Dear All,
I have noticed situations wherein a few (3-4) employees at times have no work at all. They cannot be shifted to different projects in an IT solutions company as there is a possibility that work might come in between (many times), and they have to be ready for it. However, at times, out of the total work hours (8-9 hours a day), 75% of the time, they are on Facebook, Gmail chats, watching cricket info, trading in shares, and at times, continuously planning for their honeymoon (a lady who is getting married in December).
They visit some technical websites sometimes and read useful stuff, but they cannot keep doing it for 4 hours a day. They will get bored and lose interest even if what they are reading is important and interesting to them.
Can you suggest some useful activities that can take place for these people? They range from 1-3 years of work experience, work on the same technology, and are in the same work team.
I do not want to give them warnings or yell at them as it will only result in the continuation of their existing behavior in a hidden way. I would like to know of things that they would like to do (very doubtful) and at the same time, they get some learning out of it.
This situation is faced in many companies. So, I would like all those people who have given a solution to add inputs in this.
(We all have one-hand distance between our seats. All sit in the same way side-to-side and facing each other, even the project managers.)
Regards,
Ashlesha
From India, Mumbai
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24I have noticed situations wherein a few (3-4) employees at times have no work at all. They cannot be shifted to different projects in an IT solutions company as there is a possibility that work might come in between (many times), and they have to be ready for it. However, at times, out of the total work hours (8-9 hours a day), 75% of the time, they are on Facebook, Gmail chats, watching cricket info, trading in shares, and at times, continuously planning for their honeymoon (a lady who is getting married in December).
They visit some technical websites sometimes and read useful stuff, but they cannot keep doing it for 4 hours a day. They will get bored and lose interest even if what they are reading is important and interesting to them.
Can you suggest some useful activities that can take place for these people? They range from 1-3 years of work experience, work on the same technology, and are in the same work team.
I do not want to give them warnings or yell at them as it will only result in the continuation of their existing behavior in a hidden way. I would like to know of things that they would like to do (very doubtful) and at the same time, they get some learning out of it.
This situation is faced in many companies. So, I would like all those people who have given a solution to add inputs in this.
(We all have one-hand distance between our seats. All sit in the same way side-to-side and facing each other, even the project managers.)
Regards,
Ashlesha
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Ashlesha,
In many companies, it happens that employees take frequent breaks from work to chat or check the internet, forward emails, or engage in entertainment to refresh their minds. While a few breaks are acceptable and necessary, frequent breaks can disrupt concentration and the productivity of other employees. This often occurs when there is no significant work to be done, or when employees become bored with routine tasks and seek constant change. You have taken the correct approach by not being harsh with them since this approach is unlikely to work and may only increase stress among your employees. It's like trying to hold water - the more you try, the more it slips through your fingers. Here are a few suggestions you can consider:
1) Encourage them to create training materials under the guidance of a senior Team Lead. This could involve developing animated slides to explain technical concepts, building technical models, charts, or simplifying complex documents for quick understanding, which can later be used for training purposes.
2) If there is a shortage of technical work, consider creating a small forum called "Fun at Work." This group can plan various activities for the company, such as festival celebrations, organizing corporate games, fostering a fun work culture, or starting and maintaining a wall magazine.
3) Assign a case study on Organizational Development. Collaborate with heads of different departments to identify problem areas, and then assign projects to find innovative solutions under the guidance of a senior member. This approach allows employees to conduct projects as case studies that will ultimately benefit the organization.
Before assigning any task, ensure that you understand their interests. I hope these suggestions address your concerns. Please feel free to reach out if you need further information.
Regards,
Sarang
Forscher Consultancy
Email-1: sarrang@forscher.co.in
Email-2: being.innovator@gmail.com
Web: Forscher Consultancy
From India, Mumbai
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In many companies, it happens that employees take frequent breaks from work to chat or check the internet, forward emails, or engage in entertainment to refresh their minds. While a few breaks are acceptable and necessary, frequent breaks can disrupt concentration and the productivity of other employees. This often occurs when there is no significant work to be done, or when employees become bored with routine tasks and seek constant change. You have taken the correct approach by not being harsh with them since this approach is unlikely to work and may only increase stress among your employees. It's like trying to hold water - the more you try, the more it slips through your fingers. Here are a few suggestions you can consider:
1) Encourage them to create training materials under the guidance of a senior Team Lead. This could involve developing animated slides to explain technical concepts, building technical models, charts, or simplifying complex documents for quick understanding, which can later be used for training purposes.
