New York.- We are at a very important turning point in the way we work. After the COVID-19 pandemic, we must adapt to a New Normality where work is hybrid and the consequences of the health emergency are addressed. But how can we make sure we take care of wellness at work for our teams?
Priscilla Korantengchief of staff for the human resources platform Indeed, has a mission to create an inclusive work environment that is capable of listening to individuals. But how do you achieve this in an age where every employee wants different things and has different attitudes about work?
We talked to Koranteng, who has 25 years of experience at Kellogg’s, DXC Technology, T. Rowe Price, Booz Allen Hamilton, and JPMorgan Chase. As part of your participation in the Indeed Future Works forum, we asked you to give us your opinion on how to create a good work team in this post-pandemic world.
Face-to-face, hybrid and remote: A model for everyone
EMPRENDEDOR.COM (EMP): How do you see work in the next three years, now that we are coming out of the pandemic?
PRISCILLA KORANTENG (PK): I think we learned a lot and that a lot of the things that we used to implement in our work areas before the pandemic are no longer valid. Work has changed and we are all in different places. We were at home, then we had to go back and many people changed their lifestyle as a result of these changes. That is why you have to have different working models: face-to-face, hybrid and completely remote.
We need to make sure that all employees have the role model they need to have a workforce that is engaged and excited about what they do.
We are learning. We couldn’t predict what was to come and that’s why I say that all companies must continue to evolve.
EMP: In Latin America, the idea of working completely from home is considered by many to be sacrilegious. There are even companies looking to completely go back to the way things were done in 2019. This is causing emotional pressure on employees. What could you say to bosses who want to take care of their talent?
PK: If we’ve learned anything in the pandemic, it’s that employee well-being is crucial to business. If you prioritize the health and happiness of your workforce, you will have a productive team and this will reflect on your profits.
I think we need to recognize that the pandemic has created a lot of stress, anxiety, and trauma for people. We don’t look or behave the same way we used to. Employees’ needs have changed and managers need to recognize this.
The decisions people are making about how to work (face-to-face, hybrid, remote) are entirely based on how each individual wants to process the last 3 years and how they want to move forward. The more flexible employers are, the better the business will do.
You don’t want to have a team that is stressed. Unfortunately this kind of pressure is prevalent at work and we need to relieve it a bit by giving job options. Employers should look for solutions that are more focused on the individual rather than just giving an even order for all of their workers.
Human beings are your competitive advantage and you should take care of them the same way you would protect other assets in your business.
The clash between millennials and Generation Z
EMP: Something that we are seeing in work teams is the clash between the two younger working generations: millennials and Generation Z. Centennials started working during the pandemic and they did so in very different conditions than Generation Y. How can we lead these two generations so close and at the same time so different?
PK: We must recognize that we are experiencing a multigenerational workforce and that is not going to change. You must have an inclusion strategy that takes advantage of the best characteristics of each group. In the pandemic we learned that we can be very agile to operate and that at the end of the day we are all people.
It is not enough to “accommodate” individuals in different teams to say that we are “inclusive”. We must provide resources so that the different generations of employees continue to be trained and be able to have the same values as a company so that we can all aim towards that mission regardless of age.
We all come from different starting points: different generations, countries, cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic histories, etc. We must be able to observe these factors in a holistic way to give the necessary tools to each employee.
If you do this, you create that feeling of inclusion and belonging because employees feel heard, seen, and satisfied. Pause and listen to what’s happening with your employees so you know what tools they need.
Don’t just offer money to your employees
EMP: In Latin America we still come from a culture where monetary salary is still considered a defining factor of success. What can you tell us about the importance of other incentives that are so appreciated by the younger generations?
PK: It’s about the value proposition you give. Basically it is thinking, What is the totality of the opportunities that you are offering to your people? What experience do you give a person?
I see it this way: before offering a job in our company, we need to think about what experience will be offered to the candidate, how their personal mission fits into what we do. We help people find jobs, so anyone who joins us must be passionate about that mission.
It is about saying “When you come to work with us, in addition to what we are going to give you monetarily, we offer you something else that is deeper”. And when you think about it, people want to have a purpose and meaning in their lives, beyond a salary. When you only offer money to an employee, he can find that incentive in another company. But they stay in your company when they add to the mission of your business.
A more holistic approach to your value proposition as an employer will help you attract more and better talent. Not only that, you will retain those key employees who have trained with you.
Advice for new entrepreneurial bosses
EMP: If you could give advice to entrepreneurs who often “make their debut” as bosses, what would you tell them?
PK: Listen. Pay attention to your team. The more they listen, the more information they can gather so they can design better solutions for their employees.
When you grow up very fast sometimes you don’t stop to understand the people around you, but listening to your team will help you understand what is important to people and you will be able to build a team that really helps you build your vision.
The other thing I want to say is that you have to let people believe in your vision. It’s not just about having people work for you, but you also need to show them why they should be with you.
Prioritize the well-being of your employees and that will drive the growth of your profits and the growth of your business.
March Violante Martha Elena Violante (March Violante) is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emprendedor.com and has more than 10 years of career in digital journalism. She has interviewed figures such as Randi Zuckerberg, Daniele Lamarre, Zoe Saldana, among others. She has worked in media such as Entrepreneur in Spanish and English, High Level, PREMIERE Cinema, Mexico Unknown, among others. “We are entrepreneur.com”