2020 was a tough year for all of us, there was literally not a corner that the pandemic, along with other tumultuous events, did not reach. The ripple effect was astounding, and it definitely seeped into workplace culture. Factually speaking, the majority of people were no longer even in the workplace. For businesses, everything from employees to values to ideals was changing again and again…and again.
Technical.ly is an organization that grows local technology communities by connecting organizations and people through news, events and services. They recently published a trend report titled “2021 Hiring and Workplace Culture: Tips and Guidance on How Talent Attraction and Retention Changes Now”. It’s filled with valuable information, and some great takeaways on attrition and retention.
- Employees don’t stay long, workplace culture helps them stay longer. “The likelihood an employee will stay for at least one year at an organization is doubled if that person is informed about company culture.” This doesn’t mean boasting your company’s values or posting about BLM on social media. It means taking a very hard look at your organization and ensuring its messaging and communication is authentic.
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“Forming a diversity committee is both cliché and necessary.” Companies were quick to boast that they hired a VP of Diversity, or that so-and-so would be leading company-wide efforts for diversity and inclusion. It was great to talk about, but was there any action? How was success measured? In everything we do, it’s important to set clear goals.
- Incorporating flexibility around working remotely is vital. A lot of businesses now are in the same boat. They are rounding the corner of it being almost a year since having employees work remotely. What started as perhaps a temporary solution to the shutdown has now become a permanent behavior change. Though it’s not without its challenges, offering remote options to employees widens the applicant pool.
- Keep up with company culture, virtually. Culture is always growing, even if employees aren’t in an office. There are some things you could try to ensure the remote culture of your business is strong. There are small things you could try- like getting to a Zoom meeting early to encourage natural chitchat. And there are bigger shifts- like adjusting workdays or meeting times to be more accommodating of your employees and their lives. The bottom line is company culture goes beyond a Zoom happy hour.
- Alumni networks can help bring new talent. “Employee experience can start before a professional even realizes they might want to work at your organization.” Applicants are looking at the online presence of a company and what employees are saying and have said about working there. Invest in your employee experience, it’s a big part of your company brand.
Everything is different. The disruption has brought about the opportunity and space to take a hard look at why we’ve been doing things certain ways for so long. We all have to adjust, employee and company alike.
Photo by Jens Kreuter on Unsplash
Naomi Oriol is a Customer Experience Specialist with over seven years in her profession. Her expertise include customer experience design, service recovery, quality and training, customer insights, self-service programs, leadership, and project management.
