Changing company culture

The Four-Day Workweek Debate: Exploring the Pros and Cons for Businesses and Employees

2025-04-21T16:14:47-04:00

The four-day model promises a compelling trade: maintain productivity while giving workers more time to rest, pursue personal interests, and care for their families.

Who doesn’t want to work less?

No matter how much you may love your job, it’s unlikely you’d turn down the chance for an extra day off — every single week.

The five-day workweek that we know today started on factory floors in the 1920s. But more and more organizations are finding the traditional workweek doesn’t apply to the modern working world, and that putting in more days doesn’t necessarily translate to being more efficient.

카지노 커뮤니티 추천 that have made the shift away from this tradition say it helps to attract more talent, improve employee satisfaction, and even increase productivity. But is it right for your organization?

What is a four-day workweek and why is it trending?

A four-day workweek is exactly as it sounds: a workweek that lasts only four days instead of the traditional five.

This could either be through compressing hours, such as employees working 10 hours per day instead of eight to reach a full 40-hour week or reducing the total number of hours per week.

While there has long been interest in a four-day workweek, that interest has grown post-pandemic, as employees seek more flexible work arrangements.

“I’ve seen significantly more comments from employees on Trust Index™ surveys about a desire for a four-day workweek, especially for employees who are working in person,” says Ruby Storm Green, culture coach at Great Place To Work®.

“Part of this is due to return-to-office. Employees are experiencing more frustration with commuting, from both a time and cost perspective. Working four 10-hour shifts would remove an entire day of commuting and its associated costs.”

In 2022, 61 companies in the UK ran the world’s largest four-day workweek trial. After the six-month pilot, 92% of participating employers said they would continue with a shorter workweek, with 18 of them confirming it to be a permanent change.

Among the biggest benefits were employees’ well-being:

71% reported reduced levels of burnout
54% reported a reduction in negative emotions
39% said they were less stressed
37% said their physical health improved

“A four-day week allows for more work–life balance overall,” says Green. “For example, if someone works in healthcare in a role that is emotionally taxing, working four 10-hour shifts instead of five eight-hour shifts would give that employee three days to decompress. It helps to prevent burnout and, in turn, reduces turnover.”

While businesses may worry about productivity dropping if they were to offer reduced or compressed hours, this didn’t seem to be the case in the study.

Company growth and revenue stayed roughly consistent over the trial period. And turnover, which can be costly to employers, dropped by 57%.

The pros of a four-day workweek for employees and businesses

Improved employee well-being and mental health

Shorter weeks allow more time for recovery, family, and personal priorities. The result? Reduced burnout and absenteeism, and better focus during working hours.

San Francisco-based e-commerce company Bolt trialed a four-day workweek when they realized several employees were experiencing burnout. For three months, all employees went offline every Friday.

The trial was a total success, with 84% of employees reporting improved work–life balance, and 86% saying they were more efficient with their time.

Boosted productivity and focus

Sometimes, less time at work actually leads to more output. When there are fewer hours available, teams become more intentional about their time. They evaluate what’s truly necessary versus getting caught up in “busywork.”

The key is to give employees clear goals and the autonomy to make those decisions about what needs to be done. When employees understand their deliverables and are trusted to achieve them, it gives more purpose to their work.

Enhanced talent attraction and retention

If you’re trying to recruit and retain top talent, flexible work could be a key component of your employee retention strategy.

Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly demanding better work–life balance, and flexible work arrangements can help to retain parents and caregivers, who may be struggling to manage their work duties with home responsibilities.

After Bolt changed to a four-day workweek, the company saw a 200% increase in applicants. And Great Place To Work research has shown that when employees have a say in when and how they work, this builds a sense of workplace trust, which in turn boosts employee productivity, engagement, and retention.

Cost and sustainability benefits

A four-day workweek could even cut your operating costs, save employees’ money, and help the planet.

If your company is open one less day, that could mean less electricity, heating, and water. And employees commuting less reduces your emissions output.

It can also help with staffing costs. When employees have a free day to deal with personal appointments that might not be possible on weekends, it reduces the need for time off.

The cons of a four-day workweek and potential risks

Potential for increased work intensity

Not all work is suited to a four-day week and may actually increase stress instead of reducing it.

Healthcare staff might find themselves rushing through patient appointments, potentially compromising the quality of care. Manufacturing teams might increase error rates when pushing to meet the same production targets in fewer days.

Inequity across roles and teams

Four-day workweeks can create workplace divisions if they’re not implemented fairly. For example, a tech company might give its developers Fridays off, but helpdesk staff must continue working shifts to provide customer support.

It’s important to extend benefits to all employees. That could be with flexible scheduling options, additional paid time off, or comparable perks for those who can’t work compressed weeks.

Customer service and collaboration challenges

“If you are only open four days a week, that could make it more difficult to serve all of your customers,” says Green.

It may also be harder for teams to collaborate if they’re not all working on the same days — employees may need to negotiate and coordinate so that certain team members always work the same shifts.

Cultural misalignment or poor implementation

When team members work on different days, messages might get missed, or decisions could get delayed.

Managers need to ensure company information is shared equally with everyone, rather than expecting those who were off that day to simply “catch up.”

Similarly, there should be clear expectations about response times. If an employee feels obligated to respond to their working colleagues even though it’s their day off, it wipes out all the well-being benefits of a reduced workweek.

Is a four-day workweek right for your organization?

Not every workplace will fit the four-day model. Before jumping in, consider your operational needs.

“It’s important to determine how it will impact customers,” says Green. “Will you need to close your business for an extra day a week? Or is there enough staffing resources to have the scheduling spread across days?”

A pilot program can help you test the waters. Bolt ran their pilot program for three months before deciding to make it permanent.

Rimini Street, a software and engineering services provider, also ran a three-month pilot for adopting a four-day workweek. Employees were encouraged to take off one day a week as a “Fabulous Friday.”

The company then assessed how its four-day workweek impacted culture and employee satisfaction, and whether there were any negative effects on the organization or its clients. Those results helped them to decide how to roll it out long-term.

