Over the last few years, we can all agree that the workplace environment has drastically changed.
We continue to adapt to new ways of working, resulting in more flexibility than we have ever seen. Whether you share the same opinion as Elon Musk who has made it clear that working from home is ‘overrated’, or you agree with Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter and Square) who publicly encouraged his employees to work from home ‘forever’. Or you see the benefits of hybrid working like Spotify, who encourage their employees to ‘work wherever they do their best creating and thinking’, now is the time to ensure that your business culture and values are truly established and to embrace and connect to the values and culture of the business. Is this the remedy employees need to help adjust through this period of change, and for organisations to attract new talent and maintain a healthy retention balance?
Values should be at the core of every business. Put simply, they are the reason for a business to exist and help steer the company in the right direction. Values help guide important decisions which ultimately support the employee to achieve business objectives. Employees are clear on their understanding of what the business stands for. It gives employees a sense of security and results in a greater level of performance.
The company culture should ultimately be the personality of the business. It enables each employee to have a voice, encourages healthy attitudes and work ethics and has a direct influence on how your employee fits into the organisation.
Now, whilst many businesses have spent time, energy, and money on creating authentic visions, values and company culture, are we in a place yet where organisations are proactively ‘living’ these values and embracing the company culture? Have you ever walked out of an interview and felt disillusioned, confused? Realising that the values and culture used in their branding doesn’t fit, it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t relate.
Attracting talent, retaining talent is only successfully if an organisation lives and breathes their visions, values and culture. Whilst we navigate our way through this unsettled, post Covid lockdown recovery, in a time of financial hardship for many, if our employees are reminded and reassured that their values align, and they ‘belong’ in a business culture they can identify with, then this ultimately results in a happy and content workforce which is the key to a thriving business. So, is now the time to really revisit those values and remind ourselves of these key attributes with the intention of maintaining a prospering employee centric work environment?
What are employees looking for?
- Recognition – appreciation results in satisfaction and productivity. This also includes diversity, equality, and inclusion strategies.
- Connection & Collaboration – the ability to build meaningful relationships with colleagues
- Development – building a career and opportunities to learn
- Flexibility – the ability to have a career whilst maintaining a work life balance
The time is now for business leaders to emphasise company culture and values whilst remembering that proactive communication is a simple but powerful tool. Empowering their employees to find and maintain motivation to continue working as a team, whether that’s in the office or hybrid working. Now more than ever, our leaders need to be responsive, flexible and accountable to their business culture and values.