Employee Performance
Employee PerformanceEmployees in hazardous occupations may require interactive training
Thursday, 10 February 2011 16:00  Research that was recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology suggests that individuals who work in occupations that pose physical health risks are better able to avoid accidents if they receive interactive training.Authors of the review looked at 113 different studies conducted over the past 40 years that pertain to safety training, and found that hands-on methods were significantly more effective than instruction that only involved lectures, reading materials or video presentations. Results of the study suggest that employers in hazardous industries should consider implementing employee training programs that allow workers to engage in simulation or behavioral modeling to help reduce workplace stress and prevent deadly mistakes. "In a more interactive training environment, the trainees are faced more acutely with the possible dangers of their job and they are, in turn, more motivated to learn about such dangers and how to avoid them," said Dr. Michael Burke, the study's lead author. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has reported that dangerous working conditions are a major factor in workplace stress. The institute recommended implementing specialized training for in-house staff to educate workers and reduce stress and mistakes. Authors of the study noted that while training via lectures and videos is less expensive for employers, human and medical costs stemming from a a major on-the-job error could be far greater. Emotional intelligence makes for positive workplace
Sunday, 16 January 2011 16:00  A recent study from the University of Haifa has shown that private sector employees with a high level of emotional intelligence tend to have more positive attitudes toward their workplace and are less likely to engage in negative behavior.The study may suggest that employee wellness programs that build a worker's ability to identify and assess their own emotions as well as those of their coworkers' could help ease workplace stress and potentially improve employee performance. Employees who were more in touch with their emotions showed an increased perception of fairness in their organization, commitment to their company and satisfaction at work. These workers were also less prone to burnout, shirking and engaging in forceful influence tactics. The study showed the presence of emotional intelligence was not as likely to positively influence workers in the public sector, however. According to an article on the Employee Wellness Programs' website, tools and activities to help promote or improve emotional intelligence include health coaching, self-help groups, writing in a journal, an assessment of one's emotional health and the presence of a support system at work. Employee performance depends on a balance between six areas of work
Sunday, 09 January 2011 16:00  Absences due to workplace stress are estimated to cost about $3.5 billion per year, according to one estimate from The Canadian Policy Research Networks. However, when employers take steps to balance workload, environment, control, reward, fairness and values they can help improve employee wellness and boost productivity.Dr. Michael Leiter, co-author of The Truth About Burnout, outlines on his website Workengagement.com the areas that need to be kept in balance, calling them the "six crucial factors." The first step to a stress-free workplace is to make sure employees have a manageable workload, Leiter said. Secondly, a supportive work environment with a sense of community can help workers thrive. To achieve optimal employee wellness, a company needs to ensure that its people have enough control and autonomy to do their jobs, and they receive rewards and recognition proportionate to the amount of work done. Leiter also said that it is important for an employee's personal values to match those of his or her company. Finally, organizations need to be cognizant of whether they are treating all employees fairly and equally to earn trust and respect. Another way for businesses to boost employee performance is to offer health benefits that cover wellness programs. Happy people make happy employees
Thursday, 06 January 2011 16:00  Happiness at home may equal happiness at work, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.Assistant professor Nathan Bowling at Wright State University and a team of researchers analyzed 223 studies that were completed between 1967 and 2008, all of which looked at the correlation between general contentedness and happiness at work. They found that people who had a positive outlook on life in general also enjoyed their jobs more than those who felt negatively about life. Bowling said the results may not bode well for those seeking happiness through their careers. He and his team found stronger links between a general positivity and a subsequent satisfaction in the workplace than job satisfaction and a subsequent overall happiness. "These results suggest that if people are, or are predisposed to be, happy and satisfied in life generally, then they will be likely to be happy and satisfied in their work," said Bowling. "However, the flipside of this finding could be that those people who are dissatisfied generally and who seek happiness through their work, may not find job satisfaction. Nor might they increase their levels of overall happiness by pursuing it." While a job may not have the power to instill overall happiness, workplace stress can certainly have an impact on general well-being. As a result, companies that make efforts to reduce their workers' stress levels tend to also boost employee performance. Page 6 of 6 |
Copyright © 2012 HeartMath LLC. All Rights Reserved.
