How to develop your corporate culture when remote work becomes normal? This is one of the questions that have been bothering employers and managers since the start of the health crisis. Reviewing its strategy on this subject is therefore essential in order to maintain the commitment of the teams.
March 17, 2020: France is confined, which announces
the entry of telework into the lives of many employees. Essential to ensure the
continuity of business activity during the pandemic, it has not ceased to raise
concerns among managers since then. Dispersion of teams, isolation of
employees, lack of communication… Consequences that would hinder the commitment
of employees and their sense of belonging to an organization.
While remote work is still relevant despite the health
lull and remains particularly popular with employees, these elements relating
to corporate culture must be rethought by employers and team leaders. This is
to establish a healthy working environment that would promote the development
of employees and strengthen their desire to evolve within the organization.
To initiate this process, a precise knowledge of what
corporate culture refers to as well as a good understanding of the contemporary
issues facing the world of work are essential.
So, what are the principles and benefits of
organizational culture? Has the health crisis had an impact on its development?
How do you maintain it in times when employee expectations have changed and
hybrid working is becoming the norm? These are the topics we will discuss in
our article.
How
to develop your corporate culture: 4 pillars to give it meaning
What
is corporate culture?
Corporate culture, or organizational culture, is a set
of characteristics that determine the identity of an organization for
employees, customers and partners.
As defined by Gartner, this concept includes:
- Decision-making methods
- Operating Styles
- The company philosophy
- The organizational structure
- The level of employee involvement
- Internal communication methods
The mission of corporate culture is not only to set an
entity apart from its competitors, but also to improve communication between
team members in order to create a feeling of cohesion and unity.
Creating a corporate culture serves to ensure the
proper functioning of its organization. In order to give it an extra soul, four
essential elements must be taken into account:
The
4 pillars to create a corporate culture that makes sense.
1. Myths:
the company must have its own, inspiring story. These can be funny or moving
anecdotes, challenges she has had to face, failures she has experienced and
successes of which she is proud.
2. The
vision: the company must define and disseminate clear objectives in order to
give meaning to its actions and engage its employees in its projects.
3. Values:
the company must determine values that resemble it in order to transmit a guide
to good conduct to all of its teams.
4. Rites:
the company must put in place a series of symbols and tangible elements that
reflect its philosophy. They can take the form of a graphic charter, logo,
seminars, integration policies for new recruits, etc.
How
has the health crisis changed the business world and the perception of work?
2020…
And telework was
7% is the rate of employees in France who usually
worked from home before the pandemic. Telework therefore mainly concerns the IT
and telecommunications professions. The situation changes from March 2020:
according to figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), the rate of teleworking has more than doubled in France
compared to 2019.
A generalization of remote work which contributes to
the acceleration of the digital transition for many companies. In this new
configuration, collaborative tools are the most popular in order to maintain
communication between teams. However, their use sometimes fails to make up for
the lack of human contact and to replace the social aspect of office life. This
estrangement of employees is likely to affect their team spirit as well as
their commitment, and therefore can harm the corporate culture.
From
the pandemic came new employee expectations
Since the health crisis and the democratization of
teleworking, a wave of “great resignation” has overwhelmed the United States:
47 million employees haveterminated their employment contract in 2021 alone. A
trend that could cross the Atlantic and reach us. According to a study by the
Department of Research, Studies and Statistics (Dares), France recorded a record
number of nearly 520,000 resignations per quarter between the end of 2021 and
the beginning of 2022, including 470,000 resignations from CDI.
Also, during the pandemic, employees would have changed their perception of work and would no longer hesitate to question its meaning. Among their new aspirations would be the questions of:
- Health: employees want their company to take care of their physical and mental health.
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Employees expect organizations to be exemplary in terms of inclusion and diversity.
- Flexibility: employees want greater freedom in choosing their schedules and organizing their work in order to achieve a balance between personal and professional life.
