Defining Company Culture
Before proceeding to strengthen your company’s culture, you should know what exactly it means so that you can work at those key points that are specific to your own workplace.
Most leaders and dictionaries define 'company culture' as a shared set of goals, values, and behavioral attitudes that make up your organization. Since this culture is completely dependent on you and the employees, there are no guarantees that it will always be healthy or appealing.
To put it simply, it consists of questions like how the people feel about their work, the future that they see in their company, and the efforts they are willing to put in to help your business grow.
Why is Strong Company Culture Important?
We all have heard of or seen enough start-ups and well-meaning businesses not doing so good. In spite of good resources and talent, they fail to establish a strong vision or provide enough perks to their employees.
A collaborative company culture based on trust and teamwork rarely fails. Here are a few things that your company's work culture will determine:
- Your company's functionality
- How your employees feel about your company and its goals
- The image it has in your customers' eyes
- The unique strengths that make it stand out
- How others perceive your company
- The overall reputation in your company's field and in the eyes of prospective candidates
How Can You Improve Your Company’s Work Culture?
Now that we’ve established the meaning and relevance of having a sound company culture, let's take a look at some of the best ways to further strengthen your business and other important things to keep in mind:
Start with the Basics
All businesses start with a purpose. They are predominantly shaped by you and the very first employees that gradually give shape to your visions. Make sure that the core principles of your company's foundation are strong and clear. This will ensure that your company retains its original sense of purpose which is hard to ignore.
Achievable Vision
Almost all start-up CEOs and founders are full of ideas and envision a number of prospects for their dear company. Their foremost task should be to set solid goals that can be easily explained to their employees. This being said, it is more important to set realistic goals that are achievable. Setting mindless targets and burdening your team with unrealistic standards will only wear them out along with your business.
Mindful Hiring
Good employees are the forerunners of every idea. Your company will imbibe traits of its employees and carry their understanding of the company's work culture. Hence, it's very important to be actively involved in this process. Make sure you hire people who will fit well into your organization. Similarly, wrong hires can cause equal damage and set a bad precedent.
Adding Meaning to your Brand
Is your brand serving anyone? Ask yourself if your brand addresses any problems or better yet, solves them. These are not just bookish ideals anymore- you can do a quick search and see a huge number of brands addressing social and environmental issues like inclusive fashion, sustainable lifestyle, helping marginalized groups, and many more. These popular ad campaigns base their products on everyday issues and kill two birds with one stone! Not only does this help that particular cause, but also gives a lot of value to the work your team puts in!
Ensure Employee Satisfaction
It's very simple; happy employees = great company culture. Ensure that your team enjoys working with each other and is satisfied with their jobs. Keep in mind the diversity and conduct internal job satisfaction surveys periodically to ensure their opinions are considered.
Take extra care of your Team
Little acts of kindness go a long way. When your employees are happy, they really give their best to help your organization grow. It would really make a lot of difference if you put some effort into knowing them personally and actively listening to them. You can do so by planning surprise celebrations in case of their birthdays or work anniversaries, holding fun retreats and team dinners occasionally to blow off some steam, and more.
Recognize & Retain Good Employees
Perhaps one of the most important practices, it is extremely important to spot people who add value by not just talent but their values. They are dedicated and help your company grow by significantly improving the work culture. It's equally difficult to retain them when they try to leave. You should provide the best possible employee retention program to such people so that they keep on growing along with your business.
Lucrative Perks & Benefits
What sets a company apart is how it treats its employees outside their daily performance. Make sure your company provides attractive medical assistance programs as well as financial assistance programs in case of their crisis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have revamped their policies and now offer vaccination drives, annual medical checkups, health coupons, work-from-home policies, vacation leaves, and more among their added benefits.
Providing a Reliable Group Health Insurance
One of the most important perks to ensure your team's safety is to provide them with group health insurance. It provides basic coverage and safeguards your employees against any health concerns that may affect them adversely. They are available at lower costs due to the shared premium amount and some of them offer protection to the family of the employee as well, helping them with any financial or medical emergencies.
In a nutshell,
While it's easier to establish a proper work culture when your employees are fewer, the struggle increases with each additional worker. This is where establishing a healthy work culture in your company becomes paramount. A company thrives when its employees are safe and happy. Thus, it is important to keep these points in mind and ensure that they have good employee health insurance that has their backs. Clear visions and healthy employees are the keys to make your company’s culture strong and reputable.
