The Great Resignation.
For many business owners, this term is more than familiar – it’s formidable. But, just in case you’re new to the subject, The Great Resignation refers to an ongoing mass churn in the workforce. In 2021 alone, over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in pursuit of something greater. The three top cited reasons for leaving include:
- Low salary or wages
- Limited opportunities for advancement
- A disrespectful or negative workplace environment
Feeling disrespected at work was a major contributing factor for over 50% of workers who quit their jobs in 2021. And unfortunately, it continues to be an issue for many people.
So, what does that tell us?
It tells us that your workplace culture is equally important as the pay you offer and the career advancement opportunities you provide.
Let’s talk about how to define your workplace culture and explore a few ideas to help you keep it healthy and positive.
How to Define Workplace Culture
If you think of your business as a person, your workplace culture is their personality. It’s what makes your business unique. Without it, your business simply exists.
Workplace culture can be hard to describe. However, having something written comes in handy during interviews because the question, “How would you describe your workplace culture?” often tops the list for potential job candidates.
Take a moment to put pen to paper and try to describe the personality of your business. If you ’re not sure where to start, try imagining your business as a person. These questions may help with this exercise:
- Is your business introverted or extroverted?
- Are you more likely to find your business curled up with a good book or sprinting down the soccer field?
- What is most important to your business?
- Does your business prefer working collaboratively or independently?
- Is your business an early bird or a night owl?
You get the idea. Once you have this personality defined, you can begin to uncover what’s amazing about your workplace culture and what could use some improvement.
In general, here are some things you can do to promote a healthy, positive workplace culture.
Keep Your Team Involved
Culture begins and ends with your team. One of the best ways to foster a positive environment is to encourage frequent, honest communication between team members and leadership. You may want to start this process with a company-wide survey or open forum. Gather your team’s thoughts on all aspects of the business, and then – here’s the key – act on their feedback.
For example, let’s say you surveyed the team, and a top request was for more insight into company performance. You could act on that feedback by creating a quarterly state of the business review report which outlines current standings and future projections.
Or, maybe the team cited lack of flexibility as a concern. If it suits your business, consider trying out a remote or hybrid work schedule. You could also consider adapting your time off policy or office hours to give your team more options for work that fit with their lifestyle.
Be Willing to Tackle the Tough Stuff
As an employer, it’s your job to develop and maintain a diverse, inclusive, safe place for people to work and grow. The way you approach tough subjects like unconscious bias, pay equity, and harassment in the workplace will affect your team, and therefore your company culture. It’s important to thoughtfully address these issues and show your team that their employer is willing to grow right along with them.
Review Pay & Benefits Regularly
One of your responsibilities is to make sure your employees are being paid fairly. This factor also directly affects company culture, because even when “it’s not about the money,” it’s a little bit about the money. Make sure you analyze salaries, hourly wages, and benefits regularly. Are they consistent with the marketplace? Do they coincide with the standard cost of living in your area? Are they reflective of the employee’s workload and performance? Ask yourself these questions at least once per year. If the answer to any of them is ‘no,’ it’s time to adjust.
Help Your Team Set & Achieve Goals
Giving your team members the opportunity to advance their careers is a great way to reduce churn within your company. Help them set annual, three-year, and five-year goals for their career, and discuss them regularly. Make sure those goals follow the SMART model – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Otherwise, they’re just dreams.
How are you promoting a healthy, positive workplace culture? Let us know in the comments below.
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