Personalized Employee Benefits

Stop guessing your next move—let a Personal Development Plan guide your progress. A while back, I mentored a professional named Rahul, who felt he was being repeatedly overlooked for promotions. We conducted a competency mapping session and discovered a key gap in his ability to work cross-functionally and lead diverse teams. 🧩 Rather than feeling discouraged, Rahul saw this as an opportunity. We built a Personal Development Plan (PDP) to close those gaps. By enrolling in relevant courses and taking on cross-departmental projects, Rahul not only improved his skills but also earned the promotion he had been aiming for. 👉 What is a Personal Development Plan (PDP)? A PDP is a roadmap for your career growth, detailing the specific skills you need to develop to advance in your role. Here are the Key Sections every PDP should include: 💢Self-Assessment: Identify your current strengths and areas for improvement based on feedback or a competency mapping session. 💢Goal Setting: Set clear, measurable goals for what you want to achieve in your career (e.g., leadership skills, cross-functional collaboration). 💢Action Plan: Outline the steps you’ll take to close the gaps, such as enrolling in courses, seeking mentorship, or participating in projects. 💢Timeline: Assign deadlines to each action item to track your progress and stay on course. 💢Evaluation: Regularly assess your progress through self-reflection or feedback from peers and supervisors. 💡 Key Action Points: ⚜️Use competency mapping to identify specific skill gaps. ⚜️Develop a Personal Development Plan to close those gaps. ⚜️Engage in practical experiences like cross-functional projects or targeted training. Feeling stuck in your career? Start building your personal development plan today and tackle those skill gaps head-on! #CareerDevelopment #SkillGaps #PersonalDevelopmentPlan #LeadershipSkills #CompetencyMapping #ProfessionalGrowth

Too often, work goes unnoticed. But people want to be seen. A recent statistic had me thinking: 37% of employees claim that increased personal recognition would significantly enhance their work output. This insight comes from an O.C. Tanner survey, which leveraged 1.7 million responses from employees across various industries and company sizes. Beyond just feeling nice, recognition emerges as the most impactful driver of motivation. It makes real-time feedback, personal appreciation, and meaningful rewards not just nice-to-haves — they're must-haves to fuel performance. Here are concrete ways you can supercharge your recognition efforts to resonate deeply with your team: (1) Spotlight Specifics: Highlight specific achievements. Hilton’s Recognition Calendar equips managers with daily actionable ideas that turn recognizing real accomplishments into a routine practice. (2) Quick Kudos: Swift praise is so important. Timeliness in recognition makes it feel authentic and maintains high motivation levels. (3) Tailored Cheers: Personalize your appreciation. Crowe's "Recognize Alert" system enhances recognition by transforming client praises into celebratory moments, encouraging recipients to pay it forward. (4) Genuine Thank-Yous: Don't underestimate the power of small gestures. Regular acknowledgments, whether through handwritten notes or intranet shout-outs, create a culture where appreciation is commonplace. You do it, others will do it too. (5) Big Picture Praises: Connect individual achievements to the company’s larger mission. Texas Health Resources celebrates personal milestones with personalized yearbooks that link each person’s contributions to the organization’s goals. Using these practices genuinely and consistently can make every team member feel truly valued and more connected to the collective mission. Each act of recognition builds a stronger, more engaged team, poised to meet challenges and drive success. #Recognition #Appreciation #FeelingValued #Workplace #Culture #Innovation #HumanResources #Leadership Source: https://lnkd.in/e8jUtHZH

