns gain work experience and practical exposure, organizations can strengthen their recruitment pipeline and stay competitive and innovative. 

What are the initial steps to consider when starting an internship program? 

To kick off an internship program, begin by identifying your organization’s goals. Are you looking to support recruitment efforts, tackle special projects or simply enhance your company’s reputation?

Understanding these goals will help you craft a program that delivers measurable results. 

Next, outline the structure of your program. Decide on the number of interns, the duration of their assignments and the types of projects they will handle. Additionally, consider connecting with local educational institutions to tap into a qualified talent pool and design a program that aligns with academic credit requirements. 

Key considerations for planning and structuring 

• Set clear objectives: Decide whether the program will focus on project-based work, skill development or long-term recruitment. 
• Identify resources: Determine who will oversee the program and how interns will be supported. Assigning an internship coordinator ensures smooth operation.
• Design measurable outcomes: Create a framework to evaluate both the intern’s performance and the program’s overall success. A successful internship program requires continuous refinement based on feedback. 

Legal considerations and compliance 

Internship programs must comply with employment laws, which can vary by region. For example, in the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) outlines guidelines for unpaid internships. These laws ensure that interns are treated fairly and that their contributions are balanced with the learning benefits they receive. 

Organizations need to consider classification rules, minimum-wage requirements and overtime laws when structuring their programs. This is especially important for summer interns and those performing unpaid internships, where the primary focus must be on the intern’s educational experience rather than the organization’s benefit. 

Strategies for maintaining compliance 

• Understand classification: Determine whether your interns qualify as employees or trainees. If they are unpaid interns, ensure their work benefits their learning more than the organization. 
• Minimum wage and overtime: Paid internships must comply with minimum-wage and overtime laws. 
• Workplace policies: Ensure that interns are included in company policies regarding workplace conduct and safety. Clarify whether interns are entitled to benefits, such as health care or paid leave. 

Checklist for legal compliance 

1. Verify classification under the FLSA or relevant laws. 
2. Provide written agreements detailing job responsibilities, compensation and expectations. 
3. Ensure a safe working environment, with proper training and supervision. 
4. Include a clear plan for providing academic credit if applicable.

Designing effective internship job descriptions 

Writing a job description goes beyond listing tasks – it’s about painting a clear picture of the opportunity and setting the stage for a valuable experience. A well-crafted job description not only attracts the right candidates but also communicates your organization’s goals, culture and expectations. 

A strong job description serves as the cornerstone of your recruitment process, helping you communicate the purpose and value of the internship opportunity. It should strike a balance between being concise and detailed, providing potential interns with a comprehensive understanding of what the role entails while sparking their interest. 

Key elements to include 

• Role overview: Provide a summary of what the intern will do. Highlight how the role aligns with the organization’s goals and projects. 
• Responsibilities: List specific tasks and projects. Include examples of real-world skills interns will develop. 
• Qualifications: Outline any required skills, education or experience. Specify if the role is suited for individuals seeking academic credit. 
• Learning objectives: Highlight how the internship will benefit the intern, focusing on mentorship, skill development and career opportunities. 

Tips for making job descriptions stand out 

• Use clear, engaging language. 
• Emphasize opportunities for growth and learning. 
• Include details about mentorship and potential career pathways within your organization. 
• Tailor descriptions to resonate with your target audience, such as college students or recent graduates. 

Job descriptions are not just recruitment tools – they are candidates’ first impressions of your program. Ensure your descriptions communicate the value of the internship experience clearly and effectively.

Funding options for internship programs 

Internship programs can be funded through a mix of internal budgets, grants and sponsorships. Adequate funding ensures that your program is not only sustainable but also capable of providing a high-quality experience for interns. Beyond simply covering wages, a well-funded program can support mentorship initiatives, training opportunities and professional development activities. 

Exploring funding options is an essential step in ensuring your internship program’s success. Whether you’re seeking internal support or external partnerships, having a clear funding strategy can make the difference between a short-lived initiative and a long-term, impactful program. 

Exploring funding sources 

• Internal budget: Allocate funds from departmental budgets or operational savings. Align internship funding with your broader organizational goals. 
• Grants: Seek grants from educational institutions or workforce development agencies. These grants often prioritize programs that provide valuable learning opportunities. 
• Sponsorships: Partner with organizations that share your mission to co-fund the program. Sponsors can also help provide additional resources, such as training materials or access to professional networks. 

Best practices for budgeting 

• Account for wages, training resources and onboarding costs. Transparency in funding ensures trust and credibility. 
• Allocate funds for intern-specific activities, like networking events or skill-building workshops. These investments enhance the internship experience and boost retention. 
• Consider funding opportunities for unpaid internships that offer academic credit. 

