Hybrid working company culture: Heres what US employees say will have the greatest positive impact

Study data reveals 29% of US employees believe that team spirit and working relationships have suffered since working from home began. US employees highlight what they want from leaders moving forward with hybrid working.

A recent study asked US employees about the range of factors that make up a positive company culture, and how hybrid working is impacting this. Findings reveal that while the ability to work in flexible and hybrid working will play a key role in a positive working environment, this factor ranks as only the 4th most important priority for US employees.

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A company that encouraged a healthy work/life balance was the top priority for most employees, with 74% stating it was key to a good corporate culture. This was followed by competitive pay (55%) and opportunities for personal development (36%).

The 2021 Company Culture & Employee Engagement study, conducted by team-building events company Wildgoose, surveyed employees from 133 US companies. It asked employees how their company could be better equipped for a hybrid working future, whether they had a positive experience of remote working, as well as what they want from their company to encourage a positive corporate culture.

The study has also discovered that nearly two in five (19%) employees feel that their company culture has gotten worse over the last year. By contrast, just 8% believe it has improved since home working began.

With 57% of employees expecting to continue either fully remote or hybrid-remote working, it is essential that companies act now, taking note of employees needs and putting new structures into place to meet them.

Why should leaders focus on building company culture?
Issues with company culture have been found to leave companies open to an experience drain, which could see them lose top managerial personnel. Nearly half of those earning $100,000 annually regard good company culture as a must at work. Just 14% of those earning below $24,999 a year share this opinion.

Enterprise companies need to work harder to keep employees feeling connected and working as a collective team. Although loss of team spirit, bonding or relationships with colleagues was an issue felt across companies of all sizes, enterprise-size businesses were impacted most: 40% of employees (two in every five) cite this concern. At SMBs, this figure drops to 25% (a quarter of employees).

SMB employees, however, were most likely to have issues with management and leadership: 20% of employees stated that there was a loss of clear and direct leadership from senior management .

A Dale Carnegie study revealed that 80% of employees who arent engaged with their companies have reached that point because of their immediate manager. Leaders set the tone for a company and what they encourage becomes the culture, making it vital for them to promote trust, transparency, teamwork and engagement with employees. Ultimately, with leaders holding so much influence, the corporate culture is largely shaped by the actions of this small group of people.

Realizing the biggest issues home-working employees face are caused by social isolation, Wildgoose have created four new remote team-building products. The Daily Kick-off, The Team Quiz, The Virtual Away Day and The Virtual Escape Room are specifically designed to bring teams from across the country together.

Commenting on the findings, Wildgoose managing director Jonny Edser states:

Companies have had to be highly adaptable to changing working practices throughout the pandemic. There's no doubt that while working life has continued even through unprecedented conditions, the knock-on implications of remote working on things like employee wellbeing, effective management and corporate culture are still to be fully explored. With remote or hybrid working here to stay, companies need to ensure any quick fixes for remote employees are developed into carefully considered policies.

Having a positive working environment can have a range of benefits for companies, including employee happiness, greater productivity and more effective recruitment. Unfortunately, our study finds that for many businesses, remote working has had a negative impact on crucial aspects of corporate culture.

Management has a vital role to play in creating a positive environment at work, and the data shows that many people feel let down here. There are problems with leadership vacuums, a loss of trust from management and a lack of clear personal development goals, which are central to employee progression and engagement. Businesses and HR teams need to listen to employees to find where standard business processes have gone wrong while remote working, so these issues can be addressed as we continue to work from home.

Kate Palmer, director of HR advice and consultancy at Peninsula, says:

A corporate culture takes time and effort to cultivate and maintain. The reality of the pandemic is that, for a prolonged period, regular day-to-day operations were put to one side. Business owners and HR departments were putting all resources into keeping the business going or grappling with the new rules continually emerging.

A negative working environment can make the workforce feel isolated and unsupported, and can result in a disconnect with the organization. Attitudes and behaviors of managers towards employees and their individual circumstances make a real difference, regardless of working location. Environments where employees are scared to ask for help, raise a concern or are disproportionately chastised will not foster loyalty or engagement.  

Employers should strive to establish a culture that helps employees excel. One of the most important elements of a good corporate culture is communication. Once a positive culture is established, senior staff and line managers should be trained in the kinds of behaviors that make up that culture. Then they can ensure it is applied consistently across the organization.

https://wearewildgoose.com/usa/news/the-company-culture-employee-engagement-survey/