For a business to succeed, it first needs a vision. Then comes strategy, which articulates the vision and provides direction for growth and performance.
A good business strategy aligns people and processes to drive performance. Alignment of different functions of an organization are essential for its success. At the heart of it is the organizational most important asset: its people.
Let’s focus on aligning people to strategy as it is the foundation for success.
People are the most important resource for an organization to achieve its objective. For people to perform well they need to feel connected, valued and motivated by the organization. Having high level of job satisfaction and commitment will result in organizational high performance.
For an organization to attract, foster and retain the best employees, it needs to align all of its Human Resources practices with the organizational strategy. Depending on the culture of the organization, the requirements of the job and the overall organizational strategy different Human resources management practices are required.
Committed and motivated people mirror the values of a business and its success. This intricate connection provides the best reason for a business to do everything possible to keep their employees aligned with its strategy. And be aware that talent is agile and mobile. It is always looking for fulfillment, growth, and recognition. To retain it, nurture it.
Here’s is a checklist to see if your business strategy is aligned with your people:
- Are you utilizing your employees potential in your organization?
- Do you have long term employees who are excited to work for your organization?
- Are your employees your brand ambassadors?
- Do your employees demonstrate the highest standard of customer service?
- Do your employees work well as a team?
- Do your employees initiative change to improve your organizational performance
- Do you have a high degree of employee satisfaction and commitment?
Aligning people and strategy is by no means an easy and quick job. It required alignment between many functions. To do so a thorough analysis of the organizational strategy, current practices and ideal practices is requires.
People alignment and business strategy are not two distinct elements. They are intricately woven and must work in tandem to succeed. Here are a few areas you need to consider for a successful alignment.
5 things to achieve alignment between people and strategy
Recruitment and Selection
After an organization identifies the talent gap, the first step is recruitment and selection to close that gap. Recruitment starts with identifying the need for a new talent and ends with receiving qualified applications. Once the applications are received the selection process starts to identify the most qualified candidate who will succeed in the role. This process is guided by the organizational strategy.
Rewards and Compensation:
Once the right candidate has been identified, your organization needs to make an offer with the appropriate compensation to attract the candidate. Understanding different dimensions of compensation and adjusting it based on each employee’s needs is an important part of attracting the right talent. Further the compensation should be aligned with organizational strategy to drive the right behavior.
Performance appraisal and feedback
After an employee starts to work in the organization, the need to receive feedback on their performance. Everyone needs that pat on the back and it is critical for an organization to have a process to recognize individuals contribution. Further there are may ways to set goas for employees and hold them accountable to perform. Individual’s performance must be aligned with organizational goals and objectives.
Training and Development
Although most employees have completed the training and education necessary to qualify for a job, learning is an ongoing journey. In early stages the organization must provide job specific training to support the new employees’ performance. There after it is the responsibility of the employee and the organization to establish developmental plan for the employee to acquire skills necessary for the next role. This process is driven by the organizational overall strategy and vision.
Mentoring and empowering
For employees to succeed and thrive they need organizational support. Having a mentor or even a ‘buddy’ provides a sense of security for employees. For the mentors, it is the sense of achievement, fulfillment. For the mentee, it provides reassuring support because they feel that they have someone who can guide them and steer them in the right course. Furthermore, employees need to be empowered to develop the leadership skills necessary to succeed. This program has to support the organization strategy. By having the right guide, right from the start, the new hires get to understand and work with the strategy.
