Toxic work environments. We’ve all probably worked in at least one, which means anyone can tell you that working for an organization like this is an absolute nightmare.
Whether it’s Bob in the break room complaining about his intern, Sally in sales who only gives negative criticism to her team, or Matt in management who debates his employees on when they can take time off, this negative work culture is enough to make anyone hand in their pink slip.
And high turnover is probably something that keeps you up at night. The good news is that creating a positive culture in the workplace can help stem the tide of turnover and actually make your employees happier and more productive!
But just how do you create a positive culture in the workplace?
Here are five tips to help you cultivate a work environment that is better for everyone.
Top Down
A good company culture literally starts from the top down. That’s right. It starts with the head of the company not only talking the talk, but actually walking the walk. Company culture consists of two cultural aspects–the written culture and the culture as it actually is in the office. To start, you’ll want to have company values that promote a positive culture, such as valuing diversity and inclusiveness. You’ll also want to have policies that show that you care about your employees as actual human beings, like paid time off and other benefits. But most of all, you’ll want to demonstrate those values yourself and ensure that your management team does also.
A Matter of Messaging
Beyond demonstrating your positive company values, you’ll also want to make sure that your values and culture are broadcast to all of your employees and often. Messaging is half of the battle when cultivating a strong company culture! Make sure that your values are in your company literature, brought up in training, and just generally shared often. It will serve as a good reminder not just to your leadership team, but everyone in the company. Plus, everyone will know what is expected of them, so it leaves no excuses for those who decide to bad-mouth other employees around the water cooler.
Feedback Loop
Don’t just let things go on autopilot. It’s important to seek employee feedback. Consider doing an anonymous survey every once in a while to encourage employees to be completely honest. This will help bring to your attention things that need fixing before the problem gets completely out of hand.
Star of the Month
Finally, be sure to recognize your employee’s hard work and dedication. This can be as simple as recognizing Karen for her hard work on landing a new big client during a team meeting. It doesn’t always have to be monetary in nature. The people working for you just want to know that they are appreciated and that their hard work isn’t going unnoticed.
Hire the Right People
When positions do come open, make sure that you are hiring the right people. I’m not talking about hiring someone based on skills alone. I’m talking about taking into consideration a candidate’s personality. Skills can be learned, but personality is less likely to change if at all. So while Joe may have the skills you are looking for, Jane may fit in better with your team’s personality–and Jane can always learn those skills you need (and is probably hoping for an opportunity to do so).
Ready to build a positive workplace by hiring for culture? That’s where Workzinga comes in. Our Culture Fit Assessment finds candidates that perfectly align with your organization. Don’t believe us? Try it out today!
