For leaders, now is the time to consider business culture and the Great Resignation. How people think of your organization, from the inside and the outside, may have a greater impact than any catchy slogans or creative branding campaigns.
As news of the Great Resignation spreads, employees, who may have never thought of going elsewhere, may start to say, “What if?”
Choosing an employer may be based on different factors than you believe. I learned this during a conversation with “Joseph,” at a recent convention.
I learned he’s spent more than 30 years with the same company. How did he get there? It’s an interesting story that may make you rethink your view of recruiting and company culture.
Joseph was looking for a job because he had just left the military. As someone who embraced discipline and routines, he thought manufacturing would be a good fit for his skills.
But he wasn’t sure which company would be best for him. His solution was to spend a day and drive to several companies. He didn’t go into any of them or talk to anyone. Instead, he looked at their parking lots.
“I wanted to see which place had the best cars in employee parking,” he said. “That told me all I needed to know.”
In today’s world, employees may choose to spend their money in places other than their cars. But leaders need to realize that your workforce is likely defining your brand to the outside world. It can affect retention, as well as the quality of candidates you can hire.
Consider whether these factors are helping or hurting your business culture.
Know What’s Coming
Do employees have a sense of security or would they not be surprised to suddenly hear of layoffs? Obviously, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the business world but it is smart to keep people in the loop.
Otherwise, they may perceive below average times as a sign of the apocalypse. Business culture and the Great Resignation demand that leaders communicate more with employees, beyond just saying, “Everything is fine.” If you can give people confidence, do it.
Understand the Mission
If a job is just a job to employees, then they’ll likely be seduced by something else. Do they have a sense of pride in what your business does?
Often on LinkedIn, I’ll notice that people list their employer and title but offer little information about what their business does. Maybe they assume people know it or perhaps they don’t think it’s important to the outside world.
Neither scenario makes you think people are committed to your big picture. Again, share some success stories or aspirations with employees so they’ll feel like they’re part of something important and not just a disposable job.
Flexibility
Now is the time to get creative with flexibility on the job. Do you want to lose good employees due to roadwork that lengthens their commute? Little things that bug people, like traffic, can have a big impact.
Try to understand these complaints and concerns and see if you can come up with some proactive solutions. A flexible schedule and the option to work some from home may help you retain your top talent.
While any plan won’t be perfect, simply trying to help, will go a long way to improve business culture.
Training, Mentorship, and Advancement
Business culture and the Great Resignation will likely be influenced by whether people feel like they have a future in your organization. If you perceive your career, as stuck in a dead end job, then you may make a U-turn to somewhere else.
Do employees feel they’ll either be able to move up the ladder with the business or learn so much that they’ll be able to get a much better job elsewhere?
Upward mobility may depend on whether you’re helping people get better. Do you offer training that gives people new and valuable skills? For some, they may not want to advance but just want to feel engaged.
Do people higher in the organization serve as mentors or take a few minutes to offer guidance and advice? If everyone seems to be in it for themselves, then your retention rate will likely suffer.
Yes, this kind of thing does take time, at a time when you may feel you’re always racing against the clock. But compare that investment to the time you’ll have to spend replacing unhappy employees and training their replacements.
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