How to Create the Company Culture Every Employee Dreams Of

At the heart of every business are the people. Employees can make or break your company, therefore one of the BEST ways to develop your company is to develop powerful people around you. Create a Culture that makes people EXCITED to come to work and inspired to engage at an extraordinary level.

One of our favorite quotes is,

CFO TO CEO: “What happens if we invest time and resources in developing our people and they leave us?”

CEO answers: “What if we don’t take the time to develop them and they stay?”

Some of the most successful companies in the world leverage this by creating work  environments and company cultures where their employees are set up for success. If most employees spend almost half of their lives at work, why not create an environment where people love to come and be the best that they can be?

Here are 3 ways to invest in your employees and create a company culture that everyone is excited to be a part of:

1. Hire and Onboard well

A common mistake that many leaders and managers are not experienced in is the importance of hiring the great employee over the good worker. There’s a difference between someone who has good skills, versus someone who is committed to your company’s success. An extraordinary employee is dedicated to continuous learning, growth, and going above and beyond to support the company’s vision and goals. As new recruits enter the workplace, they bring in their former habits, attitudes, and ways of doing things that can influence your current company environment. This is why it’s extremely important to have a well thought-out onboarding and training process to acclimate new employees to YOUR company’s core values and mission. Use this onboarding process to train new employees to understand what you're committed to as their employer and as a company. This sets up both the employee and organization for long-term success.

2. Create a Thriving Work Environment

Once you have a team of quality employees, create an environment where they can thrive. Studies show that people are at least 30% more productive when they are happy, so be committed to creating an atmosphere of encouragement, open communication, freedom to be innovative, and mutual cooperation. One of the most practical ways to create a thriving work culture, is to recognize employee contributions. While acknowledgement is one of the easiest things to do, it is surprising how few leaders actually practice it. Since the 1940’s, research in the field of employee motivation has consistently shown that recognition is at the top of employees’ “wish lists,” followed by challenge, achievement, growth, and security. Commit to creating a work culture that employees are excited about, and watch their productivity increase.

3. Develop a Culture of Accountability

In addition to hiring quality employees and creating a positive work environment, it’s important to establish a culture of accountability. Once you have a team of employees that are inspired and motivated to do quality work, there should be systems of accountability in place to ensure that the work  is actually getting accomplished well. There are many different ways to establish a culture of accountability, and some systems can include: having monthly meetings for team members to give updates on their latest projects and review your company goals; facilitating quarterly evaluations to discuss what’s working and what’s not working with each employee; having an “open door” policy where employees are free to ask questions or get feedback from management; or even simply posting the company’s core values and mission statement where all can see and be inspired by the vision that they’re committed to. There are many ways to establish a culture of accountability, so get creative and figure out what works best for your team.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Have you clearly defined the type of people you want working in your company?
• Who is in charge of doing the interviews in your company?
• Do you have a clear vision statement, mission statement and core values that are regularly communicated to everyone in your company?
• Do you model and encourage uplifting, clear, and effective communication amongst your team members?
• What systems of accountability do you have in place to inspire employees to be their best?
• Are you communicating your expectations clearly?
• Are you initiating “fun” into your work environment?
• Do you prioritize team-building activities or company outings in your business?

“Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

- Richard Branson

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