December 3, 2020
December 3, 2020
The One Thing You Must Be To Thrive
While the future of work is an ever-changing reality, the last six months have felt more like we’ve all been dumped in a time machine. What seemed like the distant future of work has suddenly become our current landscape. Remote work is completely normalized. The cloud is just an everyday aspect of accessing and sharing files. The list goes on. However, all these changes only bring into focus the value of one of my favorite topics- career fluidity. Because with these changes in the landscape, we have not been able to stay constant. It has required us to read our situations and stay malleable as well. Jordan Birnbaum, VP and Chief Behavioral Economist at ADP, ended up being the perfect source for this conversation. With his finger on the pulse of so many of these changes, he was at the ready to talk me through what he was seeing all throughout the workplace.
Fluidity in the Interview
We have all seen those jobs that require a certain number of years’ experience along with a college or even master’s degree... just to land an entry level position. Well recently, those job descriptions have come under scrutiny and are receiving an increasing amount of pushback. When I asked for him for insights on this trend, Birnbaum responded that it is most likely unintentional bias and stereotyping based on limitations of the human brain. “People have an image in their brains of what the right candidate ‘looks’ like, and they rely on that image to minimize the amount of mental energy they have to expend when evaluating candidates. In the knowledge economy, right or wrong, that image usually involves a college or graduate degree.” For so many jobs, it’s power skills that are key. Of course, this is one hundred percent true not across the board. Attorneys need to pass the bar of the state that they are living in, and I personally wouldn't want to be attended to by a doctor who dropped out of med school. Still, there is a public calling for employers to re-examine expectations. As Birnbaum said, “There is a growing realization that diversity, humanity, and understanding can, in some cases, offer more than a diploma would.”
Fluidity in Expertise
Just because a degree should not always be the deciding factor, that is not an excuse to stop learning. Birnbaum strongly encourages businesses to provide all employees with the opportunity to learn and grow, both because it has become abundantly clear that it is not enough to know just your own niche, and because learning drives engagement, which in turn supports performance. As an example, Birnbaum speaks of the importance for HR practitioners to gain greater familiarity with behavioral economics and applied psychology. “Ultimately, a large majority of what an HR practitioner actually does is about influence, and without behavioral economics and psychology, you’re not using all the tools that can help you get to your desired outcome. It’s important that we have the practical knowledge of how best to do a performance review, for example, but it is equally important that we influence the manager to follow that path.” He said, “You can find examples like that for virtually every job. So lifelong learning is always a good idea.”
Fluidity in the Office
And the depth and breadth of each employee’s knowledge is being put to the test in the face of COVID-19. Positions and departments are being shifted faster than ever before as businesses try to accommodate new guidelines and new demands. Birnbaum told me that at ADP there weren’t enough external HR staff to handle the influx of calls regarding the COVID-19 shutdown. Initially management resisted internal HR assistance because they lacked the training on necessary subjects like legislation. However, it was internal HR staff members who ended up being most effective. This is because they understood customer service. One situation involved a client who was really struggling at the beginning of the shutdown. The client was working remotely, while trying to educate her kids at home, and couldn’t understand the new loan process. To put it simply, it was a mess. What she needed more than quick solutions was to be seen as a person and not just a problem to solve. Yes, it took longer for the internal HR employee to find the answers, and they ended up spending an hour on the phone together. But in the end, not only did that customer get the information she needed, but she also felt valued and supported. She got what she really needed: individualized customer service. Remember, as your position might be shifting at work, lean into those skills that you do have while you are mastering the new ones and know that growth is good.
With all the changes we are constantly experiencing, it is necessary for employees to leverage what they do know, learn all the new content/skills that they can (hello certifications!), and tap into the power skills to fill the gaps.
Now is the time to use this period of fluctuation as a time of progress, a time to grow in fluidity. Businesses can consider the difference between true qualifications and previously held expectations. Employees can learn new skills and dabble in new fields. It is not the time to hide in our niche. By being fluid we can all grow together. Yes, there are definitely ways in which things are scary and confusing, but perhaps some of that discomfort will end up being growing pains for you, your company, and your community.