Understanding High-Performance Work Systems (and How to Build One)
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 8:59 am
While in the past, a reasonable salary and compensation, health insurance, and a decent pension were enough to satisfy most employees, today's employees and unions are looking for a more holistic compensation package.
Flexible work options, extensive training and development plans , and generous paid time off rank high on the list of benefits job seekers desire. Perhaps most importantly, they seek more autonomy over their job responsibilities.
Initiatives that distribute decision-making power and improve job autonomy are known as high-performance work systems (STARs).
Studies show that even for small businesses , there is a positive relationship between STARs and business performance.
If that's the case, how can today's healthy organizations adopt STAR?
In this article, we'll analyze the definition of a high-performance work system and discuss the purpose behind this proposed model. You'll learn how to develop your own STAR using seven practical tactics to improve employee engagement and develop an advantage in your industry.
Recommended reading
Turn your corporate culture into a driver of business success
What is a high-performance work system ?
What are STARs and what can they help you achieve?
A high-performance work system is a proposed strategic human resource management model that helps companies decentralize decision-making to improve performance and profitability.
Companies that leverage STARs commit to developing a series of human resources practices that aim to:
Distribute authority and decision-making power
Improve morale and camaraderie in the workplace
Increase employee compensation, job security, and quality of life
Improve employee training programs
Emphasize employee engagement based on commitment to shareholder database organizational goals (rather than engagement based on control)
High-performance work systems stand in direct contrast to more traditional organizational performance management practices, which focus on:
Centralized power and authority
Minimize employee benefits
Searching for talent through zero-hour contracts
Reduction of employee costs
High-performance work systems fall under the umbrella of workforce resources, but their role in HRS companies is, in fact, much less administrative than in traditional human resource management systems . Instead, the human resources department is committed to employee development and empowerment.
Flexible work options, extensive training and development plans , and generous paid time off rank high on the list of benefits job seekers desire. Perhaps most importantly, they seek more autonomy over their job responsibilities.
Initiatives that distribute decision-making power and improve job autonomy are known as high-performance work systems (STARs).
Studies show that even for small businesses , there is a positive relationship between STARs and business performance.
If that's the case, how can today's healthy organizations adopt STAR?
In this article, we'll analyze the definition of a high-performance work system and discuss the purpose behind this proposed model. You'll learn how to develop your own STAR using seven practical tactics to improve employee engagement and develop an advantage in your industry.
Recommended reading
Turn your corporate culture into a driver of business success
What is a high-performance work system ?
What are STARs and what can they help you achieve?
A high-performance work system is a proposed strategic human resource management model that helps companies decentralize decision-making to improve performance and profitability.
Companies that leverage STARs commit to developing a series of human resources practices that aim to:
Distribute authority and decision-making power
Improve morale and camaraderie in the workplace
Increase employee compensation, job security, and quality of life
Improve employee training programs
Emphasize employee engagement based on commitment to shareholder database organizational goals (rather than engagement based on control)
High-performance work systems stand in direct contrast to more traditional organizational performance management practices, which focus on:
Centralized power and authority
Minimize employee benefits
Searching for talent through zero-hour contracts
Reduction of employee costs
High-performance work systems fall under the umbrella of workforce resources, but their role in HRS companies is, in fact, much less administrative than in traditional human resource management systems . Instead, the human resources department is committed to employee development and empowerment.