A wise leader once said, “Respect must be earned, not demanded.” As a leader, a proven method to achieve professional excellence is by putting your team first. For organisations, it is commonly known as the ‘Employee-First Approach’.
The Global Talent Trends 2020 by LinkedIn points out how employee experience is an integral part of today’s multigenerational workforce. A research by Qualtrics states that the average score of employee engagement in Singapore is 47%, behind the global average of 53%, with India (79%), Thailand (72%) and Hong Kong (63%).
Everyday actions that make an impact
2020 has indeed been a year of learning through observation. With remote working on the rise, organisations have been able to self-introspect and restructure their internal initiatives.
· A Randstad Workmonitor report claims 87% employees in Singapore value autonomous and agile working as it helps boost productivity and provides better work satisfaction.
· A survey by Willis Towers Watson on the business impact of COVID-19 states that employees across the APAC region prioritize their well-being and health.
· SHRM states 70% of organisations align their employee recognition programs with organisational values and this has helped steady the retention in the organisation.
The one thing that remains common across all the trends is the need to build an ‘Employee First Culture’ – Synergizing what your team values with what the organisation stands for.
The common threads
While organisations strive to ensure that they build a workplace culture that empowers their people, here are three common aspects that can create a blend of both worlds - The employee first approach, as well as aligning with the organisation’s vision.
Respect & Integrity
Practicing ethical behaviour must be prioritized with zero tolerance towards violations. Only when every individual abides by the code of conduct, will the organisation be able to reciprocate with transparency. It’s a two-way communication cemented by actions - When employees are respected for their thoughts, opinions, perspectives, as well as their diversity, will they willingly give in their 100% at work.
Accountability
Just like employees are accountable for everyday execution, leaders too, are accountable for ensuring the holistic well-being of their people. Right from adapting an empathetic approach, to supervising compliance towards internal policies, to promoting teamwork and collaboration, it is always a leader’s responsibility to ensure a safe and positive working environment.
Continuous & Inclusive Learning
A leader must invest in the growth of people. Each one of them may come for a diverse cultural background. The onus lies on you to facilitate a collaborative and transparent work environment with consistent mentoring and appropriate resources to learn new skills, to grow as a team. Adapt an empathetic approach and create a comfort zone where peers can voice their opinions as well as concerns through the organisational Employee Assistance Programs.
According to a report by Glint, employees who are convinced that their leaders or company does not value their feedback, are reported to be disengaged seven times more. The pandemic has led to a lot of internal restructuring across companies, globally. In a time like this, individual priorities like family time, social outreach, CSR efforts, etc are more important than ever before to ensure that the driving force is tuned with the organisational goals.
To ensure that your customers eventually receive quality service, embracing an employee-first approach is essential. Because your employees are your first customers who will reflect what they experience. If your motto is to hire culturally fit individuals, ensuring that the values do not outlive the people, becomes a part of your KRA. The values that are the pillars of your organisation must resonate with what the team believes in.