Is Your Workplace Culture Letting You Down? These Tips Can Turn Things Around

What are your employees saying behind your back, to others, or in reviews about our company online? In a day and age where an online review of how you treat your employees and the goings-on behind the scenes can ruin your business at worst or shrink your hiring pool at best, how can you stop yourself from being *that* company on Glassdoor?  

While the saying “you can’t please everyone all the time” is true in this respect, after all, each employee is unique, and what makes one happy won’t make others too thrilled to be working for you; there are things you can do to help you boost employee morale and ensure that not only do you keep staff turnover low but entice the best people to your company when you do have roles open up, and have people beating down the door to work for you.  

Let’s take a look at some great ways you can boost your workplace culture and be the company everyone wants to work for. 

Eliminate Micromanaging

Micromanaging, often seen as a way to ensure quality, can actually be the bane of employees’ lives. By eliminating this practice, you empower your team, giving them the freedom to excel in their roles. This shift in management style can lead to a significant boost in morale and a renewed enthusiasm for the job role.  

If employees feel their every move is being monitored and scrutinized, then you can guarantee morale will drop and no one will be happy in their job role. You need to allow employees the freedom to make their own decisions and approach their workload in a way that they see fit to get the job done. Monitoring every tiny thing they do stifles this ability and erodes any employee-employer relationship you might have. 

Instead, focus on building employee autonomy in your work and giving them freedom and trust so they know their contributions are valued and appreciated. After all, if they are able to do the job, having been hired for that role, they likely don’t need an inordinate amount of supervision.

Encourage Flexible Working 

Not all workplaces can accommodate a fully flexible work schedule. Still, one that can accommodate some type of flexibility regarding working hours and location of work can help boost employee morale and still achieve standards. There is a common misconception that those working from locations outside of the office or outside office hours do less work, but actually, the opposite is true. 

One study found that 43% of respondents said that flexible working helped them to be more productive, while Forbes notes that 83% of people think flexible working is important. This not only increases productivity but also job satisfaction, making it a win-win situation for both the employer and the employee. This data should inspire you to consider flexible working as a key strategy to boost morale and productivity in your workplace.

Flexibility can allow a mix of remote and in-office work as required. It can be requiring people in the office or on-site for certain hours of the day, i.e., your busiest times, and then allowing them to adjust their workload and working hours the rest of the time to benefit them or giving them a complete choice over when and how they work. If the work is being done to the same standards or higher, tapping into when employees are at their most productive and where that is will only work in your favor for both employees and clients. 

Amenities

Adding amenities to your workplace can boost morale and support healthy lifestyles. It can be equipping the office with break rooms complete with comfy couches, charging points for devices, books to read, or even quiet zones where people take power naps during breaks and lunchtimes.  

You can have an on-site caterer or use an Office Pantry Service to stock up on convenient, healthy, and nutritious snacks and drinks. You can choose dry foods, fresh foods, and a range of beverages to stock your office pantry and keep supplies readily available for anyone who wants to use them. Consult with your entire team over what they would like to eat and drink and have on hand, and then build a fully customizable office pantry.

Time Off and Breaks

When it comes to vacation time, days off, and even breaks during shifts, you need to be the exception, not the norm. Avoid requiring people to work longer days for free or punishing them for clocking out when their working days or week ends. If they are contracted for 40 hours per week, allow them to work that 40 hours with the option to work more if they wish for appropriate remuneration.

Don’t require employees to be on call 24/7 and refrain from infringing on their personal time.

In fact, you need to appreciate their personal life, give them the required time between shifts to relax, and actively encourage them to take breaks, take vacation time, and have days off during the week.

The flip side of not allowing the above is an increased risk of burnout for everyone. This can lower standards and results and impact your ability to work. So, while it might seem like allowing people the chance to enjoy their nonwork time will harm the company, it will actually benefit you in the long run. If you cannot survive without certain team members or you need extended working hours, take on more employees, ensure more than one person can do the job role, and, more importantly, have an effective management team and relationship that meet the needs of increased pressure that eliminates free time.

Allow Employees to Be Involved

While you might think they are involved by simply doing their job, involving them in all decisions regarding how they work, the type of work you take on and the deadlines, and how different challenges can allow them to have, some say and input into their own working life. 

This not only makes them feel valued but also brings fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. Their involvement is not just beneficial; it’s crucial to the success of your company. 

The employee should be encouraged to participate at every level regarding their workload and what the company is doing that involves them. Give them the floor to share ideas, collaborate, problem solve, and be an active part of what you do. The reason is the more an employee feels heard and valued, the more of an asset they will be to you. By allowing them to be privy to things that are happening that affect them, to have a say in what you do and how you do it, not only can you raise standards but encourage greater workplace satisfaction within the team and ensure that everyone is on board with what you do and how you do it. 

You never know; someone might just have the answer to all of your problems and allow you to make changes for the better.

Trust and Communication

Hand in hand with the above point comes weaving trust and cooperation into everything you do. You and your management team need to work on open communication across the board. Setting company standards in relation to communication can ensure everyone is on the same page and things are relayed correctly, and on time so all parties are in the right place.

You also need to focus on building trust in each department and the team. Every employee needs to trust that you are doing right by them and the company. They need to trust the company as a whole, their managers, and their colleagues completely. If the trust isn’t there, then you won’t be able to build or focus on creating a positive workplace culture that benefits the majority.  

Ask For and Recognise Feedback

Feedback needs to be a two-way street in business. As the owner, you need to be offering constructive feedback and praise where it is due to your management team as well as employees. You also need to be open to accepting feedback and acting on it, too. 

Feedback needs to be an ongoing thing that you actively encourage and welcome as a standard. People should feel free to bring up concerns, identify things that aren’t working, or be able to make suggestions without fear of resprisals. The reason is that if your employees are invested in the company, they will want to make it the best it can be, and their feedback is vital for this.

You need to show you are willing to accept their feedback and opinions and do what you can to resolve them, not just sweep it under the carpet. If an employee is left to stew on their issues, then things will only snowball, resulting in them leaving the company out of frustration and potentially affecting others in their presence with their despair. So, ask for feedback, take it on the chin, and be proactive in making changes based on this.