In re-evaluating their performance and compensation management, many companies choose to restructure their business model or revise their workplace policies. As firms approach work environment redesign, they could benefit from following important design principles to address deeper issues with performance management, according to Business & Legal Resources.
John Hagel, chairman of audit and tax firm Deloitte, said companies need a comprehensive overhaul of their work environments in order to combat negative performance trends. He said encouraged this holistic way of thinking, saying this will allow firms to advance learning and improve performance for the long haul.
“The bottom line is that companies need to redefine themselves as platforms for talent development, creating environments where talent can develop and learn more rapidly than anywhere else,” Hagel said.
Here are design tips for work environment restructuring:
Let employees choose which teams to join
By giving employees the freedom to step away from traditional workplace hierarchies and choose which teams to take part in, workers can challenge themselves as well as decide how to best improve customer experience.
Give feedback in real time
When employees receive feedback in real time, this could help boost the effectiveness of sales performance management. As workers continue to hit sales quotas or other important benchmarks, be sure to reward them or take time to acknowledge their accomplishments.
Encourage mutual ownership
Workers like to have a say in company decisions and be able to voice their opinions. By allowing employees to have an outlet to suggest ideas that could result in more growth for the company, workers feel like they have a stake in the company and are more likely to stay with a business.
As a benefit of effective work environment redesign, employees could be encouraged to become healthier, which increases productivity and reduces costs for the company at the same time, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI). In a report by IBI, employers that were dedicated to maintaining a healthy environment and workforce saw a rise in overall performance due to workers being able to concentrate more and work more carefully.
“If a workplace sets a high priority on the health of employees – who, in turn, are healthier and have better job performance – then it can reasonably be said that an employer’s culture gives it a competitive advantage,” Kimberly Jinnett, IBI research director and main author of the report, said. “Workplace culture reflects the priorities of company leadership and is an area where employers have some leverage to improve business performance.”
