A value-driven workforce is a place where organisations, employers and employees set goals for their business and live the values they preach. Simply put, it is a workforce that is treated and recognised as the most important asset of the organisation. Manpower and different individuals come together to form that workforce and they are appreciated as value drivers. They are like assets, just like any other investment in the organisation and are capable of driving heavy returns for the organisation. In a value driven workforce, there is an alignment between employees’ personal values and the organisation’s values which creates a unified and motivated workforce.
Being value-driven cut across progress, outcomes of the organisation’s performance, businesses, relationships with different stakeholders, investors, regulators, societies and everyone that has a stake in the organisation. The values and the way they are expressed are unique to organisations. So, it is important to ensure that the organisation is valued because that comes with responsibilities and having a solid stable system; an individual can aspire to see the organisation with a pictorial mindset and ensure it performs well. The questions in the minds of employees should be; how can we add value? How do we create value? How do we ensure that we make an impact that is sustainable? It is really more of identifying and taking note of individuals whose talents can add value and are willing to go the extra miles to provide that value to the organisation. As an employer, identify the right talents, deal with the right persons that need to drive that value into the organisation or bring out good results. As an employee, identify with the goals of the organisation, understand why you are there, identify the values that you can bring in and go the extra miles to make it happen. Just having that entrepreneurial spirit, making sure you are owning the space in that business, you are doing what is expected of you and adding great value altogether.
Organisations that make profit at the expense of the value they give to their customers only do a disservice to the customers and to the stakeholders at large. The shift in the narrative should be more on value maximization rather than profit maximization because value is needed first before profit. Value is very central to the organisation but it is the responsibility of individual employees and employers to provide and add value to the business. Businesses stay alive by generating enough revenue to cover expenses and operating costs. Business owners strive to gain profits beyond breaking even and the profit provides financial security to them which returns back into the business in order to grow the business, increase the number of employees and expand the business. Eventually, when companies or organisations or establishments make profit, they finally make the masses and everyone happy with the profit margin made over the years. The value really tests the big clime.
The truth is that organisations can continue to maintain value even after gaining so much profit over the years by emphasizing on value maximization against profit maximization because this is very crucial in running a business otherwise such business would start experiencing high attrition rate of both customers and workers. It is important to note that people are the heart of the business and so, they are the most important asset that should be checked at all times in terms of how to retain them, identifying the training that is suitable for them, keeping them happy, keeping the environment conducive enough for them to be able to bring up more values and more ideas that will keep the business running effectively and efficiently. And as talents or professionals, you are being paid to provide the value which you have within you which will translate to products and services that will translate to profit in the organisation. So, there is need to have a formidable ecosystem that will ensure excited delivery to maintain and sustain those values.
For organisations that want to remain relevant in order to keep their sustenance going, value is tangible but difficult to measure. It is not a good approach to place figure or percentage around profit or value rather the emphasis should be on when you are changing the total capital that is capable of producing that value which should be identified as an organisation. It is not about efficiency ratio, but about creating value and sustaining it in order to have profit.
Looking at the business environment in Nigeria, maintaining value is not easy. The challenge is usually on how to remarket the same products and make it more valuable to the customers and consumers. In this case, feedback is fundamental. Continue to gather feedbacks, communicate constantly to the customers and consumers and also get feedback from them as well.
The role of Human Resource (HR) professionals is central to building a value-driven workforce by identifying the right talents, focusing on the vision of the organisation, keeping eyes on how the workforce is doing in terms of individual performance activity input, encouraging the workforce, coaching them and making sure they have a good reward system.
To remain relevant as an employee, constantly develop your skills, be more creative and efficient in your deliverables. Work with the end in mind and be ready to learn, unlearn and relearn. Invest in yourself, have the passion for change and make sure you add value wherever you are.
“This thought leadership piece is culled from the CIPM radio programme, ‘The Office.’ The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the Guests and do not represent the views of CIPM.”
