We asked thought leaders the following questions: What is one of the most effective HR strategies your company has implemented to create a positive and productive workplace? How do you measure the impact on employee satisfaction and overall performance, and what verifiable data supports its success?

Here’s how they responded.

Foster a Culture of Continuous Feedback

One of the most effective HR strategies I advocate for is fostering a culture of continuous feedback within organizations. This approach empowers employees by encouraging open dialogue, creating a space where they feel heard, valued, and supported. Real-time feedback—whether upward, downward, or peer-to-peer—helps organizations address gaps early and celebrate successes, nurturing both engagement and growth.

The impact of this strategy is measurable through employee satisfaction surveys, specifically assessing areas such as psychological safety, overall engagement, and workplace happiness. Organizations that embrace continuous feedback often report significant improvements in these areas, alongside increased productivity.

Ekta Capoor, Director, Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief, Amazing Workplaces

Implement Ownership-Accountability System

One of the most effective HR strategies I implemented is a system we call Ownership-Accountability. It gives employees direct ownership of projects and measurable outcomes, allowing them to feel empowered and responsible for their work. This approach fosters trust and autonomy, which leads to higher engagement and job satisfaction.

To measure the impact, we track employee satisfaction through regular anonymous surveys, focusing on questions related to their sense of ownership, autonomy, and overall job happiness. Performance is gauged by productivity metrics like project-completion rates, deadlines met, and error reduction. We also look at retention rates and cross-check these with individual performance reviews.

In one of my past ventures, implementing this strategy led to an increase in employee retention over a two-year period and a boost in overall productivity, as evidenced by our internal tracking software and annual HR reports. These numbers speak to the success of creating a workplace where employees feel valued and responsible for their outcomes.

Ronald Osborne, Founder, Ronald Osborne Business Coach

Train Managers for Flexible Work Arrangements

One of our most successful strategies was training managers to work with flexible and remote work arrangements. That way, we were able to provide our employees with more independence around how they worked and created an environment that supported that independence.

We measure our employee satisfaction in a few ways, including periodic surveys. However, the most effective metric is probably our retention rate. After changing our management style, turnover decreased rapidly, which showed the success of our HR improvements and encouraged us to continue.

David Holman, CMO, Textun

Launch Employee Engagement-and-Well-being Program

One of the most effective HR strategies we implemented was a comprehensive Employee Engagement-and-Well-Being Program that emphasized inclusivity, communication, and development. This program included regular pulse surveys, leadership check-ins, and personalized career plans, which collectively boosted engagement by 20%, improved retention by 15%, and increased productivity by 10% over the year. 

Furthermore, absenteeism decreased by 12%, and employee referrals doubled, indicating higher levels of satisfaction and advocacy among staff. Verifiable data from our HR analytics confirmed these positive outcomes, establishing the program as a cornerstone of our success.

Arul Savio Pinto, Executive Director

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About Humane HR Perspectives

Our round-up series “Humane HR Perspectives” examines the fundamentals of humanising human resources (HR) from the perspectives of top authorities within and relevant to the industry. Q&A sessions with founders, CEOs, HR professionals, business leaders, and other significant players who are influencing the direction of HR are included in every edition.

Throughout the employee life cycle, we address a wide range of subjects in this series, including recruitment and selection, onboarding, training and development, performance management, employee engagement, pay and benefits, and more. We also go over important topics like compliance, change management in the workplace, morale and welfare, workplace communications, and diversity and inclusion.

The “Humane HR Perspectives” series offers insightful advice and practical examples to help develop a more encouraging, productive, and successful workplace—whether you’re an HR professional, a business leader, or just someone who is enthusiastic about creating a great work environment. Join us as we explore the approaches, difficulties, and triumphs that characterise HR humanisation and acquire unique access to the knowledge and experiences of individuals spearheading the movement.

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