From managing the employee experience to managing the employee lifestyle experience

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone differently, and although we collectively have had to follow similar guidelines across the globe, we’ve all had to do this under varying circumstances with different sets of challenges.

Organisations have had to respond and operate under immense pressure when even their ‘expect the unexpected’ contingency plans were probably failing to offer practical advice on how to deal with the crisis at hand. As the pandemic threatened people’s mental health and livelihoods, with some workers even struggling to access essential items or living in trying conditions exacerbated by the pandemic, supporting employees has stretched beyond traditional organisational support.

A year on from the start of the pandemic, as most businesses are settling into new ways of doing things, the time is right for business leaders to look into what it really takes to build a great workplace. For many organisations aligning people strategies with operational strategies has been on the cards for years and managing the human capital has been a talking point among HR leaders. The past year has accelerated this workplace transformation with employers having to shift from managing the employee experience to managing the employee lifestyle experience as the line between personal and professional life has blurred even further.

Reverting to ‘business as usual’ once the crisis is over will only hinder companies from enabling their people to reach their full potential. Our world is changing fast so adaptability and flexibility are required for business success as organisations need to keep up with the environments they operate in. At the core of embracing these values as part of the workplace culture is being able to understand the employees’ varied needs and behaviours.

Redefining people strategies and supporting employees against a backdrop of uncertainty can be challenging and will translate into different things for every business out there. But, even in the most trying times, the role of managers, HR leaders and employers has remained the same: support and inspire their team members. In order to do this in a meaningful and long-lasting way it’s important that we don’t just look into what’s going on for employees; we look into why it’s going on.

This is where Heartstyles comes alive. Our results are based on a simple idea: when people grow, they take their organisations with them. Healthier businesses, engaged individuals, happier teams and thriving cultures come from understanding why people behave the way they do and helping them evolve even during difficult conditions. We help organisations gain insight into what drives employee behaviour both inside and outside the workplace, how and why they relate and communicate the way they do and how this aligns with wider organisational goals. This approach can support employers in their quest to navigate the post-Covid era and help them lay strong foundations in their people strategies by looking at individuals’ unique circumstances that stretch beyond the workplace.   

Our work is best understood by what it builds so we’d like to share this video with you which explains the steps we follow to help organisations achieve long-lasting and meaningful change, placing humanity at the operational core. https://vimeo.com/491559360/e128498068