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Employee Well being in a hybrid work place
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Employee Wellbeing In A Hybrid Workplace

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Employee Wellbeing In A Hybrid Workplace Overview “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister in the mid-1940s. He was Britain’s PM when World War II broke out and persuaded the nation to fight against a Nazi occupation, knowing well that it would create a new normal, which was not rosy for the British. What is remarkable about Churchill’s quote is that it makes one look for a silver lining during a crisis and discovers opportunities that were not there before. When Churchill said the above, he was apparently referring to the coming together of an unlikely trio, Yalta, and the alliance they forged between himself, Stalin, and Roosevelt. Later it led to the formation of the United Nations. It is an example of how they created an opportunity for a better world in the middle of a crisis. We all know the COVID-19 pandemic created havoc and put the entire globe under lockdown. Since then, the pandemic has brought a new normal in almost all spheres of life. Workplaces globally are experiencing a shift to hybrid work. The hybrid model involves working from the office and choosing remote work. Whether we like it or hate it, the hybrid working model has become the new work culture in the post-pandemic world. There are only two ways-either you get on board or be left behind. When organizations first started working in the hybrid model, their primary concern was how to promote and maintain a company culture rooted in the company’s values. However, in the post-pandemic hybrid scenario, now employee well-being has come to the fore. So, is there an opportunity for HR in this crisis? Employee Well-Being And The Factors Influencing It As per a study conducted by Gartner, “wellness” is the new metric North American companies are using to assess their employees’ mental, physical, and financial well-being. Hence, it’s clear that wellness is the word in hybrid work culture. Surveys show that an investment in employee well-being can increase employee performance, retention, and success in the hybrid work mode. An employee’s mental, physical, emotional, and financial health is called well-being. It is influenced by many factors, their relationships with colleagues and managers, the tools and resources made available to them, and how decisions are made in the organization. Before the pandemic and lockdown, employees had several options for managing work stress, including water cooler discussions and daily commutes. However, hybrid work culture has reduced such opportunities. In the new normal, leaders are forced to create new initiatives to create new options for their employees to reduce stress. Instead of grappling with the overwhelming transformation to the hybrid model, HR should see the opportunity and develop innovative solutions to address employees’ present-day needs. No Old Wine In The New Bottle Repeating the old practices that worked in the office and amending them to the remote work environment is not a workable solution. In a hybrid work culture, repetition has no space. New challenges need new solutions, and to function in today’s environment, HR should adapt and build processes that meet the current needs. Create A Wellness Strategy  In developing wellness strategy for the new hybrid workforce, managers should begin with their people. Talk to them. Find out their hopes, worries, and levels of engagement. Ask them what they want and what they do not wish. With these vital insights, HR can create a roadmap and ensure a flexible workforce wellness plan. Routinely check with your workforce on the state of their well-being and the path to transformation. Since hybrid work is a new landscape for everyone, organizations worldwide are learning as they go. The way to win the game is to take care of the bedrock of your organization – people – physically, emotionally, and financially. To enable organizations to redefine employee well-being in the hybrid work model, the points below are of significance. Train Your Leaders  During the pandemic, many discovered that even seasoned leaders could not manage a remote workforce and keep them engaged. Hence, managers and leaders must be trained to support employees’ mental health and well-being. Leadership training should emphasize innovative ways to keep employees engaged and healthy. Streamline Communication One factor we noticed during the pandemic was the overwhelming communication in which the employers wanted to keep the workforce happy and maintain productivity. However, it had backfired in many instances. Hence there should be a streamlined communication that will allow managers to handle both in-office and remote workers seamlessly. Having the proper tools, strategy and resources will ensure clear communication and instill confidence in employees. Gather Feedback Most employee benefits are created with the workforce that works from the office in mind. For example, subsidized lunch, health checks, and similar ones. But with remote work, these benefits need to be adapted to suit remote employees, too. Else, there are chances that they will feel left out, affecting productivity and increasing attrition. Management should gather employees’ input through surveys or encourage them to speak up to ensure their input is incorporated. Build Trust No organization can create a culture of well-being without developing trust with its employees. Show genuine concern for employees. Practice empathy and encourage a system that prioritizes employee well-being. Be graceful, listen and lead with compassion. Similarly, staff working from the office and remotely should be treated equally. Ensure everyone gets the same respect, support, opportunity, and information sharing. Meeting With A Purpose Without metrics to measure productivity and engagement, it’s easy to fall into the trap of conducting meetings and measuring the employees by their presence. In a hybrid work culture, this doesn’t work, and managers should create a meeting culture focused on preparation and purpose. This helps to reduce the exhaustion employees undergo due to too many meetings. While scheduling meetings, inform the agenda in advance and, after the meeting, publish the minutes. Make it a point to encourage those who could not attend the meeting to review the minutes. Clear And Concise KPIs In a hybrid work culture,

Data Analytics in HR
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Data Analytics in HR

