Your company’s culture is critical to business success. It communicates your company’s personality and sets the tone for employees. A strong healthy culture can attract and retain top talent. A weak or toxic one, on the other hand, does the opposite.
So if you’re a manager, how can you build a strong culture and promote it? Through leading by example. Here’s how:
Know your company’s core values.
Your company values are so much more than just words on your website. They are how candidates will perceive you and make decisions about whether to apply to your company. They are also words your employees will expect you to live by. So if your values say one thing and you’re leading in another way, it could impact retention. Know your company’s values and build your leadership approach upon them.
Set goals for your culture.
Are there certain areas where you’d like to improve? Set goals and work toward them. To begin, talk to your employees about what they like and don’t like about working for your company. You might be surprised by the information you uncover. You’ll then understand what’s important to your people and can build a healthy culture that best speaks to them.
Keep your employees involved.
Whether your culture is fun and laid back or formal and corporate, keeping your people involved is critical. Beyond asking them for input on company culture, make it easy for them to communicate to you about issues, concerns or questions. When you have an open door policy and work to build good relationships with your people, it will have a positive impact on your culture overall.
Create a diverse workforce.
Make sure you’re not only hiring people with a similar background as you. Diversity can be a driving force when it comes to innovation and creativity. So when you’re hiring or promoting, make diversity – in thought, skills, life experience, and abilities – a priority. Don’t simply make decisions on what feels comfortable. Having employees from all walks of life will give your company a competitive advantage.
Encourage development for your employees.
If you want to retain your top staff, you need to offer opportunities for them to learn and grow. You can do this through mentoring programs, lunch and learns, seminars, or covering the cost of tuition for online courses. Whatever path you take, keep in mind that the more your employees learn, the better they’ll be able to serve your company. It’s a win for you both.
Be transparent.
If you’re planning some big changes, be open and transparent about them. When employees are left to wonder, the gossip mill will begin to run, leading to uncertainty and a “worst-case scenario” mindset. Instead, let your people know about situations, such as when a policy changes and why; any upcoming challenges you’re seeing in your forecast; and if you’re planning to bring on temporary workers. Failing to communicate can leave your workers with mixed messages and distrust.
Do you need help hiring for your team?
Whether you need people on a temporary or full-time basis, Provisional Recruiting can help. As one of the leading recruitments teams in the Northwest, we’re known and trusted for our approach to making excellent matches between clients and candidates.
We will work to learn about your company’s culture and hiring needs, then source and screen the best fit candidates. We’ll send the top few your way, so you can make the right hiring decision. We make hiring easier. Contact us today to learn more.