Every business will present their own kind of values, ethics, and missions. These are known as ‘company culture’.
The culture of a company will indicate how its workplace represents itself. Some rules might include supporting new employees during their first weeks. Others may promote sharing commission pay with all team-members.
Whatever your rules may be, it’s important to promote cultures that are inclusive, supportive, and respectful. If not, you could end up losing talented workers, facing reputational issues, and causing discriminative acts.
Let’s take a look at what a company culture is, why they’re important, and how to create the best workplace for your business.
What is company culture?
A company culture is a list of beliefs, values, or behaviours set out by a business. These rules are created with the expectation that everyone acknowledges and respects them.
The culture of the company will outline standards that employees are expected to follow. Like, working safely to protect themselves from harm, as well as other colleagues. However, the rules can be directed to non-employees; for example, asking customers not to smoke on the shop premises.
Cultural rules are usually written and included in specific documentation. For example, contracts, policies, and handbooks, However, you may have unwritten rules; like implied terms or social expectations. Whichever they may be, they’ll represent the ethos of your company – for better or for worse.
Why is company culture important?
Company cultures are often a great reflection of their workplace. When employees understand and adhere to your rules or missions, it manifests comradery and cohesion. In the end, a solidified workforce is beneficial for the business overall.
Let’s see why it’s important to have a positive company culture:
Increased engagement and output
When employees respect the values of a business, they’re likely to have higher levels of engagement and output. The quality and quantity of work increases – resulting in greater revenue.
Stronger collaboration between colleagues
A strong company culture can manifest stronger collaboration between colleagues. They’re able to understand one another better and work together to reach the same business goals.
Higher loyalty and retention
When employees are able to work cohesively, they often feel satisfied with their job role. They’ll most likely stay employed with you – leading to higher rates of loyalty and retention. In return, it lowers the cost of recruitment, training, and turnover.
Better business representation
Positive cultural representation won’t remain within the vicinity of the workplace for long. Potential candidates will become interested in working for you. Customers and contractors will also become attracted to high levels of professionalism. In the end, it results in growing potential relations with other businesses.
What are examples of a good and bad company culture?
Examples of a good company culture:
- Collaborative and teamwork ethics.
- Performance and recognition reward strategies.
- Training and career development opportunities.
- Employee benefits and compensation packages.
- Levels of mutual trust, transparency, and accountability.
- Healthy work-life balance and flexibility.
- Diversity, inclusion, and equality in the workplace.
Examples of a bad company culture:
- Poor communication (between colleagues and senior members).
- Gossiping and bullying.
- Acts of discrimination (both direct and indirect).
- Disrespect towards leadership.
- Poor performance and demotivation.
- Inflexible working conditions.
- Micro-managing and lack of praise.
How to create the best company culture for your business
Businesses will possess all kinds of norms and visions that best represent themselves. Some may champion improving employee wellbeing; whilst others may priorities boosting clientele listings.
Whatever your values may be, it’s important to keep improving your workplace culture. From this, you’ll be able to improve your output, brand-name, and overall revenue.
Let’s take a look at ways to create the best company culture for your business:
Present your values from the start
The first step employers should take is presenting their company’s cultural values from the start.
This doesn’t just mean outlining them on an employee’s first day of work. You can present them within job specifications, interview stages, and online platforms.
From here, employees will have multiple access to them at all times. Employers can also highlight their values within employment contracts, employee handbooks, and company policies.
Recruit new candidates wisely
Employers should be cautious and recruit new candidates wisely. Choosing them goes beyond their qualifications and certifications. You need to prioritise finding people who’ll best suit your company culture.
This doesn’t just mean finding people who like the same football team as you. It’s all about choosing people who you believe will adhere to your shared missions and goals. They could be super compliant or bring fresh perspectives towards growing business success.
Neglecting this means you could end up hiring people who don’t fit in well – resulting in wasted time, money, and resources.
Encourage open communication
Employers should make a conscious effort towards encouraging open communication. This type of company culture will not only support employees daily; it’ll also help reduce potential issues in the future.
You might think you have a well-developed culture that churns out respectable levels of work. However, certain employees might be suffering in silence. Or some may seek means for voicing their opinions on workplace improvements.
For example, many businesses have weekly or monthly ‘drinks-hours’. This type of cultural rule helps employees unwind after stressful periods of work. However, these events aren’t always inclusive as they can isolate those who don’t drink for religious or personal beliefs.
Adapt with the times
Some employers may have certain cultures that work well for their business. And don’t believe they need changing or updating. However, it’s important to be flexible and adapt with the times.
This isn’t just about keeping up with the latest gimmick or viral trends. Instead, be open to making positive changes that employees or others suggest.
For example, some employees suffer from commuting issues due to ongoing bus strikes. Employers should avoid sanctioning those who are repeated late due to the issue. Instead, be sympathetic to the situation and allow later starts and finishes to make up for lost work hours.
Develop a positive company culture with Love2shop
From meeting commission goals to attending social events – the culture of a company paints an overall picture of a business’s ethics and values.
A popular cultural strategy used by many companies includes employee recognition programs. At Love2shop, we offer a variety of rewards that’ll align perfectly with your specific company culture.
