Your company culture affects virtually every aspect of your business – from recruitment and retention through ongoing employee engagement and, ultimately, higher productivity and better overall results.
Recent research shows that 94 percent of executives and 88 percent of rank-and-file workers believe that a positive culture is essential to a company’s success.
To make your organizational culture the very best it can be, start with these four tips:
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Begin by defining your culture.
You can’t perfect your company culture until you know what it is. Culture comprises the environment in which people work, the standards to which they are held, the relationships they have with their colleagues, the ways they communicate, and the beliefs they share.
- It’s all about shared values. Your corporate values are the aspirations of your organization. Portray them through your mission and vision statements, your objectives and goals, and your commitments to business practices. Weave them into employee communications whenever and wherever possible. The bottom line: Ensure that company values align with those of each individual team member.
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Promote work/life balance.
Historically, companies have not emphasized the importance of a healthy work/life balance enough – but fortunately, this mindset is shifting. Today, the most successful businesses are those that constantly come up with new ways to implement cultures where this balance is a top priority.
- Like most of the best business practices, it starts at the top. Senior executives and managers must lead by example. And employees who work for supportive supervisors experience fewer work/life conflicts, improved health, and increased on-the-job fulfillment.
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Reward and recognize your people.
As competition for the best talent continues to intensify, employee recognition becomes more and more critical. Human nature dictates that people thrive on feeling appreciated for a job well done.
- Make recognition a core aspect of your management philosophy. In numerous surveys, employees have indicated that being appropriately recognized would incite them to produce better work more often.
- It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Ask your employees what type of recognition they would prefer. In many cases, you may be surprised to find that a simple, sincere expression of thanks is enough. (Hint: You may want to make this question part of a more comprehensive employee engagement survey.)
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Invest in employee perks.
Like recognition, employee perks don’t have to be elaborate or budget-straining in order to be effective. They can be as simple as free snacks in the break room or working out a deal on discount memberships at nearby gyms. Or, support team members’ favorite charities, perhaps by organizing teams to participate in 5K runs, walks, or similar projects.
- Here are a few more ideas to get your thought process started on cool perks: healthy snacks in vending machines, on-site walking and bike paths, yoga and other fitness classes, chair massages, and streaming music and headphones right at people’s workstations. Think out of the box about what would realistically work for your organization.
At PrideStaff Modesto, our objective is to help you deliver what matters most to you as a business leader. Turn to us when it comes to defining and fine-tuning your company culture, as well as hiring, developing, and retaining top talent – in industries including IT, customer service, legal support, healthcare, production, and accounting and finance. Contact us today so we can tell you more.
