Create A Workplace That Is Consistent With Employee Values

If you want a successful workforce, which will ultimately result in a more successful and productive business, then it’s important to take a look at the workplace values you have in place and how they relate to your employee values. Finding a level of consistency and compromise between the two, could be the difference between having happy and productive staff or demotivated staff and a less successful company. Here we show you how from small beginnings – such as changing printer cartridges or watching how much paper you use – you can create a workplace your employees want to be a part of.

Everyone is different, and this should be recognised

Part of this is recognising the differences between each and every employee and embracing them. Every worker will have their own set of personal and work values and beliefs, so take some time to evaluate the individual values, as well as your business values, and seek out the common threads, which can form the basis of your ethos. A great way to do this is by conducting appraisals or informal interviews, where individuals can express their values in private. Alternatively, you could carry out anonymous surveys or open the floor with a staff meeting where everyone can have their say.

It’s incredibly important for employees to feel valued within an organisation and to feel that their views and beliefs are respected and listened to. By taking the time to seek the opinions and views of your employees and marrying them with the company ethos, you will naturally improve relations within your workforce and in turn, improve motivation and productivity levels too.

From the information collected from your research you should be able to create a unified vision for the future that will be at the core of your business and be consistent with your employee’s values too. Everyone will have had their say, knows the goals for the future and have a good idea of how to achieve them effectively. This could be simple acts such as more team activities beyond working parameters, or regular staff meetings and updates on the company, which are designed to improve employee inclusion, morale, bonding and generate a team spirit.

Ethical issues

Other aspects to consider are people’s ethical beliefs. In a world that is becoming ever more environmentally conscious and more proactive in ‘doing their bit’ to help improve and preserve their environment, it is your responsibility as a business and employer to respect this. Many workplaces are putting measures in place to become ‘greener’, from concepts such as of being paper free to simple acts of being mindful of the resources you use. For example, printers and printer cartridges are an essential part of most businesses, as despite best efforts, there is inevitably occasions where a hardcopy of a document is required. Being more mindful of the volumes of paper you use, as well as the types of printer cartridges, is a start. Most reputable printer supply companies will offer environmentally friendly printer cartridges that are more economical or can be recycled.

Rolling your values and visions out to your team

Once you have decided on your vision and values as an organisation, it’s then time to put them down on paper (or email) and communicate them to your employees. It’s vital to keep the visions and goals clear and distinct, as well as definitive and realistic in terms of achieving them, to ensure maximum take up. A great way to communicate them is as part of a discussion group, which will allow employees to answer questions, as well as give a feeling of inclusion and value. The simple act of being part of something is a great morale booster and will organically help to initiate new concepts and employee buy in, creating a workplace that is consistent with employee values to maximise the effectiveness within the business.