Right Hand HR – Page 2

November 21, 2016

Office Christmas Party Time

Christmas is round the corner and this year more companies are planning to have a Christmas party. But planning a Christmas party can be troublesome if certain do’s and don’ts are not followed. Christmas is all about enjoying and having fun with colleagues and co-workers. But in the fun of enjoying Christmas parties certain things should not be forgotten.

Employees often forget parties are an extension of the work environment and as such some basic guidelines should be followed if you want to set the right impression. Employers need to set the scene – this is not to stop the fun night out, but rather to ensure that there are no repercussions as a result of the party.

I highly recommend that the employer communicates to all the employees some key messages which would include:

Reminder that the party is a work function and an appropriate standard of conduct is expected. The guidelines as laid out in the employee handbook will apply (e.g. Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures, Dignity and Respect at Work Policy or Code of Conduct).
It is also advisable to remind staff to drink alcohol responsibly and in moderation.
A reminder that the use of illegal drugs is prohibited at all times during the Christmas Party.
Mention not to drink and drive – arrange for a lift if possible

If you have managers, advise them on how to respond to any unwanted conduct that may occur at the event, and that they should not talk office politics at the party.

For any more information please contact Mary at mryan@righthandhr.ie or on 086 8225448.

October 2, 2016

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE WORK RELATED STRESS

Many of us encounter varying degrees of stress throughout the course of our working days however it can cause serious illnesses if an employee suffers from prolonged bouts of stress. Stress is unique to each individual and is not specific to any particular job. Stress means a negative reaction to pressure, accompanied by fear of not coping, loss of control and lack of support. It is a physical and emotional experience and can effect blood pressure, hormone activity, digestive disturbance and sleep patterns to name but a few negative effects of stress. It is important to note that stress is a “state” and the effects differ from person to person. Workplace stress occurs “when the demands of the job and the working environment on a person exceeds their capacity to meet them”. There are varying factors which cause work related stress such as poor communications, bullying and harassment, work overload, long or unsocial hours, etc.

It goes without saying that work related stress impacts both the employee and the organisation. For the employee it can impact them physically and mentally. This may result in them calling in sick, or taking a leave of absence from work. For the employer it leads to a loss of manpower, productivity, efficiency, and customer service to name but a few.

Employers have a duty of care to employees and this is reinforced in the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005. It would be advisable for employers to have a procedure in place to tackle the issue should they identify an employee experiencing such stress. This not only empowers the employer to take action to help the employee, but it also shows the employee experiencing stress and other co-workers that the company cares and that they are willing to help alleviate such stresses.

Policies and procedures that can be put in place to protect and support employees can include:

Dignity at Work
Grievance and Discipline Procedures
Performance Management Programme
Employment Assistance Programmes

Employers should ensure that demands that are placed on employees are reasonable. It is best practice that if employers become aware of staff members suffering from stress, they take action immediately to ascertain the cause and identify ways of removing the stressor. Often one of the first instances of when an employer becomes aware that an employee is suffering from stress is when they receive a sickness certificate from the employee. Once this occurs, the employer should write to the employee immediately expressing concern regarding the nature of the illness. The employer must take steps to establish the cause of the stress and remove it, if practicable, for the employee’s health and safety.

There are a number of actions which an employer can take in dealing with work-related stress. One such action is to refer an employee for an Occupational Health Assessment which will provide them with objective medical advice on the employee’s condition. Another action is to identify the causes of stress, be they working hours or workload and take steps to alleviate them. The employer can also offer the employee sick leave, annual leave or unpaid leave to take time to recover from the stress related illness. Other alternatives include a move to a different position or department which does not have the same stressors as their current role. Each individual case is unique to the individual circumstances and each employer must bear this in mind in evaluating the best course of action to tackle the issues.

If an employer fails to take action when made aware of an employee suffering from work related stress, they then can become liable for damages as they failed to adhere to their duty of care. If an employer is aware that an employee is susceptible to stress and fails to take necessary precautions to protect them, the employer is liable for any damages arising from their failure to act.

