Forbes has named Green Key Resources among their lists of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms, and America’s Best Temp Staffing Firms in 2023.
To determine the best staffing and recruiting firms, Forbes partnered with Statista, a market research company, to survey over 5,200 external recruiters, hiring managers, and job seekers.
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Productivity is about systems, not people, says the Harvard Business Review.
Sure, there are hacks and techniques each of us can use to filter out the noise, but in the end, writes Daniel Markovitz, “The most effective antidote to low productivity and inefficiency must be implemented at the system level, not the individual level.”
“94% of most problems and possibilities for improvement belong to the system, not the individual,” he says, citing the case made by W. Edwards Deming in his book Out of the Crisis. “I would argue that most productivity improvements belong there as well.”
This is a particularly telling point for human resources professionals who are often tasked with providing training on time management. Markovitz says there’s nothing wrong with teaching techniques like Pomodoro, Inbox Zero or one of the many others. What’s necessary is to also address system inefficiencies.
That’s where he focuses his article, offering what he calls “four countermeasures.”
Whether you call them stand-ups, check-ins or huddles, Markovitz shows us how to use these meetings to avoid the inefficiency of “scattershot emails about a variety of problems.” Instead of kicking problems up the hierarchy, address problems at the lowest possible level. Problems that can’t be resolved at the staff huddle are the ones, and the only ones, to escalate to the next level huddle.
Because so much of office work is done by individuals working alone, it becomes invisible. Implementing a physical or virtual task board where every task is represented along with who is handling it not only makes a more equitable distribution of work, it also eliminates status check emails and the need to cover that topic in meetings.
Markovitz suggests making downtime equally as visible. Instituting “predictable time off” allows workers to know when someone is unavailable and react accordingly.
Pointing out that Batman knew flashing the symbol of a bat in the sky meant a crisis, Markovitz suggests companies adopt something similar to indicate when an issue is a real emergency.
“With no agreement on what communication channel to use, workers are forced to check all digital messaging platforms to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. That’s toxic to productivity. Companies can make work easier for people if they specified channels for urgent and non-urgent issues.”
“If an employee is responsible for an outcome, they should have the authority to make the necessary decisions without being forced into an endless string of emails, meetings, or presentations,” writes Markovitz.
“The pursuit of individual productivity is healthy and worthwhile,” he agrees, though the value is limited because of all the pulls and tugs by others.
“To make a real impact on performance, you have to work at the system level.”
Photo by Carl Heyerdahl | Image by Gerd Altmann
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As the end of the first quarter draws near, employees across the board are gearing up for their quarterly performance reviews. Quarterly reviews offer a valuable opportunity for both employees and managers to reflect on accomplishments, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for the upcoming quarter. In this article, we’ll explore the purpose of quarterly reviews and the benefits of quarterly reviews.
The Purpose of Quarterly Reviews
According to YourLeadershipEvolution.com, “A quarterly performance review aims to examine individuals, their goals, skills, and performance to inspire development and improvement in their work. Without the review of self, workers can become stagnant and fail to aim for higher things. To develop leaders, as all leaders should be trying to do, it is essential to review performance regularly.”
Benefits of Quarterly Reviews
Indeed notes, “Quarterly reviews might seem like a lot of work, especially if you’re used to annual reviews, but they can benefit you and your employees in many ways.” They went further to list a few benefits of quarterly reviews. See below for a few of the mentioned benefits:
“Better Recall: It’s sometimes difficult to remember what you did last week, so trying to think back to how your employees performed last year can be challenging. Also, a recent success or struggle can overshadow everything else the employee did in the last year since that’s the most current and memorable event…”
“Faster correction: If an employee’s performance isn’t adequate, waiting a year to address it can make the situation worse. Quarterly reviews make it easier to catch and address the issue quickly.”
“Frequent check-ins on issues: Once you identify an issue, quarterly reviews let you touch base on improvements regularly. You can verify that the employee is following the plan you create to correct the issue and make adjustments if necessary.”
“Improved goal-setting: Setting goals is an effective way to help your employees improve their performance. With quarterly reviews, you can check in on goal progress, adjust goals and set new goals more effectively.”
“Decreased compensation focus: Annual reviews are often tied to raises, which can be distracting for employees. They care more about whether they’re getting a raise and how much they’re getting than what you think of their performance. Quarterly reviews focus more on performance and regular improvement than on compensation.”
“Relaxed and informal: One major annual review can make employees nervous. They’re often one-sided and formal. Quarterly reviews take more of a check-in approach with two-way conversations. The more relaxed vibe of a quarterly review might help employees be more open.”
Quarterly reviews serve as essential checkpoints in the professional journey, providing employees and employers alike with a structured opportunity to reflect, assess, and plan for the future. Embracing this process with enthusiasm and dedication not only empowers individuals to reach their full potential but also drives organizational success in the long run.
