FOCUS on work-life balance
The new state of work: How workplace culture is shifting and why your organization should care
By The Indiana CPA Society
he past few years have propelled workplace culture into ever- changing territory. But even before the pandemic, generational attitudes and emerging technologies were creating pressing conversations around how workplaces function.
T “Right now we are feeling a heightened
sense of ‘us versus them’ between organizations' employees and senior leadership when it comes to things like working remotely or working in the office,” said Samantha Julka, president and founder of DORIS Research, a workplace research firm based in Indianapolis. Firms that aren’t taking note of these tensions and considering cultural shifts to their organizations are at risk of falling behind— especially when it comes to competing for a currently shrinking talent pool of future CPA professionals. Are you prepared to move toward meeting their expectations?
The new office space Tere’s no way around it: the pandemic
has created an awakening around whether the traditional office still has merit. “Te next five years will provide us with ample time to really dig in and prototype what the workplace of the future could be,” Julka said. In general, employees are no longer seeing the physical space as the place where work happens, but instead a place for connection. Sure, it’s important to assess whether or not your team has access to the tech and supplies they need when working in house. But it’s also important to examine if your space is supporting a positive and productive culture. Te more the space is conducive to creating
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connections and giving team members opportunity to collaborate and engage with each other—both professionally and personally—the more likely your team is going to want to find themselves in the office. But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. “Te organizations that succeed will do so by truly listening to the needs of all stakeholders involved,” Julka said. “Tose that can show empathy and grace for both the needs of the organization and the needs of the people who make up the organization will achieve far greater success than their counterparts that want to battle over mandates.”
The new dress code Dress codes have been loosening gradually
through the years, even in traditionally buttoned-up industries. But Zoom calls and Team communications over traditional face-to-face have loosened expectations even more. What does this mean for the new era of working in the office? According to the Journal of Accountancy,
HR professionals in firms across the country are getting more creative with approaches to dress codes. One of the most popular tactics is the “dress for your day” policy, giving flexibility to wear more casual attire—within reason— when employees aren’t handling client-facing tasks for the day, and more appropriate dress on days when meeting with clients. Most keep a back-up ensemble on-hand at the office for surprise meetings. It’s also important to remember client
dress codes are changing, as well. Reflecting their dress code in meetings is becoming increasingly acceptable and, for some clients, preferred.
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