Tag: business

Prioritising Wellbeing and Retention in a Tight Job Market

I’ve been focused on research around the Future of HR recently as I prepared for two International keynote sessions and whilst most of my writing and research has been around employee experience and the link with retention and engagement, it has become clear that HR has a major role to play in how our people are hired, developed, supported, enabled, rewarded and cared for in the ever evolving world of work.

I have written a few times that ‘Retention Is The New Recruitment’. Whilst AI may be the new kid on the block for HR to get their heads round and integrate into the way we work and the output we produce, there will doubtless be more.

For example, with layoffs in the Talent Acquisition sector will TA “Move into higher-value HR work” (as suggested by an RL100 member in this interesting post from Jamie Leonard)?

Will HR stop fretting over digital narrative trends like ‘Great Resignation’ and ‘Work from Home’ and get back to improving work for their people with initiatives like Living Wage, Safe Environments,Improving Social Mobility and Diversity, as Neil Morrison suggests?

Or what about Perry Timms’ Mosaic of the New as a new way to ‘do’ HR? Or Jeanne C M.‘s 13 HR jobs for the future?

I recently delivered a keynote and a masterclass at the Global HR Summit & Exhibition in Istanbul – and in August will be doing the same at the HRInnovation & TechFest in Johannesburg – so I have been trying to collect my thoughts on how exactly work is changing and what HR’s ongoing role will be.

Here’s my take:

Prioritising Wellbeing and Retention in a Tight Job Market

HR has clearly undergone significant transformations over recent years. From being staunch advocates for employees and their development, to overseeing potential cost-cutting and adopting more agile approaches, and now an increasing focus on prioritising employee wellbeing, ensuring retention and preventing burnout, whilst helping to support leadership through increasing digitisation.

Here’s a few ideas how HR can navigate current challenges and reshape its future role.

Strengthen Employee Advocacy

In the late 20th century, HR’s primary role was to advocate for employees, ensuring fair pay, benefits, and development opportunities. However, economic downturns shifted focus towards cost-cutting and streamlining. The job market is tightening, and the need to fill positions and retain skills, knowledge and talent within the business is paramount. HR must re-shift focus to advocating for better compensation, more comprehensive up-skilling, and enhanced career development. This shift supports employee well-being and also enhances job satisfaction and loyalty.

Transparency of True Costs

One of HR’s critical tasks is to reveal the hidden costs of current practices. Creating detailed dashboards that showcase turnover rates, absenteeism, reasons for quitting, and engagement levels can provide compelling evidence to management. These metrics highlight the financial impact of poor employee management and underscore the value of investing in people. Showing the true cost of employee turnover – which often exceeds simplistic figures once training costs, decreased performance, and recruitment efforts are factored in —can drive management to reconsider existing policies.

Addressing Employee Stress

Workplace stress is growing for both frontline and clerical/professional workforce, fuelled by overwork, fear of layoffs, potential lack of advancement opportunities and, more recently, anxiety about the extent to which AI may start replacing tasks and jobs. HR can mitigate this stress by fostering open communication and addressing uncertainties head-on. Reassuring employees about the gradual integration of AI and involving them in the process can help alleviate concerns. Transparent communication about restructuring and development plans can also prevent the spread of speculation and rumour, reducing overall stress and maintaining productivity.

Decentralised Restructuring

Traditional restructuring often disrupts employees’ lives and raises stress levels, negatively impacting mental health and performance. A decentralised approach, where companies create smaller, more flexible units, can help mitigate the negative effects. This model also allows organisations to adapt to changing market demands and expectations without organisational shifts or layoffs – avoiding disruption by compartmentalising change.

Building Talent Labour Markets

Establishing proper internal mobility within organisations enhances flexibility and can provide clear pathways for career advancement. Internal job mobility had been underutilised for several years, although with the advent of improved talent intelligence and AI driven internal platforms is again boosting the number of roles filled from within, significantly reduce turnover and training costs. Retraining initiatives that allow employees whose roles are under threat to train for new roles, repay investment and can help build resilience in the workforce.

Strengthening DEI Efforts

Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are more critical than ever in fostering a sense of belonging and loyalty – even if recent anecdotal trends indicate that they are not as prevalent. By ramping up DEI efforts, HR creates a more inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives and experiences, which boosts morale, innovation and problem-solving capabilities, and ensures employees feel valued and supported. Which in turn boosts engagement and retention rates.

