In an effort to drive better efficiency levels in AP departments, it’s easy to focus on systems, tools, and processes while overlooking the vital role that employees play in this task. Employee-driven departments can bring multiple benefits at the organisation-wide level, as well as within the AP team itself. In this article, we look at why employee-driven AP departments play a vital role in corporate success and in creating high-performing departments.
Employee-Driven VS Task-Oriented AP Departments
Employee-driven and task-oriented cultures are not mutually exclusive. However, in an employee-driven team, task or goal achievement is the result of deep staff involvement with departmental goals at every level, and not simply the acceptance of KPIs imposed from above by managers and team leaders.
Here Are Some Key Characteristics Of An Employee-Driven AP Department:
– Staff have a strong sense of purpose, instead of simply completing tasks out of pressure or because “they have to”.
– There’s a strong identification with the company’s mission and vision.
– Staff know that their contributions are valued.
– Employees feel comfortable taking risks, because at leadership level, risk-taking is seen as an opportunity for learning.
– Communication is consistent with corporate values.
– Change isn’t feared or resisted. Instead, it’s seen as an integral part of continuous improvement processes.
– Managers lead by example in terms of accountability, purpose, communication style, and attitude towards change.
Employee-Driven AP Departments Lead To Outstanding Business Results
When employee-driven working processes are part of your department’s culture, high performance becomes the norm, since employees have an intrinsic drive to meet goals and take the department forward.
When AP employees feel that their work is meaningful and has real impact, commitment and engagement levels increase. In such environments, staff are motivated to get results and work efficiently, since they’re personally invested in raising their productivity levels and supporting their colleagues.
Because in employee-driven departments, staff feel valued and are given a high level of autonomy, they take a proactive approach to the challenges presented by their role and to the issues that need improvement at the department level. In this scenario, employees will always be looking for ways to improve AP processes and increase efficiency, which will help drive better business results and support ongoing growth.
Essentially, it all goes back to the staff desire to be key influencers in the future of their workplace, by becoming enablers of change and solutions at their department level.
Motivation And AP Automation
Creating an environment that prioritises employee fulfilment can also help overcome some common challenges affecting AP departments. For example, staff are more likely to embrace AP automation. With the adequate training, automating your AP processes can help make them more consistent, reduce the errors linked to manual processing, and optimises invoice processing capabilities.
To conclude, working on building an employee-driven culture in your AP department is an investment in people and talent, which pays off in terms of results, efficiency, and profitability. Now is a good time to consider what policies, tools and resources your AP department needs in order to become employee-driven.
Find Out More
To find out more about AP automation and how it can help you implement a more productivity-focused culture in your department, please call 01536 266 585 today.
