5.1 Work Systems

Purpose

This Item examines your organization’s systems for work and jobs, compensation, career progression, employee performance management, recognition, communication, and hiring, with the aim of enabling and encouraging all employees to contribute effectively and to the best of their ability. These systems are intended to foster high performance, to result in individual and organizational learning, and to enable adaptation to change, contributing to organizational sustainability.

 

Comments

- High-performance work is characterized by flexibility, innovation, knowledge and skill sharing, alignment with organizational objectives, customer focus, and rapid response to changing business needs and requirements of the marketplace. The focus of this Item is on a workforce capable of achieving high performance. In addition to enabled employees and proper work system design, high-performance work requires ongoing education and training, as well as information systems that ensure proper information flow.

- Work and job factors for your consideration include simplification of job classifications, cross-training, job rotation, use of teams (including self-directed teams), and changes in work layout and location. Also important is effective communication across functions and work units to ensure a focus on customer requirements and to ensure an environment of trust, knowledge sharing, and mutual respect.

- Compensation and recognition systems should be matched to your work systems. To be effective, compensation and recognition might be tied to demonstrated skills and to peer evaluations.

- Compensation and recognition approaches also might include profit sharing, rewarding exemplary team or unit performance and linkage to customer satisfaction and loyalty measures, achievement of organizational strategic objectives, or other business objectives.

- The requirements of high-performance work, coupled with the challenges of labor markets, necessitate attention to succession planning and hiring profiles. This should include and capitalize on diversity factors. Employee hiring and career progression planning should consider both internal and external candidates with a focus on the future sustainability and growth of the organization.