1. Consumerisation :
People are more and more expecting an experience at work
that is comparable to the experience they have at home. Netflix knows their
movie taste and makes good recommendations. With the help of Tinder they are
able to find new partners, and all their devices at home are connected through
the internet. What most people experience at the workplace is still far from ideal?
The percentage of people who are not very happy at work is still remarkable
high. Where is the algorithm that has suggestions for new opportunities? (“You
like these type of assignments, you might also like …..”). The “Employee
Experience” is very much related to this trend. The organizations that
consciously design a positive employee experience, for the complete life cycle
of an employee, are still scarce.
2. Performance Consulting:
It is positive that we get rid of the traditional
paternalistic process, where a boss who had limited observations has to give
feedback to her employees. It is positive that we are getting rid of labeling
people with performance ratings (“You are a 3.5…”). 2017 can be the year with
more focus on performance consulting: how can we help good people to become
better, by providing very concrete feedback and very concrete suggestions on
how to improve performance. Most people want to improve their performance, and
frequent relevant feedback from various sources is an important element of
performance improvement.
4. Algorithm Aversion:
Alas. Even when an algorithm beats human judgment, people
tend to trust human judgment (especially their own judgment) better. When you
sat next to the driver in a Tesla, you have probably experienced the feeling.
You prefer the driver to keep his/her hands on the steering wheel, above
trusting the Tesla technology. Algorithm aversion is also one of the obstacles
in the use of people analytics. If HR provides solid insights, many managers
still tend to rely on their own judgment. How to overcome algorithm aversion is
an important topic for 2017.
5. Data ownership:
As part of their effort to improve people analytics, organizations
are capturing more and more data of their employees. There are numerous new
instruments available that can capture people data real time, and use it to
give an indication of the mood in various parts of the organization. In the
discussions about people analytics we sense a growing resistance. Employees are
starting to wonder what is in it for them. Who is the owner of the people data?
This trends is clearly related to trend number 1 (“Consumerisation”). People
are willing to share data, if the benefits are clear. You don’t mind Netflix to
measure what series you are watching, if they use the data to give you good
suggestions.
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