From Harish Jagtani’s Desk 

 

Companies that get ‘Best Places to Work’ certifications and ratings by Glassdoor, among others, not only provide an in-demand product or service, but also nurture a culture to inspire innovation and dedication, along with enthusiasm, among their workforce.

On the other hand, companies that fail to adapt to the changing market scenario can be attached to a toxic culture that is anything but motivating. So, how do you create a corporate culture that has talent scoured and brought in by HR on the one hand and customers waiting for products/services on the other?

According to experts, the answer does not lie in fat salaries, fancy work spaces and perks like lunch spreads and game rooms, but with successful leaders who focus on creating a culture that encourages those within the company to believe in the organization’s mission.

Here are some tips to build the foundations of a corporate culture that will help your organization and employees thrive…

Set Clear Goals & objectives

Outline the objectives of each team so that employees set tangible goals to work towards. This will not only help guide individual performance, but also encourage collaboration between the team members. Make sure there is room for feedback to amend quotas and KPIs when required.

Besides setting up departmental targets, make sure each employee is clear about the organization’s long-term objectives. This will help individuals grow a sense of professional purpose.

Promote Diversity, Inclusivity

It is important to have a positive and inclusive work culture and welcome individuals from all sorts of backgrounds. Encourage employees to promote inclusive language and consider establishing a committee to contribute to the organization’s diversity initiatives. Work with the HR department to make diversity a part of your recruitment strategy and ensure that diversity and inclusion continue to be the basic aspects as the company grows.

Enjoy Fun Moments at the office

Work has its stressful moments and being able to make a difficult situation more lighthearted is an important skill. The final goal should be to resolve the problem, but a fresh perspective and positive outlook is often more productive.

Moreover, we are social beings and like to interact with others. Creating opportunities to get to know each other at work and outside of work to nurture meaningful relationships between employees can be really helpful. You can keep it simple by hosting hybrid Friday ‘Happy Hours’ in the office while offering remote workers an online presence at the party, too. Think about events that your team would enjoy the most while coming up with new work culture ideas.

Follow Zero Tolerance Policy

Just as a welcoming environment assures employees that their rights and individualities are protected within the workplace, it is also vital that employees get the opportunity to speak openly about the issues they face in and outside the office. For this, they must have access to the support and resources they need. Make sure that HR representatives have flexibility within their schedules to be available for personal conversations when needed and think about implementing an anonymous sexual harassment hotline as a secure means for employees to report incidents at the workplace.

Employee Recognition Program

Recognize and reward employees for reaching outstanding goals. This will encourage them to continue performing at impressive levels and make them feel valued within the organization. It will even motivate their peers to up their game. Nurturing a work culture of friendly competition leads to high performance.

Accept Feedback from Employees

Try to change your outlook on feedback. Instead of considering it as indicative of something you are doing wrong. Take it from an opposite view: Your employees care so much about the organization and its success that they are trying to make it better. They are trying to bring their pain points to your attention and giving you the chance to fix them instead of the employee fretting over them and, finally, leaving you out of sheer frustration.

Conclusion
Positive and rewarding work cultures do not emerge suddenly. Stick to your values, listen to your employees and have fun and it will take shape naturally. Work cultures that keep people happy and make businesses thrive take time, so do not rush it. Creating a positive work culture where everyone feels valued, welcomed and respected is crucial to a company’s success. Remember to take your employees’ feedback into account and depend on them to help cultivate a great work environment.