In a world where employees, rightfully so, only want a job that works for their souls, hearts, and minds, culture is your only sustainable competitive advantage.
With over 55 million people quitting their jobs in the US only and The Great Resignation taking root around the world, employees seem to be transmitting a paradigm-shifting message: they look for a job that fits their career, dreams, and needs. They want their job to be purposeful, meaningful, and vital. And they won’t settle for less.
In a world where many organizations seem to have forgotten the things that make work magic, you need to do more. You need to make a durable and meaningful difference in their lives.
Your people want recognition for their value and seek real engagement no matter where they actually do their job, and the answer lies in building a purpose-driven culture that truly works for them. The question is: are you willing to make it happen?
What’s Driving The Great Resignation?
If you are truly committed to building the workplace your employees need today, the first thing you need to do is to examine the main reasons that have triggered the millions of resignations over the past year.
Culture Saves the Workplace
Culture is the thousands of implicit, unwritten codes of behavior, values and beliefs that we the people in the culture live by. This set of principles builds up the identity of any community and creates a sense of belonging. It is what makes people feel they are part of something big -or not.
So, have you ever stopped to think if your organization is truly inspiring your employees to choose your company every day and become the guardians of your culture?
Culture holds companies together. Culture keeps people working toward a goal. Culture beats resignations.
Build a healthy work environment
As a leader, one should encourage the construction of a friendly, supportive and high-performing work environment. But let’s be honest: this may not always be an easy road.
Are these features part of your organizational culture?
If most of your answers were “not really” then that’s a red flag you should seriously look into. When employees cannot find these aspects in their workplace, they start feeling disengagement and lack of commitment, leading to a toxic work environment. But, what do we mean by this?
According to Forbes, a toxic work culture is one that is characterized by:
- Failure to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Failure to recognize employees’ performance.
- Not offering work flexibility.
- Workers feeling disrespected.
If companies don’t act now, resignation rates will continue rising. The only possible way to become a talent magnet and inspire your employees to become the best version of themselves is to lead by example against a toxic work culture.
Remember: Organizations with a human and healthy culture are 10.4 times more likely to achieve higher retention and employee satisfaction.
Boost Employee Development
Building a culture that empowers talent to own and co-create their professional development is key to retain them over time. It’s important to actively engage your team and give them the tools necessary to keep on growing new skills and experience so they can meet their goals with confidence. This will make them feel they can reach their full potential. So, how can you achieve this? By driving a more human performance management through:
When continuous and democratic learning becomes part of your culture, you can achieve more committed and high-performing teams. Remember that an organizational culture that encourages professional development will engender a greater sense of purpose and belonging in your employees.
Looking for more information about employee development? We invite you to check our article on a different approach that will lead them to success.
Enhance Authentic Recognition
“We are living in unprecedented times.” A cliché? Maybe. But also a home truth for many companies.
Why is employee recognition that important? In a post-pandemic new world of work, working-from-home populations have grown exponentially and people across the world were challenged to find new ways to live and work in isolation.
So allowing your employees to connect emotionally and be professionally empowered in an agile and dynamic way has never been a more urgent need for companies. The question is: how can recognition actually enhance engagement?
Authentic recognition is a key element for an effective organizational culture.
- It makes employees see that their company values them and their contributions.
- It makes collaboration visible to everyone.
Relaying on the right technology to make this possible will keep your teams connected and engaged anytime. Anywhere.
If you create more human and real connections in your employees and foster their sense of belonging, they will boost your business.
Learn more about how to boost employee engagement.
Build A Sense Of Belonging
Are all your employees’ voices heard? Do they all feel included, accepted and appreciated for their uniqueness and authenticity?
A culture that values people and makes their impact visible engenders a greater sense of belonging. And this is not a nice-to-have company feature, but rather a necessity. Feeling you are part of the backbone of your organization will result in an on-the-job effort and high employee performance.
Check out these 5 basics to foster a sense of community at workplace:
- 360° Recognition sheds light on employees’ true impact on their companies.
- Polls and Surveys give everyone a voice. Encourage managers to create safe spaces where everyone can express their thoughts and ideas freely.
- Effective Communication brings everyone on board. Encourage managers to boost communication and make your messages reach the right audience at the right time.
- Special Moments make your talents feel unique. Celebrate anniversaries and birthdays
- Fostering Meaningful Relationships allows employees to discover and connect with colleagues.
Create A Flexible Work Environment
Flexibility is the key to success in a post-pandemic work culture where a hybrid in-office and work-from-home model is chosen by 62% of employees, and leaders need the right technology to offer equal growth opportunities regardless of physical location.
A sense of belonging can sometimes be lost when proximity bias makes employees feel that equal opportunities are not offered for everyone inside their team. And this is one of the greatest concerns for more than 40% of managers.
Organizations counting on the right technology and culture to support a flexible work model will:
- gain a competitive edge
- attract and retain talent
- drive a dynamic, human and agile performance management
- build a culture that enhances human authentic relationships without the need for employees to be physically at the office.
As leaders, you need to make sure that employees, no matter where they are, have the same possibilities, information and opportunities of professional growth. Build community. Transcend physical distances.
If you hold your organization and community together, your company will decrease attrition, improve performance and become talent magnets.
At StarMeup we believe humanity is nothing without culture. Especially in today’s fast-paced world of work, only culture can hold communities and organizations together. And technology is our best ally to anticipate future challenges and bring magic back to our personal and professional lives.
Our goal is to leverage the great power of culture and technology to help organizations like yours to build authentic, inclusive, and sustainable cultures. To make a difference. To stand out from the competition and never blend in.
The cultural revolution has already begun
and we are at the forefront of it.
Join us and find out more about what the power of culture and technology can do for your company.
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