Workplace (Corporate) culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.
In this article, we will cover a few topics that our team at ConnectedHR covers in their Management Training Sessions.
The “Who,” The “Why” and The “Drive”
What drives your company? Is it the same thing that drives your employees?
You can start with a mission statement and corporate values. These two declarations guide your employees with them everyday work experiences. By outlining your core values and company mission, you are creating a culture that can be based on those values and goals.
Mission – a bold statement describing aspirational goals
Example: “We sell all-natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions that improve the quality of life locally, nationally and internationally.” – Ben and Jerry’s
Values – core beliefs that guide day-to-day behaviors
Example: “We treat customers the way we would want to be treated.” – Bank One
Employee Engagement
Only 32% of employees are “engaged” in their work. Why does this matter? Employee engagement is essential not only for the employees but also for the bottom line of your business.
Disengagement leads to:
- Higher absenteeism
- More accidents
- Errors and defects
- Unhappy customers
- Lost productivity – hundreds of billions of dollars lost each year
Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel about their boss and their company. You can measure where your employees stand with their company by how engaged they are with events or programs that are outside of their required daily duties.
As a manager, you want to engage your employees and create an atmosphere that they care about and can be proud of. And it starts with motivation.
What motivates people?
- Purpose – the feeling that an employee is here for the reason that is important to the overall company
- Passion – the feeling that an employee loves either what they do or where they so it
- Autonomy – the feeling of trust that an employee can make decisions
- Connection – the feeling that an employee understands and identifies with their company mission
- Competence – the feeling that an employee can perform their job duties effectively
- Growth – the feeling that an employee will be able to grow within the company or their personal life
Think of engagement in three categories:
Continuous Involvement
It takes more than one-time acknowledgments to keep your employees involved in your workplace culture. By keeping up with constant involvement, you can keep morale up and have your employees always looking forward.
Examples: Employee Nomination Program, Monthly Activities or Awards, Manager Acknowledgement without set times or days
Quarterly Activities
Quarterly activities are a great way to reconnect with your employees regularly. These can be something that employees look forward to and use it to stay up to date with their coworkers, managers and company news.
Examples: Quarterly Update Meetings, Luncheons, Training Seminars
Annual Events
Annual Events are a great reason to celebrate your teams on a grand scale. If you have the right yearly events, it can be something that your employees look forward to all year round.
Examples: Holiday celebrations, Family Day picnics, Award Ceremonies
Learn more about Employee Engagement from our experts at ConnectedHR! Access these Downloadables today!