The dilemma of the 21st century executive

In a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, 37% of employees in different organisations feel over qualified for their roles. Lockwood Nancy in her 2007 article on HR Magazine, ‘Leveraging employee engagement for competitive advantage’, noted that employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave the organization, which indicates that engagement links directly to high performance.

On the other side of the equation, executives say they often cannot fill open positions that require specific skills. They may wind up hiring employees who are not the right fit—and are less productive, less innovative, and plagued by morale issues as a result.

The real-world consequences of this disconnection from job roles can include economic insecurity and poverty, deteriorating health, and a lack of fulfilment and pride in what they do every day. This of course hampers performance and effectiveness.

Research shows that in most companies, engagement is low. According to the Gallup polling firm, only 13 percent of the global workforce is “highly engaged.” Upwards of half the workforce would not recommend their employer to their peers. This is a global systemic problem; it is the new CEOs dilemma.

Forward thinking companies employ lots of measures including redesigning the work structure and adopting new corporate culture to solve the problem but I will like to rather focus on the reasons behind this new and destructive corporate challenge.

• Growth of social media platforms: Technological advancement has literally moved power from the employer to the employee. The growth of social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and website like Jobberman not only challenges executives to create more transparent workplaces, they have also made it easier for employees to quickly learn about new jobs and gain insight about the corporate culture of other organisations.
• Growing number of millenials in the corporate world: A new generation of workers with a completely different perception of what work means are dominating the workplace. They are called the Millenials. Intelligence Group studies of Millennials found that: 64% of them say it’s a priority for them to make the world a better place. 72% would like to be their own boss. But if they did work for a boss, 79% of them would want that boss to serve more as a coach or mentor. 88% prefer a collaborative work-culture rather than a competitive one. 74% want flexible work schedules. 88% want “work-life integration,” because work and life now blend together inextricably.

Millenials are the future of the corporate world, you cannot ignore their preferences and expect them to be engaged.

 

• Recruiting the wrong people: Forward thinking organisations are moving beyond credentials to skills. To judge whether candidates will be effective, employers are shifting their focus from checking credentials to confirming skills. 29% of global business leaders surveyed by Delloite Consulting said they are using games and simulations to attract and assess potential candidates. Many organizations are turning to job simulation software, which can improve hiring by giving candidates tasks they would do on the job. Still others are using video to demonstrate skills.

 

• Lack of strategic employment brand: to select the right mix of employees, they will have to be first attracted to you. Without a compelling employment brand, especially for new businesses, the right candidates will not be attracted to you and those that come will not take pride in the work they do. The only reason they stay is the pay while waiting for something better. Business executives must rethink their brand value proposition since work trend now involves workers finding the employer and not the other way round.
• Wrong work structure: Technology has changed the very meaning of work today and the tools required for working. Top companies are built around systems that encourage teams and individuals to meet each other, share information transparently, and move from team to team depending on the issue to be addressed. Business executives are realizing more and more that people work better as teams. Organisations with cross functional model keep workers more engaged than the usual functional ones.
• Lack of memories: Disengagement can set in if their is no social connection between the workers. Birthday parties and other social get-together help employees build and strengthen relationship outside official work. Organisations that do not create shared memories for employees rob the staff of a unconscious spirit of brotherhood that can bind the workforce together.
• Lack of model: Some business leaders expect their employees to follow the rule and do what is right while they do what they like. But in real life people do what they see, not just what they are told. If you want dedicated and engaged employees, then you must show the way. If you don’t model the characteristics you want from your staff with integrity, neither will your team.

As competition continues to intensify organisations cannot perform effectively without engaged employees. But by rethinking your business processes and human resource management you can effectively build highly motivated, productive and engaged employees.

 

Brian Reuben