Here is the full transcript of Jennifer Sorensen’s talk titled “Human Complexity Simplified” at TEDxSaltLakeCity conference.
In her enlightening talk “Human Complexity Simplified,” Jennifer Sorensen delves into the nuanced nature of human beings and the implications for workplaces. She argues that recognizing and embracing the multifaceted identities of employees can lead to more meaningful and productive work environments. Sorensen criticizes standard recruitment and performance management processes for often failing to appreciate the full spectrum of an individual’s capabilities and interests.
Through her experiences, she highlights the contrast between roles where she was confined to narrow job descriptions and those where she could leverage her unique skills and perspectives. She advocates for a more inclusive approach in workplaces, suggesting that organizations should continually seek to understand and utilize the evolving strengths and passions of their employees.
Sorensen’s talk is a call to action for leaders to design processes that honor the complexity of people, thereby unlocking their full potential. Her insights emphasize the importance of viewing employees not just in terms of their current role but as multifaceted individuals with diverse contributions to offer over time.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello out there. Can you see me? But do you really see me? There’s more to me than meets the eye. And there’s more to you too. The study of complexity theory shows us that humans are complex. No two of us are exactly alike. We each have our own identities, experiences, beliefs, and mindsets that shape who we are.
We constantly change as we interact with each other and our environment, and we should never be reduced to a few aspects of ourselves. We are, by design, very complex. Workplaces are also complex. After all, they’re made up of people. Research shows that employees in workplaces want to be seen fully as humans, and they desire more meaning in their work. It makes sense.
Understanding Human Complexity
Think about your own experience. Haven’t you ever wanted to wave your hands and say, “Here I am? There’s so much more to me that you don’t see. There’s so much more that I can do.” We might be expecting leaders to solve this, and yes, they do play a role. But consider the processes those leaders are expected to follow, like recruiting, performance management, or employee development.
In my work helping businesses navigate complexity in their people strategies, I’ve often thought about how these processes are meant to support the business and its employees, but don’t always account for the complexity of humans. This can often end up reducing people to a fragment of who they are. Think about recruiting an employee. It’s based on what an organization thinks it needs at any given time, and how a person presents themself is able to meet that need.
Most of us have applied for jobs. We start by creating a resume. And let’s be real, we’re all doing our best to be seen as a perfect fit for that job. Advice tells us to follow a certain writing pattern. Use specific words, try to get our resumes down to one page, and even simplify the look and feel of our resumes. After all of that, if we’re lucky and don’t get filtered out by any recruiting software, someone sees our resume.
Rethinking Recruitment and Employee Development
One study showed that recruiters spend an average of seven seconds initially looking at each resume. Woohh! I mean, I get it from a business standpoint. It’s an efficient and standard process for recruiting people. But the minute we standardize a process, we automatically exclude anything outside of that process. In this case, the business gains recruiting efficiency, but the trade-off often minimizes and excludes a big portion of who a candidate is and what more they can contribute to the business.
I’ve been hired into businesses where I went through this standard recruiting process and fit myself into a specific and narrow job description. I’ve also been hired for roles where I was able to create my own job description. I was given a level of freedom to meaningfully design how I, Jennifer Sorensen, could bring all the things that make me uniquely suited for the current role and the long-term benefit of the business. One process narrows an employee to fit a job, and the other empowers and maximizes the contribution of a person to benefit both the business and the individual.
If we truly value each person and their complexity, why do we file a person’s resume away after hiring them? Instead, let’s ask each person to tell us more about themselves to expand their resume. Even go beyond their resume, especially as they grow and change rather than fit and employ into a narrow job description. Let’s ask them to enhance their role with their unique life experiences, interests, and background that will contribute even more to the success of the business.
Envisioning a More Inclusive Workplace
We need to shift our thinking from just looking at an immediate role to looking at a person, a person who can bring added value to benefit the business in many roles and many ways, both now and in the future. Remember that job where you did something so well that you were asked to do it again? And again. And again. Me too. At first, I felt grateful to be recognized for the great job I was doing. It feels good to be valued. Over time, I began to feel a bit stuck.
I craved the chance to use other skills I have and am passionate about. I know I’m not alone. There are many of us who want our leaders and co-workers to know and acknowledge the many ways we can contribute to the business. There are many of us who want a seat at the table when there’s a need for a skill we have, even if it’s a skill we’re not currently using or one that we want to learn.
We want the opportunity to be seen and utilized in expansive ways that are meaningful to us and to the business.