THOUGHTS of THE TIMES

Developing high-performing teams

Developing effective high-performing teams is a key driver for business performance and organizational growth. The challenge for all organizations lies in finding the right solution for success and de t e r mi ni n g what can be done better to increase employee engagement.

Creating effective teams requires good communication, strategy and decision making. The most successful teams have good dynamics in terms of skills, culture and personality and have well-defined goals and are rewarded for good work. Conversely, poor leadership, lack of direction and recognition, and team strife are all ingredients for ineffective teams.

In Korea, where teamwork is an essential part of life and business culture, there are other unique challenges which need to be considered when building teams. In the workplace, smooth relationships are essential to reduce conflict and increase overall chances for success. Korean companies tend to be quite hierarchical, thus properly fitting new hires into the structure is essential for employee harmony.

At Robert Walters, our aim is to assist all companies, from multinationals to SMEs, in finding solutions to build dynamic high-performing teams to increase overall business performance. To gain a better understanding on creating effective teams, we surveyed roughly 250 hiring managers and 700 professionals from a wide range of organizations.

From research, we determined that the process for building cohesive teams begins with recruitment and innovative attraction strategies. To source the best talent, it is now paramount to broaden the talent search and look beyond traditional industry experience. Collaboration during the screening process is also important as finding new hires that are a good fit for the team is essential for business growth. For this reason, it is vital for human resources and team leaders to work together, with the help of a recruiting specialist, to create a healthy balance in the company.

Another key area is how roles and rewards can impact team performance. Defining clear objectives at both the individual and team level is necessary for employee engagement and motivation. Recognizing the good work of top performers is also crucial for the success of high-performing teams as is offering constructive feedback when team members are struggling.

Creating high-performing teams that drive business performance is a challenging task. It requires a combination of factors that begins with the recruiting process, and then encompasses areas such as effective leadership including reward schemes and constructive feedback for poor performers. The risks of disengagement in poor performing teams is certainly reason enough to make positive changes to team structures that will ensure high performance and long-term growth.