Creating a People-Centric Workplace

Teams before tech

The rise of automation in the workplace has revolutionized businesses, freeing staff from time-consuming manual tasks and making workflows more efficient. But all that technology doesn’t mean people have become redundant.

People are not machines. And that’s a good thing. The technology you use has to serve your people rather than the other way round, fostering the essential elements they bring to the workplace such as creativity, innovation, and communication. 

Invest in a tech stack that helps your employees work the way they want to and the way they work best, whether remote or hybrid, collaboratively or independently.

Find the right fit

Without the right people in the right roles, your team members will never reach their full potential.

Good managers regularly assess their employees’ skill sets to make sure they’re exactly where they need to be. If Jane is a natural saleswoman, it’s a waste of her talents to leave her doing back-office tasks. Create opportunities where she can use her sales skills, either by moving her into a different role or promoting her to a more senior position. 

Your employees will welcome this opportunity to shine. Giving workers the chance to use and improve their skills is a powerful driver of job satisfaction and motivation.

Empower your employees

Putting your workers first means considering their needs - not just what they need to do their job, but also what they need for their own wellbeing.

This will look different for every individual. Some may want a more flexible schedule because they’re early risers who burn out by 4pm or may be juggling family commitments. Others might just want to be left alone to do their work without getting interrupted by meetings. 

Empower your team by encouraging them to share what they need and being empathetic to those needs. Workers who are given ‘accountable autonomy’ to decide when they want to work are 2.3 times more likely to perform well and 1.9 times less likely to burnout. Obviously, this means more work for managers in ensuring that enough people are on shift to meet the needs of the business, but it’s worth it for the employee engagement benefits.

Build connections

A human-centric office culture is one where employees feel secure enough to speak up, share ideas, and collaborate. Openness and transparency are key to creating this kind of environment.

Every leader has a responsibility to facilitate meaningful and productive connections between their employees. Help your team foster these connections by providing them the right tech tools (messaging platforms, video conferencing apps etc) and letting them know that it’s okay to take time for more informal communication.

Celebrate success

If your employee does well, your team does well, and your company does well. And when employees are recognized for that good work, they’re inclined to do more of it. 

Provide opportunities for your employees to excel, and make sure they know their efforts won’t fall on deaf ears. Rewards don’t have to be a grand gesture like a pay bump or a promotion. Acknowledgement can be as simple as singling them out for praise, buying them their favorite fancy coffee, or letting them off work a little early on a Friday. Showing your people that you appreciate their work is another way to show them that they come first.

See how your employees collaborate, interact, and work with Prodoscore - the innovative employee productivity monitoring software that gauges how your team is using company tools. Prodoscore gives managers all the information they need to make data-driven decisions about how to create more people-centric workflows. Find out who’s struggling and who’s exceeding expectations so you can guide your team to success. Contact us today to schedule a demonstration or learn more.