There are many approaches your organisation can take to win the war for talent, where, in the modern day, talented candidates that are the right fit are hard to find and just as equally hard to keep. But ultimately, the approach that attracts and retains the modern worker above all is how they see, experience, and interpret the company culture. But this is often overlooked. Failure to compose a thought-through culture plan and/or allowing it to form naturally is therefore a huge mistake to make.
Workplace culture is what makes your organisation entirely unique. It’s the sum of your values, rules, behaviours, traditions, attitudes, and interactions that showcases your personality and character. But how can it help your organisation to grow?
It drives good performance
A strong work culture, whereby basic needs are met, will undoubtedly lead to happier employees, and happier employees have been found to be 12% more productive. This is no surprise. ‘Culture’ summaries how well an organisation empowers its staff to perform in their roles. So, adopting a good standard of workplace culture will inevitably lead to a host of professionals that strive to achieve company goals and bring new means of innovation.
Those that feel good about their organisation will be willing to put in extra time and effort to get things done. And, employees will want to consistently give their very best and collate with their colleagues, leading to more creative output.
It supports recruitment efforts
Workplace culture has become an increasingly significant factor to prioritise when looking to set your organisation apart from the competition. And it can often be the last deciding factor between your business and a competitor. In fact, research has shown that 77% of people across the UK, US, France and Germany will consider a company’s culture before applying for a job.
An attractive culture that shines through your online presence is a great way to attract new candidates. For example, through your website or social media platforms. But it shouldn’t stop there. Creating a reputable company culture can also be beneficial in terms of how it can then be relayed by employees. This includes both past or present staff. Recommendations by those who have already experienced your culture first hand is a superior influencer for bringing new applicants in. This is because it’s come from a real person, deeming the information more authentic and trustworthy.
It enhances onboarding
Being the newbie at work and being surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar people never gets any easier. But an onboarding process that exposes new hires to your company culture will enable them to become more confident in their new environment and role.
Not only will this aid new hires in producing better work, but it will facilitate strong relationships to be built across your organisation. This will lead to the employees becoming more involved, where they will be more inclined to stay. In turn, it’s been found that this can lead to better business performance, whereby a study involving management teams and HR professionals reported that 66% of organisations had higher success when new employees became involved in the culture through a structured onboarding process.
It encourages retention
The average person will spend a third of their lives working. So, it’s safe to say that a job can make a huge difference to someone’s quality of life. Modern employees are now stating that work culture is a make-or-break factor to whether they will stay in a job. So, it’s therefore critical to focus on getting the culture right. But what is a bad work culture and what is a positive one?
A positive work culture continuously encourages employees to work together as a team and to support one another. Key qualities like trust, respect, communication, and accountability are what differentiates an average work environment from an exceptional one.
A bad work culture usually involves a lack of engagement. This impacts well performing individuals as well as underperforming employees, where it’s been found that disengaged employees are three times more likely to quit than those who are engaged at work. Other bad business habits can include things like negative attitudes, unfairness, and failure to listen.
So now that you understand why culture matters – what’s next?
Regular employee surveys will allow you to gauge employee perceptions of your organisation and their buy-in of your culture. This is where WorkBuzz can help!
Schedule a demo with us to discover how your organisation can successfully relay regular and meaningful surveys to staff to gain real-time and insightful feedback from your teams. Start by filling out the form below.
Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement