5 Ways to Make Your Organization a Great Place to Work

“We are honored to formally announce that RealPage® has been designated as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ company by Great Place to Work®! RealPage has been on a journey to create a best-in-class workplace for the long-term success of our organization. Not only is this recognition a differentiator for RealPage as we seek to recruit and retain top talent, but it is also validation that our teammates are our greatest asset. It is an honor to lead an organization with such amazing people.”

 -  Dana Jones, CEO, RealPage

Healthy company culture is intentional. To ensure your employees thrive, it is essential to continually assess your workplace to review where you can improve your culture, retain talent and succeed as a business.

The following five topics represent a few of the key areas all companies can prioritize to cultivate an environment of trust. We hope the following tips are inspirational to all those striving to build a great place to work.

1. RESPECT

Respect is a requisite for a healthy, professional environment and should come as standard practice in the workplace, regardless of personal feelings. Being valued and treated respectfully promotes a work culture where employees are engaged and motivated to perform at their peak.

Respect is the simple act of showing appreciation for someone’s traits and qualities while treating them with dignity. Even a small action, such as listening before expressing your viewpoint, creates a space where employees have a voice and feel trusted.

Fostering a healthy work environment with space for employees to innovate and thrive creates an atmosphere of respect that is essential to boost your organization’s reputation as a great place to work.

2. FLEXIBILITY

The company and employee definition of flexibility changed quickly as the pandemic pushed organizations to adapt to an uncharted virtual world. Safe to say, we all quickly began to leave behind our previously held beliefs around culture and worker productivity. Fast-forward to today, and it’s undeniable: Workplace flexibility is now essential for employee retention and crucial in building a great place to work.

Offering greater flexibility in workplace arrangements attracts potential employees, increases employee productivity, and retains top talent. What’s the mindset shift? Focus on what employees have accomplished rather than the schedule used to get there. A successful flexible workplace is one where employers know how and when their employees perform at their best. Remaining focused on outcomes gives employees the autonomy they need to get their work done effectively.

Before implementing a more flexible work environment, start by reflecting on what’s possible and realistic for your business. Anonymous employee engagement surveys are a great way to gauge your team’s thoughts and preferences about work/life flexibility.

Flexible work options remind employees that they are appreciated. Work flexibility can encompass lots of options, and the more willing you are to explore and implement some of them, the sooner you’ll have a great place to work.

3. COMMUNICATION

Workplace communication is one of the most important aspects of being a great place to work and a key metric for employee productivity and retention. It all starts by communicating who you are as a company and what you stand for.

Employees today care about intangible benefits like alignment to core business values, work/life balance and charitable work ― all crucial in driving greater employee engagement.

Reinforce your company’s commitment to employee communication through regular town hall meetings. These all-hands meetings help employees feel connected to their work and fully understand and engage with the direction and priorities of your organization. Make it a two-way conversation, create an opportunity for questions to be asked and comments to be shared. Ensuring a culture of open communication fosters a healthy and accepting environment where all employees feel equal, informed and understood.

Effective communication does more than share accurate information ― it fosters innovation, increases job satisfaction and ultimately creates a great place to work.

4. TEAMWORK

A team that works together will foster a spirit of camaraderie and collaboration that will go on to strengthen and energize your company culture. Working in a positive environment boosts morale and satisfaction, creating a feeling of belonging to something bigger than yourself.

When individuals trust one another, it triggers a goal shift from personal benefit to the pursuit of team success. When employees support one another, morale is higher, leading to increased job satisfaction and retention.

Teams today are far more diverse, remote and digital than ever before, which is why supporting collaboration is a critical priority for every business unit. A successful team happens when each employee feels like they are contributing and their work is valued, making them more likely to help your business succeed.

Team members build relationships based on the trust and mutual respect that come from supporting each other. Positive team relationships make employees more reliable, effective and productive, ultimately contributing to the company’s success and a great place to work.

5. DIVERSITY

When you foster inclusivity and empower individuals to be authentically themselves, you build a culture of acceptance. Diversity and inclusion are essential keys to employee retention at a great place to work. Valued employees feel a greater sense of responsibility and connection to their company.

Workplace equality increases confidence and encourages employees to grow and achieve their full potential. Inclusive workplaces earn deeper trust and commitment from their employees, and diverse teams often have higher morale and are more productive and loyal to the organization. 

A diverse workforce brings together a wide variety of people with different skills, perspectives and insight to solve problems. Diversity increases innovation and strategic thinking while building stronger relationships as employees connect through backgrounds or shared experiences, improving workplace collaboration.

The Great Place to Work® Certification™ is the definitive “employer-of-choice” recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report