This morning I went to an Employer of Choice Breakfast hosted by the TCCI and sponsored by Hazell Bros. As you can probably imagine, I go to a lot of conferences, breakfasts and events related to the skill and labour market. However, this one was different. Refreshingly different.
For the first time in a long time, the concept of Employer of Choice didn't focus on Gen Y, or flexibility in the workplace or paid maternity leave, but programs that are actually measurable in improving both business profitability and employee welfare. Hazell Bros provided examples of the programs that they use to better engage with their employees which has direclty resulted in signficant decreases in workers compensation insurance premiums, retention and absenteeism.
Hazell Bros recognise that it is often difficult to separate work from life (and vice versa) and therefore outsources the provision of an employee assistance program (EAP). While EAPs have been used in the workplace since the 1940s, they have traditionally focussed on drug and alocohol related issues affecting an employee in the workplace. It is now more common for employees to experience stress, relationship problems, depression and even conflict in the workplace. These issues can have a detrimental affect on workplace performance.
Hazell Bros believes that providing the means to address personal issues through the workplace provides benefits to both the business and the community.
Tony Newport from Newport & Wildman advised that affective EAPs are an essential tool in the workplace have the following attributes:
1) listen and validate
2) never promise what can not be delivered
3) assert what can't be done
4) acknowledge when a supportive strategy is not working
5) assert what needs to be done
Today's breakfast demonstrated that the Employer of Choice concept is not a soft and fluffy concept as is often intepreted, but can provide real workforce planning solutions with direct results.
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2 comments:
So what else did Hazells discuss that you found exciting? Having been engaged with them for some years I don't see a lot of innovation or anything different, indeed on an operational level much of the reality of how they look after people is not of particular note.
HI Anon 10.51
Obviously not having been involved with Hazell Bros from an operational level, I can only make comments on what I see and hear objectively.
From that, I have been impressed with their dedication and investment in projects and programs that particularly assist those long term disadvantaged, disadvantaged and at-risk youth and migrants into training and employment.
They must be doing something right to halve their turnover rate from 25% to 12% in around 3 years, and to record a 68% satisfaction with staff engagement in the well-respected Hewitt Survey.
The focus of this particular blog however, was recognising that there are alternative approaches to Employer of Choice HR policies other than those focussing on Gen Y, flexibility in the workplace and/or maternity leave. I used the EAP program of Hazell Bros to illustrate this.
I would be interested in your thoughts on what other sorts of initiatives would work well in the workplace (Hazell Bros or not) that would look after the staff at a greater level.
Cheers, Lisa
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