Tips and tricks for Founders, CEOs, and Entrepreneurs who want to attract and retain rockstars by creating a great place to work
Here are 10 questions for the Talent Management Lead of the Best Workplace Award-winning organization. Creating a great culture or building an efficient company, a well-performing team with a relaxed vibe are fantastic goals. Yet, Talent Management and Organizational Design are often not the priority in the beginning. Let us share some tips and tricks to help anyone build a great workplace.
1. If you were to chop the success in creating one of the Best Workplaces into 5 spheres, what would you list as the main aspects to keep in mind?
- Use of Holacracy (Game-changer)
- Our approach to goals (the hybrid system we have of OKRs and KPIs)
- Being a genuinely people-centric company (just read our People Policies)
- Company culture and values are seen as strategic assets and are at the core of a great workplace
- We always strive to balance structure and flexibility
2. Any great place to work consists of well-designed practices and events that are scaled to the company’s size. Imagine there are just 3 employees; what should they bear in mind? How about 30?
When you are a very small team, communication and collaboration feel fluid, almost “organic.” My most extensive advice here would be to learn how to delegate. Otherwise, growth will not happen. Speaking of which, once you grow, you should consider these even before you get to that 30 headcounts in your great workplace:
- Always look to hire people that are “better than you at doing X, Y, Z.”
- Start defining and implementing processes and the relevant systems/tools to support them.
- Invest in leadership development (time, money, and other resources).
- Become more intentional and consistent when building or maintaining your company culture.
3. You have been doing Talent Management in this company for more than 5 years now. What do you wish you had known 5 years ago?
As a Talent Management leader, I wish I was a tad more open to making mistakes and experiments and fully embracing the whole trial/error journey. TM is not an exact science; it takes time, lots of “exploration,” and a good amount of resilience to create the optimal processes, tools, policies, practices, etc.
4. What is the most common mistake small to medium organizations make on the HR side and miss on being a great place to work?
I have seen this scenario unfold numerous times now in different companies. When closing the first hire for their HR departments, most companies go for a very Operations and Admin-focused profile, and all subsequent HR hires follow the same pattern. Fast forward one year, and those HR departments lack a critical piece of the puzzle – People Strategy. So the longer it takes to realize and change that (by finally hiring a more strategic HR profile), the more companies self-sabotage their growth.
5. What do you think Livit nailed to have achieved so many awards by now?
It was a combination of having the right people and processes in place, tons of focused work and resilience, and perceiving and treating HR as a full-fledged strategic partner (not limiting it to just Operations and Admin). Lastly, and maybe the most important one, is the fact that we are committed to being a “People first” company, and every day we do our best to walk our talk in that sense.
6. Filmmakers say that casting is 50% of the success in movie production. Is Talent Acquisition as crucial for companies?
It most definitely is! I firmly believe that any hire can “make or break” your team. This might sound a tad dramatic and might not be apparent immediately, but I observed quite a few examples where a “bad hire” had a long-lasting negative impact. On the flip side of the coin, I’ve also seen how teams and businesses improved once the right people were hired, and they started to make that positive impact and create value for the company. And eventually, this creates a great place to work.
7. Livit is using various tools for various topics. For TM, what are your three best choices/must-haves, regardless of the company’s size?
Let’s start with implementing an ATS for an organized and seamless recruitment experience on all ends (HR, hiring managers, candidates). Shout out to TeamTailor, as they are our ATS of choice 🙂 Then I would look into implementing an intuitive HRIS where we would store all employee data and documents, manage the onboarding process, etc. Lastly, and maybe most importantly in my eyes, is to adopt an “employee experience platform”. Ideally, such platforms/systems have to have features around performance management and feedback, employee engagement, goals/KPIs, and solid employee analytics. We use the OfficeVibe and Paycore combo, but there are multiple alternatives on the market right now.
8. And how about “events/rituals” in Best Workplaces?
A lot of important events and rituals have to be in place in a company. Here are some examples that any company (regardless of size) can adopt.
Alignment – ensure everyone is on the same page and you are all moving in the right direction. Start by asking people to establish and share weekly priorities (async, in Slack) and check in on how things went during the weekly retrospective. Also, do periodical refreshers on relevant strategies and your mission, involve your team when goal setting and establishing KPIs, etc.
Celebration – celebrate your wins and give recognition where it is due. Start a “high-five” channel in Slack and encourage your team to be active there; share your team’s successes during weekly/monthly retrospectives.
Engagement – have consistent coffee chats and virtual hangouts, and organize team-building exercises (the strategic way). Start having yearly team retreats if you are a remote-first or a hybrid team.
Learning – implement a schedule of workshops that address relevant learning goals/needs; start a “sharing is caring” event series; ensure feedback is readily available for anyone (via consistent 1-on-1s, coaching sessions, etc.).
9. Why have you chosen this job, personally?
From my first glance on Livit’s website back in October 2015, I just loved the sound of Livit’s culture, and I have been rarely disappointed in it since. I was excited to work in a young, dynamic, and entrepreneurial environment, and “the cherry on the top” that made this opportunity perfect was the location of the job – Bali.
Of course, our team and my role evolved quite a lot during the past 6 years. I started as a Senior Talent Management Coordinator, but down the road, my role became centered on “Serving the People” of our company, and this shift was genuinely inspiring and impactful. And now, I am honored and humbled we were named number 3 Best Workplaces in Indonesia in 2022.
10. What would you have to share an inspiring quote with every business owner, founder, and entrepreneur in the world dreaming of creating the Best Workplaces… what would it be?
Regarding companies, “People” is a strategic resource of paramount importance! It should never be overlooked, underestimated, or, God forbid – down-prioritized. Do the exact opposite of these, and you will see that success, growth awards like “best workplace”, and innovation will follow naturally.