Recruiting and retaining top talent

Recruitment is key to finding the right candidates who can contribute meaningfully to your organization’s goals. A strategic approach to recruiting talent ensures you attract individuals who not only meet the qualifications but also align with your company’s culture and values. This process goes beyond filling positions; it’s about building relationships with potential future employees.

Retaining interns requires intentional efforts to create a positive and fulfilling experience. Interns who feel valued, challenged and connected to the organization are more likely to return as full-time employees. Crafting a program with meaningful work and growth opportunities ensures you attract and retain the best talent. 

Best practices for recruitment 

• Post on targeted platforms: Use job boards, LinkedIn and university career centers. 
• Engage with academia: Build relationships with professors and career counselors. 
• Showcase your company’s culture: Highlight what makes your organization unique through social media and recruitment materials. Use testimonials from successful interns to demonstrate the program’s value. 

Retention strategies

• Offer meaningful work and regular feedback. Interns are more likely to stay engaged when they feel valued and challenged. 
• Provide opportunities for networking and professional growth. Retaining interns often involves helping them envision a future with your company. 
• Recognize interns’ contributions with awards, certificates or permanent job offers. Creating internship opportunities that feel impactful builds loyalty and enhances reputation. 

Mentorship and training in internship programs

Mentorship fosters a supportive and enriching environment for interns, helping them transition from academic settings to professional workplaces. Mentors play a crucial role in guiding interns, offering industry insights and providing feedback that shapes their professional growth. A strong mentorship model can significantly enhance the value of an internship program. 

Effective training ensures that interns are well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to your organization. Structured programs that include orientation, hands-on tasks and skill-building workshops set the stage for a productive and rewarding experience. Together, mentorship and training create a solid foundation for successful internships. 

Designing a mentorship model

• Pair interns with experienced team members who can guide them. Mentors should act as coaches and role models. 
• Encourage mentors to set regular check-ins and offer constructive feedback. These sessions create opportunities for professional and personal growth. 

Effective training programs

Develop orientation sessions that introduce interns to your organization’s values and goals. This is a crucial step in creating a cohesive intern program. 

Offer hands-on training and access to learning resources, such as online courses or workshops. Training should align with the intern’s career goals and your organizational objectives. 

Evaluating the success of your internship program

Evaluating success ensures continuous improvement and helps organizations determine whether their internship programs are meeting intended goals. A well-rounded evaluation process considers both tangible outcomes and qualitative feedback, ensuring that the program consistently delivers value to both the interns and the organization. Regular evaluations also highlight areas for refinement, keeping the program aligned with industry trends and organizational objectives. 

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

• Intern retention rates and conversion to full-time employees. 
• Feedback scores from intern surveys. 
• The success of projects completed by interns. 
• Mentor evaluations of intern performance. 

Feedback mechanisms

• Conduct exit interviews to understand the intern’s experience. 
• Gather feedback from managers and mentors to identify areas for improvement. 

Regular evaluations allow you to refine your corporate internship program framework and ensure it remains relevant and impactful. 

Summing it all up 

Starting an internship program is an investment in your organization’s future. By carefully planning, adhering to legal guidelines and prioritizing mentorship, you can create a program that benefits both interns and your business. A strong corporate internship program framework can provide the foundation for an impactful experience. 

Interns may be your future workforce – and a strong people strategy helps you support them as they grow. Learn more in our free e-book: The ultimate people strategy playbook: Building a winning workforce.

Community heroes are clients who share our values and enrich the places where their people live and work through entrepreneurship, innovation, job creation, mission-guided impact and collaboration. This year’s honorees have been named from Missouri, New York, South Carolina and Washington. Learn more about the four 2024 community hero honorees and read their stories here.

As a business leader, you’re probably accustomed to conducting performance reviews with employees. This is because it’s so important for team members to receive constructive feedback from objective third parties. We simply do not see ourselves the way other people do.

But what about you – who’s reviewing your performance?

Maybe someone is conducting your regular performance review once a year, or maybe no one is evaluating you.

As business leaders climb higher up the organizational ladder, there are fewer opportunities to obtain constructive feedback. In fact, it could be pretty easy to avoid feedback entirely if you didn’t want to hear it. This is because:

• Leaders may not have a manager above them or peers who are available to provide feedback.
• Employees are usually hesitant to be perceived as criticizing their manager and won’t say anything negative – even if invited to.

(Side note: Employees’ fear of being honest and open is feedback in and of itself – a warning sign that your culture may require some attention or that your leadership style has reduced trust.)

It can be easy to get stuck within a leadership bubble, somewhat isolated and cocooned from any criticism or feedback, certain that you’re only getting better because of your current position or continued upward trajectory.

So, what’s the answer? One helpful solution can be leadership self-assessments.

