Growing a team is an exciting phase for any company leader. It’s also one of the most challenging. Rapid growth can strain resources and make workflows more hectic, leading to employee burnout and low morale. Over time, the company’s values and culture become diluted.

If leaders aren’t intentional about building an environment that supports employee growth and well-being, top talent will leave the company. An MIT study from 2022 highlighted how toxic cultures fueled the Great Resignation. According to the report, a failure to promote DEI, workers feeling disrespected, and unethical behavior were the leading causes of a toxic culture.

High-growth companies can prevent a toxic culture from forming by prioritizing the employee experience just as much as revenue growth. Here are four key priorities companies should focus on when scaling their teams to build a high-performing work environment.

Prioritize employee wellness and implement policies that prevent burnout

As a company grows, the risk of employee burnout increases. Overworked employees are not only less productive but also more likely to leave. On the other hand, when employees feel cared for, they’re 3.7 times more likely to recommend working for the company.

When scaling, leaders must establish clear policies that promote work-life balance from the start.

Action items:

• Ensure managers hold regular one-on-one meetings to discuss employee workloads and potential concerns.
• Allow employees to take days off specifically for their mental health.
• Encourage employees to set boundaries around working hours and use their vacation days.
• Provide flexible work opportunities, remote work hours, and floating holidays.
• Ensure therapy or mental health resources are included in the benefits package.

Listen to employee sentiments and build feedback loops

Employees feel valued when you listen and take action. Leaders should establish feedback loops from the time an employee enters the company until the time they leave. Regularly ask them to share their experiences and sentiments about their workload, programs and initiatives, management, and other areas of the company. Then, be sure to use this feedback to inform policies and practices.

Action items:

• Conduct regular surveys to gauge employee satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. They can be anonymous to ensure employees give honest feedback.
• Make sure managers are regularly asking for feedback during one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Hold town halls and company-wide meetings to share updates and be transparent about company standings. Use this time to answer questions from employees.
• When acting on employee feedback, share the changes you’ve made to show their voices are heard and valued.
• Invest in employee resource groups and affinity groups so members have a community to build authentic connections and share feedback with leadership on their experiences.

Be strategic about inclusive hiring and onboarding

Hiring the right people is critical as a company scales. It’s not just about filling positions quickly but about ensuring new hires align with your company’s values and have the proper support to grow within the company and do their best work.

Action items:

• Partner with diverse job boards, attend job fairs for historically excluded groups, and collaborate with organizations that support diverse talent.
• Use inclusive language in job postings to attract a wider range of candidates.
• Implement standardized interview questions and evaluation criteria to minimize bias and ensure hiring is based on skills and experience.
• Ensure the people on your hiring panel are from various backgrounds to provide multiple perspectives.
• Develop onboarding processes that introduce new hires to the company culture, professional development resources, and inclusive employee programs.
• Pair new hires with mentors to help them feel supported.
• Regularly solicit feedback from new hires about their onboarding experience and make adjustments based on their input.

Provide growth and development opportunities for employees at all levels

Learning and development will continue to be a key attraction and top reason why employees stay at a company. It promotes internal mobility, motivation, and overall performance.

It’s also crucial to provide ongoing leadership training to all managers so they function as career coaches and inclusive people leaders.

Action items:

• Provide employees with professional development stipends they can use for books, courses, conferences, certifications, etc.
• Develop clear career progression paths so employees understand how they can grow within your company.
• Conduct company-wide training sessions that focus on recognizing and mitigating unconscious bias, understanding cultural competencies, and fostering an inclusive workplace.
• Offer workshops that teach managers how to lead inclusively, emphasizing active listening, empathy, and equitable decision-making.
• Provide one-on-one coaching and mentoring for managers to develop their leadership capabilities and address specific challenges they face in fostering an inclusive team.

Scale your team with a strategic partner by your side

Through coaching, company trainings, and strategic consulting, Perfeqta can help transform your culture. Our consultants build recruitment plans, help establish ERGs, create DEI roadmaps, and work one-on-one with executive leaders.

🤝Learn more about our core services here.

📃Download our white paper, “Reimagining the way we work” for strategic tips on how to improve performance through equitable talent programs.

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