Workplace Culture

Jobs that Focus on People If you told someone you were the head of culture of your company, you would get a confused look. The same can be said of job titles like Manager of Well-Being (Delta Airlines) and Director of Flexible Work (Microsoft). The modern workplace has evolved into something that would be unrecognizable decades ago. New priorities required dedicated persons to perform specific tasks. This has led to the creation of jobs and titles unheard of before. Companies didn’t create new job titles only because of current needs. Often, these developments resulted from the recognition that well-being, culture, flexible work, happiness and many others have become more significant in organizations. There will be more hiring for positions that focus on the above. Titles will vary, but the functions will be similar. Here are a few that might interest you. Director of Culture This person is in charge of an organization’s culture. Companies created this position to ensure employees are on the same page with a company’s culture. Employees and not just brands should reflect a company’s vision, mission and goals. Often though, the culture and brands are the same. Well-Being Officer There was a time when organizations were only concerned with their employee’s physical health and safety. But, buying health insurance or the occasional “drinks on the house” no longer suffices if a company wants to show it cares for its employees. Now, companies focus on everyone’s overall well-being at the workplace. So, aside from Delta Airlines, Rakuten and Unilever have added well-being officers to their ranks. Chief Happiness Officer It’s not made up or imaginary. A 2015 University of Warwick found that happier employees are 12% more productive. Usually, the HR Manager is responsible for employee happiness. But in the case of Google, the HR Director and CHO are two different persons. Currently, you’ll find CHOs in large companies. For SMEs, a separate position may not be needed, but looking after the overall happiness of employees is still necessary. Flexible Work Manager Hybrid working arrangements are still trending today. The benefits are undeniable, like paying less rent for smaller office spaces. With an increased number of remote employees, there’s a need for a dedicated person in charge of hybrid work. Setting up procedures, providing guidelines and ensuring open lines of communication are some of the flexible work manager’s responsibilities. So, if you’re applying for a job, try incorporating any of the above functions. It will set you apart from other candidates.