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Work Hard, Have Fun: Reclaiming A Combative Work Environment

YEC
POST WRITTEN BY
Jaspar Weir

“Work hard, play hard.” It’s time for this Sisyphean notion in the workplace to end. For years, startups have hinged their workplace cultures on creating this “balance,” yet time has shown that it fails more often than not. Burning the candle at both ends is not conducive for achieving optimal performance company-wide. On top of that, trying to maintain a rigorous workload and a highly active social life can be dangerous.

The business world used to be driven by power and competitiveness, which inspired innovation in Silicon Valley. Today, “playing hard” glorifies the debauched lifestyle of the tech-bro stereotype, and all it takes is one bad employee to put a company in jeopardy. When that fiercely competitive nature permeates a company’s culture, it does not create a cohesive team.

As leaders, how do we change this? Culture comes from the top. In addition to creating a workplace where employees are set up for professional success, CEOs need to foster fun and make the workplace enjoyable because they are likely to spend more time at the office with coworkers than engaged in other pursuits. Make your work setting an optimal environment for all employees. At my company, we think “work hard, have fun” is a better way of putting it.

Lead by example.

Now is the time to embrace a shift in your work environment, and it needs to start at the top with leadership setting the tone and direction for the company. But that doesn’t mean the responsibility of setting an example stops at the CEO.

Promoting collaboration requires company-wide support -- executive leadership, managers, committee leaders, head of departments, office managers and others who have leadership qualities must set the tone. Progress is only achieved when it is demonstrated at every level from leaders to peers.

Understand that a positive workforce yields positive results.

• 46% of human resource leaders say employee burnout is responsible for up to half of their annual workforce turnover.

• 95% of human resource leaders admit employee burnout is sabotaging workforce retention.

These statistics from Kronos regarding employee burnout speak for themselves. Allow employees to express themselves authentically because the happier the employee, the better they perform. In turn, this increases productivity, revenue and client retention. Reward employees for the hard work they do. There needs to be a balance between working hard but still having fun. Employees need to feel listened to and that they, and the work they do, matter.

At TaskUs, we make sure to give employees multiple ways to share feedback, address issues or raise questions. Building a positive workplace is one of the most important things a company can do for their employees. Otherwise, those burnout statistics could become a reality for your business.

Pour on the passion.

As employers, we must provide meaningful, quality interactions at a personal level with all our team members. Relationships allow us to be more than just a cog in the machine. Encourage employees to get away from their desks, make connections, build trust and do something they love.

For instance, we sponsor wellness activities that range from meditation courses to healthy eating seminars and group spin classes. Our operational sites have gyms and various recreational activities like ping pong, shuffleboard, video games and billiards. We organize employee sports teams, from basketball and soccer to esports, and compete locally and globally.

We put so much emphasis on our employees being well-rounded that it affects their pay. Last year, we threw out our annual performance review process for something we call The Human Project. Employees are empowered to ask for a raise, and when they do, we evaluate the three Ps: performance, passion and purpose. While the bulk of their raise is based on business performance, there are extra kickers available if the candidate can explain their passion (karate, dirt biking and lightsaber fighting are all examples) or how they give back in their local community.

It is important to think of employees holistically, not just as people who want to contribute to a business, but who also have personal lives and are passionate about causes. Employees want to feel empowered through improving their communities and the lives of those in need. 

Don’t forget to have fun.

Having fun at work is integral to working hard and putting in long hours. You need to break up the monotony to inspire creativity, avoid burnout and foster teamwork.

Having a fun working environment doesn’t always equate to happy employees, but it takes a concerted effort at every level of the organization to make a positive and productive culture.