As part of the “Company Culture” survey that we conducted
in June 2022 among 997 employees, flexibility is particularly perceived as a
criterion of professional satisfaction by those questioned. Thus, 37%
explicitly require it (21% in terms of the workplace and 16% in terms of
working hours) while 39% say they want to promote a healthy balance between
private and professional life.
The increased risk of resignations linked to
increasingly difficult recruitment could somewhat change the balance of power
between employees and employers. Companies must therefore remain attentive to
the expectations of their employees in order to continue to encourage their
commitment, guarantee their retention and ensure the solidity of their
organizational culture.
Towards
a standardization of hybrid work
Even if it is not always unanimous among managers,
telework has not been completely eradicated within most structures. In question
? A position far from shared by employees who continue to express a desire to
maintain remote work in their professional habits.
In a context where the enthusiasm of employees for the
flexibility implied by this way of working is evident, it is difficult for
employers to impose on them a diametrically opposed configuration. Especially
since, according to our study, the elimination of remote work within their
organization could represent a reason to resign for 51% of the employees
questioned practicing it partially or full time.
Indeed, the balance of power having evolved somewhat,
one of the challenges for companies today is to keep their employees, particularly
the most efficient. In France, many leaders have realized that hybrid working
will continue to develop and would be ready to allow flexibility in the pace
between on-site and remote work. As proof, 63% of employees who started working
from home before or during the pandemic say that hybrid working has become a
permanent organizational model in their company.
However, with remote working still alive, how can
business leaders and managers strengthen cohesion between teams and their sense
of belonging to an organization?
(Re)creating
a corporate culture today: tips for managers and employers
According to Gartner, in the face of the normalization
of hybrid working, 68% of leadership teams continue to rethink their
organizational culture. To do this, taking into account the new ways of
thinking of employees is essential. In addition to allowing telecommuting
several days a week, other parameters come into play for managers and employers
if they wish to bring their company culture up to date.
1,
Introduce participatory management
Giving instructions and making all the decisions,
these are the principles of directive management. However, if it is the most
widespread in the world, it is far from being the only one that can be used.
New employee expectations combined with the rise of hybrid working are now
giving way to a desire for more flexibility and autonomy, which can make 100%
directive management obsolete.
Introducing participatory management into its
corporate culture can enable managers to meet contemporary challenges. This
consists of involving employees in decision-making and problem solving in mnow
a permanent dialogue. With trust, listening, delegation and communication as
key words, participative management helps to strengthen the involvement of
employees, particularly when they work remotely, as well as to improve their
well-being.
For optimal collaboration, managers can consult with
their teams through process efficiency survey tools and get their feedback on
how to improve them. In order to better organize and delegate, the use of task
organization tools can also be useful to them.
2.
Giving meaning to the tasks and projects to be carried out
Increasing the commitment and involvement of employees
also means giving meaning to their position. First of all, it is important to
take into account the primary sources of motivation that led them to work for
the company. Beyond the level of remuneration, the nature of the project in
which they are expected to participate and the tasks offered can represent
drivers. Valuing their daily activity and explaining how it is essential for
the proper functioning of the organization encourages employees and reassures
them of their abilities. Regular feedback sessions, face-to-face or by
videoconference, are welcome to support and guide them.
Setting them clear and achievable goals also helps to
increase their motivation, as does evaluating them based on the work accomplished
and not the amount of hours spent in the office or online. In many corporate
cultures, staying at work for a long time is seen as proof of efficiency.
However, this received idea leads to the practice of presenteeism which has no
beneficial consequences either on performance or on well-being. Conversely, a
culture of results could be synonymous with professional fulfillment and
empowerment.
3.
