Performance and compensation management can actually take some lessons from “binge watching,” the practice of viewing multiple episodes of television in one sitting. Many of you may have indulged in a bout of binge watching this Presidents’ Day, rapidly becoming one of the big TV viewing holidays of the year. Binge watching can also help illustrate some of the issues that complicate performance and compensation management. Namely, a management system should engage employees with positive reinforcement and encourage them to attain goals that require agency. Passivity is not just a television viewer issue – it’s a growing business problem as well.
Binge watching is a vibrant phenomenon. Netflix recently released the entire second season of popular political drama “House of Cards” in one chunk for viewing consumption. Even President Barack Obama planned to binge watch, asking HBO for advance copies of new drama “True Detective” and huge fantasy hit “Game of Thrones.”
In a piece attempting to quantify the length of time that signifies a viewing binge, The Atlantic contributor Nolan Feeney calculated it to be four episodes in a row. In his deliberations, he asked fellow site staffers to discuss their own binge watching habits – often to their own chagrin. One point, by Atlantic staff member Chris Heller, sticks out:
“The auto-play function is responsible for most of my binge-watches,” Heller admitted. “If it’ll keep playing, I’ll probably keep watching until it asks me to make a decision. You know, the ‘Are you still watching?’ prompt that appears after a while. It’s Netflix shaming. After that, I shut it down and try to not think about how my TV just judged me.”
What does binge watching teach us about performance and compensation management?
Heller, like many users, chalked up his behavior to passivity – if unprompted, he would just let the video roll, and feel guilty afterward. It’s the guilt of not using your time effectively, and it has a close cousin in many people’s workday sentiments. Many people fret about using their time poorly, procrastinating and leaving for the day with little to show for it. This can end up being a self-perpetuating problem, leaving both workers and employers dissatisfied with productivity and morale.
The solution, as with the rueful binge viewer, is to give the user more agency. Performance and compensation management is a proactive system, which companies can use to define employee activity and time usage on a more granular level. Working with employees, employers can develop incentive frameworks that reward employees for hitting and surpassing productivity and project targets. These rewards don’t have to be large – accruing points over time based on sales or met goals can provide a long-term enticement to self-improvement. They also invite employees to take a more active role in their own performance on a daily basis, which can make more productive, satisfied employees over time.
As people’s work and personal lives blend together, employers can help foster an atmosphere in which employees are more productive. Not only can this help them derive more relaxation from their time off – including a well-deserved Netflix binge, it can increase overall workforce productivity.
