![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.betterworks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MWB-BlogAd-Nov16-WatchOnDemand-lg-1024x384.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat is \u2018Make Work Better\u2019 about? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s more than a marketing tagline at Betterworks. It\u2019s tied to the Betterworks belief system and reflects the way our own employees work: Internally, we use every part of the solution that we provide to our customers. But, Make Work Better extends beyond these borders, comprising the notion that all of us in HR have the opportunity \u2013 and I would say, the responsibility \u2014 to seize upon the multitude of current challenges and evolve them into new approaches that put people squarely at the center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reality is that even if your company has an incredible product or service, unparalleled vision, and the business fundamentals to dominate your market, without \u201cpeople fundamentals,\u201d you won\u2019t make it to the top and you won\u2019t be able to sustain brand leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic and the shift to hybrid and remote work bubbled up many of the workplace problems that have existed for years and amplified them. Everything seemed to wash ashore like one rogue wave: lack of diversity and inclusiveness, bias in its many forms, well-being, work-life balance versus integration, distrust, psychological safety, transparency, autonomy, agency, career development, poor support for managers, the need for strategic alignment and visibility across the organization, skills deficiencies, opacity of existing skill sets within companies, and the mismatch of skills and people to the work to be done. Only the wave isn\u2019t rogue. This is not a point in time that will pass, but rather a clarion call to fix work.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere is now a truly unique convergence of business needs, strategic insight from HR, and workforce realities that requires us to find ways to make work \u2014 finally \u2014 work for everyone. To make work better.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Neither is this a moment for despair. If you can zoom out from the uncertainty and unease, you will see this as a moment for all of us to appraise what no longer works, get rid of what\u2019s broken, and think afresh about what\u2019s needed for everyone to flourish in the future. It\u2019s a time for optimism, a time to lock arms with employees and managers to design what they have been asking for \u2014 an approach to managing performance in a mutually beneficial way that enables everyone to do their work with greater clarity, efficiency, collaboration, and support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
WATCH: Responding to the Great Resignation and Shaping the Future of Work<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nHR is at core of helping business and employees succeed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHR leaders have been at the center of the upheaval, developing workarounds and longer-term solutions to help get work done. They\u2019ve been on the frontlines of employee crises and solutions, and seen firsthand the struggles and triumphs of managers and their teams. They\u2019ve witnessed how workplace issues that have existed for years have impacted corporate bottom lines and brands, and they\u2019ve advocated for employee-centered approaches. HR has collected all manner of quantitative and sentiment-oriented employee data that, when compiled and analyzed, can help tell a story about what to fix and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re in HR, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines and watch other functions lead this transformation. It\u2019s time, rather, to lead your team \u2014 all the stakeholders \u2014 down the field by strengthening the link between profit, people, and performance in this new world of work. It\u2019s time to build resilience, agility, and transparency into business structures and processes<\/a> by enabling these same capabilities in your employees \u2014 including managers \u2014 in their everyday work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nREAD: Ryan Estis: This is a cry for better leadership<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nStart with the stakeholders to make work better<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve made significant strides, especially on the health and wellness side. I would say we still have a ways to go when it comes to performance management. Modern performance management focuses on enabling <\/em>performance, strategic alignment, and business agility. All of these tie into making work meaningful and helping people to be productive and feel more accomplished, valued, and engaged. These, of course, lead to greater retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWe can start by looking at what each stakeholder group wants \u2014business leaders, HR, managers, and employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visibility for executives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBusiness leaders need greater visibility \u2014 into what\u2019s happening with workforce productivity and employees\u2019 views about the company. As Betterworks Advisory Board member and HR Analyst Josh Bersin puts it, \u201cIf you’re the CEO of a big pharmaceutical company, or Sundar Pichai at Google, and there’s 175,000 employees, you see the costs going up but the revenue not going up as fast. You\u2019re going to think, \u2018How come we\u2019re falling behind?\u2019 What he wants is visibility. He wants to know where they are behind \u2014 which departments, groups, products, geographies\u2026.He wants to know why so he can put his attention on those areas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efficiency and data for HR<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nHR wants to be more efficient so that it can focus on high-value strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks and processes. The ability to leverage employee data compiled across the organization to tell a story is also important. HR can help executives see how changing people processes delivers better business outcomes. For example, data can reveal how enabling employees and teams to align and adjust their goals with the strategic goals of the business can drive empowerment and engagement that ultimately benefit the company. Likewise, data can show how regular check-ins with managers to discuss performance and development lead to better job satisfaction and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coaching and support tools for managers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nManagers want frameworks, practical tools, and guidance to be effective team leaders, especially with the complexities of hybrid and remote work. Their roles are shifting from managing to coaching, requiring a new set of skills to enable their direct reports to achieve their work goals and development aspirations, and feel like valued members of the team. With so much attention on the influence that managers have on employee retention, managers want tools to help them foster connection, improve collaboration, and promote employee development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connection, guidance, and recognition for employees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nEmployees want to see how their contributions matter. They want to know that managers and co-workers have their back and can support them in accomplishing their work. They need guidance to break through barriers and challenges, and to prioritize and reprioritize activities as business requirements shift so that they can focus on what really matters. Employees want to be recognized and fairly rewarded for their efforts. They expect managers to understand and support their aspirations, providing opportunities and tools for ongoing development. And all this, of course, happens under the umbrella of relationships and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n ![](\"https:\/\/www.betterworks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/MWB-JamieAitken-Video.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\n
