User talk:Inebraye

HR can learn from the X-Factor show

X-factor here we go again! Since the year is coming to an end, we’ll regularly watch talent shows from Apprentice to Big Brother House on the TV for some of us it is entertaining but for some it is not and won’t spend any time to watch. I am among the group of those who just won’t spend hard earn time to watch these time consuming programmes year after year without meaningful benefits because I think the organisers are just out there to make more money from the public, especially those that tuned in to watch and vote for their favourite – my view hasn’t changed yet because it’s a piece of entertainment.

I am confident that there are lessons HR can learned from the TV show X-Factor. I want us to see X-Factor as an organisation; Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh as managers who are carrying out a recruitment drive to find a potential employee with the ‘X-Factor’ with a very attractive pay. There are few questions I want HR to think about - what strategy HR would or going to implore to deal with over ten thousand applicants applying for one vacancy in their organisation? How can HR organise and coordinate such a large scale responses? How can HR ensure that your strategy is in line with your organisation overall strategy, diversity, equal opportunity & other related legislations such as age, disability, sexual etc?

I am giving them some credit for the strategies and processes they adopted to deal with the volume of applicants (auditions) during the recruitment drive. When I was watching the show recently, I notice there is diversity (differences) in the management team – Simon, Sharon and Louis (gender, experience, expertise, culture etc).

Watching few of the audition (interview) show and the strategies they adopted to screen the applicants of over 10,000 applicants from different region in the UK, I realised the strategies they adopted was simple, robust and they aligned with the business/organisation needs i.e produce one X-factor talent in the UK.

The X-Factor recruitment strategy is robust, simple and effective. Some of us might either be of the opinion that there are better auditions/singers who weren’t put through during the audition to the boot-camp (next phase) or among the 12 contestants who weren’t good enough. Relating this to the HR; it is important for HR to take lead and be responsible for the recruitment strategy and processes within their organisation, to ensure they keep it simple, effective and robust.

Looking at the scale/volume of the recruitment drive, I agree with the final decisions by the judges for the 12 contestants Nikitta, Loena, Ashley, Ray, Robert, Kerry, Ben, Dionne, 4sure, Eton Road, The Macdonald Brothers & Unconventionals, because apart from vocals, their personalities during the auditions were taken into account – As HR engaging in recruitment either from an advisory or decision-making perspective, we need to be ready to make difficult but fair decisions concerning applicants from different perspective i.e. genuine interest to be part of the organisation, work experiences, organisation strategy, personality etc. The combinations of these perspectives can help an organisation to make the right decision to recruit the employee with the X-Factor - right employee with the retainability factor!

The X-Factor employee is the employee who might not have the desirable academic qualifications or work experience but have other essential specification such as the right attitude and willingness to learn and contribute to the organisation overall.

Watching the show on Saturday 14th October 2005 – ITV Channel, I realised there was physical and artificial differences within the contestants and judges. Some people might call the physical differences as ‘visibility diversity’ which consists of the gender, race, age, physical ability, language. The artificial differences are nationality, religion, value systems, heritage, function, life experience, thought processes, education, sexual orientation, family status, talents, beliefs, skills etc.

The differences (diverse) of the contestants are what I thought can bring added value to the show, thus any organisation who want to remain competitive in the today’s market must take diversity of its workforce seriously! When I watched the show I saw inclusiveness – which meant "an environment which diversity is valued and the contestants have equal opportunity to make their mark & contribute to the success of the show." There is a need for HR to champion and lead their organisation to understand that creating an environment where employees feel inclusive, supported and respected is good for business, thus add value to the overall organisation.

The X-Factor show as an organisation isn't about the commonness between the judges and contestants but the differences which interplay among overall workforce i.e. Simon’s group 16-24 – Nikitta, Loena, Ashley & Ray, Sharon’s group 25 and over – Robert, Kerry, Ben & Dionne, and Louis’s group groups – 4sure, Eton Road, The Macdonald Brothers & Unconventionals. With the uniqueness of each judges and contestants the general public can be engaged easily and it doesn’t matter if the viewers are Scots, English, Irish, Africans, Asians, ethnic majority or minority, disable or not, gay or straight etc – there are differences which people can related with. It is important for HR to ensure the organisation is the type of organisation where employees’ differences are harness and utilised as strength, as a result the stakeholders, customers/consumers can identify and relate with the workforce. The successful implementation of a diversity strategy (X-factor model) would lead to attraction and retention of top talents, increased productivity, stronger customer/market focus and - wider audience/viewing base (which is very important for the show to survive, generate revenues, brand reputation, loyalty – there are people who are eagerly looking for the X-Factor show each year, as a result the show has become a sorted after show, controversial and gained popularity. HR need to champion people strategy where the workforce are constantly engage like the X-Factor show – engaging the public, judges, and contestants to achieve the results in a rapid competition in the entertainment environment.

In order for any organisation to adopt the X-Factor model, they must identify the need for diversity, they must manage diversity as a critical business activity, provide equal opportunity for everyone to enable them compete in a well communicated, simple and effective system and standards, display respect and fairness by giving the stakeholders and employees the opportunity to interact with each other to achieve consistent with the business principles.

It is important for any organisation who wants to remain competitive in this 21st century global fierce market environment, for their HR to be innovative, take the lead of the people strategy of the organisation, have a simple and effective systematic approach to address, identified the elements of diversity & actively supporting attraction, development, retentions and promotion of a diverse work force. Finally, create an environment where there is a simple and effective report procedure where data can be record, monitor and analyse.

Written by Abel Aboh