Culture is more than a ping-pong table in the corner. Culture goes deeper than those little perks, it needs to be addressed at a fundamental level from hiring right, promoting the right attitude, leading by example and establishing habits.Culture is more than a ping-pong table in the corner of the office. while fun activities/perks bring everyone in the team together, it shouldn’t come across as forced fun to just tick the ‘culture’ box. Company culture goes deeper than those little perks, it needs to be addressed at a fundamental level from hiring right, promoting the right attitude, leading by example and establishing habits. Only then can you get a true company culture that not only will foster engagement but also promotes a genuine workplace which can attract talent.
If you’ve already got a fantastic company culture in place which you’re scared is going to change and warp with the introduction of new hires (Which It easily can if not considered and prepared for) then read our article on maintain company culture when you’re experiencing growth.
Tip 1. Hire people who culturally fit your company.
What came first the culture or the hire? The hire definitely. Employees need to fit in with your cultural guidelines right from the beginning. People are hard to change, especially in a professional setting. One person who is toxic to the company culture will affect their whole team, it’s never worth it and will be detrimental to your cultural quest.
One of the most effective methods of getting the right people, as used by many CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies is to bring employees and team members into the hiring process. The colleagues who will be on the floor with them each week will have a better idea of whether they’ll fit into the team dynamics.
Tip 2. Planning for Talent
If you care about something coming to fruition, then you better have some kind of plan. A company culture which is clearly defined and documented is important, as you need to make sure everyone in the company is aligned to your values.
Your culture plan needs to clearly define what you want the company to be ‘No buzz words or wishy-washy sentiments’ get down to the brass-tax of it all, as vagueness can influence misinterpretations.
Tip 3. Make the culture and values of your company clear for all
Values, vision, culture and your why need to be clear for all to see, shout about it, promote it, live it, breath it and your team will adopt it. Many companies like to create signs and visual representations of the values and put them up in their offices and spaces, keeping the core values of your company front of mind will remind your employees of their importance.
Tip 4. Celebrate the team
Culture flourishes when we actively encourage and celebrate the individuals but also the teams that show there are living the values and vision of the company. Many companies celebrate their team as fundamentally part of their brand, on their websites and social media. A team that truly nails culture knows that the modern company is no longer vertical, the sum of its success is equal to the collective effort of everyone who has helped it get there.
Tip 5. Get the team involved in the ‘treats’
It’s a good idea to diarise and organise gatherings outside of the work environment for your staff, to help build friendships and give a different setting for your teams to interact and fundamentally have fun building meaningful relationships with co-workers they may not have had the opportunity to build in the workplace.
Make sure these events maintain a level of consistency, and make sure you keep to them. These kind of events needs to be as important as a client meeting, if you want to show your staff that you care about them and appreciate the effort they put into you, so no giving it to the receptionist to organise and then dropping out at the last minute (It happens more than you think!)
And finally, make sure you’re getting the whole team involved in the organisation and ideas for the event. General consensus may be that Top-Golf isn’t as fun as you may think it is. Getting everyone involved helps build anticipation and interest in the event.
Tip 6. Promote exercise and healthy well-being
Exercise and healthy living is scientifically proven to boost productivity, but also helps to achieve a whole manner of different attributes from concentration, communication, happiness, reduce stress and more..
Smart companies know the value of healthy-eating and exercise in the workplace. From offering longer lunch breaks for exercise to providing free fruit in the kitchen, companies that help nurture an environment where health-consciousness is celebrated can help build a workforce that work smarter but also bond through exercise, diets and team activities.
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