There is nothing better than working in a company with a good company culture. A positive culture can elevate employee enthusiasm and motivation, encourages better productivity, and overall leads to better company performance. On top of that, fostering a positive and healthy culture reflects positively on employee retention and the financial goals of your company.
Your company culture is so powerful that it can make or break your employees’ and new candidates’ job experience. It can either result in long-term employment and retention of your top talents, or it can send your employees retreating back to the job market.
What determines a good company culture? Many aspects can determine the quality of your company’s culture, but here are some factors that indicate if your organization has a healthy workplace, a positive environment and if it’s a great place to work.
Employee turnover can be a significant indicator of a company’s culture. Happy, engaged employees who are taken care of and given opportunities to grow are more likely to stay put. When companies foster a positive culture at work, they have long-term employees that are loyal to them and choose to stay with them.
A lack of communication within a team and the company can create a culture of insecurity and uncertainty. Workplaces with positive cultures support a philosophy of transparency. This allows every team member to have clarity and know where they stand and where the company is headed.
A good company culture doesn’t just happen. It has to be articulated and communicated throughout the organization in order for it to be lived out by employees at every level. A company with a positive culture has a mission and values that every employee knows by heart. The values and mission shouldn’t just be taught but demonstrated by leadership throughout the company.
A good company culture provides positive, fun ways for their employees to get together for occasions or activities, both within and outside of working hours. The success of the company culture can be indicated by the level of employee involvement. For example, if the company is hosting a holiday party or dinner and most people from the company show up willingly, you know that the employees feel invested and are excited to be there.
The best companies have clear and frequent processes in place for recognizing the achievements of their employees on a regular basis. This shows that a good company culture makes recognizing performance, as well as effort, a priority. It’s essential to celebrate your employees and make them see that you recognize the value they bring.
While some amount of gossip and politics are bound to happen, that should be the exception, not the rule. Leaders of great company cultures don’t tolerate office gossip, favoritism, or any negative behavior. Leaders are the ultimate role models for showing how to demonstrate the company’s values.
If everyone working at an organization fits the same demographic, that should be a red flag in terms of culture. Companies with a good culture embrace diversity in hiring, diversity in thought, and diversity in approaches. Inclusion and diversity in the workplace should be embraced and reflected in the teams and the culture.
Job satisfaction is closely tied to opportunities employees have for growth, advancement, and learning within a company. A strong infrastructure that supports employee growth with actual resources and budgets validates their commitment to their employees’ professional development and fosters a strong sense of culture and community.
People support and respect leaders who are transparent, accessible, and honest. When an organization’s leaders are front and center and make themselves available, it creates a sense that “we’re all in this together,” and employees are much more likely to feel good about the goals they’re working towards and the company’s mission.
The physical environment that employees work in each day can go a long way in determining how people feel about their jobs and their employer. Comfortable workspaces with amenities and perks that people care about contribute significantly to morale levels. You don’t need a huge cafeteria filled with free food or a game room, but a company that invests in its people and tries to offer the best perks they can for their employees understand the importance of creating a healthy and positive culture.