Introduction
Valve Corporation has employed a unique management style whereby there are no managers. The company has realized the positive benefits of having a “no boss” environment. The challenge is establishing whether the approach would apply to the many American workers who feel detached or actively disengaged with their work. The method complicates the identification of bad hiring choices in a short period of time, raising the concern of how the situation can be remedied. Besides, employees have different aspirations and ambitions that serve as a motivation for their actions. Identifying the stimulating factors manifested by individuals who can work in a boss-free environment is necessary to guide and inspire them for productive work.
Review of Critical Elements
The fact that most American employees are not engaged or actively disengaged with their work is of significant concern to companies because of the expected loss in productivity. The main reason for the high disengagement has bad bosses who attach no excellent value to the employees. As a result, the employees lack a sense of appreciation and value for their contribution to work, causing them not to perform at their best level. There is the need to establish whether having a boss-less working environment will contribute to reducing the problem that threatens to have a negative impact on the place of work.
However, a flat organization will likely encounter challenges characterized by delays in discerning lousy hiring decisions. Ineffective hiring is caused by the lack of an appropriate human resource function leading to bad management of employees, poor interviewing process, and ineffective communication. The occurrence will ultimately cause poor organizational performance by hiring the wrong talent. In the end, the entire team at the organization may feel disengaged, leading to reduced productivity, poor customer service, and high absenteeism rates.
The hiring process in a boss-less environment may place excessive emphasis on interviews such that the company is relentlessly looking for the perfect candidate, especially if there is no defined job description. In such a scenario, there is the need to understand the basic desires that motivate people who would make the ideal candidate for a boss-free work environment (Koch, 2018). People are driven by different reasons that encourage them to act in specific ways. A boss-less work environment is distinctive and requires an individual who would feel motivated to work under the prevailing conditions and be highly productive. Therefore, during the interview for a job, it is necessary to clarify with the potential employees their goals and evaluate if they align with the company’s aspirations.
Recommended Solutions
The high level of disengagement with the work among the American workers needs to be addressed to reduce the cost to individual companies and the overall economy. The immediate solution lies in finding good bosses who promote a healthy relationship with the employees that will help to enhance their productivity and capacity to meet targets (Korzynski, 2019). Still, the organization can choose to do away with the position of managers and employ a boss-free work environment. In such a working environment, the organization has no managerial function, and the employees are responsible for generating and implementing ideas by choosing or joining a team they consider appropriate.
Besides, workers in a boss-free environment can hire talent when it is necessary without seeking permission from management. Challenge is ensuring good hiring practices are followed, given that the workforce’s quality defines an organization’s success or failure. The primary cause of bad hiring decisions is the rush driven by impatience in attempts to find a new employee as fast as possible. In its place, the organization should require that the hiring of new employees have to be conducted proactively and ample time is taken to put together a stellar team that will enhance the overall effectiveness and productivity (Canady, 2018). The time will allow the collection of adequate information about the candidate, including their background information, qualifications, and if the candidate fits the position. Specific criteria that determine whether the potential employee suit the company are the candidate’s desire that motivates them to work in a boss-free environment and if it is compatible with the organizational values (Noe, 2020). Factors that would be fitting to such a place of work include curiosity (gain knowledge), independence (self-reliance), order (inclusion), honor (being loyal), and status (social standing). The team member should have all these qualities in regard to autonomously performing the duties while being responsible and active in learning.
Justification
Even though the boss-free work environment may not be ideal, organizations are expected to benefit from numerous perspectives. For instance, it eliminates the need for employees to follow a defined hierarchy, which in most cases is characterized by bureaucratic processes. In the end, an organization benefits through faster development and implementation of projects (Gant, 2020). The employees perform better, leading to improved productivity that translates to increased financial gains for the company. In addition, a boss-free environment is highly valuable in the creative industries as it inspires the employees to be innovative. The workforce feels challenged to aggressively hunt for the next big thing reducing the prospect of fewer opportunities for the business.
Since the decision to hire is initiated by the individual who developed an idea, it will be easy to identify the right talent to work with. The individual developing a concept can choose a team from within the workforce or hire from outside without managers’ permission, meaning they are responsible for the outcome. In case of bad hiring decisions, the mistakes can be corrected by avoiding the rush and ensuring that the employment process takes adequate time. Some individuals have the desire and feel better motivated by working in a boss-free workplace.
Conclusion
In summary, the high level of active disengagement from work among American workers is a cause of concern, primarily attributed to poor employee and boss relations. A boss-less work environment could be a solution to ensuring workers feel engaged at work as it provides greater freedom that enables them to be more innovative. The employees have the power to choose their team from among their colleagues or hire new staff to help accomplish a particular undertaking. However, after adequate information about the candidate is assessed, hiring decisions must be made without hurry. This involves evaluating candidates’ desires that could motivate them to work in a boss-less environment.
References
Canady, V. A. (2018). CCBHCs meeting workforce challenges head-on in hiring practices.Mental Health Weekly, 28(18), 1–3. Web.
Gant, W. (2020). Remote work: Get a job or make a career working from home. Simple Programmer.
Koch, M. J. (2018). Hiring practices and labor productivity. Routledge.
Korzynski, P. (2019). Employee motivation in new working environment. International Journal of Academic Research, 5(5), 184–188. Web.
Noe, R. A. (2020). Employee training and development (8th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill Education.