Feedback Tips

Posted on by Orla Fitzpatrick
feedback

Giving feedback on an employee’s performance is an essential part of helping them be all that they can be in your capitalist regime. Giving a quick review now and again on what they’re doing right and what they’re doing not-so-right can really help for all parties involved; they get a pat on the back and an incentive to work harder and you get to criticise someone mercilessly. Fun!

However giving feedback can also be tricky. You need to know how to strike a balance between firm and fair; too firm and you won’t have any employees left but too fair and no one will get anything done. Ultimately if you or your employee are leaving the feedback session without knowing exactly what improvements need to be made and how, then you need to work on your technique to better communicate what needs to be done. A poorly handled feedback session will just leave everyone confused and productivity can be left in a worse shape than before. Luckily here’s a handy guide to not do that! Nice.

Courtesy of the Harvard Business Review 2015, reprinted in the Irish Times, here’s a nice and easy top five list of ways to improve your feedback giving skillz. So really everybody gets to improve, far out. Presented by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, the CEO of Hogan Assessment Systems, this guide will have you dishing out feedback like a certified pro.

Survey: Irish employees report high stress

Posted on by Orla Fitzpatrick
stress survey

A new survey states that over 82 per cent of Irish employees are feeling increased personal stress over health and financial concerns, the Irish Times reports.

Red C conducted the survey of 502 Irish employees from around the country on behalf of Mercer. A similar survey conducted in the UK on over 1,000 participants shows that Irish employees are feeling greater stress. In the UK 74 per cent of participants reported increased personal stress, 8 per cent less than the Irish figure.

The study also revealed that over 59 per cent of Irish participants felt concern over maintaining a balance between a health lifestyle and their work schedule. 51 per cent expressed worry over savings for retirement and over 54 per cent displayed reported concern over their family’s wellbeing in the event of their own illness or death.

These high stress levels also seem to be impacting Irish employees’ performance in the work place. 44 per cent felt that stress and anxiety were causing their productivity rates to slip while 64 per cent reported low concentration levels. 59 per cent of those surveyed reported dissatisfaction with their jobs.

“Irish employees are clearly suffering from the burden of increased stress and worry that is damaging their ability to concentrate and deliver the best results for their employer,” stated Niall O’Callaghan, a representative of of Mercer. “Across all life stages and ages, employees’ personal worries about health and financial security are having a dramatic effect on how they operate at work. If employees are worried, distracted, not as healthy as they could be, then they are not as engaged as they could be either.”

As an employer, it is vital to understand the stress employees could be under as a result of their job.

Easy Steps to Prevent Fraud

Posted on by Orla Fitzpatrick
prevent fraud

Companies are plagued every year by the damage caused by fraud. From business to not-for-profits to government institutions, organisations of every size are losing over 5% of their annual revenue due to fraud and unethical behaviour. It is becoming more and more pertinent for company owners to become familiar with both detecting and preventing fraud in their ranks. And here’s a handy blog post on how to do just that. Neat!

FraudEdge are dedicated to helping Irish organisations combat the dangers of fraud and their post on the Top 10 Fraud Prevention Steps is one of their most useful resources. Laid out in easy-to-read chunks, this list covers pretty much everything you need to know in being proactive in preventing fraud in your own business.