Creating The Best Culture For Your Employees

Most working people can relate to the challenge that comes with working a job day after day. They just want to get through the day and go home where, unless it’s the weekend, soon they will be preparing to get up and go at it again. They know that they’ve got years of this before they can even think about retirement. What if you could help your employees look forward to their workday instead? Creating a positive company culture will not only ensure happy employees but will probably also increase productivity and improve the overall success of the business. Company culture basically boils down to the personality of the company as well as the workplace environment. Ultimately, a great company culture shows that the “higher-ups” appreciate their employees enough to care about their happiness. There are several elements that contribute to this culture, including but not limited to:

 

Flexibility

Everyone who’s had a “9 to 5” job knows how stressful a rush-hour commute can be. What’s worse, the morning commute can make your day start off badly so that you’re already stressed before you step through those doors. Allowing your employees to arrive a couple of hours later could make all the difference in their attitude and productivity. Different people work better in different circumstances. You might also let employees telecommute a couple of days a week or to work a four-day week instead of five. Rather than fitting the employee to the demands of the job, you can tailor the job to the needs of the employee. If he or she is a “morning person” try to schedule him or her to work early in the day. Employees can work better when their work hours are attuned to their peak hours of productivity. 

 

Health and Wellbeing

Healthy employees are happier and more productive. This also means less turnover for your company. Offering a competitive health insurance package cuts down on sick days and stress created by excessive medical costs. You might also consider including incentives to stay healthy, such as a free or low-cost gym membership.

 

Shared Mission and Values

Find and hire people who have a passion for your company’s particular industry and share the company’s values. When an employee shares the company’s mission and values, they feel as if they’re part of something important—something bigger than themselves—and discover a sense of purpose. They’ll invest their time, talent and passion and will enjoy seeing their hard work pay off. They’ll have a sense of pride for themselves, their fellow employees and the company itself. 

 

Community/Team Atmosphere

Community-building programs and team-building activities, whether formal or informal, will strengthen the company as a whole. It’s important to plan activities that’ll enable employees from different areas of the company to share social space. Familiarity breeds a more productive culture. As everyone begins to mesh, the culture will evolve and you’ll end up with greater productivity and efficiency over time. Warby Parker, a prescription eyewear company, is a great example of a community-centered company; it has its own dedicated team in place for setting up social events within the company.

 

Employee Voice

The more you can incorporate the employees into the business, the more they are likely to feel ownership and investment in the company. Analyzing company culture statistics it’s been found that when employers encourage employees to speak up, employees feel more appreciated, successful and are more likely to be highly engaged in their work. REI, a well-known outdoor equipment retailer, has regular town-hall-style meetings where management can address questions and concerns anonymously submitted by the workforce. This way, management has a feel for what’s going on in the company from the employee perspective and the employees will have less cause to feel alienated. Innovative, thinking-outside-the-box ideas should be acknowledged and rewarded. Some of these ideas just might change the course of your business in a very positive way.

A vibrant company culture can make a big impact on every aspect of your business, from profits to employee retention. You’ll have employees that look forward to coming to work each day and plenty of potential new recruits anxiously awaiting job openings.