Creating and maintaining a strong company culture is becoming increasingly important. According to BuiltIn.com, 46% of job seekers cite that the company culture is critical when applying for a job.
A company that takes the time and effort to create a welcoming and inclusive culture is more likely to retain its employees. Almost half of active job seekers cited that their current company's culture was the driving reason to look for new work. Additionally, more than one-third of employees said they would turn down the perfect job offer if they didn't feel like the company culture was a good fit.
There are many different types of company cultures, and you want to create and cultivate one that works best with your industry, goals, and success plan. Common types of team cultures include customer service, power-driven, task-driven, sales, empowerment, innovation, leadership, role-playing, and mission-driven.
For example, suppose customer satisfaction predicates your company's success. In that case, it might help your organization to have your culture be customer satisfaction driven. While if you run a non-profit or a start-up, then a mission-driven culture may fit best.
One: Start by assessing your current culture.
Look at where your culture is currently to see where you can improve and grow. Omnia can help. Our Company Culture Survey assesses how your employees describe working for your company. These anonymous surveys allow employees to express their honest opinions and get to the bottom of your culture's strengths and vulnerabilities.
Two: Cross-train your employees.
Cross-training helps your employees get to know each other, and it'll help them understand how they all work together. When an employee understands the organization, they are more likely to make better business decisions for the company and not just for their team or department. Understanding how everyone fits into the organizational structure builds cooperation. People will be more likely to assist each other and work together.
Don't forget about your managers! Managers and executives who periodically spend time on the front lines working directly with customers or products better understand what their team does daily and can lead more effectively.
Three: Promote teamwork
When you foster an atmosphere of teamwork, you're going to have employees who are happy to come to work. Emphasize self-managing teams and encourage them to make their own decisions. Demonstrate to your employees that you are committed to giving teams the authority to complete their jobs on their own terms as long as they take responsibility for the results. This will help supply your employees with the boost they need to work together.
Four: Create leaders, not managers
The most significant difference between a manager and a leader is that a manager relies on control while a leader inspires trust. A manager says their workers know the consequences if they get out of line, and that's why their employees do a good job. On the other hand, a leader inspires trust from their team and states that their workers “know I trust them to be the best they can be, and they prove that to me every day. “
A common saying goes, "we get more from people by building a 'fire within them' than we do by building 'fire under them.' While fostering an excellent team culture, you need leaders who build, and nurture, a fire within your people. Otherwise, it's your employees who get burned and seek another company with a better culture.
Five: Provide your team with resources
Even when you hire and promote the best talent, no one can be successful without the proper resources. Teams need a proper workspace, a place to meet whether physically or virtually, and adequate time to devote to their meetings. Additionally, make sure you provide teams with a suitable budget and permission, with guidance, to spend it as they see best for the company.
Six: Cultivate an environment of transparency and team identity
The best way to carry this out is ensure that all team members know what role each member has. Transparency regarding job roles and what each person contributes to a team will strengthen their team identity. In short, make your team feel heard and seen. Autonomy, not anonymity, is an essential characteristic of any successful team, and a successful team will produce better results.
Like Brian Kristofeck, president and CEO of Upshot, said, "Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company." And with 88% of employees believing that strong company culture is key to a business's success, it is easy to see how influential a company's culture is to the people that work there. Now is the time to assess and revamp, if needed, your company's culture to ensure long-term success.
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