A positive company culture is one of the first indicators of a successful company. Although it may still seem like fostering a company culture is a wasteful and expensive process, many studies show otherwise. The first step to achieving a good and positive culture is to take care of the company’s employees.
Employees satisfied with their environment are able to work more and more. They will also be motivated to be involved in furthering the company’s goals.
Therefore, in this article we will look at what a positive company culture is and how to promote it in everyday work.
Changing the company culture is a slow but rewarding process
Work culture, by definition, includes the values, beliefs and attitudes that guide an organization. It sets expectations for how employees should behave and interact with each other as they perform their daily duties and contribute to the company’s overall mission.
The first thing to recognize is that improving company culture is not a quick process. Achieving long-term, sustainable change requires commitment that starts at the top of the organizational structure. It requires managers and leaders who want to set an example of good communication, responsibility and transparency of the company.
The main indicators of a positive work culture are:
- Mutual respect,
- Motivating and supportive leaders,
- Leadership actions that focus on company values,
- Bonuses for achievements,
- Various job benefits,
- Personal growth opportunities,
- Job stability.
Leaders working to foster workplace culture must be willing to invest in the initiatives that matter most to their teammates and colleagues. For someone, it will be improving internal communication, and for someone else, promoting motivation. It is necessary to try to find a middle line that will be able to promote the work culture from several sides.
How to improve company culture
Most employees say they can tell in less than a month if the company culture will be a good fit for them. Many even say they need less than one week.
That’s why it’s important that companies start implementing significant internal culture changes sooner rather than later. Here are also 6 steps that will serve as a good starting point in promoting culture.
1. Set clear employee goals
A positive company culture doesn’t come out of nothing, it has to come from the very foundation. In this case – from the company’s goals. It is necessary to set clear goals for each work team so that employees have realistic goals to strive for. Not only will this help drive individual employee performance, but it will also promote collaboration among team members.
It is also worth making sure that there is a place for feedback. Quotas and KPIs can then be adjusted if necessary.
For example, if a team is consistently achieving their goals without any difficulty, it may be worth changing their goals to work more efficiently.
2. Make sure the company goals are understood too
In addition to defining the goals of each department, it is worth making sure that each employee has a clear understanding of the long-term goals of the organization itself. This will help employees develop a sense of professional purpose.
In addition, it is good to know the big goals to be able to see the whole picture. In many companies, employees work for small goals without really learning about the big goals of the company.
3. Promote inclusivity to all
Creating a positive, inclusive work culture is very important today. It is necessary to encourage your employees to develop an inclusive language and consider creating a committee to promote diversity initiatives.
Work with HR to make diversity part of your recruitment strategy and ensure that diversity and inclusion remain core elements as your organization grows.
4. Create efficient communication
Workplace culture and communication are interdependent. Effective communication creates an effective work environment. If there are any problems in internal company communication, it will undoubtedly be seen in the company culture as well.
First, it would be valuable to get feedback and understand what is not working in the current communication strategy. Maybe it’s a lack of timely communication, unclear work tasks, inappropriate communication platforms, etc.
5. Let your employees be heard
A positive company culture is one where every employee feels valued and listened to, regardless of their status within the company.
Often, it’s the interns and new employees who bring a new perspective that current employees don’t even immediately think of. You can never be quite sure where the next big idea will come from. So every once in a while, let every employee sit at the table and feel empowered to share their thoughts.
6. Provide team-building activities
And in the end, it’s worth remembering that work should be loved – and employees also need something fresh, interesting and fun at the workplace from time to time. Humans, however, are social creatures who want to spend time together.
Therefore, it is valuable to create an opportunity for employees to get to know each other at work and outside of it.
In this way, meaningful relationships between employees will be fostered. In addition, it does not have to be a complicated and expensive planned teambuilding marathon. Sometimes a pizza lunch party is enough or, for example, a happy hour on Friday, when you can treat yourself to cocktails in the office a few hours before the end of the work day.
A positive company culture needs to be nurtured and renewed regularly. It’s like a mechanism that metaphorically lives and breathes itself.
That’s why we recommend that you always be open to change and don’t be afraid to ask your employees for feedback! There is always room for improvement!
If you want to read more on this topic, we’ve compiled company culture descriptions for big brands like Apple, Tesla, IBM and more!
