How to Build An Enviable Company Culture
When doing business, your human capital is of as much value as your financial investment. At the end of the day, when your company is stripped off of its KPIs and other metrics, it all boils down to the team that makes up your organization—your people.
In an industry filled with tons of competitors that do business the same way that you do, your team is what sets you apart, which is why it is important to build a good company culture right from the start. If you start off wrong, you could be directed to the wrong trajectory, but if you start off good, you could lead your business to meaningful success.
Whether it includes having great incentives for employees, mentorship and training, or a competitive compensation—building an enviable company culture will benefit your business in the long run.
Company Culture as Performance Motivators
An enviable company culture is paramount to a successful business. Employees are motivated to work harder if they feel that they are involved in the company’s corporate mission and vision, appreciated for what they do and are well-informed of their role in the organization.
In a survey released by Jobstreet last year, work culture and environment remain to be one of the main factors why Filipinos aspire to work in top companies in the country. Benefits and incentives, salary, learning and development, and company reputation are also the other factors cited by Filipino workers.
An insider also mentioned that alignment of culture between employers and employees makes for employee retention in companies. An ABS-CBN manager, who has been with the business for fifteen years, says, “Most of the company values are aligned with mine, like honesty and integrity, teamwork, and meritocracy.”
Companies with a strong workplace culture benefit from increased productivity and loyalty from their employees. As you would implement a customer rewards program to maintain brand loyalty among your customers, you should also implement a corporate culture that knows how to reward your employees—your internal clients, to make them loyal to your company.
Another benefit that your business can get from having a good workplace culture is an increase in marketability, as proven by the survey mentioned above. Top Filipino companies such as Accenture, Shell, SM, and Coca-Cola, among many others, have built a company culture that now speaks volumes for their brand. They attract talents on their own.
Earn your business a good reputation, and soon, you won’t have to sweat about finding and recruiting top-tier talents anymore, as job seekers would naturally come to you.
How to Build a Company Culture
To create an enviable company culture, reinforce positive communication within your organization first. Remember that culture is a total of learned behavior of a group of individuals passed along through communication.
If you consistently communicate your values, standards, and goals to your employees, they would learn it by heart in no time and practice it themselves. Make sure that you are on the same page with your employees on achieving your business goals. The late Steve Jobs of Apple, Inc. once said, “Great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.”
Second, reinstate your employees’ roles and their importance to your company’s goals. While they’re well-aware of their functions in the company, reminding them of the significance that their job constitutes can help them focus and do better. Keep in mind that nothing’s more rewarding than seeing your hard work translate into tangible results.
Lastly, appreciate your employees for their work and reward them when it calls for it. One of the reasons employees feel disgruntled in their work is because they’re underappreciated. A simple pat on the back or saying, “Good job!” wouldn’t even cost you a minute, but can go a long mile for your employees’ well-being.
What Leaders Can Do
Leaders, undeniably, play a pivotal role in building a stronger workplace culture. One of the reasons employees leave their jobs is because of a mismatch between their culture and their seniors.
To avoid this discrepancy, make sure your employees align well with you by leading by example. If you set a high standard for your employees’ performance, pour the same amount of effort in your work, and your employees will soon follow suit. Keep in mind that hardworking people would only want to work with hardworking people, it’s always a two-way street and reciprocation is key.
It’s important that leaders learn to be learners too, and not just coaches who dictate their employees to do what must be done to achieve the results that they want.
As both a leader and a learner, be open to your employees’ ideas, as this could help you grow further while also helping your company adapt to the ever-changing business climate. Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, recipient of the of the Asia Talent Management Award, is known for having a personal philosophy that as a leader, his direct responsibility is “to see others after us succeed in developing our institutions, keeping them relevant in changing times, and making them progressive forces that contribute to the nation’s welfare.”
In business, setting the right workplace culture is just as important as adhering to your company’s core purpose to build your brand. Your team is the DNA that would help your business withstand the change of times, and if you’re fortunate enough, formulate the legacy that your company can leave behind.