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Data Analytics in HR Overview Data Analytics in HR is a relatively new tool. Pretty unexplored, the definition given by Heuvel & Bondarouk is widely used as a scientific one. HR analytics, according to them, is the systematic identification and quantification of the people drivers of business outcomes. (Heuvel & Bondarouk, 2016). According to a 2021 People Analytics Trends report, almost 90% of CHROs concluded that data and analytics are essential. Many leading companies are investing more in people analytics, with a 61% growth from the previous year. Significance Of Data Analytics in HR Human Resource Management, or HR, is considered soft and old-fashioned. For example, many say HR decisions are based on ‘gut feeling,’ or they follow things that have been in practice. Since HR is not a revenue-bringing department, they often don’t have numbers to substantiate their side. However, in the past decade, HR has changed radically. From an operational discipline, it has moved to a strategic one. The data-driven approach that exemplifies Data Analytics in HR aligns with this change. The first and foremost benefit is that by using data analytics, HRs no longer have to count on gut feeling. They can now make data-driven decisions. Also, it helps to test the effectiveness of HR policies. Data-based decision-making has great significance in the post-pandemic world. The employment scenario has been witnessing a paradigm shift – whether it is the increasing interest in hybrid work or the use of automation. There is disruption and uncertainty, making it essential for HR to come up with appropriate decisions to navigate the new normal. Employee Retention The great resignation has been a wake-up call for employees and employers. Employees realized they want their employers to address their concerns more than a paycheck. They wanted better work-life balance, benefits, flexibility, and better opportunities for career development. Many employees understand that better options suit them, and they need not necessarily have to be contented with the existing one. Today, the average tenure for employees has plunged to below three years. So, for HRs, it is pretty stressful to retain talent than ever. This has significantly increased the HR department’s workload. They have to invest more time in hiring and training. However, Data Analytics in HR can offer insights into why employees leave an organization. By collecting data from stay and exit interviews and surveys, HRs can utilize the understanding to address the issues. Rightly said, it also helps to develop a company culture that fulfills employee requirements. Employee Experience HRs must create a positive experience and nurture employee relations. This will help to keep employees engaged and productive. However, identifying and addressing the gaps in employee experience is a challenging task. Finally, by collecting the data from surveys, employee listening, and actively responding to their concerns, HRs can sail through the otherwise stormy area successfully. Manage Remote Staff Remote and hybrid work have created several issues. And they include  communication, team collaboration, and employee engagement. HRs can use data analytics to understand remote employees’ productivity, engagement, and well-being. Data from polls and pulse surveys offer insights to HR into what works for remote staff and areas that need attention. Upskilling For Staff We know that this is the  world of automation and AI. It means, many jobs are fast becoming obsolete. However, there are several new avenues opening up. Data analytics can help to build critical skills for employees. First of all, using data analytics, HRs can develop informed workforce planning to address current and future needs. Skills and jobs can be assessed and coordinated through data, and systems can be implemented to train individuals with specific talents. So, this increases the company’s productivity and also keeps employees more engaged. Diversity And Inclusion Across the world, we know that organizations are trying to improve inclusion and diversity.  For example, factors like lack of awareness have been creating difficulties in attracting top talents. However, data analytics can promote innovation and a competitive edge over the competition. To sum up, it offers HRs the opportunity to showcase data to the stakeholders why a diversity program works and what needs to be done further. Conclusion First of all, HR professionals often collect vast amounts of data. Secondly, it mostly remains unused. Once you analyze human resource challenges using the data, you engage in Data Analytics in HR. Now we know that Data Analytics in HR enables HR to make informed decisions and move from an operational domain to a tactical and strategic partner role. To sum up, from recruitment, performance management, employee engagement, learning, and development, Data Analytics in HR can resolve most workplace challenges. Recent Verifitech News Employee Wellbeing In A Hybrid Workplace November 29, 2022 Data Analytics in HR November 29, 2022 How to Retain Valuable Employees November 29, 2022 Change Your Corporate Culture November 29, 2022 Technological Innovations in BGV industry September 29, 2022 What qualities to look when hiring employees September 13, 2022 Load More Leave comments on this post

How to Retain Valuable Employees - Verifitech
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How to Retain Valuable Employees

