Every year, Washington Business Journals hosts the Best Places To Work awards here in D.C. It’s a great ceremony that celebrates the positive, supportive cultures in companies both large and small.
The Best Places To Work awards are important to us at Helios HR—and not just because we’re excited about the 80s-themed party! Helios HR sponsors the HR Impact Award, honoring HR professionals who go above and beyond to create a superb employee experience.
The companies recognized at these awards are an inspiration to us all. Which raises an important question: how does an employer become one of the best places to work?
What makes somewhere a great place to work?
Being a great place to work is all about your organizational culture and employee experience:
- Employee experience is how an individual team member feels about being part of your team. Each person’s experience is decided by compensation, support from leadership, and professional development, for example.
- Organizational culture is about how people interact with each other. Culture is influenced by many factors, including each team’s approach to collaboration, communication, goal-setting, and high-level leadership styles. DE&I initiatives also have a major impact on organizational culture.
Employee experience and organizational culture are closely linked. Employees with a positive work experience contribute to an upbeat, energetic culture. Organizations with a positive culture create a better experience for each team member.
Getting these things right can make a huge difference. One study found that people are 12% more productive when they feel happy at work. Meanwhile, around 56% of jobseekers say they would not apply to a company with a toxic culture.
Measuring employee experience and organizational culture can be tricky, but the easiest way is usually to ask your team. You can learn about their experiences through the following:
- Employee surveys
- One-to-one conversations
- Focus groups and seminars
- Feedback from Employee Resource Groups
- Exit interviews and Stay interviews
You'll need a great HR strategy and talented HR experts to help create a positive team environment. Most of all, you need to keep measuring and working towards becoming the best possible workplace.
How to become one of the best places to work
Achieving the coveted ‘Best Place to Work’ title involves keen attention to employee experience. Creating a great employee experience involves fostering a positive work culture, providing opportunities for growth and development, and prioritizing well-being.
Here are five ways to achieve this:
1. Cultivate an inclusive work environment
Encourage teamwork, collaboration, and open communication across all levels of your organization. Make sure that your people have easy ways to offer feedback, including anonymous surveys and regular one-to-ones.
Take time to recognize and appreciate everyone’s efforts, achievements, and contributions. Employees who feel valued, respected, and supported begin to develop a sense of belonging.
2. Promote a healthy work-life balance
Offer flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours. Increased flexibility for employees to complete their work and home responsibilities can go a long way to making your workplace a great place to work.
Also, encourage people to take breaks, vacations, and time off to recharge and set the standard that they will truly have a break while they’re away, without the expectation that they will be available. Finally, make sure to respect time boundaries and avoid excessive expectations of after-hours work to ensure employees feel their time is valued and appreciated.
3. Provide growth opportunities
Invest in your employees’ professional development and advancement through continuous learning and growth opportunities. Offer training programs, workshops, and mentoring to help people enhance their skills and knowledge.
Support career advancement with career pathing that provides a clear roadmap to promotion and career growth. Encourage everyone to set personal development goals and provide resources to help achieve them.
4. Create a Competitive Total Rewards Package
Beyond having competitive compensation, Total Rewards includes benefits. This is an opportunity to promote employee well-being with things like wellness programs, fitness initiatives, stress management webinars, and other mental health resources.
Showing employees you support their overall well-being and emphasizing mental health awareness is a great way to increase positive sentiment in your organization. It’s also a way to reduce absenteeism and help your team avoid burnout.
5. Empower your people
Empower employees by giving them autonomy, decision-making authority, and opportunities to contribute ideas. Not only does it help with morale, but getting opinions during the decision-making process is a great way to tailor outcomes to your company’s specific needs.
Recognize and reward employee innovation, and encourage more outside-of-the-box thinking that can lead to huge breakthroughs! Encourage feedback and make sure to consider all suggestions. If you take action based on employee feedback, make sure to give credit where it’s due.
Taking steps to improve employee experience in these five areas can make a big difference in employee satisfaction, engagement, and well-being. Each step you take is one step closer to being the Best Place to Work.
Need help building a thriving organizational culture?
Being one of the Best Places to Work is about more than just winning awards. It's about creating an environment where everyone feels engaged, which leads to spectacular results--and lower staff turnover. Your culture is also part of your employer brand, and a strong brand makes it easier to recruit top talent.
Things are easier with the right HR support. Helios HR consultants are experts in creating thriving, highly engaged environments. Book a call today and let's talk about how to make your company a great place to work!
