There’s no denying that company culture has a direct result on employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. In an era of Millennials willing to leave companies more freely in search of the fit they need, now is the time to address your companies issues with culture once and for all. Here are 6 quick tips to get you started in 2018:
Show, Don’t Tell
Paul Stout, IT Director with a global privately held company, says it best, “If you’re going to create the values, you have to be willing to embody them.” In short, this is a simple reminder to CEO’s and leadership teams of the importance of leading by example. Rarely do people in position make the same impact on their organizations by demanding one thing, but acting another. From major actions to small, every day habits, it’s seeing the values of a company at work from the top down that inspire the ones watching closest.
It’s More Than Words
Fresh into 2018 and I’d hope that most companies have finally taken the time to at least write out their company values. While this is a practice that should happen at the creation of a company, no doubt many companies have avoided this crucial step for many years. However, it goes beyond writing- or hiring a company to create- the values you simply send out in a memo. Stout reminds us to, “take the time to explain the importance and significance of each of your company’s selected values to the team members charged with upholding them. They need to know it’s more than just words at the end of the day.”
Continuously Work to Make It Better
A complacent culture is soon to be a toxic culture, so continuously work to embrace and improve the culture in your company. Simple communications and micro-pulse assessments can help to get a gauge on where your employee satisfaction stands.
Invest In Your People
“Take the time to thank people for what they do, ask them how their day is going and encourage open communication- not just a cookie cutter response to the boss. The people you work with are like a second family, so peel back the onion and treat them with the respect they deserve.”
Encourage Their Success
While you may have the best onboarding process in the world, employees still need- and deserve- continuous training and support along the way. Invest in continued education for them, either as a team or individually, and encourage their success by providing the tools they need for growth.
Connect the Dots
More so now than ever before the workforce needs to feel connected to their jobs beyond the paycheck it provides, “Employees want to know that they are contributing in some way, shape or form to the bigger picture. It’s upper and middle management’s responsibility to connect the dots for them and show how their work is impacting the company- or the people they serve- in a unique way,” Stout advises.