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How to Retain Valuable Employees Smart HR Managers know how critical it is to retain those talents. Keeping the employees happy and loyal to the company may appear simple but a robust plan is needed retain valuable employees. The conference hall was full, but unlike other times, there was pin-drop silence this time. Even the non-stop chatterboxes in the team seemed to have lost their words. It was the farewell day of their beloved John Samuel (JS) joined the company as the 4th employee and grew with the organization. He became a Sales Head, and in every induction and orientation, he told it to the new joiners. John always wore the company name and ID card with great pride. While he guided the company’s branch heads and vice presidents, who came and went, everyone thought that JS contended with his role. Though he loved the senior mentoring and running the branch, the pandemic made him realize that he also needed professional growth and did not want to be stunted anymore in the sales head role. His resignation came as a shocker to the senior management. JS was their go-to person, and Man Friday, and they never thought he would leave. They huddled up and even came up with an attractive package and career growth plan for JS. But it was too late. Companies sometimes need to realize that they must take extra care to retain their valuable employees. HR has to Pivot The COVID-19 pandemic was a stress test for everyone. But the biggest hit was the HR. Businesses had to pivot, make remote work successful and still make profits. In the whole melee, HR had the additional responsibility of keeping the company’s building blocks intact. Making the employees stick around so they can supercharge the company’s growth. HR teams should do things in such a way that they can retain their best people. Tenured employees know what makes your business tick; they know how to get things done. Hence, companies should do everything possible to keep their rock stars. Besides affecting the momentum of growth, replacing such an employee is a time-consuming and costly affair. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported that, on average, a company would spend 6 to 9 months of an employee’s salary on recruiting, hiring, and training a new team member. While the company’s CEO might hog the limelight, the fact is that successful businesses are built on the backs of employees. While CEOs are concerned about customer churn, they often overlook employee turnover. Employees who are not engaged or properly compensated move to other organizations looking for better career growth. And when the most competent member of the team leaves, the company is sure to face a disadvantage. Now, let us discuss how to retain your valuable employees. Conducive work environment Companies need to build a conducive work environment. It doesn’t mean a fancy office but an environment where top team members can thrive as they work towards the organization’s goals. Irrespective of their cadre, employees should be happy with their jobs. They should be excited to come to work and feel safe and comfortable. A nurturing and stimulating workplace makes employees stay, and productivity, performance and engagement increase when employees don’t have to be concerned about discrimination or harassment. Conduct team-building activities to forge a genuine bond between colleagues, which will improve communication. When the work relationships are encouraging and employees know their colleagues and managers are there to help them, they can genuinely trust them. It goes a long way to retaining talent. Providing a pleasant and organized physical space ensures less employee turnover. Open communication Encourage employees to disclose their ideas and opinions openly during meetings and personal interviews with their managers. Besides having an environment with equal respect for all employees, companies should also promote a healthy exchange of ideas between bosses and subordinates. Offer employees the freedom to question business models logically, strategies, and managerial decisions – without consequences. This helps team members to develop critical thinking abilities. Those who express their concerns or dissent will likely have the most respect for your business and would like to see it flourish for years to come. HR should ensure that every employee understands their role, tasks, and whom they should approach for what. Investing in internal opportunities. Always recognize hard work. Identify those who go the extra mile and recognize exemplary efforts. Promotions, company stocks, incentives, or an appreciation in public- all matter. Let your most valuable employees know that their efforts are appreciated. Appreciation and recognition go a long way to keep employees’ drive and reduce their inclination to leave. Employees who feel they are treated as assets are less likely to leave, and they will do better when they realize that the company is helping them grow as professionals. To achieve this, offer them suitable internal opportunities. Invest in training and find ways to maximize their potential. When companies provide their employees with ample growth opportunities, whether a promotion, relocation, or continuing education, it shows that they are investing in their employees’ future. This can improve productivity and work engagement. When employees feel happy that they are being taken care of, they tend to stick around for a long. Employee well-being Even the most competitive benefits and salaries fail to keep employees. After the Covid-19 outbreak, health has become the top priority for everyone. Give employees more than just sick leaves and free health check-ups. Craft a comprehensive health plan to take care of the overall wellness of your employees. It can include meals, fitness, travel, and more. You may remember how LinkedIn gave its employees a mental week off to cope with burnout. It would be best if you offer your employees enough free time to enjoy the rewards. Employees need to have a life outside of work, and their employment shouldn’t rob them of time and energy. Promoting work-life balance is critical to prevent burnout and to keep your team members happy. Organize company outings, keep the workload realistic, and embrace individual working styles. Conclusion

How to change your corporate culture through Background screening
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Change Your Corporate Culture

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Change Your Corporate Culture Every organization has a distinctive style of working which is called its culture. The policies, principles, how employees interact, and how the management deals with employees- all contribute to the culture. It is said that an organization’s culture is like the wind. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. And it’s present around you. CEOs and leaders across the globe are trying to create a corporate culture with better customer care and create an organization that’s nimble and agile. However, culture change is challenging for organizations to transform and become adaptive and innovative. It’s because you can’t accomplish it through the top-down command. For a culture change to happen, the collective efforts of the people and their shared awareness of how things are accomplished are important. Have a clear strategy  An organization’s cultural aspects are reflected in collaboration, trust, and willingness to work toward a common goal. A clear corporate strategy can set the foundation for a culture change. Smart leaders ensure clarity in the organization, division, team, and individuals before they start the process. When the above are in place, employees will start believing in and driving the process. Leaders strive to cultivate a robust corporate culture to achieve sustainable competitiveness in global markets. This strong corporate culture includes three areas: collaboration, trust, and learning. Leaders should consider the marketplace challenges they face before trying to change the organization’s culture. One study by researchers at Duke University (completed before the outset of the pandemic) concluded that a strong corporate culture fosters better execution, reduction in agency cost, and therefore, higher productivity and creativity. Leaders are aware of the organizational culture’s power and how it impacts the bottom line. They recognize the importance of shared values and behaviours that impact how an organization conducts its business. An organization’s culture touches every functional department, which is critical to its strategic direction. Evaluate the existing corporate culture Do an objective analysis of where your organization is. Unless you know the organization’s health, performance, and alignment, you will not be able to reach where you want to go. Be as objective as possible in assessing your current workplace culture. Don’t pull any punches. You need to assess your organizational health, performance, and strategic alignment levels so you know where you stand compared to where you want to go. Explain the desired culture Once you know your existing cultural health, clearly defining the desired workplace culture is easy. It is critical to align your organizational culture to the business strategy across the workplace’s cultural dimensions. The critical ones include market approach, customers, loyalty, focus, risk tolerance, operational approach, decision making, information, and results. When you want to bring in an organizational culture change, just conveying the need for a change won’t cut. To harness full-fledged and lasting changes, leaders should make the employees feel it, kindle a desire in them and make them ready to take up the responsibility. A good organizational change is a pursuit of shared goals. It offers meaning to work, touch individual emotions, and motivates collective action. It is often said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Consistency is key in trying to make a change happen in organizations. However, an organization’s cultural changes are put on the back burner due to the perceived complexity of the effort. Holding leadership and the workers accountable and adaptable to change helps the cause and effect of organizational cultural change. Plan steps to change the culture  Once you understand the differences between your current and desired organizational culture, you can define the one or two most impactful cultural shifts needed to execute your strategy effectively. Next, you must identify and train culture champions and support them to help align your culture with your strategy. Leaders should be ready with a clear road map for change with key performance indicators, objectives, deliverables, and milestones. Spread the word about cultural change Cultural change must happen through a movement, not as a mandate. To create such a change, the leader should identify the culture champions and nurture them to become responsible by creating emotional engagement and connection with the people in the organization. Celebrate quick wins Leaders should recognize the power of celebrating small wins. Disseminate the wins to a large audience by leveraging employees’ social networks and other innovative methods to keep the momentum going. Establishing quick wins will help mobilize more supporters. And one should continue with it. Every employee should become familiar with the culture change plan and be able to articulate the specific culture changes, why it is vital, and how it will help fast-track the overall people and business strategies compared to the status quo. Everyone should understand their unique contribution to the effort and how culture change will benefit the organization, their team, and themselves as an individual. Cultural change can occur only when people take action. Hence, leaders should sow the change they want to see. A culture change is an opportunity for a leader to walk the talk. Behave in a consistent way that upholds the corporate values you endorse. Like leaders, high performers and culture change champions should follow the desired behaviors. Avoid these pitfalls Leaders often fall into the trap of declaring the cultural shifts they hope to see. Instead, they need to highlight examples of actions they hope to see more of within the culture. If there are any existing behaviours within certain groups or departments, highlight them. Never overuse power, like coercion and intimidation, to bring about culture change. But use your clear vision for the organization and communicate it to the employees that vision with leadership storytelling. Quickly implement new systems and processes that support and reinforce the vision. Reinforce the values for continuous improvement. Ensure to communicate more and often horizontally in conversations and stories, not through top-down commands. Don’t get into reorganizing and bring in a new team of top managers. Work with the existing managers, identify those who share your vision, and convert

