Month: March 2024

Creating Better Outcomes for Our People by Embracing Remote & Flexible Working Opportunities

Hybrid work models have emerged as a focal point in most of the post-Covid discussions about how we can successfully integrate remote, flexible and asynchronous approaches to help our workforce achieve their best work. And they are also now play a key part in employee engagement and retention. 

As organisations try to make sense of the nuances and complexities of different approaches to hybrid work, the key is to understand its impact on the workforce. A few months ago I had an enlightening podcast chat with Matthew Davis, Associate Professor in Organizational Psychology at University of Leeds, about findings from their groundbreaking research project ‘Where is Your Office Today’. The research was multifaceted, involving interviews, surveys, diary studies, and data collection around interactions within people’s professional and social networks, as well as external observers such as real estate experts.

What really interested me was that the kind of data they were collecting rarely shows up in the regular debates about preferred working models so it was an opportunity to take a fresh look at how HR can help create better outcomes.

I see the key points from the research as:

1. Empowering Choice and Control

It’s impossible to overlook the significance of employee choice and control in shaping the hybrid work experience. Contrary to many opinions, it seems that employees value autonomy in choosing where they work. And it is when they feel empowered to decide their work location and style, that they have higher levels of job satisfaction and wellbeing. And are more likely to stay. This highlights how important it is to tailor flexible work arrangements to individual preferences and needs.

2. The Office Advantage

Despite the opportunities offered by the increased adoption of remote working models, the office/working base location retains its relevance as a hub for collaboration, performance and formal and informal learning opportunities. The research showed that spending time in the office correlated with heightened job satisfaction, improved performance and, crucially, increased engagement. However, the optimal mix and frequency of office and remote locations varies strongly amongst individuals, highlighting the need for personalised approaches to hybrid work that are inclusive as well as innovative.

3. Balancing Collaboration and Solitude

Collaborative spaces have gained increasing prominence in modern office design, but the research shows that preserving individual workspaces is equally important. Matthew Davis emphasised the importance of providing environments conducive to focused, high-intensity work. Achieving a balance between collaborative zones and areas for solitude/independent working helps employees to thrive in diverse work settings. Networks can also be important here, as those with smaller internal networks will have less interactions, leading to a reduced feeling of belonging, making them more likely to leave.

4. Addressing Demographic Differences

The research shed light on how demographic factors influence the hybrid work experience. Age, personality, gender, and caregiving responsibilities play significant roles in shaping individual preferences and behaviours. Understanding these variances is essential for designing inclusive work environments that cater to the diverse needs of employees. For example, for those newer to the workforce it’s less about how often they are in office, and more about who they’re in the office with. They can also feel under more pressure because of uncertainty over how they are doing when they are not able to see how others are managing.

5. Nurturing New Talent

For new starters, particularly those who are new to the workforce, office presence goes beyond being a question of mere physical attendance. The research highlighted the importance of strategic networking opportunities and interactions with influential colleagues. There is also an onus on organisations to help facilitate avenues for new employees to build their professional networks, which will also help them integrate into organisational culture effectively.

6. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion

Hybrid work presents both opportunities and challenges for diversity and inclusion efforts. There is a strong need for more inclusive office design and culture, particularly for minority groups and employees with disabilities. Creating accessible, welcoming spaces that promote social interaction, belonging and knowledge sharing is crucial for fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.

7. Personality Dynamics in Hybrid Settings

Personality traits, such as extroversion and introversion, heavily influence individuals’ preferences around office presence and social interaction. It’s important to find ways to accommodate diverse personality types in office and workspace design, providing options for both collaborative and solitary work environments. Some hybrid approaches are not always flexible and empowering, for example it can be stressful for some people not have control of their time.

I think our conversation on the research research covers some valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of hybrid work. By prioritising employee choice, fostering inclusive environments, and recognising demographic variances, organisations – especially the HR and leadership teams – can support their people through the complexities and nuances of hybrid working more effectively. Understanding and adapting to these insights will be critical for creating thriving, resilient workplaces.

You can listen to my full conversation with Matthew Davis here and follow their research at https://futureworkplace.leeds.ac.uk/report-where-is-your-office-today-part-two/ 

How HR Can Help Nurture Financial Wellbeing For Their People

Today’s economic landscape is fast changing, with ramifications for all our Talent, whether they are employees, contractors or fractional workers. There is currently a cost of living crisis which is impacting our people, their families and their own wellbeing. Whilst the focus for many organisations has been on retention and engagement, these are impossible if our people are having financial difficulties. Their wellbeing extends far beyond job satisfaction and work-life balance.

Financial wellbeing plays a pivotal role in each workers overall happiness and productivity. As HR professionals, we need to recognise this reality and take proactive steps to support our people during difficult economic times.

