Let’s face it, even if you have the best job on the planet, you will not be happy and fulfilled in your role if your work place and organisational culture are poor.
After spending 14 years interviewing candidates from all walks of life, one thing that stood out to me is how important your work place culture is to your happiness and overall success in your job.
I have worked with companies large and small and employees in many different sectors.
On a daily basis I would hear the same complaints about low staff morale and employees not feeling appreciated or valued. More often than not, staff were leaving their jobs due to a poor work environment or difficulty with a manager.
The topic of what contributes a great organisational culture is complex but at ground level begins with a single action – Praise!
If your staff are doing a good job, compliment them as a team and individually on their work or progress. Give credit where credit is due. Sincerely commend your staff on a job well done. Sure there will be times when you need to address poor performance or offer constructive feedback to encourage growth and enable your team to reach their full potential.
However, when you have praised your team genuinely and when appropriate, it makes it easier to deliver this corrective feedback when necessary.
Don’t just praise for the sake of praising, no one likes a superficial compliment. If employees are doing a good job, let them know.
Sincere, positive reinforcement goes a long way to improving work culture. As I have said before, your staff are your biggest asset and you want them to feel important and needed.
Want to step things up a little and make your brand an Employer of Choice? First and foremost you should acknowledge a job well done. Then, if your budget allows, you could follow this up with a number of simple actions which will work wonders on team morale;
-Acknowledge their achievements in front of their peers
-Team member of the month award/ certificate
-An early mark on a Friday afternoon
-A movie or shopping voucher
-Take them out for a coffee or lunch
-Incentive points towards a holiday or short break
-Hire a mobile masseuse for a shoulder massage at their desk
-Bonus incentive scheme
This article was written by Kristi Gomm from InPlace Recruitment.