85% of organizations find that companies with strong cultures have a competitive advantage. What’s more, 72% feel that culture helps change initiatives succeed.
Despite this, only 28% of executives understand their company’s culture. And if they don’t understand it, how can they channel it when doing their role? Let alone while interacting with employees or hiring new ones?
As for employees, just 22% feel connected to their company culture. Which is really sad, both in terms of the difference a strong company culture makes to employee morale, and the fact that companies with strong cultures see a 4x growth in revenue. That’s a lot of money potentially being left on the table.
So, how do you experience results that powerful? Here are some key areas to prioritize to join the ranks of companies with strong cultures:
Psychological safety
Psychological safety is the cornerstone of companies with strong cultures.
If employees don’t feel safe, accepted, and listened to, they won’t perform their best at work. They’re far more likely to quiet quit or become prone to absenteeism.
Employees may even become sick more often with exacerbated physical and/or mental health challenges.
On the other hand, when employees do feel psychologically safe at work, they’re happy. And happy people are more productive whatever their role within your business.
Shared mission
We all want to feel like we’re a part of something – like we’re making a difference in the world. (And I like to think we all want to leave the world a better place, even if some of us have different ways of going about it.)
When employees and their employer work toward a shared goal, it acts as a north star, keeping everyone focused on moving in the same direction. It also provides a lens for how the company operates, enabling more effective, efficient decision making.
Ownership
Toto Wolff, the team principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team, believes it’s his job to have shoulders that can carry some of the adversity that hits the Mercedes team.
He also tries his best not to let anyone on the team down. This isn’t just something he actively does; it’s part of who he is.
Wolff takes ownership of what happens within the team, and when it’s time to celebrate, he won’t take the full credit—he knows that success is a team effort, and he tries to spotlight it. This approach is common across companies with strong cultures.
Employee listening
A key practice at companies with strong cultures is listening to employees. What do they like about work? What do they dislike? Is there anything they need to perform better in their roles?
Whether you use your employee groups or an employee survey tool to find out what they need from you, employee listening is key to getting the most out of every team member.
One thing you could do to ensure you have the feedback you need is to roll out automated feedback surveys. This allows you to monitor positive and negative trends within your organization.
You can then double down on the positives and even use them as part of your employer brand to attract new hires.
For any negatives, you can take action so that your employees feel more listened to and supported.
Want help with your surveys? Get in touch to discover how Workrowd can help you automate your survey sending and analysis.
Quality of life
Never underestimate the impact someone’s personal life can have on their ability to perform in their role.
For example, Timpsons CEO James Timpson regularly checks in with all employees, even the ones who work in different parts of the UK. He’s based in London but has stores across the country. This can sometimes mean a whole day of travel just to get from London to Newcastle.
The travel doesn’t deter him. He visits stores then asks employees—regardless of rank—how he can improve their quality of life.
He has a £1 million budget per year which often goes specifically towards things like new teeth for employees.
The National Health Service’s dentistry is impossibly stretched right now, meaning it’s harder than ever to get affordable dental care.
Timpson knows the difference teeth can make not just on someone’s confidence, but on their quality of life, too.
After all, if your teeth hurt, you’re less likely to be able to eat well and look after yourself. Which means you can’t perform your best at work. If they’re really bad, they may even hurt when you’re not eating.
While dentistry may sound trivial and unrelated to work, it builds employee loyalty and happiness. It’s a pretty genius move on the part of companies with strong cultures if you ask me.
Upskilling and reskilling
Many of our jobs risk becoming obsolete or changing completely thanks to the rise of AI and shifting business landscape. One way to protect and support your employees through the new industrial revolution is by offering them upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
This could mean learning skills related to what they already do, or exploring topics in a completely different department. It all depends on what’s happening with their role and where they want to go with their career.
The more options you provide employees, and the more you listen to their suggestions, the safer and more secure they’ll feel working for your business.
And the more internal knowledge you get to retain, even if someone’s original job becomes obsolete. Retaining that internal knowledge alone could save you a lot of money, as it does for other companies with strong cultures.
Work-life balance
Do you expect employees to respond to messages outside of working hours? Or do you actively discourage them from doing so?
For many of us, we now default to responding to messages as soon as they arrive, even if it’s outside of working hours and we’re hanging out with loved ones or trying to disconnect for the weekend. We don’t question if there’s another way to do things.
But there is.
And it starts with leaders setting an example: encouraging employees to use their lunch breaks to get away from their desks, to use their weekends to recharge, and to spend time doing things that make them happy. Work-life balance is often a core component at companies with strong cultures.
Conclusion
Companies with strong cultures revolve around supporting employees to be their best selves, at work and outside of it.
When employees feel comfortable in their minds and bodies—and have an employer who can help them navigate the ever-changing world of work—they can perform their best, creating a stronger company culture and enabling you to make more money.
Want to ensure your organization is included when companies with strong cultures come to mind? Workrowd has the tools you need to succeed.
With a central hub for connection, culture, and career progression, you can give every team member more of what they want, without the stress. Visit us online to see how we can support you in achieving your company culture goals, or send us a note at hello@workrowd.com to schedule some time to chat.