A happy workforce is a productive workforce and companies need to be more aware that each employee has a personal as well as a work life. Sometimes it may be the impact of either work or personal issues which causes stress, or a combination of both. This is why it is a good idea to have one to one appraisals with employees from time to time to get a better insight into the employees work life and should any issues arise, it can be taken from there.

Appraisals and employee meetings allow for a better rapport to be built with the employees and pave the way for more communicative relationships.

September 10, 2016

How To Avoid Illegal Or Inappropriate Interview Questions

As many employers are now hiring again, I felt that it may be appropriate to remind you of some areas of questioning that may be potentially illegal or inappropriate to venture into.

Some interview questions are obviously discriminatory and avoided by almost all employers. However, when trying to build a friendly rapport during an interview, it can be easy to innocently stray into ‘grey’ areas which may seem harmless but are in fact discriminatory, and therefore potentially illegal. Employers may think they are just making conversation but could be leaving themselves open to litigation.

How you can find out all the information you need in an interview without straying into potentially litigious territory?

Before you start the interview…

Although anti-discrimination legislation can feel like a minefield, it doesn’t have to complicate the interview process.

By simply asking questions in a different way, you can find out the information you really want to know (ie the candidate’s suitability for the role) without asking the interviewee to divulge information about their personal life (that you don’t need to make a decision).

The exception to these guidelines is when there is an occupational requirement for a role, when an employer can objectively justify why a specific type of candidate is required, eg a religious organisation may stipulate that only candidates of that religion should apply, if it is a genuine requirement of the role.

Place of Birth, Ethnicity or Religion

Employers should steer clear completely of any questions regarding a candidate’s birthplace, background or religious affiliation. If an applicant has an unusual name, don’t ask about its origin, as the answer could possibly be grounds for discrimination.

While it is legal to ask about ethnic background on application forms, this is for monitoring purposes only and usually anonymous, and should never be brought up in an interview.

You may want to ask about religious practices to find out about any scheduling conflicts around weekends or religious holidays, but you should never ask a candidate about their beliefs. Instead, simply confirm they are able to work when they will be required to.

Don’t ask: What country are you from? Where were you born?

Do ask: Are you eligible to work in the UK?

Don’t ask: What is your native language?

Do ask: This job requires someone who speaks more than one language. What languages are you fluent in?

Don’t ask: What religion do you practice? Which religious holidays do you observe?

Do ask: Can you work in the days/schedule required for this role?

Marital Status, Children or Sexual Preference

Asking questions about someone’s children is usually just making conversation, but not appropriate in an interview setting. You cannot ask a candidate if they are planning a family, if they are pregnant or about their childcare arrangements.

This also applies to questions about marital status, which could be grounds for discrimination, as some employers may believe that married employees are more stable, or single people may have more time to devote to the job.

Any mention of an applicant’s sexual preference should also obviously be avoided.

Don’t ask: Do you have or plan to have children?

Do ask: Are you available to work overtime on occasion? Can you travel?

Don’t ask: How many children do you have? Do you have childcare arrangements in place if we need you to work out of hours?

Do ask: This job may require some overtime work on short notice. Is this a problem for you? What days/hours are you available to work?

Don’t ask: Is this your maiden name?

Do ask: Are any of your references or qualifications under another name?

Don’t ask: If you went on maternity leave, would you come back to work afterwards?

Do ask: What are your long term career goals?

Gender or Age

Steer clear of any questions that reference a candidate’s age or gender. You should certainly ask about their ability to handle the challenges of the role, but never imply that their gender or age may affect this.

The only question regarding age which is acceptable is to establish whether they are of the minimum age required for the role. A prime example of what not to say to an applicant would be to ask of someone in their sixties, “and how many more years do you see yourself in the workforce?”

Don’t ask: We’ve always had a woman/man in this role. How do you think you will handle it?

Do ask: What can you bring to this role?

Don’t ask: How do you feel about managing men/women?

