It is no secret that finding joy, meaning and purpose at work is directly linked to productivity, so much so, that employees are willing to take a pay cut in exchange for more meaningful work. Culture and values programs are abundant but given that key employees keep leaving employers to find personal value in their work, so many employers are still not getting it right.
There are so many ways to approach the employee value proposition, but to me no matter what your approach the following four key principles are critical to building or fostering a great culture.
1. Employees are people, not just workers.
2. Acknowledge that work is a subset of life, not separate from it.
3. Understand that value comes through feelings, not just features.
4. Mental well-being of all your people is paramount, and if your people don’t feel safe nothing else you do matters.
Employees are looking for
1. Connections between their work and their true selves.
2. A sense that their wellbeing is protected and enhanced at work, it’s more than yoga and free fruit
3. Opportunities to grow and develop
4. Genuine flexibility in how they work, with an emphasis on trust and autonomy.
5. Genuine sense of shared purpose.
So when thinking of your culture program or employee value proposition, don’t think of the generic/typical employee. Think about the individual people who stand in front you each day.
What makes them human? What brings them joy? What gives them purpose? What makes them feel safe?
It must be human centric.