With Gratitude For Greatness: Building a Better Workplace Experience

Growing a company is a whole lot of hard work - blood, sweat, and tears (as “they” would say)!

When you begin to see your company make the gradual evolution from business as usual to a world-class workplace, you start to feel a sense of gratitude for all the hard work you and your colleagues have put into it. When your workplace is highly successful, your team is engaged, energized, and motivated. People genuinely want to be there - they’re “all in.”

But what does it take to get to the point where you can sit down on a holiday like Thanksgiving, reflect, and realize your organization has come from humble beginnings to a world-class workplace where employees are excited to come to work? Where people are proud of the work they do, and inspired to be part of your organization? I’ve learned that companies with the most dedicated people have one theme in common, and this has been validated by The Great Place to Work Institute. It’s complete focus and dedication to a great employee experience.

So what are the driving forces for a great workplace experience? When we dig in further, great companies are similar in the following three areas, Culture, Challenge, & Contribution.

Outstanding Culture

Workplace Culture is dynamic and starts with how your company is perceived from the outside. It continues through to how potential candidates are attracted to your mission and how your company serves the marketplace. It extends to the work environment, and how the day to day interaction with your workplace makes them feel.  Culture is also experienced when new employees are onboarded and integrated into the organization.  

If you’re having challenges with attracting the best talent, a deep dive into your company culture is a critical first step.  

Offers a Challenge

Engaged employees are the heartbeat of a great workplace experience.  No place better to learn about the inner workings of engagement than turning to the $100 billion gaming industry.  Video games offer a great challenge, which is the key element in keeping the user engaged.

On one hand, most companies are trying to minimize the complexity within the organization, which is vital in terms of efficiency, however it’s important to notice this distinction as it relates to your employees' well-being. We can learn from this information by understanding that the human brain is more engaged as it’s challenged.  This in turn leads to growth and a continuous cycle of further engagement and increased productivity.

A company’s commitment to offering a career ladder with areas for their people to grow their professional education and develop their skills are the same companies rewarded with happier, more invested, and smarter team members.

Dedication to Contribution

The final key piece is a team that’s truly invested in where you’re going and what you’re doing.  Research has found over and over that contributing to a greater good creates a feeling of purpose and satisfaction, and is also a strong motivator. For a more authentic buy-in, your team needs to feel that the company contributes and gives back. Through community service, social responsibility, and charitable giving, you create a workplace where the team is unified, and they feel their work impacts the world in a meaningful way.

The bottom line is your company can increase growth and have a bigger impact by focusing on creating a better experience for your team. A world-class workplace is something to be proud of, for sure, and it’s also something companies can approach with gratitude at this time of year. Be grateful for continuing to work toward creating a team of individuals who are truly invested and driven to fulfill your company's mission and uphold its values.

Happy Thanksgiving!