Building a strong work culture for your employees is not about giving them free stuff. It’s about investing in people and creating a sense of pride and loyalty in the way your company conducts itself.
“Trying to improve company culture with catered lunches, free massages, and NERF guns is like trying to survive on popcorn: The sustenance that will actually fuel good culture is the meat and potatoes of employees who feel valued and are supplied with guiding principles and trust.” – Inc.com
Companies with a strong culture have happier employees overall. So, here are some non-material things you can use to start building a world-class work culture today!
Provide Your Team With Strong Core Values
Companies who have clear values have a more solid foundation. Values keep everyone on board and on track!
“Company values, also known as corporate values or core values, are the fundamental beliefs upon which your business and its behavior are based.” – Crew
Core values are what you’re left with in times when your company is seeing major transformation. They are like a strong internal compass for you and your team when you need to pivot with speed and integrity.
So, make sure your company has strong values. They are an important part of culture that employees and management can turn to in both good and bad times.
Provide Opportunities For Growth
The growth of your team goes hand in hand with the growth of your company.
“Continuous learning, continual learning, constant learning, lifelong learning – whatever you want to call it, it’s a concept that businesses training employees should know about. Not only beneficial for your employees, the idea of continuously offering learning and training also helps nurture your business.” – LearnUpon
When you provide your team with opportunities to grow, work culture transcends the hours on the job. Employees learn lessons, values and skills that they can take home and be proud of. This sets the stage for happier employees and a more dedicated team.
As your company evolves, make sure your team evolves right along with it – it’s a surefire way to ensure a top-notch culture!
Cultivate A Sense Of Community
A sense of belonging to a team of great people is one of the main reasons why employees choose to stay at a job.
“It should come as no surprise that employees who feel like they’re part of a community, rather than a cog in a wheel, are more likely to stay at your company.” – Jostle Corporation
Communities share wins and losses and know they can rely on each other. It’s important to make sure each member of your team feels a sense of connection, not only to their work, but to their colleagues.
Community in the workplace creates responsibility within your company. This sets the stage for a culture where everyone shows up, not just for themselves, but for their team.
Ask Questions & Get Inspiration From Your Team
In many ways, building a world-class work culture is a collaboration between you and your employees. So, don’t be afraid to ask them for ideas on how you can improve.
15five has some insight into the types of questions you should be posing to your team regularly.
These include:
- “What are 5-10 qualities you think are must-haves for new hires in terms of organizational culture fit?
- What process can be fixed or improved?
- Looking back on the week, is there anything that could have gone better?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? Why?
- When do you have the most fun at work?” – 15five
Asking your team these culture building questions and more will set you on the path to a more open and robust company culture!
A good manager builds its culture around its employees, values and mission, not things. So, while NERF guns and ping-pong tables can be a fun way to blow off steam in between meetings, make sure you’re paying close attention to what your team actually needs in order to thrive!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
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