2) If there is a shortage of technical work, consider creating a small forum called "Fun at Work." This group can plan various activities for the company, such as festival celebrations, organizing corporate games, fostering a fun work culture, or starting and maintaining a wall magazine.
3) Assign a case study on Organizational Development. Collaborate with heads of different departments to identify problem areas, and then assign projects to find innovative solutions under the guidance of a senior member. This approach allows employees to conduct projects as case studies that will ultimately benefit the organization.
Before assigning any task, ensure that you understand their interests. I hope these suggestions address your concerns. Please feel free to reach out if you need further information.
Regards,
Sarang
Forscher Consultancy
Email-1: sarrang@forscher.co.in
Email-2: being.innovator@gmail.com
Web: Forscher Consultancy
From India, Mumbai
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Hi there,
Having an employee not working for 4 hours is not acceptable. They need to be engaged in office work. The best solution is to ask them individually for an interview and pull out their job description. Give them a one-day head start to list down their achievements so far, then have a brainstorming session on their achievements versus what tasks and activities you can derive from their job description. You need to go through:
- Their duties
- Their achievements
- What are their deliverables – tangible
- Their training
- Ongoing projects
- Any problems faced in their work progress
One of the solutions for ensuring employees are always engaged in activities when they have nothing better to do could be one of the following uses of the organization's internet facility:
E-library: Upload reading materials related to all business subjects for employees to expand their knowledge.
E-training: Upload training materials employees can learn from, including handouts, slides, and videos.
Games: Upload games to enhance intelligence, skills, and memory.
From Oman, Muscat
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Having an employee not working for 4 hours is not acceptable. They need to be engaged in office work. The best solution is to ask them individually for an interview and pull out their job description. Give them a one-day head start to list down their achievements so far, then have a brainstorming session on their achievements versus what tasks and activities you can derive from their job description. You need to go through:
- Their duties
- Their achievements
- What are their deliverables – tangible
- Their training
- Ongoing projects
- Any problems faced in their work progress
One of the solutions for ensuring employees are always engaged in activities when they have nothing better to do could be one of the following uses of the organization's internet facility:
E-library: Upload reading materials related to all business subjects for employees to expand their knowledge.
E-training: Upload training materials employees can learn from, including handouts, slides, and videos.
Games: Upload games to enhance intelligence, skills, and memory.
From Oman, Muscat
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Greetings,
Congratulations, Sarang and Anayat, for contributing such amazing answers! I am voting for this thread. Repetitive jobs and downtime are the biggest productivity killers. The capability to focus during this duration is critical to the performance of the team post this phase. Some of the activities that can be implemented during such work hours are shared below:
- The team management needs to take into account +X and -X hours of downtime.
- The training department may plan short-term courses that can be completed within 25-30 hours or less.
- The need of the employees for training programs needs to be divided into broad categories such as Language enhancement, Excel training, Product development Introduction, Quality Analysis- basic-level training, etc.
- The study materials need to be distributed, and the programs need to be delivered during the identified downtime.
- Assessments may be deferred over a period of three months so that the employees can take them once they have covered the live sessions and study time required to clear the course.
- Websites such as the one mentioned ([link outdated-removed]) offer online courses for free, although there is no certification. You might arrange for an internal assessment to authenticate their learning. These are very basic-level courses that can be taken by anyone, irrespective of their backgrounds. Encourage them to figure out how they can implement it in their jobs.
- Cross training by the team members: Focus on closing the skill gap. Often, one team member is more skilled than others. This is the time to encourage peer-to-peer learning. Arrange for a brainstorming session by the top performers and note how their measures can help others perform better.
- New skill addition: If your employees are working with clients from different nations, utilize this time to train your employees in one of those languages. Learning a foreign language doesn't conclude in 30 hours. However, initiating such a program induces interest among employees. Identify a teacher who can facilitate a crash course for your employees. Thereafter, they can enroll in basic and advanced level courses if they are willing to learn further.
