Company Culture: What is it?
A Two-part Series with insight into Company Culture, and how to build and maintain it
“Culture guides discretionary behavior and it picks up where the employee handbook leaves off. Culture tells us how to respond to an unprecedented service request. It tells us whether to risk telling our bosses about our new ideas, and whether to surface or hide problems. Employees make hundreds of decisions on their own every day, and culture is our guide. Culture tells us what to do when the CEO isn’t in the room, which is of course most of the time.”
~ Frances Frei and Anne Morriss at Harvard Business Review
What is Company Culture?
This is a question many new business owners and executives will ask. It’s not something that is set in stone or not clearly defined, but rather implied. The easiest way to describe company culture is that it defines the kind of company you run: Is it a fun place where employees enjoy coming in to work, and do they enjoy working in teams, or is everyone off in their own world? Is management easy going? What kind of turnover rate is there? Culture defines the atmosphere and shows how your company’s employees and management function together. More importantly, it relies heavily on employees. After all, it’s their expertise, attitudes, and innovations that cause the culture of your company to be ever evolving. New hires boost morale and bring new ideas, and a fresh attitude, which helps the culture continue to grow.
Building Culture
Building company culture starts the moment you decide to go in to business. It happens when you sit down and map out your vision and ask yourself: What kind of atmosphere do you want new hires to walk in to and what goals have you established for your company? Where do you see your company in five years? What kind of people will you need and how will you find and attract them? Your company doesn’t have to be big to have a culture; even a one-person operation has a culture.
That’s why it’s important that you create a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of open space. Cubicles, while they offer privacy, cut co-workers off from one another. An open office environment has actually been shown to improve work performance because people don’t feel trapped and their minds are able to focus more on what needs to get done rather than wishing they weren’t working in a closet.
Why is Culture Important?
Have you ever read through job boards and found a post that makes a position seem like it was plucked right out of your dreams, so much so that you get excited and want to drop everything to apply? We all have, and most of us have been burned on it. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, as the saying goes. That’s why before you even consider filling out an application to go online and do your homework. If you can’t find the answers you’re looking for then pick up a phone and call the company and ask to speak with somebody in HR and ask about the company. More often than not you will get the answers you are seeking, but don’t get discouraged if you don’t.
When experienced professionals look for a job they look for an environment where they can be free to express their opinions and bring fresh ideas to the table. This is important to your company because freedom of expression in a workplace is proven to help make employees more creative and productive. Policies and procedures are necessary, but it’s ok to be flexible too.
The more you let be known about your company and the kind of culture it has you will find more people applying and less turnover, and you will attract more creative and innovative talent that can bring great value to your organization. This is why company culture is so important.
The moral of the story is: If you want to attract and retain good people, you need to foster and nurture a healthy company culture.
Let 3D Tek be your guide. We specialize in Executive Search & Recruitment and IT Staffing Services, working with companies nationwide to align them with only the best talent. Visit our website today at www.3dtek.com to learn more about whom we are and what we do!
To discover how this process can benefit your organization, simply reply to this email or call Emil Owen @ 352-569-9203 x.111
Research Citations:
“What Is Company Culture, and How Do You Change It?”
“Company Culture: What It Is And How To Change It”
“The 4 Elements That Make Great Company Culture”
