If leaders of the modern workforce approach me and ask, “What kind of organizations stand out in your eyes?” Without a flinch, my answer as an HR would be organizations that abide by a “People First Culture”. Weird, isn’t it?
In this era, when organizations and businesses compete constantly to stand out among hundreds and thousands of their competitors, putting people first over business objectives will sound weird. However, people are an organization’s most important asset, and organizations thrive when people thrive. Most companies today already understand the importance of the “People First Culture” and are doing exceptionally well.
As the business landscape evolves rapidly, the role of Human Resources (HR) is undergoing a new pace and noteworthy development. The traditional HR focus on administration tasks has shifted to strategic partnership and decision-making, compelling the establishment of a strong company culture and people engagement. Today, there’s a significant emphasis on humanizing human resources and promoting a people-first approach. Yet, this shift is not just an HR trend but a prerequisite for every organization that wants to sustain itself in the long run.
This article provides insights into what it means to put people first. Let’s read through it to gain a deeper understanding of this powerful approach.
What is a People First Culture?
Every individual is unique, with different perspectives, skills, and knowledge that come from their upbringing and social circle. People First Culture is an organizational culture that takes account of each individual’s uniqueness and talent, gives fair treatment, and helps them feel connected, heard, and motivated.
Prioritizing people’s needs and values over organizational goals and objectives is an excellent but challenging task. This approach is solely based on communication, trust, and empathy, ultimately leading to employee well-being, growth, satisfaction, and increased productivity.
As I mentioned at the outset, focusing on enforcing this approach might seem unusual; nonetheless, if we analyze it critically, this approach creates a win-win situation for both the employee and the employer in the fullness of time.
Key Strategies for HR Leaders
HR leaders are the backbone of an organization. Keeping up with the trend that impacts the people and the organization, discussing it with the core management, and implementing and measuring the impact all depend on the HR leaders. Having said that, every task is teamwork, and without the support of each other, nothing can run successfully.
The same is the case with executing the people-first strategy. Here, we will go through some of the strategies that must be followed to start a better culture.
- Analyze the Current Culture
To foster a people-first culture, start by analyzing the current culture and identifying gaps with employee expectations. HR leaders can gather feedback through one-on-one meetings, surveys, and assessing the impact of current HR practices. This will help identify strengths and weaknesses to guide improvements.
- Aligning HR with Leadership
HR, being the organisation’s backbone, should always be aligned with the organizational leadership. When I say leadership, it does not always mean the C-level members; everyone involved in people management is a leader for this specific purpose. Having aligned goals and objectives will help foster a better culture, considering everyone’s needs and aspirations.
- Change Management
Change is the only constant, yet humans tend to become hesitant about any sort of change. Planning and implementing a people-first culture can be daunting as it might not be initially acceptable. Nonetheless, it is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, adjustments, and adaptation. Hence, appropriate measures and frameworks must be brought into practice.Â
Measuring the Impact of People-First Culture
Implementing new ideas or initiatives is a big step, but creating a long-term impact is crucial. Organizations must have measurable metrics for the expected “Return on Investment.”
Hence, to measure the impact of a people-first culture, the organization and its HR must focus on key metrics as mentioned below :Â
- Employee Satisfaction
A satisfied employee is a boon to every organization as they contribute significantly to increasing productivity and multiplying the organization’s overall success. Now, this satisfaction can be measured through surveys that provide employee scores. The higher the score, the more valued, heard, and supported the employee feels.
- Retention and Turnover Rates
In this fast-paced working environment, where every individual is running the rat race, it’s difficult to see higher retention rates. Notwithstanding the fact, if an organization experiences higher retention and lower turnover rates after implementing a people-first culture, we can say that an organization has succeeded in taking the challenging initiative effortlessly. Furthermore, tracking these rates over time will help organizations make informed decisions to make their employees more satisfied and happy.
- Productivity
While the main objective of a people-first culture is to ensure employee well-being, it is important to see that this well-being translates equally to increased productivity. Tracking performance metrics such as project completion rate, sales figures, client satisfaction etc. can help organizations determine that the initiative is adding positive value to the business outcomes.
- Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
An eNPS is a process to determine how likely are employees to refer their organization to people in their close groups. A high eNPS is a result of the eminent impact of the peopl-first culture reflecting employee loyalty and satisfaction.
In conclusion, humanizing human resources is not just a trend to follow; rather, it is a business imperative. Focusing on a people-first culture means prioritizing employee well-being, growth, satisfaction, and loyalty. This shifts the focus of any organization to not just view employees as workers fulfilling their duties but as “human beings” who, when treated well, will provide amazing results.
