The famed author and speaker Stephen R. Covey once advised companies to “always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customer.” In other words, employers should create a great workplace culture!
But what makes a workplace truly great? Answering this philosophical conundrum was the focus of February’s poll question. We wanted you to give us your list of the most essential things that distinguish the best-of-the-best employers from the rest.
As we had hoped, there were plenty of interesting responses. Let’s look at some of your feedback below, starting with the three most popular answers: great colleagues, remote working and flexible schedules.
The Big 3
- Great colleagues. We couldn’t agree more! It doesn’t matter how interesting a job might be or how well it pays. If there isn’t trust, loyalty, respect and care among colleagues (which of course includes bosses and customers as well), then work is dreadful. Who wants to wake up in the morning going, “Oh no, I can’t face another day at work!”
- Remote working. This is also a must-have, considering that so much work can be done from anywhere these days. However, as we all know, for remote working to be an asset instead of a liability, it’s critical to have the right tools and technologies (and of course, to make sure that the web cam is turned off if you’re working in your pajamas).
- Flexible schedules. This is another very important piece of the puzzle. Achieving work-life balance is difficult, and for some it’s impossible — there’s just too much to do, and not enough hours in the day to do it all. Flexible schedules help make things easier and less stressful.
Additional Responses:
In addition to the above, you told us that the following things make for a great workplace:
- Unlimited vacation policy
- Opportunity to enjoy sports/activities on-site or nearby
- The latest technology, software and tools
- Challenging but meaningful and fun work
- Rewards and recognition
- Time to work on innovative projects
- A suitably sized workspace
- Nice lunchroom or cafeteria
- On-site ATM, shopping and daycare
I’m delighted to share that Devolutions checks virtually all of these boxes (though we don’t have an on-site ATM, shopping, or daycare...yet!). And I hope all of you are in an inspiring workplace as well. After all, research has shown that the average person spends a whopping 90,000 hours of their life at work. No, the workplace can’t always be as fun and enjoyable as a trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But for the most part, the workplace should be somewhere that empowers us to succeed both professionally and personally.
The Winners Are…
Now it’s time to announce the two randomly selected poll participants who have each won a $25 Amazon gift card. Congratulations to Gerrit Biesterbosch and Kjartan Konradsson! Please email me to claim your prize.
I’d also like to thank all of you for participating in the poll. Please stay tuned for the March poll, which is coming soon!