What is a People Ecosystem™?
A People Ecosystem™ is a network of relationships and interactions between individuals and groups, where everyone plays a role in creating a supportive and thriving environment. Each member contributes to the success of the system by bringing unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table. In return, they receive support and resources from others.
Through our HR consultancy services and technology platform, we help organisations build Sustainable People Ecosystems™ for long-term success. Peopletree Group's platform - combining thoughtware (consulting and strategic support) and software (fully managed HR technology) - delivers measurable business outcomes.
Why think like an ecosystem?
You can't solve a problem with the same mindset that created it.
Nature has been building and destroying ecosystems for as long as there has been life on the planet. Ecosystems provide a different way of looking at how to organise interactions with one another. Successful ecosystems not only survive - they thrive.
Our current view of organisations is still heavily influenced by the industrial mindset of command and control. It no longer works as a reference for designing the way we should be working. The world of work is changing - the "Great Resignation", the "Great Migration" as remote work becomes viable, and with AI no longer on the horizon but over it, we should anticipate the "Great Disruption".
From chaotic complexity to ecosystem clarity
What are Sustainable People Ecosystems™?
Sustainable ecosystems are more productive because their composition utilises more of the available resources; more resilient because their design allows them to recover faster from adversity; more adaptable because their diversity provides more attributes to draw on when conditions change; and more valuable because their continuity creates long-term value for the greatest number of people.
Collaborative
Creates a culture where knowledge sharing and collective problem-solving are the norm.
Innovative
New ideas are encouraged and tested to drive continuous improvement.
Productive
Resources are channelled towards things that benefit the majority, not the minority.
Resilient
Employees see the bigger picture and make decisions that consider long-term effects.
Adaptable
Greater diversity means a greater pool of skills and attributes to respond to new challenges and opportunities.
More Valuable
Everyone in the organisation understands how their position contributes to the company goals.
The three-phase framework
Peopletree Group leverages research, data, and a suite of digital software and tools to build Sustainable People Ecosystems™. The work follows a three-phase sequence.
Designing People Ecosystems™
We consult with you to understand the type of organisation you want to build and create a blueprint for your future HR operating system.
Building People Ecosystems™
We refine the blueprint with your HR team to create a solution that transitions you from where you are to where you want to be.
Sustainable People Ecosystems™
We provide a full set of capabilities - HR, IT, Data, BI, change management, and project management - to ensure adoption and long-term ecosystem health.
The six processes
A People Ecosystem is driven by six core HR processes. Each process is designed to create specific experiences for each stakeholder group. The purpose of a process is to create an experience for each stakeholder that is perceived as the benefit of participation. If the process creates the related experience, you have a healthy People Ecosystem.
Attract and Select
Attract a diverse pool of talent and select the best without bias or prejudice.
Integrate and Connect
Integrate people into a common culture and facilitate the creation of social connections between people.
Develop and Grow
Personalise development for individuals, recognising their individual needs and providing access to tailored learning experiences.
Nurture and Engage
Monitor individual needs and create a work environment that motivates a variety of people.
Promote and Deploy
Identify talent and connect people to opportunities for career growth.
Recognize and Reward
Identify valuable contributions and create a flexible system of rewards to recognise personal and team effort.
The four stakeholders
Every People Ecosystem has four distinct stakeholder groups, each with a different role and a different set of experiences they need from the ecosystem.
A sense of being valued; a place to learn, grow, and build a career.
A full-strength team; access to discretionary effort; ability to retain talent.
Efficient processes; high ROI on people investment; ability to meet talent needs at pace.
A constant supply of high-quality diverse talent; a collaborative, high-performing organisation.
The four enablers
Four enablers either support or constrain each of the six processes. A People Ecosystem diagnostic assesses how well each enabler is serving each process.
Data Quality
Accurate data that identifies skills, knowledge, experience, sentiment, and contribution across all ecosystem processes.
Process Efficiency
Well-designed processes that match talent to needs, personalise learning, and incentivise outcomes.
Cultural Adoption
A culture that values diversity, collaboration, continuous learning, employee well-being, and contribution.
Tech and Tools
Technology that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of each ecosystem process.
The People Ecosystem Architect™
A People Ecosystem Architect™ is an HR practitioner who takes responsibility for designing and improving one or more processes or enablers in the ecosystem. The purpose of the People Ecosystems process is to create a viable view of a better future and prove that it's possible to build a better way to work.
Visualise a future
Create a render of what success will look and feel like for a chosen process or enabler.
Design a blueprint
Define the principles that should guide the construction of a healthy people ecosystem.
Plan the construction
Set priorities, identify required resources, and sequence the steps to bring the ecosystem to life.
Ecosystem health check
To evaluate the health of your People Ecosystem, score each experience from 1 to 5 for each stakeholder group. A healthy ecosystem is a predictor of success: healthy ecosystems are more productive and create greater benefits for all participants. Early detection allows proactive action before problems escalate.
Predictor of success
Healthy ecosystems are more productive and create greater benefits for all participants.
Identifies failure points
Prevention is always better than cure, and early detection allows for proactive action to be taken.
Focuses resources
Ecosystems are continuously changing, and regular assessment directs resources to maintain balance.
Scoring scale:
People Ecosystems and the Peopletree platform
People Ecosystems is the intellectual foundation for all Peopletree Group offerings. Every product and solution is designed to enable one or more ecosystem processes.
The total delivery vehicle for Designing, Building, and Sustaining People Ecosystems.
The data quality enabler - consolidates people data across all HR systems.
The analytics layer - turns ecosystem data into 60+ strategic perspectives.
Defines the competency architecture that underpins the Develop and Grow process.
Translates organisational strategy into the capability requirements of the ecosystem.
The AI intelligence layer that enables prescriptive analytics across all processes.