This activity may not always be fun and can definitely be challenging, but it’s an essential practice for leaders who strive for improvement and growth.

What is a leadership self-assessment?

A self-assessment or evaluation is a “warts-and-all” review of yourself that:

• Takes an honest look at where you are right now
• Assesses what you’re doing well and should continue doing
• Reveals competencies in which you may struggle
• Uncovers opportunities for improvement
• Confirms what you should stop doing altogether
• Evaluates progress toward professional goals

Why is this exercise so important for leaders in particular?

Benefits of a leadership self-assessment

For starters, leaders need feedback for the same reason their employees do – to understand how to perform better and be more effective in their role.

A self-assessment is critical for:

• Enhancing self-awareness
  • Knowledge of your strengths to augment and capitalize on
  • Knowledge of your weaknesses to improve upon or eliminate
  • Insight into your tendencies, drivers, de-motivators and stressors
• Proactively identifying and banishing undesirable behaviors and habits that can impair relationships with employees, therefore reducing turnover while increasing productivity and morale
• Formulating a plan to reach your goals faster

In many ways, a self-assessment is like a personal SWOT analysis.

When you share your self-assessment practices with employees and explain to them how you’re trying to improve in certain areas, you can:

• Instill and reinforce a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Inspire others to act similarly
• Expose your vulnerability and humility to your team, which can have a positive impact on your culture and relationships with employees
• Encourage honest, transparent communications

Furthermore, compared to an evaluation by an authority figure, a self-assessment can be incredibly motivating because it comes from within.

Frequency of self-assessment

Certainly, it’s recommended to make leadership self-assessment an ongoing endeavor – something you practice daily as part of an effective habit associated with strong leadership.

However, it’s also a great idea to formally schedule times to evaluate yourself in a more detailed and comprehensive manner. Human tendency is to put off exposing oneself to criticism, but having time blocked off on your work calendar can make it harder to avoid this activity.

You can perform an in-depth self-assessment quarterly or a few times per year. The main point is to set up a regular cadence. Plus, the feedback you receive from others, if any, is likely in the form of a performance review that’s conducted annually. Self-assessment gives you ample opportunity to focus on improvement throughout the year.

Also consider going off-site from your workplace – making this a “personal retreat” of sorts. This will enable you to better focus and fully dedicate the appropriate amount of time to this exercise, away from the distractions of your office or home.

What does a leadership self-assessment include?

Consider which competencies and skills are most relevant and critical to your role and type of work.

Examples of common areas of evaluation for leaders:

• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Organizational skills
• Time management
• Leadership style
• Decision-making capabilities
• Ability to train and teach others
• Team building
• Employee engagement
• Ability to navigate difficult conversations with employees
• Commitment to professional development
• Networking and business development
• Specific technical competencies

It’s easy to want to touch on everything; to prevent this exercise from becoming overwhelming, select your personal top five to seven competencies.

Self-assessment process

Once you’ve decided when you will complete the self-assessment and identified the competencies on which you’ll judge yourself, you’re ready to get started.

You have a couple of options:

1. Create your own questionnaire and rate yourself

This option allows you to tailor your questionnaire perfectly to your company and leadership role. The questionnaire doesn’t have to be lengthy or complicated, but it does need to address all the core competencies you’ve identified as most important.

This can be done through a series of:

• Questions
• Agree/disagree statements
• Opportunities to rank oneself on a scale

2. Use a third-party tool

If you really want to gain the most objective, bias-free picture of yourself and understand how others view you, this is a great choice. There are many different types of leadership assessment tools and general personality tests, such as Myers-Briggs or DISC, from which you can choose.

At the same time, you can supplement your leadership self-assessment by conducting a 360-degree assessment, during which you also solicit feedback from people at different levels of your organization who have a working relationship with you.

These individuals could be:

• Colleagues or peers
• A more senior manager
• Direct reports on your team
• Vendors
• Clients
• Mentors

This fills out the snapshot of your current performance and can highlight any discrepancies in how you rate yourself compared to others for a certain skill.

What to watch out for

Take care to avoid – consciously or unconsciously – tainting the results of your leadership self-assessment. Although you know yourself better than anyone else, and that’s why a self-assessment is so valuable, the potential for error is always present.

Top mistakes that leaders make when engaging in a self-assessment are:

• Allowing your own bias to creep in. For example, cherry-picking competencies that you know you’re good at and rating yourself only for those.
• Making excuses for yourself and not being 100% honest in your evaluation.
• Being overly negative, which can diminish your confidence and motivation.
• Not sharing the results of the evaluation with a select group of people to broaden your perspective and identify any blind spots.
• Ignoring the results and continuing on with “business as usual.”

What to do after completing a leadership self-assessment?

