Dynamic Happenings

WHAT MAKES A GREAT WORKPLACE?

The renowned Great Place to Work^® Institute recently unveiled a list of
Fortune 100 Best Places to Work For in 2014. Have you ever wondered
“What makes a workplace truly great?” This is an intriguing question for both
employees and employers. We tried to identify some elements that are common
  to the best workplaces. Take a quick look!

1.    Work - Life Balance

A job is no more a mere pursuit of bread and butter, nor is it solely concerned with a large paycheck. A greater segment of the workforce is more concerned with healthy work relationships, performance recognition and work-life balance. Great companies provide recreational facilities for their employees such as a well-equipped gym, games, weekly activities and regular company outings. The new age mantra is to adopt a fun-and-focus approach at work to get employees recharged, keep them motivated to work harder, and help them raise their performance.

2.    Workforce Orientation

Recent surveys have shown that satisfied employees tend to show a higher engagement at work, which in turn leads to a substantial increase in overall productivity. It’s not a coincidence that great workplaces also make it to the list of most successful companies. By providing a good working environment they manage to imbue long-term commitment to the employees, thus making the most of their skills. They value their employees as much as they value their customers. Employee job satisfaction is as important to them as raised bars in the sales chart.

3.    I Win, You Win, We Win Situation

The greatest success stories involve one successful person helping others succeed. Great leaders make their employees a part of their mission by setting specific roles and responsibilities for them. Everyone knows how his/her contribution is going to make a difference to help the company achieve its goals.

4.    Challenges and Opportunities

From prehistoric times, we are conditioned to tackle challenges. It not only gives us a sense of accomplishment but also a sense of purpose. Dynamic leaders inspire their employees to constantly add skills to their portfolio, expose them to ongoing challenges and opportunities and help them learn, develop and grow. A typical day at such a workplace is filled with energy and positivity. There’s rarely a dull moment and that’s what keep employees motivated.

5.    Criticism and Appreciation

Great employers give regular feedback, both positive and negative, to their workforce. When one’s work gets recognized, it creates a natural drive in him/her to make a contribution towards betterment of the product/services and achieving customer satisfaction. Managers need to be honest and unbiased and give the feedback based on employee performance and engagement.
Also, it is also important for the management to get constant feedback from the workforce. Rome was not built in a day and a Great Workplace is no different either. It is only by working on constant feedback from employees that management can create an inspiring work environment. 

6.    Compensation and Benefits

There’s a quote, “If you settle for less than what you deserve, you will end up getting even less than what you settled for”. Great companies value their workforce and do not hesitate to pay them per their caliber and capabilities. They comply with the standard practices when it comes to setting compensation and benefits, which in turn, earns them respect among employees.

7.    Respect and Care

Lynn Taylor, a world - renowned workplace expert who pioneered the concept of humanized workplace, quotes, “Humanizing your workplace is guaranteed to bring more joy to the office and to increase productivity.” Great workplaces are filled with compassion. When the managers treat their employees with respect, warmth, and also support and mentor them, employees go that extra mile to make a contribution.

Conclusion
Great management is not confined to getting policies and procedures in place or being compliant with the standard norms. Rather, it’s about instilling a sense of belonging in employees and letting the work relationships nurture of their own accord. Managers who choose to put faith in their employees, recognize their contribution and treat them with respect not only builds likeability but also achieves organizational objectives more effectively.

Great Workplaces incorporate these elements in their philosophy and drive the employees to make a synergistic contribution towards mutual growth. In our next post, we are going to explore some of these workplaces.

Stay Tuned!