by Dena Garvin-Smart, Director of New Opportunities
Company culture plays a vital role in employee retention. Company culture encompasses shared values between the organization and employees, which includes beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that shape the working environment and how team members interact with one another. When an organization fosters a strong and positive culture, it can significantly impact employee satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty, which thereby increases employee retention rates, improves organizational efficiency…and ultimately affects the financial growth and health of the overall organization.
Employee engagement and satisfaction is the result of a strong company culture that cultivates an environment where employees feel valued and respected. When employees are satisfied and engaged in their work, they are more likely to remain with the organization and contribute to its success. A positive culture that aligns with employees’ values, such as promoting a work-life balance, enhances overall job satisfaction.
Today’s workforce thrives on a sense of belonging. A well-defined company culture creates a sense of belonging by fostering a shared purpose, values, goals and making employees feel connected to something larger than their individual roles and job responsibilities. When employees identify with the organization’s culture and objectives, they are more likely to stay and contribute to the organization’s growth and success as well as seek opportunities for additional responsibilities, advancement, and assist in other areas when the need arises.
A positive company culture encourages strong relationships and collaboration. Successful teamwork comes from a sense of camaraderie and mutual support. When employees engage in collaboration, they are more likely to enjoy their work environment and also build long-lasting relationships with colleagues. These connections can impact employee retention as a strong motivator to remain with the organization.
A supportive company culture drives employee empowerment and development. By providing opportunities for skill development, growth and career advancement, employees feel encouraged and motivated. A culture that invests in employee development fosters loyalty, encouragement, and retention rates as employees are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere if they feel their personal development, advancement, and compensation goals are supported.
A thriving company culture not only retains employees, it also helps to attract and recruit new employees. When an organization has a reputation for having a strong, positive culture, it becomes more desirable for potential candidates. This allows the organization a better opportunity to attract top-performing individuals who are a good fit for the culture, more likely to succeed, will contribute positively to the job…all of which results in a solid employee retention strategy.
High employee turnover is a costly condition for any organization. Recruitment fees, time allocated for screening and interviewing, training, and other associated costs affect profitability. When employees are engaged and committed to their job and the organization, turnover rates are reduced as they are less likely to leave. Increased employee stability and continuity within the organization allows management to focus on top strategic initiatives, growth and financial success.
Embracing the hybrid and remote work model has also become an essential offering to boost employee engagement and positively impact the overall organizational culture. While this option may not be appropriate for all positions, making a remote schedule available to those qualified positions can help improve the work-life balance. Remote work eliminates commute times, allows employees to utilize their break periods to complete household tasks and free up more personal time, is cost-saving by reducing commute and mileage expenses, and offers more flexibility to tend to family and personal needs. Many organizations also find greater retention success by allowing a flexible schedule in addition to the hybrid/remote model as not every job requires “nine to five.” Organizational impact can also be positive as less people in the office requires less office space and associated expenses.
Providing employees with the benefits and services they need is also a vital component of employee engagement, fulfillment and success. Medical and life benefits, paid time off, retirement and health savings, and employee assistance programs are among the traditional benefits offered. However, additional, heightened benefits are also shown to increase employee loyalty and engagement well-beyond these traditional offerings. These benefits may include:
- Rewards for longevity. Bonuses, additional vacation or Paid Time Off (PTO) hours, or a commemorative item such as a paid weekend away.
- Reduced work hours based on tenure. For example, employees with five or more years with the organization may be entitled to four paid hours off every other week.
- Sabbatical leave for senior managers.
- Team building events and gatherings to celebrate achievements, recognize outstanding performance and acknowledge top contributors.
- Create a collaborative space where small groups may gather in person or virtually. Encourage committees to tackle projects, work together on a launch or event, or discuss solutions to issues that arise.
- Offer financial wellness programs to help address debt repayment, savings, budgeting and financial planning.
- Employee benefit portals are also an employment-enhancing offering. These portals offer exclusive discounts on travel, event tickets, insurance products, shopping and more. These services are often free to implement and enhance the employment experience.
Lastly, and most importantly, a successful company culture can only thrive when there is mutual trust between the organization and its employees. The accurate processing of payroll is the baseline of this trust. Providing employees with a payroll schedule, an efficient method to report hours worked and request time-off are essential. Employees are best-served with having options on how to receive earned wages. This may include a printed check, direct deposit to a bank account, or other electronic funds payment options such as a paycard.
Furthermore, providing employees with easy access to earned wages has become an important payroll option which positively impacts culture and retention. Whether the employee has an unexpected expense or has financial obligations that do not coincide with the payroll schedule, earned wage access eliminates the need for using costly credit cards, withdrawing from a savings account or asking the employer for a payroll advance. Earned wage access is impacting employee success and is the culture benefit many organizations can use to retain and attract employees.
Organizations that successfully implement, manage, and prioritize the culture through these initiatives benefit from a solid retention strategy, and a more stable, productive and successful environment…which ultimately enhances employee satisfaction, engagement and loyalty.
SDP payroll professionals assist our clients with payroll, workforce management, benefits administration, and human resources needs. To get started or learn more about these solutions, simply contact us today.
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*Southland Data Processing, Inc. (“SDP”) is not a law firm. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in reaching a conclusion in a particular area of law. Applicability of the legal principles discussed may differ substantially in individual situations. Receipt of this or any other SDP materials does not create an attorney-client relationship. SDP is not responsible for any inadvertent errors that may occur in the publishing process.