Whether looking for a new job or considering ways to increase fulfillment within your current company, a positive work environment is crucial in determining how successful a company will be in the long run, as well as how content and motivated a team of employees will remain. Though all companies have their own unique work environment, there are five key signs that indicated whether an organization truly is healthy and able to thrive.
Open Communication
Whereas nearly all organizations claim to value open communication, many do not maintain it. A positive workplace consists of leaders who are dedicated to setting aside time to communicate clear goals and expectations, and then offer and invite honest feedback that seeks to better employees and the company as a whole. Most truly healthy organizations have implemented an open-door policy where leaders are ready and willing to listen to concerns in a non-threatening manner, and then actually address those concerns. A strong atmosphere of trust is established when open communication is a key function of a company.
Opportunities for Development
People who are given opportunities to grow and learn in an area where they can personally and professionally grow are highly motivated to put their new skill-sets to work and therein make a company more productive. Businesses that offer opportunities for employees to grow and learn are filled with empowered and content employees. People feel cared for as employees and they then tend to remain loyal to the business that helped them to grow and advance. Companies that offer opportunities for development tend to be filled with ambitious employees who feel appreciated, thus creating an upbeat, thriving work environment.
Recognition
Positive work environments are those characterized by leaders who take time and energy to recognize the efforts and successes of employees. Organizations with an atmosphere of recognition boast employees who are satisfied and motivated to produce results. An environment where goals are set, achieved, and celebrated is one that going to be measured as healthy and desirable to work with and for. This type of environment harbors employees who feel valued and who want to contribute to the overall productivity of the organization.
Flexibility
People who are able to have flexible work arrangements that help them balance out all aspects of their lives are proven to be happier, and therefore more productive and engaged at work. Studies are showing that individuals who are employed by companies that offer flexibility in hours and location to work on and complete tasks have reduced stress levels at work and in their family life. They feel valued and cared for by their company, and the work environment, as a whole, is exceedingly favorable.
Teamwork
A company whose departments actually work together as a team is most often one that effectively solves problems, uses resources, and produces results significantly more efficiently than businesses without that sense of team. A positive work environment is one where people enjoy working together, and where employees offer help to each other. Ultimately, this type of work climate is populated by people who feel a stronger sense of purpose as they are surrounded by a team of employees working toward a common goal.
Which of these traits can your company work on to adopt a more positive work environment?