If you’re not flexible – you risk losing your greatest assets
Jan 07, 2020
Your people! In today’s environment where we must actively attract and preserve top talent, a personalized approach and flexibility can greatly benefit your business.
The 2020 Global Culture Report from O.C. Tanner Institute shows us that the modern workplace is evolving when it comes to employee considerations and experiences. This report shares that newer generations aren’t as interested in money, legacy, or hierarchy. 89% of employers think employees leave because of money when only 12% actually do.
- Day-to-Day Experiences
Experience and culture are connected concepts but, more than just a great workplace culture, employees have deeper needs that trickle into their day to day experiences. As the Global Culture Report puts it, employees are seeking out the personal, every day, career-defining, micro-experiences that shape life at work.
Day-to-day experiences refer to the interactions your employees have every day, whether it be with their supervisors, coworkers, or clients. Experiences are summed up by how you treat your team, the resources with which you provide them, the tone in which you address them, and the appreciation that they feel. Currently, only 42% of people polled rate their employee experience as positive or extremely positive.
This year, try shifting your approach by putting these micro-interactions and experiences of your team members under a microscope. Inspect critical touch-points such as your talent attraction strategy, your approach to on-boarding, how you train, and the way you retain.
- Balance & Personalization of Work Hours & Work Loads
According to the 2020 Global Culture Report, 79% of employees are suffering from mild, moderate, or severe burnout. Signs of burnout go much deeper than physical exhaustion. As a leader, look for signs such as cynicism, downturns in attendance, an uptick in sick days, and avoidance of responsibilities. Mild burnout can produce decreased engagement and productivity, while severe burnout can lead to medical leave or safety issues in the workplace.
Mollie Lombardi, the co-founder, and CEO of Aptitude Research Partners says, “While not all burnout can be eliminated, much of it can be avoided by balancing consistency and personalization of schedules and workload; leveraging managers as models for how their team can achieve work/life balance, and implementing tools and technology that proactively manage burnout.”
The cost of allowing flexible hours or a remote workday are far less than the billions in annual healthcare spending due to employee burnout. When you offer the chance for people to re-set without having to call for a sick day, you are showing your team that you trust them to be productive even when they are not under the watchful eye of an 8-5 office setting.
- Team Building with Purpose
Shocking numbers here - only 26% of employees feel their team works seamlessly together. This stat shows that team cohesiveness is desperately missing in most company settings.
Teams built with purpose are teams where employees and leaders both feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to everyday experiences and outcomes. A team with purpose will be one full of respect and recognition for each persons’ talents and contribution.
The 2020 Global Culture Report uncovers the 6 most critical elements when creating a team that works together:
- Freedom to be creative
- Latitude for innovation
- Ability to prioritize workload
- Flexibility in where the employee works
- Say in projects worked on
- Flexibility in schedule
Flexibility leads to autonomy, which boosts creativity and buy-in, which, in turn, builds a stronger sense of confidence and community. Try shifting your 2020 vision to include a less stringent focus on factors such as butts-in-seats and hours worked, and a further focus on output, contentment, and productivity.
To help you gain more employee incentive inspo, check out this fun list of 15 Cool Job Perks That Keep Employees Happy.
As a passionate advisor, I am here to help you ensure that your teams are happy and fulfilled.
Amy
