The 5 traits that make a great workplace

Working in information technology for fifteen years, I have worked in a few different companies with different styles of leadership and corporate culture, but what makes a workplace stand out among the crowd?

 1.   Good Vision

Employees desire to work with a purpose and feel they are contributing to a larger goal.  Vision is important in uncertain times and when employees see executives grasping for every new idea, they lose confidence in their leaders.  When executives and managers stick to the vision, employees are assured of the principles that drive the organization.  Many companies have vision statements but never discuss them with the employees.  When leaders have a clear vision and communicate it constantly, the staff understand where they are headed.

“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” – Theodore Hesburgh

2.   Employee engagement

Engaged employees feel a part of the company’s overall goals.  Employees feel pride in their work and go the extra mile to complete top-notch deliverables for their customers.  At Zirous, when our employees feel engaged, performance and productivity improve dramatically.  The process of building engagement starts with giving the employees choices in determining the organizations future and trusting them to complete it.

3.   Challenging and rewarding work

Work that challenges is rewarding.  Companies that set high standards and expect more of their employees will attract higher achievers.  Successful companies become successful because of their willingness to take on the tough assignments.

“The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.” – Unknown

4.   Strong communication

Effective communication skills are important for leadership in all organizations. When employees are left in the dark, the rumor mill may fill the void.  When company goals are kept at the forefront and changes are communicated quickly, the absence of information is replaced with knowledge. In our high technology society it is essential for companies to send the message in various formats to reach all team members.

5.   Work-life balance

The value of work-life balance has skyrocketed lately – remember the Yahoo ‘Work from home’ debacle?  A friend of mine worked at a company for a short time where leaving before 6pm pegged you as a slacker.  Employers can see the value in keeping employees engaged and happy!  Zirous employee, Tiffany Camp added this, “Zirous presents the perfect work-life balance. I believe that employees who feel they can invest valuable time in their families and personal lives are inspired to accomplish even more in their career.”

At Zirous, we strive for employees to find all of these traits in our workplace. As a company, we find it helps our team go the extra mile for each of our customers. The team enjoys the challenging work we receive and we are prepared to take on new and forward-thinking Oracle implementations.

Does your workplace put an emphasis on any of the above goals? Would you add anything to our list? Let us know!

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn