We often hear the term "company culture" when employees talk about why they stay or leave a company. Numerous studies have shown younger employees care more about the culture and atmosphere a company offers than their actual salary. It's undeniable that the culture you promote will significantly impact your ability to retain your top talent for the long term. Preventing high employee turnover is the key to sustainable success. So, what exactly is "company culture" and how do you create one that people want to be a part of?

 

WHAT IS IT?

The official textbook definition states that organizational culture encompasses values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of a business. In simple terms, it's the principles and habits that your company practices regularly. Whatever your company values the most will determine what type of culture you surround your employees with. Here are a few examples to break it down.

 

TOXIC CULTURE

The worst type of company culture is of a toxic nature. Of course, no company sets out to purposely create this type of environment. It is often created when upper management values profits above anything else. A "win at all costs" mentality may sound ambitious, but it often produces employees who forsake things like ethics and morals to get there. This might occur when a company only praises their sales team and ignores the other departments that help make the company run, for example. 

 

This type of culture is also created when employees aren't recognized for their efforts and only called out for their mistakes. The result here is that everyone only looks out for themselves and feels they must throw other teammates under the bus to keep their jobs. Employees end up coming to work anxious, and their work suffers. Profits may be high at first, but over time you will see your top talent walking out the door and the employees that remain refusing to work together.

 

DISORGANIZED CULTURE

Another type of negative company culture is one of disorganization and confusion. This occurs when there is a lack of processes and procedures for employees to follow. It can also happen when the company's structure is unclear, and people do not know who they are reporting to or need to get approvals from. This results in mistakes being made and deadlines being missed.

 

This type of culture can sneak up on a new company where everyone is laser-focused on making progress and closing sales. The company often grows too fast, too quickly, and has to play catch-up when it comes to organizational and operational processes. When employees are unclear on how to proceed, they will oftentimes get stressed and eventually fed up. Once again, a negative culture can result in valuable team members going to work somewhere else.

 

APPRECIATED AND ORGANIZED CULTURE

The best type of company culture is one that values all of its employees and provides the necessary organization to be successful. Your staff works very hard to make your business a success and deserves to be appreciated. As we will cover in a bit, this is more than just the occasional party or pat on the back. It is about actively finding ways to encourage your employees and making them feel seen and heard.

 

The second half of this positive culture is being organized. Each employee should be crystal clear on their job responsibilities and who they report to. They should not have to wonder who they need approval from or be confused about what to do when they have a question or concern. Upper management should be checking in with department managers to ensure each team has implemented the processes, procedures, and programs necessary.

 

HOW DO YOU CREATE A POSITIVE CULTURE?

Ideally, every company should strive to create a positive culture for its people. Employees should not dread going to work every day. The workplace should be a positive place where people feel comfortable to grow and express themselves freely. However, creating a positive workplace culture is much more than bringing in a ping pong table or having happy hours on Friday. Here are a few ways you can begin implementing a positive company culture immediately.

 

ONBOARDING PROCESS

Everything starts with having the right onboarding process for new employees. Starting a new job is complicated and overwhelming. It can be made easier if the new team member has everything they need to get started on day one. This includes a tour of the office, company directory, scheduled meetings with important coworkers, and training sessions to learn processes and programs.

 

PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

All of your efforts to create a positive culture will fail if you do not implement the right processes and procedures for each department to follow. Before you begin to grow as a company, each department head must put in writing the processes that their department follows. This includes what programs and software to use, who to get approval from, and anything else that will make an employee's life easier.

 

ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS

Team meetings are good for talking about strategy and providing status updates. However, one-on-one meetings are where valuable information can be shared. Each manager should have a weekly one-on-one meeting with their direct reports. Employees should be encouraged to use this time to express questions, concerns, or ideas for improvement they may have. It is vital that employees feel they are being heard and see their ideas being put into action.

 

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION PERKS

Yes, having a ping pong table in the office or throwing weekly pizza parties are both fun and good for morale. However, businesses with fantastic company culture take these perks a step further. This may include summer Fridays, quarterly awards, or team bonding events. You can also offer to reimburse your employees for things such as professional development courses or continued education classes.

 

CONCLUSION

Creating a positive company culture does not organically happen overnight. It is something you have to build and be passionate about intentionally. It only works when you genuinely care about your employees and want them to feel positive and empowered in the workplace. By implementing these initiatives and committing to ensuring they stay in place, you will be creating a positive company culture that high-quality talent will want to work around for years to come.

 

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