Taking company culture seriously at your organization can be a massive undertaking. This is because there are so many implications to understanding what your culture looks like (and what it means for your current staff members.) Creating a company culture committee can be the perfect way to take steps toward creating a more defined workplace culture.
Today’s article will walk you through what you need to know to form one of these essential committees at your organization.
What Is a Company Culture Committee?
First, let’s start by defining what a company culture committee is. Essentially, these committees form to ensure that different voices are heard when companies make decisions that impact workers.
Different organizations may have unique use cases or activities for these groups to run. These committees look different based on the organization’s size, the funds the group has, and how engaged staff members are.
To summarize, having these committees should prove valuable for companies that want to improve team member bonds.
Why You Should Create a Company Culture Committee
Next, let’s cover why you should create a company culture committee. As you are trying to get leadership buy-in, pointing to some of the benefits of the committee will help you sell this.
Thoughtful committee creation can have profound positive effects on organizations. Here are some things you can expect when you invest in a company culture committee:
Committees Help You Represent the Interests of Different Employees
As your organization grows, it should become far more diverse. It can be challenging to represent the needs of a diverse group if you aren’t actively talking to a variety of employees.
Most committees are built with representation in mind. You might choose to create committees based on gender, race, department, or any number of demographic factors. These committees will help you understand how people from a wider audience feel (or they can’t point you to where to find more information.)
Company Culture Committees Ensure That Your Organization Is Making Progress on Culture Goals
Having a goal to improve company culture is one thing. The next step of forming a committee ensures that you have employees who can hold you accountable.
Once you’ve created SMART goals related to company culture, you can share those goals with your committee. After that, encourage your team to look over your goals and ask about the deliverables you promise.
For instance, if your goal is to have 6 company culture events per year, your committee can keep you honest. Are you planning and holding these events every year? If not, you are missing your goal. Your committee can be in charge of the actions taken once you miss a goal deadline.
On the other hand, your committee can also work with you as you set up company culture goals. Since their committee will be devoted to culture, it makes sense that they help you with goal prep. Either path creates a better culture for your workplace.
Company Culture Committees Look Good to Outside Parties
As you are trying to reach outside investors, recruit new employees, and improve your company’s brand, company culture committees can look amazing.
How does that work? Simply put, people love when organizations value their workers. As a result, your engagement rate will likely be higher than other organizations in your space. Overall, your company can expect positive rewards from creating and advertising company culture committees.
How to Create a Company Culture Committee
Now, you’re probably wondering how to create one of these committees. Again, it’s simpler than you think. Here are some tips to help you out.
Understand the Demographics of Your Team
First, you need to understand the demographics of your team. If you want to represent your staff, you’ve got to know the makeup of it. Send a demographic survey to understand who’s on your team.
After you get your survey results back, you should be able to see any interesting trends you need to account for when filling out your committee. For example, you might decide to balance based on gender, age, race, etc.
However you choose to balance, take time to build a committee that represents your organization. You shouldn’t rush this decision.
Ask For Volunteers
Second, you want to ask for committee volunteers. Take some time to sit down and write out a few things about your company culture committee:
- A thorough description of what the committee is tasked with doing.
- Include items like the committee appointment period, how you will choose committee members, meeting times, etc.
- A form that employees can fill out to express their interest.
- Be sure to add a few questions to the survey so that you can vet their interest.
Don’t forget to promote this opportunity to your workers. Ask for volunteers at a couple of meetings to keep committees top of mind.
Don’t Forget to Work With Other Departments
As you are working to find volunteers, don’t forget to keep other company departments in the loop. Working on culture from a leadership perspective is amazing, but sometimes that can leave others out making it harder to get buy-in.
After you decide to tackle company culture with a committee, reach out to other leaders to understand how they want to interact with this process.
Set Aside Funds to Support the Vision of the Committee
Finally, companies have to put money behind cultural initiatives. Wanting a committee is just the beginning. If your committee doesn’t have the money to make the changes they need to make, they won’t get much done. After all, you want this committee to be more than lip service.
You don’t have to go bankrupt supporting company culture. For instance, you could give your committee a small $500-$1,000 budget per quarter. Then, your team can find a simple activity to organize for employees each quarter. Encourage them to find events that will make the biggest impact on company culture.
Conclusion
Company culture committees can make a huge impact on organizational growth. As your team expands, you have to find ways to keep everyone centered. Focusing efforts on learning from different workplace groups will help you lead better.
Are you looking for a place to market, manage, and measure your company culture committee community? Look no further than Workrowd! After you check us out, send us an email at hello@workrowd.com to see if we’re right for you.
