In

project management,

there is no magic rule to guide you. Every team is different because it is made up of people, all of whom are unique. And every project, although it may have common roots, ends up developing in a different way. Today we analyze two healthy

trends that have penetrated the business world and relate them to

project management

to see what they can contribute and how they improve the pulse of any high-performance team.

 

Back in Palo Alto…

A few years ago (not too many), the news broke that the world’s leading companies, based in Palo Alto and with a technological bias, had invested heavily in facilities for employees in their offices. Pool tables, foosball tables, slides, common areas for relaxation, and video game rooms were some of the improvements or extras that became most popular in the common ideology. After a period in which some start-ups and agencies tried to emulate this example, opinions changed and it was common to find threads on LinkedIn with conflicting views about the appropriateness of investing in this type of strategy for employees. Some said it was better to invest in salaries, others in time, but the question is: to what extent did these facilities play an important role in
project and team management? To what extent have they been crucial to the incredible growth of these companies?

 

The 10 keys to Silicon Valley

In 2015, a group of senior Catalan executives traveled to Silicon Valley, invited by FemCat. Every two years, this association has visited some of the most dynamic areas of the planet with the aim of incorporating ideas that can be transferred to their business or socioeconomic environment.

Group of coworkers at an office brainstorming and presentation

From that immersion trip to the world’s top tech businesses, they brought back a decalogue with the ten key principles of their way of doing business and understanding it. What caught our attention in this decalogue was that innovation and creativity are basic ingredients of the reality of the valley, and companies encourage them. Google, for example, allows its employees to devote 20% of their project management time to collaborating in areas unrelated to the department in which they work. The reality is that it has been proven that in order for creativity to come to us, we need a certain amount of freedom of movement. It is precisely when we stop thinking about the problem that we find the solution. Almost always while we are doing something else. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to think that having different spaces, being able to take a nap after lunch in a comfortable place, working in other areas, or being able to relax the team after a lot of stress in the office facilities, fosters an environment more conducive to good ideas, more refined projects, and a healthy touch in the mind and body of the staff.

 

The WELL certificate

The WELL certificate is awarded to offices that have been designed and developed with the well-being and health of their employees in mind. In the same way that LEED or BREEAM seals recognize sustainable and efficient buildings, the WELL certificate aims to
promote healthy spaces
designed for companies. To this end, The International Well Building Institute—the body that awards the certification—evaluates hundreds of parameters classified into seven categories. In 2017, the sixth floor of the CBRE Madrid office received WELL GOLD certification, becoming the first office in Spain and the second in Europe to achieve this under the New and Existing Interiors category.

The empty room with plant near the wall

This is the result of data collected from a survey of its employees:

The data speaks for itself. 100% believe that this new workspace generates business. Their productivity has increased by 80% and they have the flexibility to work in open and group environments or in intimate and individual settings. This new way of working is known as Agile working and is revealing its great potential to maximize team results. Is it possible that investing in this intangible asset has made these positive results possible? We believe so.

 

Healthy project management

We refuse to believe that
project management
in this type of company is not influenced by the constant possibility of changing spaces and the certainty that you are part of a company that believes in its employees. Healthy

trends applied to the business world have long since demonstrated the incredible influence and benefits they bring to teams. It is not a passing fad or a simple whim to put slides in offices. It is about having a positive impact on the daily lives of your employees by providing open, intimate spaces with different uses. It is about promoting a healthy, inspiring lifestyle that is conducive to doing great work. A good way to start applying these new methodologies is to have

fresh fruit in the office. This has recently become a must for companies focused on attracting and retaining talent. Undoubtedly, there are already many companies that have put this strategy at the forefront of their agendas, and we hope that, over time, it will become the norm in the business world.

The business world is changing. And talent management is becoming a priority for leading companies in every sector. The trend toward change in the world of work continues unabated, to the point that what was once known as the Human Resources Department is now simply called People. Because people, each member of the team, are a company’s most valuable intangible asset, don’t you think?

 

Changes in the perception of talent

Until not long ago, the unwritten laws of big business set clear objectives regarding the obligations and rights of each party to the contract (employer-employee). Very few companies took into account all aspects related to quality of life in the office, flexible working hours, work-life balance policies, or continuing education, among other noteworthy aspects.
But that reality has changed in recent years thanks, among other things, to the possibility of working remotely, the entry into the world of work of a new generation with different priorities, and the growing need to provide new incentives to employees in a world where employment is no longer for life.

 

More competitive companies

New trends in talent management have gained momentum since the 1990s, when some companies realized that it takes employees around 24 months to reach their full potential and around 18 months to absorb the culture of the company they work for.
Therefore, retaining talent to form cohesive teams aligned with the corporate culture has become one of the most useful strategies for positioning elite and highly competitive companies.

Meeting of coworkers and planning next steps of work

Trends in talent management

In 2018, 41% of CEOs expected their company to change significantly over the next three years, according to a study by the consulting firm KPMG. In this context, talent management, through a clear employer branding strategy, is fundamental to any business agenda.
The well-known digital transformation must be accompanied by a true transformation in the internal culture of organizations. This ranges from recruiting marketing actions to offer the most attractive image possible to candidates to designing the best employee experience.
As we have already pointed out, it is important to bear in mind that the millennial generation is entering the world of work with new demands. They seek flexibility, added value, and to feel inspired by the company’s philosophy. These demands were unthinkable until recently in most companies, large or small.

 

Specific actions to become a top employer

Hand writing Teamwork Makes The Dream Work with white chalk on a blackboard.

Onboarding: Starting a new job is a crucial moment for both parties. Therefore, onboarding protocols for new employees (the process of welcoming and integrating them into the team) are clearly the first item on the list of actions to retain talent.

Gamification; Or group dynamics through play is one of the most creative areas where talent managers can develop their strategies.

Events; Focused on team building or team cohesion through challenges or group activities.

Performance management; A series of very useful tools for understanding the day-to-day work of the team in detail, through questionnaires where each team member can rate their colleagues.

Always having fresh fruit in the office; a trend that is gaining momentum and implies a corporate philosophy of caring for the well-being and quality of life of employees. As fruit experts, we can help you make a positive impact through our solutions for fruit consumption in your office or workplace. Without a doubt, it will be something that can help you retain talent in your company ;)

#fruit #talent #companies #people #humanresources #teams #management