are conventional HR practices keeping your organisation average?

Build a high-potential organisation by using workforce science and data analytics

Over dependence on traditional HR methods for recruitment is not yielding desired results organisations are looking for. Using traditional methods right from sourcing a high-potential candidate to facilitating his or her development often results in average performance, thereby affecting the overall performance of an organisation. HR needs to evaluate current organisational practices and make the necessary changes to develop a smarter workforce.

Underlying effect of traditional assumptions

One of the main flaws in conventional HR practices is the usage of unstructured interviews. Unstructured interviews prevent HR processes from becoming smarter and effective. It is normally assumed that if a person has the required skills to do a job then he or she can do it effectively if shortlisted. No effort is made to understand that while a person will be able to do a job, the outcome will be much better if we hire people who are passionate about their work.

Average approach towards training

In spite of taking huge efforts to recruit and develop top performers, there are many HR practices that focus on improving overall business performance and not of the top performers. Normal training programs are created based on the performance of an average employee and not according to how a top performer does his or her job. As per research, it is quite clear that high-potential employees do their job differently than average employees. Using mediocre methods of evaluation, organisations may fail to tap into the potential of top performers and eventually lose them to a company that exhibits a more dynamic approach towards recruitment. Other employees also lose a chance of learning something valuable from these top performers.

Importance of retaining top performers

Research indicates high-potential employees do their work differently than normal employees. They are passionate about their work and are willing to go to any lengths to carry out their tasks in a befitting manner. High performers know their worth and are capable of finding equal or high paying jobs elsewhere. Moreover, they are also frequently contacted by recruiters with exciting offers and positions. Hence it is extremely important for organisations to keep their top performers satisfied and well rewarded for improving the overall performance of the organisation.

Technological changes impacting work

It is a well-known fact that technology has considerably changed the manner and speed at which people communicate, connect, and work. In particular, social networking has benefited a lot from the advancement of technology. Few years ago, the recruiting team used to meet candidates face to face and relied on their behaviour and personality before rolling out an offer.  Nowadays, organisations use a host of analytical software and social networking media to acquire detailed history about a candidate’s behaviour, skills, and image in the society. Thanks to the advancement in workforce science, members of the HR team can now identify an employee who is passionate about work and make a right choice in the interest of the organisation. With science, data, analytics, and accurate methods at their disposal, organisations need to rethink their strategy as far as recruiting the right talent is concerned.

Using a well-established framework for retaining the right talent

Using the predictive retention model, organisations can examine the major factors that make employees leave their current organisations. Normally, employees think of leaving their job when they feel they have the capability to find another well-paying job with an exciting role. When organisations start laying off people citing poor revenues and fewer projects, employees lose the sense of job security and think of moving to other places. Other factors that result in attrition are work stress, office politics, and low or no job satisfaction. However, positive experiences like a healthy work-life balance and an opportunity to learn minimise the chances of an employee leaving the organisation.

The major goal of organisations should be to move from traditional to smarter ways of recruiting. The power of science, data, and analytics in sync with insights into human behaviour can help organisations change their traditional ways and bring prospective employees and employers together to improve overall business performance.