Promote fluid and effective communication
Long before the pandemic, a scourge was already
affecting business life: meetingitis, or the mania for organizing useless work
meetings. During the health crisis, this phenomenon would have transformed for
employees into “Zoom fatigue”, a weariness with regard to videoconferencing
tools. Adapting to the hybrid work mode also involves redefining your
relationship to meetings. Limiting their recourse, doing them in small groups,
preparing them well, determining concrete objectives, going to the essentials,
challenging participants to encourage their contribution are all tips to follow
to make them effective. Communication between manager and subordinate can also
be facilitated through individual interviews (formal or informal, on site or
remotely) where the culture of listening and feedback would be required.
To promote communication between employees in the era
of hybrid work, the use of software remains essential, in particular that of
unified communications tools. By combining synchronous (live) communication,
asynchronous (delayed) communication and an IT work environment, they allow
teams to work collaboratively and find key project information.
4.
Gradually rebuild the bond between employees
According to our survey, 69% of employees surveyed
have never met face-to-face with members of their team or department. In addition,
46% say their employer has not organized in-person corporate events since 2020.
However, in a hybrid mode of work, managers must work to reconnect with
colleagues in order to promote team spirit and sense of belonging so dear to
the corporate culture. Now that the time has come for the health lull, this can
be done little by little through not only face-to-face brainstorming sessions
but also more informal one-off physical meetings such as team lunches or
afterworks. Interactions between colleagues who rarely see each other can also
be encouraged through the reintroduction of seminars. In order to arouse the
desire and interest of employees, they must be relevant, fun and impactful.
Cohesion between colleagues must also be privileged
online in the era of hybrid work. It can be done through digital meetings,
icebreaker question sessions, quizzes, surveys or informal discussion spaces
where you can share your interests.
5.
Redefine your employer brand
The corporate culture is at the service of the employer
brand. This HR tool covers the internal image and external reputation of an
organization, and aims to both retain talent and attract new ones. Many
criteria define it. This may be the working atmosphere, the flexibility of
location and hours, but also thecompany values. These must respond to current
social, political and environmental issues. Questions related to diversity and
ecology animate employees today. Disseminating messages to this effect and
organizing, for example, volunteering activities could arouse their interest or
commitment. However, it is essential that these values are in line with reality
and are therefore accompanied by concrete actions, in addition to being
transmitted on a daily basis through recruitment and management methods.
6,
Establish a work-life balance
One of the disadvantages of teleworking pointed out by
employees during periods of confinement concerned the lack of separation
between professional and private life. When its scope is not clearly defined,
remote work does in fact blur the lines between these two spheres. Employees
may have to devote more time than necessary to their professional tasks and
always make themselves available, even in the evening. However, these habits
are sources of exhaustion and often prove to be counterproductive. To make
hybrid working harmonious, it is up to managers to maintain a healthy balance,
for example by clearly banning the sending of emails outside working hours.
Other measures or behaviors can be adopted, such as discussing the workload
with employees and adapting it if necessary so that it does not encroach on
their personal time.
Hybrid
working doesn't have to be a threat to corporate culture
With the rise of hybrid working, one of the concerns
managers may have is to avoid isolation and maintain team spirit.
However, as franceinfo reports, a majority of
employees believe that exchanges between colleagues have deteriorated, which
could impact the quality of the collective. However, the decrease in
interactions is perceived positively by some employees for whom fewer exchanges
means fewer constant interruptions and therefore more efficiency.
As a result, the link between employees has certainly
weakened with the advent of teleworking, but their involvement has proven to be
stronger with an acceleration in performance. Even better, according to a study
by Gartner, 76% of employees who have recently practiced hybrid working
consider that the organizational culture of their structure has improved. And
this in a considerable way for 32% of them.
Thus, the alliance of on-site work and teleworking
would not be an obstacle to encouraging the commitment of its employees and
uniting them around the company's projects, quite the contrary.
However, this scheme involves new challenges for
managers and employers. The behaviors and measures they intend to adopt will be
decisive in maintaining the satisfaction of their subordinates and guaranteeing
a strong organizational culture over the long term.