A self-assessment is a pointless activity if you don’t leverage the information you uncover to your benefit, take meaningful action in the near future and hold yourself accountable for making improvements.

Some options for a path forward:

• Share the results of your leadership self-assessment with a circle of trusted peers and ask them if they agree or disagree with your assessment – and why.
• From your self-assessment, select the one or two competencies with the biggest gap between your current performance and your desired performance. You can’t do everything at once, so focus on a couple at a time.
• Procure a mentor who embodies one of these skills or competencies well and can give you advice and training. Or you can ask a peer who has mastered the skill or competency to help you. This not only aids in your learning but can also expand your professional network.
• Take advantage of other training and development resources.
• Let your employees know the skills you’re working on and ask for their honest feedback on your progress.
• Set concrete goals for what you’d like to accomplish – with deadlines.
• Create a means for measuring success.

Summing it all up

All employees benefit from objective, thoughtful performance reviews – and even the most senior of managers are no exception. But because they occupy a unique position in the organizational hierarchy that can disrupt the ability to obtain honest, timely feedback from others, leadership self-assessments are necessary for leaders to grow, develop, improve and achieve goals.

To learn more about the practices that align with strong leadership, download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to leadership and management.

The below content was originally published on the Insperity blog, a great source of information for business and HR best practices.

You’ve probably heard someone say, “One of my professional goals is taking ownership of a big project.” But as a business leader, have you said, “I really want my employees to desire taking ownership of their work?”

When you think of an ideal employee or team, qualities like good communication, problem-solving and dependability come to mind. But an essential component of a high-functioning team and outstanding business performance is individual employees taking ownership of their work.

Employee ownership is a powerful driver for fostering a collaborative and growth-focused workplace. When employees take ownership of their roles and responsibilities, they feel a deeper connection to the organization’s goals, leading to enhanced engagement and accountability. This results in improved team cohesion, proactive problem-solving and continuous innovation. 

And the benefits of employee ownership extend beyond strong business performance. There’s a direct link between employees taking ownership of their work and businesses achieving the things that are most important to them: high employee engagement, morale and retention. Furthermore, employees taking ownership is an indicator of a desirable workplace culture and thriving manager-direct report relationships.

Clearly, employees taking ownership should be a priority at any organization. Here, we’ll discuss how to get employees to take ownership, resulting in greater employee satisfaction and superior productivity. 

So, what is employee ownership all about?

We’ve all heard phrases such as take the reins, hit the ground running or take the ball and run with it, right? That’s exactly what we’re talking about here.

When we refer to an employee taking ownership of their work, this means that they assume responsibility for completing or overseeing a task, project or initiative from start to finish, and are accountable for the results.

During the process of completing their work, these employees are motivated to put in their best effort, going above and beyond to enhance the quality of their work. They feel invested in the outcome – caring about organizational success in the same way that their manager or a business owner would. Concerned for their own personal success as well, they desire to make a positive, wide-ranging impact and carry influence within their sphere of expertise.

What does taking ownership at work look like?

Employees who take ownership may:

• Volunteer first for opportunities and assignments when their manager offers
• Are proactive in knowing which tasks must be done – acting independently and without requiring instruction
• Anticipate potential problems and take steps to resolve issues before they escalate
• Take risks in a calculated, thoughtful way that’s intended to advance creativity or innovation

On a day-to-day basis, employees who take ownership exhibit these characteristics:

• Interest and satisfaction in the work they do
• Eagerness to learn and do more
• Fully participate in team or client meetings
• Are willing to provide feedback and ideas
• Practice autonomy and self-sufficiency
• Confidence
• Healthy ambition
• Awareness that they are the masters of their own success

Taking ownership is the same thing as telling others in the workplace that you’re trustworthy, reliable, conscientious and diligent – even when authority figures aren’t looking.

Ultimately, taking ownership is the intersection of individual passion with initiative and accountability.

The alternative scenario has employees:

• Doing the bare minimum to get by
• Going through the motions each day on autopilot, without the motivation or inspiration to think of new ideas or uncover opportunities for improvement
• Withdrawing – not sharing ideas or taking healthy risks – and letting the organization stagnate
• Going to their manager and seeking help with every little thing

Why taking ownership matters

Taking ownership is important for employees, managers and the entire business.

