.png)
Stop copying corporate America and get creative with your team culture!
When the small business I worked for started to grow, we had very few benefits and it felt like the ability to offer meaningful benefits was never going to be a possibility. But as I was working on a job description one day, I really started to get creative and ask myself, "What do we have to offer that big corporations can't offer?" We were lean and small, two things that worked in our favor when it came to being adaptable. Could we use that as a starting point to make our business into something entirely different than what I'd been conditioned to believe it had to be? That's when the magic started to happen.
Have you let your business mindset be shaped by corporate America instead of by your unique and creative perspective? It's time to change the way you think.
The first thing I asked myself was, how can I create a culture in the business that serves our employees while meeting our revenue needs. I had read business research suggesting that at the MOST an employee could be productive about 2.5 hours during a typical 8 hour shift. If that was true, why are businesses forcing their employees to work long shifts? Another thing on the top of my mind was my own journey into motherhood and seeing how hard it was to use my business skills while having kids and not enough money for full-time childcare. I knew there was a huge pool of amazing women just like me out there who would love to work during the hours that suited them. Could we hire professional women and let them set their own hours?
These questions were just the beginning of a process in which I constantly re-examined the why behind "typical" company policies and found some new ways to make benefits work for our people. Sometimes I learned that we did need similar policies to what I'd seen in my professional past and other times I knew we could chart our own course.
You can chart your own course too.
It's all about knowing who you are and what type of culture you want to create in your company. What sort of place do YOU want to work out of each day? How do YOU want your employees to feel working for you?
In order to make a successful, outside the box place to work, there is ONE key thing you MUST DO to pull it off.
You must clearly communicate your expectations with your team.
People need to know what to expect, especially if you plan to do things a little differently. Show them you care enough to keep them looped in along and way and be quick to admit when things needs to change. Tell them the why!
We decided that we wanted a place that allowed employees a lot of autonomy and the way we set up our business would reflect that desire. Our mantra is high trust, high accountability. The benefits we offer follow suit.
So what sort of unique benefits could you offer your team?
Setting their own hours
PTO, even for part-time workers
Access to your products or programs for free
Company-wide celebrations
Catered lunches each month
Paid for gym memberships
Stipends for personal development
Built in mental health days
Bring your pet to work programs
Personal financial training
The possibilities are endless as long as they reflect your own company culture and stay consistent to meeting your business needs.
Benefits matter because people matter. When people are respected and trust that they are valued in your company, they will become more than just hired help. There will be heartfelt care between you and your team and that's when the real magic happens. Employees are the ones who make entrepreneur dreams come true, so let's treat them like the stars they truly are!
Want more tips on building your stellar team? Join the Ask Angie newsletter for all the good stuff, delivered right to your inbox!
Comments