8 Signs Your Professional Services Company Has a Culture Problem

8 Signs Your Professional Services Company Has a Culture Problem

By Carrie Dagenhard

If you want to build a team of loyal, innovative and highly productive employees, you have to start with a healthy working environment. Here are eight symptoms of an unhealthy work culture, and how to go about fixing them.

1. Turnover is Growing

Feel like you’re bleeding talent? There’s a reason employees are taking off. Turnover can cost companies up to 213% of a lost employee’s salary.¹
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Conduct exit interviews to identify why employees jump ship. Common themes within their responses will lead you to the root of the problem.

2. Employees are Afraid to Take Risks

Nothing kills innovation faster than the fear of failure.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Offer a reward to the employee who can develop the best solution for a complicated problem.

3. Managers are Supervisors, Not Coaches

Management should do much more than dole out orders and criticism. 1 in 2 employees has left a job to get away from a manager. ²

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Train managers on your preferred leadership style and methods. Give them the time and space to help their employees advance.

4. Employees Aren’t Giving Feedback

Employees who don’t speak up are usually afraid of retribution or assume complaints and suggestions will be ignored.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Use an anonymous feedback system and take action to address concerns. Over time, employees will feel more comfortable giving
their two-cents.

5. After-Hours Work is Expected

If employees can’t rest and recharge, then productivity will plummet. Employee output falls sharply after working more than 50 hours-per-week.³

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Never require employees to work during their time off. If a project demands additional hours, offer additional compensation.

6. Absenteeism Has Increased

A surge in sick days usually indicates burnout and disengagement.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Perform an anonymous engagement survey to determine why employees are less-than-excited about coming to work.

7. You Don’t Offer Opportunity for Learning and Growth

Employees who can’t expand their skillsets with you will look to do so elsewhere. 42% of employees say learning and development is a top consideration when deciding where to work.⁴

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Help employees advance by offering regular training on new technology and industry best practices.

8. You Don’t Invest in Time-Saving Technology

Opting not to invest in productivity-enhancing technology will cost you talent and money.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Invest in professional services automation that will save you and your team time so you can focus on building relationships and improving client satisfaction.

Conclusion: By identifying and addressing these symptoms and changing your company culture, you’ll be better equipped to attract top talent, exceed revenue goals and outpace the competition.

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Learn More About SherpaDesk's Professional Services Automation Software.

SOURCES

[1] www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CostofTurnover.pdf [2] www.gallup.com/services/182138/state-american-manager.aspx
[3] www.cnbc.com/2015/01/26/working-more-than-50-hours-makes-you-less-productive.html [4] https://about.udemy.com/ideas-and-opinions/2018-millennials-at-work-research-report