Imagine this: One of your most dedicated team members led a crucial project that significantly boosted the team’s #performance metrics. Yet, during #appraisal time, they received a mere 6% hike. It is disheartening at times and raises a critical question: Are we really valuing our employees correctly? For many organizations, the #performanceappraisal cycle is the ultimate yardstick for measuring an employee’s #potential and performance But let’s face it, while the evaluation cycle is a good #measurement tool and run by well-oiled machinery, the dependency factors are complex. Employees blame #managers for not having paid them the dues in such scenarios but miss the larger picture. The system has its limitations which are driven by multiple factors like company affordability, market condition, inflation, maintaining pay parity (fairness) and economic conditions which play a significant role in determining salary hikes and revisions. Exceptional work, #innovations, and #dedication can’t always be quantified within the confines of an annual review. Currently, the market is in a slow-down phase, affecting all industries. This economic reality often translates into lower appraisal percentages, which might not reflect an employee’s true potential or hard work. It’s time to rethink recognition: We, as leaders and organizations must look beyond the traditional appraisal system to truly recognize and reward exceptional work. While Rome will not be rebuilt in a day, here are a few tips and tricks for managers to ensure reward and recognition are not looked at as mere annual tick marks: a. Immediate #recognition - Don’t wait for the annual review. Celebrate successes as they happen. b. Personalized rewards - Tailor rewards what genuinely motivates each employee. It could be a shout-out in a team meeting, a personalized thank-you note, or even an extra day off. c. Professional #development - Invest in your employees’ growth. Offering #opportunities for #training and development can be a more meaningful reward than a percentage increase. d. Flexible incentives - Consider flexible incentives like project-based bonuses or recognition programs that run throughout the year. e. Stand-up for your team members - It is utmost critical for managers to stay true with their team members and back them in any way needed. This is driven by #empathy When employees feel undervalued, it can lead to dissatisfaction and higher resignation rates—a trend we can’t afford in these challenging times. Businesses must strive to make their employees feel valued and psychologically safe, even when financial rewards are constrained. Having read this post, imagine yourself in your managers’ position, look at all the factors affecting the appraisal cycle and maybe your view about your revised salary will change from decent to ‘exceeds expectations’. We evolve and grow as #HR by making everyone feel valued every day, not just during the appraisal cycle. #leadership

Work is evolving. The data show us where to focus: => Remote workers aren't thriving. => FIXED ONSITE employees are struggling. New Gallup Global Workplace: 2025 Report shares data to guide where to improve employee experiences and achieve better results. Remote workers need more support--better management and sense of belonging through culture and connection. Hybrid employees are clearly also experiencing high stress which needs addressing. However, notice the data for fixed onsite workers: - Only 19% are engaged - the lowest by far - Only 30% are thriving - the lowest by far FLEXIBILITY is essential for EVERY worker. More autonomy is necessary and possible for ALL onsite workers with different options depending on the role. Flexibility for onsite workers means more: - Shift patterns and options; - Staggered start and end times; - Rotating shifts and compressed workweeks; - Shift swapping; - Floaters and part-time schedules; - Job-sharing to fulfill a full-time role; - Phased retirement and on-demand labor; - Choice of vacation timing. Manufacturing, retail, and hospitality examples: - Land O'Lakes, Inc.: Introduced “flex work” program in 60 of 140 facilities, allowing factory workers to set their schedules vs rigid 12-hour shifts. - RICK STEIN RESTAURANTS: Flexible careers scheme allows staff (all ages and experience levels)to work as little as one shift per week. -Pets at Home (UK): Offers job-sharing and part-time options for store managers supported by manager training and explicit policies. Humans thrive with more autonomy, wherever they work. What greater workplace flexibility can your company offer every worker so that your workforce and business can thrive more?

Most companies are using AI for efficiency. Some are accelerating value creation. A great case study is how Colgate-Palmolive is driving innovation. Here are specific ways they are embedding GenAI across innovation processes to substantlly improve research and product development. These come from an excellent article in MIT Sloan Management Review by Tom Davenport and Randy Bean (link in comments). 💡 AI-Driven Product Concept Generation Accelerates Ideation By linking one AI system that surfaces consumer needs with another that crafts product concepts, Colgate-Palmolive can swiftly generate creative ideas like novel toothpaste flavors. This AI-augmented workflow produces a broader product funnel and allows rapid iteration, enabling more employees to participate in the innovation process under guided human oversight. 🔍 Retrieval-Augmented Generation Enhances Data Reliability The firm’s use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) integrates company-specific research, syndicated data, and real-time trends from sources like Google search data. This approach minimizes the risk of hallucinations and ensures that responses are deeply grounded in verified, internal content—delivering more accurate market analysis and trend detection. 🤖 Digital Consumer Twins Validate and Refine Concepts Moving beyond traditional focus groups, the company has developed “digital consumer twins”—virtual representations of real consumer behavior. These digital twins rapidly test hundreds of AI-generated product ideas. Early evaluations show a high level of agreement between virtual feedback and actual consumer responses. This innovation speeds up early-stage concept validation and reduces reliance on slower, more limited human panels. 🔐 Democratizing AI Through a Secure Internal AI Hub Colgate-Palmolive’s AI Hub provides employees with controlled access to advanced AI tools (including models from OpenAI and Google) behind corporate firewalls. Mandatory training on responsible AI use, including guardrails and prompt engineering best practices, ensures that employees harness these tools safely and effectively. Built-in surveys and KPI tracking further enable the company to measure improvements in creativity, productivity, and overall work quality. 🌐 Bridging Traditional Analytics with Next-Gen AI for Measurable Impact By integrating traditional machine learning with cutting-edge generative AI, Colgate-Palmolive is not only boosting operational efficiencies but also driving strategic growth. This seamless blend supports tasks ranging from market research and innovation to marketing content creation—demonstrating a holistic, value-driven approach to adopting AI that is a model for other organizations.

