Building an Organisational Culture that Thrives
A recent report which was published in the US, says that for the very first time the government figures suggest the larger number of open jobs than the candidates. The employment activities have been drastically changed since the recession in the past years. Now, the recruiting has come to a phase where filling up positions with the right talent is a challenge.
Gone are the days when there was no work-life balance for employees. Today, organisations tend to be very sensitive about employees’ requirements. Many organisations have built up a culture that contributes to the unique social and psychological environment in the workplace.
There are several startups that have begun adopting the vision for healthy workplace culture and many candidates look forward to join these startups instead of well-established organisations, because of their culture. Culture is the cornerstone of any business. How can an organisation that started in 2008, is now employing over 1500 happy people? The reason is, its culture shouts through its own social media channels. Its social pages are always alive with the engagement from the followers. The cultural initiatives can make any startup a startup with amazing culture at its fundamental.
A company’s organisational culture composes of traditions, values, and behavioural ethics which shape up employees’ attitude at the workplace. A strong organisational culture is key to attract potential candidates or employees.
When we talk about building an organisational culture, the foremost element to consider is the company people. Why? It is because the goal of building a company culture revolves around them.
When the company promulgates certain instructions to employees, it brings about different behaviours. As there are multiple groups of people with varied sentiments, it is vital that the company treats each of them in a way they would want to be treated. It starts with creating a positive atmosphere at the workplace. However, the process does not end with only environmental changes.
Here are 10 important guidelines to nurture the company culture for employees.
Define the company culture and values
A business starts with a precise goal that should reflect throughout the business process. To establish a culture, it is crucial to make employees understand why they are doing the work they are doing. Without the refined culture, employees get distracted from the goal. There are various ways to carry out a single process, but sticking to the culture and values of the company constantly reminds everyone in the business to follow the defined path. To define the culture, answer these three questions,
1. Why does this business exist? — The mission
2. What are the core beliefs of this business? — The values
3. Where the business should take everyone associated with it? — The vision
It is also important that these values do not just stay at the banners hanging on the walls of the company. They should be part of the everyday activities of the employees. Staying true to these values only adds to the vision of the company.
Encourage employees to adopt the culture
When the culture is defined, the next step is to aligning people to that culture. Their thoughts must be carefully shaped around the vision of the business. This practice should be carried away in a way that employees would get excited and appreciative of this culture.
How will this be possible?
The key is to make them believe that they own it. Because when we own something, we look after it well. When employees start taking ownership, the culture will bloom.
Develop a respectful environment at workplace
It is said, “When employees respect each other and get along in the workplace, it’s amazing how productivity increases, morale increases, and employees are more courteous to customers.”
The most important part of building an organisational culture is to create a respectful environment for employees in the workplace. When they work together, they come across other people at different levels. Treating everyone with the same level of respect will encourage them to do the same. When people are respected, they feel the urge to give their best in response to the value given to them.
Care for the employees and make them care for each other
Caring about other people is the element that most companies forget to look out for. Caring about the well-being of employees, happenings in their personal life, etc builds trust between the organisation and employees and even between employees themselves. When they feel that they are not cared for, they simply detach from the culture. Larry Boyer, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council says, “When you don’t care, the culture suffers because it’s everyone for themselves.”
Communicate in a proper way
A well-defined culture only blooms when all the communications are carried out clearly and in a proper way. Every employee of the organisation should be bound by a mutual understanding and respect for the organisation’s culture and values. It is only possible if every news, changes, and goals of the business are communicated to employees thoroughly, in a way that is easy to understand, clear enough to avoid ambiguity, and in a manner that impacts employees’ thoughts. Highly effective and strongest company cultures focus on how every information is circulated.
Stick to the purpose
Ever wondered, why the vision and mission of the company are written down on the walls, in the broachers, and in the banners of every advertisement of the company? They are meant to be followed in each and every step of the business. Make sure that every employee understands the reason for the company’s existence, and the reason why it is important. Knowing the purpose encourages employees to surpass the challenges that may arise during the lifetime of a business process.
Be open to following new trends
Every person has something that the other person does not have. The new generation is coming up with totally new reasoning and the ability to carry out major problems easily and successfully. Be inclusive and open multigenerational positions in the company. Frances McIntosh of Intentional Coaching LLC says, “Everyone should be able to voice their perspective in a respectful manner. More input equals more clarity.
Build up trust between the organisation and employees
Trust is the key for any culture to thrive. It is vital for the business leader to earn his employees’ trust. Trust makes it easy to take the employees on a path that the business has committed to.
Hire the right people
Hiring the right kind of talent has a massive effect on a company’s culture. In the early phases of building a culture, this makes a huge difference. Each person comes with a different mentality and level of understanding the business. There may be people who work earnestly, while others may like to gossip and chit-chatting during work hours. Some may be practical enough to take the feedback positively, while others may be very emotional. Different kind of people reacts differently. Hiring a person that takes mindful decisions, mingles with the team, understands the value of the company, and works as per the instruction understand the goal.
Here are some key points that might help in the hiring process.
1. Candidates must appreciate the culture and values of the business.
2. Use the interview team to cover as much ground as possible in the interview process.
3. Look for the right attitude instead of skills and experience as they can be taught later.
Last but not least, constantly reinforce the core values.
To keep the company culture thriving, initiatives that promote the core values of the business are always welcomed. How do you do this? Start with culture awards. Awards are the most effective way to shape up employees to align with the culture.
Concluding Words:
Culture makes a big and important difference in retaining great people, as well as in bringing out the best performance in the business. However, the process of building an organisational culture is unique to each organisation. Above are the fundamental factors that can help businesses covering any area of expertise. A healthy culture is a key to hiring and retaining a highly effective, productive and passionate team that drives the business towards its goal.