The future of HR may lie in a balanced approach that prioritises employee wellbeing while meeting organisational goals. By returning to employee advocacy, providing transparent cost analyses, addressing workplace stress, adopting decentralised restructuring, building internal talent markets, and strengthening DEI efforts, HR can navigate the challenges of a tight job market. This holistic approach will not only enhance employee satisfaction and retention but also drive organisational success in the evolving landscape of work.

(A version of this post originally appeared in my HR Means Business newsletter – subscribe here to receive regular updates)

Preserving the Humanity in Human Resources

The growing presence of AI in our day to day working lives may be creating an increased range of opportunities for the world of work, but is also triggering a number of shifts in how we think and act. In 2023 there was a lot of consternation over the potential impact of ‘Recruiterless Recruiting’ and how it might change the way we attract and hire the talent we need. For Human Resources I think it’s less a case of ‘Humanless’ Human Resources and more about increased humanity within ‘Human Resources’, acknowledging and supporting personal choices, preferences and goals.

Looking at the emerging HR trends currently shaping the employee lifecycle in 2024 I see a number of areas where a compassionate, supportive approach to the employer/worker relationship is evolving. The debate around remote, flexible, hybrid and asynchronous working which has overwhelmed us for a couple of years now, will continue to play out – although as far back as 2017 I was involved in a research study that found these flexible approaches to working was what our people wanted, and would inform their decisions over which organisations to join.

We live increasingly busy lives in which the digital, commercial and personal elements need to be juggled and prioritised. Personalisation – a trend myself and co-author Matt Alder have been writing and talking about for a couple of years now – is key to how our people manage to juggle and prioritise, at work as well as in their leisure time.

Managers are feeling the strain. Research from Gartner last year found 77% of employees placing increased importance on manager support, with  51% of the managers themselves saying they now have more responsibilities than they can manage.

For me, there are 5 key areas for organisations – particularly their HR and Talent Acquisition teams, and leaders and managers – to focus on in 2024 and beyond as we move towards adopting a more human, compassionate and supportive approach to work that should be very much on the corporate agenda.

From Management and Direction to Support and Enablement

Our historic approach to our workforce has been what I often refer to as management and direction. We manage processes, people, their careers, their performance and day to day involvement. We direct people. In fact, we have ‘directors’ for most parts of their career lifecycle. It’s all a bit autocratic. Yet our digital talent are keen to learn and figure things out for themselves. A phrase I often use is ‘Digital talent has intellectual curiosity’.

They know their roles are evolving and changing and want the opportunity to discover and explore the opportunities. They don’t want training courses, but access to self-directed learning. Our role is to support them, to create an environment where our people feel empowered to perform, learn, develop and achieve their best results.

Multifaceted Nature of Engagement

Engagement is a much used term for a myriad of things. Engagement isn’t something we can create. It isn’t a management directive. It’s the outcome of treating people well and with respect, recognising them, giving them opportunities to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Helping to create positive work experiences.

Key to this is recognising the importance of our workforce’s wellbeing. All of it. Mental, physical, intellectual, emotional, physical, digital and,  particularly in 2024, financial. Is ours a culture where people can ask for help? Without being judged? Do we have managers and leaders trained to help and understand when they might be needed? Can people raise a concern in private and know that it will remain private?

Flexibility and Recognition

Our people want agency in how, when and where they work. As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t really new – but it’s something that is now top of mind. For many, whose job is location specific or are part of our frontline workforce, this will manifest itself in flexibility of hours and communication, balancing personal needs and career priorities. These workers can often feel left out of engagement initiatives.

For others, it will centre on the flexible, remote, hybrid and asynchronous working debate. Flexibility itself is a crucial aspect of supporting employees in the modern workplace.

Managers need to perfect a number of different approaches that can give their people access to what they need, and input to the way they work. Not least when it comes to support and recognition – the latter playing a key role in creating a positive, diverse, engaged, happy and productive workforce. Personalised recognition, at an individual level, fosters a positive work environment for everyone.

