unleashing the value in relationships contribution

In this edition of Change Agent, we want to bring you up to date with our changes.
​This is what we've been working on, and why we think it's important.

Empowering Employees

In our business we've entered a new era, but it's still all about effective empowerment.

Employee empowerment as a concept is not new. Many organisations talk about empowering their people, but their HR processes often get in the way. For true employee empowerment, managers need a better tool for delegation. 

We are excited to introduce the updated The H Factor system, designed to encourage thriving working relationships.

We want to change work. We want workplaces to get out of the win/lose framework and transform them to being places of self- accountability, learning, growth and the shared human desire for accomplishment.
The H Factor goes beyond traditional HR processes, focusing on putting employees in command of the business deliverables, to empower both employees and employers. It encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, and that is especially good for growing businesses.

Benefits of a self-service system
In this context, self service means employees taking ownership of their job deliverables, through a simple negotiation process that the software facilitates, within the parameters of defined business objectives.

Job ownership
Employees can easily demonstrate their contribution and accomplishments. They can update their goal progress in real-time enabling them to monitor their progress and adjust their efforts as needed.
Employees can view their goals, tasks, performance metrics, and development plans, giving them ownership over their career paths.

Leveraging autonomy
The H Factor enables employees to define and manage their job deliverables within the system, granting them control over their workload and schedules.
Employees communicate their own key performance metrics and keep their managers updated on the barriers, allowing the mutual identification of areas for improvement, and ways to adjust their approach. It creates a culture of no surprises, more effective collaboration, and a safe level of autonomy that is aligned to the employee's experience and knowledge.
Using The H Factor enables the trust necessary to expand employee autonomy as their managers don't lose visibility, influence, or oversight.

Greater understanding of, and commitment to, roles and accountabilities
Leadership can step in as micro-managing steps out.
Employees and their managers share a common view of the job deliverables. Everyone knows why they are there. With clear roles and accountabilities, employees have a better understanding of the context and impact of their decisions - and managers can more easily guide them on business priorities.
It acknowledges the role of managers so that delegation becomes easier.
And by understanding how their role contributes to the bigger picture, employees align their work directly with business goals.
Everyone can see their place in the organisation chart, and how they fit in with the work of others.
Transparency around roles and expectations empowers individuals to identify and pursue opportunities for growth and development within the organisation, rather than feeling the need to look elsewhere.

Structured review processes
There are two types of employee review in the system; one is a review of their performance of the job tasks and activities (a deliverables review), and the other is a higher level conversation about their career direction, aspirations, and workplace needs (a career development discussion). 
Giving a place for setting goals and tracking progress creates a structure that is motivating to employees. Self-reviews provide a framework for doing just that, ready for when people want to define their next steps and take action.
Motivation naturally ebbs and flows. It is unrealistic to expect it all of the time, at full volume - and yikes, that would be so tiring for everyone. The H Factor gives a place for reflection, regrouping, and resetting - and from there the possible emerges and excites. It enables re-ignition.
Reflecting on performance helps employees gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, opportunities, and areas for growth. It also gives the space to understand and safely process the barriers. This self-awareness empowers everyone to take ownership of their development and career path. It gives the business the opportunity to contribute. 

A tool for governance
Understanding the risks to business performance requires genuine feedback from those tasked with it. Performance assessments based on ratings of task accomplishments rarely provide that feedback. They tend to contribute to the win/lose framework that only encourages sharing the good, and hiding the uncomfortable.
The H Factor also now gives people an opportunity for people to safely assess the actual management culture that they experience. This data enables benchmarking over time. Leaders are thus provided insights into the way employee empowerment is being transferred down into the business - or not.
These insights enable better governance, so that the benefits of employee empowerment don't only make it half way. They can get beyond the middle, and all the way to the coalface.
Further, the insights provide specific feedback on the behaviour change. Leaders can better guide those who supervise to achieve the desired changes, based on evidence.
Don't shift the target, get better arrows
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Empowered employees are happier and more engaged in their work, leading to increased productivity, retention, lower employer costs, and improved business performance.
When the frustrations of managing people get in the way of business growth, most people think the stress is about payroll and costs, but it's really about the consequences of jobs not being done well. It's about how people achieve results and reach their potential. By building a healthy workplace based on empowerment and self-service you can get things on target - driven by the team.

Getting Started with an Employee Empowerment System

To fully unlock the value of any HRIS self-service system, here are some key tips:

Know what you want to achieve: Are you looking to resolve the issues of the transactional side of HR, or the relational side of HR? Both are important, but they are not two sides of the same coin.
Transactional HR is about the financial processes and reporting - eg payroll and leave records.
Relational HR is about management skill, human interactions, performance management, and workplace culture. 

We recommend you start with getting your transactional HR correct and reliable. When those processes are established, then it is easier to begin your journey to employee empowerment.

Choose systems that are designed for employee empowerment: It is quite likely that you will require different systems - and that isn't a bad thing. Often we are enticed by the idea of having one system for everything - but that often means heavily compromising.

Workplace culture actually drives business performance so beware of systems that continue to reinforce a win/lose framework. Where this will be most evident is in the system's performance review process.

Find your purpose: People work at their best when they believe they're building something. Share your vision. Invite your team to contribute to making it a reality. Remind them why their work matters to others and how it impacts those you serve.

Promote the system among employees: Promote your intentions with regards to empowerment, and the system you have chosen to deliver it. Spend time with your managers and be clear of your expectations of them and what they can expect from you in supporting their transition.

Find support: There are a lot of good consultants who can work with you and your team to implement a system for employee empowerment. Reach out to us and we will be happy to recommend people from our network who are experts in giving the advice and support for achieving the benefits of empowered employees.
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By empowering your employees with a well-designed HRIS, you can create a more efficient, productive, and engaging work environment. It can become your competitive advantage. So find a system that grows your manager's capability – unleash the power of self-service and watch your employees and organisation thrive!

Start A Free Trial of The H Factor

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Check our free knowledge base

The H Factor knowledge base is a useful free resource for understanding employment best practice.

Access it from our website​.
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We'll be continually reviewing, updating, and adding to it.

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Benefits of Outsourcing Payroll

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