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We know that being an HR manager can be particularly taxing – from outlining workplace rules to preventing the next discrimination lawsuit. Wouldn’t you just love it if all the latest in HR news was condensed into a capsule for a quick read?
This week we have focused on what the industry leaders are doing. We start with Accenture bunking the annual performance reviews and look at Airbnb, Marriott, Tata Group and Zappos.
Accenture Gets Rid of Annual Performance Reviews
Starting with Adobe last year, Accenture has joined the bandwagon by bunking annual performance reviews, in favor of an ongoing feedback program. But before you get all inspired and say you need it too at your company, understand why this makes sense for Accenture.
Annual performance reviews are conducted once a year. If your industry is changing fast, like Adobe and Accenture, your employees need to pick up skills and perform on goals that evolve throughout the year. Sure, you need an on-going performance management program.
However, if your only problem is that your employees see performance reviews as an annual form-filling exercise, I’d suggest you invest in educating your people on the importance of reviews first, before you introduce a change.
From a CHRO to a Chief Employee Experience Officer at Airbnb
Mark Levy is taking care of facilities, food, internal communication and employee events in addition to the typical HR functions of recruiting, talent management and development, HR Operations and total rewards.
Human Resources teams are taking inspiration from marketing teams to create meaningful experiences for the employees and customers, respectively. And the step by Airbnb, to blur lines between the functions of Marketing, Communications, Real Estate, Social Responsibility, and Human Resources, innovates on the same thought.
Revisiting Competencies to Develop Leaders at TATA group
TATA group runs 100+ operating firms as part of the conglomerate, and aims to grow its market cap to that of the top 25 most valuable companies in the world. EY is mapping 5-10% of the workforce, including the CEOs, to understand the skill sets needed for top roles.
The current workforce is aging across organizations which presents a challenge to identify the next set of leaders in the company. Succession planning is a growing concern and TATA group is investing heavily to solve it for their group of companies.
Vedanta Ltd “ACTS UP” Against Succession too
Vedanta is another Indian conglomerate that is running an Accelerated Competency Tracking and Up-gradation Program (ACT UP), for 1500 people in their company. While TATA group is focusing on developing the next generation of leaders, Vedanta is taking a more holistic approach to develop junior, middle and senior executives alike.
Vedanta is doing this by adding a technical stream in its program looking at mining, iron ore dressing, technical services, maintenance, exploration and geology. Leadership skills are topped on this stream to “soften” this up.
US Department of Defense is Revving Up its HR Engine
Before you start thinking that Indian conglomerates are getting all excited on Succession planning, let’s take a look back at the US Department of Defense, which is looking to upend the personnel management services. In this interesting account, a veteran discussed promotions, compensation, and digital talent-matching platforms for the military.
Not surprisingly, the talent challenges are pretty similar in the military as in the industry. Outlined in the essay above, are a few ideas on solving these challenges.
Marriott’s Secret to Recruit Top Millennial Talent
Millennials whom you want to hire have been evading work, and instead opting to work in freelance, or remote way. Others just lack the skills. Marriott Hotels seem to have solved the problem with their virtual on-boarding program. As a recognition for their innovation, Bersin by Deloitte, conferred two prestigious WhatWorks award to Marriott Voyage. A huge 99% of the 902 people that enrolled in the program were placed into roles.
The program has been widely useful for Marriott, but these benefits have come as a result of the full blown effort that Marriott made to understand what needed to improve in their previous systems and a subsequent overhaul.
BYOB (Be Your Own Boss) at Zappos
Zappos has been a stalwart in delivering happiness to its customers. This week, Tony Hsieh, invited his team to embrace holacracy, a culture of individual autonomy and self-governance.
Holacracy directly attacks a top-down organizational heirarchy, and Brian Robertson, the industry pioneer, suggests that 300 organizations are either already using or piloting holacracy.
We collected these stories to inspire you to change how you work. What is one thing you would like to change in your office?
