While “The Great Resignation” continues to hinder growth and retention, all organizations are struggling to recruit new talent. For our Partner Empowerment Podcast, I interviewed Cox Communications EVP and chief people officer Kia Painter.
Even as an SMB, you may connect with the talent community. Selling a product is different from believing in the firm and its role in the industry or world we operate in.
Understanding and investing in your company’s aims and goals is key, but aligning with your cultural philosophy and beliefs and the relevance of your customers’ needs is crucial.
Clarifying that and magnifying it to the market is a unique technique to attract excellent people beyond financial incentives.
Other ways to create a strong culture that attracts and retains talent include:
“Someone gets up every day and leaves their family to help you grow your business. If you want employees to feel good about taking that charge for you and your company, they need to feel protected, valued, and able to grow. “Even though it’s a small company, team members can grow as people or in their interests,” explains Kia.
Flexibility in workplaces is helping post-pandemic cultures reconnect. They are establishing a location where people may work and pursue their passions outside of work. There is more creative flexibility, so you can tap into talent to drive your business while also helping them create purpose in their lives by realizing some of their other passions.
Culture-shaping is first. Leaders model behavior. No matter the company size, if you lead people or give someone else that responsibility, you want to make sure they get training on how to lead, motivate, coach, and mentor. These inexpensive methods can encourage loyalty. Respect, integrity, and compassion are key.
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Maintaining culture in geographically diversified organizations is harder. Logging up, turning on your camera, and getting to work is simple. Fun, caring, and supporting environments require discipline. At Cox, teams meet twice a year and socialize.
They spend 20% on business and 80% on getting to know one other. Some virtual teams start weekly meetings by discussing a topic. One team begins by discussing a terrific event from last week. Another team asks, “Hey, what’s going on in your family?” because family is so important in their culture.
Back to leadership walking the walk, if that leader models this and leads with that discipline, you build a cascade that supports a wonderful culture internally and gives your consumers that spirit and caring.
Kia advised, “When you think about wanting to create a strong, unique customer experience, consider how your culture translates outside of your ‘walls.’
Businesses fluctuate. Because you’ve invested in care and nurturing, you come out of tougher cycles faster and with an eye on the future because everyone on the team is in it to win it. That’s why culture matters. In tough times, like the current economic climate, you need those behaviors. Because it’s your people’s soul, you rely on your culture.”
Cox Business Vice President Channel Sales John Muscarella oversees indirect business sales channel readiness. His team develops, implements, and sells nationwide Cox Communications solutions. John has worked in sales and management for Polycom, Sprint, and EDS for over 25 years.