The agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere monitors its employees on a fortnightly basis. An article at the Harvard Business Review website examined the reason why.
Once a year is not enough
Nowadays there is strong competition in the digital world, which plays a major role in the development of new products. The importance of delivering to customers and obtaining feedback is paramount. Nor is it merely a question of technology and operations. In the view of John Deere managers, it is equally important to follow the health and well-being of their teams in order for the business to function to its maximum capacity.
Moreover, conducting surveys once every twelve months, or at even lengthier intervals, is too infrequent for companies like John Deere, who face stiff competition for technical talent from venture-funded startups and such major competitors as Amazon or Google. Therefore it has become necessary to collect and analyse data on a much more regular basis in order to deal with various issues, whether individual- or team-related.
Positive impact on performance and motivation
Every fortnight John Deere teams consider what is going well and where improvements could be made. Then there is an additional survey item, to be marked on a scale of 1 to 10, which takes into account employees’ inner feelings and motivation: “How do you feel about the value you were able to contribute in the last cycle?” Thus, should they wish, employees have the space to vent their own personal feelings and frustrations.
Results to date reveal the benefits of such an approach: the amount of product development work achieved is between four and eight times higher. A second positive aspect is that managers can often nip potential problems of individual workers in the bud before they develop into something more serious. Otherwise managers might suspect nothing until performance starts visibly to decline or the employees concerned even decide to quit.
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