It's time to adapt to what millennials want in the workplace
Imagine waking up excited to go to work. Instead of snoozing your alarm six times in the morning, you wake up refreshed and energized for a new day in the office.
Imagine you work for an organization where your co-workers are also your real-life best friends. A place where the company culture is supportive, empowering, educational and uplifting – this is the reality of working at The Firm.
A company’s culture is its personality and values. For many millennials like me, a company’s culture is the main ingredient in where we choose to work. In fact, we value company culture more than any generation before us, according to Forbes.
We crave company characteristics that are unique and align with our personal beliefs. More and more every day, millennials are looking for things in organizations. We want:
- Dog friendly - Meet Taco, The Firm’s furriest (and cutest) employee!
- Culture events/team bonding experiences - The Firm specializes in these! From Dinner Detectives to boating on the river to Friday night volleyball, we value the time we spend with one another and our families.
- Rituals & traditions - Have you ever cherished a tradition so much that you literally countdown the months, weeks, days, hours until that thing? That’s how we feel about the Kentucky Derby, Halloween at the pumpkin patch, annual July 4th parties and more!
- Inclusive meetings - The Firm’s team meetings are unlike any other. Each week, we meet for a 10-15 minute “huddle,” where we talk about our goals for the week, any updates we have for the team, and things we need to be cognizant of. Every Wednesday morning, The Firm team runs through an overview of where we are for the week versus where we need to be. This is a great chance to note the items we need to stay front-of-mind on to make our team and personal goals for the week. Then, Friday afternoons, we unwind together for a full weekly review – what goals we hit, what goals we didn’t, what we can improve on, what we blew out of the water, and best of all – we vote for The Firm’s Rockstar of the week.
- Have a relatable mascot - Here at The Firm, we are the Swans – loyal, timely, mindful, full of character and always composed.
“It’s important to know each other, our families and integrate those relationships into our workspace,” says President Cortney Sells. “When you spend just as much time in the office, if not more, as you do at home, it’s inevitable to build connections that are deeper than just being coworkers.”
Unlike most places, The Firm hires employees based on who they are and tailors the job to fit their strengths and personalities instead of the other way around – like match-making, but in the workplace. This strategy allows The Firm team to avoid burnout and extra stress during the day, which in turn, helps save the company money.
According to a Gallup poll, employees “checking out” of their jobs costs employers up to $550 billion every year in lost productivity. Not only that, but workplace stress costs employers roughly $300 billion annually. Burnout is one of the major factors hurting retention. Further, a strong and healthy company culture that aligns with personal beliefs increases productivity and the quality of work. When productivity goes up, financial health also increases leading to higher salaries and more efficiencies in the workplace.
Not only is The Firm an office, we’re a family. We stay in touch both on and off the clock with our mass group chat. In our own language, we keep everyone up-to-date and have fun while doing it. Constant gifs, emojis and bitmojis are sent on the daily and makes work much easier when we genuinely enjoy the people and the environment we’re surrounded by.
Before coming to The Firm, I didn’t realize it was possible to enjoy working as much as I do. Now, I can’t imagine any other life for myself.
Fellow Firm Swan Anya Roberts can relate: “The Firm allows me to better my skills while always feeling supported by our Firm Family. Because I know that I’m not alone and feel comfortable reaching out to any of my team for help, I’m able to help our clients to the fullest.”
Millennials want a purpose when we come to work. We yearn to feel engaged and know our work truly matters. We’ve become accustomed to the fast-paced era with limitless potential and want a career that allows us to continuously improve and grow. The Firm makes me feel as though I am a part of something bigger than just myself and provides fuel to be the best me.
Also in This Issue
- Embracing Seasonality
- Music City Blooms
- How Do I Finance My Seasonal Business?
- The Firm Winners
- 50/50 Revenue Streams
- Timing is Everything: The Impact of Trends on Sale Price
- Learning From A Pro: 8 Questions
- For The Love of Design: Expanding a Seasonal Landscaping Business
- Hog Farming to Hedging Commodities