What to your mind are the factors that contribute positively to the achievement of organisational objectives?
Understanding the requirements of the business into the future and ensuring that the right people are recruited and retained to take the organisation there. Then you need to create an environment where the energy and creativity of people can be maximised and unleashed. Finally, the world of work has changed and people are demanding that they be treated as individuals. You need to understand the needs of the employees and design the business so that their individual needs are met, where possible. In order to accommodate these changes human resource departments need to move from human resources (HR) to human energy (HE).
What steps are required to move from HR to HE?
- Understand where the organisation is going and draw up a ‘talent map’ outlining the type of people that need to be brought into the organisation and the development track of current employees.
- The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and other traditional ways of treating people must be revamped. HE treats people as individuals. To achieve this, organisations need to get to know their people intimately so that they can custom-treat, motivate and reward them appropriately.
- Automate or outsource traditional HR processes that do not directly contribute to the achievement of the business’s objectives.
- Create an environment where people want to be, and where they feel positively energised. Create spaces that are ergonomically designed with modern meeting rooms, chill areas and other recreational facilities.
- Brand your people. Ensure that employees are given a positive experience of the business, its products and services. A leading car manufacturer for instance gets all its employees to experience its latest models by driving them and the company highlights the fantastic technology and design of the vehicle.
- An ongoing, planned and well designed motivation programme for employees is also essential in the move from HR to HE. Take into account individual preferences and needs.
- Free your employees. Giving employees freedom to choose also goes a long way towards achieving positive people energy. Freedom can be offered in the design of remuneration packages, working hours, career path, space or office design and dress.
- Fun at work has been frowned upon ever since the industrial revolution, but times have changed. Google’s approach to work, as stated on its web site, is that work and fun are not mutually exclusive. Leading organisations are blurring the distinctions between employment, fun and the private lives of employees, thereby creating positive energy.
- Performance management. Without clear and concise goals, freedom, fun and the achievement of most of the other pointers will fail. Performance management is critical to the successful transition from HR to HE.