16 / Avoiding the Dreaded "Treadmill"
9 November 2011
“Working for an organization in Treadmill can feel like it's just that - endlessly pounding on a Treadmill: lots of effort, but a sense that you're going nowhere...”
Les McKeown’s book entitled “Predictable Success” demonstrates the problems a business can face at different stages of its lifespan and outlines the key solutions necessary for change and adaptation.
Specifically, it explores a major pitfall that can happen to every business if not watched carefully and that is the concept of the ‘Treadmill’. After a business has settled into its systems and procedures, there is a danger in lapsing into a sense of security created by relying too heavily on procedures. Creativity levels take a nose dive, as does the businesses sense of purpose, when a too-methodical approach to a work load is implemented. Yes, a checklist can ensure all facets of a task are achieved, however reducing every task to a series of checklists can mean the purpose and meaning of the task is lost. The quality of work and the human approach to a job can be swallowed up by the formalities of constant box-ticking. Your Sales Rep may have made the requisite number of calls per day; however what was the quality like? Did they take the time to form or strengthen a relationship with the client? Did they show they care? At the end of the day, the box was ticked; the KPI met, but was there a beneficial outcome?
This Treadmill drawback will only worsen as new employees join the organisation. The newcomer will be trained in the processes and systems of the business, but not in why things are done a certain way or what the business endeavours to achieve. Consequently there is no knowledge passed on and skills are not honed to perfection; the new employee can get away with fulfilling the minimum requirements of the job without achieving any personal satisfaction for a job well done.
The solution to this problem is not one of dismantling all the systems and procedures put in place. Processes are important to ensure all employees are going about their jobs in the right way so the business can run like a well-oiled machine. The answer, according to McKeown, is to “change the way employees use those systems and processes.” He outlines six major areas where this needs to occur: Hiring, Deployment, Training, Performance Assessment, Mentoring and Ownership & Self-Accountability.
From our perspective as recruiters, we understand the importance of hiring strategically to get the best out of a business and we also know the pitfalls and mistakes a business can make when little thought is put into the hiring process.
Hiring the sort of people who are attracted to an over-systemised, process-driven style of work will only magnify the Treadmill culture in a company. McKeown suggests that instead of hiring from within or hiring externally; hire competitively. He explains that the “hiring from within” mentality only rewards the very practices that instigated the business’ decline into the Treadmill. In other words, if an employee complies with all systems and processes they must be a ‘good’ employee, therefore they deserve a promotion. This is the quickest way for a business to drive itself into the ground through lack of innovation, change and fresh ideas.
The response to this flawed logic is not to simply hire externally as this creates a high turnover of staff, strips the company of its accumulative knowledge and experience and can weaken the company’s culture.
The best way to get a company out of the Treadmill in terms of hiring, is to hire competitively, where internal candidates are welcome to apply but will compete against quality external candidates. The key factor is to hire people who have the skills to comply with systems and processes, but also the active curiosity to ask questions, to rock the boat and to make suggestions for innovation. Existing employees are then driven to think innovatively, proving that they have fresh ideas to bring to the business. The external candidates must demonstrate a grasp of systems and procedures but also the creative energy to bring on change and development.
This is the reason we offer our services as staffing professionals. As an external party of industry professionals, recruiters have a unique advantage of being objective at the same time as being immersed in the company they are recruiting for. Carrera Partners, for example, will examine the needs of their client impartially, analysing the skills and abilities already present in the company as well as what the company lacks. We then immerse ourselves in the culture and business of the company, exploring what qualities suit the company culture. We may discover that there is a lack of innovation; that the company has somewhat stagnated and may need to be reignited by someone who can bring fresh ideas to the agenda. We would then make this recommendation. Alternatively, we may find that the company has too many innovators who jostle for power, creating a chaotic and unstable business progression. We would then recommend hiring more analytical, process drivers.
The business world has varying attitudes towards the recruitment industry. Some businesses find it unnecessary to hire a third party to do their recruitment, preferring to keep the function in-house. Often though, these businesses are doing themselves a disservice, forcing them to enter and stay in the ‘treadmill’. Other companies recognise the value a recruitment agency or talent sourcing professional can add to their business. For recruitment to work, a holistic approach is required, where each assignment is tailored to the client’s specific needs and their current situation in the market. This is why Carrera Partners enjoys success – every placement we make is tailored, strategic and in the best interests of the client.
In an unstable economy, it is imperative that companies do not solely rely on the old traditions or systems that landed the business world in trouble in the first place. Instead, businesses need to think differently and get creative in an ever-changing market. For a business to get out of the Treadmill pitfall, a balance must be struck between processes and innovation. There are a number of areas that need to be examined but one crucial way of avoiding the Treadmill is to hire competitively, and the best way to do this is to engage a professional service.
What are your thoughts? Send your comments to melbourne@carrerapartners.com.au.
