Respect in the workplace comes in many forms: recognition from leadership, working with fellow peers, engaging with company clients. Seventy-two percent of employees rated “showing respect of all employees” as very important, according to a recent survey by the Society of Human Resources Management. Respect was the top contributor to overall employee job satisfaction, which led to greater engagement and commitment.
It’s clear how actions of mutual respect can help a workplace thrive. Yet a top challenge still remains – employees may not always recognize acts of disrespect to others or know how to navigate the situation when it occurs. When coworkers feel like they cannot fully trust the people around them or speak up to be heard, they are more likely to disengage from team culture or leave the company entirely.
That’s why companies like DailyPay establish a culture based on open communication, making sure all team members come to work with a complete understanding of what constitutes workplace respect. As a leader, that means being able to empathize with the experiences of both new hires and longtime employees alike.
Chief People Officer Irene Hendricks told Built In NYC how her team emphasizes shared values and why striving to be a “flat organization” can make a big difference.
What is the most important thing company leaders can do to promote and/or improve respect and civility in the workplace?
As leaders, we need to be alert to our behaviors of inclusion, communication and engagement with all colleagues. What we say, but more importantly what we do, is what will shape our culture. In an early-stage company like DailyPay, everything we do is foundational and creates the core of our generational culture.
I firmly believe that civility begins with our shared DailyPay values. These values collectively form our DailyPay Way – how we operate, engage with each other and show up to our customers. Our values are embedded in everything we do, from how we select talent, conduct onboarding to how we do our daily work. Our core focus on diversity, equity and inclusion tells us that respect is integral to every colleague, every day. It’s what helps us as an organization to Win With Diversity. Overall, these values are who we are.
How have you created a culture where everyone — regardless of their background — feels empowered to voice an opinion and confident that their opinions will be heard, valued and respected?
We embed our values throughout our ways of working. Colleagues provide each other with 360-degree feedback on not only WHAT they do, but HOW they show up in the workplace – a specific linkage to ensuring that our teamwork and culture is a big focus area for us.
Because we are a tight-knit organization that often works cross-functionally, behaviors such as treating each other with respect and dignity are essential to how we function.
We also strive to be a flat organization. We try to create ways that communication can happen throughout all levels of the organization, including “Ask the CEO” at our all-hands meetings, pulse surveying colleagues on diversity and inclusion, and formally engaging in culture surveys to ensure that everyone at DailyPay is having an outstanding experience with our culture.
What we say, but more importantly what we do, is what will shape our culture.”
How are you tracking, monitoring or measuring employee sentiment when it comes to things like feeling respected, feeling empowered to speak up, feeling like their opinions are valued, etc?
We want to make sure these values are weaved through everything we do. Most recently, we created and rolled out a formal internal communication and social media policy to provide colleagues with guidance and examples on our expectations. This was supported by an all-hands training session with a Q&A to ensure that all colleagues had a chance to voice their questions and fully understand and appreciate not only the letter of this policy but also the spirit of it.