These are defined measures. You will find more innovative ones as you brainstorm further.
From India, Mumbai
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Congratulations, Sarang and Anayat, for contributing such amazing answers! I am voting for this thread. Repetitive jobs and downtime are the biggest productivity killers. The capability to focus during this duration is critical to the performance of the team post this phase. Some of the activities that can be implemented during such work hours are shared below:
- The team management needs to take into account +X and -X hours of downtime.
- The training department may plan short-term courses that can be completed within 25-30 hours or less.
- The need of the employees for training programs needs to be divided into broad categories such as Language enhancement, Excel training, Product development Introduction, Quality Analysis- basic-level training, etc.
- The study materials need to be distributed, and the programs need to be delivered during the identified downtime.
- Assessments may be deferred over a period of three months so that the employees can take them once they have covered the live sessions and study time required to clear the course.
- Websites such as the one mentioned ([link outdated-removed]) offer online courses for free, although there is no certification. You might arrange for an internal assessment to authenticate their learning. These are very basic-level courses that can be taken by anyone, irrespective of their backgrounds. Encourage them to figure out how they can implement it in their jobs.
- Cross training by the team members: Focus on closing the skill gap. Often, one team member is more skilled than others. This is the time to encourage peer-to-peer learning. Arrange for a brainstorming session by the top performers and note how their measures can help others perform better.
- New skill addition: If your employees are working with clients from different nations, utilize this time to train your employees in one of those languages. Learning a foreign language doesn't conclude in 30 hours. However, initiating such a program induces interest among employees. Identify a teacher who can facilitate a crash course for your employees. Thereafter, they can enroll in basic and advanced level courses if they are willing to learn further.
These are defined measures. You will find more innovative ones as you brainstorm further.
From India, Mumbai
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Since no job is perfect in itself, in such situations, to engage the employees having no work, they can be put to review their own work for further improvement and report the nature of improvements made. They can also be deployed to review the work of other colleagues or subordinates and give their suggestions on how to improve the quality of work. This way, they can not only realize their own shortcomings of the past but also can make further suggestions to improve others' work quality. They can also be asked to assist other colleagues where there is an overload and pending work can be expected.
Dear All, I have noticed situations where a few (3-4) employees at times have no work at all. They cannot be shifted to different projects (IT solutions company) as there is a possibility that work might come in between (many times) and they have to be ready for it. However, at times, from the total work hours (8-9 hours a day), 75% of the time, they are on Facebook, Gmail chats, watching cricket info, trading in shares, and at times continuously planning for their honeymoon (a lady who is getting married in December). They visit some technical websites sometimes and read useful stuff, but they cannot keep doing it for 4 hours a day. They will get bored and lose interest even if what they are reading is important and interesting to them.
Can you suggest some useful activities that can take place for these people? They range from 1-3 years of work experience and work on the same technology and are in the same work team. I do not want to give them warnings or yell at them as it will only result in the continuation of their existing behavior in a hidden way. I would like to know of things that they would like to do (very doubtful) and at the same time, they get some learning out of it. This situation is faced in many companies. So, I would like all those people who have given a solution to add inputs in this. (We all have one hand distance between our seats, all sit in the same way side-to-side, and facing each other, even the project managers).
Regards, Ashlesha
From India, Delhi
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Dear All, I have noticed situations where a few (3-4) employees at times have no work at all. They cannot be shifted to different projects (IT solutions company) as there is a possibility that work might come in between (many times) and they have to be ready for it. However, at times, from the total work hours (8-9 hours a day), 75% of the time, they are on Facebook, Gmail chats, watching cricket info, trading in shares, and at times continuously planning for their honeymoon (a lady who is getting married in December). They visit some technical websites sometimes and read useful stuff, but they cannot keep doing it for 4 hours a day. They will get bored and lose interest even if what they are reading is important and interesting to them.
Can you suggest some useful activities that can take place for these people? They range from 1-3 years of work experience and work on the same technology and are in the same work team. I do not want to give them warnings or yell at them as it will only result in the continuation of their existing behavior in a hidden way. I would like to know of things that they would like to do (very doubtful) and at the same time, they get some learning out of it. This situation is faced in many companies. So, I would like all those people who have given a solution to add inputs in this. (We all have one hand distance between our seats, all sit in the same way side-to-side, and facing each other, even the project managers).
