Don’t overlook culture in the war for talent

Colette Philp at SD Worx argues that any company that wants to attract the best talent must showcase a strong commitment to workforce wellbeing

 

Amid the ‘Great Resignation’, as countless British employees seek alternative prospects, businesses are facing a crisis around company culture. Nothing drains employees of their enthusiasm for a role faster than a lack of company ‘purpose’, colleague connections and social activity.

 

With a wealth of job vacancies currently available on the market, it can be the deciding factor in team members starting the hunt for new opportunities.

 

When asked why people look for new jobs, unsurprisingly, salary often takes the top spot. Recent research from SD Worx found that 50% of UK employees in 2022 are looking to switch jobs and 24% of those state it is because they have a non-competitive salary.

 

Comparing it to company culture, further research found that salary, job requirements and job security placed in the top three spots on the list of most important employment factors, with company culture, as well as vision and policy, coming last on the list.

 

It’s understandable, given that wages are tangible, versus the more abstract concepts of culture and vision. A salary is what we pocket at the end of each day, week or month, but we can’t take home a bit of culture.

 

However, this doesn’t legitimise the all-too-common practice of neglecting company culture. In fact, this is a reminder that companies need to work twice as hard to turn their company’s spaces – virtual or physical – into positive places that their employees truly value.

 

Money alone can’t sustain job satisfaction. A quick glance at the headlines on any day will turn up the latest firm to have its awful culture revealed by employee whistleblowers, who turn to the media to shame bad working practices – often after finding that their internal complaints fell on deaf ears.

 

 In fact, after salary, our research showed that for 14% of those looking to move roles, it was due to a poor work atmosphere and 10% because they lacked growth opportunities.

 

With mounting challenges around managing wellbeing, companies must be vigilant when it comes to ensuring employees are happy in their roles. It’s a buyer’s market for jobs, and employees know they can call the shots for opportunities that lie ahead.

 

The starting point of building company culture is ironing out the ‘non-negotiables’. There’s no point investing in employee engagement, if you haven’t got competitive benefits packages, company perks, motivational pay policies and career progression optimised.

 

The blunt truth is that talent will walk out of the door if other employers have better offers, which is why it’s important employers need to get the practical basics right and ensure employees feel genuinely valued.

 

When you know your company is competitive on paper, you can truly focus on building company culture – and in turn loyalty – that keeps employees at the company. Of course, maintaining a positive company culture with so many employees now working at home is a major challenge.

 

One remedy is for C-suite leaders to connect with HR, and then look at ways to respond authentically to employee wants. Providing generic benefits won’t cut it. A company needs to move past seasonal parties and the odd team lunch to more creative, employee-driven and focused projects.

 

To get there, leaders at all levels need to speak honestly and openly with their team members to find out what they need to be truly satisfied at work. It is also possible to generate feedback through bigger, anonymous pulse surveys and engagement surveys – these are important tools and have their place. But the best way to develop a strong company culture is the simplest and yet most often overlooked: just ask!

 

The proof points of cultural success is also evidenced by feedback online. If an employee doesn’t like the company they work for, you’ll often hear about it publicly on review sites and social media. The same should also apply if a team member loves the organisation they work for.

 

The most frequent praise for companies focuses on employees feeling valued, good reputation of the CEO, solid work-life balance, strong benefits and caring management – with scope for flexible work weeks and leave.

 

The antithesis of this looks like long hours in the office, and an unflinching focus on productivity and efficiency at the expense of wellbeing, that creates an oppressive atmosphere of competitiveness – some people feed off this, but many take issue with it, and big firms in professional services have fallen foul of this with large churn at the junior level.

 

When a company is solely run for profit, rather than people, it shows in the flow of talent – employees look to escape when they know there are better things on offer.

 

Employers will do well to remember that anyone can publish online and that scrutiny is higher than ever. Scathing online reviews can lift the lid on the ugly side of company culture, and discourage potential candidates before they’ve even set foot inside an office. Messages that cast a bad light on work conditions should keep employers up at night, as these can lead to negative press, widespread disapproval, and a mad scramble to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.

 

Therefore, by building a strong company culture, your employees turn into your advocates, and the benefits of working for a company can be easily demonstrated to potential new talent hires – a simple conversation with team members should tell them all they need to know in terms of feeling valued in the workplace, and part of a bigger company purpose.

 

In the modern office, HR leaders are business leaders. The ones championing culture are the ones who deliver engaged, satisfied and high-performing teams. This is why companies can’t see culture as just a tick-box exercise. Job applicants will all be checking the internet for candid online reviews about work culture before they even consider applying for a role. It’s therefore essential to learn what your employees need, and show genuine care about delivering that, or risk backlash, poor publicity, and fewer bright sparks.

 

If any company wants to continue on a strong growth trajectory, then it’s important to showcase company commitment to workforce wellbeing, not only to limit talent attrition but to attract the highest calibre of candidates for future vacancies too.

 

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Colette Philp is UK HR Country Lead, SD Worx

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com