It’s time for businesses to adopt a new manifesto for work
The gig economy is blurring the boundaries of organisations. Like Unilever, many companies are in a process of transformation with digitisation and agile working. And agile ways of working require more flexibility from people: role definitions become less clear.
While this is a blessing and opportunity for many, for others it can be stressful. People don’t always know how they’ll fit into the future way of doing things.
So, what can we do about it? I believe we need to work towards a new deal for people. I want to see novel approaches to the way we reward people for work. There’s so much research showing that in times of uncertainty, people feel the need to take more control into their own hands. In work, that means giving people more autonomy. It also means giving them the tools to upskill and reskill themselves.
And why not? If we’re all embracing agile work practises, let’s apply those same principles to our rewards and training systems.
And why stop there? Big companies have an effect on so many lives – not just their employees, but the wider eco-system of people who depend on them for their livelihoods. It’s time to recognise responsibility must also extend to these valued workers.
A new manifesto
Agile was originally a movement for the improvement of software development, based on a Manifesto with 12 principles.
I believe we need to develop a similar Manifesto for Agile Reward. As companies accelerate their adoption of agile ways of working, we need to make Reward more human and fit for purpose.
None of us has the answers yet, but by working together we can develop better solutions. I’m very proud of Unilever’s pioneering heritage. It’s that spirit that keeps us looking towards the future. I’m excited at the prospect of examining these issues in more detail at Accelerating Agile in London on 26 February, which Unilever is initiating and where I will be a key-note speaker.
Developing new principles for Agile Reward
One of the aims of this multi-company gathering is to develop some principles for Agile Reward. Help us improve the way companies do business, and keep the best interests and wellbeing of all our people at the heart, not just in the core of the organisation, but also in the wider eco-systems that depend on our companies for their livelihoods.
I’m excited to see how much progress we can achieve together towards that goal. I hope you’ll join me there.
CHANEL Global CEO
4 年Looking forward to seeing you there! https://neovationx.com/
HR Manager, Morgan Advanced Materials, Stourport site
4 年Thanks Natalie Robinson @joannelinehan any interest
Head of New City Partnerships at E.ON UK
4 年Susan Treharne
Communications, public relations, public affairs and marketing | Big Fish Training | PR training & marketing training
4 年This should stimulate some great thinking and I’ll be keeping a keen eye on what comes out of this event, thanks Leena.?
Director of the Strategic HR Academy. Experienced, professional HR&OD consultant. Analyst, trainer & keynote speaker. Author of The Social Organization. I can help you innovate and increase impact from HR.
4 年I completely agree about the need to innovate reward. We've changed everything else in HR over the last 10 years (and are still changing) but (with the main expectation of social recognition) reward has remained largely fixed. We should, however, keep in mind that one of the things which has made other changes successful is linking them to each organisation's unique needs, not just lurching from one best practice to another. So I'd be slightly careful about linking the future of reward to agile. If we're talking about agile at a pretty high level, as a sort-of catch-all for 'moving to more flexible structures' and 'responding with agility' then fine. But we shouldn't get too focused on rewarding agile teams (and it should be the team not just the individual) as there are plenty of other ways people contribute to an organisation which need rewarding (or at least recognising) too. I've put some of my thoughts on all of this here: https://www.joningham.com/uploads/3/1/6/1/31619007/atd_talent_management_handbook_-_reward_chapter__1_.pdf and here: https://www.joningham.com/uploads/3/1/6/1/31619007/ingham_reengineeringmuseums__1_.pdf. I look forward to hearing more from the conference