Combined work is becoming the norm in the workforce. People spend about two days a week in the office and rave about Cut the cost, increase productiony, and a Better work-life balance.
But with fewer trips to the office and fewer opportunities to meet and socialize with other employees, hybrid workers risk becoming detached from their company culture. According to one Research by technology analyst Gartner60% of hybrid workers identify with their company culture only through their direct manager.
The strength of company culture is important because it can determine how a new employee will perform in their role. Weak company culture can make hybrid employees feel isolated, lonely, alienated and ready to quit. According to Gartner, companies should strive for cultural connectivity, which is the feeling of employees that they can identify with, care about, and truly believe in their company culture.
“Despite playing an important role in influencing employees’ connection with organizational cultureMost managers don’t know how to intentionally cultivate a culture of connection in a hybrid environment, said Ashley Steele, vice president of Gartner HR.
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To help employees feel connected to their organization, managers first need to thoroughly understand the company culture and be able to integrate it into their daily work. But according to Gartner, less than half of managers can explain the importance of their company culture.
To mitigate this problem, Gartner suggests that managers measure employees’ understanding of the company’s culture at a broader level. Managers should explain how common policies coordinate with their team’s work and brainstorm behaviors that don’t fit the company culture.
To further connect with mixed and remote employees, Gartner says that managers should include five activities to connect employees to the company culture: recognition of peers, performance appraisals, support assist managers in challenging personal experiences, celebrate successes, and observe senior leaders talking about the organization’s purpose.
Peer recognition allows employees to recognize each other and helps managers reinforce company values and goals. Performance appraisals can help managers evaluate an employee’s performance in an organization while also gaining insight into what individual factors may be affecting their work. and the relationship between managers and employees.
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Gartner says that managers who support their employees through tough times can strengthen a professional relationship between the two. Analyst research shows that 55% of employees with a connected culture feel secure in their company culture when their manager offers personal support.
Teleworkers and hybrids should be celebrated when they accomplish something at work, as frequent compliments can help bridge the material gap between workers and managers.
Senior leadership often embodies the purpose of individual roles, team roles, and the company as a whole. According to Gartner, doing so will make employees feel like they are participating in something bigger than themselves, which increases the cultural connection.
“Organizations struggle to transfer ‘something special’ from their culture from an in-person to a hybrid or remote environment,” says Steele.
“Managers can use these five moments to reinforce how employees connect with and impact the business and see them as people, not workers.”
