The nature of the workplace is changing and with these changes comes the need to adapt. The shifting demographic (with millennials set to make up 50% of our workforce by 2020) combined with the ‘inability to hide’ what has emerged from the digital age means that creating an appealing workplace and culture is now more important than ever. Doing so will ensure that you remain attractive as an employer – something that will help you not only attract top talent but retain it too! We spoke to the experts at Perkbox – the UK’s leading employee engagement platform – for 5 top tips to build a great workplace. 1) Build a strong culture It’s no secret that a good company culture can increase employee motivation and engagement, thereby boosting profits and bottomline. Central to this is having a joint goal that the whole team strives to achieve and regular meetings that ensure that the team are all on the same page. Follow in the steps of… Perkbox, whose ‘Friday Beer Trolley’ has become a long-standing tradition and encourages bonding and integration! 2) Recognise and reward your employees Regularly rewarding and recognising the achievements of your team is key. According to the ‘Happy Millennials Employee Happiness Survey,’ 64% of millennials want to be recognised for personal accomplishments. Encouraging peer-to-peer rewards and recognition, as well as top-down is also a great way to boost engagement levels. This does not however, necessarily need to be a reward of a financial nature. In fact non-financial rewards can often be more successful in boosting motivation in the long term, so be creative! Why not give your team members their birthday off or free team beer/pizza once in a while? Follow in the steps of… Google, who pledge 100,000 hours a year of massages for top performing employees. 3) Create an good office environment If your employees don’t have an environment that they actually want to work in, their motivation will be low and they’ll be clock-watching, waiting eagerly for 5pm. It’s as simple as that. Giving consideration to their surroundings, by providing ergonomic chairs and plants, for example, will show that you care for their health and wellbeing. Follow in the steps of… GoDaddy, whose employees can whizz around on Go Karts! 4) Encourage a work:life balance Only 29% of millennials define ‘healthy’ as not being sick, compared to 46% of baby boomers. From this, it is clear that millennials see wellbeing not just as an absence of illness, as other generations do, but instead adopt a more holistic approach. They see a work/life balance as integral to their wellbeing and employers who provide this will be considered attractive. Follow in the steps of… OwnLocal, whose employees receive a fitbit upon joining. 5) Active, transparent and empathetic leadership As an employer, your leading style is something that you should consider and constantly strive to improve. Millennials place constant feedback in high regard, as well as opportunities for advancement that you, as an employer, should constantly remind them of. Follow in the steps of… Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, whose penchant for high standards has lead to the global success of his company. Only 44% of millennials cite wages as the most important factor when searching for a job, which means it’s time to get creative… Take into consideration the factors above and give yourself a head start! ABOUT PERKBOX: Perkbox is the UK’s leading employee engagement platform. We help businesses of all sizes to boost the financial, emotional and physical wellbeing of their team by providing employees with on-the-go access to a range of perks, an online reward and recognition system and a wellness hub. Find out more here about how we can help you create a great workplace today. Recommended Reading Post navigation Quick Read: Getting Motivated In The Morning Making wellness work in the workplace
