I know you can name them. I know you can recite their titles. I know you’ve got a general idea of whether they’re a superstar or a headache. But that’s not really what I’m asking — I want to know if you actually get them.
In this era of employment, workers have all the power. Employees can walk away from gigs that disappoint and find a job that truly thrills them. You want to be that thrilling employer. That’s a tall order because thrilling requires more than a good salary, a choice benefits package and the requisite perks of modern employment.
You’ve got to wow. And to wow your workers, you’ve got to really get them.
Knowledge vs. knowing
Think of your team. Sally, she’s from New Mexico and has a degree in engineering from some university in Texas. And Dominic hails from Alaska and started his career in the military, though you forget which branch. Hugo is an interesting character — he spent the first 10 years of his work life abroad in Europe, if you remember correctly, but came here to… what was it exactly?
You can know a few facts about your workers to show that you paid a little attention during their interview and first-day-at-the-company lunch. But none of this information will help you discover who your workers are, why they show up to work and what type of person they want to become.
Take Sally, for instance: She is the first woman in her family to earn a degree in the STEM field, which is why she’s so proud that she attended Texas Tech. She’s got her eyes on a promotion to lead engineer to show her 10-year-old daughter what’s possible. She needs some additional training to get her ready, but the opportunity would only motivate her more.
What could you discover about Dominic and Hugo that would uncover their motivation and ambition?
Dig deeper
Employees’ stories will help you discover so much about what makes them tick. But their background may not give you all the information you need to help them succeed.
Behavior data will help decode human stories and reveal the path forward. You may want to help Sally work toward her promotion, but you need to know the strengths that will help her get there and the weaknesses that may hold her back.
Behavior data will provide the roadmap to Sally’s promotion. Sally scores high in learning — she’s ready to take on any challenge so long as she has the information she needs. She scores low in sociability, however, which explains why she wants a promotion that demands more technical skills over leadership capabilities.
Connect the dots
Current research is reporting that workers are facing a deep sense of loneliness as the pandemic drags on and remote work, hampered social gatherings and short-term quarantines continue. Workers crave connection — don’t be afraid to give it to them. As you learn about them, pair your growing knowledge with the hard data that will help you understand how they are wired to learn and grow.
To find out how PeopleBest can unlock the potential of your team, book a demo and set up a time to chat with one of our specialists.
PeopleBest is a revolutionary, simple and powerful way to capture the exact ‘DNA of success’ inside people, teams and companies
