{"id":2730,"date":"2016-11-01T10:18:51","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T10:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparehris.com\/blog\/?p=2730"},"modified":"2016-11-01T13:52:40","modified_gmt":"2016-11-01T13:52:40","slug":"design-thinking-good-news-hr-departmentand-bottom-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparehris.com\/blog\/design-thinking-good-news-hr-departmentand-bottom-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Thinking Is Good News For Your HR Department\u2014And Your Bottom Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Design<\/a><\/p>\n

Mention the word design and most people will think of art, computer graphics, interior decorating, or some other visual undertaking. Design is about space, form, harmony, flow, and balance\u2014right?<\/p>\n

Right. And wrong.<\/p>\n

Today, design thinking is showing up in in business environments across America, everywhere from the Harvard Business Review<\/a> to the HR Tech Conference<\/a> in Chicago. And while all those\u00a0ideas about\u00a0harmony, flow, and balance still matter, the concept of design itself is moving beyond the visual to the experiential.<\/p>\n

What is Design Thinking?<\/h2>\n

Design thinking is about creating positive experiences for people. It looks for ways to transcend functionality by focusing on how people experience a process and what their emotional responses are. If that sounds a little too groovy for the modern workplace\u2014well, it could be because you\u2019re still thinking in terms of artistic endeavor rather than experience and productivity.<\/p>\n

The truth is that design thinking is behind some of the most innovative technologies in our offices today. Organizations like The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, IBM, Apple, and GE all use design thinking strategies to develop new models of problem solving, customer service, and product development.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not all design thinking can do. It also has the power to transform your HR department.<\/p>\n

A Guy Walks Into an HR Office\u2026<\/h2>\n

Yes, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. But the difference between design thinking and traditional HR is how that guy experiences the functions of HR when he walks through the door. Has the organization considered his environment, perceptions, and interactions? Have they made an effort to create a positive experience for him based on the technology he uses and the way he experiences the environment? Or is that guy\u2019s interaction with HR simply about completing a process?<\/p>\n

In this example, the \u201coffice\u201d could be a mobile app, online portal, or an actual physical office. Whatever the case, the goal is to create positive experiences for the employee with the goal of increasing productivity and engagement in the workplace.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s design thinking.<\/p>\n

How Can Design Thinking Be Applied in HR?<\/h2>\n

Design thinking has the power to transform your HR department into a value contributor by making employees more productive on the job. Here are just a few ways design concepts can make a difference for employees:<\/p>\n