A recent ERE.net article, “Helicopter Parents,” addresses the idea of companies “adjusting … business practices and offerings to meet [millennial generation] expectations.”
The conversation around how employers should cultivate an enriching culture that indicates employers are going to mentor, coach and care about the advancement and overall career satisfaction of their employees is valid. This topic is well-covered publicly in the media and privately, behind the scenes.
With the transparency of the Internet and social media, journalists, bloggers and others aspire to hold employers accountable for their business operations and human resource practices as well as how they impact the employee and the world at large. While not all companies abide by these methods of employee care, the topic is contemporary and top of mind.
Millennials are not the only ones seeking out more employee-friendly environments; all other generations up to, and including, Boomers desire work culture change, too. They seek increased freedom, flexibility, emotional rewards and collegialism.
With that said, and with all the talk of culture and work-life balance, are dialogues around what makes a company survive and thrive being diminished? Is discourse about productivity, performance and profits getting lost in the shuffle?
Perhaps not. If you search online, you will find hundreds—even thousands—of articles and blog post on this topic.
However, the dominance of the employee engagement and culture mantra is pervasive and perhaps is reducing, to some extent, the volume of the employer’s message that says employees also have responsibility to the overall culture process, and as importantly, to bottom line goals.
With that, following are five tips for employees to help take accountability in providing value to not only the culture but also to the company’s financial goals. This will help ensure workplace culture plays a part in sustaining future financial goals, enabling you more flexibility and free time to enjoy your life in and out of work.
1. Remember to work hard every day. It’s not just about working smart so you can get home, change clothes and go out with friends for happy hour or to volunteer at your favorite charity. It’s not just about the most efficient way to get from A to Z, so you can stop concentrating so vigilantly and pop into Facebook for a status update. It’s not just about feeling good about every task that you perform because you think work should always be fun and/or satisfying.
2. Ask your boss for one or two critical areas he or she could use your help beyond your job description. Inquire how you can help with a burning issue, problem, project or task that may help unfurl his tangled sails and get back on the right course. Problem solving is a key trait that employers look for. They not only need it in their staff, but they require it, and even if they don’t say it, it is an implicit need. Don’t ignore their needs.
To read the other three tips, please visit the full post over at Glassdoor: “How To Care About the Bottom Line and Improve Company Culture.”
~~~
image via Stuart Miles via freedigitalphotos.net
Great post, profitability is definitely a point to consider, whether monetarily or personally.