Some leaders believe workplace culture is all about ensuring employees are constantly happy and satisfied. The truth is, while positive attitudes from employees is a great sign, there’s much more to it. In fact, an August Business Pulse Survey by The Alternative Board (TAB), What Makes A Culture Strong, shows 86 percent of business leaders agree company culture
Employees should be a major factor in developing company culture, but it turns out 63 percent of the TAB survey respondents feel business owners have the most influence on their company’s culture. With company culture affecting everything from how employees work to their happiness, motivation, and productivity, it’s crucial leaders understand how to build and model the company culture their employees need to be successful.
Finding ways to grow your company and ensure employee success isn’t easy. However, there are ways to construct a company culture
1. Be transparent to job seekers
When it comes to company culture, companies spend the most time and money in maintaining a good reputation to outside stakeholders, customers, and the community. Aside from employee motivation and collaboration, when considering workplace culture, the highest amount of cash flow goes into how outside sources perceive the organization, according to 22 percent of leaders in the TAB survey.
Not using resources to allow candidates the ability to see and connect with an organization, may be causing quality job seekers to overlook a company’s job posts. Make room on social media and websites to promote workplace culture and draw in candidates who will fit in with your already established culture.
Allow current employees the opportunity to express what they love about working for the organization. Feature a team or employee each month so they can share what they’re working on, how their day plays out, and everything management provides for them to perform at their best. Adding candid and engaging pictures to posts will help candidates connect even further to the company’s story of teamwork, inclusion, and diversity.
2. Know what job seekers are looking for
Job seekers want a company culture where they can quickly relate, fit in, and feel comfortable acclimating to their position. Trying to adapt to a culture where they don’t naturally fit is more likely to disengage new hires and lower retention rates.
The previously mentioned TAB survey reports 91 percent of employers agree they should be looking for applicants who will fit within a culture based on their work ethic, values, and personality, not ones who will have to adapt. But when job seekers are out there searching for the perfect organization to work for, what are they hoping to find?
The TAB survey respondents say it’s all about leaders. Forty-four percent of employees are motivated by trust in leaders and 43 percent want included in a company culture that empowers their employees. Current and future employees should easily trust leaders and understand how they’re empowering employees.
If the organization has a strong learning culture, promote growth opportunities internally and on social media. When an entire team goes to a speaking event with a manager, post a picture while at the event. This will show a team that is learning together and trusts their manager to grow right beside them.
A company’s focus on learning is another great opportunity to encourage current employees to tell personal stories. Once a month, have an employee write about their newest learning adventure. Ask them to go into detail about what they learned and why they value continuing development efforts made by the company. Employees can address what this means for their personal growth and how training is helping them contribute to the organization’s success.
3. Know your employees
Because leaders are the biggest influencers in workplace culture, it’s critical they cultivate one employees will excel in. What’s even more convincing is that 39 percent of participants in the TAB survey consider management and leadership style first when company culture is mentioned.
A strong company culture
Do they enjoy their working environment, feel quality mentors are provided, and have the opportunity to grow and advance? Once leaders understand what employees need, conversations about change can begin.
Take an open-door approach to continue the conversation. Better yet, take the open-door meetings outside of confined office walls. Make time each month for employees and leaders to discuss their concerns — and triumphs — with one another. This can be in the break area, on a walk outside, over a cup of coffee, or anywhere they feel comfortable to chat openly.
This facet of the culture can also be demonstrated to candidates by holding interviews in a more relaxed setting, remaining available a few days after the interview for any questions or concerns they think of following the initial meeting and following up in a timely fashion.
Growing a strong company
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About the author:
Robyn Melhuish, Communications Manager at MedReps.com, a job board which gives members access to the most sought after medical sales jobs and pharmaceutical sales jobs on the Web.
Image licensed from Depositphotos.com
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