You Have to Change Your Company Culture to Attract Top Talent

I've been doing a bunch of work for non-retail small businesses lately. And there's some really interesting outside-the-box thinking going on at many of those businesses.

Let me share a few thoughts about how entrepreneurial companies are changing the way they operate in order to be more successful. In particular, let's talk about company culture.

Attaching top talent means shifting your culture

Sure, you may have a wealth of experience in your past working for big companies with big company policies. Or you may be a serial entrepreneur who believes that your employees should work like you do.

In either case, those philosophies don't work for a whole new generation of employees who value work-life balance and who aren't willing to kill themselves for their jobs.

Here are a few thoughts about how to create a culture that will allow employees to thrive:

Throw out the minimal vacation policy. Employees need and deserve time off. So why are you only giving them a week or two weeks off during their first three to five years? That's unproductive and unrealistic in today's world.

People need time off to recharge (and that means that you won't expect them to stay connected while they're on vacation either). One company I'm working with has NO formal vacation policy. That doesn't mean employees don't get vacation -- it means employees can take off as much time as they want, provided their supervisor approves.

The kicker? Since other companies that have tried this found that employees felt guilty and took even less time off, the company I'm working for instituted a three week minimum per year.

Don't kill your employees. We live in a place where we cut budgets and staff, but the work keeps piling up. And that means that everyone is trying to do more with less.

That's a recipe for disaster. People deserve to live their lives and shouldn't be expected to work 50 or 60 hour weeks. If you're one of those bosses that works 60 hour weeks and feels like your employees should be lucky to have a job, then I'd hate working for you.

Don't expect your employees to work ridiculous hours every week. Of course there will be times when that happens, but make those the exception -- not the rule.

9 to 5 is only for Dolly Parton. People want flexibility today. The rules with which jobs were created decades ago don't apply.

Now we're a nation of single mothers or fathers. We have a service economy. There are more dual-income parents. All of these add up to a lot of non-tradtional needs that don't fit comfortably into a 9 to 5 bucket.

Employees expect flexibility to take Johnny to the doctor, to see Suzie in a school play, or to take a three week vacation. Sometimes that means allowing the normal business hours to flex with no hard starting or quitting time. Different employees have different scheudles for productibity -- not everyone is a morning person or a night owl. Allowing employees to work when they're most productive can mean great things for your company.

Have fun. Companies are so boring. Who says that work can't be or shouldn't be fun?

If we're not laughing, we might as well be dead. So why aren't you having fun? Just because you're having a great time doesn't mean you can't be productive. We need the laughter. We need the release of being silly. We need the ability to free our minds.

So let people be themselves. Let them play. Let them take a long lunch. Let them play a video game on their computer. Let them shop online. Let them surf the Web. They're doing most of these things anyway. They're just hiding it from you.

How are you creating a great culture where your employees can thrive? Sound off below.

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