Human Resource departments frequently consider how to attract and retain top talent. Top Employers Institute is no different. Paola Bottaro, People Director at Top Employers Institute, has found the most success by putting people first. Notably, the organisation is not alone in this endeavour. Taking a employee-centric approach to the workplace is a practice steadily gaining traction.
So, what does this move to a employee-centric model entail? During the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, Paola and I discussed exactly that. I’ll share highlights of our discussion for companies interested in joining Top Employers Institute as a employee-centric organisation.
Employee-Centric approach: what does it mean?
Essentially, an employee-centric culture recognises and accepts that people are people. Organisations acknowledge that their employees are multifaceted individuals with lives beyond the office.
An employee-centric approach enables people to work in the best way that suits their needs and preferences, rather than requiring them to adhere to standard hours or procedures.
How Does a Employee-Centric Approach Work?
Employees at different phases of life, a new parent versus a recently hired university graduate, for example, will likely have very different preferences for the rhythm of their workday.
Allowing employees to determine their workday and workflow does not impact organisational results overall, yet it has a profound impact on each individual’s work experience.
If you give people trust, productivity and profits will follow
Trust is a critical component of making a employee-centric approach successful. Granting employees the ability to set their work dynamics, whether that involves unconventional hours or regular breaks, requires a high level of trust that employees will continue fulfilling their responsibilities to the best of their ability, even without constant supervision.
Employee-centricity: 5 best practice you need to follow
Although, trust is not everything. To make employee centricity the foundation of your people strategy, you need to equip your workforce with more than that.
Here are five best practice you need to follow to make your organizational culture employee-centric:
1. Tuning In: Listening to Employee Needs
To enhance engagement, consult employees directly through surveys and pulse checks. Regular feedback helps capture employee insights and identify areas for improvement. Stays interviews and exit interviews are also vital for understanding satisfaction and retention.
Complement these with advanced workplace analytics to gain a complete picture of employee insights.
2. Flexibility as a Necessity in Today’s Workplace
Flexibility is no longer just an incentive; it’s a necessity. Companies should leverage HR analytics to explore hybrid work models, even if full autonomy isn’t feasible.
3. Embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Creating an inclusive culture is essential for success. Companies that support diverse employee groups often outperform their competitors and see stock market gains, especially during downturns. Engaged employees drive profitability through increased productivity.
4. Investing in Employee Well-Being
Promoting a workplace culture that prioritizes employee wellness results in more satisfied and efficient teams. A dedication to holistic well-being is shown through extensive health perks, indicating that employees are appreciated beyond their job functions. By providing benefits such as fitness allowances and adaptable schedules for medical appointments, companies can boost health and foster fairness.
Furthermore, encouraging a balanced work-life dynamic allows employees to handle personal responsibilities efficiently, thereby enhancing their contentment and productivity at work.
5. Creating the best Digital Employee Experience
The right technology is crucial for hybrid work success. Many employees report frustration with current digital tools, making it essential for facility managers to collaborate with IT. Creating the right digital employee experience is nowadays a must for organizational success.
Employee-Centric Approach: Inside Top Employers Institute Winning Strategy
For Paola’s team, realising that there was no one-size-fits-all solution for creating a great workplace was a turning point.
Reflecting on this moment, she shared, “We had a lot of conversations about what way of working would be best and we came to the conclusion that everyone is different, and we all need different things.
Who are we to decide what each individual needs?” They concluded that in an ideal workplace, everyone gets to define the best way to work for themselves.
Another turning point was adapting to a primarily remote workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. This transition was smoother than anticipated, and productivity remained very high. Paola elaborated on their observations, “Everyone was very responsible and wanted to perform well. Actually, I had to make sure people took care of themselves much more than making sure that they were doing their jobs.”
Seeing how well the company ran while employees worked remotely was a valuable lesson that built trust. Going forward, the company had complete confidence in allowing employees to decide how they want to work.
Top Employers Institute’s company culture fully embraces a human-centric approach with its three core values:
- We are all professionals.
- All professionals want to be successful.
- We succeed when we achieve great things while taking care of our own wellbeing and each other.
That teams communicate about everyone’s needs and preferences is critical. As our conversation progressed, Paola gave a simple example that Top Employers Institute does not want employees to pretend to be available during traditional working hours if they are not.
She explained that this freedom also benefits managers, “They don’t have to think about motivating their teams anymore. The core belief is that all professionals are intrinsically motivated to be successful.” Transparency about who is doing what and trust in employees to fulfil their responsibilities improves operations.
Although trust and open communication are generally recognised as positive values, translating them into practical action can be a challenge because doing so requires a shift in mindset. Top Employers Institute, like many organisations, was forced to try a new way of working during the pandemic.
The success of this experiment gave management the confidence to use a employee-centric approach even after pandemic-related safety restrictions were lifted.
Organisations that have not had the opportunity to test drive a new working model may struggle with transitioning from employees coming into the office every day during the same hours to people working from home at hours of their choosing. Embracing the values of trust and open communication in new ways needs to happen at all levels of the organisation for a human-centric approach to truly succeed.
If an employee is not performing well, the first step is to have a conversation. “Success is defined not only by great results but also by people’s wellbeing, which is a responsibility and not something that can be left to chance,” said Paola.
Considering the complete picture of an employee’s life while navigating challenges is a central tenet of a human-centric approach.
What are the Benefits of a Employee- Centric Approach?
An employee-centric approach gives your workforce the best possible work life, which fosters loyalty and productivity.
It also creates great returns.
Through this approach, organisations can:
- Attract talent
- Improve retention, and
- Foster a culture of growth and internal mobility.
These benefits contribute to a positive atmosphere and help a company’s bottom line by attracting and keeping top-tier talent.
Top Employers Institute is in the process of hosting workshops with employees to discuss both the company’s and individual employee’s values.
“The most important thing is that we left one open space in our company values for employees to fill. There are three company-wide values and the fourth is for each employee to fill with their personal value. It’s an opportunity for them to connect their personal values and sense of purpose to the company,” Paola said of the process.
Ultimately, a human-centric approach forges meaningful connections between a company and its workforce.
By giving people the autonomy to work in a way that suits their needs best, organisations reap great returns. This approach truly benefits both the company and its employees.
To learn more about Top Employers Institute’s journey to becoming a human-centric organisation and other best practice in human resources, get in touch with us today!