How to build and maintain a positive workplace culture as your business grows

Whether you would describe your business as ‘innovative and informal’ or ‘formal and professional’, culture is a really important part of your company identity. It needs to be nurtured and cultivated if you wish to reap the benefits a positive culture brings, especially as your business grows.

Let’s first take a look at what workplace culture is and how it benefits your business when it’s done right.

What is company culture?

It’s the personality of your business: the values, outlooks, actions and behaviours.

It’s the atmosphere and reputation created for and by you and your employees.

It’s a combination of business policies and employee attitudes and behaviours, working together towards a common goal.

And it only works if the image your company wants to project matches how it is experienced by your staff and customers. Otherwise it’s all glitter and no gold. So what’s the gold?

What are the benefits of a positive culture in the workplace?

Perhaps these can be best illustrated by looking at what happens when company culture goes wrong. Employees feel disengaged from their work. They’re demotivated. Undervalued. They take more sick leave. There’s an unsupportive, unfriendly atmosphere. Nobody seems to enjoy their work anymore. Problems go unreported and unresolved. Productivity drops. Staff turnover rises. Profits dip.

Now imagine what that place of work would be like with a positive company culture. Better for everyone, right?

Next we’ll look at some useful suggestions to help you build and maintain a positive work culture in your growing SME.

Practical tips to develop a sustainable, positive workplace culture

As a start-up, you may have had a handle on the culture you created in your small team of hand-picked, enthusiastic co-workers. But as your company expands, do you continue to make workplace culture a priority or is its strength and importance fading as the headcount increases?

When companies grow, the start-up culture naturally weakens, and separate departments may even develop their own mini cultures. Sometimes a sense of ‘them and us’ can evolve as teams expand and the company structure stretches, leaving more distance between the management and the workers, and between different departments. All of which can have a negative impact on workplace culture.

• Define (or redefine) your company culture – if it’s been a while since your company values and ethos were established, perhaps review them and make sure they are still aligned with your goals. Then take time to re-establish them by communicating them consistently
  
  
• Form feedback channels – when lines of communication are open, there are fewer opportunities for things to go wrong or be ignored. Keep everyone in the picture and everyone benefits
  
  
• Celebrate together – if sales go up, you win an award, land a new client, meet your production deadline, celebrate with everyone, in all departments
  
  
• Create cross-team interviews and focus groups – try inviting a member from a different team to participate in the interview process or focus group. You may be amazed what fresh insights and perspectives they can bring to the table
  
  
• Cheer up the working environment – if a workspace looks worn out and overused it can impact your staff’s morale and motivation. A lick of paint can go a long way
  
  
• Make company culture part of the recruitment process – these days candidates are wise to the importance of a good cultural fit when applying for a position, so make sure your application process is clear on your company culture and look for the right fit not only in terms of qualifications and experience, but personal qualities too.

This list is in no way exhaustive, but it should give you an idea of the kinds of changes you can make to cultivate a long-lasting, positive workplace culture. The following example might help you to think of other ways to keep workplace culture in the spotlight. 

Take for example this manufacturing firm

Let’s say a medium-sized manufacturer based in Holbeck has started to feel the effects of a demotivated workforce since they expanded and they’re beginning to lose their competitive edge. Process improvements have not fixed the problem, so management are starting to look at culture: engagement, empowerment and confidence levels in their workers.

After a little investigation and observation, they discover a high turnover of staff is taking its toll on team spirit, and is caused by workers feeling undervalued and disengaged. The managers decide to overhaul their training and appraisal programmes, encouraging staff to set out a career development plan. They also open lines of communication between managers and employees by providing opportunities for everyone to share their feelings anonymously to then discuss at the new, regular team meetings.

A few months after the changes are made, there is a noticeable lift in the atmosphere on the factory floor. More smiles. Better attitudes to work. Fewer employees finding new places of work.

Cultivating a positive working environment takes patience and proactivity, but with all the benefits it brings – from increased productivity to reduced staff turnover – it’s worth it.

Get in touch if we can help you with your recruitment needs. Call Key Appointments on 0844 504 4666 or drop us a line at info@key-appointments.co.uk.