You know when you walk into a workplace and it has a certain buzz in the air? You don’t know exactly what it is, but the team is happy and upbeat, people are smiling and genuinely look like they want to be there.
But what is it that makes a workplace have this aura about them? And what is it about this that attracts employees and makes them never want to leave? It’s the people first culture of course! But with so many companies shaking up the way their teams work and connect, how can you adopt a people first culture in 2022 that works for your whole team? Well have no fear, because we are here to help you build and maintain a people first culture that will see your team thrive in the year ahead.
Firstly, What Does A People First Culture Mean?
Taking a people first approach means actively creating a desirable work environment that takes into account, and aims to fulfill the needs of one of your most important assets: your people.
So, what are employees really looking for these days? While a competitive salary may have attracted potential employees in the past, now it’s more about the actual job itself. More specifically, it’s about being part of a cohesive team, as well as the ability to balance work with everyday life.
What are the Benefits of a People First Culture?
According to Kris Boesch, founder and CEO of Choose People, studies show that culture-driven organisations experience a number of key workplace culture benefits, when compared to businesses that don’t have a people first culture. Some of these include 26 per cent fewer mistakes, 22 per cent higher productivity, 41 per cent lower absenteeism, and 30 per cent stronger customer satisfaction.
One of the most common benefits of taking care of your people are happy employees. And of course we know that when employees are happy, they’re more likely to provide above and beyond customer service as well as put your organisations best interests forward. When employees aren’t struggling in the workplace and feel like their basic needs are being met, they can focus on providing the highest levels of customer service that are required in today’s hyper-competitive market.
Recruiting and hiring practices also see benefit of a people first culture. By being able to show job candidates that you’re serious about putting your people first, you can find and draw from a more diverse pool of potential employees who bring with them a range of skills, perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds. This will also help improve diversity, which will enhance your entire organisation by fostering greater innovation, adaptability, and even business performance.
Having a people first culture also positively impacts employee retention. After all, happy employees are less likely to leave a company in search of a better opportunity if they feel satisfied in their current role. By offering employees opportunities to grow through personalised development plans, continuing education and skills training, and mentorship programs, it shows employees that they’re respected and appreciated. In fact, companies with a strong learning culture have employee retention rates that are 30-50% higher than those that don’t. Learn more about the three E’s (Education, Engagement and Environement) of positive team culture.
How Do I Create A People First Culture in My Workplace?
1. Listen to Your Team
While this may look different from workplace to workplace, allowing your team to feel like their opinions and suggestions are valid and important is an excellent first step towards a people first culture. This could be something that is practiced one on one, or perhaps in a group setting allowing each employee to share their thoughts on particular workplace issue. No matter what format works best for your workplace, the most important thing is that your people feel heard.
2. Provide Honest Feedback & Celebrate Your Teams Achievements
We all love being recognised when we accomplish an achievement, and it is no different in the workplace. By recognising when an employee does a good job, or reaches a milestone, you are showing your team that you care about their success. It is also important to provide real time feedback to employees. Believe it or not your people want to improve and be the best they can be, which is why you people will value honest feedback. Make time to have genuine one on ones and share your feedback in a timely fashion, so that your people can continue to improve and grow, and in turn your organisation will improve and grow too.
3. Walk the Talk
If you as a leader aren’t practicing what you preach, how can you expect your team to do the same? If you expect a certain standard of practices from your employees, make sure you are leading by example. For example, if you are trying to promote taking a lunch break rather than eating lunch at your desk (and if we are being honest, working through your break), start by making an effort to walk away from your desk and have your lunch break too.
4. Align Your Team
It is hard to achieve a goal if not everyone understands or embraces what you are trying to achieve. So it is important to make sure that all your people clearly understand your vision for your workplace. A great way to do this is to hold frequent team building activities. Not only do they provide your people with a greater understanding of themselves and each other, but they will also help your people bond and work better together.
It is hard to achieve a goal if not everyone understands or embraces what you are trying to achieve. So it is important to make sure that all your people clearly understand your vision for your workplace. A great way to do this is to hold frequent team building activities. Not only do they provide your people with a greater understanding of themselves and each other, but they will also help your people bond and work better together.
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