As much as free food is appreciated, in 2023, throwing a random pizza party for your employees doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to building a strong company culture. It’s no longer sufficient to rely on outdated norms and generic gestures if you do want to show genuine appreciation for your staff.
With a workforce that is becoming more diverse and socially conscious, it’s time for management to step up their game and redefine what it means to create a workplace that fosters trust, care, and professional growth.
Let’s go through some of the essential aspects of improving and sustaining a healthy company culture this year and the next.
1. Building Trust Between the Organization and the Employees
Trust between your organization and its employees is built on much more than occasional perks or events like office parties. It is a long-term commitment that requires consistent actions, open communication, and genuine effort to create a supportive and transparent work environment.
Inspiring transparency in the workplace can alleviate some of that feeling of skepticism and mistrust employees might have against the organization. Transparent communication can instill confidence in them, making them feel valued and informed. It is essential to provide regular updates on company progress, address concerns promptly, and actively seek employee feedback.
Ensuring to touch base with at least one of your employees every day by having a 10-minute virtual or in-person coffee break, for example, can be a great opportunity to engage in a conversation that goes beyond work, but holds significance to the employee. This can potentially strengthen the sense of community between the organization and its employees.
2. Presenting Remote or Hybrid Work Flexibility
A flexible work arrangement can create an environment that promotes work-life balance, enhances employee satisfaction, and fosters a sense of trust and empowerment because with remote work, you’re basically saying, “Hey, I trust you to get the job done, whether you’re working from a tropical island or your kitchen table.”
When we conducted our own research poll on this topic, we found that 94% of our LinkedIn community would prefer a hybrid or remote work model, rather than working in-office.
An adaptable work model to suit both the employer’s and the employees’ needs can also do wonders in improving work-life balance. The flexibility can allow them to manage their personal responsibilities and work obligations somewhat on their own terms, which can reduce stress. For many of your employees, cutting the hour-long commute each way every day can do wonders in preserving a productive work mentality as they can save a whole lot of time, money, and effort. On the flip side, you may notice that some of the team members do prefer working in-person and like taking advantage of the professional set-up of the office to be more efficient and enjoy the social scene. The key here is to figure out what kind of model works for your particular team.
Providing remote or hybrid options demonstrates that your organization values the well-being and needs of its employees. This, in turn, enhances job satisfaction and employee loyalty. Employees appreciate flexibility and autonomy, which can lead to higher levels of engagement and commitment to the company – AKA less turnover.
3. Cultivating a Healthy Culture Online
Remember when it was that easy to strike up a conversation by the water cooler or when you went to get coffee from the breakroom? How do you bring that same dynamic to your team online? Since COVID, there has definitely been a more positive outlook on the remote or hybrid work model from the employer’s perspective. However, the key challenge is optimizing these models to suit your company and its employees’ needs, without compromising work quality and culture.
Creating virtual spaces for casual conversations where employees can engage in non-work-related discussions or exchange ideas freely can create a sense of camaraderie and social connection. Incorporating icebreaker discussions or activities at the beginning of team meetings can allow team members to share personal experiences or interests, fostering a more relaxed and open atmosphere. Online team-building events, such as virtual escape rooms, trivia games, or collaborative workshops encourage teamwork and help to maintain a healthy work relationship with people you may have never met in person, but who are certainly valuable parts of the organization.
Effective communication with hybrid or remote models largely depends on virtual communication, like emails and online meetings, but if you would like to see your team happy and energized, make sure that they are not suffering from the “Zoom Burnout Blues” because they have back-to-back meetings for hours. Set the tone for healthy virtual meeting practices by taking short breaks during a long meeting, or scheduling meeting-free hours in a day, allowing for uninterrupted work. Encourage your employees to communicate boundaries with colleagues and supervisors regarding meeting schedules and the need for breaks.
4. Promoting Job Recognition and Setting Up Incentives
The steppingstone to a productive and positive work environment should be recognition and encouragement. A workplace where employees feel acknowledged and recognized is crucial for them to find meaning in the work they do. Private praises like thank you notes, emails, or in-person conversations are a good start for addressing employee achievements. Public shout-outs during monthly meetings or giving out awards and celebrating promotions during company events are also great ways to shine the spotlight on hard-working employees.
Of course, monetary incentives or extra vacation days can be motivating for your employees to perform better; however, catering these job perks to suit individual preferences adds even more value to employee appreciation. If Maddie, for example, is a huge bookworm and has just smashed her KPIs for the month, offering a free subscription to an audiobook service would likely be more meaningful to her than a gift card for coffee. To understand and connect with your employees on this level, you have to foster an environment where they can feel comfortable sharing their professional goals and interests. If your employees feel like their efforts are not seen or appreciated the way they should be, they might start looking elsewhere where there are better incentives to recognize good job performance.
5. Diversity & Inclusion
Wondering why the energy at your company feels bland and uninspiring? Well, if you only recruit people who are wired the same way – same background, same experiences, same ideas – you’re basically assembling a team of human clones. Not really the ideal formula to drive innovation and growth. Diverse talent, on the other hand, can inspire problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking. Different backgrounds and experiences mean different solutions and approaches, which can lead to some amazing breakthroughs.
But hold on! Diversity alone isn’t enough. Picture a party where everyone is invited, but some people are left standing in the corner feeling like wallflowers. In a workplace that lacks inclusion, it’s the same story. When people feel excluded or unheard, it creates a toxic environment that stunts productivity and kills morale. Inclusion is the glue that holds everything together.
So how DO you create a diverse team that supports inclusivity? To start off, make sure to have a varied interview panel that represents different perspectives within your organization when recruiting someone new. It’s also important to provide ongoing EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) training to your employees to raise awareness of unconscious biases and foster a more inclusive work environment. It may be a no-brainer, but also ensure that your compensation and benefits package are fair and equitable for all.
As we continue to value inclusivity and diversity in the workplace more and more (and rightfully so), your organization must harbour an atmosphere where employees can feel respected, valued, and comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. By prioritizing diversity and inclusion, organizations can actively address and avoid biases and discrimination within the workplace.
6. Investing in Internal Talent Development
Want to attract the crème de la crème of talent? Show them that you’re serious about their professional advancement. When word gets out that your company is all about helping employees learn and grow, it becomes a go-to destination for top-notch talent. On top of that, it’s great for employee retention too! Offer tuition reimbursement for your employee who is taking those night classes, make relevant certifications or training available to your staff for professional growth, and provide opportunities for current employees to climb the ladder within the organization.
When your employees see that their company is invested in their growth and development, they feel like valued members of a tight-knit team and will naturally strive to perform better. Most importantly, by focusing on internal talent development, you’re nurturing the next generation of leaders within your organization. Employees who receive development opportunities gain the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to step into leadership positions when the time comes. That means less of a headache for you – no more going on a wild goose chase looking outside the company for your next VP! (But if you do, Bilingual Source has got your back! 😉)
So, there you have it. We’re in the era of loosening collars, kicking off shoes, and embracing a workplace that’s anything but ordinary. Once you invest in your people and what’s truly important to them, you will see an automatic shift in the work environment for the better. It’s all about making company culture a meaningful and personalized experience that truly resonates with the people who make your workplace thrive.
Bilingual Source is proud to be recognized as the Best Toronto Staffing Agency of 2023. Our passion for bringing people together continues to drive us as we strive to connect the best candidates with the right job opportunities. If you are looking to hire skilled bilingual professionals for your organization, reach out to us at sales@bilingualsource.com. If you are a candidate interested in finding a new bilingual role, send us your resume at resumes@bilingualsource.com. Call us at – 416-515-2594.
