4 Ways You Can Improve Your Company Culture

Company culture is an important part of any business and can be vital when it comes to attracting and keeping the right talent. In fact, 40 per cent of candidates want to hear about the company culture in the first message they receive about a potential role. This means that developing a strong ethos and ensuring staff engage with it can make a big impact on growing your business and hiring the right person.

The culture of a company is also an important part of the business' identity, which has an effect on its values, how it expresses these and the way that employees work towards goals. Failing to create a strong philosophy can leave people unsure of who your brand is, which can lead to confusion when it comes to making plans for the organization.

Working on a company's culture can help to shape marketing efforts, change the way customers and clients see you, affect the atmosphere of the workplace and improve customer advocacy and loyalty. You are also likely to find that you have higher rates of staff retention as people are better able to connect with the company and form a relationship that ensures they are happy in their work.

In short, it can lead to reduced costs - such as those associated with hiring - and greater profits. This is why it pays to make improvements to your company culture and to continuously work on it.

Offer flexibility

Flexible working arrangements can help to create an attractive company culture and help to reduce the stress associated with having to be in the office at the same time every day. According to an Aviva study, around 51 per cent of businesses found that productivity improved when flexible working was implemented, while 68 per cent reported a happier workforce.

Offering employees the option to work from home or arrange their office hours around their requirements means that their work-life balance will improve. This leads to greater employee satisfaction and productivity, as well as increased staff retention.

While you will still need some rules in place in order to manage those who are choosing to work flexibly, technical advances mean that there is unlikely to be many negatives.

Recognize and reward

Creating a culture that highlights the benefits of going above and beyond is almost impossible to do if those who do put the extra effort in aren’t recognized for doing so. Failing to pay attention to extra work and reward it in some way can drastically affect employee morale, as well as retention levels.

Around 74 per cent of employees say that recognition when they do their job well is a key factor in keeping them happy at a company. Failing to reward hard work can mean that productivity falls as people begin to question why they are putting extra effort in.

It can be beneficial to company culture to create a tiered recognition and employee reward program that can range from something as small as a 'well done' card to a cash bonus. Company awards that are presented regularly can also be beneficial, especially if they encourage employees to vote and participate in them, as this shows they are supporting their peers.

Encourage socializing

An important part of team building and creating a good company culture is encouraging employees to socialize outside of the workplace. Some 56 per cent of employers believe that having strong friendships in the workplace improves productivity, while 60 per cent say they actively encourage out-of-work socializing.

Developing good relationships among employees helps to ensure people have others they can confide, improves collaboration across departments and also results in a better workplace atmosphere. Getting on with colleagues can also mean that people enjoy going to work, which is likely to result in higher levels of productivity.

Creating a culture that encourages out-of-hours socializing, as well as fun during the work day can be helpful when it comes to blowing off steam and ensuring people like their jobs. Putting a social budget in place for events, investing in a games console or activities that provide a break from work and implementing things like Friday afternoon drinks can all help to encourage a better social atmosphere

Workplace wellness

Not only can employee illness affect productivity and profits, it can also damage the culture of your company. With this in mind, workplace wellness schemes can be beneficial to ensuring a healthy workforce, while helping a business to show that it cares about the health of their employees.

Schemes can look at reducing health issues that can affect staff productivity, enjoyment of their job and general happiness, such as stress, inactivity and obesity. They can offer incentives for those who walk or cycle to work, or provide those who engage with the scheme discounted gym memberships. Even providing healthy snacks to employees, such as regular fruit deliveries, can help to create a healthier workplace and improve company culture.

In addition to this, offering training in mental health problems can help raise awareness and mean that staff are on-hand to help those struggling with their mental health. The training also allows people to spot those who might be having problems, fostering a culture of caring for all employees.

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