If looking for your dream company was like online dating, what keywords would you look for when scanning a profile? Exciting, innovative and daring? Or secure and reliable?
Research undertaken by the Gallup organization in 2015 revealed that bad leadership is the number one reason people leave their jobs. And in a 2016 report by the Society for Human Resource Management, the study ranked the qualities that make a workplace great, with respect, value, reputation, trust, security and ethics emerging as the top themes.
So why aren’t more companies shouting about their dependability from the rooftops?
Employees will always be initially attracted to the phenomenon of “cool” workplaces. Treehouses, pool tables, and indoor go carts may sound fun at first but the novelty soon wears off.
When Glassdoor released their list of the best places to work earlier this year, Expedia was awarded the top slot — but the reason for their triumph wasn’t down to their “cool” work environment. In fact, when the World Economic Forum investigated the results, it noted that the company’s on-site perks such as gaming consoles and a cocktail bar barely garnered a mention. Instead, it was the culture that made the online travel company come out on top.
And in February 2017, a survey of over 1,000 adults found that highly social environments, such as campus-style complexes, were actually worse for building strong relationships. It turned out that fishermen, lumberjacks and other types of jobs where teams are solid and work together for a long time are the most fulfilling.
Dubbed the “after-works drinks effect”, when the pub becomes an extension of the office, data suggests that it actually degrades the quality of our workplace relationships — causing us to view them as causal as opposed to meaningful.
A frenzied workplace might seem exciting but make sure you take a good look behind the fun façade — things are not always what they claim to be.
At least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers. Studies show when someone is counted on to do a good job the trust in the relationship strengthened both ways. After all, work isn’t just about salary or duties, it’s about having the right environment to reach your full potential.
Ensuring we have dependable people in our lives is vital to growth in the workplace. It allows us to take risks. Having a secure base means we can go out and conquer the world, knowing that when we return home it’ll be the safe and secure place we left it. Being unable to depend on something has a serious psychological impact on employees output.
Don’t innovate the workplace. Create a place where innovation can happen.
