Every two years, RRHH Digital magazine holds an awards ceremony for “The Most Influential People in HR,” recognizing professionals, leaders, and experts who set trends and inspire others in this sector, which is a fundamental pillar of companies.

Once again, Frutality did not want to miss this gala and accompanied not only the 10 winners of this edition, but also those who received a special mention for their work.

Each of them will receive a fruit basket from Frutality, which we hope they will enjoy as much as their award.

At Frutality, we always strive for detail and constant improvement so that every employee feels like a winner.

 

 

We have already discussed on several occasions the efforts made by companies to care for their employees. However, this is not the only focus of attention in recent times, as companies are increasingly concerned about the environment, trying to create spaces and offices that are as sustainable and committed to the planet as possible.

 

How can we create more sustainable offices?

 
Ideally, all buildings would be sustainable in terms of manufacturing materials, construction techniques, and location. However, it is possible to implement a series of measures for the offices where we work and which are already built to standard.

 

What are the advantages of a more sustainable office?

 
Working in an environmentally conscious office that is more pleasing to the eye, with more natural light, better ventilation, and fewer elements that are harmful and toxic to health, has a number of benefits for companies
and employees:

 

At Frutality, we are environmentally conscious and firmly believe in the shift towards more sustainable environments. Proof of this can be seen in our compostable cut and peeled fruit packaging, individual cardboard and collective glass packaging for nuts, and our reusable wooden boxes for fruit.

Furthermore, fruit is real food that does not need to be processed before consumption, meaning that no energy is used in its production, consumption, or packaging.

Post-vacation syndrome, also known as the famous post-vacation depression, arises, as its name suggests, when the vacation period ends and it is time to return to work and adapt to the work routine, schedules, and lack of free time and quality time.

It is an adaptive disorder with symptoms similar to stress, due to a longer than usual absence from the work environment and responsibilities. Sometimes, this adaptation process can be difficult or distressing for the worker, affecting them both psychologically and physically.

Although there is some controversy surrounding this syndrome, experts agree that it is more common in employees with low job motivation and a negative view of their work and work environment.

 

 

Symptoms of post-vacation syndrome

These can vary in intensity and symptoms from one worker to another depending on their personality, responsibilities, and state of mind prior to the vacation period, with the most common being:

 

These symptoms can last from a couple of days to two or three weeks without significantly affecting employees’ long-term health.

 

How to overcome it

To refocus as quickly as possible and return to our usual state of mind, we can follow a series of guidelines:

 

How to prevent post-vacation syndrome

 

 

 

The workers most prone to suffering from this disorder tend to be those who enjoy longer vacations, have less resistance to frustration, do not enjoy a pleasant work environment, find no motivation in their work, feel undervalued or uninvolved in the company, and those with poor relationships with their colleagues and bosses. In addition, it is more common in women than in men, since, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute, women are more involved in childcare and housework, in addition to their jobs outside the home. It will also depend on the type of employee you are or those around you and, of course, on each person’s personality.

The most common thing is to experience fatigue and stress linked to returning to work, without any major repercussions.

But if there’s one thing we’re clear about at Frutality, it’s that we want to make your return to work more bearable and fill you with vitamins, because it’s also been proven that eating healthily helps to prevent this type of pathology and many others related to the work environment. Eating fresh fruit at the office will make you happier at any time of year.

There are many different types of employees, each with their own particular characteristics. In our years of working with so many companies, we have found that there are almost always certain profiles that share a specific personality and common character traits, regardless of the sector in which they work.

Relationships with coworkers are one of the greatest sources of motivation for going to work and doing a good job. Not only that, but various studies have shown that positive relationships between workers act as a buffer to reduce stress.

Relationships between coworkers affect occupational health and performance, for better or for worse. In the companies we work for, we realize that there are always good people who will help us, but sometimes we may encounter people who poison the good atmosphere, affecting the whole team.

We have summarized some of the

most common profiles

in the professional world. Let’s look at the characteristics of each of them:

 

Toxic employee

Toxic workers, also known as conflictive workers, are those who cause conflicts to escalate, have constant friction with other colleagues, are critical, and may even believe themselves to be the bosses despite having no power.

