Case study: Design for Grab |TechHRSG'19|

Summary

In this engaging talk, Chen Yin from Grab emphasizes the importance of understanding an organization's unique qualities when designing HR practices. He shares valuable insights on three key principles: knowing idiosyncrasies, recognizing resistance to change, and identifying effective communication strategies. Through success and failure stories, he illustrates how tailored approaches lead to better outcomes in performance management and leadership development. By filtering values from within the organization, Grab successfully cultivated a leadership culture grounded in purpose and authenticity. The talk highlights the necessity of adapting best practices to fit an organization's specific context.

Takeaways

• 😀 Grab has been recognized as one of the top 50 most innovative companies, showcasing its ability to constantly evolve and innovate in both products and people management.
• 😀 The key to designing effective HR processes is not adopting frameworks from other companies but understanding the unique idiosyncrasies of your own organization.
• 😀 A failure story: The 'Better Works' performance management system failed at Grab because it did not align with the company’s highly agile, fast-paced work culture.
• 😀 Grab’s leadership DNA was successfully developed by filtering through the organization’s values, ensuring it aligned with the company's culture and purpose-driven mission.
• 😀 Resistance to change is often caused by tools that don't align with an organization's real needs or require too much effort to implement and learn.
• 😀 A failure story: The complex 'Better Works' tool was rejected by employees due to its cumbersome learning curve and lack of integration with existing systems.
• 😀 Successful implementation involves understanding and addressing the resistance to change by designing solutions that employees can authentically engage with.
• 😀 Communication must be tailored to your audience. Generic, functional communication may not resonate, especially with a younger workforce.
• 😀 A success story: Grab communicated its leadership values effectively by involving co-founders and leaders in personal, relatable videos, increasing employee buy-in.
• 😀 For HR systems to succeed, they must be pragmatic and link directly to existing business goals and values, making them both relevant and applicable to the organization.

Q & A

Who is the speaker and what is their role at Grab?

The speaker is Chen Yin, who runs the people function, known as HR, within Grab.

What notable recognition did Grab receive recently?

Grab won the second spot in Fast Company's top 50 most innovative companies in the world.

What is the main focus of Chen Yin's talk?

The main focus is to share insights on designing effective people management practices tailored to Grab's unique culture.

What does Chen Yin mean by 'excellence is idiosyncratic'?

It suggests that excellence varies based on the unique characteristics and context of an organization, emphasizing the need to design practices specific to Grab.

What is the first principle Chen Yin discusses?

The first principle is 'know thy idiosyncrasies,' which means understanding the unique aspects of your organization before implementing systems or tools.

Can you provide an example of a failed implementation at Grab?

Chen Yin mentions the performance management system called BetterWorks, which was introduced but removed after six months due to its failure to align with Grab's agile and transparent culture.

What is the second principle mentioned in the talk?

The second principle is 'know thy resistance to change,' highlighting the importance of recognizing and addressing the barriers employees may face when adapting to new systems.

How did Grab address resistance when implementing leadership values?

Instead of imposing top-down values, Grab filtered input from the organization to identify values that resonated with employees, resulting in the identification of four key attributes: honor, humility, hunger, and being results-oriented.

What is the third principle discussed?

The third principle is 'know thy communication sweet spot,' which stresses the importance of effective communication tailored to the audience to ensure successful implementation of new initiatives.

What strategies did Grab use for effective communication during the rollout of their leadership values?

Grab used personal videos from co-founders, engaged various leaders to discuss practical applications of values, and provided interview guides for hiring managers to ensure clarity and context.