Offer Modular Choices: One Path to Executing the "Workforce of One" Approach to People Management

By: Susan Cantrell and David Y. Smith

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: When it comes to crafting HR practices that are highly relevant and tailored to individuals, organizations can choose one of four different approaches to what talent management experts Susan Cantrell and David Smith call the "workforce of one." But no matter which approach you choose, the goal is the same: work that is sculpted to fit lives instead of lives that are sculpted to fit work. The reward? Lower employee turnover, greater productivity, and improved profit margins. In this chapter, the authors explore the segmentation approach to customizing your HR practices-an approach that breaks down the monolithic concept of a workforce into more granular, meaningful parts and allows you to craft distinctive practices to manage each segment. You can segment your workforce in different ways: by life stage or generation, geography, role or type of work, and value. Some companies are even segmenting according to employees' learning styles, health and well-being, or behaviors and personal values. The chapter explains each one and concludes with practical recommendations for customizing your people management practices through segmentation. This chapter was originally published as Chapter 3 of "Workforce of One: Revolutionizing Talent Management Through Customization."