Multiethnic People with Startup Business Talking in a Cafe

The motivations of this type of employee can be diverse and, on occasion, they may even be right in some of their claims. However, managing emotions and knowing how to put problems into perspective are not among their qualities.

 

Defeatists

At work, as in life, we may encounter people who have different ways of seeing life and different attitudes towards it. Generally, these types of people are the same at work and outside of it. Sometimes we may encounter
defeatist people
who have a low perception of self-efficacy in what they do. Low self-confidence
affects the quality and quantity of the work they do and the different relationships they have with the various people involved in their working world: bosses, colleagues, and clients.
Defeatists
will not see it as possible to meet deadlines, carry out what they have been asked to do, win over clients, or close sales. They need extra energy from you, which sometimes we are simply not interested in providing.

 

Perfectionist

Another type of employee we may encounter, whose behavior can have an impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of their work, is the perfectionist. Doing things well is good, because companies want efficient and productive workers. But the perfectionist is the one who takes their work home with them and is never satisfied with what they do, affecting their occupational health and leading to stress and anxiety. Although many people think that being a perfectionist is good, this type of employee can quickly become frustrated because they always see imperfections even when things are going well.

Team of multicultural young people dressed in smart casual wear collaborating on design project sitting at meeting table. Diverse group of hipster students discussing creative ideas during briefing

 

Absent-minded

Do you have coworkers who are not very methodical and can be absent-minded and forgetful? These workers can cause problems or add more work for other employees due to their incompetence. Generally, this can be caused by organization, motivation, or even boredom at work, which is known as burnout. In general, this type of employee can be a good colleague and empathize with others, but their clumsiness can end up damaging the good working environment. If the situation becomes very serious, it may be advisable to talk to them respectfully to make them aware of their shortcomings within the general work structure.

 

Slow

On the other hand, there may be types of employees who hinder the work of their colleagues by being slow and not completing tasks on time. This may also be due to poor organization, lack of motivation, or not knowing how to do their job properly. It may be a mistake in
personnel selection
or they may have personal or health problems. In these cases, apply logic and carefully measure the time they exceed. This will help you better understand what they are doing wrong and find a solution.

 

Gossip

The toxic coworker usually has bad intentions and destabilizes the work environment. And, without any underlying bad intentions, we may sometimes encounter the
gossipy

coworker. This is the type of employee who always meddles in other people’s business and is more concerned with finding out what is going on in their coworkers’ personal lives than with doing their job properly. If the gossip is also mean, we will have a
toxic gossipy coworker
that we will have to be very careful with ;)

 

The ideal employee

This is a type of employee who is motivated and feels loyalty and empathy for the company’s values. They are committed to their work and their team. They do their tasks well, deliver on time, and help others when needed. They have a good character and know how to recognize conflicts. They are proactive and anticipate problems, knowing how to coordinate others. On top of that, they are a good dancer, attractive, and a good person. You couldn’t ask for more.

We are convinced that any type of employee will be a little happier if they have
fresh fruit in the office
every day. What’s more, fruit break time can be the perfect opportunity to smooth over differences, share personal stories, or improve the working environment. Guaranteed.

The work methodology

is gaining momentum in the business world. It is no longer enough to work hard and long hours; now we want to work smart and optimize our time and resources. We have tools that help us organize tasks, work remotely, measure results, and offer innovative solutions. Sounds easy, right? The reality is that adopting these new ways of working is giving team leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who want to see their team work at peak performance without losing their lives in the process a real headache.

 

Fresh companies

You may be wondering, what are fresh companies all about? It’s very simple. For us, a fresh company is one that cares about its employees. It is a company that is involved in the quality of life of its staff, with a broad vision of what it means to be part of a team, and one that does not hesitate to implement bold solutions in its day-to-day operations if this means improving processes, resources, and employee morale. To achieve all this, which is no small feat, these types of companies are constantly looking for new
working methodologies
that help speed up processes and are useful for achieving objectives. Equipping your team with these types of tools leads to parallel internal improvements, which inevitably results in an improvement in the quality of life of the employee.

