Easy Ways to Change Company Culture in the Workplace

Easy Ways to Change Company Culture in the Workplace

For many businesses, hiring top talent is a number one priority in 2021 – particularly when you consider that a negative recruitment process can cost businesses in the long run.

Studies suggest that replacing employees who leave due to a toxic work environment can cost companies thousands each year in turnover costs. Conversely, there is evidence to suggest that great company culture can lead to a 33% increase in revenue.

Leaders need to acknowledge that a prosperous business relies on the importance of positive company culture – it’s difficult to move a company forward and thrive without it, and a weak culture can make it difficult to recruit the talent needed to be successful and preventing you from reaching the next stage in your growth journey.

While there are many things a company can do to help with recruitment, taking a look at your company culture could be the most effective use of your time for 2021.

Passion and enjoyment have become extremely desirable

Work takes up such a large portion of employees’ lives, so it’s not surprising that individuals are increasingly looking for job satisfaction in the workplace.

Hiring processes of the past may have put the business in control, but today, there is a lot more balance of power. The business environment now is more about mutual evaluation and finding the right fit for both the individual and the company. As such, people want a say in the company culture they are working in.

The culture of a workplace plays such a vital role in the enjoyment and fulfilment for staff members. There are various ways that a company can make going to work an enjoyable experience and improve efficiency at the same time.

Offering company benefits such as flexible working, performance bonuses and external training opportunities build rapport among the team, invokes trust and encourages growth – all of these and more are incredibly important to staff and make a workplace a fun place to be.

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Employee engagement is one way of improving the culture of an office and it’s been proven that engaged staff are more productive, happier and more invested in the goals and objectives of their job and the business as a whole.

Recruitment is easier if staff can see that they’re going to be given the opportunity to voice their opinions and have a say in how things work within the company, as it provides motivation and allows people to have a contribution.

Promoting a healthy work-life balance

Encouraging a healthy work-life balance within your organisation is nothing new when discussing positive company culture.

It involves supporting your team with matters both inside the four walls of your company as well as external stresses from daily life – pressures of family, friends, personal health, lack of sleep all alongside the stresses that come with having a job.

Burnout is a leading concern for many businesses. Leaders can fail to recognise the early warning signs of individuals struggling with being overworked. Signs of early burnout can including feelings of complete exhaustion, loss of motivation, withdrawing from tasks and responsibilities – even physical signs such as headaches and stomachaches.

Introducing or further developing an open communication working environment, structured policies and offering support to your team can help combat burnout in your organisation.

Studies show a strong correlation between staff that actively practice a healthy work-life balance tend to be more productive in the hours they are working. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is beneficial to the company as well as the individual.

If you’re interested in finding out ways to encourage a healthy work-life balance for your employees, check out Pingboard’s post on, 10 Ways to Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance for Employees.

Positive leadership employees can trust

60% of employees have left or would leave a job if they had a bad boss, which shows how vital positive leadership is to recruitment and staff retention in the workplace. If leaders are not trustworthy and have a bad reputation, it can be incredibly challenging to retain or hire new outstanding staff.

It’s important to remember that a positive company culture comes from the top down – leaders have a responsibility to foster a culture of trust, openness and honesty.

A company’s reputation can often precede it so if hiring and retaining top talent is a priority, so too should strong leadership be.

Understanding the nature of a leadership team and how they communicate with each other is vital to overall positive workplace culture. Ensure leaders plan impactful one-to-ones with open and honest communication within their team.

Easy Ways to Change Company Culture in the Workplace

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Celebrate and connect your team

Employees often want to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Working in a team and delivering work as a collective can boost productivity and enthusiasm for the work they’re producing.

Involving team members in your company goals will encourage them to invest more into you and your dream – after all, they’re the ones that are going to help you get there.

Organise monthly catch-ups for the whole company to discuss progress being made whether it’s securing a new client, exceeding targets and delivering on projects. Here’s an opportunity to uplift your team, celebrate both individual and team wins, boost morale and to iron out any cause of concerns within the company.

Open communication throughout all levels of your business will ultimately help your team and business thrive.

Company culture decisions affect mental health

Company culture plays an important role in the mental health of employees and we’ve all experienced or witnessed the impact that a stressful workplace can have on an individual’s wellbeing.

A company that prioritises the mental health of its staff will have much more success where retention and recruitment is concerned, as a stress-free and happy workplace is something that so many people value.

There are various ways of caring for the mental health of your staff, from regular check-ins to making sure staff have a clean and tidy environment to work in and encouraging breaks and team-building for better relationships between colleagues.

What are the values of the business?

To hire the right person for the company, you need to define what is important to the organisation as this is central to the culture. What are the strategic goals? What is the business’ mission statement?

Candidates who can relate to these values will be attracted to the company and this is important for fostering a team of people who understand the ambitions of the business and are motivated to work towards them.

A positive culture is all about establishing a focal point that everyone can aim towards, so having an established set of values and behaviours that are at the core of the business is key.

Inclusive hiring policy

Adopting an inclusive hiring policy can work wonders for improving company culture. Workplace environments can sometimes quickly reflect who you are as a company and what your core values are. Many of the issues faced with bias recruitment can be linked to organisations and outsourced recruiters favouring candidates based on their gender, race and basic appearance.

Implement inclusive hiring programs can be a great way to both educate existing staff members and attract diverse talent to your organisation.

Encourage existing staff members with diverse backgrounds to engage and offer insights when developing your company’s diversity program and hiring policies.

In Summary

The recruitment process says a lot about a company, particularly in smaller businesses which are scaling up and have a lot to prove. Each person hired into the team can affect the trajectory and culture of an organisation, so talent must be chosen carefully.

But business leaders also need to question how they operate on a broader scale in terms of helping with the onboarding process and encouraging retention. Firms must educate people, both internally and externally, on the brand and culture of the company, so that it attracts the best talent and the right fit.

It’s also worth noting that culture is dynamic and needs to be assessed and managed regularly so that pain points can be addressed for greater improvement.

About the Author

Gemma Hart is an independent HR professional working remotely from as many coffee shops as she can find. Since graduating in 2013, Gemma has gained experience in a number of HR roles but now turns her focus towards growing her personal brand and connecting with leading experts. Connect with her on Twitter: @GemmaHartTweets