When I heard on The Diary of a CEO that Hinge has a Director of Relationship Science, I knew we needed someone like that too!The stars aligned, and I met Iustina - an organizational psychologist deeply in love with the idea of a Happy 9-to-5 experience and work design.After a few months, a few coffees together, and some pilot tests, Iustina joined Selftalk as Chief of Science.She integrated in our approach for companies a data-driven framework called SMART Work Design developed by the https://www.ifow.org/. It aims to help teams redesign work to boost performance.Why is there a need to redesign work?1. Hybrid formats are in high demand. 98% of workers expressed the desire to work remotely, at least part of the time.*2. Higher levels of uncertainty. There are mass layoffs and a trend to eliminate middle management.3. Burnout feels closer than ever. 48% of workers indicate that they are currently grappling with burnout (Boston Consulting Group - BCG report in 2024); 4. Technological advancements (like AI) are changing job requirements very fast. 23% of current jobs are expected to change by 2027.How to redesign work?Scientists at the Future of Work Institute led by Professor Sharon Parker identified 15 elements to be measured. 1. Task Variety2. Problem-Solving3. Job Complexity4. Feedback from Others5. Role Clarity6. Task Identity 7. Decision-Making 8. Task Significance9. Task Interdependence10. Work Meaningfulness11. Work Engagement 12. Workload13. Proactive 14. Communication15. Psychological NeedsIn a survey, employees rate each element on a scale of 1 to 5.Work Design Scores The collected data is analyzed to generate your team's Work Design Scores, which gives you a clear picture of your workplace dynamics.In the chart below, you can see Selftalk's scores from Q3 this year.As a CEO, I didn't expect "Feedback from others" to be this low.That's the beauty of a data-driven HR strategy: it reveals the real picture, not just what we assume is happening!Work Design Interventions After the scores are calculated, it's time to reflect and design interventions. We start with the lowest-performing areas. We recommend 2 types of interventions:Type 1: top-down interventions, focused on company processes, team habits, and resource management.Type 2: bottom-up interventions, focused on developing soft skills in the team.Soft Skill Development Interventions Being equipped with strong self-therapy skills isn't just beneficial: it's essential for thriving in this new era.This is why at Selftalk, we've developed a platform for science-backed self-therapy protocols. We work with top psychologists to create these journeys targeting essential skills such as:Dealing with burnout;Managing anxiety;How to set boundaries at workplace;What Selftalk does? We offer teams two options for personalized journeys:Address current challenges revealed by your Work Design Scores. For example, if feedback from others is low, we will offer a journey on "how to deliver feedback" or "active listening".Develop specific soft skills identified by management as crucial for future success. For example, if you want your team to be more resilient, we will offer a journey on emotional resilience.Data-Driven HR StrategyTo sum it up, SMART Work Design Framework can be a great add-on to your company's HR Strategy.It can show your blind spots;It can confirm your hypothesis and make it easier to take targeted action;It tracks these scores every quarter so you can see the impact of any intervention you make and the progress over time;If this sounds relevant to your team: book a call with me to discuss it further!________(*) Buffer - https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2023