n the on-demand economy, most firms evaluate their workers through customer feedback systems. This creates an enormous amount of emotional labour pressure among the workers, similar to that faced in the airline industry by flight attendants and stewards. This is particularly true for Uber which has seen a number of its drivers facing stress, often not due to their fault but due to customers being unable to use the app properly or even reasons for technicality. Some methods have been identified to support this aspect of the on-demand economy better. First of all workers may instead be hired as full time employees as that will provide them greater security at work. The Finnish company ‘Happy-or-Not’ has created a scale involving facial expressions and Emojis for evaluation of people. Business research conducted by the company confirms that this enables better ratings by customers than the Likert Scale of 1 to 5. Users must also be given the option to do more if they desire so such as the tipping mechanism is much better embedded at Lyft than at Uber. Ultimately, companies in this segment must understand that they operate in the service sector and must equally take care of their employees the way they will of their customers.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/08/recognizing-the-role-of-emotional-labor-in-the-on-demand-economy

Majority of organizations are these days focusing on User Experience (UX) or Customer Experience (CX) but what they are ignoring is Employee Experience (EX). While there are en number of programmes designed to reach out to customers, there are almost none of that level for employees. As per business research conducted by Gartner, it has been understood that only a fifth of employees in the USA are engaged, but a similar number are actively engaged. Companies are designing products taking into account the diversity of the user group but corporate training programmes still do not reflect this in spite of employees also being from diverse backgrounds. Markets are afforded time to penetrate but employees almost no such luxury to stabilize and grown on the job.

Source: http://innovationexcellence.com/blog/2016/08/24/ex-summit-is-the-real-innovation-around-employee-engagement/

Working under narcissistic bosses can be really tough but that can be propounded by being poorly dealt. The problem further aggravates because a lot of narcissists appear confident and charming to the outside world, implying that the pain that their subordinates suffer do not get reflected. These people are quick to claim credit for other’s work and possess a sense of entitlement. One of the ways to cope up with such situations is to control one’s own ego in order to avoid clash. It is also recommended that such superiors must be complimented at all time usually when the two are alone. There may still be a lot to learn from such leaders such as exuding charisma and ability to look calm under pressure. It will also be good to avoid gossip near such bosses as these people tend to be very control savvy and thus trying to collect information within the organization at all times. Ultimately it is advisable to weigh all options carefully as it may not be a good thing to quit the job. Another place may have a similar leader with management consulting publication Harvard Business Review confirming the same through their study.

Source: https://hbr.org/2016/04/how-to-work-for-a-narcissistic-boss

Three ways have been identified by social entrepreneurs to solve the talent related problems within that sector. First of all, social sector firms must realize that funding alone will not solve all recruitment problems. Even at the highest level pay can never match profit motive corporates. The best approach will be to work towards the genuine vision quoted. Hiring, retaining and managing the best of talent available must be among the top targets at such organizations. Talent recruitment must be taken care of by the top bosses and not be delegated. Retaining employees is one aspect, but these firms must go one step ahead by trying to develop leaders from within the ranks. Management training and skill development at this level can help develop the best of leaders for an uncertain future. Source: https://hbr.org/2016/06/3-ways-social-entrepreneurs-can-solve-their-talent-problem

Innovation has hit a new high over the past two decades. Mobile phones have evolved from big luxuries to basic commodities to such an extent that millions of kids across the world cannot even fathom an alternate universe without them. Further changes are afoot with smart cars set to be autonomous ones and robots being able to replicate codes themselves. To keep up with all this business innovation, it is essential that employees themselves stay adaptable. For this up skilling through corporate training is a must. This will involves specific training towards technology based applications. Over the next few years, studies suggest that around five million people will either lose their jobs due to automation or their profiles will need to be realigned to existing realities. Becoming tech-savvy is essential for all levels of managers.

Source: http://innovationexcellence.com/blog/2016/07/26/innovation-in-the-world-demands-adaptability-in-the-workplace/

In order to increase employee engagement, a step by step method has been suggested. The first level is tactical and this one is slightly outmoded. By this, the company gets feedback on its work through annual employee surveys. These take time and only look backwards and where things went wrong rather than predicting on the spot how things can be improved. Stage two involves a response driven scenario where employee feedback is solicited not annually but post major events such as promotions, holidays or management training sessions. At the third stage, the management is able to take informed decisions as it now has applied business analytics to gauge what exactly employees and how best those points may be resolved. The best and most productive way in modern times is the one based around foresight. This emerges from highly engaged employees who give timely feedback themselves rather than waiting for formal appraisals. A major cultural evolution is required for companies to reach this stage.

Source: http://engageforsuccess.org/using-stage-stage-approach-increase-employee-engagement

There is a certain requirement across organizations for agile talent. This kind of personnel relates to freelancers who have an expertise in certain aspects which they can provide to organizations requiring them at that point in time. These freelancers do not do functional or administrative tasks as in the past, but take part in the corporate strategy. For example, the Campbell’s soup company wanted to expand to Russia and China. In order to sell canned soup to these markets, they needed to understand the socio- cultural dynamics. Thus they hired an anthropologist for a brief stint to work with them. Similarly an NGO working in Bangladesh needed a cell chemist for a few months of the year and took those services. Similarly, there are educationists who teach certain specialized subjects at seasonal periods of the year. The freelancing style of working will further expand with time.

Source: https://hbr.org/ideacast/2016/07/the-era-of-agile-talent