Human First: Creating Workplaces That Attract - And Retain - Top Talent by Caroline Fraissinet

Release Date: November 12, 2024

The companies I enjoyed working at the most throughout my career all had one thing in common. They all treated people as individuals, rather than a cog in a machine. These tips can help you create a human-first workplace that attracts and retains employees.

Set Employees Up to Succeed

The first months at a new job leave a lasting impression on new employees. A recent study found that 70% of new hires know whether a job is a good fit for them within the first month (“First Impressions,” 2023). Evidence suggests good onboarding can lead to employee retention (Hills, 2022). Creating time for new employees to learn all they need to succeed - and making it clear that prospective employees can expect time to learn, too - is crucial.

I started my current position mid-pandemic and didn’t even meet my supervisor in person for a full year! However, I felt set up for success because the onboarding process was not rushed. I met with each member of my team for a 60-minute Zoom meeting with no agenda but to get to know each other. I left those conversations not only knowing what their jobs entailed but also felt I got to know them person-to-person. This established a rapport early on, even though we were not physically working in the same place.

Goal-setting early on is also helpful. Establishing a few SMART goals for the employee to accomplish in the first few days, weeks and months will give the employee a clearer sense of their responsibilities and place within the organization. Checking in monthly or quarterly also sets the employee up for success since any challenges can be addressed quickly and efficiently.

Build Trust

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni discusses that a lack of trust is the foundation of a dysfunctional team (2002). Without trust, employees do not feel they can share openly, admit mistakes, and ultimately, know and understand each other. It’s crucial for workplaces to create an environment where employees feel trusted.

Does this mean we should all be doing trust falls in our weekly staff meetings? No. Trust in the workplace comes down to people feeling their team has their back and appreciates them for who they are, and gives them the freedom to approach the work in a way that works for them.

In his book The Diversity Bonus, Scott E. Page discusses that teams that value the unique experiences and backgrounds of individual team members can lead to improved problem-solving, increased innovation, and better results (2019). Getting to know your employees as human beings, learning their likes and dislikes, strengths and challenges can lead to tailoring your approach to make them feel included. Do you have an employee who’s really sensitive to sound and your workplace is an open-floor plan? Allow them to work from home some days, or create “quiet zones” that employees can work out of that are not as loud. Does an employee have regularly scheduled family commitments, like taking their child to school or escorting a relative to a weekly doctor’s appointment? Work with them to adjust their schedule so they are able to care for their family but also complete their work. Making an effort to understand who your employees are - and making it clear you value them for who they are and what they bring to the table - will lead to mutual trust.

Make Them Feel Seen

I have a guiding mantra when working with others: “Take care of your people.” Having worked in entertainment in the past, where small productions didn’t always have the money to fully compensate people, I learned that seeing and valuing people is about more than pay. In fact, it can cost nothing to show appreciation. A study recently found employees who felt recognized at their workplaces are 45% less likely to have turned over in two years (Gallup, 2024).

Showing your appreciation goes a long way in making your workplace a place people want to be. Staffing a large event? Make sure your team gets first dibs on food. Just finished a huge project or finished up a busy time of your year’s business? Provide small tokens of appreciation like coffee or treats, or some “flex time” employees can take when they choose to make up for the extra time they worked. Acknowledging and appreciating people’s hard work takes very little but can mean a lot to the people on your team.

Connect With Each Other

We are social animals. Social connection is not only important for personal health and well-being, but evidence also suggests that it can improve workplace satisfaction and employee mental health (Harvard University, n.d.).

Years ago, I accepted a job at a company because I had a good feeling about the supervisor in the interview; he was clearly proud of his team. Our team had a ritual called Coffee O’Clock. Every day at 4 PM, we would all get up and walk together to Starbucks. On these walks, we would chat about things unrelated to work. The whole ritual took about 15 minutes, but it’s one of my favorite memories of that job. I enjoyed connecting with others person-to-person, rather than colleague-to-colleague. I cherished my time there and looked for that “team pride” from a potential supervisor in any interviews I had after that point.

Providing employees opportunities to connect with each other beyond work is important in building a workplace where people want to show up. This can be something as simple as a walk to the cafeteria together, or something larger like holiday celebrations, book clubs, and affinity groups. Providing means to connect through work helps people feel like they matter.

At the end of the day, people want to be valued. Taking some of these steps may help to signal to employees that they matter and that you see them as human first. In turn, they might just reward you with loyalty, higher productivity, and commitment to your workplace.

About the Author

Caroline Fraissinet, Ed.D has worked in university career services since 2018. Her current role is Director of Internship Programs and Employer Relations at USC Dornsife. She graduated from USC Rossier School of Education in 2022, with her dissertation focusing on the challenges

low-income college students face in gaining experience in the entertainment industry due to the prevalence of unpaid internships. Prior to working in higher education, she worked as a VFX

Producer and Coordinator, working with clients including Blumhouse, Disney, History Channel, FOX and The Weather Channel. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two cats.

References

First Impressions Are Everything: 44 Days to Make or Break a New Hire. (2023). Bamboohr.com. https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/data-at-work/data-stories/2023-onboarding-statistics

Gallup. (2024). Empowering Workplace Culture Through Recognition. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/472658/workplace-recognition-research.aspx

Harvard University. (n.d.). Work Design Principle #3: Improve Social Relationships in the Workplace. Workwellbeinginitiative.org. https://workwellbeinginitiative.org/module-4-moderating-work-demands

Hills, L., D.A. (2022). Creating an exceptional onboarding experience for your new employees. The Journal of Medical Practice Management : MPM, 37(6), 278-283. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/creating-exceptional-onboarding-experience-your/docview/2702260988/se-2

Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Pfeiffer.

Page, S. E. (2019). The Diversity Bonus: How Great Teams Pay Off in the Knowledge Economy. Princeton University Press.