For employees, taking ownership helps them to:

• Build trust with their manager and other team members
• Increase their self-confidence and sense of self-worth
• Take pride in their work and experience ever-greater levels of autonomy
• Keep learning, growing and developing
• Assume additional responsibilities and become a candidate for promotions
• Excel in their career

From a manager’s perspective, these employees:

• Free managers to focus more on strategic goals and bigger-picture issues, instead of forcing them to get involved with every minor task and conflict employees may experience.
• Strengthen relationships with their managers and reduce the need for difficult, tense conversations about performance.
• Strengthen team morale and positively influence other employees to work harder and feel connected to broader team goals

For the organization as a whole, employees taking ownership positively impacts the bottom line through:

• Happier, more fulfilled and committed employees
• Low turnover and, therefore, better retention
• High-quality work output
• More idea sharing and innovation
• Improved culture and team dynamics

Role of leadership in fostering ownership 

Leaders set the tone for ownership by demonstrating accountability, transparency and a willingness to accept responsibility. Modeling these behaviors encourages employees to follow suit. 

Key qualities include trust-building, effective communication and the ability to provide constructive feedback. Leaders who prioritize these qualities create a supportive environment that fosters ownership. 

7 ways leaders can encourage taking ownership at work

Of course you want your employees to take ownership. Employees who embrace these characteristics are every manager’s dream team member!

But, how do you get to this point?

As a manager, here are the actions you should take to encourage your employees to take ownership of their work and reap the benefits.

1. Exhibit ownership and passion yourself

Everything starts at the top of the organization. Your employees take their cues about what’s important and how to act from you – if you want your employees to embrace a certain behavior, you have to model it.

At the outset, explain to each employee that you value their taking ownership and encourage them to do it.

2. Get to know your people

It can be difficult to inspire people to do more when you don’t fully understand them and what makes them tick. So, learn about your team members as individuals.

• Where do they see themselves next?
• What’s their ultimate dream role?
• What excites them most?
• What motivates them every day?
• What are their strengths?
• What are their hidden talents and interests?
• Do they have any fears or roadblocks that are holding them back?

Regular one-on-one meetings and team meetings are important for regularly checking in to discuss these topics and just find out how they’re doing in general – both professionally and personally.

So much of encouraging employees to take ownership comes down to building rapport and maintaining open communication.

3. Align workers’ job functions and projects with company goals, mission, vision and values

Most people don’t find it inspiring and empowering to feel like a “sheeple,” just blindly following orders with limited visibility. We all need to understand the why behind what we do.

That’s why employees must know:

• The full extent of their job responsibilities, the parameters they work within and your expectations for their performance
• Whether you permit them to step outside their “job description box” and think bigger (and you should)
• How their role fits within the larger team and impacts or supports other positions
• Why their job functions – from day-to-day tasks to major initiatives – matter and how they contribute to the company’s success in reaching goals
• How their role upholds the company mission, vision and values

It’s up to leaders to communicate this bigger-picture vision and imbue team members with a sense of purpose and direction.

Furthermore, when employees understand the reasoning behind what they do and how they do it, they are more likely to feel confident stepping up, claiming ownership and making good decisions when called upon to do so.

4. Provide ongoing opportunities for learning and development

When employees first join your team, whether they’re brand-new hires or they’ve transitioned into a new role from another team or department, you need to give them a good foundation for their role through training.

Their initial training period is when employees:

• Learn new processes, procedures and, potentially, technical skills and technology systems
• Build relationships
• Adapt to team dynamics and norms
• Acclimate to the culture
• Figure out how their role fits in

As their manager, you are responsible for getting employees to a place at which they feel knowledgeable, prepared and confident – and, as a result, will feel comfortable seizing ownership when the opportunity arises.

But to maintain employees’ passion and motivation to do more, establish a culture of continuous learning.

Help employees expand their knowledge, keep up with trends and understand that their initiative equates with advancement:

• Work with employees to formulate their career path and set benchmarks about what they need to learn and do along the way to accomplish their ultimate goals. Also include them in your succession planning.
• Connect employees with internal training resources, such as webinars, podcasts, articles or online courses, as well as vetted external development opportunities.
• Allow them to shadow colleagues and other groups from whom they can learn a valuable skill and forge relationships across the company.
• Pair employees with a mentor.

5. Ask for employees’ input – and listen to them

Want to know what your employees think about a business challenge? Want them to share their ideas for achieving a certain goal? Get in the habit of regularly asking them for their opinions.

This is a major part of building up employees’ self-confidence and autonomy. After all, everyone wants to feel like others trust them and value their opinion. Once that seed has been planted, employees will do it more often.

However, to maintain trust and a culture in which employees feel comfortable speaking up to share their ideas and opinions, you need to:

• Listen thoughtfully and ask follow-up questions if you need clarification.
• Carefully consider their input – avoid criticism or quick rejection.
• Explain tactfully why you can’t implement a suggestion at this time, if you’re unable to do so.
• Encourage them to keep sharing.

6. Show gratitude

Instilling a culture of gratitude in your workplace is so important.

Everyone likes to receive positive feedback and feel appreciated. It makes us feel good about ourselves and, as a result, increases confidence. It also creates an environment in which people are happier and more motivated.

