Flexible work hours, Equal pay, Merit-based growth opportunities, Inclusive environment these are a few things which pop up in the minds of the people when they are evaluating a company. But since when did all these things matter?? Haven’t we heard of a time when people were just happy to have a job, no matter how bad the working conditions might be! How many times have our elders stopped us from switching jobs, just because, “it wasn’t like this, during their time” or “you must be grateful for the job you have”.
You hear about how a friend was treated for an outstanding performance that quarter or how an ex-colleague was given additional perks just so that he would stay with the company for a longer time. Is it bad to expect the same from your current company? Or would it be wrong of you to weigh your options and leave for greener pastures if it favors your growth prospects.
People don't quit a job, the saying goes — they quit a boss.
Dig a little deeper into that statement and you will realise that the boss is just a product of the people working around him. When people of different backgrounds and beliefs come together, a culture simply emerges. And the recipe for a great workplace culture is akin to a slow cooked meal which needs to be regularly nurtured.
It starts from gathering the best ingredients for the meal aka hiring the right talent, prepping the meal aka giving them the right training for the job, allowing the meal to simmer at just the right temperature which would mean promoting interaction while dissuading unnecessary interference within a pleasant environment. The aroma of this concoction is what would be similar to a healthy work culture. This is what candidates have come to appreciate nowadays.
Many companies drive their financial success having a cut -throat, high pressure and take no prisoner work culture. Although, the assumption is bringing pressure and stress will make people perform well but they often forget the impact it makes on the employees. This impacts employee’s mental health and wellbeing due to which many health issues are cropping up in people.
Candidates are not necessarily swooning at the prospect of joining a tier 1 company at the expense of their emotional health which would need them to work as a Cookie Cutter with lesser avenues to explore. They would rather work at a company which gives them more freedom to experiment, more exposure, better work/life balance all resulting in peace of mind.
“Wellbeing comes from one place, and one place only — a positive culture.”
The pandemic has forced companies to re-evaluate how they frame future work policies. Are they mindful of the employee’s wellbeing? Are they promoting diversity and inclusiveness? Are they encouraging discussions at the work place to be more transparent in the way the company functions? Are regular team building activities conducted to boost morale? This list can be exhaustive, but it’s not necessarily difficult to implement. It can be as simple as asking your team members to take regular breaks while working from home, or drafting a more employee friendly leave policy given the uncertainty of the time we live in.
As per the recent survey, 72% people are of the opinion that culture helps successful changes.
Rome was not built in a day and nor will a great work culture emerge out of the blue. However, a step in the right direction is all that you will need to get started on this path.
