013 - Jessica Zwaan - Built For People, Work like a Product Team in People Ops
Oct 3, 2023
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Jessica Zwaan, an Amazon Best Selling author and founder of a consultancy focused on people operations, shares her insights on transforming HR practices. She discusses her unconventional career path and the evolution of People Operations, advocating for a blend of product management principles. The conversation highlights the impact of COVID-19 on workplace dynamics and the concept of Employee Lifetime Value for enhancing retention strategies. Jessica also teases an innovative 24-hour live-stream podcast idea, promoting collaboration in the HR space.
Applying product principles in people operations enhances strategic human resource management and emphasizes employee engagement as a continuous improvement process.
Employee Lifetime Value (ELTV) allows organizations to assess the long-term contributions of employees, guiding budget decisions between hiring new talent and retention efforts.
To adapt to diverse workforce needs, organizations should tailor policies and benefits to their unique employee demographics, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all practices.
Deep dives
The Shift Towards Product Principles in People Operations
Adopting product principles in people operations is essential for creating a more strategic approach to human resources. This involves not just traditional recruitment and retention strategies, but a substantial shift towards user-led design and continuous improvement. Influential figures in the field stress the importance of leveraging product management techniques to assess employee experiences as subscription products. By treating employee engagement and satisfaction as a product that needs iterative development, organizations can prioritize employee needs more effectively.
Importance of Employee Lifetime Value
Employee Lifetime Value (ELTV) is a crucial metric that allows organizations to measure the long-term value employees bring to the business. By analyzing the costs associated with hiring, onboarding, and retaining employees, companies can better assess their return on investment. This metric helps organizations decide how to balance their budgets between hiring new talent and maintaining existing employees. Moreover, understanding ELTV encourages companies to create retention strategies that are beneficial for both employees and the overall organizational health.
Making Strategic Choices in Policies
Organizations must critically evaluate their policies to ensure they align with current workforce demographics and business objectives. It is not enough to adopt standard practices from other successful companies without considering their own unique contexts. For instance, investing heavily in maternity policies may not be strategically sound if the workforce consists mainly of young people who aren’t considering starting families. Instead, companies could focus on benefits that better suit their employees' immediate needs, enhancing overall satisfaction and engagement.
Leveraging Collaborative Approaches
Achieving high-performance outcomes in people operations requires a collaborative mindset, where tasks and responsibilities are strategically delegated. Rather than centralizing all duties within HR, teams should engage other departments to take ownership of diverse aspects of people operations, such as technology implementation. This approach allows HR professionals to focus on strategic planning and development rather than administrative tasks. Empowering different team members to take on distinct responsibilities encourages collaboration and enhances organizational efficiency.
Balancing In-Person and Remote Work Dynamics
The transition towards hybrid working arrangements calls for thoughtful examination of how teams collaborate and communicate. Companies are challenged to define clear purposes for in-office interactions versus remote work to maximize effectiveness. This includes assessing what tasks benefit from in-person collaboration and which can be accomplished effectively from home. Emphasizing personal preferences and social needs in the workplace fosters a more adaptive and inclusive work environment that meets the evolving demands of today's workforce.
Jessica is the author of Amazon Best Selling, Built for People and founder of Being People consultancy. A hands-on COO who finds joy in diverse, kind, and world-changing companies of excellent people, like Whereby, where the mission is to build a world where anywhere works. Previously: VP People, Culture, an Talent for UK Tech Track #1 Wonderbly, Yieldify, Box
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