In a post-pandemic era where employee retention has become increasingly difficult, developing a strong work culture has become a priority for many companies. Research has revealed that 46% of job seekers see company culture as an important factor when applying to companies, and 35% of workers would decline “the perfect job” if they didn’t feel like they would fit in with the company’s culture. In a similar vein, employees are 24% more likely to quit their jobs if they do not approve of their company’s culture. Despite leaders focusing on implementing a positive culture to avoid these issues, 1 in 10 employees reported their workplace’s culture as being toxic, marking the experience as all too common. Companies that have a toxic culture in place can expect to experience disengaged employees, low productivity levels, and ultimately increased employee turnover. With such intense consequences, every leader must work to ensure that each one of their employees feels positive and included in the company culture.
For leaders who are looking to transform their company’s work culture, here are 3 strategies to implement:
- Determine employee perception and strategize culture implementation. To transform company culture, leaders must first lay the initial groundwork. Without a clear idea of how employees view the company’s culture, significant improvements cannot be made. Gather feedback in a way that doesn’t feel antagonizing or intrusive to employees. This can be done in one-on-one meetings with trusted managers, but some employees may feel more secure sharing their opinions in anonymous surveys. After all information has been gathered, analyze the feedback to identify strengths within employees’ perception of company culture, and then make room to identify weaknesses. Are there any values the company promotes that employees aren’t actually experiencing? From there, leaders can form a plan to fortify weak points in company culture.
- Spotlight behavior that falls in line with company culture. When promoting a positive company culture, it won’t stick by simply demanding everyone comply. Employees need to see clear examples of the desired culture in action, and one of the best ways to do that is to highlight when workers or other leaders follow through on cultural values. In some cases, the company may also benefit from providing rewards for those who consistently practice ways to maintain company culture. As more attention is brought to employee efforts to engage with the culture, other workers will be encouraged to do the same.
- Create a safe space to report grievances. Even when a company makes significant progress toward reaching its desired company culture, there may still be workers who refuse to comply. While not every misstep is detrimental to the company, it is still possible for some actions to be extremely harmful. When workers refuse to comply with cultural standards, they risk offending, ostracizing, and causing unnecessary stress for other employees. For those negatively affected by workers acting against company values, leaders should set up a safe space for them to express their grievances with reassurance of no retaliation. When grievances are reported, leaders can then tackle the issue head-on to remedy the situation and actively work to prevent any possible future occurrences.
Establishing a company culture that will keep employees engaged and reduce turnover is an ongoing process for leaders to undertake. However, once the foundation has been laid with a clear strategy, leaders can then transition into enforcing cultural values by highlighting engaged employees and addressing any grievances. While it may seem impossible to implement the perfect strategy for all employees to comply with, the efforts put in to establish company values will not go unnoticed, and leaders will see their company transform in time.
