When people take a new position with a new company, they want to feel like they have begun working at a special place. The way the workplace functions in today’s society, it is rare to expect someone to believe they will work for the same place for 20 - 30 years. If you researched through US history, you would find that through wars and different economic eras there was a natural progression for people to live, work, worship, and play all around the same people. People would find a culture that fit them and put down roots. There was a separation from this for a few decades as the technology boom, and economy progression took hold. Now in the present day, one of the most talked-about topics among HR departments and personnel is how to create a great company culture.
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Defined as the way a company believes everyone within their company should interact with each other in a way that would promote a healthy and productive workplace environment, you can see how vital it is to have a strong company culture. Based on this definition, one would immediately begin thinking of management and their responsibility to treat their employees right. Organizational culture is much more than that. It involves how every person, in every part of the organization, interacts with each other in a way that is aligned with the core values of the company.
Company culture is evident everywhere within a company’s systems, beliefs, and people. When your employees are walking through the door will they hold the door to walk in with another employee even if they don’t know them well? When there are company lunches at the office, will the one person have to clean up by themselves or will there be a team effort with multiple people staying behind to assist? These seem like very insignificant things, but these actions can say a lot to one’s company culture.
Company culture has to begin with mutual trust between the organization and the employee. Once this is established, then the organization can begin to communicate what it wants the culture to be and then demonstrate how to do it. You demonstrate your company culture by doing just a few key things.
The company mission has to be made clear and be part of the company DNA. The mission can’t be just a poster on a wall. It has to be a mission that everyone can point to and feel that what they do every day is working toward achieving that mission. This is what leads people to be “all in” with the company they work for.
Employees have to be challenged to contribute. The workers within a company that has an exceptional company culture, feel a connection with every layer of the organization. Even though someone may have met the Founder of the company one time, they can talk about them as if they walk the halls with them every day. This is because of the shared passion and belief in what the company is to become regardless of hierarchy or rank.
There has to be freedom for collaboration. Great company culture allows all departments and all players to collaborate and develop creative solutions for company operations. Even factoring in the different personality types of individuals, great company culture will allow physical and social spaces within the workplace for every person to feel fully charged while at work.
Company culture is no longer just an HR catchphrase. It is an essential part of what people look for in a company. When people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, then their work becomes more purposeful as well. Taking good care of employees and team members is at the base of company culture, and the workforce today is putting more value in finding this culture more than ever. With the skills and talents of jobs changing rapidly due to technology, more companies are finding that it is more effective to hire for the right cultural fit first, and then train the necessary skills and talents needed in a particular role. The value has switched to a more culture-focused stance, one of which will enable a company to continue cultivating its unique culture with the right teammates in place. Show me a team that wins a championship, and I will show you a team with great skill. Show me a team that wins several, and I will show you a team with great culture!