Regards, Ashlesha
From India, Delhi
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It is important to address issues in the workplace in a professional and fair manner. If there are concerns about productivity and misuse of time, it is advisable to communicate expectations clearly and provide guidance on appropriate behaviors. Instead of immediately resorting to extreme measures such as terminating employees, consider implementing strategies to improve productivity and engagement. This could include setting clear performance goals, offering training and development opportunities, and fostering a positive work environment.
Additionally, it is essential to handle personal matters, such as someone getting married, with sensitivity and respect. Everyone is entitled to their personal lives, and it is crucial to separate personal matters from work responsibilities. Encouraging a healthy work-life balance and creating a supportive workplace culture can lead to better employee satisfaction and performance.
Ultimately, effective communication, setting expectations, and providing support are key components of managing a productive and harmonious work environment. Terminating employees should be a last resort after all other avenues have been explored.
From India, Madras
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Additionally, it is essential to handle personal matters, such as someone getting married, with sensitivity and respect. Everyone is entitled to their personal lives, and it is crucial to separate personal matters from work responsibilities. Encouraging a healthy work-life balance and creating a supportive workplace culture can lead to better employee satisfaction and performance.
Ultimately, effective communication, setting expectations, and providing support are key components of managing a productive and harmonious work environment. Terminating employees should be a last resort after all other avenues have been explored.
From India, Madras
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Dear Ashlesha,
I just want to ask you simple questions rather than just giving you FREE ADVICE or SUGGESTIONS.
1) Can you let me know what kind of role your TOP MANAGEMENT is playing?
2) Are they into STRATEGIC PLANNING or not?
3) Are they aware of what is happening?
4) Do you have meetings with a specific agenda and come out with solutions that fit your operus morandi?
5) Have you ever called for high-level discussions with your TOP MANAGEMENT and RESPECTIVE PROJECT/DEPARTMENT HEADS to solve this issue?
6) Are you held responsible for assigning responsibilities to those members who have free time?
7) Have you studied your organization and its business operation model?
I am really sorry to say that, kindly help your organization to become more mature and productive rather than just seeking inputs.
a) Do analysis that can help you explore your employees (their hidden talent).
b) Have OPEN and Productive discussions with all those employees having free time. Come out with appropriate inputs in favor of your organization, as they are paid for specific activities but not for killing time.
c) Make your employees manage your organization and take it to the next level. Make them THINK OUT OF THE BOX and you need to do this too.
I am very sorry because this is my way of responding to this kind of query.
My sincere advice to you is not to reveal anything in public forums that can make people think about your abilities, capabilities, and more about you and your organization's standards, stability factors, productivity/performance levels, operus morandi, and more. We employees are held responsible for degrading our organizational standards, irrespective of our level in the hierarchy.
Good Luck.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
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I just want to ask you simple questions rather than just giving you FREE ADVICE or SUGGESTIONS.
1) Can you let me know what kind of role your TOP MANAGEMENT is playing?
2) Are they into STRATEGIC PLANNING or not?
3) Are they aware of what is happening?
4) Do you have meetings with a specific agenda and come out with solutions that fit your operus morandi?
5) Have you ever called for high-level discussions with your TOP MANAGEMENT and RESPECTIVE PROJECT/DEPARTMENT HEADS to solve this issue?
6) Are you held responsible for assigning responsibilities to those members who have free time?
7) Have you studied your organization and its business operation model?
I am really sorry to say that, kindly help your organization to become more mature and productive rather than just seeking inputs.
a) Do analysis that can help you explore your employees (their hidden talent).
b) Have OPEN and Productive discussions with all those employees having free time. Come out with appropriate inputs in favor of your organization, as they are paid for specific activities but not for killing time.
c) Make your employees manage your organization and take it to the next level. Make them THINK OUT OF THE BOX and you need to do this too.
I am very sorry because this is my way of responding to this kind of query.
My sincere advice to you is not to reveal anything in public forums that can make people think about your abilities, capabilities, and more about you and your organization's standards, stability factors, productivity/performance levels, operus morandi, and more. We employees are held responsible for degrading our organizational standards, irrespective of our level in the hierarchy.
