The fallout of the pandemic has created a shift in work ethics. Many people are no longer focused on work as their primary driver in life. They want to have more than just a cursory “work-life balance.” They want to believe in their organization and are willing to make a change in their life to find that belief. According to a recent Monster.com survey, as much as 95% of employees are now considering changing jobs. A whopping 92% are even willing to switch industries to find the right fit.
This means that organizations must look at their purpose and how they can become a “Good Corporate Citizen” in order to attract and retain employees in the future. Organizations must shore up their organizational cultures by insisting on high moral and ethical standards from the front-line employees to the C-suite within the organization. In addition, organizations will have to consider the needs of the community they serve while examining the environmental impact of their organization.
There are a number of ways to drive pride in an organization. In addition to the organizational purpose discussed in my previous blog, “Organizational Purpose VS The Great Resignation,” here are five different areas to consider when looking at how to drive organizational pride:
- Ethical Standards. We have all heard stories of embezzlement, racial unfairness, or sexual misconduct in the news conducted by leaders within an organization. These behaviors need to be prevented from entering organizational cultures by creating and enforcing an organizational code of ethics. A code of ethics is a set of organizational behavioral standards that guide the professional conduct of everyone within the organization. Strict enforcement of these ethics creates ethical pride within the culture of the organization.
- Philanthropy. There are a lot of different ways that organizations can give back to the local or global community. Globally this can be through financial contributions to organizations that do things like “replant the forest” or “dig wells” in third world countries. Local philanthropy could also be offering scholarships to disadvantaged youth or donations to local charities. Giving time is also a great way to give back. This can be done through activities like volunteering at local food kitchens, cleaning a local beach, or sending a team to build a house for someone in need. Employees are proud to work for organizations that don’t just try and make the most profit but also find ways to make a positive way to give back and make a difference in the world.
- Team Building. Many of the philanthropic activities listed above can also be team-building activities. Activities like food drives, adopting a family for the holidays, or building bikes to donate to kids that don’t have any are also ways to combine these two types of activities. Team building can also be for fun. When doing activities like a team barbeque, a bowling night, or other fun activity employees feel more connected and prouder of the organization for investing time and resources back into the employees.
- Empowerment. Similar to investing time and resources for team building, when an organization empowers its employees, they develop a greater sense of pride in the organization. Empowerment can take the form of stretch assignments, cross-training, formal mentoring and development programs, or simply giving them the authority to make decisions to get the job done. Employees don’t want to be micromanaged, they want to know the organization trusts them and is giving them the ability to make progress towards their own professional and personal goals.
- Impact. Most people would like to know they are making a difference in the world. To show employees that they are helping to make an impact organizations can use customer testimonials, case studies, or white papers. Some organizations bring in customers or record them talking about how they benefit from their product or application. If they are captured on video they can be used internally for retention and externally to help attract new employees. When employees see and/or hear the impact the organization has on customers through their combined effort, they can feel a greater sense of pride in the organization.
Employees want to be proud of their organization. When organizations take an intentional approach to cultivating organizational pride through the methods discussed above, they can retain valuable employees. Reducing turnover has a direct and measurable impact on bottom-line profitability for organizations. Develop pride in your organization’s culture to grow your bottom line.