For being so far removed from the mainland United States, most Americans know Hawaii’s famous phrase “Ohana means family,” thanks to a certain movie from several years ago. The concept of Ohana is far more than just the family we’re born into but the ones we choose, personally and professionally.

As a manager, the concept of Ohana can be effectively used and adopted in the workplace as well! But instead of thinking about it as telling prospective employees your company is “like a family” — something many younger candidates will see as a red flag — put the concept into use by establishing and supporting a strong, thriving mentorship program.

At the core, Ohana is about being supportive, about being understanding and about creating community with people around you. At work, that means being empathetic to your employees if they’re struggling at work or at home; it means embracing the differences in your employees as part of what makes your team strong; it means offering pathways for your employees to expand and deepen their skills while becoming a more fulfilled and confident version of themselves.

Here are some ways that implementing the concept of Ohana at work can benefit your company:

Supported workers are engaged employees.

People who feel unimportant, replaceable, invisible and unsupported at work are going to eventually start looking for a new place to go. Building a supportive culture, one in which people are valued, respected and appreciated for their abilities and contributions, you’ll be deepening your team’s sense of pride in their work and their commitment to the company. Supported workers want to do their best because they know their managers will respect their contributions and will show their appreciation for a job well done. Knowing their boss cares about them, personally and professionally, can go a long way toward creating a strong work environment in which people like doing their jobs every day.

Engaged workers are more likely to want to grow with the company.

When it comes time to add to your leadership team, as supervisors or team leads, wouldn’t it be better to promote from within? Elevating a hard working member of your current employee pool shows others that they, too, can be rewarded for their dedication and determination, earning a bigger paycheck and gaining the respect of their peers and their supervisors for all their hard work. That’s a very aspirational thing! It also benefits your company by keeping institutional knowledge under your roof. Those same employees, who are benefitting from their hard work, will turn around and encourage others to do the same — we like to see those we care about succeed!

Mentorship is a great way to make sure everyone feels included and supported.

Few people work with their siblings, but mentors can serve the same purpose in a professional setting. Having someone with maybe a few more years’ experience on the job, or working in general, means younger employees have someone they can go to with questions, or for help in working through a problem, without feeling like they’re doing something wrong or that they’re not good enough to do the job. Mentors are safe places to go for advice, instruction and support. Pairing up new employees with more seasoned ones is a great practice to adopt, because new employees will inevitably have questions they didn’t think of on their first day, or in their first week, and having a buddy to go to for help without wondering who to talk to or worrying about making a bad impression is a powerful tool. Mentors also can help people work through their interpersonal conflicts, should they arise, with gentle guidance to help keep the team united and working together for common goals.

Sharing is caring.

Encouraging people at your company to look out for each other, to embrace the idea of Ohana and care for each other, is a smart business tactic. It makes your team a close-knit, bonded, unified group, with everyone working together and looking out for each other. That makes for a strong bond when things get shaky but it increases happiness across the board when times are great and there are successes to celebrate. By encouraging people to share their ideas, their lessons learned and to offer a helping hand when asked, you’re breeding a valuable and powerful sense of unity that benefits everyone.

Embracing the concept of Ohana at work doesn’t need to be cheesy, over-the-top or something that feels forced or contrived. Start small and simple: Tell your team that you appreciate them and their hard work and encourage them to tell their colleagues the same. Give compliments and positive feedback generously. Acknowledge birthdays and personal milestones because your employees have rich lives outside of their working hours and that should be celebrated. Treat everyone like a member of your larger family and see how much productivity and positivity increase!

Looking For New Employees In Hawaii?

If you’re looking to add to your team, it’s time to contact Bishop & Company. Our dedicated team of recruiters can help you find just the right candidates with the skills and abilities you’re looking for and who will have the right approach to work that will help them fit right into your organization. When you’re ready to expand your work family, call Bishop & Company!