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Job ads and HR bosses might wax lyrical about their positive, inclusive ‘workplace culture’ – but what does that actually mean for today’s frontline staff? What are the essential ingredients for a truly positive work culture, and how do you create it?
‘Workplace culture’: an umbrella term that can encompass everything from leave policies to reward systems, appraisals and training to after-work socials - and everything in between.
Culture is individual to every company (and often branches of companies) – and while it might be driven by a set of carefully considered organisational values, whether those values translate into the everyday experiences of employees can be dependent on a whole host of factors. These can include management styles and personalities, team dynamics, external pressures, customer demand and much more.
What culture DOESN’T mean is a trendily designed staff canteen, or making a big point of avoiding the use of the word ‘staff’, and then not treating employees fairly. What really matters when it comes to culture is if it aligns with the role employees signed up to when they accepted the job, if it results in a productive, enjoyable working day and whether it gives staff the work/life balance they desire.
The ‘f’ word - flexibility
We know from our recent State of the Frontline Workforce global survey - of more than 13,000 deskless staff in retail, hospitality and logistics-based roles - just how important flexibility is. In the UK, around a third of employees said that having increased flexibility would motivate them more, ahead of better pay. In short, today’s deskless workers expect some level of flex.
We understand it’s not always logistically easy to provide more flexibility, but there are certainly ways to make it happen. Workforce management tools like Quinyx use AI forecasting to create automated rotas in next-to-no time – ensuring optimum staffing levels while helping to give more flexibility to workers. And our app means employees can swap shifts and request time off between themselves, giving them increased ownership of their schedules.
Staying true to company values
Increasingly, employees are choosing employers for their values – do they champion diversity and inclusion, prioritise environmental impact and sustainability, make significant charitable contributions?
Yet companies must ensure that their values cascade down to every element of their business, including their employee strategy and experience. Championing diversity and inclusion becomes a very hollow promise when workers are being bullied, for example. Similarly, if a company claiming impressive ‘green’ credentials is still generating significant levels of waste, then workers have a right to question ethics and integrity.
Finding out how your company values really resonate with staff on a day-to-day level can be a positive exercise and generate food for thought on ways to improve – which leads us on to…
Giving staff a voice
Does your culture encourage employee feedback? Can staff members communicate how they’re feeling – whether via email, regular face-to-face meetings, employee surveys, even an old-school ‘suggestions’ box? If not, then it’s worth looking at how you can improve communication channels and make employees feel that their opinions are being heard.
Our app includes the option to run regular pulse surveys to help gauge feelings on topics affecting the company – just make sure that the responses are acted upon and that employees are aware of any action being taken as a result.
Find out more about how Quinyx’s digital tools can help boost retention and engagement among your deskless workforce.