One of my recent podcast chats was with Jamie Lawrence, Head of Marketing at Bippit®, a financial coaching and wellbeing organisation, and we talked about how employers – and HR professionals – can better support their people (and their families) to help nurture their financial wellbeing.

Understanding Financial Wellbeing

Firstly we need to recognise that Financial Wellbeing goes well beyond the mere accumulation of wealth, and encompasses a sense of security and control over one’s – and their families’ – financial situation and stability. In other words, it’s more than the salary (and bonuses) you may pay an employee.

It’s essential to grasp the wider nuances of financial wellbeing to effectively support employees, and this understanding involves recognising that financial concerns impact mental health, job performance, productivity, and overall morale and therefore engagement.

Building a Supportive Culture

Creating and fostering a supportive culture around financial wellbeing is paramount. HR professionals can initiate the conversations around financial wellness that can help break the taboo surrounding money matters. By openly discussing financial challenges, and offering resources for improvement, organisations can create an environment where employees feel empowered to address their financial concerns without fear of judgment.

Tailored Support

Part of creating a supportive culture is recognising that each employee’s financial situation is unique, so it’s important to offer tailored support that takes account of individual circumstances. This can involve providing access to financial education workshops, sharing budgeting tools, or even providing one-on-one counselling sessions. By understanding the specific needs of their workforce, HR professionals can help create benefits and reward packages that address the most pressing financial concerns, such as student loan assistance, childcare costs or even retirement planning guidance.

Promoting Open Communication

Encouraging open communication about financial matters can help alleviate the stigma associated with money struggles. HR professionals can facilitate discussions or create forums where employees feel comfortable sharing their challenges and seeking advice. Maybe supporting the creation of an Employee Resource Group to help those who are really struggling or in need of financial guidance. By promoting transparency and empathy, organisations can foster a culture of trust and support, helping employees to proactively manage their financial well-being.

Utilising Technology

Technology can be a powerful tool in promoting financial wellness. HR professionals can leverage technology platforms to deliver educational resources, interactive tools, and offer personalised financial guidance to employees. Whether through mobile apps, online portals, or virtual workshops, technology can be used to offer scalable solutions to support employees’ financial journeys.

These strategies can bring significant benefits, both for employees and the business as a whole. By prioritising financial wellbeing, HR professionals can enhance both employee engagement, retention, and improve overall satisfaction data. Moreover, supporting employees through challenging economic times is the right thing to do, and can contribute towards creating a resilient and adaptable workforce.

HR can and should be in the driving seat of their organisation’s strategy, particularly in times of economic uncertainty. By understanding the complexities of financial wellness, fostering a supportive culture, offering tailored support, promoting open communication, and leveraging technology, they can empower employees to take control of their financial futures, creating workplaces where financial wellbeing is a tangible reality for all their people, at all levels.

You can hear my full conversation with Jamie Lawrence on this episode of the HR Means Business podcast

How AI-Enabled Online and Social Media Background Screening Can Help Identify the Talent You Really Need

With Talent Acquisition and HR teams on the front line of addressing ongoing talent challenges within organisations, the focus is very much on finding the people they need who have the right blend of skills and capabilities. However engagement and retention are also high on the corporate agenda, meaning that the people we hire need to also be able to embrace and embody our business culture and values. Finding the right talent isn’t just about reviewing CVs and conducting interview s and assessments — it’s also about uncovering deeper insights into candidates’ backgrounds and behaviours.

I recently had an interesting podcast conversation with Ben Mones, CEO of online screening platform Fama Technologies, about the significance of digital screening – and particularly social media screening – as a crucial element of modern hiring practices. I think the topic is particularly prominent in light of current global and political instabilities, and the unusually large number of elections taking place globally this year.

Ben’s journey into social media screening began with a stark realisation: traditional hiring processes, no matter how rigorous, sometimes fall short of revealing critical information about candidates. He shared an anecdote about hiring a seemingly promising candidate who turned out to be a liability due to inappropriate behaviour – something that they discovered post-hire. This experience served as a catalyst for Ben to research more into the world of online screening, ultimately leading to the creation of Fama Technologies.

The core of Fama’s approach lies in fusing advanced AI technology with comprehensive data analysis. AI algorithms extract valuable insights from the vast sea of social media content. By leveraging techniques such as sentiment analysis and concept clustering, hiring teams can gain a deeper understanding of candidates’ behaviour and character traits, enabling better informed hiring decisions.

Of paramount importance though is balancing the benefits of digital screening with respect for candidates’ privacy rights. Evolving legislative frameworks, particularly in regions like the EU, mean compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR is crucial when hiring teams are accessing and analysing relevant data. They need to be able to balance privacy concerns with the need for comprehensive screening.

