You know, people want to be part of a culture where they feel that they matter, where they intuitively sense that they’re a fit, where there’s comradery, high morale. Where their ideas are heard, and validated, and appreciated. We’re attracted to a great culture. The motivators are a combination of tangible, and intangible. Sometimes it’s hard to put it into words. We just know that we’re a part of something special, and we want to contribute to the success of the business. We’re completely engaged.
The Conference Board describes engagement as discretionary effort. Now, what that means is that we want to do good work, as opposed to feeling obligated to get the job done. A great culture feeds on itself. There’s high trust, where individual values are completely aligned with company values.
Companies with great cultures hire not only for skill, they also want to ensure that an employees values totally mesh with their culture. Here’s a great example, South West Airlines. This company is being lauded in numerous articles, scholarly research, for making culture their number one priority. It’s a company that’s renowned for what Micah Solomon in Forbes Magazine called, “A Relentless focus on culture.” South West Airlines purpose is clear, and it’s very simple. To become the worlds most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline. The mission of South West Airlines, is dedication to the highest quality of customer service, delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.
Imagine having statistics like this. South West is a company with a turnover rate of only four to five percent. That contrasts with double digital numbers of their competitors. In other words, loyalty and retention are byproducts of an outstanding company culture.
In summary, employees buy into the vision and mission of an organization when their efforts are acknowledged, when they know that their employer puts them first. Secondly, you want to hire people who are the right fit. While skills, and aptitude are important. Attitude, and values are equally, if not more important. There is a direct correlation between culture, turnover, and profitability. If you focus on the culture to create a workplace where people want to go to work, rather than feeling that they have to go to work. You will start seeing immediate, tangible results when it comes to your talent retention strategy.
This article is a transcript from Talent Management Ep.3 – Outsource Culture on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
