Uncertainty has been rampant in business over the past 24 months. Unpredictability was an integral part of the course, whether it was adapting to operational transitions, supply chain disruptions, or employment challenges.
Evaluate this unpredictable business environment, New York Times 2021 was a year of disappointment for large and small businesses, new and established businesses, and public and private companies alike. Along the way, CEOs have replaced their favorite metaphors of schedules, confidence, and strategic planning with new ones: I don’t know. Or ‘I have changed my mind.’”
It’s not surprising that business leaders have some degree of certainty. They consult with experts, read tea leaves and, most importantly, dig into data. This is especially true when measuring employee productivity.
The once swift but now widespread shift to remote or hybrid working methods is driving many businesses to seek new and better insights into employee productivity. That is, they are looking for certainty.
with Almost 80% of companies Never run out of data to aggregate and analyze using employee monitoring software. This increasingly capable software can track everything from keystrokes to social media usage. However, misapplied information can lead to misleading insights into employee productivity and organizational well-being.
For leaders looking for certainty in the numbers, here are three employee metrics worth measuring over the next year.
#1 Engage
Many leaders struggle to trust that their team engages and works hard when they are not in the office. In many ways, this is not a new problem. vast A study on the emerging trend of telecommuting in 1999 We’ve found that executive trust in employees is the biggest challenge for companies moving to a decentralized way of working.
2020 Harvard Business Review The survey identified a sentiment similar to “38% of managers agree that remote workers generally perform worse than those who work in the office.”
This perception injects stress, fear and distrust into the workplace, eroding company culture and negatively affecting both employees and managers.
Companies should consider measuring employee engagement rather than relying on assumptions or anecdotal evidence. They may like what they find. According to several workplace surveys and studies Employee productivity actually improved As companies transition to remote work, the assumption that remote workers are inherently less engaged than field workers is broken.
Of course, leaders need to be transparent about their processes and open up their expectations ahead of time. When everyone works according to the rulebook, leaders can be more confident than ever that employees are engaged, regardless of location.
#2 Results
Monitoring and measuring employee engagement provides important insights into a company’s well-being, but paints an incomplete picture. That is why leaders should not rely solely on activity as a measure of success.
For example, it is easy to consolidate activities for productivity. John Herman Described as “non-work like work,” which can include everything from getting lost in the Slack thread to prioritizing tasks that are less important than your core duties.
In response, businesses must combine employee engagement metrics with results analytics to provide clarity and comfort to businesses exploring these transformative moments. More specifically, take the time to determine key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure progress toward limited but specific outcomes.
#3 Wellness
A thriving company is built and maintained by thriving people. Many people are experiencing unprecedented hardship since the pandemic period, when fear, uncertainty and doubt are rampant.
Surveys and research consistently show troubling rates of anxiety, depression and hopelessness. These mental health problems may or may not be work-related, but they certainly have a significant impact on leaders and teams. That’s why businesses need to double their investments in employee well-being, including:
- Restore or maintain work-life balance. Many people have significantly increased their working days during the pandemic, and work-life balance has been disrupted. Businesses need to know how much work their employees are doing and must provide them with the technical tools, financial resources, and explicit approval to dedicate time to them.
- We value our employees’ time. Prioritizing your physical, mental, and emotional health is difficult when your work demands continue to grow. Employees consistently report that uninterrupted time is a key component of increased productivity and reduced stress. some companies, including MicrosoftEmployee data was analyzed to identify and prioritize peak productivity hours so that employees can spend more time on the things that matter most.
- Recognize great work regularly. According to Gallup Poll, less than one-third of employees report receiving compliments in the past week. This low-cost, high-reward practice can boost employee morale, build trust and bonds, and improve the well-being of everyone.
Employee well-being may not appear in projected earnings, but it is undoubtedly a metric worth measuring as it is a fundamental component of a thriving company.
measure for clarity
Measuring the right metrics can provide clarity in times of chaos by helping businesses make better decisions and enabling leaders to support teams even in unfamiliar terrain.
By 2022, businesses can measure employee engagement, outcomes and well-being to make decisions with lasting impact. In this way, the popular online ordering “data has better ideas” can have a real impact on organizations. Of course, having the right data is just as important as what you do with that data at the end of the day.
That’s why, for leaders looking for certainty, the first step is usually to do it yourself.
This article was originally Forbes Reprinted with permission.