How to implement a four-day workweek thoughtfully

Begin with employee listening

“The first step is listening to employees,” says Green. “Does everyone want a four-day workweek, or is it just specific employees? Is it possible to have some employees work five days a week and some four days a week?”

Use surveys, such as Great Place To Work’s employee engagement survey tool, to get a sense of how employees view your workplace and their experience within it. You can also conduct focus groups for more open-ended discussions to gauge interest and concerns.

“Understanding why employees want to have a four-day workweek is also vital, as you need to ensure that their needs will actually be addressed with the change,” says Green.

Establish outcome-based performance goals

Trust is the key to making shorter workweeks work. Managers must trust that employees will get their work done with less oversight, and workers need to trust that they’ll be judged on results, not hours logged.

Clarify how success will be measured and conduct regular check-ins to catch and fix problems quickly. Ask employees what would help them succeed in a shorter week, then build the new schedule around their input.

Create flexibility, not rigidity

Every workplace is different, and what works for one employer may not work for another.

For example, a financial institution may need to maintain the same hours as the stock market, which means closing on a Friday simply isn’t feasible.

Similarly, every employee and role is different. Some may thrive with a 10-hour workday, while others may lose their steam. Whatever new schedule you adopt for your workplace, it needs to be equitable to all employees, rather than benefiting only a select few.

Give options that support both your business and your employees. These could include compressed hours, job sharing, or flexible PTO.

For inspiration, check out these flexibility examples from great workplaces.

How leadership can guide the shift to flexible work

Model balance and trust

Leaders at the Best Workplaces™ practice what they preach.

In a four-day week or other flex arrangement, leaders must take their own time off and respect boundaries. If management is sending late-night emails on their days off, it tells employees that they aren’t really entitled to their own time off either.

It’s also important to focus on outcomes rather than hours logged and resist the urge to micromanage. Teams that feel trusted to manage their time will perform better.

Communicate openly and regularly

Clear, consistent communication is key to any workplace, but especially when you are shifting to a flexible schedule.

Set up regular check-ins to ensure everyone stays aligned and create multiple channels for feedback to stay on top of what’s working and what’s not. Those could be anonymous surveys, team discussions, and one-on-ones.

Recognize success and make adjustments

Acknowledge early wins to build momentum, whether that’s completed projects, improved metrics, or positive feedback. Share these successes across the company to reinforce the value of the new approach.

But be willing to adapt based on data and feedback. If certain processes aren’t working or teams need modified schedules, make those changes promptly.

Create a culture that supports the future of work — whatever it looks like

The four-day workweek isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While it can bring meaningful benefits for some organizations, it can pose real challenges for others.

Whether you’re adopting a four-day model or sticking with a traditional schedule, the foundation remains the same — a high-trust culture, clear expectations, and open communication.

Curious how your workplace might benefit from a reduced workweek? Great Place To Work’s employee surveys can guide companies in making thoughtful, data-informed decisions about flexible work strategies.

From Micromanagement to Empowerment: A Leader’s Guide to Accountability

2025-04-21T14:09:32-04:00

Great leaders nurture accountability by motivating and inspiring employees to work hard for them. Employees don’t get the job done because they’re told to — they do it because they want to succeed.

Business leaders have a lot on their plates. The last thing they need to be doing is micromanaging their employees.

Not only is micromanaging a waste of leaders’ time, but it also reduces employees’ engagement and quality of work. In turn, a leader might feel they need to micromanage even more to get employees back in line, creating a vicious cycle where no one is performing at their best.

The way to move from micromanagement to empowerment and a more purpose-driven culture is to build trust with your people. Make sure they understand how their job is tied to the company’s purpose. Set clear expectations and ensure employees are recognized for their efforts.

Micromanagement vs. accountability

Keeping employees accountable doesn’t mean constantly looking over their shoulders.

When leaders micromanage, they overly control how employees complete their tasks. Whereas when leaders let employees take accountability for their work, they’re still setting expectations and measuring results, but without dictating how the work gets done.

It all comes down to ownership:

Accountability is about taking ownership of results, both good and bad. To feel like they own a result, an employee needs a degree of independence and control over how they achieve that result.
Micromanagement is when a leader takes ownership. And in doing so, they take away that employee’s accountability. They’re interfering in work that should fall within the employee’s control. This is proven to be a major cause of employee burnout.

Ultimately, accountability is rooted in trust, whereas micromanagement is rooted in a lack of trust. The message accountability conveys from leader to employee is, “I believe you are responsible and capable.” Micromanagement says the opposite.

How to hold employees accountable without micromanaging

We typically think of “holding people accountable” as something that happens when people aren't meeting expectations. But true accountability is about ownership of both good and bad results.

Having a clear plan for accountability when everything goes well — such as rewards, recognition, and career growth — is just as important, if not more, than your plan for what happens if expectations aren't met.

Set clear expectations and goals

One of the most important pieces of the accountability puzzle is ensuring company goals are well-defined.

Not only does this give employees clarity on what’s expected of them, but it also provides a sense of purpose — and when employees feel like their work has purpose, they’re more likely to stay with an organization longer and work harder.

“Accountability is rooted in trust, whereas micromanagement is rooted in a lack of trust.”

It’s also important to ensure employees have their own goals. What do they want to learn? How do they want to grow? Where do they see themselves in the future?

Help employees develop their own SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

For example, maybe an employee wants to develop their leadership skills. Together, you might decide for them to lead two team projects (specific) over the next quarter (time-bound), with success measured by on-time completion and peer feedback (measurable). This builds valuable skills (relevant) through a manageable number of projects (achievable).

Then, when assessing that employee’s performance, don’t only consider how they’re supporting the business’s goals, but how the business is also supporting theirs.

Delegate effectively and trust employees

Another important part of accountability is collaboration. This includes inviting employees into conversations about company goals and delegating the ownership of tasks rather than managing every step.

When leadership intentionally involves people in decisions that affect their jobs or work environment, this gives them ownership. And the more sense of control employees have, the more likely they are to hold themselves accountable.

