What Kind Of Company Culture Harbours Loyalty?

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04 September 2018

More and more millennials are making up the workforce. They bring with them a different set of realities and expectations to previous generations. Simply offering a good salary is no longer enough to retain employees. The new workforce looks for job satisfaction, work/life balance, a sense of involvement, flexibility and even aesthetically pleasing offices (uninspiring offices are reason enough for many millennials to look for other positions).

One Deloitte study showed that 43% of millennials plan to leave their current job within two years. With loyalty levels retreating, organisations may have to make changes within their company culture in order to harbour a sense of loyalty.

Why Employees Might Not Stick Around

One major reason for employees’ willingness to move jobs is a lack of work/life balance. Companies with long, restrictive hours often leave workers feeling burnt-out and frustrated. With the gig economy continuously growing and organisations offering more flexible hours, millennials are moving towards more amenable ways of working. As people look to more flexible workplace cultures and even freelancing in order to attain a healthier work/life balance, inflexible companies may be left in the dust.

With the changing world of work, younger employees are looking to gain knowledge and experience in a variety of fields to set themselves up for a future of work that involves far more varied, less specific roles. Millennials may feel restricted in an organisation that does not help their growth, by neither teaching them the skills to succeed generally nor the opportunity to move around the company and gain valuable experience in different areas.

As mentioned, many millennials will consider leaving their job because of uninspiring offices. This does not merely indicate that millennials want pretty workspaces. This new workforce recognises how debilitating a drab office can be for productivity and creativity; break out areas and aesthetically pleasing workplaces aren’t just flights of fancy, but genuine motivators for a younger workforce thirsty to collaborate and grow.

Lacking a sense of connection to their organisation or a sense of significance within that organisation will soon extinguish an employee’s loyalty. This counts more for the younger workforce who want to have a genuine impact in their organisation. Workers, therefore, who feel disposable or ineffective in the company, will look to find a role at a company who values their input. Millennials and members of Gen Z will also consider the ethical reputation of their company and might be put off by organisations which have bad reputations.     

Money, of course, remains a factor. Workers today may feel confident that they can look for roles elsewhere which will provide bigger incomes. However, it is worth noting that money is not the overriding motivator many presume, and arguably less so for millennials and even members of Gen Z who will soon make up the job market. So, fair remuneration along with job satisfaction, work/life balance and a sense of purpose may be enough, but without those other factors, young workers are confident they can jump ship to find better pay packages.

How to Harbour Company Loyalty

1. Flexibility
Offering genuinely flexible work options is highly likely to harbour loyalty among employees. Today’s workers recognise that developments in technology essentially make traditional workplaces models obsolete. As a result, companies should offer remote working or more flexible work patterns. Employees will appreciate the ability to enjoy a better work/life balance.

2. Offer Varied Roles
By offering genuinely varied roles, companies will give their employees the experience necessary to succeed. Employees will appreciate the chance given them by their organisation and rather than jumping ship when they feel they have gained ample experience, will repay their company’s investment in them. Additionally, through the varied role, they will likely have found a role that suits and be pleased to continue in that position.

3. Spruce Your Office
Any organisation can create a more inspiring workspace. The addition of more pleasing features like plants, natural light and open-plan space will leave employees feeling more productive. The addition of breakout areas will give them a chance to refocus and relax. Employees are more likely to stick around if they can spend their time in a pleasant environment.

4. Value Your Employees
By genuinely listening to their employees’ input and offering impactful roles, companies will benefit from both a loyalty to their organisation and likely an improvement in their company as a whole. Employees will feel respected and impactful in their company if they are encouraged to be involved as possible. Equally, companies will benefit from new perspectives, however new to the business they may be.

5. Competitive Salary
People will always be somewhat motivated by money, but importantly companies should offer a fair salary in addition to other benefits such as flexibility and varied roles. Employees today are more confident in finding a new role were they to quit. So, even if you offer a competitive salary, employees feel they can match that wage elsewhere and also gain a number of other benefits.

Picture: People At Work

Article written by Conor Todd, Public Relations, FreeOfficeFinder | Published 04 September 2018

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