Culture and Values

Why employees hesitate to speak up at work — and how to encourage them

Employee voice — speaking up with ideas, concerns, opinions or information — is vital for organisational performance and innovation. Yet studies consistently show that employees are reluctant to speak up, and are even hardwired to remain silent, with 50 per cent of employees keeping quiet at work.

Why is this the case, and how can we help people voice their opinions at work more effectively?

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This Valentine’s Day show your team some love. Here’s why and how

Did you know that people are less likely to express gratitude at work than anywhere else?

While it can sometimes be hard to see the value of a pat on the back – particularly in response to work someone is paid to do – the truth is that staff not shown gratitude are often less satisfied, less engaged and more likely to move on.

This Valentine’s Day, here’s some practical tips for how you can show your staff some love – not just today, but all year round.

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The top perks that potential employees really want from your NFP

Ping pong tables? Foosball? A beer fridge? Roving masseurs? These are some of the benefits that Silicon Valley-type startups spruik as exciting perks to attract employees.

But while trendy start-ups may have cornered the market on providing funky offices equipped with personal pastry chefs, are these perks really what your ideal candidates actually want in an NFP workplace?

Here are the top five perks that for-purpose jobseekers actually want from a new workplace.

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10 ways NFP employers can include Indigenous Australians

A new survey of 1,033 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers across Australia reveals some shocking realities about experiences of racism, the lack of cultural safety and ‘identity strain’ experienced by Indigenous people in Australian workplaces.

Only a quarter of survey participants said they worked in organisations they felt were authentically committed to change – acting, rather than simply saying they were committed to act.

Drawing from the report’s recommendations, here are 10 key actions NFP organisations can take to improve workplace inclusion for indigenous staff, starting today.

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Staff working from home? Why you should create a caregiver-friendly work culture

Many in our community provide often unseen informal care, with the majority of carers being female, over the age of 45. Many of these invisible informal carers are also juggling employment.

COVID-19 is an opportune time – NFP employers have a unique chance to protect the physical, emotional and financial well-being of their carer-employees through creating a carer-friendly work culture. 

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Should your NFP have an employee code of conduct?

Every organisation has expectations of how their staff should behave at work. But without writing down those expectations, it’s easy for misunderstandings or differing expectations to form among your staff and volunteers.

To help avoid this, more NFPs are turning to a written employee code of conduct to provide clear expectations about what how staff should or shouldn’t behave at work.

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3 cognitive biases perpetuating racism at work – and how to overcome them

How is it possible that in a sector so dedicated to social justice and equity, descrimination and unequal outcomes for Indigenous Australians and people of colour persist?

When it comes to influencing our decisions and judgments around people, cognitive or unconscious bias is universally recognised to play a role in unequal outcomes.

So what can your organisation do?

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