I was recently asked what Workhuman® – a company whose mission is all about bringing recognition and appreciation to the workplace – is doing differently in response to the COVID-19 crisis. My short answer?
We’re doing the same thing we’ve always done. Just more of it.
Sure, we’ve had to make adjustments as we navigate the challenges of keeping a now-remote workforce connected. But at Workhuman, our “North Star” has always been about building a culture of recognition and appreciation. As we navigate through the unchartered waters of this crisis, our unwavering commitment to a more human-centric work culture will serve us well. I believe our experience – and our guiding principles – offers some valuable insights for other organizations as they face today’s challenges.
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Responding to the new reality
In the first days of the pandemic, leadership at Workhuman asked the tough questions: How do we keep our humans engaged and inspired, while instilling a sense of belonging and connectedness within our organization? How do we continue to build and sustain the human connections that have helped make Workhuman a vibrant and affirming place to work? How can Gratitudes™ – our peer-to-peer Social Recognition® program – boost morale and deepen employee connections in the face of this challenge?
In the end, we doubled down on what we’ve always done: Encouraging our employees to freely and frequently recognize the great work their peers are doing through recognition and appreciation.
In fact, many of our clients – companies that have experienced firsthand the profound benefits of our recognition platform – are doing the same. Even in the face of unprecedented economic challenges, we’ve seen increased spending on social recognition at many of Workhuman’s world-class clients. They know from past experience – and the vast trove of data our technology provides – that recognition is the way to keep humans engaged and connected in the current climate.
Recent history shows us that companies who understand and embrace this view will redouble their commitment to recognition in challenging times. And they’ll be the better off for it. Last fall, my colleague Eileen Nolan, vice president of strategic accounts, wrote about her experience working with Workhuman’s oil and gas clients during the industry downturn a few years ago. She notes: “I’ve seen firsthand how our customers have thrived as a result of doubling down on gratitude.”
Affirming life through life events
But it isn’t just recognition that sustains and boosts the connections and engagement among employees who are now separated and working remotely. In the past few weeks, as people have craved connection with co-workers even more, we’ve seen a lift in the celebration of moments such as births, marriages, new pets – even one employee’s move to a new city. These life-affirming events are presented in a feed to everyone at Workhuman through Life Events®, part of Workhuman® Cloud. Through this platform, employees throughout the organization can participate in and celebrate the personal joys of our entire work family.
At Workhuman we pride ourselves on our openness and transparency, and I believe we’re even more open now. Working remotely has unexpectedly allowed us to show our more human sides to one another – by meeting and embracing each other’s children, pets, and even the inside of our homes.
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Our company-wide Zoom meetings, held by our co-founder and CEO Eric Mosley, is another example of this new-found connectedness. Originally envisioned as a time for Eric to share with us company updates, challenges, and successes, this gathering has given our employees a glimpse into his life, and has become an eagerly anticipated and extremely well-attended highlight of our work week.
At a time when many employees are feeling isolated, the weekly meeting has become a chance for the Workhuman family to come together, connect, and – as Eric notes in his recent Forbes article – “remind us of our value, our purpose, and our shared humanity.”
Human-centric cultures thriving in tough times
In the end, it comes down to what I believe is a simple truth: Those companies that have all along nurtured and grown a human-centered culture – a culture of recognition and appreciation – are the ones best positioned to weather the challenges of a crisis such as the one we find ourselves in today. They have in place a foundation of humans who are inspired, motivated, and engaged – ready to lift up the organization and help it thrive in the face of adversity.
To again quote my colleague Eileen: “What companies need are always-on strategies with demonstrable ROI that support the culture, the business, and the employees who continue to outperform in their roles, despite the uncertainty. Gratitude is that strategy.”