Adapting workplace traditions to fit today’s needs
Our world is dramatically different than it was only a decade ago. Today’s workplace sees a mix of ages, ethnicities, and creeds, not to mention a workforce that is splintered between on-site employees, freelancers and log-in remote workers.
For businesses that strive to remain relevant amidst such workplace diversity, it may be necessary to examine the company’s long-standing traditions. For example, the significance of the traditional “Wall of Fame” featuring photos of each ‘Employee of the Year’ since the dawn of time may be lost on the millennials in your workforce. Maybe it’s time to update the traditional approach to employee recognition to include a special Facebook or Instagram account that highlights achievements in a more contemporary format.
Another example could be the employee newsletter. It’s possible that over the years employee submissions have dwindled to a handful of only senior staff members. So, maybe it’s time to broaden the scope and create a contest where the most innovative social media post or SMS message wins an award, or a particular team is responsible for all of the photos that get posted online in a given period.
However a company chooses to tweak its traditions, the most important factor is not to do away with them simply because they are out of date, but to UPDATE them to be more inclusive of the broadening dynamics of your workforce. As much as the traditional mechanisms may change, the value of maintaining traditions in the workforce does not. They are a viable and vital way to facilitate personal relationships which ultimately affect morale, employee engagement, employee retention and bottom line profitability.
HR consultant and executive coach Rita Craig is award-winning human resources consultant, keynote and TEDx speaker. This is no surprise when you look at her professional profile; with over 40 years of professional human resources experience, including 23 years as an HR professional for an electric utility company, Rita’s first-hand insights engage, instruct and motivate professionals throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her career experiences, coupled with her upbringing in a household of 14, supply enough anecdotal ammunition to keep audiences and clients entertained and engaged in a way that is all at once disarming and inspirational.
Along with an MBA with a Specialty in Human Resources, Rita’s achievements include being the first ever recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the HR Association of Palm Beach County, numerous recognitions from various HR and civic organizations and two governor’s appointments to serve on Florida state commissions.
Her great love of developing the next generation of leaders inspired her to write Foresight: Finding Your Footing in a Fast-Forward World, and her unique point-of-view is sure to resonate with any person who has ever asked the question, “What’s next?”
Rita is on Twitter at @RitaBarretCraig and on Linkedin.
www.toptierleadership.com
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