Do ask: Tell me about your previous experience of managing staff.

Don’t ask: How old are you?

Do ask: Are you over the age of 18?

Don’t ask: How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?

Do ask: What are your long term career goals?

Don’t ask: When did you graduate?

Do ask: Do you have a degree or other qualification related to this role?

Location

It is very common in interviews to ask about commuting distances and times, to make sure the candidate will be able to get to work on time. However, this can be difficult to judge, as how far people are willing to commute varies wildly. Some employees are willing to travel for over an hour, while others think 20 minutes is too long.

In addition, asking someone about where they live could create discrimination issues if it is in a neighbourhood heavily populated by a specific ethnic group or social class.

Don’t ask: How far would your commute be?

Do ask: Are you able to start work at 9am?

Disability or Illness

Interviewers should be careful around any questions related to illness. Asking a candidate to explain any gaps in their CV due to long term sick leave is acceptable, but asking directly if they have any health conditions is not.

Questioning a person over a disability and whether or not it would affect their ability to do the job is grounds for disability discrimination.

Don’t ask: How many sick days did you take last year?

Do ask: How many unscheduled days of work did you miss last year?

Lifestyle Choices

An employer cannot ask an interviewee whether they smoke or how much alcohol they consume. While an employer can set rules for professional conduct and substance use at work, what an employee does in their own time should have no bearing on whether they are suitable for the job.

While you can ask about criminal records on an application form, it’s generally not a good idea to bring it up at interview. Likewise, while some roles require a CRB check, you cannot discuss the findings in a job interview.

Questions about political affiliations or group memberships should not be asked during interviews, unless they are relevant to the role in question. Although you might want to find out if they are involved in any activities that may have an impact on their time commitments, it is better to simply ask if they are able to commit to the role.

Don’t ask: Do you belong to any clubs or organisations?

Do ask: Are you a member of any professional group that’s relevant to this role?

Don’t ask: Are you a member of the Territorial Army/Special Constabulary/Other Volunteer Force?

Do ask: Do you have any upcoming commitments that would require extensive time away from work?

Height or Weight

Questions about a candidate’s weight or height are also best avoided unless there are certain minimum or maximum requirements required for the role.

Don’t ask: How tall are you?

Do ask: Are you able to reach items on a shelf that’s five feet tall?

Don’t ask: How much do you weigh?

Do ask: Are you able to lift boxes weighing up to 50 pounds?

This information is for guidance purposes only and not legal advice.

August 11, 2016August 11, 2016

Performance Management – Tips to make these meetings beneficial

Do you carry out performance review? Are you prepared to have these very beneficial meeting? Here are some tips on how to get started:

First thing I would recommend is making sure all job descriptions are fit for purpose and relevant for the job. Depending on the size of your organisation, line or departmental managers will play a vital role in instilling a culture of high performance throughout your organisation. Here are a couple of steps that Right Hand HR would recommend to get your company ready for performance reviews and goal setting for the rest of the year.

Do you currently have a policy in place in relation to performance management? If not this is something we recommend you look at. The policy should demonstrate the company’s commitment to a high performance environment throughout.
Set goals and targets for the company, then each department/team and then for individual staff members. By including each team member in the goal setting task this will get everyone thinking about what they want to achieve not only in terms of the company but also on a personal level. If people have a personal interest they are more likely to work harder to achieve the goals.
Have continuous meetings. Organisations are moving away from, what some have referred to as the bureaucratic annual performance reviews and are having weekly or monthly catch ups to make sure everyone is still working towards the same goal. This seems like a tall order, however if review the goals regularly as part of your 121’s it will ensure everything is kept on track.
Don’t just focus on under performers, your star players will need to be incentivised and motivated as much as an underperformer.
If you have bonuses that are linked to targets, ensure that the bonus rating system clearly outlines the goals and targets that need to be achieved and also explains what proportion of the bonus will be paid depending on different levels of achievement.
Lastly, having the performance meeting; be well prepared, give the individual ample opportunity to talk about how they feel they are getting on in their role, agree on action plans moving forward, agree on timelines and schedule a date for the next meeting there and then.

