Building a company culture
Want to create a work environment that employees love? Of course you do!
When Johnson & Johnson’s CEO published their company’s values in 1943, corporate culture statements were a novelty
Organisational culture is the personality of your business
It refers to the day-to-day principles and behaviours of your business. It’s described with different sayings that include either culture, core values, principles, philosophy, or ideals.
Organisational culture describes:
- How staff behave and engage within your business
- The values they assign to these actions
It relates to how well the employees understand the company’s mission, visions, and goals. This means that every employee in the organisation should know what the company wants to achieve. But these organisational goals should also align with their own individual goals and beliefs too.
A recent study of more than half a million employees was carried out by Quantum workplace. The top 10 words staff used to describe their preferred company cultures were:
1. Fun 2. Challenging 3. Friendly
4. Engaging 5. Rewarding 6. Collaborative
7. Flexible 8. Supportive 9. Exciting 10.Caring
Would your staff describe their culture like this? If no, can we help you change it?
Netflix explains that employees are expected to be “extraordinarily candid with one another” because “we will learn faster and be better if we can make giving and receiving feedback less stressful and a more normal part of work life.”
Alaska Airlines offers tactics for front-line employees dealing with passengers, such as “engage with kindness” and “offer assistance.”
“Companies with resilient cultures have a much better chance at long-term success than those that lack this sense of connection.” Andrew Farah CEO Density
Company culture improves teamwork
A rise in teamwork is one of the most potent by-products of a great organisational culture. Employees know their roles within their teams, and they trust everyone else to do a good job. They feel valued and that their contribution is important to the success of the business.
Great for onboarding and recruiting
Embed your values into your onboarding and then reinforce through wall displays and computer screensavers. Employees in a company with a good culture are more engaged, happy, driven, and less likely to leave. In fact, they are likely to recommend your organisation to others!
Don’t we all want to work for an organisation with a wonderful culture!
Communication is key!
Positively communicate your organisation’s mission, vision, and values! This enables a sense of a “one team one goal” ethos that’s empowering!
Do values make a difference?
- Only 1 in 150 employees who say their organisation does not have a set of values are fully engaged (Harvard Business Review*)
- Employees who say their organisational values are “known and understood” are 51 times more likely to be fully engaged than one that isn’t (Harvard Business Review*)
Be out there and visible!
Encourage collaboration between staff to underpin the team ethic. To drive this forward it’s beneficial to have a LMS equipped with social links where staff come together and share ideas and support each other through learning and projects idea.
Feedback isn’t just once a year!
Staff need regular feedback if they are to grow and align their performance against your organisational culture. A yearly appraisal should be just the starting point! Regular 1-2-1’s means regular praise and recognition and development needs are fundamental to your success.
Incentivise your employees!
An incentivised workforce is a happy workforce! It also increases positive culture will also reduce turnover. It’s not about money, there are plenty of ways to reward and recognise your staff. Praise and recognition are key drivers to motivated staff.
- Companies that score in the top 20% for building a ‘recognition-rich culture’ have a 31% lower voluntary turnover rate.
- Team days, spontaneous treats such as pizza takeout’s or grab a bag lunch, ensuring 1-2-1’s take place, regular cross-departmental gatherings – all increasing team spirit and a positive organisational culture.
And finally, remember…
- Never be afraid to revisit and refresh your core values to make sure they grasp the very essence of your business and clearly link to outcomes that matter to employees.
- Look at which components of your culture were effective, which were lacking and if there were any individuals or departments that undermined the culture?
Speak to us about how we can help you
*People need skills Ltd are not responsible for any 3rd party content.