Is Your Office Culture Too Cliquish?

Katie Williamson August 10, 2017

You’ve heard it before: office friendships can make a big difference when it comes to employee happiness and engagement. But what happens when friendships turn into cliques?

On Ask a Manager, an HR blog/advice column, a reader writes about her experience with a former employee who didn’t seem to meet this manager’s understanding of a “culture fit”. The employee eventually left the department due to cultural problems and overall what she described as a very exclusive environment, including Snapchat silos, brewery trips, and inappropriate relationships. The manager blamed the employee’s lack of belonging on not being a good fit for the team, but it seemed that she was prioritizing social connections over professionalism and inclusivity. In fact, Ask a Manager posted an update just last week stating the manager had been fired for bullying (mocking the former employee on SnapChat) and not meeting the company code of conduct. Definitely a case of culture fit gone wrong.

We’ve explored this misunderstanding of “culture fit” before and came to the conclusion that HR should just remove those two words from their vocabulary. Too often and too easily we fall into the trap of hiring people who talk like us, think like us, and even dress like us. But what about diversity and inclusion? And how do we prevent “cliques” from happening… or should we?

Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Friendships can, will, and should happen naturally. There was one thing this manager actually managed to do well and that was encourage friendships within the office. Embrace the natural connections that happen within the office as long as they are not occurring at the expense of other employees or crossing any lines.

2. Friendships are never mandatory. The biggest mistake this manager made was thinking that friendships were a necessary part of the office life. While friendliness is obligatory, friendship is not, and these are not the same thing. Some personalities prefer to come to work, do their job, and leave. Just like you wouldn’t force a friendship in other walks of life, don’t do it in the workplace.

3. Friendships, unfortunately, will exclude someone. We aren’t in third grade anymore where it’s mandatory to invite the entire class to attend your birthday party. Friendships, by nature, will exclude certain people. The important thing to note here is that you are considerate to those outside your circle by keeping inside jokes to a minimum and outside plans, well… outside. Your friendship can’t take priority over someone else’s feelings inside the workplace. Managers, pay attention to isolated employees. Make sure they’re choosing not to participate versus feeling excluded.

Are there other ways you can keep your culture from becoming “cliquey”?

Conquer the Sunday Night Blues

Katie Williamson August 3, 2017

sunday night blues

An awesome article in Fistful of Talent recently discussed the “Sunday Night Blues”. Well-written and well-researched, the author describes the misery many people experience before returning to work on Monday morning. He dives into why this might be true of the 76% of Americans who say their Sunday Night Blues are so bad they want to look for a new job.

While you can read the article for a more in-depth view of the “Sunday Night Blues” and their sweep across America, let’s discuss a few ways we can conquer the blues by providing employees with a better place to work in the first place.

Give Them Something to Look Forward To

Think about your team and the weekly activity they enjoy doing the most. Maybe it’s a meal you share together or a fun team building activity. Whatever it is, try moving it to Monday to engage your staff right from the get-go. Start incorporating a daily stand-up as part of your Monday routine to encourage your team by celebrating wins and highlighting star performers. Just make sure to save any constructive criticism for later in the week when morale is higher.

Take Advantage of Fridays

When the end of the week rolls around most of us check out for the weekend. But often that can make Monday even more painful. Ending your Fridays well and setting you and your team up for success is essential for a productive and pleasant start to your week. The Muse provides a helpful worksheet for ending your week by celebrating accomplishments and assigning tasks for the week ahead. Using this sheet can help you feel more successful and less overwhelmed on Monday morning.

Let Them Flex Their Schedule

One of the greatest benefits at PerkSpot is the ability to flex our schedules. This could mean working from home when it’s storming out or working later hours to catch up on some Zzzzs. Providing flexible schedule opportunities for employees can help improve productivity and has even made a difference in closing the gender pay gap. Telecommuting is becoming all the more popular, so it will not only satisfy your current employees but also help you stay competitive when recruiting new hires.