Evolution of the Employee Lifecycle

I write and talk about the evolving nature of the employee lifecycle, which is now accelerated by technological advancement. Anyone familiar with my co-authored books – Digital Talent and Exceptional Talent – will know I believe in the growing concept of a seamless talent journey. This journey emphasises the need for positive experiences all the way through the key touchpoints – from recruitment, through onboarding, development and right throughout the employee journey. The emergence of career experience managers and talent experience managers within organisations highlights a growing focus on overseeing the holistic career experience for all employees.

Delivering a Personalised Candidate Experience

Central to a successful attraction and recruitment strategy is delivering a personalised candidate experience that resonates with individuals on a personal level. This relies on consistency in interactions and information flow throughout the recruitment journey. By understanding candidates’ preferences and needs, organisations can create engaging experiences that leave a lasting impression.

Social media continues to a powerful tool for employer branding and candidate engagement. By using this to share authentic stories from existing (and former) employees, and also showcasing positive experiences that illustrate culture, organisations can attract top talent more effectively.

A common challenge in attraction and hiring is being able to align the efforts of talent acquisition and recruitment teams with the experience candidates get from hiring managers. This can be addressed by educating hiring managers about market trends, best practices and candidate expectations to ensure a seamless recruitment process. By fostering collaboration and communication between recruitment and hiring teams, organisations can enhance the overall candidate experience and drive successful hires.

As all HR and Talent professionals embrace these opportunities in 2024 and beyond, I hope these insights can provide a compass for navigating the evolving landscape. I believe that by prioritising a human-centric approach, embracing technological advancements, and ensuring continuous support and enablement throughout the employee lifecycle, we can foster a thriving, profitable workplace for years to come.

(You can hear me talk more about these ideas on podcast interviews with Adam Weber – Keeping the Humanity in a Humanless HR World – and Bill Banham – The Impact of AI on HR – and I try to explore them on my own HR Means Business podcast too)

How Career Experience Will Help Shape the Future of Work

The concept of Career Experience  has recently evolved as a key element in shaping organisational culture, helping improve employee engagement and retention. I first looked into the concept of Career Experience when I interviewed Nick Holmes for the HR Means Business podcast. Nick was Global Head of Career Experience at Avalere Health – a leading global commercialisation partner for the biopharmaceutical, medical technology, and wellness sectors – and is now their VP of Employee Experience.

As part of my research and writing into the factors that drive engagement and retention I was becoming convinced that, despite the best efforts of the Talent Acquisition and Human Resources teams, there was a need for organisations to look more holistically at how they can support and enable their people to help them achieve their best results – thereby creating a culture which supported engagement and achievement, and helped drive business success.

From my conversation with Nick it was apparent that Career Experience is more than just another HR role; it embodies a more holistic approach to nurturing talent, shaping culture, and facilitating growth throughout an employee’s journey within an organisation. It encompasses everything from the initial onboarding process to ongoing development, performance management, and eventual progression or transition within the organisation.

There were 5 ways in which having ‘Career Experience’ specialists can achieve this:

The Purpose of Career Experience

At its core, Career Experience is about creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. By focusing on the human aspect of work, organisations can enhance employee engagement, retention, and productivity. Rather than merely fulfilling job roles, employees become active participants in their own career development, which helps drive both personal development and therefore organisational success.

Addressing Organisational Challenges

Career Experience can be seen as a strategic response to various organisational challenges, primarily talent engagement and retention, succession planning, and adapting to rapid organisational growth. Proactive shaping of the employee experience can help reduce turnover, better identify and nurture talent, and maintain the culture of continuous learning and improvement that our digital talent needs.

Integration with HR Operations

While Career Experience can operate within the broader HR framework, it really represents a specialist function that is dedicated to optimising the employee journey. Collaborating closely with other parts of the HR and Talent ecosystem, Career Experience professionals can ensure alignment with organisational goals and values, and help foster a cohesive and supportive work environment.

Promoting Employee Wellbeing

One of there central tenets of Career Experience is the prioritisation of employee wellbeing. Initiatives such as mental health first aid training, as well as financial, physical and emotional wellness programmes, and offering a range of flexible and hybrid work arrangements that help support our people, all contribute to creating a culture of care and support. By valuing employee health and work-life balance, organisations will be able to enhance overall employee satisfaction and improved performance.

The Future of Career Experience

Looking ahead, Career Experience should evolve into a hyper-personalised and technology-enabled ecosystem. As organisations are increasingly able to leverage data and emerging technologies, they can tailor their employee and worker experiences to meet individual needs, enhance connectivity, and promote overall wellness. Career Experience can continue to evolve and play a crucial role in shaping the future of work, driving innovation, and fostering a culture of engagement and growth.

