Working in consulting allows you to meet and speak with a variety of different business owners. Our customers range from established organizations that have been operating for several years to start-ups with fewer than 10 employees. As part of the consultation, we assess workplace culture; it’s a component of every audit, even our Records Audit. We try to infer what values they want their employees and management to hold when interacting both internally and externally with business transactions. We try to understand how much creativity is encouraged in policies and procedures, management style, compensation, and payroll practices, among many other aspects of culture.
A common refrain from employers when we talk culture, etc. is, “We never put much thought into that.” or worse, “That is just fancy wording companies use but never mean, we don’t believe in that here.” These responses are often accompanied by complaints about high turnover or employee disengagement.
If you are also in the camp of workplace culture being an afterthought, the evidence is stacked against you. Despite what some people may say on LinkedIn feeds, work should not just be a place where employees show up to do their job and leave. If human beings want to feel like they belong and look for this fulfillment in the other aspects of their lives, why not offer it in the workplace? In a competitive market you need every advantage you can get.
Culture is a part of what makes us who we are. We are nurtured into cultures of Individualism or Collectivism. Where individualism focuses on self-sufficiency, collectivism focuses on working as a group. Culture can also come from outside of our families in the form of churches, local communities, and hobbies. These things all contribute to how we interact with the rest of the world and our jobs should be no different. Professor Geert Hofstede, who created the Cultural Dimensions Theory, saw how culture influences behavior and therefore is significant to the performance of an organization.
In a study done by Deloitte in 2012 showed 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct corporate culture is important to business success. Having a strong company culture helps attract and retain employees. This means that your employees need to believe in your core values, have open communication throughout the organization, and find their work meaningful. Your employees should know exactly how their role fits into the entire operation of the organization. Leveraging these tools successfully will allow your company to outlast competitors who cannot.
Other positive effects of good workplace culture are decreased burnout, elevated productivity, and strong brand identity. Your culture represents not only your public image, but also your reputation. Workplaces known for having poor culture will find their local community hesitating to do business with them. So, if you feel your current workplace culture is not enough, how can you begin to improve it? According to our friends at Indeed there are a few helpful tips.
First you want to know how to communicate well. Frequent miscommunication leads to job dissatisfaction and muddies day-to-day operations. Be open to not only providing examples and being descriptive, but also the ability to simplify your message when people seem confused. Next you want to encourage feedback. Not everything can be sacred and without improvement. Allow employees the chance to bring up problems that the company may face or be impacting their workflow. Then work together on coming up with solutions.
Finally, you want to make sure you are consistent. Treat everyone with the same professionalism and make sure your managers/supervisors are doing the same. Leaders in the company will always be vital champions of culture and change. Employees will feel a sense of stability and respond positively to these leadership efforts. Remember, a healthy and equitable workplace environment promotes teamwork and unifies employees. This in turn will help with your recruiting and retention efforts, as well as solidify your brand identity in the community.
Alex Vial
HR Advisor, HR Services
Alex obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a focus in Human Resource Management from The University of New Orleans. He has worked in a variety of industries, including not-for-profit organizations, Telecommunications/IT, and Solar/Renewables. In his career, he has focused on human resource and legal compliance for companies operating in multiple states, Professional Development and employee trainings, employee engagement, onboarding, offboarding, and conflict resolution. Alex believes the best part of HR is helping companies create pro-employee cultures, increasing retention and reducing recruiting costs. Alex loves tackling new challenges on behalf of his customers at empact and Crescent.
His personal philosophy is “The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.” – Ryan Holiday