When your employees exhibit desirable behavior, such as taking ownership of their work or accomplishing a positive outcome, don’t forget to thank them and tell them you noticed.

Also consider a formal recognition program or encouraging peers to recognize each other for a job well done.

As a result of earning the acknowledgement that most employees crave, they’ll keep up the good work.

7. Encourage autonomy. No micromanaging!

Hopefully, with the rise of remote and hybrid work, the days of managers hovering over their employees’ shoulders and breathing down their necks is a manager mistake of the past.

There’s no quicker way to diminish employee morale, initiative and confidence than making them feel constantly watched, judged and bossed around, forced to conform to someone else’s preferences.

Remember earlier when we said that employees take their behavioral cues from managers? If you make them feel small and childlike, they’ll feel stifled and resentful. If you make them feel boxed into a certain way of doing things, it reinforces the idea that they’re “beneath” you and can’t do anything without your say-so.

But if you empower them and build them up, they’ll take ownership. In fact, most employees want more autonomy in the workplace – not less. People want to feel smart, valued and trusted.

How can you banish the temptation to micromanage and learn to let go?

Understand the proper role of a manager.

Managers should be available to answer questions, offer guidance and coach employees – not to spoon feed employees and hold their hand every step of the way. You do not need to get involved in every single task that an employee undertakes or manage every single conflict or challenge that employees face. Instead, encourage their independence.

Learn to delegate more often.

• Determine which tasks require your involvement versus those you can hand off to others.
• Strive to make your people feel capable and prepared.
• Assure them that they have your full confidence, but you’re available to support them when needed.
• Strike a balance between that support and giving them the freedom to inject their own discretion, creativity, problem-solving skills and decision-making authority into assignments.

Engage in open communication with employees and solicit their feedback on your performance.

Ask them how you can better serve them.

• What do they need from you?
• What, specifically, do they wish you would do more – or less?
• How well are you walking the line between overzealous oversight and ensuring that everyone’s on track?

Tools and resources for promoting ownership 

Team collaboration tools make it easier for employees to communicate, manage tasks and stay updated in real-time. Features like instant messaging, project tracking and file sharing can help eliminate communication roadblocks and keep teams connected and productive.

Access to professional development resources, such as online learning platforms and internal training programs, empowers employees to sharpen their skills and foster a culture of continuous learning. By providing opportunities to learn and grow, companies inspire individuals to take charge of their development, leading to greater engagement and a stronger sense of accountability.

Performance management systems play a crucial role in encouraging ownership by offering clear feedback channels and goal-setting tools. These systems help managers establish expectations, track progress and provide regular input. The result? Greater transparency, which helps employees see how their work aligns with the company’s goals and also motivates them to take more initiative.

Summing it all up

Employees taking ownership of their work is critical for businesses in terms of a motivated, confident, and engaged workforce; trusting relationships; quality work output; and, ultimately, successful performance and goal achievement. If you implement the seven tips outlined here, you’ll have a positive work environment in which employees feel empowered to take ownership of their work and managers feel comfortable in stepping back and enabling more independence.

Encouraging autonomy is one piece of the puzzle. To learn more about creating a workplace in which employees are nurtured for growth, download our free template: Crafting a high-impact leadership development program.

Despite your best intentions, sometimes HR becomes out of touch with the rest of the company.

Your HR team thinks everything is going great, but in fact, employees are unsatisfied, aggrieved or disengaged.

If you suspect that an HR disconnect is intensifying at your organization, you’re not alone, and you’re not without tools for mending it.

To fully understand this issue, let’s explore:

• The key warning sign that HR’s perception of your company doesn’t align with reality
• How to confirm that HR disconnect is becoming a problem
• What causes this issue and what’s at stake if it’s not resolved
• How to fix your HR alignment problems

What’s the main symptom of an HR disconnect?

HR alignment problems affect companies in different ways. The first signs may be subtle, but the sooner you can identify them, the easier they will be to correct.

However, there’s one symptom that you should never ignore:

Your employees are hesitant to contact HR or have stopped altogether.

This is a huge warning sign that you and your employees aren’t on the same page anymore.

And the more your employees disregard HR when they need help, the more siloed your team becomes from the people you’re there to support.

How do you diagnose a misalignment between HR and employees?

Initially you might assume that silence from employees is a sign that things are going well and that your employees are feeling engaged and productive.

However, if you consistently fail to hear much from employees, the opposite may be true.

But how can you reliably confirm that the silence indicates a problem?

Here are some suggestions ordered from the simplest to most-involved:

1. Read what employees are saying about your company online
2. Follow up with new employees after onboarding
3. Conduct employee pulse checks or surveys

1. Monitor the web for reviews

Online reviews of your organization often come from the inside. If you haven’t been regularly monitoring them, you may find some opinions that surprise you.

