The making of a great workplace
An analysis of the United Nations’ population-projection data shows that India is likely to have the world’s largest workforce by 2027.
This workforce, primarily consisting of millennials, will be looking for employment in organisations that offer good work environments, and it only makes sense for any organisation to bolster its strategy to address this opportunity.
Let’s look at the top four attributes of a great workplace that have the highest positive impact on employee happiness and productivity.
A great place to work is powered by employees who are fully invested in their jobs and committed to their employers —they are significantly more productive and outperform those who are less engaged.
It is not driven by the perks and fancy, new-age benefits alone —while benefits, workspaces, etc., are appreciated, they don’t have an impact on the employee’s perception as much a place that inculcates trusting relationships, where employees take pride in their work and find an enjoyable, supportive environment that inspires them to return to their job each day, motivated to do better.
It starts with the organization acknowledging employees’ indi- viduality, giving them the freedom to explore new ideas.
Policies that encourage employees to set aside professional time to focus on their most important life and career priorities, including long-term projects and strategic and creative pursuits, will be appreciated.
Give employees a designated amount of time to pursue projects they are especially passionate about and can also have the potential to add value to the company.
Many organizations also do co-funding of such ventures with a shared financial risk model, carefully ring-fencing the career risk.
The second idea companies can invest in is developing a positive, healthy work culture. Happy employees are in turn likely to stick around longer and even refer other great talent to the company.
A frequently used model entails creating and encouraging informal platforms or spaces to express creativity and tal- ent. This will allow employees to follow their passion at work and even become part of movements that encourage giving back to the community.
The third idea is to create an open, non-hierarchical workspace where people in the highest levels are approachable, open to listen and responsive.
As employees get more attention, feedback and support from their leaders, they will know that their individual needs are being heard, which will effectively inspire professional development and better performance.
By fostering transparency and opening up a communication loop, managers and employees are no longer kept in the dark about employee sentiment and progress toward goals.
Leaders should be checking in frequently to ensure their teams are being fully supported in their development. What will this result in? Your organisation will have happier employees who are meeting their full potential and those employees are bringing in other exceptional talent to the company.
The fourth idea is investing in skill building. A truly desirable place of work functions not just to benefit the organization but also to help its employees evolve and grow as better professionals.
In developed economies, where competition is stiff, businesses focus on developing a work culture that not only tries to retain talent but also work toward up-skilling and re-skilling them.
The fact is that investing in learning, development and career planning of employees outweighs the cost of finding new workers.
Provide employees with ongoing opportunities and incentives to learn and grow, both in establishing new jobspecific hard skills, as well as softer skills that serve them well as individuals, and as managers and leaders. Further, when you are able to arm your employees with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their job – and do it in an innovative, experiential way – it translates to more engaged and committed employees, a culture of continuous learning and, ultimately, a boost to the bottom line.
Looking to the future and the next generation of the workforce, companies have to start investing in their people – as change drivers and brand ambassadors for the organization – to really be called a true ‘great place to work.
A greAT pLACe To WorK is poWereD By eMpLoyees Who Are FuLLy inVesTeD in Their JoBs AnD CoMMiTTeD To Their eMpLoyers