Why you need a Talent Acquisition Programme
Why does ‘teamwork make the dream work’?
Each member of your team will have unique gifts, talents and skills that they can bring to the table. When this team works together for a common purpose, the outcomes can not only be innovative, creating exciting new possibilities for growth but also beneficial to the self-development of all those involved.
Below are some further insights into the benefits of teamwork.
Better problem solving
Many inventors and innovators throughout history have, in most cases had a team of friends and colleagues to bounce ideas off and who have helped them hone their concept.
Science reinforces this idea as Dr. Patrick Laughlin, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign explains.
“We found that groups of size three, four, and five outperformed the best individuals. [We] attribute this performance to the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information.”
However, different people process information in different ways. Some like to launch into problem-solving mode immediately, while others prefer time to gather their thoughts and consider multiple options before contributing their ideas. Allowing team members to provide input asynchronously allows everyone the space to work in a way that’s appropriate and comfortable for them. This leads to better thinking and productivity.
Increased potential for innovation
Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect, explains that some of the most innovative ideas happen at “the intersection”, a place where ideas from different industries and cultures collide.
“Most people think success comes from surrounding yourself with others that are like you,” says Johansson. “But true success and breakthrough innovation involves discomfort. Discomfort pushes you to grow. This is where difference of experience, opinion, and perspective come in. Diversity is a well-documented pathway to unlocking new opportunities, overcoming new challenges, and gaining new insights.”
A recent report from the consulting firm McKinsey & Company backs this up. It found teams, recruited from diverse backgrounds (gender, age, ethnicity, etc.) were more creative and perform better by up to 35 percent, compared to more homogeneous teams. This is because, instead your individual vantage point, the different perspective from the other team members, can lead to an exponential increase in ideas.
Research from Tufts University suggests that just being exposed to diversity can challenge the way you think, encouraging more open mindedness and questioning of entrenched ideas.
Happier team members
Research carried out by Atlassian across a range of industries and found that when honest feedback, mutual respect, and personal openness were encouraged, team members were 80 percent more likely to report higher emotional well-being.
Not only is this a worthy goal in itself but also benefits the company, raising productivity by up to 20 percent. (University of Warwick, England research).
Enhanced personal growth
Working in a team can create an environment for the growth of the individual members. Dr. Susan McDaniel, a psychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Centre and one of the guest editors of America Psychologist’s special edition on “The Science of Teamwork, explains that “We all have blind spots about our behaviours and strengths that we may be unaware of, and feedback from a team member can expose them,” she says.
She talks further about how recognising our strengths and understanding our weaknesses can make us better team member, even a better person. “Maybe working in a team you’ll discover you could be a better listener. That’s a skill you can grow in, and then take home and use to improve your family interactions,” McDaniel points out.
Less burnout
A Gallup study of nearly 7,500 full-time employees found that 23 percent of employees feel burned out at work very often or always. Another 44 percent say they sometimes feel this way. Sharing the load can combat this, with some team members providing emotional support to each other. They often understand the demands and stresses of the workplace, observed Ben Wigert, lead researcher for Gallup’s workplace management practice.
More opportunities for growth
Changes in technology and increased globalisation mean that organisations are facing increasingly complex challenges, which cannot be solved individually. By team members using their unique skills, mutual respect and cooperation grows and benefits the whole group.
Boosted productivity
In some cases, recognition form peers is valued more than receiving a pat on the back from the boss. The TINYpulse Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report surveyed more than 200,000 employees. Participants reported that having the respect of their peers was the #1 reason they go the extra mile at work.
To Conclude
A continual talent acquisition programme is essential for your company if it is to innovate, grow and develop in this challenging world. Be Astute offers great quality recruitment online training that can help you acquire the talent you need to elevate your company in the very crowded market that we all find ourselves in.
You can find out more about our recruitment support here or just get in touch for a chat;
References;
Mckinsey : Why Diversity Matters : https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/why-diversity-matters
Atlassian : Openness Predicts a teams strength : https://www.atlassian.com/open/research
University of Warwick: Happiness and productivity : https://www.smf.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Social-Market-Foundation-Publication-Briefing-CAGE-4-Are-happy-workers-more-productive-281015.pdf
Gallup : Employee Burnout : https://www.gallup.com/workplace/237059/employee-burnout-part-main-causes.aspx
Dr Susan McDaniel : The Science of Teamwork : https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2018-23205-001.html
Tiny Pulse : What HR Leaders Need to Know about Employee Engagement : https://www.tinypulse.com/2014-employee-engagement-organizational-culture-report
Mark/Bill July 2022