For organisations adopting digital screening, all practices need to be aligned with core company values and business objectives, and clear screening criteria also need to be defined and tailored to each organisation’s unique culture and risk factors. And their values – whether looking for fraud, ensuring employee and customer safety, or identifying any potential intolerant behaviour or attitudes.

And transparency in how decisions are made, processes audited to eliminate bias, and conclusions arrived at, are key.

However whilst I believe AI-powered screening tools can provide valuable insights, they should only – and with caution – complement the expertise and intuition of hiring managers and leaders, not overshadow them. With the increasing prevalence of AI the hiring landscape is evolving fast, and will continue to evolve, so embracing a more analytical and innovative approach to screening will ultimately become essential for building creative, diverse and inclusive high-performing teams.

It may be early days for this type of background screening but with an increasing focus on culture fit – and the need for employees to reflect and embody organisational culture – I suspect it will become increasingly prevalent over the next few years.

You can listen to my full conversation with Ben Mones in this episode of HR Means Business.

(This post originally was originally posted on my weekly HR Means Business newsletter – subscribe today and get weekly updates on my research, thinking and podcast chats)

How HR Can Help Unlock and Support Employee Productivity

The US economist Paul Krugman famously said “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run, it’s almost everything” when talking about rebuilding the US economy. Certainly in our digitally enabled, always on, modern work culture, productivity is also a priority. In the post pandemic years the focus around how, when and where people work has always had productivity at its heart and research from analysts such as Gartner show a heightened focus on businesses trying to measure employee productivity. And there’s a good reason – productive workers are usually engaged workers – and employee engagement and retention is a key business and HR driver for 2024.

But how can you support employee productivity?

I recently had an enlightening podcast conversation with Zena Everett MSc best-selling author of the book ‘The Crazy Busy Cure’ which was a Business Book of the Year winner in 2022. Zena has done a lot of research into productivity and the systemic factors that reduce productivity and therefore profitability per head within organisations and asks ‘Why is it that we hire the best talent but then waste the time and energy of our talent?’

Four key insights emerged from our conversation:

Understanding Productivity Drag

The expression ‘productivity drag’ relates to anything gets in the way of the efficient and effective completion of work tasks. There are a range of drags, from excessive meetings and digital distractions to bureaucratic processes and over-servicing clients. HR needs to identify areas of productivity drag within their organisations and understand the barriers their people face. That way they can implement targeted strategies to streamline processes, minimise distractions, thereby optimising workflow. Common examples of overcoming drag are reducing the number of unnecessary meetings, and implementing digital tools to manage tasks and communication, all of which are shown to significantly improve employee productivity.

The Role of Leadership

Leadership plays a critical role in managing productivity within organisations. Zena emphasises the importance of clarity in organisational purpose and individual roles. HR professionals can work closely with leaders to ensure clear expectations are set, tasks are prioritised effectively, and innovative thinking is encouraged among teams.

Moreover, HR can support leadership development initiatives that empower managers with the skills and tools needed to foster a culture of productivity and accountability. By nurturing strong leadership, organisations can create an environment where employees feel motivated and empowered to excel in their roles.

Practical Strategies

Leaders and managers need to take time out to focus on their priorities and challenges. Zena talked about one of her clients that establishes designated ‘jury service’ periods when they can take a period of time out to focus on something specific that can help the organisation, and their people, improve performance and results. Taking time away from daily commitments to focus on improving an area or areas of operation that could run more smoothly.

Ultimately, it’s about creating a culture that values focused work time – and efficient and effective meetings – enabling HR to help employees stay on track and accomplish their goals more effectively, leveraging technology and automation to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary tasks, which can further enhance productivity across the organisation.

‘Jury service’ can be a period of days that leaders take away from their day-to-day responsibilities, or shutting off distractions for a period of hours, allowing them to focus on specific areas of operation and how they can become more streamlined.

Future Focused

As workplaces continue to evolve, HR professionals must anticipate future challenges and proactively address them. During the conversation Zena emphasises the importance of continuous adaptation and learning, as well as fostering a culture of innovation within businesses. HR can play a pivotal role in driving this cultural shift by promoting learning and development initiatives, encouraging knowledge sharing, and creating opportunities for employees to contribute ideas and solutions. By staying ahead of emerging trends and technologies, HR can help their organisations navigate change more effectively and position themselves for long-term success.

The roadmap for HR professionals looking to improve employee productivity within their organisations is straightforward. By understanding what productivity drag is and how it can be addressed, by supporting effective leadership and implementing targeted strategies, and by embracing a culture of innovation they can unlock their workers’ full potential and drive business success.

With the business landscape continuing to evolve quickly, HR professionals must remain proactive and adaptable to create thriving workplaces for the future.

You can listen to my full conversation with Zena Everett MSc on this episode the HR Means Business podcast.

(A version of this post originally appeared on my HR Means Business Newsletter. You can subscribe here and follow my latest conversations and insights)