What does it mean to be a ‘people-first business’?
Max Learmonth
Founder - Forge Talent, Identifying Finance Talent across the North West ??
What does it mean to be a ‘people-first business’?
?A few weeks ago, I was asked if I would be a guest speaker on a ‘People before profit’ webinar hosted by my good friend Michael Brennan, who is Co-Founder & CEO of Tootoot & Stribe. It was great to reflect on the last 18 months, how the business has coped, performed, and changed through Covid.
The webinar got me thinking, what does it mean to be a people-first business??
For me, people are the heartbeat of every business. If you want to grow your turnover, headcount, market share, brand presence... how do you do it?
Simple, it’s through your people! But so many business leaders get this wrong!!
In the early part of my career, I can honestly say I had this wrong. Now, this was because I was a product of my environment, my industry, and I had a very naive view of what success looked like. In the different locations I worked in, we performed and performed to a high level financially. But I used to think people were there to drive and serve the business, myself included, and never challenge the status quo.
Fast forward 2.5 years, throw in a global pandemic and it’s clear to me what a people-first business looks like...
Learn from mistakes & listen to your team
Let’s be honest we have all made them, encouraged the wrong behaviour, rewarded the wrong things. We have all had that person or people leave we wish hadn’t, so we have to understand why.
Individuals in leadership roles don’t know everything, in some cases, they are removed from the day to day and aren’t visible. Take the time to listen to your people weekly, monthly, quarterly. They will tell you what currently works within the business, what needs to be marginally tweaked and what needs to be overhauled. People having a voice in driving the business forward should not be underestimated.?
Implement changes
Following on from listening to your people, don’t be afraid to implement the changes. What has got the business from start-up to 5 years old doesn’t necessarily work anymore and it will be the same again when you are 10 years +. As companies grow, they need to evolve, so don’t be scared to implement the changes that are suggested. They don’t always require financial investment but can add significant value.?
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Learning & Development?
In any industry this is critical, so what is the plan? Is this in-house and if so, what is the strategy on delivery. Is this external/outsourced with a training provider, is there a mentor programme. Any individual working for you, whether they have been with you 2 weeks or 2 years, should have a personal development plan, should have a career/promotion strategy that is communicated from day 1 & regularly discussed.?
?Stop with the KPI focus & be output orientated
I am the first to admit that for the first 5-6 years in my career I had this wrong. Call time, call volumes, ratios, data on the system……God, it makes me cringe! Why did I ever focus on these things?? We should be focused on the output, which is the true measure of business performance. It shouldn’t matter how many calls someone makes, if the output is what you expect then does it matter how someone gets there. People work far harder, efficiently, and effectively when you are empowering them to get there and not managing with fear.??
Work-life balance and flexibility?
There’s a similar theme on this one. 5-6 years ago, I felt there was a focus on presenteeism, first in, last out of the office, next to no flexibility, no work-life balance…… why??
Most businesses now are utilising technology, trust their people and are operating in some form of hybrid. (If you’re not, do it!)?
I am all for core hours and total flexibility around that. I know that if I still have something to do in the evening it will be done, but if I need to log on slightly later in the morning then no questions are asked. Go to the gym, walk, meet a friend for lunch... I would go above and beyond for a business that offers that.?
Focus on mental health & well being?
If Covid has taught us anything it’s just how critical a focus on mental health and well-being is. Do you have a mental health first aider? Is there a professional to talk to? Are starting to promote mental health days? Do you encourage an open-door policy to discuss how people are feeling? If you don’t have any of these the question has to be why?? In a world where mental health has catapulted into the forefront these are the basics that should be offered to everyone that works in your business.?
?There is so much you can invest in but time costs nothing. Take the time to understand what your people need & want. Then don’t be afraid to implement it, because if you don’t there is another business out there that will.?
The list could go on and on but for me, the above is what I believe putting people first means.?
What do you think organisations should be doing for their people???
Senior Recruiter - Microsoft
2 年Great article Max! I think being a people 1st business is key to continued growth, and is one of the main reasons I've spent the last 5 years with FJR. Working for a company who listens to its people, implements new ideas (even if they don't work all the time) and is always looking at ways to improve, creates a great atmosphere & an environment where people feel valued. Reflecting on my 15+ years in sales you become used to the focus on KPI's and 'inputs/inputs/inputs', without there being a true measure on how outputs are really achieved. It's a poor way to manage and a lot of recruitment & sales businesses still use this method to measure staff performance! The real focus should be on the customer journey and the how the employees provide solutions to their customers.
My mission is simple; to make a genuine impact on how our clients attract and secure the best fit talent to help them achieve their own business objectives.
2 年Cracking read Max Learmonth. Makes me think back to our Oktoberfest meeting last month. So many strong ideas and new viewpoints picked up by really listening to everyone in the team.
Helping Organisations Hire Superstar Tech Professionals ??
2 年All great points - In the year I've been with FJR, I've seen us evolve in all of these areas and continue to do so. There's a buzz about the place on a daily basis which highlights the special culture we have
Senior Legal Headhunter | Finance, Capital Markets & Restructuring | +1 646 398 6914 |
2 年People first business - everyone has a voice and being open to change! Regardless at what level people are working... making sure voices are heard and considered, rather than pretending to listen and sweeping it under the rug to avoid handling problems. Especially when recruitment is a male domaniant industry, ontop of certain markets (mine being tech) also being very male dominant, we are working in a time where we are learning from our mistakes and changing to be more diverse, so companies need to listen to what's being said and be open to change in order to be more inclusive and growing in a more positive direction as a business. I also think this applies internally and externally, especially in our industry.
Talent Manager - Forge Talent, Relationships Not Transactions ??
2 年I do not miss those call time reports ?? but in all serious I have witnessed first hand your change in approach to business and people. As a business we are certainly reaping the rewards!