We hear, more and more often, predominantly in the private organizational environment, because it is more open to transformation, calls to increase performance by cultivating an employee-centered culture. But what is such a culture, how is it built, and what are its real and relevant benefits for the organization, for employees and, last but not least, for customers?
An employee-centered organizational culture is, as the name suggests, a managerial approach that puts employees at the center of the organization. In other words, the organization focuses its efforts on creating a positive and productive work environment that allows employees to develop and reach their full potential, and that shows respect and consideration for people.
The central idea of such a culture is that employees are one of the organization’s most valuable resources and should be treated as such. This approach supposes, among other things, involving employees in the decision-making process, providing opportunities for professional and personal growth, and ensuring a balance between personal and professional life.
In an employee-centered organizational culture, leaders and managers are dedicated to creating an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute to the success of the organization. In addition, this approach can help reduce absenteeism and understaffing, thereby increasing employee productivity and engagement.
How do we build an employee-centric organizational culture?
To achieve an employee-centric culture, it is important that the organization engages in an ongoing process of considering employee feedback and adjusting organizational practices accordingly. This can be done in several steps:
- Real understanding of employee needs and expectations – this can be done through polls, interviews or by encouraging feedback.
- Clear communication of the organization’s values and objectives – in addition to the actual information, it is recommended that employees be involved in the decision-making process of establishing the objectives, in order to feel part of a team.
- Creating a positive work environment – such an environment encourages collaboration, innovation, as well as personal and professional development.
- Development of managerial skills – managers must be able to communicate effectively, provide constant feedback and manage conflict in a constructive way in order to build a positive relationship with employees.
- Ensuring fair compensation and benefits – employees must be fairly compensated and receive benefits that allow them to maintain a work-life balance.
- Promoting diversity and inclusion – an employee-centric culture must be diverse and inclusive, providing equal opportunities for all employees.
- Constant evaluation and adjustment of organizational culture – an employee-centered organizational culture is an ongoing process that requires constant evaluation and adjustment to ensure that the needs and expectations of employees are met.
What are the benefits of an employee-centric culture?
An employee-centric culture brings a number of significant benefits to the organization as a whole, employees and customers alike. These include:
- Increased employee engagement and productivity – employees who feel valued and involved in the decision-making process are more engaged and productive.
- Reducing absenteeism and understaffing – a positive, employee-centered organizational culture can help reduce absenteeism and understaffing by creating a positive work environment.
- Increased employee retention – employees who feel valued and engaged are less likely to leave the organization.
- Increased customer satisfaction – satisfied and motivated employees provide better customer service.
- Increase the reputation of the organization – an employee-centric culture can attract public attention and admiration, which can help increase the reputation of the organization. Employees can proudly assume the role of ambassadors of the company they belong to.
- Increased innovation and creativity – employees who feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions are more likely to be innovative and creative.
- Improving morale – this aspect can refer both to the state of mind of the employees, but also to the morality of the culture in general, to the ethical norms that govern the behaviors within the organization. An employee-centered culture provides moral comfort to employees, helping to increase their overall satisfaction.
How can Co-Factor help you to build an employee-centric culture ?
The Co-Factor platform was built with the employee in mind. It provides the employer with a complex but intuitive tool, with which it can support the employee constantly, even from the first day of work. The platform has three built-in modules, which can be activated simultaneously or separately, depending on the company’s needs.
Thus, the Internal Communication module facilitates permanent contact between colleagues, by encouraging an open, transparent and relevant communication for each, by promoting a dialogue and from the bottom up, not just from the top down, by encouraging common activities or hobbies and in outside the workplace. The same module has integrated an entire area dedicated to public appreciation and recognition of employee successes, which we consider extremely important. Through this interface, short surveys can be launched to take the pulse of the entire organization, to find out how they feel, what motivates them and how management can help them create a balance between their personal and professional lives, for example.
On the other hand, the Employee Engagement module allows the launch of engagement initiatives, which act as a stimulator to increase the energy and degree of involvement of the entire team. The Performance Management module naturally complements the support of employees in achieving the objectives, because it allows the definition of the development plan and the highlighting of promotion opportunities.
