“Having the employees’ first mindset is important because they are the ones who help you put the customers first,” says Adrian Tan – Chief Marketing Strategist at Marketing Sumo, in this episode of Neeyamo’s HR Cookbook podcast
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to whittle away at the cost of human creators and develop new methods to replace old jobs, the value and need for human touch and employee experience are towering high.
Companies need to work towards creating a sense of belongingness for the employees. While organizations have taken multiple routes in addressing an employee’s stress that is going through the roof courtesy of the pandemic and remote work, one of the main points that we need to focus on is how performance is measured. Adrian briefly elaborates on “the input and output focused workplace.”
Focus on Results, Not Process
What time did you clock in for work? Did you go for a long lunch? Do you spend long hours in the pantry? Did you leave earlier than your boss? These questions are commonplace at work even today. But research indicates that it is impossible to be productive for eight consecutive hours.
Why are companies still so obsessed with productivity throughout the day? When it comes to a remote work setting, you cannot measure these metrics anymore, but many companies are still measuring you based on “Are they active on slack? Do I see the green light on slack? Why should companies scrutinize how many active hours employees spend on their computers? “
Even if they aren’t online for a brief duration, employees could still be productive. When it comes to working from home, the scenario is different as some people will have the luxury of using a room without any disturbance while others might not be so lucky. So, if one can manage everything and ensure all deliverables are made on time, that is all that matters. – this way, companies can look at things from an outcome basis.
“When it comes to budget setting, HR usually gets what is left over,” says Adrian Tan, who believes it is high time this mindset changes. “We need to understand that treating our people right is the first way. There is an increasing difficulty attracting people and even bringing people to your organization. It is almost paramount for organizations to treat them well to treat the customers even better.”
The exciting conundrum between remote working and working from an office is that you can see people leaving when you are at the office, which becomes your cue to go home. But even though you may be outcome-centric, there might be circumstances where employees become too stressed, especially when working from home, employees find it difficult to draw a line.
Companies need to focus more on the well-being of their employees, such as wellness Fridays, mental health, employee experience, coaching, team training, etc. These will help companies move the needle forward.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”, he says. Listen to the podcast episode to understand how companies can pave a better way for the customers through their employees.
