As businesses worldwide are transitioning to work-from-home models, it becomes crucial for enterprises to create a corporate culture where the employees feel accepted, motivated and above all, appreciated for the time and effort they are investing. Only when an employee feels that the company they are working for values their role in the organisation, they are more likely to be driven to work efficiently and effectively.
Regardless of where employees are reporting from, they seek a work environment that promotes positivity and hard work, the lack of which had been one of the root causes for people to quit their jobs in search of something better.
A sustainable corporate culture gets people excited to come to work. Therefore it becomes all the more important to establish a corporate culture which focuses on employee satisfaction.
But what makes a good company the best place to work?
10 essential elements of corporate culture matter the most to employees when they are deciding whether they should stay with their current employer – or start looking for another job.
Leadership
Efficient leadership is the make or break of any corporate culture. Listening to his/her team members, encouraging them, celebrating their victories, providing honest and straightforward feedback and maintaining open lines of communication are all essential qualities of a good leader. Management teams, on all levels, must remember that it is their behaviour and commitment towards their employees that leave the biggest impact when it comes to working efficiency.
In corporate culture, and especially in work-from-home models, employees tend to depend on their direct bosses rather than the “upper management” with whom they have seldom contact. It makes it all the more important for team leaders to exhibit the core values of the company while at the same time being compassionate and accommodating to their charges.
As they say, a good leader leads by example. It is also important for team leaders to ensure that the people they are hiring as part of the team reflect the values that are instilled in the company’s culture and call out any sort of unethical and toxic behaviours.
Core Values
Core values are more than just mottos hanging on the wall. These values are those guidelines that will never change no matter how much the company itself changes. These are the standards that all employees need to live up to. Be mindful while choosing and implementing these core values. When an employee sees their seniors sticking by these values, they tend to reciprocate and simultaneously adopt these values themselves. These values stay with them long after they have left the cubical or desk they have committed their bottoms to.
Community, Communication and Camaraderie
Nobody wants to work in a boring place where they have no fun. Colleagues and friends make a hectic day at work bearable. An employee wants to feel like he belongs in the company that he is working for.
Successful corporate culture helps build a community where the employee gets a sense of belonging which, in turn, motivates them to give back to this community. As such, formal and informal communication among employees and team leads should be encouraged and it should be free and friendly. Group meetings, fun activities and other team-building events should be held at equal intervals to promote a sense of camaraderie among employees.
Compensations and Benefits
What benefits will I get if I were to join this company?
This is one of the most important and frequently asked questions by a would-be employee of a corporate firm. Compensation and benefits are important for all employees based n the nature of their job. Health insurance, over-times, paid leaves, pension, whether or not they will get paid extra for working on weekends, all of these matters. Compensations and benefits provided to employees is an important topics to discuss during the H.R. meeting. Tread those waters carefully.
Innovations, Rewards and Feedback
As said by Syed Balkhi from WPBeginner, “People get excited to be in a place where their actions and ideas make a difference.”
A corporate culture where employees are unafraid to be creative during work and with work is as attractive a deal as it sounds. A good company is innovative, and an innovative company has creative employees at its heart. So naturally, the corporate culture where people are rewarded for their creativity tends to do much better than others.
So, go ahead and hold brainstorming sessions and urge your employees to share feedback. Show your employees that you are listening to them.
Consistency
Traditions maketh culture. It is important to organize events and sessions for employees’ benefit. However, a one-time effort to boost corporate culture will feel underhanded. To build a sustainable corporate culture, consistency is the key. Be consistent with your efforts to create that environment of belonging and camaraderie.
Job Security
It is universal knowledge that when an employee feels secure in their position, they tend to commit fewer mistakes. The possibility that they can be fired any day for small mistakes scares employees and they tend to make even more mistakes. Those piling mistakes make them even more insecure which then affects their overall work capacity and ends up turning their fear into reality. Insecurities regarding the possibility of getting fired need to be thwarted as soon as it emerges as eventually leads to a vicious cycle.
Work-from-home is scary as it is due to so many scams that are going on out there. So, it is important to assure employees that they won’t be scammed out of the six to eight hours they are spending each day n front of their computer screens while locked up in their rooms.
Learning and Commitment
Learning is a big part of one’s growth. In our modern and fast-changing world, learning and acquiring new skills had become an essential part of one’s life. Each one of us is a player in this big race for survival and success whether or not we like it. Sure, we don’t need a reminder of it every day, but if you have spent years in a firm and come out knowing no more than what you knew on the first day, it counts as an unprofitable experience that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Commitments are not to be made just for the sake of the company’s growth but also for the personal development of the employee. Why else would a person invest so much of their time and effort to do a better job if he or she has nothing to get from it?
Corporate culture needs to promote an environment where employees can hone their skills and gain a new and better experience. Ensure that commitment to the company’s goals will lead to your employee's professional growth and then see the ball rolling.
Care and Celebration
It is essential to know the names (and correct pronunciations) of all of your employees. Wish them on their birthdays. Give them free food. Mention their names in the newsletter for praise-worthy achievements in their personal lives that are not related to the company. Visit them in the hospital, or send them a get-well-soon email, whichever is possible.
In short, appreciate your employee for the complete human being they are and not just another cog in the big corporate clock.
Reorganizations and Developments
Corporate firms are formed, they take off, they grow and all of it happens thanks to the workforce who makes up the heart, soul, and muscle of the firm.
However, after COVID-19 people are facing a hard time returning to work. It becomes especially hard to transition the entire workforce to this new style of work while maintaining healthy corporate culture as the workforce adjusts to this new reality.
Reorganization is one of the most difficult issues to handle for a corporate firm. Changes are never easy, and often unfunny. It has been seen that employees have a hard time adjusting to organizational changes that are too fast, inconsistent, haphazardly executed, and lack clarity regarding procedures and end goals. If the blow isn’t softened or managed carefully, developments as such can go any which way. The strategy implemented in these scenarios needs to be well thought-out to avoid negative outcomes.
In the end, the corporate culture and the employee’s view towards their work environment are crucial factors for an individual when they are deciding to stay with their employer or quit and search for something better.
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Author Bio:
Name: Shalinee Banerjee
A 27-year-old writer from the small town of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, India, pursuing Masters in Arts (English Literature) and has a passion for storytelling. Currently working on honing my skills as a novel writer and working on my first book, the title undisclosed at the moment. Loves reading and gaining knowledge and developing content based on my unique perspective of all the latest happenings around the
world.
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