Company work culture will always be evident in businesses, be it intentional or not.
A positive work environment can help employees find satisfaction in what they do, as well as find meaning in the work they produce. Owning a company with a positive employee culture can benefit the business in the long run.
The question is, how do you create a positive employee culture in your business?
The foundation of a positive work culture is healthy employees. Employees that feel their best, physically and mentally, usually interact well with each other as well as work their best.
Such positive behavior is in the best interest of the company. This is why a company should invest in the wellbeing of its employees.
A starting point for employee wellness is to look into some decent employee benefits, such as a good pension fund and healthcare. A pension fund and healthcare can give employees a sense of security and relief.
Having the thought of being cared for at the back of their minds can help promote a positive culture among staff.
You can even go further and include gym membership, team building sports events, and even a deluxe coffee maker. The adverse effect can occur if there are absolutely no benefits in the workplace.
Employees can become frustrated and can even retaliate as they could feel emotionally distressed as they feel that the company they work for does not have an interest in them.
It is essential to provide a clear purpose behind the work that your business does. You might hire a debtor’s clerk just to push paperwork on a daily basis.
But that person will still seek meaning in the work that they do. Even if it is a straightforward and mundane job. Having meaning in what you do can make a huge difference in job satisfaction.
It is up to you as an employer to provide your staff with meaning in the work that they do. One way of doing so is to create a solid mission statement as well as core values associated with your company.
Once you have formulated these, you can then communicate this message with staff. Ensure that your staff is always reminded of your company mission statement and values.
Staff can quickly become discouraged if they feel that all they are good for is making the boss rich.
Creating a positive culture in your company does not necessarily mean that you should completely change all policies related to the business.
The process of instilling a positive vibe within your company can be a gradual, yet effective one. Look at the long-term goal and patiently work towards getting there.
This can be achieved by accepting feedback from employees. Ask your employees what they like and don't like about their current work environment.
Then implement policies that aid in attaining your employees dream working environment. Such an environment can promote a positive work culture.
However, you should regulate staff requests as some requests can be against the company’s core values.
The goal is to create a positive culture, which is why employers should encourage positivity within the workplace.
This is difficult to attain at times as fast paced, and stressful jobs can cause friction and negativity among staff. Which is why positivity within the workplace should begin with employers.
You as an employer can lead by example by smiling and greeting your staff.
Doing this, as well as expressing gratitude on a daily basis can make a huge difference in the general vibe among your staff. Your staff is more likely to engage in positive behavior if they see that their employer engages in positive behavior as well.
Similar to your mission statement and core values, your company should also have goals in place that you and your employees should strive to achieve. Short term quarterly goals should do.
This way, everyone is on the same page and are working together to achieve something.
Staff can quickly lose track of a standard mission statement. However, quarterly or seasonal goals can help instill a fresh new positive vibe in the workplace.
Some companies use their quarterly target as a means of pushing staff towards a goal. If the goal is $1 million, then the company would print shirts with the company logo as well as a $1mill logo.
Such a tactic creates an awareness of the company goal that goes beyond the managers' boardroom meeting. Instead of just having your managers push towards a goal, now all staff will push towards your company’s goal in a unified effort.
The $1mill goal will be on the tip of everyone's tongue, and this can potentially create a positive mental attitude among staff.
If people robotically interact with each other, then you will have no chance for much positivity in the workplace. People understanding each other on a personal level can drastically improve their working environment.
If you share a deeper bond with a college, you will both be able to cooperate with each other in a positive manner.
One way of promoting social connections is through corporate social events, like a corporate baseball or soccer game. Your company could go up against another rival company.
If your company is large, you could host a soccer match between HR and sales. This will allow staff members to socialize with each other informally.
You could even host tea parties among staff at least once a week.
Once you have worked towards gaining a positive employee culture in your business, you will start to see plenty of new opportunities and benefits. Recruiting new staff will be easier, as more people will want to work in your business.
Your employees will find more job satisfaction from working with each other, which, in turn, will help produce better results. The boost in work performance and employee morale will contribute to running your business more effectively.