Fun & Trendy HR Tips

  Mondays have a poor reputation, as it symbolises going back to work after taking a break, which may affect motivation and engagement. In HR terms, it is essential to solve the so-called Monday blues that will help to keep the workforce and wellbeing of staff members. Structured HR interventions that may be used to increase motivation include flexible start time, team huddles, recognition moments and wellness activities. This kind of intervention can be consistent with modern HRM, where engagement of employees and organisational culture are regarded as strategic drivers of productivity (Bratton and Gold, 2017). These strategies are very applicable in the state of Sri Lanka economy in the private sector that is majorly in the apparel industry. The workload and strict production deadlines can be unpredictable to employees in the merchandising and industrial engineering industries as well as to HR. Monday engagement programs are essential due to the stressful nature of fast-fashion n...

  The Art of Not Checking Emails at night The concept presented is a pun but has a serious idea that is becoming a more important part of the HR practice namely the creation of healthy digital boundaries. In a world where hybrid work, phones and instant messaging are causing work and personal time to become one, not checking emails at night seems a small and yet mighty form of self-care. Limited after-hours communication, according to HR perspective, is favourable to work-life balance, cognitive load, and help employees to avoid burnout and this is an issue that has garnered extensive attention in organisational behaviour literature and occupational health literature (Cooper & Cartwright, 1994). The context of the Sri Lankan private sector however gives a different picture when it comes to the analysis of this boundary setting practice. Various organisations particularly within the fields of IT, banking, and apparel work in highly dynamic and time-sensitive fields. The cultura...

  ✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋✋ In 2013 MARS (Fast moving consumer goods company) launched its “Make the difference” Awards, a thoughtfully designed program that celebrated employees’ individual contributions and collaborative successes. This included offering monetary rewards alongside public acknowledgement for innovative and collaborative ideas for individuals and teams making sure all employees felt their unique efforts were valued and appreciated The Make the Difference awards by MARS, which was introduced in 2013 are a strategic HR initiative which allows the rewarding of the individual as well as the team. The program is an insightful effort to boost employee motivation and strengthen a culture of innovation and teamwork by rewarding the employees with money and honoring them publicly. Within an employment context, the recognition initiatives would help in defining the psychological contract of the unwritten expectation between employees and employers by sending the signal ...

  Swiggy , an online food ordering and delivery company based in Bangalore, India has embraced personalization in its holistic wellness programs. The launch of a curated program during the pandemic in 2020 called “ Build around You” aimed to support the holistic wellbeing of employees and their loved ones across four essential pillars: physical, mental, financial planners and legal experts. Swiggy understands that wellbeing is multidimensional and is closely related to engagement, productivity, and retention by personalising support, based on physical, mental, financial, and legal wellbeing pillars. The studies indicate that holistic wellness programs improve job satisfaction and minimize occupational stress (Grawitch et al., 2006). This is in line with the international trends in HRM where organisations are increasingly adopting a wellbeing approach that is holistic in nature to help organisations have a healthier and more resilient workforce (Cooper and Cartwright, 1994). ...

  Netflix    has launched a culture Memo where its leaders are trained to follow a "context over control " approach , equipping employees with relevant information to make informed decisions about company future rather than micromanaging their work. This principle is a step towards high-trust, high-autonomy work systems, where leaders offer strategic clarity, but not control. Under HR thinking, this correlates with the current theories of empowerment and decentralisation in decision-making, which turned out to positively affect creativity, accountability, and intrinsic motivation (Yukl, 2013) This is an indication of self-determination theory which emphasizes the importance of autonomy as a key motivator of performance and job satisfaction (Deci and Ryan, 2000).   Nevertheless, cultures driven by autonomy have HR-related issues as well. It is possible that not every employee is ready to work in high-discretion occupation, especially those who was used to be guide...

  "Southwest Airlines headquartered in Texas, demonstrates the successful implementation of peer recognition through its innovative SWAG (Southwest Airlines Gratitude) program, launched in 2018. As one of the largest low-cost carriers in the United States, Southwest Airlines operates with over 76,000 employees (referred to as "Co-hearts") across more than 120 destinations. The Airline has long prioritized its people-first culture and has integrated peer recognition into its various touchpoints of the employee journey. The SWAG program empowers employees to recognize and thank each other both informally and formally. Employees can send recognition through a mobile app or physical cards, often accompanied by points redeemable for merchandise, gift cards, or other experiences. Additionally, new hires are introduced to this culture from day one through onboarding experiences that include red-carpet welcomes and personalized gifts.  The results of Southwest's peer recogni...

  Purpose Driven Initiatives- A Fulfilling Culture 😎😎💪💪 "Unilever, a global leader in consumer goods, exemplifies the commitment to purpose driven initiatives. Unilever's goal is to embed its purpose "to make sustainable living commonplace" into every layer of the organization. The "Discover Your Purpose" workshop launched in 2018 is one of the way they have done this by encouraging employees to explore and connect their own personal purpose with Unilever's purpose. By 2023, over 57,000 employees had participated in these reflective workshops designed to help employees explore their strengths, values, and aspirations while aligning them with Unilever's purpose."                              🌍 Review: Unilever’s Purpose-Driven Leadership in Action Unilever's Discover Your Purpose initiative illustrates how purpose-driven practices can be institutionalized to strengthen organizational culture. U...

    Yara International: A Model for Ownership Culture                Y ara International, a Norwegian chemical organization headquartered in Oslo, has set a global                benchmark for cultivating an ownership culture. As one of the world’s leading producers of                      nitrogen-based fertilizers and industrial products, Yara operates with a clear vision that values                responsibility and inclusivity across every level of its organization. Empowerment is central to Yara’s vision, guiding how the organization engages its employees to take initiative and make impactful contributions. A prime example of how Yara demonstrates its dedication to empowerment is by creating pathways for underrepresented groups to take on leadership roles. Programs ...

  UNhappy leaves' if you are not happy don't come to work:  " A Chinese retail company, Pang Dong Lai, is making headlines with its bold new policy: “unhappy leave.” Employees can now take up to 10 days off per year simply because they’re not feeling happy—no explanation needed. Founder Yu Donglai emphasized, “Everyone has moments of unhappiness. If you’re not happy, don’t come to work.” Managers are not allowed to deny these requests, setting it apart from typical “mental health days.” The company already offers standout benefits: 7-hour workdays, weekends off, up to 40 days of annual leave, and high pay (even janitors can earn up to $70K/year). While many hail this as a breakthrough in workplace wellbeing—especially compared to China’s grueling “996” work culture—others question how sustainable it is if too many employees claim “unhappy leave” at once ." (Yu, as cited in CNN, 2024) Review: Unhappy Leave Policy of Pang Dong Lai.  According to my point of view with th...