5 Key Factors in Shaping Your Workplace Culture

Every company is unique its own way. People, values, beliefs, and environment all working towards a common business goal make up a company’s workplace culture. 

What is a workplace culture?  

Workplace culture is a company’s personality. Regardless of industry, anorganisationhas its own story that develops into a culture over time. 

It is a shared belief—a common ground—that is brought about by different experiences and characteristics of the team members. It is a collectivebehaviourthat is formed when a team works together to resolve conflicts and produce results. 

A workplace culture is intangible and evolving. It isn’t something you can dictate and change in a snap, but there are adjustments and best practices you can apply to build a positive workplace culture for your team. 

Why is it important?  

As a company grows, so does its culture. That said, it becomes all the more important to make sure your business objectives and workplace culture alignfavourablyas you mature as anorganisation. 

To be specific, your workplace culture affects your business through the following: 

Talent Attraction  

If you have a desirable workplace culture and environment, you attract thebest talentto join yourorganisation. 

Build it and they will come.  Develop an enviable culture that people would want to be part of. This way, you increase your value while gaining access to a pool of talents that can help you achieve business success. 

LinkedInrecentlyreleased alist of most-sought after employers of 2018 based on reach, engagement, job interest and new hire retention. This proves that workplace culture is a core driver when it comes to recruiting the best peopleto work for your brand. 

Employee Satisfaction  

Aside from talent attraction, a good workplace culture also increases employee satisfaction. It creates a work environment that your current team members value and enjoy. 

When you have a positive culture, you reap the benefits of employee retention and low turnover. Day-to-day operations work smoothly and roles are fulfilled efficiently. 

Satisfied employees also make good brand ambassadors. If they feel valued, they would most likely tell their family and friends about you, positioning you as a highly recommendable employer.  

This ultimately adds up to your marketing value through organic reach and free word-of-mouth advertising. 

Employee Productivity  

Studies show that happy employees are more productive by up to 20% in comparisontounhappy employees,and your workplace culture has a lot to do with it. 

People working in a toxic environment would be distracted and slow in getting things done. On the other hand, team members who are surrounded with enthusiastic people show better productivity and improvedtime management skills.  

With productivity comes greater results for your business . Tasks arecompleted, projects are delivered, all while engaging your team members to step up. 

While rewards do wonders in inspiring employees to put their best foot forward, it is still the culture of a workplace that’s driving them effortlessly to become an asset to the team.It helps them become invested in the company and its cause. 

What shapes a workplace culture?  

At first, the culture of anorganisationis mostly influenced by its leaders and founders. But as the business grows and builds its identity, the culture would then be largely shaped by the employees. 

1. Leadership  

Decision-makers influence a company’s culture through the waythey communicateand interact with employees,the path theorganisationis taking, and their vision for the future. 

Management style,organisationalstructure, and hierarchy also shape the culture of a workplace. Is your company’s leadership autocratic or democratic? Consultative or directive? Does it employ a transformational leadership or a bureaucratic one?  

Thetype of leadershipyou have in your company is one of the main influences of a company’s culture. Whilethere is no one leadership style that guarantees the most ideal workplace culture, employee engagement is one good sign  of an effectiveleadership-based work environment. 

2. Policies  

Company policies are both a driver and a manifestation  of your workplace culture. The existing culture of a company influences the policies that are being implemented, which then produces new norms among employees. 

Dress codes, attendance, code of conduct, incentive programs, and so on—these are great indicators of a company’s culture which also affect employeebehaviourand work ethics. 

For example, businesses that require their employees to wear corporate attires andbegin to work at 8:00 AM sharp create a disciplined and firm workplace culture. Meanwhile, creative agencies that allow their people to come to work wearing shirt and ripped jeans while they enjoy a flexible work schedule would most probably have a more open and sociable culture.Your policies should support the type of culture you are trying to create andnurture. 

3. People  

As proven several times, people shape the culture of their workplace . Though leaders get to influence the company’s directions, it is ultimately the employees who will form the culture entirely. 

It is not only because it naturally happens, but because workplace culture matters to them . In fact,88% of employeesbelieve that a distinct culture in the workplace is important to business success. 

How team members interact with each other and work together to deliver outputs determine a people-based culture in the workplace. That is why team buildings are a vital part of a company’s development planning. 

Moreover, subcultures become evident  as factions are formed within teams. It is human to make friends with people you share common interests with, and the more you spend time together as a group, the more prominent the subculture becomes. 

On the flip side, a negative workplace culture could also be formed through unproductive habits of employees. If gossiping is a norm in your company, or if there is a conflict among teams, then it will manifest in your culture in the long run if left unaddressed.With such a large portion of their time being spent in the workplace, employees are becoming increasingly fussy about who they work for and the type of culture they want to have.  

4. Environment  

A company’s workplace is another factor in anorganisation’sculture. 

How your office is designed contributes largely tohow employees interact with each other . For instance, if the workplace has office cubicles that separate work stations, then it promotes a highly focused and productive environment.  

Offices with more open spaces and common areas encourage a culture of collaboration and teamwork. Furthermore, some artsy decor, uniquely designed furniture, cool lighting fixtures, murals, andeven playgroundscan influence a culture of creativity in the workplace. 

If a business operates without a physical office, like a home-based setup or through online freelance sites, then the culture is largely determined by the platforms they use.  

How often do you report or have a team meeting? Do you have weekly catchups through video calls, or a status report via email should suffice? Do you personally meet up every once in a while or is it pure business? 

Work environment plays a big role  not just on employee productivity, but also on how the team members perceive their value in the company. A poorly maintained work space has an impact on the morale of the team members, affecting their output and work attitude. 

5. Technology  

Companies have already embraced digital solutions for their businesses and are becoming more and more tech-savvy. With how fast the pacing of technology is, it has never been this crucial to keep up with thelatest technology trendsand developments in the industry. 

Technology greatly affects the culture of a company, and your IT team is most responsible in turning it into a business advantage. 

Do you provide your employees desktops or laptops? How about mobile devices? Does your workforce team make use of online portals for attendance monitoring and leave filing? Do you employrobots in the workplace?  

The level of technological advancement contributes to the business culture. This becomes more essential if you are in the industry of delivering IT services or other related fields. 

Identify Your Workplace Culture  

Among the given factors, which one contributes mainly to your workplace culture? Have you been able to identify any scenario in your workplace that greatly constitutes to your company’s overall persona? 

A workplace culture can be shaped by multiple factors.That’s why it is important to align your business objectives to how you lead your team, choose people you hire, implement policies, and design your office andtechnical setup. 

The ultimate business goal goes beyond achieving target sales or ROI—it is equally important to make key decisions that will greatly benefit your culture and of course, your people. 

Interested to learn more about thelatest developments in recruiting? Followour blog.