Study Reveals How Sense of Pride is Important for Business Growth

Keeping your employees happy is one of the best ways to ensure success and business growth. There are a lot of things that drive admiration among them, and once they relate to these factors, they are motivated to work – which is why the sense of pride has a lasting impact on growth.

Employees make the biggest marketing channel and when your organization includes all the things that matter to them, they are bound to work more. But what are these factors that allow them to remain productive and impactful?

A recent report released by Brighter Monday dubbed Millennials & The Digital Marketplace identifies four areas employers should give enough consideration.

The report surveyed more than 8,000 Kenyan millennials and it explored five factors that are necessary to ensure optimum productivity amongst millennials, detailing the importance of each and illustrating how employers can implement them.

The five focus areas touched Work Culture, Sense of Pride, Diversity & Inclusion, Training & Development Opportunities, and Tools.

Among the strong factors preferred to foster a sense of pride are:

Strong Relatable Company Values and Goals

According to the results from the survey, one of the things that foster a sense of pride among employees is strong, relatable, company values and goals.

Of the total respondents featured, 37.3 percent claim that millennials take company values and goals very seriously. This is because they connect with mission and purpose.

The survey points out that a well-defined organizational mission and purpose will appeal to Millennials on a social and emotional level.

“This dynamic generation finds it important to connect with a company that shares their own values and priorities, which in turn, motivates them to put their best foot forward as they’re working towards a common goal,” reads the report.

It, therefore, follows that company values should not only be enshrined in company handbook but also emphasized in meetings, plastered on office boards and employee hardware.

It has long been established that when employees support the company’s mission, they are more likely to communicate it to customers and boost customer satisfaction.

Social Responsibility (CSR)

Out of Sense of Pride as a whole, brighter Monday says that social responsibility is perceived as important although strong relatable company values/goals are the most coveted factor.

The sentiments were supported by 18.2 percent of the respondents who said CSR is highly crucial for company growth.

CSR doesn’t only enhance how the society perceives your business but it also plays a pivotal role in shaping your employees’ perceptions and respect for you.

If you are involved in supporting good causes such as projects that drive change, this, in itself, is important to millennials, because “there ought to be the purpose in the work they do. Employers need to have authentic CSR activities as millennials tend to pick up insincerity; therefore, social causes must reflect authenticity.”

Some of the best examples of CSR activities that matter to employees are corporate foundations, employee volunteer programs, sustainability-focused social initiatives among others.

Showing them that you care about the world out there tells them that you will always have their back in anything they need.

As a matter of fact, Harvard Business Review says that “various forms of prosocial incentives – workers get rewarded not with money, but with the firm engaging in some activity to benefit society – indeed increase productivity in simple and complex tasks, increase retention, and even lower employees’ wage demands.”

Open Communication Channels

Through open communication channels, employees can easily relay what they have in mind, their suggestions, and other ideas that if implemented, makes them feel part of the company. This is one of the factors that determine the sense of pride.

“Employers need to need to develop an efficient, timely and transparent feedback system. A healthy open-door policy that allows input makes employees feel part of the company thus contributing towards its goals and objectives,” says the survey.

The research revealed that a whopping 98.5 percent of employees think getting feedback from their employer makes them productive. Another 9.3 percent of the respondents say that feedback from their employer is the most important factor, and only 1.5 percent said no.

Regarding how often employees need feedback from their bosses, 41.5 percent replied weekly, 30.9 percent prefer monthly feedback, 18.4 percent prefer it on a daily basis while 6.5 percent said after 6 months. Those who prefer it on an annual basis were only represented by 2.7 percent.

Clearly, the importance of interaction among employees and their bosses cannot be emphasized enough.

Keeping open communication channels includes having it “form of group feedback, individually or by means of a survey/suggestion box.”

Millennials highly prefer knowing where they stand with their performance, which is why regular reviews or assessments are vital for their productivity. They value criticism.

Reward and Recognition

A company that understands what it means to cultivate a culture that embodies employee reward and recognition goes a long way in terms of growth and success.

Brighter Monday report says, “Under the sense of pride, Reward and Recognition alongside Financial Stability are still considered as productivity enablers in the workplace despite strong relatable company values and goals being the most voted factor.”

It further reiterates that acknowledging and honoring employees’ valuable contribution to the company is a fundamental morale booster and in turn, increases productivity as they’re made to feel like their contribution to the company is meaningful and matters.

Those who voted for Reward and Recognition were represented by 22.2 percent whereas 13.1 percent said that financial stability among millennials in the workplace goes a long way in motivating them to work.

Some of the best ideas to incorporate here include bonuses for exemplary work done, appreciating all the employees for teamwork, even fun categories like best-dressed employee comes in handy at motivating them to work hard.