Lead by Example

Nothing is worse than walking into the office on Monday morning to hear your supervisor or coworker moan and complain. On the other hand, Gallup reports that “Positive leaders deliberately increase the flow of positive emotions within their organization,” and can lead to greater engagement and improved performance. If the leadership is not staying positive, it’s highly unlikely their employees will maintain a positive attitude.

Combat the “Sunday Night Blues” by providing a better workplace for our employees, starting with our own attitudes.

Horrible Bosses

Katie Williamson July 13, 2017

If you’ve been in the working world for some time, you’ve probably experienced the pains of a horrible boss. Poor listening skills, arrogance and just plain rudeness generally characterize these Michael Scott rivals. But whether this is a current reality for you or you are fortunate enough to have moved past that situation, there are many things we can learn from these horrible bosses.

The Micromanager

For some bosses, “control freak” doesn’t even begin to explain the horrors of their management style. If you’ve ever experienced micromanagement, you know that it can be frustrating and leave you wondering why they even hired you in the first place. The lack of trust and need for control isn’t doing anyone any favors. But if there is one thing we can learn from the micromanagers of the world, it’s attention to detail. While it may seem obnoxious in the moment, and definitely is not an approach we would condone, you can still find ways to benefit from this not-so-pleasant experience. Micromanagers often help us think through all the details that can take a report, spreadsheet, or article from good to great. You never know, attention to detail may be the key to landing that big client or getting your long sought after promotion.

The Constant Critic

Remember that famous line from Bambi? “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!” Maybe you have experienced a manager who could have benefited from this piece of advice. Unfortunately, sometimes the easiest thing we can learn from bad bosses is what NOT to do. Regardless of whether you’re in management or not, we could all be better at encouraging others. Before you think about criticizing a coworker’s work, find something positive to say as well. While there are still benefits to constructive criticism, if the negatives tend to outweigh the positives, it might be time to reevaluate your approach.

The Bad Listener

There’s quite possibly nothing more disheartening, not to mention annoying, than a boss who simply doesn’t listen. But great bosses know the importance of listening, before speaking. Learning to listen is a skill that’s often overlooked. But, it can make a major difference in your professional and personal life. Michael Taft for the Huffington Post says “Learning to listen means learning to actually pay attention to — to concentrate on — what other people are saying. Listening to their words as if listening to a favorite song, with your mind focused on what they are saying and what it means.”

In a world full of social media distractions and iPhone obsessions, it is refreshing to be around someone who looks you in the eye and repeats back what you say. Take what you experience from having a boss that doesn’t listen and be more sympathetic and understanding, not just hearing but actually listening to what others are trying to tell you.

Have you ever had a horrible boss? What was your experience like? What did you learn? Tell us in the comments!

Inside #EqualPayDay

Katie Williamson April 4, 2017

Today is Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into the year women would need to work in order to make the same amount as men the previous year. In 2017, that date is April 4th, meaning women would have to work 15 months to make the same as men did in 2016, just 12 months.

Women have been fighting for equal rights for a long time, but these statistics show that the fight is not over. Unfortunately, the wage gap still exists for many women in the workplace.

The Facts:

Women on average lose out on over $400,000 over the course of a 40 year career. ¹
One in eight women are poor. If they were paid the same as men, poverty would drop from 8.2 to 4.0 percent.²
Men are 85% more likely than women to be VPs or C-Suite Executives by mid-career. ³
There are four states (Alaska, Delaware, Michigan and Washington) in which the most relatively common job for men has a median income of over $100,000. There are no states in which the most relatively common job for women exceeds $77,000.⁴

While the problem often seems overwhelming, there are companies who are taking a stand.

The Problem-Solvers:

PricewaterhouseCoopers, a tax and financial services firm, went public with their gender pay gap. After all, admission is the first step to recovery.⁵
In 2015, Salesforce performed a comprehensive analysis of 17,000 employees that led to salary adjustments for 6 percent of their workforce. The result? A 33 percent increase in the number of women who were promoted that year.⁶
More women, like Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson, are taking a stand and demanding raises.⁷

It won’t be an easy battle. For women, it starts with doing your research and fighting for what you deserve. But men aren’t exempt. There are plenty of ways to get involved and be a catalyst for changing the way we view compensation in the workplace. One step at a time, we are excited to see people taking a stand and making leaps towards closing the gender wage gap.

