Intelligence

A Great Place to Work? You Need to Care.

Have you ever wondered why companies such as Google, CISCO and Atlassian are able to dominate the “Great Places to Work” list and attract the best talent?

And no – it’s not just because they have a slide in the office or free food. It’s because they have built their internal brand through a culture that supports trust, flexibility, fun, and above all else the ability for employees to understand their pathways to success,

The best companies in the world understand that it is their people (whether they be permanent, contract or “gig”) that make the difference – whether that be the difference between “I want to work here” or “I want to be a customer of this business”.

Creating an environment to harness understanding of their future, flexibility and trust, creates the culture of a highly successful business. Particularly post-COVID-19 with a new way of working, no one wants to work in a dull, stressful environment with a micro-manager breathing down their neck, punching at the keyboard to look busy. The new way or working has eliminated the old ways of thinking.

It you’re a business leader, do yourself a favour and read two books written by Simon Sinek – “Start with Why” & “Leaders Eat Last”. They may be a few years old, but they are still relevant. After reading these you’ll understand the importance of how you can be a belter manager of people and why your people matter more than any other aspect of your business.

People (whether they’re permanent employees, gig employees or customers) want to be part of something. They levitate towards a sense of belonging. A sense of camaraderie. A sense of “I relate to this business and why they resonate with me”.

Here’s a thought – for those in the Information Technology sector, have you ever thought to utilise everyday tools such as your ITSM or CRM as vehicles to help build the voice of your internal brand?

Focussing on User Experience (UX) when rolling out platforms and adapting them to engage with the End Users, you not only increase technology adoption but create a sense of purpose for your employees and a sense of understanding of who you are for your potential and existing customers.

When you encompass the tone, voice, and culture of your business, you re-enforce and engrain a sense of team, culture, belonging and inclusion that all play a major part in retaining your employees and make your organisation not only a place of choice for potential and current employees, but potential and existing customers too.

So where do you start when building a great place to work? The answer to the question involves more than just fun – it involves opportunity, careers pathways, and so, so much more in a post-COVID-19 world. Accept this, address this and move to a new way of working NOW before your competitors do, and you are left behind without the ability to catch up.