How to create a great ‘Company Culture’

A company culture influences everything, and everyone involved with that business. Organisations with a well-developed company culture benefit from sustained and increased productivity, strong morale, better retention, the list goes on…

Our dream client is a healthcare provider that has a well-developed company culture or a clear vision on how they plan to create one. Companies with an open, participative workplace where people enjoy working and have broad opportunities for growth and creativity attract top candidates.

One of the first questions that we ask a client is ‘how would you describe the culture of your business?’ - You would be surprised at how many Hiring Managers can’t answer this question. Defining a company culture isn’t easy and many people just cannot put their finger on it.  

One of the best places to work that is consistently nominated is Google. Google have created an environment that their employees cherish. They offer a great work-life balance, development opportunities, competitive wages and overall, they acknowledge their ‘Googlers’ are the key part of what makes Google the company it is. So, Google have it down to a fine art. However, for many employers this is not always the case and achieving that successful company culture is not easy.

Here are 3 top tips on creating a great company culture:

Shared Goals & Objectives
The success of a business is dependent upon its people. Having a collaborative environment ensures that everyone is working towards a shared goal. Individuals are aware of their own responsibilities and the importance of those in the overall scheme, compared to feeling like a tiny cog in a much grander machine. This way each person is willing to ‘chip in’ to achieve that goal because overall benefit is visible to everyone.

Perks
Little things can go a long way! Offer incentives such as high street vouchers, gym membership, extra time off around public holidays, or even just all the tea and coffee the team can drink. You would be surprised how big of a difference these little gestures make. Why not every now and again make a big gesture and have a staff celebration. Any opportunity to recognise success should be taken. This raises morale and makes your employees feel appreciated for all the hard work.

Commitment
Employees want to feel appreciated. When staff are happy in their workplace environment, they are much more likely to stay loyal to the company. By offering development opportunities, creating relationships with team members, and investing back into their careers will benefit the company all round. Colleagues will have a sense of pride in their employer, and this creates increased business success, reduced recruitment costs due to staff retention and a strengthened team.