Do your people define your company or does your company define your people? The answer is simple if your entire team was replaced today would your company be the same? For most companies the answer is predominantly no. The modern workforce is becoming a lot more diverse than it used to be. With this diversity comes the blending of personal and corporate culture and not all of it good. So, the main question most companies find themselves stuck is how to cultivate better corporate culture.
1. Define and share corporate values
The first step is understanding what your company stands for and what values are irreplaceable in the line of business that your company is operating in. A good start point would be looking at what was the initial goal of the company and what is the end goal now. Values should serve as guidelines to help the company grow towards its end goal through its people.
Once you defined what values are essential to your company, ensure that each employee understands and exemplifies them in one way or another. Sharing these values should begin from the interview stage where interviewers should consider whether their potential hires fit the values that they want to see within the company. Although not everyone will have all the values you want in place, they should share at least some of the values and the rest can be built on later.
You can use share your corporate values through the EasyWork Documents feature which can act as virtual notice board for your team to access anytime from their mobile device. This will be particularly useful when you are sharing company onboarding materials through this feature as well. New joiners can then be initiated into the company smoothly through the introduction of corporate values right from the beginning.
Of course, senior team members also need some reminding from time to time. In this case, companies can opt to use EasyWork Announcement feature to which can send a notification to all employees reminding them of the values of the company and keeping it fresh in their minds. Alternatively, EasyWork admins can choose to send this announcement to particular groups or departments that they feel might need a specific reminder.
2. Operate beyond profits
Understand that most businesses operate on the premise of earning profits but when becomes your main goal, the company loses its identity and meaning. What makes people want to wake up for work if its not meaningful to them in some shape or form? Money, but that can be earned at any company. Operating beyond profits and having meaningful goals that help improve the lives of customers bring purpose to the work of people. This is where doing meaningful work helps retain employees within a company because work satisfaction is a benefit that cannot be bought.
However, not all companies operate on a premise that can be agreeable to all employees. What employees perceive as being meaningful work is in reality is quite subjective. Given that, majority of companies are committed to Corporate Social Responsibility which although not often related to their industries, does help society. In turn, this shows employees their companies do perform meaningful acts for society although not always directly from its operations. These commitments also can double as a boost to not only employee loyalty but also consumer loyalty. An example of this is LEGO Group, so has partnerships with organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and has committed efforts towards running 100% on renewable energy by the year 2030.
Ideas for CSR do not have to be on a major scale and can be as simple as donations to the local orphanages, community cleaning or as simple as reducing paper usage around the office. Companies can schedule these events through the EasyWork Calendar feature on the app or send out announcements through EasyWork Announcement features in regards to CSR efforts that can involve employee participation.
3. Employee Engagement After Hours
While employees are on the clock working, there usually is very little time to engage with each other on a more personal level. Therefore, companies can and should take the initiative to create time for bonding either during working hours or outside of them. Although seemingly counter productive and cost incurring, having a better relationship between colleagues helps elevates team synergy and productivity in the long run. Employees will feel appreciated and it shows that the company values them for more than just their work but also on a more personal level.
EasyWork runs an optional monthly game session with prizes up for grabs. These gifts can be redeemed through the EasyWork Reward feature in exchange for points which are distributed by company admins. The prizes are sponsored by the company for sole purpose of employee relationship building.
4. Open communication for everyone
Breaking down the hierarchy of the company can be a great way of building an open communication culture within the company. Sequentially, improving the conveyance of information throughout the company and allows for faster response time to opportunities and threats to its overall performance. Ultimately, everyone in the company is working towards its betterment with the only difference being the role and the work being handled. Open communication will help all member of the company understand each other and work better together.
Keep in mind that it is good to have a plan to cultivate better corporate culture, but it is practice that will perfect it. Everyone should play their part in cultivating the company’s culture and remember to lead by example and stay consistent to ensure after cultures are introduced, they stay within the company.
