There is nothing better than working in a company with a great company culture. Having a positive work culture reflects positively on employee retention and financial goals of your company.
Here we cover 9 powerful signs you have your company culture in the positive.
A positive company culture elevates employee enthusiasm, encourages better productivity and in the end, leads to better company performance. This is why creating a positive company culture matters.
“You have to be a place that’s more than a pay check for people.”
– Rick Fererico
Imagine having your employees wake up every day looking forward to getting back to work with the rest of their colleagues that they enjoy being around. A positive company culture does that. Employees should look forward to going to their jobs.
In fact, they should have a hard time leaving because they enjoy the challenges, their colleagues and the atmosphere. While the work may be demanding, your company culture should not add to the stress of the work.
Here are 9 powerful signs of a positive company culture
A long line of future employees
You know you have a positive company culture when people are waiting in line to be part of your company.
It is likely not because you are offering more money than other organisation; It is possible that they could find better remuneration package elsewhere. However, people have heard about your company culture and they are keen to be part of it.
Low employee turnover
Another one of the signs of a positive company culture is when your current employees have been around for a long period of time and have no intentions of leaving the company.
Having a good salary and being in the comfort zone in the company are often good enough reason not to search for another job but it is normally having a healthy company culture that makes your employees stay for an unexpectedly long time. Employees would not leave the company if they are waking up happy and excited for work every morning.
Smiles and laughter
How do you know you have a positive company culture? You are often greeted with a smiling face or you hear well wishes of “Good morning!” being exchanged by your employees at the corner of the office.
When you are at your desk, or walking down the hallway or the moment when you stepped into the office. You hear people having conversations and having a good time in the midst of high stress level with intense focus.
“People rarely succeed unless they are having fun in what they are doing.”
– Dale Carnegie
Sense of job security
When you have developed a sense of job security among your employees at the workplace is one of the signs of a positive company culture.
This may be a little tough to notice but you will only realise it during team meeting or project briefing. Your employees are not worried about their colleagues succeeding in a task given or a project. In fact, they encourage and congratulate each other without animosity.
See this great article on young people and their views on job security.
No Gossiping
You know you have a positive company culture when gossiping is not tolerated but it just does not happen. At any level or position, gossip is shut down with an encouragement to speak directly to the individual.
When employees understand that they can be honest towards their colleagues and trust them, the intentions of gossiping does not occur. Instead, they tend to assist one another when help is required; regardless if it is work-related problem or a personal issue.
“You have to maintain a culture of transformation and stay true to your values.”
– Jeff Weiner
It is not ‘just a job’
Looking forward to heading to work every morning is one thing, but looking forward to seeing colleague is another. Employees are serious when they are at work, feeling very determined to accomplish the task given to them.
However when it is time to knock off from work, your employees take their time to leave the office as they are still chatting with their colleagues, not wanting to leave just yet. Or they head to the pub together after work to watch that soccer match together.
This does not mean they do not have other friends, but they really enjoy the company of the people they work with. This could be one of the ways on how to engage employees and get employee participation without you even trying.
“Positive culture comes from being mindful, and respecting your coworkers, and being empathetic.”
– Biz Stone
Employees are energised
Another sign of a positive company culture is when there is a sense of employee engagement when it comes to completing a task as a team or individually. You often hear employees discuss about the task at hand and trying to help each other in finding solutions as a team. It gives them energy and they are constantly thinking of ways to get it done.
Employees are engaged and they work together on all work related projects and help where necessary. It does not matter who gets credit for what because they accomplished everything together. Your employees are knitted together, not separated.
Embracing new ideas
Another one of the signs of a positive company culture is seeing that your team embraces new ideas – all the time.
They do not sulk or whinged at a new idea you thrust at them, instead your employees pitched in thoughts to your idea and some would even suggest a better solution in delivering that idea, making it perfect.
See our article on team building activities for ways to improve this.
Open communication
No hidden agenda, no secrets – having an environment of open communication is another one of the signs of a positive company culture.
The employees are not surprised with any information they did not hear until it was announced at a meeting or they received the details when they checked their email. New information is communicated well in advance with managers even asking the employees to help find solutions.
In Summary
It is worth the investment for companies to build and nourish their culture. As an employer or a leader, you would want happy employees because happiness means more productivity and this would lead to better monthly sales for the company.
Regardless if you are creating a new company culture or embracing a new one, try looking out for the signs of a positive company culture which could lead to a better workplace.
Good luck!
