Culture, culture, culture. That’s what it’s all about these days. We focus so much on what happens at work when we’re not working. So many places now pride themselves on their organizational culture, their relationship with employees and the overall quality of happiness and productivity of the environments.
As Millennials and Gen Zers, we expect a certain level of excellence. We expect to work at a place that encourages ethical work, fosters intelligence and has a lively setting. That’s one thing my summer internship boss discovered out about me. She noticed that I would refuse to be in a place where I felt that I could not flourish.
Throughout my summer, people at my place of work would ask me questions about how I decided to go to Alabama. I explained that when I went through the application and acceptance process, I was immediately accepted to Alabama, but I was waitlisted for South Carolina. In that moment, I decided if they didn’t want me, they didn’t get to have me. This is the first time my boss pointed out my desire to be desired and eagerness to be in a place that was anything but ordinary.
This idea is now being built into business plans. Companies are not only promoting what the day-to-day office life is like, but also what they do to make work enjoyable. For example, Porter Novelli in Atlanta has a culture tab on its website, and it promotes its friendly environment, service day initiatives and even the “Turn-Up Trolley,” an employee favorite.
Outreach.io in Seattle promotes culture by having wine and beer on tap in its office all day, every day. It also does not have a limit on employee vacation time. If you ask me, this is a pretty good plan. When employees love their place of work, their work is better, the quality of life and enjoyment are through the roof, and everthing comes together to build the brand and reputation of the company.
There are a few companies that have discovered this key to success, but I think more will soon be hopping on that train. The more a company can show that it cares about its people, the more the company will succeed. Creating a plan to include service days or company outings is bound to boost the morale of the organization.
You heard it here first, folks. Culture is the future.
By Erica Cooke, Vice President