Statistically only about 10% of folks can be quoted as being happy with their job. Yikes! That leaves another 90% that would really rather work somewhere else. What’s up with that, you ask? And don’t jump to conclusions, for the most part, it’s not salary related. Gasp!
Well, if the desire isn’t more money, what else is there? A couple of things actually, all relating to (you guessed it) company culture. So listen up ye managers of unhappy, grumpy folk. If you’re running a company and continue to see new, strange, and often terrified faces everyday… you, sir, may have a revolving door on your hands. Here are a couple of things you could work on to improve your internal company culture and cease the flapping of the exit door.
Probably one of the biggest complaints people make about their job
is: MY BOSS IS A DOPE. (Well, maybe the language has been sweetened a bit, but you get the gist.) If you are, or you have a boss that is: never in the office, does not respect you, acts holier than thou, and operates under the slogan “do what I say, not as I do” (Think: gone Monday thru Thursday shooting for birdie, and in on Friday until noon to check for full time cards) this is the problem. And no, not all bosses suck. But it can cause huge respect issues, in turn impacting productivity and efficiency.
A boss who’s attempting to foster positive company culture should encourage employees to share their thoughts freely. This “good ideas can come from anyone” attitude creates an open-door, motivating, and collaborative atmosphere. This equals happy people that won’t jump ship on a whim. Hell, they may even come up with the next big idea!
Another fatal company flaw that often times spurs employee exodus is: THERE’S NO ROOM FOR ADVANCEMENT. Granted, some small companies can’t keep promoting its 6 employees, otherwise it would end up with 6 directors of something and 0 doers of anything. So, obviously this “advancement” doesn’t always have to equal “job promotion.” It could mean educational opportunities or even growth within a position, like added responsibilities. If people stay engaged and interested in their work, the more likely they are to be… well… engaged and interested in the advancement of the company as a whole. Phew… good point.
Apart from these two big guys, there are other things that indicate to a company culture on the up and up. A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE is always very high on the list. This requires empowering employees to get their work done on time and as expected while allowing them to complete the work during the hours of the day that work best for them. You mean “trust?” Yup. Novel idea…right?
Also, employees tend to stick with companies who have a sense of SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Maybe your company donates time to the local food bank or does pro bono projects from time to time. Oddly enough (implied eye roll coming in 3…2…1…) people who work for a company that gives a crap tend to give a crap back. Yes, it’s that simple.
So, what have we learned? Well, unfortunately I can’t tell you where to find this culture (I mean, we have it, but we’re not hiring right now because no one ever leaves… huh… I think I just proved my point), I also can’t give you a schematic on how to implement these perks, nor can I convince your accounting department that giving people time off to volunteer makes business sense. However, what you can be absolutely sure of is: happy, respected, empowered, and socially responsible people are better producers than the cranky, undervalued, and ignored, 100% of the time.
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Tags: company culture, creative jobs, culture, new york jobs, portland jobs
Word to all our mothers!
Although this is basic business 101, most employees, small business owners especially, lose sight of this, and then stare open-mouthed at an employee turning in a letter of resignation. Shocking? No. Will more blog posts like this make a difference over time? I sure pray that it does.