 

Digital transformation and teams

Today, digital transformation is a concept that is discussed in numerous business forums. The awareness that we can no longer work in the way we have been doing until now has permeated company boards of directors and executive offices.

It is no longer just a matter of updating systems or implementing new software. It is a true revolution in

working methodologies, inspiring changes

in mindsets, internal processes, professional profiles, and even the way we do business. Inspiring and engaging staff, having a clear and accessible human resources policy, and generating internal content that goes a step further, such as training, are all part of a new vision of the workplace. However, none of this would make sense without new ways of doing work in today’s digital and delocalized world.

 

New working methodologies

 

Working in the cloud. Recommended software: Google Drive

It has been a real revolution brought about by the digital world, and the vast majority of companies of different types and sizes are adopting it on a massive scale. Working in the cloud has brought numerous internal benefits, as you can now work from anywhere in the world and access important files by connecting your computer to the internet. Files are organized, shared, accessible, and can be worked on collaboratively in real time. The folks at Google really hit the nail on the head when they designed this system ;)

 

Agile working methodologies

Teamwork has become one of the most sought-after fundamental skills by companies today. The concept of individual work has been set aside, and agile methodologies have emerged precisely in this context to seek more fluid communication between team members.

Three of these work methodologies stand out:

 

Lean Recommended software: Slack

This methodology was promoted by Toyota director Taiichi Ono. It is based on the kaizen philosophy, which is founded on the pursuit of continuous improvement. Its goal is to ensure the delivery of a product of maximum value using the minimum possible resources. With this methodology, each member of the production process assumes responsibilities and has the ability to make decisions, which increases their motivation.

Scrum Recommended software: Asana

It is mainly used in development and programming projects. These types of projects were built in what was called a waterfall model, completing stages of work until the final product was reached. If a mistake was made in the process, a failed product was delivered at a high cost. With this methodology, the process is iterative, i.e., product stages are completed and validated, to reach the end of the process with a high-quality product that is fully aligned with the objective.

Kanban Recommended software: Trello

This consists of separating tasks into three main blocks: To Do, In Process, and Done. This makes planning very simple and allows you to easily analyze the pace of a specific task. It is a very visual work methodology and relatively easy to adopt internally. Although it initially focused on development projects, it has been gaining followers in all kinds of sectors.

 

We hope you found this summary useful. We firmly believe that new
working methodologies
are here to stay and are beneficial for companies and employees. Add to that
fresh fruit in the office every day, and you can be sure that quality of life, camaraderie, and smiles (even during working hours) will become more and more frequent.

Organizational coaching

aims to transform organizations through their employees to help them expand their potential and achieve the results desired by the company. Put like that, it sounds very easy. We decide we want to change the internal organization of a company, we make four changes, and voilà! But no, the reality is much more complex, as is almost always the case with important things. Let’s review the characteristics of this discipline that is helping many large (and not so large) companies address their problems and focus on solving them to reach new heights of dynamism and happiness at work.

 

What exactly is Organizational Coaching?

First of all, as we said at the beginning, organizational coaching focuses on transforming companies internally through their employees. In this first phase, the coach or coaches focus on observing teams and dynamics to determine the main problems in the organizational structure, whether at the individual level or between work teams.

On the other hand, they also analyze the behavior of the management team

and help them understand realities that they sometimes fail to see. In many cases, part of the problem lies in the fact that the day-to-day life of the employee does not coincide with that of the senior management, generating discrepancies and toxic resentment that hinder the smooth running of the company. The coach provides them with the appropriate information and training so that they can develop each competency, reflect consistently, change negative habits, and reinforce their role as leaders.

 

Benefits of Organizational Coaching

 

Micro changes

This transformation process is based on the idea that when an individual changes within the organization, it impacts their surroundings, setting in motion micro changes that translate to the macro level. We could draw a parallel with the butterfly effect, in which a small individual change can affect much higher levels.

Interior of a modern office

Leadership

The
organizational coach
works hand in hand with managers to help them develop their leadership through strategies that allow them to exercise it in a conscious, assertive, and collaborative manner. They also provide training in identifying talent and the ability to delegate and assign tasks.

