Problem-Solving Report: Employee Retention The Problem: You are the Vice President of a software company, Bootz. In the last quarter, you lost about 10% (40) of your employees. Your last employee satisfaction survey shows that employees left because they weren’t happy with their managers. The President wants you to write a report that analyzes why you are losing employees. However, she does not believe that the leadership team has a great impact on employee retention. It’s now your task to convince her about the important role that leaders play in retaining employees. You must also suggest 2 ways to fix the problem. Guidelines Direct or indirect? ‘Your President doesn’t believe that the leadership team has a big impact on employee retention. You have to convince her about the important role that managers play in employee retention. So it’s an indirect report. Title ”Improving Employee Retention (indirect or direct) Improving Leadership/Management (direct) Introduction Make sure you are talking to your President about your company. Paraphrase these main points: ‘In our last quarter, we lost 10% (40) of our employees ‘Our employee satisfaction survey shows that employees left because they weren’t happy with their managers ‘This report will analyze the effect of managers on employee retention ‘Will give 2 suggestions on how to improve retention Research Paragraph 1 for Indirect: How does the problem (bad leadership) affect your company/audience (employee retention)? ‘Your boss ‘does not believe that the leadership team has a great impact on employee retention. It’s now your task to convince her about the important role that leaders play in retaining employees.’ ‘Example source: The biggest reason that employees leave companies is because of their managersi. Paragraph 2 for Indirect: How can you fix the problem (bad leadership)? ‘Example source: 45% of managers haven’t done management trainingii – manager training includes: ‘Example source: 56% of workers would prefer a better boss over a pay raise iii Recommendations ‘Make 2 specific and concrete recommendations to make it really easy for the President to use. These must be based on the research you found in the ‘How to Fix the Problem’ paragraph. You can then add your opinions on how to implement the fixes, or you can add additional sources. ‘For example, if you want to do manager training, explain: o Who will do the training? o What topics will they learn? o When will the training take place? For how long? Conclusion ”Summarize your recommendations Explain how they will benefit your company/audience How to Start Your Outline Title Ivana Gotovac Introduction Research How managers affect employee retention ””Topic sentence -1 sentence Source 1 -1-2 sentences Source 2 – 1-2 sentences Conclusion sentence -1 sentence How to improve management style ””Topic sentence -1 sentence Source 1 -1-2 sentences Source 2 – 1-2 sentences Conclusion sentence -1 sentence Recommendations Conclusion i https://www.ioatwork.com/managers-influence-turnover/ https://www.zenefits.com/workest/improve-management-game-increase-employee-retention/ iii https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=does+managers+affect+employee+retention ii Problem-Solving Report: Company Morale (Direct) You are an HR Manager and every year you conduct an employee survey on company morale. After you complete this year’s survey, you realize that the staff is extremely dissatisfied with your company. In fact, company morale is the worst that it’s ever been. The main complaint from employees is that they are suffering from poor work-life balance. When you tell your boss about these results, she suggests that you write her a short report with your suggestions. In a 1-2 page analytical report, analyze the problem and make recommendations on how to fix it. Include these 3 sections: ‘Introduction: A summary of the problem (why you are writing the report) ‘Research: A summary of research you have done to develop your solution. Include 3 -5 real sources and do not plagiarize ‘Recommendations: 3 specific recommendations based on your research. For example, if you found research that says ‘playing games at work’ will increase company morale, make suggestions for the types of games you can play at work, when you can play, how long you will play, etc. SAMPLE ANSWER – DIRECT IMPROVING COMPANY MORALE Ivana Gotovac INTRODUCTION In a recent survey of our employees, the human resources team found that company morale is at an all-time low. Employees stated that they are mostly dissatisfied with their poor work-life balance. Since poor work-life balance can lead to lowered productivity, we suggest giving employees more flexibility with their schedules. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on our research, we would recommend the following suggestions to improve work-life balance and company morale: 1. Employees can choose their start and finish times (as long as they work 8 hours per day, between 5am and 9pm). 2. Employees can work from home once a week (as long as the day of the week is consistent). 3. Employees can record the time they spend on after-hours issues and use these hours for vacation. RESEARCH Solutions for Poor Work-Life Balance Employers can create a work-life balance by giving their employees flexible work arrangements. For example, Family Living Today found that employees would like flexible schedules and the opportunity to work from home1. They would also like to only respond to emails during their work hours, such as from 9am to 5pm. Additionally, a study by Messmer found that it’s important that employers create rules around flexible schedules2. For example, they need to 1 https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/02/work-life-balance-statistics.html 2 https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/the-benefits-of-allowing-employees-a-flexible-schedule/ decide the ‘core hours’ that employees need to work to make it to team meetings. While flexible scheduling is a great way to create work-life balance, it works best when co-created with employers. The Importance of Engaged Employees Satisfied employees are proven to work harder and make a business more profitable. According to a 2018 Gallup survey, companies with satisfied employees are 21% more profitable3. They also have more productive employees and better customer experiences. A similar survey found that employees who have a better work-life balance work 21% harder than those who don’t4. In contrast, poor work-life balance can lead to increased work absences, turnovers and employee stress5. CONCLUSION We believe that in making these changes, we can help employees feel better at work and in their homes. We predict that our recommendations will also lead to increased workplace productivity and employee retention. We suggest measuring these impacts within one month of implementation with a follow-up survey and productivity analysis. 