Workforce visibility is corporate speak for direct employee engagement and alignment, and according to HR and Human Capital Management (HCM), if implemented correctly, can be a positive force for growth within a business.

James McKerrell, CEO of CRS Technologies, a national provider of HR and HCM services and technology, says while the concept can be seen by some as a ‘big brother-type’ or micro-management tactic, the truth is that it is actually performance improvement and adds definite value.

From an HR point of view, this level of visibility can highlight areas of concern. “If an organisation has ‘visibility’ over the workforce, actions like decision making, strategy implementation and alignment becomes easy,” says McKerrell.

It is widely acknowledged that the HR function is now considered a primary component of any business strategy.

CRS Technologies reminds the market that it is people that form the backbone of any HR and HCM function – and workforce visibility can ensure that companies employ the right person for the right job at the right time.

“Continuous engagement and alignment ensures retention and with the visibility one can see the progression. Once an organisation understands clearly their workforce distribution, cost, and the roles of each individual, their engagement and what they are achieving, strategic decisions and actions can be put in place to grow,” McKerrell adds.

Mindset matters

CRS Technologies believes that realising these benefits depends on how workforce visibility is applied. The service provider says it should be integrated as performance improvement rather than performance management.

In addition to the availability of what McKerrell describes as ‘really cool’ technology to help businesses gain this visibility, there are innovations and clear processes that will help companies achieve alignment of their resources with people development.

Workforce visibility can assist organisations to leverage a contingent workforce in order to have competitive gain. “If you know what is happening on the ground in a single view, it is very easy to leverage.”