Having a great company culture is not something that is easily quantifiable. It means something different to everyone, because it gets personal. Company culture is synonymous with foosball and pool tables and the craze of edgy and relaxed work spaces offered by the likes of Google and Facebook etc.
But at the moment that’s gone out the window when COVID-19 came, saw and changed it all. Remote working was adopted relatively overnight by a number of companies and whilst it is nice to have flashy office stuff, that has since vanished and has quickly been replaced with kitchen tables, spare rooms, sofas or for some people reading this, their BEDS! With this happening, it lays bare the true nature of company culture. We collectively are now looking to our senior leadership for guidance, support and reassurance. Of course this is not an easy time of adjustment for any company or the individuals who head them up. However people are now acutely aware of how they and their colleagues are being treated during this pandemic. I have had numerous conversations over the last month with people feeling their employer has let them down in its response to COVID-19. Equally I have had people telling me how fantastic management have been in leading the way.
In my opinion, this is where the people-centric companies have a great opportunity to set themselves apart from the rest. Are you more likely to work that 10% harder for a company that makes you feel secure and valued? Or are you looking for something else because you want to be more than just a number on a productivity calculator? These are questions which are now easily answered and more commonly asked, as companies are put under pressure due to COVID-19, and under great pressure, cracks either appear or diamonds are created.
This is why companies will now need to be working harder than ever on company culture, and it is a crucial time where you can set yourself above from your competitors and show their staff you are THE company to work for, even if you aren’t currently hiring right now. It is a great time to hire, by the way, if you want to know why send me a message. You will have candidates coming to you when this is all over that would of never of been available before! For employees, if you have not liked your companies reaction to it all? Now is a great time to pick up the phone to your recruiter and have that conversation.
