Building a robust, healthy corporate culture has become a need of the hour for companies who want to stand out. Employees want to feel important in their jobs and work for a company that shares their beliefs. Smart employers understand that in order to attract and maintain top talent, companies need to provide not only competitive compensation and benefits, but also an environment in which employees appreciate working.
Many companies incorrectly believe that culture is only about having fun. While having fun is crucial, it’s even more necessary to create strong core beliefs and foster a culture of trust, care, and support. Employees must be able to express themselves freely and share their thoughts and opinions without fear of retaliation. When you combine a fun workplace with a rewarding job, you’ll have employees who are enthusiastic about their work.
What Is Organizational Culture?
As we view it at Zimyo, a healthy organizational culture is an everyday reality of corporate life. It’s not the goal statement, vision, bank balance, or employee handbook, though they all help to shape it. What we do and say, how we behave, how we treat each other, our products, our clients, our community, and ourselves make up our culture. It is, in essence, the company’s “personality.”
While speeches, great goals, elaborate training manuals etc. have an impact on culture, they are just as likely to have a negative as well as a positive impact. In the end, what matters is what leaders do rather than what they say.
Companies must grasp not just the significance of developing a strong corporate culture, but also how to do so effectively in order to remain competitive.
Importance of Organizational Culture
Your company’s culture has an impact on every element of its operations. Employees are more likely to feel comfortable, supported, and valued when the workplace culture is aligned with their needs. Companies that place a significant emphasis on culture can weather challenging times and changes in the business environment.
When it comes to attracting people and exceeding the competition, organizational culture is a significant advantage. It’s also one of the most important indicators of employee satisfaction, employee engagement and is one of the key reasons why nearly two-thirds of employees stick with their jobs.
Main Elements of Organization Culture
Despite the fact that each culture is unique to the organisation it represents, all excellent cultures have a few important aspects.
Here are a few of them:
Excellent Leadership Structure
It’s essential to understand, though, that leaders aren’t the only ones who have control over your culture. Although CEOs serve as important role models for a company’s culture, true success is achieved when people are given the opportunity to take responsibility. As a result, people get invested in its success. When everyone participates in shaping the culture, it becomes even more powerful.
However, leadership shapes and establishes the tone for the culture of the organization. If leaders aren’t committed to building and maintaining a good culture, it will become devoid of meaning, and employees will lose faith.
Open Communication
Building a culture that people can trust requires clear, upfront communication. Remember to be honest and transparent about not only what you’re doing, but also why you’re doing it. Also, explain your core values and culture on a regular basis to ensure that your staff members are aware of what they are and why they are significant.
Feedback & Support
Employees must believe that their opinions are valued. Sending out surveys and hosting focus groups to get a sense of what your employees enjoy and dislike about your firm is one way to show them. Your efforts, however, must not cease there.
You should also openly share employee input with the rest of the firm and make a genuine attempt to implement changes based on it. Even minor modifications can have a significant influence on employee engagement. Listening, being honest, and making changes based on criticism help you not only make substantial improvements, but also build trust faster.
Commitment
Take the time to understand how a cultural component could benefit your company, and then consider what kind of culture you want to foster. After you’ve created a strategy, nurture and expand it as you would any other business venture. Set new goals once you’ve achieved your first ones. Culture changes over time and requires ongoing effort to ensure its success.
Hire for Culture Fit and Core Values
Being absolutely honest with the job candidate about your company’s culture from the start is also necessary. The interview is an opportunity to see if the position is a good fit for both of you. Avoid anything that could be construed as a misrepresentation by being open about your company’s culture, employment requirements, and objectives. You’ll only wind up betraying the candidate’s trust, which will have a long-term impact on your company culture.
We are frequently asked at Zimyo, “How did you assemble this wonderful group of individuals? How do you inspire people to care and enjoy themselves at work?”
Essentially, they want to know what the key to our company’s culture is. Of course, there is no secret; it all boils down to how leaders shape culture in an organization.
Nevertheless, the majority of people are looking for straightforward solutions. “Isn’t it all in the hiring?” Well, you’re more likely to get there if you write down the vision you want to have when you’re successful.
Have you created a vision for your organizational culture?
Author Bio
Ansh Aggarwal
Ansh Aggarwal has 6+ years of experience in the B2B Marketing space in India and International markets. Currently associated with Zimyo, an HR software company, Ansh is taking care of the entire gamut of marketing activities for the on-boarding of Enterprise clients. He communicates directly/indirectly with Industry leader CXOs, CHROs, IT Heads to understand their challenges and come up with solutions that are enabling them to transform their company into an employee-centric organization.
