Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association

Employers have a means of free advertising available at their fingertips – employee experience – and with the right blueprint, this advertising can compound in numerous ways. Whether it be promoting stable retention rates, attracting prospective new hires, or increasing business flow, a positive employee experience provides businesses and organizations with the opportunity to grow organically.

Notably, the vast majority of people spend a significant portion of their time working, and workplace culture and environment inevitably factors into their overall experience and desire to take pride in their work. As stated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, “employment is at the centre of most people’s lives, and the quality of an individual’s employment is an important element of his or her well-being”. As such, building a strong workplace culture that operationalizes organizational values and vision, and that actively works towards implementing feedback based on employee experience and expectations, is essential to achieving a positive employee experience, and free advertising.

Time and time again, the importance that workplace culture and environment play on employee experience has been recognized. For example, recognizing the importance that factors such as work environment play on employee well-being and experience, the Canadian Government recently released the first results from its Canadian Survey on Working Conditions survey, which assesses the working conditions of Canadians, and aims to provide a more robust snapshot of the quality of employment in Canada (the “Working Conditions Survey”).

In addition to assessing the physical and psychological risks that workers can be exposed to, the Working Conditions Survey also examines the pressures that impact workers’ ability to achieve a proper balance between their work and personal lives, and other qualitative indicators such as working time, work intensity, discrimination at work, training, work and life satisfaction, and the use of artificial intelligence and automation. Interestingly, the Working Conditions Survey’s results indicate that “[supportive] co-workers can make it easier for employees to navigate a variety of different situations at work”, and that “…a majority of employees felt that their colleagues (79.5%) and their manager (73.6%) were usually supportive…” These findings further highlight the important role that a healthy and respectful workplace culture plays on shaping employee experience.

Ultimately, working towards fostering a healthy and respectful workplace culture is beneficial for all. Not only does it provide employers with the opportunity to ensure that organizational values and priorities are adhered to, but it also grants workers with the opportunity to take pride in their work and workplace. All in all, it provides “free advertising” on each side of the equation. Therefore, building and maintaining a healthy workplace environment should be top of mind for employers. In doing so, the following factors should be taken into consideration:

• Workplace Assessments. Conducting workplace assessments provides employers with the toolkit necessary to evaluate the health of their workplace culture and environment. Most notably, workplace assessments provide employers with the ability to identify areas of strength and weaknesses, and ensure that organizational values are being implemented and adhered to. Workplace assessments allow employers to review their current policies and procedures, and confirm that they reflect recent legislative and industry-specific updates, requirements and best practices.
• Workplace Compliance and Training. Employers should provide appropriate training for employees at all levels, including outlining their respective rights and responsibilities under applicable legislation (including, for example, the Ontario Human Rights Code and Occupational Health and Safety Act). These rights and responsibilities will vary depending on sectoral requirements and applicable legislation.
• A healthy compliance and training program must genuinely demonstrate an organization’s commitment to its purported values and obligations. It must endeavour to inform all employees, and work towards building a culture of compliance. Management should strive to lead by example, and work towards ensuring that compliance becomes an ongoing conversation that all employees are invited to partake in.
• Workplace Issues. It is inevitable that problems will arise; and when they do, it is important that employers take the appropriate steps to address and resolve workplace issues. For complex workplace issues, it might be necessary for an employer to initiate a neutral third-party investigation, that will help manage liability and maintain the organization’s reputation. Where the workplace culture has been disrupted by conflict, it might be necessary to conduct workplace restoration services to rebuild relationships, harmony and collegiality.