3 4 5 https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/work-life-balance-increases-employee-satisfaction-productivity/L8Ez7HpuRz6CL8X8tdgfnM/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/work-life-balance-increases-employee-satisfaction-productivity/L8Ez7HpuRz6CL8X8tdgfnM/ https://www.worktolive.info/blog/the-scientific-link-between-work-life-balance-employee-engagement-and-productivity Problem-Solving Report: Company Morale (Indirect) You are an HR Manager and every year you conduct an employee survey on company morale. After you complete this year’s survey, you realize that the staff is extremely dissatisfied with your company. In fact, company morale is the worst that it’s ever been. The main complaint from employees is that they are suffering from poor work-life balance. When you tell your boss about these results, she suggests that you create a short report to send to the CEO. She mentioned that the CEO knows wants to improve company morale, but he is not very open to change. In a 1-2 page analytical report, analyze the problem and make recommendations on how to fix it. Include these 3 sections: ‘Introduction: A summary of the problem (why you are writing the report) ‘Research: A summary of research you have done to develop your solution. Include 3 -5 real sources and do not plagiarize ‘Recommendations: 3 specific recommendations based on your research. For example, if you found research that says ‘playing games at work’ will increase company morale, make suggestions for the types of games you can play at work, when you can play, how long you will play, etc. SAMPLE ANSWER – INDIRECT IMPROVING COMPANY MORALE Ivana Gotovac INTRODUCTION In a recent survey of our employees, the human resources team found that company morale is at an all-time low. Employees stated that they are mostly dissatisfied with their poor work-life balance. In response to these results, my team has created this report to analyze the negative effects of our employees’ dissatisfaction. We have also compiled a list of suggestions to address this company-wide issue. RESEARCH The Importance of Engaged Employees Satisfied employees are proven to work harder and make a business more profitable. According to a 2018 Gallup survey, companies with satisfied employees are 21% more profitable1. They also have more productive employees and better customer experiences. A similar survey found that employees who have a better work-life balance work 21% harder than those who don’t2. In contrast, poor work-life balance can lead to increased work absences, turnovers and employee stress3. Solutions for Poor Work-Life Balance Employers can create a work-life balance by giving their employees flexible work arrangements. For example, Family Living Today found that employees would like flexible schedules and the opportunity to work from home4. They would also like to only respond to emails during their work hours, such as from 9am to 5pm. Additionally, a study by Messmer found that it’s important that employers to create rules around flexible schedules5. For example, they need to decide the ‘core hours’ that employees need to work to make it to team meetings. While 1 2 3 https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/work-life-balance-increases-employee-satisfaction-productivity/L8Ez7HpuRz6CL8X8tdgfnM/ https://www.daytondailynews.com/business/work-life-balance-increases-employee-satisfaction-productivity/L8Ez7HpuRz6CL8X8tdgfnM/ https://www.worktolive.info/blog/the-scientific-link-between-work-life-balance-employee-engagement-and-productivity 4 https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/02/work-life-balance-statistics.html 5 https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/the-benefits-of-allowing-employees-a-flexible-schedule/ flexible scheduling is a great way to create work-life balance, it works best when co-created with employers. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on our research, we would recommend the following suggestions to improve work-life balance and company morale: 1. Employees can choose their start and finish times (as long as they work 8 hours per day, between 5am and 9pm). 2. Employees can work from home once a week (as long as the day of the week is consistent). 3. Employees can record the time they spend on after-hours issues and use these hours for vacation. CONCLUSION We believe that in making these changes, we can help employees feel better at work and in their homes. We predict that our recommendations will also lead to increased workplace productivity and employee retention. We suggest measuring these impacts within one month of implementation with a follow-up survey and productivity analysis. 