10 Green Flags At Work Employees Are Looking For: How To Make Your Company's Culture Stand Out

Whether you’re part of the 30% of white-collar bosses currently struggling to fill vacant positions, or you aren’t currently hiring but you want to make sure you’re doing enough to make sure your company’s culture is as good as it can be, there are certain green flags employees are looking for that you should be aware of.

Whilst it is true that potential employees and current employees may be focusing on looking for red flags in a workplace, they are also on the lookout for certain green flags that prove your company is a place where they not only work but want to feel engaged by.

In this article, we’re going to be diving straight in and giving you some ideas on what those top 10 green flags employees are looking for in the workplace so that you can make changes and ensure that your company’s culture is standing out amongst the crowd.

10 Green Flags That Employees Are Looking For In A Workplace

Although every individual will value and look for unique things in a company’s culture, here are the 10 most common green flags that people are looking for in companies.

1. The Company Feels Like A Collective

Whilst we’re definitely not here to tell you to call your team a “family”, people are certainly looking for companies to not feel as linear in terms of hierarchy or transactional in terms of work. Instead, people want to feel as if they are part of a collective, where ideas can be openly shared, the discussion is always part of the process, and they’re valued just as much as everyone else in the team.?

2. Work-Life Balance is Promoted

At a time where burnout is, unfortunately, lurking only just round the corner for many, people are putting more and more emphasis on retaining their work-life balance and therefore it’s only natural that people want to work for a company that promotes a better balance between these two areas of life. Things like setting clear boundaries around out-of-office hour emails, promoting employees to focus on the projects and not the hours, and encouraging breaks are becoming more important.

3. Flexible Working Is Offered and Supported

Flexible working is not just becoming a more common thing because companies are suddenly making changes - employees are requesting it! Flexible working can not only promote a better work-life balance, but it allows employees to work from anywhere in the world, at any time, and work around the duties and responsibilities they have in other areas of their lives.

4. Work Is Recognised and Appreciated

Employees have always wanted to be appreciated and recognised for the work they do - that’s a natural part of being human, we want to be praised for the hard work we put in! Therefore, people are looking for companies that are not only going to recognise their skill and work ethic but actively appreciate those things too!?

5. There’s No Pressure To Display Presenteeism

Whilst this can be achieved in many ways by nurturing a company’s culture, people don’t want to work at a company that simply values “bums in seats” looking busy. Instead, people are looking for companies to set clear boundaries on expectations and workload, so that they don’t have to display presenteeism or be less recognised than someone who is simply displaying presenteeism but isn’t doing as much active work as they are.

6. Mental Health Is Made A Priority

Whether it’s mental health days off, always promoting frank and open conversations about mental health, or having a mental health professional on board within the company, people want to work in a company that not only ticks the boxes when it comes to supporting mental health but actually makes mental health a priority for all.?

7. There Is An Impactful and Personalised Benefits Programme in Place

With 58% of respondents in our Workplace Culture Study said that a better workplace culture at the rival company, including improved access to benefits and wellness tools, were the factors behind why a prospective employee chose an alternative role, it’s never been more important to provide personalised benefits to your employees.?

8. Diversity and Inclusivity are Reflected in Everything

People are adamant about working in places that not only recognise diversity and inclusivity but actively celebrate and support them. From policies and ethos to benefits and values, each aspect of a company should reflect the diversity of individuals in the company and support inclusivity.?

9. Workplace Leaders Are Responsible and Responsive

People recognise that leaders within the workplace are a direct representation of the company itself. Therefore, people are looking to work within organisations that have responsible, responsive, open, and thoughtful leaders - they want to see that the leaders within a company operate in a way that supports their values and actively represents the other green flags that they’re looking for.

10. Personal Progression, Both Within and Outside of The Company, Is Supported

People are always looking to progress, whether personally or within their careers. So, it’s no surprise that people want their workplaces to directly support this. Whether they look for a company to support training, they want to see people progressing into different roles within a company, or they want to know that a company will support their studies, people are looking for support with their progression from the places they work.

How Many Does Your Company Tick Off The List So Far?

Now you know the top 10 green flags that employees are looking for in both prospective companies and in the company they’re currently with, how many does your company currently tick off the list?

Whatever your answer, there are always ways to improve your workplace culture and now you know exactly what you should be focusing on!