Spotify, disrupting the traditional performance management approach

Heard from Michael Kim head of HR APAC for Spotify at the Choice Career Services Disruption Circle last week. It was a terrific discussion led by Michael on how Spotify have disrupted the traditional performance management approach to people and how Spotify is focused on owning the ear and all things audio. A few key learnings for Business owners in my network from the Swedish founded & led Spotify were the following:

1.      Treat all your people humanly and do what is best for your people as a first option- if they are not performing find them another role rather than moving them on. Maternity leave increased to 6 months in the US for all parents and first month back can be done flexibly

2.      Contractors are people too & should be valued like all other team members.

3.      Use data but don’t be data led

4.      An open culture that celebrates mistakes and regular hackathons are strong drivers of innovation e.g. Discover weekly was an employee led innovation

5.      Organisations with 4 to 200 staff in the lower mid market sector have terrific opportunities & flexibility as influencers and disruptors to do some amazing things with their teams that larger organisations like Spotify cannot do. 

6.      Our world is changing faster than our industries are changing – Our actions as leaders and owners of businesses is more important than ever and each of us can shape the world we will be living in going forward.