As an employer, are you making the right moves?

The world of work has obviously experienced a major pivot. And there’s no doubt more pivots will come. So what impact has the pandemic had on your workplace culture and brand? And how can your organization emerge stronger? Here are our recommendations based on our workplace culture research.

1. Ensure a safe channel for employee feedback.

Give employees the opportunity to offer feedback. This ensures they feel heard and offers proof their input matters. It also builds trust and confidence, and research shows this has a direct impact on employee engagement.

2. Build trust with your employees.

People are wired to perceive threats. When an employee starts at a new company, it can take up to two years to build trust. When there is a misstep, that trust can be shattered. But it is possible to recover. First, do what you can to remove the perception of threat and build a sense of inclusion. How do you do that? With sincerity, thought, planning, and consistency.

3. Get buy-in at the senior leadership level.

Your employees are your brand ambassadors. They present your organization’s culture and your brand to clients, prospects – and even job candidates. When it comes to high levels of employee engagement, Top Workplaces have an executive sponsor. That means someone at the senior leadership level understands how employee engagement impacts performance and is really excited about it.

4. Build on your culture strengths.

For Tom Landry, one of the all-time great football coaches, appreciation was a habit. After every game, he’d show a highlight reel, but it wasn’t filled with gaffes or blunders. Instead, Coach Landry used the opportunity to celebrate successful plays and recognize individual players.

When you appreciate employees, it helps them feel competent and successful. And that motivates them to give more each day. Find ways to reinforce the good. If you can tie their work to your organization’s values, even better. It provides the positive reinforcement of the behavior you want your employees to live.

5. Become an aspiring Top Workplace.

Top Workplaces, the leading employer recognition program, is powered solely by the employee feedback that is captured with the Energage employee engagement survey. Aspiring to achieve this award offers proof that you prioritize a people-first culture. Plus, when you can say “I work for a Top Workplace,” it gives employees a great sense of pride and boosts morale.

6. Highlight your employer brand.

Remember, your customers are buying more than your products and services. They’re buying your culture and brand. Employer branding tools enable you to highlight, celebrate, and share where your organization excels, whether it’s communication, values, appreciation, or one of the other culture drivers.

Lisa Burke is a workplace improvement expert at Energage, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm that surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 7,000 organizations in 2019. Energage is The Washington Post’s research partner for Top Workplaces.