Publications
Publications
- Harvard Business Review
Elevate Employees, Don't Eliminate Them
By: Ryan W. Buell
Abstract
The last major global shock—the 2008 recession—led to what economists call a “jobless recovery” as companies found they could get by with fewer employees. But post-pandemic, the author writes, managers should focus on changing employees’ roles instead. He has five key pieces of advice: Enable employees to meaningfully connect with customers in the moments that count; help them make more such connections by shifting the boundaries of their work; find ways to allow customers to lend a hand; ensure that employees can see the impact of their work on the lives of their customers; and invest some of the new value created in increased compensation and improved scheduling—which will in turn create more value.
Keywords
Employee Relationship Management; Customer Relationship Management; Interpersonal Communication; Value Creation
Citation
Buell, Ryan W. "Elevate Employees, Don't Eliminate Them." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 5 (September–October 2021): 55–59.