To integrate HR into business-performance measurement system, managers must identify the point of intersection between HR and the organization’s strategy implementation plan. The drivers of new business inevitably shift the focus to HR wherein HR practices of staffing, training, skills audit, ability and personality assessment, performance management systems, remuneration and incentives design are aligned around building organizational capability.
But can’t Humor and fun at work also add to organizational capability?
The points which are the outcomes of the HR architecture that serve to execute the firm’s strategy are the strategic HR deliverables. These HR deliverables need to be measured and quantified to be able to deliver value to the customers and stakeholders.
These HR deliverables come in two categories:
Performance drivers
Enablers
Performance drivers are core people-related capabilities or assets, such as employee productivity or employee engagement.
Enablers reinforce performance drivers. For example Fun and Humor at work will enable a performance driver called employee engagement.
Taking about enablers, one of the HR enablers that drive the deliverables is creating an environment of fun & humor at the workplace. Having fun at work can be described as living and loving the work that you do. In our lives we tend to remember the moments that give us happiness and those which made us laugh. Thus fun will make an employee explore deep source of energy and passion that will affect his standards of work.
Fun can be used to create a climate wherein competition is not adverse but is healthy and motivating. Fun also effects learning, as adults try to learn best in a professionally relaxed manner. Training programs wherein trainers included humor in the process are always cherished, enjoyed and prove to be more effective. Fun brings an informal relaxed atmosphere which is best suited for team building, its working and impacts its performance positively.
Fun is one thing that is desired by every individual and when one finds it at his/her workplace, they would not mind spending time in the organization. This results in lower absenteeism and higher turnout. Employees having fun together at work or during work hours lead to creation of an informal relationship among them and foster ties that make organization a more comfortable place. This would impact the employee turnover by reducing the attrition rate.
All these advantages of creating an atmosphere of fun can be utilized by an organization through the following process:
Creating an environment of fun.
Measuring the impact of Fun & Humor at work.
Comparing the impact with other departments/processes.
Outlining a system which involves each employee in fun activities
Measure consistently the level of fun and its corresponding influence on the organization.
Introducing fun element at work seems to be tough and it is. But quantifying the impact of various fun activities on the bottom line will project a favorable case for incorporating a fun culture in the organization and getting the Chief Financial Officer on your side.
Measuring the impact of fun as compared to a department which does not involve fun at work will silence the finance people. Measurement can be done by studying:
Absenteeism Rate.
Departmental Attrition Rates.
Employee Satisfaction.
Performances and number high of performers.
Rate of completion of work by teams as compared to targeted figure.
All this studies would provide the HR department with hard core data (figures) which could be then utilized to show its positive impact on company’s revenue.
The real test is to devise a framework which would measure corresponding activities of fun, their levels and their proportionate impact. A way to formalize this framework would be to implement various categorized fun activities, measure impact category-wise, segment employees who are affected more by one fun activity than another and then draft an action plan to link it to the internal business processes of the organization.
Hence, an enabler like fun at work which impacts employee engagement can be effectively measured, quantified and linked to positive financial returns.
But can’t Humor and fun at work also add to organizational capability?
The points which are the outcomes of the HR architecture that serve to execute the firm’s strategy are the strategic HR deliverables. These HR deliverables need to be measured and quantified to be able to deliver value to the customers and stakeholders.
These HR deliverables come in two categories:
Performance drivers
Enablers
Performance drivers are core people-related capabilities or assets, such as employee productivity or employee engagement.
Enablers reinforce performance drivers. For example Fun and Humor at work will enable a performance driver called employee engagement.
Taking about enablers, one of the HR enablers that drive the deliverables is creating an environment of fun & humor at the workplace. Having fun at work can be described as living and loving the work that you do. In our lives we tend to remember the moments that give us happiness and those which made us laugh. Thus fun will make an employee explore deep source of energy and passion that will affect his standards of work.
Fun can be used to create a climate wherein competition is not adverse but is healthy and motivating. Fun also effects learning, as adults try to learn best in a professionally relaxed manner. Training programs wherein trainers included humor in the process are always cherished, enjoyed and prove to be more effective. Fun brings an informal relaxed atmosphere which is best suited for team building, its working and impacts its performance positively.
Fun is one thing that is desired by every individual and when one finds it at his/her workplace, they would not mind spending time in the organization. This results in lower absenteeism and higher turnout. Employees having fun together at work or during work hours lead to creation of an informal relationship among them and foster ties that make organization a more comfortable place. This would impact the employee turnover by reducing the attrition rate.
All these advantages of creating an atmosphere of fun can be utilized by an organization through the following process:
Creating an environment of fun.
Measuring the impact of Fun & Humor at work.
Comparing the impact with other departments/processes.
Outlining a system which involves each employee in fun activities
Measure consistently the level of fun and its corresponding influence on the organization.
Introducing fun element at work seems to be tough and it is. But quantifying the impact of various fun activities on the bottom line will project a favorable case for incorporating a fun culture in the organization and getting the Chief Financial Officer on your side.
Measuring the impact of fun as compared to a department which does not involve fun at work will silence the finance people. Measurement can be done by studying:
Absenteeism Rate.
Departmental Attrition Rates.
Employee Satisfaction.
Performances and number high of performers.
Rate of completion of work by teams as compared to targeted figure.
All this studies would provide the HR department with hard core data (figures) which could be then utilized to show its positive impact on company’s revenue.
The real test is to devise a framework which would measure corresponding activities of fun, their levels and their proportionate impact. A way to formalize this framework would be to implement various categorized fun activities, measure impact category-wise, segment employees who are affected more by one fun activity than another and then draft an action plan to link it to the internal business processes of the organization.
Hence, an enabler like fun at work which impacts employee engagement can be effectively measured, quantified and linked to positive financial returns.
Contemplated & Written by: Smiti Saha, MHROD (Batch of 2008),
Delhi School of Economics, Delhi UniversityAnirudh Kaushik, Faculty of
Management Studies (Batch of 2009), Delhi University
No comments:
Post a Comment