Get a coach

Human Resources (HR) teams stand to gain tremendous value by integrating design thinking into their program design processes. Design thinking places a profound emphasis on empathy, encouraging HR professionals to deeply understand the needs, desires, and challenges of their employees before designing programs for them. By adopting a design thinking approach, HR can craft programs and initiatives that resonate meaningfully, addressing the concerns and aspirations of the workforce.

Having a qualified BOLDLY coach lead your design thinking workshops ensures a structured and facilitated approach, guiding your HR team through the process to explore insights deeply, while maintaining focus on the methodology's core principles. The expertise of a coach helps your team navigate blocked thinking, encourages diverse perspectives, and maximizes the potential for innovative and actionable outcomes in the workshop sessions.

Whether it's revamping performance management systems or designing learning and development initiatives, employing design thinking principles allows HR teams to create solutions that are not only functional but also intuitive and user-centric. This approach fosters a culture of inclusivity and engagement as it involves employees in the ideation and feedback loops, leading to solutions that are more relevant and impactful.

Design thinking promotes an iterative and collaborative methodology, which aligns seamlessly with the dynamic nature of HR functions. This iterative process encourages experimentation and quick prototyping, enabling HR teams to swiftly test and refine their programs based on real-time feedback. Whether it's streamlining recruitment processes or enhancing the employee experience, the iterative nature of design thinking allows HR professionals to continuously evolve and adapt their strategies in response to changing organizational needs and evolving employee expectations.

A BOLDLY coach can work with your HR team through the iterative design process, across any talent function, to ensure you take your HR team on a thorough journey of design, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos within your organization and leveraging diverse perspectives to generate innovative talent solutions that have their intended impact. Ultimately, integrating design thinking into program design empowers HR to create more effective and tailored initiatives that drive employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall organizational success.

Our approach to facilitating the design thinking process for HR teams includes:

• Workshops on design thinking principles

• Facilitated activities for HR to design real-world programs

• Group coaching to drive insights and enhance design outcomes

• Optional talent management consulting services

Programs can be delivered online, or in-person, in collaboration with your HR team.

Case Study: Revamping Performance Reviews through Design Thinking at a Leading Hong Kong Bank

A major bank in Hong Kong sought to reinvigorate its approach to performance management. Struggling with low participation in the performance review process, a perception that the review process wasn’t really driving performance, and evolving workforce expectations regarding technology, the bank aimed to revamp its performance review process to ensure the accuracy of measures, and to increase employee satisfaction.

The bank engaged a seasoned BOLDLY coach to facilitate design thinking workshops to enable the HR team to deliver a renewed performance review process. With a tailored approach, the coach commenced a series of workshops designed to immerse the HR team in the principles and methodologies of design thinking. The goal was to equip them with the tools and mindset necessary to redesign the programs and co-create new performance initiatives that resonate with the diverse needs of their workforce.

Over a series of intensive workshops, the coach led the HR team through empathetic exercises, ideation sessions, and prototyping activities. The team, guided by the coach's expertise, embarked on a journey to deeply understand employee pain points through interviews and stakeholder surveys. This approach unearthed valuable insights that led to the conceptualization and refinement of the performance review process.

The workshops culminated in the development of several initiatives, including a revamped performance management system emphasizing continuous feedback and personalized development plans. Additionally, a comprehensive employee well-being program tailored to address specific stressors derailing performance within the bank was created as a supplementary initiative. These initiatives were not only aligned with employee needs but also incorporated feedback loops for ongoing improvement.

Post-implementation, the bank witnessed a notable upswing in employee engagement metrics in the subsequent performance review process, marked by increased participation in feedback sessions and a surge in positive sentiment across internal surveys. The design thinking workshops, led by the BOLDLY coach, not only empowered the HR team at the bank but also catalyzed a cultural shift within the organization. By embracing a human-centered approach, the bank not only improved its HR strategies but also solidified its commitment to nurturing a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being and engagement in the competitive landscape of the finance industry.