At the same time, we also explored whether alignment with organizational vision and values continued to be the core intent fuelling every engagement effort by the employer/organization.

We started by asking professionals on social media about the key factors influencing their decision to join an organization. While 3 factors stood out, it was surprising to see that not a single factor had an absolute majority (i.e. 50%+). In fact, the leading factor only had a 38% majority while the 2 others followed closely at 29% and 24%. However, we take consolation in the fact that “A Strong Culture Alignment” emerged as the leading reason. Ideally, this should always be a key consideration for anyone before joining an organization.

Exploring organizational culture

Organizational culture is a system of values, shared beliefs, practices and attitudes that govern every employee's action. It is akin to a fingerprint, defining the unique personality of an organization. A strong, honest, and positive organizational personality draws people towards it and engages them in a predictable and trustworthy manner.

Every employee should do significant research for genuine feedback, especially within a trusted network, before joining any organization. While information about the other 3 parameters is generally available to the employee beforehand, culture is one thing that requires an effort from our end to validate. Misalignment with the culture of the organization can make life difficult and push an employee to alter their personality, pushing them to behave in a way that is not in sync with their personal core value systems. Eventually, this leads to employees quitting within a shorter tenure, which helps no one. Therefore, organizations need to articulate and communicate their culture to the outside world and not just internally.

It should be a critical and constant objective for every organization to clearly articulate what defines its culture. Inadequate and ineffective communication translates into attracting the wrong set of people, leading to duplication of efforts and investment.

While we know the motivations that drive people to join various organizations, it is also important to understand which entity is responsible for taking steps to ensure that the process of employee-culture alignment is thorough and continuous. We’re happy to point out that an overwhelming majority of 88% feel that this is a joint responsibility of the employee and employer.

This paints a positive picture. Any relationship in life can succeed only if there is a genuine partnership/sharing of responsibilities between 2 entities. This holds true in the case of an employer-employee relationship as well. Instead of passing on the responsibility to each other right from the start, both entities need to realize that they both must walk half the distance to ensure that the relationship starts on a positive and winning note.

Once the employee is onboard, it is important for the employer to ensure that every effort is made to engage with them and ensure absolute alignment. However, they need to understand that it is a slow journey and there is an absolute need for perseverance from both ends to make this relationship work.

However, with the pandemic, the rise of WFH, and the global recessionary trends, it is clear that employee engagement in organizations will never be the same again. That is exactly the message that the majority of respondents had to communicate as well—63% felt that the parameters to measure employee engagement are changing if not already changed (25%). Organizations are working overtime to figure out hitherto unexplored methods to engage with employees and this will be a long exploratory journey. Organizations are already embracing complete/hybrid WFO options to see if they can get back to how things were before all these global events occurred.

As we start a new journey into unchartered waters in the areas of employee engagement, we need to be conscious that it can never be a one-size-fits-all approach. Every employee is looking forward to a customized approach from the organization’s end and nothing other than the best foot forward works for both entities.

Here’s to some exciting times ahead in this space.