The emergence of Career Experience as a specialism could represent a much-needed shift in HR practices, placing emphasis on human-centric approaches to talent management and organisational development. By investing in Career Experience, organisations can create environments where their people not only thrive but can also contribute meaningfully to collective success.

You can check out my full podcast chat with Nick on this episode of HR Means Business

Find Out More in Amsterdam

If you want to know more about Career Experience and how it can help improve your organisation then I will be interviewing Nick on stage at the HR Technology Conference & Expo Europe on Friday 3rd May in a session entitled ‘The Hyper Human Workplace : How to Make Work Meaningful Again’. Hope you can join us at the RAI, Amsterdam!

And if you use my special code – MERVYN50 – you get 50% off your ticket!

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 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)

Making the Business Case for Recognition

In today’s competitive talent landscape, retaining top talent and keeping employees, at all levels, engaged is more critical than ever. If 2024 is the year of retention then organisations need to build and maintain a culture of retention – and that starts with the way we recognise and support our people.

One of the memorable keynote observations for me recently came from best selling author on human relationships Esther Perel at Workhuman’s 2023 conference, when she said “We used to leave our jobs because the factory closed. Today, we leave jobs because we aren’t being recognised”. All the research I’ve been involved with in recent years on retention and engagement always comes down to how well recognised and supported our people feel.

The conversation around recognition in the workplace has now evolved from a mere nicety to a strategic imperative for organisations worldwide. However, this often requires an internal culture shift for many HR and business leaders, and it can still be a struggle to have the necessary conversations with the right people.

At Workhuman Live I had a podcast conversation Brenda Pohlman, a practice leader and senior recognition strategist at Workhuman, about how we can shift the dial on internal conversations around recognition and engagement and make the business case for the investing in recognition.

Here are the 5 key points from the conversation:

1. Seeing recognition as the cornerstone of Engagement and Retention

Brenda underscored the undeniable link between recognition and employee engagement and retention. At the time of our conversation there was still a lot of speculation around trends like “great resignation”, which underlined an opportunity for organisations to see that recognising employees for their contributions is not just a feel-good practice, but a strategic necessity. Research consistently demonstrates that employees who feel valued and appreciated are more likely to stay with an organisation and exhibit higher levels of engagement.

2. Leveraging Technology to Facilitate Recognition

While recognition may seem like a straightforward interpersonal interaction, Brenda highlighted the role of technology in driving and facilitating these practices within organisations. Contrary to any concerns that technology may erode human connections, it can be the conduit for bringing back the natural inclination to express gratitude in the workplace. We are used to thanking people digitally in our day to day lives and there’s no reason why technology-enabled recognition platforms at work can’t streamline the process, ensuring consistency and scalability across the whole organisation.

3. Training and Tools for Effective Recognition

One crucial aspect that often gets overlooked is the need to help and support employees with the necessary training and tools to express gratitude effectively. Brenda raised the point that whilst the sentiment of recognition may be natural, the skill to articulate it meaningfully requires guidance and practice. By offering training programs and intuitive tools, businesses can empower their workforce to engage in consistent and impactful recognition practices.

4. The Role of Monetary Rewards in Recognition

Non-monetary recognition is valuable as it’s usually expressed personally (whether in person or through technology) and creates a positive emotion. However there is a strong case to be made for incorporating a monetary component into the recognition experience too. This can enhance the impact and connection of recognition, especially when it’s coupled with specific feedback. Contrary to concerns, research indicates that monetary rewards, when appropriately integrated into the recognition, contributes significantly to the overall recognition experience and wider employee morale.

5. Making the Business Case for Recognition

The imperative of building a robust business case for recognition should resonate well with HR leaders and line mangers. Demonstrating the tangible benefits of recognition initiatives, such as improved employee engagement, retention, and improved organisational performance, is essential for getting support from organisational leaders. By quantifying the ROI of recognition programmes, HR professionals should be able secure the support and resources necessary to embed recognition into the organisational culture.

