What is one strategy you are using to become a more employee-centric organization?
To help you make your organization more employee-centric, we asked CEOs and business leaders this question for their best ideas. From factoring in employee preferences to creating a culture of continuous learning, there are several strategies that may help you transform your organization into a more employee-centric one.
Here are eight strategies to become a more employee-centric organization:
- Factor in Employee Preferences
- Create a Work Culture That Motivates Employees
- Allow Employees To Guide Charitable Endeavors
- Organize Monthly Team Get-Togethers
- Adopt a Flexible Goal-oriented Schedule
- Allow Work-Schedule Autonomy
- Act on Employee Feedback
- Create a Culture of Continuous Learning
Factor in Employee Preferences
An employee-centric organization is one that prioritizes creating an exemplary employee experience and taking cues from its workforce on what works and what doesn’t. Personalizing the employee experience should be your ultimate goal which is why it’s important to dig deep and uncover the likes, dislikes, and unique preferences of your employees. By doing this you can offer them benefits they truly value and assign projects that align with their strengths, moreover ones that they are truly passionate about.
Harry Morton, Lower Street
Create a Work Culture That Motivates Employees
Employee-centric organizations are those that are more focused on employees’ needs, goals and values than the organization’s. This strategy is often followed by companies and organizations who want to create a better work culture which motivates employees to stay in the company and provides a better work experience.
One particular strategy that can help you become more employee-centric is creating cross functional teams. This means collaborating with different departments to create one team of diverse skill sets, such as marketing, sales, finance and engineering. By having these different perspectives in one team, it allows for various ideas to come together instead of silos being created inside the company.
Bilal Ahmed, BWTech
Allow Employees To Guide Charitable Endeavors
Listening to employees and providing them with input on core business decisions is a great way to become a more employee-centric organization. Allowing your employees to dictate which charities your business becomes involved with is one particularly effective way to ensure that employees feel valued and heard. This strategy ensures that employees will be directly invested in the corporate social responsibility of your organization, something which can have a directly beneficial impact on workplace culture. Engaging with charities and causes that your employees are passionate about works to build rapport within your organizational structure and improves overall employee satisfaction.
Clare Jones, OfficeSpaceAU
Organize Monthly Team Get-Togethers
I schedule monthly gatherings ranging from restaurant parties and bowling to company game nights. These get-togethers are reminders to my employees that they are appreciated. One thing I take into consideration is that social settings aren’t ideal for every employee, so I offer vouchers to those who choose to use it to treat themselves. I strive to create a fun and inclusive environment for my team. Treating them to a monthly night of camaraderie and a good time is one strategy I use to become a more employee-centric organization.
Ray Leon, Pet Insurance Review
Adopt a Flexible Goal-oriented Work Schedule
As a fully remote company, we have adapted a very flexible work schedule. Every 2 weeks, we set target metrics and assign projects for every team member. After 1 week, we check in to make sure everyone has made progress, change strategies if necessary, and reassess. There are no required meetings apart from these, and while we are constantly communicating, nobody is enforcing a work schedule. It makes for a very creative and problem-solving oriented company structure that actively discourages micromanagement!
Myra Ahmad, Mochi Health
Allow Work-Schedule Autonomy
As a recruitment firm, we are fortunate enough to be able to accommodate a hybrid work model. We sought to go over and above the typical ‘flexible work schedule’ and give our employees true flexibility and autonomy. This means that employees are free to choose when, and how they work based on their personal commitments and responsibilities, which we cannot ignore. Allowing employees to work the way their schedule best supports work-life balance, wellbeing, and job satisfaction.
Ben Lamarche, Lock Search Group
Act on Employee Feedback
Concerning feedback, we solicit feedback from our employers in order to learn what is and is not working in our organization. We are primarily conducting stay and exit interviews, as well as organizing employee focus groups; these are excellent ways to hear what our employees have to say. We primarily ask pertinent questions about our company’s employee experience, such as: How would you describe the employee experience in this company? What employee initiatives do you want our company to implement? Do you believe the organization values what you do? After we have analyzed the feedback, it is time to devise a strategy for how we’ll improve things.
Adam Olson, Home Service Direct
Create a Culture of Continuous Learning
Employees should always feel like the organization gives them the chance to grow professionally and build their careers. If employees feel like your company is keeping them stuck or stagnant, you will have a high employee turnover rate. Thus, a culture that encourages continuous learning can help keep employees happy, boosting employee retention. HR should devise programs to help employees gain more skills to keep up-to-date with the dynamic business world. For instance, an in-house mentorship program can work. Also, you can provide employee training materials through the company website and enable them to take professional examinations.
Ivy Bosibori, USBadCreditLoans
Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.