Workforce Optimization That Works

Claire Monroe

Hey everyone—welcome back to The Science of Leading. I’m Claire Monroe, and as always, I’m joined by the one and only Edwin Carrington. Edwin—how’s life treating you?

Edwin Carrington

Doing well, Claire. Excited for today. We’re diving into workforce optimization, and honestly—it’s a topic that gets misunderstood all the time. People hear it and think, “Oh, great… more pressure to do more with less.” But that’s not really what smart optimization looks like.

Claire Monroe

Yeah, totally. I used to think it meant—like—cutting costs or trying to make sure everyone looked “productive” on paper. But what I’ve seen more and more lately is—it’s really about alignment. Not just filling roles, but matching people to the right roles. And doing that with actual behavioral data—not just, you know, a gut feeling.

Claire Monroe

And when you do that—when there’s actual alignment—you get more than just efficiency. You get better retention, people feel more energized, teams move faster, customers are happier… and the wild part is, you can actually track all of that.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly. It’s not about squeezing your people—it’s about unlocking them. When someone’s strengths and motivators line up with their role, they don’t just “perform”—they thrive. And we’re not just saying that to sound nice—there’s solid data behind it.

Edwin Carrington

Organizations with high engagement don’t just feel better inside. They see real-world results—higher productivity, better profitability, stronger customer loyalty. Optimization done right isn’t internal housekeeping—it’s a growth strategy.

Claire Monroe

Yeah, and I saw this play out with a client not long ago—tech company, scaling fast, classic “let’s hire more people” situation. But the problem wasn’t headcount. Once they started looking at fit—behavioral alignment, agility, all of that—they actually reduced turnover. Like, by half.

Claire Monroe

And—this surprised even them—their customer satisfaction scores jumped. Like, same team, same product… but suddenly the vibe was different. The right people were in the right seats, and it showed.

Edwin Carrington

That’s the shift right there. It’s not about working harder—it’s about setting people up to succeed in the right context. And when that happens, it doesn’t just affect one team. It spreads across the entire organization.

Claire Monroe

Which brings us to the science, right? Because this isn’t just vibes and anecdotes. There’s real behavioral science behind all of it.

Edwin Carrington

That’s right. A lot of companies are still hiring based mostly on résumés or gut instinct. But behavioral and cognitive assessments give you predictive power.

Edwin Carrington

They help you see not just who has the experience, but who’s likely to succeed—especially in complex, changing, or high-pressure roles. That’s a huge shift from just “hoping it works out.”

Claire Monroe

And it’s not just about hiring. Like—you can use this data after someone’s on board, too. You can spot burnout risk early, understand how different team members communicate, even build out development paths that actually… I don’t know… fit the person.

Claire Monroe

It turns workforce planning into something proactive instead of just—putting out fires all the time.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly. And true workforce planning means looking ahead—six, twelve, even twenty-four months. You’re not just solving today’s problems. You’re building a talent pipeline that fits where your business is going.

Edwin Carrington

That means seeing skill gaps before they become crises, anticipating role evolution, and staying nimble without overhiring.

Edwin Carrington

I worked with a manufacturing firm once—the manager of one team was struggling, and it looked like a performance issue. But when we looked at the behavioral data, it turned out—he was just deeply conflict-avoidant, and the team was in constant friction. We shifted him into a different role that played to his strengths… and suddenly, that entire team became one of their best-performing units.

Edwin Carrington

It was never about competence—it was about fit.

Claire Monroe

Wow. That’s… such a good reminder. Like, if you’re only looking at performance or, like, gut vibes—you miss the why. And you can’t optimize what you’re not actually measuring, right?

Claire Monroe

Too many teams still rely on vague metrics or those once-a-year reviews. But when you track things like engagement or even how someone handles pressure… you actually see what’s really happening.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly. And when you layer that data—say, overlaying engagement with output or collaboration—you get a more complete picture.

Edwin Carrington

That’s what lets you lead in real time—not just react after the damage is done.

Claire Monroe

And that’s where tech really changes the game, right? Because it’s one thing to have all this data, but how do you actually use it?

Edwin Carrington

Right. The best workforce strategies today are tech-enabled, no question. We’re talking platforms that combine behavioral assessments, analytics, and team insights into one place.

Edwin Carrington

That means less manual tracking, more real-time decisions, and tools that help you personalize development at scale.

Edwin Carrington

But—there’s a catch. If all you’re doing is tracking productivity, or collecting data you never act on… you miss the point entirely. Optimization isn’t about watching the clock. It’s about building a system where people actually fit and flourish.

Claire Monroe

Yes! I’ve seen so many companies fall into that trap. They’re obsessed with output, but no one’s asking the deeper questions—like, “Is this person even in the right role?” Or “Are they actually engaged?”

Claire Monroe

So, Edwin—do you have an example where a company actually broke out of that trap and used their data well?

Edwin Carrington

Absolutely. A healthcare organization I worked with was collecting tons of engagement data—but they weren’t acting on it. Turnover was creeping up, and morale was slipping.

Edwin Carrington

Eventually, they started using real-time indicators to flag burnout early. They reshaped some roles, rebalanced workloads—and guess what? Retention improved. And even more importantly—patient satisfaction went up.

Edwin Carrington

It was a classic case of turning insight into action. That’s the real unlock.

Claire Monroe

That’s such a strong point. And I think for anyone listening—it’s not about finding the “perfect” setup. It’s about being willing to adapt. Workforce optimization is never one-and-done. It’s more like… a rhythm. Measure, adjust, refine, repeat.

Edwin Carrington

Exactly. You start small—define what you’re optimizing for, assess your team, align the roles, and build in feedback loops.

Edwin Carrington

You won’t get everything right the first time. But with the right systems in place, the results compound.

Edwin Carrington

And honestly, it becomes a way of thinking. A culture shift. That’s when it sticks.

Claire Monroe

Totally. And hey—if you’re listening and wondering how to actually start with all this… OAD makes it pretty simple. You can try their tools—like behavioral assessments—for free over at o-a-d-dot-a-i.

Claire Monroe

It’s a solid way to get a real-time view of your team and start optimizing based on actual data, not just gut instinct.

Edwin Carrington

It’s one of those small first steps that can lead to big shifts over time.

Claire Monroe

Yeah—and it really does make a difference. So, we’ll leave it there for today. Edwin, always a pleasure.

Edwin Carrington

Likewise, Claire. And thanks to everyone tuning in. Keep leading with science.

Claire Monroe

Bye for now!