How improving your company culture improves results

The world of work is changing as more and more young people enter the workforce. It’s no good just to have the regular 9 to 5 with regular pay. Young people are expecting more out of their work. These days, the kids are hooked on fulfilment, wellness, and a good company culture.

We spend, on average, eight hours a day at work which makes up 40 hours a week. Which is, roughly, a third of our waking life. The young’uns have caught on that life’s too short to be stuck in a stuffy office, with colleagues you don’t like, in a role that feels like it’s going nowhere. Younger people often want a job that offers much more than a clock-in, clock-out scenario. Jobs need to have a clear career path, attractive benefits in addition to decent pay, and a shared goal between the employers and the employee.

WHAT’S A GOOD COMPANY CULTURE?

But what’s a good company culture? What even is a company culture in the first place? How do you get one? In short, company culture is the personality, or essence, of a company. The vibes, if you will. I once asked an interviewer what their company culture was like and they didn’t have an answer.  If you’re looking for a perfect fit, and the interviewer doesn’t know what company culture is, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.

A strong company culture is not just limited to a positive drive. It also includes lifting and supporting coworkers, eliminating hierarchy and encouraging transparency, fair treatment, teamwork, and the chance to get down every once in a while.

For younger people to feel fulfilled at work, they often search for a company that shares a common goal, dream, or ideal that matches their own goals and dreams. Those who care about the environment are more likely to seek out roles in environmental NGOs, or companies that have a strong commitment to becoming carbon neutral or part of the circular economy. A company that has a bunch of individuals that have a shared goal, and work together to achieve that, create a strong company culture.

AND WHAT IT ISN’T

Company cultures manifest in different ways, but not all of them are good or desirable. Top-down, high pressure, work hard and party harder cultures exude success, but they’re not always sustainable or conducive to a great working environment.

It should also be stressed good company cultures are not just a toxic environment that occasionally does film nights or pizza parties in an attempt to slacken the tension. It involves working together to make the environment open, free, and transparent, where there is a human based approach and staff are treated with respect. With the odd pizza party for fun thrown in, of course.

THE KNOCK ON BENEFITS

While the tortured artist work ethic may work for some, generally the happier people are at work, then the more productive they become. So there’s not just a moral incentive to ensure employee wellbeing at work, there’s a business one as well. Companies with a strong, good culture tend to produce the happiest workers, and in turn, the most productive as well. If an employee feels supported, and feels like their work is heading towards something that they agree with and aim for, then their work will begin to reflect that.

Working in a positive environment also in turn results in less breakdowns, burnouts, and absenteeism. The goal is to create a place where people want to come to work. A supportive, inclusive, and fun office is often rewarded with a low turnover, loyalty, productivity, and growth.

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