Are you having fun yet?

14 Pages·2017·1.51 MB·English

COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE REPRINT
ISSUE 24, JANUARY 2019
Are you having fun yet?
by Tiffany McDowell, Sheba Ehteshami, and Kyle Sandell
ILLUSTRATION BY DONGYUN LEE
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134 ON THE COVER
Are you
having fun yet?
LEADING COMPANIES ARE DISCOVERING THERE’S A DISTINCT
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN MERGING WORK WITH PLAY
Are you having fun yet? 135
by Tiffany McDowell, Sheba Ehteshami, and Kyle Sandell
ILLUSTRATION BY DONGYUN LEE
HISTORICALLY WORK WAS, well, work. It leaders have realized what we now know to be true:
was about meticulously measured and that humans are inherently social and playful, and
critiqued efficiency, with breaks or light- introducing these characteristics into the work-
hearted moments with colleagues considered taboo. place won’t actually hurt the bottom line. Even so,
We softened a bit during the 1960s and 1970s, until more recently, a positive, social work environ-
socializing during breaks to smoke or drink, but ment was merely something “nice to have” rather
even these interactions had a stiff formality that than essential, because companies figured the real
hardly promoted letting loose or having fun.1 It is reason employees stayed was for stability, or pay,
only in the past couple of decades that business or prestige.
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136 ON THE COVER
Enter the latest societal disruption. In a world that can still be deployed by companies to positively
where technology is exponentially changing change the nature of how people work and, in turn,
personal and business capabilities, job-seekers how much they enjoy what’s inevitably a large part
often have bargaining power and are intention- of their lives.
ally looking for employers to fulfill needs beyond
From then to now:
material rewards. Many want the ability to work
remotely or with schedule flexibility, and the desire What’s changed?
for career stability as the end-all, be-all has shifted
to a practice of changing jobs frequently to upgrade There are three shifts that have created a busi-
from a stale environment or to gain new and useful ness opportunity for creating a climate for fun at
skills. Similarly, the thrill of working for a company work.
with an engaging environment often usurps the
traditional appeal of long-standing and reputable SHIFTS IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
organizations. These seismic shifts in how work is CONTRACT
viewed lead us to the concept of fun, something that Understanding how the workplace experi-
impacts the modern-day environment. Workplace ence has changed requires understanding the
fun is becoming a form of competitive advantage. fundamental relationship between employees and
But what exactly is it? employers, which academics call a psychological
This is about much more than one-off events or contract.2 In decades past, many employees were
gimmicks—it’s about truly embedding a climate of satisfied working for a “winner”—an organization
fun. Building meaningful work in a nurturing envi- that was performing well financially and in a posi-
ronment, filled with growth opportunities under- tion to provide them with the stability they desired
pinned by supportive management and trusted (see figure 1 for descriptions of how workplaces
leadership, is increasingly a must-have for orga- have—and are—evolving). Today, an increasing
nizations that want to thrive. Many companies number of workers believe business success should
have already started down this road and some are be measured by more than just financial perfor-
already the kind of employers that workers flock to, mance. So what are they looking for? A fun and
and rivals envy. But there are numerous strategies engaging experience that drives home the message
FIGURE 1
How workplaces have evolved
1900s 1950s 2000s 2020s
Scientific management era Humanization era Engagement era Workplace fun era
Using explicit measure- Increase of softer needs Booming socialization Amplified social enterprise
ment of individual in the workplace such as that is predominantly leading to competitive
performance and increased smoke breaks driven by a young, benefits including a fun
productivity, leaving where individuals could technology-driven organizational climate
little to no time for step away from work generation
socialization at work and socialize with one
another
Deloitte University Press | dupress.deloitte.com
Source: Deloitte analysis.
Are you having fun yet? 137
that their employer cares for its people,
not merely the bottom line. We see this
shift to a more socially aware and socially
connected workplace increasingly being
woven into traditional processes related
to employee attraction, selection, and
retention.
