How to Build a Strong Culture that Retains Employees

Have you ever heard, or felt, the term “Sunday Blues” before a new work week? If you have not heard the term before, it is best described by the Muse as “It is Sunday night, but instead of getting amped to catch a new episode of your favorite show, you’re just feeling the impending doom of the work week to come”. According to a study completed by Gallup, 70% of employees experience the Sunday Blues through not feeling fully engaged at work. One viable way to help employees feel less stressed about the upcoming week is through focusing on culture.

Here are 5 tips to build a strong culture that retains employees (and helps alleviate the Sunday Blues):

1.??????? Integrate your culture into the recruiting process.

According to a study conducted by CareerBuilder, 75% of employers said they have hired the wrong person for a position.?? In that same study, 33% of employers said that it affected employee morale negatively.? In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about integrating interview questions to access a candidate’s soft skills.? Soft skills include traits such as empathy, problem solving, adapting to change, teamwork, time management, and meeting deadlines.? By asking questions relevant to soft skills, it will help the organization find candidates that can’t just get the job done, they do it well and fit in with the company culture.

2.??????? Establish AUTHENTIC company core values and a company initiative.

There is one organization, in particular, that has an extremely strong culture based on authenticity.? One way that set the company apart from other organizations is the clearly defined core values and how they were combined into daily work life. Harvard Business Review defines core values as “deeply ingrained principles that guide all of a company’s actions; they serve as its cultural cornerstone”.? Culture is written right within the definition of core values.? At this company, every employee knows the core values because they were part of the hiring process, mentioned by leadership, implemented into weekly company communication, and provided awards based on employees demonstrating a specific core value. Assess your company culture and develop the core values in a way that shows the uniqueness and authenticity of the employees and the culture.???

3.??????? Implement a process that regularly assesses leadership capabilities.

A study conducted by Niagara Institute found that 57% of respondents had previously left a job because of their leaders.? That same study also states that 92% of management feel that their company is empathetic, but only 50% of employees agree.? There is a disconnect between the leadership and employees.? Find a way to measure the effectiveness of your leaders.? This can be accomplished through gathering employee feedback, developing metrics for leaders, and measuring them regularly, or using a leadership assessment tool.? Also, be sure to act when a leader is not hitting the marks.? This could be through organizational changes, training, or the possibility of letting that leader go from the organization.?

4.????? Ensure there are established competencies, goals, KPI’s, and properly communicate them to employees.

Employees cannot improve if they don’t have a clear understanding and objective of their work performance.? Competencies help employees understand what knowledge and skills are necessary for their specific role while the goals and KPI’s give very specific targets for the employees to reach.? It is imperative that these are communicated and reviewed with the employee regularly.? Not only does disengagement lead to a poor work culture, it is also very costly for an organization.?? Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost the United States $450 billion to $550 billion per year.?

5.????? Regularly check in with employees.?

Regularly checking in with employees can be completed through annual reviews, gathering feedback, conducting skip level interviews, or even just by establishing a regular cadence for employee and leadership 1:1 meeting. According to a report by Gallup, 80% of employees who received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged.? When providing feedback, ensure you are honest, authentic, and thoughtful in the communication as well.? Providing ineffective feedback is just as bad, if not worse, as providing no feedback at all.

In Conclusion:

Fostering a positive work culture requires integrating values into recruitment, establishing authentic core values, assessing leadership regularly, communicating clear goals, and providing regular feedback to employees. These strategies promote alignment, engagement, and productivity, contributing to a thriving organizational culture and employee satisfaction.

Thank you so much for reading my blog.? I hope these 5 culture tips help you on your recruiting and retention journey.? Do you have any success stories with transforming a team, department, or company culture?? Please reach out with any suggestions or feedback, I would love to hear from you!? Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter titled “All Roads Lead to Recruiting” to see all future postings.

To learn more on how to attract, qualify, and onboard more driver candidates, with EBE’s recruiting solutions, please call 309-350-2066, send an email to [email protected], or visit www.ebeships.com.

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