Fear has dictated how people work for a long time. But as we evolve as societies, so does the workplace culture, and the things that were harming the employees’ morale and productivity might as well be a thing of the past.
Nowadays, companies need to consider a new working culture and set the tone for a more inclusive, encouraging, and supportive workspace. How can we nurture such a place and culture?
Here are some of the most important questions to consider when embarking on a transformation path for your company culture. Ready to go? Read this article first (and take some notes).
1. Would you return to exactly how things were before?
As people are social creatures, the need for collective interaction and team working in a shared space or office is understandable. However, the recent events that have shaken many businesses and industries have also changed perspectives on how people would like to work from now onward. Many employees don’t necessarily feel the need to return to how things were before. New considerations are emerging and people are questioning whether office-based work has been suitable for them.
Before you go back to “normal”, take time to reset and renew the company’s culture, making sure you don’t forget about the values that your employees are looking for, whether it’s about flexibility, empathy, or other benefits that would help them during the difficult times.
2. Is your office culture based on presenteeism?
“Presenteeism” is a term that describes being present in the workspace for more hours than is required, or not fully functioning at work because of an illness, injury, or other condition.
Today, presenteeism causes a loss of productivity and creativity. What companies can do post-pandemic, is to eliminate this issue and start fresh with new working conditions fitted for the individual’s or the team’s needs. So, pay close attention to the working patterns of your employees and consider their well-being. When you are interested in the well-being of your employees, your business is benefiting as well. It’s the perfect opportunity to create a better working culture.
3. Do you know what are your company’s values?
During a crisis, any business can have its values put to test and challenged. When confronted with difficult decisions, teams and CEOs might be questioning what their company stands for.
To stay competitive in the post-pandemic market, reassess your organization’s beliefs and ensure accountability, collaboration, agility, integrity, and innovation – among others – are part of your set of core values. Moreover, commitment to the customer experience is essential nowadays as is being people and employee-centric.
Since 62% of executives believe that “clearly defined and communicated core values and beliefs” can substantially contribute to a company’s success, make sure you adapt your culture to focus on these important values and communicate them clearly.
4. Are you driving collaboration and strong relationships?
It is no secret that both employees and CEOs have experienced ineffective communication that led to workplace failure. However, strong communication between the members of an organization will lead to building a positive company culture.
Increasing effective communication is essential to business success, and today, working in silos is no longer beneficial. You need to ensure easy collaboration within teams and improve relationships every day.
To drive stronger relationships, promote transparency, open communication between management and team members, and make sure your employees can ask questions, make recommendations, and find solutions.
5. Are you thinking about your employees’ well-being?
Don’t forget about your employees’ priorities. Ask team members if remote working is beneficial for them, what are their boundaries, and if working in office space would increase their productivity. Create a supportive culture by consulting with your employees and offering them control.
It is important to collaborate with your employees to discover what motivates them and make well-being one of the company’s priorities. Well-being is crucial in the context of covid-19 and should not be negotiable.