1 Sleepy Employees 2 INTRODUCTION According to a study done, it came to our knowledge that a grown person over the age of 18 years needs at least to rest between 7hrs to 9 hrs. a day, however, out of the timeline given which an adult should sleep, about 30- 35% should be dedicated to sound sleep. Indeed, sound sleep helps the body to improve and synergize for the next day. Good sleep greatly improves morale, motivation and diminishes the rate of heart diseases. It also improves body immunity in your staff. There are various reasons as to why people have low sleep; which includes; ? depression, ? alcoholism, ? stress outs, ? caffein intake ? poor sleeping habits RESEARCH There are many studies which have come out that suggest different ways in which one can get sound sleep. It includes, ‘Massage therapeutics including yoga ‘Having your meals earlier and eating less ‘Sleeping in a relaxed area with good beddings ‘Avoiding drinking a lot of liquor and caffein beverages at night RECOMMENDATION. ‘Use fitness Gyms 3 In our current era, there are gym equipment which help in health fitness which includes cardio equipment, gear and accessories, and free weights, these equipment’s help in making sure that a person has healthy body and reduce excess weights. ‘Use fitness bands. The company in order to achieve the health fitness program, should consider these fitness bands devices in their budgets and purchase for each department’s head/manager, these bands for fitness can be used to monitor the sleeping patterns and track the movements that somebody has covered in a day. ‘Educate staff. The company can invite health experts to start educating their staffs on the need for profound sleeping and good sleeping patterns in order to avoid health related problems. ‘Events The company can also organize athletic events such as marathon, soccer sports and other sporting exercises to enable, this will help to build a fit staff with energy and synergy. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, the company should invite health professionals to give awareness about health fitness to their staff. In addition, the awareness will include education on discipline in sleeping and living healthy and also create a good chance to staff to get access to health services. Access and provision of gym fitness equipment’s also help in body fitness. Lastly The company can also organize athletic events and other sporting exercises to enable a healthy staff in their organization. 4 5 References https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/what-is-healthy-sleepKuskowski, A. https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleepWexler, B., & Manar, E. (2013). Healthy living. Gale/Cengage Learning. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/sleep-healthDanner, J. https://www.verywellhealth.com/top-health-benefits-of-a-good-nights-sleep-2223766 Ways to improve the sleep · Introduction According to research, it is demonstrated fact that an adult necessities at least 6 Hr to 8 Hr sleep in a day, and out of this 25% to 30% of the time individual ought to be in profound sleep. A decent profound sleep ratio assists the body with rejuvenating and regain for the following day. Great sleep can improve concentration, profitability, the lower hazard of any heart diseases, improves body invulnerability, and many different advantages. There are many reasons which can cause poor sleep in an individual and they are as per the following; stress, late-night caffeine intake, late- night alcohol intake, poor food habits, poor sleeping schedule in a day, and many different reasons. · Research Many researchers have inferred that for better sleep results one ought to do the accompanying actions; 1. Doing regular Exercise 2. Have a balanced Sleep Schedule 3. Keep a comfortable sleep environment 4. Eat less at night 5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol 6. Do Yoga or Meditation to de-stress Recommendations In today’s modern age, there are part of smart fitness bands/gadgets available in the market which can assist one with monitoring the sleep schedule and track fitness (Fitbit, Mi-band, Garmin) The company ought to contribute and give such fitness bands to each of the representatives and start educating the team about the advantages of good sleep and an active way of life to avoid any health issues . Conclusion The company ought to organize meetings on health awareness among the workers. This won’t just educate workers about the health hazards because of poor sleep also it will create a positive environment in the company where representatives’ health is given equal importance. Also, the company organizes free health check-up meetings consistently. This will also sort of awareness program by which the company would get the information about the representative’s health. Many companies do organize marathons, traveling trips, and different sports activities this will also be useful in creating a healthy way of life environment in the company. ‘Ways to improve the sleep. Introduction According to research, it is demonstrated fact that an adult necessities at least 6 Hr to 8 Hr sleep in a day, and out of this 25% to 30% of the time individual ought to be in profound sleep. A decent profound sleep ratio assists the body with rejuvenating and regain for the following day. Great sleep can improve concentration, profitability, the lower hazard of any heart diseases, improves body invulnerability, and many different advantages. There are many reasons which can cause poor sleep in an individual and they are as per the following; stress, late-night caffeine intake, late- night alcohol intake, poor food habits, poor sleeping schedule in a day, and many different reasons. Research Many researchers have inferred that for better sleep results one ought to do the accompanying actions; 1. Doing regular Exercise 2. Have a balanced Sleep Schedule 3. Keep a comfortable sleep environment 4. Eat less at night 5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol 6. Do Yoga or Meditation to de-stress Recommendations In today’s modern age, there are part of smart fitness bands/gadgets available in the market which can assist one with monitoring the sleep schedule and track fitness (Fitbit, Mi-band, Garmin) The company ought to contribute and give such fitness bands to each of the representatives and start educating the team about the advantages of good sleep and an active way of life to avoid any health issues Conclusion The company ought to organize meetings on health awareness among the workers. This won’t just educate workers about the health hazards because of poor sleep also it will create a positive environment in the company where representatives’ health is given equal importance. Also, the company organizes free health check-up meetings consistently. This will also sort of awareness program by which the company would get the information about the representative’s health. Many companies do organize marathons, traveling trips, and different sports activities this will also be useful in creating a healthy way of life environment in the company. NOTE: Purchase answer to see full attachment

