What defines a great place to work? Is it compensation, the company culture, mission, and identity, or a combination of several factors?
In today’s technological climate, a great place to work can sometimes be blurry and indefinite, especially for those in remote or hybrid work models. The need for shared spaces and consistent social interaction for employees in 2024 can factor into their experience with any job, including why they may feel disconnected from their work and company.
By now, everyone is now aware of the changes in the workplace. Many industries have increasingly shifted away from the traditional nine-to-five, in-office work schedule in favor of the more flexible, remote alternative. Since, according to Upwork, “about 16% of companies are already fully remote”, there is even more of a risk now of not having any interconnectedness at a company. However, amidst this shift, there’s a growing realization of the importance of maintaining interconnectedness within organizations. While remote work offers flexibility and autonomy, it also presents challenges in fostering collaboration, communication, and a sense of belonging among team members. Beyond remote work, organizations that have workers in the office often face the same struggles.
Shaping A Great Place To Work With HCM Technology
How can a company stay connected in a world where businesses can rapidly grow or while employees are spread out and remote? Managers and administrators need ways to zoom out their perspectives and wholistically examine the company in groups. That is where HCM technology comes in.
HR technology allows companies to manage their people and places to ensure nothing is unaccounted for. Payroll Schedules, Beneficiaries, Contact Information, Private Identification Numbers, Shifts, and many other aspects of a workplace can now live on one platform. HCM technology is pivotal for growing companies looking to cement their sense of place, whether their staff is working remotely or in an office.
Companies come in all shapes and sizes, as do the HR and Payroll systems that can support them. As certified UKG implementation consultants, we’ve seen firsthand how modules within the UKG platform can help make any organization a great place to work. Here are some modules we’ve seen our clients reap tangible benefits from
- Recruiting: This module enhances efficiency, improves the candidate experience, facilitates quality hires, enables data-driven decisions, and ensures compliance with hiring regulations.
- Benefits Administration: Offering comprehensive benefits, personalized experiences, transparency, efficient enrollment processes, educational resources, compliance management, and seamless integration with payroll systems will ultimately enhance employee satisfaction and contribute to a positive workplace culture.
- Compensation: The compensation model will promote fairness, transparency, compliance, strategic planning, and enhance employee engagement.
- Document Manager: Improved efficiency and collaboration, security and compliance, automation, auditing, and reporting are some of the perks of using Document Manager to enhance an organization’s employee experience.
These are only a few of the modules that an organization can combine to make a workplace feel complete and run seamlessly. In addition to modules, UKG now also offers the Great Place to Work Hub. The Hub is a platform and resource center designed to support organizations in becoming exceptional workplaces. It is full of tools, resources, and best practices for building a positive work culture and boosting employee engagement.
Building a Sense Of Place
We have previously written about simplifying the complex for employees; this starts with an idea of what makes a company a great place to work. Is it even a physical place at all? While the importance of an efficient HCM technology platform can not be ignored, on a basic level, here are four ideas to consider when trying to ensure your company captures a good sense of mental place even if it lacks a real-world space:
- Communicate: Clear, consistent communication is critical to building any sense of place or culture. If there is cohesiveness across tasks and levels of employees, people will feel a greater understanding of the community, even if they are online.
- Connect: This starts with listening to your employees, the building blocks of any place. Try to connect with your employees once a week, whether this is a simple check-in call or joining a group task to observe and assist.
- Bond: Introduce some time or methods for employees to be informal with each other, inside and outside of work. The infamous “water cooler talk” existed for a reason. Employees still need space and time to feel lively while working remotely.
- Inspire: Have events or group activities in which employees can explore or learn about other avenues, opportunities, and responsibilities within the company. Employees want to know about different roles within the company and future growth opportunities.
Covalence Consulting & Great Place To Work
At Covalence, we recently conducted a Great Place To Work survey with our employees. This survey is a great way to test an organization’s overall pulse and identify opportunities for improvement or changes that should be made. Overwhelmingly, the returns said Covalence was a great place to work in both the U.S. and Canada.
One way we are a great place to work is by conducting weekly Lunch & Learns, during which employees can present on a topic they are interested in. In fact, the phrase “Lunch and Learns” is an increasingly popular search in business management in 2024. In their article about these meetings, Upwork refers to them as “wide open to your… business’s needs.”
At Covalence, we hold these sessions weekly, giving employees who previously never worked in some areas a chance to envision a larger perspective in the company. Furthermore, it has been a great source of knowledge sharing of HCM ideas and topics. Consultants specializing in payroll and HR functions are now learning some time-related concepts and vice versa. These Lunch & Learns have given a space for employees to bondthrough shared experiences. If employees can see each other and understand each other’s work, they can gain an appreciation for the collective effort.
Achieving a Great Place To Work
Generally, employees in 2024 have voiced wanting to avoid feeling boxed in. They also want to feel a sense of connectedness that was more commonly possible in a typical office setting of the past, where people of all levels could interact.
Therefore, what makes an organization a great place to work? Today, it may not be about the physical place but the people and interactions an employee can have daily or weekly. It is also about how well an organization can structure, organize, and leverage its HCM platform.
When building a great place to work for your team, you want a partner who knows firsthand what it takes to become great. Take our free HCM assessment and learn how we can put your HCM technology platform on track to make your organization a great place to work!