Burnout is today a very serious issue at several companies. Multiple reasons have been identified for the cause. The most obvious of them is excess workload. Another is the limited control that employees have over their own schedules or work processes. Companies need to thoroughly revamp their talent management systems, so that employees feel empowered enough. This will also have a positive impact on the reward and incentive structures. A sense of community needs to be fostered at organizations, so that the employees get aligned to the ultimate team goals. They need to feel a sense of mission behind their daily tasks. Employees also need to feel that the company policies and their execution is done in fairness. Burnout also takes place when there is a mismatch between the values believed in by the employees, with the corporate strategy of the firm. A multi- level solution is needed to tide over this complex issue.

Source:https://hbr.org/2019/07/6-causes-of-burnout-and-how-to-avoid-them?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_campaign=insider_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=03551&deliveryName=DM42915

Uploaded Date:29 September 2020

As an increasing portion of the workforce is now employed in various remote working arrangements, it is time to understand a few major challenges of the same. Some of these have been identified by the marketing research giant Gartner, in their latest survey of a great number of CFOs. About three- fourths of them confirmed to have made use of permanent work- from- home arrangements since the pandemic broke out. The first such question that companies need to ask their employees is what they need as individuals. Then they must identify which all activities can over time remain remote. This is in contrast to the question on the roles. A question should also be raised on how such digital capacities can be enabled. This is more holistic than merely asking about the location where people can work from.

Source:https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-organization-blog/three-important-questions-for-the-future-of-remote-work

Uploaded Date:25 August 2020

The job scenario is now more dynamic or volatile than has ever been in human history. Rapid technological changes means that by the time a professional adjusts to a certain brand of work, the skills may not be relevant any more. So, in such a scenario, it is essential to plan for the second half of one’s career. A few core concepts can be considered as key choices for this second half as mentioned. One is of course related to entrepreneuralism. Beyond merely being an entrepreneur, this is a role that involves a tremendous scope for business innovation. Self- confidence is above all a character trait that must exist, and in oodles. Management training can no longer be a one- time, on- boarding issue, but continuous learning is now needed. Likewise, continuous improvement too is needed. Professionals also need to constantly reinvent themselves.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-to-reimagine-the-second-half-of-your-career?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&deliveryName=DM92967

Uploaded Date:25 August 2020

One of the key challenges that HR leaders had been tasked with, prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic, was the digitization of the workplace and the employees connected. It seemed a fairly safe distance then, but now it has arrived right here. Talent management has suddenly become so complicated, thanks to the layoffs, furloughs and staff reductions all over. HR leaders thus need to build on a complexity mindset, to help them sail through the ongoing pandemic. They need to shift their mindset from complicated to complex, as linear thinking may not work anymore. For collective intelligence to now flourish, a couple of conditions need to co-exist. One is a diversity in opinion, while another is independent thinking. A third is decentralization, and finally a clear method to aggregate the work of individuals towards the final results. A trust culture needs to be fostered in. The company values too now need to be made foundational. Thus communication, trust and employee engagement have to be top of the pile among the considerations.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-hr-leaders-can-adapt-to-uncertain-times?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_monthly&utm_campaign=strategy_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&deliveryName=DM91994

Uploaded Date:25 August 2020

There is a feeling among several commentators that freelance working may just be a temporary shift. However, talent management professionals need to get over this mentality, as this trend is sure to stay. In the wake of the current pandemic, USA has seen about forty- eight million people register for unemployment insurance. This has even included Uber drivers, who are technically listed among essential workers. The stay- at- home trend means, that there is much lesser a demand for ride hailing. Gig workers have traditionally been kept out of employment benefits. Even Uber drivers have been listed as independent contractors, rather than as full- time employees. The Pandemic Unemployment Allowance will come as some relief to the same workers. This faulty system of listing the drivers as independent contractors enables the likes of Uber and Lyft to save millions of dollars’ worth of employment taxes. Mass unemployment is what experts are trying to figure out a solution for, not misclassification. Demand for sub- contracted or gig employees will only increase in this pandemic, as has been the trend for all such economic crises in the past.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/07/gig-workers-are-here-to-stay-its-time-to-give-them-benefits?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_not_activesubs&deliveryName=DM86926

Uploaded Date:04 August 2020

The art of thinking for oneself needs to be revived. Vikram Mansharami, who is a trend analyst feels that complex decisions must never be made in a vacuum, but post due consideration with business consulting experts. However, the ultra- reliance needs to go. He also feels that today’s management profession is staffed with several super- specialists. These professionals may be really good at their tasks, but come unstuck when some new challenges come up. That is why Mansharami advocates for the presence of more generalists. He also feels that the latter breed of pros understand corporate strategy better, as they can view the broader aspects of business, beyond their own little expert niches.

Source:https://hbr.org/podcast/2020/06/the-lost-art-of-thinking-for-yourself?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_not_activesubs&deliveryName=DM84772

Uploaded Date:17 July 2020

The present work culture is one where professionals need to be ‘turned on’ at all times. Due to the proliferation of digital gadgets, employees are expected to be hooked on to work, or at least be connected beyond the usual working hours. The concept of remote working or work- from- home, does not help either, with policies quite ad- hoc. It has been observed how different personality types cope up in different ways to this new reality. Personality can be assessed on how the employees deal with the external world, on the basis of experience, their talent management abilities or in how they see the perceived logic. Some strategies too have been identified for coping with this situation. One is to ensure some space and time, where one can simply ‘switch- off’. Another is where information overload can be managed. Employees need to understand how to track relevant business intelligence, so that every small bit of data, does not bother them. The right boundaries need to be in place so that the human thinking preferences can be maintained. A work and life balance needs to be found that can suit them.

Source:https://hbr.org/2020/06/how-different-personality-types-cope-with-an-always-on-culture?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_campaign=weeklyhotlist_not_activesubs&deliveryName=DM86084

Uploaded Date:17 July 2020