In my 25 years of experience working with top industry and government organizations, I know one thing is true: a company with happy employees and a healthy company culture didn’t get there by accident. Its leaders have carefully nurtured and curated their work environments to develop a sustainable foundation of responsive, respectful leadership that significantly improves their chances of long-term success.
Studies show that a company culture based in respect, compassion, and merit, also has better collaboration, lower turnover, higher levels of trust, and greater willingness to go the extra mile among employees.
In a recent Inc. article, Adam Robinson, co-founder and CEO of Hireology, a venture-backed hiring and talent management platform, shares his company’s three key ingredients to establishing a healthy company culture and earning their position as an Inc. Top 50 Best Workplace.
To create a healthy company culture, start with a blueprint.
Create a cultural blueprint guided by your company’s core values. Discuss how those values translate into your day-to-day interactions with each other and your customers. Then determine a method to check in periodically and measure your employees’ performance on these cultural principals.
Here are some questions to ask when designing your cultural blueprint:
- What are your company’s core values?
- How can each core value be translated into at least one real-life daily action?
- What can you do to make sure all current employees and new hires are aware of these core values, and how can you encourage them put these values into daily practice?
- What is the company’s compensation philosophy? What are key performance indicators for each employee? How do you communicate these performance goals with employees?
- What do you do when you realize someone isn’t a good fit for their job?
Approach human resources like a marketing department.
If you have a recruiting problem, your underlying problem is most likely how you market your positions. HR is much more than an administrative department. This function serves as your calling card to attract the best candidates and keep them engaged throughout the interview process.
Take an honest look at what your company is offering in terms of salaries and benefits when compared to your competitors. Use this same gauge when reviewing compensation plans with current employees. Consider establishing an employee advisory committee to ensure you’re keeping in touch with expectations and maintaining healthy company culture where employees feel appreciated and fairly rewarded for their hard work.
Establish a compensation policy based on merit.
Fuel your employees’ desire to go the extra mile by rewarding them for doing so. Rather than maintaining a flat wage pay scale, devote the majority of your compensation pool to individuals who deliver the greatest value to your company. Employees with outstanding performance will be more likely to continue pushing forward when these actions result in commissions, bonuses, or merit raises.
Contact us to learn more about building a healthy company culture by establishing your cultural blueprint based in mutual respect and rewards.
