IIM ROHTAK H U M A N E - R CLUB P re s e n ts
H R BULLETIN VOLUME 108
humane.r@iimrohtak.ac.in
H U M A N E - R | V O L U M E 108
HR BULLETIN
The five tenets of leading an ever-evolving workforce How do you build a productive environment in a hybrid setup? How do you effectively measure performance? Business leaders to find answers to some pressing questions in the new world of work In the last couple of years, the pandemic brought about a dramatic shift in the way that organisations conduct their business, especially concerning the acceptability of hybrid work. A Gartner survey reveals that nearly five out of ten Indian hybrid workers consider themselves more productive when working remotely. In the hybrid work landscape, the choice of location and flexible working hours are the top enablers for productivity according to the survey. Going forward, workplace trends will be dominated by digital nomads, who uphold work and talent as being location agnostic. As a result, the core of work experience has changed. For business leaders, this has given rise to some pressing questions. How do you build a productive environment in a hybrid setup? How do you effectively measure performance? How do you empower your employees to deliver their best in a flexible environment?
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While each organisation follows its learning curve, there are a few important tenets that can prove to be extremely valuable in leading an ever-changing hybrid workforce: Emphasise autonomy Flexibility is a key part of improving engagement. To maximize flexibility, we must empower employees with the autonomy to decide how and when they complete their work, of course within the confines of a reasonable and acceptable remit. The traditional top-down command and control leadership styles have become obsolete and are ineffective when bringing about behavioural changes. Instead, a spirit of collaboration, deeper engagement, and relationships based on trust make up the secret sauce in a hybrid workforce. Enabling this requires the organization to trust its employees and their ability to make the right decisions. While regular check-ins might be useful, resisting the urge to micromanage is critical. An autonomous workforce encourages a collaborative environment that keys to a unified business goal. This approach also helps them to become more innovative and independent at the same time. Invest in the right collaboration tools In a hybrid workforce where employees are working from different locations and at different times, communication gaps can easily occur. Therefore, having access to the right tools for collaboration and productivity is paramount to ensure that work happens effectively. With the right tools, a hybrid workforce can not only be managed effectively but can be a real advantage, if leveraged well. The right collaboration tools- such as Zoom, Slack, etc - when complemented with empathy, inclusive policies, and a commitment to meaningful engagement, can be a potent force to reckon with. Tools like Zoom have come a long way in just a short time to help the remote workforce to connect, communicate and collaborate. Leveraging tech to make the virtual workplace more energizing, fun, and innovative hubs further benefits organisational culture. We use these collaborative workspaces to further engage with employees in activities such as Commvault’s Mentoring Circles and Hackathons. Incorporating such intuitive, quick-to-implement and easily integratable tools aid businesses in making the business environment inclusive and encourages employees to collaborate beyond office borders. Remember to listen Whether people are working remotely or from the office, the most successful managers are typically good listeners and reach out proactively to seek feedback and check in with their employees. In a hybrid environment, it might even make sense to err on the side of over-communication to ensure you have the pulse of the team. A mix of informal catchups and formal employee surveys can prove to be extremely insightful. Of course, the next step, which is to act on the feedback is also equally critical.
Relook at performance measurement The ritual of yearly performance reviews must evolve to suit the needs of a hybrid workforce. As the pandemic showed us, setting goals for the entire year might no longer be realistic. Instead, performance management must become a continuous process with feedback delivered on a real-time basis. Also, in addition to looking at past performance and output, the focus of performance reviews must be on bridging any skills gaps to build a futureready workforce. The hybrid and remote workplace models have also witnessed employees investing extra hours of work to maintain business continuity. This has increased the need for leaders to change their strategies catering to all aspects of employee experience. Realigning and reshaping people's leadership and management in a hybrid virtual world, and encouraging interactions between leaders and teams will help rebuild organisations' social capital and create a unified hybrid virtual culture that the organizations need in the next normal…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/leadership/the-five-tenetsof-leading-an-ever-evolving-workforce-34821
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“Everything is changing, so we need to change” How can HR go from a transactional function to a value-based one? IA HR's Mark Stelzner offers suggestions at TechHR India 2022. In many respects, for talent management leaders, the past two years have been the “perfect storm”. The transformation of our entire context - including cultural, economic and political factors - at a global level has tested the ability of HR leaders to respond with agility, vision and, above all, strategy. At People Matters TechHR India 2022, Mark Stelzner, Managing Principal, IA HR, outlined some of these strategies that will allow HR professionals to make the leap from a transactional or operationally focused function to a valuebased one. His keynote lecture, “Driving Business and People Growth with Dynamic HR”, expanded on the notion of Dynamic HR, bringing #FreshEyes to this concept and examining how best to navigate near constant change. Mark has spent his career fostering relationships through attention to detail, natural curiosity, and a self-deprecating sense of humor. His more than 25 years of HR transformation experience have left him very clear about the success factors for the qualitative leap that the HR function urgently requires at a global level. Are we overwhelmed by change? The answer to this question is, for Mark, a good reason to embrace a new way of conducting HR management, based on identity, agility and scalability. As he pointed out, with the constant organizational, cultural, economic, and geopolitical demands, everyone needs HR's help more than ever. In fact, regardless of market, size or geography, the relentless pace of change demands agility, elasticity and constant challenge to the status quo. Mark approaches this evolution (revolution?) in HR management from four perspectives: •Catalysts for change •Dynamic HR 101 •Start small, think big •Ideate and Iterate …
