More than anything, the key to a company's success is the right talent. Having highly intelligent and sought-after employees is important but they also need to be placed in positions where they can fully showcase their talents and skills.
As a company and, more specifically, as the talent leaders in your organization, your role is to maximize the talent. You do that by selecting the right people for the right jobs and letting them blossom. Today's corporate culture is seemingly ever-changing. From new technological systems to upgraded and renovated offices, things are constantly changing.
But one thing remains constant - you need employees to do the work. And it's your job to prioritize talent above all else. One way to do this is to make sure your hiring and retention are aligned with your company's values. Here are some excellent corporate examples:
We have long known Microsoft as a leader in the technology and innovation space. But they are also leading the way for their employees, providing a transparent work culture. Many large companies are fearful of too much transparency.
By being open and honest with their team, Microsoft employees feel a better level of engagement and understanding of how their work impacts the overall company goals. Engaged employees outperform disengaged employees by nearly 28%. So Microsoft has realized the advantages of sharing key insights with their team.
Employees consistently rank work-life balance at the top of their wants for any position. Companies have trouble giving employees this wish, however, because it often means something different to each employee. But ADP has figured it out, giving employees the ability to have the customized work-life balance they want.
80% of employees with a higher level of trust in their management and leadership teams are more committed to the company than other employees. HubSpot has ensured a culture of shared teamwork and shared success. This creates a higher level of trust in leadership and gives the employees a sense of belonging. Taking this approach has allowed HubSpot to see exponential growth year after year.
Every Zoom office has a Happiness Crew which helps to organize office events and engage employees. These events include days like Zoom Olympics and Bring Your Pet to Work Day.
These easy-to-prepare events help teammates better understand the people they work with as individuals, not just as colleagues. Getting to know people you see every day on a more personal level helps engage employees in their work because there is a sense of teamwork and belonging.
Google is always in on these types of discussions. They generally lead with office flexibility, encouraging employees to work not only when they like but how they like. Collaboration and communication are key.
So long as you participate in the required meetings and you produce your work, Google gives employees a great deal of freedom. This freedom, in turn, benefits Google's growth and the product experience they provide to users. It's a win-win.
If your company culture is already well-received and you have lots of buy-in and engagement from your team, well done! But even if you do, you still have room to improve. All the companies listed above haven't stopped innovating and improving their company culture - they are constantly changing and innovating how they approach their employees, their talent. You can do the same.
Changing and reshaping a company's culture to focus more on talent is not as difficult as it might sound. But the first key is to understand where you are right now and where do you want to be in one year. It's also important to note that you cannot change company culture overnight. It's a piece by piece process that, in the end, can provide you with a stronger and better team, focused on retaining top talent and better prepared to innovate for your customers.
To reshape your company culture, think about things like:
By investing in your team, your talent, they will see what you are doing and return the investment with interest. You will see an increase in measured productivity from your employees which results in greater innovation and revenue to your business.
Once you have begun the process of reshaping your culture to focus and appreciate your talent, you need to nurture your hard work. You do not simply plant a seed in the soil and, without ever tending to it, expect a plant to grow. No, you must nurture the seed and trust that there is activity happening beneath the soil which will produce wonderful results for your company.
By nurturing your company culture, you let current employees know you are genuine in your desire to value their talent. But you also let future employees know the same. This serves to help you attract better talent to keep your company growing, expanding, and innovating in your field. Without the right talent, you could not possibly succeed.
By showing your employees, your talent base, that you value them, they will work harder and produce even more remarkable results for you and for your company. This keeps your customers happy and helps you generate even more customers in the future.
Attracting and retaining top talent isn't always about having the best perks. Taking the time to understand your company culture, what makes it tick, and what your employees truly want can provide your company bountiful rewards. You could end up with a culture that helps to retain top talent, creates efficiency in your employees, and strengthens innovation.
Learn more about how to groom your talent for innovation at Asia's largest experiential conference, Corporate Innovation Summit 2020!