SHIFTS IN WORKFORCE
DEMOGRAPHICS
Many of the changes to workplace
expectations among employees can be
attributed to major shifts in workforce
demographics. In 2016, people under
the age of 40 became the largest genera-
tion at work, comprising 35 percent of the
United States labor force.3 Much has been
written about the differing needs and
expectations millennials have with their
employers, but perhaps the most telling
piece of information is this: for the first
85 percent of C-suite executives
time in many years, young people believe
that they will be financially worse off
rated collaboration as important
than their parents. This has led to many
actively questioning the core premises or very important, yet 73 percent
of corporate behavior and the economic
of employees said their leaders
and social principles that guide it. For
example, in mature markets, 64 percent
rarely, if ever, worked together
of millennials believe they will be less
well off financially than their parents and on projects or strategic initiatives.
69 percent say they will be less happy.4
How can businesses fill this growing
void? In parallel with providing a corpo- across organizational boundaries—IT problems
rate mission that inspires and instills pride among no longer remain solely in the IT department.
employees, they can foster engagement, social Individuals and especially leaders must foster a
opportunities, and fun. We know from research on deeper understanding of how various departments
creating fun climates that social meaning is a funda- interact and impact one another, cultivating a
mental driver of experiencing fun at work.5 systems-minded approach. In fact, 85 percent of
C-suite executives rate collaboration as important
SHIFTS IN WORK ITSELF or very important, yet 73 percent of employees say
With new technologies and the need to solve their leaders rarely, if ever, work together on proj-
increasingly complex, messy business problems, ects or strategic initiatives.6 This begs the ques-
it has become important for individuals to reach tion: how can senior leaders expect their people to
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Are you having fun yet?
138 ON THE COVER
collaborate effectively if they are not doing it them- talent. One common element is a focus on creating
selves? Research shows a key driver of collaborative and cultivating a climate of fun—one in which
environments is fostering a fun work climate.7 establishing and strengthening social connections
by providing a variety of differentiating experiences
How fun attracts, develops,
becomes an organizational priority.
and retains talent But what do we mean by “workplace fun”?
Frameworks and definitions abound but, generally,
Though employee expectations, demographics, a fun work environment “intentionally encourages,
and work itself have changed during the past 30 initiates, and supports a variety of enjoyable and
years, talent management has often been stub- pleasurable activities that positively impact the atti-
bornly fixed. In the new, open environment of tude and productivity of individuals and groups.”8
collaboration and growth, the “old rules” of talent We like this definition for several reasons. First, it’s
management—with employee opportunities bound defining an environment of fun at work, rather than
by considerable organizational constraints—can specific activities. The employee experience is a
stifle talent, organizational growth, and produc- collection of events creating a culture, not one-offs
tivity. Companies that embrace the new rules shift that feel more like checking a box. It also mentions
(detailed in figure 2) can deliver an experience intentionality. Workplace fun can exist organically
that is differentiated from their competitors and through, for example, a leader who values having
enhances their ability to attract, retain, and develop fun at work. We have found that companies that
FIGURE 2
Key shifts in work
Old rules New rules
Candidates and employees look for a climate
Financial stability and company prestige are
of social connectedness and engaging, fun
key factors in attracting and retaining talent
experiences when weighing work options
Employees expect to be treated as customers,
Employees expect to have the resources
with bright spots embedded within key
necessary to serve their customers (e.g.,
moments of their career (e.g., onboarding,
tools, resources, and direction)
changing roles, retiring)
Companies have someone responsible for the
Companies have separate HR leaders across
complete employee experience, focused on
recruiting, learning, rewards, engagement,
employee journeys, experiences, engagement,
and other HR services
and culture
A relatively homogenous workforce allows A diverse workforce with differing values and
for simple and repeatable social events for expectations brings the challenge of offering
bringing employees together multiple forms of social connectedness
Departments and functions are largely Leaders and employees must reach across
siloed, with rare need to collaborate with the organization to diverse teams when
one another solving complicated problems
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Are you having fun yet?