The most popular sites for these include:

• Glassdoor
• Indeed
• Careerbliss
• Jobitorial
• Yelp

Is there a recurring negative sentiment among the comments that you find on these sites? If so, that may be enough to confirm your suspicions of HR misalignment.

2. Check in with new employees

New employees usually get to know your company through HR or recruiting first, and then in their first few months, they experience your company for themselves.

Checking in with new hires multiple times within their first 90 days of employment can help you understand whether the real experience of working for your company is different from the way you present it during the hiring process.

Simply ask them how their experience is going, and then document the answers you collect to help you track any patterns showing misalignment.

3. Survey your employees

Surveys can be a very useful diagnostic tool when you suspect an HR disconnect.

Even if you only conduct a full climate survey once every year or two, you can still send your employees a couple of questions per quarter, asking specifically about their interactions with HR.

For example, you could ask your employees to indicate their level of agreement with the following statement:

“I can go talk to HR if I have a question or problem.”

Be sure to respond to your employees when you survey them, as they will expect to hear back after providing you with their feedback.

What causes employee and HR disconnect issues?

The next step is to understand the root of the problem.

Here are some common causes that could be behind your employee and HR alignment issues.

1. Your employees don’t think of HR beyond its tactical role.

Sometimes employees view HR only as an administrative resource for hiring, terminations and benefits questions.

However, a strong HR department will have both tactical and strategic programs for employees.

2. They believe HR is pro-owner or pro-management.

HR usually spends a lot of time with the organization’s owners and senior leaders. Sometimes the rest of the workforce takes notice of this tendency and concludes that they aren’t approachable or must be pro-management at heart.

3. They don’t trust HR anymore.

HR is charged with initiating a lot of difficult conversations:

• Change initiatives
• Performance counseling
• Terminations

Even slight miscommunication in these situations can break down trust (like an employee relations issue that wasn’t explained fully). If employees disagree with one of HR’s stances or actions, they sometimes stop trusting HR altogether.

Employees may also become wary of HR staff who have personal friendships outside of the department, making their impartiality less convincing.

When employees don’t feel they have someone to approach who is connected with the C-suite:

• Morale suffers
• Ideas don’t flow freely

When HR and employees are out of sync, the sentiment can eventually travel outside of your organization. This can negatively impact your recruiting efforts.

How do you repair an HR disconnect?

Now let’s focus on how you can fix your HR alignment problems. Here are a few solutions to try.

1. Get away from your desk and spend time with people.

The more you interact with employees on a regular basis, the more trust you can rebuild. When you take time to get to know people on a personal level, you may see new ways to positively impact the work environment in your role as an HR person.

This includes:

• Understanding employee motivation
• Learning their concerns and personal challenges
• Hearing more diverse ideas to improve operational efficiencies
• Enhancing your customer’s experience   

Just be sure to balance your time among employees to avoid appearing overly friendly with one group.

2. Check your approachability.

Make every effort to be welcoming and receptive when employees come to you. Even in situations that are challenging for you or involve conflict.

3. Avoid “checkbox” HR.

Don’t just cross an employee task off your list. Truly listen, engage and support your employees through the processes that may seem mundane to you.

For example, in an employee counseling circumstance, don’t just document issues. Show that you believe improvement is possible and help the employee and manager create a development plan.

4. Let people ask more questions, and be open to hearing feedback.

Host a lunch-and-learn or Zoom meeting around an issue you’re proactively discussing in HR. Invite employees to participate and ask lots of questions. Carefully consider their feedback and concerns.

5. Ensure employees understand their career path.

Build trust by helping employees see that they have a future at your organization. Let them know that you’re there to help them advance and grow.

6. Have HR conviction.

In difficult conversations, demonstrate your HR conviction, communicating that you care too much about the individuals involved and your organization to let it go unaddressed.

Operating from the right motivation and sharing your perspective with employees will help earn their trust and respect.

Summing it all up

Don’t let hesitancy to contact HR become the norm for your employees. Find out if it’s coincidence or true reluctance and learn what might be driving the divide.

Try implementing some of the solutions above. Over time, taking these actions will help you reestablish a healthy connection between your workforce and your HR department. But you don’t have to stop there. Download our free e-book on the 7 most frequent HR mistakes and how to avoid them to learn how to anticipate and resolve more common HR issues.

Learn about Insperity’s culture of care for our employees and our clients in our newly released 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report. This report tells our story as a company and is a great way to see how we accomplish our mission of helping businesses succeed so communities prosper through philanthropic action, client programs and more.

 Download a copy

We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to the retirement education wheelhouse: the 401(k) Toolbox.

