Why empowering your staff to speak up will boost their performance

Globoforce’s mission is to foster positivity in the workplace and allow employees to bring their most authentic selves to work. They achieve this through analyzing employee behaviour, monitoring engagement and planting the seeds for a successful workplace culture.

As the leader in employee recognition, Globoforce regularly surveys the global workforce to identify emerging trends and monitor how happy workers really are.

Globoforce’s WorkHuman Analytics and Research Institute’s most recent report, Social Impact in the Human Workplace, identifies key shifts in the workplace in the wake of movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp. The new report sheds light on the heightened social activism across society at large and how it is playing out in the workplace.

“Employees are feeling more empowered right now,” explained Jesse Harriott, Ph.D., Head of Analytics and Executive Director of the WorkHuman Analytics and Research Institute at Globoforce. “Unemployment is at a record low, meaning there are tremendous opportunities for workers to make their own choices. Layer that on top of the social fabric of these movements and you see employees rising up and demanding to be treated with more respect.”

Dr. Harriott explained how Social Impact in the Human Workplace looks specifically at these monumental changes have impacted the global workforce. One of the main findings which emerged from the report was that workers feel underappreciated by their employers of late – a problem which Dr. Harriott believes HR can help with.

"Being appreciated is a core human need that everyone craves, whether you’re a leader of the company or a frontline worker. It’s essential to keep people motivated and engaged. What we suggested was embracing a system whereby employees are singled out and recognized when their work aligns with the goals and values of the organization. When one employee sees a colleague doing something innovative with their time, they’re able to call that out and say well done!”

By doing something as simple as speaking up, Dr. Harriot found that HR can drive business outcomes and improve performance over all. A sense of collaborative recognition builds a feeling of trust and belonging across an entire company.

Another point hit upon in the report was the importance of flexibility as a trust builder between employees and their employer. Whilst every industry is different and certain sectors require less flexibility in on-site management, there are still methods HR can implement.

“What we see more of now are teams working in virtual teams with collaboration points,” added Dr. Harriot. “This is where employees will come together in teams every couple of months before going away again to work on their individual projects. That flexibility is essential to letting innovation thrive in a business.”

So, what of future trends? Well, the specialized report hit upon a few key predictions for the global workforce of 2019 – the most important of which is cultivating and maintain a human workplace.

“That really is essential,” continued Dr. Harriot. “Allowing every employee to have a strong sense of belonging regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. Secondly, HR needs to remember to develop employees – not just manage them in a traditional fashion. Building that culture of safety where staff feel like they’re getting something personal out of their employer relationships – rather than just making a living – gives a sense of purpose.”