Mastering the Art of Online Learning: Your Guide to Acing Online Courses

Introduction

In recent years, the popularity of online courses has skyrocketed, offering learners the flexibility to acquire new skills and knowledge from the comfort of their homes. However, succeeding in online courses requires a different approach compared to traditional classroom settings. To help you make the most of your online learning experience, this article presents essential strategies and tips to ace your online courses.

1. Set Clear Goals and Plan Ahead

Before embarking on an online course, establish clear goals and objectives. Determine what you hope to achieve by the end of the course and break down your goals into manageable milestones. Create a study schedule that aligns with your other commitments, ensuring you allocate dedicated time for coursework, assignments, and revision.

2. Create a Productive Study Environment

Establishing a conducive study environment is crucial for online learning success. Find a quiet, well-lit space where you can concentrate without distractions. Remove any potential interruptions, such as notifications from social media or email. Organize your study materials and have a reliable internet connection to ensure seamless access to course materials.

3. Actively Engage in the Course

Active participation is key to mastering online courses. Engage with course materials, including videos, readings, and interactive components. Take comprehensive notes, highlighting key concepts and ideas. Participate in discussion boards, forums, and virtual meetings to interact with instructors and peers, fostering a sense of community and enhancing your understanding of the subject matter.

4. Manage Your Time Effectively

Online courses offer flexibility, but it’s essential to manage your time wisely to avoid falling behind. Create a detailed schedule, allocating specific time slots for coursework, assignments, and studying. Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable segments to prevent procrastination. Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and dedicate focused time to each one, ensuring consistent progress throughout the course.

5. Develop Effective Communication Skills

Online courses often rely on written communication, making it crucial to hone your skills in this area. Be concise and clear in your written responses, paying attention to grammar and spelling. Actively participate in discussions, asking thoughtful questions and providing constructive feedback to your peers. Regularly check your course emails and notifications, ensuring you stay updated with any important announcements or changes.

6. Utilize Available Resources

Take full advantage of the resources provided by your online course platform and instructors. Familiarize yourself with the learning management system (LMS) and explore its features. Access supplementary materials, such as textbooks, lecture slides, and external resources recommended by instructors. Utilize online libraries, research databases, and tutorial services to deepen your understanding of the subject matter.

7. Stay Motivated and Engaged

Maintaining motivation throughout an online course can be challenging, particularly when faced with competing priorities or a lack of face-to-face interaction. Set short-term goals and reward yourself upon their completion. Connect with fellow learners through virtual study groups or online forums to foster a sense of camaraderie. Regularly remind yourself of the benefits and personal growth associated with completing the course successfully.

8. Seek Support and Clarification

Don’t hesitate to seek support or clarification when needed. Reach out to your instructors for guidance or clarification on course material. Utilize online discussion forums to ask questions or engage in collaborative problem-solving. Leverage the support services provided by your course platform or institution, such as technical support or academic advising.

Conclusion

Online courses present unique opportunities for self-paced learning and personal growth. By setting clear goals, creating a productive study environment, actively engaging with course materials, and managing your time effectively, you can maximize your chances of acing online courses. Remember to stay motivated, seek support when needed, and make the most of the available resources. Embrace the flexibility and adaptability of online learning to achieve your educational goals.