There is now a truly unique convergence of business needs, strategic insight from HR, and workforce realities that requires us to find ways to make work \u2014 finally \u2014 work for everyone. To make work better.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Neither is this a moment for despair. If you can zoom out from the uncertainty and unease, you will see this as a moment for all of us to appraise what no longer works, get rid of what\u2019s broken, and think afresh about what\u2019s needed for everyone to flourish in the future. It\u2019s a time for optimism, a time to lock arms with employees and managers to design what they have been asking for \u2014 an approach to managing performance in a mutually beneficial way that enables everyone to do their work with greater clarity, efficiency, collaboration, and support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
WATCH: Responding to the Great Resignation and Shaping the Future of Work<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
HR is at core of helping business and employees succeed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
HR leaders have been at the center of the upheaval, developing workarounds and longer-term solutions to help get work done. They\u2019ve been on the frontlines of employee crises and solutions, and seen firsthand the struggles and triumphs of managers and their teams. They\u2019ve witnessed how workplace issues that have existed for years have impacted corporate bottom lines and brands, and they\u2019ve advocated for employee-centered approaches. HR has collected all manner of quantitative and sentiment-oriented employee data that, when compiled and analyzed, can help tell a story about what to fix and why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re in HR, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines and watch other functions lead this transformation. It\u2019s time, rather, to lead your team \u2014 all the stakeholders \u2014 down the field by strengthening the link between profit, people, and performance in this new world of work. It\u2019s time to build resilience, agility, and transparency into business structures and processes<\/a> by enabling these same capabilities in your employees \u2014 including managers \u2014 in their everyday work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
READ: Ryan Estis: This is a cry for better leadership<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start with the stakeholders to make work better<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve made significant strides, especially on the health and wellness side. I would say we still have a ways to go when it comes to performance management. Modern performance management focuses on enabling <\/em>performance, strategic alignment, and business agility. All of these tie into making work meaningful and helping people to be productive and feel more accomplished, valued, and engaged. These, of course, lead to greater retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can start by looking at what each stakeholder group wants \u2014business leaders, HR, managers, and employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visibility for executives<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Business leaders need greater visibility \u2014 into what\u2019s happening with workforce productivity and employees\u2019 views about the company. As Betterworks Advisory Board member and HR Analyst Josh Bersin puts it, \u201cIf you’re the CEO of a big pharmaceutical company, or Sundar Pichai at Google, and there’s 175,000 employees, you see the costs going up but the revenue not going up as fast. You\u2019re going to think, \u2018How come we\u2019re falling behind?\u2019 What he wants is visibility. He wants to know where they are behind \u2014 which departments, groups, products, geographies\u2026.He wants to know why so he can put his attention on those areas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Efficiency and data for HR<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
HR wants to be more efficient so that it can focus on high-value strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks and processes. The ability to leverage employee data compiled across the organization to tell a story is also important. HR can help executives see how changing people processes delivers better business outcomes. For example, data can reveal how enabling employees and teams to align and adjust their goals with the strategic goals of the business can drive empowerment and engagement that ultimately benefit the company. Likewise, data can show how regular check-ins with managers to discuss performance and development lead to better job satisfaction and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coaching and support tools for managers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Managers want frameworks, practical tools, and guidance to be effective team leaders, especially with the complexities of hybrid and remote work. Their roles are shifting from managing to coaching, requiring a new set of skills to enable their direct reports to achieve their work goals and development aspirations, and feel like valued members of the team. With so much attention on the influence that managers have on employee retention, managers want tools to help them foster connection, improve collaboration, and promote employee development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connection, guidance, and recognition for employees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Employees want to see how their contributions matter. They want to know that managers and co-workers have their back and can support them in accomplishing their work. They need guidance to break through barriers and challenges, and to prioritize and reprioritize activities as business requirements shift so that they can focus on what really matters. Employees want to be recognized and fairly rewarded for their efforts. They expect managers to understand and support their aspirations, providing opportunities and tools for ongoing development. And all this, of course, happens under the umbrella of relationships and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n