Autonomy also unlocks our natural problem-solving abilities. When people have the freedom to tackle challenges in their own way, they become invested in finding solutions rather than just following orders. This sense of ownership translates into higher engagement, enabling employees to see themselves as valuable contributors.

Establish regular feedback loops

Consistency is key when it comes to employee performance. Ongoing constructive feedback will encourage accountability since employees will have clear direction and support. Otherwise, employees may not know what’s expected of them — and if they don’t meet expectations, management may be tempted to step in and micromanage.

While the traditional approach to performance management has been annual reviews, many great workplaces have found continuous feedback to be a better approach.

For example, financial services firm Penn Mutual found that changing its performance calendar to align with its business cycle allowed leaders to address issues in real time. The firm also adjusted its rewards cycle to create a clear connection between a job well done and receiving a bonus or other incentive.

Foster open communication

When leaders actively listen to employee concerns, it creates a culture of transparency. And transparency fuels trust, which in turn leads to better innovation, reduced employee turnover, and even better business performance.

Being transparent doesn’t mean laying it all out. It means ensuring every employee is receiving information that’s relevant to them, with the opportunity to ask questions. Broad, sweeping messages won’t resonate with employees the way that tailored communications will.

Some of our customers demonstrate how strong communication builds trust in leadership. CarMax recognized that effective leadership is ensuring every employee has a personal connection to management. To achieve this, it set up a guide to ensure regular meetings between every employee and their manager at each of its stores.

IT company WP Engine is transparent about pay ranges for internal opportunities that an employee might be qualified for, thereby encouraging them to grow within the company.

Focus on outcomes, not processes

No two people are exactly the same, and this also goes for how they work. Micromanagers focus on the process, when the reality is that there may be several ways for an employee to take a project from start to finish.

Instead, put your focus on results when evaluating performance. This shows employees that you trust their judgment and are willing to give them the space to complete tasks in a way that makes the most sense to them.

For example, you might:

Measure the number of email subscribers rather than how many emails were sent on a marketing campaign
Evaluate customer satisfaction scores instead of monitoring how many minutes each support call takes
Track positive reviews and return visits instead of monitoring if front desk staff follow a rigid check-in script word-for-word

How to address accountability issues without micromanaging

Address performance issues promptly and fairly

The best way to manage poor performance is to get ahead of it.

Avoiding difficult conversations about performance issues doesn’t make them disappear — it magnifies them. When you let problems linger, your top performers may wonder why others aren't held to the same standards. Meanwhile, the struggling employee misses out on the opportunity to improve.

The longer you wait, the more uncomfortable the eventual conversation becomes for everyone involved.

But when an employee has had experiences where their manager helped their performance go from good to great, they’re more likely to turn to that manager and be an equal partner when their performance slips and needs correction.

If a manager waits until performance slips to get involved, the employee instead will feel that performance conversations with their manager are a liability rather than an asset, and will be defensive and disengaged.

Get in the habit of proactively managing exceptional or good performance as well — positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator.

Some ways to provide constructive criticism that motivates improvement include:

Using concrete examples instead of generalizations
Explaining the impact of the behavior on team goals or outcomes
Asking questions to understand their perspective
Collaborating on solutions rather than dictating them
Balancing criticism with recognition of their strengths
Providing resources or support to help them succeed

Use performance management systems

It's nearly always true that employees who are underperforming need at least one of three things:

1. More time and attention from their manager

2. Firmer boundaries on certain aspects of their work

3. Tougher criteria to demonstrate improvement

Many of these actions can feel like micromanagement, so the way to avoid this is to ensure the employee feels engaged in their own performance management and success. If the employee isn’t, corrective measures from their manager will feel like an imposition instead of a mutual agreement.

It’s a good idea to set up regular performance check-ins with every employee from day one. That way, you can track changes in performance before they become an issue and also empower employees to take ownership of their own performance plan from day one.

Ask employees to come prepared with their own personal assessments and ask for feedback on how you’re supporting their success. Make sure to connect their individual goals to the goals of their team and the company overall.

Also, remember that a good performance management system doesn’t just look at employees’ day-to-day. It also considers their personal goals and growth opportunities.

For example, many great workplaces offer leadership training programs that motivate employees to perform at their best. Such a program could work in tandem with more traditional performance reviews and check-ins.

Recognize and reward accountability

A sign of a great employee–manager relationship is when the employee is the one who takes the lead on correcting their performance.

The employee is the person who has the most vested interest in their own success, so if they’re underperforming and not reaching out to their manager for help, it’s often because they don’t know they’re underperforming or don’t feel they’ll get the support they need to do better.

Of course, employees need a high degree of trust with their managers to feel safe doing this. One way to create this sense of safety is to foster a culture of recognition.

Celebrating employees’ efforts is an important leadership behavior for creating a high-trust workplace, where employees feel empowered to speak up and take more accountability in their work.

According to a 2025 Great Place To Work® survey of 1.3 million employees, when employees feel that everyone in the company can get recognition for their work, they’re 60% more likely to give extra effort and 40% more likely to participate in company innovation.

Here are some ways you could reward employees for taking initiative:

Offering special assignments that align with their career goals
Encouraging professional development opportunities, such as conferences or training sessions
Providing opportunities to lead new initiatives or mentor other team members
Giving rewards such as financial compensation or time off after completing a challenging project

Creating a leadership culture that drives accountability

The most important factor when it comes to employee accountability is trust. When leaders trust their employees, they’re more likely to see higher engagement, improved performance, and better business performance.

Want to know if your company promotes a culture of accountability — or stifles through micromanaging? Great Place To Work’s employee engagement software uses a data-driven approach to the employee experience and can help you build a high-trust culture where employees take ownership and pride in their work.

To our customers: If you're looking to hold employees accountable without falling into the trap of micromanagement, the Trust Index™ Survey's Manager Access feature is your ideal tool. This feature provides managers with detailed insights into their team's survey results, allowing them to see whether their reports trust them — a key indicator of great leadership and not micromanaging. By using these insights, managers can build a culture of trust and accountability, ensuring employees feel valued and motivated to take ownership of their work. The Manager Access feature helps managers compare their team’s performance against industry benchmarks and develop actionable plans based on your Trust Index data. If you’re already using the platform but haven’t activated the Manager Access feature, talk to your Customer Success Manager about upgrading today to transform your leadership approach and drive your team towards success.

