Are you creating a positive company culture?

What is it like to work for your company?

The answer to this question is essentially what your company culture boils down to. Are you creating a positive team? Do your employees enjoy coming to work? Is there a shared vision that everyone is working toward?

One of the biggest reasons that employees leave a company is poor management. If you want to retain your most talented employees, then you must create a great culture, and this has to start from the top. If your managers are negative and unsupportive, this will filter down throughout the entire workforce.

In this article, we look at how you can promote a positive culture which will attract better employees and improve retention.

Positive values

Company values shouldn’t just be words on a website, they should be evident in everything you and your employees do. Promote positive behaviours such as respect, kindness and honesty and reinforce them regularly. Lead by example and reward employees who demonstrate your values in their work and attitude.

When you recruit, look for candidates that share your values, not just those who tick the boxes for qualifications and experience. You can develop an employee’s skills, but it is difficult to change a bad attitude and work ethic.

Clear communication

Poor communication doesn’t just damage the culture, it can cost businesses money. Make sure that you are communicating regularly with your teams and that communication is working in both directions.

Communication isn’t just about managers giving instructions, it’s about listening too. Your employees should feel confident making suggestions or expressing their concerns.

Our article about workplace communication is full of tips for improving the way that you and your teams communicate.

Supportive behaviour

Encourage employees to support each other and lead by example. Notice if somebody is feeling unwell or is having a bad day. Be compassionate and offer to help.

Ensure that employees have regular one to ones with their line managers where they can discuss any issues they are having and ask for additional support. Make training and development opportunities available to enable employees to reach their full potential.

Sense of purpose

Having a sense of purpose increases engagement – we are more motivated if we know what we are working toward. Set clear company objectives to give employees a clear goal to work toward. Set individual objectives that help employees understand how their work contributes to the success of your company.

Collaboration 

If your employees are working as a team, communicating effectively and supporting each other, they are more likely to achieve company objectives. The most effective teams play to each other’s strengths, so it is beneficial to understand what skills each employee has to offer. 

DISC profiling or psychometric tests can help employees and their colleagues to better understand the different personality and behavioural types. This allows them to find more effective ways of communicating and working together.

Allow employees to collaborate with different colleagues on specific projects and make time for team-building activities and social events. If colleagues work well together and have close relationships, you’ll have better retention rates.

Wellbeing

Healthy, happy employees will be more productive. Ensure a safe working environment and be aware of how you can increase the physical and mental wellbeing of your employees.

Check out our articles on wellbeing for more in-depth ideas on how you can improve workplace wellbeing:

10 ways to support healthy living in the workplace

Workplace stress and anxiety: what to look out for

Are you making your employees sick?

About Key Appointments

At Key Appointments, we are dedicated to helping our clients recruit and retain the best talent. As well as helping you with all your recruitment requirements, we can also help with workplace culture, employer branding and employee engagement so that you retain great employees.

If you would like help with any aspect of your recruitment or retention, get in touch with one of our friendly consultants who will be happy to assist.