Corporate Culture is defined by Investopedia as “the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.” But why would you want to take the time to assess your company culture? For one thing, quality employees will drive your bottom line, making your business more successful, and the number one way to attract those employees is by assuring that your company has an employee-friendly culture.
For example, Google attributes its success to its fun and unique corporate culture, keeping its employees happy and productive. You only have to take a look into one of their famous “Googleplexes” to see that these employees aren’t expected to just “adult” all day.
But it’s not all about fun. Steve Jobs, for example, built Apple on a culture of secrecy. They are careful about who they hire and employees are kept hush hush about new products. It works for them because don’t we all want to know what goes on inside Apple? Employees are dying to get in and media is dying to get the scoop.
We probably all realize that company culture plays an important part in its success, but the real question is, how do you assess the culture within your own organization?
So, let’s break it down…
Observe Your Employees
The first step in assessing anything is observation, and there are several things to look for in your initial observation.
· Communication
The way your employees interact with management and coworkers is the number one factor in the culture of any company. But observing this type of interaction can get tricky since people tend to change their behavior in the presence of authority. Do your best to quietly observe and keep an open-door policy for open communication. Also, encourage anonymous feedback in the form of either online or paper forms.
Here are some questions you can ask employees to gage their feelings about your company culture:
1. What values do you feel this company represents?
2. Do you feel that your job is in alignment with your original job description?
3. Are you allowed to creatively contribute within the company?
4. How fairly do you think disciplinary matters are handled?
5. If you could change one thing about the company or your job, what would it be?
Of course, there are many different types of questions you could ask to gage company culture and employee satisfaction, but the point is – if your employees feel comfortable expressing opinions without fear of reprimand, it could mean you have a culture of genuine satisfaction.
Of course, this has to always be balanced with the natural order of hierarchy so it doesn’t get out of control. In other words, if the communication is consistently negative, then you either have issues that need to be addressed in the organization or you have negative employee behavior that is driving the culture.
· Personal Space
Another thing to observe is the way your employees decorate their spaces. Do they have personal effects on their desks? Do they keep family photos and fun objects around them? If an employee is at ease in his work environment, it will show in his work space. On the other hand, if you find an employee with little to no personal objects, it’s possible he has one foot out the door. While this isn’t always the case, if most of your employees seem detached, chances are they’re not happy where they’re spending their 9 to 5.
Observe Your Company
· Building
Believe it or not, how your building and your management offices are decorated says a lot about the culture of the overall work environment. For example, take a look around at your bulletin boards and break rooms. Are they littered with various memos citing rules and regulations, or is there a good mixture of lighthearted decor and colors?
If this area is not in your organization’s wheelhouse, a good interior designer could be an excellent investment. Your company’s decor can send a hostile message if you’re not careful.
· Communication
Communication between members of the management team is also a crucial element to observe. Do your managers constantly try to outperform eachother, or is there a sense of camaraderie that should be present with any team? One way to tell is if members of your management team are usually “tattling” on their coworkers. If there are a lot of complaints within the team, you need to get to the bottom of it. It could be that they are inadvertently being pitted against eachother.
· Values
Values are the heart of your culture, giving direction to the mission and mindset of the company. In order to have the culture you want, you must first determine your values. For example, Rotary Club International has what they call a “Four Way Test” to measure anything they do or say:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Your values will be aligned specifically to your own company’s mission and beliefs, but they should be clearly defined and articulated for everyone involved with your brand.
· The Story
Every company has a story and it’s important to allow that story to weave itself into the fabric of your culture. Each employee should somehow feel a part of that story and feel like an integral part of its history.
To use Apple as an example again, think of the story of Steve Jobs. He started out making computers in his parents’ garage and wasn’t taken seriously for quite a while. Now each person that goes to work for Apple is woven into its stories. They are a part of a secret culture of innovation and intelligence that every aspiring computer geek out there wants to be a part of.
Changing Your Corporate Culture
Knowing what is wrong with your company culture is only half the battle. Once you’ve assessed the potential issues, you need to make a plan to change it, and the best way to do this is to purposely choose your company culture.
Ideally, this choice is made before the company even launches, but in most cases, businesses aren’t even aware that this needs to be decided. In that case, it’s crucial that you sit down with your management team and lay out the foundations for the environment you wish to create.
By this point, hopefully you’ve gotten some good feedback and observations about employees and management and you know what you need to change.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
· High Performers Drive Corporate Culture
Your highest performing employees will be the ones who determine the environment of your other workers. They will inspire their coworkers to achieve loftier goals and become leaders of your teams. It’s extremely important that you look for these high performers when hiring, but also that you nurture their achievements once you’ve retained them to your workforce.
· Allow Open Communication
If an employee communicates a negative experience to you, do your best to listen without judgment and fully assess the situation. If you don’t know what’s wrong, there’s no possible way to fix it. Treating employees like adults will go a long way towards making them feel appreciated and willing to be productive.
Remember, happy employees are the key to your long-term success.
· Follow Through
Don’t just simply hear what your employees are saying, follow through in implementing necessary changes and reassess their satisfaction afterwards. There are some employees who will never be happy, but try to keep an open mind before making that decision about anyone.
Talk to your high-performing employees consistently and assess their feedback on necessary changes as well. When employees see that you are actively and consistently trying to make their environment better, you will gain loyalty and productivity from most of your staff.
· Encourage Risk
Every employee should be allowed some measure of creative risk, and high-performing candidates will likely use this as an assessment when interviewing. They want the room to grow and add value to your organization, and this is something you want to allow and encourage. It’s up to you to determine how far you are willing to let this go, and it should never be something that will make or break the company’s bottom line. But in every place, there’s room for some calculated risk and creative innovation.
· Create Systems for Measuring Change
Don’t just implement change, measure it. Figure out a way to make sure the changes you are making are actually working. The way you can do that is by following up with your staff. Having regular team meetings where the members are allowed to speak freely can help you continue to assess the culture and implement needed changes.
Don’t Go Overboard
In saying all of this, it’s important to also say that you have to set your own boundaries within your organization. Changing your company culture to make your employees happy only adds to your bottom line if your employees are responsible high-performing individuals. None of this change should mean that your employees are suddenly running the company, slacking off on the job, or under-performing. There has to be balance in every situation. You have to decide for your own company in which areas you can be flexible and which ones need strict adherence to rules or deadlines.
That’s a Wrap
If corporate culture refers to a company’s beliefs and behaviors, it stands to reason that this is a system that must be set in place and nurtured by its leaders. The key is to strengthen your hiring process, consistently assess, and diligently implement change.