Engineering Intrinsic Recruiting

The biggest hassle of getting invited for a dinner at my friend’s place is not picking the right wine, but it’s the process of getting past the residential complex security. Though I appreciate the diligence, but redundancy of the entire activity does bother me. However, on my last visit, I was pleasantly surprised. The security personal was armed with a sleek smartphone, which allowed him to capture my details along with a mugshot on an app, preserving the data for posterity. My next visit holds a promise of me gaining an entry into the complex with minimalistic of checks. The all-pervasive automation is re-shaping every aspect of our lives, eradicating repetitive activities wherever possible. Though the potential of automation is exciting, it presents a different kind of challenge of keeping the workforce motivated for the organizations. Today’s workforce is driven by tasks which have clearly defined objectives, learning opportunities and a level of discretion in achieving them. Building such a workforce, and above all, keeping them engaged is not easy puzzle to solve.

ASK: Identifying and researching a need

Though on the surface, a self-drive rental may look to serve an entirely different customer base than a cab, but keeping aside the question of who is in the driver seat, both helps fulfill the same needs of the rider: a need to feel competent, a need to feel related and above all need to be autonomous (Self-determination theory - 1975). An employee who is driving through his/her career has similar needs as that of our rider. The progress of technology brings forth these needs, reshaping the motivational dynamics. Organizations are now discovering methods to rewards their employees intrinsically, rather than extrinsically centered monetary awards. An intrinsic motivation drives you to do things just for fun of it, or because you believe it is a good or right thing to do. Providing the employee an incentive to chart his/her career path within the organization, rather than looking externally, would require a solution which is built on intrinsic motivational principle.

IMAGINE: Developing a Solution

Internal job movement is not a recent concept. It has existed for some time without creating inroads in the way various organizations staffs itself. A re-invention probably needs more of a thought than the invention itself. Though it has the advantage of learning from the misgivings of its predecessor, but at the same time it has to come out of the shadow with zero-room for error. While designing the process for Internal First, the factors which have discouraged employees from adopting IJP in their current or previous experiences, have to be carefully studied and resolved. The process has to be Fair, Transparent and Time-bound. Key policy revisions are required to achieve this. Publishing all external jobs to internal applicants ensures the fairness and commitment to the program. The eligibility criteria should be kept simple. Allowing every employee who has completed 12 months tenure in a particular role may apply, without taking any prior approval from his/her current manager. The applicants should go through the process of evaluation for the new role at par with the process being followed for any external applicant. Digitizing the entire process of job publication and tracking of dispositions by the applicants, makes the process transparent and responsive. The successful applicant has 90 days to prepare for new role and ensure the continuity in current project. The process should cater to horizontal as well as vertical movements, bringing promotions in its purview. An employee can look at various learning interventions to prepare for any future opportunity. The Individual Development Plan, based upon the strong continuous learning engine, coupled with the autonomy of succession planning, makes the Internal First into a well-designed intrinsic reward for employees.

PLAN: Making a prototype

The right recipe might lead to perfect dish, albeit only with exquisite timing. The framing of thoroughly deliberated Internal First policy and with support of digital ecosystem will bring you to cusp of the right recipe. The hunt for perfect window gets turned on. The excitement prior to launch of program is pulsating and the implications far reaching. The first people to be on boarded should be from HR and Work Force Management (WFM) fraternity. These are critical change agents who would work along with Talent Acquisition team to allow this process to spread its wings. Program would find its next partners in leadership. Taking this idea to them at least 6 months in advance and patiently explaining them the nitty-gritties and winning their approval in due course, is absolutely critical. The soft launch will allow studying the process and its effectiveness in a live environment. It also instills a confidence within the Talent Acquisition team to prepare itself for the global launch.

CREATE: Taking it live

You cannot over communicate when you are asking your organization to change. The build-up for Internal First launch should start a quarter in advance. The sponsors of the change (leadership) should be briefed about the business issues and the reason for change. The sponsors spearhead the cascading of the information regarding the change in their respective structures. As the date of the launch approaches, the connect with employees needs to be initiated using webinars, targeting the ubiquitous question of “What’s in it for me (WIIFM)?”. For the D-Day, more direct methodology of face-to-face communication should be engaged. A well-coordinated and broadcasted event, covering employees from all locations, should inform about this change simultaneously. The Panel discussion & open house should form the marquee event of the launch. The open house will allow employees to further quiz the panel about the potential benefits of the program. The testimonials from the successful applicants will further help buoy the overall mood. The internal collaboration portals should be kept abuzz with constant updates. The launch tour should move from one facility to another re-enforcing the message. As the crowd at each launch event keeps growing, so will be the confidence for the times to come.

IMPROVE: Keeping pace with time

The technology disruption on one hand becomes the driving force for the organizations to adapt and on other makes any standalone initiative ephemeral. The Internal First needs an undivided incessant focus to imbibe itself as the very DNA of any organization. Host of internal job fairs needs to be organized to help attract more internal applications. The pit stop on internal collaboration portal, should allow employees to keep abreast with all the latest postings along with the overall progress of the program. A dedicated help desk for an effective query handling and resolution needs to be on the anvil. As the old adage goes, the grass is greener where you water it, we should keep our ears on the ground to hear, learn and improvise the process inexorably.