2021 is a critical year for all businesses. In a changing world, business leaders must change their tactics in order to avoid scandal and mitigate risk, writes Tom Miller, CEO and co-founder of ClearForce.
As companies gear up for yet another year mired in the difficulties posed by COVID-19, one thing is clear: the tech investment boom that occurred in reaction to the pandemic provided a golden opportunity to reevaluate and retool company culture for the better.
Business leaders already feeling stretched thin may be hesitant to invest in new solutions and wonder about their necessity. But if the workplace scandalsOpens a new window we’ve seen explode over the past year have shown us anything, it’s that leaders who fail to be proactive in monitoring employee well-beingOpens a new window allow a toxic culture to spread.
With so many businesses still functioning on a work-from-home basis, employees are out of sight and out of mind for executives – compliance tools and a centralized workflow that uses push-based behavioral alerts are the most effective way to reinforce company policies and culture and to ensure standards are being enforced at every level. But tech-enabled culture change is only successful if it’s implemented with intention and thoughtful planning. Here are a few tried-and-true strategies to make the most of this valuable resource.
1. Clearly Outline Which Policies and Procedures Are Changing – and How – So That Every Level of the Organization Is Aware of the Standards and How They Benefit All the Parties
Along the same lines, it’s important to clarify how the systems you are implementing will work and go through the intricacies of the impact it will have on the existing workflow. Almost one-third Opens a new window of employees don’t know why certain changes are happening within their organization, and if you don’t explain how policy and procedure changes will protect employees and ensure fair treatment, these measures could be viewed as a burden or a cumbersome barrier to doing their jobs. Be clear about what’s changing, how and why, and make sure to answer any questions that come up with as much detail as possible. Many of our customers have updated three key policies in the last 18 months: 1) code of conduct/code of ethics to be more specific on unacceptable behavior, 2) background check policies to cover both pre and post-employment assessments, and 3) evergreen consent to ensure they have employee opt-in for ongoing evaluations.
2. Proactively and Systematically Seek Input on the Policies You Have Implemented and the Impact They Have Had
Don’t just sit back and wait for people to come to you, or, even worse, hope that they don’t.
It’s unlikely that employees will feel comfortable offering unsolicited opinions about any issues they might have with these policies – in one study, 88% of employeesOpens a new window said that even though their manager’s weakness was evident to everyone, they wouldn’t otherwise provide that feedback – so it’s imperative to make an effort to proactively seek out feedback that could help refine the system. Those insights could make the difference between a system that empowers employees to engage and one that isolates them for fear of retribution.
Today, most companies have 1-800 whistleblower hotlines. However, employees don’t use them because they don’t believe they are anonymous, and they are unsure what should be reported. Our customers leverage enhanced web-based first party reporting technology to increase the capture of relevant information from employees through the use of categorical and configurable drop-down menu selections, ensuring employees know what is relevant to communicate the leadership.
3. Ensure That All Members of Your Organization Are Invested in, Involved With, and Supportive of Broad Culture Change at Every Level
Culture defines a company’s identity, but according to Gallup researchOpens a new window , less than half Opens a new window of employees know what their organization stands for. This needs to change, as culture is the only way to develop a sense of organization-wide trust and implement the necessary changes effectively. At the end of the day, making these changes at the top won’t matter if they don’t trickle down and find support among each and every employee, from senior management to entry-level.
Engage your employees in the process of cultural change by explaining the benefits of monitoring technology and risk assessment platforms. Not only will they gain first-hand experience in the power it has to make the organization stronger, doing so gives employees a sense of responsibility and affinity to their company, not just as the place where they work and earn a living, but as an institution they are proud to be a part of and invested in bettering. We also hear from our customers, that in addition to the benefit of increased employee reporting, that by providing employees with additional and easy to use reporting technology – they are building trust – and teamwork in helping establish and maintain a safe and secure work environment.
4. Remember That You Lead by Example, So Make Your Actions Count.
Nearly half of all employeesOpens a new window distrust their bosses, but there is a simple way to make sure yours are not among them: show your employees that leadership is acting in the best interest of everyone, from entry-level employees all the way up the corporate ladder. It’s your responsibility to act in a way that is consistent with the message you are trying to convey and, more importantly, to step forward and accept responsibility for any missteps or mistakes. When company scandals go public and spin out of control, leadership often fails to step in and be accountable. Make your employees believe that the company deserves their loyalty and that you will accept responsibility for any mistakes.
Our customers benefit from monitoring Opens a new window technologyOpens a new window that centralizes reports of employee risk and misconduct with complete audit trails – so management ALWAYS knows when reports were filed, received, by whom and what actions occurred, and if there are trends or hot spots that require heightened attention. Having full visibility into potential culture-crushing issues prevents further internal and media frenzy.
5. Be Flexible. Culture Change Is a Continuous Process, So Commit To Making Constant Improvements and Working Toward a Better Culture Every Day
This kind of fundamental organizational change will take time and patience, and will be unique to each organization. It’s unreasonable to expect change to happen overnight, so instead focus on taking small steps every day toward the culture you want. The methods and outcomes might shift over time, but your efforts are likely to be successful as long as you keep the ultimate goal in mind: protecting employee well-being and ensuring organizational integrity. Organizational leadership cannot sit back and hope those bad things will not happen; they must proactively invest in technology that creates a safe, secure, and fair environment for every employee. Our customers leverage technology to ensure their employees’ privacy is protected 100% of the time, consistent and fair treatment prevents bias and favoritism, and the organization has the systems in place to detect and address toxic leadership.
Keeping a workforce productive and connected during a time when the traditional office setting no longer applies can be challenging. For this reason, companies should look to technological tools, such as behavioral risk assessment and monitoring platforms,Opens a new window to help navigate the process of tracking employee well-being and proactively monitoring for problem areas. By implementing these tools and using these strategies, organizations will be well-equipped to weather whatever changes 2021 brings.