Corporate culture is not a ping-pong table

The Great Resignation, you probably already know what it is: the pandemic has accelerated many changes and employees have felt the need to reconsider their values and how they want to live their lives.

What emerges from this movement is that although workers don’t put their jobs at the center of their lives like they used to, they still identify with them a lot. Thus, in 2022, work is still an inescapable component of people’s identity.

There is, however, one significant factor that is growing: workers are less and less willing to work for any company. The fit between their organization’s values and their own is now a major factor in their evaluation and attachment to an employer.

In this context, it is essential for today’s companies to not only identify their values, but also to understand them, communicate them clearly, live them, encourage action on them, hire only people who share them (don’t cut corners!), and put in place internal tactics that are aligned.

This is your corporate culture.

If you haven’t started addressing it yet, you may be headed for a dead end. Because workers, on the other hand, clearly have it at the top of their list when evaluating the pros and cons of working for you.

More than just an on-site barista

Flexible hours. Cottage corpo. Ping-pong table. Four-day weeks. Southern travel for all. Eight week vacation. Sports allowances. These benefits charm talent and promote well-being.

But these benefits are not your “culture”: they are the result. Culture justifies the actions organizations take with respect to their people.

Conversely, mandatory late night meetings, weekend calls, tolerance of unhealthy competitiveness, distortion of agreements, desire for “strong personalities” on the team… If these behaviors are present and encouraged, it is because your culture allows it.

In 2022 (almost 2023), many talents assume that organizations offer such provisions and benefits. What was once differentiating has for many become the new normal.

The values your organization believes in dictate the path to their dedication. Talent has an eye on how that culture is applied, what form it takes.

In short, what new generations of workers are increasingly interested in is an environment that matches their ideals and values.

Hit a home run, not a wall

To get her out of the stadium, the challenge is indeed to determine what our corporate culture is rather than identifying benefits to implement.

Get started. Start thinking. Here are some more concrete guidelines to get you started:

Our own identity: specifically, who is your organization? If it were a famous person, who would it be? What does it believe in? If it were associated with a cause, what would it be?

Members who reflect this identity: name four reasons why you would hire this or that talent. And four reasons why you would not hire them. Why would you do this? People recognize themselves in the company, but also and especially through their colleagues.

The courage of their convictions: today’s young talent is socially committed and wants to join a company that is like them. Display your values and opinions boldly, and they will join your ideals.

The roof over our heads: the quality of a company’s workspace is more important than we think, especially at a time when many organizations are trying to convince employees to return to the office. Providing a workplace that encourages the type of productivity or friendliness you desire is essential.

Growth and skills: offering training and personal development is a good way to keep your team motivated. Employees who challenge themselves intellectually are more ambitious because they feel more competent.

Inspirational management: Managers are no longer managers we fear, but leaders who inspire us. People follow those who motivate them more than those who tell them what to do.

Commitment: You want employees to be committed to your company? Commit to them. Value their happiness, learning and life goals. The days of the employee simply giving for a paycheck are over; you want to feel the positive impact in their lives.

From goals to KPIs: If it’s part of your business goals, it should also be what you measure yourself against. How do you measure a good business partnership? What about your deal breaker? How do you measure the success of your organization? How do you measure the well-being of your employees?

Why not write a book about it? Eventually, once you have a clear vision for your business, you can write your Culture Book, which will become your own little Bible.