Corporate culture is one of the most crucial elements to the success of a business. If your employees are happy, healthy, and motivated, your business tends to run smoothly.
For HR executives, developing a strong corporate culture is a key objective. This is done by considering the current and future employees of the company. For current employees, a strong corporate culture keeps them focused and motivated. For potential employees, a corporate culture creates the company’s brand identity, which the HR and recruitment executives can use as a means to promote.
Brand perception stems from an organization’s culture. Over the last couple months, many of Uber’s employees, both high-ranking executives and operational level employees – have quit their jobs because of the company’s toxic culture.
It is important to understand that it’s really hard to change a company’s culture. It cannot be spoken into existence, as it is a product of behavior, symbols, and mindsets. The tone at the top is critical to insinuate change. Here are 7 steps that can help you develop a strong corporate culture:
Step 1: Identify your company’s values?
Before you offer miscellaneous perks and incentives to your employees, outline your company’s mission and core values. Ask yourself: What is your business trying to achieve, and how does it want to achieve it? Once you have answers, drill them down to see how your approach to business might trickle down to your workplace culture.
Step 2: Communicate your values to your employees
After you’ve hired an employee, it’s important that he or she receives a training or orientation that explains job responsibilities and company culture. Correct onboarding is the first step to building the ideal corporate culture.
Step 3: Do your HR policies reflect your company culture?
Beyond the day-to-day, you can set an example by ensuring that official policies reflect your company’s values.
Step 4: Create a physical office space that promotes your culture
“Creating a cool office space can and should reflect a company’s culture,” says Samantha Zupan, Glassdoor spokesperson. “It can be a sense of pride for employees and an attractive selling point to recruits.”
Step 5: Design your communication plan
How do you communicate the good or bad news to your team and the outside world? Do you make yourself available for questions and feedback? If so, do you do it one-on-one with your employees or in an all-team meeting? Decide on two modes of communication and stick to those.
Step 6: Develop a CSR plan
The way you interact with your surroundings speaks volumes about your values to employees, potential customers, and neighbours.
Step 7: As your company changes, don’t forget to let your culture evolve too.
Make sure to stay flexible and open-minded about that evolution, checking at least once a year.
With these 7 steps, you and your team can work together to create a great work culture.
Want to establish a flexible and consistent corporate culture? Click on the link below to watch a quick video and to download the whitepaper 7 Keys to Building a Strong Corporate Culture.