Have you noticed that there’s no shortage of ideas for improvement in organizations yet change is slow. The real challenge is that many ideas get swallowed up—lost in the noise. ⚠️ Without a clear process to prioritize, test, and follow through, people's ideas never see the light of day. They become casualties of poor communication, unclear ownership, or a lack of structure to move them forward. 💣 And of course...this leads to frustration among employees who feel their contributions aren’t valued. So- here's some tips for setting up the right environment for #innovation. ✔️ Be curious and ask people for ideas ✔️ Invite creativity by giving people time to think ✔️ Provide structures and systems for processing ideas ✔️ Use structures and systems to plan for implementation ✔️ Encourage bold moves and resilience (risk assessed of course) ✔️ Be decisive around actions, responsibilities and timeframes ✔️ Continually learn, refine and improve based on feedback AND Build innovation into the day-to-day and week-to-week rhythm of work through intentional routines and habits. Do this through: ✔️ Daily Innovation Standups or Huddles for a quick overview ✔️ Encouraging Gemba Walks to spark improvement discussions ✔️ Weekly Innovation Meetings to get into more detail ✔️ Monthly Review Meetings for assessing progress, and approving new initiatives. ✔️ Quarterly Planning to align the review of ideas with strategy ✔️ Including in 1:1s and asking about ideas for improvement and updates in regular check-ins How does innovation happen in your organization? Leave your tips below 🙏 ________________________________________ I'm Catherine McDonald- Lean Business and Leadership Coach. Follow me for insights on lean, leadership, coaching strategy and organizational behaviour.

I took for granted that my parents would always be there. On February 14, 2017, with one phone call from my mom, that all changed. My dad was suddenly gone. It was the worst day of my life. When we lose someone we love, support from employers is critical on our journey to grieve & heal. We all must step up & fight for bereavement leave in our workplaces: 💜 Give more time off Given all the tasks associated with arranging and/or traveling to a funeral, sorting out finances, and mourning one’s loss, a few days off from the demands of our jobs don’t cut it. 💜 Expand the definition of family Many bereavement leave policies distinguish between immediate & extended family members. The best are flexible, covering the loss of any loved one, including a partner, child, parent, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends and neighbors. 💜 Don’t ask for proof of death Do not ask to see a death certificate, obituary or letter from a funeral home or hospital. This is uncomfortable, hurtful, and assumes ill intent of someone asking for leave. 💜 Offer grief counseling Many organizations already provide some type of mental health support to your employees. This is the time to remind people that it’s available. 💜 Take the individual’s lead Please don’t make decisions for those grieving. If they want to take on more work, give it to them. If they want to talk about the loss, listen. If they don’t, respect their wishes. Please check out my Harvard Business Review piece. Link in comments. My dad loved reading HBR. 💜 #inclusion #culture #leadership #grief