HR Leadership Lessons form Ponniyin Selvan
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HR Leadership Lessons From Ponniyin Selvan

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HR Leadership Lessons From Ponniyin Selvan With ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s directorial HR Leadership Lessons From Ponniyin Selvan raking the moolah in theatres, there’s a lot of discussion on the story which is based on Kalki’s book on the same name, the Chola dynasty, and the film’s characters. Imperial Cholas were the longest-ruling dynasty in Indian history, and it was also one of the most outstanding empires that the country has ever seen. Cholas were known for their leadership qualities; whoever has seen the film or read the book would have a glimpse of the same. Here, we look at some of the HR Leadership Lessons from the historical fiction Ponniyin Selvan. Out-Of-The-Box Thinking We get to know the might of Cholas in naval force through the movie. They built ships and recruited warriors and seamen to make a dominant force. They used their navy not only to conquer other countries but also to safeguard the traders who came to do business with them. Historians say that Chola ships regularly sailed to the east, doing productive trade with kingdoms like Indonesia and china. Raja Raja Cholan had a large fleet of ships he used for business. The wooden vessels could carry elephants, horses, and an army of soldiers with weapons. It’s mentioned that they were capable of sailing 2,300 km from Nagapattinam to Malaysia in 30 days. In the corporate world, thinking creatively, addressing problems innovatively, and doing things differently than the norm are required more than ever. You will agree that creative solutions are needed to help organizations stay relevant in today’s times. Delegation Of Work The delegation of work followed by Cholas will unravel if you look at the small states and their rules. They appointed small-time kings and vested them with certain powers. From Pazhavettrayar to Kadambur Sambuvaraiyar and Malayaman, they had delegated work among chieftains, ministers, and sub-kings. Interestingly, Pazhayarai was ruled by Periya Piratti and Ilaya Piratti. Delegation is a critical management skill that helps one grow as a leader. Delegating effectively can save time, helps your team develop as professionals, and encourage employees and team members to perform better. Developing A Second Line Of Leaders While Sundara Cholan was alive and ruling, his sons Karikalan and Arul Mozhi Varman were busy expanding their kingdom on both sides. Instead of exploring the same territory, they conquered places in almost opposite directions. And in the process both of them were ably guided by seniors. While Thirukovalur Malaiyaman was with Karikalan, Kundhavai, the celebrated sister of King Raja Raja Cholan was his mentor, guide, and counsel from a very young age. Later she also brought up Rajendra Chola and motivated him to accomplish great deeds. These kinds of mentoring helped the dynasty create a second line of leaders well-versed in the administration, warfare, and customs associated with the kingdom. An organization needs to create a second line of leaders. They should share the top leadership’s vision and develop the skillset to get the work done in the absence of top leadership. They are needed to take senior leadership roles whenever the need arises. The Art Of Saying No After Arul Mozhi Varman defeated the Anuradhapura Kingdom in north Sri Lanka, one of the heads of the monasteries invited him and requested him to become the King of Lanka. However, Arul Mozhi Varman did not want to look partial among the other two monasteries. He gently said no to the throne, citing his words/commitment to his father, Sundara Cholan. Though Arul Mozhi Varman would have taken up the throne, he decided against it without hurting the feelings of the head and disciples of the monastery. This shows that there is an art in saying no politely. In organizations, leaders often either fail to say no or say it harshly. But saying no is important as otherwise a leader might get lost in the busy work and miss out on the perspective where he has to focus on as a leader. Hence, HR leaders should know that not all the little jobs are essential; therefore, they can say no and focus on the stated goals of the business. Saying ‘no’ at the right time means you are demonstrating good time management skills. Informed Decision Making Chola Kings were known for their decision making powers. It was not that they used their power to make decisions but they believed in informed decision making. They had their sources to inform them of the goings in their kingdom and they assimilated all the data or information in many ways to make informed decisions. Take the case of Anbil Aniruddha Brahmarayar. He was the Prime Minister of Sundara Chola’s Court. He was trustful and a close friend of Sundara Chola. Known for his wit and intelligence, he knew every movement in the kingdom through his own sources. Besides being a teacher, he also assisted Sundara Chola in administration. Even Kundhavai was scared of him. Whenever a need arose, he confronted others with data which made them dumbfound. It’s sacrosanct for the HR leaders to rely on data and information than going with assumptions. HR should use all relevant sources of   information, knowledge, training and experience and interpret the information. Informed decision making involves assessing risks and gathering relevant information before you make a move.  An informed decision concentrates on the risks and benefits involved in the decision-making process. Recent Verifitech News Verifitech – India’s 20 Most Promising Background Verification Companies March 30, 2019 Verifitech is the best background verification company in India Silicon India Magazine March 16, 2019 Verifitech India has won India’s 5000 Best MSME Award 2019 March 16, 2019 Verifitech India renews its ISO certification with a new scope of work November 30, 2018 Verifitech India now Offers Drug Test as a value added service November 2, 2018 Archive Apr 2019 (4) Aug 2018 (3) Aug 2019 (3) Aug 2022 (1) Dec 2018 (2) Dec 2019 (1) Feb 2019 (2) Jan 2019 (3) Jul 2018 (3) Jun 2019 (3) Mar 2019 (7) Mar 2020 (1) May 2018 (1) May 2019 (1) May 2020 (1) Nov 2018 (3) Nov 2019 (1)

