The notion that companies need to invest in their people has\nbeen around for many years, but it\u2019s only recently we\u2019ve begun to realize we\u2019ve\nbeen investing improperly. In fact, we often unintentionally do\nharm. What? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider these common examples that were designed to help\nbut have evolved into expensive and time-consuming affairs that are no longer\njustified in their current form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employee evaluation systems<\/strong>. They are ostensibly created to keep employees informed about their performance, to offer needed feedback, and to develop longer-term career paths. In practice, they are often a nightmare, loathed by nearly every participant. Most should be radically streamlined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gamification.<\/strong> Possibly the most popular engagement-related trend in years, this is a clever approach to helping employee\u2019s win \u201cstuff.\u201d Stuff (e.g., points to use for coffee mugs, t-shirts, and gift certificates) really doesn\u2019t motivate. It does, however, create people focused on \u201cstuff\u201d instead of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bloated human resource policy books.<\/strong> Human Resources is the home for people who care about employees, right? One wonders. The modern digitized policy book has become a bastion of arcane rules that does nothing but add problematic bloat. Well, at least we all know the maximum height for plants on our desks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These practices take tons of our precious limited\ntime. They suck up massive amounts of resources. They have a net\nneutral, or net negative, effect on motivation. That means morale takes a\nhit, indirectly impacting retention and productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s think about a better way. For most of us, there\nare a few givens these days. Aside from a mission that matters,\nenvironmental stewardship, and ethical leadership, there are a few categories\nof employee investments that make people believe in the organization. \nThese are investments that attract talent and spur innovation by helping\nemployees in ways that truly matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about these modern examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Culture based hiring.<\/strong> Hiring has long been lopsided, focused mostly on skills and IQ. Understandable, but not sufficient. Remember, chemistry trumps talent. So, you need people who fit, not just people who are smart. That means hiring practices that leverage employee groups beyond the hiring managers, emotional intelligence testing, applied task interviewing, and honest realistic job previews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Facilitated breaks. <\/strong> The most productive people and teams don\u2019t work 100% of the time. For peak performance, the brain needs a few breaks. Step one \u2013 encourage people to take a few small (5-10 minute) breaks during their work day. Step two \u2013 give them options the might enjoy during downtime (e.g., foosball, basketball, walking trails, meditation space, a nap room). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Employee interest groups.<\/strong> People often find it comforting and informative to gather with similar others to discuss careers and life at work. Groups based on age, gender, ethnicity, and other categories are now quite common. In support of diversity and inclusion, these opportunities for networking within subgroups of employees is a highly valued activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Real vacation time. <\/strong> Regardless of how many days of vacation you actually have, the more interesting question is how many do you use? In the US, for example, about half of workers have unused vacation time each year (and we don\u2019t have that many to begin with). The least we can do is honestly help them use what they have. Managers should be evaluated based on the percentage of vacation time used. How about a rule that requires mandatory vacation time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Community involvement. <\/strong> Offices reside in very real communities. That means they have an impact in terms of traffic, pollution, noise, and so on. Thus, giving back matters. This might take many forms. Donations and philanthropy are an obvious choice, but real involvement in the form of service projects and participation in charity work are also very popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends and family days.<\/strong> It seems that work often feels immensely separated from the rest of life, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Bringing some elements of non-work life into the workplace can make work feel far more hospitable. That\u2019s why companies have bring your children to work day, bring your parents to work day, and, increasingly, are trying to make work pet-friendly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n