Leadership Life Skills: Positivity, Grace and Humility

Katie Williamson March 30, 2017

Positivity, grace, humility. It’s amazing how three simple words can carry such huge implications. Sometimes work can be… not so fun. Even working in the most amazing of environments, your workload can still be stressful, overwhelming and difficult.

In those moments, we face the reality that humanity is at the very center of human resources. So when work seems overwhelming or you encounter a tough situation, consider these three traits that will make you better: as a leader and an individual.

Grace

Grace flows both inward and outward. It’s important not only to show grace to others when they screw up, but to also give it to yourself when you need it. Accept recognition when it comes your way and forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Most importantly, give yourself credit where credit is due.

Positivity

As obvious as it might be, positivity is often one of the hardest traits to foster. Positivity manifests itself in the smallest moments, but with huge consequences. We would all rather be around people who encourage and uplift us. However, it’s often easier to feed into workplace gossip and criticism. Whenever you find an opportunity to criticize, consider the impact on your own attitude and on those around you.

Humility

C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less”. While leaders should still assert themselves and fight to be heard, they also have a responsibility to the people they lead. Remember who your decisions are affecting. Oftentimes a seemingly small decision makes a huge impact, and by thinking of others more often, you develop stronger relationships and deeper respect from those around you. Humility isn’t an easy trait, but it’s a powerful one.

Give yourself grace, cultivate a positive spirit, embrace humility. Influence the people around you with positivity, grace, and humility.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Katie Williamson March 8, 2017

Today is a day to celebrate the women in our lives and in our businesses. On International Women’s Day, we acknowledge both their accomplishments and challenges.

We are thrilled to celebrate the women at PerkSpot and to see so many of our clients supporting Women’s Day through their own efforts.

In honor of these efforts, we’ve selected a few of our favorites:

H&M

h&m international women's day
H&M is raising money at their registers for Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation which supports education, health and safety for girls in developing countries.

Southwest Airlines

southwest airlines international women's day
Southwest has been supporting women all month long by supporting various non-profit organizations geared toward women. Ellen Torbert, VP of Diversity & Inclusion for SWA, states “Many of the nonprofit organizations we work with provide women the resources and opportunities necessary to achieve their career goals. Through education and leadership, Southwest… is building a pipeline of talented women with bright futures in career fields of their choice.”

Snapchat

Now you can bring purpose to your favorite filters. In honor of International Women’s Day, Snapchat is celebrating with filters of Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, and Rosa Parks. Time to get your game face on.

Spotify

spotify international women's day
Support women all month long by listening to the Women’s History Month playlist on Spotify. They also have banners where listeners can donate to Girls Rock Camp Foundation at the click of a button. The proceeds support girls developing their musical and creative abilities.

There are so many ways to get involved. So today, wear your red and say thanks to a woman who has made a difference in your life!

Making the Candidate Experience Exceptional

Katie Williamson January 26, 2017

Previously on the PerkSpot blog we explored the upcoming trends for 2017. Among these, and quite possibly one of the largest we’ll see sprouting up next year, is an improved candidate experience. More and more companies are realizing the importance of their recruitment process – not just for potential employees, but potential customers as well.

Give the candidate a great experience, and they’ll hold your brand in high-esteem. Reject them with a standard email, and a social media rant might be in your future.

Whether you’re a company of 10 or 10,000, here are some keys to improving your candidate experience in 2017:

Step One: Respond.

Ok, so you might be recruiting for 30 different positions and your inbox is out of control. Whether it’s a standard auto-reply or a personalized email, make sure you provide some guidelines for when the candidate can expect to hear back from you, when it’s ok to follow-up, and any next steps for the interview process. While it may be acceptable to ghost someone after a bad date, it’s not ok to do it to your job candidates. Need some help with what to say? Trello does this really well.

