Pendragon Straight Talk: Episode Eleven

 
TRANSCRIPT
 
JOHN GLOVER: Hello and welcome to another Pendragon Straight Talk. This week’s question is a little bit different, but it’s basically, can you create or retain office culture with a mix of permanent and contingent workers?
 
I actually believe that you can. It’s indisputable that office culture is essential to creating a productive and enjoyable workplace. Output goes up if the culture is good.
 
It’s important to be transparent and honest about your goals and vision. Outline your expectations from the team. Good culture is reliant on buying in, so make sure both your employees and your contingent workforce understand what the company, or group, visions and goals are.
 
Make sure your employees understand why the contingent workforce is there, and that they engage and involve them in the company.
 
Engage in open conversation, no side chats, no whispers in the corner. This will allow the contingent workforce to give their own feedback.
 
Allow the contingent workforce to understand and appreciate the roles of the permanent staff.
 
Don’t be afraid to run a few team building activities amongst everybody. If you can conduct this offsite, this will assist in bonding and get the team working toward a common goal in cohesion.
 
It’s very important to have an open mind about the mix of your workers. Listen to them all and let them add to the culture. It’s also important not to forget about your existing loyal, permanent staff as a contingent workforce come and go the office culture is dependent on the actions and attitude of the permanent staff, so the culture is driven from within the permanent staff and passed on, or encouraged, to the contingent workforce.
 
Basically, be nice and accommodate everyone as we all, in the end, have to go to work, so let’s make it fun.
 
Thanks for listening, I’ll talk to you next time.