The 401(k) Toolbox is an educational guide to demystify the world of 401(k) plans for your employees. It offers an interactive platform that allows users to progress at their own pace and quickly find answers to their questions.

Eligible participants can explore key 401(k) topics through easy-to-read content, videos, interactive charts and calculators to simplify complex topics such as Roth vs. pre-tax, loans vs. hardship withdrawals, investment concepts and tips on managing their account. The sidebar menu categorizes content, enabling quick access as they scan and select relevant sections. Whether your employees are seasoned investors or new to retirement savings, this guide empowers them to make informed decisions about their 401(k) with ease and confidence.

 The toolbox can be easily accessed here.

The below content was originally published on the Insperity blog, a great source of information for business and HR best practices.

In today’s dynamic business landscape, the role of human resources extends far beyond traditional administrative functions. HR plays a pivotal role in driving organizational success, but a big part of doing that is to make sure HR initiatives are in alignment with overarching business objectives.

Plus, the connection between HR strategies and business plans is not just beneficial; it’s imperative for sustainable growth and to maintain a competitive advantage.

In this blog we’ll uncover:

• The importance of business objectives
• How to align them to HR initiatives
• Challenges and solutions
• Understanding business objectives

To effectively align HR initiatives with business objectives, it’s crucial to first understand the company’s mission, vision and long-term goals. This knowledge serves as a compass for HR leaders and business owners to navigate their initiatives in the right direction.

Setting and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to business success provides a tangible framework for measuring progress and adjusting strategies as needed.

In order to start with a foundation, make sure your business objectives:

• Clarify the company’s mission, vision and values to gain insight into its overarching purpose and direction.
• Identify and prioritize long-term goals and KPIs that define success and guide strategic decision-making.
• Consider external factors such as market dynamics, industry trends and competitive landscape to contextualize business objectives and ensure alignment with broader market realities.

Aligning HR initiatives

There are some higher-level areas within your people strategy that you can – and will want to – look at in relation to your overall business objectives.

Refine recruiting and onboarding strategies

Tailoring the talent acquisition process to meet specific business needs ensures that organizations attract candidates who not only possess the required skills but also align with the company culture and values.

Enhancing the onboarding experience further reinforces this alignment, setting the stage for new hires to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s goals from day one.

Optimize training and development

Strategically designed training and development programs equip employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to drive business objectives forward. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, organizations not only enhance employee engagement but also promote agility and adaptability in the face of an ever-changing business landscape.

Tailor performance management

Structured performance evaluations that directly reflect business targets serve as a powerful tool for aligning individual employee goals with organizational objectives. Recognizing and rewarding employees who contribute to business success reinforces a performance-driven culture and directly connects employees’ work with business goals.

Engrain employee engagement

Developing employee engagement strategies that are rooted in the company’s values and objectives cultivates a sense of purpose and belonging among employees. Recognizing the intrinsic link between employee satisfaction and productivity, HR initiatives aimed at fostering engagement directly contribute to driving business results.

Measure success

Defining metrics to assess the impact of HR initiatives on business objectives is essential for gauging effectiveness and making informed decisions. Regular feedback loops enable continuous refinement and alignment, ensuring that HR efforts remain closely aligned with evolving business needs.

Challenges of aligning HR initiatives with business objectives

1. Communication barriers: Overcoming communication barriers between HR and business units requires proactive efforts to foster understanding and collaboration.  Try to implement strategies for effective inter-departmental communication, which can promote transparency and alignment across the organization.
2. Resistance to change: Sometimes getting in alignment means changing the status quo.  By involving employees in the change process early on and emphasizing the benefits of strategic alignment, you can foster acceptance and cooperation among team members.
3. HR technology integration: Streamlining HR processes with technology that supports strategic goals can enhance efficiency and effectiveness. However, integrating HR systems with broader business operations does present challenges that require careful planning and collaboration between HR and IT departments.

Summing it up

The strategic alignment of HR initiatives with business objectives is not just a desirable goal; it’s a fundamental driver of organizational success. By partnering closely with business leaders and stakeholders, HR professionals can harness the full potential of their initiatives to propel the organization toward its goals.

In a rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to adapt and align HR strategies with changing priorities will be key to maintaining a competitive edge and achieving sustainable growth. Take the next step towards sustainable growth and competitive advantage. Learn more about how a PEO can help by downloading your free guide, A step-by-step guide to HR outsourcing.

Curious about what’s top of mind for business leaders in 2024? Unravel the pressing expectations, key concerns and strategic priorities shaping today’s business leaders in Insperity’s Business Outlook Report 2024. Get guidance from some of today’s most successful business leaders, explore our findings and arm your business with the insights it needs in an ever-evolving business landscape. 

Download a copy