Peer to Peer Magazine

P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 17 Business, or Slack, etc. Aside from technolo, there are organizations that have quarterly or yearly company- wide meetings which entail flying every employee to the same location in an attempt team build and create a bond. In addition to employees staying connected virtually, it is also critical that companies are innovative in terms of building and creating a sense of community. There are multiple tools both strategic and tactical, I've seen be quite effective in terms of lending themselves to a sense of community on a virtual level. A sense of belonging and being a part of something greater than oneself is becoming more valuable than an extra $5k on the base. Some strategies around community are simple like having a virtual Halloween costume contest which includes remote employees. I personally have a company-wide ugly sweater contest coming up which I still need to find a sweater for. From a technolo standpoint, some tools I've seen be highly effective in this area are platforms on which employees are able to endorse each other on a weekly basis, providing a company-wide opportunity for recognition, a concept that is highly valued by both Generations Z and Y. Companies that have successfully built a strong sense of community typically foster a culture where employees have a seat at the table and are able to affect change which is huge, especially for Millennials. A tactic I've seen be successful in terms of making sure employees have a seat at the table is developing an extensive interview process that includes peers as well as decision makers. While vetting a candidate is highly critical to making a strong hire, it has become equally important that individuals within an organization have a seat at the table. More than ever, advancement, or opportunities for professional development and growth have become selling points in terms of having an innovative culture. While compensation will always be important, job seekers tend to place a high level of emphasis on opportunity for growth and room for professional development. The number one reason I hear from individuals looking to leave a current employer is that "I've hit a glass ceiling." One of the routes to combating the glass ceiling that I've seen be successful is when companies are flexible and create new positions based on talent and the fortes of their employees. There are absolutely roles within organizations that exist in 2019 that weren't even on anyone's radar five years ago, such as "Success Manager" or "People Manager." There are multiple litigation support vendors and law firms that have robust teams dedicated to "people and culture." Another obvious tool to encourage professional development is offering to pay for various trainings and certifications such as a PMP or an RCA. And these certifications will benefit both the company and the employee. Information sharing is another concept that has been highly successful in terms of supporting an innovative culture. It is now highly popular to have thought leadership groups within an organization where every employee is invited to participate and share information and personal anecdotes centered around a common theme. These can be anything from think tanks, to peer groups, to chapters of groups that are recognized on a national level. And outside of groups, it's important to have a platform on which individuals can share information and learn. There are currently a handful of software programs that allow companies to develop tools that offer the opportunity to learn a certain technolo or skill that may be outside the confines of an individual's day to day responsibilities. The most critical piece of building an innovative culture which can include: remote work; a sense of community; having a seat at the table, professional development; and information sharing, is continuing to revisit that business practices are in line with company values. In order to maintain an innovative culture, companies must continue to grow and evolve with the values of the current market and make a commitment to ensuring that business practices align with that culture. The best practice to accomplish this is undoubtedly continuing to gather employee feedback which can be done through a variety of methods including surveys, think tanks, reviews, and leadership groups. While money is important, and ultimately the reason people go to work, at the end of the day, an innovative culture continues to be a show-stopper. ILTA While money is important, and ultimately the reason people go to work, at the end of the day, an innovative culture continues to be a show-stopper. T H E R E ' S M O R E O N L I N E ! Want to learn more? You're in luck! Click the link below to listen to the audio that corresponds to this article! iltanet.org/ benefits

• Cover