Company culture refers to the beliefs and values that are firmly held by a company and expressed through its goals. A strong company culture can help a company establish a public persona that will attract job applicants who share the same values.
In this article, we define company culture, the main character, and their core company beliefs to get an idea of who is corporate wise and human.
What is company culture?
Company culture is a collection of beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors sustained through a collective effort. Culture is what characterizes the organization. It may include how relationships are handled between employees and customers, the values put forth by the company, or the beliefs and attitudes held by team members.
Executives and higher-level management may not fully grasp their company’s culture. Company culture might suffer, for example, if defining and maintaining it is not a priority. Most businesses have at least a mission statement, which is a good starting point to identify the culture and make changes to develop the culture further as needed.
A company’s culture ultimately sets the tone for employee engagement and satisfaction. Without employees who enjoy and thrive in their environment, a business will likely struggle to succeed.
Attributes that impact culture
Each organization’s culture will differ depending on its mission and core values. The main attributes companies should consider when defining their culture include passion, autonomy, and performance:
- Passion is essential to employee loyalty and satisfaction. Employees who are consistently passionate about their work and workplace tend to feel more united in working towards shared goals.
- Autonomy should be prioritized among managers by trusting their teams to do their jobs well. A successful organization must understand that one of the key motivators for employees is feeling proud of their work. Empowering individuals to innovate and manage their work is essential to healthy, positive company cultures.
- Performance is another attribute that impacts the culture of an organization. Businesses should recognize and celebrate high-performing employees for the quality of their work.
Core values and company culture
A company must have a robust set of core values that will shape the overall culture. Core values are practices, ideals, or beliefs that outline how the company operates, including how it grows, allocates resources, and makes decisions. Identifying and defining an organization’s core values will provide structure and consistency. Examples of core values for a business include:
- Integrity
- Commitment to customers and employees
- Honest, direct, and open communication
- Quality and reliability of product/service
- Opportunities for growth and self-improvement
After establishing core values, business leaders can embody those values to implement a more defined company culture. To do so, the company’s leaders must live by those values and practice them daily. Setting goals and surveying employees can help leaders stay on track and maintain an atmosphere of accountability.
Additionally, new hires should understand the importance of the company’s core values. The company culture becomes more vigorous when an organization has a team of strong, hardworking individuals who adopt the company’s values.
Individual core values and company culture
Your core values can also impact the company cultures you look for when applying for jobs. If you’re unsure what your core values are, think about the traits and qualities you admire in mentors or leaders at work.
Identifying what motivates you can help you narrow down your values. Even your future career goals can shape the values you need to be prioritized in the workplace to achieve them. By prioritizing your values, it becomes easier to identify the right jobs as you search or make changes to the culture at your current job.
Additional benefits of a healthy culture
A more robust company culture brings several benefits to employees and the organization as a whole. When a team can share their challenges and successes, the members often feel they are part of a collective effort inspired by a shared goal. A robust and healthy culture will increase productivity, employee retention, and morale. Following a shared set of values will develop a fulfilling culture and inspire innovation. When a team feels more connected, the organization becomes more cohesive, making it less appealing to employees to consider leaving.
When making changes to the culture of a business, seeking input from the employees is a valuable tool that can help the team feel like they’re being heard and that their feedback is appreciated. Focusing on company culture in any business or industry is well worth the effort.
I worked for Leo Burnett IT for some time. It was company culture. You watched a black and white video on your first day for orientation, and the owner, Leo Burnett, said that the moment the work culture becomes more about profit than the employee, he wanted his name stripped from the walls and thrown down the elevator shaft of 35 WW with the daily apples he supplied.
Publicis Groupe S.A. has yet to do so; that might be why I don’t work there anymore, as well as plenty of Loyal Leos.
