We’re back with another blog on culture – we know. Why, you ask? We did some digging and found that this time last year, Gallup reported:
- 48% of U.S. employees were actively job searching.
- 74% of employees said they experienced burnout on the job at least “sometimes.”
This year, Gallup reports:
- Fewer than 1 in 4 employees feel strongly that their organization cares about their well being
Oof. With statistics like that out there, we know now more than ever, building and maintaining a healthy company culture is essential. But just like a fitness routine, it’s something you have to keep doing. Check out last month’s blog on our three tips on improving your culture.
We know company culture is a multi-faceted and sometimes overwhelming thing to navigate. Cue The Guardians. The Guardians are made up of rockstar team members dedicated to creating and maintaining a thriving, engaging culture to make Solid Blend not only a place where people want to work, but where people want to stay. We came up with the name because it matches our goal: to keep, guard, and retain our talented team.
You may be wondering, “When thinking employee retention, I don’t know where to start. Also, what a great team name!” Lucky for you, you’re reading this blog. Start by looking at these three stages in a team member’s journey with your company. Also, we think it’s pretty awesome if we do say so ourselves.
“In all cases Solid Blend strives to achieve win-win solutions for the team and the company. The company thrives when team members speak truth to one another and hold each other accountable – it’s who we are.” -Chris Butcher, CEO
When you start
First things first, right? When a new team member joins the team, you typically train them in their role, review the programs and tools they’ll need to do their job, show them their desk, give them passwords – the list of duties goes on and on. Are you also using this time to immerse them in your company culture?
The Guardians have taken an in-depth look at hiring and onboarding processes to ensure the importance and inclusion of Solid Blend’s intentional culture is at the forefront. In our hiring process, our applicants take an aptitude and work fit assessment. Every employee wants a job they feel capable of and excited about doing. We want to make sure our team feels capable and happy in their role. So, these assessments is always a win-win.
Once hired, we continue to rely on assessments to set our team up for success. These cover how you communicate, react under stress, and your strengths and weaknesses. This allows us as a whole company to better understand how to communicate and work with one another in the most mutually successful way.
We also have what we like to call a “Culture Buddy” for new team members at Solid Blend. Culture Buddies help our new teammates navigate our onboarding process and further understand our culture training from the assessments they have taken, to books they will read, to what’s next for them at Solid Blend. From the very start, we work as a team.
When you’re here
So, you’ve re-upped your training and onboarding – great! It doesn’t stop there. How are you continuing to support your long-tenured employees? How are you incorporating your company’s culture into your daily routine?
The Guardians have established and adapted different models and systems as springboards for employee retention and involvement. We send a monthly survey deemed “The Pulse” to check in on how our employees are doing, and feeling. All feedback is anonymous – we want honesty.
Here are some of the questions we ask:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how has your month been?
- What did you enjoy most at work this month?
- What questions about Solid Blend are on your mind?
- What isn’t working well for you?
We use this to give our team a safe space to share anything and everything about their experience at Solid Blend, or any personal information they want to share, while also looking at where there are opportunities to improve our team’s experience and performance.
We also follow other organizational models that align with our values. This helps to influence how we establish processes, measure success, and set goals, both for individuals and the company as a whole. And we follow Aileron – a nonprofit dedicated to small business education – and their DOC System: Direction: setting the vision, Operation: aligning the team, Control: staying the course.
Here are some of our other favorites:
- Organizational Health Models of Patrick Lencioni, The TableGroup
- Dr. W Edward Deming’s 14 Points of Total Quality Management
When you need help
Processes are great, essential in fact. But, what about when things don’t go according to plan? Inevitably there will be times where team members are discouraged or disgruntled. These times may be from within the company, or from stressors outside the workplace. In today’s state of the world, we believe it’s our duty to make Solid Blend a comfortable, encouraging environment, rather than an added stressor. What is your process for helping your team members when they need it?
The Guardians have not only implemented processes and systems to set us up for success, but also to maintain it. Again, cue “The Pulse” survey. This initiative is the catalyst for change if we see there is something we can improve upon. We also have quarterly one-on-one sessions with all team members to discuss what’s working, and sometimes more importantly, what’s not. We implement systems to make sure teams know how to communicate, give and receive feedback, and hold each other accountable. Check out Radical Candor by Kim Scott if you’re looking for more on an excellent framework for communication.
“Solid Blend’s culture isn’t about revenue and profits. This is where we differ. Solid Blend’s Leadership team, CEO and ownership take a genuine interest in who you are. They want to help you, see you succeed, not just professionally but personally as well.
The purpose of Solid Blend is to create an environment where the team, the client and the community thrive. The team comes first, not profits. This isn’t just ownership’s purpose, it’s their heart. It’s not just words on a wall, it’s action. You can see it in all that they do. It is the reason I am here and the reason I don’t want to ever leave.” -Travis Durham, Service Coordinator
The Guardians are constantly working to maintain and develop the systems and processes that work for Solid Blend’s team. We hope that sharing some of our favorites will help your team find what works for you. If you know someone who wants to do great work for a great company, send them our way. If you want to talk all things company culture, we’re all ears. Let’s chat.