HR departments are aware of corporate culture’s importance, especially in the fierce struggle to attract and retain the best profiles. Companies, therefore, strive to go further than the traditional salary and benefits package by emphasizing the corporate culture to be more attractive.
Success in this regard extends far beyond mere symbolic gestures such as hanging a values charter on the walls, adding bean bag chairs, or offering a foosball table. It requires a dose of sincerity and authenticity. The time has come for HR to make cultural changes and actively participate in the success of their business. Here are some useful game–changing scenarios and strategies.
Giving Employees a Voice and Creating a Relationship of Trust
In canteens and in front of coffee machines all over the world, employees are talking. When they lack confidence in their hierarchy to share their concerns with their managers, frustrations develop. We cannot hope to stimulate innovation and creativity in such a context. If you want to resolve the problem satisfactorily, the first step is to communicate transparently. Whenever possible, keep employees informed and address even the most challenging issues. By being transparent with employees and giving them a voice, management can create a bond of trust.
In the digital age, as Canadian sociologist Marshall McLuhan pointed out, “the message is the medium.” HR must, therefore, turn to tools such as internal discussion forums, which are a good starting point to start a dialogue in addition to physical meetings and email exchanges. Technology can help break down barriers and democratize communication with employees.
Encourage sincere feedback and prepare to receive it. Accept the expression of dissatisfaction by assuring the employees concerned that management is actively seeking solutions to resolve the problem raised. Most importantly, follow through on that promise and prepare to make changes.
Know the Company’s Values and Remain Loyal to it to Avoid an Identity Crisis
The culture of a company is supposed to reflect its values. Defining the exemplary behaviors you want to implement will be challenging without understanding what you want to represent as a company and the values you want to promote. By setting limits, you will also ensure that they are not exceeded. Failure to do so may result in a lack of respect among colleagues, a competitive spirit, conflict, and unfair sales practices.
Put employees at the heart of the story by giving examples that illustrate the values, for example, when an employee went the extra mile to help a client or move a project forward. Highlighting the significant contribution of an employee can be a real source of inspiration for everyone in the company.
Build Employee Loyalty by Building Meaningful Links
When your employees think about their future, they do not envisage it within your company. It is the new deal in this digital world where the principle of loyalty seems outdated. Companies must, therefore, redouble their efforts to retain their employees.
They must feel involved, hence the importance of keeping them informed when decisions are made. They must also have visibility on development opportunities within the company. If these conditions are not met, their motivation will suffer, and they will be tempted to look elsewhere.
By pushing employees to build relationships with their colleagues and their mentors, HR managers allow them to strengthen the bond of trust and encourage them to give the best of themselves. It is also important to make employee personal development an absolute priority. HR needs to question how performance is assessed within their organization. Is there a permanent exchange between employee and manager, or is the evaluation done annually? Frequent feedback to recognize good results and identify areas for individual development often helps maintain motivation.
How HR can Assess a New Culture in the Company
Evaluate the company’s culture by measuring and managing a change in business operations. Encourage team members to ensure where cultural changes are needed to take place. For this, take formal assessments or observe workers. In this way, you will not need to decide on a single variation in the workplace environment, as workers may help you in decision-making.
There are many steps by which you can create the best workplace culture and build a strong brand, a successful business, and a great workforce. You only need to carefully consider the steps mentioned above and find support throughout the organization. This practice will drag the top talents and keep the workers engaged. You can get the assistance of highly skilled organizational development consultants. They will help you accelerate the cultural change process and boost results.
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