In recent years, traditional working environments have been broken down and the importance of a positive workplace culture has become increasingly significant. Positive working environments are a credit to the increased awareness of mental health and the discussion around the management of stress at work. Conventional thinking has taken a back seat and the workplace culture has become the heart and soul of a company. Spotlight Recruitment clients know that this blended cocktail of vision, values and diversity is essential for productivity and reducing employee stress.
As marketing and digital recruiters, we know from candidate feedback alone, how important a positive workplace culture truly is. Research shows audiences respond much better to messages that contain a strong and appealing human element. The more authentic and relatable your branding is, the more your digital marketing and job adverts will appeal to potential and current employees. Because workplace culture is so important to hire effectively, your company values should be clear, kind, supportive and something that your workers are proud to stand by.
The benefits of a positive workplace culture include morale increase, the improvement of teamwork, and a surge in productivity and efficiency. So, here, we have put together 3 examples of workplace culture that you should most certainly enforce!
- A collaborative, solution-focused environment
Providing a collaborative and communicative environment for your employees is likely to help to manage and overcome their stress. Knowing that they have a team to rely on will help them feel comfortable asking for help and making changes. Having a support network in the workplace helps reduce levels of stress and whilst collaborative behaviour is harder when working from home, it is key that you have regular, team virtual check-ins. The Spotlight team have a call every morning to discuss the agenda for the day, acknowledge performance achievements and most importantly ask each other how we are! Tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams make this incredibly easy so build this into your day and embrace team working remotely.
- Promoting your support strategies
If you want to keep stress to a minimum, you need to ensure that you set a welcoming environment where discussion on mental well-being is accessible and comfortable. Having access to counselling, health services, flexible working opportunities and external training courses reinforces a positive workplace culture that offers support and care for your workers. Wellness support of any kind is beneficial so whatever your company has available, make sure your team know about it and ensure it is accessible. By offering your employees access to digital mindfulness resources, you can help them deal with stress and additional mental health issues. All these initiatives will improve your employee experiences and, in the long-run, strengthen your employee branding and workplace culture. A few of our favourites include Welbot and The Mindful Employer, who provide telephone access to NHS Psychotherapists at any time throughout the year.
- Early intervention
Building relationships with your employees is essential and this is made even harder when working from home. It is key that you check in with your team regularly and keep a close eye out for changes in their behaviour and approach. Recognising these changes early will allow you to be proactive and supportive in managing difficulties and helping them work through any issues that could impact their work. It may be that such problems are not work related but they are having an impact on your employees work due to created stress. At Spotlight, we know a positive company culture is key, it is important to understand the pressures that everyone is facing outside of work and to be openminded. Have faith in your team, provide flexibility and help them prioritise what’s important because teams that are supported by leaders who inspire and listen, will emerge stronger and more able to succeed.
Creating this positive workplace culture is essential for your company success given that it will benefit the well-being of your employees and lead to improved teamwork and increased morale. By following the 3 steps discussed, companies can easily improve their workplace culture and enforce a positive, valuable environment that will set you apart form your competitors. Recruiting top talent will largely depend on your company values, so embrace what is important, dive in to any difficulties around this and resolve them to make your workplace happy, positive, and successful.
NICOLA MONGON is the MD of Spotlight Recruitment, specialists in marketing, digital, and communications recruitment since 2008. Read our 5* Google reviews from candidates and clients to find out more. If you would like to discuss hiring plans or find out more about us, you can reach Spotlight at 020 3008 4254 or info@spotlightrecruitment.com