Leading Edge #5: The Right Fit: keeping staff engaged at the workplace
Employers look for the best fit when recruiting for their organisation: they look for someone who will fit to their core values and culture. But fit isn’t static, even though neither company nor individual probably think about it again.
In the podcast, Karen Jansen, Professor of Leadership and Change, explores the four different ‘fits’ (trader, striver, team player, caretaker) in the workplace and how fit changes over time, impacting whether people stay with an organisation.
Which companies get it? What do you do about the misfits?
Karen’s predictions for 2030
“I would like to think we will be working fewer hours or fewer days and having much better work life balance:
- Have to rethink the work week
- Allow technology to transform our work lives and free up more time
- Importance of choice to work longer if you wish, not legislation
- Henley research showing 4-day week more productive, impacts retention”
She later added: “Regarding the predictions for 2030 – the COVID-19 crisis has certainly increased our ability and capability for working from home and managing our time differently, which will influence how we organise and work in the future. Compared to when I recorded this prediction, we are even more poised to reconstruct the work week and work place than ever before.”
“It’s not necessarily just about retention. It’s about making sure that when you’re employing somebody, you’re getting the most out of them.” – Karen Jansen
About the host
Thomas Mason is a BBC reporter with a specialist interest in tech, business and politics. Thomas has a background as a project manager and marketing consultant, and also writes leadership and management articles for LinkedIn Influencers.
Follow the Leading Edge podcast series
This recording was made between 28.02.20 and 05.03.20.
