Creating a healthier company culture takes time, energy, and the buy-in of all employees. According to research by Deloitte, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe having a distinct company culture is important to the success of a company. Building a positive and healthy company culture can improve retention, benefit your current employees, increase loyalty and job satisfaction, and improve your organization’s success.
What does a healthy company culture even look like? Each workplace may have its own definition; it could be prioritizing acceptance or appreciation for diversity, respect, a sense of internal pride, strong company leaders or even lower turnover rates. A healthy culture does not fit one mold, but instead should be shaped by the employees that work there.
Tangible Ways to Create a Healthier Company Culture
- Assess Your Current Company Culture
Listen to, watch, and ask employees. The best way to change or improve your company culture is to look at the one already in place. How would your employees define your culture? How would they describe morale? Do they think your core values and mission align with their daily work? Are they satisfied with the work they are doing? Do they feel comfortable with the physical and emotional atmosphere of the workplace? Begin by assessing your current culture and identifying what is working, what isn’t, and what needs to change.
- Encourage Collaboration
Creating a healthier company culture cannot be forced and needs to be encouraged by all employees, not just the C-Suite. To gradually and seamlessly implement change company-wide, start by inspiring an open dialogue. You’ve already asked your employees what they currently think about the culture, now ask them what they’d like to see changed. Start conversations with employees from all departments, levels, seniority and show them how valuable their input is. Make employees a part of the solution.
- Inspire, Motivate and Provide Meaning
Employees crave purpose, meaning, and want to identify with their company. Maybe it’s time to revamp your mission statement and core values. If you’re a small company, schedule an all-staff meeting and if you’re a larger company, start by meeting with entire departments. Collaboratively redefine what your company culture and values will be internally and how you will communicate them outwardly. Set company-wide goals that will bring employees together as they work to hit them.
- Encourage Employee Wellness
Wellness does serve a role in changing or improving company culture. Wellness does not just encompass physical health, but also mental and emotional. Various companies may have different definitions of what wellness means. It can be adding mental health days, increasing PTO, providing mental health resources, adding a fitness center, or even implementing an onsite health clinic. Employee wellness can also mean professional development or financial wellness resources, like BrightDime, a TargetCare partner that provides education and coaching to help manage personal finances. When employees are healthier and feel supported, companies thrive.
- Take Action
Now that you’ve discussed and revamped the values, goals, and mission statement that will contribute to a healthier company culture, take action. Start offering stronger benefits to employees, make resources and support more accessible, and show your employees that you care through investing in tangible benefits.
