If you think about all the time you spend with your colleagues, you will often discover you log more hours with them each week than you do any other person, even your spouse and children. This isn’t necessarily a negative, as coworkers can serve as a pseudo second family. Of course there’s work to be done, but over time you can really grow to care about the people on your team.
In reality, your place of employment is an important community that provides countless benefits. In addition to adult interaction and comradery, your employer provides opportunities to socialize (company parties, group luncheons), a feeling of belonging (teamwork, striving toward common goals), and an avenue for you to utilize and grow your skills (pride in your contributions, career advancement).
Though it may not be instinctual, workplace culture contributes to an incredibly important community that is a big part of who you are. If you’re unhappy at your work, or your personality just doesn’t fit in with your current company’s culture, you may want to think about starting a job search in the near future. When you find the right fit, things will naturally click.
Employers are taking note and being proactive about supporting employee culture and investing in workplace communities. HR departments and company leaders are starting to really embrace the idea that strong cultures create engaged employees who are more loyal and productive. This can have a snowball effect that all contributes to bigger profits and overall growth.
What’s more, a culture that focuses on the employee community builds a brand’s reputation from the inside out. All of a sudden, employees are brand ambassadors promoting products and services, plus touting how great the company is to potential future talent (and the application pipeline fills).
So this holiday season, take a moment to appreciate your workplace community. Bring your A-game each day and appreciate those who are by your side five days a week.