It’s clear that now, more than ever, recognition isn’t a formality or nicety, but a strategic lever for driving employee engagement and retention. By embracing technology, providing training and tools, integrating monetary rewards, HR leaders should be in a position to build a compelling business case, enabling their organisations to harness the transformative power of recognition to create thriving workplace cultures where employees feel valued, motivated, and inspired to contribute their best.

You can listen to my full conversation with Brenda Pohlman on HR Means Business – Helping Business Leaders to Understand the Power of Recognition

Navigating HR Trends in 2024: A Holistic Approach to Employee Lifecycle

I was recently invited on to the HR Superstars podcast by Adam Weber of 15Five. He called our podcast chat “Keeping the Humanity in a Humanless HR World” which chimed with the parallels I drew between the much discussed AI driven concept from 2023 of ‘Recruiterless Recruiting’ and why the increasing use of AI in our day to day HR operations would create the need for much more humanity in our organisations, rather than usher in an era of ‘Humanless Human Resources’.

We talked about the emerging HR trends shaping the employee lifecycle in 2024. Our discussion covered a range of topics, and I think we shared  some valuable insights into the evolving landscape of HR practices. I was certainly keen to share some of the latest research I’d been involved with and particularly summarise the key trends and conversations that I’d had during last Autumn’s busy conference and expo season.

For me, there are 4 key areas for HR to focus on in 2024 and beyond. Over the last couple of years we’ve been overwhelmed by conversations around remote, flexible, hybrid and asynchronous working, not to mention the relentless progress of AI into our daily interactions, so the adoption of a more human, compassionate and supportive approach to work should be very much on the corporate agenda.

The four key points we discussed were: 

From Management and Direction to Support and Enablement

Our historic approach to our workforce has been what I often refer to as management and direction. We manage processes, people, their careers, their performance and day to day involvement. We direct people. In fact, we have directors of most parts of their career lifecycle. It’s all a bit autocratic. Yet our digital talent are keen to learn and figure things out for themselves. A phrase I often use is ‘Digital talent has intellectual curiosity’. 

They know their roles are evolving and changing and want the opportunity to discover and explore the opportunities. They don’t want training courses, but access to self-directed learning. Our role is to support them, to create an environment where our people feel empowered to perform, learn, develop and achieve their best results.

Multifaceted Nature of Engagement

Engagement is a much used term for a myriad of things. Engagement isn’t something we can create. It isn’t a management directive. It’s the outcome of treating people well and with respect, recognising them, giving them opportunities to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Creating positive work experiences. 

Key to this is recognising the importance of our workforce’s wellbeing. All of it. Mental, physical, intellectual, emotional, physical, digital, and in particular right now – financial. Is ours a culture where people can ask for help? Without being judged? Do we have managers and leaders trained to help and understand when they might be needed? Can people raise a concern in private and know that it will remain private?

Flexibility and Recognition

Our people want agency in how, when and where they work. For many, whose job is location specific, this will manifest itself in flexibility of hours and communication. For the others, it will centre on the flexible, remote, hybrid and asynchronous working debate. Flexibility itself is a crucial aspect of supporting employees in the modern workplace. 

Managers need to perfect a number of different approaches that can give their people access to what they need and input to the way they work. Not least when it comes to support and recognition – the latter playing a key role in creating a positive, diverse, engaged, happy and productive workforce. Personalised recognition, at an individual level, fosters a positive work environment for everyone.

Evolution of the Employee Lifecycle 

We had a good conversation on the evolving nature of the employee lifecycle, which is now accelerated by technological advancement. Anyone familiar with my co-authored books – Digital Talent and Exceptional Talent – will know I believe in the growing concept of a seamless talent journey. This journey emphasises the need for positive experiences all the way through the key touchpoints – from recruitment, through onboarding, development and right throughout the employee journey. The emergence of career experience managers and talent experience managers within organisations highlights a growing focus on overseeing the holistic career experience for all employees.

As all HR professionals embrace 2024, I hope the podcast conversation and the insights I’ve shared can provide a compass for navigating the evolving landscape. I believe that by prioritising a human-centric approach, embracing technological advancements, and ensuring continuous support and enablement throughout the employee lifecycle, we can foster a thriving, profitable workplace for years to come.

Hope you enjoy the chat!

Improving Culture, Experience, Leadership, Opportunity and Flexibility in 2024

One of my favourite HR events each year is Influence Greatness. Hosted near Salt Lake City by O.C. Tanner the event brings together leaders, analysts, researchers, practitioners, tech experts and consultants for a 3 day exploration of the latest trends in Global Workplace Culture centred around the O.C. Tanner Institute’s research and latest Global Culture Report.

