Oops, my eyes haven’t quite adjusted from the chair massage I just had.
It’s Friday at 1:00pm and that’s right, my employer sponsored the opportunity for me to enjoy 15 minutes of relaxation in the middle of my workday. The fact is, our office believes in a holistic approach to the employee experience and I could not be more grateful. It’s part of what hooked me. We practice what we preach. With the Information Age came the tough conversation with how to set norms with work and life. Truly it’s not about balance any more as much as it is about harmony. If we don’t sync the two and cast light on both facets of our life, the two will be at odds and put YOU in flux.
So what exactly is the relevance of employer generosity, community consciousness and work life harmony? Let me ask you, how are your all-hands meetings run? Or do you call them town-halls? Staff meetings? We hold company meetings on Fridays. Long ago we declared Friday to be a day for eQ – it’s our time to reflect, focus, and imagine. By dedicating a full day to introspection and strategy, we breed collaboration and creativity. Most recently we churned out the newest hashtag #betterate which so beautifully blends our iterative approach and our continual journey to become better.
While sitting around the conference room table, we shared our gratitude for our clients, each other, and the community. The marketplace trends point to a millennial workforce that is attracted to companies committed to social impact. This correlation supports the fact that a mindful company’s economic impact is directly tied to the kind of talent it’s attracting and retaining, specifically the growing majority of people born between 1980 and 1999 who care more about aligning with organizations that are committed to making a difference.
Wondering how your company compares? Are you doing it right? What is your organization’s stance on causing a positive ripple in the community? To arrive at the answer – start asking good questions. Go to your colleagues, your employees, and find out why they joined? Why they stay? Pay close attention to what they say to determine what they’re thinking and feeling. What can you learn from their insights? What themes pop up? What are you not hearing?
Take it all in and think about how you can perpetuate either the social responsibility or honor it in ways you have yet to. Need some ideas, check out Global Goals to learn about the 17 worldwide sustainable goals, which the eQ team is committed to tackling along with brilliant minds and creative companies across the planet.
If impact isn’t a major player in your vision for the future – then you’re at a huge disadvantage.
