Business needs to up its people game

Rapid technological change was crucial for businesses to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. But now we’ve moved out of the immediate shock of the pandemic and are starting to shape the future of work, the focus needs to be on people. In fact, it has never been more important to design an employee experience that’s seamless, nurturing and flexible.

When the worst of the pandemic passed, work didn’t return to business as usual. For most, flexible, hybrid working has remained, and many employees have been empowered to rethink their careers. Since then, we’ve seen a rise in people quitting their jobs, in a movement dubbed the Great Resignation.

It’s a volatile situation. Employers in growing industries such as technology are hemorrhaging talent and struggling to fill the gaps. The demand for the top talent is just extremely high, so they have their pick of roles.

Rather than channel resources, time and money solely into recruitment, the smart thing for businesses to do is to limit the exodus and focus on nurturing their existing talent first. This will have an added benefit of creating an experience that’s attractive to potential recruits.

It’s time for business to up its people game.

‍Eliminating bias‍

When elevating the employee experience, smart businesses start with the basics. It’s important to consider how their people feel on a day-to-day basis at work. Quite simply, happy employees feel comfortable, valued for their contribution and crucially, included.

At UST, I want our people to feel that they can bring their whole self to work. It’s a cliché, but I believe that taking steps to remove the bias from the system leads to more fulfilled employees who are more likely to stick around.

But there’s so much bias, with much of it unconscious, and it impacts every aspect of work, from hiring, promotions, pay decisions, and even the communication between online and offline employees in our new hybrid world.

I believe that we have to override natural tendencies to avoid bias. One thing we’ve introduced at UST is a system of nudges for processes such as promotions. Before finalizing a decision, managers are asked a series of questions to make sure they’ve really thought about all aspects. We want the most qualified person for the role, but this system helps weed out any unconscious bias.

We’re also leaning into technology to create a more level playing field between staff in different locations. Our company app, U&UST enables employees to access the information they need, from anywhere. From project updates to making approvals, it can all be done at the click of a button. It’s a seamless, flexible way of working – and it’s the same for every one of our employees.

‍Transforming lives‍

To remain a competitive employer, businesses also need to make sure they are giving employees the opportunities to grow and develop through regular training and upskilling, as well as through retention programs in areas such as mental and physical health and wellbeing.

But it’s critical that businesses tailor any training and retention programs to the concerns and interests of their employees. Otherwise, unengaging sessions could be counter-productive and a waste of resources. Before designing a program, ask your employees what’s important to them. What they want to learn. How they want to learn it. And curate programs that tick these boxes.

At UST we talk about “transforming lives”. That’s not just for our clients and society at large, we want to transform the lives of our employees, too. We curate retention programs in response to annual surveys, and support staff with employee mentoring and resource groups, such as the Network of Women USsociates (NOWU), which give employees a space to drive change.

We’re also prepared to make big investments in our employees. Our Garage Ventures program, of which I’m a mentor, is an intrapreneurship scheme like no other, where we enable employees to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams within UST.

Selected candidates are given a team of people, access to an entrepreneur in residence and our startup ecosystem in Israel, and time to dedicate to developing their product. Without the program, if someone had an idea, they would have to leave the company to pursue it. Instead, we offer a safe approach to entrepreneurship that helps our employees realize a dream, enables us to retain our top talent, and in some cases, product inventions can even benefit clients.

‍A dynamic approach‍

The Great Resignation has been driven by employees looking for more control, flexibility and variety in their careers. And it’s a trend that many believe is the beginning of something far more revolutionary: the open talent economy.

Rather than being bound to one employer in a 9-to-5 role, employees would become floating talent, able to move between projects and businesses. As with any forward-thinking concept, there are hurdles to overcome such as security around data sharing. Despite the naysayers, I think it could be the long-term solution to the talent shortage – but my fellow Boundless Thinker Barry Matthews has more to say about that.

Most businesses aren’t ready to let their hard-earned, in-house talent surf the open talent economy quite yet. So, retention is as important as recruitment. But to keep staff, companies can benefit from taking a more dynamic – and open – approach to internal resourcing that takes inspiration from this new concept.

At UST, we’re already doing this; we give our people the chance to carve out the career they want, even if that means a change of direction. We encourage candid conversations with managers, and if an employee wants to work in a different department, we try to facilitate it. While it may be disruptive in the short term, it’s far better than the alternative: losing a valued, experienced employee.

I’m a prime example of this. I used to be a client partner in the consulting world. I enjoyed it, but I wanted to explore something new. I could have applied for roles outside UST, but instead I was able to move within the business. Now I head up diversity, equity and inclusion globally, as well as Revenue Ops in the Americas. I’ve been able to have a varied career without leaving the company.

‍Happy employees, better business‍

The future of work is still under development. But as businesses navigate a very competitive recruitment landscape, a more nurturing, open and employee-led approach to existing talent is a win-win approach for both employer and employee.

Elevating the employee experience will not only create a more motivated workforce, but boost employee retention in a time where it’s hard to keep staff – and lead to better results for clients, too. In the current climate, focusing on people is simply good business.