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Company culture refers to the shared features, qualities, and values of a company or organization. A variety of elements are involved, which may include goals, objectives, and responsibilities.
Company culture may also incorporate principles, management style, company vision, and even work atmosphere. As can be seen, there are many elements that are involved when company culture is discussed.
However, there are a lot of things that need to be done in order to maintain a productive company culture. There are also many things that can be changed in order to improve company culture.
Here, our focus will be on all of the ways in which an organization can improve its culture in order to boost employee morale and customer satisfaction. Please note, however, that there is no “magic bullet” solution that will universally apply to all organizations.
Why is Company Culture Important?
When a company has a positive culture, it will be able to (usually) attract more qualified employees. Even better, most employees like to grow with an organization that they are proud to be a part of. As a result, a superlative company culture will increase the likelihood that top-tier candidates will not only join, but also stay with the organization for years in order to grow with it.
With turnover rates through the roof in certain sectors, it is paramount that companies do everything in their power to keep their employees’ morale high so that they will be more likely to stay with them long-term.
Your company’s brand identity may also be at stake. A superb company culture adds to your brand identity. Also, when clients or customers identify with your brand, they will be more likely to stay loyal to it.
After all, happy customers are loyal customers, so you should try to boost your company culture in order to retain more clients in the long run.
An elevated company culture will also make your employees work harder, as they will feel that the organization they represent is an integral part of their lives.
Ways to Improve Company Culture
While improving your company culture is not child’s play, and will involve quite a bit of time and effort on your part, the efforts are almost always worth it in the end. Your company culture will have an impact on every part of your business, so it is something that you should strongly consider.
Below are some tips that you may want to consider when you are working on improving your company culture.
First, you should listen to your employees. Employees should feel free to openly express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas without fear of prejudice or termination. Take the time to listen to their suggestions, while also providing feedback and suggestions of your own.
In the end, everyone needs to be focused and engaged so that the team can work together in order to accomplish common goals that benefit the organization. Grievances should be addressed, and employees should all feel like they are valued members of the organization.
Diversity is key, and having a plurality of ideas may allow you to see problems from a different vantage point. If you do not listen to your employees, then they may quit and join a competing organization out of spite. Or, they may simply tune out and go into auto-pilot mode, doing the bare minimum in order to receive their weekly or bi-weekly paychecks.
It is also important to offer flexibility. It is vital that you implement a work culture that is highly flexible in order to increase worker efficiency and productivity. When you provide your employees with flexible work patterns and schedules, you are essentially telling your employees that you trust them.
When employees feel that they are trusted and respected by their employers, they will be more likely to work harder and more ethically. Your employees will feel more engaged with their work, and their performance will reflect their increased loyalty and pride.
Rigid work schedules, on the other hand, may make your workers feel constricted and suffocated, which may lead to burnout in the not too distant future. Now, in some cases, it may be hard to offer flexibility.
Tight deadlines may be impossible to meet unless a rigid structure is enforced in some situations. However, whenever possible, try to offer more flexibility in order to increase employee performance and morale.
It is also essential that you have a clean workplace. Most workers would prefer to work in an environment that is nice and clean. A tidy environment may help your employees focus easier. Disorder, chaos, and pungent or unpleasant odours make it hard for people to concentrate on their work, and may encourage them to leave for greener pastures.
A clean work environment can have a positive effect on your company’s culture. It may also help promote increased engagement with your employees, which can motivate them to work with tact, integrity, and dedication.
Perhaps the most important reason to have a clean workplace, however, is to show your staff that you care about their health and mental well-being. It shows that you respect them and want them to feel safe while they work. You will also be more likely to attract and retain clients if your workplace is clean and tidy.
Try and build fun memories and rituals, if you can. This may be hard to do, especially during a pandemic where many people have been forced to work from home. However, a little creativity and gumption can go a long way towards building a fun company culture that actually makes working enjoyable instead of a chore.
At the very least, your workplace should be a stimulating environment. No one wants to be part of a monotonous, tedious, and drab corporate environment. For example, encourage breaks whenever possible in order to prevent depression, migraines, and eye-strain.
Workers should be able to leave their station at least once per hour for 5 minutes or more in order to stretch their legs and go for a brisk walk. Being cooped up in a cubicle for 8 hours or more a day will promote a sedentary lifestyle.
A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease. At the very least, sitting for prolonged periods of time will cause back, neck, and joint issues. Poor posture and other musculoskeletal issues can develop that may lead to lost productivity due to injuries.
Also, try and arrange fun games and other activities that encourage your employees to work together as a team in order to solve puzzles and win. Camaraderie is essential if you want to create an optimal work culture.
You can take your employees camping, or you can arrange a company picnic or trip to an exotic location. Take the time to get to know your employees better in order to determine what types of games and activities they would like to partake in. Do not assume that they will like all of the same things that you do.
Each employee’s accomplishments should also be encouraged and rewarded whenever possible. Employees want to feel like they are part of a winning team and that they are winners themselves.
Try and come up with incentives that will encourage employees to think outside the box. The incentives should also promote synergy so that everyone is working together for the greater good.
It can be as simple as handing out free tickets to a local sporting event or to a movie matinee. You don’t have to stretch your budget thin in order to create incentives and provide your top performers with small gifts.
At the very least, you should acknowledge their hard work and skills, and appreciate what they bring to the table. If your employees feel like liabilities instead of assets, then they will either perform poorly or will leave for a company that better appreciates their skillset.
Taking the First Step Towards Greatness
In recent decades, fostering a positive corporate culture has helped many businesses grow and flourish. Successful business management and a positive company culture tend to go hand in hand.
Employees, and people in general, want to feel like they matter. They want to feel like they are truly making a difference as a person. When employees feel wanted and appreciated, they will repay their employers with optimal performance in the vast majority of cases. An employee who feels like they are not appreciated, though, will become disgruntled, and may even try to sabotage their company in order to get revenge.
We hope the tips that we have provided will help you create a company culture that will boost employee morale and productivity. Your new and improved company culture can also be used to promote your brand in order to attract new clients. Just remember that it will take some time in order to create the optimal work culture. Rome was not built in a day, after all.