Marriott’s Ty Breland on Workplace Flexibility

2025-01-28T02:00:27-05:00

Marriott, a nearly 100-year-old company, has shown that even established organizations can modernize and adapt.

During the pandemic, the hospitality industry faced unprecedented challenges, including hotel closures and furloughs. Despite these hurdles, Marriott emerged stronger by prioritizing workplace flexibility and redefining leadership.

Ty Breland, EVP and CHRO, discussed the company's journey of resilience and reinvention, and the impact their culture has on business performance. Marriott has set hiring records and is ranked No. 8 among the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For.

On job sharing and creating workplace flexibility for workers:

We listened to our associates, and what they were looking for was intraday flexibility. Many have families and commitments outside of work, and we didn’t want them to miss out on activities that are important to them.

We started to think, why can't we share some of these jobs? Why can't this be a split job between two people who are performing what used to be one job? It doesn't work everywhere, but where it could, we took advantage.

On the non-management or hourly side of the business, it was about creating your own schedule. Like many companies, most of our workforce was full-time before the pandemic. We would fill the entire schedule with full-time associates and then where we had anomalies in the schedule, we may offer it up to part-time, which might not be the most desirable shift.

We flipped that logic and really looked at people creating their own schedules and having an influx of part-time mixed with full-time associates. This led us to rethink how we managed scheduling.

What that gets you is a more engaged and committed workforce, which we’ve seen in our numbers. It also builds community, where people can bring their whole selves to work and help each another, whether it's by picking up a shift or helping with a report. It makes us a better organization and community, increasing our impact.

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On creating new jobs, called Integrated Jobs or iJobs:

All of us travel and stay at hotels. When you walk in, you really want one person to help you with what you need at that time. A guest experience expert is not only your front desk agent, but they also can serve as a concierge or other front-of-house role you might need before heading to your room.

In the past, those responsibilities would have been divided between three or four different jobs, but the consumer appreciates having one point of contact. The associate likes the variety in their job, and they feel like they're really caring for the guest in a more authentic and complete way.

We’ve seen improvements in the customer experience, cleanliness scores, guest engagement scores, and associate engagement scores. Turnover is lower at hotels that have fully adopted iJobs. All the metrics go up, including revenue, because the associate feels closer to their role and purpose, which benefits our associates, Marriott, and our customers. It’s a win-win-win.

On the new leadership mindset:

Having a leadership mindset is important, no matter what level you are. When you wake up each day thinking like a leader, you're curious, courageous, and connected. This mindset can go across the entire spectrum of associates in your organization.

We encourage our non-management associates to transition into management roles. They know our business extremely well. Oftentimes, it's giving them the courage and sponsorship to apply for those jobs. We've always done a great job of having individuals cross from non-management to management, but recently we've doubled down and launched a program, Elevate by Marriott International, which targets non-management associates becoming managers.

Since launching that program, we've seeing big changes in our first-level management jobs. Right now, one in every four hires for entry-level management positions come from our non-management population.

As part of this program, something that was unique was giving them all coaches. We've partnered with an external coaching firm to support these associates. Traditionally, coaching was reserved for executive levels, but we’ve turned that on its head and offer coaching to non-management associates pursuing management opportunities. This gives them the best chance to not only land one of these positions, but to thrive in them.

On advice for HR colleagues:

We have many leaders at Marriott who prioritize putting people first. But for the broader HR community, you have to have a seat at the table. Once you're there, you have to have a voice. And once you have a voice, you have to make sure you're heard.

The best way to do that is to really listen and understand the business. Once you have that firm understanding, you’re better able to apply the right HR solutions and strategies to propel the business forward.

And measure things. We're relentless in our analytics and connecting the dots.

Penn Mutual's Liz Heitner on Effective Performance Management

2024-12-02T04:00:46-05:00

According to Gallup, only 2% of CHROs strongly agree that their performance management system inspires employees.

In this episode of Better from Great Place To Work, we delve into the intricacies of performance reviews and goal setting with Liz Heitner, chief human resources officer at Penn Mutual.

She shared how Penn Mutual has transformed its approach, resulting in a dynamic performance success program. They've shifting from annual reviews to continuous, real-time feedback that's connected to business goals. Leaders are aligned and employees are actively involved in the process.

She also encourages the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to boost productivity and innovation, while upholding ethical guidelines and transparency.

On why performance management often doesn’t work well:

One thing some programs get wrong is this focus on a bell curve that's predicated on the fact that you have low performance, that you’re hiring people that do not fit and will not be successful. That's actually a very small percentage of most populations of most organizations. The focus really needs to shift to empowerment, enablement, and people really bringing their best. It's not something that you can just say, "Oh, yay, we've arrived. Check the box. We're done."

This is how contemporary leaders, operating in these remote, high-performing organizations need to focus their time and energy. This is the J-O-B so to speak.

A lot of these performance management programs are a check-the-box compliance exercise, a tool for delivering merit and bonus — and not thought of as the fiber of how we work and accomplish results as a company.

On how Penn Mutual made changes:

We took a test and learn approach.

Step one was goal setting, and we did a lot of training and development to support this effort. People said, "I'm not really sure how my role relates to these areas of the business. I'm really only focused on this area." And so having those integrated conversations with leadership to ensure the goals made sense down to the individual level and cascaded down was huge. And you’ll learn what people shouldn't work on. “What are the things that we no longer are going to work on that don't align with the priorities?”

We also moved our performance calendar to align with our business cycle. And rather than it being an annual event — performance management, success, or feedback — it happens in real time and we’re normalizing that for employees.

And we looked at the alignment of rewards. If you get your performance review and your rating in June, you might ask, "How does that connect with my bonus that I get in the following February?" So again, making sure that we lined up performance elements and the reward cycle in the right place was something we got a lot of credibility around.