Technological Innovations in Background Screening / Verification Industry
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Technological Innovations in BGV industry

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Technological Innovations in BGV industry Overview An interesting conversation by two  industry HR leaders Sreekumar and Venkat, This blog deep dives into How Technological Innovations in BGV industry helps to limit Risk in Hiring Sreekumar, a senior HR Manager, while taking his morning walk in Tower Park, Anna Nagar, in the suburbs of Chennai, bumps into his friend, Venkat, an HR Manager from a public sector enterprise. Venkat has just come back from New York. After the customary exchange of pleasantries, the two engage in conversation, covering all recent issues. The conversation veers around the trustworthiness of employees. Citing the recent murder in Mylapore, Chennai, Sreekumar tells Venkat how the trust deficit proves a bane. Venkat narrates how his personnel administration as it was called then (not HR)  had to cope with the traditional background check method in those days before the advent of technology. He agrees with his older friend that the traditional method of conducting background checks will not serve the purpose. He adds that technology has transformed the employee verification process with more accuracy. Venkat says that HR professionals face a challenging time screening candidates with remote joining and work-from-home options becoming rampant. He agrees that this has become a lot easier with the advent of new technology and explained How Technological Innovations in BGV industry helps to limit risk in hiring for HR fraternity. Sreekumar says that it is critical for a new-age entity to understand whom they are hiring. He adds that the advantages of technology in screening potential employees help make sure that companies are hiring trustworthy candidates. Latest Technological Innovations in BGV industry : Thanks to the disruption Artificial Intelligence has caused in the way we conduct business, it helps large amounts of data be processed within a short period, says Sreekumar. He adds: A simple Google search with the candidate’s name will give you a bird’s eye view of matching names from databases across the web in a matter of seconds! Complex data analytics, along with AI and Machine Learning (ML), can prioritize data as per its relevance and present it to the HR team with more valuable data first. This helps the HR personnel to make sure that they are hiring the right candidates.” Venkat is more curious to know steps that can make the lives of HR personnel a lot easier,. Sensing his curiosity, Sreekumar offers some tips in right earnest. The HR personnel needs to ensure that their background screening process is fool-proof. Throwing light on background checking and authorization process, Sreekumar points out: “Some countries need the authorization of the candidates with clear disclosures before conducting a background check. However, inadvertently, the HR personnel can violate such requirements and, in the process, face both regulatory fines and lawsuits.” But, background screening technology reduces the risk of non-compliance by automating the disclosure and authorization process. Thanks to the screening technology, it sends compliance disclosures to candidates, facilitates their electronic authorization, and stores all documents in a secure place. “Instead of exchanging disclosure and authorization documents with the potential candidates over e-mail, screening technology helps handle the process fairly,” Sreekumar says. Background screening technology can automate critical workflows in the hiring process. It helps HRs save time, improve regulatory compliance, and create a better candidate experience. Applicant Tracking System “We can avoid double-entry with the help of the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). HR teams can simplify keeping track of thousands of resumes and candidate details. When integrated with background screening technology, the ATS avoids double-entry and lets talent acquisition staff knows where candidates are in the screening process. When your ATS and background screening process are integrated, candidate demographic data flows seamlessly from ATS to the background screening platform.  “With it, you can quickly move from the job offer to the background screening process, which also helps to improve the candidate experience.” According to Sreekumar, health screening can be simplified using tech tools. “Employment health screening requires candidates to plan a visit to a testing facility, but tech can ensure the process is not cumbersome or be held up by scheduling delays. With the benefit of mobile, paperless health and drug screening technology, HR can give candidates access to an easy-to-use portal where they can look for testing facilities near their location, schedule their test, and access their results when ready.” Application programming interfaces “Advancements in cloud computing allow screening platforms to process larger volumes of data. Application programming interfaces (APIs) provide better integration between screening platforms’ tools and customers’ systems. ML algorithms speed up the time taken for background checks. E-referencing Facilitated by technology, e-references can be requested in seconds, triggering an instant e-mail notification to the referee. The referee can complete the reference on any device and at any time that suits them, with all their responses being recorded directly in the e-reference system. E-referencing provides the referee the ultimate convenience and flexibility to provide their reference at a time and place that suits them. When e-references are received digitally, it frees up time for HR staff by avoiding ‘phone tag’ and helps them to get on with other responsibilities. Since the efficiency is improved, it helps to create a quicker and more accurate process for onboarding new employees – that suits the requirement of today’s fast-paced business environment.” With verifiable data, real-time verification is possible quickly and securely. “AI-based authentication, deep search, match score, OCR, face-match, and other tech competencies effectively adapt to unique use cases. As businesses worldwide go remote, automating employee verification and onboarding processes has become possible with AI. Digital Address Verification HR can verify identity, criminal background, and employment records in seconds. Address verification, which used to take several days, can now be completed in minutes with a digital address verification product. Criminal record checks can now be accomplished quickly because of technology. Electronic signatures or an Aadhaar-based e-sign can digitize the entire documentation part of the onboarding process. This helps make the hiring process seamless, secure, and convenient.” More government bodies, educational institutes, and businesses are moving towards digitizing

