The traditional work environment breaks people down into employers, employees, leaders, and other titles that focus first on what they do for the company— thinking of people as employees instead of as individuals ignores the uniqueness of each person and oversimplifies their experience with their job. Looking at employees as people allows you to dive into what motivates them and help provide them with an exceptional life experience, not just a work experience. Analyzing what feelings a person has and not just their attributes can help you figure out why they come into work and what they want to contribute individually, and how you can better position your interactions with them to achieve it.
Companies have been trying to improve job satisfaction and add to the employee experience by throwing more money at the problem. While things like competitive compensation and unique benefits (like fitness memberships or pet insurance) may help you stand out, it likely isn’t yielding a solid return on investment.
How can you pivot your organization to focus on people? You can start by learning more about each person and knowing that each person might have a different answer and that you need to engage with all members of your team and organization. There needs to be a safe environment for people to share their ideas and express themselves. If they don’t feel like they can safely share who they are, you won’t have the discussions that you need to build a connection. Figure out what provides each person the purpose and meaning they have in their work. Discuss what you can do to help offer them that experience and identify or create opportunities for growth or development. These conversations can help provide deeper connections and personal growth.
Another tool that you can use when working with someone is looking at their personality testing profiles, like AcuMax, which allows you to have some data available to kickstart the discussion from a place that focuses on how they think and what drives them. It can help you identify areas for growth and development that match their wiring profile where they will be likely to succeed. It also allows you to know how to best communicate with that person to tailor your discussion and approach to how they prefer to learn and communicate when you have the conversation.
Having conversations and management that aims to deliver a whole person-centered experience, you can focus more on providing a rewarding life experience.
Why Your Organization’s Hiring Approach Should Focus on Candidate’s Skills
Is your company ignoring a huge pool of available candidates when sourcing your open roles? Your organization might be missing out on hiring the right person for the role by not taking a “skills-first” approach to hiring. The term ‘skills first’ means that your hiring...