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On the importance of aligning leaders:

You need to get everybody focused, committed, and on the same page around what you’re trying to accomplish with your performance management system. That has been a continued focus of our leadership development and training.

At our leadership summit for the top 150-200 leaders, we made sure that we're aligned and committed to the results and priorities as a company. That was a very impactful cultural catalyst, if you will.

On professional development programs:

Organizations need to spend some time reflecting on, "What are the skills, what are the capabilities, what are the competencies that we really need to be successful?" Not today, because today's baked, but five years from now, and, "How do we really chart that course?" That’s all aligned to your business goals. I would get aligned around those goals before you develop and deliver any learning and development activities. That’s so critical.

The other piece of this is thinking about how those programs will be received by employees. If the content is not engaging or relevant, and people don't understand the “why,” it leads to low participation and retention.

Make sure you engage your employees in the design process and explain to them why you're focused on the things you're focused on.

On expanding tuition reimbursement programs:

I think everyone is aware that degreed programs are less and less relevant to equipping current talent in the workforce with the skills they need for the future. We've heard the sound bites around the shrinking half-life of a skill, and it's interesting. There's so much to be gained by degreed programs, but there's so much value we can get out of certifications and courses so we shifted tuition reimbursement program to open it up for employees so they can build skills in the areas where they see fit, where they think they're going to get value.

On setting internal AI guidelines:

If your company doesn’t have an acceptable use policy that addresses AI – whatever your stance is – that is the first place you want to start. Get on the same page from a policy standpoint around what is acceptable and what isn’t within your environment.

We're taking a thoughtful look around the benefits and risks these tools can bring to our employees, policyholders, financial professionals and other stakeholders. Where I think we landed is that this technology has incredibly impactful possibilities for productivity. The toothpaste is out of the tube. It is not going away.

Also recognize that this technology is not something that we, as an employer, are procuring and providing, it's readily available on everyone's cellphones.

WP Engine Makes Strategic, High-Impact Culture Decisions Using the Trust Index Survey

2024-08-21T09:00:00-04:00

WP Engine uses the Trust Index™ Survey to hone its culture across 10 countries. Great Place To Work® Certified™ since 2016, the survey helped identify key areas for improvement, like aligning communication with company strategy and enhancing diversity efforts.

How to Create an Employee Engagement Survey That Drives Change

2024-06-13T14:30:02-04:00

A 6-step plan for a successful employee survey.

Now more than ever, it is important to get a pulse on how your employees are feeling and how you can best support them. Amid the Great Resignation, employees are on the hunt for workplaces prioritizing their people.

One of the most important steps leaders can take to demonstrate employee support is launching an employee engagement survey to gather candid and confidential feedback.

An employee engagement survey will help you determine:

How employees are feeling
What matters to them
What they need to feel supported and valued

The answers to these questions will help you improve employee engagement and improve employee retention.

What is an employee engagement survey?

An employee engagement survey is exactly what it sounds like: a way for you to measure how engaged your employees are – both with the work they are doing and with the overall organization – and equip yourself with key insights and feedback.

At Great Place To Work®, we recommend taking surveying a step further to measure employee experience. Measuring employee engagement, while important, is just one part of the puzzle.

How an employee engagement survey helps you improve company culture

An employee engagement survey is the crucial first step to understanding and improving your company culture. An employee engagement survey provides an aerial view of your organization’s strengths and areas of opportunity, feedback that is essential for identifying where you need to focus your attention and action.

An employee engagement survey also measures the degree to which your employees feel motivated and excited by their work, your organization and its mission – and where you can make changes to improve company culture.

A 6-step plan for an effective employee survey

1. Find the survey tool that best serves your needs

Identify what you want to learn from your employee survey results and ensure that the survey tool you choose will help you uncover those insights.

Do you want to understand how employee engagement varies across organizational departments?
Do you need to diagnose which demographic groups feel less engaged in their work than others, and why?

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 employee experience survey enables you to customize your survey with demographic questions unique to your organization, equipping you with actionable insights to improve employee engagement.

2. Get buy-in from key leaders within your organization

Convincing executives that company culture matters can be difficult, but it is possible.

Many executive teams are curious about employee opinions but do not have access to the frontline or middle management in a meaningful way. A focused survey is a great way to get executives preliminary feedback so they can understand where they may want to dig deeper.

For best results, talk to key leaders within your organization to determine what is most important to them:

What kind of data do they want to see from an employee engagement survey?
What are the organization’s goals for the year and how does an employee engagement survey fit into those goals?

This should determine some of the survey questions and demographics (such as department, locations etc) you might want to add to your employee engagement survey.

A successful survey starts and ends with great communication

3. Drum up excitement among your people

Now that everyone is aligned and you are ready to prep and launch your employee engagement survey, communicate to employees why you are asking for their feedback.

Emphasizing the why will ultimately increase engagement and survey participation. Knowing and believing the “what’s in it for me?” will make employees eager to provide honest, direct and detailed feedback.

A successful survey starts and ends with great communication as it leads to more engagement and buy-in from all areas of the business.

4. Launch your survey

When you run an employee survey through Great Place To Work, you will see real-time participation numbers, which allows you to remind or encourage employees to submit their responses. You'll also gain access to the most comprehensive employee experience data set, spanning over 30 years of surveying employees around the country and the world.

5. Benchmark your results

Compare the experience of your employees with credible benchmark data and gain an independent perspective about how well you perform compared to other companies.

By measuring your employee engagement scores against benchmarks such as the Best Small & Medium Workplaces™ or the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For®,100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For®, you can identify what employees expect from industries and companies. This is vital intel for closing culture gaps and improving employee engagement and retention.

Benchmarking can also help you define a clear employee value proposition by understanding what makes your organization unique relative to others. A strong and distinct employee value proposition will help you stand apart from other workplaces, refine your marketing messages and attract the right candidates.

6. Analyze and share the results

You have completed your survey and uncovered a treasure trove of valuable employee feedback. Now, the work begins: Using your results, you must figure out where your strengths and areas of opportunity lie.

