Every business owner likes to think they have a great workplace – after all, having built your business from the ground up, you’re proud of it and try not to see the negatives. However, a good workplace is more than having free snacks in the kitchen or a nice lounge area for breaks and the impact of a great workplace can be huge. So what does it take to create an environment that is great to work in?
When it comes down to it, a great workplace is less about the furniture and snacks and more about the attitude and culture amongst the employees. Of course, there are plenty of things that assist in creating this kind of culture – physical and edible included.
Fun
The word ‘fun’ usually conjures up images of friends, laughter and making memories – not sitting at work for hours on end. The great thing is that all of these things can be found in a great workplace if employers and leaders know how to do it. Fun can be found in the way that team members relate to each other, the way they approach work or in the things that happen during break times.
Signs of a fun workplace: Many workplaces think that by plonking a ping pong table or a pool table in the break room, they’re ticking the ‘fun office’ box. Unfortunately, an office that likes to tick all the boxes is often one that cares very little about the workplace culture. Themed lunches, walking meetings or team bonding sessions can all be a part of creating a fun workplace culture that employees are happy to show up to everyday.
Trust
Trust is important – whether it’s emotional or physical. Employees need to feel safe when it comes to sharing their ideas and they need to be sure that they’re coming to a safe place every day. Confidentiality is also extremely important in many workplaces and knowing that rules will be followed each day is a great comfort to many employees.
Signs of a trustworthy workplace: a workplace that follows relevant workplace safety laws is already a place that employees can feel confident in and any environment that is glossing over important laws should raise a red flag. In meetings, a trustworthy environment will allow employees to share their ideas without fear of ridicule or being shot down by others. Employees will also feel as though they are able to approach their leaders for any requests without fear of rejection.
Freedom
Freedom is often seen through two different lenses: the way that you work and the freedom in your future prospects. Freedom is extremely high up on the priority list of many individuals who are looking for a new workplace. A workplace that offers a great deal of freedom will usually rank very high on a list of desirable places to work.
Signs of a freedom-oriented workplace: allowing employees to choose the way in which they work – allowing standing desks or providing spaces that can be adapted for different uses throughout the day are good ways to create this freedom-filled environment. Giving employees the opportunity to customise their working hours or managing their salaries in a way that benefits them greatly can also be a way to give over control to the team, while still getting high quality work. Not only that, but employees also value freedom when it comes to their future – being able to move around in the company is important and having choice in this is something that many employees are looking for.
There are a myriad of different things that play into a great workplace and every business will strike the perfect balance for themselves – it’s all about letting your positive culture shine through so you can secure the best employees and drive your business towards success.
For more about building a great workplace, download Pendragon’s eBook: ‘The New World of Work’.