Step Two: Show, don’t Tell.

Most interviews consist of round after round of intensive questioning. Take your interview process to the next level by giving candidates a “guide” for the day. This person will give them a tour of the office, introduce them to current employees, help them find the bathroom and something to drink, and anything else they might need to know. Ensuring the candidate feels comfortable will help them perform their best and also give you insight into how they’ll function in your office on a day-to-day basis.

Step Three: Provide Feedback

Spare your candidates the “We’ve decided to go in a different direction” email. Provide concrete reasons why they weren’t a great fit for this position. Be delicate and let them know where they fell short. If you don’t give them specific feedback, they’ll never know how to improve. In fact, 70% of employers don’t provide candidates with feedback. How you decide to let them down will arguably have the greatest effect on your brand. Let them down easy, but transparently.

Step Four: Ask for Feedback

What better way to gauge how you’re doing than from someone who has walked the walk? At this point, you’ve given the candidate your feedback, so make sure you provide them the same opportunity. How was the recruitment process? Was there anything unexpected? What did they like about the interview process? How could it be improved? Make sure you share their feedback with everyone involved in order to improve your process in the future. There are plenty of ways you can create a positive candidate experience!

How will you improve your candidate experience in 2017? Let us know in the comments!

Transparency, Inclusion & The Executive Team

Katie Williamson January 19, 2017

Right after college, I stepped into a role at an international company with thousands of employees. Given the size of the company and its various locations, there was a major divide between the executives and the entry-level employees like myself. In fact, the CEO was someone I had only seen from a distance in a boardroom with other executives.

Coming to PerkSpot, the interaction between the executive team and other employees is drastically different than what I had previously experienced. Transparency is a value we promote and work to make a part of our culture and it was evident from day one. At PerkSpot the CEO is no longer this distant figure, but someone who knows each of us on a personal level. The Executive team is not a group that spends time in secret meetings behind closed doors, but who gathers input from employees in order to make informed and inclusive high-level decisions. Transparency is part of our everyday life here, and it makes all the difference.

After experiencing the difference transparency makes, I know firsthand how important it can be. But, this isn’t unique to my personal experiences. In a 2014 report by the American Psychological Association, one out of three employees stated that their employer was not always honest and truthful with them. The need for transparency is obvious.

Here are a few reasons why transparency should become a part of every culture:

Transparency Solves Problems

Whether your company is undergoing a major change or looking to improve performance, transparency can help you solve problems faster. Transparency around the issues you face help employees learn to trust their leadership and gain ownership in solving problems. Forming a more inclusive culture brings a fresh approach and a new set of eyes. Therefore, leaders solve the problem faster than if they had just kept the facts among executives.

Transparency Makes Things Personal

Nothing brings people closer together than solving problems. As the world becomes more interconnected through digital media, this is becoming increasingly more important. Employees want leaders who will connect with them beyond the professional and into the personal. By providing opportunities for executives to interact with other members of the organization, relationships can form authentically.

Transparency Improves Culture

A 2016 survey of more than 1,200 employees, managers and executives discussed a major chasm in company culture. It discovered the more seniority a person has in an organization, the more positively they viewed company culture. This proves how vital it is that the various levels within the organization are interacting. It’s important not only to uncover any negative feelings the employees may be harboring, but to also reveal the positive outlooks senior management may have due to a greater access of information.

As Generation Z enters the workforce this year, transparency is becoming all the more important. Whether you’re the CEO, a manager, or an intern, find ways to be more transparent about the problems you’re facing.

Want more insights like these? Subscribe to PerkSpot Culture using the form to the right.

Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Katie Williamson January 12, 2017

As one of the most prominent leaders of the past century, there are many lessons we can learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on leadership, courage, and adversity.

