From Flour to Flourish: Artifice a Culture Where Employees Feel Valued and Indispensable

There are some threads that are more salient than others within the complex fabric of organizational life.

- Dr. Honoria Samson

Employee morale is such a thread that is a rich and impactful color that will affect everything from retention and overall performance to productivity and innovation. As a human resources practitioner and also someone who loves to bake at home, I have realized that human resources professionals have an extremely similar task when creating an ideal workplace culture, and one of baking. Much like a baker chooses ingredients and methodically creates a treat for consumption, organizations must deliberately and consciously 'bake' morale such that people feel valued and an important part of the process.

First and foremost is the choices and quality of ingredients; more specifically, from an HR perspective, the challenges of hiring and managing talent efficiently. Just like a baker insists on only the best and freshest ingredients, a business must focus on attracting and retaining people who share the organization's values and possess the abilities needed for the job. After hiring the right employee, the next step is to ensure that the employee is being utilized in a position that takes full advantage of their abilities. The next thing that contributes to heightened worker morale is the idea that employees are able to use competencies that they value and that also contribute value to the organization. Providing opportunities for continuous education and training is the "fermentation" stage, where the ingredients can come together and develop to add even more value to the finished product.