Having continuous and regular performance meetings with all employees is essential for the growth and sustainability of a company. By having clear targets and goals set in advance of the year ahead you will keep everyone working towards the same goals.

If you would like any support for further advice on managing performance Right Hand HR can provide a full suite of tools for you. Many of our clients have told us that they have been invaluable and as a result have found performance management easy to introduce to the workplace.

For more detail you can contact Mary on 086 822 5448.

July 1, 2016

Difficult Conversations: Some Guidelines/Tips

For many of us the prospect of having those ‘difficult conversations’ in the workplace can leave us wanting to run for the hills. Avoid putting them off as things will not get better.

Line managers in particular will often report feeling less than confident about how best to tackle breaking some unpopular news or to how to deal with the ‘disruptive’ employee whilst securing a positive outcome. It is, in fact, quite a skill to tackle difficult conversations, perhaps one of the most coveted of the critical skills in the management toolbox and one which is being introduced into more core management development.

It is true what they say- ‘if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Becoming confident involves developing hard skills associated with understanding legal implication and risk management, but perhaps the harder part is developing the ‘soft’ skills associated with the conversation itself. We share some of our top tips in handling difficult conversations with aplomb. And it starts with great preparation.

PREPARATION

Investigate

Research the issue before the discussion and be able to provide evidence of the message that you will be imparting. For example, if the manager is giving feedback on poor performance, he or she should be ready to tell the employee about the effect that the performance has had.

Outcomes

Decide what the ideal outcome of the conversation would be, for example an improvement in performance, correction of misconduct or simply imparting news in a respectful and productive way. If you know the ideal outcome, you can make preparations to help achieve it.

Style

Think carefully about the differences between your character and style and that of the other party to the discussion. In order to achieve a better outcome, it is often useful to adapt your style of communication to assist with acceptance of the message. Does this person prefer some encouragement, do they prefer straightforward facts, do you need to spend more time than you would normally do ensuring the message is fully understood?

Frame of mind

Think about your frame of mind before having a potentially difficult conversation. Always take a few moments to calm down if the conversation needs to be had after a frustrating incident. Never make a discussion personal. Concentrate on the issue, rather than the individual. If you are not in the right frame of mind to have the meeting, wait until you are.

Documentation

Prepare any materials that may be needed, including extra copies of documents for the employee. If there is detailed information to review, ensure the other party to the discussion has had an opportunity to look at and consider the information.

Location and environment

A conflict resolution conversation should always be conducted in private so that neither party feels uncomfortable or outside of their comfort zone. Both parties should feel that they can speak freely. This will also help to ensure you protect organisation’s duty of trust and confidence towards the employee. Think about a room layout which is conducive to non-threatening and constructive talking. Sitting behind a desk creates an immediate barrier and should be avoided but always take into account comfort zone and personal space requirements.

COMMUNICATION

Set the right tone

Begin the conversation in a professional manner as this will encourage a professional attitude throughout the meeting and help to achieve a successful outcome. Beginning the conversation in a non-threatening manner will also encourage both parties to speak openly.

Set some ground rules. From the outset agree the parameters. Confidentiality, Respect for each other, allowing each other time to speak.

Honesty:

State the issues clearly and put into context.

To avoid misunderstanding, state clearly what the issue is and check understanding.

Demonstrate why the issue is important. For example, if the issue is redundancy, explain the business context, or, if the issue is the employee’s misconduct, give examples of the impact that the employee’s behaviour has had.

Give very specific examples and evidence:

This can be done by referring to dates, situations and documentary evidence. If the issue is the employee’s conduct, managers should avoid referring to general ‘complaints’ but instead give specifics.

Avoid an attitude of blame:

The issue needs to be addressed in a collaborative way try not to approach a conversation with an attitude of “line manager versus the employee”, but with an attitude of “both versus the problem”.

