87% of employees rate their workplace culture as very good or good: SHRM India

The SHRM India report highlights that even after the pandemic, most workplaces still embrace a positive work culture

SHRM India has launched the "Global Workplace Culture Report 2022: Strengthening the workplace culture-A tool for Retaining and Empowering Employees Globally". The study was conducted with a sample of 9,464 workers from 12 countries. It highlights how, even after all the COVID-19 pandemic turmoil, the majority of workplaces still embrace a positive work culture. The report puts a spotlight on India, showing 87% of employees rating their workplace culture as very good or good. Almost 9 out of 10 workers in India indicated that their manager encourages a culture of open and transparent communication.

Globally, 72% of employees rated their workplace culture as very good or good, whereas 20% rated it average, and only 7% rated it poor or very poor. Surprisingly, 89% of workers believe their workplace culture has improved or stayed the same after the pandemic. Despite employees expressing content with their workplace culture, the report suggests organisations remain vigilant and focus on communication, transparency, and trust within the company.

“To meet the challenges of 2022, organizations must continue to remain engaged in workplace culture,” said SHRM president and CEO Johnny C Taylor, Jr, SHRM-SCP. “Now is the time to focus on communication, transparency, trust and all other tenets of a strong work environment—one that puts workers first. By making workers feel safe, physically, and psychologically, and by opening the lines of communication at work, people managers and other leaders can improve work environments in ways that produce positive feelings and prevent turnover. Done the right way, people management can be the difference between employee empowerment and a talent drain.”

Achal Khanna, CEO, SHRM India, APAC & MENA, said: "The report brought forth an important aspect of organisational growth in notice, the workplace culture. Workplace culture will spell the difference between success and failure in a post-pandemic world. When the employees feel safe and heard at work, their productivity is bound to increase, which will ultimately benefit the organisation. Now is the best time to acknowledge the significance of communication and embrace an environment with a worker-first approach.”

Key findings of the report:

• Most workers who have thought about leaving their current organisation work in organisations with poor cultures. 90% of employees who rate their organisational culture as poor have considered quitting; 72% of employees who rate their organisational culture as average have considered quitting; and 32% of employees who rate their organisational culture as good have considered quitting.
• 32% of workers, as against 45% in India, indicated that they dread going to work, potentially due to poor workplace culture.
• 42% of workers globally have witnessed the inconsiderate or insensitive treatment of a co-worker by a manager in the past year.
• Only 69% of workers claimed their direct supervisor was empathetic.
• Six in 10 workers (60%) actively searching for a job claimed their organization’s culture makes it difficult to balance their work and home commitments.