Attracting and retaining top talent is a top priority in today's workplace. A healthy paycheck alone won’t accomplish this, though. Company culture has become a top motivator for job candidates, attracting them to your business and driving their engagement and productivity once they are on board.
What is Company Culture?
Company culture defines your business, both inside and out. This set of core attitudes, goals, practices, and values defines how your employees feel about their work, the values you share and believe in, where the company’s going, and how you’re getting there. Company culture is your workplace’s personality, and it’s what attracts job candidates and customers. It promotes curiosity, employee health, respect, and teamwork.
Five Essential Ways to Improve Your Company Culture
1. Build a Culture of Trust
Trust is necessary for every healthy workplace. In high-trust work environments, employees feel free to speak up and confront real issues, dealing with problems constructively. New ideas are heard and embraced, and mistakes are viewed as part of the learning process. Employees are also open to asking for help when they need it. Sharing credit with the team is the norm.
2. Don’t Mistake Perks for Culture
Perks are wonderful, but they do not replace a well-developed workplace culture. Workplace culture must be built on a strong foundation of positivity, diversity, inclusion, and core values – perks alone cannot provide this. If you want to keep your employees around in the long term, you must focus on building that solid foundation.
3. Foster a Sense of Belonging
A major part of a healthy workplace culture is fostering a sense of belonging among your employees. A sense of purpose and friendships with co-workers build stronger bonds of loyalty and connections than paychecks and perks. Encouraging employees to bond and belong doesn’t have to cost a lot, either. Simple experiences like regular trips to a local restaurant are a chance to bond and create lasting shared memories.
4. Showcase Culture During On-boarding
New employees have to go through training and acclimation to their new job. But what about assimilating into the culture of your company? You can make onboarding a memorable experience for new employees by involving veteran employees. They can help new employees meet their coworkers and involve them directly in the culture.
5. Employees Should Fit Your Culture
Even with the best screening and clearest culture, there will be occasions when employees may exhibit behavior contrary to the company’s core values. When that occurs, your employees will look to you to be consistent about what behavior will be tolerated at the company and what will not. A truly positive company culture is consistent and active. Be clear from the beginning and always maintain the integrity of your workplace culture.
Building a strong company culture starts with high-quality talent. If you’re looking to build and improve your company’s culture and brand, KeyStaff, Inc. can help, connecting you with top talent that shares your company’s values and purpose. Contact KeyStaff today to get started!