Avoid belittling the issue:

The line manager’s own fear of a difficult conversation could lead him or her to belittle the issue. The line manager should avoid phrases such as “it’s really not a big deal”.

Body language:

Be aware of your own body language so that it does not alienate. Adopt neutral body language by unfolding arms, speaking in a calm tone of voice at a moderate volume. Body language will often be mirrored by the other party.

LISTEN

Being listened to is empowering…

Taking the time to listen will help you gather useful information about the issue. The line manager should prepare questions but must let the employee explain or react in his or her own time.

Do ask for the individual’s view (in turn if two individuals).
Do use open questions such as “what is your view on that?”
Do listen to and acknowledge the employee’s point of view.
Do appreciate the value of silence. This allows the individual time to gather his or her thoughts.
Do ask if you have not understood what has been said, by saying, for example, “OK, I need to be clear about that, so can we go over it again”.
Do summarise the main points of what the employee has said. This is useful as it shows that you have listened, helps to consolidate your thoughts and helps you to decide where the conversation should go next.
Do check that the employee has understood what you have said. For example, say “we need to finish up, it might be useful to go over what we’ve discussed…if you want to summarise first”

AGREE ACTION

Having ascertained the ideal outcome of the conversation, an important step in securing a positive outcome is to agree how it can be achieved

Agree the way forward together. This encourages joint ownership of the issue, which helps the employee to treat it seriously and take responsibility for resolving it.
Brainstorming will help the employee feel involved and is an easy way of comparing the positives and negatives of different solutions.
It is preferable to start with small steps. For example, if the employee is having difficulties getting along with a colleague, agreeing a small action first, such as an informal social event, should encourage further positive action.
If the issue requires action, the manager and employee should agree a deadline. Scheduling a date by which the action must be completed helps to focus minds. This could be coupled with the date for the next meeting to review the situation.
If the employee needs to improve, the employee and manager should agree how development or progress will be measured.
The employee may need support from the manager to resolve the issue and the manager needs to take this into account.
Once it has been agreed what the employee is going to do, the line manager should ask the employee to summarise this, which ensures that he or she has fully understood what is required and by when.
The manager should end the meeting by explaining that he or she wants the individual to succeed.

FOLLOW UP

After the conversation, keep the momentum going. Achieving a successful outcome is an ongoing, building process. Failing to keep on top of the issue may undo all the good work and may leave you having to deal with the issue from the beginning. Monitor how the agreed actions are being implemented by the employee.

Check your own actions and ensure you have complied with your agreement, for example by providing support.

June 9, 2016

Well-Being Enhances Employee Engagement

Last night I attended the South East CIPD event and the guest speaker was Dr Mark Rowe. http://doctormarkrowe.com/

Mark gave a very enlightening talk on the importance of “Happiness” and how your emotional well-being can have a positive or negative impact on your life both at home and at work.

Stress, anxiety and sleep problems are signs that all is not well. Naturally, such issues can easily extend into the workplace and mean that many working days are lost every year. Symptoms such as poor concentration, low motivation and tiredness are often causes of reduced productivity and sickness absence. The cost to organisations is substantial.

Aside from the cost, there is a statutory duty under law in the Health and Safety at Work Act (2007) which legislates that employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of employees.

I was at a previous event where Dr. Rowe gave out a little handout. This has pride of place on my fridge, so that I can remind myself of the enlightened words of Mark. I trust Mark will not mind me sharing it. It is called a Prescription for Happiness:

Express gratitude regularly
Set and work towards goals
Cultivate optimism
Be more kind
Become more self-aware
Savour more
Create flow experiences
Nurture your relationships
Exercise the greatest pill of all
Value your time
Laughter- take daily
Choose happiness

You might like to share this with your employees and hopefully in working together you will have a happier, more productive team!!

For support with employee Engagement, please contact Mary on 086 8225448

May 17, 2016

What Your CV Can Do For You!

Now that the economy has picked up, it is once again critical that your basic tools in looking for a job are ready to go, and more importantly that they do what they are meant to do.