Qualities to look when hiring employees - Verifitech
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What qualities to look when hiring employees

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  What qualities to look when hiring employees Ganesh waited with bated breath. He has lost count of the number of interviews he has attended. A computer engineer, he wanted to become software professional and dreamed of settling down in the USA with a plush job. When it comes to technical skills, Ganesh ticked all the right boxes. But his struggle was in conveying his ideas to others and making them buy his ideas and convince them that he would be the right fit for the job. Ganesh has been waiting in the air-conditioned reception of the MNC for the past 10 minutes. But he felt it had been years he had been waiting. He felt thirsty, and even in the cold, too, he felt sultry. That’s when Mona, the recruiter, came out. Ganesh got up from his seat, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. A candidate’s soft skills like communication, collaboration, and time management are important as they are the qualities recruiters look when hiring employees. In hiring, there is always a disconnect between the requirement and the availability of talent. What are the qualities to look when hiring employees is a critical aspect for both HR and the candidate? While there are debates over the great resignation and the increased attrition, a large pool of candidates cannot find a fit in organizations. They cannot bag their dream jobs in organizations even with suitable education qualifications. An impressive CV may help one reach the interview phase, but for all roles, HR makes sure there are certain qualities to look for when hiring employees. Here are the top seven qualities that can turn a candidate from an applicant to an employee As per a recent National Centre for the Middle Market study, 44% of respondents, recruiters, stated that candidates’ lack of skills is one of the major challenges they face in recruitment. We know now that skills are important — but what skill sets are more important? Is there a way to improve them? When recruiters mention the qualities to look for when hiring employees, they divide the skill sets into hard and soft skills. Hard Vs. soft skills Hard skills are measurable and teachable skills. They are job-oriented and include the technical side of the role. We can learn hard skills through formal education and training. Some examples of hard skills are programming, typing, mathematics, and accounting. However, soft skills are a wide category and tough to measure. It includes personal traits and interpersonal skills. Soft skills focus mainly on how you interact with others. It also includes social skills, emotional skills, communication, and teamwork. It’s not easy to teach soft skills, and they are hard to measure. In the above survey, over 60% of respondents considered soft skills more important than hard skills. What are the top soft skills required to get selected for a job in an interview? According to a Zety study, recruiters and HR managers look for candidates’ teamwork, communication, time management, problem-solving, and creativity. They also look for leadership qualities, emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage stress and take decisions. Let’s see each of the soft skills and how to develop them. Teamwork: We need Teamwork to complete the work in an organization quickly and effectively. Teamwork helps to create a system that can meet deadlines while following high-quality work. When we share work among the members, we can do it quickly, and this, in turn, will improve the organization’s efficiency. Further, to become a team player, a candidate should be flexible. He or she should also give respect to others in the team. They should listen to the team members; whenever required, they should support or help them finish their jobs better. Thus, teamwork ensures productivity and efficiency. Communication: In a 2019 LinkedIn survey in the United States, communication was the most sought-after soft skill. Communication plays an important role in cracking an interview. A candidate with good communication skills can convey his personality and attitude. They can share their ideas very well and share their thoughts. Looking at the job profiles, we know that globally, organizations are giving a lot of importance to communication in their potential employees: “good communication skills.” Hence, even with good degrees and professional skills, candidates should develop good communication skills to get selected for employment. Time Management: In an employee’s life in the office, it’s easy to let the day finish without doing the most important task. Moreover, if a candidate doesn’t know to manage his time, he will often end up not completing his work or project on time. The three P’s of time management- Planning, Prioritizing, and Performing- are critical for employees and organizations to succeed. HR managers say this is one of the important qualities to look for when hiring employees. Hence, candidates should be able to convey and establish that they are good at time management in an interview. Problem-solving skills: This is one of the top skills recruiters look for in job applicants. Logical skills help you understand why an issue is happening and how to resolve it. The journey to finding a solution starts with understanding the issue, coming up with resolutions, executing them, and assessing their efficiency. Creativity: Individuals with a creative mindset can come up with unique solutions for their problems. Another benefit of creative candidates is their enthusiasm, which will assist them in completing tasks and resolving issues. Emotional Intelligence: Researchers point out that emotional intelligence or emotional quotient influences how employees interact with their colleagues. EQ also has a role in how employees manage stress and conflict. Equally important is managing your emotions positively to let go of stress, talk effectively, relate to others, overcome challenges and resolve conflict. To succeed in an interview, it’s not enough to tick all the right boxes. You should understand what are the qualities to look for hiring employees by an organization, too. You should assure the recruiters that you are the best fit for the job. For that, be honest and display your personality. In addition

