Introduction
Company culture can be defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization. It’s the way people feel about the work they do and the values they believe in. Moreover, it’s how they perceive the company’s future and the way they participate in it. Collectively, these traits represent the personality or culture of an organization. It encompasses a variety of elements, including work environment, company mission and leadership style. Also, company values, ethics, expectations and goals. With a strong company culture, employees understand the expected outcomes and behaviors and hence, act accordingly.
Company culture is an integral part of business and affects nearly every aspect of a company. Without a positive corporate culture, many employees will struggle to find real value in their work. Consequently, this will lead to a variety of negative consequences for your business. Healthy company culture leads to higher productivity, better morale, greater employee engagement, more sales, lower turnover and more.
One study found that 56% of workers ranked a strong workplace culture is more important than salary. In fact, more than three-in-four workers said they’d consider a company’s culture before applying for a job. According to another research, 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to a business’s success. Hence, organizations that have strong, positive corporate cultures help employees feel and perform their best at work.
Benefits of Positive Company Culture
- Strong company culture is one of the best ways to attract potential employees. A positive culture gives an organization a competitive advantage. People want to work for companies with a good reputation from previous and current employees. A company with a positive culture will attract top talents.
- Employee loyalty. A positive culture will also help retain top talent as well for it fosters a sense of employee loyalty. Employees are much more likely to stay with their current employer when they feel they are treated right.
- Job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is higher at companies with a positive corporate culture. Employers who invest in the well-being of their employees will be rewarded with happy, dedicated employees.
- Employees are much more likely to come together as a team at companies with a strong culture. A positive culture facilitates social interaction, teamwork and open communication. As a result, collaboration can lead to amazing results.
- Work performance. Strong company cultures have been linked to higher rates of productivity. This is because employees tend to be dedicated to employers who invest in their well-being.
- Employee morale. Maintaining positive company culture is a guaranteed way to boost employee morale. Employees will naturally feel happier and enjoy their work more when they work in a positive environment.
- Less stress. Positive company culture will help significantly reduce workplace stress. Companies with a strong corporate culture tend to see less stressed employees. As a result, this helps boost both employee health and work performance.
How to build a positive company culture at your workplace
Establish and Reinforce Company Core Values
Establish your company’s core values and put them into action. When practiced, core values become the cornerstone of healthy company culture. Programs and initiatives should regularly reinforce the core values that make up your company culture. Annual and monthly awards are one way to express gratitude toward your employees.
Focus on employee wellness
No organization can foster a positive culture without satisfied employees. Employees need to feel their best – physically, mentally and emotionally – to contribute to a positive culture. In many ways, employee wellness is a foundation for a positive corporate culture. Ensure that your employees have the needed resources, tools and on-site healthcare opportunities.
Build-Off Your Current Company Culture
Build a positive company culture by enhancing the current culture you have. Ask your employees what they do and don’t like about their current culture and work environment. Afterward, use these suggestions to help create a positive company culture that works for everyone.
Provide meaning
Meaning and purpose are more important in the workplace now than ever. Without it, job satisfaction drops majorly. And a company certainly can’t build a culture without any meaning behind its work. Create a mission statement and core values and communicate these to employees. Give them specific examples of how their roles positively impact the company, its clients and the overall community.
Set Company Culture Goals
No organization can have corporate culture without clear goals in place. Employers should gather with their team to create goals and objectives that everyone can work towards. Creating a company goal brings employees together and gives everyone something specific to work towards.
Moreover, how you communicate that goal has a big impact on company culture. Consider designing them rather as aspirational messages that define what the company is working toward. When a company’s goals align with those of its employees, great things happen.
Encourage positivity
In order to build a positive company culture, employers need to encourage positivity in the workplace. Express gratitude daily, smile often and remain optimistic during times of crisis. Even offering a casual dress code creates a fun and positive environment and atmosphere. Employees will engage more when they are accompanied by positive behavior in the workplace.
Foster social connections
Workplace relationships are an essential element to building a positive company culture. If your employees don’t know one another and interaction is limited, your culture can’t grow. Hence, provide your employees with opportunities for social interactions in the workplace. Consider weekly team meals, happy hour excursions or even a book club to get things started.
Practice listening
An easy way to build a positive company culture is to be a good listener. Therefore, listen to employees, and make sure they feel their voices are heard and valued. Ask for feedback at every possible turn, whether it’s about company goals or how to better customer service. In addition, make sure you’re listening and acting on what your employees say. Don’t just wait for an annual review, instead, actively seek your employee’s feedback and suggestions.
Hire The Right People
The people you hire directly impact your business and company culture. Besides hiring people based on skill or need, consider how an individual will fit into the overall picture. For example, if your company culture focuses on teamwork don’t hire a person who hates working with others. Consequently, they can seriously mess or damage the flow you’ve established.
Utilize Modern Tools
Try online solutions and mobile apps to reach your employees wherever they are. Consider communicating with your employees over popular tools such as Connecteam. This leading employee management app provide a powerful and robust mobile-first communication and engagement platform. Utilize Connecteam’s features to build upon your current company culture and enhance it further.
For example, use it to send updates to all employees or share important information. For example- announcing employee of the month, achievements, positive reviews from clients and more. This way you can show your employees how much they matter and engage with them daily. Furthermore, instantly send surveys on any matter in real-time and use results to implement action plans.
Involve Your Entire Team
The general attitude of an organization’s workforce is one of the primary drivers of company culture. Getting the big picture stuff right goes a long way toward fostering a positive attitude. Make sure to demonstrate appreciation for everything your team does. Find out what motivates your employees and provide them with the opportunities they’re looking for.
Providing your team with opportunities to pursue what motivates them can keep employees engaged and attitudes healthy. Even the best employees need help from time to time. Hence, make sure you’re offering plenty of support. Whether it’s professional or personal, prove that you’re there for your team when they need you.
Follow Company Culture Best Practices
Implement your company culture ideas and initiatives by following the next steps:
Start by setting an example. To ensure your employees’ practices align with expectations, their leaders must embody those practices every day.
Reinforce the type of behavior you want to see. Recognizing employees that live up to the company’s culture can have a huge impact on behavior (and culture).
Provide plenty of feedback. You can’t expect employees to modify their behavior if they aren’t aware there’s an issue. Giving honest feedback can be uncomfortable, but it’s key to a healthy culture.
Conclusion
Building a unique, positive culture is one of the key factors for a successful company. Also, it is the best way to get your employees to invest their talent and future with your company. When employees work within a strong company culture, they develop better relationships. Moreover, they are more productive and dedicated to meeting the bottom line. Therefore, be sure to cultivate a positive culture that enhances the talent, diversity and happiness of your workforce.
Building a company culture can be done with any budget, at any size company and within any industry. Whatever your financial situation, company size, and industry, building a great company culture is completely within your means. As long you invest genuine time and interest in the happiness and well-being of your employees. Consequently, positive company culture will grow.