The report always offers insights on evolving employee priorities and preferences, as well as guidance on the key elements of a thriving corporate culture and the 2024 Global Culture Report (published in September 2023) highlighted a number of actionable insights, people-centric solutions and common sense interventions whilst also sharing insights on some of the key aspects that are impacting workplaces globally. 

I’ve recently hosted an HR Means Business podcast chat with Robert Ordever (Managing Director O.C. Tanner Europe) and Stuart Cheeseman (European Strategies O.C. Tanner) about some of the key findings and opportunities. To accompany the podcast, I’ve tried to summarise what I think are some of the key messages from the research. I’ve chosen three of the six categories – you can read about all of them by downloading the report at https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report

Practical Empathy

A major revelation from the research is the concept of practical empathy in leadership, and how it is falling short. 41% of employees feel that leaders’ expressions of empathy are basically empty gestures, lacking meaning. Yet a survey of 150 CEOs by Harvard Business Review found 80% of them saying empathy was a key to success. O.C. Tanner’s data showed that people working for empathetic leaders tend to be more fulfilled, have a sense of belonging in their workplace and feel a stronger connection to the organisation

The 6 components of practical empathy at work they identified were: 

Focus on the Person – prioritising individual’s needs, challenges and potential

Seek Understanding – getting proper input and feedback on policies and programmes, and a real understanding ding of the day-to-day employee experience. 

Listen to Learn – active listening to our people and their concerns  

Embrace Perspectives – leaders and mangers need to be open to, and accepting of, different perspectives and experiences

Take Supportive Action – showing concern is one thing, but can be an empty gesture if not backed up with real action

Respecting Boundaries – resources for support need to be in place, not reliant on leaders’ intervention

Practical Empathy is about listening, understanding, and empowering leaders to make meaningful contributions to their teams’ well-being. It can improve the sense of belonging and connection employees have, improving business outcomes too.

Skill Building vs. Skill Development

The emphasis on “skill building” instead of traditional “skill development” signifies a shift in perspective. Employees increasingly perceive learning and skill enhancement as self-driven contributions rather than imposed obligations. This shift acknowledges the evolving nature of jobs and encourages individuals to proactively enhance their skills for better contributions and adaptability within their roles.

Employees know their roles are changing and want access to the knowledge and learning necessary to help them. Research from the Global Culture Report shows that they are happier and more productive when they have skill building opportunities, in fact 83% look for these opportunities when changing jobs. For organisations, this is also a solution to addressing talent and knowledge shortages. Giving employees options and integrating some form of recognition for those who embrace can help hardwire this into culture.

Experience of the 80%

80% of the Global workforce don’t work at a desk. It’s sometimes hard for those who are white collar knowledge workers, whose daily conversations around technology and work location fill the digital narratives online, to grasp just how many of the global workforce are frontline workers, deskless and often offline, and usually removed from corporate culture. The Global Culture Report research found half of frontline employees feeling expendable at work, ignored and undervalued, lacking opportunity, technology and autonomy in the vital jobs they do.

During the Covid pandemic, this segment received unprecedented acknowledgment and support. However, research indicates a gradual fading of recognition for these workers, emphasising a need to address this disparity, underscoring the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the part of the workforce that keeps essential operations running.

The research also found the 80% less likely to think their employers care about them, and also less likely to

Trust their leaders

Have a strong sense of connection to the organisation

Feel seen and valued

Have a positive employee experience.

The saddest indictment was the finding that only 1 in 10 believe they have access to the tools, technology and opportunities necessary for advancement, or to have any kind of influence or voice over their work.

The key to improving engagement, belonging, connection and a sense of community and fulfilment is to help them feel seen. The data indicates that improving access and enablement, providing meaningful recognition, and understanding and addressing what matters to them can help the 80% have a sense of belonging, feel a connection to their leaders and the organisation, and foster a strong desire to remain with the organisation in the longer term.

Creating a Resilient Culture of Equitable Flexibility and Empathetic Leadership

To understand more about the research, and the potential opportunities for embracing a more enlightened and inclusive approach to improving our workplaces, listen my podcast conversation with Robert and Stuart……