5 Drivers of a Great Company Culture
People are no longer looking for just a job. They want to feel a connection to their work and have the capacity to make an impact. They want their voices to be heard and contributions to be acknowledged. With these shifting expectations, executives and Human Resources professionals are increasingly examining their company cultures with a focus on a term that is rising to the forefront: employee centricity.
The Employee-Centric Climate
So, what exactly does this concept mean? Business.com shares the following:
An employee-centric culture is an environment where ideas, creativity, free-flowing communication and innovation are encouraged throughout an organization. Employees in an employee-centric company culture feel safe making suggestions and challenging a structure they may feel is interfering with productivity and performance.
When an organization creates a positive work environment, motivation increases and corporations can experience improvement to the bottom line as engaged team members generate 2.5x more revenue.
Cultivating a people-first mentality requires that companies evaluate their practices and identify opportunities to create meaning, so all individuals feel inspired to contribute. To establish a climate that honors its personnel, I recommend focusing on five essentials.
5 Core Elements of a People-Focused Culture
1. Infuse Purpose in Work
A purpose statement explains the reason why a business exists. It identifies what the corporation stands for at the core, where it is going and what it prioritizes.
Staff want to be a part of an organization that has a meaningful set of values and motivating vision. In fact, 75% of Gen Z and 69% of older generations believe that jobs should have a reason beyond simply making money.
A well-defined ethos can stimulate an environment where workers feel united. By integrating the vision and values into day-to-day work, leaders give individuals a sense of purpose and make connections between short-term tasks and long-term impact.
2. Cultivate Belonging
The Cambridge Dictionary defines belonging as having a good relationship with other members of a group because they welcome and accept you.
In addition to eliciting positive emotions, belonging is the number one driver of engagement. It makes logical sense that when staff feel they are a part of a supportive community, they are more likely to share opinions and challenges without fear.
By creating an environment of psychological safety that welcomes diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, workers will feel more comfortable raising their voices, leading to greater innovation.
3. Provide Holistic Benefits
During the pandemic, it became quite apparent that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to benefits – or much else. As individuals are looking for different things, it’s important to respect all aspects of wellbeing including physical, mental, emotional, social and financial.
Recent studies bolster this idea, revealing that 87% of personnel expect employers to support them in achieving work-life balance and 60% are interested in having a wider mix of voluntary benefits.
To stay competitive, it is important to offer a range of wellness solutions and benefits that individuals can choose from to appeal to their priorities. Taking a comprehensive approach will help attract talent and show people that their needs are valued.
4. Honor Voice and Contributions
Achievers defines employee voice as giving opportunities to express ideas, concerns and perspectives and having the ability to influence decisions through feedback.
Being heard is essential to worker centricity. If a person believes their perspective matters, they are 4.6 times more likely to deliver their best performance.
By giving staff autonomy, they can influence the direction and performance of the company. And when personnel are acknowledged for their contributions, organizations experience improved loyalty.
5. Boost Opportunities for Growth
Learning and development empowers employees to grow and develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities to propel business performance.
Studies have found that opportunities to learn and grow are the number one driver of a great culture. Most team members do not want to feel stagnant. They want to develop new skills to push their knowledge and careers forward. Leaders must design agile, adaptable programs to stay ahead of the curve. In doing so they demonstrate their investment in their staff and can positively affect retention.
In these five pillars, I’ve outlined the what and why of a people-centric climate. The next step is to determine the how. To amplify employee centricity, I invite you to begin by evaluating which of the essentials your business already excels at and those that may need attention. Then, I invite you to discover tips and strategies to inspire your next steps in our eBook.
If you’re ready to build an employee-centric climate today, fill out the form below to speak with our staff about how Emergenetics® can help you achieve your objectives.
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