By Susannah Schaefer
Change has a way of outpacing strategy–especially when it comes to managing talent at your organization. Technology has sent the cubicle the way of the dinosaur, ushering in a new era of freelancers and open offices where employees aren’t bound by artificial walls or organizational divisions. The policies that you wrote in 1999 don’t fit in the age of the always-changing Gig Economy. In some cases, the teams you created in 2008 don’t fit today’s challenges either.
The need to adapt is not limited to one sector or Fortune 500 companies, or for-profit companies for that matter. Every organization should be constantly evolving its approach to hiring, organizing and motivating talent.
In recent years, companies have put their analytical tools to work to uncover the patterns that explain why some teams click. One example is Google, whose efforts Charles Duhigg covered for The New York Times Magazine in “What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team.” Google’s findings came as a surprise to many: teams who shared desirable traits like impressive educational backgrounds and records of personal achievement often struggled. In fact, no broad formula for successful teams emerged. Instead, Google concluded that the best teams “listen to one another and show sensitivity to feelings and needs.”
As CEO of a global nonprofit, I’ve never kept to the status quo of hiring the “perfect” candidate. Google’s research corroborates what I see as common sense: hiring staff and organizing teams is an art, not a science. Throughout my career, I’ve followed my instincts and learned best practices for hiring, organizing, and motivating teams. Here are three tips I’ve picked up along the way.
Hire the Waiter or Waitress
One clear takeaway from Google’s Project Aristotle is that teams composed of very accomplished individuals regularly underperformed compared to the expectations. Intangibles, like empathy and communication skills, can be more important than checking off boxes on the achievement rubric.
One method I use for evaluating talent is to look for former servers and waiters. To me, a candidate’s enthusiasm for a past service position indicates how they will interact with others, manage stress, and stay focused on the organization’s day-to-day success. The best employees I’ve hired bring a solutions-oriented approach, aren’t afraid to jump headfirst into a challenge, and understand that no problem is too small to handle with care–traits often fostered by a stint in the service industry.
Break Down the Walls
A rigid organizational structure and well-defined roles can hold back ambitious, can-do employees. My solution has been to encourage collaboration and break down unnecessary silos that restrict my employees.
Increasingly, new research shows that an ad hoc, collaborative approach to organizational design helps empower employees to solve complex problems. Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 reports that many organizations around the world are now allowing for more flexible teams where employees are “coming together to tackle projects, then disbanding and moving on to new assignments once the project is complete.”
It’s up to managers to identify opportunities for cross-divisional partnerships and to encourage a workplace culture in which employees feel comfortable and confident contributing their unique ideas to challenges outside of their job descriptions. By bringing in employees on new projects and asking for their perspectives, you also help them think about your organization’s goals holistically and consider the broader impact of their work–which, in my experience, is one of the most powerful motivators for success.
Show the Value
A strong central purpose can elevate an organization to excellence beyond the sum of its parts. Two-thirds of American workers do not describe themselves as being engaged at work, according to Gallup. In both recruiting new talent and motivating your staff, my approach to employee engagement has always revolved around the necessity of showing my employees the value of their hard work.
At Smile Train, our in-country partners help repair the smiles of children with cleft lips and palates in the developing world. Because we support training for local surgeons and invest in building global health infrastructures–we call it our “teach a man to fish” model–at times, it can feel like the bulk of our work is happening a world away.
To keep the impact of our work in the foreground, qualified employees who have been employed for at least one year are offered the opportunity to embark on our Journey of Smiles Program, a chance to explore local partner hospitals in a particular region, witness cleft surgery, visit patient homes and more. When our employees return after completing their Journey of Smiles, they share stories, pictures, and videos with the staff, newly energized about their work. Many describe their experience as life-changing.
For-profit companies with volunteering and community outreach programs can offer their employees similar opportunities. In 2014, the Harvard Business Review wrote about IBM’s Corporate Service Corps, which sends 500 employees each year to developing countries. On these trips, employees use their corporate skills–such as project management or engineering expertise–to tackle real-world problems. Similar to our experience at Smile Train, IBM found that eight in ten employees who participated say that it “significantly increases the likelihood of them completing their career at IBM.”
As the workplace continues to evolve, we must continue to be forward-thinking in our approach to employee engagement. Much like the work itself, achieving a productive, results-driven team of talent requires creativity and, often, some outside-the-box thinking. When done thoughtfully and with your company’s focus at the forefront, embracing the new and less traditional can best position your employees–and the organization as a whole–to exceed expectations in the years to come.
About the Author
Post by: Susannah Schaefer
Susannah Schaefer is the Executive Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity.
Company: Company Smile Train
Website: www.smiletrain.org
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