Most Americans spend a third of their lives, or 90,000 hours, working, and your employees hope for something more for their time than just a pay check. Finding a great place to work is incredibly important, so much so that a positive company culture influences candidates to apply.
From an employer’s perspective, a healthy corporate culture offers benefits that go beyond purpose and work-life balance. It also boosts productivity and, therefore, your bottom line.
How to get the most out of your company culture
JobSage’s reviews prove that an incredible workplace culture can help you improve results, but you need to know how to utilize it. Here’s how you can harness your company culture.
Employee mentorship
Mentorship is important in a healthy work culture because helping others drives our success. Leaders are responsible for being mentors to their employees and steering them in the right direction. By putting the time in, they’ll empower their workers and create more leaders.
Your employees are afraid of being criticized, ignored, or worse, but leaders who help their employees express themselves are likely to earn their trust. Once they do, their workers will feel comfortable communicating new ideas that help increase overall productivity even further.
Wellness initiatives
Healthy employees are hard-working, less likely to be depressed, and won’t experience severe financial difficulties. While all of these benefits also lead to a more productive workforce, employers can’t expect their employees to succeed in an uncomfortable environment.
You can improve your business by installing quality lighting, furniture, and equipment that reduces workflow complications. A pleasing environment can positively impact performance.
To help your employees take charge of their mental and physical health, create fun fitness challenges, encourage them to participate in a yoga class, and keep healthy snacks in the cafeteria. Consider employing an on-site counselor or massage therapist to reduce stress.
Generous rewards
Your employees work 40 hours a week, sometimes longer, to help you and your company succeed. By rewarding them, you’re showing your appreciation for everything they do to increase results. In turn, your employees feel valued and happier to be a part of your team.
While celebrating team wins is essential, it’s also necessary to coach your employees if they fall below expectations. A healthy work culture doesn’t criticize; it encourages self-improvement, lifelong learning initiatives, and support’s everyone’s long-term growth in the company.
Cultivate joy
Work can’t be all business all the time, but that doesn’t mean you’re giving your employees permission to mess around. Team building is a very important step in the collaboration process, so building relationships with your employees will actually increase job satisfaction and results.
Remember that your employees spend most of their life at work. By making your business a fun place to be, you’ll reduce absenteeism and notice more positivity and motivation.
Employers should inject a bit of fun into the workplace every single day. Something as simple as taking a walk around the park can boost employee morale and foster positive feelings about work. Fun activities, like field trips and parties, can help your team feel more connected.
Be supportive
Sometimes your employees will be anything but healthy or positive, and your response can help them recover from a difficult time. Simply giving your employees time to rest without causing feelings of guilt is already more than most employers do, but you don’t have to stop there.
A leader who shows empathy and concern will earn their employees appreciation and loyalty, usually for life. By reducing their stress and feelings of fear, they’ll recover much faster and return to work, ready to be productive. When you’re in your employee’s corner, everyone wins.
Flexibility and freedom
Remote and hybrid workplaces are becoming more popular because they lead to an overall increase in productivity. If your business can’t offer this option, you can give your employees more freedom with their work schedules and how they customize their desk and office space.
Giving your employees some control in how they mold and shape their environment will allow them to show their true personalities and cultivate more authentic friendships with coworkers.
Before the pandemic, many employees rated flexibility as their top workplace benefit. Employers that offered flexibility as a benefit reported greater employee retention and satisfaction. By giving your workers more paid time off and vacation time, you’ll create a happier team.
Honesty and inclusion
Without open and honest communication, it will be difficult for teams to respect each other. At the same time, your employees need to feel free to be their authentic selves. Otherwise, they may feel too nervous, introverted, or embarrassed to contribute their diverse but helpful ideas.
Corporations that hire more employees from diverse backgrounds inadvertently improve your team’s ability to adapt. That’s because they’re more likely to hear unfamiliar solutions to problems. By giving the floor to people with different perspectives, you promote inclusion.