Article: Must have attributes for a great place to work

Culture

Must have attributes for a great place to work

Read on to know about some of the essential ingredients required to convert an organisation into a great place to work.
Must have attributes for a great place to work

Do you look forward to your day at office? Are you happy with the work ecosystem? Do you see yourself going to the same place and working with the same people for the next couple of years (or months)? Do you have a work life balance? Do you feel the opportunities provided by the organisation have helped you evolve professionally? Do you feel a sense of pride in being associated with your company? These are few questions that the workforce seeks answers to. It is needless to say that if you have an affirmative for all the questions here, you are in a great place.

There is no fixed formula for making a company a great place to work. Considering organisations are made of people; individual values, culture, attributes come into play and they are far too subjective to be put into a process driven mechanism. However, as far as there is a defined organizational culture that everyone understands and abides by, the journey is more directional. A work climate prolonged for a long period of time becomes the culture of an organization. Whether it is good or bad is solely determined by the individuals who form that organisation. It is like a diet with or without essential nutrients which can render you healthy or undernourished. 

What is culture? It is a combination of beliefs, thought processes, attitudes, ideologies and principles of the organization and people which deliver the appropriate ways to think and act. A healthy workplace is built through relationships and experiences of an employee and not a checklist of programs and perks. These experiences are driven through company values and beliefs and eventually add up to the happiness quotient of the employee. A happy employee after all is a productive employee.

Here are some basic ingredients that have the ability and power to convert any organisation into a preferred place to work. 

Respect is prime

We have heard about “Unity in Diversity” – it is also about seriously practicing it. Respect in a workplace is based largely on the respect for associates’ abilities and skills. It acknowledges talent and not one’s cultural or physical characteristics. A grievance redressal mechanism like mentor-mentee relationship is always the best gateway to monitor the work climate within the organization. It fosters productivity, performance, unity, synergy, knowledge transfer, cooperation and finally the happiness quotient. 

Transparency & integrity

These two attributes give a distinct character to the organisation where trust thrives. They cultivate an open culture where the employee and employer can believe and enable one another. It is essential to the development of the people and the organization as it establishes the overarching purpose and goals of the company. Free flow of information, responsibilities, and communication is the key.  Transparency encourages congenial relationships, better work alignment and better engagements. Not only does it increase accountability, but it also highlights issues and boosts the morale of the employees.

Instill pride

Each organisation stands for something, but not every organisation really translates that into real action – and that’s where failure begins. The employees need to feel the difference that the organisation is creating and should have the visibility into the larger plans and the vision of the company. It’s when you associate yourself with greatness, that you feel the pride. The sense of pride then starts reflecting as employees becoming the company brand ambassadors – through word of mouth, through referrals or even something as small as sporting company branded merchandise. 

Learning and growth

To be a workplace that your employees swear by, it is important that they get opportunities that tickle their brain cells. Excitement and enthusiasm towards work does not only come through monetary perks. Surprisingly, it is also linked to the professional progression and the learning that the individual gets out of the given opportunity. An atmosphere of learning and continuous growth is not easy to achieve, it is a culture shift where you nudge people to move out of their comfort zones. But once you cultivate this atmosphere, both employees and the organisation start reaping the benefits soon enough. 

Customer focus and quality

In today’s world the impact of customer satisfaction and servicing has amplified. The effects are felt acutely, positive or negative. A good customer service lifts the spirits of the employees. It not only makes them feel happy about the work but also gives them an incentive to perform better, albeit an intangible one. Furthermore, it attracts the old as well new clients which in turn increases return on investment for the company. Quality servicing is then a mandate. Self-improvement, bold commitments and a sense of purpose provide momentum to employees and ultimately to the organisation as well. 

Work-life balance

A healthy, creative and supportive framework is essential for the well-being of the employee. Any imbalance in this can result in health risks, increase in stress levels, lower productivity, depression etc. As a company, it is more important for you versus your employee to maintain this balance. Because in the end you will incur high returns on investments, attrition of capable talented employees and lastly cost and legislation regulations. Ultimately a stable employee, wrt mind body and spirit, is important for the company to attain its goals.

Finally,

A preferred workplace focuses on inclusive growth of all. It aims at giving a holistic experience to the employees and at the same time meeting the company goals. An organization’s productivity will always be directly proportional to an organization’s work culture and environment. For higher return on investment provide higher quality in terms of values and ethics. This ways work becomes passion and work challenges give thrill to the individual. In the end, it is all about enjoying one’s work seriously and obtaining higher returns – personally or professionally.

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Topics: Culture, Employee Engagement

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