Human Connect in HR for Better Employee Relationships at Works - Verifitech
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Human Connect in HR for Better Relationships at Work

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Human Connect in HR for Better Relationships at Work Overview Jane was sitting in the window side of the train, about to leave her hometown railway station. Her eyes welled with tears. She came to her hometown to meet uncle Rex who was ailing. Uncle Rex was a loyal Accountant in their family business, and her father wanted to meet and spend some time with him and hand over some money for his treatment. Jane saw the station through the rustic grills of the train, the same old newspaper stands waiting for the customers, and the occasional breeze bringing the stinking smell of dry fish. Not much has changed in the railway station. But the people have changed. When she left her hometown 20 years ago, her gang of friends, her cousins, and relatives all came to send her off. Now everyone is busy in their world. And where are the relationships going?  Jane knows she will be back in her busy world tomorrow. She doesn’t know what is going to explode in her office. As she was thinking about her office, her mobile was beeping with a new email, and she felt something was wrong. She clicked open the mail. Jane was a Project Manager with an MNC, one of the top paymasters, and nothing was lacking regarding employee benefits. They are also known for not being pushy to get work done.  Jane’s organization was known for its employee-friendly policies. In the last two years, they automated everything from onboarding to orientation to lure millennials into the workforce. The self-service portals ensure minimum interaction, and one need not have to go behind the HR or Managers to fulfill their requirements. It ensured that employees had more time to focus on work and significantly reduced their dependency on peers and managers for mundane things.  Of late, the attrition has been massive, and not only Jane, but many managers have been struggling to keep up the productivity. Jane decided to meet her friend, Cathy, an HR practitioner. During the conversation with Cathy, Jane realized the following points. Place human relationships at the center of the workplace By making human relations the focus of your organization’s management approach, you can successfully create a culture where your employees can thrive. Human relations are vital for developing and maintaining a positive work environment, retaining employees, and boosting productivity. Relationships between employees and management are important values in any workplace. Human relations include: Training employees. Addressing their needs. Promoting a workplace culture. Solving conflicts between different employees or between employees and management. In a workplace, 93% of information is conveyed through non-verbal expressions. My first tip is rearranging your office space to facilitate and encourage more face-to-face interaction. Don’t make them work in silos. Plan events for them and invite your remote employees, too.  Employee Collaboration Workplace human relations constitute a significant part of a business’s work. Employees must work together on projects, communicate ideas, and offer motivation to get things done. Without a smooth and inviting workplace culture, it will be challenging to manage employees. Businesses with pleasing workplaces and well-trained staff are more likely to maintain and attract qualified employees, nurture customer loyalty, and more quickly adapt to meet the needs of a changing marketplace. Employee Retention The eminence of workplace relations is critical to retaining your employees. In a high turnover organization, employee retention may seem insignificant, but managers should remember that turnover is costly. Every new joiner requires considerable time and energy in their recruitment and training. Besides, managing old employees can be challenging, mainly if they are not engaged. Ensuring quality employees are interested in and engaged in the business requires patience, compassion, and flexibility. However, such activities can make the business more financially sound. Motivation and Productivity Workplace relationships offer a source of employee motivation critical to sustaining productivity. Employees who are interested in their work and the well-being of other employees are more productive than those who are not. The productivity results are obvious financial dividends to the company, as it can get more done in less time with fewer costs. Building relationships by recognizing an employee’s value to the company and a concern for their needs often goes a long way. Nurturing Employee Creativity To sustain in the modern business environment, quick product development is key as one needs to meet the ever-evolving consumer needs. In some industries like technology, for example – employees’ ability to develop practical and innovative ideas is often the differentiator between the entire company’s success and failure. Employees’ creativity often depends on their ability to communicate with other employees and share ideas. Without quality workplace relationships, employees are less likely to be able to develop and share the solutions that a business needs to survive. Most organizations make the mistake of scheduling events around work. But for employees to come together, you need to weave them around their shared interests. Shared commonalities can bring in relatedness and employee bonding. Recognize Efforts  Don’t be frugal when it comes to recognizing their efforts. It’s similar to micro-recognition- acknowledges success frequently, even if small. When it comes from peers and management, employees value it much more than the extensive top-down recognitions.  Power of Co-Creation It would work best if you use the power of co-creation. People love to create. Use co-creation as a powerful tool to build relationships. Include your employees in the decision-making process. Listen to them, take their inputs, and value their share information.  Use Technology to Improve Relationships A major tip is to use technology to improve relationships. Never try to drive performance at the expense of relationships. It will only give negative results and eat into performance. The change must start with the leaders. They should create a culture of engagement and human relationships, so employees feel comfortable joining them. To win over the workforce, relationships at work should move to the forefront for organizations to succeed in this highly competitive and fast-paced world. Organizations need to free up employee time and empower and recognize their

Infectious candidates with criminal records are more vulnerable than the Corona Virus.
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Infectious candidates with criminal records are more vulnerable than the Corona Virus.

