At the heart of every successful organization is thriving company culture. People are your greatest asset, and when they feel connected to a company’s mission and values, they’re much more likely to produce their best work and improve the business. To ensure employees can work at their full potential they have to possess a balanced company culture. This includes their roles being defined and the office is a conducive environment to work in. It’s important to remember that a good company culture can’t be faked or bought.
To strengthen company culture:
Employees working and living freely
- Allow employees to work in an environment outside the office some days. They can work from home, a café, or other spaces they feel comfortable in. If your team wants, allow them to work from anywhere and use tools like Slack and Dropbox to communicate hours and tasks.
Improve collaboration and relationships
- Provide time for weekly consultations and open forums where employees can share their input, idea, and issues. Have a day of the week when employees all work in the conference room instead of in cubicles to encourage bonding and improve relationships.
- Attend team-building opportunities a couple of times a year. Take a fitness class, attend a sporting event, or play games to give employees the opportunity to build those relationships outside the office.
- A workplace culture should be balanced. When a new employee enters the office ensure he/she settles into the role well and is connecting to coworkers.
Make the office a productive setting
- The ambiance of the office can increase employees’ moods and productivity. With natural light, clean and cool air, and a comfortable desk, employees will thrive at being efficient. Some even add relaxing music to stimulate and increase creativity within the office.
- Rearrange your office’s interior design and add a board where employees can write creative ideas or track their progress. Make a relaxing area or an entertainment nook for breaks and refreshments.
Value Time Off
- Employees need rest, not only on the weekend but when they leave the office after work. Avoid contacting them when they are not in the office. This is their time to recharge and spend time doing things they are passionate about outside of work.
- Give employees unlimited time off, if they plan accordingly, their work is completed in a timely manner and the policy is not abused, it works.
Volunteer Time
- Companies volunteering together helps improve morale, and productivity and helps show a deeper connection. Volunteering also allows employees to collaborate with others they may not see or work with within the office. Employees also have the chance to reveal skills the office may not allow them to use.
If you want to improve your culture, make sure you are asking your people what they want. What do they want from their work experience? How do they want to learn? How do they want to be rewarded and acknowledged for their hard work? How do they want to progress? Once you start having these conversations, your culture will not only improve, but it will also bring an air of authenticity and improvement will follow. Culture improvement will lead to the success of employees and the company.
Merito Group is a small women-owned business providing excellence in outsourced talent acquisition solutions including retained executive search, RPO, and consulting services. Looking to hire exceptional talent? Contact us by email or 703-734-6340. To view our current career opportunities, click here.
Article by Rachel Neeb, Marketing Assistant at Merito Group
SOURCES:
Forbes Agency Council, Forbes 10 Tried-And-True Workplace Strategies That Improve Company Culture
Gemma Reeves, Entrepreneur, owner of Find My Workspace and writer of A Balanced Ecosystem: How to Improve Workplace Culture