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5 Ways to Build a Better Corporate Culture and Engage Employees

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” as the saying goes. Employees today want to feel part of something bigger than themselves and their jobs. Millennials are motivated by more than salary – they want to ensure their needs and values are consistent with the larger workplace culture.

A recent survey found 95% of candidates believe culture trumps compensation. And organizations with a thriving culture are reaping the benefits: they attract the best talent, have the lowest turnover, and are more profitable long term.

We live in the age of the empowered employee – so maximizing engagement is mission critical. But before you consider ways to improve the employee experience, you first need to understand the trends that are driving up the importance of workplace culture.

Culture is complex, and it’s about more than “things”

Perks like espresso machines, ping-pong tables, and annual off-site getaways only support your culture after it’s firmly established. True culture can’t be bought, and it’s formed over the long term. It connects people with purpose and is evident in your company’s:

  • Values
  • Beliefs
  • Underlying assumptions
  • Attitude and behaviors

Culture connects people with purpose and is ingrained in the work environment – it’s that feeling you get when you visit a company.

Culture matters to the bottom line

If employees are engaged in your workplace culture and feel like they belong, they work harder and smarter. They have a measurable effect on critical business results. They stay in their jobs longer, and that saves your organization money. The numbers tell the story:

And on top of all this, employee engagement drives:

  • Innovation of products and services
  • Quality of products and services
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Cost/efficiency
  • Revenue growth

Now let’s look at ways you can strengthen your culture and boost employee engagement.

Five tips for improving the employee experience

Companies with highly engaged employees address the employee experience holistically. They don’t just consider the work environment, but also the tools and technologies that enable people’s productivity, learning, and sense of belonging. To build a better culture, look at the end-to-end employee experience.

  1. Start engagement from day one

From the time you post a job, let your culture shine. Open the doors to candidates by highlighting your brand and help prospective employees ‘get’ your culture.

During the interview process, review your communication style, vision, and values. Once someone’s accepted an offer, offer early access to your onboarding program. Get them excited to join the team, provide them with crucial information for their new role, and introduce them to their colleagues.

  1. Get serious about onboarding

Research shows that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with the company for at least three years after a positive onboarding experience. A structured onboarding strategy differentiates your company from those with informal welcome programs while highlighting your culture.

The best onboarding experiences are integrated into your digital workplace because today’s employees have no interest in sitting in a classroom with a stack of brochures. It’s a make-or-break moment that has a direct effect on employee engagement and retention. So don’t skimp.  

  1. Offer a consumer-like digital experience

The new rules of the digital workplace demand that employers offer employees apps and tools that they use in their personal lives. BYO device and apps are the norm, and employees want to receive corporate communication on their preferred channels. They also want to collaborate across any divide –departments, locations, or areas of expertise – with ease and efficiency.

  1. Create inclusive and authentic conversations

Empowered employees expect to have a voice in the workplace. Research shows that companies that simply seek regular employee feedback have 14.9% lower turnover rates than those that don’t.

Keep the lines of communication open at all levels of your organization, and establish a culture of trust. Ensure that senior leadership has digital visibility – a presence on forums, on blogs, and on social channels. Dedicate a digital space for recognizing employee contributions and achievements. These efforts to cultivate transparency have a major impact on engagement. 

  1. Be clear on employee value

Don’t make your employees guess about what you want and expect from them. Define an employee value proposition that represents the employee profile that fits best, culturally, with your organization. Then make sure it’s communicated throughout your digital workplace.

Choosing the right digital workplace solution

The right digital workplace solution makes all this possible. Look for digital workplace solutions designed to solve HR challenges, but also the broader spectrum of challenges related to communication, collaboration, knowledge sharing and employee engagement. Create a social space to welcome new employees and reduce the time it takes to get them up to speed. Use forums to open lines of communication and encourage new hires to ask questions freely, get answers fast, and remove roadblocks. Put a human face on the leadership team using blogs and bios, so employees can get to know their leaders, their vision, and see them in action.  The companies that get this right stand above the rest.

About Igloo Software

Igloo is a leading provider of digital workplace solutions, helping companies build inspiring digital destinations for a more productive and engaged workforce. Offering a suite of modern features and solutions for today’s evolving workplace, Igloo partners with customers to address challenges related to communication, collaboration, knowledge management, and employee engagement. For more information, please visit www.igloosoftware.com

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#WorkTrends Preview: Leverage a Digital Workplace for Better Engagement

The traditional workplace as we know it has changed. Everything is more global, more mobile and more digital.

