How to Balance the Conflicting Forces of Efficiency, Performance and Wellbeing

How to Balance the Conflicting Forces of Efficiency, Performance and Wellbeing
May 31, 2024 2 mins

How to Balance the Conflicting Forces of Efficiency, Performance and Wellbeing

How are business leaders adapting to a generational change in how work gets done?

Volatility and uncertainty increasingly plague businesses and hinder effective decision making.

Organisations are also under increasing pressure from a whole range of factors, including the compound impact of COVID, technological disruption, cyber threats, remote working, changing expectations, inflation, sustainability and social unrest.

If we consider the impact of all those developments on the workforce, we are witnessing a generational change in how work gets done. And it is clear that business leaders will have to make significant further changes.

Attracting, retaining and motivating the workforce has to become more customised and recognise the diverse and changing needs of the workforce as the balance of power has swung from corporations to individuals.

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Regardless of sector, the challenges in talent, retention and recruitment are the same.

Sinead O’Donnell
Chief People Officer – Raytheon

People are exiting the workforce early, changing roles more frequently and changing their levels of tolerance and engagement based on their specific circumstances. This means that building a generic, nebulous employee value proposition bolstered by a financial incentive is no longer enough.

We are starting to see a move towards a semi-customised approach to the workforce, grouping similar individuals — not by clumsy demographics but instead by “personas” based on specific values and needs — with end-to-end supporting infrastructure.

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The more you can rely on data for your case, the less people will argue with you.

Uzma Stamp
Managing Director, Reward – HSBC

Unless business leaders work to align skills and expectations with potential and opportunity, there will always be a conflict between holistic and enduring wellbeing and sustainable performance in the workforce. If we can better match people with roles — which are changing increasingly quickly — we will see benefits for all.

While challenges remain, all the building blocks to achieve this are available. It just needs people leaders to dismantle the silos within organisations and across tools and technologies.

Article by
  • Michael Burke
    Executive Chair of Talent, and Enterprise Client Leader, Aon

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