Your CV is just one of these tools. It is not your biography – it is your main selling document. It clearly sets out your achievements in previous jobs so that employers can see quickly what you could do for them.

The aim of your CV is to get to the next stage, whether that’s an interview, a meeting, a phone conversation or an e-mail dialogue. Very often it is your first chance to show what you can offer; you might give it to a potential employer at a first meeting, or send it to employers, agencies or recruiters as a direct approach or in response to a job ad.

You can also use it before and during interviews, and once hired employers can use it as a reference point to see your potential, based on your past experiences and education.

It is important to know that there is no single ‘perfect CV’. It is more a question of what works best in your industry and in your situation, so that is worth checking out. That said, there are some common rules that should be considered:

Number of pages – the norm is two pages – think about the reader and ensure content is applicable to the role on offer
Make your CV stand out – your CV may be one of hundreds on someone’s desk. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. You need to market yourself in terms of how you can benefit their organisation.
Make your CV as easy to read as possible – The reader is asking themselves two basic questions, so write your CV to show them that you will
- Can you do this role
- Will you fit in
Think about the layout
Spelling and grammar – ensure that your CV is perfect

So, your CV is your product brochure and its function is to interest the person looking at it sufficiently to grant you an interview. You need to remember that people tend to read as little as possible and that your CV will have to do its job in perhaps a very small amount of time.

If you feel you need support with your CV, please give Mary a call on 086 8225448 or email her at mryan@righthandhr.ie. Mary has recruited at a very senior level, and has many insights that may help you.

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016

Benefits of Psychometric Testing in Selection Process

Definition:

‘A psychological test is any procedure on the basis of which inferences are made concerning a person’s capacity, propensity or liability to act, react, experience, or to structure or order thought or behaviour in particular ways’ The British Psychological Society

Put simply, psychometric means ‘mental measurement’, so a psychometric test can measure aspects of the individual such as ability, personality, motivation, competencies, behaviours and interests.

Benefits:

Some of the benefits of using psychometric tests as part of the interview/selection process are:

Objective – not influenced by personal feelings or opinions
Systematic – working to a fixed plan
Reliable – able to be trusted, because they are consistent across administrations and sample groups
Valid – measures of what the tests set out to measure

The candidate benefits from:

Equality and fairness of treatment for all test takers.
All candidates are being assessed against each other, under controlled conditions, regardless of gender, diversity of background or age

The company benefits as testing can help them:

Identify the candidates with the potential to fit job demands and be high performers (recruitment, selection, and promotion)
Reduce time, costs and mismatches in recruitment and selection
Clearly demonstrate fairness and equal opportunities for all

Why Use Selection Tests:

The rationale behind using tests in selection is the better an individual performs on a test, the better that individual will perform in the workplace. The skills tested must be specifically applicable in the job. For instance when looking for a PA it would not be appropriate to test for mechanical or spatial ability.

Tests should not be used on their own, as a sole basis for hiring people, but should form part of the selection process.

Types of Selection Tests:

There are 100’s of tests available so the company needs to select the most appropriate test for the skills they are looking for.

Intelligence/Ability tests
The Golden Triangle – looks at job analysis, person specification for the role and candidate Test results
General Ability Tests (GAT)
Aptitude tests
Critical Reasoning Tests
Personality Tests
Work Style Tests – Thomas international Personal Profile, Hogan
Work Style Inventory – DISC

Note: The word ‘test’ is generic: Some tests are not tests per se, so can be interchanged with words like questionnaire, inventory, tool, assessment or instrument.

