Human connections at workplace: The strategy to help you achieve more
You must have heard the expression — people quit bosses, not jobs. USA Today has put a number to it. When confronted with unsupportive team leaders or a hostile work atmosphere, 75% of employees will willingly leave their positions. Leading companies seem to be taking human connection as the recipe for a fulfilling, respectful workplace.
Why it matters: The top two reasons for attrition, as given by workers for leaving (or considering leaving), are an eyeopener — workers were either made to feel that their contribution was not valued by the organisation (54%), or that they lacked a sense of belonging at work (51%). (Source: McKinsey)
The evidence goes beyond employee anecdotes. 96% of long tenured employees at competing organisations rated their workplaces as warm and welcoming. A comparable proportion feels proud to share where they work. A significant motivator for retention.
Time to reimagine employee retention.
Inspiring practices drawn from the world’s best rated workplaces to strengthen human connections
- Find creative ways to reward employees
A bright example: NuStar’s employees quote, “NuStar is a fun place to work! We celebrate anything from Frosty Fridays (ice cream and popsicles) to all-employee bonus celebrations and Thirsty Thursday happy hours in the summer.” (Source: Great Place To Work)
An employee at USAA says, “The little things matter. The regular lunches provided by the company, monthly massages for every employee, events that let us include family.”
- Build a sense of camaraderie
Veterans United, a mortgage lender headquartered in Columbia, encourages employees to form groups around their shared interests or experiences during daily tasks and even big projects.
“Everyone higher up does an amazing job making every single person here, down to the janitors, feel like we are one big team,” quotes an employee at Veterans United.
“In the world today, it seems like it’s an ‘every-man-for-himself’ mentality. But at The Container Store, I can truly count on my co-workers and my manager to have my back,” says an employee at the Texas-headquartered retailer. (Source: Great Place To Work)
- Resolve conflicts, don’t shove it under
“It’s so refreshing! I love coming to work because I don’t feel like I have a fight awaiting me. Or any sort of internal politics. I feel like I’m being propelled forward by my colleagues. And that makes me actually want to work harder,” says another employee at The Container Store.
PrimeLending has gone above and beyond to ensure undivided workspaces. “It’s very simple here. Whenever our managers suspect that there’s an undercurrent happening between two members of the team, they both receive a friendly mail encouraging them to talk about it. Sometimes, there are cafe passes attached and coffee is sponsored!” says an employee at the Texas based Financial Services Company.
Human connections can’t be a corporate mandate or a checkbox item in the books. Employees must be encouraged to co-create a positive environment for one another, while management must ensure that personal goals are met during routine tasks.
On that note, what recent actions have you taken in your organisation?
We shall leave you to introspect.
