Cultivating an Employee Experience That Supports a Culture of Care (Part 1)

It is possible to get into the rhythm of being so focused on meeting goals that we lose sight of nurturing human connection within our organizations? 

As the leader of a law firm (or any organization),  you must act in your firm's best interest to ensure goals are being met with particular attention to efficiency and productivity.  In today's post-pandemic workplace which includes high turnover rates and extreme labor shortages, leaders must also consider the employee experience as an essential component of the firm's success.  

What is the employee experience? 

The employee experience is the accumulation of encounters and feelings employees have that develop their overall perception of the organization in which they are employed.

Prioritizing the employee experience is key to developing a culture of care that supports top performance.

What is a culture of care? 

A culture of care is defined by the organization's genuine interest in the overall well-being of the workforce. Genuine interest should consider and ensure employees feel valued and respected by the organization, pleased with the work environment, and passionate about their work.

Cultivating the employee experience

 To cultivate a positive experience, employees need to perceive the organization as equitable, as a place where they are valued as an individual, where their work is making an impact, and where their professional aspirations are being fulfilled.

The workplace should offer employees a fair exchange of their needs being met for their services.

Components of the Employee Experience

The core components that influence the employee experience are divided into two categories of needs: fundamental and intrinsic.

• Fundamental needs are those that employees must receive to make them work for an organization.
• Intrinsic needs are those that will motivate and keep employees willing to work for an organization.

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Opportunities for Law Firm Leaders

Being conscious of the employee experience as firm leaders make decisions, set expectations, interact with employees, and perform daily work is essential to supporting a culture of care. Leaders must integrate and live the values that support and enhance the employee experience in the organization's culture.

The goal for leaders, as cultural drivers, should be to stimulate an authentic connection between the employee and the firm by meeting their workplace needs. Authenticity thrives on mutual transparency, trust, accountability, inclusion, integrity, and respect. Establishing authenticity will organically instill the high-impact characteristics of an engaged workforce.

Benefits of a Positive Employee Experience

With the right approach towards cultivating a positive employee experience, you should see all team members living out a value system that supports a positive employee experience in their daily work resulting in:

• Increased productivity
• Connection and commitment to work
• Less employee turnover
• Higher profitability

Organizations prioritizing positive employment relations can rely on a more loyal and committed workforce. When employees have positive perceptions of their organizations, they are more motivated to approach and resolve conflict or challenges with ease.

It goes without saying that having a culture of care where everyone feels seen, heard, valued, and respected creates a mutually satisfying relationship for both the employee and the organization.

Check Out Part 2 of this series:   

5 Steps to Build the Law Firm Employee Experience 

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