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/everything-ischanging-so-we-need-to-change-34805
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How’s HR reconfiguring the post-pandemic workspace? HR had to develop adaptable behaviours in not just their teams but across the organisation by offering flexibility, relevant resources, and giving a sense of ownership in the workplace to support the post-pandemic revival. The pandemic has changed the way we work. From radically redesigned workplaces, expanded roles and responsibilities to a renewed focus on upskilling for a multigenerational workforce, and a greater emphasis on employee well-being, a lot has changed in the last couple of years for both white collars as well as shop floor workers. To support the change and sustain the organisation’s growth ambitions, the human resources function too underwent a strategic overhaul. For instance, HR had to develop adaptable behaviours in not just their teams but across the organisation by offering flexibility, relevant resources, and giving a sense of ownership in the workplace to support the post-pandemic revival. Now that businesses are emphasising returning to the workplace, HR is focused on improving the culture and workplace experience. Here are five ways on how HR can seamlessly reconfigure the workplace: 3Fs: Freedom, Flexibility, and Fulfilment Adopting an employee-first mindset will help companies survive and emerge stronger from disruptions. For this, the HR function needs to focus on 3Fs - fulfilment, freedom, and flexibility. These are closely interlinked and have a sizeable impact on an employee’s workplace experience. Embracing a hybrid workplace culture by allowing employees the freedom to work from any location and offering flexibility around working hours are key to increasing an employee’s satisfaction levels and reducing attrition. In addition, providing employees with the right platforms to manage pandemic-induced stress and well-being issues can directly weigh on their productivity levels…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employeeengagement/hows-hr-reconfiguring-the-post-pandemic-workspace-34795
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HR and work tech in the post-pandemic workplace No hybrid working model can work effectively without the right technologies in place. To allow employees to get work done, keep connected, grow their careers and feel appreciated and valued, it’s important to leverage tools and technologies that are easy to use and access. The post-pandemic workplace is one of flexibility over where and when you work, with employees connecting over Zoom and using collaboration tools to get work done. And although hybrid working is still a work in progress for many HR and business leaders, it’s clear that workplace technologies have never been in such demand, creating the very foundation for this new way of working. However, leaders shouldn’t implement new technologies rashly. Every new implementation must look to improve organisational culture and support an integrated and streamlined employee experience. The post-pandemic workplace Unless you’re a front-line worker, the world of work is now predominantly hybrid, with the new breed of hybrid workers having different needs and expectations of their employee experience than fully remote or fully in-person employees. According to O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report, a successful hybrid employee experience requires a number of key elements with a career development plan and the flexibility to choose the number of days worked remotely most important to workers (as cited by 68 per cent and 65 per cent of HR and business professionals respectively) HR and business leaders are now on a fast learning curve, figuring out how to engage with, set goals for, and interact with hybrid workers while giving them the autonomy they crave. The employee experience must be replicable and fair for all workers with a clear view of what a great hybrid experience looks like…
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/hr-and-worktech-in-the-post-pandemic-workplace-34794
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Survey reveals in-office employees feel less happy, tend to resign in next six months It’s not just happiness but people who are returning to work are also complaining that it can negatively affect their mental health A survey to find out the mental well-being of the working professionals after companies resumed ‘work from office’ has revealed that it has started to decline once again. According to a report titled Happiness Index Report, return-tooffice policies are negatively impacting white-collared employees’ happiness. The report released by uKnowva, found that 98% of the surveyed employees worked from the office in Jan 2022, as compared to 83% in June 2022. On January 2022, people who were working from home were 29% happier than people working from the office. It further revealed that on June 2022, only 6% of employees working from the office were happier as compared to those working from home. The report also showed that female employees still prefer the work-from-home arrangement as compared to their male counterparts who had a slightly higher preference for working from the office. A survey to find out the mental well-being of the working professionals after companies resumed ‘work from office’ has revealed that it has started to decline once again. According to a report titled Happiness Index Report, return-tooffice policies are negatively impacting white-collared employees’ happiness. The report released by uKnowva, found that 98% of the surveyed employees worked from the office in Jan 2022, as compared to 83% in June 2022. On January 2022, people who were working from home were 29% happier than people working from the office. It further revealed that on June 2022, only 6% of employees working from the office were happier as compared to those working from home.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/employee-relations/survey-reveals-inoffice-employees-feel-less-happy-tend-to-resign-in-next-six-months-34798
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