Better Conversations: a better way to work
During the uncertainty of the global pandemic, we saw the need for employees to be able to share their personal experiences, stories and opinions on topics important to them that are often avoided at work. And so Better Conversations was born.
Since then, thousands of Paycom team members have taken part in these sessions, which are led by trained staff who guide participants to consider and respond to a variety of questions. Through talking and listening boundaries, space is created for open dialogue, not debate. Employees are able to expand their opinions and find shared values among their differences.
Creating psychological safety at work
Feeling like you’re able to speak freely about work-related issues at your workplace is called psychological safety. According to a McKinsey & Company survey, 89% of employees believe this is essential at work.
“There is no thriving without psychological safety,” said Tanner Bergman (he/him), Paycom’s manager of well-being. “It is an important foundation that provides access to the things we desire like curiosity, creativity, productivity, connection, meaning and purpose.”
McKinsey & Company’s findings also show that investing in leadership development at all levels of an organization enhances psychological safety.
At Paycom, we take psychological safety and leadership development seriously. According to Bergman, it’s also one of the many benefits of Better Conversations.
“It is a powerful lesson and experience in the fact that we learn about ourselves by learning about others and that we learn about others by learning about ourselves,” says Bergman. “Interpersonal dialogue is a powerful two-way street. This experience helps create psychological safety and provide additional experiences with that.”
Better Conversations can even include leader-specific sessions to help facilitate conversations between leaders and their teams.
A powerful partnership with employee resource groups
Our Better Conversations series also partners with our employee resource groups (ERGs) to develop sessions open to all employees covering topics that are most relevant to their group. Ultimately, they all come together to work hand in hand with our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as well as our well-being team and the wellness resources they provide.
We value having these thoughtful and constructive conversations in the workplace. It’s how we learn from one another and show each other we truly care.
Ready to join a workplace that prioritizes employee wellness? Find the careers for you and apply today!
