Workforce of one

Citation

Wollard, K.K. (2013), "Workforce of one", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 27 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2013.08127daa.001

Workforce of one

Article Type: Book review From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 27, Issue 4

Workforce of One: Revolutionizing Talent Management Through Customization by Susan M. Cantrell and David Smith is a handbook for human resource (HR) professionals seeking options to ensure they remain on the cutting edge of talent management and retention. As the authors explain in the introduction, the premise of a workforce of one is to approach talent management in a way that tailors policies, procedures, benefits and working conditions to the needs of individuals and groups of employees. The purpose of the customization is to improve both organizational and individual effectiveness.

This book seeks to overturn typical approaches to human resource management which are about one-size-fits-all rules that keep costs low and management easy. Having formal, standardized procedures makes the job of HR efficient, but does little to recognize that employees are unique individuals who can be encouraged to employ their talents and drive business outcomes when they are treated and rewarded appropriately.

What’s worthwhile?

The authors are affiliated with Accenture’s Talent and Organization Performance practice and base their ideas and examples on 3,500 surveys in more than 60 organizations. Some of the research revealed that only 6 percent of 557 employees surveyed strongly agreed that “their human resource department significantly supported and improved their performance at work” (p. 16). It is essential that organizations find ways to make HR practices more relevant to the needs of individuals. Leading edge companies have adopted tailored, personalized approaches to managing their people, and have done so in a variety of ways. These approaches are grouped into four categories and explained in detail, followed by a discussion of how to choose, design and implement the right approach for an organization. The four approaches are: Segmentation; Modular Choice; Broad and Simple Rules; and Employee-Defined Personalization.

What’s inside?

Part one explains what a workforce of one is and why customization of employee practices is essential to the future of talent management. Employees are more diverse than ever, with four generations of workers now working in a global environment, demonstrating different values, strengths, learning styles, expectations and life stages. Importantly, the growth of technology has enabled organizations to consider more flexible and customized systems. Competition for talent and the focus on workplace performance, especially among knowledge workers, is encouraging new approaches to attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce. Part one concludes with several diagnostic instruments to help HR professionals determine their organization’s suitability for a Workforce of One approach.

Part two introduces for pathways organizations can follow toward customization. Each chapter explains the approach in detail, then weighs the pros and cons and discusses real world applications before concluding with recommendations for customization using the approach.

The first approach is segmentation. Companies segment their workers into groups with similar characteristics. These groups can then be offered different options based on their needs. Segments can be based on demographics, geography, tenure or professional stage, by work roles, personality, health, values, or value to the organization. Segmentation allows organizations to offer variations in their HR practices within a limited set of options.

The second approach is modular choice. HR creates a variety of options from which all individuals can choose. Modular choices in benefits are manageable and controllable, often using a menu-style approach. This approach can be extended to choices in learning, work activities and projects, rewards, recognition, the use and design of performance appraisals, work space, work scheduling and even career choices and compensation options. Increasing the number of options from which employees can choose can have a positive effect on motivation and allows individuals to customize to best fit their needs, shifting over time as situations change.

The third approach is to define broad and simple rules. This approach requires the development of clear boundaries that can be interpreted by each individual. This approach is more dependent on employees and their direct supervisors than on HR policies. Companies that embrace this approach have done so in the areas of work time and place, job definition, career and career path development, compensation, time off, travel, benefits, rewards and appraisal by outcomes rather than attributes. By defining outcomes instead of dictating policies, many individuals can choose to create a work situation that fits their lifestyle and stage. This approach has been shown to benefit organizations in fast-moving, turbulent business environments.

The final approach fosters employee defined personalization, with HR supporting individuals in determining their own personalized approach to work practices. Organizations allow workers a lot of latitude, while fostering, monitoring and supporting choices. Choices are made by employees regarding learning and innovation, job design, compensation, career paths, job rotations, workplace design and even time and job swaps. Employees are free to learn the ways they learn best, and seek out help and support as needed. While some HR people would warn of chaos, some organizations have found that with some controls and carefully selected employees who understand the parameters; this approach can encourage innovation and create an entrepreneurial spirit within even large organizations. Technology can help keep everything coordinated, and HR people are free to educate, coach and facilitate performance.

Part three is designed to help HR professionals and executives understand how to customize, which approach or approaches to use, and how to decide what fits best within their culture and structure. These decisions require consideration of whether one or a mixture of approaches is most desirable, and how much control is essential. Chapter six presents four case studies to demonstrate how choices and approaches have been selected. Chapter seven looks at issues, challenges and solutions in areas such as fairness, privacy, control, alignment with business strategy, outsourcing, change and unity. A table on page 205 succinctly summarizes building a business case for customization.

Chapter eight presents a call to action and encourages HR leaders to embrace a new mandate. HR professionals must begin to see employees as their customers and begin marketing to them by gaining insights into their needs and translating these insights into strategies that get results. HR in the future is going to need to customize offerings and then help employees structure the experiences needed to enhance performance. Collaboration across the organization will require new skills and knowledge for tomorrow’s HR leaders. The chapter ends with a five-step approach to moving to a workforce of one.

The workforce of the future will expect that organizations will fit them. Dozens of organizations including P&G, Royal Bank of Scotland and Best Buy are applying new approaches and capitalizing on individual differences.

What’s the recommendation?

Human resource managers and executives should read this book, especially those who are in businesses and industries that are fast-paced and changing quickly, and those in fields where talent is scarce. Whether an organization is ready for large-scale change or not, there are ideas here that can help personalize HR practices and allow more employee choices. HR professionals must become more strategic and effective and this book lays out one vision for doing so.

Karen K. Wollard HRD Consultant at Kelly, Wollard & Associates, Inc., Hollywood, Florida, USA.