We surveyed 500 #10KSB small business owners on the challenges of childcare for their businesses. Here’s what they had to say: 48% of small business owners cited childcare availability and affordability affecting hiring and keeping talent. 52% of small business owners have made adjustments to their business operations or policies to accommodate employees child care needs. 57% of small business owners with children in childcare reported spending $1,000 or more per month and cited detrimental effects to productivity, revenue, and business hours. Meet Megan Metzger, a 10,000 Small Businesses alum, and domestic staffing agency owner from North Carolina. From guiding over 400 agencies on starting and scaling their businesses, her insights help illuminate solutions to small business childcare needs. Megan's Tips for Small Businesses Offering Childcare Benefits: Cost Sharing: Share the cost of childcare services with employees, whether it's a nanny agency or daycare. Childcare Benefit "Bank": Create a benefit structure where the employer provides a set number of covered days (or hours) each year for childcare, which can be distributed among employees. Local Childcare Agencies: Partner with a local childcare agency. They're well-acquainted with the community's unique needs and can provide flexible benefit arrangements while avoiding hefty fees. #Childcare #SmallBusiness #WorkplaceWellness https://lnkd.in/en4Q7KM6

Workplace flexibility is more than a four day working week, remote work or nine-day fortnight. What are the options and exactly how personalised can flexible work arrangements become? Thanks to the Geraldton Guardian newspaper for publishing my piece on this topic. Working remotely, hybrid work arrangements, and the four-day workweek are among the smorgasbord of flexible work treats now available at an increasing number of workplaces. While these options have been gobbled up by some workers, they might not satisfy everyone's appetite for workplace flexibility. The growing demand for flexible work arrangements is about to get a whole lot more personal, with an increasing number of options being put on the table for workers to choose from. The modern workplace is made up of individuals with widely varying personal situations, yet too often they are served a one-size-fits-all menu when it comes to flexible work arrangements. Consider remote and hybrid work arrangements. While many workers enjoy these flexible options, others prefer to keep their personal and work lives separate and do not find these arrangements appetising at all. This emphasizes the need for workplaces to dish up a more varied menu of flexible work options, catering to the diverse tastes and needs of their employees, ensuring everyone can find an arrangement that suits their unique lifestyle. They are plenty of flexible work options that can be put on the table many of which have been on the menu for some time, although we’ve yet to truly dish them out. Many workers prefer the flexibility of part-time work but are locked into full-time roles. There is often hesitation to convert these roles, fearing reduced employee dedication. When converting full-time roles to part-time is not feasible, job sharing—where two or more part-time employees share the responsibilities of a single full-time position—can be a viable alternative. Staggered start and finish times allow employees to adjust their working hours to better fit their personal lives, such as starting earlier or finishing later. Split schedules allow employees to divide their work hours into segments, such as working 8 am to 12 noon in the office, taking a break, and then working 4 pm to 8 pm from home. Purchased leave allows employees to buy additional leave days beyond their standard entitlement, enabling them to take extended time off for personal needs, vacations, or other commitments by deducting the cost from their salary. A deferred salary leave plan lets employees work for several years at 80% pay, saving the deferred portion to fund an extended break while still receiving a reduced salary. The variety of options on the menu means that while some employees savour a four-day week, others will relish staggered hours, and still others will opt for split schedules or time banking. #flexibleworkarrangements #flexibility #workplace #management #job #humanresources #leadership #AIMWA

India Inc is revisiting parental leave policies as inclusion efforts pick up pace and family structures evolve, reports Sreeradha Basu for The Economic Times. ➡️ Colgate-Palmolive India recently extended its supportive caregiver policy from four weeks to three months, which can be availed within a year of the child's birth or adoption. This is an effort to improve gender equality at the firm by creating a culture of shared or equal parenting, adds the report. ➡️ Hindustan Unilever Limited in March launched a foster/kinship caregiver leave policy, which offers employees who choose pre-adoption foster care or become legal guardians, up to four weeks of leave. The firm has also expanded its tie-ups with daycares. ➡️ Volvo Group India in 2023 rolled out a gender-neutral parental leave initiative, in which employees can avail 26 weeks of leave for primary caregivers, along with 26 additional weeks of unpaid extended leave or flexible working arrangements, and a month of leave for secondary caregivers. Why are such initiatives crucial? Economic benefits for firms include reducing turnover costs and increasing workforce participation, especially for women, according to Mansee Singhal, Rewards Consulting Leader at Mercer India. These policies can also help reduce gender pay gaps by enabling women to maintain career progression after having a child, and establish firms as good places to work, she adds. Source: The Economic Times: https://lnkd.in/ekjyXRFe ✍ : Isha Chitnis 📸 : Getty Images