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Infectious candidates with criminal records are more vulnerable than the Corona Virus. For those businesses with high standards in the marketplace, companies are sometimes pressured by limitations such as resources and time at hand when they have to hire personnel. They have to act quickly in such times. It is also true that each applicant is a security risk as well. In these times of the Covid-19 Coronavirus, we are all re-learning the importance of prevention. We are all better off if we invest soon enough in prevention. Similarly, performing background checks on new applicants is perhaps the best way to stop potential security issues that would affect your business from arising at all. As far as background verification companies in Chennai are concerned, we at Verifitech India are proud to claim that we are the best in the category.  Why Background Checks Background Checks serve as a pre-employment screening of the candidate’s claims as far as education, previous employment, licenses held, criminal record history, etc., are concerned. Some obvious reasons why background checks are necessary can be listed as follows: It helps to avoid future liabilities It highlights the applicant’s criminal history It ensures safety in the workplace It ensures the competence of the applicant for the job   In addition to these, background checks help you to hire legal, safe and honest workers which are of prime importance in the growth of your business.  If an employer fails to investigate the background of an applicant before hiring, they may find themselves liable for negligent hiring if the employee is later gets involved in illegal activities or serious misconduct. In such cases, punitive damages may cost a lot of money. It is better to spend a little time and money to perform background checks on job applicants than spend multiple times to save yourself and the business later.  Why Verifitech India for Background Checks As the most premier background check companies in Chennai, at Verifitech India, background screening approach is flexible and allow our clients to deploy a singular program to verify the backgrounds of all applicants to their organization.  You can come to us for the following reasons: We follow strict verification methods that adhere to best practices and the most modern industry standards.  We generate data of great integrity. We have expert in-house interviewers. We have a flexible approach. Our turnaround times are very fast. No interviewer bias. We offer the most competitive rates in the marketplace.  Moreover, we offer four different question template categories for our different clients: Basic – When hiring first-time, young, temporary workers; for high-turnover sector clients Standard – Clients that are filling entry-level positions in their organizations Investigative – Clients that are hiring personnel for supervisory or professorial positions Executive – Clients that are looking to fill highest management level positions Recent Verifitech News HR Leadership Lessons From Ponniyin Selvan October 11, 2022 Infectious candidates with criminal records are more vulnerable than the Corona Virus. May 25, 2020 Things every employer should know about building an effective screening program September 26, 2019 Avoid unfortunate incidents with Psychometric Analysis May 11, 2019 Load More Leave comments on this post

know how to screen out Sexual Harassers in the hiring process
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Know how to screen out Sexual Harassers in the Hiring Process

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Know how to screen out Sexual Harassers in the Hiring Process Overview Business organizations with negligent or outdated hiring processes are likely exposed to the risk of disrupting their company’s reputation with issues like sexual harassment incidents. Even one incident has the potential to make irreversible damages to both the company and the victim. Hence, recruiters must do everything possible to screen out the candidates in the hiring process itself with the notion to ensure a safe workplace. Unfortunately, most of the companies lack a specific approach to identify toxic minded candidates with the usual screening procedures. Here, I’m introducing the approaches that best proved to be effective in assessing the candidates’ toxic mentality. Following are the best approaches to screen out sexual harassers during a hiring process, Employee Referrals: This procedure should be incorporated in all the organization’s recruitment processes to avoid hiring toxic candidates. This method is proven to be the greatest contributor in the decision-making process as the candidates’ ex-employer or manager gives attestation to their performance and character. Also, the companies can hold candidates liable for the quality of referral to avoid junk or fabricated reviews. Criminal Background Checks: This should be the must-have procedure in all the organizations to hire any resources. Be it a person who is in an organizations’ key role or the security and house-keeping manpower, Criminal background check should be a mandatory procedure in the recruitment process. Drug Abuse Check: Prospective employees should be verified for drugs or alcohol abuse prior to being hired. This measure ensures both the safety and reputation of the company as well as the other employees in the work station. Employers should consider Drug abuse tests to be part of the hiring process to avoid any unforeseen incidents from employees. Hiring process gets even more scrutinized and systematic when every candidate passes pre-employment drug and alcohol abuse verification. Continue the assessment even after hiring: Every candidate will be on their best behavior at the time of the interview but the true colors come to the light only after days pass by. Most of the organizations give the least priority to the check on candidates’ behavior with the co-workers after the hiring process. And most of the issues come to everyone’s knowledge only after such incidents take place. But, every organization’s objective should be to weed out toxic employees while detecting unusual behavior itself. This is only possible when business forms realize the importance of continued character assessments. It is important to ensure that the test we run is done with the best approach to fulfill the objective of hiring only the best fits. Though the internal Human Resources team can run several tests, it is always recommended to opt for Third-party background verifiers who are particularly specializing in the fields of criminal and psychological screening methodologies. As always said, Prevention is better than cure! You can also refer here to know about The Mistakes in Background Screening that Can Affect a Business

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