March 10, 2016

Common Areas of Complaints Employees Claim

The most common complaints that employees take claims for are:

Unfair dismissal (including constructive dismissal)
Redundancy claims-not being paid for redundancy or being unfairly selected for redundancy
No statement of terms of employment/no contract
Non-payment of wages-this includes unlawful deductions from your wages and late or non-payment
Breaches of working time legislation and not giving the proper, or any, rest breaks, or the correct annual leave/holidays
Not giving the proper notice when terminating the employment
Being bullied and/or harassed in the workplace-either by the employer or fellow employees
Being sexually harassed at work- employees are entitled to protection not just from the employer and employees but customers/clients too
Changes to the employment contract without employees consent
Reductions in wages or hours of work without employees consent
Breaches of the data protection rights in relation to employees personal data
Refusal of statutory leave entitlement
Failure to give a contract of indefinite duration when an employee is entitled to one after 2 or more fixed term contracts
Failure to provide a safe place or method of work in breach of health and safety obligations
Ignoring an employee’s rights and entitlements under TUPE (transfer of undertakings) legislation
Unfair disciplinary procedures and warnings on individual’s employment record
Treating part-time employees less favourably than full time employees
Asking an employee to work longer hours than is permitted
Not giving employee’s entitlements to maternity and/or parental leave and/or force majeure leave and/or adoptive leave
Failing to deal properly and fairly when an employee suffers a personal injury at work
Treating an employee unfairly when they are sick

If you are worried about successful claims against you or if you want to ensure that you have your house in order, and have a HR Audit carried out, please call Mary on 086 8225448 or email mryan@righthandhr.ie. Situations can easily develop into costly messes rather than being nipped in the bud.

February 3, 2016

What Motivates Employees?

Lack of praise and recognition are the biggest reasons for a loss of motivation among employees, a survey has found.

And it’s a growing problem, rising from around 50pc of respondents in 2014, to 59pc now, according to the latest Mazars’ external employee motivation survey. (Employee Motivation Survey 2016)

Overall, motivation levels are on the rise, with 81pc of respondents enthusiastically knuckling down to work. A third of workers are more motivated this year than last year, thanks to changing roles, a new job, a bump in wages or a change in reporting structure.

But for the majority of those who just can’t seem to muster up the enthusiasm for work anymore, the problem lies with their bosses, and the latter’s apparent inability to recognise good work. This issue has been gradually rising year-on-year, from 51pc in 2014 to 56pc last year and now 59pc.

“More than ever, employers need to do more to recognise and reward where an employee delivers results and desired behaviours,” the report stated. “Demotivating management style continues to be an issue for employee motivation.”

The second demotivating stickler for workers is the style and attitude of management, and their inability to deal with unsatisfactory performers. More than two thirds of respondents said that they don’t feel the management/leadership teams do enough to motivate them.

The Mazars survey was carried out during October with 500 respondents from a range of sectors in Ireland. The mix of companies surveyed was large private companies/multinationals (22pc), public sector (45pc), not-for-profit organisations (7pc), SMEs (15pc), partnerships (8pc) and other organisations (3pc).

Personal satisfaction with their role at 67pc is again ranked as the highest motivating factor. And as the economy continues to improve and the employment market becomes more active, there is a greater focus among employees for a greater work/life balance (50pc), with financial benefits (48pc) also remaining high on the agenda.

“While the promise of tax cuts in our forthcoming general election is music to every employees’ ears, business leaders need to understand what other factors motivate their most valuable resource,” said Keith McCarthy, Mazars human resources director.

“In order to take advantage of the growth in the economy, having a strong, motivated workforce is important to ensure business objectives are achieved, absenteeism levels are kept low, productivity and turnover levels are satisfactory and attraction and retention strategies are effective.”

The views of employees towards mental health, and the attitude of their employers, are mixed in the survey. The majority of respondents – 79pc – report that they are able to identify symptoms of mental ill health in colleagues and employees.

But a significant number – 61pc – also pointed out that they would not feel comfortable disclosing a mental illness to employers. “Organisations should ensure that further training is provided to both employers and their staff in the area of supporting and managing colleagues with mental health issues, while also taking steps to adapt their culture to a more comfortable environment where staff can feel more open to discussing issues with colleagues,” the report said.

I am not telling you something you did not already know – “treat people like you would like to be treated yourself” It costs nothing to be nice and to say thanks to your team that supports you.