First and foremost, thank employees for participating in the survey and sharing their candid feedback. Let them know you appreciate their responses and will be spending some time diving into the results.

Once you have developed a robust list of questions, curiosities and observations about your data, it’s time to share them with the wider company. Interpreting results is a key first step, but creating a clear action plan to share with employees is crucial.

With our employee survey tool, you can easily download reports with meaningful charts and benchmarks that make it easy to present the results to the broader company and identify your strengths and what is undermining your culture.

To improve your employee experience, measure your employee experience

If you have questions about running employee experience surveys, or you’re ready to launch your own, reach out to us. We’re here to help gather the information you need to make the right decisions for your employees and your organization.

Keep an eye on the best companies in your region or industry and meet employees' needs and expectations with our employee experience survey and benchmarking.

Accenture's Yolanda Friend on How to Create Inclusive Workplaces

2024-02-20T04:00:22-05:00

“We know how important it is to look beyond the numbers. To really understand what representation, what inclusion, what belonging really means to our people. And that's where active listening is really important to understand the employee experience. Diversity without the inclusion part won't cut it.”

Yolanda Friend, inclusion and diversity lead for Accenture North America, shares powerful insights and actionable steps to create a more inclusive culture on this episode of the Better podcast.

From the importance of mentors and sponsors to the everyday micro-experiences that make a difference, Yolanda's practical tips will inspire you to champion belonging and unlock your employees’ full potential at work.

Learn why having a diverse workforce isn’t just the right thing to do, but also good for business. Plus, get a sneak peek into Yolanda's mentor's new book, “Unwavering,” filled with invaluable career and life lessons.

On why having an inclusive workplace at Accenture is good for business:

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 goal at Accenture is to be the most inclusive and diverse company in the world. We want people to love working here. We want them to feel like it's the best place to achieve their personal and professional aspirations. To make that a reality, we have to treat efforts around inclusion and diversity just like every other business priority.

We have to be able to attract, retain, and inspire people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. And we have to reflect the communities where we live and work.

To achieve this diversity, we set goals. We share them publicly. We collect the data and we measure our progress. We know that this transparency of information builds trust with people.

And we also know how important it is to look beyond the numbers. To really understand what representation, inclusion, and belonging really mean to our people. And that's why active listening is really important to understand the employee experience. Diversity without inclusion won't cut it.

[Attend our annual company culture conference May 7-9, 2024, to hear more from Yolanda on celebrating inclusivity.]

On tangible steps all companies can take to create more inclusive cultures:

There are important formal and informal ways of doing this.

Formal programs — for example, belonging to an ERG, participating in a mentoring or sponsorship program — those are structured and really great because they're there to equip, educate, and elicit inclusive behaviors in a company.

Equally as important are more informal things that you can do, such as:

Stepping in when someone's cut off in a meeting.
Making sure people are getting credit for their ideas.
Checking on people. Really taking that time, just take 10 minutes and send them a ping, get on the phone, check in and see how people are doing. It really does make a difference when we show up for people like that.

On the difference between mentors and sponsor, and the benefits of each:

Mentors are there to listen to you. Sponsors are there to talk about you in rooms, places, spaces where you aren't — or at least you aren't yet.

When you think about sponsorship, you definitely want to think about a person who is in a position of power, who has influence in the organization, and who is willing to invest the time and ultimately spend their political capital advocating for you and being your voice and champion when you aren't there to be your own voice and champion.

The evaluation of each is a little bit different, and it's important to have both in your life.

I've had the opportunity to have many mentors throughout my career, both internal to Accenture and outside of Accenture. I think that's also important because you can fall into a vortex of your own company and your own situation. Taking off the blinders, and looking and listening to other perspectives is always refreshing and helpful.

I've had the blessing of having fantastic coaches, mentors, and sponsors in my career. Interestingly, I had all of that wrapped up in one person. Her name is Nellie Borrero and she has a book coming out in March of 2024 that's called “Unwavering.”

She's done an amazing job of culminating all of the coaching, life, and career lessons that she’s shared and imparted with me over the past few years into this book.

Get more insights

Get more strategies from our workplace culture experts at our For All™ Summit, May 7-9 in New Orleans.

Subscribe to Better wherever podcasts are available so you don't miss an episode.

Synchrony’s Michael Matthews on Vulnerability in Leadership

2024-02-06T00:06:36-05:00

“It’s expected for us as leaders to be able to deal with and support and engage with our employees and our teams being vulnerable, because the culture that we work in now—that's more accepted.”

Michael Matthews, chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer at Synchrony, talks about the power of vulnerability among leaders, and how vulnerability helps build trust and creates a more inclusive workplace culture.

He shared how leadership is evolving at Synchrony, what it means to be seen at work, and the importance for leaders to create a safe space where team members feel comfortable asking questions, and sharing their ideas and opinions.

He also offers helpful advice on how those charged with diversity efforts can build a strong partnership with their CEO and CHRO based on his own experience.

On how leadership is changing:

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 approach to leadership has evolved and continues to evolve because the workforce has evolved. How our workforce came to us, and how we interact now is 100% different than it was a couple of years ago due to COVID.

We started this initiative in large part due to our work with Great Place To Work and specifically The Great Transformation. We started what we call Impact Sessions, and they're specifically for leadership within Synchrony where we go in very deep on how our leaders become inclusive leaders.

How we lean into things like, how do you now lead in more of a virtual environment? How do you have difficult conversations? How do you give true and rich and impactful feedback? And how do you do it within this environment that's a lot more virtual versus when you were able to walk the floor and see non-verbals?

It’s a totally different experience. In many cases, it takes a different skillset. Through this work, we are continuing to evolve.

On the power of vulnerability among leaders:

It’s okay to be vulnerable. It's expected for us as leaders to be able to support and engage with our employees and our teams being vulnerable because it’s more accepted in the culture that we work in now.

We talk about how to have those difficult conversations, how to lean in, what to do when you don't know the answer or you're uncomfortable. How do you still support your employee, get information, and come back and continue to support? That's not easy.

