Building communities in your startup
Over the years, our lives have become increasingly solitary and disconnected. As our social fabric has frayed, our mental health has suffered a similar decline. With more aspects of our lives becoming digital and hybrid or remote work becoming the norm, our chances of meaningful social interactions have dwindled.
Human beings naturally need that connection and a sense of belonging to a community. Startups are idealy placed to provide that community, with multiple opportunities to find like minded people through shared interests. This will not only cultivate a more inspired workforce but will also enhance their overall well-being - a win-win for all involved.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS
Employee retention is an obvious one. Cultivating a strong community will help establish a positive company culture, leading to increased employee satisfaction, higher retention rates, and an excellent tool when attracting top talent in the future. Praise from your current employees may have a much higher impact on potential new hires than most things you can list in a benefits section.
Friction-free communication is another. If your team knows each other from various perspectives, both professional and personal, communication becomes more effective. Such a dynamic can foster greater tolerance and forgiveness for mistakes and miscommunication, promoting an open, honest, and transparent way of working. Can you imagine how much more pleasant a working day could be?
Collaboration and Innovation follow along… Communities bring together many diverse perspectives and skill sets, encouraging collaboration and sparking innovation. An environment where an individual feels comfortable expressing their ideas, however “out there” they may be at times, is an environment that will also lead to enhanced problem-solving capabilities and a culture of creativity.
Fostering connection and belonging - communities act as a platform for employees to connect with like-minded individuals on a more personal level. Communities foster a profound sense of belonging within the organisation as a whole.
Knowledge sharing and learning opportunities - communities will facilitate sharing of expertise, best practices, and industry knowledge which in turn will empower employees to grow, both personally and professionally. The natural continuous learning environment at its best.
Within communities, your employees will find a support system where they can freely seek guidance, advice, and emotional support without feeling judged. This promotes overall well-being and helps reduce stress in the workplace, making for a happier and more productive team.
As a positive consequence of that greater sense of belonging, this deeper level of commitment among employees may result in more of a personal investment in the organisation’s success. This leads to a stronger sense of responsibility and motivation especially when faces with any challenges that may arise.
By embracing the power of community, startups can harness these advantages to create an environment that nurtures collaboration, personal growth, and a thriving workforce, while ensuring a fulfilling and successful journey for everyone involved.
SO, WHAT IF WE DON’t have communities at work?
Communities matter. They always have - and they have always existed - the difference now is that we’re actually talking about them as their importance is now more noticeable than ever.
The absence of communities in the workplace can have detrimental effects on both employee well-being and your business performance. Disconnected and isolated workers often report experiencing lower job satisfaction, underperform in their roles and receive fewer promotions, move jobs often, lack creativity, and show a limited willingness to collaborate.
are communities basically for extroverts?
No, they are beneficial to everyone. We have already established that every human, every individual has a fundamental need for connection. Of course, this will look different for each person but by adopting a community strategy that is led by the teams themselves, you can ensure there is something for everyone. You can cater to different interests and preferences.
but my team is only small
Indeed, even in small teams it is essential to create opportunities for your employees to connect beyond the work-related tasks. You can find ways for non-work interactions, strengthening the bond among team members, improving communication, and fostering a strong sense of belonging.
ok, give me some ideas…
Ideally, you will allow your employees’ interests to guide the formation of communities by simply providing encouragement. You can offer necessary resources such as meeting spaces, equipment, or even budgetary support if possible to further enhance the experience.
Let’s look at some examples:
How about hacking/coding? Technology enthusiasts and programmers can collaborate, share ideas and work on personal projects.
Wellness - signing up for some meditation sessions, yoga classes, and access to other wellness resources.
Fitness - perhaps organising some fitness challenges, online team workouts, running clubs, or other physical activities.
Pets - providing a space to share photos of their much-loved pets and exchanging tips as a start, but why not think about bringing pets into the office for a day every so often (if you have one)?
Diversity and inclusion - supporting minority groups and their allies to come together and promote inclusivity in the workplace.
Learning and development - no, not only work-related. Expand into book and/or podcast clubs, mentorship programs, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
Encourage eco-friendly practices through idea sharing, collaborative sustainable projects, and activities. Why not go plogging?
Arts & crafts: support those creative endeavours. Something to think about if there are knitters, painters or artists within your team.
Photography - much like the above, bringing together individuals passionate about cameras and compositions and all of those details that make a great photograph.
Cooking and baking - Cooking enthusiasts and foodies will enjoy this. You don’t need to overthink it, you can provide some space for them to share their makes, or organise classes for a more guided experience.
There are many more avenues to explore when it comes to communities - think about a language exchange (we do live in a very diverse society and it is highly likely someone on your team will know another language or two). Perhaps there are musicians on the team who would enjoy some jamming sessions (could you form a band?!) or adventurers who would love nothing more than to take the team to experience something new.
should i consider some key performance indicators?
Absolutely! How effective your community-building efforts are, will be shown through metrics such as the number of active communities within your startup and then correlate this data with employee satisfaction and retention. This will provide you with valuable insights into the impact of communities on your organisation’s overall success.
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Who we are
Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals, and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK, and Europe.
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