Why the decentring of work can help centre employees’ needs

There might once have been a time when employees readily bought in to the notion that to advance in their careers, they must go ‘above and beyond’ and devote most of their time to work.

A global pandemic later, employees remain committed to their work, although professional achievement is now being recognised as part of, and not the only component of, personal fulfillment.

“There is no going back to a life where work is at the centre of it,” Steven Businovski, Talent Management & Organisational Development, Maxeon, told HRM Asia. “The decentring of work was and remains an overwhelmingly healthy thing that we gained from our experiences over the very early years of this decade.”

Leaders who continue to cling to seemingly outdated notions regarding employee commitment are failing to ‘read the room’ on the large-scale re-evaluation of what is important and what employees truly value.

“A people-centred culture, which values employees first and foremost as the driving force behind any organisation’s chances at success, is a non-negotiable to most, if not all of us.” – Steven Businovski, Talent Management & Organisational Development, Maxeon.

He explained, “It is a matter of a business’ survival that they recognise that 19th century ‘command and control’ organisational cultures are no longer applicable in the 21st century. On the contrary, they do far more damage to organisational cultures than these leaders seem to be able to comprehend.”

“In a world in which the war for talent is very real, and where the Employee Value Proposition is perhaps the key determinant in attracting and retaining the best talent, businesses and leaders need to focus on the Employee Experience.”

Values and culture refresh starts from the top

To effect long-lasting and impactful mindset changes, organisations must go beyond the need for culture initiatives driven only by HR and invest in initiatives such as leadership development programmes.

Steve also recommends a formula that can help organisations more effectively drive mindset changes:

1. Start with your business’ goals and from there identify what kind of culture is going to best facilitate your business strategy in achieving your organisation’s goals.
2. Boldy and bravely install the values that underpin the culture you want to create as an integral component of your enterprise-level strategic planning.
3. Let that culture and its values permeate every aspect of your functional and operational goals, strategies, and plans. HR can then support each part of the business to tailor a coherent and powerful people strategy, which includes culture, capability, learning, and organisational development goals, strategies, and plans required to achieve the culture change your business needs to drive towards its strategic goals.

He is, however, quick to reiterate how culture change must come from the top, and not be delegated to the CHRO and HR alone to solve.

“Cultural transformation must carry a visible and vocal championing by the CEO and every member of the executive leadership team, and it must be endorsed by and expected from every leader in the business,” said Businovski. “Cultural change must be purposeful, and it must be modelled and communicated explicitly – it won’t happen by accident, and hope isn’t a strategy when it comes to achieving these types of goals.”

Progressive organisations, he added, have rebuilt along profit-for-a-purpose missions, and have begun to offer flexible working arrangements, as well as purposeful talent development and career progression opportunities as hallmarks that provide proof of positive cultural change.

They also provide acknowledgement, recognition, and reward of achievements; their employee support services include initiatives such as parental and caregiver leave, healthcare support, including for mental health; and they are proactive in giving back to the community.

Transcending these efforts, is a willingness to embrace inclusiveness and an honest endeavour to understand what employees need from a workplace, as Steven explained, “A people-centred culture, which values employees first and foremost as the driving force behind any organisation’s chances at success, is a non-negotiable to most, if not all of us.”

“It’s not that organisations are at risk of losing their best talent if they do not – they have already lost their best talent for not getting their act together quickly enough!”

The best talent, he said, will continue to levitate towards Employers of Choice, which promote employee involvement in every process, product, and service offering irrespective of who you are, what your job title is, where you come from, and whether you work from the office or remotely.

READ MORE: Building an inclusive and engaged workforce by putting people first

This is in sharp contrast to organisations who continue to be run from an archaic militaristic template where everyone defers to the leader above them while still buying into the myth of ‘presenteeism’.

“This shift of top talent to employers who can offer an irresistible Employee Experience will not just continue – it will accelerate. Relenting on the ‘old school’ or ‘hardline’ ways of leading any organisation is no longer a ‘nice-to-live’ or a matter of luxury; it is critical to the success, and even survival, of every business,” concluded Steven.

“Your culture is the enabler to the true source of your competitive advantage – your people.”