Organizational Culture as Part of Your Brand

Approximate reading time: 5m 41s

The average person spends about 90,000 hours at work over their lifetime. That is approximately one third of a person’s life. It is therefore not surprising that the time we spend at work has a huge impact on our quality of life.

Positive office culture has obvious benefits - for example, increased employee satisfaction. There are also other benefits of a positive work culture that are less obvious, but just as important. Creating a positive and exciting company culture can improve your office environment in more ways than you might expect.

The generational shift in the workplace is one of the biggest challenges companies have to deal with.

How do you get new employees to perform well? How do you convince them that you are striving for the same thing? How do you engage them in promoting your brand?

The solution is to build a strong organizational culture.

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What is company culture?

Company culture is complex and difficult to define. In a broad sense, company culture includes every element that influences the social and psychological environment of a business.

Many factors contribute to the organizational culture of a given company, including the company’s visions, values, systems, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, and processes. Company leaders can shape the culture, but every individual in the organization contributes their own personality, preferences, and habits, which is why recruiting team members who are a good fit for the company is essential.

What organizational culture is not

Although it is sometimes difficult to determine what company culture is, it is easy to determine what it is not. In recent years, there has been some confusion between cultivating a good company culture and offering attractive office perks. More and more companies offer extras such as free drinks, game rooms, catering, gyms, and other amenities. As nice as they are, perks are not the same as culture.

Workplace perks can be a great addition to a company’s organizational culture, but they should not be offered as a substitute for a positive atmosphere in which employees are involved, encouraged, uplifted, and satisfied. Cultivating a good culture should begin with these goals in mind, and any additional amenities can be added as further workplace improvements.

Why is company culture important?

Good company culture has a positive impact on many different aspects of business operations: attracting talent, retaining talent, employee satisfaction, productivity, and more. On the other hand, poor company culture can have a negative impact on these areas.

The bottom line comes when business leaders ask themselves: Do people like working here? Would they rather work here than somewhere else? Do they feel connected to and satisfied with the company and its mission?

If you are considering these questions - or even asking your employees directly - and you are not satisfied with the answers, it is time to think about what you need to do to improve the overall organizational culture.

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How can you improve the organizational culture in your company?

Organize a meaningful recruitment process

Looking for new employees is a great opportunity to „sell“ your brand. Allow the potential employee to see what you do – both for your customers and for your employees.

When recruiting staff, you need to develop interviewing skills.

Create a brand with purpose

If there is one thing that millennials definitely do not like, it is a sense of lack of purpose or direction. The culture in your organization should not just be an aspect of someone’s identity; it should be the thing that makes people come to work in the morning. Take, for example, the company Toms Shoes. It has a clear message: for every pair of shoes sold, the company donates one pair of new shoes to a child in need. In addition, Toms Shoes encourages its employees to participate in delivering the shoes. When they see firsthand how their brand makes the world a little better, they feel much more engaged and motivated by the company’s goals.

Provide a vision for the future

When it comes to ideas for an effective organizational culture, offering opportunities for growth is a no-brainer. Encouraging employees’ professional development not only shows your team that you want to invest in their careers, it also helps your team become well-rounded and capable of taking on new tasks and projects.
An important question that all company managers should ask themselves is: „What can our company give employees over the next few years?“ If you cannot answer that, or if your arguments are not very convincing, you can assess how long your employees will want to work for you. If your employees do not feel secure about their future in the company, they are unlikely to be motivated to give their best.

The obvious solution is for your company to be transparent about its goals and future development opportunities.

Provide opportunities for professional development

To improve the culture in your organization, in addition to informing your employees, do everything possible to increase their qualifications. Create training and staff development programs, and monitor their implementation. The most effective are training platforms, where you can create your own Academy for staff development.
Professional development is something all employees want – so you need to provide it for them.

If you want to assess employees’ skills, you can use 360-degree feedback.

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Train the leaders in your company how to develop brand goals. It is important for all managers to have a full understanding of the brand and to express it clearly, precisely, and consistently – through words and actions.

Always provide feedback

Organize an event or set a day when you can invite all your employees to take part. Ask for their feedback and consider their opinions.

Set goals for people

Ask all your employees to choose a brand-related goal. This will make them constantly think about their role in building the company culture. Once they fully understand your brand, they will naturally begin to add value to it with everything they do.

Cultivate a positive work environment during the workday

The first of our company culture ideas is about figuring out how to encourage a positive environment during the regular workday. Things like team lunches, late afternoon snacks, coffee breaks, and happy hours show your employees that you value their work and time. Short, informal events provide the ideal opportunity to give employees a little time for socializing during the workday, which can also lead to friendships and camaraderie in the office that further improve organizational culture.

When employees feel that there is no room for short breaks during the workday, it can lead to feelings of burnout. A 2018 study revealed that up to 38% of employees in North America do not even feel encouraged to take a lunch break. Some fear they will be seen as less efficient and less committed if they take a break.

By encouraging employees to take breaks, you not only create the space they need to be productive, but you also show that you have trust in your employees to manage their own daily schedules appropriately. Building trust is an essential part of building a positive organizational culture.

Create space for culture

The physical space in the office can matter when developing strategies to change company culture. Although your business may not be able to make major changes to the office layout, there are small changes that can encourage a positive work culture.

Designate a place for employees to gather and make these spaces comfortable and relaxed. Ideally, these shared spaces should feel different from the area where people do their work. Invest in comfortable furniture and simple amenities, such as a good coffee machine or toaster. Make a plan to keep the space clean and inviting for all employees.

Encourage volunteering 

Volunteering is not only beneficial to the community, but also a great way to encourage a positive organizational culture, as well as team cohesion. We recommend planning group volunteer events during the workday so employees do not have to use their own time to participate. We also recommend adapting employees’ schedules to accommodate this extra time. This helps people feel free to participate fully without worrying that they will fall behind with their work.

Recognize employees’ achievements

One of the main benefits of a work culture is retaining talent, and regularly recognizing and praising employee achievements is an important part of that equation. When people feel valued for what they do and receive recognition for their work and efforts, they are more likely to feel satisfied with their jobs.

There are countless ways to recognize employees, so we will mention only some of them:

1. Write notes or leave a card to acknowledge someone’s contribution to the team.
2. Publish a blog post full of personalized notes and compliments for team members (the leaders of Blue Compass did this on Employee Appreciation Day in 2018!)
3. Create social media posts to celebrate work anniversaries and promotions.
4. Encourage employees to share praise for one another during team meetings.
5. Show appreciation to leaders at an appropriate event

Download and check out the free team building guide.