To some business owners, company pride isn’t that big of a deal. It doesn’t matter whether their employees are proud to work at their organization or not, as long as they do their job well and get things done. The thing is, how engaged and productive your team depends partly on their sense of ownership at work. In short, company pride is a big deal. It affects your employee’s overall performance. That said, what exactly influences company pride? By knowing the key areas, you’ll be able to reorient your corporate programs towards building a sense of pride in each of your team members. These are the things you should be focusing on:
Respect for leaders
When employees have a high regard of their bosses, it follows that they’re proud to belong to the organisation these very competent, respectable leaders are working at. The opposite is true, as well. When your team doesn’t respect or trust you, it’s a guarantee that they’d try to conceal or at least downplay the fact that they have a connection to your organisation.
How do you instill respect? For one, don’t stop learning. The more that you improve your knowledge and skills, the more that you build your credibility. Aside from committing to professional growth, you should be able to help your team embrace the values of your company. It would be hard for them to respect you and your decisions (and be proud of their affiliation) when they don’t know how their role contributes to a greater good. Invest in visual cues in your workplace then, reminding employees of what your brand stands for. For example, a gallery wall of your core values or the simple corporate uniform.
Good corporate citizen
Employees are proud of a company that’s active in promoting social causes. Think about that time when you volunteered for a tree-planting activity or a fund-raising walkathon event for animal rescue — how many of your employees posted about their experience in their social media? People want to be associated with organisations that does good to the world.
If there are opportunities to be involved in advocacies in your locale, grab them. You can create one yourself, too. Just be sure to align your causes with the vision-mission of your company to further instill them in your team. Strive for authenticity, too. When you support causes that don’t match well with your brand, expect a backlash from the public and the media. Case in point: unhealthy fast food chains supporting cancer research foundations. The last thing you need in building company pride among your employees is a PR nightmare. So be authentic as you strive to be a good corporate citizen.
Personal conviction about work importance
Team members who are convinced that their work and contribution matters, of course, take pride in the company that allows them to feel exactly that. That’s why it’s important that as you’re growing the organisation, you’re also letting each of your employees grow in their respective careers. Provide ongoing training, invest in coaching programs, and invite resource speakers every now and then. Prioritize annual or quarterly team building activities. Most importantly, acknowledge each of your team member’s efforts and contributions. Don’t give a general thank-you speech, though. Be specific about the right things they’ve done in the company. With this, they’ll be able to build confidence in themselves, as well as confidence in your organisation that brings the best in them.
The next time you walk into your workplace, observe the atmosphere. Are your people proud that they work here? Do they feel a sense of ownership? If that atmosphere is absent, it’s time to revisit your employee programs.
