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Applying a human-centric approach to redesign our leave processes

Challenge & Selection

In my role as HR Expert working for a multinational company I`m responsible for creating policies and  designing end-to-end processes mainly for company benefits. As a helpful tool and approach in the  area of Visualization, the team and myself have started to use empathy mapping in addition to our  classical process design. In specific we have applied this approach most recently when re-designing  our leave processes, especially around elderly care. Our last employee survey showed that our  employees had rated the satisfaction on how we handle this process relatively low. In the past we as  an expert team had focused a lot on getting the needed transactions and process steps right but had  not put the emotions we need and want to create into the focus. Empathy mapping should provide  us exactly with these kinds of insights and point out our improvement areas.

Application

We determined and invited key stakeholder to an off-site design thinking workshop, including  employees who needed in the past to apply for leave to take care of their parents and spouse. We  started to draw up swimlanes on a large flipchart paper wall, each swimlane reflecting a specific role  that is involved in the process of applying for elderly care. In addition, we created one swimlane at  the very top labeled “emotions” to reflect after each process step what kind of feeling we are aiming  to create for our employees. While this in principle seems like a very simple addition towards the  classical process design methodology, it completely changed the mindset of all participants. The  focus from looking at each process step very rationally, shifted towards considering the emotions an  employee might have in such a stressful time. Having direct insights from employees who had to take  care of their parents due to severe illnesses helped us understand on where our current approach is  lacking. Whilst we had a process that made sure to get all the paperwork right, having all necessary  parties and/or authorities informed etc., we did not give the employees the feeling of full support  and understanding in such a challenging period. We learned that employees had concerns on how  having to take extra days of for elderly care might by perceived by their managers and team  members, fearing that this could impact their performance rating or project assignments. By  visualizing each process step and a corresponding feeling that we want to create (e.g. belonging,  taking care, understanding) we managed to re-design a process which included and also excluded  steps we had not thought of before (e.g. getting rid of very formal sounding automatically generated  emails asking for urgent submittance of documents, adding personal check-in communications by  managers and HR business partner).

Insight & Approach

Visualizing the corresponding emotions to each process step truly helped us to shift our discussions  away from a mere transactional focus towards a human-centric approach. We learned that a  generous and thoughtful policy alone can not bring our good intentions to support our employees in  stressful times to live. It is not enough to provide extra paid time off. To generate a truly positive  employee experience and journey it is essential to reflect on the emotional side. We as a team will  certainly continue to apply empathy mapping and visualization in future for our process design. The  only critical aspect to mention is, that not all colleagues are yet ready to fully buy in. A lot of people  still think of the human-centric approach as a nice-to-have. There is a mindset shift needed and some  colleagues might be on different stages of the change curve. With leading by example and also by  sharing hard facts (e.g. improved employee surveys results), I`m confident that this approach will  become a standard in the near future and I can encourage everyone to try it out themselves.


RESTRICTED Applying a human - centric approach to redesign our leave processes Challenge & Selection In my role as HR Expert working for a multinational company I`m responsible for creating policies and designing end - to - end processes mainly for company benefits . As a helpful tool and approach in the area of Visualization , the team and myself have started to use empathy mapping in addition to our classical process design . In specific we have applied this approach most recently when re - designing our leave processes , especially around elderly care . Our last employee survey showed that our employees had rated the satisfaction on how we handle this process relatively low . In the past we as an expert team had focused a lot on getting the needed transactions and process steps right but had not put the emotions we need and want to create into the focus . Empathy mapping should provide us exactly with these kinds of insights and point out our improvement areas . Application We determined and invited key stakeholder to an off - site design thinking workshop , including employees who needed in the past to apply for leave to take care of their parents and spouse . We started to draw up swimlanes on a large flipchart paper wall , each swimlane reflecting a specific role that is involved in the process of applying for elderly care . In addition , we created one swimlane at the very top labeled “ emotions ” to reflect after each process step what kind of feeling we are aiming to create for our employees . While this in principle seems like a very simple addition towards the classical process design methodology , it completely changed the mindset of all participants . The focus from looking at each process step very rationally , shifted towards considering the emotions an employee might have in such a stressful time . Having direct insights from employees who had to take care of their parents due to severe illnesses helped us understand on where our current approach is lacking . Whilst we had a process that made sure to get all the paperwork right , having all necessary parties and/or authorities informed etc . , we did not give the employees the feeling of full support and understanding in such a challenging period . We learned that employees had concerns on how having to take extra days of for elderly care might by perceived by their managers and team members , fearing that this could impact their performance rating or project assignments . By visualizing each process step and a corresponding feeling that we want to create ( e.g. belonging , taking care , understanding ) we managed to re - design a process which included and also excluded steps we had not thought of before ( e.g. getting rid of very formal sounding automatically generated emails asking for urgent submittance of documents , adding personal check - in communications by managers and HR business partner ) . Insight & Approach Visualizing the corresponding emotions to each process step truly helped us to shift our discussions away from a mere transactional focus towards a human - centric approach . We learned that a generous and thoughtful policy alone can not bring our good intentions to support our employees in stressful times to live . It is not enough to provide extra paid time off . To generate a truly positive employee experience and journey it is essential to reflect on the emotional side . We as a team will certainly continue to apply empathy mapping and visualization in future for our process design . The only critical aspect to mention is , that not all colleagues are yet ready to fully buy in . A lot of people still think of the human - centric approach as a nice - to - have . There is a mindset shift needed and some colleagues might be on different stages of the change curve . With leading by example and also by sharing hard facts ( e.g. improved employee surveys results ) , I`m confident that this approach will become a standard in the near future and I can encourage everyone to try it out themselves .