Creating an Inclusive Workplace

Little time ago organizations had started making huge investments to create a diversity department that looks after creating a diverse workforce. This being enabled through exclusive diversity recruitment drives or hiring more women in the workforce at all levels. However, this has started begun to fall flat on the face.  Though, it all started to integrate women into the workforce at multiple career levels however with no or weak implementable policies this is still lacking in the vision of the organizations and respective HR strategies.

Few thoughts which can certainly help to boost the cause:

Realigning Job Description: We should start re drafting the job roles that exist in the organizations to support employees from different races, ethnicities and gender. There are definitely multiple roles (viz back end roles which require minimalistic intervention) that can surely onboard the differently abled employees into the workforce.    

Reward Strategy: Inclusiveness comes from creating right rewarding opportunities for women and ethnic minorities to move up the ladder in key decision making roles without any discrimination.

Job Mentorship: Identifying mentors at job to identify these gender role bias issues and getting it resolved. These mentors should be able to guide the mentees for key decisions and help remove biases at workplace.

Life/Work Balance & Part Time Working:  Creating inclusive is through the work practices that exist at the workplace which includes part time working (And getting full salary) for the mothers who re join organization. This helps them to balance their personal life while taking care of the newly born along with the business. It does not necessary mean flexi policies exist only for women but for the male workforce also who take turns to help their family, be it children’s school or other family related issues that need to be catered to.

We need to be inclusive in our thoughts, decisions and policies to create such an environment rather than only talking about them in papers or business talks with no implementable practices. Once we are free from all these biases in our thoughts we would no longer need exclusive diversity departments to make it happen.

EEW!: Empowering Entrepreneurship at Work

Exhibiting entrepreneurship at work is an attitude. No matter where and which place you are in, the attitude will never die. It challenges your inner thoughts and never asks you to adapt rather it embraces critical thoughts, reasoning, innovation and continuous improvement.

How do you empower your employees to be innovative and act as entrepreneurs in your organization? An engaged and empowered entrepreneur will not only increase the company’s profitability but also be more productive and satisfied. As always, The Culture of the organization defines these values and nurtures innovation. If innovation , freedom and democracy is in the core DNA of the organization it would never fail.

Now, how do you define or propagate this unique culture-

Promote wacky ideas- In the team meeting, do not put your foot down on some bizarre idea, rather as a mentor see the dollar value and nurture it. This helps in identifying the entrepreneurs and also brings those ideas to see the light of the day.

Act like an owner- Employees should be empowered to take decisions as in a democratic setup and they should be regularly mentored to tackle the issues at the core. Hence, the decision making should be simple and de-centralized.

Socialize the ideas- The idea that you believe is crazy may be apt for another situation and in future you could use it too. It would be worthy to archive and socialize those ideas for others to dissect and tweak as per their requirements. You never know, it may be a golden boot for others.

Regular Recognition- It is always a wise idea to recognize the ideators of your organization. Go for a social recognition platform and give them their due even though it may be a small idea for you. It helps in employee satisfaction and acts as instigator to think on something new.

Show the mirror- Communicating the right business updates in a timely manner is the key to innovation. Employees would not be able to give you cost effective methods if you don’t show them the real picture or how the future looks like.

Above all this is the leader’s capability to lead by example. If the leader is not open to ‘Open Communication’ channel or receptive to new ideas, you cannot expect your employees to be innovative and exhibit entrepreneurship at work.

  “A loss of entrepreneurial spirit often results in a less fun, creative and passionate work environment”- Michael Kerr (Humor at Work)

Feedback 2.0

Welcome aboard. We have on this flight to the new cultural shift Gen Y and Gen Z and we would be reaching our destination ‘Feedback 2.0’ in the short span of time than we may ever realise. In today’s context, organisations are frequently innovating in their performance management system so as to include the aspirations of the new and upcoming Millennial generation.

Gen Y (Loosely defined as generation born in early 1980’s) along with the Gen Z (Born in early or mid 1990’s) believe in a faster career progression and regular feedback. They don’t wanna waste their time sticking to one organisation just to wait for the next career ladder. They believe in fast recognition of their work and emphasise more on results rather on sticking to time like the Baby Boomers/Gen X. Organisations like Adobe have revamped their performance management and have made feedback an ongoing process throwing away the old annual system. Companies like Google have encapsulated the 360 degree feedback system while Microsoft believes more in employee behaviour as compared to the targets defined.

To keep our PMS updated with the ongoing cultural shifts due to the generation gap we have to evolve and introduce a new performance evaluation system, Feedback 2.0:

1.      Bake the cake and eat it too: If we have an ongoing regular feedback mechanism, we would be able to meet the aspirations of the Gen Y and Gen Z which will make them more comfortable in view of sense of recognition. If make feedback system to be robust that can accommodate changes after a quarter we would be able to recognise the talent and do away with the recency effect that but naturally comes in the annual appraisal system. Through this process, we would be able to incentivise Gen Y and Z to work more productively as after every three months we would be able to compensate or give a due promotion to the right talent which otherwise would have to wait for the annual cycle. Gen Y and Z being impatient in this context would never stay back for the entire year if something more valuable comes up in their kitty.

2.      Don’t talk, better connect: Through the revamped Feedback 2.0 we would be able to meet and talk to the Gen Y and Z on a regular basis which will make them more comfortable and engaged at the workplace. We should remember that an engaged employee is a more productive employee. In short, don’t discuss after a year, better give the right direction at the right time. Moreover, an engaged Gen Y/Z‘er would also resolve the retention problem.

3.      ‘FB’ the recognition: The word ‘FB’ has become synonymous to this generation who want to put up everything on the social media and are not hesitant to write to the executive level. Gen Y and Z don’t believe in waiting for the trophy or certificates. They want the rewards instantaneously which they can show it off to their friends over the social network within the organisation. We should build a power packed R&R system where client or manager appreciation could be shared over the network which gives them their moment of pride over the social media.

If we are able to connect with this Millennial generation, we would be able to build the employer brand and hence the right talent will automatically flow with the current and come to the right bucket. This new generation might be too demanding but I am sure if we ride with them will have a safe touch down!

Motivating Gen Y

Are we following the right steps in motivating our Gen Y work force? This Gen Y workforce who is very high of himself/herself might be circling around you while listening to their ipods. They are always online, texting, tweeting and don’t ever block their path even while in office. This is the kind of workforce we are talking about. Though much has been written and said about these employees but still we have to catch up a lot in terms of our practices. 

Gen Y has no issues in voicing out their concerns so don’t ever think about trying to suppress their ideas.  Hearing out their concerns and working on their issues give them a lot of ego boost which is the base of their career development. They are constantly thinking of new and innovative ideas and have entrepreneurial mindset.

In order to keep this flock of employees motivated, we must check on following few things:

1. Always make sure that they are working in teams as these are the people who have grown up hanging around with friends
2. Give them regular feedbacks. Don’t ever wait only for annual appraisal/review
3. Don’t intimidate them by poking your nose in their work style
4. Give them enough flexibility in their work culture. Don’t try to bind them with forced time lines
5. Have proper communication channel. Don’t leave them working in silos
6. Reward them intelligently. Don’t just rely on appreciation mails
7. Recognize their work based on their performance and not on their tenure

These are the people who as per Dave Ulrich believe in Life/Work Balance and not Work/Life Balance as for them their work revolves around their lives. If we start working towards their recognition, development and growth, these Gen Y people will have no issues working for the same organisation.