Luke Azzopardi

As the fight to attract top talent gets fiercer and fiercer, many are the companies adopting long lists of benefits to brand themselves as ‘employee-friendly’.

In light of this, Switch Marketing Manager Luke Azzopardi questions whether it is, in fact, such benefits that ultimately aid employee wellbeing and create a positive company culture.

Making reference to benefits of the likes of ‘a casual dress code’, ‘free lunch,’ and ‘hybrid or remote working’, Mr Azzopardi says: “none of these are bad, but they’re not a substitute for fun and inclusive company culture.”

“We used to celebrate International Bacon Day every year at Switch, before we went fully remote, and it was fun. Still not culture,” he adds.

Rather than focusing on such benefits, Mr Azzopardi urges to hone in on the true meaning of company culture and adopt incentives that truly serve to improve employee wellbeing.

“Culture is a leader or a colleague realising someone is struggling and reaches out to tell them it’s ok to struggle, and to offer help. Culture is leaders sacrificing personal gain for the benefit of those that follow them,” he says.

“Culture is understanding that your employees have a life beyond work, and that it’s more important to them than anything. Culture is knowing my leaders don’t look at me and see a means to a financial end,” he continues.

In conclusion, the Marketing Manager notes that “as an employee, once you find [company culture], you won’t easily let it go. And it’s not spoken into existence. Only actions can build it.”

Mr Azzopardi has often spoken out about company or industry-wide practices that can seek to better employee wellbeing.

Earlier this summer, he penned a sobering message about the corporate world’s understanding of ‘success’, urging readers to use ‘quality of life’ as their KPI, rather than money.

Featured Image:

Luke Azzopardi / LinkedIn

Related

Nadia Pace / LinkedIn

‘I went in as a girl, I returned as a woman’: Nadia Pace on being given first major opportunity 20 years ago

26 September 2023
by Fabrizio Tabone

She joined Perideo S.A. Group as a Research and Development Executive in 2003, laying the foundations for a highly successful ...

Bare minimum Mondays: The latest workplace TikTok trend to hit your office

25 September 2023
by Fabrizio Tabone

This concept allows employees to start their Mondays focusing on doing the minimum required.

‘It’s about seizing every moment to feed the mind’: Paul Grech on why leadership books are a must

25 September 2023
by Fabrizio Tabone

MaltaCEOs.mt speaks to Paul Grech, an avid leadership book reader, about the impact that some time dedicated to reading such ...

Staff poaching: An ‘unethical’ practice or a reminder to re-evaluate your company culture?

25 September 2023
by Fabrizio Tabone

Chief Operating Officer Edmond Bonett says that employers should first focus on what they are providing to their employees, such ...

Close Bitnami banner
Bitnami