Erosion Of Loyalty (Part 5 of 6): Employee Culture is Everything
TRENDS IN EMPLOYMENT
Here are five major trends to be aware of when the hiring process begins. Many of these started at the beginning of the pandemic along with new, emerging trends that followed.
#1: Out of Office, The Rise of Remote Work
With the pandemic impacting nearly every American workplace, many companies shifted to remote work. While some companies loved remote work so much they made it a permanent option, other companies still count on staff returning to the office. Factor the rising cost of gas, especially for longer and farther daily commutes, and in-office work could handicap your company by missing out on major talent options.
#2: “The Great Resignation”
Poor working conditions like bad pay, lack of work-life balance, and inflexible schedules are some top reasons people decided to leave their employers during a pandemic where many lost their jobs. Poor employee experiences can erode the value in your brand. Many companies are learning to become more inclusive, more flexible, and better at allowing employees to have their voices heard and their needs met.
#3: “Is This Really What I Want?”
Not only was the pandemic responsible for economic and cultural shifts, but it also planted the seed for many in the workforce to question their perspective on job/income versus happiness and fulfillment. Many realized that "work" success is meaningless if it negatively impacts the rest of their lives. However, employees stay loyal when companies take on initiatives in nurturing talent, fostering inclusion, and creating mission-driven cultures. Just like happy, consistent customers, your happy, loyal employees will stay and continue to speak well about your company while doing great work.
#4: Tough Recruitment Cycles
Most companies are waiting too long to recognize valuable employees until they leave. Additionally, a portion of the workforce retired early due to the pandemic which shifted the demand for a new generation of workers. If companies aren’t moving fast enough to hire, they won’t have the best talent.
#5. Remote and Free(lance)
Turnover and staffing issues are rampant in companies across the United States; however, the popularity and flexibility of remote work has expanded the network of available full-time staff. This also created a major boom in the freelancer economy especially within the advertising industry. Remote freelancers can take on new projects and companies have a variety of talent to choose from that’s not limited to the local working population.
CULTURE IS EVERYTHING
The Culture Solution
Culture hires help many working teams stay in sync because the talent has the capacity to work efficiently together. Smart companies are rethinking what the office experience can be with remote or even hybrid working models. For remote companies, it may be harder to engage employees versus when in-person — but no effort is worse. It's so important to continue engaging employees to keep them interested and excited in what they’re doing.
Culture Fit Stats
In a 2018 Robert Half survey, a third of employee respondents said they'd pass up the perfect job if the company's culture seemed like a bad fit.
The feeling is apparently mutual because 91% of U.S. managers in the Robert Half poll said an employee's culture fit was more important than their experience or skills.
Redefining Workplace Culture
Companies not only need to recognize and pay employees, but are also now expected to nurture employees’ wellbeing. Many people think of culture as just office pizza parties or free coffee in the break room, but it’s more than that. Culture is everything. It’s the pizza parties, the days off for vacation or sickness, and the way everyone treats each other.
Tips on Fostering a Positive Corporate Culture (Work-From-Home or Otherwise!):
- Provide constructive feedback on a regular basis so that employees understand where they are from a performance standpoint.
- Consider your corporate partnerships carefully, as this can affect company morale.
- Consider new norms in how/when work is done.
- Create an “internship” program that allows more junior associates to experience different departments in order to find the right corporate fit.
- Management and leadership should make an effort to communicate regularly with the rest of the team and create growth structure for employees. Take advantage of weekly or monthly face-to-face online meetings to connect and build relationships with employees in the new WFH norm.
- Look into whether incorporating freelancers into your programming can help achieve your goals. Consider a rewards-based referral program. Create a plan to incorporate people who are the right cultural fit!
Reminder! Employees Can Become Brand Ambassadors!
When employees are happy and like the company they work for, they spread more positive word of mouth. Their good experiences are free PR when they casually catch up with friends or family over lunch.
Check out our previous installment Erosion Of Loyalty (Part 4 of 6): Loyalty By Generation and look out for our last installment of the Erosion of Loyalty Series on Thursday, November 10!
Have questions about keeping your marketing from eroding?
Talk to Mike Pocci, Executive Director/Connections at mpocci@teamaftermath.com.