In order to have a healthy and productive work environment, a stable and positive company culture needs to exist in the beginning. As a driver of positive change, I believe that company culture is the glue that holds employees and the company together. It gives a clear alignment for employees to understand and help achieve the company’s goals as well as how the company structures the workplace. I recently came across an article on The Balance, ‘What Is Company Culture?’ by Alison Doyle, which explains what company culture is and how it is important in every company.
“Company culture refers to the attitudes and behaviors of a company and its employees.”
“With a strong company culture, employees understand the expected outcomes and behaviors and act accordingly.”
Every company has its own culture, whether it’s traditional, formal, or hierarchical. But the important question is, does it blend well with employees? There are certain ground rules that need to be laid down even when they seem absurd but because company culture is a representation of how employees are treated and how it affects employees, it needs to solidify to make sure that a healthy workplace is taking place.
The article mentions a few ways to identify company culture;
- Check out the company website
- Do some research
- Ask around
- Ask the right interview questions
- Shadow someone
“Company culture is important to employees because workers are more likely to enjoy work when their needs and values are consistent with their employers. If you work somewhere where the culture is a good fit, you’ll tend to develop better relationships with coworkers and be more productive.”
Team activities are usually meant to have employees form a bond with each other. It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. Aside from conducting team activities, company culture plays a hand in making it possible. When you have a positive relationship with your coworkers, the quality of work will increase, and you would even look forward to coming to work.
“When an employee fits in with the culture, they are also likely to want to stay with that company for longer, which reduces turnaround and the associated costs of training new hires.”
Company culture may not be expressed verbally but it can easily be determined by the behaviors of employees. Such as when the company culture is negative, it can cause stress and negativity in one’s mental state, leading to a toxic environment. But when a healthy company culture is present, you can tell by the atmosphere of the workplace.
Not every company culture will work but finding the right one that suits the company’s goals and creates job satisfaction for employees would be the right path to go down. It needs to be aligned with the company’s goal and its employees.
Click here to read the full article.
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