The work culture is rapidly changing. Not everybody is now busy looking for well-secured, financially stable government jobs. Every eligible job aspirant is now looking for employability rather than just security. The changing work culture is now well tuned with the rise in the startup culture.
With a more laid back mode of work etiquettes and bringing about a sense of belonging with a casual way of working, has believed to make the employees more productive and more at ease when it comes to communicating with their co-workers. The lack of a uniform was also meant to emphasize this need for a casual approach for better productivity. However, with time, companies have also noticed the advantages and benefits of having a uniform or a certain form of dress code. Of course, tweaked in their own innovative ways, many startups have taken to T-shirts and making a certain set of casual attire a uniform for the workers.
There are multiple reasons why having a uniform might do more good and further enhance the unique work culture that startups promote and encourage. Let us try to take a look at all the advantages of a sense of ‘uniformity’ within startups.
Casual vs Formal
It is important to keep in mind that by imposing a uniform on their workers, one is not emphasizing a need for a more formal mode of self-presentation which is directly in contrast to the work culture of startups. By encouraging the workers to wear a similar kind of dress, on the lines of business casual attire, one can also bring out the idea of uniformity. Uniform doesn’t always mean formal wear. An entire organization can have custom T-shirts as their uniform and imbibe a sense of togetherness, thus, also projecting a sense of team spirit within the startup.
● Recognition
This is by far the most important factor that further makes startups consider the need for a uniform within their organization. A startup is basically, starting out, working to make it big and bigger in the market space and needs recognition. By promoting uniforms within their work culture, it will not only help the outsiders recognize the startup but also distinguish the employees from others.
● Brand Advertising
Another important factor is brand advertising through uniforms. By removing the need for making everybody completely identical through a formal getup, a T-shirt with your brand logo, not only makes your startup team look like a quirky lot, who put on this uniform T-shirt along with their personal style, that makes them look like a team and yet individual beings with their own creative thought process at work. This is extremely beneficial for any startup, especially for digital marketing agencies says JumpFactor. A sense of recognition not just amongst the employees but also for outsiders, who see the entire startup company as one large team. Despite being part of different departments, this also helps instill a sense of belongingness and unity amongst every employee within the company, making them feel a sense of pride for the company and also a reminder of the fact that each one of them is part of the larger picture.
● Wardrobe Hassles
A common concern that almost every school kid who has worn a uniform every day to school begins to feel the moment they step into college when they do not have to put on a uniform anymore. Initially exciting, where you can dress up however you want to and develop your own personal time, almost everybody agrees to the fact that this also becomes a problematic issue and wastage of time everyday in the morning. Same goes for the workspace. As exciting as it may seem, given that one doesn’t need to bother either about formals or uniforms in general, after a certain point, this begins to seem like a concern for almost every employee – What to wear to work the next day?
Having a T-shirt, or a casual set of uniform curated for their employees, and if possible being funded as well by the organization, will not only cut down on the expenses for the employee but also make it easier for almost everyone rushing to work every day. Hold onto your personal sense of style and at the same time be a part of the organization like everybody else.
Also, with a T-shirt that has a brand logo, or merchandise and accessories such as stickers that promote the company that they are working for, even outside the workspace, when the employees travel or go out and socialize post-work schedule, it can lead to ‘off-hour advocacy’ which can lead to potential sales in the future.