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The business world is experiencing a seismic shift as companies realize that prioritizing people over profit isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business.
This people-first approach is reshaping communities, driving innovation, and boosting bottom lines in unexpected ways. Let’s take a tour through five practical strategies that forward-thinking businesses are using to put people at the heart of their operations.
1. Building Trust Through Open Communication
In the age of information, secrecy is out and transparency is in. Companies are finding that open, honest communication builds trust, increases employee engagement and leads to better decision-making at all levels.
Buffer, a social media management platform, takes transparency to the extreme by publishing all employee salaries online. While this level of openness might not be feasible for all companies, increasing transparency in areas like decision-making processes, company performance, and career progression can have significant benefits.
Furthermore, transparent leadership creates a culture of trust and inclusive workplaces where employees feel valued and understood.
2. Taking Performance Metrics Beyond the Balance Sheet
Traditional business models often fixate on financial metrics, but progressive companies are expanding their definition of success. They’re incorporating human-centric KPIs that measure employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and personal growth.
For instance, Patagonia, the outdoor clothing giant, evaluates its success not just by sales figures, but by the positive impact it has on its employees and the environment. The company offers on-site childcare, encourages employees to take surf breaks, and even bails out workers arrested for peaceful environmental protests.
This approach isn’t just feel-good fluff. Happy employees are productive employees, and companies that prioritize employee well-being are indirectly boosting their bottom line.
3. Trusting Employees to Manage Their Time
The 9-to-5 grind is becoming a relic of the past. Companies are increasingly offering flexible work arrangements, recognizing that employees have lives outside the office and that different people have different peak productivity hours.
Take Microsoft Japan’s bold experiment with a 4-day workweek. The result? Productivity jumped by 40%. This isn’t an isolated case. A study by IWG found that 85% of businesses reported increased productivity after introducing flexible working policies.
4. Investing in Personal Growth
Forward-thinking companies are moving beyond job-specific training to invest in their employees’ overall personal growth. This approach recognizes that employees are whole people with diverse interests and potential, not just cogs in a machine.
Google, for example, has a “20% time” policy, allowing its employees to spend one day a week on side projects. This has led to innovations like Gmail and AdSense, proving how valuable such a policy can be. While not every company can offer such extensive programs, even smaller initiatives can have a big impact.
Investing in personal growth doesn’t just benefit employees — it creates a more skilled, versatile workforce that can adapt to changing business needs. It’s a long-term strategy that prioritizes people while setting the stage for future innovation and success.
5. Aligning Business Goals with Social Good
Contrary to popular belief, profit and purpose aren’t mutually exclusive. Companies that align their operations with broader social or environmental goals inspire their employees while unlocking new growth opportunities.
Purpose-driven companies aren’t just feel-good stories. They’re often financial powerhouses. A study by Deloitte found that purpose-driven companies enjoy higher market share gains and grow three times faster on average than their competitors.
Putting People Over Profit
In this new era of business, putting people first isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do. By applying these strategies, companies can build a more engaged, productive workforce while driving innovation and long-term success.
