Your company culture will determine the success of your business. Therefore, it’s vital that you get this right – especially as happy and motivated staff will be more productive. Essentially, you need to create a positive environment, where employees look forward to coming to work each day.
Building great company culture doesn’t happen overnight. But don’t panic! We’ve put together a guide of six simple steps you can take to ensure you create the best possible workplace for your staff.
- Set out your core values
The core values of your business need to reflect your own personal beliefs. What’s more, you need to ingrain these into everything you do as a company. The best way to ensure everyone is working towards a shared goal is to make sure all staff are aware of the core values.
Whether you love creativity, innovation or work-life balance, you should reflect this in all of your practises, branding and working environment.
Running regular presentations or company updates are a good way to keep everyone on the same page. You can reiterate your values and demonstrate how each employee is contributing to the success of the business.
- Keep the lines of communication open
The key to a great workplace culture is communication. You need to ensure that all staff are happy in their job, but also that they can approach you should they have any problems.
It’s also about transparency. Be honest with them about the business’ success and failures. This way, everyone feels like they’re up-to-date and truly part of the progress of the company.
It’s best to have an open-door policy where staff can approach you or other members of senior staff with any worries or queries. Neglecting to communicate could cost you great employees!
- Empower your staff
Encourage staff to be proud and to get involved in the business. They best way to do this is to inspire them to share any ideas they may have. But more than that, put these ideas into action.
No one wants to feel like they’re just another cog in the wheel. Professionals want to feel like they’re making a real contribution to their workplace. So it’s important to motivate your employees and celebrate their creativity.
- Organise social events
A great way to reward staff for their hard work and to show your appreciation is by organising company social events. This gives them a chance to blow off some steam and get to know one another outside of the working environment.
This is good for company culture and boosting morale. It doesn’t need to be overly costly either. It could be anything from after work drinks, to leisure activities such as bowling.
- Hire the right people
The best way to build upon your company culture is by hiring the right people. You need to recruit like-minded professionals who also uphold your values.
In turn, this will ensure you have a friendly environment and means everyone will work better as a team to reach shared goals.
Have a good idea of what you want from a new recruit. Consider any shortcomings you may have in the business and the gaps you need to fill. Then you can make sure you’re asking the right questions throughout the recruitment process to find the best fit.
- Keep working on your culture
Company culture isn’t something you simply put in place one day and forget about. It’s a work in progress. You should always be encouraging a positive environment and speaking to staff to see how you can improve.
This will be particularly important as your business grows and you’re aiming to please more people. But, by continuing to listen, uphold your core values and empower your team, you can always be boosting your company culture.
In summary
Your company culture is an integral part of attracting and retaining talented employees. Follow these six simple steps to creating a great environment and you can build a happy, productive and motivated workforce.
Courtesy of CV Library.