For many years, it was common for businesses to manage their people through fear and control. But decades of research has shone a light on the relationship between workplace culture and business performance. And with culture becoming an increasingly important motivator for younger generations and early careers applicants, businesses are under pressure to adapt their cultures to attract the talent they need.

Understanding workplace culture

Business culture is more than just the stated values, beliefs and practices of an organisation. It's also the words and actions used by people within it, and the behaviours that are rewarded, tolerated or condemned. As such, cultures can be complex and nebulous. But businesses with strong cultures can enjoy a number of performance benefits.

The benefits of strong workplace cultures

To see how workplace culture benefits a business and its reputation, we can look to some leading examples from businesses today. Patagonia is a prime example of a company that has mastered its culture by aligning its values and storytelling to create a strong brand ethos across the company. From recruitment to marketing, Patagonia relays its message as an ethical brand consistently across its workforce, ensuring everyone understands and embodies the company's philosophy. The culture also extends to giving employees freedom and responsibility, creating an environment where its people are empowered to innovate and inspired to contribute.

Another notable example of strong workplace culture is Netflix. It is known for championing freedom and responsibility for its people and empowering them to make decisions and provide honest feedback. This approach creates an environment where employees feel valued and engaged, and allows its talented staff to excel without fear of micromanagement.

How can businesses create a thriving workforce culture?

To experience the benefits of a strong workforce culture, businesses should:

1. Empower employees: by enabling employees to work in the way that suits them and gives them responsibility for how they perform their roles, businesses can help staff feel supported, valued and trusted.
2. Align values: ensure everyone understands your values and knows how the company's philosophy translates into everyday activities
3. Encourage feedback: create a feedback culture where everyone’s input is valued, and all contributions are welcome. Honest feedback can be a rich source of insights for improvement opportunities.
4. Employee benefits: to attract top talent, regularly benchmark salaries and bonus schemes against market rates, and consider offering non-financial benefits, such as sabbaticals for long service. Generous leave allowances are also valued by employees.
5. Internal growth: promote talent internally, train people to develop and add to their skills and allow them to grow in their roles. You will save on recruitment fees, retain valuable company knowledge and attract candidates who want to build a rewarding career with a company.
6. Take on feedback: regularly survey employees to understand their feelings about work and share the results openly to demonstrate transparency. Creating regular opportunities for feedback can help leaders identify things that aren’t working well, areas for improvement and new ideas for cultural improvements that employees would like to see.

How we can help assess and improve your culture

A great workplace culture can bring a host of benefits to businesses. But when it comes to transforming cultures and knowing how to better understand the sentiment of your employees, it’s easy to get lost in what to do next. To find out more about assessing and improving your culture, get in touch with us today.

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