There’s a paradigm shift in job expectations. Many companies are moving towards freelance, part-time, remote work and other options away from the typical model of the work environment; the one that has been established many decades ago and is still being followed today around the world. While that model of work suits certain industries, many companies are losing their best employees due to the bounding rules and policies, as well as the repetitive atmosphere. What this means is that more and more good employees are leaving as soon as an opportunity comes along.
The solution to this is a progressive corporate culture. What differentiates one workplace from another is the culture that has developed at the company. Each employee is significant to the bigger picture, and accordingly, a progressive corporate culture creates a positive work environment that compels employees to form deeper connections with their current jobs.
From the HR experts at Bayt.com, here are the main characteristics that make up a progressive corporate culture:
1. Targeting loyalty
A clear indicator of a happy and satisfied workforce is the turnover rate. When employees love their workplace, are engaged and motivated, and have an overall positive experience, they are much less likely to leave. The reduced turnover rate also proves much more productive for your company as a whole because it lowers recruitment and hiring costs.
But in order to target high employee loyalty, you should start with promoting your unique culture and explaining why it is a place worth staying at. Hire based on the culture you’ve created and train your employees to be part of it. If your employees are building their careers and growing within your company, chances are, you have created a healthy and happy work culture that no one wants to quit.
2. Opening communication channels
A healthy work environment is one where employees are honest, share thoughts, discuss ideas, and communicate openly. Professional and productive discussions are always encouraged. Transparency is essential, as no employee likes to be kept in the dark. Keep your employees in the loop concerning any major changes, whether improvements or problems. Hiding information will only hurt your work environment, which will reflect poorly on the results.
Integrate open-door policies, open conversations, and trust among all employees into the company’s policies. By opening the communication channels, employees start to feel more comfortable at the workplace, which in turn puts their minds at ease and improves productivity. You can easily promote open communication by creating or using online communication platforms, encouraging regular town halls with senior management, and ensuring regular feedback streams.
3. Improving teamwork
Ensuring that relationships between team members are healthy means better communication. A healthy team is capable of collaborating, brainstorming, sharing tasks, as well as working together for optimum results. These healthy relationships allow members to solve any conflicts in a respectable manner and encourages members to evolve those relations outside of the work setting. Minimize gossip and deal with any personal issues head on and respectfully.
4. Aligning goals and mission
Every employee wants to know and understand where his or her job fits into the bigger picture of the company. Their contribution makes a difference and so you should make it clear to them; all within the company’s overall mission. They should be able to describe the values of the company, connect their own values and goals to them, and perform accordingly. Ideally you should be doing this as early as the recruitment stage. When hiring new members, you should explain your company’s goals and mission, ask the candidate for their own goals, and then discuss the overlaps, if any.
5. Trusting the employee
Respect and trust are the ultimate success factors for any relationship. When an employee feels that they are respected and trusted, they will be motivated and driven to produce with pride. You should trust your teams to make the right decision for the company, such as trusting them to refer highly qualified job applicants. This empowers the employees to do what is best for their company and their loyalty is strengthened as a byproduct.
Naturally, all of these elements work together towards enhancing the efficiency and productivity of your workforce. When employees uphold company standards and work well in teams, they are more engaged and loyal. Hence, they are more committed to the success of the company through hard work. Also, when they feel trusted, they can build upon the trust even further. As a result, the need for supervision is no longer a priority, saving both parties time and energy to be invested in actual work.