Are you having fun yet? 139
embrace fun as an intentional cultural value tend ATTRACTING TALENT
to have more success because it’s known as a wide- In an era of low unemployment, high employee
spread organizational aspiration. Finally, this expectations, and myriad job websites, it’s harder
definition mentions the benefits of workplace fun than ever to attract the attention of prospective
upfront and recognizes fun can impact both atti- talent. Organizations are recognizing the value of
tudes and behaviors. It’s this combination that can highlighting not only traditional elements such
differentiate workplace fun. as benefits and key job responsibilities, but the
One example is US online retailer Zappos, whose environment potential candidates will join—some
10 core values include fun (“create fun and a little even encourage applicants to speak with existing
weirdness”) and positivity (“build a positive team employees to get a feel for their culture. At the same
and family spirit”).9 Zappos also delivers advice on time, companies use websites and social media to
how to live such values during a three-day culture portray themselves as a fun place to work, describing
boot camp, which culminates in a conversation with their history, vision, values, and seeking to provide
CEO Tony Hsieh.10 an inside view of the people that work there. This
After embedding fun and positivity into the effort to inject fun into recruiting doesn’t stop once
foundation of an organization, there are, of course, an employee has been hired. Onboarding presents a
events and activities that successful companies use unique opportunity to express company values and
to engage employees. We’ve found workplace fun is put employees on a path to success.
used by some organizations to attract, develop, and For example, Bonobos asks hiring managers
retain talent (see figure 3) by cultivating cultures to email the entire organization to announce new
people want to join, and are reluctant to leave—a hires, including picture and a biography of the
critical competitive advantage. newcomer, along with a trivia game “two truths and
FIGURE 3
Fun and the talent life cycle
Attract Develop Retain
1 2 3
Perks and
Onboard
rewards
Work
Apply, interview, Connect to the
environment
and accept offer customer
Research roles/ Grow and Experience
company develop company culture
Real-world example Real-world example Real-world example
Starbucks attracts individuals through Google allows employees to Patagonia provides on-site
benefits such as paying tuition for spend 20% of their work week child care and opportuni-
university and online programs, and on self-assigned projects that ties to engage with mother
earning company shares through they believe can benefit Google. nature through surfing
their “Bean Stock” program. Gmail and AdSense are and skiing.
reported to be projects
developed through 20% time.
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140 ON THE COVER
Companies leading the way in creating fun climates are
not merely throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks.
They’re using big data and analytics to think strategically
about what kinds of activities support a climate of fun,
and fine-tuning accordingly.
a lie.” Employees are encouraged to select which this stage offer a variety of options to learn and
of the three statements about the new employee grow both professionally and personally, and we
is false, with a US$25 store credit awarded to the find crafting development opportunities through
fastest correct response. Online retailer Warby the lens of the customer experience is critical to
Parker has “lunch roulette,” where employees connecting an individual or team’s work to the
from different departments are randomly selected company’s broader goals.
to enjoy lunch on the company’s dime in an effort For example, Best Buy sought feedback from
to promote cross-functional connections.11 When employees on how to provide a unique customer
attracting employees, there’s no limit to the number experience in its retail stores, resulting in the
of creative methods companies may use, during opening of an “experience store,” where customers
both pre- and post-hire phases. could test the latest technologies in a highly immer-
sive environment.12 When Southwest Airlines
introduced the all-new Boeing 737 Max into their
DEVELOPING TALENT fleet, it included a third galley area allowing flight
Once employees experience an enjoyable attendants to serve customers with greater ease, an
onboarding process and determine an organization enhancement that was brought about via employee
is a good fit, they’ll likely start looking for growth input sought during the design phase.13 Lego offers
opportunities. Companies that have addressed an annual “play day,” where employees have the day
off to simply play with Lego products.14 All are exam-
ples of organizations empowering employees and
expanding their sphere of influence by making an
intentional effort to connect them to the customer
experience in engaging, playful, and fun ways.
