No doubt! We live in a highly people-centric, hyper-connected and social world. Without transactional communication and social networking life would be impossible to think of. Therefore, a workplace which sports a decentralised support system and includes people-friendly work policies is considered as one of the crucial determiners of employee engagement.
Industrial psychologists and management scientists have found that employees perform better at workplaces that are organised and flexible. An employee friendly ecosystem fosters growth, development and creativity. Many establishments including start-ups are investing in building people-friendly workplaces. The major theme of these workplaces is to focus on the needs of people while simultaneously emphasising minimal focus on process.
Some renowned Industrial psychologists of the west have listed down benefits of having a people-friendly workplace:
· It allows employees to thrive in their work
· Employees are aligned to the aims of the company and have a clear understanding about their job roles
· A good work environment offers tools, strategies, social networking and professional communities
· It promotes learning
· It serves as a roadmap to leaders in building mini-ecosystems for best performance
Leaders play a very significant role in building a people friendly ecosystem. In order to introduce a customised workplace, leaders need to be equipped with a deep understanding of their employees, social needs and company policies.
Let us now look at some of the strategies that help build a better workplace:
Workplace design:
Employees need a conducive space to display their talent and perform. Every ecosystem must be trendy and feature updated technology for easier execution of business and programmes. Its helps in simplifying tasks and gives more clarity in purpose for employees. Moreover, updated backend support and technology introduces autonomy in team members and helps execute their ideas in unique ways.
Leaders on the other hand must practice enablement which is about involving employees for collaborative decision making or problem solving. It also includes simplifying organisational objectives, reception of feedback and most importantly acting on the feedback received. Leaders must design a workspace that should enable employees to follow non-linear career paths. Besides building teams, decentralisation, fostering cross functional communication and autonomy go a long way in engaging talent in the future.
Clarity of purpose:
Seamless communication across all levels is crucial for effective business outcomes. Leaders must be clear about the objective and intent of work delegated to employees. Any miscommunication could lead to risks and errors. When communication is smooth and interpersonal, employees get a chance to express their ideas, contributions and also clarify their doubts. With effective communication strategies in place, there is an assurance of employee engagement at its best.
Enterprise social networking:
In order to have a thriving business workplace, it is essential that leaders encourage their team to be highly active of enterprise social media websites such as Twitter and LinkedIn. This can not only help boost employee morale, but can also build employee profiles which is a good method for company branding. Besides, social media websites is a great way for employees to get recognised for their contribution, receive critical feedback and a chance to rework on opportunities.
Workplace designing has been a centrifugal force in employee management. Companies are focusing on introducing innovative methodologies in the system to reduce attrition and increase growth of talent.