The way we work is changing
The way we work is changing. We’re no longer in that 1980’s, nine-to-five, cubicle desked format which ruled the baby boomer generation.
Instead, HR has adopted a model of fluidity and flexibility – but has management caught up?
HRD Canada spoke to Laurie Beppel, global product marketing manager at Sage – who’s colleague Sarah Hulsey will be hosting our upcoming webinar 5 Ways to Reinvent Your Performance Management Process, to get her take on the emerging trend of ‘continuous feedback’.
“Management is evolving,” explained Laurie. “It’s more of a relationship now – gone are the days of ‘the boss’ and ‘the employee’. In fact, most companies don’t call their employees ‘employees’ anymore – they’re colleagues or business partners. It’s an open and honest relationship.”
At Sage, Laurie explained that they encourage managers to take some time each week – if not more frequently – to have open conversations with their teams.
“Managers should be asking what their employees feel comfortable with, asking if they have any issues they’d like to raise, looking to see where and how they’d like to progress,” she continued. “These conversations should revolve around the bigger picture, rather than just reeling off instructions.”
HR and People teams should be encouraging managers to take on the role of a mentor. This means being actively involved in coaching and developing talent – treating them as an individual not a statistic.
“It should be personal,” added Laurie. “People want to feel as if they’re part of a team, driving the business forward.”
But this model isn’t for everyone. While the tech-savvy Gen Z-ers might revel in peer-to-peer feedback and immediate follow-ups, some may prefer things done the traditional way.
“For managers who’re used to annual reviews, it can be difficult for them to make that leap,” prefaced Laurie. “Having open conversations on a regular basis is a skill that takes practice to finesse.”
However, managers shouldn’t fall into the trap of simply paying lip service to this new practice. As Laurie told us, it is extremely important to follow-up on what was discussed during the meetings, providing answers to questions, access to needed resources and training, etc.
“It’s essential that managers act on the feedback that they have received. It encourages ongoing collaboration and builds trust between Managers and employees.” explained Laurie.
Sage will be hosting a free webinar on July 17 @ 1:00 PM (ET) on continuous feedback and how progressive HR and People teams are reinventing performance management for the better. HR professionals can register here.