Good Luck.
With profound regards
From India, Chennai
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There is nothing unethical in seeking suggestions about problems that you are facing in HR work. I feel sorry about the opinion that SHAIK ABDUL KHADIR has because the purpose of this website is to get relevant information from experienced professionals, and that has nothing to do with the competency of a person.
From India, Thana
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From India, Thana
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SHAIK ABDUL KHADIR, i have no issues with your way of reply. u have replied what u think.. there is nothing to be sorry of. niether have i taken it to any level for which u shud feel sorry.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Dear Shrikant Patil,
I haven't felt bad by submitting my suggestions in this forum, but I am sure my suggestions have made many members think beyond their limits by exploring their inner inertia. Since you are new to this forum, it will take some time for you to understand the activities happening here. I don't believe in just exchanging views or information without practical thoughts... DISCUSSIONS ARE DISCUSSIONS AND WILL REMAIN DISCUSSIONS ONLY.
To help you understand better, I am reiterating what I had said earlier. Kindly concentrate on my practical thoughts.
I hope you believe in SPOON-FEEDING ACTIVITIES and love to promote the same. Even though this is practiced by many students, they are not able to learn productively. This is a major reason why employees do not possess RISK-TAKING TENDENCY, nor do they wish to explore themselves. I like/love creating or transforming individuals into Matured LEADERS, regardless of their status in the organization.
Seeking suggestions, opinions, or views from any forum is not a tough job, but trying to seek appropriate inputs within the organization is a real challenge. This is how you can explore your employees' hidden talent and get to know them much better. Unite yourself, develop good relationships not just limiting them to interpersonal or intrapersonal, give them opportunities (accountability, allow them to go the extra mile, make them passionate) to do their best for the organization beyond routine responsibilities. Make the best use of an EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK SYSTEM through SUGGESTIONS for seeking internal inputs. Call for brainstorming discussions, listen to their inputs, allow them to participate and contribute towards organizational growth factors.
Every employee should learn how to bridge the gap between employees. This is a major talent and competency of an HR, rather than just holding EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS and carrying out normal activities, which is also found in small organizations.
Becoming a TRUE PROFESSIONAL is a long journey. A professional organization is one in which extraordinary systems enable even people with ordinary skills to produce extraordinary results.
I hope you understand my point. If you have any clarifications, please feel free to share anything.
Have a nice day.
From India, Chennai
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I haven't felt bad by submitting my suggestions in this forum, but I am sure my suggestions have made many members think beyond their limits by exploring their inner inertia. Since you are new to this forum, it will take some time for you to understand the activities happening here. I don't believe in just exchanging views or information without practical thoughts... DISCUSSIONS ARE DISCUSSIONS AND WILL REMAIN DISCUSSIONS ONLY.
To help you understand better, I am reiterating what I had said earlier. Kindly concentrate on my practical thoughts.
I hope you believe in SPOON-FEEDING ACTIVITIES and love to promote the same. Even though this is practiced by many students, they are not able to learn productively. This is a major reason why employees do not possess RISK-TAKING TENDENCY, nor do they wish to explore themselves. I like/love creating or transforming individuals into Matured LEADERS, regardless of their status in the organization.
Seeking suggestions, opinions, or views from any forum is not a tough job, but trying to seek appropriate inputs within the organization is a real challenge. This is how you can explore your employees' hidden talent and get to know them much better. Unite yourself, develop good relationships not just limiting them to interpersonal or intrapersonal, give them opportunities (accountability, allow them to go the extra mile, make them passionate) to do their best for the organization beyond routine responsibilities. Make the best use of an EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK SYSTEM through SUGGESTIONS for seeking internal inputs. Call for brainstorming discussions, listen to their inputs, allow them to participate and contribute towards organizational growth factors.
Every employee should learn how to bridge the gap between employees. This is a major talent and competency of an HR, rather than just holding EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS and carrying out normal activities, which is also found in small organizations.
Becoming a TRUE PROFESSIONAL is a long journey. A professional organization is one in which extraordinary systems enable even people with ordinary skills to produce extraordinary results.
I hope you understand my point. If you have any clarifications, please feel free to share anything.
Have a nice day.
From India, Chennai
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Employee Engagement Study.doc