More and more job seekers are now aware of the importance of workplace culture. Nowadays, they have taken into consideration the culture of the company that they are eyeing to join. As professionals, they also make sure that their own beliefs and culture align with the company’s workplace culture.
But what is it, really? How do we define the culture of a workplace? If it affects professional and company growth, what can you do to achieve a positive work environment? Read on below to know more.
What is Workplace Culture?
Workplace culture is the collective term for all beliefs, values, behavior, and traditions of your company. Just as every country has its own culture, each company also has its own. It is essentially the ‘personality’ of a company. It is what your company embodies when others have seen or heard or experienced at your company. Not only that; workplace culture also encompasses the employees, their disposition and work ethic, and their interaction with each other. In summary, workplace culture refers to the ‘personal structure’ of a company.
Why is Workplace Culture Important?
Just like how a person’s personality and a country’s culture are important, workplace culture is just as important. This is due to the fact that it drives your employees and the entire company itself. It drives your company closer to your goals and objectives. Having a firm and working culture leads to a happy and efficient workplace. On another note, your workplace culture should be something that your employees will be proud of.
Job Search Hinges Upon Positive Workplace
No one would like to work for a company that has toxic culture or does not have a defined culture at all. If you ever ask a potential employee about their expectation about the company, they would most likely say that they want to be part of a company that offers them the chance to grow professionally.
So, if you would like to invite and attract more significant additions to your team, make sure that your company has a thriving workplace culture. It is like having a free career advertisement. By espousing a positive culture for your company, potential employees will surely want to be part of your team.
Current Company Employees Feel Valued
Having a positive and working culture is important because not only does this attract new hires; it also helps take care of your current employees. These holdovers feel more valued and heard when they are in a positive workplace culture. Employees working for a company that has a positive workplace culture would be happy to go to work every day. Moreover, they feel a sense of pride working for that company to the point that they would share it with their peers.
More importantly, though: Employees who are well taken care of always deliver significant results and performance. This, in turn, will motivate them to do more and to do better. As a result, this leads to better performance of your company. With these being drawn from positive workplace culture, you are now closer to achieving your company’s goals and objectives.
What Factors Impact Culture in the Workplace?
1. People
Of course, this is the first and arguably the most important factor that affects workplace culture. The way employees work and behave impacts your overall work environment. If your team comprises people who have effective work ethic, then expect that you are on the right track toward having a positive culture at work.
Keep in mind that taking in newly hired employees will be akin to people marrying into a family or accepting someone into your home. It would be helpful to look for and hire someone who readily imbibes existing company values that your company has or is striving for.
2. Management, Systems, and Procedures
Management, in its essence, is the people leading and managing a company. So, it is just logical to have an effective team of leaders in charge of the entire company. The way your company is being managed greatly affects culture, since it is what the company follows and leans toward.
The company’s existing systems and procedures also play a key role. How they handle day-to-day processes and how they have a system and process for everything are just examples of what affects workplace culture.
3. Values, Mission and Vision, Goals, and Objectives
These serve as the backbone of the company: What the company believes in and what the employees should embody. Goals and objectives drive and motivate a company. What a company does is driven by all of this. Therefore, these attributes also affect workplace culture.
How Can You Achieve Positive Workplace Culture?
A country’s culture is treasured and should be well taken care of. Likewise, work environment works the same. In order to have a harmonious relationship within the workplace, you also need to nurture it.
To ensure that your company is going toward a more positive workplace culture, you can check out some tips that we have rounded up below:
1. Strive for effective (and open) communication.
Feedback and communication are important in every relationship. Just as it is in the personal sense, communication is also vital in the workplace. Being heard and speaking up should be of equal importance. It is healthy to make sure that your employees feel that their suggestions are considered and that they can always raise concerns.
2. Provide in-house training for your staff.
Continuous learning about anything that may give your employees helpful insights on their work and career also helps contribute a positive workplace culture. Consider offering or facilitating training courses about a wide range of topics, which may range from work ethics to processes that they do every day at work.
3. Prioritize a comfortable physical workplace for them.
Although having a positive workplace culture is not a tangible concept, one attribute that affects this should be of utmost importance, too: the office or the workplace, in its physical form. Make sure that employees are comfortable when working. Ventilation, temperature, access to clean food and water, and clean and safe comfort rooms are just the basics. Privacy and having a healthy physical working space should also be considered so that employees can work at ease.
In today’s work setting that entails work from home as the new norm, you may take a step further and make sure your employees have a comfortable and safe workplace. Doing so will also contribute to their overall efficiency and performance.
4. Create incentive programs to keep them engaged at work.
Always recognize hard work. Employees tend to work harder when they know their efforts are not in vain and will earn them their due recognition. Make sure that when an employee is exemplary and stellar, they’re up on the running for a promotion or at least an incentive. Reward those who are going the extra mile just to deliver significant results. Recognize those who are helping the company achieve its goals. It would not hurt to give credit where it is due.
Related Content: 6 Awesome Signs of a Stress-Free Workplace
Promote Workplace Culture for Employees Today
Whereas students consider school their second homes, professionals more often than not treat their workplaces their second homes. They spend considerable hours at work—all the more reason to improve the status and environment of workplace and give utmost importance to achieving positive workplace culture. Although it may seem as a concept that’s hard to grasp, it is very much achievable.
If you are on the lookout to know more about how you can improve your workplace in every aspect, our career experts at Resume Professional Writers cover workplace tips ranging from basic office etiquette to workplace safety—and everything else in between. You may find the answers you are looking for or just gather some helpful information to help you and your company. To know more, you may read our workplace-related blog posts, or contact us today.
