The culture of the workplace is imperative to an employee’s success at work. It’s all about the traits that make up a company and guide the individuals in acting, thinking, and working together. It is said that a business with well-defined and employed culture is more likely to thrive than those that don’t have one.
Considered as the business’s overall character, workplace culture comprises the organization’s goals, work practices, behaviors, values, attitudes, and beliefs. If you’re a company owner looking to create a positive culture, you should focus on three important elements — flexibility, innovation, and empowerment.
If you think your workplace exudes nothing but toxicity or negativity, it’s time to change that. Follow these useful tips to help you through the process.
Evaluate existing culture
Do your employees trust the organization? Do they embody the values of your company? Having company values is vital, but they should also be part of everyone’s lives in the workplace. Before you change your work culture, spend time observing what you currently have. How do your people work? What are the possible barriers between your goals and your reality? What policies have been put into practice?
To make things easier, it’s best to have open discussions with your people from different departments and positions. This can help you understand your company’s current culture much deeper.
Welcome workday flexibility
An average employee works eight hours a day and five days a week. Some even work for more hours. By allowing workday flexibility, you are showing genuine care about your employees’ well-being. They can have four-day workweeks or flexible hours as long as they work for the required minimum number of hours per week. Flexible workdays are also a vital deciding factor on whether an individual will take or leave the job.
Boost employee engagement
When creating a positive culture, it’s crucial to have employees who are psychologically and emotionally attached to the work. For you to increase employee engagement, the first thing to do is to set specific and achievable goals. Every employee should be able to attain the goals and relate them to their daily experiences.
Also, while hiring and developing great managers are essential, you, as the business owner, should provide the resources they need. For instance, if you’re a provider of PR services for tech companies, is the workplace already equipped with the needed devices or skills to develop the campaigns? Employees are more likely to be engaged and motivated if they know the company can provide the necessary resources, whether it’s the devices or skills training.
Focus on employee wellness
Positive workplace culture has a high-performance and healthy workforce. Determine the factors affecting the health and wellness of your employees and if your people address any unhealthy lifestyle habits. Show them that you care by creating conditions where they can shine and feel good. You can create wellness activities in the workspace that everyone can participate in. Or, if you have the budget, you can even pay for their fitness band or a gym membership to encourage health and fitness habits.
Provide regular feedback
Giving regular constructive feedback to your employees is beneficial for creating a positive culture in the workplace. It shows your people that you care about them and how they can improve and thrive together with the company. Take time to oversee their performances and evaluate what areas are progressing and which ones need work.
Run a workplace that looks after and listens to employees. You can have employee engagement surveys or provide regular performance reviews. These simple things can encourage your employees to stay productive and ensure the quality of their work at all times.
Recognize good work
Apart from providing constructive feedback to your employees, make sure you also recognize their good work. Employees have hectic schedules and dozens of tasks to complete before deadlines. So, when they perform beyond expectations, it only makes sense to show your appreciation for their hard work. Give them rewards, like incentives or bonuses, especially if they worked on a huge project for the organization. Doing this can motivate your people to work better.
On the surface, it might look easy to create and sustain a positive workplace culture. But keep in mind that as your company grows and different personalities enter the organization, everything can be a mess. So as much as you can, start building a strong foundation for your workplace culture by practicing all the tips we’ve mentioned here. Start right now, make the necessary adjustments, and don’t lose the effort to sustain a positive workplace culture!