The Guide on How to Foster Good Workplace Culture
If you want your business to operate to the best of its ability, you need to establish a strong workplace culture. It’s not just about chasing results and focusing on profits – you have to create an environment in which you and your employees feel like you’re on the same page.
This blog gives valuable insights into how to improve workplace culture (or establish it from the ground up) so you can get the best out of your team and improve your reputation.
Define your core values
Culture in the workplace has to be built from a foundation of core values. This means setting the clearest shared goal possible, along with general principles to the way the workplace is supposed to work. Clear values ensure alignment in everything from daily operations to water cooler conversations.
Ways to communicate these values include:
- New employee orientation sessions/packets
- Group seminars
- Clear communication in job descriptions and interviews
Establishing hierarchy
If you feel the culture change in the workplace in the wrong direction, it’s important to firmly establish a sense of hierarchy. Yes, everyone’s voice matters, but it’s equally important to ensure that people know who’s in charge and what you’re willing to do if standards start to fall behind. It’s not about being an authoritarian, it’s about maintaining the core values.
Fostering communication & transparency
Setting up an open dialogue is a great way to improve the atmosphere in any business, whether establishing a strong sales or marketing agency culture. Make sure to share company results and updates, good and bad, while listening to employee concerns from top to bottom to encourage strong communication and establish transparency. Regular feedback is similarly vital to this pillar of workplace culture.
Employee recognition
It’s important to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work, whether that’s making a sale or driving traffic to a client’s website. It needs to come in both formal and informal swathes, which can mean anything form Employee of the Month programs to comments in team meetings. Even a small gesture can make a huge difference.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion:
Welcoming Environment:
Create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and included.
Celebrate diversity and embrace individual differences.
Inclusive Policies:
Implement policies that promote equity and address potential biases.
Inclusive policies are instrumental in breaking down barriers in the workplace.
Understanding work-life balance
Working from home has become the new norm for countless employees in one way or another, but it’s not the only way to encourage a good work-life balance. You need to show understanding that while work is important, there’s more to your employees’ lives than being in office (or on their laptops at home). Good practices for work-life balance include:
- Offering flexible working arrangements (WFH options or hours)
- Ensure employees feel comfortable taking breaks or sick days
- Focus on productivity rather than hours
- Offering staff enough annual leave
- Work in health/insurance plans
Leading workplace culture by example
At the end of the day, knowing how to change workplace culture for the better is about leading by example. You need to show your staff what it means to work as a part of a team. Make sure to stay adaptable and flexible, ensuring things move smoothly in a variety of different situations – being nimble is everything.
For more insights into different aspects of business, with a focus on digital marketing, check out our blog today!