How Good Company Culture Starts from the Top Down

Let’s say you pay your employees a higher salary than the average wage in the industry. You also offer them some of the best benefits out there, and you have the best employees and office environment. Yet, you still find your employees are unhappy. It might be time to take a look at what is going on at the top of the company and how the company culture has been structured. The truth is if your company leadership fails to create a positive company culture, you won’t have one. 

Culture is a key factor in a company’s success. Culture influences whether an employee with confronts his or her boss about an issue or if they will hide it, along with other issues which will eventually build up into one big explosion one day. Company culture influences the way your team works on a day to day basis because it what builds a pleasant, productive work environment. 

Why Company Culture Matters

Are you a company that experiences a high turnover? If not, don’t you want to prevent turn over in every way possible? Studies show that 47 percent of people searching for a new job is because of poor company culture. You can offer your staff the highest salary in the industry, but the driving force for a new job search is poor management, long hours, and stress. If you are experiencing a high turnover rate in your organization, you might want to consider what it costs you. The article “How Much Does Employee Turnover Really Cost?” goes into depth about how turnover really financially effects a company. 

Good company culture also acts as a recruiting tool. Potential employees can tell the difference between an uptight, unhealthy work environment and a transparent work environment where employees have freedom. Employees entering the workforce notice the difference between the two, and if they were faced with two options of a high salary and poor office environment or a mediocre salary and fun, lively office environment, they would go with the mediocre salary and fun office environment. 

The average person spends 40 of the 158 hours of their week at their job. The workplace should be a place where they are comfortable and motivated to get work done. However, this can be difficult if the atmosphere is too uptight, and they experience stress on a day-to-day basis. A company with a good work culture can help to reduce work-related stress making it a productive and fun environment for everyone! 

Characteristics of Good Leadership

It is important to carefully consider who you put into leadership roles at your company. Leaders at your company set the culture for your company. Leaders should strongly enforce communication and always remain approachable. We all have had or maybe heard of those bosses who are unapproachable and seem too busy for the “little” people. This is where many issues derive. No matter the seniority of an employee, every person matters and contributes to your bottom line. If they weren’t contributing in one way or another, you wouldn’t be paying them. That is why it is so important to recognize each employee and value the work they are doing. Good communication starts with leaders in the company and their ability to greet employees and make them feel recognized each and every day, even if it takes a simple task such as saying “good morning” each day. 

As a leader, it’s so important to take other employee’s opinions into consideration. Not only does it let the person know you are listening, and they are being heard- but it offers you a new perspective. In leadership roles, you are continuously faced with decisions that sometimes have to be made for the better of your company. You should always consider situations from your employees’ perspective- not just yours because you are the leader making the decision. If you start to make decisions by putting yourself in others’ shoes, you will notice a change in your work environment as employees will build more respect for you. 

With that being said, good company culture has a positive work environment. Negative work conditions can lead to stress and unhappiness and lead to a bad situation for both an employee and the company. People tend to feed off of others’ energy, so if there is a negative atmosphere, it will continue to carry throughout the office. Likewise, if there is a constant positive energy, the team will feed off each other for a fun, productive work environment. 

How to Boost Company Culture From The Top

Good company culture starts from the top down. If you are a leader and notice your company culture needs a change, it starts with you. Wondering how you can put these ideas into practice? Start by becoming the real you. It is easy to let work get in the way of our personal lives, and we find ourselves associating these negative emotions like stress and frustration with the work environment. Try integrating work and your personal life, to show people you really are a real person. 

Another way to boost your company’s culture is to be completely transparent with its employees. Wondering how you can work on being completely transparent? Start by sharing reports. Whether it’s good or bad, your team will see how their contributions played into the larger success and will feel invested. If the data isn’t great, don’t be afraid to share it. It might also help them to persevere and will appreciate your effort to come forward. 

Lastly, don’t be afraid to give your team freedom. The National Workplace Flexibility Study shows that flexibility improves morale and performance, leading to overall company success. Your team will begin to value the work-life balance they have and will show it in the work they continue to produce. 

In conclusion, good company culture is essential to every company’s success and starts at the top with its leaders. If you notice your company can use improvement in its company culture, take a look at the top to see what your leaders are doing. 

To learn more about positive work environments and how they affect businesses today, stay tuned for our upcoming blogs.