The Humane Workplace: 10 Green Flags to watch out for

Following on from “10 Red Flags to watch out for”, here are some positive signs that an organisation or team could be a good place to work.

1. The company is thoughtful about its values and culture and communicates these both formally as well as ensuring they are reflected in the behaviour they reward. The company culture is collectively owned.
2. Work-life integration. The organisation supports their employees as whole people, is aware of the team member’s big life events (things like marriage, divorce, babies, illness, death) and responds compassionately. They recognise milestones like anniversaries and birthdays. Company policies are family-friendly (this can include things like a focus on remote-first, flexible hours, and being able to bring kids into the office when needed). Team leaders watch out for signs of anxiety / burn-out, particularly when dealing with people who don’t regulate their time / stress well.
3. The organisation values outcomes over hours, quality over quantity. Success is defined clearly and well, while emotional labour is recognised.
4. Team leads run regular 1:1 sessions that are not a work status report, they are willing to give honest (tough) feedback, raise and talk about discomfort.
5. Team members are given a high degree of agency. The organisation hires good people and then trusts them to do their jobs. The team respects the expertise of individuals and sees the value in each other’s work.
6. Explicit inclusion. Diversity is communicated as important by leadership and this is reflected in company policies.
7. Transparency is vital to running a successful organisation. Having policies in place that cover acceptable & unacceptable behaviour with clearly defined consequences (eg. code of conduct) is a good indicator of transparency in the workplace. Promoting transparency around decisions and the reasons for making them, and encouraging questions are further techniques to foster healthy work environments.
8. Leadership is highly responsive, and doesn’t break promises. They listen to and escalate issues when needed. There is a constructive, positive response to criticism.
9. Employees are given influence over their environment. Quiet spaces are available and teams are encouraged to work in the way that they feel most comfortable.
10. People are acknowledged and given credit for the work they do. Career progression, professional goals, and training are available. Acknowledging teams as well as individuals fosters a bond through which team members are proud of one another’s contributions and likely to feel less threatened by people involved in similar work to them, the idea that when the team wins the individual wins but without excluding credit for individual achievements.