RETAINING TALENT
Companies leading the way in creating fun
climates are not merely throwing ideas at the
wall to see what sticks. They’re using big data and
analytics to think strategically about what kinds of
activities support a climate of fun, and fine-tuning
accordingly. Rather than simply asking individual
employees “are you having fun?,” companies are
using pulse surveys and soliciting qualitative feed-
back to gather large amounts of data that can be
analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of what
employees, as a group, look for. This move toward
Are you having fun yet? 141
the collective—asking “are we having fun?”15—inten- for creating and sustaining the corporate climate.
tionally shifts the focus toward creating a culture of By fostering a sense of responsibility at an indi-
fun that aligns with external, publicized values.16 vidual level, organizations can help fun impact
When New Belgium Brewing Company named teams, leaders, and the overall organization (see
its second employee “director of fun,” it likely didn’t figure 4). And, of course, all of these levels are inter-
have a clear concept of what would follow.17 But that dependent, and only as strong as the weakest link.
senior leader, Brian Callahan, has since helped to
inject fun into the physical work environment, with THE INDIVIDUAL
the Colorado-based company’s headquarters now While goals, resources, and other mechanisms
boasting a rock climbing wall, ping-pong table, and for the “what” of delivering work may be out of
slide among its designated fun and social spaces.18 employees’ direct control, every individual has the
This not only helps retain existing talent but feeds power to voice ideas for constructing the “how” of
the attraction of new employees. achieving organizational expectations. This idea,
often referred to as job crafting, provides individ-
Embedding fun into
uals with the opportunity to improve their personal
the workplace experience at work by creating workplace fun
through their own lenses. Employees can consider
It’s easy enough to declare that fun should be an several ways to meaningfully drive this change
organizational priority, embedded from top-down and impact how much fun they have, among them:
and bottom-up, across 360-degrees. What’s harder directing their communication with other members
is execution, and it requires using different tiers of of the organization, determining how to execute
the organization to enable fun, with each dimension their own tasks, and engaging with a lens of valuing
feeling a sense of ownership of and accountability the work they perform.19 All of these example tactics
FIGURE 4
Embedding fun at all levels
The individual The leader The team The organization
Embed self-awareness Enable better ways to Encourage teams to Empower individuals
behaviors on a regular connect with each other focus on small, in the organization by
basis in order to reflect through interactive manageable goals, and infusing fun and
on experiences and activities—perhaps gradually expand the happiness through
self behaviors through breaks circle to achieve bigger collaborative space,
during the day goals in order to avoid policies that focus on
getting overwhelmed social bonds, and
enhanced technologies
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142 ON THE COVER
are a strong starting point for building fun into therefore improving peoples’ perception of fun in
broader team and organizational tiers. the organization. They can (and should!) lead by
example—by being ambassadors, leaders can drive
THE TEAM the balance between fun and work and build envi-
Teams are a great way to show the fabric of indi- ronments that encourage and accept fun and play-
viduals as contributors to a greater group, especially fulness at work. Fostering trust and maintaining
when teams allow individuals to feel comfortable open lines of communication can promote work-
expressing playfulness and humor. This sense of place fun and happiness, and are essential for team
trust in the workplace—to be your authentic self—is cohesion and collaboration (as well as overall work
enabled through the social interactions generated satisfaction). Leaders play a critical role in creating
by teams. Collaboration is the glue that holds teams a trusting environment in which everyone is more
together, and the odds of a well-functioning team likely to be more authentic, vulnerable, and have a
rise exponentially as employees feel comfortable positive frame of mind.
being their true selves at work, displaying integ-
rity, forgiveness, trust, and humanity. This can ulti- THE ORGANIZATION
mately lead to a greater likelihood for a climate of Whenever possible, organizations can embed
fun. Positivity, enabled by self-motivation, is also fun into processes. Employees can be recognized for
incredibly important to fostering the strong social specific milestones such as birthdays or tenure, and
aspects of fun at work. there can be social activities and other celebrations.
Organizations can also encourage a climate of fun
THE LEADER through the adoption of games, contests, and other
Leaders connect teams to the broader organiza- events that are not directly related to daily work.
tion, and share responsibilities that influence how While we accept that notions of fun and happi-
they can support fun in the workplace. For instance, ness are highly subjective, and culture is not some-
leaders can provide opportunities for individuals thing that can be changed overnight, the creation
to experience fulfillment or joy from specific tasks, of an environment that encourages fun through