Recognizing the "other" work
The Problem
A rapidly expanding professional services company faced the challenge of effectively recognizing and managing tasks performed by employees outside their formal job descriptions, known as "community activities." This dilemma is common among fast-growing companies that may not be ready to formally allocate resources to these roles or are uncertain about which functions require formal staffing. These community activities, encompassing social events, diversity groups, learning and development initiatives, etc., play a crucial role in driving organizational performance and growth while maintaining a unique corporate culture. Employees expressed resentment for taking on additional responsibilities without formal recognition, and the lack of accountability for non-participation further contributed to dissatisfaction. Additionally, communication about these opportunities was primarily word of mouth, making it challenging for employees to meaningfully contribute on a broader scale.
The Impact
Within the first six months of the rollout, 85% of community activities were successfully transitioned onto the platform, with 70% of the employee base participating in the training. Following the year-end, 90% of community activities were managed through the platform, and 60% of employees successfully used the system to request and receive reviews for their community activities. New hires praised the system as a "cool and innovative way" to organize such activities. The reporting functionality enabled the company to identify areas of low or no engagement, leading to a deeper exploration of the root causes. Fifteen percent of community activities were identified as requiring professional skills and additional headcount. Positions in marketing, events planning, and employee relations were subsequently identified, posted, and filled, addressing critical gaps in expertise and resources.
The Solution
Allume Talent was engaged to holistically look at these problems and come up with a few potential solutions. We began by interviewing leadership to decide what about this programme should stay intact and what needed to change. It was determined that a new system was needed to enhance transparency, organize opportunities, and identify appropriate owners for community activities. Over a six-month project, Allume Talent collected, ranked, and tagged various activities, distinguishing between strategic and non-strategic initiatives. Job descriptions and skill profiles were developed to determine the ideal owners for each activity. In collaboration with the internal IT team, we created a custom repository to collect and manage these activities, assigning ownership, measuring activity against goals, and incorporating performance management metrics. The new processes and system were launched six months before the end of the performance year. Allume Talent worked with the company's L&D team to identify learning personas and deliver tailored training. We also established expectations, linked goal-setting to support these expectations, and provided guidance on measuring and evaluating community activities.
