Having a Great Place To Work During a Pandemic

In the News, Tips to “Get Unstuck”

Finding motivated, engaged, and high quality employees is very paramount to the success of any organization. Employees like this truly make the workplace great.

With COVID-19, it’s important that we pay more attention to how we can sustain a healthy, growth-minded culture. This pandemic has led to additional work and personal stressors for our employees.  Many employees are still working from home, alongside their spouse and children. People are being pulled in so many different directions and feeling as if, at times, they can do nothing right as they try to balance their work and family life.

It’s important to remember that, no matter what life throws at us, we can always work towards having an amazing workplace.  

It Starts with Inspirational Leadership

Positive leadership is so very critical right now.  This consists of hope, positivity, flexibility, and open communication. 

What is working?  What needs to be improved?  What is the feedback and necessary action steps to continuously improve our positive results? A barometer health check to answer these questions will lead to an overall sense of purpose for everyone. Leaders are key for facilitating these discussions.

Setting Employees Up For Success

Every employee is different, but they will all remember how they have been treated during these times. Not every employee is in the same predicament and should not be treated the same way. 

Some employees may be struggling and others may be thriving.  Some people may not be comfortable coming back to work yet, while some team members may work better from the office.

One way to help every employee succeed is with creating personalized game plans that align with your culture.  Having a customized approach will make all the difference in the world.

These individual plans can include accommodations to ease day-to-day stressors that the employee may face. For example, you can work out a personalized schedule and flexible work hours (as opposed to the typical 8 to 4 or 9 to 5 shifts) for the employee. There is also power in making time for consistent one-on-one conversations and check in’s.

In one of our operating companies, we allowed workers to have their children come to work with them. We have also encouraged those who are most vulnerable, or those who are not ready to be back in the office, to work from home. There should not be any lack of confidence or a negative stigma of working from home.

Great Place to Work Spotlight:
BioCut Systems

STUCK Fund 1 purchased BioCut Systems in 2017, and has been amazed by the culture this business has sustained, even during the pandemic.

They have even been listed on Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2020 Best Places to Work! Congratulations to the BioCut team!

“BioCut goes out of it’s way to make employees feel like they are a part of something and that everyone is allowed to speak. Everyone’s voice is heard within this company whether it is someone who has been there for one month or five years. This organization also cares about it’s employees as people and not just employees.”

-BioCut employee

“I feel fortunate to work at a company that not only values high quality work and truly pleasing its customers, but also just as highly values the well being of its employees. There are multiple Great Place To Work initiatives in the works at all times (from healthy snacks in the break room to company wide outings), but most importantly is the understanding of upper management that allows for employees to have a flexible schedule (whether its working around an appointment, needing time off for a family emergency or just swapping work days for personal reasons) further promoting a more healthy relationship with work.”

– BioCut employee

A Continued Focus on Customers

Another part of having a great place to work is making sure your customers are taken care of. 

Even if your team is remote or working at different hours, it’s crucial to make sure that they know how important it is to still meet or exceed the expectations of your internal and external customers. This requires a level a trust that comes from having the right employees in this type of environment. 

What else can be done?

Maintaining Alignment to the Same Company Goals

Employees will succeed when they know their purpose and that they are valued. The success of a company, however, is dependent on everyone’s success.  When everyone works together to be successful, then the workplace will truly be great!

You can help your team succeed by redefining what success means.  Talk to your employees about how they can align to the company’s overall goals and purpose. It’s truly inspiring to be part of something bigger than themselves! 

To sustain these initiatives, encourage accountability and a culture of continuous improvement without excuses. Provide tips on many topics such as efficiencies and the flow of work. Ask your team for their suggestions as well.

Consider setting goals, such as making one improvement per week, in a tailored manner, to maximize your employee’s contributions to the organization and their overall effectiveness. Allow employees to make mistakes as there can never improvement without them.  

Don’t forget to do some fun things as well. Simple actions such as sponsoring a meal or providing discounts to services such as DoorDash can really go far with making an employee feel valued. This can also lead increased workplace morale where everyone feels inspired to take part in simple, thoughtful, activities. You can provide tips to help with mental health, such as meditation and exercise as well.

What can you do at your workplace to make it even better? How will you involve your employees in that initiative? After all, it is stability, trust, respect and purposeful work keeps us all vested.

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