Donut Mondays and Free Lunch Friday: Do Workplace Incentives Make a Difference? Posted on October 26, 2015July 6, 2016 by Jessica Lunk The workplace environment has changed through the years.In many companies, even the terminology has changed. Employees are “associates” or “team members” and bosses are “team leaders” or “directors”. This change in the work environment, in most cases, is for the positive. Today’s “work” is more incentivized and even gamified. “Company culture” has become a term engrained in business spawning casual Fridays, in-company day care, and everything from bagel Tuesdays to free lunch Fridays. At Hatchbuck, we certainly have our own unique culture. The real question is do workplace incentives make a difference? We Went Right to The Top For the answer, we went right to the top, going to Hatchbuck’s Chief Sales/Marketing Officer Jonathan Herrick. Already knowing our culture it was no surprise to us that Jonathan felt company culture is critical, especially in the early start-up years of an organization. “I believe our culture has been a key catalyst for our growth here at Hatchbuck.” Jonathan explained. “I wanted to be purposeful about giving team members the power to own and drive the culture. I wanted to better align them to the purpose of the business.” Hatchbuck’s Core Values A good place to start is with a discussion of your company’s core values. While mission statements have their place, for modern companies, especially small companies, mission statements can sound corporate or disconnected. Core values, however, simply get down to it. They express what should be the focus of everyone involved, every day. At Hatchbuck our core values are broken down as follows. Be yourself. Do the right thing. Keep it simple. Work hard and have fun. Make a difference. If this sounds like something you may have learned in kindergarten you may not be far off. Core values are not complicated. They reach to the core of a company’s culture. The Effect on Our Culture We see the effect of these core values every day at Hatchbuck. We see it in the energy our people bring into the office. It manifests itself in how they seek solutions for our clients. It nurtures a culture where each person’s talents are respected and valued. It encourages everyone to find simple answers and have fun doing it. The fact is, in almost any situation, an environment that exudes positive energy is going to be more enjoyable and productive than one that is lethargic and negative. This isn’t rocket science. Creating an atmosphere where people feel valued and are encouraged is one that will likely attract and keep talented people. These people themselves add to the culture and it organically grows. But it first must be guided and nurtured. So, Do the Freebies Make a Difference? The answer is more obvious when the question is rephrased. “Can freebies help you nurture your company culture?” Of course the answer is yes. It can build camaraderie and help people be themselves. Freebies can be fun and help relieve pressure. Not every company has the ability to provide in-house day care or offer free steak dinners on Fridays. But even small companies can encourage activities and offer incentives that make the work environment more enjoyable and productive. The ROI on a couple dozen donuts can be pretty impressive.
The 4 Fundamental Ways to Improve Employee Engagement Posted on October 22, 2015 by Erin Posey Creating a great workplace means keeping employees around longer, increasing employee advocates, and boosting productivity. Companies that are looking to improve their business activity and meet higher goals need to consider implementing a workplace that fosters invigorated workers that care about their jobs. According to Gallup, a whopping 87% of employees are not actively engaged in their workplaces. So what are other companies doing to keep employees engaged and motivated? 1. Company Direction While many employers might believe the workplace happiness comes down to salary and direct compensation, employees show different ideas about what makes the workplace worth working in. Employees list top results as: Trusting employers and management Being proud of the work they do Enjoying the people they work with What does this mean for companies? Rather than working to spend more money on higher compensation packages and paying for increased turnover rates, companies can reduce their costs by focusing on the environment of the workplace and the direction their company is heading. While each industry and type of employee will have differing preferences on what a top workplace looks like, these common factors remain constant; people want to like the company they are working for. 2. Room to Grow Employees have to have a place to move up towards if they are going to stay actively pursuing their professional development within the company. Employees of companies that offer clear and comprehensive paths towards higher levels of employment will be more engaged and motivated to improve. Professional development is often a highly desirable benefit among employees, but the training should be effective and have a specific goal that is actualized by completing the training. Generic training sessions are typically seen as boring and a waste of time by employees forced to attend them. 3. Recognition of Successful Efforts When employees do work hard to break barriers, learn new skills, or improve on their work, they should be directly recognized. Employees want to feel needed and appreciated in their workplace. Often, even hearing a compliment from a manager or being recognized among their peers for an accomplishment will go a long ways towards making them feel like a valued part of the team. 4. Expected Evaluations One big mistake made by some managers is making the workplace much more hostile and tense than it needs to be. Managers need to keep their employees up to speed with their efforts and expectations. Employees are not going to be comfortable or dedicated if they feel their job is on shaky ground at all times. An employee’s evaluation should never come as a surprise. Managers need to make sure they are clear in what they are asking and how they perceive the employee’s work. If an employee is surprised to find out they are not meeting expectations, then the manager has failed to encourage the employee to change in an appropriate way. If the employee does not realize their manager considers them a huge asset to the team, then the manager is not recognizing their efforts in an appropriate way. Managers have to make sure they are giving feedback on a regular basis and not dropping a bomb on an annual (or quarterly) evaluation. Make the workplace atmosphere an enjoyable one by allowing employees to relax, be themselves, and care about the results of their efforts. Companies that are able to provide an ideal workplace for employees are more likely to benefit from a larger top talent pool of interested prospective new hires, better retention rates, and increased productivity from workers who are engaged in their tasks.