The 'Great Resignation' has seen employees change their expectations.
Discover how being authentic can help you retain staff.
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Here at UNLEASH we often discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (D,E&I) in the workplace.
Although some may not see the benefits of a diverse workplace, it has been proven time and time again that a variety of voices improve idea generation and the strategies of businesses.
Despite the clear benefits, diversity is not a top priority for employees. At least that is what b Authentic Inc, a career leadership company, has found.
b Authentic spoke to 1,122 people to understand what they wanted to see when they are looking for new roles.
The study found that 87% of employees want an authentic company culture, and 84% are looking for an authentic manager.
Surprisingly, only 68% of respondents cared about diversity. Authenticity also came above employees getting the experience they need to build their resume (72%) and employers showing a commitment to issues that the employee cares about (81%).
Digging into what these findings mean Erin Hatzikostas, b Authentic’s CEO, noted: “The findings in no way suggest that diversity isn’t important.
“Rather, this study shows that even if a company checks all the right boxes and achieves all the right numbers, it will be all for naught if people can’t be themselves at work.”
Furthering authenticity
Authentic companies are reaping the benefits; 85% of employees who believe they work in a transparent company intend to be with their employers two years from now.
This is a sharp contrast to those who do not believe they work in authentic companies, as only 47% of these employees are expecting to stay in their current company over the next two years.
Evidently, authenticity is important to build if you want to thrive in the ongoing talent shortages amid the ‘Great Resignation‘.
It may sound easy to deliver on promises, but being authentic requires companies to make commitments that they can reach and be transparent on their progress.
For example, if there is a lack of diversity in a business, leaders need to own this issue and begin taking steps to improve the situation.
Recognizing the issues that exist in a business goes a long way to a company being considered trustworthy by employees.
Speaking about the need for authenticity going forward, Hatzikostas said: “I’ve always believed that authenticity is critical in the workplace and that it’s something tangible you can implement. With this study, we’ve now put hard numbers behind it.
“Hopefully, this will help leaders see that an authentic culture isn’t just a ‘nice to-do’, but it’s a business imperative.”
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