[Attend our annual company culture conference May 7-9, 2024, to learn more about how Synchrony is investing in its leaders]

We've taken it for granted that our leaders will just know how to do this. What we found is our leaders — whether they know the answer or don't, or know the right approach or not — there's a genuine desire to want to get it right and not make a mistake.

We have to get in front of that and make sure that they're equipped to handle the situation even if they don't know the answer.

Leaders are human beings, so they're not always going to know the answer. Or they may have to put their personal feelings aside to deal with an issue, or meet their teammate or employee where they are. That's a different skillset.

It’s been a journey, but it's really important and our leaders are so appreciative that we are addressing these types of things.

On how diversity and inclusion officers can build strong partnerships with their CEO and CHRO:

You have to do the work early on to establish credibility and be able to clearly articulate the why. The why it's important, the impact that it has made, and will make.

I think that doing that work and establishing credibility and saying, "Hey, here's where we think we are, and here's where we actually are, and here's where you said you want to be. So let's have that conversation."

By doing that type of work and having that transparency and that honesty with the data and what it is and what it isn't — that gets your CHRO and your CEO to lean in, and understand and value what you're doing even more.

And then understanding that once you gain credibility or establish that relationship, it's not just a given. You continue to earn that credibility and keep building that relationship.

Get more insights

Get more strategies from our workplace culture experts at our For All™ Summit, May 7-9 in New Orleans.

Subscribe to Better wherever podcasts are available so you don't miss an episode.

How To Make the Case for Company Culture to Leadership

2024-02-05T13:18:21-05:00

Turn skepticism into conviction and ensure that your leadership not only understands the value of a great workplace culture but also becomes its strongest advocate.

Recently, I hosted a webinar on leadership behaviors that drive retention , and I was struck by the depth of curiosity and engagement from all of you. We unpacked some crucial data, but it left us with a big question: How do we get the folks upstairs — you know, the CEO, the Directors, and the management team — to buy into this? How do we convince them that investing in culture isn’t just another line item, but a game-changer for our organizations?

It reminds me of that old saying about leading a horse to water but not being able to make it drink. We’ve got all this great information on why a strong, positive culture is key to employee retention, but getting leadership to take that sip and really taste the benefits — well, that’s a different story.

It’s about shifting the perspective from seeing employees as just numbers or resources to recognizing them as the heart and soul of what makes our companies thrive.

Turning insights into action

They key is to show the leader not just the financial benefits, but also how culture aligns with their personal goals of being a respected leader.

First, I’d talk about the costs. For example, did you know it costs about $4,700 on average just to replace an employee? And that’s being conservative. That figure doesn’t even count the training costs or the dip in productivity when someone leaves. It’s a big deal for the bottom line.

Make the business case for culture

Then, I’d bring up how a happy and engaged team has been proven to drive the business forward. People work better when they feel valued and understood, which in turn boosts the company’s performance. I’d suggest using tools like the research-backed Great Place To Work Trust® Index™ Survey, which is designed to measure and improve on the specific elements of company culture that lead to business success.

카지노 커뮤니티 추천 with standout cultures see fewer people leaving, meaning less money and time spent on hiring and training new staff. They also have engaged teams who are less likely to suffer from burnout, boosting productivity. In these environments, innovation isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a daily reality. And when the economy dips, these companies are the ones quick to recover.

Tap their desire to become a respected leader

But what really seals the deal: Leaders want to be remembered for the right reasons. So, I’d appeal to that intrinsic desire to be a respected and effective leader. Earning a certification like Great Place To Work 카지노커뮤니티™ can be a huge badge of honor for them. It shows their peers that they’re doing right by their team, and that’s something to be proud of.

카지노커뮤니티 also signals to investors that your company is more than just talk when it comes to ESG (environmental, social & governance). According to a recent IBM study, 70% of employees find sustainability programs make employers more appealing.

I’d also suggest starting small – maybe try these strategies in one team and see the results. It’s less risky that way and can demonstrate the tangible benefits.

Finally, it’s all about communication. Setting up a meeting, having open and honest discussions, and using confidential surveys like the Trust Index to get real feedback from employees can make a huge difference. It all starts with employee listening.

So, if you can combine the hard facts with that personal touch, you’ll be more successful at convincing leadership. Show them it’s not just good for business, but it’s also something that can make them a leader people will look up to.

Join the dots between culture and business outcomes

Ready to get granular on how your company’s culture is really doing? 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 Trust Index Survey is your go-to tool. It gives you the data and insights to boost your team’s performance by enhancing your workplace culture. If you’re curious about how it all works and keen to see the kind of impact it can have on your business, let’s chat. Reach out to our team and let’s dive into how Great Place To Work can be your partner for building – and maintaining – a thriving, high-performance culture.

5 Expert Tips to Navigate HR Challenges and Forge a Thriving Company Culture

2023-09-12T20:06:52-04:00

Feeling disenchanted about improving your workplace culture? Turn obstacles into an opportunity to foster a better company culture and more successful business.

Creating a positive company culture can seem like a daunting task. Lack of buy-in, budget constraints, and competing priorities can all make the process overwhelming.

According to our research, a great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in their work, and enjoy the people they work with.

A strong company culture is a catalyst for improving employee retention and fueling innovative thinking. When working with employers, we consistently hear about these five pervasive challenges.

Fortunately, our new research on overcoming common HR challenges to cultivate a company culture offers precise strategies to address these issues and pave the way for a thriving workplace environment:

1. Obstacle: I don’t have time

While building trust does take time, the results will be worth it — for your employees and for you. Investing in people pays off in productivity and loyalty, as high-trust cultures have half the turnover of their competitors and see accelerated rates of innovation.

In our 2023 study, we found that workplaces that earned Great Place To Work Certified™ status — a certification only granted after meeting stringent employee experience benchmarks — had only half the turnover of the average U.S. workplaces. This is even more striking in the hospitality sector, a field where the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 69% turnover rate; in contrast, Certified workplaces average a 20% turnover.

