We can all remember the names of the world’s biggest companies. Coca Cola, Apple and Amazon, to name just a few! Each of these companies make Billions of dollars each year and are continuing to grow financially like money-making-juggernauts. When we think about these companies, we think about the fancy advertising, and perhaps their exciting products – the presentation for the new iPhone is watched by millions worldwide. We think less about the hundreds of thousands of people who work for these companies. Companies are vast faceless corporate bureaucracies who see their workers more as numbers on a spreadsheet than a resourceful community. Companies should take a page out of Google’s book, and actively encourage the worker community in order make them more successful.
Why is a community so important?
Workers are the cogs in the wheel which drives the company’s workload. Without then nothing would work. We can assume, therefore, that more productive staff can result in a more productive company. If workers believe in the cause, or believe in the ethos, of their company then they are far more likely to go the extra mile. This also combines to build their brand identity in a positive light, and in 2019, the year of public judgement, this could be hugely important. As the general public, we would be a lot happier with our data stored by trustworthy humans, rather than a computer.
It we take two examples – Amazon and Google. In 2018 it was reported that the Amazon staff were subjected to sweat shop like conditions. They work from 7:30 am to 6pm, and due to the per-hour workload, are sometimes unable to use the bathroom. 82% of Amazon workers said they wouldn’t work at Amazon again. Google, on the other hand, is the opposite. It frequently wins the “best company culture” award and is generally renowned as the best company to work for. They allow for flexible work hours, collaborative spaces and the ability to bring your dog to work. If that doesn’t create a community, I don’t know what will! Both of these companies do similarly financially, but in contrast, happy workers make a happy company – just watch the movie The Internship!
What do companies gain by treating their staff as a community?
Happy workers drastically decrease the chances of staff turnover. This immediately makes the Human Resources department much happier. The longer workers spend at a company the more they invest in the ethos, and the better they get at their job. Having friends rather than colleagues can also encourage people not only to keep the job, but also makes them more likely to look forward to work. In terms of the larger company, the community of staff are an invaluable resource. They can give honest and constructive feedback into the company. They want it to succeed and therefore will do anything for that to happen. Communities are a front of unity and strength; a front that companies would dream of.