The smart companies that have embraced change in this digital environment have improved productivity, innovation and cultural alignment. The digital workplace also helps solve core challenges related to communication, collaboration and employee engagement.

Unfortunately, there are brands that have not adopted the use of technology and with that may have a culture lacking engagement, close collaboration and high levels of productivity.

On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 1pm ET, #WorkTrends host Meghan M. Biro and her special guest Mike Hicks, a recognized leader in global enterprise software marketing from Igloo Software will discuss the advantages of using technology to better engage employees and to create a thriving culture.

Leverage a Digital Workplace for Better Engagement

Leverage a Digital Workplace for Better Engagement PromoJoin Mike and Meghan on our LIVE online podcast Wednesday, July 19 — 1 pm ET / 10 am PT.

Immediately following the podcast, the team invites the TalentCulture community over to the #WorkTrends Twitter stream to continue the discussion. We encourage everyone with a Twitter account to participate as we gather for a live chat, focused on these related questions: 

Q1: How can brands leverage tech to enhance their culture? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Q2: How can tech bridge the gap between leadership and employees? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Q3: How can employees adapt to new tools for better engagement? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Don’t want to wait until next Wednesday to join the conversation? You don’t have to. I invite you to check out the #WorkTrends Twitter feed and our TalentCulture World of Work Community LinkedIn group. Share your questions, ideas and opinions with our awesome community.

This #WorkTrends event is sponsored by Igloo Software.

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#WorkTrends Recap: The New Digital Workplace: Four Key Trends

As technology advances and changes our workplaces, many pundits speculate on the trends that we need to be mindful of.

Companies are developing global footprints and with that employ people based in different countries with varying cultural nuances, the need for better digital tools and accessibility to remain connected continues to rise.

This week on #WorkTrends, host Meghan M. Biro was joined by Igloo Software VP of Product Strategy Stephen Rahal to discuss the four key trends every company needs to know today to better prepare for the future workplace.

Stephen shared about how companies can make the most of technology advancements to create an inclusive workplace even though employees might be spread across the globe.

Here are some other key points that he shared:

  • Technology acts as an enabler for Collaboration
  • Bringing people, apps, data, information, and processes together to drive business results is the key to success
  • Leaders must be willing to get their hands dirty

Did you miss the show? You can listen to the #WorkTrends podcast on our BlogTalk Radio channel here: http://bit.ly/2j30a7W

You can also check out the highlights of the conversation from our Storify here:

Didn’t make it to this week’s #WorkTrends show? Don’t worry, you can tune in and participate in the podcast and chat with us every Wednesday from 1-2pm ET (10-11am PT). On Jan 25, I will be joined by Kurgo CEO Gordie Spater to discuss the benefits of a pet-friendly workplace.

Remember, the TalentCulture #WorkTrends conversation continues every day across several social media channels. Stay up-to-date by following our #WorkTrends Twitter stream; pop into our LinkedIn group to interact with other members; or check out our Google+ community. Engage with us any time on our social networks, or stay current with trending World of Work topics on our website or through our weekly email newsletter.

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#WorkTrends Preview: The New Digital Workplace: Four Key Trends

Many pundits in the HR and tech space are speculating on trends we need to be mindful of. Many anticipate the workplace as we know it today will be a great predictor of what’s to come.

As more and more companies develop a global footprint and with that employ people based in different countries with varying cultural nuances, the need for better digital tools and accessibility to remain connected continues to rise.

Join this week’s special guest Igloo Software VP of Product Strategy, Stephen Rahal and host Meghan M. Biro as they discuss the four key trends every company needs to know today to better prepare for the future workplace.

The New Digital Workplace: Four Key Trends

#WorkTrends Logo Design

Join Stephen and me on our LIVE online podcast Wednesday, Jan 18 — 1 pm ET / 10 am PT.

Immediately following the podcast, the team invites the TalentCulture community over to the #WorkTrends Twitter stream to continue the discussion. We encourage everyone with a Twitter account to participate as we gather for a live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1: How can digital create an inclusive workplace for remote workers? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Q2: How can companies be better at attracting desired talent?  #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Q3: How can the Intranet create a collaborative culture? #WorkTrends (Tweet this question)

Don’t want to wait until next Wednesday to join the conversation? You don’t have to. I invite you to check out the #WorkTrends Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community LinkedIn group, and our TalentCulture G+ community. Share your questions, ideas and opinions with our awesome community any time. See you there!

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