66% of those looking for new jobs consider company culture and values to be an important factor when considering an organization and most successful companies have a strong company culture. Company culture is the shared values, mission, ethics, and expectations of an organization. It affects every part of your organization from leadership styles to goals and expectations, the work environment, communication policies, and even branding. It is evident in how decisions are made and how employees interact with each other and your customers. Here are four things to consider when building a strong company culture.
Build a strong foundation
Every company culture starts out with a vision of what the company is designed to be and do. Take time to define your vision and how it drives your mission. Write down your company values and share them with your employees. Then lead by example. Companies with strong positive cultures are led by leaders whose actions match their words and who demonstrate care for their employees. Employco can help you create the right foundation with processes and documentation to define and build company culture.
Hire employees who are a good cultural fit
Employees who are a good fit for your company culture will be happy working with you and satisfied with their jobs. They put energy and effort into making the company successful and are less likely to look for opportunities with other companies. Create well-defined job descriptions and expectations and then hire employees who are a good fit for those descriptions but also for the overall company culture. Consider involving your employees in the recruiting or hiring processes to help ensure new hires are a good fit for the team and the organization. Working with an outsourced HR company, like Employco, can help you recruit and hire employees who are the right fit.
Communicate regularly and transparently
Communication is a vital part of any successful business. Be sure to communicate regularly about how things are going and how your employees are doing. Actively listen to your employees and provide support and help when needed. Be open to feedback and making changes to improve things. Companies that take the time to ask employees things like, “how are you?” and “what can I do to support you?” will have employees who feel supported. Employco can help your organization create programs and design processes that support your employees and foster communication.
Take care of your employees
Company culture is only as strong as the people in the company. Successful companies demonstrate that they care about their employees and take them and their career growth seriously. Create a culture where leadership checks in regularly and invests in employee wellbeing. Create programs to bring fun into the workplace with events designed to build community and strengthen teams. Implement programs that celebrate achievements on individual, team, and company levels. Making your employees and their wellbeing a company priority leads to happier more productive employees and a stronger culture and organization overall.
At Employco, we believe you can build a strong company culture and encourage community through the right processes, policies, and strategies. Contact us for help building your company culture.