How to Build a Positive Company Culture That Engages Talented Employees

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.”

– Simon Sinek, author, Start with Why

The difference between being a good company and a great company to work in lies in its culture and the type of people you hire. Giving people the freedom to be awesome and treating them like you would like to be treated is the first step to building an atmosphere everyone enjoys working in. How so? Most business analytics will have you believe high performance comes with a strict structure and a carefully drawn 5-year plan but the truth is that performance is more of a company cultural challenge than a technical one.

The culture, the change, the talents 

Unmistakably, positive company culture is key to ensuring you hold onto your thriving company talent not only to build a loyal employee base but also to attach top-tier professionals' names to your brand. With such a mutually-beneficial environment encouraged, talents have all the tools to keep advancing in their professional fields while your company gets to maximize its profits.

These days, employees are actively avoiding positions in companies whose culture is known to be too stressful and negative which, in turn, is making the founders of those same companies address their values and potentially re-think their company dynamic. 

Sounds reasonable? Good. If you feel like your company could use an upgrade, here are a few tips to help you build a positive company culture that will engage your employees and create an atmosphere of empowerment and happiness. 

Share your company values

Every company is different and no matter how much you admire a particular (other) company and the way they do business, make sure you build and communicate your own. For instance, the same culture wouldn’t work on remote working or wellness programs like it would for high-tech business, digital marketing agencies or corporate structures, right? Right. This is why building something that works for you and your employees is crucial for long-term success.

If you aren’t 100% sure what your company culture is, take some time to narrow down your organization’s values, mission, ideas and the atmosphere you are hoping to achieve. Once you have, think of programs and techniques to make it a long-term reality. Also, be advised that not everything is set in stone and if something doesn’t work with the culture you’ve currently got going on, you can always change it/upgrade it/downsize it/etc.

Show gratitude whenever you can

Expressing gratitude in relationships is vital in virtually every aspect of our lives, the workplace is no exception. 

If you want to make your employees feel good about the work they do and the way they contribute to the company, show them you are grateful for all the hard work they are putting in. 

When the employees feel respected, supported and appreciated, they want to put in even more effort because they feel like their work actually matters. Contrary to that, if they are under the impression that all they do is for nothing, or that they’re actively undervalued – why would they even want to work in the first place?

Prioritize employee happiness outside of work

Showing appreciation to your employees and motivating them is a multifaceted job. While praises are lovely, there needs to be something palpable also: bonuses, wellness programs, days off, team buildings, bonus off days, daycare for their children, etc. all can be a fantastic way to show your people you care and motivate them for progress.

For instance, when you offer the employees wellness programs, you are showing you care about their well-being outside of work, too. The happier an employee is with their life, the more they’ll be up for showing up at work. Whether it’s gym memberships, on-site gym equipment, cooking classes, free snacks, or anything else in between, they are all great wellness ideas. 

Further, offering bonus off days upon reaching specific targets is a fabulous idea, not just for your company’s retention and employee engagement but your employees’ happiness outside of work. It’s a win-win!

Mainly, come up with ideas that work with your company culture, your budget, yearly targets, etc. and make them a reality. If something doesn’t work, you can always change it.

Provide purpose and meaning

There’s always a lot of work to complete in everyone’s day-to-day tasks and people often forget to keep in mind the bigger picture. As their employer, make sure you engage your employees by sharing the company’s purpose often, your targets, long-term plans as well as small things that are happening within the company. 

For instance, a simple newsletter sent out to all the employees when someone is promoted, changing departments, when the company’s donated money to a cause, or when someone’s joining the company are all great ways to keep everyone engaged and aware. Having a sense of meaning is always a good stepping stone to putting in extra effort and personally investing in company development.

Also, by keeping the employees informed of what’s going on, they are developing a sense of community and realizing there is a chance for them to thrive in this culture too.

Invest in your employees’ professional upgrade

Offer your employees the opportunity to upgrade within their respective professions by acquiring new knowledge, techniques and industry-relevant data. Organize courses, virtual classrooms, offer to pay their courses in outside-of-the-company classes, etc. Also, make your employees know that they always have the opportunity to switch departments if they, at a point, find a particular direction would suit them more.

Foster team mentality

Encouraging a team mentality is yet another great way to improve your company culture. When everyone’s united in the same goal, they work stronger together while still feeling appreciated for their individual efforts.

Other than emphasizing the importance of collective effort and a single goal, there are other ways to foster team mentality also. Team building activities, project groups, teams competing against each other in different assignments, hosting employee get-togethers, celebrating every employee’s birthday, having lunch together at the same time, collectively supporting employees that are returning to work, etc. are all wonderful ways to contribute to a team spirit.

Listen, listen, listen

With so many things on our plate, it can get hard to be mentally present at all times. While it’s understandable CEOs and other management groups can’t have all the time in the word to get personal with the people working with them, it’s always great to show up at least once in a while and communicate with people that are building your company. 

Have an HR that’s communicating with the employees and hearing them out about the issues they have. Point out supervisors that’ll cultivate an atmosphere of honesty and sharing so the employees will know they can go to them for advice, issue-sharing and everything else. Work together to solve those issues as much as you can, so everyone is happy. Other than that, the employees are those who experience day-to-day activities in the organization, so listening to what they’ve got to say may be crucial for your organization’s progress.

Build a better company culture

Having a close relationship with your employees works both for the company and the employees because the more your employees feel included, the more they’ll want to get engaged with the company’s goals and targets.

Healthy company culture is what inspires your employees to dream big, go a step further in their engagement, work longer hours if needed, and share ideas that may contribute to the company’s growth. When the company's culture is strong, your employees are more likely to remain at your company and contribute with their talents. A few tweaks here and there, and you are golden!