You can’t measure a company’s success entirely by sales. You have to look at the workplace culture, which has a long-term effect on the company’s health. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, three things occur in a positive workplace culture:
- Employees know how leaders want them to behave in work-related situations.
- Employees believe the expected behaviors are the right ones.
- Employees know they will be rewarded for exhibiting the organization’s values.
These employees tend to demonstrate a high level of commitment to the organization. Conversely, in a bad workplace culture, employees don’t want to go to work, fear voicing their concerns about job-related issues, or feel unappreciated or disrespected at work — forming a recipe for turnover.
The bottom line is that for your organization to thrive, you need a strong workplace culture. Below are some characteristics.
Effective communication from management
Management clearly communicates the company’s vision, mission, values and expectations to employees. They build rapport with employees to develop mutual trust and respect. They make themselves accessible by keeping an open door. They put communication front and center. And they walk the talk.
Two-way feedback
To be at their best, employees need to know what they’re excelling at and what they must improve on. However, feedback is a two-way street, where both the feedback giver and the recipient are actively engaged in the conversation. This increases understanding and empathy while facilitating mutually beneficial outcomes.
Cooperation
In a positive workplace culture, employees know that it takes a concerted effort for the organization to succeed. They work as a team for the greater good. They harness their strengths and set aside petty differences to achieve harmony and their goals. They are considerate of each other, steering clear of toxic conduct.
Accountability
Employees are humans, and humans make mistakes. In healthy workplaces, management and employees own up to their mistakes rather than blame others or refuse to take responsibility. They learn from their mistakes and regard them as springboards for improvement.
Emphasis on well-being
Studies show that employees spend more than half of their waking time doing work-related activities. Moreover, the time spent at work, and the activities done there, all impact employees’ overall health.
Healthy workplaces understand the close link between employee well-being and productivity. Measures are taken to prevent burnout, health and safety hazards, and job-related stress. These employers place significant value on well-being benefits, including paid time off, health insurance, wellness programs, work-life balance, flexible work arrangements and mental health benefits.
Motivating and rewarding
In positive work environments, employees are motivated to come to work and perform at their maximum potential. This leads to lower levels of absenteeism, less staff turnover, greater productivity and better relationships between leaders and employees.
The key to motivating employees is to satisfactorily reward them for their contributions. Rewards come in many forms, including verbal praise, thank-you notes, bonuses, promotions, recognition awards, free lunches and gifts. Consider how well you are working with your employees.