The Covid-19 pandemic affected a series of changes to almost every aspect of one’s life. For the large class of working professionals, it meant a long spell of online, remote work which consequently had an impact on their personal lives and their understanding of work-life balance as well.
As the world stepped out of the shadow cast by the pandemic, it became evident that the change in global work culture, brought about by lockdowns and online collaborations, was not temporary. This was followed by phenomena like 'great resignation', 'quiet quitting', 'rage applying', etc. O. C. Tanner, a software firm that provides solutions on workplace culture and employee recognition, compiled a series of observations and findings about this cultural shift in its Global Culture Report 2023. Gary Beckstrand, vice president at O.C. Tanner, shares his insights with Outlook Business on how workplace culture has evolved since the pandemic, and the lessons to be learned by HR professionals when it comes to employing and retaining the right talent. Edited excerpts:
The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a shock to workplaces around the world. What are some dominant work culture changes that emerged after the pandemic?
Since the spring of 2021, millions of employees around the world have left their jobs voluntarily in search of something better. The resulting Great and Hidden Resignations have resulted in a competition for talent that makes previous scenarios pale in comparison. Consequently, companies are focusing energy and resources on finding ways to reconnect with their employees and create workplace cultures where people want to join, stay, and do their best work.
In terms of changing organisational behaviour in the post-pandemic world, where does India stand?
India is facing similar workplace cultural issues compared to other regions of the world. The competition for hiring and retaining people is high. Organisations can’t rely on pay only to keep people. They need to differentiate in terms of workplace culture by creating strong workplace communities where people feel like they are valued, belong, and contribute to meaningful work. Providing more autonomy or flexibility in terms of when, where, and how work gets done will be a major focus for companies. Working remotely is here to stay, but it appears that the optimal solution will be a hybrid work model allowing employees to both work in the office and from home. Frequently recognising employees' work and unique contributions and providing increased opportunities for employees to contribute meaningful work in various ways will also be very important.
In the Global Culture Report, a lot of emphasis was placed on India. What role did India play in the research, and how do the findings differ for India compared to other countries and regions?
The Global Culture report was informed by the perspectives of over 38,000 employees, leaders, and HR stakeholders across 20 countries with India being a major contributor. Every year, we measure the six areas of culture that are most important to an employee’s decision to join, engage with, and stay at any organisation. India scored much higher than the global average in five out of the six areas, such as employee sense of purpose and employee sense of success.
What are some of the major findings of the Global Culture Report?
Our research is designed to understand current employee sentiment. It is critical for organisations to clearly understand the issues and perspectives that are most important to employees’ decisions to join, engage with, and stay at any organisation. Understanding how employees view workplace culture and the employee experience will help organisations identify and implement people practices that best address what is most valued by employees in creating workplace cultures where employees can thrive and do great work.
Employees crave a sense of belonging and meaningful relationships. Based on our research, when employees have a strong workplace community, we see an 8x increase in the odds that employees feel like they belong. In turn, this leads to 43 per cent increased retention and 38 per cent decrease in burnout.
Also, acknowledging and expressing appreciation for the work that people do significantly strengthens workplace culture and employee fulfilment. When recognition is integrated into the everyday employee experience, we see a 366 per cent increase in the sense of fulfilment and a 208 per cent increase in the sense of community.
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly more common at workplaces globally, how are organisations finding the balance between tech-driven advancements and the human aspect of innovation?
Regardless of tech-driven advancements, focusing on the human aspect of the employee experience will always be important. Creating a workplace culture where people can thrive and do their best work is fundamental to business success. Consequently, recognising the great work people do and how they uniquely contribute to success will continue to be vital in creating a strong sense of workplace community and a fulfilling employee experience.
What is the "Culture by Design" ethos that is propagated by O.C. Tanner?
Culture is the heart and soul of any organisation. It is the social operating system that influences what is valued, how employees work together, and how the organisation interacts with its customers and extended community. Great workplace cultures create incredible advantages—they attract talent, mobilise innovation, develop strong leaders, and become the organisation’s muscle memory for ongoing success.
To create workplace cultures where people can thrive and do their best work, companies must understand the areas of culture most important to any employee’s decision to join, engage with, and stay and be intentional, strategic, and deliberate about maintaining and improving culture. Leadership must consider the impact of any business or organisational initiative’s potential impact on workplace culture and the employee experience.
