The workplace can be an environment that encourages unhealthy habits to include poor eating choices combined with lack of exercise. If your company is feeling the results of this in terms of increased health care premium costs, paid sick days, and unproductive employees; perhaps it’s time to start a corporate health and wellness program to help your staff lose those extra pounds?

In a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over one-third of all Americans are considered to be overweight and another one-third are medically obese. These numbers are expected to rise by the year 2050 to more than half of the American population. Kids are now in the fastest rising population of obese people in America, because of generational behaviours.

Being obese comes from a variety of factors, but work can contribute to stress eating and lack of proper fitness. It’s difficult for many working adults to fit exercise into their lifestyle, and many turn to fast-food meals rushed in between tasks. This is clearly not a healthy way to live or to work. A Duke University study from 2010 indicated that weight-related illnesses and absenteeism cost employers an average of $73 billion annually.

For the employer trying to reduce bottom line costs like these, a simple plan could include instituting the following elements to the entire employee population this year:

• Providing access to on-site physical activity options (bike and walking paths, fitness equipment, sports teams)
• Giving employees incentives to eat healthier and lose weight through fitness (HSA contributions, discounted gym memberships, on-site wellness support)
• Supporting employees who wish to attend weight loss or lifestyle change seminars, retreats and counseling.
• Educating employees on a continual basis about weight loss and wellness topics to encourage a corporate culture mind-shift.

Today, many employers also work with health care benefits vendors to support weight loss and other wellness initiatives. Some offer personal health assessments to help employees reduce their waistlines and their company costs.

Be sure to review our other related content here at Suburban Group on the topic of cutting costs and managing your human resources needs. Suburban Group also offers staffing support to help you maintain a healthy work team.

Do you sometimes dream of having subordinates who love you – honest to goodness employees who actually like working for you? The need for happy workers who actually love to come to work every day has somewhat become a lost value in many workplaces today. Very few organizations place emphasis on this key success element nowadays, which widens the gap between employees and management. The problem with corporate environments like this is that it very often leads to low productivity, high employee turnover and little chance of creative inspiration.

So, how do you break the cycle of negativity and create a workplace where employees both love to work for you and have more loyalty? Here are some steps to start using now!

Start a New Image for Upper Management

It’s a general idea at most companies that the employees at the bottom of the corporate ladder are just “worker bees” when compared to executive level employees. Those who exist at the bottom level don’t think they are valued much. What makes this worse is that the upper management may be engaged in social activities like golf games, carousing in restaurants and traveling away from the office frequently, leaving lower level employees to handle the difficult tasks. All of this can lead to general discontent.

You can change this image by asking your upper management to be more involved in the daily efforts of your company. Let your supervisors get their hands dirty too. Give them responsibilities, which include mentoring others, holding meetings and talking with employees on their level. This alone can help to increase employee morale and improve the attitude towards work.

Promote Employees from Within

One of the biggest concerns that employees have today is wondering if they have any true job security. This fear can cause even the best employees to continually look for better opportunities with competing companies. Add to that the irritation of new people coming in to train and you have a recipe for disaster.

Instead of only recruiting outside candidates, why not offer a succession-planning program, which focuses on promoting from within? Give your top performers a chance to grow in their careers and take on new responsibilities. This will give them something to look forward to, which will give employees a reason to keep coming to work every day.

Give Your Employees Respect

This may sound a little strange, but when is the last time you actually demonstrated respect to your subordinates? There’s a good chance that every single employee in your office has unique skills, abilities and dedication that they bring to the job. This is something that your company and your clients benefit from, so never take this for granted.

If you want your employees to love you, then you have to show them some love too. Start by finding out more about your staff, such as their interests and personal lives. Talk with department supervisors about their rising stars in addition to any issues that may exist. Provide additional training and mentoring opportunities to employees. When people know that they are valued at work, they are happier and less likely to quit.

Recognize Your Employees..Regularly

One of the most powerful tools you can use to increase employee happiness and loyalty is a well-planned employee recognition program. Use consistent rewards and provide positive feedback to employees who demonstrate a love for their jobs. Verbally praise those who go above and beyond the call of duty, and make sure to bring this to the attention of peers. Employees who feel loved at work will very often do their best to show that love back in the form of hard work and completed projects.

Want to learn the secrets of a better workplace, greater productivity and happier employees? Come back often for helpful tips and ideas right here!

Today’s job market is incredibly competitive. Although the economy continues to show signs of improvement, one job posting can result in hundreds of resumes. To help get your resume to the top of the pile and stand out to employers,there is  an easy, no-cost option:

Partner with a staffing agency!

When you work with a recruiter, you are gaining a career ally. Someone who will help you present your skills and experience in the best way, and also increase your skills and experience in areas that may be lacking. You should be careful when partnering with a recruiter or staffing agency; however, to ensure that you’re still an active participant in your job search.

BusinessInsider.com recently published an article titled, “Headhunters Reveal 11 Ways to Ruin Your Chances of Getting the Job.” These tips can help you get the most out of the relationship with your staffing agency, and increase your odds of landing an exciting, new career opportunity.

Are you searching for your next career opportunity?
The Suburban Group can help! We work with top employers across Greater Boston and beyond, matching them with talented, skilled job seekers.

Having the right tools at your disposal can make hiring a lot easier—and a lot more successful. Here is a quick overview of different assessments tools you can use, beyond the basic job interview:

Qualifications Screens – simple questionnaires determine if an applicant has the minimum requirements to perform a job (availability, minimum age, years of related experience, etc.).

Job Simulations / Work-Sample Tests – These require the candidate to actually demonstrate or perform job tasks. Simulations may be conducted: as written tests, as role-playing exercises, on a computer, or even in real-life conditions. By design, they generally show a high degree of job-relatedness.

General Abilities Tests – Generally used for entry-level jobs or for applicants without advanced degrees. They measure broad mental abilities such as reasoning, quantitative, verbal, and spatial abilities.

Specific Ability Tests – Test for distinct mental and physical abilities, such as typing speed, reading comprehension, strength, and mechanical aptitude.

Knowledge and Skills Tests – Determine how much an individual knows about a very specific, advanced subject area such as software programming or mortgage laws. Knowledge tests are similar to specific ability assessments, but examine more sophisticated skills.

Talent Measures / Personality Inventories – Measure a candidate’s natural personal characteristics like: leadership and management skills; problem-solving ability; motivation; self-confidence; and communication styles.

Culture Fit Inventories – Assess how well an applicant will fit into your corporate culture and work environment, to help ensure organizational commitment.

Background Investigations – Gather information from outside sources, such as former employers and police records. Employment, criminal record, and reference checks all help employers avoid potentially catastrophic hires.

Drug Screens – Use a physical specimen from the candidate (hair, urine, etc.) to determine past drug or alcohol use. Employers use drug screens to prevent industrial accidents, work-related injuries, and excessive absenteeism.

If you would like more information about any of the above assessments please contact our offices today.

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