Imagine the savings in costs and recruitment time if you could halve your turnover rate.

The bottom line is that companies that invest in their workers deliver stronger financial results over the long term.

Solution: Reward new habits with praise, bonuses, and other forms of appreciation.

Powerful changes in company culture don’t necessarily require more time, just small shifts in habits. Encourage positivity and thank employees for their good work.

Hilton recognized team members with their Hilton’s Heard at Hilton social media campaign, which shares inspiring messages from guests around the world so employees could see first-hand the impact they were making.

Recognition programs encourage team members to recognize their peers. But Capital One’s Spot Awards also awards points that can be redeemed for gift cards or cash. And people managers are notified each time a team member is recognized.

Use the time you have in the workplace strategically and dedicate one lunchtime a week to meet with your team or people one-on-one. A more informal setting helps you get to know each other and gives you space to voice your appreciation of them.

Saying “thank you” takes only seconds, but its positive impact lasts much longer.

2. Obstacle: My operating environment is too different

Many issues are not as unique to an industry as you might think. One thing your business has in common with other industries is people. At the heart of creating a positive company culture is ensuring your employees feel a sense of meaning, belonging, and value.

Whether yours is an international IT company or a healthcare start-up, our research shows that meaningful work will drive retention among your employees — across all industries and generations.

Solution: Keep an open mind to new ideas and solutions.

Avoid defaulting to thoughts such as, “that would never work here.” Instead, observe what other companies are doing to cultivate a thriving company culture.

At times, your environment can be an obstacle. With hybrid working, flex hours, and globally integrated teams, bonding over the water cooler is more of a challenge.

Jess Ramos, a learning and development team manager at NVIDIA Corporation solved the problem of engaging remote teams through “Friendship Fridays,” where colleagues hop on a group call for a virtual catch-up, including folks outside their immediate team.

Rocket 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 understands that sometimes you must stop working on everyday tasks to innovate. The Detroit-based fintech company introduced Hack Week, a week every quarter when teams meet to look at ideas in a new way and create prototypes. Some of the projects that have come out of Hack Week included rethinking passwords, a better way for clients to get their tax transcripts, and a way to give partners better visibility into the loan process.

Soliciting ideas from every level of your workforce can help solve unique industry challenges and foster a culture where employees feel valued and heard.

3. Obstacle: It’s not the right time

Mergers, layoffs, and global events can create uncertainty in the workplace. However, they can also be an opportunity for positive change. Great Place To Work’s research into these five most common challenges to a thriving company culture shows that when leaders foster trusting relationships, employees are better able to embrace change.

A period of disruption is not only the perfect time to reinforce company culture, it’s the right time to listen to your employees, address their fears, and outline next steps.

Solution: Communicate with and check in on employees, ad hoc and with surveys.

Caring people leaders understand the importance of surveying employees during a time of crisis or change. Some of the ways listening to employees can benefit businesses include:

Unmasking hidden concerns
Decoding resistance to change
Informing strategic decisions
Building trust

During the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHL continued to actively seek feedback from its employees, illustrating the benefits of ongoing communication in maintaining a positive company culture despite disruptions and layoffs.

Responding to a survey question asking what they would change about DHL, one UK employee noted little room for improvement, stating:

“Very little, as the company regularly asks for feedback and continually asks, 'Is DHL still a great place to work?' And the answer is: yes, it is. DHL has done an amazing job during this pandemic in keeping us all up to date and safe.”

This feedback underscores the positive impact of DHL's persistent efforts to foster a responsive and supportive work environment even in the midst of a global crisis.

4. Obstacle: My employees aren’t on board

While managing people is rewarding, it’s not without its challenges. If you’re struggling with a team that’s disengaged, the best path forward is to re-examine your approach, and then look for creative ways to rebuild trust.

In our experience, companies who respond to employee feedback and take at least one action on the most important issue build a sense of trust that employees can continue to expect to be heard.

Solution: Listen to employees and help them see the value of creating a great workplace.

Employees never get tired of feeling heard and understood. 카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 research shows the best workplaces share similar practices in implementing employee listening strategies:

Leverage employee resource groups and committees
Ensure authentic follow-up on employee feedback
Create engagement through multiple channels
Send periodic employee engagement surveys

Texas Health Resources, Inc., understood that listening to their employees was vital to their business. The organization talked with more than 150 employees across its hospitals and physician clinics to ask, “What gets in your way of creating a phenomenal experience?”

From that, the company identified more than 400 pain points, classified them into 160 unique pain points, and then prioritized 42 of those to work on over the next three years to improve its care team experience.

Veterans United Home Loans helped to provide opportunities for confidence-building in employees so if someone has an opinion contrary to the crowd, they can find their voice and feel comfortable knowing that speaking their mind is valued and appreciated.

5. Obstacle: My boss isn’t interested

Unfortunately, not all leaders immediately see the value of creating a thriving company culture. Or if they do, they don’t see it as critical to running the business. However, according to 2023 research from FTSE Russell, companies on the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For® list outperform the market by a factor of 3.36.

If the math doesn’t sway management, you can always start with your own department.

Solution: Focus on what you can change, not what you can’t

In every organization, there are departments, divisions, and locations where employees enjoy a great workplace experience. Start cultivating a pocket of greatness within your company by adopting these practices:

Create a strong sense of identity in your department
Adopt a healthy mindset that treats cognitive obstacles as issues to be overcome
Use whatever power and position you have to build a supportive environment
Lead by example and use your influence to inspire employees

Sheetz, Inc., helped build a supportive environment by creating “Show the Love” kits for its stores with thank-you cards, posters, celebration pins, and appreciation coupons to recognize outstanding efforts. Posters are used to celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries and have plenty of space for co-workers to sign and add personal messages — a common and beloved practice among their employees.

This is an example of a program that doesn’t need executive buy-in and can be implemented at the team level. Stay focused on those things that you can influence — in time, your sphere of influence will increase and open doors that were once closed.

Get Great Place To Work’s white paper on how to overcome common HR challenges to learn more strategies for creating a thriving company culture.