 

Communication

One of the major problems affecting companies is the lack of fluidity and interdepartmental communication. This is undoubtedly one of the problems that this type of coaching focuses on solving. Defining competencies by department and establishing appropriate lines of communication helps companies to be more effective and aligned in their objectives.

 

Organizational climate

Why do toxic companies exist? That should be the question to answer when it comes to
organizational coaching. Professionals in this field focus on cleaning up the work environment, establishing objective tasks that reduce working hours as much as possible, and aligning the personal values of the staff with those of the company.

 

People or the new HR

Corporate Business Team Working Busy Concept

Human Resources departments are responsible for bringing these types of initiatives to the business world. Aware that the competitiveness of companies depends largely on their employees being happy and committed to the team, they have gradually changed their rather passive role within organizations to an active role in effectively transforming the lives of employees.

For companies such as Frutality, it has been vital for these teams to develop strategies to retain talent and promote happiness. Small changes, such as having fresh fruit in the office, have allowed companies to reinforce their commitment to their employees by creating a more proactive, less toxic work environment with a very important underlying message: “We care about you.“ Employees know this, they feel it, and as a result, they work in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

 

Lack of motivation in the workplace is a problem that affects countless companies. The lack of goals, career plans, incentives, or challenges in day-to-day work can end up undermining the effectiveness and performance of the workforce and, as a result, the competitiveness of the company declines. Here are some of the strategies that top companies have implemented to improve employee motivation.

 

Teleworking or working without set hours

office work place in Beijing

There is a growing trend among companies, especially technology companies, to offer the possibility of teleworking one or two days a week. These initiatives aim to relax the usual rigid rules and promote employee autonomy in pursuit of self-management and responsibility for their area of work. Opinions are divided on this issue, as not everyone sees this alternative as a solution to the problem of lack of motivation.

Back in 2008,

Iberdrola tried introducing a reduced working day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for its 9,000 employees. Six years later, the director of human resources who had been in charge of the decision spoke of an increase in productivity, a 20% reduction in absenteeism, and a 15% reduction in workplace accidents. In short, this experiment had made employees happier and more motivated. The idea is to concentrate working hours as much as possible and avoid endless breakfasts, checking social media during working hours, wasting time unnecessarily, and focusing on what is important, as all the work has to be done in seven hours. You can read the full article at this link.

 

Rewarding performance achievements

Another factor that contributes to a lack of motivation is not receiving recognition from senior management when job performance has been excellent. To this we could add the lack of a career plan or the possibility of internal promotion. Some human resources departments are beginning to consider recognition or gamification strategies, through which objectives are defined for the workforce. Having clear objectives to meet can undoubtedly help us perform our tasks better, especially if we know that we are eligible for a reward (a trip, cash, a gift, or fresh fruit in the office, for example).

 

Toxic environments

 

When a high-performance team is formed, there is usually good harmony, which maintains a high level of excellence at work. Everyone is completely focused on their tasks and aligned in achieving common goals. There is no lack of motivation, because if one person fails, the others’ performance suffers. However, toxic teams do not function well. There is anger, resentment, and bad attitudes that end up undermining the work environment and leading to poor results. This is often the result of poor, overly controlling leadership that mistrusts its team and discriminates between team members. All of these attitudes can be remedied with reconciliation strategies, team building, coaching for managers or employees, or a clear internal communication policy.

 

Lack of talent retention policies

 

Fortunately, more and more companies are developing specific policies to support and retain talent. Many of their actions are aimed at balancing the heavy workload with an open, approachable, and inspiring company philosophy. And, of course, one of their main objectives is to have

highly motivated employees.

To achieve this, they generate, among other things:

 

Fresh fruit, the tip of the iceberg

 

It may seem like a passing fad, but offering fresh fruit to employees is undoubtedly one of the most visible strategies in companies that truly care about their staff. This is just the tip of the iceberg, because there is usually a much deeper approach to genuine employee care behind it. As professionals in fruit solutions for offices and workplaces, we are proud to be able to do our bit in this new business world.