Company culture has always been a key driver of success. However, the introduction of hybrid working models brought on by the pandemic has shifted the meaning of strong company culture to another gear.
Before, good company culture meant nap pods, company lunches etc. Lately, with workforces now completely dispersed, firms need to re-evaluate what makes people happy in their jobs. The pandemic gave everyone time to reflect on their career aspirations and their value within their respective industries.
Research shows that employees no longer value surface-level benefits to increase their happiness, but rather meaningful, long-term benefits that speak to the individual’s values.
Now, more than ever, professionals are seeking out companies with a culture that aligns with their own values so that they can reach their full potential and gain ultimate job satisfaction.
What is corporate culture?
In simple terms, company culture refers to the core values and beliefs that form the company’s identity.
These values and beliefs guide companies in their decisions and actions to reach their business goals. Without it, leadership and employees wouldn’t know the reason behind their work and ultimately have no direction.
How to build a strong corporate culture
A solid corporate culture has four key components:
- Core Values: These are chosen by the organisation’s leadership while drafting its mission statement. Values serve as the firm’s compass, illuminating its purpose and pointing it in the right direction. They offer meaning to the job that people do on a daily basis.
- Work Environment: This is a crucial element for all employees, whether they work from the office or from home. Employers need to ensure that their workforce has a comfortable workspace with all the resources they require to produce the best work possible.
- Employees: Your employees are a vital aspect of your company culture. They need to feel included to not only subscribe to the company culture, but to drive it further and encourage it. This is especially important when hiring new talent.
- Actions: Your actions as a company must align with your values. These build trust with customers, suppliers and stakeholders which is crucial to the success of any business. Actions are what drives your company to achieve its goals.
Creating a corporate culture in a remote world
Creating a company culture isn’t easy in a remote world. How do executives keep their employees motivated and driven to keep performing from a distance?
The answer is quite simple: Make employees feel valued. Small human actions can go a long way to boost morale and ensure that company culture flows through all teams. Stick to core values and align company actions with them.
This creates a high level of trust throughout the organisation and motivates each employee to excel.
How to make employees feel valued:
- Be honest and fair – executives and employees must have clear communication. Transparency is critical to gaining the trust of all employees. Communicate the difficulties that the company is facing to the workforce and create an environment that shows “we’re in this together”.
- Encourage employees to speak up – Show employees that you care about what they have to say. Don’t assume you know what’s best for them. Ask them for honest inputs. This won’t just create a better workplace for them, but also boost performance throughout the entire company.
- Stay in contact – regular communication with your staff is likely the most effective practice, as it shows that you take the time to keep them in the loop and value them. This is essential for creating a healthy corporate culture.
There are many ways to create a strong company culture that can weather any storm. The most important aspect is creating trustful relationships with your employees. Without them, there would be no company culture.
At Leverage Experts, we believe that creating a healthy company culture is critical to every company’s success. Get in touch with our experts to learn more.
A seasoned change and transformation expert. Successfully integrated M&A transactions, reorganized entities in digital business transformation and formed winning teams. Evaluated, hired, outsourced and outplaced employees. Supporting Top Management and HR departments in Situations of Rapid Change (SRC), as well as in strategic personal resource planning.