In celebration of Dr. King’s birthday on January 15th, here are a few ways you can embrace his spirit of leadership all year round:

Embrace Fear

Unmistakably, one of Dr. King’s greatest attributes was his courage. Facing extreme adversity, He always stood up for what he believed in and never wavered in his passion. Even after his death, his legacy lived on to fuel the Civil Rights Movement in America. While your dreams may not evoke the intense opposition that Dr. King faced, you can still retain your passion regardless of any adversity that may come your way. Don’t let fear of what others might say keep you from speaking out and working towards your goals.

Dream Big

The four famous words from Dr. King inspired a nation to stand behind him: “I Have a Dream…” While our dreams may not change the course of human history, we should still continue to have them. Dreams are what inspire and motivate us to continue. You’ve probably made a lot of plans for 2017. But this year, remember the reasons why you want to accomplish your specific goals, and let that push you to go further. After all, having a plan is nearly as exhilarating as having a dream.

Communicate Clearly

An excellent communicator, Dr. King spent his life influencing others through his words. Although a conference room presentation might not invoke the same emotion and response as Dr. King’s famous speech, it is still important that we communicate clearly and effectively. After you’ve clearly assessed your vision and dream, remember to spend time focusing on how to communicate this to others. Empower them through your words and take time to understand their perspective.

There are countless ways Martin Luther King, Jr. has continued to inspire us, even generations later. Let’s follow his example of embracing fear, dreaming big and communicating clearly in 2017.

2017 HR Trends to Watch

Katie Williamson December 15, 2016

As little as ten years ago Human Resources was primarily defined as the department in charge of payroll and benefits. Thanks to technology, these more administrative functions have been automated, making room for more innovation and putting the focus on the “human” aspect of this department.

As we await for the ball drop and the ringing in of the new year, here are a few HR trends we can look forward to in 2017:

Recruitment

In 2016, 60% of job seekers reported a poor candidate experience and 72% of these candidates shared their experience via Glassdoor.com or other employer review services. Companies like Virgin Media are paving the way for an improved candidate experience. When Virgin discovered they were losing an average of $7 million in revenue due to weaknesses in their recruitment process, they began to analyze what they could do differently. They created a better candidate experience and in turn, improved ROI. We expect to see more of this in 2017 as employers seek to create a reformed experience for job-seekers.

The Gig Economy

The blended workforce is becoming increasingly more common in the modern workforce. With 93% of companies hiring freelance workers alongside full-time employees, we expect to see an even greater increase in 2017. In fact, a staffing industry report shared that total spending on the U.S. Gig Economy is close to $800 billion. With our economy becoming even more contingent on these workers, this presents new challenges for the HR professional as they seek to make these employees more of a focal point for employee engagement.

Generation Z

2017 marks the first year Generation Z will enter the workforce. These Centennials will bring a new culture with them. They are known for being more diverse, resilient and open than their Millennial counterparts.

While 37% of Centennials fear they will not find a job that fits their personality, this presents a new challenge for human resources professionals. They need to understand this new demographic and reach them with strategic and relevant content.

Retention

In CareerBuilder’s 2016 Candidate Behavior study, they report: “Although 76 percent of full-time, employed workers are either actively looking for a job or open to new opportunities, nearly half (48 percent) of employers can’t seem to find the workers they need to fill their job vacancies.” Employers also stated it takes anywhere from 26-34 days to fill an open position. We live in a world where time is money. Therefore, it’s certain more employers will take more measures to decrease the time and energy spent to find qualified candidates.

Wellness

In a study by Willis Towers Watson, 75% of U.S. employers state stress as their number one health and productivity issue. Unfortunately, employers and employees can’t seem to agree on its cause. Alleviating stress has become a top concern for many companies. The American Psychological Association, however, reports less than half of workers say their organization supports their well-being. In addition, one in three report chronic stress while on the job. Evidence that we still have a long way to go in creating a more relaxed, stress-free environment in the workplace.

What are the trends you’re looking out for in 2017?

Want more insights like these? Fill out the form to the right to subscribe!