“Company Cuddle”

A phrase I didn’t expect to hear at a boardroom table yesterday, yet one I won’t forget in a hurry.

The phrase came from a CEO of a business of around 250 staff (who operate across 24/7 rosters) in one of the toughest industries when it comes to retaining talent – aged care.

The hours are unsociable, the work is taxing and (thanks to the cossy-living crisis) their carers often take other work for the smallest increases. Fair.

But rather than deflecting what’s happening in his business (which is essentially due to the nature of the market), he simply wants to take things back to basics to retain and engage his team.

His idea… A ‘company cuddle’ – not literal (obviously) but a return to true human connection.

Things like:
– A phone call before a new starter begins
– A day one verbal check-in from the HR team member who recruited them
– A reminder that someone at HQ actually knows their name AND cares

Simple, but powerful. Especially when your team is dispersed and at risk of feeling like a cog in a wheel.

Post-meeting, I began to think – If aged care, an industry under enormous pressure, can prioritise this level of care and connection (when they are recruiting at such high volumes – and the HR team is 2 people), what’s stopping corporate businesses?

Human connection isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s essential in every aspect of life. Employees want to know they have a support system, and employer who has their back when times get tough.

Now a ‘company cuddle’ might not solve every problem, but do you know what, it’s a very good place to start…